Chapter 530

“Why am I the only one getting kidnapped...!”

“You don't have anything better to do.”

“I do too...!”

“No you don't. Why are you sulking?”

“When did I ever... Huh? In here...?”

As I practically dragged Hiyori to the Old School Building's storage room, her eyes lit up.

Her head whipped around to inspect the surroundings, and her hands instinctively clasped together politely over her lower abdomen...

She must have been thrilled at the thought of being alone with me.

Click.

I pulled open the unlocked door, revealing a relatively tidy storage room.

It was exactly as we had left it. Had it stayed like this all vacation?

Even for an unused room, the fact that no one had bothered to check on it made me seriously concerned about the Academy's security.

I pulled a Blanket from a locker that creaked ominously at the slightest touch and quickly wiped down the long mat used for forward rolls.

I spread the Blanket over it and lay down.

“Wow, is this your house or something...? It's awfully comfy...”

“Stop babbling and come lie down.”

“It probably smells.”

“It doesn't. Just come here when I tell you to.”

At my commanding tone, she hesitantly shuffled over and pressed her hips against my side.

Instead of lying down, she stayed seated, watching me warily. When I yanked her arm, she tipped forward, her head landing right next to mine.

If she was going to act like this, why play hard to get? It was amusing how her usual bold demeanor had vanished without a trace just because she thought something might happen.

“Is Mitsushima doing well?”

“I didn't pass along your regards.”

“I told you to. Why didn't you?”

“I was going to do it after lunch... Ahh...! I-I was planning to tell her after lunch...! I was really going to!”

As my hand crept up her waist toward her chest, Hiyori writhed and let out a desperate cry, looking thoroughly pathetic.

“Got it.”

“If you get it, move your hand... No, no... How far up are you going...!”

Hiyori let out a panicked squeak and clamped her legs tightly together.

She rubbed her knees together, completely at a loss for what to do with herself—a reaction far more sensitive than Chinami's.

Keeping my hand gently cupped around the side of Hiyori's breast as I brought my movements to a halt, I asked, “Stop?”

“S-Stop... I want to sleep...!”

“You don't look very sleepy to me.”

“Let's do it later...”

“When later?”

“Ah, just later...! Later...!”

“Give me an exact time.”

“Come on...! That's something you should decide, sunbae-nim. How can you ask me what to do...!”

“If I decide, will you go along with it?”

“Well... as long as you consider our curfew...”

Hiyori's chest rapidly rose and fell as she gasped, creating a subtly erotic sensation against my hand.

Oblivious to this, she was busy worrying about every little thing under the sun.

I decided to just play along and let her rest.

With that thought, I listened to Hiyori run her mouth incessantly and spent the lunch hour with her.

“Hello.”

I never dreamed he would be the one to greet me first.

I had run into Tetsuya on my way to the Club Room for club activities. “Yeah. Hello,” I replied.

“You've been well over the break, right?”

“Me? Well... yeah. Have you been doing alright?”

“So-so.”

Seriously, couldn't he at least pretend he was doing well out of mere politeness?

He was the one who cheerfully asked how I was doing first, yet he still managed to make the atmosphere awkward all on his own.

He truly possessed a remarkable talent in the worst possible way.

“Is that right?”

“Yeah. Are things going well with Miyuki?”

“We're doing just fine, so mind your own business.”

“I can't help but mind. Miyuki is my childhood friend.”

“I get how you feel, but meddling in other people's love lives...”

I was scowling at Tetsuya, who was starting to get on my nerves, and preparing to give him some advice when a voice interrupted. “Hey...!”

I saw Renka marching briskly toward us from the front of the Club Room, pointing a finger at Tetsuya and me.

“Good afternoon, sunbae-nim!”

Tetsuya shouted at the top of his lungs, bending sharply at the waist toward Renka.

Taken aback by his sudden intensity, Renka flashed an awkward smile and waved a hand.

“Oh, y-yeah. Hello?”

“Have you been doing well?”

“I've been well. Have you been practicing properly? Did you master what I taught you last time?”

“Yes!”

“I'll check today.”

“Understood! Oh, and...”

“Sorry, but just a second... Hey, you.”

Renka cut off Tetsuya, who was trying to keep the conversation going, and shifted her gaze to me.

Calling me 'you'—was she trying to pretend we weren't close just because Tetsuya was right there?

If so, Renka had made a miscalculation.

And judging by her conversation with Tetsuya, it seemed my slave had taught Kendo techniques to him without her master's permission.

If she was going to pull something like that, I'd have no choice but to treat my slave a little more harshly... but our Renka didn't seem to realize that.

“Me?”

When I pointed at myself with a bewildered look, Renka winced guiltily and let out a few dry coughs.

“Follow me for a second.”

“What?”

“... J-Just follow me. I have something to say.”

“Well... alright then.”

I gave an easygoing shrug, and Renka grabbed my wrist, pulling me away from Tetsuya.

I saw a look of puzzlement wash over Tetsuya's face as he watched where her hand had gone.

Was he jealous over this, too? It did look like he'd put on a big show trying to get close to Renka last year, though...

He was a guy whose track record with women was even worse than mine.

“Walk a bit slower. And stop pulling so hard.”

