Chapter 241

"Get a good rest, and I'll see you tomorrow."

I pulled up in front of her house. At my words, Renka—who hadn't said a single word until we arrived—gave a slight start before answering.

"...Yeah."

"I'll come pick you up, so be out on time."

"O-okay..."

Renka fumbled to gather her handbag, only to drop her eyeliner. Watching her frantic movements, I spoke.

"President."

"Yeah...?"

"I just felt like calling you."

"R-right..."

In the past, she would have grumbled about why I was doing something so useless. Now, she only frowned and quietly accepted it. Her reaction was entirely too honest. I wanted to tease her.

"Do you have anything to do once you're back inside?"

"To do...? Not really..."

"Then should we go somewhere else for a bit?"

"Somewhere else...? D-don't be ridiculous!!"

"What's wrong?"

"You were planning to take me somewhere weird...! Like a love hotel...!"

Just how filthy was her mind for her to instantly jump to a love hotel? Granted, I had phrased it exactly so she would think that.

"What are you talking about? I meant somewhere like the Park or a cafe."

"Don't lie...!"

"If you want to go to a love hotel, let's go. I'm down."

"Shut up...!"

"Should we try something other than cosplay this time?"

I flashed a sly smile and let the suggestion hang. Catching the hidden meaning, Renka shuddered, practically having a fit.

"I-I told you to shut up...! Die!"

"I don't even know how many times I've heard that."

Was she dumbfounded by how nonchalant I was acting even after such a massive incident? Renka glared at me in silence. But that only lasted a moment. Perhaps finding it too awkward or overwhelming to maintain eye contact, she soon lowered her gaze and opened the passenger door.

"I'm leaving..."

"Why don't you stay a little longer before you go?"

"Why would I...?"

"Because I'm bored."

"T-then you shouldn't have brought me home in the first place...!"

"Should we have gone straight to a Hotel instead?"

"Stop messing around...! I'm going inside...!"

I shouldn't tease Renka too much on a day like today. Deciding I'd pushed enough for now, I nodded.

"Alright. Go on in."

"...What?"

Renka froze, shooting me a deeply suspicious glare. She clearly found it hard to believe I was letting her go so easily compared to my usual antics.

"What is it?"

"You're thinking something weird, aren't you...?"

"Nope. Your paranoia is getting pretty severe, though."

"P-paranoia...! And whose fault is it that I'm like this...?!"

Hmm... that line just now was incredibly hot. She sounded exactly like a female knight right on the brink of surrendering.

"It's nothing like that, so go inside. You had a hard time today."

When I vaguely alluded to what happened in the Screening Room, Renka let out a sharp squeak and scrambled out of the car. Huffing, she snapped at me.

"Close the door yourself...!"

What was this? Was she trying to provoke me? It felt like a desperate last stand, which was just funny.

"Then I'd have to get out. Close it before you go."

"I said close it yourself...!"

"And I told you to close it before you go."

"..."

When I dropped my voice, she flinched and obediently shut the door. I watched her grumbling, retreating figure, thinking she looked adorable. As she opened the Main Gate, she cast a sideways glance at my car just before stepping inside, drawing a chuckle from me.

Would Renka even be able to sleep properly tonight? She would probably show up tomorrow with dark circles under her eyes.

"You look pretty today."

The next morning. Renka had shown up wearing a bright outfit for the first time in a while. At my compliment, her shoulders jumped as she subtly turned her head away.

"So what..."

She was snapping at me, but a subtle joy laced her voice. Chuckling at how utterly dishonest she still was, I started a conversation as I drove toward the cafe.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yeah."

"Your voice sounds a bit weak, though."

"No, it doesn't."

"It looks like you have dark circles under your eyes, too."

"You're imagining things."

"Why are you acting so cold?"

"My choice."

"You aren't even answering properly."

"Also my choice."

"Right."

At my casual, informal reply, Renka shot me a fierce glare. But perhaps because she had been the one acting cold first, she felt she didn't have the right to snap at me, so she stayed quiet.

At this point, didn't Renka also genuinely enjoy bickering with me? Entertaining the thought, I pulled up to the cafe, parked the car, and followed her through the back entrance.

I flicked on the cafe lights and was about to send Renka into the Changing Room first, but she stopped and suddenly called out to me.

"Hey."

"Yeah."

"...I have something to say."

"What is it?"

"Yesterday..."

"Let's go inside first, then talk."

"D-don't try to come in...! Stay right there...! Stop...!"

I tried to casually follow Renka into the Changing Room, but she hurriedly threw her hands out to block me. She clearly thought something would happen if we were alone together in an enclosed space. Honestly, she was completely right.

Scoffing at her pitiful defense, I strode forward until I was right in her face. Renka's entire body went rigid, and she stumbled backward right into the Changing Room. Why did she even bother resisting when this was always the outcome? Our Renka really had a habit of acting on impulse first.

Click.

