Stealing Spree

“So, in the end… you succumbed to him.” With her lips slightly pouted, Izumi-senpai addressed the girl who returned to sit between my legs.

Well, even though I helped the fake delinquent to stand up after falling down by herself, I quickly returned to Arisa and put us back in the same position as before. It’s to help her calm down. The cat was already out of the bag. It would just drag on if we tried to hide it from Izumi-senpai.

On the other hand, even if the fake delinquent was annoyed by her discovery, she didn’t walk out on us. And instead, took the space next to us and sat down. Her legs were crossed as she started interrogating us.

“… Sorry, Izumi. I—”

“Don’t make an excuse, you dummy! Am I not your best friend? You already confessed to me about what you’re feeling for this shameless junior.” Izumi-senpai pinched Arisa’s cheek and glared at the girl before alternately looking at us. “If… if he successfully pulled you away from that bad memory then… why not? I’m the sole witness to your undeniable attraction to each other, after all.”

“But he’s problematic, isn’t he? He has Nanami and the others. Not only that…”

“Who cares about that? Certainly, not the two of you.” Although there was a little contempt in her gaze when it focused on me, she quickly dropped it, replacing it with a gentle smile towards her best friend, “I just want to make sure. Are you happy with him?”

She’s aware of what kind of answer Arisa would give but she still asked it nonetheless.

Arisa lifted her head and stared at me before a playful smile peeked from her lips “Not really… However, I’m satisfied with what we have now…”

This girl… Those were her honest thoughts and clearly the first one could still change depending on my performance. She only accepted me yesterday. There’s no way she could already get a clear judgment.

“You…” Izumi was slightly agitated but upon hearing the second part, she quickly calmed down but the glare she was throwing at me remained. “Alright then… This means I’ll have to straighten this shameless guy up and make sure that he’ll make you happy.” She cracked her knuckles, trying to act like a delinquent again.

But as always, it failed to intimidate me. Instead, I smirked at her and stretched my hand to enclose her fist in my palm. “Senpai, you do know that I’m also not giving up on you, right?”

Hearing that, Arisa facepalmed but I could feel how she was restraining her laugh. On the other hand, Izumi-senpai became wide-eyed before she seemingly jumped to the side, escaping from my side.

“I changed my mind! Arisa… we’re going! Leave that womanizer alone!” She grabbed Arisa’s arm and pulled her. But with one of my arms hooked around the girl’s navel, she failed to do so, resulting in our situation coming to a standstill.

“Let go of her!”

“I’m afraid, I can’t do that, senpai. Unless it’s Arisa’s wish.”

Although I had a little bit of apprehension if I was going too far. Arisa’s reaction and her soft whispers was actually the one pushing me to do this.

And sure enough, we’re both getting a kick from the fake delinquent’s reactions.

“Y-you! You’ll be the death of me! Arisa… Didn’t you hear what he said? Even if you’re here he still wanted to—”

“Yes, I heard it loud and clear. But this is Ruki we’re talking about… Although it’s bad taste to tease you like that. I like how you became that flustered.”

Arisa cut off Izumi-senpai from being hysterical. She tried to put on the most neutral expression but the curve of her lips betrayed her as she playfully messed with her best friend.

“Oh, c’mon. Not you too!” Izumi-senpai clicked her tongue and glared at me again. “Shameless Onoda… You… You won’t get me!”

“Oh. Is that a declaration of challenge?” I shamelessly exclaimed while throwing her my ‘best’ smile. Whatever kind of smile was that, I had no idea. It’s probably the normal kind.

“If that’s the case, I can be the witness, the judge and the executioner.” And Arisa rode on it again.

At this point, Izumi-senpai looked like she was about to collapse from the absurdness of the situation. She’s being toyed with not only by her best friend but also her best friend’s new boyfriend who had just declared to also make her fall for him.

If someone else was watching this scene. They’d also be in the same situation as Izumi-senpai. Who would’ve thought that this was possible, hmm?

