"That senpai. Is she your girlfriend?"
"No. But she's mine."
With my answer, she once again became confused. She really was awake. I wonder at which point.
"I can't understand. Is she your slave?
"No. Why slave?"
"You said she's yours. Only a slave can be owned."
"That's your knowledge again. You can't have a slave nowadays. It's already abolished."
What I said was right. She once again relied on her knowledge.
"Then tell me."
"You'll be like her if you let me steal you. You'll be mine"
"W-what? So that's it."
"Yes. You understand, right?"
She averted her gaze again but she still answered me.
"Yes… But why do you want to steal me?
"Because I want you Fujii."
"I don't know what to answer. That senpai said she loves you but you didn't say you love her too."
"There's a reason for that, you'll understand when you let me steal you."
I won't be able to progress further on her today, I guess I'll stop now. She already knew I wanted her. That's enough for now.
"I'm thankful to you Onoda. But wanting to steal me--"
"You don't need to say it. I know. I conveyed my motive for helping you, that's enough for now."
"We can be friends but…"
"Friend isn't enough. My mind won't change Fujii. Remember that. Forget it for now, how are you feeling?"
Yeah. This isn't going anywhere so I better stop. The class will soon end so I guess she's also fine to go back now.
"Okay… I feel better now. Thank you."
"Then do you want to go back to class or wait until it ends here?"
"W-wait here."
"But we both need to change back to our uniforms."
Right. We're still in our PE attire. We can go home like this but well, it's full of our sweat that it's starting to stink.
"R-right. Then 10 minutes before."
"Okay. What do you want to do for the remaining time?"
There's still 30 minutes before the bell rings. So, 20 minutes more that we need to wait here. I've already given up on compelling her to be mine. It won't get through no matter what. So it all depends on what she wants to do to pass the time..
"I don't know. Time like this where I don't read something is rare."
"I see, you should put time like this on your schedule. You'll burn out if you keep reading and then you'll be back at relying only on your knowledge again."
"I will try."
"If you need someone to accompany you like this, don't hesitate to tell me."
Her averted gaze finally turned back to me. I don't know what she's thinking but yeah, I know it's still far from letting me steal her. Her life all this time was based on her knowledge. What I wanted was a foreign thing for her. Her fantasized romance was even too simple and she wanted that to happen when she becomes an adult.
"Thank you. What you've written back then, now that I am starting to think, it had literary value but no one will like to read that."
"I see. Someone said it's too perverted as well. I guess I'm not fit for the club."
"No, you are. Just that, you should expand your knowledge about things apart from those s-shameless things."
"Err. You're right. I should. But I'm too busy."
This knowledge freak had just given me a wake up call. My knowledge bank really is only full of how to steal a girl. Apart from that, I'm clueless. What to do? My hands are full with my targets.
"Put it on your schedule too. Like how you advised, I can help you."
"I'll try it then. If it means I can have time with you."
"No. You're not allowed to think about shameless things during it…"
"Unfair."
Fujii sat up and turned her body to me. We're now staring face to face unlike earlier where she only turned her head to look at me.
"O-on my schedule to have leisure time like this, you can accompany me."
"Does that mean I can be shameless with you?"
"N-no. But I'll try to understand that thing you told me. 'Why you want to steal me and be yours'."
"Ah. I guess that's enough. Then we have an agreement."
She nodded, fixed her glasses then smiled. This girl. She's really igniting my desire to have her as mine.
And just like that we spent the last 20 minutes finalizing our agreement. Once a week, we will meet where she will help me gain more knowledge. After that I will accompany her and have her try to understand my desire to have her. Surprisingly she had Messsenger installed on her phone. I guess she's really sociable just that she relies too much on her knowledge. She told me she'll message me when we get our phone back.
She didn't mention Haruko again. I don't know what she thinks of her but yeah, it's fine if she doesn't mention it. Saves me the trouble to explain more.
Before we left the infirmary, the school nurse, Ms. Hayashi, finally came back. She just nodded at us and proceeded to prepare her things. I asked her for an excuse form and she gave it easily. I didn't find anything wrong with her. Maybe this is her personality? She will always leave and come back on her own whim. But that's too irresponsible, being the school nurse and all.
Fujii and I separated when we reached the School Building since the changing rooms for girls and boys were located in opposite directions, a precaution against possible peeping toms.
