Hearing this, Natsuha's first thought was that he was finally making a move on Tsukimi.
But then she remembered something he had told her before, that Tsukimi's boyfriend had cheated on her.
So he must have found even worse evidence of his infidelity.
Since she had come into the picture later, she couldn't exactly scold Sasaki for his… varied interests.
After all, without his varied interests, her own situation would be pretty awkward right now.
The frustration and resentment from that weren't things she could resolve just by complaining to Sasaki occasionally.
Now that Tsukimi's cheating boyfriend had become the perfect punching bag, Natsuha had no problem making his life harder.
So she agreed without hesitation.
"Sure. Do you want me to badmouth him to Tsukimi too?"
Knowing her enthusiasm stemmed from her hatred of Takagi's unfaithfulness—and thinking of himself—
Instead of answering her question, Sasaki took advantage of the sparse crowd and pulled the girl back into his arms.
"Sorry."
Though she still had plenty to say about Sasaki's wandering eyes…
The "Harem Plan" was already in motion.
It wouldn't be long before he tasted the bitter consequences of his own actions. So the girl couldn't be bothered to make snide remarks.
After all, soon enough, he'd be begging her for mercy with tears in his eyes.
As she imagined him begging her and the others to let him go with his thin cheeks, the smile on Shinomiya Natsuha's face became even gentler
"At least you have some conscience, knowing you've wronged me."
But her smile didn't last long… Thinking of the one potential downside of the Plan"—
She tilted her head against her lover's chest, listening quietly to his strong, steady heartbeat, then hesitantly murmured:
"I… I cling to you so much. Will you ever get tired of me?"
Her worries weren't unfounded.
No matter how delicious a dish was, eating it every day would eventually grow stale.
Seeing her lover still full of energy, Natsuha couldn't help but worry—, hat if, before he ever got around to begging her for mercy, he turned his attention to someone else?
Wouldn't she cry herself to death then?
Because of her family's past, she was particularly sensitive about a man's loyalty, and that's why, prone to overthinking.
Sasaki wasn't an idiot, so, be knew this was the time for reassurance.
But empty words alone wouldn't cut it. Given her family history, she might not even believe them.
So—
Smoothing the hem of her skirt with both hands, Sasaki made sure she could feel just how much he liked her as he spoke:
"I like fish. Eating fish every day would get old."
"But if we keep the fish the same and just change the seasoning, steamed fish today, braised fish tomorrow, it'll never get boring, right?"
"Mmm… Maybe that's not the best metaphor. My love for Natsuha is more like a fish's love for water. Really essential. I wouldn't survive without you."
That was too cheesy. She didn't buy it:
"Liar! Everyone can live just fine without someone else. Fish and water? You're full of it~"
Burying his face in the fragrant hollow of her neck, where her silky hair spilled over skin carrying the mingled scents of shampoo and her natural warmth, Sasaki gently nipped at her collarbone before murmuring in a voice just loud enough for her to hear:
"Just barely holding on."
She knew every word was sweet nonsense, the kind she shouldn't believe for a second.
Yet hearing it made her heart feel like it was drowning in honey, flooding her chest with unbearable sweetness and warmth.
'No no no..I Can't keep thinking about this, or else my brain might actually melt.'
Dizzy from her lover's honeyed words, Shinomiya Natsuha sniffled lightly, trying to cool her burning heart before circling back to his earlier "seasoning" remark.
As Sasaki busied himself planting a strawberry mark on her porcelain collarbone, her genuine confusion prompted him to explain:
"Where do you think all those little toys and outfits married couples use come from? They're for spicing things up, keeping it fresh. We could try some too."
Although she had heard of such things but she had never seen them...
However, now faced with her lover's proposal, Natsuha found herself surprisingly unopposed to the idea.
Anything that could help anchor his wandering heart wasn't worth rejecting outright.
And experimenting couldn't hurt.
As she kept the idea in her mind for later, Natsuha's earlier anxieties began to dissolve.
After all, a man's sweet talk might be untrustworthy, but his physical reactions never lied!
Like right now.
Even after they had done what they did in the remote room, he was still so eager for her, letting her know how much he wanted her.
However, while she didn't mind his wandering hands and would've indulged him if thet were somewhere else, but the growing chatter of classmates in the hallway signaled it was time to behave.
