Stealing Spree

Chapter 856 Why is she still not exposed?

Having been stopped by Izumi-senpai, I took my seat again and this time, I inched closer to her to the point that our legs were touching.

Naturally, she easily noticed what I was doing. She scowled and scolded me while she pushed her chair away. I didn’t stop her and just smiled as I watched her retreat from me. I was only teasing her anyway. An extension of our time yesterday in their clubroom.

“Don’t come closer! Stay right where you are!” She exasperatedly shouted. And from how agitated she was, her bangs fell down, covering half of her face. She looked prettier with that but the girl whipped it back, exposing her forehead again. In that sense, she’s more like Misaki.

“… And stop staring!” She added upon noticing me blanking out at admiring her pretty face.

“Where do you want me to stare, senpai? Below your neck? I’d be glad to but… don’t be mad, alright?” I smirked at her which made her scowl once more. If she’s any closer, she’d probably grab my face and grip it tight before pushing me away.

“Ugh. Stop being a pervert for once, Onoda-kun. What are we here for if you’ll keep on being like this?”

“For one, we can just spend time together. No talking, just staring at each other.”

That’s the ideal situation. But obviously, that’s not going to happen. There are still a lot of things we had to clear up. Moreover, there’s still a blank about Izumi-senpai in my head.

Even if she’s a fake delinquent, her standing with them was a little high. Was it because of her appearance or did someone pull her up and maintained her position?

“If that’s the only thing you can think of, then no, thanks. I’d rather do something more productive.”

“Wow. Says someone who skips classes to act like a delinquent while nibbling on a candy stick.”

“T-that… I told you to forget that one!”

The girl almost stuttered as she almost fell down from her seat. Ignoring that, I put a hand on my chin as though I was trying to remember something. “Huh? Aren’t you talking about that dog suitor of yours?”

That delinquent that was supposed to be Fukuda’s senior. Although I sometimes run into that guy, I never really had the energy to scuffle with the delinquents of the school. As long as they behave themselves and do not bother my girls then we could live peacefully without any conflict.

“I was talking about everything you witnessed that day!”

“Hmm… I’ll forget it. But what do I get in return, senpai?”

“What? Are you going to blackmail me now?”

“Look at you jumping to conclusions. Alright. To show my goodwill, I’ll forget that. Here, hit my head so my brain would shake. I’m sure that memory will fall out.”

“What the…? Are you an idiot or something?”

“I’ve been called that too many times that I lost count already. Maybe I really am an idiot.” I shrugged.

“Don’t just accept it, you idiot!”

“See. You’re still calling me an idiot. Should I be hurt now?”

“Ugh… This guy is unbelievable. Forget it.”

“Hmm… I understand. Then, senpai, can I sit down next to you?”

“No,” Izumi-senpai answered in a heartbeat. She then took her eyes off me and pulled out her phone. I couldn’t see what she was doing but she probably opened a chat room. It’s reflected in her eyes, after all.

Much to her chagrin, I picked up my chair and drew closer to her before settling my chair down to her.

Because her attention was seemingly absorbed by what she was reading, her reaction came late.

When she noticed that I was sitting next to her, I already got a glimpse of what was going on in her phone. However, because of the distance, I only saw the group name.

‘Exclusively Gorgeous Gals.’

Whoever picked that group name or whatever that meant, I could only lament how old-fashioned she was.

In any case, that’s probably a group chat for girls belonging to the delinquent group, huh?

“What’s the meaning of this, Onoda-kun? I told you no.” With one of her eyebrows raised, Izumi-senpai vexingly asked.

She didn’t catch me peeking at her phone.

“Will senpai believe me if I said my eyesight isn’t good and I like to see you clearly?” I made up a prepared excuse and that earned me a look of disgust from the girl.

“Of course, I won’t! You’re being shameless again, aren’t you?”

She said that. However, Izumi-senpai wasn’t retreating away from me like earlier.

“That, I am. But senpai, don’t we have more things to talk about? We won’t accomplish anything if you get so lost in your phone.”

“I don’t need you to remind me of that. Anyway, what else is there to talk about? You broke Kazuo and I cannot pull Arisa away from you. You already get what you want.”

“I see. So that’s how you see it… But you missed something, senpai.”

“What?”

“You don’t have to act oblivious. It’s concerning you. What do you think? I’m ready to listen to your rants about Ogawa. Or if not that, then anything. My lap is also open to comfort you.” I tapped my thighs and her eyes followed. After staring at it for a few seconds, Izumi-senpai hurriedly turned her head away. Most likely, she remembered that day she let herself be lost in my comforting embrace.

“… Ugh. Stop reminding me of that. That shouldn’t happen.”

Oh… So she ignored the thing about Ogawa, huh? Has she moved on yet? Or She’s just deliberately avoiding it. She’s aware that I could steer the conversation to the point of shaking her previous resolve.

Is she afraid? Having second thoughts? I don’t know.

In any case, that’s not important. I felt like teasing her this time.

“Hmm… Of what? Can you specify it, senpai?” I intentionally drew my face closer to her and whispered in her exposed ear.

Izumi-senpai flinched before using her shoulder to push me away, which seemed to have tickled her. Her milky white neck getting a shade of red by the second.

“I don’t want to tell you, you idiot. You already know what I’m talking about yet you’re here trying to tease me again!”

“Am I teasing you? I only wanted senpai to clarify it. Alright, for your sanity, I won’t press you to answer it anymore.” After saying that, I waited for a few seconds until she turned her head back to look at me. When she did, my lips stretched into a teasing smile, tapping my thighs once more, “What about it, senpai? Want me to comfort you again?”

This time, Izumi-senpai became a bundle of different emotions. She turned red from rage and embarrassment. And before I knew it, her hands were already on my face, covering it completely.

“Do you really want me to hate you?” Dropping that question, her grip loosened as her hand slid down from my face, uncovering my eyes.

And with my eyesight returning, the first thing I saw was Izumi-senpai’s pleading expression. She looked like she was about to cry rather than be more enraged.

Seeing that kind of expression from her, I decided to drop the teasing and answer her truthfully.

“Honestly, no. But I want to know more about you, senpai. Let’s not talk about Ogawa or Arisa-senpai. They’re not here. Why don’t we talk about ourselves, are you up for that?”

“… You’re a shameless idiot, that’s enough for me to know what kind of person you are.”

“Is that so? Then let’s just talk about you, senpai. I’m curious as to how you’re still not exposed as a fake delinquent.”