Chapter 369

[President.]

A message received through AnyShare.

Seeing it, Renka muttered in a small voice.

"Dammit..."

It was driving me crazy how funny it was that she didn't have the faintest idea who was behind her, but I held it in.

I sent another message to Renka, who had irritably set down her Cell Phone and gone back to hanging the laundry.

[You'll regret it if you don't answer. Reply with an emoticon.]

"Ugh, come on...!"

Renka checked her Cell Phone, let out a frustrated groan, and raised a fist in the air, threatening to punch the screen.

Since she couldn't do a thing in front of me, it seemed she was managing her anger like this instead.

Snickering silently, I approached Renka—who was taking deep breaths to calm her mind and body—and reached my hand down.

Slip.

My hand pressed her baggy Training Uniform directly against her skin, following the firm curve of her buttocks and sliding between her thighs.

Feeling the sensation, Renka shuddered violently as if covered in goosebumps and whipped her head around.

Her pupils dilated massively the moment she saw my face.

"Hya...!"

She was about to scream, but I quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Sorry. Didn't think you'd be this startled."

"Mmph...! Mmmph...!"

Renka mumbled against my hand as if she had something to say.

Seeing her pretty eyebrows furrow while I held her by the waist, I whispered quietly.

"Promise not to scream?"

Renka slowly nodded.

Only then did I pull my hand away from her mouth.

"How can you say you didn't think I'd be startled after doing that out of nowhere...! Are you crazy...!? Do you want to die? Do you want a beating? Am I a joke to you lately...!?"

I held back my laughter as I watched her fly into a furious rage without ever raising her voice.

"I only did it because I like you... Did you hate it?"

"I-it's not that I hated it, but why there of all places... You're trying to get me used to it so you can use it later, aren't you...!?"

'She knows me well.' She was resisting fiercely right now, but it seemed she was at least mentally prepared for it, so getting her used to it wouldn't be a problem.

"No, I'm not?"

"What do you mean you're not...! Your hand was positioned exactly there...!"

"By the way, President."

"What now...!?"

"Why did you swear earlier? You looked ready to smash your Cell Phone, too."

"...Y-you saw that?"

Renka, who had been snapping at me, flinched.

Her fierce momentum died instantly.

I answered as she rolled her eyes around, completely at a loss for what to do.

"I saw it."

"Y-you have a terrible personality... peeking like that... It's not a good look."

'If she's going to act shameless, she should at least manage her facial expressions like Hiyori.'

Who would be fooled when she was trying to brazen it out with a face that so obviously screamed guilty?

Seeing her act so transparently honest only made me want to do it with her right this second.

But I had to hold back for the big payoff later.

"Am I the one who should be apologizing here?"

"Of course...! You shouldn't tease people like that...!"

"I'll apologize then, but are you going to say sorry to me too, President?"

"Why would I do that? You're the one in the wrong to begin with. You know perfectly well how much I hate it when you send me messages on AnyShare."

"For someone who hates it, haven't we had an awful lot of conversations on there?"

"That's not what I mean...!"

"Then what? You just hate me sending messages now that your true identity has been exposed?"

"Ugh...!"

"Doesn't it feel good, bringing back old memories?"

"Who said it felt good...! Don't be ridiculous... Why are you even here? State your business and get lost."

"I wanted to set a time for us to meet this weekend."

Renka's lips pursed inward at those words.

Her ears gradually turned red.

She looked embarrassed, likely imagining all the dirty things that would happen at the love hotel.

"What time works for you?"

"..."

"Should I just decide on my own?"

"..."

"How about noon, then? We can watch a movie and grab some food."

"D-don't pretend this is some wholesome date when a love hotel is your real goal..."

"Isn't a love hotel wholesome too?"

"What nonsense... How is that wholesome?"

"Are physical relations between two people who like each other unwholesome, then?"

At that, the blush on Renka's bright red ears spread to the rest of her face.

Her stimulated sympathetic nervous system flushed her skin from her cheekbones across her entire cheeks.

