Chapter 128: Reward
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 128: Reward
“Hey...! Are you crazy? I'm never doing that...!”
Renka's face, contorted in utter horror, was pale.
Looks like she'd rather die than do it... But you don't have a choice.
As I looked down at her with a calm expression, she clenched her fists and asked.
“Are you... trying to get back at me for the difficult wish I made today...?”
“My personality isn't that twisted.”
“Looking at the wish you just made, you're more than just a little twisted...! What the hell are you thinking!”
“It's a personal preference.”
“A-a preference...?”
“Yes.”
Renka pounded on her chest.
Feels like you're going crazy, doesn't it? That feeling... I don't understand it.
Why should a master understand his slave?
“Why are you doing this to me of all people? Can't you do it to someone else...?”
“Ask someone else to say things like that? Someone who isn't bound to me by a wish, like you are, Captain?”
“That's not what I meant... I'm asking why you're forcing your tastes on me, someone you hate...!”
“Who said I hate you? And you've misspoken.”
“About what?”
“I'm not asking you to do it, I'm telling you to. It's not a request, it's an order.”
As I strode confidently toward Renka, she flinched and took half a step back.
She looked intimidated, but her face was like that of prey baring its fangs to avoid being eaten by a predator... I like it.
“The wish was that you'd grant me anything, barring the restrictions. Are you not going to do it?”
“...The duration...”
“Hm?”
“At least... shorten the duration...”
Look at that. She's already showing signs of compliance.
I knew you had potential.
“No. Did I ask you to do it for your entire life? I just said two days. Or should I extend it to a week?”
“A-a week...? That's unreasonable...!”
“Unreasonable? Wasn't the duration of the wish excluded from the restrictions? The wish itself is valid for a month, though.”
“Wh-what if for my last wish, I asked you to help out at my uncles' store for free for the rest of your life, or to clean my house for a whole month? You'd think that was too much, wouldn't you...!”
She even uses examples like that? So innocent...
Knowing Renka would react this way, I nodded as if she had a point.
“You do have a point.”
“See...! So let's make the wish valid for just one day... just one day...”
“Fine. Then we'll skip Sunday and do it for all of Monday.”
“Hey... can't we just do Sunday...?”
I guess the thought of facing me on Monday is worse than death, huh?
I want to see you flustered in front of me, so I can't allow that.
I shook my head and refused firmly.
“No.”
“...You bastard...”
“What a cute insult.”
Did she not like my nonchalant attitude?
Renka's whole body trembled.
Glaring at me as if she wanted to kill me, she asked in a trembling voice.
“During club activities too... do I have to talk to you like that...?”
“I'll make an exception for that. During club activities, you can act as usual. However,”
“However...?”
“All reports made outside of that time must be in formal language.”
“Hey!!”
Renka yelled.
Her voice was so loud that not only did it draw the attention of nearby tourists, but the twins inside the store even came out with bewildered expressions.
“Hup!”
Realizing her mistake, Renka quickly covered her mouth and looked at the twins.
At that, the twins looked at each other in perfect sync and shared a meaningful smile.
It seemed they thought we were having a lovers' quarrel.
“Uncles...! It's not like that! Don't you dare get any weird ideas...!”
Renka, who must have had the same thought as me, frantically waved her hands at the twins.
“Right, right. That's what they all say.”
Shrugging as if to say 'whatever you say,' the two went back inside the store.
“Haa... this is driving me crazy...”
A heartfelt sigh, one that spoke volumes of her frustration, escaped Renka's plump lips.
Enjoying the way things were unfolding, I said,
“If you ride back with me, I'll let you off the hook with the formal speech.”
“What...?”
“I won't say it twice. I'm leaving.”
“W-wait...! I'll go with you...! I just need to grab my clothes...!”
Renka's words stopped me as I was indifferently turning to head for the vacant lot where my car was.
I let out a light scoff and gestured toward the store with my chin.
“Go, then come to the car. I'll give you three minutes.”
“.....”
Cursing me silently with her eyes, Renka quickly walked into the store.
* * *
We arrived at Renka's house without exchanging a single word.
I called out to her as she unbuckled her seatbelt and tried to bolt.
“It starts the moment it turns Monday after midnight.”
“...Got it.”
“If you lie in your reports, I'll extend it by a day.”
“You never said that...!”
“You just have to not do it, right? Don't tell me you were planning on deceiving me?”