So, the girl gave his shoulder a light pat, a silent plea for restraint.
Like a cat obsessively licking its prey, the more it licked the more fragrant the prey became, not that he planned to eat her in that sense (though the thought wasn't entirely absent), Sasaki found himself craving another taste.
With one last kiss pressed to her chin, he exhaled deeply and forced himself to step back.
Noticing his subtle reaction, Shinomiya Natsuha cast him a sidelong glance before smiling softly and looping her arm through his.
The intoxicating fragrance of her perfume filled his nostrils, while her soft, plump tits pressed against his arm, making the boy truly understand the meaning of "being unable to move an inch."
Withdrawing his half-raised foot, Sasaki sighed. "I suffer from hypersexuality disorder, you know. Keep teasing me like this and I might have an episode."
"Hyper...?" Just as Natsuha began to question if he'd mispronounced it, she noticed his increasingly rapid breathing and understood.
Clearly... her lover was getting worked up.
"Even though we did it too intensely earlier.'
Knowing that if she continued teasing him like this, she would definitely be pinned against the wall and fucked until she collapsed, Natsuha quickly released his arm. "Let's wait till tomorrow, Fuyumi. Not today, please."
Although there was nothing unusual in her tone of voice, expression or movements.
But only she knew the truth about what she was feeling.
Leaning against his strong chest, feeling his warm arms around her, sniffing his manly scent, even though she'd already had her fill, until she was thoroughly satisfied, she knew her legs would tremble uncontrollably when she stood straight.
If he really decided to pin her against the wall and spread her legs, afternoon classes would be out of the question.
'You know the consequences yet you're still playing with fire?'
Sasaki pinched Natsuha's soft, slightly thin cheek before leading the way out from beneath the stairwell.
As they walked to class, they resumed their earlier discussion about Tsukimi's boyfriend. "Just send her the video. No need for explanations."
"Video? You don't mean..."
"Exactly what you're thinking."
Natsuha frowned, struggling to comprehend how her lover obtained such material.
She wanted to say something but didn't know how to speak.
Her conflicted expression revealed her discomfort with potentially unscrupulous methods.
Reading her distress, Sasaki couldn't help but knock her on the head lightly.
"What dark thoughts are you thinking? The videos came from the participants themselves, it's a transaction, a gift. Don't think so poorly of me. Or do you truly see me as that despicable?"
After saying that, Sasaki was about to turn away with feigned disappointment but, Natsuha suddenly cupped his face.
Before he could react, her cool lips pressed urgently against his.
Wide-eyed, Sasaki instinctively looked at the girl, and saw the panic in her gaze, knowing that his words had really frightened her.
He only meant to tease, not genuinely express disappointment at her reasonable doubts.
Because this kind of private video, no normal person would think that it was spread by the person involved.
So, it was normal for her to have such thoughts.
Soothing her with gentle strokes along her back, Sasaki leaned back and tried to explain when Natsuha abruptly pulled him down for another kiss.
Hmm..it seems, this joke went too far, scaring her like this.
Don't make such jokes anymore.
With that thought in his mind, Sasaki he reciprocated her affection earnestly, making the Natsuha relax.
Having experienced distrust herself, she knew how great the crisis caused by distrust could be.
So she would not doubt her lover because of some nonsensical little things.
But she really couldn't understand how he got the video before.
His methods concerned her a bit, but she only wanted to ask, not to distrust him.
After a while of intimacy, with her clothes rising and falling violently, the girl tilted her head and leaned on her lover's shoulder: "I didn't mean..."
"I know." Sasaki didn't let her finish as he smoothed her hair.
"You've seen those photos of Takagi cheating with that girl, right? That's where I got the video from."
"With enough money, getting her to record was easy."
"Judging by appearances may be unfair, but that yellow hair was clearly trouble from the start... and the outcome?"
In the end, he raised an eyebrow at Natsuha with an I-told-you-so expression.
"..."
Sharing no common values with that type of girl, Shinomiya Natsuha didn't care to comment further.
All that mattered was knowing her boyfriend had obtained the video through legitimate means.
Straightening up, she adjusted Sasaki's collar and asked,
"After sending the video to Tsukimi, will she break up with that Takagi guy?"
