Chapter 274

"Do you stamp coupons for cake orders too?"

Her large eyes wide, Hiyori looked pretty enough to have stepped right out of a romance manga. If I hadn't already gotten involved with Miyuki, Chinami, and Renka, I might have felt like I had just met my destined partner.

I wanted to strike up a conversation with Hiyori, but showing too much interest was a bad idea. To win over someone with her intuition and personality, the right approach was to get to know her slowly. I needed to build up her affection level through various events, just like I had with Miyuki. For now, a simple clerk-and-customer dynamic was perfect.

"Yes, we do."

"Then I'll have one cheesecake and one chocolate cake, please."

"Would you like to add any drinks to your order?"

"Nope."

Every time she ended her sentences with that cute upward lilt, I wanted to pull Hiyori into a tight hug. Forcibly suppressing the urge, I waited for her to finish paying and return to her seat, then pointed at the clear dessert display case for Renka.

"Could you get the cakes out?"

"Cheese and chocolate, right?"

"Yeah."

"Don't speak to me so casually."

"Sure."

Renka glared at me for the brazen reply, then pulled the cakes out. I stopped her from serving them herself, took the plates, and set them down at Hiyori's table.

"Enjoy."

"Thank you!"

Their thanks rang out in unison. Hmm... Hiyori's friends were certainly polite. True to the saying that pretty girls flock together, they were gorgeous as well. If they came to the Academy, they would definitely be popular.

I flashed them a perfect customer-service smile, returned to the counter, and turned to Renka.

"When are we going to the Club Room?"

"W-Well...? I'm not really sure... Just get the Bogu ready for now..."

Some of the equipment from the Club Room was out being serviced by a company, while the rest had been taken home by Goro, the director. Since there was no one to maintain the gear over the school break, it was being stored separately.

"Do we really need the Bogu? Are you planning to spar?"

"That's the plan. You've shaken off that beginner's vibe, and since it's a private lesson, it'll help you improve faster..."

"I get the feeling you're just using the lesson as an excuse to relieve stress. You're going to beat me mercilessly, just like you did at the training camp, aren't you?"

"What are you talking about...? I wasn't thinking that at all. Besides, back then, you were..."

"I was what?"

"...You were actually pretty good..."

Renka had said the exact same thing during the training camp—that I had done well. But the mood was completely different now.

While she seemed to genuinely acknowledge my skills, her praise today was laced with deep-seated shyness toward me. Every time Renka reacted like this, I felt a profound feeling of a changed era. I loved how drastically she had shifted from someone with absolutely no romantic interest in me, and honestly, it turned me on.

"Thanks for the compliment."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"Anyone could tell that was a compliment. How am I supposed to react when you deny it?"

"Just don't react at all."

"Sure. Anyway, how are the uncles doing? How's business?"

"They're just... getting by, they said."

"That's good. Did they mention me at all?"

"They did, but it was nothing special. They definitely didn't ask you to come back and help out again, so don't let it go to your head."

So they had said exactly that. It wouldn't be a bad idea to help them out briefly after I quit my part-time job at the cafe and before the semester started. Even if it meant volunteering for hard labor, I liked those uncles because of how hearty and open they were. Besides, you can never have too many good connections.

"I get it. So, when are we going to the Club Room?"

"I told you I don't know."

"Should we go today?"

"...Today?"

"There don't seem to be as many customers as yesterday, so I still have plenty of energy. Since we're already talking about lessons, wouldn't today be fine?"

"That's a bit... I haven't even prepared the gear in advance..."

"Is that so? Come to think of it, the Academy took back all the bedding from the Lounge, so we'll probably need a portable mattress or something... It's probably best to go prepared."

Renka's body gave a violent jolt. The mention of a mattress seemed to have sparked some dirty thoughts in her head.

"W-Why would we need a mattress..."

It was hilarious how she pried even though she already knew exactly what was going to happen.

"Because a hard floor will hurt our backs."

Even just that was enough to set Renka's perverted imagination running wild, painting all sorts of explicit pictures in her mind. Just as I expected, I watched her face slowly turn bright red.

It seemed she had developed at least a slight interest in having sex in a new environment. We hadn't even slept together that many times, but if she was already reacting like this, I figured I could push things further than I originally thought. As her eyes began darting everywhere, I placed a hand on her waist.

"Do you want to go to the Club Room tomorrow?"

"T-Tomorrow...?"

"Yeah. Does that not work?"

"No... It's not that, but why so suddenly..."

"Because I want to do it soon."

"Huh...? Wait, what...?"

"Have our lesson."

"Ah... the lesson..."

"I just need to bring my gear and the mattress, right?"

