Chapter 105: The Chain Reaction Brought by a Kiss
Faced with the harsh reality, Mai knelt on the ground, pounding the floor with her fists, while Ren led the dazed Renako away from the rooftop.
"Senpai~"
It wasn't until they had walked outside the school gates that Renako slowly regained her senses. She raised her hand to touch her lips, which still seemed to carry the lingering sensation of Ren secretly licking them when they parted.
This made her heart race and her face flush with embarrassment. Ren's sudden attack had left her with countless thoughts swirling in her mind.
What did Ren mean by this? Why did he kiss her? And now he was still holding her hand—should she pull away and slap him, calling him a pervert?
"Did I scare you?"
Ren looked at Renako's flushed face. The girl's shy expression was always captivating, and her bewildered, clueless demeanor only tempted him to tease her further.
"Of course, I was scared..."
Yet, deep down, she wasn't really angry. Instead, she felt more disbelief and a whirlwind of chaotic thoughts.
Ren's kiss had left Renako's emotions in disarray. She desperately wanted to know what his kiss meant, but she didn't dare to ask outright.
Even though it was her first kiss that had been taken, she now worried that asking about it might make Ren angry.
In her heart, she felt that she was actually the one who had benefited from the situation.
Not only had she kissed Ren, but even holding hands was something she had never dared to imagine—yet both had happened.
"Then, as an apology, let me walk you home."
Ren gave a faint smile, still not letting go of Renako's hand, and led her toward the parking garage.
"Mhm~"
Still mesmerized by that kiss, Renako obediently nodded.
She had successfully rejected Mai, but Ren's kiss had brought her a new set of worries. What exactly did his kiss mean?
It wasn't until she was sitting in Ren's new Maybach S480, on her way home, that she realized he had cleverly extracted her home address from her without her even noticing. Only after Ren had left did she remember to thank him, and she returned home with mixed feelings.
"Sis, why are you back so early today? Aren't you going out with your friends?"
"Haruna~ Save me~ I think I've gotten myself into big trouble~"
As Renako entered the living room, her younger sister Amaori Haruna was sitting on the sofa playing on her phone. She greeted her sister when she saw her.
Renako, looking deeply troubled, threw herself into her sister's arms. The matter with Ren was something she could only confide in her family.
"What kind of trouble? Is it serious?!"
The moment she heard her sister say "big trouble," Haruna immediately grew tense.
She knew her sister's nature all too well—could it be that her act as a cheerful, outgoing person had been exposed, leading to her being ostracized again?
"Well, today I..."
Renako began to recount the day's events to Haruna, her tone a mix of distress, worry, and excitement.
"..."
After listening, Haruna remained silent for a long time before finally looking at her sister with a complicated expression.
As the saying goes, "Those closely involved cannot see as clearly as those outside." After hearing her sister's story, she couldn't help but wonder how Mai had even taken a liking to her sister in the first place.
Just by Ren's actions alone, she could confirm he had feelings for her sister.
He knew her private hobbies, personally escorted her home just now, and most importantly, he kissed her sister.
If it wasn't affection, who would pretend to be a boyfriend to this extent?
Haruna would be happy about her sister's successful debut, but wasn't this a bit too successful?
Not only was she liked by girls, but also by boys. If she remembered correctly, Ren was that Ren with millions of followers, right? Wasn't her sister aiming a bit too high?
But regardless, Haruna still shared her thoughts with Renako.
"Senpai might like me?!"
"M-me?!"
After hearing Haruna's speculation, Renako pointed at herself with a surprised expression. She was so ordinary and didn't know how to dress up - how could Ren possibly like her?
"Sis, you need to be more confident! You're really beautiful, and your figure is especially unfair - an F-cup high school girl! What boy wouldn't like that?"
It wouldn't be strange for Renako to be liked, since she truly was a beautiful girl, and one with a great figure at that. Haruna encouraged her for this reason.
"Would senpai be among them?"
Though there might only be a one-in-ten-thousand chance, after hearing Haruna say that, Renako suddenly began to believe it might be true.
"Definitely! And sis, why don't you just test it out? Watanabe-senpai has been so proactive - you just need to boldly ask him directly."
"What if I'm misunderstanding?"
Renako was hesitant to ask directly, worried that she might be misinterpreting things. How could Ren possibly like her?
"Watanabe-senpai already kissed you! How could that be a misunderstanding? Unless he's a scumbag. So sis, just go ahead and ask with confidence. Is making friends enough during high school?
If there's a chance, wouldn't it be nice to enjoy romance with Watanabe-senpai?"
Haruna looked somewhat helplessly at her insecure sister. Things had already reached this point - she just needed to make her move.
Though she had some reservations about Ren potentially taking her sister away, if Renako could be happy, she would definitely give her blessings.
"Then should I try?"
"Try! I'll help you come up with plans, starting with tomorrow's makeup!"
After being persuaded, Renako decided to be brave once more. Her previous bravery had allowed her to successfully debut and make friends - this time, being brave might let her gain a lover.
Of course, after dinner, Renako didn't forget to play games with Ren. No longer playing with unfamiliar randoms alone, but having someone to accompany her, her enjoyment and enthusiasm for gaming were much higher than before.
As for Mai Oozuka, feeling that everything around her was in ruins, she also returned home.
Today had undoubtedly been a cruel day for her - watching the person she liked get kissed by the senior she admired nearly made her collapse from the shock.
Would she just become a loser like this?
Mai Oozuka was utterly unwilling to accept this. So what if they became lovers? NTR is quite popular in Japan, damn it, and she happened to be perfect for the role.
Who says you can't pursue someone just because they have a lover?
Unwilling to admit defeat, Mai decided to pursue Renako. She wanted Renako to understand that true love transcends gender!
"Goodnight, senpai~"
Just as Mai resolved to keep fighting for her own happiness, Renako reluctantly waited for Ren to hang up before removing her earphones.
If—just if—Ren were her boyfriend, that would be pure bliss.
He was talented, handsome, shared her interests, and never criticized or pressured her when they played games together, even if she performed worse than him. Instead, he'd cover for her and secure the win.
They say couples who game together grow closer—and it seemed true.
So she had to give it a shot. Even if she failed, she wouldn't regret it. Just experiencing a taste of that happiness tonight had already left Renako utterly captivated.