I smirked at her as she let out a long breath through her nose, completely overwhelmed, and pressed on.

"Well, am I wrong?"

"...I suppose not, but..."

"But what?"

"I don't like you... so it isn't wholesome..."

'Who would believe that when you say it with such an incredibly embarrassed expression?'

"Is that how it is?"

"Of course..."

"I'm starting to feel a little hurt."

"S-so what?"

"Are you serious?"

"Well, no... If you're asking if I like you, you could say that... but that's just how I feel about a fellow Kendo Club member..."

It was adorable how she immediately started rambling the moment she saw my disappointed expression.

Leaving it at that, I ignored Renka—who had started complaining and asking why I was acting so smug—and stepped outside.

'Time to go heal my soul by grabbing Chinami's plump ass.'

*

"Matsumatsu!"

'There's that dreaded nickname.'

It didn't even feel like my actual name was coming out of her mouth anymore.

I turned around at Hiyori's cheerful voice and let out a chuckle as I watched her approach using the racewalking technique I'd taught her.

'I guess I'll never be bored when Hiyori is around.'

"Are you done with club activities?"

"Yep."

"What's that in your hand?"

"My club president printed out some fashion websites for me."

"Where's Mitsushima?"

"Restroom. But do you know what's really fascinating?"

"What?"

"It feels like I run into you, sunbae-nim, every time club activities end lately."

"What's fascinating about that? Club activities usually end at the same time, so of course we run into each other often."

"You could just agree with me, but you always have to rain on my parade."

"Do I lack empathy?"

"Yes. At least you're aware of it, thank goodness."

"Quiet. And didn't I tell you to walk around with your buttons fastened?"

Just as I'd pointed out, Hiyori had two buttons on her shirt undone, exactly like she did this morning.

'I wonder how many people have seen her cleavage... I wouldn't have enough time if I tried to gouge out the eyes of every bastard who got a look.'

"Dunno."

'What do you mean you don't know?'

'Is she doing this on purpose?'

'Just because I buttoned it for her this morning, she wants me to do it again?'

She had become even bolder ever since we worked out with Miyuki.

No, rather than that, it seemed to start after she brought up running into us on the way to the Kendo tournament.

That must have triggered a massive boost to her affection level... but it felt like we were progressing way too fast.

"Should we do our next workout tomorrow?"

Hiyori shamelessly ignored my scolding.

I answered as I used my fingertips to stand up her cowlick, which was drooping slightly like a water-logged blade of grass.

"Let's do it Friday evening."

"No way."

"Why?"

"Why would we work out when we're supposed to be out having fun?"

"It's better than stuffing your face while you play. You're obviously going to go to a cafe, eat cake, and then go out and buy a bunch of other snacks. If you want to lose weight, you have to cut back on that."

"That sounds dreadful, but I can't yield on this. It'll be fine if we double the workout time, right?"

"You were half-dead after yesterday's workout, what do you mean double..."

"My stamina leveled up, so it's fine."

"Your stamina went up after racewalking a grand total of two times?"

"Have a little faith in me. Were you always this negative?"

"It's because you spout nothing but nonsense, brat."

"Anyway, let's do it tomorrow."

"Friday."

Did she decide to take a step back at my firm tone?

Hiyori changed the subject.

"Are you waiting for Miyuki Hanazawa?"

"Yeah. I'm waiting."

"Do you wait every day?"

"Not every day, but often."

"Why are you copying how I end my sentences?"

"Because I want to."

"Childish."

My hand always raised itself on its own whenever I talked to Hiyori.

I'd never thought of myself as a violent person... but I guess I was wrong.

Hiyori cackled at me as I choked down my sudden surge of rage.

"It feels like it's been a while since I've seen you tremble with rage, sunbae-nim."

"What are you talking about? Just button your shirt. You know Miyuki will give you demerits if she sees you, right?"

"I should undo another one."

"Button it."

"I'll unbutton two more."

"Listen to me, will you..."

"Should I do three?"

"Why don't you just walk around naked at this point?"

