Stealing Spree

Although our interaction with each other could be counted on one hand, I was rather confident with that observation. This girl didn’t have any depressing past that pushed her to this point like Edel. The hate was simply her own choice.

Maybe it had to do with her family like her father leaving them or she had no father figure growing up. Who knows? Only Minori-senpai could answer that.

“Why do you say so?”

That’s her response to it. A question to clarify my claim. This time, I could see interest in her eyes. Either she’s wondering how I arrived at that conclusion or she’s just amused about my far-off guess.

Our steps slowed down further making us the last two of the Student Assistants to return to the School Building. Furthermore, with the teachers gathered in the faculty, we’re practically alone at the moment.

Nonetheless, that’s not where both of our focus lie. I focused on watching out for her reactions and Minori-senpai focused on hearing my clarification.

Honestly, this was unexpected because she’s always hostile to me whenever I visit their club to see Himeko, Mina, or Edel.

“I mean. Look at you talking so at ease with me. Even if you say I’m the only one you’re allowing to do so, that’s just you lowering the wall you raised and letting me hop over it albeit temporarily.” I answered.

Minoru-senpai visibly nodded. However, that’s not because I got it right, it’s just her acknowledgement of what I just said. She allowed me to talk to her regardless of her prejudice against men in general.

“…”

Whether she was speechless or she wanted me to continue, I had no idea. Since we’re already near the point where we had to separate, I naturally assumed the latter.

“Hmm… Let me add this. Senpai isn’t really in love with Haruko but you find her special. Special enough to stay with her all this time even if she changed because of my reappearance in her life.”

“If you will allow me to guess more then… I see it like this; Edel was totally attached and dependent on Haruko. However, you, as someone at the same age as that adorable silver koala, you took up the mantle of an older sister. What you see everyone as are little sisters you wanted to take care of. It’s just Haruko was the most special of them. You wanted to protect her. Yet, you didn’t do anything when I showed up. You stayed quiet.”

Once I finished saying all that, I already picked up some reactions from the girl. She went a little gloomy when I told her that she doesn’t love Haruko. She gulped down her accumulating saliva when I pointed out the role she took. And lastly, she released a helpless sigh during the last sentence.

At this point, we reached the entrance to the School Building. Way past it was the shoe lockers. Beyond that was the point where we had to separate. I would go to the right corridor, back to our classroom, while she would go to the left where the nearest stairs were located.

Minori-senpai stopped her steps and faced me before saying, “Great discernment, Onoda. I have no idea you can pick up that much even though we never had any real interaction before last week.”

“Hmm? Is Minori-senpai admitting to everything?”

“Of course not. You got a few rights or close enough and you got a few wrongs or too far off the mark. The rest, I can only say no comment.”

“I see. And I assume you won’t tell me which is which.”

“Those are for you to figure out. Convince me why you’re different from most men.”

Ah. As expected, she’d act like this.

“Alright. That’s a difficult task but if it will satisfy you… I think it will be worth it. That aside, Minori-senpai can rest easy, if it’s impossible for you to get along with me, I won’t push it. Just let me help you both.”

“What do you mean you won’t push it?”

So, that’s what she’s going to focus on? Not the help I wanted to give them?

“My goal in trying to get close to you isn’t to make you fall in love with me. It’s enough that I can help with whatever’s going on with you and Yuika-senpai.”

“After making the other three fall for you, you’re going to treat us differently. Is that it?”

This girl… Why did she sound dissatisfied? Could it be that she also wanted me to do the same to them?

“Before you think I’m discriminating against you, I’ll put a cork on that thought. Although it looked like I made them fall in love with me, the truth is… I fell in love with them first. As for Minori-senpai and Yuika-senpai, I can honestly say that I don’t feel that way.”

That’s the truth anyway. Post-change of me and without counting the girls I cut off and returned or those already with me, I already noticed that I was often the one who fell in love first.

The exception was Eimi. That girl courted me and made me fall in love with her.

As for the newer ones like Ishida-senpai, Ayu, and Itou, things were still a little unclear. But I guess it’s a different case with them.

Anyway, recalling our conversation last week, this girl almost broke into tears when talking about how Haruko would cut them off if I fail… That’s most likely an act on her part or she’s simulating how Yuika-senpai would react if she’s the one conversing with me. Either of the two, it just showed how much she wanted to protect the remaining girl that was still in love with Haruko.

Waiting for at most a few minutes, Minori-senpai finally responded. However, it’s far from what I expected.

“Oh. Is that so? Gotcha.”

Even without using any skill, the dissatisfaction in her voice became more pronounced that anyone could pick that up. Furthermore, the girl started walking again, leaving me behind.

I tried catching up but she already turned left before I caught up to her. Moreover, she never looked back to clarify that behavior even until she disappeared into the staircase area…

Really, how should I interpret that?

-

-

Upon returning to the classroom, the first thing that caught my eye was the circle that my girls created with my desk in the middle. It’s too visible to the eyes that I got funny looks from almost everyone, waiting for how I would react.

But before I could even do something, the first girl who noticed me instantly stood up and dragged me back to my seat, ignoring everyone’s gazes.

“You’re late. We’ve already started doing the exercises. Let me have you catch up on it.” With an extremely triumphant smile on her lips as though she won a lottery, Hina exchanged seats with Aya before joining up our desks and chairs together.

When I looked around to get some kind of explanation for Hina’s behavior, almost everyone had regretful expressions as though they lost a bet.

With that, I understood… These girls played a game with the privilege of sitting next and close to me as the prize.

I could only shake my head inwardly and smile at that silliness before acting the part of an oblivious boyfriend, unaware of what had just transpired.

“Sure. I’ll leave it to you.” I replied before leaning closer to the girl which made her giggle in satisfaction.