Chapter 2965: Any progress?

Upon returning to our classroom, the work on our class’s booth continued. This time, since Fukuda and a few of the boys found it unpleasant to have me manage them, I let them be. If they could do their task well and with much higher efficiency, then it would be much better than if I spent my time telling them what to do.

Besides, I’d rather spend my time with my girls than argue with Fukuda about the placement of a fake skeleton that would serve as a prop for a jump scare in one of the booth’s sections.

"Onoda-kun, here. What do you think of this?"

Once again, Shimura found a chance to approach me after Hana, who was still recovering from yesterday, finally let go of me.

"Mhm. That’s good. The more cryptic it is, the better." I said after reading what she handed me. It seems to be a rewrite of one of the riddles.

A touch of blush crept onto Shimura’s cheeks as she looked away, clearly pleased that I had approved of her work. She had a certain earnestness to her that made the simple act of reviewing a riddle feel like a shared secret.

"I was worried it was too obscure," She murmured with a voice barely audible over the chaos of the classroom. "But if you think it works, I’ll try to rewrite the other ones too."

"It works because it doesn’t give the answer away immediately. Furthermore, it sounds more original. I never thought you had quite the talent in this. You would’ve fit quite well in our Literature Club."

Shimura’s reaction was immediate; her shoulders jumped and a soft, muffled sound escaped her mouth. She looked at me with wide eyes as her expression became a mix of shock and sheer delight.

For a girl who usually stayed in the background, this kind of direct validation seemed to hit her like a bolt of electricity. Not to mention, she was being praised by her not-so-hidden crush.

"You... you really think so?" She whispered, clutching the papers to her chest.

"I do. Keep that momentum going," I said, giving her a small, encouraging pat on the shoulder.

A bright smile bloomed on her face before she turned around and ran back to join the others in her group. Among them, I saw Aya smiling sweetly at me. If I wasn’t wrong, that shy girl was the one who encouraged Shimura to approach me in the first place.

I gave her a small nod before mouthing ’I love you’, which made the girl jump slightly and look away. Unfortunately for her, her cheeks and her ears became dusted with a soft crimson.

If she wasn’t in the middle of their group, I would’ve already run over to give that girl a huge hug.

Well, I could do it next time.

After a while, I sat down next to Satsuki, who was lounging on one corner. A look of boredom could be seen on her usually grumpy face.

Yeah. The girl had nothing else to do. Even if she tried to volunteer to help out, Nami and the others already had everything under control, leaving her with no choice but to watch from the sidelines.

"You look like you’re about to fall asleep, Satsuki. Should I get you a lemonade?" I said as my hand sneakily slipped underneath the desk to grab hers.

Satsuki didn’t even open her eyes, but she squeezed my hand back with a firm, possessive grip. "Tsk. What? Are you slacking off too? Some representative you are, idiot."

"Not my fault they don’t want me around them, no? Besides, you look like you’ll die of boredom if I leave you alone here. What do you think? Shall we sneak out?"

"Pervert... Even if I want to... I can’t just sneak a bite of you when the others are busily doing their job. I’m not as shameless as you."

"Yeah, right. Not shameless. My Satsuki is so virtuous," I teased, sliding my hand up to squeeze her shoulder.

She finally opened one eye, casting a sharp, yet fond glare in my direction. "Keep talking and I’ll make sure to squeeze you dry later. Hmph, we’ll see how you handle it if the others ask why you can’t get it up."

I couldn’t help but imagine that scene. And it sent chills down my spine. She could really do it. But then again... I was confident I could take her down at her game. It’s just Satsuki. Despite her prickly exterior, she would always melt whenever I focused all my attention on her.

"Is that a challenge? Because you know I love a good fight," I whispered, leaning closer so my breath brushed against her ear.

Satsuki clicked her tongue, looking both annoyed and amused at the same time. "Shut up. I’ll tell Setsu-nee you’re bullying me."

"Heh. So, the little sister is finally going to ask for her big sister’s help? It’s fine. I can take you both on."

"You insatiable pervert!" Satsuki pinched my arm as she puffed up her cheeks.

Ah. This is refreshing. It has been a while since I teased her like this, no?

I chuckled before leaning in to plant a kiss on her cheek, ignoring her half-hearted attempt to push me away. Satsuki’s expression softened, the sharp edge of her irritation dissolving into that familiar, quiet longing she only ever showed me.

"Go and busy yourself, idiot. I’ll be fine here."

"Alright. I’ll do that after getting you a drink. Wait for me."

Upon saying that, I stood up and went to Nami and told her I would go out to buy everyone a drink.

The girl looked at me without saying anything but I could tell what she wanted to ask.

"Don’t worry. Even if I want to treat everyone out of my pocket, I’ll only treat the girls. But remember, we’ve gotten a bonus budget from the workshop. I’ll use that. After all, drinks can also be written off as expenses. If someone complains, tell them it’s a ’morale-boosting’ expense," I replied with a wink.

Nami sighed before an amused smile played on her lips. "Fine. Go quickly. I want... a chilled peach tea."

"Got it, wife."

Not expecting the sudden term of endearment, Nami froze for a heartbeat before her cheeks bloomed into a soft pink. She didn’t scold me or call me a pervert. Instead, the girl looked away as her voice dropped to a shy, barely audible murmur. "Who told you that you could call me that... dummy Ruu."

I poked her cheek before stepping into the middle of the classroom. Since I was going to get them a drink, it was better to ask them what they wanted, right?

Once I finished circling the room, I ended up holding a notepad. Memorizing them was difficult even for me.

Most of the girls wanted something sweet or refreshing, while the few boys who didn’t mind me acting as their errand boy asked for sports drinks. Of course, today is the only exception. It’s all to keep a positive reputation in our class. After all, even if the other girls didn’t say it, watching me flirt every day was also exhausting for them.

It’s only because I am easy to talk to and present myself as approachable that none of them have complained yet.

As for the boys... of course, I don’t care about their opinions.

"Hey Sakuma, come and accompany me."

Walking over to one corner where the boys were already putting up a wall to separate one section of the booth, Sakuma looked up with a confused expression.

"Oh. Sure."

Mhm. He’s not expecting me to approach him like this. But then again, it’s not like I’m purposely ignoring him. I just really didn’t have time to deal with him when my attention was always occupied by my girls. As for the matter of Setsuna-nee, even if he suspected something, he probably still thinks I am his friend. The one who gave him all those tips to woo her.

Anyway, I also have another reason for inviting Sakuma along. There’s that matter about the Soccer Club. Even if he’s only a new member, he should still be aware of its current state.

"Man, you look like you haven’t gotten enough sleep. Let’s change your drink to coffee. Come on." I patted Sakuma’s shoulder, steering him toward the exit.

Walking out of the classroom, we made our way to the nearest vending machine just outside the School Building. When we arrived there, there were a few students also getting their drinks. We stood at the side, waiting for our turn.

"So, did you make any progress?" Breaking the silence, I asked Sakuma. I kept my tone casual, as if I were simply checking in on a friend’s romantic life but in my mind, I couldn’t help but recall Setsuna-nee’s alluring face after our long and intimate exchange in her bed.

Sakuma flinched a bit, his expression turning sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Not really. Setsuna-san is... well, you know. She’s still like a fortress. I tried talking to her after practice yesterday, but she told me she didn’t have time to go out these days." He let out a long, defeated sigh that seemed to deflate his entire posture. "I don’t think I’m cutting it, Ruki."