Chapter 986 Can she really do this?

Chapter 986 Can she really do this?　　Truthfully, the request I made also sounded too selfish. I asked her not to fall in love with me but at the same time, I wasn’t going to stop trying to get her on board.

That’s why Izumi-senpai was instantly riled up when she fully comprehended my request. It even got to the point of almost walking out of the room.

Well, ‘almost’ because I prevented her from leaving. I held her hand and looked straight into her eyes, silently conveying through it that I wasn’t finished yet.

Eventually, Izumi-senpai gave in and listened to the rest of what I had to say regarding that request.

Although her opinion remained the same; ridiculous and absurd, Izumi-senpai didn’t try to walk out again.

Instead, she raised a question to me.

“Is it really that uncontrollable?” Ignoring how I clasped her hand on mine, Izumi-senpai drew closer to me, held my chin, and carefully inspected my facial features.

Whatever her purpose for doing that, I could only put out a guess since she released me not long after.

“Yes, it is. Even if it sounds ridiculous to you, that’s just how it is for me. Look, even now, I’m hoping to get a glimpse of your smile. That’s how much I am interested in you.”

I reached for her cheek and used my thumb to stretch her lips to the side. Unfortunately, Izumi-senpai was unamused by it. She turned her head away to escape from what I was trying to do.

“This request of yours is clearly centered around you. What’s in it for me? And how long will you keep doing it?”

“Let’s see… Since my goal is to weaken my desire… I’m thinking of until I naturally give up on you.”

Do I see myself giving up on her? Honestly, the condition for that to happen is still the same. Either she rejects me every time or avoids me completely. Of course, she should also reject any advances I made.

But even at this moment, Izumi-senpai was getting comfortable with our clasped hands.

Despite her words and actions, she so easily allowed me to fill in the gaps of her fingers with mine.

And through this physical connection, I could feel her pulse which betrayed the current dismissive attitude she had toward me. Deep inside, she’s more or less excited and pleased at what’s happening between us.

Add it with the nice touch of the cold brought by the rain outside, the mood between us was extremely pleasant.

“That sounds so unreliable. When will you naturally give up? I’m guessing, you, yourself, don’t know.”

“Have you forgotten, senpai? I already told you how you can make me give up.”

“… Yeah, right. Avoiding you. As if I can do that when every time you will get a chance, you’ll go to Arisa or our clubroom. There’s no escape from you.”

That sounds like an excuse but I won’t tell her that. I don’t feel like it will be fulfilling for both of us if I point her to an easy exit.

It’s better if she realizes it herself and decides what path she’s going to take.

That’s why my request is only for her not to fall in love with me. If I added another phrase or worded it differently like ‘reject me every time to make me give up’ then there’s no point in it.

“Senpai is right. We’ll always encounter each other.” I paused for a moment before delivering one more condition I will impose on myself for this request. “What about this, senpai? I will only make a move on you when we’re alone like this. The Mentor Program will end at the end of the month so that’s more or less three more times I can be guaranteed an alone time with you. Come next month, it will be near impossible for me to encounter you when you’re alone.”

With her head turned in the opposite direction, I had no idea what kind of expression she had at the moment. I only used her pulse to gauge her reaction. It became irregular for a few seconds as though she struggled to breathe.

A few seconds later, I noticed her fingers shaking a little before gradually tightening her grip to settle it down. As a response, I caressed a part of her hand using my thumb.

Whether that helped or not, I had no idea. But it allowed her to say her response. “Alright. I’ll take up this request of yours. What will happen then if I…” She paused for a bit to turn her head back to me. Her eyes were shaking a bit but it was clear to see that she arrived at a decision. “… succeeded?”

“I will truly be grateful to you by then, senpai. Also, you can ask me anything… Whether it’s a request or a wish, I will do it as long as it’s within my abilities.”

“If I have to guess, letting Arisa go is out of the question.”

“That’s obvious, senpai. I love Arisa. It will only happen if she asks me to let her go… It should be her decision.”

“I see…” A short reply and a sigh. “… I’ll think about it when the time comes.

She showed a smile that was not a smile before returning to her neutral expression.

“Mhm… I won’t disappoint you. You have my word.”

I smiled back at her and a few seconds after that, I let go of her hand…

However, before she could react to it, I scooped her up from her seat and put her down on my lap. The same way as before.

“Oi… What are you doing?” Izumi-senpai asked, her feet and arms flailing about.

However, I just responded with another smile before carefully fixing her position on top of me. I even used both of my arms to keep her steady there, one to support her back and another to keep her legs from sliding out. But because I did that, I got to feel the softness of her thighs which made Izumi-senpai completely flustered.

“This is foul, you shameless idiot!”

“Is it?”

“Of course, it is!”

“Then senpai can just get off. My arms didn’t lock you in my embrace. They’re there to ensure that you’re comfortable.”

“… This unbelievable shameless junior.”

I did say she could get off. But even after hearing that she got that option, Izumi-senpai settled on just glaring at me and grabbing my collar.

As if that’s going to change anything.

Little by little, Izumi-senpai’s face became shrouded by a red tint. In a fit of another internal struggle, I watched as she bit her lips while alternately looking at my face and the open space in front of us.

A minute or two later, she closed her eyes and eventually settled down while using my chest to hide her flustered face from my view.

Having stopped her almost nonexistent resistance and accept what was happening, we once again returned to the same situation as last week and the week before that.

Holding her this close, I could clearly feel the temptation to lift her head and press my lips on hers.

However, since we had just finished talking about that request, I decided to hold back a little.

I mean, she might immediately fail from completing it.

“Relax, senpai. I won’t do anything else. Let’s just say this is a continuation of last week… From this point onwards, prepare yourself for my attempts to make you fall in love with me.”

“… What kind of situation did I get myself into?” Helplessness could be found in Izumi-senpai's muffled voice. Yet, even though that's what she's currently feeling, I noticed her arms slipping from my sides to my embrace. And at the same time, pressed herself closer, putting us in a slightly more intimate situation than last week.

Really... I'm now wondering why she had to accept that request when she's going to be like this...