"N-No... I haven't decided yet... And we don't necessarily need a mattress..."

"I'll plan on it, then."

I ended the conversation with that final declaration. Feigning nonchalance, I idly toyed with the cash register while keeping a close eye on Renka. She rubbed the back of her neck, pulled open a cabinet, and began taking out coffee beans—all while stealing furtive glances in my direction. When our eyes met, she flinched as if caught red-handed and immediately whipped her head away. It was adorable.

Screeeech—!

While we were silently and subtly flirting, Hiyori's group, who had been chatting amiably among themselves, stood up from their seats. I offered a bright smile as I watched them carefully gather up their trash, place everything neatly on a tray, and return it to the counter.

"Have a good day."

"Thank you for the food!"

Speaking on behalf of the group, Hiyori offered her thanks before leading her friends out of the cafe. Since she'd taken the extra coupon stamps, she would probably be back, right? I hoped I could see her one more time before my part-time job wrapped up.

The next day, I waited in my parked car in front of Renka's house and watched her step out through the Main Gate.

Her outfit today consisted of a hoodie, jeans, and a padded jacket—a highly defensive ensemble, just like last time. Was this her way of showing she wouldn't just surrender her body to me easily? Or had she deliberately chosen not to wear a skirt to provoke me into fondling her more aggressively? There was a good chance it was a bit of both.

Regardless, Renka had a shinai bag slung over her shoulder. She was also carrying a box containing the Bogu and a small shopping bag. That shopping bag instantly caught my eye. She had clearly brought a change of clothes for after we had sex, but... why was it bulging so much? The contents went far beyond what a bag that size was meant to hold.

A cardigan had been stuffed into the top of the shopping bag to conceal whatever was underneath. It was already incredibly bulky, and yet she went out of her way to hide the contents with clothing? Factoring in what I'd told her yesterday, I instantly figured out exactly what she had brought.

I narrowed my eyes and unlocked the car when Renka gestured for me to open the trunk.

Clack.

"Hey."

Renka tossed out a quick greeting through the open trunk before setting the box inside. As she returned to the passenger seat empty-handed and buckled her seatbelt, I flashed her a meaningful smile and asked a question.

"Why is your shopping bag so bulky?"

"You don't need to know."

"You brought a Blanket, didn't you?"

Twitch.

Renka's entire body jolted. It was all the proof I needed that I had hit the nail right on the head.

Because I'd told her I was only bringing the gear and a mattress, she had gone out of her way to bring something to cover ourselves with. The situation was so absurdly funny I thought I might burst. Still, it made me feel great knowing she hadn't just brushed off my words.

"You should have just told me."

"T-Told you what...?"

"To bring a Blanket or some bedding."

"..."

Renka shot me a fierce, blistering glare. Her expression practically screamed, 'How the hell was I supposed to ask you that?' She held the glare for a long moment. Once I chuckled and finally started the car, she turned a tense, nervous gaze toward the glove compartment. Then, she cautiously broke the silence.

"Hey... Did you... bring that thing...?"

"Bring what?"

"You know... that thing... for my neck..."

"The Choker?"

"...Yeah, that... I don't want to wear it..."

The fact that she was listing off her demands under the blatant assumption that we were going to have sex made me want to take her right then and there. Should we just slip into the Changing Room for a quickie before the cafe opened? No. We wouldn't have enough time. I needed to hold it in, endure the urge, and let it all out once we got to the Club Room.

"You don't want to wear it?"

"I-It's not that I don't want to... It's just the location is a bit..."

Was she worried that a security guard out on patrol might hear the bell jingling?

This would be Renka's first time having sex anywhere outside the bounds of common sense. Because of that, ensuring her psychological comfort before anything happened was crucial. She was worrying a bit too much, but I owed it to her to let this slide.

"Alright. I won't make you wear it."

"Um... And the... towels..."

"Aren't there already towels lying around the Club Room?"

"Just in case..."

"You think so? Should we just borrow some from the cafe for a bit? Or do we need to buy new ones?"

"I-If you take the ones from the cafe, that's not borrowing, that's theft... We have to buy new ones..."

Seeing Renka fret over all the little preparations was incredibly endearing. It also filled me with anticipation. I could tell she had seriously steeled her resolve for today. I had a feeling I'd be able to try out all sorts of new positions with her. Today was the perfect day to thoroughly figure out her exact tastes.

"Alright. Is there anything else we need to get?"

"Other than that... not really..."

"Got it."

I wanted to invite Chinami too, but today just wasn't the right time. Something like that required both girls to be in the right state of mind, so I decided to find a better day and take my time easing them into the idea.