Chapter 329: Who is Hina to you?

"Are you surprised?" I smiled and continued patting her head.

Well, it's a normal reaction. I told her I would make her forget about Ogawa but at the next moment, I told her I was giving up.

She was even excited when she thought I was going to kiss her. Well, I already planned my move today.

It's not only her who I invited here. Until that other one arrives, I have to act like this.

"… You're giving up?"

"You instantly pulled yourself away from me when I told you my intention. It's been a while since I got this rare time with you and I was outright rejected." I stopped patting her head and just rested my hand on it, observing her reaction.

Upon seeing my wry smile which I intentionally put on, Hina opened her mouth but no words of rebuttal came out of it.

Her eyes trembled as her gaze never left my face. At the moment, she was contemplating how she would respond, unaware that I picked up everything she showed, her excitement, her hesitation and her desire to have me continue liking her.

After a while, I lifted my hand and acted as if I was stepping away from her.

However, before I could do that, Hina's arms circled to my back and buried her face in my chest.

"… Don't go." Although slightly muffled from how she seemed to not want to let go of me, Hina was literally begging me to stay with her.

"If it's just staying then I will. No matter what, I still like you." Guiding her back to sit, Hina never let go of me. Using this chance, I once again stretched my right arm to her back while my hand rested on her hand, gently caressing her chestnut hair.

"… Ruki, why? You have Nanami, Maemura, Rindou and the other girls. Why can't I keep my affection to Kazuo?"

"I already told you the reason for that. I'm selfish and greedy. I want you all to myself. You showing me that he's still more important was something I couldn't accept. I was letting you continue chasing after him because I understand how deep your devotion towards him is. However, Hina… for the years where you were chasing after him, did he once look your way, the same way you're looking at him?"

Faced with that question, Hina couldn't produce an answer. All this time, Ogawa couldn't see her as more than his childhood friend. She's more of a sister to him. Besides, that guy was too obsessed with Nami. He wouldn't bend even if Izumi-senpai and Hina were throwing themselves on his lap.

"After today, I'll stop bothering you. You don't need to be uncomfortable with me anymore. I will only ask you to keep my secret or our secret."

Since she couldn't answer, I stopped pushing it onto her and just continued with my act.

Well, I was also using this to check this girl's reaction if I really chose to give up on her.

I already used this tactic once on her and the result was satisfactory.

This time, the result was immediately reflected.

Hina lifted her head and with a determined expression, she pulled my head down to have me look at her.

"No. I'm not uncomfortable! With you… I'm more comfortable being with you. This time too… When you told me you wanted to see me, I was happy. Just that… your words made me…"

Her voice trailed since she couldn't confess that she was just acting. Although the way she pulled herself away from me was a reflexive action on her part due to how she was still fixed on Ogawa, the following act of hers were all somewhat calculated.

Perhaps if I kissed her instead of just patting her head, the two of us would've still been entangled in an intimate moment.

However, for that plan of mine to work, I had to refrain for now. In the end, Hina will be mine. I still stand at my declaration of stealing her affection.

"Is that so? Then I'm glad." I smiled contentedly as I once again patted her head.

And upon hearing my response, Hina's expression fell.

"You're really giving up?"

"Un. Soon Nami and I will reveal about the act and how it stopped being an act. By then, Ogawa will be free. Use that chance if you really want him."

At this point, I finally heard the faint footsteps of someone arriving before the door to this clubroom.

I sneaked a glance towards that door and saw the shadow of someone at the gap beneath it. The newcomer stopped at that position while grasping the knob tightly, hesitant on whether to pull it open or not.

Because my body was covering her view, Hina was unaware that someone was already eavesdropping.

Her hand grasped onto my collar and pulled my head closer to her.

"Are you trying to make me choose between the two of you, Ruki?"

To make the eavesdropper hear me, I raise the volume of my voice as I answered Hina.

"No. I told you I'm already conceding. You might like me now because of how forward I am with you but in the end, you're still running after him. I hate that but I don't hate you. I'm just admitting here that I can't steal you from him."

Convinced at my words, Hina's grasp tightened and pulled on my collar further.

