Chapter 53

“Phew… I’m beat…”

Exhausted from being dragged around on her shopping spree, Kazuhiko slumped into a chair at the restaurant they’d entered, looking every bit the tired boyfriend. Reika sat beside him, gracefully bringing her teacup to her lips with a composed expression. Her movements were elegant and perfectly refined.

—Despite being a total nympho on the inside!

“What’s wrong, Kazu-kun? You look as worn out as someone who just finished a hundred-meter dash at full speed.”

“…That’s not quite how it felt, you know?”

“Oh? I wonder what you were imagining. I was just using a perfectly wholesome analogy.”

“The fact that you have to specify it’s ‘wholesome’ makes it unwholesome…”

“How interesting.”

“It’s not interesting at all…”

Kazuhiko’s mental stamina was being chipped away yet again. However…

“You really do seem tired, Kazu-kun.”

“And whose fault do you think that is?”

“Mine. And yet, even while being dragged around, you don’t seem to truly mind it. If anything, you’re showing the reliability of a good boyfriend, thinking, ‘I guess I have no choice.’ It’s very gallant. And you’re so cute, Kazu-kun. I love you.”

“…………”

—Stop it! Now my mental stamina is being drained in a completely different way!

Actually, it was less “mental stamina” and more “shame tolerance.”

“Rei-chan, you’re unfair.”

“Yes, I suppose I am. My apologies. As a peace offering, I’ll let you rub my breasts.”

Well, in that case…

Kazuhiko’s hand almost moved on its own before he caught himself in shock.

—Wait, did I just instinctively try to rub her breasts? Am I actually hypnotized…?

“What’s the matter, Kazu-kun? Do you prefer doing it raw after all? In that case, we could head to a multipurpose toilet…”

“That kind of toilet isn’t for that kind of use!!”

“True. In that case, shall we just be honest and go to a love hotel?”

“—Eh?”

Kazuhiko froze.

“…A love… ho?”

It was a blatant invitation. She had teased and seduced him countless times, but this was the first time she had been so direct. Usually, she would hint at it, suggest a public restroom, or mention her parents being out, but she had never straight-up said, “Let’s go to a love hotel.”

Even now, there was still a chance she’d backtrack with: “Oh, just for a rest, of course! Honestly, Kazu-kun, what are you thinking? You pervert.” But as Kazuhiko looked at her in surprise, he saw that Reika’s exposed ears were bright red.

For someone who usually says and does such lewd things, being this vulnerable at a moment like this is just playing dirty, he thought.

As a foolish man, there was only one thing he could say.

“Wait… are you actually being cute right now?”

“Wh—! D-Did you take me seriously? Honestly, Kazu-kun, you really are a pervert.”

“Yep, definitely being cute.”

“…………”

Kazuhiko didn’t let that rare moment of Reika’s genuine fluster slip away. He felt like he wanted to pin her down right then and there—no, he wanted to drag her to the love hotel.

Realizing this, Kazuhiko became aware of his own feelings.

—Yeah, I guess… it’s about time, isn’t it?

It was actually overdue considering it was Reika, but she was like this when it came to the “real thing.”

Then again, he thought, maybe this is just another part of her calculation to get me to take the initiative? Am I just dancing in the palm of her hand?

Even so, it was likely true that she had her own anxieties about the “first time,” and that she truly wanted him to be the one to pursue her.

“Rei-chan…”

When Kazuhiko took her hand, her shoulders gave a small jump. He lowered his voice.

“Is a love hotel really okay? Not my room, or yours?”

Her shoulders jumped again.

“…………If we’re in my room, I’m sure we won’t be able to sleep at all.”

“I see. In that case, let’s go to your room.”

“My parents just happen to be away on a trip.”

“…………”

Was this a setup all along?

Kazuhiko, who had felt like he’d finally scored a point against her, suddenly felt flat. But there was no backing out now. Perhaps even this reaction was part of her plan.

—But she’s genuinely blushing, and that’s why it’s so unfair. I really can’t win against Rei-chan.

He thought that from the bottom of his heart. At the same time, he didn’t mind it one bit. I’m probably going to be whipped by her for the rest of my life.

In more ways than one.

The thought made him smirk, which was a sign that he was already far gone himself.

“Kazu-kun, you have a very lewd look on your face.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“…I was half-joking, but you actually have a guilty conscience, don’t you…”

Reika’s ears were still red.

“Yep, you’re definitely cute.”

“Guh… Kazu-kun, if you say any more, I’m going to pin you down right here.”

“Please control yourself, I beg of you!”

With that, Kazuhiko picked up the bill.

“Alright, let’s go before you lose your self-control.”

“Kazu-kun is the one who’s raring to go…”

“…………”

Both of them, with similar shades of red on their cheeks, hurried on their way home.