"Disappointed? Not exactly. I just thought you two might've felt like you've been dragged into that lottery by the other girls. You know, I'm worried you'll be uncomfortable with me."
"Pfft. How can I be uncomfortable when I get the chance to latch onto you , Handsome-kun?" Miura-senpai snickered and tightened her hold on my arm.
Meanwhile, Sagara-senpai simply scoffed, "Don't worry about it, Onoda-kun. It's a fun little game, and it feels great to win it."
Ah. Right. This one is a game freak. She's the type of person to find fun in any sort of game. That's why she wasn't bothered to keep coming here. After all, the girls and I are always playing with her. Be it board games or anything else.
As for her opinion about my 'closeness' to the other girls, the only thing I've heard from her was how impressed she was at my 'game'.
"Everything is a game to you, Miku. Why don't we play another one?" Miura-senpai suggested. She then looked up at me and winked.
"Another game? Does it have to do with Onoda-kun?" Sagara-senpai asked, rolling her eyes in the process. Miura-senpai's intention was pretty obvious.
"Yeah. This is such a rare chance, don't you think so? You told me you're also interested in finding out more about him. In your own words, 'he's like a puzzle game that I can't help but want to solve.'" Miura-senpai teasingly said as she leaned even closer. Her chest pressed more firmly against my arm. The warmth of her body and the playful glint in her eyes were doing a number on my restraint.
In any case, did Sagara-senpai really say that? No wonder she kept on coming back. I thought she was only coming to play games with the girls.
Looking at her now, I noticed her cheeks becoming flushed as she quickly averted her gaze, focusing on her handheld console as if it could save her from the conversation.
"Tch, don't twist my words, Kotone-senpai. I just meant he's… interesting. Like, strategically interesting. Not… whatever you're implying."
"Oh, come on, Miku! Don't play coy now!" Miura-senpai pressed on. Her grip on my arm tightened as she winked again, signaling me to back her up, "Handsome-kun, do you see this? Miku's all tough and gamer-girl on the outside, but deep down, she's also just as curious as me about you too. She just won't admit it."
I raised an eyebrow, glancing at Sagara-senpai, who was now furiously tapping at her console, her ears tinged pink. "Is that so, Sagara-senpai? Am I a puzzle game you're trying to crack?"
She finally looked up from her screen as she stared at me, her dark eyes narrowing slightly. "Don't get cocky, Onoda-kun. You're… a challenge, sure. But I'm not losing sleep over it or anything. I've got harder games to beat. Kotone-senpai was just exaggerating it."
Despite her words, the way her fingers fumbled slightly on her console betrayed her.
Miura-senpai burst out laughing, her head tilting back as she clung to my arm for support. "See? She's totally into you! Miku, you're so bad at hiding it!"
"Senpai, shut it!" Sagara-senpai snapped. She adjusted her headphones, pulling them up to rest on her head like a crown, probably to distract herself from the teasing. "You're interesting but sorry, I don't want to get embroiled in the fight for your attention. Don't make it weird."
"Mhm. I believe you, senpai. I apologize for the trouble," I said before turning to Miura-senpai, who was just giggling as if she already achieved her goal.
"Don't look at me like that, Handsome-kun. I'm not wrong, am I?"
"But you did exaggerate it."
"That I did. But it's also rare to see her flustered, you know? Most of the time, she'd only show emotion when she's losing a game."
With this, Miura-senpai tugged at my arm, pulling us just enough to stop bothering Sagara-senpai.
As we walked out of this desolate part of the school, Miura-senpai also stopped clinging to me. She's really quite sensible when it comes to the public. She'd rather not show her being clingy to others than those who're already in the know. Gotta keep up appearances, right? Plus, she's got that playful streak but she's not reckless enough to stir up unnecessary gossip. Not yet, anyway.
Sagara-senpai, meanwhile, kept her eyes glued to her handheld console. Her fingers moved expertly, though I could tell her focus wasn't entirely on the game. Every now and then, her gaze would rest on me, quick and subtle, like she was sizing up that 'puzzle' she claimed I was. It was cute, honestly. Her trying to act all cool and detached while her curiosity was practically screaming.
We reached the school gates, where the girls who went ahead of our group had already gathered.
The orange sky had deepened into a soft purple, the first stars peeking out as the evening breeze carried a faint chill.
Miura-senpai stretched her arms above her head, letting out a satisfied whistle before turning to me with that signature teasing grin.
"Well, Handsome-kun, you survived walking with us. Not too bad, right? Bet you were secretly hoping to get a little more… action." She winked, her voice dripping with playful insinuation.
I chuckled, shaking my head. "You're relentless, Miura-senpai. But I'll give you points for keeping things interesting. Sagara-senpai, you good? Or are you still trying to beat that level to avoid me?"
Sagara-senpai didn't look up from her console, but her lips twitched into a faint smirk. "I'm good, Onoda-kun. And don't flatter yourself. I've already cleared this stage. You're not that distracting."
"Harsh," I said, clutching my chest dramatically, which earned a soft laugh from Miura-senpai and a barely audible scoff from Sagara-senpai.
Before we parted ways since they would naturally not wait alongside us, Miura-senpai leaned in close and whispered, "By the way, Handsome-kun, I noticed Komoe has been acting more dreamily these days. Did you two do something more intimate? Like more than a kiss?"
How should I answer this? I can be honest with her or answer vaguely, considering it's a very personal question. Even if she's Komoe's older sister, I shouldn't just share our private moments with her.
"More intimate, yes. But I'll leave that to your imagination, senpai. And don't worry. I'll make sure she won't do something she's not ready for yet."
"Heh. I know you won't. If the number of girls around you or how they all looked satisfied by the attention you're giving doesn't tell what kind of guy you are, I'll be disappointed in my own judgment." Miura-senpai's teasing grin softened into something a bit more genuine. I could see her eyes glinting with a mix of curiosity and approval. "You're a good guy, Handsome-kun. Komoe's lucky to have you. Just… don't break her heart, okay? I might've been feeling miffed that she got ahead of me when it comes to getting close to you, but she's still my little sister."
I nodded, meeting her gaze with a steady one of my own. "I'd never hurt her, senpai. You have my word on that."
Sagara-senpai, who'd been pretending to be engrossed in her game, glanced up briefly, her dark eyes narrowing slightly as if she was trying to gauge the sincerity of my words.
"Hmph. Smooth talker," She muttered under her breath but there was no real bite to it. She adjusted her headphones and turned her attention back to her console. She's an interesting senior. Updates are released by Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
Miura-senpai gave my arm a playful nudge before stepping back. "Alright, we'll let you get back to your harem. Err, I mean, your lovely group of 'close friends'." She winked, clearly enjoying herself. "See you around, Handsome-kun. Miku, let's go before you get sucked into another game and forget how to walk."
"Very funny, Kotone-senpai," Sagara-senpai shot back, but she followed Miura-senpai's lead, giving me a small nod as they turned to head off in their own direction.
As their figures disappeared into the evening crowd, I couldn't help but shake my head before turning back to my girls, who were also just as interested in the conversation I had with Miura-senpai.