At the sound of the Changing Room door shutting, Renka flinched in surprise and slowly backed herself into the corner by the lockers. Seeing her guide herself into the perfect spot to be devoured was quite commendable.

Stepping right in front of her again, I looked down at her desperately trying to maintain a fierce glare, then jerked my chin toward her bulging pocket.

"Take out your Cell Phone."

"M-my Cell Phone...?"

"Yeah."

"I don't want to..."

"Why not?"

"What do you mean, why...? Why do I have to take out my Cell Phone...?"

"To see if you attached the charm I gave you yesterday."

"I didn't..."

"Why not? I told you to start bringing it attached today."

"I-I went straight inside yesterday, so how was I supposed to attach it...! I didn't even have a case to hang the charm on..."

"Are you saying it couldn't be helped?"

"Exactly...!"

"So it's not that you didn't want to attach it?"

"...O-of course I didn't want to attach it, either...!"

As she answered, Renka's eyes darted down and to the right, avoiding my gaze. It was dead proof that she was lying.

"Then attach it today."

"..."

"Answ—"

"Fine! I got it...!!"

Now her answers popped out reflexively. The training was going exceptionally well.

Suppressing the laugh threatening to escape at her reaction, I asked,

"So, what did you want to say?"

"Ah... well..."

Renka's haughty attitude instantly flipped into deep awkwardness. Staring straight up at me with a resolute expression, she finally broached the incident from yesterday in a roundabout way.

"You know... what happened in the movie theater yesterday... we just did it in the heat of the moment, right?"

I knew it. I could easily guess what she was about to say next, but there was no way I was letting her say it. Deciding that, I firmly shook my head.

"Nope."

"Huh...? N-no?"

"Yeah. It wasn't."

"..."

Dumbfounded, Renka blinked her pretty eyes. She clearly had no idea how to follow up after that. Hardening my expression slightly, I stared down intently at her and spoke.

"What do you mean, heat of the moment? Are you saying either you or I made a mistake?"

"...No, that's not it, what I mean is—Hyaak!"

Trying to make excuses in a tiny, awkward voice, Renka suddenly let out a high-pitched shriek. My leg had forcefully wedged its way between her tightly shut legs.

In that position, I pressed my body completely flush against hers, just like in the Screening Room yesterday, and placed a hand on her slender waist. Then, I leaned in to claim her lips—she was already starting to pant heavily—only to stop a hair's breadth away.

"Hic...!?"

Thinking she was about to be kissed without any chance to escape, Renka squeezed her eyes shut. Then, realizing her lips were untouched, she carefully opened one eye to peek at me.

She looked utterly puzzled as to why I had suddenly stopped. She was clearly anticipating it, yet she still tried to draw a line between us... She wasn't some tragic heroine. It was just ridiculous.

Letting out a mocking scoff, I tilted my head slightly and slipped my tongue just barely between her lips, which wore the exact same color as yesterday. While gripping her trembling waist, I gently swept the tip of my tongue across the inside of her upper lip before pulling my face away.

"Haa...?"

Had her mind momentarily blanked out from the new flavor of physical contact? Renka let her mouth hang open, her eyes dazed and empty.

Seizing the opening, I leisurely pulled out a Blueberry Candy and slipped it into her mouth. Just like the very first time I had fed her candy—along with my thumb.

"Mmph...!?"

Instantly, focus snapped back into Renka's cloudy eyes. The sensation of a finger pushing past her teeth seemed to yank her reason back to reality.

I yanked my thumb out before she could bite down. Staring straight into her eyes, I stuck out my tongue, pressed the very thumb that had just been inside her mouth against it, and dragged it slowly from top to bottom.

"Aaack...! W-what are you...! What are you doing, you crazy bastard...!!"

Renka shrieked in shock at the sight. I could see her face turning red in record time. Even though the gesture was far tamer than the kiss we had just shared, she must have been overcome with embarrassment from the sheer eroticism of the situation.

At the same time, I knew she liked it. After all, Renka loved cliché setups like a kabedon—being pinned against a wall while the other person acted utterly domineering.

"I just gave you your candy for today."

At my nonchalant remark, Renka pounded her chest in frustration.

"T-the candy isn't the problem...! Just now..."

"What."

"..."

She tried to argue back but snapped her mouth shut, instantly turning into a mute who has eaten honey. It seemed she was far too embarrassed to say what I had just done out loud.

Flashing a grin at her reaction, I spoke.

"Should we head out?"

"W-what...?"

"You need to change your clothes."

"Ah, right..."

"Change and come out."

Delivering the command, I pulled back the leg I had wedged between her thighs. Catching her swaying body, I supported her until she regained her balance, and once her heavy panting had settled down a bit, I stepped out of the Changing Room and shut the door behind me.

I had steadily made progress until now. Since the reins were off, I figured I could safely pick up the pace starting today to completely bring her under my control. Let's go boldly. Honestly, that approach suited my personality much better anyway.