Sneaking upstairs with all the girls gathered in the clubhouse was naturally an impossible task for me. Those playing their board games immediately stopped to look at me when they saw us reentering from the back door.
Those who knew me too well narrowed their eyes as a touch of jealousy flared in them but only those innocent ones like Misaki called out to me, wondering where I would be bringing Otsuka-senpai or if she could join us, as she wanted to be pampered as well.
Could I resist her eager gaze? Possibly not, but I could stall at least.
While signaling for Otsuka-senpai to go upstairs first, I approached the girl and patted her head as I watched her wide eyes sparkling with that innocence that could never be tainted, even though I had already corrupted her enough, "Wait for a while, Misaki. I'll come back to pamper you properly, alright? Karen and I just need to… discuss something regarding my promise to her."
I shot her a playful wink, hoping to ease the tension from the other girls' suspicious stares.
Misaki tilted her head, her lips forming a small pout. "Promise, Ruki? Okay! I'll wait!"
"Cross my heart," I replied, making a quick gesture over my chest that earned me a giggle from her.
Then I found Marika, the kiss monster, pouting as well. She was twirling her golden ringlet as her mouth opened and closed, voicelessly muttering, "Ruki-kun, me too."
Well, in terms of innocence, she's also one who couldn't be tainted. Of course, I already twisted her life enough that she already changed a lot from the princess-like attitude she had before.
She's still graceful, but when it comes to me, she's just as adorable as Misaki whenever she's asking me to pamper her.
The girls like Nami, Hina, and Saki, who'd just arrived from the Student Support Club without Yumei, probably leaving her with Tadano to avoid any brotherly meltdowns, were giving me that look. The one that said, 'We know you're up to something, pervert'.
Nami crossed her arms, her lips curving into a knowing smirk. "Don't take too long, Ruu. You know, we'll never get enough of you, right?"
"I know, Nami. It's really hard to be this popular." I acted dramatically, putting my hand on my forehead as though I was in a dilemma.
And that earned me not just giggles and chuckles from the girls. Some burst out laughing or scoffing at my shamelessness.
Maybe if I were near one of them who's currently drinking something, they might've blown that to my face.
Anyways. After acknowledging the girls, appeasing their jealousy with a promise, I continued upstairs, following Otsuka-senpai. Check latest chapters at NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Looking up, she's already waiting for me at the top of the stairs, fidgeting as if she were both nervous and excited at the same time.
At each step I took, the sparkle of purple eyes grew brighter.
"Senpai, you can sit on the ground, you know? Why wait?" I teasingly said as I gestured towards the matted floor. The flower pots by the window had started budding while the books on the shelf beneath them got some new additions, possibly Rae or Aya's contribution. They wanted to share their love of reading with everyone. Ah. One was to bolster their 'knowledge bank' while the other offered a 'fantasy dive'.
Unfortunately, we were not here for that. Maybe next time?
Before Otsuka-senpai could say anything, I grabbed her hand, leading her to sit down on the soft cushions neatly arranged on the matted floor.
Otsuka-senpai's hand was already rising in temperature. It felt like it wouldn't take long for her to get sweaty. I squeezed it, giving her a small assurance, which resulted in her exhaling, releasing some of the tension in her shoulders.
I guided her as she sat cross-legged, her skirt fanning out around her as her curious purple eyes locked onto me, wide and expectant.
"R-Ruki, are we really doing this? Here? What if… someone comes up?"
"Well, if someone comes up, we'll just have to stop, right? Or… don't tell me you're chickening out now. Remember, you're the one who requested this. I'm simply fulfilling my promise to you." I put on a smirk as I used my foot to push another cushion next to her before sitting down on it.
Otsuka-senpai watched me with unblinking eyes as I zeroed our distance by hooking my arm around her waist and pulling her as close to me as possible.
She quivered slightly and gulped down before pursing her lips. I don't know if she's trying to wet it or if she's just stumped at what to respond with.
