This 20-year-old older girlfriend really knew how to act spoiled.
Gently stroking Momoka's silky hair, Rinto suggested:
"How about arranging another street performance soon? Neither of us has work tomorrow night—want to go?"
"Hmm… but I haven't practiced properly for days. My fingers feel rusty..."
Momoka, who rarely showed hesitation regarding music, rolled over lazily in Rinto's lap.
She said she was rusty, yet Rinto had clearly seen her effortlessly match Guitar Hero's performance just moments ago.
She was just being cute on purpose, and Rinto immediately understood:
"But I really want to hear you perform, Momoka. I can't wait—I want it so much right now."
"Besides, I already boasted about you to my kouhai. I promised to take her to your street performance. She's a brand-new fan I personally converted, and she really adores you."
"You boasted about me to your kouhai...? Hehe~ Hmm~?"
Momoka pretended to sound calm, humming twice casually—but Rinto knew she was secretly ecstatic.
Her reaction was so adorable that Rinto couldn't help touching her cheek.
The outwardly cool and confident rock singer's face felt delicate and smooth beneath his fingertips—not losing out to his own JK girls at all.
When he caressed Kasumi, Sumire, or Sakiko, it mostly felt like gentle affection towards younger girls.
But when touching Momoka, he was filled with pride—as if he'd truly claimed ownership over this older idol girlfriend.
And he was certain Momoka liked it just as much.
"…Mmm~♡…Ah…chu…chu…hmm~♡"
Momoka made no attempt to resist his touch.
Instead, when his finger brushed against her lips, she smoothly opened her mouth, playfully nibbling and licking his finger.
Like a clingy little cat, she stretched out lazily, gripping his hand while deliberately licking as though to tease him.
This truly was heaven... Both Rinto and Momoka felt supremely satisfied.
"…Okay then, I'll go."
After thoroughly wetting each of Rinto's fingers, Momoka finally spoke up—as if collecting a sufficient payment:
"I'll fulfill your wish. Go ahead and show me off like your personal belonging to your cute little kouhai. I don't mind if you brag that I'm your lover—as long as you don't care how your kouhai see you afterward~"
Rinto: "Ah… speaking of which, I really don't deserve this reputation. Somehow my nickname became 'Scumbag-senpai,' but I haven't actually done anything, have I?"
Kasumi and Sumire aside…
But why were even Sakiko, Bocchi, and Chihaya Anon—who'd just joined today—calling him a scumbag? Rinto was truly baffled.
"Yes yes~ Scumbag, scumbag—our infinitely charming playboy. So very rock 'n' roll~♡"
While teasing him, Momoka's mischievous hands had already started moving suspiciously.
Considering her current position lying across his lap, Rinto quickly warned:
"Hey, Momoka—we still have part-time tonight. It's the convenience store shift; Subaru's coming too. We can't be late..."
Momoka: "Then let's settle it quickly. Three minutes is enough, after all~♡"
Three minutes...? She really just said three minutes?!
The rock-nee-san gazed up at her young boyfriend, eyes narrowed playfully, clearly enjoying teasing him.
How could Rinto refuse such a blatant challenge?
...
In the end, the two sprinted to the convenience store shift at full speed, arriving with hair thoroughly disheveled.
Subaru-san calmly waved at them, smiling knowingly—fully aware of what they'd just been doing.
Each day was so lively and fulfilling that Rinto felt happiness had become almost luxurious.
Not just with Momoka and the Yoshizawa twins—the Light Music Club had also introduced him to many more adorable kouhai.
Working at STARRY had further broadened his horizons—maybe someday he could even help Momoka form her band.
Perhaps I should seriously consider becoming a manager… Rinto felt deeply satisfied.
Ann: "Shiho, have you noticed Rinto's been spacing out and smiling a lot more lately?"
At school during lunchtime, as usual, Rinto found himself teased by his two beautiful classmates in the courtyard.
Ever since Kamoshida's incident, whenever Rinto ate lunch with Ann Takamaki, she would deliberately drag Shiho along as well.
According to Ann, it was because Shiho had quit volleyball club and still felt a bit awkward around other classmates, so it was convenient.
Naturally, Rinto welcomed Shiho's company with open arms—absolutely no objections there.
…However, Ann sometimes took things way too far.
She always insisted on sandwiching Shiho in the middle, making her sit right next to Rinto while she sat opposite them.
Whenever the three chatted during lunch, Ann aggressively pushed the conversation towards Rinto and Shiho. Her matchmaking attempts were ridiculously obvious.
