Stealing Spree

Chapter 2823: Preview

“Give me one right now?” I echoed what Kanno-senpai said as I stared at them, noting how Kawakami-senpai’s breathing had quickened slightly.

“Senpai, you know I’m dating Satsuki. And the coaches are just outside. This... might not be the best idea before a match.”

Kanno-senpai chuckled as she tapped my shoulder as though telling me I was misunderstanding them.

“Oh, come on, Onoda-kun. We’re not talking about anything crazy. Just... a little motivation. Like last time, but more personal. You helped us win before. Think of this as... upfront payment for whatever magic you’re about to work on the team.”

My eyebrow raised a bit as I turned to Kawakami-senpai for confirmation.

Whatever this upfront payment is, it certainly will not be something normal. It’s either close to what they showed me before or more than that.

Kawakami-senpai nodded hesitantly as she also reached out to lightly touch my shoulder, mirroring my earlier gesture.

“We... trust you, Onoda-kun. And Satsuki knows how much you mean to the team. She suggested this, actually. Said it’d be... effective.”

Satsuki suggested it? That girl... She really was playing 4D chess with her jealousy. Sending the seniors to ‘motivate’ me like this, knowing it’d fluster the hell out of me while giving her ammo to tease me later. Or maybe she figured it’d fire me up too. Either way, I was trapped now.

I exhaled slowly as my hand slid up to cover Kawakami-senpai’s on my shoulder. Her skin was soft despite the calluses from hours of practice, and I felt her pulse jump under my touch.

“Alright. If it’s for the team... what kind of motivation are we talking about?”

Kanno-senpai’s smirk widened as she moved behind me, sandwiching me between them.

Kanno-senpai’s smirk widened as she moved behind me, sandwiching me between them.

“Well, Onoda-kun,” She started as I felt her arms boldly sliding from my side, “last time was... a team effort. But if you’re joining us officially? Maybe we can make it more... exclusive. Just the three of us, for starters. To seal the deal.”

What a devious offer.

Kawakami-senpai made a strangled sound in her throat as her hands started fidgeting at her sides like she couldn’t decide whether to bolt or stay. But her eyes stayed locked on mine with that mix of embarrassment and curiosity I’d seen glimpses of during Interhigh.

“Mitsuru! You can’t just... say that!” She tried reprimanding her friend, but when she saw what Kanno-senpai was currently doing, she almost choked on it.

Meanwhile, Kanno-senpai simply shrugged. She’s clearly unbothered. “Why not? He’s already seen us change once. And it worked, didn’t it? We won. If a little motivation gets us through prefecturals... I’m game. What about you, captain?”

Kawakami-senpai’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, her ponytail swishing as she shook her head quickly.

“I... we can’t do that here! The match is starting soon, and... and the team’s waiting! Also... Maemura didn’t say we could... touch him like that.”

She protested, but her eyes once again focused on how Kanno-senpai was already basically hugging me from behind. I could already feel the softness of her chest as it got squeezed against my back, as well as the firmness of her body.

Somehow, this was escalating faster than I’d expected, but who was I to complain? The shameless part of me was already stirring, imagining how far they’d go to ‘seal the deal’.

Of course, I should at least show some restraint, right? Like Kawakami-senpai said, I doubt Satsuki explicitly told them to do this. That would just make her more jealous if she learned I touched her seniors.

“Senpai,” I said softly, reaching out to gently tuck a stray strand of hair behind Kawakami-senpai’s ear. She froze at the touch and looked up at me. Then, I also shifted to the side slightly and turned my head to meet Kanno-senpai’s gaze. “If you two are serious... I’m not one to turn down motivation from the captain and her right-hand. But it looks like this is getting into a territory you both might regret.”

Kawakami-senpai nodded as she smiled, as if my words brought her life. On the other hand,

Kanno-senpai’s smirk widened. At this point, her arms were already joined to my stomach.

“Oh, I guess you’re right, Onoda-kun. Am I overstepping my bounds? I thought you’d like this.”

She paused for a moment as though she was filtering the words from her head, ” But time’s short. I call this a preview. Something to tide you over until after we win.”

Kanno-senpai’s grip tightened slightly as if she was showcasing her strength before releasing me with a playful sigh.

Seeing that, Kawakami-senpai exhaled sharply, her shoulders relaxing as she shot her friend a glare.

