Chapter 430: Renka Training Log 5 #2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 430: Renka Training Log 5 #2
"Water..."
"Run."
"Water...! Give me water...! Don't go...!"
I was about to burst out laughing watching Hiyori desperately chase after me as I walked away with the water bottle.
If I laughed now, she'd surely whine about why I was teasing her.
She was already dripping with sweat; I shouldn't raise her blood pressure any more than this.
After a bit of a cat-and-mouse game with Hiyori, I slowed my pace.
Then, as she caught up, panting, I held the water bottle above her.
"Say ah."
"Aaaah..."
Hiyori's mouth fell open, her eyes fixed solely on the water bottle before her.
I let a trickle of water flow into her mouth, all sense of decorum gone, and gave her a warning.
"Hold it in your mouth and swallow slowly."
Gulp.
Ignoring my words completely, her throat worked with a large gulp.
She'd swallowed it all in one go.
I had a feeling this would happen... I should have just given her a single mouthful.
"I told you to swallow slowly. Why are you being so contrary?"
"I'm tired... More, please..."
"Will you drink it slowly?"
"Yes...!"
"And you'll listen to what I say from now on?"
"Yes...!"
"You'll keep your promise not to wear revealing clothes, right?"
"Yes...!"
For some reason, this was kind of a turn-on. It felt like I was training her.
I considered continuing the Q&A with Hiyori, who was panting like a puppy wagging its tail for a treat, but I changed my mind when I saw her flushed red face.
She looked like she'd die if I didn't give her any. I don't know how she plans to handle the night with stamina this low.
Unlike Miyuki, will she just pass out after one round?
That wouldn't be a bad sight, either.
After finishing our workout, I returned home with Hiyori, whose shoulders were slumped in exhaustion.
I sent her to the bathroom with the open-air bath, while I finished showering in the smaller one.
Hiyori showed no signs of coming out.
Even after I had dried my hair and was watching TV, the bath remained eerily quiet. I couldn't even hear the sound of the shower.
Just in case, I stood in front of the bathroom door and called out to her.
"Hey."
Despite my fairly loud voice, there was no answer.
Could she have fainted from an anemia spell?
A wave of anxiety washed over me, and I gently opened the bathroom door.
Click.
She should have heard the door, but there was still no reaction.
Did she really pass out?
A surge of worry hit me, and I threw the door open to check the open-air bath.
Inside the steaming tub, I saw Hiyori soaking, her arms spread wide on the edges like a gangster.
Her head was tilted back and her eyes were closed, and she didn't seem to be moving.
Just as I thought that,
"Nngh."
Hiyori smacked her lips and twitched her nose.
It was something like sleep-muttering.
So she just dozed off.
Relieved, I let out a deep sigh and closed the door again.
Then, I knocked on the door loud enough to wake her up.
Bang! Bang!
From inside, I heard the sound of splashing water, followed by Hiyori's voice.
"What is it...!?"
"You weren't answering, so I knocked. You were sleeping, weren't you?"
"Yesss... I'll wash up quickly and get out."
"Take your time."
She's so careless... If I had taken just one more step into the tub area, I would have seen her naked. What was she thinking, sleeping so sprawled out?
She should be glad I'm not an extremely wicked guy.
Some time later, Hiyori came out, her eyes heavy with sleep.
Seeing her, I commented casually.
"If you're that sleepy, you can rest a bit before you go."
"Wh-What are you saying...! I'm going home."
She must be thinking about the time I told her to sleep over.
I let out a small smirk at the thoroughly intimidated Hiyori. Thinking I was laughing at her, she bristled and continued.
"What was that just now?"
"What was what?"
"That smile, what was that?"
"You were cute."
"Wh-What...!?"
She raised one arm to her chest and took a step back in surprise.
Thinking her reaction was a lot like Chinami's, I shrugged and pointed to a corner of the room.
"Dry your hair. So you can go home. Just wear the clothes you came in. I'm driving you anyway."
"...No, I don't want to. I'll go back in this."
"Suit yourself. But where are the pants you said you'd wash and return last time?"
"I'll give them to you all at once."
I already have clothes stored at Miyuki's place. At this rate, I wonder if I'll run out of clothes to wear.
Should I go shopping for the first time in a while? I'll have to think about it when I meet Renka tomorrow.
A white, sleeveless blouse-like dress shirt, black slacks with a fluttering hem, and high-heeled sandals.
Meeting Renka, who was dressed in an outfit that exuded maturity, I gave a slight nod.
"Hey, President."
"Greet me properly."
"Yes. Hello, President."
Renka's eyebrow twitched.
Normally, I would have retorted that I was being polite and asked why she was finding fault. But for me to change my tune so obediently?
