Chapter 185

"So I can take that as a yes, right?"

"Gah...? I haven't even given you an answer yet, though...?"

"Aren't you going to take them?"

"Well... I'd love to catch up and socialize with Hanazawa, but... I'm not sure if I should..."

"Miyuki's fine with it, I'm fine with it, and Master said it's fine, so what's the problem?"

"I-is that so...?"

"It is. For starters, try the gloves on."

"Ah, y-yes...!"

Did my words reassure her?

Looking somewhat relieved, Chinami stopped hesitating. She slipped her hands in, being so careful that she didn't even brush against the price tags attached to the gloves.

Then, she let out an exclamation of pure, genuine awe.

"So pretty... and warm..."

"Do you like them?"

"Yes...! Thank you so much... I think they'd look even prettier if I embroidered Momo-sama on the backs of the hands... Would that be okay...?"

I was glad she liked them.

Watching Chinami flex her fingers back and forth made my heart ache in a good way. I beamed at her as her expression melted into a goofy, delighted smile.

"Of course."

There are many key highlights to a bunny girl outfit.

Cufflinks, a black leotard revealing the upper chest, a bow-tie Choker, pantyhose...

Taking it further, there's the bunny-ear headband, the round white tail, and extremely high heels.

It was even better if the outfit subtly outlined the woman's Y-zone and revealed the prominent curve of her iliac crest.

The cosplayer I was currently watching fit the bill perfectly.

She had a slender figure with wide hips, and her spot-on cosplay was stirring up excitement among the onlookers.

Even considering the help of body-shaping pads, it was top-tier. But there was one flaw.

The leotard lacked sheen.

It would have been better if the material were smooth and glossy like latex, so that was a bit of a letdown.

It was just one step short of my ideal bunny girl.

That was why I needed Renka.

I wanted to hurry up and dress her in a cosplay that perfectly satisfied my personal tastes.

I was sitting on an outside bench, enjoying the visual pleasure of checking out various women's cosplay outfits. "What... what are you doing...?"

I turned my head at the sound of Renka's voice behind me.

When had she sneaked up without making a sound?

She had probably tiptoed over to get revenge on me for eavesdropping on her confession scene at lunch today.

By startling me, or something like that.

"Doing what?"

Renka's jaw had been hanging open in disbelief, but at my shamelessly confident attitude, she furrowed her brow.

"Why are you looking at that...!"

"I finished my work and I'm on break. Am I not allowed to look?"

"T-that's not what I meant...!"

"Then what did you mean?"

"..."

Renka snapped her mouth shut.

Realizing what she was thinking, one corner of my mouth quirked up into a smirk.

She was worried I might make her wear the outfit I was staring at.

She sure was quick to catch on. How did she know?

"Ah... Understood. Message received."

Seeing my knowing expression, Renka's face turned pale.

"W-what...? Understood what? What message did you receive?"

"You should have just said so earlier."

"Hey...! I think you're getting some weird ideas... I merely asked why you were looking at that!"

It was hilarious how she frantically waved both hands in front of her.

"I know."

"No, seriously, what do you know...! Tell me so I can clear up this misunderstanding...!"

Would it be too mean if I refused to let her clear it up?

No, anyone seeing Renka react like this would think exactly the same thing I was thinking.

"Is there a misunderstanding to clear up? President, you're the one who spied on my private life all by yourself."

"I didn't spy on you on purpose...! Just like you didn't mean to today at lunch...!"

"Is that right?"

"A-and since I saw it, I have to clear it up. I mean, I could just scoff and ignore it, but... you might try to use this to... throw a fit and demand things from me."

Her flustered rambling was quite refreshing.

"Demand what things?"

"..."

She fell silent, a sour look on her face.

Smiling at her stubborn refusal to speak her mind even if it killed her, I changed the subject.

"Were you in the same class as that guy?"

"We were in the same class during our first year."

"You guys must have been close."

"Not at all."

"Wouldn't he have confessed because you two were close?"

"We only interacted like normal classmates. He just misunderstood things all on his own."

"But you were still nice to him, right?"

"Well...? I don't really know about that."

"Did you treat him the way you treat Miura and the other club members? Or the way you treat me?"

"...I definitely can't say it was the latter."

"So you were leading him on."

At those words, a vein popped on Renka's forehead.

"Leading him on...! I had no intention of doing that whatsoever...! What do you take me for? Don't cross the line...!"

"Alright. I'm sorry."

"Hah... Every time I talk to you, I feel like I'm boiling inside. It's so annoying."

"Isn't it fun?"

"Do I look like I'm having fun right now?"

She looked exactly like she was.

She was grumbling, but she wasn't leaving.

