*Note: Ok, here's is your chapter! I hope you like this one because we'll start with Mikan's story in this chapter. Her feelings, her thoughts, etc. Discover all of this in this chapter.
And don't forget to comment to give me your oppinion or suggestion.
Have a good day :)
...
Aside from Haruna and Yui, there were also others who were deeply thinking about what they should do from now on. Can you guess who? That's right — the original protagonist of To Love-Ru, Yuuki Rito, who was having dinner with his sister, Mikan, while thinking about what Akira had told him earlier that morning.
"Is something wrong, Rito?" - Mikan asked curiously.
Her brother usually devoured the meals she prepared, often going back for seconds, but today he had only eaten half a bowl of rice. It was obvious something was bothering him.
"I'm fine…" - Rito replied.
Mikan raised an eyebrow. Who was Rito trying to fool with that answer? His expression clearly showed something was on his mind.
"Rito, I know something's wrong. Why don't you tell me? Maybe I can help," Mikan said.
Rito looked at his sister for a moment and sighed. Should he really talk to his younger sister about what was troubling him? Normally, a boy wouldn't bring this kind of thing up to a girl her age — but Mikan was unusually mature. She had helped him out plenty of times before, so maybe she could offer some advice that would help him deal with the situation he was facing.
"Alright… I'll tell you" - Rito nodded.
He had nothing to lose. In truth, he didn't even know what to do anymore.
"I'm listening" - Mikan said.
She set her chopsticks down on the table and focused on her brother.
"It's about Sato Akira-san — that new student I told you about before" - Rito said.
"Sato-san? Yeah, I remember you mentioning that he'd become friends with Haruna-san. But… what about him? Did he do something to you?" - Mikan asked seriously.
Mikan wasn't going to let anyone bully his brother.
"No, it's not that, Sato-kun is not a bad person, it's just that..." – Rito said.
And then he began to explain to Mikan about Akira's goals and the feelings he had for Haruna.
"A harem? Rito, are you sure you haven't read too much manga lately?" – Mikan asked puzzled.
"Akira's fiancée lets him have a harem? And he already has two wives?" - Mikan couldn't believe it.
How could a woman share her man with other women? Didn't they feel jealous?
"Mikan, I swear it's true. And he also said he liked Haruna and wanted to make her his girlfriend" - Rito added.
"I see... but from what you told me, there's a pretty easy solution" - Mikan said calmly.
"What solution?" - Rito asked hopefully.
"It's simple: confess. Sato-kun told you himself — he's not going to wait for you, but he's also not stopping you. So why not confess before he does? That way, all your worries will be over" - Mikan said matter-of-factly.
From her perspective, it was an easy fix. According to what Rito had told her, Akira admitted he was in love with Haruna, that he'd do everything he could to win her heart, and even wanted her to become part of his harem — but at no point did he say Rito couldn't approach her or confess his feelings. So why hadn't her brother confessed yet? Mikan already knew Haruna liked Rito, and Rito liked Haruna. The problem was, neither of them had the courage to take the first step.
"I... You know I've tried. I've been trying for months, and nothing's worked" - Rito sighed.
"That's because you didn't really try. You never confessed her, not once. How is Haruna-san supposed to know you like her if you never tell her?" - Mikan said bluntly.
Rito sighed again. His sister was right… but it just wasn't that easy. Every time he tried to confess, he got nervous. His voice would tremble, his heart would race — and for some bizarre reason, those nerves would lead to two inevitable outcomes: either he couldn't speak at all, or he'd start rambling nonsense. And even worse, he'd suddenly become ridiculously clumsy. Seriously, it was like he lost all balance — tripping, falling, and somehow always landing in the most compromising and perverted situations imaginable. Face in panties, hand on someone women's chest or butt — it was like a curse. That's why, along with Saruyama, he'd been dubbed part of the "Perverted Duo," and most girls stayed far away from them. Except Haruna… who didn't seem to know about that.
The worst part? He never did it on purpose. They were all accidents — humiliating, inescapable accidents.
"I… I don't know what to do. Every time I try to confess to Haruna, it ends in disaster. And now I have a love rival who's already become good friends with Sairenji-san. What should I do, Mikan?" - Rito asked, defeated.
He hated feeling so helpless. He wished he could be bold and straightforward like Akira… but this was who he was. And changing that? That felt nearly impossible.
Mikan thought for a moment and sighed.
"Okay, I'll help you, I'll talk to Sato-kun" – Mikan said.
