Stealing Spree

Chapter 2777: Happy now?

Five minutes passed like that. Just the soft rise and fall of her breathing against my chest, while I obediently just hold her close without doing anything else.

In any case, Setsuna-nee didn’t move an inch. Her forehead stayed pressed to my chest like she was listening to my heartbeat, one hand loosely curled in the fabric of my shirt, the other rested lightly on my side, not quite hugging me yet but it already looked like that.

I kept my arm draped lightly over her back, fingers not even daring to press on her but she could certainly feel the weight of my arm.

As for our legs, they tangled instinctively, her thigh sliding between mine like she was claiming space without thinking. The soft skin of her inner thigh pressed against my pants, warm and smooth, while my knee nudged gently between hers, not pushing, just resting there like a quiet question.

For these five minutes, the room felt suspended. It was as if the world outside this dorm didn’t exist.

No creditors chasing Tsubame. No conglomerate wars with Mitsui Kyoka. No looming summer plans or cultural festival chaos.

Just Setsuna-nee clinging to me like she was afraid to look up at me and spill out what exactly is running through her mind right now.

I don’t know if she’s planning to stay like this until Juri arrives but I don’t mind providing her comfort just like this.

I mean, there’s always a next time for my girls. There’s no use pushing her until she breaks. That’ll only be detrimental.

Unless she’s the type to break in a good way, the kind that leaves her breathless and wanting more instead of running scared.

I didn’t voice that out loud, of course. Setsuna-nee was already a tangled mess of contradictions. Pushing too hard might snap whatever fragile thread was holding her here, curled against me like this.

So I stayed quiet and slowly let my fingers run on her back, tracing soothing circles through the thick fabric of her hoodie.

I was tempted to brush the nape of her neck with my thumb but I might get bitten by her, so I held back.

In any case, her breathing gradually evened out as she became more comfortable in our current setup.

Minutes stretched. Another five. And then ten. The light filtering through the curtains shifted as the sun began to set.

I didn’t mind the wait. Holding her like this, feeling the subtle rise and fall of her chest against mine, the warmth of her thigh pressed between my legs. It was its own kind of intimacy.

Quiet and undemanding.

A while later, Setsuna-nee finally shifted, just enough to tilt her head up. Those sharp eyes peering up at me through the messy fringe of her hair.

She didn’t say anything at first. Just studied my face like she was looking for cracks in the mask.

“Shameless bastard, you’re really not gonna push?” She muttered eventually, voice low and rough, like she’d been holding the words back for too long.

I shook my head slowly, keeping my hand still on her back. “Nope. Told you. I’ll be obedient while you think. Just tell me when you finish thinking or we can just stay like this until Juri arrives. I’m fine either way.”

Setsuna-nee stared at me for another long beat, those sharp eyes searching mine like she was waiting for the punchline. Or if I would dare press on, disregarding my own words. Like any second now I’d crack and turn this into one of my usual shameless moves.

But I didn’t. I just held her gaze, radiating a steady and patient attitude as a small smile peeked from my lips.

Somehow, that made her a little irritated. Did she really want me to do something? To be as shameless to her as possible?

Finally, she let out this tiny, frustrated huff and dropped her forehead back against my chest with a soft thud. She couldn’t hold my gaze anymore. After all, she’s gradually turning red.

“Shameless brat, it’s impossible that you’re not acting shameless. You’re biding your time, aren’t you?” She muttered into my shirt, voice muffled and skeptical.

“Technically, you’re right. I’m biding my time until you tell me to act normally again and not just be this obedient guy, following your whim.”

“I didn’t order you to be obedient!”

“Indeed. But that’s the reason why you got the courage to come over here and snuggle up to me, right? So... I’ll keep at this. Who says I’m not enjoying being this close to you?”

“Ugh... There! There’s the shameless brat again,” Setsuna-nee grumbled as she poked my face.

Then, she laughed. A hearty laugh that I hadn’t heard from her before. Her body stayed pressed against mine though, thigh still wedged between my legs, warm and soft in a way that made it impossible to ignore how perfectly she fit there.

“See, I know you cannot contain your true self. You’ll always be this shameless brat.”

I chuckled and grabbed her finger, “Mhm. I’m guilty. But Setsuna-nee-san, you made it too easy. One minute you’re throwing pillows and calling me a bastard, the next you’re snuggling up like this. Mixed signals much?”

She made this frustrated growl and rammed her forehead against my chest again like she was trying to knock some sense into me. Or herself.

“Shut up. It’s your fault for being... warm. And annoying. And... ugh.” Her words trailed off into another huff, hot breath seeping through my shirt as her fingers twisted the fabric tighter.

This time, I had my hand on her back pressing firmly, finally feeling up her slender back. My fingers splayed open as I pulled her closer.

“Annoying how? Because I’m not pushing? Or because you actually like this and don’t know what to do with it?”

Setsuna-nee went still for a second, then pulled back just enough to glare up at me. Her face was now flushed crimson, eyes narrowed into slits, but there was that half-amused, half-annoyed look on her face.

She’s still uncertain what to feel about this.

“Psh. Shut up. You keep saying shit like that. Like you know exactly what’s going on in my head.”

“I don’t. And I don’t pretend to know,” I admitted, keeping my tone soft as I brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “But I can guess with the way you react. You’re conflicted. You hate how I seem to have no trouble juggling women. And the said women not finding any fault in that. Hate how I wormed my way into your thoughts. And hate that part of you doesn’t actually hate it.”

As I listed that, I watched as her eyes widened as if I had just stripped her bare.

“Did I get that right?”

She sucked in her breath and then tried to cover it with another scoff.

“Presumptuous bastard,” She hissed, yet the way she used my chest to cover her face again told me enough about what she really wanted to say.

I cupped her cheek and then slid it down until I grasped her chin between my fingers.

Slowly, I raised her head before leaning in close enough that our noses almost brushed.

Instinctively, Setsuna-nee-san closed her eyes. Her eyelids and lips were trembling from both hesitation and anticipation.

I moved my head back a bit so I could fully capture her beauty.

“Maybe. But tell me I’m wrong, Setsuna-nee-san. Look me in the eye and say you want me to leave right now.”

She opened her mouth, like she was ready to snap back with something sharp, but nothing came out.

Gradually, her eyes opened and focused on me.

Her lips parted on a shaky exhale, and I could feel her warm breath on my face.

Suddenly, our world felt even smaller. Like anything was irrelevant except for us here on this bed. Like one wrong move and everything would snap.

Setsuna-nee’s fingers eventually loosened on my shirt. Her thigh shifted between my legs, pressing just a little harder without meaning to, and we both froze at the contact.

And then, she brought her hand to my face, cupping my cheek in a way that seemed to be brought by her resolve.

“I...” She started. Then she huffed again, dropping her forehead back against my chest like she couldn’t handle looking at me anymore. “I don’t want you to leave. Happy now, idiot?”

“Mhm. Very happy,” I murmured, wrapping my arm fully around her now, pulling her closer until she was half-draped over me. Her body fit against mine perfectly, soft curves pressing into me as she let out this tiny, defeated sigh and finally relaxed.

Her hand went from cupping my cheek to pinching it as if she wanted to vent her frustration on me in that way.

And while doing so, she started giggling as she seemed to become engrossed with mushing my face.

After a while, she became satisfied. Ending it by tapping my cheek twice, Setsuna-nee nodded in triumph.

Then, she opened her mouth.

“The date. I thought about it.”