In the past, Renka would have turned her back on me long before the conversation reached this point. It felt novel.

As expected, it paid to be shameless.

By slapping on a thick skin and pushing forward, even Renka was slowly starting to melt.

She still had a long way to go before melting completely, but it was massive progress.

I felt proud. Very proud.

"Well, I'm having fun."

"You're the only one who thinks so..."

"What are you doing over the break?"

"You keep saying the most random things. Why do you need to know that?"

"I just suddenly got curious."

"I don't know."

"Do you really not know? Or are you just not telling me?"

"Both."

"That's a shame."

I stood up from the bench and gave a long stretch, savoring Renka's distinct blueberry scent that drifted into my nose with the headwind as I approached her.

"W-what is it?"

She flinched but glared back, clearly unwilling to lose momentum. Far from being intimidating, she just looked cute.

Like a kitten that didn't know what was going on but stayed on guard anyway.

"I'm going to work."

"I thought you said you were finished?"

"I only finished the first phase. Now I have to fold the dry Training Uniforms, and today is bottled water delivery day, so I have to haul boxes."

"Is that so?"

"Want to help?"

"Why should I?"

"Didn't you say so last time? That since I might still be clumsy with the manager duties, you needed to watch over me and help. I think you said that in front of Master."

Hit right on the mark, Renka's shoulders twitched.

"Why do you remember such trivial things?"

"I just happen to have a uselessly good memory. I also vividly remember the President kneeling in front of me wearing a maid outfit and a collar."

"Hey! You...!"

Renka yelled out, almost spilling a string of curses before she slapped a hand over her mouth.

I chuckled and said, "I'm joking. I don't remember."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"If you don't want to believe it, there's nothing I can do. It's not like the President can peek inside my head."

"Please, could you just erase that from your memory?"

"I told you, I don't remember."

I spoke nonchalantly and walked past her. Renka let out a low "Ah, damn it..." and started following behind me.

"I told you to erase it... Got it?"

"I said I don't remember."

"You definitely remember. Erase it."

"I don't remember."

"Stop dropping your honorifics."

"I never did."

"You just did a second ago."

"I told you, I didn't."

"Look at this...! You're doing it again...!"

"Ah, why are you so obsessed with how I speak?"

"This isn't an obsession, it's me trying to make a decent human being out of you...!"

"Whatever... What a pain."

"What? A pain? Hey!"

Seeing her quicken her pace to match my stride in utter disbelief, I almost burst out laughing.

You're destined to star in a rom-com with me.

It might be a slightly twisted rom-com... but God already ordained it.

Just you wait for the break.

And like that, bickering over trivial things like a couple with a year or two between them, we walked down the hill together.

As I slid my feet under the thick blanket, the intense heat warmed my legs.

It felt so cozy that a long, contented sigh naturally escaped me.

So this was why people were always raving about the kotatsu.

"Do you like it?"

The question came from Miyuki, who was sitting opposite me with her legs tucked under the kotatsu just like mine.

Gently sliding my foot between her legs, I answered.

"It's alright, I guess."

"You should fix your expression before saying that..."

"What's wrong with my expression?"

"You clearly love it."

"No, I don't."

"Yeah, right... Idiot."

Miyuki scolded me with a tone full of affection, but flinched just as she reached to open her book.

Because the tip of my foot had sneakily slipped right between her thighs.

Biting her lip at the sensation of being firmly touched in a sensitive spot, she chided me.

"What are you doing...!"

Hmm, hmm. Good reaction.

When it came time to study with Tetsuya during the break, I had a feeling a lot of entertaining scenes were going to unfold.

It was just a shame the location would be my house.

Stuff like this was always much spicier when done at Tetsuya's house.

Depending on how things went, I'd have to suggest moving between our houses to study.

It would give me a chance to check out Tetsuya's family, too.

Who knew? If Tetsuya kept crossing the line, I might just usurp his spot as the son of the house altogether.

It wouldn't be a proper NTR story without some cuckoo action, after all.

As I painted that dark, insidious future in my head and continued to stroke Miyuki's skin, I smirked at the way she exhaled sharp little breaths through her nose with every touch.

"Hey."

"...Open your book first... And don't get any weird ideas."

"You want to study right now?"

"We agreed to... Could you move your leg...?"

"I don't want to."

"I'll pinch you...!"

"Try it."

"I'm really going to...!"

"I said go ahead."

Miyuki's eyebrow twitched as I calmly continued my light caressing.

She placed her fingers on my leg, preparing to pinch my flesh hard, but when I silently feigned a pained expression, she let out a baffled scoff.

"Forget it... I'm not doing it."

"Why not?"

"Because it looks like you enjoy it."

"I enjoy it even when you don't."

"That's not what I meant..."