Chapter 144: Confrontation (1)

"Shiori?!"

In a monotone-like voice, her husband called her name.

She was about to respond when I put my hand on her mouth to stop her.

"Is it fine not to answer when someone's asking you? Not only you didn't knock, you even have the gall to call her name."

When I stopped Shio from answering, he finally put me in his eyes, the high school girl behind him was also looking at us but it's clear that she has a troubled expression at this moment. Of course, why wouldn't she?

"Get out."

With a suppressed anger in his voice, he directed these words to me.

I smirked and turned to the girl he brought home.

I don't recognize that uniform but that doesn't matter. This girl is someone I knew. And of course, she recognized me as well which is why she's having a troubled expression right now.

Akiyama Nao, a senior from my middle school. Well, she's a girl who I managed to steal during my 1st year there. However, I was still a bit immature back then, not knowing that there's more I could do with her. But from how much I used to kiss her whenever we're alone, she became skilled at it.

I lost contact with her when she graduated but with her reaction upon seeing me, she still remembered the guy who stole her from her naive boyfriend back then.

She's like Izumi-senpai back then beautiful but with a delinquent like attitude. What happened to her that she turned like this?

Looking at this girl again, her hair wasn't like this before. Now, it resembled Shio's hair from the pictures she showed me, shoulder-length hair and a cloth ribbon decorating it. Is he projecting the younger Shio on this girl or it's just his personal preference?

Shio already abandoned that ribbon and was now letting her hair without any decorations, just that, it's well-kept.

After observing the girl, I turned back to Shio. Her eyes were shaking as she stared at her husband. Of course, I expected this reaction from her. Telling her to fight when she's clearly not ready, I have to support her.

In front of her husband's eyes, I whispered into her ears.

"If you cower now, there will really be no hope Shio. He deliberately brought the girl home again to push you in a corner. At this point, you have to show how strong you are. I wanna see that commanding side of yours taking the helm again. You're strong, Shio."

I watched over her reaction as I slowly said these words to her. Her eyes that were shaking just earlier stabilized as she took deep breaths to calm her emotions down.

"Hey, are you deaf? Really. Kids these days."

Seeing how I hadn't answered him, her husband tried to grab me by my shoulder but before he could do that, I slapped his arm away.

"I heard you loud and clear but I'm here because of Shio and not you."

It seems that my slap was harder than I thought, he was covering it up but I could still see how it immediately turned red.

"Ruru, let me."

Shio pulled on me as she stepped forward to face her husband. Her eyes carried the determination she managed to gather just now. I don't know if that's enough but if something happens, I'm at her back.

"Nobuo. Can we talk?"

"What? You brought a student to my house and now you're asking me to talk? Have you lost your mind?"

Ah. Look at this shamelessness. I can't say I'm not amazed. Does he think what he's doing is normal while Shio bringing me here is not?

"Your house?"

Shio scoffed at his words.

"So what if I brought a student home? What can you do about it?"

Shio continued with a mocking expression. She's deliberately trying to anger him.

"You! Shut up!"

He was about to raise his arm to hit Shio but since I was watching them, I prevented it. Before he could even raise it above his head, I already twisted his arm to his back.

"Argh! What the f*ck?! What are you doing? Shiori! Stop this rascal!"

Compared to the pictures she showed me where this guy always wore a kind smile, seeing someone in person is still a better way to gauge someone's personality.

Just because Shio talked back to him, he was already about to hit her. But since Shio didn't have any wounds or bruises when I saw her, this meant that he was calm during their first encounter.

So my existence here somehow put him in rage. He didn't expect Shio to bring someone home, he probably thought she would just wait for him and nag at him again. In the end, she won't be able to do anything. That's the scenario in his head.

"Ruru, please, release him. I dare him to hit me. I've been enduring what he's doing all this time. I guess I was really blinded with my love for him."

Hearing her words, I released his arm and pushed him away from us. He would've tumbled down if not for the sofa that stopped the momentum.

Nao was now forgotten as Shio's husband was fuming in rage while looking at us. I saw her standing frozen in her place as she didn't know what to do. I'll do something about her later.

Though Shio said all of those words, I couldn't help but notice her trembling body. She's clearly pushing herself.

"Fine! Let's talk!"

Probably thinking he wouldn't get his way if he just continued raging in front of us, he turned his back to us and started walking towards the interior of the house.

I went near Shio again before she started following him. They'll probably talk somewhere private. My existence beside Shio was affecting him after all.

"If he tried to hit you again, don't hesitate to shout. I'll immediately come to your side."

She looked back at me and nodded.

"Thank you, Ruru. But let me handle this, okay? I already decided, I'll come with you later."

Leaving those words, Shio started following her husband. As to what they will talk about, for now, I don't want to pry. I'm going to steal her anyway, it doesn't matter if they made up or not. What I'm concerned about is whether he will raise a hand against her again. If he did, I won't stop at just twisting his arm.

Looking at her still slightly trembling back, Shio is still pushing herself to look strong. I could clearly see how much she loves that guy, I might've opened her eyes just now but that's surely not enough.

