"Let go of Ayanokouji-kun! If you've got the guts, come at me instead!!!"
Both Kushida and Ayanokouji turned to look at the doorway.
Amane stormed in, radiating intensity.
"Amane-san? What are you doing here? Wait, what are you planning?"
Ignoring Kushida's flustered gaze, Amane stepped protectively in front of Ayanokouji and fixed Kushida with a mischievous stare.
Then her hands went right in. This completely unexpected move left both Kushida and Ayanokouji utterly stunned.
"I won't let you bully Ayanokouji-kun like this, Kikyo-chan! I volunteer myself as tribute!!"
Amane spouted lines that made little sense.
But her hands never stopped moving.
Hmm.
Kushida was truly in a league of her own!
Even a notch above Horikita.
She was every bit Amane's match.
Chances like this didn't come often.
If she didn't seize the moment to enjoy it, who knew when the next opportunity would arise.
"Amane-san, wh-what are you doing? Stop it! It's getting misshapen!!! …Hnn… Amane, could you please not do this?"
Kushida couldn't handle Amane's skilled techniques.
Darn it. Why was she so good at this sort of thing?
"Well, chances are rare, don't worry, I've got experience."
That's not the issue here!!!
Kushida tried to break free, but Amane clung to her from behind like a koala.
Wait.
Wouldn't this just make it even more embarrassing?
Ayanokouji's eyes were glued to the scene.
"Don't look! Ayanokouji, don't look!" Kushida scolded him loudly.
Ayanokouji had no choice but to turn his back. Speaking of which, Miyako-san seemed pretty skilled.
"Hn… Let… let go already, you… hnn… If you keep this up… hnn… I'll… I'll call campus security."
Hearing "campus security," Amane reluctantly let go, though she seemed unwilling to part.
"I was just joking around."
"Amane-san! That was no joke! That was harassment! I've got your fingerprints all over my clothes now. If I report you to the school… what do you think will happen to you?"
Amane's expression shifted.
Seeing this, Kushida thought she'd found her leverage.
What if she used this as evidence to force Amane to cut ties with Horikita?
"I'm sure Amane-san wouldn't want to disappoint her family, right?"
Amane's face turned pale. "Good thing you reminded me, Kikyo-chan. That could've gotten really messy."
A hint of relief flashed across Amane's face. Watching those… sway with Amane's movements…
For a moment, Kushida felt the urge to personally "teach" Amane a lesson herself. But she immediately reined in the thought with reason.
"If you don't want your family or the school finding out about this, how about you do as I say?" Kushida took Amane's hand.
She leaned her whole body against Amane.
"No, no, no, Kikyo-chan, you've got it all wrong. If you talk, you'll be the one in big trouble." Amane poked Kushida's cheek with a finger.
"Hah? What trouble could I possibly be in? I'm the victim here."
"But if my family finds out I'm 'indulging in playthings and neglecting my duties,' they'll definitely get rid of the plaything."
What the heck did 'indulging in playthings and neglecting my duties' even mean?
Was she the 'plaything'?
And hearing it put that way…it felt so shameful.
But what did 'get rid of' mean?
"Sorry, I don't follow. What do you mean by 'get rid of,' Amane-san?" Kushida asked cautiously.
Something about Amane's expression felt off.
"When a child gets too obsessed with a toy, adults often take it away. That's all I meant." There was nothing wrong with Amane's words.
The real problem was the slicing motion Amane made with her hand.
And her gaze was fixed on Kushida's…
"Y-you're not scaring me, you know? You're probably just trying to intimidate me so I won't report you to the school, right?" Kushida hugged her arms, slightly unnerved.
"What do you think?" Amane pinched Kushida's chin.
Hehe.
Not bad—the move she'd seen in that manga. Kinda cool, actually.
Amane was internally cheering for her own slick move.
Outwardly, she maintained an icy demeanor.
"Amane-san, your family…"
"My grandfather's just a butler, nothing special."
Kushida's instincts told her something wasn't right.
But before she could think it through, she was met with a sudden mwah.
"Miyako Amane!! What did you just do? That was my… Die, die, die, die!!!" Kushida's sudden fury startled Amane.
"Ayanokouji, help me out! Kikyo-chan's about to bite!"
As Ayanokouji turned, Amane ducked behind him.
Kushida glared at them both, looking thoroughly… agitated.
"I think…"
"Shut it."
Ayanokouji was at a complete loss for words. If he'd known things would turn out like this, he might as well have gotten a feel too.
Just as Kushida was about to explode, Amane's phone rang, cutting through her rage.
"Hold on, Kikyo-chan, let me take this."
Amane answered the call.
It was Suzune.
"Where did you disappear to for coffee?"
"I'm just downstairs, I'll be right there."
"Downstairs? Really? What a coincidence—I'm downstairs too. So you've learned to lie to me, Amane?"
"That's not what I meant, I'm really…"
"Hey, hang up. Now."
"Suzune, let me explain!"
"I don't want to either, but… boo hoo… I don't want to sleep alone, no way, no way!"
Stomping her foot and whining like a child, Amane threw a little tantrum. Ayanokouji stared, dumbfounded.
"I said hang up!!"
"What's the rush? Can't you see I'm explaining to Suzune? Just wait a sec."
"I'm not with some other girl…"
"A written apology? Why would I need something like that?"
"Are you done?" Kushida asked softly, struggling to contain her anger.
"Just a little longer, Kikyo-chan." Amane tossed the words over her shoulder without turning and went back to haggling with Horikita over the length of the apology.
"It seems Amane-san and Horikita-san are quite close." Ayanokouji rested his chin on his finger, having observed them for a while before reaching this conclusion.
"You think? Anyone can tell they're close with one glance." Kushida shot back irritably.
Ayanokouji scratched his head.
"Kushida-san, don't you think their relationship goes beyond just friends?" He hinted tactfully.
"You mean… It can't be, right? Amane-san might be a bit dumb, but she doesn't seem like the type to be interested in girls that way." Kushida analyzed based on what she knew of Amane and reached her conclusion.
But Ayanokouji glanced at the spot where Amane had left her mark on Kushida.
Kushida's face flushed red.
Could Amane really be…?
If that were the case, wouldn't getting close to her be like offering herself to the wolf?
Was sacrificing this much for Horikita's sake really worth it?
Amane hung up the phone, looking dejected. Her gaze returned to Kushida, and she scratched her head sheepishly.
A faint blush spread across her cheeks, as if she had something awkward to say but couldn't quite get it out.
Kushida really, really wished she would just keep it to herself.
But things rarely go as you wish.
"So… um… can I get another ten minutes?"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.