Chapter 260

"Haa... I'm exhausted."

I sprawled out on the tatami and let out a sigh. Beside me, Miyuki poked her index finger at my stomach, exposed where my T-shirt had ridden up as I stretched my arms overhead.

It was a scene practically bursting with youthful romance. If Tetsuya hadn't been sitting right next to us, I would have been completely satisfied.

"Good work."

Miyuki patted my stomach, making a hollow thumping sound. I grabbed her wrist, sat up, and glanced at Tetsuya, who was keeping his eyes glued to the low table.

I couldn't tell if he was deliberately looking away because he didn't want to watch Miyuki and me flirting, or if he was genuinely focused on his studies. Knowing his gloomy nature it was probably the former, but that wasn't my problem.

"Tetsuya-kun."

"..."

"Tetsuya-kun, is there anything you don't understand?"

Tetsuya snapped to attention at her innocent tone and flashed his signature dopey smile.

"No. I was just focusing on memorizing the formulas."

"How admirable. Did you memorize them all?"

"Yeah. For now, at least. You can test me if you want."

"No, I trust you, so I won't test you. Should we study at your place next time? Could you ask your mom about it?"

"Huh...? My place...?"

"Yeah. We studied at my house last time, and Matsuda-kun's house today, so wouldn't it be best to go to your house next?"

"I don't mind, but... alright."

Tetsuya cast a brief, sidelong glance at me before looking away. Did he think I'd feel awkward in a stranger's house? If so, should I be thankful for his consideration, or not?

Setting everything else aside, I was curious about two things: just how beautiful his mother was, and whether that athletic woman I'd seen when leaving Miyuki's neighborhood last time was a member of his family. I definitely wanted to go, if only to find out.

"You don't have to force it. If I'm pressuring you..."

"It's not pressure... Don't worry about it at all."

"Alright. Then that's the end of today's study session. Great work, everyone. Let's do this again."

Miyuki clapped her hands to signal the end of the session. I had been leaning back comfortably on my hands, but I stood up the moment she said that. Miyuki packed her books into her bag, then raised her arms to gather her hair and tie it back.

"Should we all get coffee at a cafe?"

Through the wide sleeves of her oversized T-shirt, I caught a glimpse of her smooth underarms. Honestly, the subtle sex appeal radiating from such an everyday moment was far more arousing than lingerie deliberately worn to look provocative. Not that the lingerie wasn't nice, but it just lacked the sheer impact of this casual sight.

Ah... blood was rushing south. I wanted to take her right now, and it was a damn shame I couldn't just because that bastard Tetsuya was here.

I was already annoyed enough as it was. Coffee? Out of the question. I needed to get rid of him quickly and take a shower with Miyuki to cleanse away the gloomy miasma leaking from his body.

"I just want to rest. My brain is fried."

"Me too... I'm a bit mentally exhausted today."

Surprisingly, Tetsuya agreed with me. He probably hated the idea of the three of us getting coffee just as much as I did. If Miyuki had asked him to go alone with her, he would have jumped at the chance.

"Really...? It's rare for the three of us to get together like this... What a shame. Let's head out, then."

"Alright."

Even after packing his bag, Tetsuya made no move to leave first. Did he still expect a ride in my car after all that? The guy had absolutely zero shame. He was quite a complex character—in the worst way possible.

But what could I do? Miyuki still thought of him as her childhood friend, so I had to show a little generosity. Making a mental note to scrub the inside of my car tonight, I threw on my jacket and motioned to the two of them.

"Hurry up and get out."

Miyuki giggled and asked affectionately, "Did you really hate studying that much?"

I swallowed the urge to say, "It's not that I hate studying, I just hate the human being known as Miura. One day I'm going to smash his teeth in right in front of you, and when that happens, I hope you take my side." Instead, I just shrugged in response.

The next day, in front of Renka's house. Eyes shining with anticipation over what outfit she would wear today, I waited for her to come out of the Main Gate.

Before long, the Main Gate slowly and weakly pushed open, and I saw Renka peek her head through the gap. She looked around, flinched when she spotted my car, and hesitantly stepped outside.

Today's outfit was a light beige trench coat that stopped midway down her thighs, paired with a white turtleneck and black knee-high boots.

She looked haughty overall, but the coat's loose fit and the tennis-skirt-like pleats at the bottom added a touch of cuteness.

With every button on her coat fastened tight, Renka approached, her boots clicking against the pavement. She opened the passenger door, sat down without even glancing at my face, and buckled her seatbelt.

"Hello."

"...Hi."

Only after I greeted her first did she reluctantly return it. She was so cute.

