Having declared that, Saionji somehow used it as a springboard, repairing her almost broken confidence. She tugged on my sleeve a bit strongly. And although forced, her lips curved enticingly, brushing away her moment of weakness.

Its as if shes declaring that it is impossible for me to move her from her seat.

In short, shes once again trying to challenge me.

Yep. If somethings unique about her, it was certainly this. She would never back down even if shes doomed to lose.

Lets see Glancing at the girl next to her, theres no doubt that Nao was also watching this interaction closely. And like Akane, shes having a good laugh at it. If Saionji would turn her attention to the girl who brought her here, shed definitely crack again.

Back then, Nao said she wouldnt mind having a cheeky sister like Saionji and it still holds true to this day.

In any case, Saionji is not an idiot. Shes definitely aware of the reason why shes here. And yet, to get back at me from last time, she boldly marched forward without preparing herself at all.

Shes no different than that day I stole her first kiss and got away with it because she couldnt draw the line on where her limits should be.

For sure, if I ever attempted it again, shed fall for it without much effort on my part.

Ah. How gullible.

I worry for her future. But who am I to correct that? She already gave me an answer when I asked her before, everything was up to her.

Having met Akane and the girls though I had no idea who she already interacted with her confidence in herself mustve taken a hit, albeit shes keeping it down and acting like shes unaffected. I mean, with just the trio of Nao, Akane and Yae, the beauty she was proud of was already eclipsed. No matter how high her self-confidence was, it wouldnt be enough to cover her eyes from the truth.

And thats why shes probably finding my presence here to be comforting, whether consciously or not.

.

Eventually, Saionji opened her mouth again, Is it that difficult to admit that you miss me?

Difficult? Of course not. But you know, senpai. It has to be real first. If I admit to it like you want me to, it will be nothing more than a lip service to satisfy you. And as someone who values honesty, I cannot outright lie like that unless I deem it necessary. Do you prefer it like that? Me, lying to you to satisfy your ego?

No matter how harsh that sounded, it was the truth. Im interested in her but that doesnt mean I miss her like how I miss Nao or any of my girls. I can definitely let this moment pass by without interacting with her and I wont see it as a wasted chance.

In short, as things stand, shes not there yet. I do feel responsible for taking advantage of her before though. Unfortunately, thats still not enough for me to satisfy her with empty flatteries.

No. Thats useless if you dont mean it. Saionji eventually replied. Her voice was weaker than earlier and she clearly took an obvious hit there. But knowing this girl, she still wouldnt back down.

Shortly after that, she took a deep breath, enough for chest to puff up. Furthermore, she straightened her back and attempted to appear as confident as earlier.

Unfortunately for her, her current state couldnt escape the scrutiny of my eyes. Internally, she mustve started panicking. And if I hold her wrist, I would probably hear her pulse racing.

Mhm. Its good that you know when to back down. On another note I trailed my voice here to raise her anticipation levels.

And sure enough, it was a success.

The girls eyelids rounded as she held her breath, waiting for me to finish my sentence.

I smirked at her, causing a vein to pop up on her forehead.

... I did feel glad when I saw you sitting there. Is that good enough for you, senpai?

To get the maximum effect, I leaned closer to her ear, delivering those words candidly.

Of course, to avoid being mistaken for flirting with her, I swiftly retreated, leaving the girl in a daze.

I also brought my attention up ahead as the first of the five match-ups was about to begin.

At the moment, a uniformed referee had already climbed up and the two girls from each side were already geared up.

I havent checked their opponents yet but with a quick sweep in their direction, theres noticeably a little gap when it comes to their build and posture.

Unlike Senas club mates, those girls had sharp looks as though theyre about to head into a war.

They definitely appeared more confident in their chances at winning. Nonetheless, with their minds already out of the gutter, Senas club mates could probably give them a fair fight.

If theyre lucky enough to land a good hit, it wouldnt be impossible to win.

Anyway, I found Sena and Ayu acting like the coach for the whole team. Most likely, their Club Advisor mustve asked them to help on that part as she didnt look like someone who was practicing the same sport.

Shes probably a regular teacher who was tasked to look after them like Eguchi-sensei in our schools Basketball Club.

T-thats good enough. Does that count as my win?

After a minute of being in a daze, Saionji finally managed to recover. And this time, her voice cracked as if she still found it unbelievable for me to say that.

Instead of rejoicing, she actually appeared a little confused. Due to that, Nao and Akane who were also waiting for her response found it almost broke into laughter.

Well, I expected Akane to intimidate Saionji but it seemed like shes more interested in watching me crack the girls ego. And hearing the girls reply, she sees the light at the end of this tunnel.

Why will it count as your win? Arent you the same, senpai? If you say no, Ill call you out for lying.

Ugh What if I say no?

Girl, are you even listening to me? I rolled my eyes at her and pretended to appear done dealing with her antics.

Fine. I feel the same, happy?

Finally giving in, the girl dropped her hand from my sleeve to my arm. With her grip tightening on it, I could easily sense what shes hoping for me to say.

Too bad, I wasnt going to play along with her.

Great. This is the first time we got on the same page, right? Ah. Wait, this isnt the first. I started, implying something with my correction.

I was certain she would be able to pick that up and I wasnt disappointed.

As soon as she connected the dots, the girls face turned bright red as she quickly averted her gaze.

She probably remembered the sensation as she unconsciously raised her hand to her lips, tracing it through her fingertips.

Well, isnt she cute?

Husband, you beast.

Akane finally couldnt hold herself back as she nudged my shoulder and started whispering at my side, Im amazed. Her pride is preventing her from being as honest as you. Yet, you pushed her to that point. Youre aware of it, right? Instead of admitting that she missed you, she tried projecting it to you. Demanding you to admit it is basically her admission to it.

Ah. That sounds reasonable but I wont say I am aware of it. Or rather, I refuse to acknowledge it unless Saionji herself says it.

In any case, since Akane managed to pick that up, it must be true but theres no point going back to it anymore. I mean, didnt it turn for the better?

Alright. Ill let her be for now.

I should prepare to cheer for my girl.