Stealing Spree

“Nina, that’s something you should treasure, don’t you think so?” I said as I pinched her nose before she could push her head closer.

Her puckered lips turned into a pout but the sparkle in her eyes told me she loved my reaction. “Oh, Night Prince, I treasure it. That’s why I’m willing to give it to you. I’m your most loyal servant, ready to sacrifice everything for you.”

She tilted her head, exposing the smooth curve of her neck again before her voice dropped into a dramatic whisper. “What about my neck, then? Or… are you saying you prefer Karen-senpai’s lips over mine?”

Otsuka-senpai let out a small squeak, her hands flying to her face to cover her burning cheeks. “N-Nina-chan! Don’t drag me into this! Ruki, don’t let her twist things!”

Despite her protest, she tugged at my sleeve as though telling me not to ignore her now that there’s another girl with us.

I chuckled, shaking my head at the chaos these two were brewing. But I had to control the situation, right? Accepting Otsuka-senpai’s request was one thing but letting things get out of hand with Nina was something I shouldn’t do. At least, not at the moment.

I clearly understand why she’s offering herself to me in this way, but I don’t think her admiration is the same as what Umi and Sumire feel for me.

At this point, she’s still just simply immersing herself in the fantasy that I was indulging her. While I gave in to her demands a few times already, like the bite I’d given her when I walked her home, those were still not enough for me to just take advantage of her.

But then again, who am I fooling here? Sooner or later, the possibility that things will develop in the same way with her is high.

I admit. I’m rejecting her advances because I’m still not at the point of liking her the same way I like the other girls. I mean… Sachi, whom I can only encounter in the mornings, still beats her in that department.

Of course, it’s probably just because I’m expecting more from this girl. She’s a smart girl, after all.

“I appreciate the dedication, Nina. But your Night Prince cares for his minion too. If I feel like biting you or taking your lips, I won’t wait for your offer to do so… You know what I will do?”

“What will you do, Night Prince?” Nina’s golden eyes sparkled with anticipation, her lips still curved in that mischievous grin as she leaned in closer, clearly eating up every second of this.

I let my gaze linger on her for a moment, then shifted to Otsuka-senpai, who was still clutching my sleeve, her purple eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and nervous energy.

Somehow, I couldn’t help but revel in their reactions. Nina’s anticipation and Karen’s curiosity were a dangerous combo. If I weren’t in control of myself, I would’ve stopped thinking about anything else and just… claim them here.

“I’ll make sure you’re ready for it, Nina,” I said as I turned my gaze back to Nina. I lowered my voice and added a teasing edge to it, just enough to keep her on her toes, at the same time as I caressed her cheek. “A proper bite from your Night Prince needs the right moment, the right mood. Like that night. Under the moonlight. You wouldn’t want it to be rushed, would you? And as for your lips…”

I paused, letting my grin widen as I flicked her forehead lightly, “Those are too precious to just do on a whim. Gotta make it special, right? Or else your Night Prince would be failing his loyal minion.”

Nina’s pout deepened, but her golden eyes sparkled with delight, clearly enjoying the fact that I was playing with her. “Hmph, Night Prince, you’re too cruel! Teasing me like this, dangling the sacred bite just out of reach!”

She clutched her chest dramatically, flopping back onto the cushion with an exaggerated sigh. “I’ll wither away waiting for that perfect moment, you know?! But this isn’t bad… Hehe. I took another step forward in being acknowledged by you.”

Upon saying that, the girl lowered her head. I could hear her sweetly giggling to herself as her exposed ear turned crimson.

Meanwhile, seeing how I was released by Nina, Otsuka-senpai took the opportunity that Nina wasn’t looking to pull my head down, claiming my lips again before whispering, “… D-don’t say anything, Ruki. I wasn’t jealous. I just thought, you owe me that one.”

“Sure.” That’s all I answered as the girl shrank back before hugging me from the side and burying her face in my chest.

When Nina raised her head again and saw that, she immediately copied Otsuka-senpai, pressing herself against my other side with the same fervor, her golden eyes glinting with a mix of mischief and determination not to be outdone.

And just like this, I spent the next five minutes cuddling the two girls while they secretly sniffed my scent. They would look up at me from time to time and whenever they would meet my eyes, they’d instantly flare up and hide their face again.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t just stay here with them. We still had to go down and rejoin the others. Besides, I promised to pamper Misaki and Marika. And for sure, even if they’re not vocal about it, they’ll also want to keep being pampered by me.

Well, we still have the time anyway. I’m their boyfriend. I have to step up and take responsibility.

—

Thirty minutes later, with the night sky about to replace the orange hue up above, the girls and I finished tidying up the clubhouse. We then geared up to leave.

To maintain the secrecy of our clubhouse, we were still going to leave separately and then converge near the gate.

But instead of talking about it and deciding the order, the girls somehow prepared a lottery and had me draw from it to determine which group would have the privilege to walk with me to our destination.

While everyone, even Reira-senpai, was quite expectant of the result, I ended up drawing the slip containing Miura-senpai and Sagara-senpai’s names.

Yup. They’re also included in the lots. And for whatever reason, they made sure that all slips contained a pair of names to ensure that the girls would get to sandwich me between them.

Even the trio of Nami, Hina and Saki or Chii, Kushii and An-rin had to cut one in their group, creating another slip.

But of all the names I could’ve drawn, it had to be these two… the two seniors of the Game Club. Girls who… had nothing to do with me. Or at least, they’re not like the other girls… Not my girls… yet?

Well, Miura-senpai was pretty straightforward about her interest in me, but she’s Komoe’s older sister. As for Sagara-senpai, she’s only interested in the games they’re playing.

Alright. Maybe she’s also starting to get curious about me, but still… we still didn’t know each other enough to be on a comfortable talking terms.

“What are you thinking about, Handsome-kun? Are you disappointed that you drew us instead of the other girls?”

Miura-senpai asked, taking me out of my mind palace. We just stepped out of the clubhouse and as I expected, she didn’t waste a second to hold onto my arm, lodging it in her valley. Her sensation of her softness was instantly transferred to my head, causing my body to react instinctively.

I glanced at her, catching the playful glint in her eyes, her lips curved into a teasing smile that screamed she knew exactly what she was doing.

Right. She was always this forward in showing her interest in me. Unfortunately, I had no time to truly interact with her much, even when I started visiting their house to bring Komoe back to school.

On my other side, Sagara-senpai, with her headphones still resting on her shoulder, was quieter. She kept pace with us as her dark hair swayed gently. Although she wasn’t clinging to me like Miura-senpai, her occasional sidelong glances told me she wasn’t as disinterested as she liked to pretend. She was holding a handheld console, but she was absentmindedly playing something on it.

Well, she’s not going to trip by herself, is she?