Being left behind here, I turned my head to the still frozen Nao. Since she's his girl. Let's see if I can reignite what's between us before.

"Long time no see, Nao."

Hearing me addressing her using her first name, she got out of her frozen state as her eyes slowly turned to me.

"R-ruki…"

With a slightly shaky voice, she uttered my name. I could see from her eyes how shaken she was. Am I scaring her?

"I'm glad you still remember me. I haven't seen you since you graduated. How long was it? More than 2 years?"

I started walking towards her and at each step I made, she also started stepping back. This girl, how much did she change? Or is this the result of that guy's education?

"W-wait! Why are you getting closer?"

She eventually reached the wall and seeing she couldn't step back anymore, she threw that question to me.

"Eh? How can I properly greet you without getting closer?"

I smiled as I closed our distance. This girl. She's not that against me when she's still mine. But yeah, I wouldn't say I was at my best at that time. I was still being driven by my desire back then. Our memories of the same time might be different depending on our perspective.

"I don't need your greetings. Stay away."

Putting a hand in front of her to keep me away, Nao turned her gaze away from me.

"I'm sorry. I'm just happy that I got to see you again."

I stepped away from her to make her feel at ease.

Will I steal her again?

Of course. Not only for Shio but for me as well. I wouldn't steal her in the past if I didn't like her and it felt like we had unfinished business between each other. She graduated before anything more could happen between us and since I tend to switch targets after conquering someone back then, I never tried to look for her again.

"How can you say you're happy when you never contacted me again? I tried reaching out to you but you never replied."

Err… I guess that's really my fault. Her mails were probably buried among the countless mails I never opened and replied back.

"Right. I have no excuse for that."

"Really, you're unbelievable."

Nao pouted her lips as she moved away from the wall and sat at the sofa in the living room. Just by looking at how she sat comfortably, it seems like she's already used to being in this house.

"So, you and that man? He's your teacher, right?"

"Ruki, you're smarter than this."

"You're right. I don't need to ask. It's too obvious."

"So, that woman. Your new target?"

"It's obvious too, right? Anyway, Nao. I missed you."

Since she already relaxed herself on that sofa, I took the chance to sit next to her.

"You, I told you to stay away."

She instinctively avoided me by putting herself at the other end of the sofa.

"Why? We used to be much closer."

I followed her and since she's already at the end, she couldn't get away anymore. Being close to her like this again, even after 2 years, I'm starting to remember our time together.

"You're still this forceful, Ruki."

She commented as she tried pushing me away.

"I told you why, I missed you. Don't you miss me too?"

"I already tried to forget you."

She said as she turned her gaze away, refusing to make eye contact with me.

"Tried, so you failed at that."

I smirked as I circled my arm over her shoulders.

"Ugh. What do you want from me?"

She asked as she tried to take my arms off her shoulders. The way she tried to struggle now, how could I describe this? Though she's acting this way, I couldn't sense a strong rejection from her

"Isn't it obvious? I want you back, Nao."

I said as I turned her head back to me using my hand.

"What? So you can ignore me again?"

Since she couldn't take away her gaze now, she glared at me as she threw this question.

"When did I ignore you? Didn't I always come to you back then?"

Since that's my first year, I don't have a lot of girls who I managed to steal yet. That's why I'm mostly spending my time with her.

"But you never come when I'm calling you. You're always busy with someone else."

Ah. So this is why? I remembered that she always timed her calls when I was busy with another girl.

Now that I had the chance to think about it again, she's probably doing that intentionally. To get my attention.

"Err… you know how it is."

"See. Even now, you have that woman."

If I'm not wrong, this girl, she still has an inclination towards me. Then this will be easy. Stealing her from that guy. She's originally mine anyway.

"And you have that man. Anyway, do you really want this? Don't you know that his wife is also his former student?"

Telling her what I found out, I'll try to confuse her first. Since it's already 2 years and at how long that guy was nurturing her, she's probably also in love with him. Now that I appeared before her again, she also started to remember our time.

"Huh? Is that true?"

I see. So she doesn't know. He's probably hiding it from her.

"Why would I lie? And that new hairstyle of yours, that's her hairstyle when she's at the same age as you. And you know, I still prefer your hairstyle back then."

"… I don't believe you."

Her hand reached towards her hair, specifically, the cloth ribbon.

"I have proof. Do you want to see it?"

"Tell me, are you not doing this because you want to take advantage of me?"

How suspicious can this girl be? Ah. I guess it's normal to be suspicious after I tell her how I want her back.

"You can tie my hand if that will ease your mind"

"As if tying your hand can restrain you."

She clicked her tongue at my suggestion.

"You know me well."

I smirked and stood up while I put my hand in front for her to take.

"Of course, I know how shameless you are. Ugh. Where is it? Show me."

Grabbing my hand as a support, Nao stood up and followed me towards Shio's hobby room.

"Tell me, did you really not miss me?"

"Stop repeating your questions. Show me that proof first."

So, is that a yes?

I already made progress here downstairs, I wonder what's happening there? I'll go and check after showing this girl their old pictures. I'm still worried about Shio.