Stealing Spree

As I jogged toward the school gates, the faint glow of streetlights cast long shadows across the pavement. Chii, An-rin, and Kushii were leaning against the gate, their silhouettes unmistakable even in the dim light.

An-rin was on her phone, most likely scrolling through her social account. Kushii was standing next to her, peeking from her shoulder.

Meanwhile, Chii’s arms were crossed, her foot tapping impatiently while staking out the direction I was coming from.

“Finally, Kii!” She called out as she saw me approaching. Her tone is mostly relief rather than irritation. She pushed off the gate and her fake gyaru flair was on full display with her slightly loosened tie and the way her skirt swished with every step. “What took you so long? Did you get pulled into a room or just lost in the Gymnasium?”

This girl… She’s pretty spot on that.

I grinned, slowing to a stop in front of them before reaching for her hand, making her flustered right away. “You got me, Chii. You know I tend to get a little sidetracked when it comes to…”

I trailed my voice, acting a little vague. But knowing Chii, she could understand what I meant.

Raising her head from the phone, An-rin snorted, flipping her highlighted hair dramatically as she sauntered over with her eyes sparking with mischief. “Onoda-han, bet you left a trail of blushing girls from the basketball court to hear. Another girl other than Maemura got the VIP treatment?”

Behind her, Kushii stared at me, intrigued at how I would answer it. Even though we got a little closer a few days ago through that play rehearsal, the girl was still embarrassed to talk to me directly. Her confession during the camping trip was still weighing on her.

How should I change that? Giving her attention would probably make her more conscious, but ignoring her would also worsen things.

Let’s see. I should just act normally around her, right? Her interest in me was born from how I acted, after all.

I raised an eyebrow, unfazed by An-rin’s attempt to extract information from me before putting on a grin to match her playfulness, “If someone’s going to get VIP treatment, it’ll be Chii, no? Or maybe the two of you as well?

I ended that with a wink, causing Chii to nudge my shoulder. On the other hand, An-rin burst into laughter while Kushii blushed a little.

Chii’s cheeks puffed out, “This guy. Are you trying to charm them as well, Kii? You’re lucky we didn’t storm in there and drag you out. An-rin was this close to starting a riot.”

An-rin threw her hands up, feigning innocence. “Whoa. Chizuru, that’s slander, I tell ya! I’m totes an angel! Suggesting we crash the Gymnasium and see what’s keeping Onoda-han so busy was me looking out for ya.”

Kushii shook her head and then nodded at me as though assuring me she’s going to handle An-rin for me.

Now that’s thoughtful of her.

I fell into a step beside them as we began our walk heading toward our destination, “An-rin, if there’s a gyaru angel, that might really be you.”

“Pfft. You get it, Onoda-han!”

An-rin’s laughter echoed down the quiet street as we made our way toward the shopping district, her lively energy seemed to bounce off the pavement, making our walk a little animated. If there’s someone else on the street, they’d probably be annoyed at how noisy we were.

Chii stayed close to my side, her hand remained clasped within mine. Kushii trailed on my other side, but she was hesitating to get closer as if afraid that An-rin’s antics would push her to me again.

The cool evening air felt refreshing, to say the least. However, it got me thinking about Akane and the Miwa-nee at home. I should send them another message later. Of course, I’d do the same for the other girls.

Anyway, the shopping district wasn’t far, possibly a ten-minute walk if we didn’t slow our steps, but with this crew, it was bound to feel like an adventure.

Besides, we’d be going to An-rin’s house. From what I gathered, their house was in an apartment building. Not a luxurious one like Edel’s place but one that was catered to families of three to five.

But given that her parents wouldn’t be at home, we had to pick up some groceries for dinner as well.

Mhm… I gotta show off my meagre cooking skills. It’s a rare occasion, might as well give them a night to remember.

“So, Kii,” Chii opened a conversation as she squeezed my hand. Her voice sounds like she’s trying to tease me but at the same time, disperse the awkward silence building up. “You gonna spill what your plans are tonight? Or do I have to bribe you with some takoyaki first?”

As she said that, her gaze moved to the takoyaki shop that we were about to pass by.

I tilted my head, giving her a sidelong glance with a smirk. “Takoyaki is a good start, Chii, but you know it won’t be that easy. I have to keep up the surprise. After all, I will be the only guy in this sleepover. Won’t it be awkward for An-rin and Kushii?”

Chii rolled her eyes, but the grin tugging at her lips told me she wasn’t buying it. “Awkward, my butt. Knowing you, you might collect affection points from all of us like it’s a gacha game.”

An-rin spun around, walking backward with an exaggerated gasp. “Ooh, Chizuru, you’re onto somethin’! Counting all the girls close to him, Onoda-han’s got, like, a harem route already! You even had a variety. Basketball girls, literature nerds, game enthusiasts, and heck, it wouldn’t be surprising if you also bagged a teacher! So, Onoda-han, if Chii is SSR for you, are Kushii and I SRs?”

What is this gyaru saying? Do I have to set a rarity for them? Well, that’s how gacha games work, no?

Kushii stifled a giggle, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes darted to me, clearly curious but too shy to jump in.

I caught her look and winked, hoping to ease her tension a bit. “SR, huh? An-rin, don’t you want to be an SSR? Of course, my Chii is a UR. Let’s see. Maybe Kushii is a UR as well.”

As I added that, Kushii’s eyes widened a bit as her cheeks flared pink. She tried to retort but An-rin reacted first.

“Hey! Why am I the only SSR?! That’s unfair, Onoda-han!” An-rin pouted as she moved to Kushii’s side before nudging her friend to bump shoulders with me.

Kushii tried her best not to press harder to my side but with An-rin’s weight, she almost tripped over. Good thing my reflexes were still working, catching her wrist and steadying her.

When Chii saw that, the girl sneakily pinched my side while An-rin clicked her tongue.

“Alright. Stop playing around, An-rin. You can be a UR too, you know? Maybe if you behave.”

Upon saying that, I checked on Kushii’s state before releasing her wrist. The last thing I need is to make her uncomfortable. Our sleepover hasn’t even started yet, but this is already a little chaotic.

“Nah, Onoda-han. Chaos is my element. I can’t behave! Imma be a Chaotic UR for you.”

Mhm. She’s not going to behave anytime soon.

Eventually, we reached that takoyaki shop and we bought two packs that we could share as we continued to the shopping district.

A few minutes later, we reached the arc leading to it.

“You three ready for this shopping trip?”

Chii looped her arm through mine, her warmth seeping through my sleeve. Since it’s going to be crowded, holding hands isn’t enough anymore.

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