As we walked back to the main street, the walk to Chii's house resumed under the dimming glow of the streetlights and the pale moonlight that was slightly covered by clouds.
This part of our city was still active since the residents were either returning from work or school after a long day.
We passed by a convenience store just to buy my girls a drink and maybe a snack, but the two girls ended up picking popsicles instead. The twin-pack kind. They broke it in half, dividing it between them.
As for me? They prevented me from buying another one, saying they'd share it with me instead.
And because of that devious idea, it drew weird looks to us as we continued on our way. Anytime we'd run into other students or passersby, Chii would playfully nudge her popsicle toward my mouth, giggling as I took a quick bite of it. Meanwhile, Hana offered hers with a more subtle smirk, her eyes daring me to refuse.
The cold sweetness melted on my tongue and I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Two girls were sharing popsicles with me in the middle of the street. I would find it weird if I were the one in the passersby's shoes. It was the kind of thing that'd spark rumors if anyone from school caught wind of it.
"Seriously, you two. You're making this harder than it needs to be. I could've just gotten my own." I said as I wiped the edge of my lips as Chii pulled her popsicle back with a grin.
"Nope. This is more fun, Kii." Chii shot back as she ran her tongue on her popsicle. It's sensually appealing that it was making me remember the last time she went down on me.
"Besides…" Hana added, giving her popsicle a thorough lick and a quick suck before holding it out to me again, "... it's not every day we get to tease you in public. Consider it payback for all the times you've made us flustered from all your teasing."
Her voice was laced with that quiet confidence she always carried but the glint in her eyes told me she was enjoying this far more than she let on. I grabbed the hand holding the stick and took a small bite from her popsicle. It tasted the same as Chii's but what was different was how it was licked by her first.. Their saliva gave the popsicles their unique taste that I would naturally not shy away from.
This could be considered an intimate, indirect kiss.
"What payback? Don't you like it when I tease you? Especially you, Hana… Should I come and cook for you again? Or should I just bring you home and have dinner with us?"
"Kii! Are you trying to make me jealous?" Chii instantly reacted. Her cheeks puffed out like a sulky chipmunk as she waved her popsicle in indignation.
I grinned and pulled her close to me, "Come on, Chii. You know I'd cook for you too if given the chance. But I couldn't take you with me tonight, right? Your mother would be mad at me."
On the other side, Hana put on a smug expression as though waving a triumphant flag at Chii's face.
Chii rolled her eyes and stuffed my mouth with her remaining popsicle before saying, "You're going to cook for us during the sleepover."
With no way to answer verbally, I could only nod, which immediately put a smile on her face.
"Geez. You're so easy to please, Chizuru."
"At least, I'm not someone who still can't do household chores. How's that going for you, Hana?"
One moment, they're tag-teaming me, and the next, they're now bickering at each other.
These two… I guess that's also a sign that their friendship had been rekindled, right? No matter how much Hana denies it, she's the closest to Chii and maybe Hifumi. Their bond had been formed through their connections to me four years ago.
Anyway, speaking of Wednesday. It'll also be my adorable Aya's birthday. I thought of bringing her somewhere first but… her family planned to go out for a dinner celebration that day. And crashing in would be rude, even though the purpose was also to introduce me to them. This update is available on novelFirｅ.net
Due to that, we'd have to push that back to another date – again. Still, I want to make that day special for her, just like how I did it for Saki.
"Look at this idiot, your head is wandering somewhere again." Bringing my thoughts back to the present, Hana poked my cheek.
"He's thinking about his other girls again. What do you think, Hana-chi? Shall we punish him before the night ends?"
"What kind of punishment?"
"You know, the kind that will make him think about us more." Chii grinned mischievously, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she tossed the popsicle stick into a nearby trash bin. She stepped closer, linking her arm through mine and pressing against my side with exaggerated affection.
Hana followed suit, discarding her own stick and mirroring Chii's move on my other side.
Her hold wasn't as tight as Chii's, but the smirk on her face matched the other girl's intent perfectly.
"Something to keep him up at night, maybe. A little reminder of who he's walking home right now."
I laughed, caught between their playful ambush, and raised my hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I'm at your mercy. What's this punishment gonna be? Will it become another reward instead?"
Chii tilted her head, pretending to think it over as she tapped her chin with a finger. Eventually, she squeezed my arm tightly, conveying her annoyance, "You're so used to our punishment ending up more rewarding, Kii. But that's not going to happen tonight. Am I right, Hana?"
Hana meaningfully smiled as she subtly nodded, "Mhm. The idea of having us pamper us is too tempting, but it was happening a lot that he's not even afraid of the punishment now."
What can I say? I'm always telling them to punish me but they're the ones changing it into something more rewarding. It's not my fault, right?
I shrugged and grinned, acting unrepentant just to push their buttons. "I hope you two truly come up with a decent punishment. Something that would make me reflect on my actions."
Upon hearing that, Chii narrowed her eyes at me, her grin sharpening into something dangerously playful. "Oh, you're asking for it now, Kii. Don't tempt us too much, or you'll regret it."
Hana's fingers tightened slightly on my arm as she leaned in closer. "We could just leave you hanging tonight, idiot Ruki. No kisses, no cuddles. Just a cold, lonely walk back to your place. How's that for reflection?"
I feigned a wince, clutching my chest dramatically. "Ouch, you two are ruthless. That's more torture than punishment. Where's the mercy for your poor, devoted Kii?"
Not buying my pitiful act, Chii snorted, shoving me lightly with her shoulder. "Mercy? You lost that privilege when you started daydreaming about other girls while we were right here. You're lucky we're even sharing popsicles with you."
"Alright. I'm guilty. But can you bear to punish your man, Chii? Hana?" I conceded, chuckling as I let them steer me down the street. "But you know I can't help it. You're all too important to me. My brain's just trying to keep up."
Hana rolled her eyes, still unconvinced. She just wouldn't buy me sweet-talking them. But at the same time, she also couldn't bear being mad at me for too long.
"Forget it. We're not winning this one, Chizuru."
Chii fidgeted as she acted like she was losing out on something, "I know but Hana… Can't we just bring him somewhere obscure and, you know, punish him with our desire for him?"
Hana sighed and facepalmed, "See, you're falling for his charms again. We do love this guy, but let's have him do it instead of just us dragging him. Won't that be better?"
"... Girls, I'm here between you. Why are you whispering at one another?" I couldn't help but interject after hearing where their conversation was heading.
Really, I'm trying my best not to act perverted most of the time but if it's going to end up with them initiating it despite their embarrassment, I'd rather just act on it myself. That way, I could also reinforce the thought that my desire for them was unwavering.
Without waiting for their answers, my eye already caught the nearby park ahead. I tightened my hold on them by locking their hands with mine. Then, instead of continuing on our walk towards Chii's neighborhood, I brought them inside.