Chapter 253

“I...!”

“I...!”

The male and female leads both tried to speak at the same time, then paused. You could see the affection in their eyes as they stared at each other.

At the beginning of the movie, Renka had mentioned it was an exclusive romance animated film made by a famous director for the growing number of streaming users... and it was actually pretty good.

What did Renka think of it? She hadn’t glanced my way once, keeping her eyes glued to the screen. She seemed completely engrossed.

Or was she? She might just be pretending to focus. It was highly likely she wasn’t processing a single frame of the movie, too tense from being alone in a Hotel with a shirtless guy.

I could find out easily enough. With that in mind, I subtly shifted closer to Renka.

Rustle.

She reacted instantly.

“Eek...”

Still staring at the TV, Renka had let out an instinctive squeak. It was all the proof I needed. Stifling a laugh, I moved even closer.

“Ahem... Mmm...”

She was openly on edge now. Closing the distance until we were practically touching, I lowered my voice.

“Is it good?”

“...”

“I asked if it’s good.”

“I-it’s good... but can you back off a little...?”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why...? I’m trying to watch the movie...”

“Can’t we watch it like this?”

“I-I can’t focus when you’re this close...”

“You managed just fine at the theater last time.”

“Whose memory is that...? All I remember from the theater is... um...”

She trailed off. It sounded like she was about to admit that kissing was her only memory from that day. Getting this flustered over nothing... she was adorable.

“Anyway, no... back off...”

Chuckling at her weak curse, I buried my face into the pillow she was resting on. We were so close our hair brushed together. Startled, Renka scrambled away.

“Ah, I said back off!”

“You smell nice.”

“What are you talking about...! Go away!”

“Do you hate me that much?”

“S-stop asking things like that! It’s not that I hate you, it’s just that you’re doing this out of nowhere...”

“Come here.”

“No...”

“I said come here.”

“And I said no.”

“Come here before I drag you over.”

“Do you think that scares... Eek!”

Renka scoffed at the threat, only to let out a sudden scream. I had abruptly sat up, letting the blanket slip down to expose my bare chest. Seeing this, Renka snapped her head away, just as she had when she first walked into the room.

“P-put some clothes on, you crazy bastard!”

“It’s not your first time seeing it. Why are you making such a fuss?”

“I’ve only seen it once today, you ignorant jerk!”

“Are you sure? Dig a little deeper into those memories.”

“Shut up! Why are you so careless...! Eek!”

I pinned her to the mattress as she complained. Now forced to look right at my chest, she screamed.

“Tangerine! I said tangerine!”

Her desperate attempt to use the safe word was hilarious. Leaning in until we were nose-to-nose, I spoke.

“Let’s save that for when we’re actually doing BDSM.”

“I-I don’t ever plan on doing that, what are you... Ah...?”

She gasped as I pinned her wrists. She tried to squirm away, but the gap in our strength made her struggles useless.

I pressed her wrists firmly into the mattress while she twisted and cursed, staring down at her.

I gave her a heavy, half-lidded gaze—the exact look she loved right before things got heated. The atmosphere in the room instantly settled. Cutting through the silence, the male lead in the movie delivered a romantic line.

“A-Asako, I love you...!”

“I... I love you too...!”

The man’s confession echoed clearly from the screen, followed by the woman fully baring her own heart. The scene blended perfectly with our own compromising position, creating a mood that was both deep and strangely innocent. Renka must have felt it too; she stopped thrashing and just lay there, breathing heavily.

The standoff stretched on. As the movie’s soundtrack swelled from the TV behind me, I slowly leaned down to kiss her. But then—

“W-wait...! I’m still... give me a second...!”

Renka clamped her legs around my thigh, tensed her whole body, and jerked to the side. I pitched sideways, losing my balance. Slipping out from under me in the opening, Renka scrambled off the bed and smoothed down her messy hair.

‘What the hell...?’

She had thrown off my mount perfectly. It was honestly impressive. Did she train in MMA on top of Kendo? I couldn’t believe it.

“I told you to wait! Listen for once!”

She scolded me as I stared in disbelief. Recovering from my shock, I asked a question.

“President. Did you take martial arts or something?”

“...Just for a bit in middle school...”

She only took it for a bit, yet she tossed me that smoothly? She must have a natural talent for it.

But she knew how to do that and never used it until now? Sure, maybe it had only just occurred to her, but... she really could be a sly fox sometimes.

Smirking, I climbed out of bed and approached her as she blew a stray lock of hair out of her face.

“Why... why are you coming over here again! Get away!”

“Watch your mouth.”

“You’re the one making me swear! And put a shirt on...”

She backed away, pointing at my discarded shirt. I grabbed her arm and gave it a sudden yank.

