Stealing Spree

"After hearing you out, it's pretty pointless to be angry at you for stalking me. However, are you sure that's all you want, Yanagi-san? Don't you have any intention to be friends with me?"

Honestly, the thought of being mad at her didn't even pass through my mind. Threatened maybe.

Someone watching my activity without being aware of it was pretty terrifying. If she's not my fanatic or she took everything she witnessed negatively, the scenario at this moment wouldn't be this calm.

In any case, I couldn't help but raise that question when the girl eventually expressed that watching me and admiring me from afar was enough to satisfy her.

Being caught by me wasn't even in her plan today.

"Uhm. I legit haven't thought that far ahead, Onoda-kun. That is also why I never left a name or asked you to meet with me when I left my letter in your shoe locker. Regarding my visit this Monday to get acquainted with you, it was done on impulse…"

"I see… If that's the case, can I ask you to be my friend?"

"Eh?"

"You admitted to stalking me. I believe it's a lot better for me to befriend you, my stalker, rather than antagonize you or ask you to stop or stay far away."

"... That doesn't make sense – in a normal sense."

"Indeed, it doesn't. But hey, aren't I pretty abnormal?"

"Uh… If you're admitting it like that, denying it is useless."

"Mhm. I'm glad you get it, Yanagi-san. So… your answer?"

"If… if you don't mind me then…"

Although she's still a little confused and there's a hint of hesitation in her voice, Yanagi Kaede held out her hand to me.

I shook her hand and planted a kiss on its back.

Before she could react fully to it, I already prepared my next words,

"Of course, I won't. That's why… To seal the deal. Can I ask you to walk with me? You don't plan on going to your club, am I right?"

Although I offered the same kind of invitation to Reira-senpai earlier, this one had another intention altogether.

Rather than let her go back to following me from behind, I'd be more comfortable if she was by my side.

In case someone else was watching me if we left the School Building together, if they saw me with another girl, it would throw them off.

Of course, she's not going to become bait. I honestly want to keep her close rather than worry all the time that she's somewhere out there, keenly watching my affairs.

Besides, In this way, I could still finish the task I set for myself and create a new relationship that would possibly benefit all of us in the future.

A moment of contemplation later, Yanagi-senpai got compelled to answer yes as she withdrew her hand back.

I watched her hold the back of her hand as if she was savoring the soft feeling of my lips damping it. Then upon noticing my eyes on her, she put her arms behind her, hiding them from my sight.

I shook my head inwardly and put on a gentle smile as I gestured for her to follow me.

During the first minute of our walk, Yanagi-san admitted that walking alongside me was on her bucket list. But as soon as she mentioned that, the girl got hit by embarrassment once again. Because of that, she went silent for the most part, trying her best not to make the situation more awkward.

I tried to save her from that and urged her to relax. Unfortunately, if I was an overthinker, the girl was surprisingly the opposite.

She had this ability to shut down her mental facility and only focused on one thing; accompanying me.

In that regard, I deemed it helpless. Or the method to reopen her mind was to make her more conscious of me through physical contact -- which I did not do so. Kissing the back of her hand after the handshake was enough.

I mean, I still have Arisa's reminder running in my head... If I keep acting so considerate towards any girls, they will, more often than not, fall for me or be interested enough to build a closer relationship.

Even if I already took the first step in asking her to be my friend and the girl admittedly admires me a lot, that's not a valid reason for me to touch her mindlessly.

I guess… that shows a little of my growth as a person. But in the end, there's still my insatiable desire underneath my intentions.

Anyway, there's not much to talk about anymore. Even if there's the idea of prying further regarding the admiration she has for me, I believe I already dug into its entirety through my interrogation earlier.

Illogical as it may seem to be but Yanagi Kaede held that dear as if her admiration for me was the last thing tying her to this school.

Perhaps, if not for finding me as someone to admire, she's on the verge of transferring out of school and starting over somewhere else.

Maybe her problem in her club was probably more complicated than what she revealed but it's not the time yet to ask her more about it.

First. I'll do my investigation into that club next week.

After finishing my patrol and finding nothing else out of ordinary, I returned to my office with the girl still following me. I messaged Watanabe that I am with her friend, after all. And she's the reason why the stalker who never followed me or us inside the Club Building earlier finally got the reason to do so.

Right. I asked her why she waited for me outside and her reason was nothing short of absurd. Even if she already confessed about watching me from afar, she's preventing her classmates from finding out what she's up to.

Apparently, it's also a way to stop her classmates from bugging her to join their club instead after finding out that she seldom comes to her Track Club nowadays. And most of those were boys who – in her own words – are taking their chances to woo her.

She already has her cup full with the problem she's facing with her club so she has no energy to deal with more confessions or attempts of flirting from those boys.

One thing though… Stalking me and admiring me from afar was considered important to her so she always has the time for it.

Really, she's an oddball as much as she's a fanatic…

After handing Yanagi to Watanabe, I spent the rest of the time at Shizu's side.

Ah. Right. Masato-senpai asked for a moment with me and as expected, the guy expressed his growing doubt about Watanabe's fixation or closeness to me.

I assured him that nothing was going on apart from Shizu assigning the girl to help me with some of my work. Also, since we're both 1st years, I told her that Watanabe treated me as a comrade-in-arms.

I had no idea if that convinced him but that's all he could get from me.

Watanabe firmly expressed that she didn't want to involve him, after all. So, it's on that girl whether to pick up her boyfriend's uneasiness. But like earlier, the girl performed her weird salute when she saw me talking to Masato-senpai.

That girl possibly has a train of being an airhead. Right?