Stealing Spree

Chapter 331: Chizuru

After sending back Hina to the Girlʼs Changing Room, I went back to the classroom, still in my PE Uniform.

Because I only showed up this time when the class was already gearing up to meet with their respective Mentors, all their eyes fell upon me.

However, upon not getting the reaction they were anticipating from me, they all went back to their own worlds, except from Ogawa whoʼs still glaring at me.

Well, even now, thatʼs all he could do. He didnʼt even open his mouth to ask me about Hina.

So like everyone else, I ignored him and went to my seat. Satsuki and Nami werenʼt in the room but as soon as I sat down, Aya updated me about their whereabouts.

”They went to change back to their uniforms.” She whispered, making sure that no one will hear it except me.

I guess those two predicted that I would bring Hina to the changing room. Were they going to interrogate her about what happened?

I donʼt know. I guess theyʼre just curious why I wanted to talk to Hina.

Well, I made them aware of it just in case they search for me after PE.

”How was Ogawa when he arrived earlier?” I whispered back to Aya.

Instead of answering, she took out her pen and wrote something on her notepad.

ʼRed-faced and angry-looking.”

Heh. That guy still had the gall to be angry when it was him who ran away from Hina.

The questions we threw at him were all straightforward that he could answer easily. In the end, he refused to do so. Itʼs like he would keep denying everything else while he lived in his own fantasy.

Let him be like that then. Thatʼs his choice.

As minutes passed by, Satsuki, Nami and Hina went back together. Hina was being sandwiched by the two.

As soon as her gaze met mine, her eyes started pleading for me to help her out of that situation.

Of course, I couldnʼt do that. Instead of answering, I only sent a smile which Satsuki and Nami also received. When Hina got seated, I couldnʼt help but see her pout as if I wronged her. On the other hand, Nami and Satsuki looked satisfied at their seats.

Well, itʼs not like the two were lynching her. Moreover, just the way she looked at me already garnered attention from those looking in their direction, it would just invite more rumors if I stood up and saved her from the two.

Just like this, time for the Mentor Program arrived.

Satsuki stood up after messaging me about her plan to talk to Shizu about what happened to us.

Like Satsuki, Nami only messaged me that sheʼs going to Haruko without asking me to accompany her.

I guess, for once theyʼre trying to stop being too high key by waiting here.

After Satsuki and Nami left, Aya also went alone to her Mentor, Otsuka-senpai.

When I left the room to go to that abandoned clubroom to meet Izumi-senpai, someone ran from behind me before matching their pace with mine.

”Onoda-chi. Thank you.” Chii sweetly whispered while she kept her eyes forward.

”What for?”

”I saw you talking to Fukuda earlier. You did my request.”

”Ah. Itʼs not that fruitful though.”

That guy completely dodged my question after all. Whateverʼs happening with him or whether that was just an act to get Chiiʼs sympathy, I have no idea.

I guess as long as Chii wasnʼt implicated in whatʼs going on with him, I wouldnʼt be hostile against him or his group.

After that rare time we shared on the train last Thursday, I knew I was already thoroughly drawn to her. Now that I finished her request, I could now repeat what I took back.

”Even so, Iʼm glad you didnʼt forget about it. I will also try to advise him. Also… I will let him understand that… I already have someone else.” The volume of her voice lowered when she reached that last sentence.

From the side of my eye, I could see how her ears reddened as she also lowered her head.

Perhaps, at the moment, sheʼs already blushing but the thick makeup she put on was blocking from my eyes.

Although I understood that Iʼm probably the one sheʼs talking about, I made an oblivious remark.

”Whoever that someone is. That guyʼs lucky. Iʼll tell you.”

”Itʼs not like you to act this dense, bad Kii.”

Casting off her gyaru persona, the original Chii or Chizuru appeared as she closed our distance.

Weʼre already halfway to the Club Building and thereʼs a lot of other 1st year students around us.

As a known gyaru and part of the delinquent group, most of the 1st year students were steering away from us.

I guess that gave us the opportunity to have this kind of conversation.

”Well, I want to hear it clearly. Not as vaguely as that.”

”Why are you that demanding? Should I remind you? You took back your confession.”