“Hah...!”

She let out a startled gasp as she flew into my arms, light as a feather. I wrapped my arms tightly around her slender frame and spoke.

“Want to try escaping again?”

“I-I didn’t learn how to get out of a hold like this... let go...”

“Good to hear.”

“Good...? Ah...!”

Renka sucked in a sharp breath. My hand had slipped under her skirt.

I stroked the back of her thigh, bunching up the hem of her skirt as I did. She flinched, her head turning slightly toward the mirror—wickedly positioned right where we could watch what we were doing.

She trembled slightly every time I massaged her leg, but her eyes were full of curiosity as she stared at my arms, my shoulders, and my bare chest. She clearly liked my body.

Her sudden docility was a total reversal from her fierce struggles just moments ago. She was like a sulky cat that had been left alone all day, only to melt the second its owner came home and started petting it.

My hand traced up her thigh, slipping beneath her cardigan to brush against her top. She shuddered violently and bit her lip.

“Ugh...!”

Then, raising her previously limp hands, she shoved my chest with all her might. The force was staggering—enough to actually push me back, even though I’d normally brush off that kind of resistance. Between throwing me earlier and shoving me now, Renka was incredibly strong today.

Having forced me away, she looked deeply conflicted. It wasn’t that she was unwilling, or even unready. But there was clearly something she wanted to do first. Right before our heated time together.

“I-I’m going to get Popcorn from the snack bar!”

Just as I was trying to read her mind, she snatched up her handbag and sprinted out the door, still wearing her slippers. She vanished in a flash. Staring at the slamming door, I tilted my head.

Was she running away? No, she hadn’t changed into her shoes, and her Cell Phone was still sitting right on the bed. If she’d had the presence of mind to grab her handbag, she would have grabbed those two things as well if she was actually fleeing—and she wouldn’t have announced exactly where she was going.

Did she just need some fresh air? I had no idea. Sometimes, Renka was even more erratic than Chinami.

‘What is she doing...?’

Scratching my head, I flopped back onto the bed. My little slave just loved causing trouble for her master. I’d definitely make her pay for this later. It seemed she needed a minute to collect herself, so I decided to wait.

Or so I thought. A long time passed, and Renka still hadn’t come back. Had she actually run back Home? Was she waiting for the Popcorn to finish popping at the snack bar? Or worse, was some guy hitting on her out there?

Anxiety starting to gnaw at me, I pulled on my shirt and was just about to go looking for her. Right then, a soft knock came from the door.

“It’s me... open up...”

It was Renka, and she sounded utterly mortified. Her voice was so quiet I barely caught it; she was probably whispering on purpose because she was out in the hallway.

I opened the door to find Renka looking up at me, her arms full of Popcorn, drinks, and snacks. Judging by her expression, nothing bad had happened.

Thank God. Still, she was annoying. A slave making her master worry... she was way out of line. Narrowing my eyes at her, I asked a question.

“What took you so long?”

“I told you I was getting Popcorn... Move.”

As she carefully pushed past my shoulder and headed for the bed, a cool, refreshing sensation washed over me. The kind of crispness you only felt from someone who had just washed their face with cold water... that kind of vibe.

My brow twitched in realization as a faint scent of mint drifted by—a scent that definitely hadn’t been there before. And it wasn’t the smell of mint candy. It was toothpaste.

“Ah...”

Finally, I understood why she had bolted from the room. She had gone to brush her teeth. Right as we were about to kiss, she must have suddenly remembered she hadn’t brushed yet. And she’d grabbed her handbag because her toothbrush and toothpaste were inside.

Come to think of it, we hadn’t exactly had time to brush our teeth before coming to the Hotel. A laugh bubbled up in my throat. Was this girl the literal embodiment of cuteness? I’d planned on punishing her, but she deserved to be forgiven for doing something like that. I’d have to let her off the hook this time.

“What do you mean, ‘ah’...? Stop grinning like an idiot and come watch the movie!”

She grumbled, dumping the snacks onto the bedside table. I pulled my shirt back off and headed toward the bathroom. Blinking, she asked a question.

“Where are you going...?”

If she was going to be so fastidious, it was only right that I returned the favor. Swallowing those words, I gave her an answer.

“To brush my teeth.”

“Eek...!?”

Letting out a weird little shriek, Renka’s shoulders jumped.

“D-die!!”

The heartfelt curse followed instantly. I had only mentioned brushing my teeth, but she had immediately connected the dots and grown defensive. Why was she so funny? Bursting into laughter at her reaction, I flashed a wicked grin as she glared daggers at me.

“Alright.”

You can curse at me all you want from here on out. But I’ll be taking what’s mine in return. An even exchange for your first time, right?