Stealing Spree

Sticking to my usual routine, I visited the clubhouse before the club hours ended. However, given that everyone had their own task to accomplish, I went there alone, and my visit was brief. I only checked if Mutsumi-senpai left anything again. Also, of course, I cleaned up the backyard.

Unfortunately, I still didn’t have any seed to plant there. Actually, I could’ve picked up some already, but with how busy we would be for the next few days, I decided to wait until after the finals. It’d be an activity for me and my girls.

On my way back, I dropped by the Theater House to see Marika and Misaki. My initial plan was to pick those two up so we all could leave the school together but it seemed the Drama Club President anticipated my arrival. The moment the two girls dragged me into their practice room, they immediately started the rehearsal for that one scene where I would make a small cameo.

My lovely forehead girl grinned from ear to ear as we acted out the scene, clearly enjoying the fact that we’d stand on the same stage together. Of course, we also rehearsed our small play. Even if we wouldn’t perform it on stage, we’d show it to the other girls in the clubhouse.

Anyway, Marika also liked the fact that I would be performing with them even if it was only a single scene.

By the time they finished, the two girls latched onto my arms, leaving the cleanup to the members of both Theater and Drama Clubs.

Ah, right. Marika’s former follower and now friend, Tanaka-senpai, followed behind us. Well, the girl probably wanted to show me that she was holding up with her words back then. Instead of becoming a simple follower of the ojou-sama, befriending her would be better for Marika.

Of course, I also noticed how she kept glancing at me. I took the chance to ask her if she had something to say to me. She became flustered at first as she didn’t expect me to notice her, considering my attention seemed to be wholly focused on the two girls hugging my arms.

In any case, that state of hers passed quickly and she managed to say what she wanted to say.

And sure enough, it was about that guy. What’s his name again? I already forgot. The avenger guy who wanted to deal with Ichihara Jun for ruining the girl he’s close to.

Apparently, he stopped being cowardly anymore.

Taking my example of standing up against that guy and even successfully stealing Marika from him, the vengeful guy already had a confrontation against Ichihara Jun.

As it turned out, Ichihara Jun didn’t put up his usual arrogant front. Obviously, he didn’t apologize either as that thing with that girl had long been erased from his head after his uncle cleaned up his ass. Instead, Ichihara Jun just ran away and sought protection from Enomoto.

For the past week, he had been hanging around the delinquent group under Enomoto. As for asking someone else to deal with that vengeful guy, it seemed he was also being careful.

Either he got instructed by his uncle, Ichihara-san’s husband, or he became afraid of Hayashi-sensei giving him a suspension.

But one thing was for certain, Ichihara Jun acting like that had to do with me toppling his perceived social hierarchy at every step. Now he could only rely on the pressure of Marika’s own family to keep that engagement.

After all, if not for Kagura-san, Marika’s aunt, it would not be impossible for me to bring her home to live with us.

Anyway, the reason Tanaka-senpai told me about it was that she was entrusted with a message from that vengeful guy again. He was seeking me out for help. Or rather, advice on how to make Ichihara Jun suffer.

Because he couldn’t reach the girl Ichihara Jun played with anymore, his thirst for revenge would only be satisfied if he managed to make that guy kneel and beg for forgiveness in front of him.

Quite a dream for someone so scared to show his face before. I still haven’t gotten back to him for using my Marika as a tool for his revenge. Now he reminded me that I should also deal with him.

Such an unstable guy shouldn’t be allowed to act foolishly. Even if he has a justification, he’s far from someone who could make Ichihara Jun kneel. He was only lucky that Ichihara Jun had already suffered a lot of setbacks against me.

“He wants advice? Tell him to give it up, senpai. It’s foolish for him to plot his revenge against Ichihara Jun. That’s all I could give him.”

Upon hearing that, Tanaka-senpai blinked her eyes a bit, clearly not expecting me to answer like that.

I didn’t need to explain myself to her but since she’s now Marika’s friend and it’s ultimately related to her as well, I added another line.

“He’s better off finding that girl and comforting her instead. Of course, if someone knows where she went, Ichihara Jun probably knew.”

Although I’m not 100% certain that the foolish young master would know about her whereabouts, there’s no way those who cleaned up his dirt would not know about it.

Just like with Shio’s husband, who still knew where his previous victims were staying, that meticulous uncle of Ichihara Jun would surely keep tabs on them. After all, even if the girl and her family weren’t a threat anymore, they could still bring them trouble if Ichihara Jun’s misdeeds came to light.

As we walked toward the gates, the conversation naturally drifted back to the current progress of our preparations for the Cultural Festival.

Marika and Misaki still wanted to participate in our Interactive Story Booth so when I told them about the finished revised scenarios, they both expressed their desire to read them. I naturally didn’t reject them. Even if I didn’t get it for them, the other girls would still share it. But getting it from me held special meaning for them.

How special? Well, it’s like a validation of my affection for them.

"Alright. They should be coming down now. Let’s wait here." I said as we reached the entrance of the Club Building. Marika and Misaki just nodded. It was also an opportunity for them to keep latching on to me, after all. As for Tanaka-senpai, she obediently stood behind us.

Anyway, I would’ve preferred to pick them all up like how I usually did. However, my girls were becoming strictly considerate. They all messaged me, in different phrasings, to just wait for them downstairs. They already knew me enough that if no one said anything, they’d find me running up and down the halls to get to them one by one. Or group by group, rather.

For sure, it was something they’d decided in the Ruki Hub. Upon hearing that I was about to return, they began their coordinated instruction.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the first group of girls exited the club building. Then for the next ten minutes, we gathered right there, drawing a lot of attention from the other students.

As always, seeing that I was the only guy and I even had two flowers attached to my arms, the sight of us gathered at the entrance was enough to make several passing students stop and stare. To them, we probably looked like some weird royal procession, with me as the center of a very fragrant, very beautiful orbit.

No one called us out though. No one would dare anymore. But the envious gazes thrown at me from those who were seeing this kind of scene for the first time were amusing.

Too bad for them, my girls would probably not hesitate announcing our relationship if I gave them the green light. It’s just that they’re following my intention to keep it vague for now. Neither confirming nor denying.

As for whatever reputation I would gain, that’s of no consequence. With my thick face, I’d never feel ashamed even if they call me a womanizer.

---

An hour or so later, the night sky had already been filled with twinkling stars when I finally arrived home.

This time, I actually took a long way back since I decided to escort the girls whose houses were in the opposite direction. Aside from picking up Satsuki at the gymnasium, Rae also got me to stay for quite a while in her house.

As for the reason? What else? Because she couldn’t find a lot of opportunities to be with me at school, she had me spoil and pamper her inside her room -- without Yoko-san suspecting anything, of course.

Well, she probably knew but she couldn’t bring herself to ask us when we came out afterwards.

As for the news about Yoko-san’s situation, there was still no update about it.

Anyway, apart from my ’extended stay’ to fill my girl with my affection, nothing much happened on the way back. I spent the train ride back home chatting with my girls while continuously ignoring Futaba’s reply from earlier.

And that’s probably why the one who was waiting for me at the door of our house was none other than her.

"Welcome home, Onoda-kun." The girl greeted me in a non-committal tone, her cheeks tinged with red.

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