"Not immediately. Knowing Tsukimi, she'll want to confirm it with her own eyes first."
"I see."
Natsuha didn't press for details.
After all, some questions were better left unasked.
She simply knew it wouldn't be long before Tsukimi joined them in that little fourth-floor room.
And if Tsukimi came... bringing Fuyumi would make five of them.
Five people... wasn't that too many?
There was only that one table.
Natsuha began to realize their secret hideout might be getting too small.
It had been perfect for two, they could both sprawl across the table comfortably. Three was a tight squeeze but manageable. But four...
With the summer heat and all of them being the type to sweat easily, cramming together like that... their clothes would be soaked through in no time.
'I should discuss a new hideout with Momo and Akane.'
However, as soon as such thought crossed her mind, she suddenly realized one thing... if Tsukimi joined, there would be five people.
Five people could officially form a school club.
With a faculty advisor, they could request a proper clubroom from the school administration, a legitimate, registered club with activity funds, not just some makeshift gathering in an abandoned classroom.
Since the school didn't restrict how many clubs students could join, Natsuha thought this might work.
The only problem was finding a willing faculty advisor.
Walking back to class with her boyfriend, Natsuha pondered this dilemma.
Noticing her furrowed brow, Sasaki mistook her concern for displeasure about Tsukimi.
So, after waiting for a passing classmate to move on, he kissed her cheek:l.
"Natsuha~"
So embarrassingly sweet.
While she loved when he called her like that, they were in the hallway now, not hidden in some corner.
If she were seen by a girl she knew, she would be questioned to death.
After quickly looking around and making sure that not many people were paying attention to this place, the girl exhaled in relief before shooting him a reproachful look: "Be more restrained! If teachers or classmates see us, we'll be in trouble."
The school didn't forbid relationships, but neither did it openly encourage them.
At least, you should pay attention to the occasion.
Dating privately was no proble, but public displays of affection were not suitable in their conservative environment, even holding hands was rare among couples, let alone outright kissing so passionately like Sasaki.
That said, none of the girls Sasaki dated had ever complained about his affectionate nature.
And he knew she didn't either, so, Sasaki was unfazed by her scolding as he tilted his head with a smile: "Are you mad?"
Knowing what he meant, Natsuha wrinkled her nose and huffed.
"Why would I be mad? If I got angry over every little thing, I'd have died from frustration long ago."
"Then why the long face?"
"Well..."
Lowering her voice in the crowded hallway, Natsuha whispered, "I was just thinking... if Tsukimi joins us, wouldn't the abandoned studio on the fourth floor get too cramped."
The space, already filled with their belongings, was perfect for two or three, but any more would be uncomfortable.
Now hearing her concern, Sasaki nodded: "You're right. We should consider moving."
Remembering her thoughtful expression earlier, he asked,
"Does Natsuha have any ideas?"
She had the idea, but finding an advisor was the challenge.
Natsuha explained her club proposal to him.
"A school club... That's actually a great idea."
Having a legitimate reason to gather the girls together was smart, provided he could maintain harmony among them.
Otherwise it will be a hell of sword mountains and a large Shura field.
But so far, things were going well.
Now, the only remaining issue...
"What's the point if we can't find an advisor? The school won't approve a clubroom without one."
Sighing, Natsuha thought about it for a while, but couldn't think of any suitable candidates.
Typically, students either asked a teacher they were close with or approached their homeroom teacher to serve as club advisor.
Only after the teacher understood the situation would they consider signing off on it.
If they were to establish a proper club, then naturally there wouldn't be any problem, after all, they could directly approach Takamine Ayako.
But what they wanted was not a proper club at all.
Their purpose in creating the club wasn't pure, and their club activities would definitely just be perfunctory.
In such circumstances, going to Takamine Ayako would be asking for a scolding.
Therefore, the teacher they found must have a good relationship with them, one who wouldn't come to inspect or assign tasks, ideally just lending their name nominally.
But this was difficult.
Hmm... for an ordinary student like Natsuha, of course this was naturally very difficult.
But for Sasaki, it was something that only requires moving the mouth...well..at most moving some legs.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this problem. Natsuha, you and Momo just need to think about the club's name and activity content."
.
.