Chapter 145

What should the first cosplay be?

“Junior.”

Chinami called out to me from behind.

When I turned away from my usual repetitive labor, Renka, who had been standing a distance away, came rushing over to interrupt.

“What are you talking about?”

Chinami stared up at Renka, dumbfounded.

“Close Friend, weren't you just standing all the way over there...?”

“No? I just happened to be passing by.”

“Is that so...? I was just about to ask Junior to fetch the rubbing alcohol.”

“Really? You heard her, Matsuda. Hurry up and go get it.”

Her motives were completely transparent.

From the day before yesterday until today, Wednesday, Renka had been acting exactly like this.

Whenever Chinami and I tried to talk, she would barge in and stop us from holding a proper conversation.

It was the same when we were cleaning the Bogu and shinai. She would storm into the Storage Room at all hours to sabotage us.

Shaking my head in exasperation, I asked her.

“Why have you been acting like this since the day before yesterday?”

“What are you talking about? I don't understand.”

I stared at Renka, who was casually playing dumb, and smirked.

It was a mocking smile. Seeing it, Renka rolled her gleaming eyes.

She clearly felt anxious.

“Understood.”

After giving a brief reply, I went into the supply closet. Renka followed right behind me and blurted out:

“W-What is it...? What are you scheming?”

“What are you talking about? I don't understand.”

Renka gulped as I threw her exact words back at her.

She darted her eyes left and right to check our surroundings before lowering her voice.

“Cosplay... Are you planning to make me do something weird...?”

She kept shooting herself in the foot; it was impossible for me not to like her.

“Judging by what you just said, you must know you've been entirely too nosy.”

“......”

“If you're so worried about the cosplay, wouldn't it be better to just get it over with? You only need to invest thirty minutes.”

“I-I'm thinking about it, so drop it.”

“You were the one who brought it up first, President. I don't know why talking to you has been so fun lately. Can I call you when I get Home today?”

Renka flinched as I subtly showed my interest.

She glared at me like I was a lunatic and flatly refused.

“No. I wouldn't answer even if it killed me, so don't waste your energy.”

Be honest. You're enjoying this reaction of mine too, aren't you?

You're pretending to be annoyed, but you secretly love it.

No? Whatever.

I grabbed the spray-type rubbing alcohol and held it out to Renka.

“Give this to Master.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Because if I go, you're just going to interfere again anyway. I'll clean up in here, so you take it, President.”

“......”

Perhaps deciding I had a point, Renka snatched the alcohol and grumbled all the way out of the closet.

Our Renka... She's following my orders so well now. Her manners have really improved.

...

No matter how much Renka invaded our space, there was a limit to what she could do as the President who had to look after the other club members.

Because of that, Chinami and I occasionally managed to spend some enjoyable time together without interruptions.

It was the same right now. We were chatting alone in the indoor Drying Room, hanging up the washed Kendo Uniforms.

“It's so much more relaxing without the nag around.”

“Who are you calling a nag?”

“The President.”

“Hey now...! Junior, you shouldn't speak like that.”

“Whenever I try to do something, she interferes because she doesn't trust me. I've been working as a manager for a while now, so her acting like that makes me a bit sad.”

At my words, Chinami stopped shaking out a Training Uniform and came over to pat my back.

“Renka acknowledges in her heart that you're doing a good job as a manager, Junior. She only gives you a hard time because she wants you to improve even more.”

“You consider that constructive criticism?”

“Yes, of course. Well, Renka still thinks you're completely... I mean, um... that you aren't completely trustworthy quite yet... but she's slowly changing her mind.”

Seeing how she was trying her best to sugarcoat it, Renka must have been talking some serious trash about me whenever the two of them called or texted.

At times like that, our Chinami probably scolded Renka, telling her she shouldn't say such things, just like she did with me.

That was what I chose to believe. After all, Chinami was a kind girl.

“Renka acts cold on the outside, but she has a boundlessly warm heart. Lately, whenever we chat, she brings you up much more often, Junior.”

My ears perked up at Chinami's words, and I asked.

“Really? In what way?”

“Um... To be honest, it wasn't all good things, but she did compliment you. She said you were surprisingly diligent and seemed to have a good sense for things.”

Diligent and a good sense for things?

She must have been talking about when I helped the twin uncles.

“A compliment from the President is unexpected, but well... it doesn't really make me happy.”

“Hey now...! Junior...”

Chinami placed her hands on her hips and shot me a stern look.

She was trying to make a scolding expression, but because her face was so cute, it didn't look intimidating at all.

I strode right up to Chinami, looked down at her, and obediently apologized.

“I was wrong.”

“...Aren't you a bit too confident for someone who was in the wrong...? Also, my neck is starting to hurt.”

It was inevitable, considering she was craning her neck to look up at me.

I offered a gentle smile and wrapped my hand around the back of Chinami's neck.

“Eek...!”

Her shoulders jumped as her whole body shrank back.

Her cute toes, visible beneath her Kendo Uniform pants, instantly curled up tight.

“If your neck hurts, we need to loosen the muscles a bit. Is this okay?”

I lightly kneaded her skin before gently stroking the nape of her neck.

I only touched her.