From Renka's perspective, nothing could be stranger.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why... Never mind."
Why are you suddenly being so obedient?
She probably wanted to say something like that, but it was too awkward to say out loud, so she kept her mouth shut.
Because, socially speaking, being obedient is a good thing.
It felt like she was staying silent because she was afraid I'd look at her weirdly if she brought it up, not wanting to be teased.
Relationships can only develop when you speak openly and honestly...
She must be on guard after all the things I've put her through.
Thinking about it that way made me feel a little sorry.
Unlike Renka, who was dressed like an office worker, I was in casual clothes.
It felt like a female professor and a male student on a secret date, which I found kind of hot. I asked,
"Did you have any trouble getting here?"
"No."
"Shall we go in, then?"
"Sure."
Swoosh.
As I went to wrap my arm around the small of her back while she answered in a flat tone, she whipped her head around and glared at me.
But that was it. She didn't really resist, just braced herself against my arm trying to pull her in.
Looking down at her as she silently strained, tensing her waist without showing it, I said,
"You hate it that much?"
"What?"
"You're tensing your stomach like crazy."
"...Shut up."
Letting out a chuckle, I removed my hand and entered the store a step ahead of Renka.
Then, I started browsing the figures in the display cases that lined the store from the entrance.
"Anything you're curious about?"
Renka hates it when I get into my weeb talk.
And yet, she's taking the initiative to explain things?
It meant that Renka, too, was starting to sense the suspicious atmosphere around me.
It seemed the time when she'd get antsy would come sooner than I expected.
I snickered to myself and pointed at a robot figure inside a transparent glass case.
"What's that one?"
"The main character from a new mecha series that came out two months ago."
"I didn't know you watched mecha stuff."
"I usually don't, but new mecha series are rare, so I checked it out."
"Was it good?"
"Well... it was okay."
"I see. I should watch it sometime. Is there anything you want to buy?"
"Not me."
"Anything you'd recommend?"
"...Didn't you say you were going to buy a Spy Family figure?"
"You said they'd all be sold out because they're popular."
"That's for the new ones. There should be a few of the older figures left. Come this way."
Renka walked off to find the section without a moment's hesitation.
I followed her, and just as she'd said, I saw a few Spy Family figures that didn't have "Sold Out" stickers on them.
I put on a wide smile, then hardened my expression just as she turned around. I looked over the cute SD figures and nodded.
"They're cute. I should buy these three."
"You know to check the paint job before you open the packaging, right?"
"Nope. I don't. Do I have to?"
"Yeah. It's hard to get an exchange once it's opened. But well... SD figures usually turn out fine, so you probably don't need to worry."
"Got it."
After telling an employee and buying the figures, I gave the paint a quick look-over and put them in a shopping bag.
Then, I left the store with Renka.
"We don't have to eat, right?"
Renka said, fiddling with the collar of her sleeveless dress shirt.
Her voice was so flat, it was like she'd just finished a mandatory work task, not a date.
But contrary to her tone, she was probably feeling a little anxious inside.
"Yeah, well... we don't have to. Are you busy?"
"No."
"Want to see a movie then?"
"Okay."
See?
In the past, she would have played hard to get at least once, pretending to be reluctant. But now, she readily agreed.
She didn't even use phrases like 'Do that' or 'Do whatever you want,' but actually said it was okay.
I got in the car with Renka, placed the shopping bag in the back seat, and started the engine.
Then, once Renka had her seatbelt on, I muttered casually as I set the navigation.
"We still have to go to that hotel with Master, the three of us."
"What are you talking about...! I'm not going. Chinami might agree, but I'm different. I'm not going to satisfy your lewd desires."
"I see... That's a shame."
"A shame? That should be the obvious response."
"That's not what I meant by a shame."
"Then what did you mean?"
"It meant that since you seem to hate the idea, I'll give up on it. That's why I said it's a shame."
"Really...?"
"Yes. As of today, I'm done talking about the hotel."
"...For real?"
Since I wasn't looking at Renka, I didn't know what kind of expression she was making.
But one thing was certain: it would hold a hint of suspicion.
"I'm serious. Pick a movie to watch while we drive."
"What genre?"
"Whatever you want to see, President."
"I don't really have anything in mind... I'll see what's playing. We're going to a theater nearby, right?"
"Yes."
"Alright. I'll book the tickets myself then?"
"Go ahead."
"...You're so weird, really."
She muttered under her breath.
It's funny and cute how she's feeling a sense of unease at my near-total lack of mischievousness today and is letting it show.
I won't even touch the small of her back in the theater like I did earlier.
I'll restrain myself from skinship as much as possible and watch her reaction.
With that resolution, I glanced at her in the rearview mirror as she started searching for movies on her phone, and then I drove off.