“Not at all.”
“Well, even though I say that, I won't be with you all day, Captain, so I won't know if you're lying or not. I'll leave it to your conscience.”
Click.
Renka answered by opening the door.
Turning her head just slightly to glance at me over her shoulder, she spoke.
“Thanks for the ride.”
Then, she moved her long legs and walked away from me.
How nice. She even said thanks.
Chuckling to myself, I took a whiff of the blueberry scent lingering in the car.
Is it because I'm looking forward to seeing what Renka will be like starting Monday?
The scent feels cooler and sweeter than usual.
Back home, I watched the sun slowly setting. As I ambled along the stone path toward the veranda, the corners of my mouth lifted.
Because Miyuki's shoes were there, below the veranda.
Did she go home and come back? She could've at least called.
Opening the window and climbing inside, I saw Miyuki lying down, completely covered by the duvet.
What are all these snack bags scattered around the futon?
The living room was stuffy, as if the heater had been on for a long time...
Miyuki's hair, peeking out from under the duvet, looked messy.
Staring suspiciously at the unmoving Miyuki, I carefully walked over and picked up the TV remote next to the futon.
I pressed the power button, and the TV turned on to a variety show Miyuki likes.
“Unbelievable.”
Scoffing, I muttered to myself and gently lifted the duvet.
Miyuki lay there with her eyes closed, a peaceful expression on her face.
Anyone would think she was asleep, but I noticed a tiny crumb clinging to the corner of her mouth.
“Hey.”
“.....”
“I know you're not sleeping. Get up.”
“...Mmmh...”
It's obvious she's pretending to talk in her sleep.
Pretty natural, though.
Watching Miyuki's act in silence, I waited for the moment she furrowed her brow as if drunk on sleep, and then leaned in close.
Then, I flicked the crumb from the corner of her mouth with the tip of my tongue and brought it into my own.
“Gah...!?”
As if she hadn't expected me to do something like that at all, a startled Miyuki shot upright.
She stared at me, her face a picture of bewilderment.
Letting out a laugh, I smoothed down Miyuki's messy hair.
“Why were you pretending to be asleep? Trying to surprise me?”
“No... just because...”
“Didn't you wash up? Your hair's all puffy.”
“What do you mean, didn't wash up...! I washed it a few hours ago and lay down right after, that's why it's like this...?”
So she did wash up. So diligent.
“Oh? You didn't go home?”
“Yeah.”
“Why not? You said you were going today.”
“It was a hassle... I just met up with Honoka for a bit at lunch.”
“The Vice President? What did you do?”
“We ate. But why are you back so early, Matsuda-kun? You said you might be late.”
“Things wrapped up early.”
“What were you doing?”
“Business.”
Miyuki tilted her head.
“Business...?”
“Yep.”
“Why would you be doing business, Matsuda-kun? Don't tell me Inoo-senpai abused her power and forced you to...”
“It's not like that.”
Before Miyuki could press for more details, I pushed her back down and climbed on top of her.
I pinned her pelvis firmly with my legs and braced my arms over her shoulders in a push-up position.
When I grinned in that position, Miyuki's pupils wavered.
“Why are you doing this as soon as you get back...? Go wash up first...”
“Do I smell?”
“No... Yes. You smell. You smell sweaty. Go shower.”
She quickly changed her answer. She seems shy.
She's still the same, even after we've been together so many times.
“Why are you lying? You want to be punished?”
“.....”
The sight of Miyuki silently shaking her head was incredibly alluring.
It wasn't that she was intentionally trying to be.
Miyuki was simply blushing beet red, shyly putting up a silent protest.
And yet, the very atmosphere around Miyuki was enough to bewitch a person.
I met the gaze of Miyuki, who had begun to exude a sexual charm just by lying still, and moved so close our lips were almost touching.
Then, I looked down at her deeply and said,
“Remember how I said I was getting a reward today? For getting 14th place.”
“How long are you going to use that excuse...”
“I'll just milk it until today.”
“...What kind of reward do you want...?”
“Today, I'm not pulling out, okay?”
“What do you mean... not pulling out...?”
“I'm not pulling out.”
“Huh...?”
Miyuki looked bewildered, as if she didn't understand what I was saying.
But that was only for a moment.
“Ah, not pulling out...?”
Having figured out exactly what I wanted today, she couldn't hide her shock, her throat bobbing as she swallowed hard.