"Sleep well?"

"Yeah."

"What about the skirt?"

"Haa... I seriously don't understand why you're so obsessed with skirts."

"Did you wear it?"

"I wore it...! I put it on, so shut up..."

"Take off your coat so I can check."

"No...!"

I thought she'd be shy since we'd slept together for the first time, but she was still as fierce as ever. I couldn't decide whether I should be glad she was so spirited, or disappointed.

"Then I'll just check in the Changing Room."

"I'm absolutely not letting you check anything, so don't get your hopes up."

"I'll find out on my own once you change into your uniform anyway, won't I?"

"...When I was working alone yesterday, I put a spare pair of pants in my locker."

Our Renka was always so thoroughly prepared. She was doing this because she was afraid of coming again today, right? I understood. I laughed off her grumbling about how I was being annoying first thing in the morning and started the car.

"Weren't you lonely working by yourself?"

"Not at all."

"You should have at least called me."

"What are you talking about... I said 'not at all.' Don't flatter yourself, I didn't feel a single ounce of loneliness."

"Well, you must be happy we get to be together today."

"...Does it make you feel better to just hear yourself talk?"

"Let's work hard together."

Was she annoyed that we were having two completely separate, nonsensical conversations? Renka let out a sharp huff through her nose and turned her head toward the window.

She should have just let it go and kept her mouth shut. The fact that she kept responding only made me want to tease her more.

Feeling like sparks were already flying between us, I pulled up to the cafe and clocked in. Then, I grabbed Renka's wrist and pulled her into the Changing Room with me.

"Ah, shit...! What do you think you're doing...!?"

"Shit?"

"You grabbed me so hard..."

"I barely even squeezed. Anyway, as promised, you get three candies today. But..."

"...But?"

It was hilarious watching her prick up her ears instead of exploding in anger. Forcing down the corners of my mouth, I pulled out a single candy and held it up for her to see.

"You only get one for now. If you eat them all at once, the President will develop bad habits, and it'll be bad for your teeth. Eat this one first, and I'll give you another after lunch. You'll get the last one after dinner."

A vein popped on Renka's forehead.

"I told you not to treat me like a child...! And what do you mean, dinner...! Who said I was having dinner with you?"

"You aren't?"

"Of course I'm not...! There's no reason to, and Chinami is coming today too..."

"I meant the three of us."

"No. I'm eating with Chinami, just the two of us."

"Then let's ask the Master's opinion."

"Don't make me laugh...! You didn't even make plans with Chinami beforehand, so where do you get off trying to shamelessly crash ours?"

"I did."

"I talked to Chinami on the phone yesterday, and she didn't say a word about that."

"What did she say?"

"Why should I tell you... ngh...!?"

Renka, who had been fiercely arguing back, suddenly let out a short moan. I had reached out and started undoing her coat buttons one by one.

"..."

Her face flushed bright red as she stared blankly at my slow-moving hands. Once the coat was completely unbuttoned and fell open, revealing her skirt, she clamped her legs together.

"D-don't look...!"

She had stood perfectly still and let me look, yet here she was telling me not to. I scoffed and blatantly inspected her skirt.

It was a neat, dark beige pintuck skirt with shallow stitching on the sides. The material made it look like it would be difficult to hike up. Given how well it paired with her knee-high boots, it didn't seem like she had specifically chosen this skirt just to make it hard for me to touch her.

"It's a pretty skirt. I like it."

"I-I didn't wear it for you to like it..."

"I know. But why aren't you wearing stockings? I'm pretty sure I told you to wear them."

"Because they don't match the outfit...!"

"So you prioritized your outfit over my orders?"

"...So what if I did? You got a problem with that...?"

"Plenty. You were acting up the day before yesterday, and you didn't listen to me today, so I'm going to have to punish you."

"P-punish...?"

"Wait here for a second."

I stated it like an ultimatum, leaving a flustered, blinking Renka behind as I stepped out of the Changing Room. I headed back to my car, retrieved a prop I had prepared beforehand from the glovebox, and returned.

"...What is that...?"

Renka's voice trembled with anxiety when she saw the black packaging in my hand. Standing in front of her, I silently tore it open and showed her the item inside. The moment she saw what I was holding, her eyes doubled in size.

"W-what is that...?"

The item I had brought was a black Choker. It was obviously meant to be worn around the neck—a plain, thin leather belt-style fashion accessory, sure, but depending on who was looking at it, its design could easily be mistaken for a BDSM collar.

I thrust it right in front of Renka, who had instantly recognized the Choker and frozen in shock. Flashing her a bright smile, I said, "From today on, you're wearing this."