Chapter 2156: A Brief Encounter

Chapter 2156: A Brief Encounter

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Although Reira-senpai's voice carried a playful hint, hearing my words made the smile slowly forming on her face wavered. Her expression shifted to a mock pout as she leaned forward, folding her arms and making a flourishing display of her bountiful front.

"Coincidence? Ruki. I'm mad. Does that mean you're not here for me?" She teasingly said. Although her words were playful, I could still sense a hint of her genuine disappointment through her piercing gaze.

Not gonna lie, her natural allure that always drew most boys to her was once again creeping on me. I had to strengthen my mental capacity to resist the temptation of just jumping into her arms and telling her 'I am here for you'.

In any case, she's aware of my closeness to other girls so she's just clearly being playful here. But then again, not having been able to see her for a while, I, no doubt, missed this side of her, especially when our last interaction was during that patrol where we'd reduced the distance between us by deciding to call each other using our first name.

On the side, Nikka-senpai remained silent, her expression a bit unreadable. Nonetheless, her eyes flickered with curiosity as she watched our exchange.

After thinking for a while, I settled on playing with Reira-senpai, scratching my head, and fumbling my answer, "Well, I- No, I won't say... Uhm..."

Reira-senpai raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the flustered look on my face and how I couldn't seem to finish my sentence.

"What, cat got your tongue?" she teased as she stepped down the staircase arriving right in front of me. Her presence was magnetic and just for a moment, I felt like falling for her allure again.

I chuckled nervously, rubbing the tip of my nose as I averted my gaze from her. Then, while sounding like I was forcing myself to make an excuse, I faced that delightful stare she was subjecting me to, "No, no, of course not, Reira-senpai. Aren't I always happy to see you? Just that... I'm here for a different reason."

Reira-senpai's amused expression expanded and I could almost hear her chuckling. She also seemed pleased to hear me still being honest with her despite my attempt to ride on her playfulness.

"Hmm. That's unlike you, Onoda-kun. Or am I missing something here? Are you also close with some other girls?"

But before she could respond to me, Nikka-senpai finally spoke up, her voice calm and steady as though she was here to mediate between us. And yet, she started her questions with a hint of suspicion, layering her concern for her friend.

What an admirable senior. Too bad, she's wasted on Enomoto.

Her question hung in the air as I felt both sets of eyes on me.

How should I answer her? I wonder?

I looked at Reira-senpai and as though she read my mind, she returned a wink and a mischievous smile.

Shortly after that, she opened her mouth, her mischief sparkled in her eyes.

Reira-senpai shook her head in amusement, a small smile tugging at her lips. Nikka-senpai, however, looked a bit more concerned, her brow furrowing as she thought it over. After a moment, she spoke up, her voice soft but firm, "As long as Onoda-kun promises not to do something Enomoto will hate. Uhm... I'm sorry if that comes off a little weird."

I chuckled softly, waving off her concern. "Ah. No, I fully understand. If it's impossible, I'll just ask to borrow Reira-senpai from you."

Reira-senpai's eyes widened as she let out a small huff of indignation. "Oi, you brat! What do you mean, 'borrow'? I'm not something you can just borrow like a book or a pen!"

I laughed, holding up my hands in a gesture of surrender. "Don't mind it, senpai. It's a figure of speech, no? You know how much I like you, right?"

She crossed her arms, a faint blush still on her cheeks. "I don't!"

Seeing that exchange, Nikka-senpai burst out laughing, clearly entertained by our banter. "Pfft... You two. You have the makings of a great couple, Sure, Onoda-kun. I'll let you borrow Reira. But you better be respectful to her. No matter how mature you act, she's still older than

you!"

I grinned, nodding earnestly. "Of course. You can count on me for that. I wouldn't dream of being anything but respectful."

Reira-senpai rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling pleasantly. "Alright, alright. Enough of this 'borrowing' nonsense. Just... make sure to invite me properly next time, got it? Don't just show up out of nowhere."

I gave a playful salute. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be sure to do that."

With a final wave, I resumed my climb up the stairs. The two also went on their way,

descending the stairs.

As I reached the next floor, I glanced back to see Reira-senpai and Nikka-senpai still chatting, their laughter echoing softly in the stairwell. When Reira-senpai noticed me staring at her,

she once again waved at me before sticking her tongue out playfully.

What a lass.

This encounter may have been unexpected, but it was definitely a welcome one.

After this, I set the encounter to one corner of my mind and accomplished what I set out here

to do; picking up the girls.