Chapter 374: Arrest the Runaway Girlfriend (Patreon)

"Kita, have you seen Bocchi-chan?"

"Didn't she stay out all night with Jhin? What's wrong?"

Future Nijika scratched her hair awkwardly. "When I called her last night, I could hear things getting pretty intense on her end. If she's still not back now, I'm a little worried she might have passed out."

"Ahaha... it's probably fine. Should I give Jhin a call?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Before Kita Ikuyo could dial, Jhin appeared outside the room carrying future Hitori Gotoh on his back. "Honey! Open the door!"

Only after he'd laid her down on the bed did he explain. "I dropped present-day Bocchi-chan off at home first, so I'm a bit late. Nijika, here are the snacks you wanted."

"So, how was it?" Ryo smirked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Jhin answered without hesitation. "Amazing!"

Nijika dug a box of chocolate sticks out of the plastic bag, tore it open, and muttered around a mouthful of snack, "Even now you've already got a shadow of that shameless streak you'll have in the future."

He snatched the chocolate stick right out of her mouth, finished it in two bites, and lifted his chin smugly. "That's called speaking your mind."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. It's Kita's turn today, so go on, get going." Not caring in the least that her snack had been stolen, she slumped back onto the couch, radiating that limp, salted-fish air again.

"Right, Kita, let's head out."

"Okay!"

Future Kita Ikuyo was like a magnet — she'd stuck herself to Jhin before they'd even left the hotel, wearing the same besotted grin Hitori Gotoh always had.

"Where should we go first?"

She answered without a moment's hesitation. "Let's get a room!"

Jhin turned his head slowly, a look of helplessness in his eyes. "Are you all planning to take turns wearing me out one by one?"

"I—I didn't mean it like that. I just want some time alone with you, want you to pat my head..." Future Kita Ikuyo rambled on for a while, but the gist of it all boiled down to: I want to cling to you!

"In that case, even without getting a room, there are plenty of places we could go."

Her face flushed with embarrassment. "It's because I was just talking to Nijika about you and Bocchi-chan getting a room together, so it just slipped out unconsciously..." Jhin's expression turned solemn with newfound respect.

No wonder — once they'd all become wives, talking about this sort of thing came to them effortlessly.

He thought for a moment before suggesting, "Let's go to karaoke. I've been wanting to hear you sing."

"Okay."

Oddly enough, aside from future Hitori Gotoh, the other three — beyond some fairly intimate physical contact — hadn't gone any further with Jhin. Future Kita Ikuyo answered that lingering question for him during a break between songs.

"Because at this point in time, aside from Bocchi-chan, none of us have reached the stage of actually being your girlfriend yet."

Speaking of which, Jhin smiled and told her about the confession that had happened yesterday at the Problem Child Countermeasures Club, then added with a touch of regret, "If only you hadn't run off — I still haven't given you that pendant."

"What does the pendant look like? Show it to me."

"Doesn't your future self have one?"

"Oh, right — didn't I already tell you, only you can influence the future and the past. Only once you've actually done something does it become our fixed past. Present-me hasn't received the pendant yet, so how could I possibly have one?"

"Fair point. Here, it looks like this."

A ruby pendant polished into the shape of an infinity symbol was placed into future Kita Ikuyo's hands. She turned it over fondly for a while before handing it back. "Give it to present-me right away."

"Then let's swing by Shuka High School around noon."

"Okay."

"Um... shouldn't you get off my lap now?"

"Aw—" Future Kita Ikuyo blinked her big, glistening eyes at him coquettishly. "But I've only just lain down. Let me stay a little longer."

"Bocchi-chan's turned cheerful, and you've turned clingy — I honestly can't imagine what future Nijika and Ryo must be like."

"I think it's pretty easy to guess." She held onto Jhin's right hand, playing with it as she talked. "Nijika turns into a total slug the moment you're around. As for Ryo... an expressive money-hunter, maybe?"

"That doesn't sound like a very good change. How did my Shimokitazawa angel turn into a slug?"

"Well, whose fault is it that you're so good at cooking and housework? Every time we get home, all we have to do is open our mouths and eat. Give it enough time and of course Nijika turns useless." Future Kita Ikuyo paused there, a teasing smile spreading across her face. "If it's just the two of you alone together, it gets even worse."

"Don't tell me you have to carry her to the bathroom too?"

"Even more than that."

"Whoa—" Jhin's eyes went wide as he sucked in a sharp breath. "Am I taking care of a vegetable, or what?"

"Hahaha, I can't believe you'd say that about her — I'm playing this recording for her later." Future Kita Ikuyo laughed so hard she shook.

"That was a joke just now — taking care of my wife is my sworn duty!"

"I was joking too."

"...Wait, seriously?"

"Not seriously."

Jhin, at a loss for words, rubbed her plump cheeks vigorously. The two of them left the karaoke place, found a random restaurant for lunch, and then headed for Shuka High School.

Same as yesterday, future Kita Ikuyo activated her perception-jamming ability and followed him into the Problem Child Countermeasures Club. Hitori Gotoh had taken the day off, so only Kita Ikuyo was there. If Jhin hadn't made it clear he had something important to give her, she probably would've still been avoiding him.

But the moment they met, his very first line made her want to bolt.

"Good afternoon, my runaway girlfriend."

"Uwaah—" She let out a pitiful whimper, then pouted, pretending to be angry. "You... say that again and I'm leaving. I mean it this time!"

"Sorry, sorry. Here, this is for you." Jhin apologized as he pulled the pendant out of his storage space.

"Such a beautiful ruby... a-are you sure it's okay to give it to me?"

He crossed his arms, putting on a reluctant act. "Actually, this pendant has special meaning. If you didn't meet the requirements, I wouldn't be bringing it out at all."

"W-what requirements?" Kita Ikuyo, thoroughly fooled, clutched the pendant tightly in both hands.

"Only my girlfriend gets to wear it."

All her tension vanished in an instant, replaced by a sweetness flooding her heart. She gave Jhin a light punch on the shoulder. "Don't tease me like that. Can you help me put it on?"

"It would be my absolute honor!"

Kita Ikuyo swept up her long hair, revealing the pale nape of her neck. Jhin fastened the pendant around it for her. Future her touched her chest and pulled out the ruby, strung on a fine silver cord, with a happy smile.

Kita Ikuyo gently stroked the pendant resting at her collarbone, then turned without hesitation and pulled her boyfriend into a kiss.

This scene, of course, was recorded on her future self's personal terminal, ready to be shown to the others when she got back — after all, this was a moment of her younger self taking the initiative, and it was well worth bragging about to everyone.