"Let's see, why don't you relax first, Karen? Can you tell me more about these friends of yours? Are those boys coming to the group date their boyfriends or…?"
I honestly don't even know those girls' names or what their aim was for bringing this curious girl to that group date. Granted, she's the one who lied to them that she has a boyfriend, it's only natural for them to get curious, but before that, they're stringing her along the mixer, which this overly curious girl would probably not be able to fit in unless something piqued her curiosity when talking to them.
"R-Ruki, you're really gonna make me talk about them now?"
Her voice was a mix of exasperation and nervous excitement as her purple eyes alternated between me and the floor, trying to keep her composure.
Since her quirk of being overly curious, it's hard for her to find genuine friends who'd accept her for who she is. If those two friends of hers were just stringing her along just so they could feel superior, even though Otsuka-senpai's attractiveness was way ahead of them, I might have to enact some justice.
Of course, I'm hoping it won't be like that. But it's better to be prepared for it.
Otsuka-senpai clutched the hem of her skirt again, twisting the fabric like it was her lifeline.
"I mean… okay. They've been my friends since last year. They're kind and nice to me, even though they knew how bothersome I could be when my curiosity takes over. But… they're into the whole dating scene. Always talking about boys and who's got a boyfriend and who doesn't. They said they wanted to enjoy their youth before focusing on their studies in college."
"Uhm… Like I told you before, I kinda got roped into saying I had one because I didn't want to seem, y'know, left out. And I don't want to let them down…"
They're kind and nice, huh? Don't those two words mean the same thing? Ah. That doesn't matter. She's not clueless or an idiot anyway, she'll probably be aware if someone is taking advantage of her. Or is she? I don't know.
I loosened my hold on her waist slightly but my fingers dug into the softness of her waist, tracing her curve. Her warmth was seeping through her uniform and I could feel the slight tremble in her body as she spoke.
"I see. So, you ended up telling them that I'm your boyfriend to keep up with them. Mhm. That tracks to what you told me. But of all boys, you really chose me, huh?"
"Who else will I choose…? You're the only boy I can feel comfortable with, Ruki. Besides… I've seen everything you can do. Kana-chan-senpai and Rumi-senpai are now always smiling because of you. You're truly too different from Goto-senpai."
"Right. Because Goto-senpai was a wishy-washy guy who's also trying to bag Rumi secretly."
I couldn't help but click my tongue upon remembering that day I ran into them at the love hotel. If that didn't happen, would Rumi be able to say no to him? Maybe. Maybe not.
There's no point thinking about what-if anymore. She's mine now.
"You did bag both of them, Ruki." Otsuka-senpai rolled her eyes, reminding me that we're probably not that different in that regard.
"Well, our methods are different, no? Besides, I can love both of them without hiding anything from the other girl."
Otsuka-senpai puffed out her cheeks, that adorable kitten-like expression back in full force. It's as if she couldn't believe what she's hearing, "Yeah, right! Your heart is so big, everyone is occupying it."
I shrugged as a response, causing another roll of Otsuka-senpai's eyes. To think she could do this kind of expression too, it was an eye-opener.
"We're getting off topic, Ruki… Uhm… Where was I? Right… They kept asking for details, and I panicked, so I just… described and named you." Her voice dropped to a mumble as her cheeks reddened. "I mean, you're kinda perfect for it. Handsome, charming, and… you know what I mean!"
I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. "Mhm, I'm flattered, Karen. I'm your dream boyfriend material. Is it because you've seen me naked? Or you've seen me in action?"
"That… is a factor, yes." She didn't deny it.
"Anyway, the girls, Reiko and Yuna, they're bringing their actual boyfriends, I think? I also heard that they're still being courted by them so… they're not official yet? They're going on dates to… get to know each other better. I claimed to have a boyfriend and upon hearing it's someone as popular as you, they got curious to see us act like a couple."
Ah… I see. They possibly don't believe that I'm Otsuka-senpai's boyfriend, so they come up with that group date to confirm.