Stealing Spree

Chapter 2926: Why is it fine for her?

"So, do we just walk the rest of the way?" I asked the two girls as we exited Fuyu’s neighborhood.

"I’m fine, whichever. But Futaba... she’s not used to walking this far." Eri remarked, glancing over at the other girl.

"Who’s not used to walking? It’s just walking. What’s the big deal?" Futaba instantly snapped back. She was trying so hard to sound indifferent, but the slight tremble in her voice betrayed her.

Most likely, it was true. She’s not like Eri, whose figure was slender enough that she was probably nimble on her feet. Futaba’s physical composition made her a bit more sluggish, especially when she was in this state of heightened sensitivity due to her special constitution. Not to mention, her chest, which wasn’t any smaller than Fuyu’s and had become swollen from the excess of sugar, probably made every step feel a bit more taxing.

"Right, right. My bad for forgetting you’re a delicate flower too," I teased, stepping closer to her. "Shall we take the bus again then? That way you can rest your feet."

Futaba’s face flared red but she knew she couldn’t truly act tough here. In the end, she nodded sheepishly, her shoulders slumping slightly as if the weight of her own body had suddenly increased. "Sorry to trouble you."

I couldn’t help but grin at hearing that. This sensible girl. Perhaps if I hadn’t discovered her sensitivity that day, which became the catalyst for everything, she wouldn’t be this flustered around me. At most, she’d probably keep trying to reel in Eri’s wild behavior.

"Oh! Taking the bus is much better. Just like last time, Ruki!" Eri excitedly chimed in, practically bouncing on her heels. "If Futaba is uncomfortable, I don’t mind sitting with you alone, hehe."

"You! Don’t do something excessive! Think about your boyfriend!" Futaba shot back, though her voice lacked its usual authority. She looked like she was barely keeping herself upright, her breathing slightly shallow as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"I’m thinking about him, Futaba. What’s wrong with taking advantage of my privilege as Ruki’s girl best friend?" Eri replied with a smile. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was being willfully provocative just to see how Futaba would react. But nope, in Eri’s head, she couldn’t find anything wrong with her behavior.

Like she said, it was a privilege. And only I could tell her off for it. But why would I do that?

Futaba put a hand on her forehead, "Onoda-kun, won’t you say something? She’s like this because you’re not stopping her."

I put on a subtle, mischievous grin before nodding my head in agreement, "Alright, Eri, remember how I told you about minding your boundaries? If you keep sticking to me like this, I might not be able to hold myself back."

"Why would you need to hold back? I’m also giving you the privilege as my boy best friend. This much is fine." Eri tilted her head before giggling. Whether she was willfully being clueless or not, I had no idea.

But in Futaba’s eyes, it probably felt like her buttons were being pushed.

"Ugh... What’s wrong with both of you? Can’t you just be normal for five minutes?" Futaba groaned, though the effect was dampened by the way she leaned slightly into my side for support.

The bus arrived shortly after, a nearly empty vessel which was probably on its last trip on its route for the night. Just like before, we claimed the row in the back, where Futaba practically collapsed into the window seat.

I sat beside her, and naturally, Eri claimed the spot right next to me, clinging to my arm and leaning so close it wouldn’t be wrong to say she was cuddling.

Futaba, however, was in her own world. Or rather, she had given up reprimanding Eri.

She leaned her head against the vibrating glass of the window, her eyes half-closed, her chest rising and falling in a slow, heavy rhythm.

I sneakily reached for her hand and squeezed it but the girl didn’t react as much. It even curled into mine as though she had accepted the gesture.

From the reflection on the window, I could see her eyelashes trembling as though she was in a struggle.

Really, if I wasn’t wrong, it’s not that she was giving up. She simply found herself hypocritical in calling out Eri’s behavior when what we were about to do later would be more intimate than anything Eri was currently doing.

I looked over at Eri, who seemed completely oblivious to Futaba’s internal turmoil. She was practically rubbing her face on my arm, feeling very comforted by the warmth. I couldn’t help but admire how simple her world was. She operated on impulse and desire, whereas Futaba lived in a constant state of negotiation between her morals and her body.

"Ruki, is she asleep? Last time, I was the one who fell asleep. Did you two do something else back then?" Eri lifted her head slightly, her eyes filled with inquiry.

"What’s that question? If we did something, are you going to ask for a detailed report?" I teased, leaning back against the seat.

Eri pouted, her expression shifting into that familiar, childish stubbornness. "Hmph! I just want to know if I missed out back then. If you did something spicy, you totally owe me a similar treatment."

This girl... She’s so reckless. If it were any other guy, he’d probably find this a window to take advantage of her. Fortunately for her, she was with me.

"You didn’t miss out. If anything, you were the one who took the most advantage. You slept on my shoulder for half the ride," I countered, giving her a little nudge with my elbow.

Eri’s eyes turned into crescents as she laughed, leaning back into me with a satisfied sigh.

"Then, what about after we separated? You two... That happened back then, right?"

Alright. Now I feel like this is her real intention. To ask me about that ’event’. She even checked on Futaba, ensuring the girl was sufficiently dozing off before launching her inquiry.

"Well, you’ve heard the story already. It did happen after we dropped you off last time." I answered.

"I see... She asked for it?"

"Mhm. It’s her request."

"What exactly did she ask you to do for her?"

"Hmm? Didn’t she already reveal everything to the three of you?"

"Well, not everything. She didn’t explain it clearly. Akane and Fuyu might’ve gotten it. But me... I couldn’t imagine what had transpired," Eri whispered, her voice dropping into a conspiratorial tone. She leaned in closer, keeping her voice as low as possible to not alert the other girl. "Like, I know it included tickling her."

Ah. Right. Futaba wouldn’t just openly tell them how she let me fondle her breasts to test out her sensitivity. If the pain she had felt when her boyfriend touched her sensitive spots before would happen as well. But to her surprise, there was no pain, only pleasure.

Akane and Fuyu would truly get it if she explained it vaguely. But Eri? She’d probably just think Futaba let me tickle her until she cried laughing. And through that, she was slowly getting trained to handle her hypersensitivity.

Haa... How should I answer this girl? Should I tell her?

Well, it’s certainly not my place to do so, but if Eri found out eventually, she’d probably feel like she was kept in the dark about such an important detail.

Looking at her round, curious eyes, I decided to be honest but vague enough to keep some mystery. "It wasn’t exactly tickling in the way you’re thinking. It was more like... helping her figure out how to handle her body’s reactions. She’s very sensitive, Eri."

Eri blinked, her expression shifting from confusion to a slow, knowing smirk. "Ohhh! So it was like a medical exam? Or a beauty treatment? How did you do it then? Can you show me?"

"This..." I put on an awkward smile, feeling the weight of Futaba’s subconscious presence beside me. "Let’s just say it’s a very specialized treatment that requires a lot of trust. And since you already have a boyfriend, I think your ’medical exam’ should be handled by him."

Eri let out a dramatic groan, pressing her forehead on my shoulder. "You’re such a killjoy, Ruki! Why are you acting so formal? We’re besties! Besides, my boyfriend is way too shy for that kind of thing. He’d probably turn red and pass out if I asked him to do a ’specialized treatment’. Also, doesn’t Futaba have a boyfriend, too? Why is it fine for her but not for me?"