So sheʼs throwing this out when sheʼs the one who dubbed it as a lie.

”Ah, donʼt worry. I told you, I will do it again after completing your request. Anyway, even if I didnʼt repeat it… thatʼs how I am feeling for you now. Honestly, it is more than that.”

By only holding back to say the magic words, I laid bare what I am feeling for her.

And that surely put Chii to a stop. She froze in place with various emotions flashing past her face. Joy, sadness, shock, excitement and anything you could think of that was associated with how she was probably conflicted with her feelings with me.

She still likes me but sheʼs afraid for the same thing to happen. Moreover, there’s more she was keeping hidden.

Despite observing the change that happened in me, Chii still couldnʼt let go of the notion that if our relationship went back to how it was before, she would one day hear those hurtful words from me once more.

”This guy and his womanizing tendency thatʼs not picking a place...”

Upon hearing her words, I looked around and scanned our surroundings. With our distance from other students, weʼre clear from any eavesdropper. Moreover, no one was looking at us. So, I guess itʼs safe? Weʼre both acting normally despite our conversation after all.

Unless someone kept their eyes on the girlʼs expression, they would only see two friends walking side by side.

”My bad. Should I invite you to date first?”

Although that sounded like a joke, I mean it truthfully. I already have a lot of dates scheduled, I know. However, like with the other girls, Iʼm clear with myself how I wanted my relationship with Chii to be.

”With your busy schedule? No thanks… Iʼm already content with this.” After a clear rejection of her sentence, the second one saved it.

But how can one be content with just this? Weʼre acting sneakily.

I want to hold her, to talk to her, to once again get to know her…

However, before I could do that…

”Let me make it up to you, Chii.”

At this point, we shouldʼve reached the Club Building by now, however, at one point, our path diverged and weʼre now at someplace desolate.

This time, without any eyes looking at us, Chii turned to me for the first time since we started our walk and talk.

”You donʼt need to. Kii, my appearance may have changed drastically from the one in your memory. However, even if years already passed, youʼre still the one occupying my mind…”

It sounded so sweet… But this girl… I couldnʼt see any reason why she continued liking me or rather, if that was true, what did I do to deserve all of that? No matter how much I tried to remember that past, I couldnʼt find any reason for her to continue liking me after what I did to her.

”I donʼt think I deserve that, Chii. My eyes have been opened and I became aware of how much Iʼd hurt you…”

”Stop being stubborn, Kii.”

Am I being stubborn? Perhaps.

”I will, if you start being honest, Chii.”

As if I stepped onto some kind of a switch, Chiiʼs somewhat energetic appearance suddenly disappeared. And in place of it was a gloom that I hadnʼt seen before.

She then stepped back and sat on the bench next to a vending machine not far away from us.

With her head lowered, Chii mumbled something.

”… Honest. Am I not honest?”

”Un. Chii. You can be honest now. Aside from liking me as the reason for why I still occupied your mind, you also hated me, right? However, you turn all of that into your motivation to change… Perhaps, thereʼs more.”

”How did you… No. Itʼs you. Of course, youʼd notice. Just like how you instantly noticed how I became the target of those girls who ended up knowing that I confessed to that guy… And you resolved it by yourself without telling me... Haa... Iʼm still that naive girl from before.”

”We still have time, let me hear what you kept hidden, Chii. After that, letʼs talk again and if itʼs still fine for you, letʼs start over.” I stepped forward and took the space next to her.

Unlike with Miyako where she laid bare everything she felt for me; the hate and the love, this girl intended to retain only the colorful parts.

I could really just accept what sheʼs saying earlier about liking me. However, itʼs just too clear that she was hiding the other emotions she was feeling for me.

Ah. Not exactly hiding it but sheʼs intending to bury it, never to be unearthed anymore. For us to move forward.

If I have to guess, itʼs almost a mix of everything and that’s excluding the notion of me repeating the words that would hurt her.

Although weʼre probably still young in the eyes of others back then, what happened to us wasnʼt something normal.

Izumi-senpai can wait for a while, I will expect a nag. For now, while we have this chance, I want to get to know Chizuru again.