This girl was suited for modeling and nothing else—definitely no future in acting… Rinto had already mentally sentenced her acting career to death.
Hearing Ann's words, Shiho smiled peacefully:
"That's great, isn't it? Seeing Rinto-kun smiling more and enjoying school life makes me happy too."
Ann: "Aww~ Shiho, why are you so sweet?! Any man who doesn't like you must be blind or gay! (.>u<.)"
Wow, Takamaki Ann—such an indiscriminate attack… Rinto silently ate his lunch, restraining his internal complaints.
Ann's blatant favoritism toward her best friend left Shiho herself blushing awkwardly, unable to do anything but smile.
After finishing her lunch, Ann quickly got up, claiming she needed to buy drinks.
Before leaving, she purposely pushed Shiho towards Rinto:
"Rinto-kun, make sure you protect Shiho from any creepy guys trying to flirt! I might take 10 minutes—no, make it 20 minutes! I'm counting on you!"
Rinto: "There's literally a vending machine right here—where are you going that it'll take 20 minutes to buy drinks?"
His objections faded into nothingness as Ann energetically skipped away, leaving him utterly helpless.
In the end, he was left staring awkwardly at Shiho, now practically leaning into him.
Shiho's shapely, athletic figure pressed against him, her curves far more pronounced compared to the gymnast twins or even Momoka.
"…Ah! Sorry, Rinto-kun…"
Shiho finally snapped out of her daze, quickly pulling back and blushing as she fixed her ponytail.
Rinto shook his head gently:
"It's fine—I should apologize. Sorry I couldn't stop Ann's antics."
"If you don't like Ann doing these things, you should tell her clearly. She means well, but she can be a bit overbearing sometimes, even if unintentionally."
Shiho giggled softly:
"But that's Ann's charm, right? She's cheerful, outgoing, gets along well with anyone, and even befriends shy people like me. She even offered to help me chase after someone I like—I really don't know how to thank her properly."
"But sometimes she goes overboard, right?"
Rinto gently added, "This isn't something others can force. No matter how perfectly matched two people might seem to outsiders, if the person involved isn't interested, it just makes things awkward."
"…But what if I am interested?"
Rinto's smile froze on his face.
Shiho softly reached out and held his hand resting on his lap, this time deliberately pressing closer.
Blushing to the tips of her ears, she nervously fiddled with her loose hair.
As Rinto struggled to find words, Shiho raised her moist eyes bravely to meet his:
"I like you, Rinto-kun. It was love at first sight—I fell for you on the very first day we met."
"You were so kind and helpful… you practically saved my life. Later, at school and in front of Kamoshida, you protected me again… that's when I realized my feelings. Your figure kept lingering in my mind—I couldn't stop thinking about you more and more every day..."
Rinto: "…Thank you, I'm really honored."
To be honest, Rinto couldn't even remember the last time he'd felt this awkward.
This was even worse than confessing to Momoka, worse than when he was dragged into a hotel by the twins.
Although he'd somewhat guessed Shiho's feelings, Rinto never imagined that the shy volleyball ace would actually muster the courage to confess.
Seeing the tears glistening in her eyes, he knew just how much effort it took for her to say those words.
And precisely because of this, Rinto knew he had to answer seriously:
"I'm sorry, Shiho. I already have someone I love—I can't accept your feelings."
Gently taking Shiho's hand, Rinto placed it back in her own lap.
Shiho inhaled deeply, releasing it in a trembling sigh.
Holding back tears, she still managed a faint smile:
"I know. Just from the way you look at me, I knew you didn't see me that way."
"But even though I knew there was no hope, I just couldn't keep it to myself anymore. Otherwise, Ann, who tried so hard to help me, would be too pitiful. I couldn't let her down."
"…I'm really sorry."
Rinto couldn't find any better words; all he could do was apologize.
Of course, Shiho was a wonderful girl—beautiful, kind, and athletic. As a man, Rinto naturally felt attracted to her as well.
But there was still some crucial connection missing between them, something essential before taking any step further.
Shiho, unaware of Rinto's inner complexities, laughed gently, releasing her tension:
"You know, everyone says Rinto-kun is a scumbag who dates multiple girls. They say you've conquered the famous twin sisters from first year, the student council president from third year, and you pick a new girl every day... But that's really not true at all, is it?"
Rinto: "Why do these rumors evolve every single day? Who's stalking my social life this closely?"
It was genuinely incredible—was there some paparazzi squad in the school specifically following him?
