Chapter 118

"Come to think of it, Takashi isn't here."

I muttered, staring blankly down at my textbook before class.

Miyuki tilted her head. "Takashi? You don't mean Watanabe Takashi, do you?"

"Yeah. He was supposed to come back two weeks ago, but he said he was learning his dad's trade and hasn't called since."

"I wish he'd never come back."

That was blunt.

Then again, Miyuki hated Takashi even more than I did.

Calling him by his full name without a single honorific said it all.

"Don't hate him too much. He helped me out when I was taking a beating."

"I know, but I can't help it. He's just so... cheap."

"Aren't I the same?"

"Yeah. Matsuda-kun is cheap too. But..."

Miyuki glanced toward the front of the classroom and lowered her voice.

"Not as cheap as Watanabe Takashi. And Matsuda-kun is cheap in a pleasant way."

What the hell was 'cheap in a pleasant way'?

Did she mean it like how a dirty joke was actually funny when a handsome guy told it?

Chuckling at her eccentric logic, I pulled my chair closer and slipped my hand onto her inner thigh.

"Like this?"

Miyuki flinched the moment my hand touched her, frantically checking our surroundings.

Squirming, she grabbed my wrist and shoved it aside.

Then she whispered in a tiny voice,

"Don't do this first thing in the morning..."

"Why not?"

"What do you mean, why...? Do you even have to ask? If anyone sees us, we'll both get demerits..."

Looking at her scowl, with her upper body hunched so low she was practically kissing the desk, I figured her suspicious posture alone would get us caught.

I obediently pulled my hand away. Finally relaxing, Miyuki straightened her back and sat up properly.

A short while later, a middle-aged teacher walked in looking utterly exhausted and started calling attendance.

Then class began.

While the rest of the class quietly followed the teacher's explanation...

Slip...

Something soft slid between my legs as I took notes.

Startled, my mechanical pencil came to a dead halt. That something began to blatantly massage my crotch.

"..."

I turned to Miyuki in utter bewilderment, but she was staring at the chalkboard without batting an eye.

Yet her hand kept moving, working me through my pants. It was ridiculous; she was the one who'd told me to stop, but now she was enjoying it even more.

She must have liked how vulnerable I looked when she'd gotten me off yesterday.

As the minutes ticked by, Miyuki stroked me with growing audacity.

Blood started rushing south.

Every time she squeezed her hand, my hips twitched against my will.

"Matsuda? Are you uncomfortable?"

The teacher, glancing across the room mid-lecture, singled me out.

The entire class's attention snapped to me, and Miyuki's hand instantly darted away.

Swallowing my lingering arousal, I shook my head.

"...No, sir. I was just adjusting my posture."

"I see. Now, moving on to this section..."

He continued the lesson.

Letting out a silent, hot sigh, I looked over at Miyuki.

"What?"

Miyuki looked back at me with a perfectly nonchalant face.

Look at how effortlessly shameless she was. Was she taking after me?

Without a word, we looked at each other and shared a soft chuckle.

Right then, the back of my head began to prickle. I turned around and caught Tetsuya sneaking glances at our flirting.

Was he feeling conflicted?

Even when I gave him a ride to the Academy today, that sullen look had been plastered on his face...

The more layers I peeled back, the more new sides of him emerged.

In a bad way.

Afternoon classes ended, and we headed to club activities.

Tetsuya, who had been gloomy all day, now wore a much lighter expression.

He was clearly looking forward to seeing Renka...

His lingering feelings for Miyuki meant he hated seeing me by her side, but he definitely didn't want to miss out on the good vibes with Renka either.

Maybe I wasn't the real playboy—maybe it was that bastard. The thought crossed my mind.

Tetsuya kept his trap shut as we walked, only opening it once we reached the Kendo Club Room.

"You're doing manager work again today, right?"

"I am."

"Could we maybe have a sparring match afterward?"

"A sparring match?"

"I lost way too badly at the training camp... I said I'd show you what I could do, but I didn't even get a proper hit in. It's been weighing on my mind..."

So he had that much competitive spirit.

Well, keep at it. It's nice to see.

I clapped Tetsuya on the shoulder and fed him some empty words.

"What do you mean you couldn't do anything properly? I just got pissed after taking a hit to the wrist and started swinging wildly. If we'd fought a real Kendo match, who knows what would've happened."

"Why are you being so humble all of a sudden?"

"I try saying something nice, and you still bitch at me. Anyway, sparring isn't something we can just do on a whim. Between putting on the Bogu, the actual match, showering, and cleaning up, it'll take a while. If Miyuki finishes late, then maybe... Let's just do it next time."

"True... You're right. We definitely have to do it next time, got it?"

Now that I had achieved my goal, why would I?

I didn't waste time on pointless things like that.

"Sure."

Entering the Club Room, we greeted the other members and changed into our Training Uniforms.

Afterward, I stepped out, parted ways with Tetsuya, and headed for the Storage Room. I walked over to Chinami, who was checking the condition of the Bogu, to say hello.

