Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Practice with Me First
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"M-Me... practice with me first... before you go...?"
"Saki... what are you doing here?"
"U-Uh... ahh...!"
The neon signs from the love hotel district painted Saki's face in shades of red, purple, and teal. She kept stammering, avoiding my eyes. As I took a step closer, her back hit the wall.
Thud-
"N-No, Yuu, th-this is... um... y'know..."
"What is it? Tell me. Was there some urgent business?"
Saki hung her head low and mumbled her reply.
"...Just curious. Wondered what you were up to."
Saki's fingers fidgeted restlessly, and her pale thighs peeking out from under her dolphin shorts trembled faintly.
"That doesn't make any sense... What was so damn curious that you tailed me all day?"
"How did you-"
She realized she'd fallen right into my leading question and clapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late.
"N-No, I mean... I'm the Theater Club President, right? Gotta look out for the members' private lives too-"
"Members? Ren and I were just temps. And does the club president keep tabs on couples' dates now?"
I leaned in, planting a hand on the wall above her shoulder, gazing down at her. Saki shrank back, not even thinking of escaping.
"No, just... in case Ren ran into some sketchy guy."
"Huh? You think I'm the sketchy guy?"
I pressed her playfully, grinning, and Saki's face flushed deeper and deeper.
"Y-You're kinda close... I-I probably smell like sweat..."
Sniff sniff.
"Eek!? D-Don't sniff!"
"Smells nice to me. Anyway, quit dodging and spill it. You've had me paranoid all day—ruined my date."
"No... it's just..."
"Just what?"
Even a cornered rat will bite a cat, or so they say.
I kept pushing hard, and finally Saki snapped.
"Y-You're a virgin, aren't you!?"
Out of nowhere.
Was this sexual harassment or a personal attack?
I scratched my cheek and admitted it.
"Yeah, guilty... but how'd you know? That why you stalked me?"
"Eh?"
She'd shouted it herself, but my agreement caught her off guard. Just like Ren's reaction. Probably something they'd gossiped about. Girls love dishing dirt on their crushes, after all.
"Don't lie!"
"Who's lying? You brought it up. I am a virgin. About to have my first time with Ren right now, but you dragged me out here. So spit it out—why the stalking?"
"A-Agh..."
After fidgeting with her fingers forever, Saki blurted out something ridiculous again.
"A-Ah! Yeah! Fine, you're a virgin... s-so you might hurt Ren! That's why... w-wanna practice... with me... first...?"
Saki grinned like an idiot, half-awkward, half-smiling.
Jesus.
Even if I'm a sex-obsessed perv who's thought about nothing but banging all day, that's crossing a line.
Normally, maybe, but right now Ren's alone in the hotel room, and I even told her to shower first before leaving.
Screw around with another girl—her best friend, no less—in the meantime?
I'm human too. That's messed up.
"What the hell? You want me to practice sex with you?"
"Y-Yeah... Ahaha! N-Not like that! J-Just... yeah! Keep it light, y'know? Everyone does it these days! F-For practice, right!?"
Saki spouted nonsense. From what I've observed in this world, it's not that twisted. Just more chill about guys' libidos—no total reversal of chastity norms.
"You're a virgin too."
"What!?"
This time, I buried my nose right in the nape of her neck and inhaled deeply.
The sweet scent unique to girls, mixed with Saki's own body odor from sweating all day. No bad smells at all.
"Eek...! What're you doing now!?"
"Sniiiif... Smells like a virgin. Guess that boyfriend story was bullshit. Your sex knowledge is weirdly off too."
Hit the nail on the head—she froze solid. Then she saw my smirk and started pounding my chest with her fists.
Thump! Thump!
"Th-This is real!! Yeah! I'm a virgin! So what!"
"Then treasure it, dummy. That's for special days with someone you love. Like me and Ren tonight."
"Grr...! Saying that... to me..."
Suddenly, sparks flew in Saki's eyes. She was pissed—pent-up emotions boiling over.
