Stealing Spree

When Kushii passed by me on her way to the bathroom, the girl teasingly whispered.

“Don’t, like, peek or anything, Onoda-shi.”

Yeah. That’s an invitation to peek, right?

I tilted my head and pretended to be a little oblivious to her intention, “Peek? Me? I’m a gentleman, Kushii. I’ll be here, minding my own business. I have to behave, you know?”

While Chii laughed at my answer, An-rin scoffed, not believing me one bit.

“Yeah, right. You’re, like, the least gentlemanly gentleman I’ve ever met, Onoda-han. Bet you’re already imagining all sorts of pervy stuff.”

I tilted my head, giving her a mock-offended look. “Pervy? An-rin, there you go again. I gave you all the chances to back away. Remember, you’re the one who flashed me your bra and dared me to go further. Who’s the real pervert here?”

This girl… Did she like to be countered like this all the time? She knew she wouldn’t win against me on this subject yet she still kept doing it.

With her cheeks flaring red again, the girl swatted my arm, hard enough to sting but not enough to actually hurt. “Hmph! That was, like, a tactical move! Don’t twist it, you… you perv lord!”

Chii, who was rummaging through her bag for her own bath stuff, gave her a side-eye. “Tactical move? An-rin, you were begging Kii to keep going. Don’t act all innocent now.”

“Chizuru!” An-rin yelped, her voice hitting that high-pitched squeak that only came out when she was truly flustered. “You’re supposed to be on my side!”

Kushii, who was already halfway to the bathroom door, giggled.

“You two are, like, so loud. I’m gonna take my bath now. Try not to start another… whatever that was while I’m gone.”

She shot me one last glance before disappearing into the bathroom.

The sound of running water soon filled the apartment, a soft, steady hum that seemed to silence the playfulness permeating our surroundings.

Chii sauntered over as she dropped onto the couch before pulling me down to sit on her side. She let out a yawn as drowsiness seemed to be rising from her.

She was exhausted from school and what we did earlier. Of course, she’s trying to hold on to continue this night with me but since we’re all set to take a bath before moving to the room, I wanted her to rest for a while.

I tapped my shoulder and said, “Here, Chii. You can close your eyes for now. I’ll wake you up when it’s your turn.”

She smilingly nodded and rested her head on my shoulder. But then, she murmured in a half-teasing, half-jealous tone. “Kii, you’re gonna have to watch yourself with those two. Kushii’s already in love with you, and An-rin is not far behind. Whatever you decide to do with them, I know you’ll think about us first or how it will affect our complex relationship…”

I shook my head as I draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. “Mhm. That I will. But Chii. I think you’re reading too much into this. An-rin’s just… being An-rin. What happened can be taken as her getting swept by the moment. Things may change but I promise I won’t just brush this away. As for Kushii. She’s still figuring things out. Remember you’re the one who opened this Pandora’s box.”

She smirked and then huffed before pinching my thigh. “Hmph. I know that. I’m partly at fault and I’m not even mad about it. Just a little jealous. It’s fun watching you handle them. But you know, they’re both precious to me.”

“They were with me throughout middle school, helping me with makeup and such. They found the clumsy little me helpless, so they included me in their circle.”

“An-rin may be a chaotic gremlin but she’s too innocent. She gave up having a crush on someone. As for Kushii… well, before you got her so conscious of you, she’s just this playful girl who also loves to tease. But you got her so hooked she became like a shy maiden hopelessly troubled on how she would deal with her interest in you.”

I listened quietly as Chii spilled her thoughts.

Right. I haven’t truly heard about her story with them before we reunited. She’s my clumsy girl from the past. She turned into a gyaru, even if only a facade she put up to hide her natural beauty. An-rin and Kushii were the ones who helped her throughout those years.

As for Fukuda and his gang of delinquents? Well, I guess it has to do with that guy being interested in her but too scared to even confess.

Now that I’ve returned to her life, I also somehow pulled them away from his group.

No wonder Fukuda started hating me. It’s not just because of Chii, it’s also because these girls started hanging out with me more than with them.

Her head nestled against my shoulder with her warmth seeping into me as she spoke about her friends. It was rare for Chii to open up like this, peeling back the layers of her usual bold, playful demeanor to reveal the depth of her care for An-rin and Kushii. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of responsibility settle in my chest.

This night had spiraled into something none of us could’ve predicted, and now, here we were, navigating the aftermath of a chaotic, heated moment.

“Chii,” I murmured as I rubbed the side of her arm, warming her up, “I get it. They’re your girls, your ride-or-dies. I know not to mess that up. What happened tonight… I’m not gonna let it screw things up for any of us. You’ve got my word.”

She tilted her head up, her eyes glinting with that mischievous spark I knew so well, though there was a softness there too. “Mhm, I know you, Kii. You’re a pervert, but you’re our pervert. You don’t just toss people aside. Everyone can attest to that. Still, I’m keeping an eye on you. Don’t want you stealing their hearts too fast.”

She punctuated her words with another pinch to my thigh but lighter this time, as if she didn’t really want to hurt me.

I chuckled as I brushed my fingers through her hair. “Stealing hearts? Nah, I’m just trying to survive An-rin’s gremlin energy and Kushii’s… unexpected boldness. You’re the one who’s got me wrapped around your finger, Chii.”

She snorted, clearly pleased but trying to play it cool. “Pfft, don’t try to sweet-talk me now, Kii. I know your tricks. Your silver tongue is too dangerous.”

Despite saying that, the girl snuggled as she relaxed more. Her voice and breathing gradually went softer as she slowly fell asleep. I held her close and put a blanket on her thigh just to keep her from getting cold.

An-rin, who’d been hovering nearby, pretending to busy herself with straightening up the already-tidy coffee table, spun around after Chii’s soft snoring filled the room.

Her eyes narrowed, catching me cradling Chii like she was some delicate treasure.

“Oi, Onoda-han,” An-rin hissed, keeping her voice low to not wake Chii. “What’s with the whole lovey-dovey act? You tryin’ to make me jealous or somethin’? Hmph, like I care!”

She crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks in that signature indignant pout, but she still closed in, taking the seat next to me.

Kushii had just entered the bathroom. She’d probably take at least twenty minutes of relaxing inside the warm water before going out.

And that left us alone.

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