But was it because of my touch? Her reactions seemed incredibly sensitive.

At my caress disguised as a muscle massage, Chinami's face instantly flushed red.

“Ooh... Yes...”

“Shall we have a massage session this week?”

“...Yes...? A massage...?”

“Yeah. A massage.”

As I tempted Chinami with a soft voice and gently scratched the back of her neck, she cried, “Ah...! Ah!”

Chinami trembled, letting out short, erotic gasps in time with the stimulation spreading from the nape of her neck.

Seeing her increasingly unfocused eyes and her slightly parted legs slowly pressing together, it was clear she was feeling it completely.

Her sensitivity seemed to have drastically increased since our last massage.

“Mmm... W-When this week... are you going to do it...?”

Chinami barely managed to ask.

I moved my hand to the upper part of her nape, firmly pressing against the fine hairs there, and replied.

“We'll have to match our schedules, won't we?”

“Yes...! I'll match yours...! Let's match them...!”

“I'm planning to make it a bit longer than last time. Is that alright?”

“L-Longer...? How long...?”

“Who knows. Won't it depend on how much Master likes it?”

“Ngh...! I-If I tell you to stop, will you stop...?”

“Of course.”

“And if I ask for more... you'll do more...?”

“Naturally.”

“I-I'd like that... In that case, let's make time together... Haaah...! Don't do that...! That's not my neck...”

Chinami protested as my touch slipped past her neck and began massaging her bare back.

I had reached all the way down to her bra strap, but I leisurely withdrew my hand and smoothed out her Training Uniform.

“Then shall we set a time soon?”

“...Yes... Ahem... Let's discuss it over the phone later...”

“Understood.”

Having made a secret promise with Chinami, I casually went back to hanging up the Training Uniforms.

...

“I wish it would snow instead of rain... Don't you think the weather is really weird this year?”

Miyuki grumbled as she stared out the window, which was covered in raindrops.

Having parked the car in front of her house, I shrugged.

“It's not quite the season for snow yet. I like the rain just fine, though.”

“I never said I hated it, did I? Idiot.”

Chuckling at Miyuki, who was acting particularly coy today, I stepped out of the car.

Then, I opened my umbrella and walked over to the passenger side to open the door.

Clack.

As soon as I did, Miyuki, who had been dragging her feet, sprang out of the passenger seat as if she had been waiting for this and clung tightly to my side.

She wrapped her arms around my waist so tightly that it was hard to move. Perhaps the rainy weather had made the mood sticky and intimate, because her displays of affection were excessive even right in front of her own house.

Now that Midori had already caught us, had she just decided to throw caution to the wind?

Miyuki was becoming more alluring by the day... I didn't mind it at all.

I practically had to drag her all the way to her front door.

“Go on inside. It's cold.”

“Drive safely. And let me know when you arrive.”

“Got it.”

“Or do you want to hang out at my place for a bit?”

“Your parents just got back, so let's hold off on that. If I go in, they'll just have to busy themselves trying to host me.”

“How do you know they just got back?”

“There's a puddle of rainwater underneath your dad's car in the Parking Lot. Plus, I just saw the light turn on in the first-floor bathroom window.”

“When did you even notice all that? That's amazing...?”

“I just happened to see it. Hurry up and go inside.”

I lightly patted her rear, which was sticking out as she leaned against me, and only then did Miyuki straighten her back and pull out her keys.

After making sure Miyuki safely entered her house, I returned to the car.

Later, while I was driving through the pouring rain, a ringtone echoed through the car from my connected Cell Phone. When Renka's name popped up on the screen, I answered the call immediately.

“Earlier you said you wouldn't answer even if it killed you, but now you're calling me yourself?”

—Shut up. Don't mock me.

“I'm not mocking you. Why did you call?”

—......

A deep sigh that seemed to reflect Renka's complicated feelings echoed through the car's speakers.

After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously asked.

—That cosplay thing... we can do it tomorrow, right?

She was bringing that up all of a sudden?

What had gotten into her?

I slowed down, pulled the car over to the shoulder, and focused entirely on the phone call with Renka.

“Tomorrow? Isn't this a bit out of nowhere?”

—Like you said earlier, I figured it would be better to just get it over with and put my mind at ease. You did say you would accommodate me... Can you do tomorrow evening? Around seven.

“Of course I can. You made a good choice.”

—You said it yourself that I can beat you up if it goes too far. Remember?

“Yeah.”

—...Okay. Do I just go to that Hotel from last time?

Why was Renka's despairing tone turning me on so much?

Perhaps it was because she sounded just like a slave submitting to reality.

“No. You just stay Home, President. I'll come pick you up when it's time.”

—Got it. I'm hanging up now.

“Why? Let's talk a little more.”

—No. See you tomorrow.

Click.

The call abruptly ended.

Chuckling at Renka's decisive attitude, I started driving again.

After returning Home, I grabbed the cosplay outfit I had bought in advance, headed to the room I had been keeping reserved all this time, and hung the outfit up.

‘I should be a little more aggressive tomorrow.’

With that thought in mind, I neatly arranged the tools I would be using tomorrow on the shelf next to the clothes hanger and left the Hotel.