With that, I matched my pace to Renka's and slid my hand down toward the small of her back.

At that, Renka gave a violent jolt and slapped my arm away.

“Hey...! Don't touch me there...!”

“Why not?”

“Y-You went too low...! If you're going to touch me, touch my waist...!”

So touching her waist was fine, huh?

Considering she was telling me to hold her waist when Tetsuya or other club members could see us, her calling me 'you' earlier must have just been her usual way of picking a fight.

Still, if Tetsuya was watching us walk away right now, would he rat out what he saw to Miyuki?

Since he was Miyuki's childhood friend, it seemed highly likely he'd run and tattle if he thought I was two-timing her... which suddenly made me curious.

“Eek...!”

Wrapping my arm fully around Renka's waist, I drew a cute little squeak from her as I led her to a secluded spot.

Once we were alone, I flashed a bright smile at her flushed face and asked, “Why did you call me over?”

“...W-When the President calls you, you're supposed to come running with a 'yes, understood.' Do you really have to ask why?”

“So you just called me over for no reason.”

“No...! I was just going to tell you not to clean today, and instead practice Kendo inside the Club Room with Chinami...!”

“Why? Cleaning is something that needs to be done regularly.”

“Then do whatever you want...! I go out of my way to cut you some slack and you still complain... Trash.”

“President.”

“What.”

“Shall we try cutting down on the cursing from now on?”

“Why should I?”

“I really like you, so I can brush off whatever harsh words you throw at me, but other people won't, right? If it becomes a habit, you might slip up without meaning to, so let's try cutting back gradually.”

Renka's face turned beet red.

She must have found my earnest confession embarrassing.

Unable to meet my eyes, she was nibbling on her lower lip and only opened her mouth when I shifted my weight onto one leg.

“A-As long as you don't do things that deserve to be cursed at, it's fine... I never talk like this to other people anyway...!”

“I know. I'm just saying that if it becomes a habit, it might pop out without you realizing.”

“.....”

“Are you going to be like this later when we all live together, too?”

“Wha-What...? What is that supposed to mean...?”

“Why are you asking when you know full well?”

“Shut up...! Just shut up! You're being too loud!”

“I was speaking quietly, though.”

“It was loud to my ears...!”

Seeing her put up a stubborn front to hide her feelings, she must have been incredibly embarrassed.

Comparing the chilly Renka of the past to the Renka right now—so head over heels in love that she was completely dazed—was a deeply novel experience.

Who could have ever predicted that Renka would turn into such an adorable person?

I certainly hadn't, and the heavens probably hadn't either.

“Anyway, we're cutting down on the cursing, right?”

“.....”

“Are you not going to answer?”

“I mean... I'm trying, but you keep making me so mad... it's not that easy...”

“Are you going to keep using that as an excuse to curse?”

“I said I'm trying.”

“Understood.”

“Yeah.”

“Alright.”

“Whatever.”

While I was exchanging this brief banter with Renka, a familiar voice drifted over from a distance.

“Where could our junior and dear close friend be?”

It was Chinami. Her tone sounded like a seeker in hide-and-seek hurling verbal threats at the hiders.

She must have gotten bored and come looking for us.

Spotting Chinami rounding the corner, I gestured for her to come over. Her face brightening, she hurried over with quick, short steps and stopped in front of us.

“What might you two have been doing in a place like this?”

“We were just talking a bit about the future.”

“Talking about the future?”

“Yes. We were having a little consultation on how to decorate the house we'll live in together.”

At those words, Renka's face twisted into a bizarre expression.

Her glare seemed to scold me for bringing up a topic we hadn't even agreed on, which for some reason was hilarious.

“Aha. So that was it.”

“Master needs to bring all her Momo-nim Merchandise too, so tell us where you think would be best to put it.”

“Ah. When I visited your house before, junior, I had my eye on the attic a bit. Are you not using that space?”

Unlike Renka, she wasn't getting all flustered; she was splendidly staking her claim.

It seemed Chinami had adapted to this future plan—and was even actively hoping for it.

As I felt every time, deciding to target Chinami had been a stroke of genius.

Without her, the heroines wouldn't have harmonized so easily.

“I do use it, but there's plenty of space to put merchandise.”

“What about the others? Have they not shown any interest in the attic?”

“Not yet.”

“I see.”

Come to think of it, Chinami still didn't know about Renka's hobby, did she?

I had thought about it before, but if we moved in together and Renka brought along boxes upon boxes of all sorts of figurines, I wondered what kind of reaction Chinami would have.

Of course, since Chinami had a naturally gentle and open-minded personality, she probably wouldn't be all that shocked.

She'd likely just find it fascinating that Renka had such a hobby.

“Can we... talk about that later...?”

Renka lowered her voice, seeming mortified just imagining us all living in the same house.

I shot a faint, teasing smirk at her, then turned around before she could fly off the handle.

Reaching out to tidy up Chinami's slightly ruffled, pinkish bangs, I said, “Shall we get going?”

“Yep.”

“President, you come too.”

When I glanced back and gave a nod of my chin telling her to follow, Renka's lips poked out in a pout.

Seeing her look so self-conscious, it seemed like today was going to be fun, too.

I was suddenly a little worried about her uncles, but oh well—I figured things would work out somehow.