Stealing Spree

Facing Izumi-senpai’s eyes that was clearly aware that there was something else that happened during the time we were out of her sight, Arisa-senpai who still hadn’t fully recovered from what we did was stumped.

She put down the chair in front of her and laughed awkwardly instead of answering.

That’s why I placed my hand on her shoulder to calm her down before facing Izumi-senpai’s clearly unconvinced eyes.

“Oh… I got scolded pretty good.” I also put down the chair I carried and acted like a dullard, scratching the back of my head. Following that, I turned to Ogawa that’s leaning on the table.

“Alright. I apologize for earlier. It’s my bad to act that familiar to you when we’re not friends.”

I bowed my head slightly to make it seem more sincere. However, the words I used clearly added more oil to the dwindling fire.

“Y-you idiot! Is that how you apologize?! That’s not good, you cheeky junior!”

Although it’s an impromptu act to save her from the awkwardness, Arisa-senpai flared up faster than the coward himself.

And because of that, Ogawa managed to prevent himself from exploding in anger.

Uh. Truthfully, those words came off naturally from my mouth. I really thought of apologizing to cover up what we did but… I couldn’t restrain myself from jabbing at him whenever there was a chance.

If before I could still call him simply as the unlucky guy who I stole a girl from, the subsequent interactions I had with him as well as the information I collected concerning his whole personality and the way she treated the girls around him transformed the original pity to abhorrence.

I wouldn’t bat an eye to see him suffering at every turn. And that’s the reason why I would be stealing the remaining girl that’s still openly showing affection to him.

… Call this pettiness but multiple slaps of reality weren’t enough to open his eyes. He needed more than just that.

Well, that could wait. For now… I better play along with what they planned for today.

“… Is it?” I tilted my head in confusion in response to Arisa-senpai. But of course, that wouldn’t sell completely.

“Stop that acting, Onoda-kun.”

That’s Izumi-senpai. Looking rather unconvinced at my act, she sighed disappointedly.

“You should’ve stopped at ‘I’m sorry’ but you really had to say all that, huh? Where’s the sincerity in that?”

“… Uhm. Obviously, I’m not sincere about that apology, senpai. But for the sake of you and Arisa-senpai. Oh. And Nami too… I’ll do it again…” As my voice trailed, I turned to Ogawa again and repeated what I did, this time, without saying a word.

Although what I did still left much to be desired, Izumi-senpai sighed once more before tapping Ogawa’s shoulder.

The guy appeared hesitant. However, with both Izumi-senpai and Arisa-senpai’s eyes intently watching him, he also lowered his head towards me.

Well, I could guess what happened while Arisa-senpai and I were intimately entangled in the other room. The guy was also scolded or rather, forced to admit that his response was also problematic.

That just proved that they’re here to make the two of us settle our differences.

A few minutes later, the four of us were now facing each other while seated.

Ah. Right, Ogawa went to the other room to get his own seat. We only brought two after all.

Although that made the two girls facepalm once more, I only received a helpless look and another disappointed gaze from them instead of another scolding.

“Now, Kazuo, don’t you want to talk to Onoda-kun? Why don’t you start?”

Already fully recovered from what we did earlier, Arisa-senpai started the conversation as she addressed Ogawa to start.

So, this was his idea, not theirs. If I had to guess, Arisa-senpai managed to talk him out of it.

She’s really an amazing friend to them.

“I…” Ogawa started with a long pause. He looked like he was still trying to gather his jumbled thoughts. Clearly, he didn’t prepare anything or even if he did, he couldn’t say it all out.

“Go on… Tell him what you told me. You know that only Onoda-kun can answer those.” Arisa-senpai chided.

On the other hand, Izumi-senpai looked worriedly towards Ogawa. Uh no. Those worried eyes of hers also fell on me.

Despite her attempt to look like a delinquent, she’s clearly more softhearted than Arisa-senpai.

“I’m listening. Whatever it is, I will answer you honestly.” I nodded in agreement and calmly rested my back on the chair.

As long as he didn’t say something like ‘Give Nami back to me’ or ‘Let her go’, I decided to answer him as honestly as possible.

Arisa-senpai went to the trouble to arrange this, she’d surely be disappointed if instead of reconciling, we became more at odds with one another.

“Why did you take Nanami away from me? I trusted you… It’s supposed to only be an act. To hide it from them… Why did she suddenly…”

Ogawa failed to finish his words but what he was trying to ask was already understandable.

Thinking about it, he never asked this question before. He was so indulged in his fantasy that he went straight on begging me to give Nami back to him. Before spouting nonsense like he’s Nami’s boyfriend and not me. Although I answered all those quite straightforwardly, his mind probably failed to process all of it. Hence, he's here with this question…

But on another note, the two girls here were still unaware that Ogawa was the original boyfriend and not me… However, from Arisa-senpai’s words, Ogawa already told her. He babbled his mouth again in the same way he told Tadano about the act.

I was holding off on telling them the whole truth but considering this situation, I had no choice but to come clean.

At the same time, make it look like Nami’s not completely at fault. I had to at least take most of the blame.

If Arisa and Izumi-senpai would start looking at me differently after this then I just had to work harder…

Besides, since this guy finally got the courage to talk to me, I better not disappoint, right?

“I see. Do you really want to know? It’s simple yet complicated.” I started. I then moved my head to look at the two girls and see what was written on their faces. Furthermore, those words were directed to them instead of Ogawa.

Izumi-senpai only stared back, that worried expression still hung on her face while Arisa-senpai looked at me intently, her eyes even had a hint of curiosity as she eagerly waited.

“I do… I can’t accept it. Nanami will not fall in love with you that easily when we were the ones in a relationship. What you showed in the club was only supposed to be an act…”

This guy… He’s still hung up on that. In his eyes, Nami is a perfect girl who will not cheat on him. But in reality, that’s not the case.

Hearing all that information coming from Ogawa’s mouth. Both Izumi and Arisa-senpai visibly frowned. Most likely, the guy’s last sentence had just settled in their minds.

When I looked at Arisa-senpai again, I saw her lips moving as it formed a silent question; ‘Is that true?’.

As an answer to that, I guiltily nodded before responding to Ogawa.

“I already told you this, Ogawa. There’s no such thing as ‘the act’. What we showed back then was our genuine feelings for each other. In other words, while Nami said yes to your confession a few days prior, I already crept my way into her heart in the short time after that.”

This was another slap of the truth but would he even accept this?