Cote : I Just Want to Grant Your Wish!

Kaoru felt his breathing become unsteady.

He tried to move his hands, wanting to push this senpai away, but Fūka looked soft while somehow still being difficult to shake off.

"You kissed Asahina-san. Don't you want to kiss me too?"

Fūka sounded almost as if she were murmuring to herself. She had leaned so close that Kaoru's mind began to blur. Her lips looked far too close, and the warmth of her body made it hard for him to stay calm.

"I... I give up, senpai. I admit defeat."

Kaoru gritted his teeth. "I admit my heart raced because of you. If you don't get up soon, I really won't be able to stay calm."

Hearing that, Fūka, who had seemed completely absorbed in the moment, suddenly stopped. She smiled down at Kaoru.

"That reaction won't do, Mitoma-kun. Aren't you going to hold out a little longer?"

"I can hold out. But is senpai willing to let me kiss you?"

"Tch."

Fūka's interest seemed to fade a little as she lifted her face, finally giving Kaoru room to breathe.

"How strange. I thought you would be a little more forceful with me. For example, flipping me over and pinning me to the bed instead."

"I could do that, but senpai would have a way to deal with it, wouldn't you?"

"Mm. If you did that, I'd tell everyone you liked me and made a move on me in the infirmary."

"...Is there really a need to drag yourself into it too?"

Seeing Kaoru's speechless expression, Fūka could not help laughing.

"That's your problem."

Fūka spoke leisurely. "The heart-racing feeling you mentioned is basically making you fall for me. It doesn't necessarily require doing anything bold to you. I can simply spread the word that you like me and make everyone think I'm your girlfriend too."

"Wait. At least I haven't agreed to that, right?"

Kaoru felt that something was wrong.

"As long as everyone else agrees, that's enough. Come to think of it, it's a little embarrassing. My first boyfriend."

Fūka suddenly covered her cheeks as if she were shy. "If Mitoma-kun refuses to acknowledge it, then I'll have no choice but to cheat on you by hanging around with a few boys, so everyone knows you've been dumped by your own girlfriend."

Kaoru suddenly understood.

Her idea was simple. She planned to create an established fact, just as she herself said, by spreading around that she was Kaoru's girlfriend.

And if she then played around with a few boys, everyone would think Kaoru had been betrayed by Fūka, forcing Kaoru to chase after her whether he wanted to or not.

Of course, this was a self-destructive strategy.

But to Fūka, it was indeed efficient and simple. She did not even need to think too hard about what romance or heart-racing feelings were. She could simply make Kaoru come after her instead.

"If you really do that, even if you're my senpai, I'll make sure you regret it."

Kaoru's face darkened. Even if the betrayal was fake, he had no interest in wearing that kind of reputation.

"Oh? Jealous already?"

Fūka shifted slightly, looking down at him with a teasing smile. "If you're willing to lower your head and act like my servant, maybe I can give up on that idea."

"Senpai, are you joking or serious?"

Kaoru could never quite grasp this senpai's thoughts. She looked untouchable, but her actions were completely unpredictable, as if she simply did whatever occurred to her.

"What do you think?"

Fūka smiled, her hand brushing over Kaoru's face. "I feel like Mitoma-kun really would go along with it. You always do, don't you?"

"..."

Kaoru had nothing to say.

Thinking carefully, whenever Fūka stretched out a hand or made some unreasonable demand, he did often end up playing along.

"If Mitoma-kun wouldn't take the bait, I wouldn't do this either."

Fūka lowered her head and held his face. "So? Do you want to accept my condition? If you give up on them, I'll be with you."

"Is this a confession?"

Kaoru asked.

"More or less. You've always felt interesting to me. Dating you might not be bad."

Fūka smiled. "Ordinary people aren't as shameless and ridiculous as you. My boyfriend should be stronger than others in at least one strange way."

Kaoru could not tell whether she was praising him or taking the chance to insult him.

"If being with you means giving up Honami and the others, then I can only reject your confession."

Fūka froze slightly.

She had thought of that answer before, but she had not expected Kaoru to say it so cleanly, without the slightest hesitation.

"Tch. That's a little frustrating."

Fūka clicked her tongue, though she did not dwell on it too much. It had only been a momentary impulse, after all.

"I was even thinking of indulging your strange requests. For a cute girl like me to let you get close would be your reward, you know."

As she said that, Fūka prepared to get up.

But at that moment, someone wrapped an arm around her waist.

Before she could react, her pupils widened slightly.

In the next instant, she felt something soft against her lips.

Fūka froze.

She was sitting in Kaoru's arms, facing him directly, allowing him to hold her by the waist.

Had Kaoru just kissed her?

The moment she realized it, the warmth of his presence seemed to rush toward her all at once: his breath, the soft contact, the closeness of his face.

Fūka stared at the man in front of her, and for some reason, an unfamiliar irritation surged in her chest.

She pushed Kaoru away and immediately swung her hand.

The slap never landed.

Kaoru caught her wrist.

"Senpai, sometimes I don't have to lower my head and play along."

Kaoru looked into her eyes, paused for a moment, and continued, "I won't break up with Honami and the others. Even if it means I don't get to have you, I won't break up with them."

He straightened his clothes and got off the bed.

"And thank you for the bandage. It's good that senpai is curious about romance, but don't aim that curiosity at me. I'm not suitable as your first romantic partner."

After saying that, Kaoru looked at her once more before leaving the infirmary.

Fūka remained sitting on the bed, head lowered.

After who knew how long, she lifted a finger and lightly touched her lips.

She had actually been kissed.

Although it had happened because she had let her guard down, Kaoru had undeniably kissed her just now.

How strange.

She should have been angry, so why was her heart beating this fast?

Fūka's breathing was slightly unsteady.

She pressed a hand over her chest.

Her heart was racing so hard that her whole body felt warm, and even her ears were hot.

She had not heard a word Kaoru said after that.

Her mind was filled only with the feeling on her lips and the moment he had caught her wrist.

"Oh my?"

Just then, the infirmary teacher returned. "What's wrong, student? Your face is completely red. Do you have a fever?"

Fūka covered her cheeks.

This time, she was genuinely embarrassed.

Perhaps even Kaoru would not have expected that this senpai's taste leaned toward men who could be assertive when it mattered.