After changing back to my uniform, I waited for the bell before I went back to our classroom to get my bag.
When the trio saw me, Sakuma as always had that smile on his face like he smelled a gossip from me.
"Onoda. That girl from Class 4. Did you really stay with her all this time?"
"Of course, I feel responsible for why she collapsed."
"But you could leave her to the school nurse though."
"She left after she gave the medicine for her and left me with instruction to watch out for the girl."
Ms. Hayashi didn't leave an instruction like that but it's convenient to use her sudden disappearance as an excuse.
Even if Satsuki wasn't saying anything and pretended to be busy cleaning up her desk, I know she's listening to our conversation. She's even purposely slowing down.
"Uhm. I'll go first. See you tomorrow."
Rindou who finished packing up stood up immediately. I don't know if she heard but it seems like she's not concerned about me staying with Fujii until the end of class.
Ah. She's the one who passed me that ball, maybe she also felt responsible even for a bit. And she's currently excited to come to their club to report to Haruko about the book she finished.
After not getting any good answers from me, Sakuma also left for his club. Soon the number of students inside the classroom dwindled to just the few of us left. Satsuki included.
She's really waiting for us to be left alone.
This girl.
Before the last student left the classroom, I pretended to leave first just to avoid suspicion that we're waiting on each other.
I went back inside right after that student left and saw Satsuki still there. She's already prepared to go to her club but she's waiting for me.
"What is it, Satsuki?"
"Sakuma, he said he'll tell me something next week."
Eh? Finally he made his move. But next week, really? Why not today? He's stalling for time again.
"You think he'll confess?"
"Yes. What should I do?"
"Isn't that what you wish for?"
"Idiot. I want to know what you think."
Ah. She thought I would be against it in the end. What will happen if I told her I'm going to change my mind about her dating Sakuma? Ah. No. For now, I want to grant her wish. Since the start, when she approached me, that was her original goal. I only inserted myself and in the end I claimed her as mine.
"If my Satsuki will be happy then I'm not against it."
"You won't stop me?"
"I told you, I'll help you date him. Now that the chance is here, are you having doubts?"
"You're more of an idiot than him. See you tomorrow."
Leaving those words, Satsuki turned to the door. I saw the expression on her face, it's indescribable.
Seeing her leaving figure like that, my body moved on its own. It chased after her and hugged her from behind.
What's this? I don't know what happened. Why did I chase after her?
Since I hugged her, Satsuki stopped her tracks and remained standing here, with me embracing her.
"What are you doing?"
"My body moved on its own."
"Idiot. You need to be honest to yourself too, Ruki."
"What do you mean?"
Satsuki turned her body around to face me again, and without saying anything, she kissed me.
It lasted for a minute before she broke it off.
"You need to realize it yourself, idiot."
"You're right…"
Why did I suddenly do that? Stopping her. Even if I said my body moved on its own, it's still me. I just don't know the reason why I did that.
"I'll listen to what Sakuma will say next week."
"I see. Then your wish, it will finally be granted."
Satsuki didn't say anything about accepting him if he ever confesses, she only said that she will listen. What does that mean?
"Come to my house again this Sunday. I'll tell you about that thing between Sakuma and me."
"Alright. I'll be there."
"Hey, can you give me a kiss again? Make me feel I'm yours."
"You're always honest now. You know you're mine Satsuki."
Even with the risk of someone going back to the classroom, I tiptoed to reach her lips. Planting a kiss on it, I made her feel how I want her using my lips and tongue. Even if Sakuma confesses to her. Even if she loves him, Satsuki is mine. I won't hand her to him. I'm just fulfilling the promise I made.
"It's you who told me to be honest with you."
"Right."
"But really, Ruki, you need to be honest as well. Or maybe you just still don't realize it."
"I'm already honest. What do you mean?"
Hearing my question, Satsuki just shook her head. She didn't say anything more. What should I realize? I don't know.
Haa. I should ask Akane. That silly girl understands me better than myself. I got curious but Satsuki won't tell me that thing I should be honest with.
After that, we said goodbye to each other. She's headed for her club practice while I made my way to the Poem Appreciation Club.
After knocking three times, the door opened and Himeko and Mina's figures greeted me.
"You really came."
Himeko said, a blush on her face. Probably remembering that thing yesterday when I kissed her.
