Chapter 173 - Treating Her Right

The chemistry laboratory went as usual as we were supposed to be doing titrations, but we didn't have any suitable indicators in the lab, so the teacher just told us to complete our remaining work. Since I had already completed all my work, it was a free period for me.

And as the incident of me getting kidnapped by my senior was fresh in the minds of my friends, I was attacked with a ton of questions. Last time when it happened I was alone, so it wasn't that suspicious.

The main person who was really curious was none other than Tsūmen. Since he witnessed me a lot with Naoto and being my best friend, it's his duty to tease me to the world's end. He was looking at me with a smug face, all the while I was standing there with my usual resting bitch face.

Naoto had a really bad habit of snatching people off guard. I guess she had social anxiety to some extent, so she used that as her coping mechanism. Though I didn't expect her as that quiet stalker type of girl, since she is generally oozing with confidence.

And as for my friends, I didn't tell any of them that I was dating Naoto. It was rather unnecessary for me to just stir up the topic of me dating a girl with no one asking about it. I knew no one would even imagine that I was dating her, so I was safe from spilling the beans.

My interaction with her wasn't really intimate from a third person's point of view. Also, because I just started dating her, there was still some distance between us. But my target was not to mend this distance between us, rather I was trying to get a hold of what her underlying problem was.

Even though it seemed like I helped her, and she was starting to change herself too, it seemed like she still hadn't come to terms with her problems. Maybe she was ignoring whatever it was, and subconsciously, it was weighing her down.

As promised, it was lunchtime, and I walked towards her class on the floor above me. It was relatively less crowded compared to our floor. I remember her class was 3-3.

I came to a stop near the doorway as my eyes gazed over the entire room to search for her desk. It was awkward to walk into a room and not know where you're going.

Luckily, I noticed her sitting down on her chair as Yuna, Ryuhan and Vivian were talking with her. There was a gentle smile on her face. I walked in the room, and felt like several eyes were staring at me, but not looking around even for a bit. I walked straight towards her desk.

It was Vivian who noticed me first and his loud mouth couldn't resist as he yelled at me, "Ora! So you started dating her, huh?!"

"Yeah… it is quite unbelievable." I came to a stop near her chair and looked down at her as she was staring at me. Is it me, or was she always that attractive?

Yuna gave me a cheeky smile and looked towards Naoto as she wiggled her eyebrows and said in my funny tone, "Ooo, Naoto finally gave in for her cute Kouhai?"

"No, it's not like that." She instantly replied in her usual cold composure. I was a bit surprised by how quick her composure changes when she's around compared to when she's around a bunch of people.

Ryuhan, who was busy talking with someone else, suddenly turned towards us and asked in a surprised tone, "Oho? Naoto is dating again?"

Yuna gave him an excited nod and squealed, "Yeah, and she is dating Sakamaki."

Ryuhan's gaze shifted towards me, as his mouth opened slightly and the words that came out were, "How?"

"Like how?" I could tell by the utter disbelief in his voice. As from what I heard from Yuna, after her breakup with Vivian, she gradually grew colder and closed herself from everything. 

I was actually feeling quite awkward standing in a classroom full of people I don't know and they also happened to be my seniors, too. In a nervous tone, I looked towards Ryuhan and said, "I don't know myself… I have never had a girlfriend before…"

As the words girlfriend left my mouth, I looked towards Naoto and it felt really odd and unfamiliar as I added, "Calling her my girlfriend sounds so weird…" 

"Awww... this is your first relationship?" Yuna looked at me in curiosity, as I slightly nodded, "Yes."

"Your first relationship...and you're dating her?" Ryuhan looked at me and then his gaze shifted towards Naoto, and then onto me as I could tell that no one was expecting me to actually date her.

"I know right… Senpai is way out of my league." I chuckled nervously, as he laughed and asked, "And you're still calling her Senpai?"

"Cute!" Yuna was probably the only person who was rather happy than being surprised because she was shipping Naoto with me for a long time. And thanks to her help, I was able to do this.

"Shut up Yuna!" Naoto said in an annoyed tone and Yuna proceeded to poke her hand and annoy her even more. 

"Yeah… it feels weird calling her by her name." I answered Ryuhan's question, but it seemed like he had more bullets to fire at me, "Man, how did you even manage to get her to say yes?"

"Didn't she like to reject you?"

Naoto looked at him nervously, and said, "Actually… I asked him out again…"

"No way…"

"I didn't even realise…" As she said that I recalled how cryptic the proposal was and was about to say that but she got a hold of what I was about to say and instantly stood up and covered my mouth with her palms being embarrassed, "Shut up! Shut up!"

As her grip got loose, I let out a breath and said, looking at her slightly red cheeks, "I have never seen such a flustered Senpai before."

"Sakamaki, bruh, you gotta treat her right." Vivian said that in a serious tone as all of us looked at him. I chuckled and pointed towards my nose with my index finger as he laughed, knowing what I was talking about. 

"Don't worry, Senpai, I'll try my best. It's my first time too… so I'm a bit nervous.." I said, and he gave me a subtle nod, "Don't worry Sakamaki, you're quite smart… you'll get a hold of it."