With Ohori-senpai joining us, we found a quiet spot under one of the bigger trees in the park.
I brought out a picnic mat and laid out the packed breakfast that Akane and Nao prepared. Tamagoyaki rolls, rice balls with different fillings, fresh fruits like bananas and strawberries, and those lon pans I grabbed as extras.
Ria claid the spot right next to , and she’s pretty much letting lead today. As the birthday girl, she’s a princess for the day.
Well, even if it’s not her birthday, I always treat her like this.
anwhile, Aoi plopped down on my other side, already stealing a piece of tamagoyaki before I could even open the container fully.
The girl winked at and smiled contentedly before flinging it into her mouth.
“Mhm. This tastes great, darling. Since it’s Ria’s day, I won’t ask you to feed . But I’m still entitled to be pampered by you, no?”
“Not if you keep acting this unruly.” I teasingly answered which imdiately drew a pout from her.
Ohori-senpai, who took a seat from us, couldn’t help but giggle from that. “It’s always impressive to see you deal with that girl’s whims, Onoda-kun.”
“Hey! Ohori-nee, what do you an by ‘whims’? I’m always a good girl to darling! And he always spoils !”
“Sure. Sure. Let’s just say you are spoiled. Anyhow, you prepared all of this, Onoda-kun? Are you trying to stuff them full?”
“That is indeed the plan. After all, we have a long day ahead of us.” I answered as I handed her a plate to use.
Then, Aoi chid in again, “Darling, if I gained weight. It’ll be your fault. Besides, I’m not going to act unruly today and split your attention from our birthday girl. I won’t follow you after this. Of course, you must pamper before leaving with Ria.”
And there she goes. She said she wouldn’t be unruly but the next second, she made a demand.
Ohori-senpai glanced at with a wry smile as if saying ‘Must be difficult putting up with that girl, right?’
Well, it’s not exactly difficult. I’m already used to it. But maybe in her eyes, I was like a patient saint answering to the girl’s whims, no matter how impossible they may seem.
“Pamper you, huh? Ria, what do you think?” I looked at the girl next to who was just enjoying rubbing her cheek on my arm.
“Oh. I don’t mind. Just don’t be so shaless in public, Dumb-senpai. We’re still out in the open.”
“Says the one acting like a cat to darling,” Aoi finished with a triumphant grin, leaning in just enough to bump her shoulder against mine. “You’re the one clinging like you’ll never let go. If anyone’s shaless, it’s you, birthday girl.”
Ria didn’t even flinch. She just tilted her head up at with that smug little cat-smile, eyes half-lidded like she knew exactly what she was doing.
“Un. And Dumb-senpai likes it. Don’t you?”
Her fingers tightened around my arm possessively as if reminding to take her side this ti.
I let out a chuckle and raised a hand in surrender. “Mhm. I like it a lot.”
Aoi made an exaggerated gagging sound as she grabbed my other arm, draping it over her shoulders, “Ugh. Darling, don’t make jealous or I won’t get off you today. Ohori-nee, back up here. Tell darling he’s not treating right.”
Ohori-senpai, who’d been quietly nibbling on a rice ball while watching the whole exchange like it was her favorite drama, let out a soft laugh. “Not treating you right? Aoi, you’re so greedy. If I were Onoda-kun, I would’ve already scolded you.”
“Tsk. Traitor. I hope you fall for him as well and feel the sa thing I am feeling right now.” Aoi clicked her tongue and then muttered sothing that made the girl across from us freeze up.
“Aoi, isn’t that too much? It’ll be bad for Ohori-senpai. Especially when that cuck ex-boyfriend of hers still thought she was cheating on him with to feed his fetish.”
“Ugh. Don’t remind of that. We’ve already buried that guy’s reputation at school, darling. He won’t ever trouble Ohori-nee anymore. And even if he does climb back up, we’ll just bury him again. Right, Ohori-nee?”
“... Y-you two. Don’t make scold you both. I’m fine now... And yes, it’s thanks to all of you. But falling for Onoda-kun? Impossible.”
Or so she said, but the way she turned her head away sohow made it a little unbelievable.
In any case, I decided not to push it further. Ohori-senpai already had enough on her plate without adding another layer of complication. If she ever felt sothing, it’d have to co from her side, not because Aoi teased it out of her or I shalessly word my way in.
I an, I have to be interested too, right? But then again, like Ria said earlier, I probably wouldn’t insist on inviting her to join us if I didn’t see her in a favorable light.
Anyway, the morning was too perfect to ruin with awkward tension. So enough of that.
The sun was climbing higher and birds chirped like they were in on Ria’s birthday secret while the breeze carried that fresh, early-sumr scent that made everything feel lighter.
Ria tugged at my sleeve again, pulling my attention back to her with a subtle, knowing smile. “Dumb-senpai, you’re spacing out. Thinking about adding another girl to your collection already?”
Aoi snorted into her lon pan, crumbs flying as she laughed. “See? Even the birthday girl knows you too well. Careful, Ohori-nee. One wrong move and he’ll have you calling him ‘darling’ or ‘babe’ by next week.”
Ohori-senpai’s cheeks went pink, but she recovered fast, rolling her eyes with the poise of a senior. “As if. I’m just here for the free breakfast. Don’t drag into your chaos.”
“Free breakfast, huh?” I teased, handing her one of the rice balls with extra tuna because I rembered her ntioning it once in passing. “Then eat up. Can’t have you running on empty.”
She took it with a quiet ‘thanks’ before looking away again to hide the pink on her cheeks.
Ria watched the whole exchange with a quiet, assessing gaze, then leaned into my side again. Her hand slipped into mine, fingers filling the gaps like she was making sure I rembered who the birthday girl was.
Aoi scooted closer on my other side until her shoulder bumped mine.
“Darling, feed one. My hands are full.” She held up her half-eaten lon pan like evidence, grinning widely.
So that was a lie. She still asked to feed her. I rolled my eyes but picked up a strawberry anyway, holding it to her lips. Aoi took a dramatic bite, making sure to lick the juice off my fingers with exaggerated slowness just to watch Ria’s eyebrow twitch.
Ria didn’t say anything. She just squeezed my hand tighter and leaned up to steal a quick kiss and stuck her tongue out cutely to Aoi.
“Mine,” She whispered in a volu quiet enough that only I could hear.
Aoi made another exaggerated reaction but the grin on her face said she was loving every second of the rivalry.
Ohori-senpai just shook her head, hiding her smile behind her rice ball. “You three are sothing else.”
The morning stretched on like that. Easy laughter, playful jabs, the girls taking turns stealing bites from my plate or demanding I feed them just to watch the others pout.
Ria stayed glued to my side the whole ti, quiet but content, her head resting on my shoulder when she wasn’t sneaking kisses or feeding pieces of tamagoyaki with that smug little birthday-girl smile.
By the ti we finished eating and packed up the mat, the sun was high enough that the neighborhood had started to co alive.
“Alright, I’m gonna cash in that pampering now, darling... Let’s go in there before more people co to this park.” Aoi stood up and mischievously pointed at the public restroom at one corner of the park.
Ohori-senpai acted like she didn’t hear it and turned around while Ria tugged at my sleeve, her eyes had the sa glint of hunger and desire that Aoi was now showing. “Dumb-senpai... I like to be pampered too.”
“Uh... Go on, you three. I’ll wait here.” Ohori-senpai awkwardly said before waving her hand at us.
With that, the two girls dragged with them into the public restroom and into one of the cubicles.
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