Stealing Spree

After diverting Ohori-senpai’s question yesterday to Aoi, she hasn’t sent a new message yet.

However, from the update that I heard from Aoi, that similarly or previously unruly senior expressed her anger at me. She then advised Aoi to dump me and be free.

I mean, Aoi answered her question truthfully. The girl told her that I am dating her alongside Akane. In other words, Aoi let her know that she’s aware of my infidelity.

Well, since I didn’t see her actual reaction, I could only infer from how Aoi described it. Ohori-senpai might be angry but the girl also knew that she had no place to say anything.

She’s tolerating her boyfriend, after all. If she did something that would affect Aoi's relationship with me, it would be like she’s not only slapping Aoi’s extended hand but also slapping her face as well.

At least, that’s how it should be in Ohori-senpai’s mind.

It’s nothing short of hypocrisy, really. That’s why the only thing she did was advise Aoi. She didn’t even attempt to convince the girl. And her anger towards me wasn’t clearly expressed.

I mean, if she’s as angry as she claimed to be, she would’ve already told me that herself.

And with that, it’s safe to say that we passed one hurdle. But on the same note, it meant that even after I finished helping her, the knowledge about our relationship would remain in her mind.

When the time comes, we have to deal with that.

Anyway, bringing up Ohori-senpai was naturally because of that boyfriend of hers.

Using that brief time to observe him until he and that group disappeared from my sight, I could somehow see an ‘Ogawa’ in him. He had this kind face and amiable countenance that clearly comforted those girls, totally unlike that other guy who shamelessly banked on his appearance just to get close to them.

Nonetheless, since I knew the truth about him and how he’s bringing different girls to a love hotel while continuing to date Ohori-senpai, he’s surely a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Perhaps what I observed was one of the reasons he could pick up different girls. He’s that great at acting.

“So, here you are, sweetie.” A melodic voice pulled me out of my trance. Turning to the direction of the voice, a smile naturally landed on my lips.

“Yae.” I muttered the girl’s name as I watched her close the distance between us.

After making sure that no one was looking in our direction, the girl grinned beautifully as she grabbed my arm and wrapped it around herself. Following that, the girl pressed herself to me, her lips meeting mine almost instantly.

“I thought you were going to meet me. How long will you have me wait?”

“Ah… I’m just about to go.”

Right. I received her message to meet earlier. She should be at the station but this girl went and found me here.

I failed to notice that I spent more time than I intended here.

Watching how I almost fumbled at my answer, the girl giggled as she fiddled with her luxurious black hair. “Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m here now… Rather than mull over something already irrelevant, I’ll have you take care and spoil me instead. Besides, I’m just glad I can still get to you during mornings like this.”

Despite being the older one, this girl was always like this with me, sweet as sugar. And as someone who always wanted to help me, everything that she's been doing ever since I took her back was all in the hopes of lightening my burden.

That’s why even without her asking me, spoiling her was always in order.

Pinching her cheeks and fixing the hair that the morning breeze blew out of order, Yae’s face instantly became a bundle of red.

Following that, I teasingly replied, “Aren’t you the one who’s refusing? You’re always saying that the other girls also deserved to be with me.”

“Eh? That is that, this is this, sweetie. Besides, I have a reason to meet you now… My idiot of a brother caused a problem. Now I can’t ask my parents to allow me to sleep out this week… I will miss our bed.”

Yae pouted as she grumbled about her older brother. The troublesome older brother.

I couldn’t remember the instance that I met him once. However, when she was still following me around, Yae used to complain to me about him.

And from the stories I heard from the girl, that guy caused nothing but trouble. I never heard a good story about him from the girl. And most of the time, his actions often affect Yae.

Like today.

Anyway, before hearing her out and spoiling her in the process, I took the time to bring her away from that corner to somewhere we could talk privately. There's still a risk of being seen there, after all. It's fine if it's the normal students. However, their school's newspaper club members are the ones we need to be most wary of.

Luckily, there are a lot of establishments like cafés and such around this area of their school. Although it took a few minutes of walking, I found a rather deserted diner that was open this early.

After getting a cup of coffee for both of us, we picked a table on the corner and sat side by side rather than face to face.

It's easier to spoil her this way, after all.

“Alright, my ears are ready. What did he do this time?”

Upon hearing my question, Yae's lips curled into a bitter smile even without sipping her coffee. “As always, you understood me, sweetie.”

It's something the girl often did in the past, after all. Venting out of her frustration towards her unhelpful brother.

“Well, you’re someone who abandoned your friends for me. Who else will hear you out? Moreover, I also miss helping my Yae with her trouble."

"Uhm. I don't think you'll be able to help with this, sweetie. My brother got himself expelled from college."

After saying that, Yae bit her lips and looked at me worriedly.

"Apparently, he's caught filming the women's bathroom and selling those shots to other students." Yae continued.

From the way she said it, it looked like she was not convinced that he truly did it.

"I get it. He's no good. Always causing trouble for all of us. But that guy will never stoop that low."

Right, he might be a troublesome fellow but Yae surely admired that guy at one point. That's why she's always disappointed whenever he's causing trouble.

"I see. You think he's being falsely accused?"

"He also denied it. But he's really the one caught inside the women's bathroom."

"Someone set him up?"

"Possibly. However, it's already done. He's already expelled. Our parents gave up on him. They're telling him to l eave the house and live independently from now on."

"I see. So, Yae wants to help him?"

"Even if I want to, I'm powerless. I really only want to get this out of my chest. I'm sorry, sweetie." After saying that, Yae took a sip of her coffee. And as the bitterness of it became apparent on her face, the girl placed her head on my shoulder.

"You don't have to be sorry, Yae. You're becoming as silly as Akane, you know? Anyway, have you talked to him? To get the whole story."

The same as Yae, I surely don't have the capability to help him. But if I asked someone. Someone with enough influence… like my parents. They'll probably be able to fix that.

However, if I do so, I'll be relying on them again…

Uh. But if it's for Yae… I guess once is enough?