Stealing Spree

Like I previously promised, once they finished preparing, I escorted Fuyu along with Eri and Futaba to the train station. At first, the pair of Eri and Futaba stared at me in wonder when I followed them up to the platform. They thought I would only be escorting them up to the entrance.

I mean, I never mentioned it so it’s understandable. Moreover, Fuyu was already used to it after the few instances that I walked her home.

Upon confirming that, Eri leered at me. Most likely trying to get a grasp of the entirety of my dedication to send them home safely. On the other hand, Futaba took that as my kindness as well as Akane’s consideration.

What a contrast between the two.

Somehow, ever since I started interacting with them as well, I’m gradually understanding the depth of their friendship. It may not be the same as how Arisa and Izumi looked after each other but it’s more than enough to say that they are inseparable no matter what happens in the future. They’re just there for each other’s convenience.

If I have to break it down, it’s like this:

Akane is the core of their group. She’s the one giving them light to follow. I mean, apart from being so gung-ho about me, she’s a model student that everyone admires.

Fuyu, regardless of how she is when it comes to me, is still the leader-like figure of their group. She’s the glue keeping them tight together. For sure, she’ll also stand up for Eri or Futaba if ever their boyfriends wrong them.

Eri is similar to how Arisa is in their circle. She’s the playful one and possibly the one who will lead the charge in order to protect everyone. Also, despite her tomboyish nature, I’ll actually put her as the girliest in their group. She’s more conscious than the other three when it comes to her appearance – or maybe, just the lack of her essential parts.

And lastly, Futaba… though I dubbed her as gyaru-ish, she’s actually a demure and kind girl. The emotional support of the group. She’s also acting as a leash to Eri’s brash playfulness. Just that, out of the four of them, she probably believes she is the least pretty out of the four; hence she uses makeup to bridge the gap – which is effective. I’ve already seen her without and honestly, she also has her unique charms. Well, that’s subjective since I based it on my standards.

Anyway, after the initial surprise that I would be escorting them, the rest of the ride was quite normal.

I let them sit together with one of them taking the corner. On the other hand, I acted like their line of defense sitting at the other end.

But well, it’s Eri who ended up sitting next to me. Due to that, the girl took that chance to blast me with her nonsensical questions about every topic she could think of.

Futaba tried to stop her but she was relentless. Maybe if I wasn’t so patient with her, I would’ve kneaded her cheeks or ruffled her hair already. Eri is a sassy girl and it would probably take Futaba all her effort to stop her.

Right. She even asked me how I would rate all of them. I knew that it was normally a trap question but that girl was probably just too curious for her own good.

To get back at her, I had her cough out tidbits of information about her and her boyfriend. And honestly, she’s more vocal about it as if she’s been waiting for someone to ask so she could have a reason to brag about it. Or maybe hear a male perspective when it comes to their situation.

I remembered her mentioning about having a problem but it’s nothing too serious. It’s just a small difficulty that anyone could overcome. For example, her boyfriend’s preference for certain things like cologne or shampoo. However, since her surroundings were mostly girls, she believed that she was lacking in terms of seeing things from her boyfriend’s perspective.

Honestly, I was probably the worst guy to ask about it considering how different I am from everyone else. But for her sake, I gave her my honest thoughts on the questions she brought up.

On the side, Futaba quietly listened, nodding occasionally as if agreeing with the points I raised.

As for Fuyu, whenever I would catch her staring at me, she would purse her lips, looking a little bit apprehensive.

Wait. That didn’t sound quite normal, right? Allow me to change how I described that trip then – it’s a bit eventful because of the sassy girl next to me as well as the two listeners.

Soon enough, the train reached Fuyu’s station. I got off the train with the girl to complete my promise. As for the other two, they remained on the train. Their stop was the next one so it’s impossible for me to also escort them completely.

In any case, they said their boyfriends are already waiting for them at their station so it’ll be fine. They reminded me to take care of Fuyu the same way I take care of Akane. Although that sounded like they just wanted me to ensure Fuyu’s safety, its meaning became a little twisted to us.