"Hello, Master."

"Ah, you're here. Did you get back safely yesterday?"

"Yeah. Did you get a good rest, Master?"

"Of course. I rested so deeply that when I woke up this morning, I felt like jelly."

Chinami wiggled both of her arms like worms.

I let out a soft chuckle and asked,

"I see. How is the Bogu?"

"I'll have to pull out the Bogu on the very top shelf to know for sure, but the rest are excellent. It's a good thing we finished up before leaving yesterday."

"I see."

I was about to reach up and grab the Bogu that Chinami couldn't reach, but then I changed my mind.

This was an opportunity to trigger a minor private event, and I couldn't afford to miss it.

Nodding to myself, I turned my back to Chinami and crouched down.

"I'll give you a shoulder ride. You can check it yourself."

"Y-Yes...? A-A shoulder ride...?"

"It's annoying for me to take it down and put it back up. It's easier if you just check it up there so we can move on to other tasks."

"H-How long does it even take to put it back...?"

"It cuts down the time a little. Hurry up. My legs are hurting."

"..."

Faced with my forced logic, Chinami reluctantly stepped closer and placed her hands on my shoulders.

"Is it really okay for me to get on...?"

"Yeah."

At my firm reply, she soon threw one leg over my shoulder.

I grabbed that leg and held it firmly in place. After hesitating for a moment, Chinami swung her other leg over my shoulder, and I slowly stood up.

"Whoa...?"

Was she flustered by the sudden height?

Chinami grabbed my hair and clutched it tight.

Her thighs tensing up and squeezing my head was an added bonus.

Feeling her body heat radiating from her legs, I spoke.

"Check it now."

"Y-Yes...! But Junior... the view is really high up here...?"

"I'm still lower than what you're seeing, Master."

"Even so... Wow... This is fascinating. I haven't ridden on someone's shoulders since I was little... B-By the way, am I heavy...?"

"You aren't heavy, but I'd like you to let go of my hair."

"What do you mean... Ah!?"

Realizing she was still gripping my hair, Chinami freaked out and let go.

However, it was only one hand.

Her other hand was still clutching my hair.

"I-I'm sorry... I'm just scared of falling..."

"I'm holding onto you, so as long as you don't lean back and forth, you'll be fine. So could you let go?"

"No..."

"Do you not trust me?"

"Ahem...! Instead of encouraging me to be brave, how could you say something like that and crush my morale...!"

I had given her a shoulder ride hoping for a harmonious atmosphere, not to terrify her like someone riding a horse for the first time...

They say you can't have everything in the world go your way, but it was still a bit of a shame.

Resigning myself, I carried Chinami over to the display shelves.

"Let's start by checking the gear."

"Ah, yes...! Phew...!"

Letting out a long breath to calm herself, Chinami started checking the Bogu's condition with one hand.

Not long after, her tense thighs softened, and the hand gripping my hair loosened.

Chinami had relaxed as she got used to the height.

"Mmm... This is fun. It feels like riding a carousel."

I enjoyed the feeling of Chinami's soft skin as she quickly began to giggle. While I waited for her to finish checking the Bogu—Knock, knock. Click.

The door opened along with the knocks, and I turned my head.

"Chinami, could you hand me a midsection Shinai..."

There stood Renka, stopping mid-sentence with wide eyes.

I could see her eyes darting up and down, taking in Chinami sitting on my shoulders holding the Do of the Bogu, and me with my hair being gripped tight.

It clearly wasn't a sight you saw every day, so she was visibly flustered.

"What are you two doing right now...?"

Renka asked, blinking a few times.

Chinami replied in a shameless tone.

"My junior is giving me a shoulder ride."

"I-I see...? But why are you grabbing his hair...?"

"Because I'm scared of falling, of course. Did you say you needed a midsection Shinai?"

"Yeah..."

"Junior, move very, very carefully, and hand a Shinai to our close friend Renka."

Chinami squeezed one leg, as if telling me how to steer.

Thinking it was a relief she didn't try to steer with her hands, I pulled out the Shinai Renka wanted and held it out to her.

Accepting it in a daze, Renka spoke.

"...I don't care if you mess around, just don't get caught by the club supervisor."

"We weren't messing around. I couldn't reach the top shelf, so my junior just gave me a ride."

"Was Matsuda checking it himself not an option? Never mind... I'm just going to leave. Keep up the good work."

"Yes, you too, close friend."

Muttering a rough acknowledgment, Renka practically fled the Storage Room...

Chinami, who had stayed quiet until she left, poked my head.

"Let's finish checking."

"Understood. Should I give you a massage today?"

"Ah...! It's a very mouth-watering offer, but unfortunately I have to decline. I'm having dinner out with my family. Can we do it next time?"

In that case, I had some free time now.

Chinami had a family dinner, and Miyuki, who had gone home late yesterday, would be wary of Midori and head straight home...

Once club activities were over today, I should use one of my wishes.

"Of course."