Shiho didn't seem interested in explaining:
"I know what kind of person you really are, Rinto-kun. You're warm-hearted, kind, always willing to help without asking for anything in return. Honestly, if you really wanted to be a scumbag, you'd have endless opportunities. You even took me to a love hotel once, but you still didn't do anything to me."
That was genuinely a special circumstance… Rinto had no way to defend himself here.
"…But honestly, I kinda wish you were that kind of scumbag who'd casually mess around with girls."
…Drip.
Shiho finally couldn't hold back her tears, one falling gently onto Rinto's hand.
She pressed herself against Rinto's chest, unwilling to step back, completely lost in her infatuation.
She wrapped her arms around Rinto's back, her tall, athletic figure buried entirely in his embrace:
"I'm sorry, Rinto-kun… just for a moment, let me borrow Ann's place and enjoy this. Just a little bit—I won't bother you again…"
"…Ann and I aren't like that, really."
Rinto was utterly helpless.
He wanted to gently push Shiho away, but feeling the wetness soaking through his shirt, he found himself frozen in place.
…I really am a scumbag now. With that thought, he quietly patted Shiho's back in comfort.
Even though he already had three girlfriends, here he was unable to decisively push Shiho away and firmly maintain distance.
He had no right to complain if others called him scum… Silently, he apologized to his girlfriends deep in his heart.
"…Just as I thought, Rinto-kun, you're really bad at saying no to people, aren't you?"
After a long while, Shiho finally stopped sobbing and smiled again, eyes still reddened.
Yet, still clinging onto Rinto, enjoying a closeness only reserved for lovers, she raised her head playfully:
"So maybe that's why they call you scumbag-senpai? At a time like this, you should push me away and make me sad instead."
"If you're always this indecisive towards every girl who confesses to you, unable to clearly reject them, you'll really end up hurting Ann someday."
Rinto: "Wait… look, I admit that's my issue, but Ann and I really aren't like that. I don't have that kind of feelings for her…"
Shiho: "But she does. Ann's liked you for a long time now—haven't you noticed?"
Shiho's bright eyes, still shimmering with tears, left Rinto utterly speechless, choking off any denial.
…Ann likes me?
That outgoing, big-haired blonde? That lovable idiot with the dynamite figure?
Weren't they supposed to be just buddies?
Was it friendship affection, or actually girl-towards-boy affection?
Seeing Rinto's bewildered expression, Shiho grew even more certain:
"With Ann, you wouldn't be able to reject her so decisively. That's called liking someone, Rinto-kun."
"Maybe there's someone else you like more, but you clearly have feelings for Ann too. And that means there's still a chance… Honestly, you have too many openings—bad girls could easily exploit you."
Shiho suddenly leaned forward, surprising Rinto with her boldness as she hooked her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek softly.
Her daring move shocked him deeply—he hadn't expected her to go so far after being rejected.
Only then did Shiho step back for real, placing a finger to her lips in a playful "shh" gesture:
"This is our little secret—don't tell Ann, okay?"
"I'm Ann's friend, and I'll support her all the way to the end. Whether or not you already have girlfriends, I'll help her fight until the last possible moment."
"If you don't want to betray your girlfriends, you have to learn to be decisive. You have to accept making girls cry. Reject me firmly, push me away. Otherwise, with someone as attractive as Ann, one day you'll give in to temptation and cheat on your girlfriends~♡"
Rinto: "…I sincerely hope that day never comes. But thank you, Shiho—I'll work hard."
Rinto genuinely thanked her from the bottom of his heart.
Shiho's bravery had surpassed his expectations, and everything she'd just done was to warn him.
Being unable to firmly reject girls was one thing—
But always being passive, never clearly refusing, would eventually hurt far more people.
Rinto didn't want that to happen—he didn't want to hurt anyone.
Being able to maintain a relationship with the Yoshizawa twins and Momoka was already miraculous enough; he truly wanted to protect them.
"…Mm. Do your best, Rinto-kun. Resist temptation, don't cheat."
Shiho wiped away the fresh tears streaming down her cheeks, yet she kept smiling.
In reality, she had one more line she desperately wanted to say, one hidden deep in her heart:
If you ever do cheat, please practice with me first... Such desperate thoughts remained carefully hidden.
…However—
Neither Rinto, who'd just resolved himself seriously, nor Shiho, who outwardly warned him not to cheat yet secretly wished he would, could possibly anticipate what was about to happen.
Rinto, whose scumbag limits had already weakened considerably, was soon to face an even bigger crisis.