"Talk? And what will you say to him?" – Rito asked without understanding.
"I'll tell him to hold back a little, and I'll speak well of you too. I'm sure that if he hears your story with Haruna-san, he'll stop chasing her — or at least consider it" - Mikan said.
"Mikan, doesn't that plan sound a bit ridiculous?" - Rito asked.
He had already tried something like that before, and it didn't work.
"Yes, it's a ridiculous plan. But I've already given you dozens of tips that you never followed through on. What else am I supposed to do? You don't want to confess your feelings to Haruna-san, even now that someone else is trying to win her over. So tell me: what do you think I should do? Confess my feelings to Haruna instead of you? If you have a better idea, I'm all ears" - Mikan replied, clearly frustrated.
"Mikan, even if you're right, I still don't think Haruna would ever agree to be part of a harem. That's the only reason I believe nothing will happen anytime soon" - Rito said.
That was the only thing keeping him somewhat calm — he knew Haruna, and he was sure she'd never accept something like that.
"And how do you know that?"- Mikan shot back. "Didn't you say the foreign exchange student is already part of his harem? And she's only been at school for two days. What makes you so sure Sato-kun doesn't have the skills to convince Haruna-san too?"
Hearing that, Rito went pale. She was right — he hadn't thought of that. If that foreign girl had become his girlfriend in just two days… then what was stopping Akira from convincing Haruna eventually? The possibility had never even crossed his mind until now!
"Alright, I approve your plan. Please talk to him" - Rito said with a nod.
He knew it was pathetic to rely on his 11-year-old sister to help him with his love life… but what choice did he have?
Note: Lol, how can Rito be this pathetic? Honestly, I'm convinced that manga Rito would've done the exact same thing if he had a serious love rival. What do you guys think?
Mikan looked at her brother and sighed. How could he be so coward? She knew Rito was a good person — kind, honest, and she loved him deeply as her big brother — but she hated that cowardly side of him. In contrast, that Akira… he really seemed worthy of admiration.
"Okay, I'll talk to him tomorrow after school and explain everything. It sounds good to you?" - Mikan said.
"Yes!" - Rito nodded, much more energetically this time.
After that, Rito finally ate his food with a lot more joy, savoring his little sister's delicious cooking.
…
That same night, while Mikan was lying in her bed...
"Why do I have to be the one to help Rito in these issues? Why can't he be as decisive as Sato-kun?" – Mikan sighed.
As mentioned above, Mikan loved her older brother (in a familial sense), but sometimes his behavior was so irritating it put her in a bad mood — like right now.
"I wonder why it's so hard to confess your feelings? If you like someone, just tell them. If they reject you, tough luck. Why can't Rito do that? It's obvious they both like each other, but neither of them dares to take the first step" - Mikan muttered.
Then she recalled the words Akira had said to her brother.
"Even with a love rival, he still can't be more courageous... Seriously, I don't know what to do with him. Every day I cook for him, wash his clothes, and clean the house. I barely have time to do my homework or study. How much longer am I going to keep this up?" - Mikan sighed.
She didn't even have time to hang out with her friends anymore! Mikan and Rito's parents were currently living in different parts of the country. Their father was a mangaka who lived away from home for work, and their mother was a professional photographer who traveled constantly. They only came back home for major holidays like Christmas. Why couldn't her parents have normal jobs so she could enjoy her childhood instead of having to take care of everything herself?
As mature as she was, Mikan was still only 11 years old — and doing so much alone was physically and mentally exhausting.
"In exchange for all this, I'm going to make Rito help with the chores. He can wash the clothes, hang them up, and sweep the house. I'm not planning to live like this forever" - she declared.
Tell me — what's so wrong with wanting to enjoy your childhood at the tender age of 11? Are these thoughts selfish?
From an emotional and family standpoint, Rito and Mikan's parents could be seen as bad parents, due to their long absences and emotional neglect. But from a Japanese cultural perspective, it's not uncommon for parents to be away for days, weeks, or even months for work — and no one finds it strange.
Still, is it fair to Mikan and Rito?
An 11-year-old girl forced to shoulder all the housework on top of school, and a 15-year-old boy struggling with self-esteem issues. What do you think — from a realistic point of view — were Rito's parents good parents?
That's up to you to decide.
All Mikan wanted was to be a normal girl — not to be forced to act like an adult so soon.Is that really too much to ask?
Note: Let me know your thoughts in the comments!