”You’re gonna get us in trouble, Mitsuru,” She muttered before focusing on me again, ”And Onoda-kun, uhm... don’t take what she did seriously. I mean... what happened back then... it was decided by everyone. Although I don’t mind doing it again, we should respect you and Maemura even if this was her idea.”

Ah. The responsibility of the Captain. She’s really such a great leader.

”Mhm. Don’t worry about it, senpai. If it’s Satsuki’s idea, she already knows how I will react. She probably expects me to talk you out of this. Because even if you didn’t ask me for motivation, I’d still give it to you. After all, I’m almost a part of this club now, right?”

Upon saying that, I also turned around to face Kanno-senpai, whose smirk turned a little awkward as she scratched her cheek.

”Oh, and I like that preview, senpai. I never thought you’d be this bold. Boys would love to be sandwiched between you two.”

Kanno-senpai chuckled, adjusting her jersey as she stepped back. ”Heh. I figured you’d say that, Onoda-kun, but don’t worry. It’s exclusive for you. I’m a basketball idiot like Chiho. I don’t care about impressing boys.”

”Is that so? Shame. You’re charming as you are already, senpai.”

”Oh, stop it. You’re making me blush.” Kanno-senpai rolled her eyes, but the faint pink tinting her cheeks betrayed her amusement. She nudged Kawakami-senpai with her elbow. ”See? Told you he’d spew out the ride words to make us flustered. Maemura truly landed on a jackpot.”

Kawakami-senpai let out a breathless laugh as she shook her head.

”I won’t call myself a jackpot, senpai. I mean, I’m also quite troublesome. I’m sure you’ve heard all the rumors about me.”

”You mean how you’re surrounded by girls? That’s nothing new. Who wouldn’t want to be around you?” Kanno-senpai scoffed, stretching her arms behind her head. Somehow, that action pulled her jersey tight across her chest. ”Besides, rumors are just noise. We know you’re solid.”

Kawakami-senpai nodded as she chimed in. ”Exactly. The way you stepped up during Interhigh? That’s all we needed to see.” She hesitated, then added with a smirk, ”Well, that and how Maemura looks at you like you hung the moon.”

”Now I’m getting flattered by both of you. I guess that would be enough as a reward, right?” I acted embarrassed to make them more relaxed. Or rather, to calm Kawakami-senpai, who was still looking flustered.

I guess she thought things would escalate to something she’s not prepared to do. Like being intimate with me in front of her friend.

”Flattered?” Kanno-senpai snorted, leaning back against the lockers with her arms crossed. ”Please. You handle girls without breaking a sweat. Compliments from us are probably old news by now.”

Kawakami-senpai shot her a glare, ”Mitsuru, stop exaggerating. And Onoda-kun, it’s fine to be flattered. You earned our praises. As for the reward–”

”Ah. Don’t worry about rewarding me, senpai. Let’s focus on the match first, alright? Let’s see, I still have to raise the spirits of the other members, let’s go out?”

”Un. You’re right. Let’s set aside the reward for now.” Kawakami-senpai agreed.

However, Kanno-senpai had another idea, ”Huh? Chiho, you’re too reserved. Just go and give Onoda-kun a hug. Didn’t you tell me you want to express your gratitude to him? Why are you chickening out now?”

Does expressing gratitude need to be this intimate? It’s not like I’m complaining, though.

Kawakami-senpai hesitated, glancing between Kanno-senpai and me like we were playing a bizarre game of chicken. Her hands twitched at her sides before she sighed sharply and stepped forward, not with confidence, but with the same determination she’d use charging down the court.

”Alright, fine. Just... one quick hug. For morale,” She muttered, more to herself than us. ”Onoda-kun, is it fine?”

”Well, if it’s going to make you play better, senpai,” I grinned, spreading my arms slightly. Kawakami-senpai hesitated another second before practically lunging forward.

I could feel her heartbeat hammering through her jersey.

Kanno-senpai whistled in jest as she circled us like a referee assessing a foul. ”Damn, captain. That’s some aggressive defense.”

Kawakami-senpai tensed for half a second before relaxing into the hug, her fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt.

”Shut up,” She mumbled into my shoulder, ”I’m... practicing gratitude.”

A few seconds later, Kawakami-senpai pulled away with a forced cough. She looked up at me but couldn’t meet my eyes without her cheeks reddening. ”Right. That’s... done. Let’s focus on the game now.”