"… You're being unfair here, Ruki."

"I'm aware that I am, Hina. Well then... I still have to prepare for the Mentor Prog--"

Before I could finish my words, Hina stopped hesitating as she initiated the kiss by herself.

The way she moved was full of desperation.

I guess my act really got to her. She's now being desperate to make me stay, to continue liking her.

Her experience in kissing was all with me and referencing the last kiss we shared, she's still as inexperienced as before. She's mainly using her lips to suck on mine while keeping her teeth closed.

Her arms tightened preventing me from lifting my body from the seat.

"You can't just concede. After everything you did to make me like you, you're just going to throw it away?" When she released my lips, Hina was already about to cry as she almost shouted these words to my face.

To answer her, I caressed her cheek and lifted her chin before gently dropping my lips to hers.

However, with her voice that loud, that someone at the door flinched, resulting in the knob rattling.

And that occurrence was noticed by Hina.

Her eyes widened before pulling her lips from me to take a look.

Although it's not what I was aiming for with the plan I concocted, the door slowly opened, revealing the guy I invited for a talk, Ogawa.

In front of his eyes, Hina and I were onto each other. With our lips glistening from the kiss we shared, he would really be a huge idiot if he failed to grasp what just happened.

This time, he still had that glare directed to me. If looks could kill, I would become mincemeat by now.

I actually just wanted him to hear how she's chasing after him and also, how she started liking me. After that, I would naturally pedal back with my words. There's no way I would concede and give up with her.

But this guy, he opened the door by himself. Whatever he's thinking, it's already hard to guess. Perhaps, because it's Hina that he heard inside this room and not Nami. He was probably thinking that he could use what he would see as a chance for him to get Nami back from me.

That's the closest guess I could think of.

However, that wouldn't work. No, even if there's a chance that it would work, I would crush his hopes in front of him.

Haa… This is me being completely annoyed by him.

To spite him, I was going to let him know how I stole the affection of every girl that was chasing after him.

Let him know that at the end of the day, he would have nothing.

It's risky. I know. But before I act, I am already prepared to have him keep his mouth shut.

With Hina seeing Kazuo standing by the door, her reflex once again worked, she was about to stand up but my words stopped her.

"Hina, if you go to him, this will truly be the end for us. This time, I'm now asking you to choose. You can go back to being that girl devotedly chasing after him. I won't hold it against you."

I intentionally emphasized her current status with Ogawa.

My words were said in a whisper so Ogawa didn't hear if or even if he did, he only heard bits that he wouldn't have any idea what I just told Hina.

Upon seeing her stop, Ogawa's mouth opened and words came out that were directed to the girl held in my arms.

Well, given that Hina is not Nami, this guy didn't delude himself into his fantasy.

"Hina, you two… What is your relationship with him?"

Before Hina could answer, I pulled her even closer, preventing her from replying to him.

"You spent a long time outside the door and you caught us in the act, do you still have to ask?"

"You…"

"Stop you-ing me. Are you blind? Besides, you heard it, right? This girl… she's chasing after you for so long. What do you have to say about that?"

Instead of answering me, Ogawa's eyes turned to the girl that was slowly shrinking in my arms.

She's still conflicted. I know that.

Moreover, this time, I literally stopped her from denying what's going on between us. Perhaps she would hate me after this and I'm ready for that. However, that question that I threw to Ogawa, she wanted to hear his answer. Once and for all, she now wanted to hear if there will ever be a chance for her to rank up from being a childhood friend.

"Stop waiting for Hina to talk, she's also waiting for your answer. Who is Hina to you?"

Upon hearing my answer, Ogawa gritted his teeth as he stepped forward, fully entering the room. His gaze was still on Hina whose eyes were filled with anticipation as to what his answer would be.

When he saw that my words were true, Ogawa's mouth opened with difficulty.

"Hina is…"

In the end, he still couldn't finish it.

This coward…

I clicked my tongue to get his attention before I delivered my words again. "What? Are you going to become a coward again? This girl. Hina. She did almost everything to make you look at her and I know… you're aware of her feelings for you. Stop being indecisive for once and tell her what you think."