"You jerk..."
The neon light shifted blue, reflecting the tears welling in her eyes.
"Whoa, hey—you crying?"
After that, Saki clamped her mouth shut. Or rather, words stuck in her throat—she kept gulping hard.
"...Saki, be honest. Here for Ren? Or what?"
Right then, the sign from the love hotel where Ren waited swept across her face again.
I don't know what she saw in that glow, but Saki dropped her gaze to the ground.
Drip.
A few raindrops hit the pavement. The sky was clear.
"It's nothing. Just curious, that's all..."
"Bullshit."
"Really, that's it."
"Then why are your ears so red? You and Ren really are besties—"
Smack!
"Don't touch me!!"
I'd tried some playful skinship to lighten the mood, but her reaction was intense.
Nothing like usual Saki.
The drops on the ground kept multiplying, and that's when I finally faced it.
Or rather, dragged out the truth I'd known deep down for a while.
Why Saki cried when I confessed to Ren. Why she'd jerked me off—something she'd never done for anyone else. What emotions she'd felt watching Ren and me all day.
Lost for words in my conflicted state, Saki poked my arm timidly.
"Hey... h-hey... Can't I at least be... your practice partner...? Ah... haha... O-Or just friends..."
Her voice quivered faintly.
"H-Haha... y'know, just use me... for practice... snf... it'd be fine. Yeah? I-I'll act normal after... won't get in the way of you and Ren... snf... s-so... use me... here...?"
Is that how bad you want to hold on?
To give it some meaning, no matter how twisted?
I couldn't meet her eyes, so I turned away, but Saki's choked voice still reached me.
"Just look at me once..."
"..."
She stifled sobs for a long time. Saki's eyelids were already soaked and hot.
"Why does seeing you... make my chest itch so much? Hehe."
Saki exhaled her held breath, letting a single tear trail down.
"When you smile... it feels stuffy... but kinda good too."
Her fist tapped my chest again, like she was mad at me.
Tap... tap...
No strength behind it.
"Can't breathe... weird, huh? Heh... hehehe. Funny, right? We've never even been on a proper date..."
She couldn't say more—her lips trembled too hard.
The drizzle had turned to a downpour.
But still, no sound.
No more dodging.
I looked straight into Saki's eyes and said it.
"You really like me, huh."
Saki lifted her tear-streaked face and smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
What now?
Ah... I hate acting wishy-washy like this, but situations like these blank my mind.
Deep down, I'd half-guessed Saki's feelings. The tragic side story of the sub-heroine who can't snag the protag is cliché as hell—my experience would've clued me in. Still, I'd played dumb till now.
Hitting on a heroine like Harumi, unrelated to Ren, for a fuck? Sure, whatever. But adding Saki—Ren's bestie and my bestie—to the harem? Totally different ballgame.
One handjob back when Ren and I weren't official? 'Shit happens.' But now that we're dating for real? Nah.
"Sigh..."
Calm down.
Accepting Saki officially would derail everything into uncharted territory. Why'd I resist temptations from Mesui or Kaori before?
Didn't know how it'd screw with the main heroine routes.
Saki's impact on the harem dynamic would be massive.
As a bestie, she'd grease the wheels for any girl with her upbeat energy. But turn her into my girl? Risky.
In a way, she's more pivotal to relationships than Mesui, Kaori, or Reina.
Fuck, seriously.
I dunno—my head's exploding.
Emotions are too damn complicated.
As I stood silent, Saki bolted off somewhere.
"Hehe... s-sorry for interrupting!"
"Hey, wait-!"
All that remained where she'd run were shattered teardrops, glittering before scattering.
"Goddamn it..."
Sudden self-loathing hit me.
She's a real person.
Not some pixels on a screen anymore.
Yet here I am, treating her like an NPC—relationship charts, scenarios, the works.
"What the hell am I doing?"
Right then, footsteps from behind.
"...Sanghyeon-kun, what was that just now?"
!?