"Why will I make you jealous? Anyway… you probably heard our conversation, right? An-rin, thank you for helping this clumsy girl out. I was kind of an idiot in the past. Abandoning her after I used her for my desire. Yet, she hadn't stopped loving . All those years I'm not by her side, I owe it to you for taking care of her. You and Kushii."
I reached for her hand, squeezing it lightly as I put on a grateful smile.
An-rin looked at , dumbfounded. Then, her eyes darted away, suddenly finding the floor way more interesting than my face.
Her fingers twitched in my grasp, like she wasn't sure whether to yank her hand back or let it stay.
"W-what's with the sappy stuff, Onoda-han?" She mumbled, "I didn't… I an, and Kushii just did what friends do, y'know? Chizuru's our girl. No big deal."
Her shoulders hunched slightly and the way her lips pursed like she was holding back sothing bigger told it was a big deal.
An-rin wasn't used to being thanked like this, especially not by , and it threw her off her rails. Her playful nature slipped off, revealing that sa vulnerability I'd glimpsed earlier when she'd let unravel her.
I pulled her closer before wrapping my arm around her waist again, "Maybe it's no big deal to you, but it ans a lot to . Chii's… well, she's Chii. And knowing she had you two looking out for her when I wasn't around? That's sothing I'm not gonna forget, An-rin."
Her eyes stared back at like she was trying to figure out if I was ssing with her or being real. This ti, her snappy coback didn't co. Instead, she bit her lip and leaned closer to , her free hand fidgeting with the hem of her baggy shirt.
"Tch, you're, like, too good at this. Saying stuff like that… it's unfair, Onoda-han. Makes it hard to stay mad at you."
"Mad at ? What'd I do now? I thought we were past the 'perv lord' accusations."
Her cheeks puffed out again, but the indignation was half-hearted, more for show than anything else. "Hmph. You're still a pervert. Don't think I forgot how you… y'know, did all that stuff earlier." She gestured vaguely toward her chest, her blush creeping down her neck. "But… maybe you're not, like, the worst pervert. Maybe."
"High praise from the chaotic gremlin herself. I'll take it." I teased before I lowered my head, giving a soft kiss to her cheek.
An-rin instantly put her hand on her cheek before rolling her eyes. But then, a small smile tugged at her lips, betraying her attempt to stay grumpy. "Y-you're a ga flirt, Onoda-han. Don't think you can just kiss my cheek and get away with it…"
Her voice was a mix of flustered indignation and that chaotic gremlin spark, trying to reclaim her usual fire.
But the way her fingers lingered on her cheek, right where my lips had brushed, told a different story. She wasn't as unaffected as she pretended to be.
I grinned, keeping my arm loosely around her waist, my thumb grazing the curve of her side just enough to make her squirm. "Oh, co on, An-rin. Take it as my way to thank you. Did that get you all flustered?"
Her eyes widened, and she swatted my arm again, though it was more playful than painful. "Flustered? ? Pfft, as if! I'm, like, totally immune to your perv lord tricks, okay? That kiss was… it was nothing! But that's totally an absurd way to thank , Onoda-han!"
She squird a little but considering she's not standing up, this girl seed to like this closeness.
Sohow, she beca more teasable in my eyes.
"Alright, you can kiss too. To get back at . Here. My cheek is free. Or if you want… my lips too." I tapped my cheek with a finger before moving it to my lips.
The girl's eyes widened as she indignantly pointed at , "S-shaless Onoda-han. I won't fall for that!"
"Shaless, huh? What's the matter, An-rin? Scared you'll like kissing too much?" I shot back, leaning in just a bit closer as my lips curled further into a teasing grin.
Her mouth dropped open and for a second, I thought she'd combust from sheer embarrassnt.
Her cheeks were already a blazing red, and her finger, still pointed accusingly at , wavered like she wasn't sure whether to poke or pull back.
"Y-you're impossible, Onoda-han! Like, totally playing dirty! I'm not scared, okay? I'm just… not falling for your trap!"
"Trap? All I did was offer you a free shot. Fair's fair, right? Or are you all talk, chaotic gremlin?"
An-rin's eyes narrowed, her usual fire flaring up despite the flush still painting her face. She leaned forward, closing the gap between us until I could feel the warmth of her breath, her lips hovering just inches from mine.
I thought she'd actually go for it but her eyes flickered with that mix of defiance and curiosity that made her so unpredictable. Then, with a dramatic huff, she swerved at the last second, planting a quick, almost aggressive peck on my cheek before pulling back like she'd just won a battle.
"There! Happy now, perv lord?" She declared, "That's, like, totally all you're getting, so don't get any more ideas!"
I chuckled as I brushed my fingers lightly against the spot she'd kissed, playing it up just to ss with her. "Not bad, An-rin. A little weak, but I'll give you points for effort. Wanna try again? My lips are still free."
Her jaw dropped, and she swatted my arm again, harder this ti, her chaotic energy in full swing. "Ugh, you're the worst! Like, who even says stuff like that? You're gonna make . Ugh, never mind!"
She flopped back against the couch, her baggy shirt slipping slightly off one shoulder, revealing the curve of her collarbone. She didn't bother fixing it, either too flustered or just too stubborn to care.
Unfortunately, before I could continue teasing her, the sound of the bathroom door opening echoed into the living room. Kushii was finished bathing.
And thinking that was her window to escape, the girl stuck her tongue out at and ran away to the bathroom.
Seconds later, Kushii erged into the living room, her hair still damp and clinging to her shoulders, wrapped in a fluffy towel that barely reached her thighs.
The faint scent of body wash, sothing sweet, like vanilla, wafted into the room, mixing with the lingering aroma of the tea we drank.
Kushii's cheeks were still flushed, but whether it was from the warm bath or the mory of what we'd done earlier, I couldn't quite tell. Her eyes darted to , then to Chii, who was still dozing lightly against my shoulder, and finally to the empty spot where An-rin had just bolted from.
Without a second thought, she sat down and leaned closer to my side before daringly resting her head on my shoulder.
I instinctively wrapped my arm around her before whispering, "Why are you still in your towel? Didn't you bring your change of clothes with you, Kushii?"
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