Stealing Spree

Chapter 2928: Is she hinting at me?

Hearing Futaba, the girl who had been practically wrapping herself around my left side, finally detach with a comfortable hum.

"What is it, Futaba? Can’t I snuggle to my bestie?" Eri asked, tilting her head with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

She didn’t move away immediately.

In fact, her arms looped around my neck, making it even more intimate as she gave me a kiss on the cheek before she finally let go.

I heard the sound of Futaba gnashing her teeth but she still reined in her voice, her face flushing a deep crimson. She looked at the spot on my cheek where Eri had kissed me, then at Eri, who was beaming with an expression of pure, unfiltered triumph.

"You’re way too bold, Eri," Futaba finally managed to mutter, sounding a little helpless.

Clearly, no matter how much she wanted to scold the girl, the hypocritical nature of her own situation kept her in check. Futaba had spent the entire bus ride practically fusing her soul to my hand while pretending to be unconscious. She had no ground to stand on.

"Hehe. I’m just giving back after being doted on by Ruki!" Eri answered. Whether her innocence was already tainted or not, I had no idea.

Futaba could only accept that answer before squeezing my hand one last time and finally letting go.

As the bus stopped, the three of us stepped off into the cool evening air.

Just like before, Eri behaved particularly well as we walked toward their neighborhood. When we reached her house, she didn’t even hesitate to give me a quick, impulsive hug around my waist before skipping back toward their gates.

However, before entering it, the girl suddenly stopped and turned around, her gaze landing on us.

"Oh. Is it possible to watch your ’lesson’? I" Eri asked, her voice dropping into a playful, curious tone. She tilted her head, looking between me and Futaba with an expression that suggested she was genuinely considering the logistics of spying. "I mean, if it’s like a beauty treatment, maybe I can learn some tips to help Toshi-kun relax? You know, like a student observing a master!"

The idea of Eri playing the role of a voyeur was almost comical. While she was bold, she lacked the calculating nature of some of the other girls. She was simply driven by a raw, infectious curiosity that often bypassed social boundaries.

Futaba, however, looked as if she had just been told the house was on fire. Her face, which had only just begun to cool down from the bus ride, flared back into a vivid shade of crimson. "You! Do you know what you are saying?!"

How amusing. Eri was clearly not being deliberate but since she had no idea what exactly the ’lesson’ entails, she was accidentally pushing Futaba’s buttons in the most efficient way possible.

"I’m just asking! If it’s a specialized treatment, it’s only fair that a fellow student gets to observe," Eri chirped, her voice regaining that playful bounce. "I bet I’d be a great assistant. I can hold the towels or... I don’t know. Maybe hold Futaba for you, Ruki? That way you can tickle her better."

"Absolutely not!" Futaba practically shrieked, her voice cracking as she stepped forward to shield herself. She looked like she wanted to melt into the pavement out of pure embarrassment, yet her eyes were wide with the sheer absurdity of the suggestion. "Hey, don’t just stay silent there, Onoda-kun!"

"Alright." I chuckled. "Eri, as much as I appreciate the offer of an assistant, I think this kind of treatment is best done in a quiet, private setting. If you’re there, Futaba will be too nervous to relax, and the whole process will fail. Don’t you think so?"

Eri pouted, though the expression didn’t last long before she beamed again. "Aww, man! I guess I’ll just wait for my turn. What do you think, Ruki?"

"Huh? What’s this about her turn? Onoda-kun? Care to explain?" Futaba once again feigned ignorance even though she clearly heard Eri earlier on the bus.

I looked at Eri, whose expression was a mix of pure excitement and genuine curiosity.

"Well, she brought up favoritism on the bus," I replied, glancing at Futaba, whose expression was currently like a masterpiece of bewildered indignation. "She mentioned that since Futaba gets specialized treatment, it’s only fair that she eventually gets one too."

Eri nodded vigorously, her hair bouncing excitedly. "Exactly! Ruki already said yes! He’s like the master of relaxation, and I’ve decided I want to be a pro at it too. I’ll be the most pampered girl in school!"

"Y-you..."

Sounding like a broken record, Futaba alternately looked between us, her mouth hanging open.

Yeah. Her transition from playing the ’innocent sleeping beauty’ to being the ’victim of a conspiracy’ was instantaneous. And Eri had no idea at all.

"You actually agreed to that? Without even considering how... how shameless it is?!"

"I refused, you know? But look. She also invoked her ’best friend privilege’. I’m helpless." My lips curled up to a smirk.

Since Futaba wanted to play like this, then play along I would.

I shifted my gaze toward her, my eyes scanning the way her chest heaved with a mix of frustration and... arousal?

Even though she knew she was being hypocritical, she was still trying to maintain her dignity,

Really... Should I chastise her for being a hypocrite later, or should I just let her simmer in that delicious tension?

Wait. Scratch that. Aren’t I supposed to help them both? This ’lesson’, no matter how intimate it becomes, is for their own good, right?

"Anyway, Eri, you should get inside before your parents wonder where you are. You should also inform your boyfriend lest he worry about his cute tomboy girlfriend being out too late," I said, giving Eri a playful pat on the shoulder.

Eri rolled her eyes at me before hitting my arm with a light, playful punch. "You’re so bossy today, Ruki! Fine, fine. I’m going. But don’t forget. I’ll also have my turn! Also... next time, I’ll ask Akane and Fuyu for more doting rights!"

Eri gave one last exuberant wave and vanished into her house, leaving a sudden, heavy silence in her wake.

Somehow, her chaotic energy turned the night breeze even more chilling.

I turned to Futaba, who was still standing there with her shoulders hunched. I could see her face with a mixture of lingering embarrassment and a simmering, possessive frustration.

Is she thinking that it should only be privilege? Now that she marched on with full determination, her guilt had already receded.

"You’re actually a menace," Futaba muttered. She looked up at me, possibly searching for some sign that I was joking about Eri’s ’turn.’ "Do you really intend to... to do that for her?"

"Why not?" I asked, stepping closer. "It’s not like I’m also going to help her get used to her sensitive body. Maybe tickling her a bit should be fine."

Right. I could trick the girl and then give her some advice. Of course, I also couldn’t write off the possibility that Eri would ask for more, considering she didn’t even hesitate to snuggle up to me on the bus.

Futaba’s expression shifted from irritation to a strange, focused kind of longing. Whatever was in her head, it was probably a tangled mess.

And at this point, she had already reached her limit.

Soon enough, she let out a long sigh.

"... I don’t know anymore. Let’s go. No one’s at home... but he might call me soon. What happened last time shouldn’t..."

Her voice trailed off there as her face became as red as a tomato. Most likely, she remembered that particular part of the previous lesson when her boyfriend called while we were in the middle of it.

Wait. Is she hinting at me? It can’t be, right?