“What the… What the hell is happening?”

“That’s a lot better. With Arisa as the neutral party, she can be fair to both of us.”

Ignoring Izumi-senpai’s journey to breaking down, I continued the play with Arisa.

And as soon as she heard that, Izumi-senpai seemingly found a hidden spring that boosted her waning strength and stood tall. She stretched her arm and pointed to my nose.

“I’m not playing your game, you shameless junior!”

Following that, she turned to Arisa, “Hey, what are you trying to do?”

“What about making my best friend get her own happy ending?” Like an imp that found her most suitable plaything, Arisa naughtily smiled.

“Seriously?” As disbelief colored her face, Izumi-senpai’s arm fell powerlessly as she seemed on the verge of collapse. The strength boost had already expired.

“Yes. Come and sit back down. We have no time. This guy has to go back where he came from.”

Arisa grabbed her friend’s wrist and pulled her back down to our side. She then raised her hand to my cheek and caressed it. And to not strain her arms, I lowered my head, leveling it with hers.

As the lone observer of our intimacy, Izumi-senpai cringed and averted her gaze. But with what had just happened, she sighed heavily and drooped her shoulders.

A moment later, her body tilted to the side before her head comfortably lay on my shoulder.

Perhaps, this was her sign of surrendering or she just had nowhere to lay her tired head-on. Either way, Arisa welcomed the development.

Moving her hand from my cheek to Izumi-senpai’s head, she began stroking her best friend’s luxurious blue hair, “Izumi… you still remembered what we talked about back then, right?”

“Back then? Ah… What of it? Didn’t you find a new guy? We can now scrap that.”

“You’re a real dummy. I’m not talking about what you’re thinking. I’m referring to how you came to my side when I was abandoned like an unwanted kitten. I pushed you away because of how blinded I was yet, you never hesitated to come to my rescue and keep me out of the rain…” She poked Izumi-senpai’s cheeks and gently smiled.

Even though I was only hearing this now, I could feel the surge of emotion swelling up from Arisa’s chest. And surely, it’s screaming how important Izumi-senpai is to her. Their relationship as best friends was already something that wouldn’t break no matter what happens in the future.

That’s what I could pick up from it.

And upon hearing that, Izumi-senpai’s head moved slightly to meet her best friend’s gaze.

A moment later, Arisa continued after giving me a passing glance, her eyes burning with emotion. “This cheeky junior won’t become another reason for us to drift apart. I mean, he understood it as well. This guy always admired golden friendships such as ours. Whatever you decide, be it this guy or another, I won’t mind it. Well, I don’t know about the other guys but this cheeky junior’s mind is simply unique. And it’s really hard to explain it in words. That’s why if it’s him, I think you’ll also be in good hands.”

“… Arisa, you sound like you’re selling me like a product to Izumi-senpai.” I blurted out to somehow lighten the mood but Arisa quickly snapped at me,

“Shut up a moment, Ruki, or do you want a kiss for that?”

“One kiss and I’ll shut up immediately.”

I smiled and Arisa giggled. Following that, Izumi-senpai who heard that exchange also started laughing.

“You two. You’re truly compatible with each other… I’m glad you finally stepped out of that guy’s shadow, Arisa. But this shameless junior? Uh… He better give his best if he also wants to woo me… And I tell you. It won’t be easy.”

“Oh? Is that a challenge?” I repeated what I said earlier. And that produced a pair of laughter from the girls.

Naturally, that second part of Izumi-senpai’s words wasn’t fully serious. She also played along with the situation.

However, that also meant that even if she found out about my relationship with Arisa, it didn’t change her mind about associating with me…

A few minutes later, I separated from the two after walking them to the school gates before returning to the clubhouse.

When I arrived, I was faced with the girl’s inquiring gazes. I guess they’re either curious why I was late at returning or what happened with my meeting with Arisa. They hadn’t anticipated that there was also Izumi in the mix.