"Do you like that? Should I take it off?"

"No... Haa..."

"I want to get a belly button piercing. What do you think?"

I felt a headache coming on.

She was like a dog in an agility competition that ignored the obstacle course and begged for treats, blissfully running around in circles because it thought it was just out for a walk with its owner...

That was exactly what watching her felt like.

"Won't your parents say something?"

"I just have to not get caught."

"If you do, I'll shave your head."

"Why do you keep trying to oppress my freedom?"

I placed my hand on the chattering Hiyori's head and ruthlessly messed up her hair with all my strength.

"Ah, what are you doing...! You're ruining my hair...!"

Her blonde hair instantly turned into a rat's nest.

Hiyori flailed her arms, her head forced down by my strength, but her blind attacks couldn't reach me at all.

Taking it a step further, I snatched the printout of fashion websites from her hand.

Rolling it up into a tube, I kept messing up her hair with one hand while smacking her waist and rear with the other.

Smack!

"Then start...!"

Whack!

"Listening...!"

Smack! Whack!

"Just listen to me, please...!"

Only after five or six crisp slapping sounds rang out did I finally let her go.

"Hwaaa..."

Disheveled hair, slumped shoulders, and a face filled with utter despair.

Half-exhausted, Hiyori gave off the aura of a total shut-in who hadn't washed in days and spent all their time reading comic books in the corner of their room.

Only after seeing her looking so helpless did I flash a satisfied smile, smooth out the crumpled printout, and hand it back to the glaring Hiyori.

"Mess with me and you're dead."

"This is violence..."

"People really do need a beating. That's the only way they listen."

"It only makes me want to rebel more."

"Then I'll just hit you again."

"I'm going to go get my belly button pierced today."

"Just try it."

"I will."

"Do it. See what happens."

"I will... I said I will...! I'm gonna do it...!!"

"You really want to die..."

The moment I reached out to grab Hiyori's head again as she raised her voice like a child begging for a toy at the department store, she slipped out of my reach with a bizarre movement.

She then threw me a triumphant look.

'She has absolutely zero athletic ability, but her reflexes are definitely something else.'

Thinking that, I gestured for her to come closer with an exhausted expression, and Hiyori approached with the highly guarded eyes of a stray cat.

"What."

"Behave yourself. Got it?"

"Nope."

"Right. Good thing you understand."

"I said I didn't get it?"

"Wipe that lip tint off your teeth."

"It got on them because you were tormenting me earlier, sunbae-nim."

"I know, just wipe it off."

Hiyori closed her mouth and moved her tongue around inside.

Then she flashed her bright white teeth at me and asked.

"Is it gone?"

"Did you just suck it off?"

"It won't kill me."

"Right... That's so you."

"Next time, you should wipe it for me, sunbae-nim."

'With what? My tongue, like you just did?'

If anyone else had said it, they would have meant for me to wipe it off with a tissue, but coming from Hiyori, it was confusing.

Imagining it was turning me on. I definitely had to be the one to wipe it for her next time.

"I'll just pull your teeth out so it never gets on them again."

"Sounds greaaat."

As we were chatting, Miho came downstairs.

Hiyori immediately began complaining to her best friend about how I had bullied her.

Looking flustered at the sight of her completely ruined hair, Miho glanced back and forth between Hiyori and me before making a face that said she understood perfectly.

Then she gave me a polite bow.

"Hello."

"Hey, Mitsushima. Are you heading home now?"

"Yes."

"Get back safely."

"Thank you. Have a safe trip back too, sunbae-nim."

After we exchanged our goodbyes, I chuckled as the departing Hiyori suddenly turned back around and put her hands on top of her head.

"Bye-bye!"

"Yeah, see you later."

"I'll send you a picture after I get my piercing!"

She just had to get on my nerves right up until the very end.

Since it was Hiyori and no one else, it felt like she might actually go through with it, but considering how many times I'd emphasized not to, she probably wouldn't.

Feeling as if a massive storm had just passed by, I let out a deep sigh of relief and quietly waited for Miyuki.