Guilty conscience or not, given what happened between us, it’s inevitable for it to be interpreted differently.

Fuyu immediately tried to put some distance between us while keeping her pace a step ahead of me.

Unfortunately for her, my strides were longer so I easily kept up with her.

In the end, by the time we exited the train station, she gave up maintaining the distance and allowed me to walk alongside her. On top of that, she handed me her tennis bag to carry again.

She’s stumped on what to say but her actions alone were enough to convey her current thoughts. She also didn’t like the awkward silence to continue.

And so, upon reaching the main street that would lead us to their neighborhood, Fuyu opened her mouth to break down the status quo.

“Onoda-kun, is being with me not bothering you?”

What a question… Out of all things to ask, she chose that.

“Not really, no. I don’t see any reason why I should be bothered.” My answer was swift. It’s unsatisfactory though. That’s like saying, ‘I don’t care about what you think’.

And sure enough, it made Fuyu’s brows curl. Then she let out a sigh, releasing some of the tension on her shoulder. When her eyes landed on me again, I caught the hint that she had reached a realization.

“I understand now. I’m the one overreacting … After earlier, I became so conscious of everything that each moment became awkward between us… Akane noticed it and told me to relax. I’m certain you do as well. And yet, you’re not calling me out for it.”

Upon saying that, Fuyu sluggishly hung her head low and staggered in her steps that she immediately fell behind me.

I slowed down and waited for her to catch up. And when she did, I reached for her hand, holding it tightly.

“You know, Yuuki-san. I’m not calling you out for it because you’re justified to feel that way. Just that, my shamelessness knows no bounds. I could’ve respected the distance you’re attempting to create yet I remained by your side.”

“Is that how it is?”

“In my perspective, yes. Likewise, you can see things differently through your own eyes. Yuuki-san, you can speak freely to me. What do you think? Am I being a bother for doing things this way? Will you stop talking to me after today?”

For sure, someone would point out that I was contradicting myself when I said I wanted to respect this girl’s choice and then do this. But in my defense… I’m doing this because this is a chance for me to understand her better. If she’s serious about not wanting to betray Akane, starting tomorrow, it will be hard to see or talk to her again.

Anyway, Fuyu failed to respond right away. Our pace became a beat slower and her head remained low with her eyes stuck staring at our joined hands.

I could feel her trembling a little but not because of the cold.

Eventually, Fuyu moved her fingers, slotting them in the gaps of my hand before clenching them tightly. She then raised her gaze and looked at me with her most complicated expression to date. It’s a mix of frustration, guilt, and delight.

Yeah. Two negatives and one positive.

“I’m such a fool. Instead of the guys trying their best to appeal to me, I find myself entangled with you, the guy my best friend is always gushing about. The one she never gives up on. Onoda-kun, what if I end up hating myself for this? What will I do?”

Upon saying that, Fuyu bitterly laughed.

It’s not that I don’t get where she’s coming from but after Nami and Shizu or Sena and Ayu… I probably became desensitized to the idea that girls would be this torn about falling for the same guy.

But thinking about it, Shizu and Nami listened to my past and accepted me for it. On the other hand, Ayu also struggled to believe that it was possible. Hence, Fuyu’s dilemma here was totally understandable.

Rather than her well-being, she’s more concerned about Akane.

Haa. What should I say here then? Convince her that it’s fine because I will love them both? Ugh… No. Not yet, the most important thing is to prevent Fuyu from hating herself. It will be a lose-lose situation if that happens.

“Yuuki-san, I can answer that question but I believe that you shouldn’t hear it from me. I mean, I’m the guy making you this torn apart. I might just make it worse and I don’t want that to happen. That’s why…”

I didn’t finish my words but I conveyed my thoughts on my next move. Holding her hand tightly, I recovered our pace and continued on the road until we reached their street.

Upon arriving at their front gate, little Fubuki and Fuyu’s mother were already there to receive us.