Yukinoshita and I finished tidying up the clubroom together, and I watched her lock the door.
While cleaning, I casually tried to say, "This area is really wet..." and got a glare as intense as when she first tried to intimidate me on our first meeting. It was terrifying.
I probably lost about thirty minutes off my lifespan.
Since there wasn't much time until the end of the school day, we worked in silence.
Partly because of our personalities, but also because we both knew that if we started anything again now, we wouldn't be able to stop.
We both had that certainty without needing to say a word.
After returning the key to the faculty office, we headed to the school entrance together.
Near the entrance, students who had finished their club activities were making their way home, chatting and laughing as usual.
It was the usual scene.
In that everyday space, just a little apart from everyone else.
Yukinoshita and I had been engaged in highly inappropriate activities.
I wondered what would have happened if Hiratsuka-sensei had come in at that moment. But since she didn't, it was all good.
More importantly, my excitement for what was about to happen was off the charts.
I could barely contain my excitement.
If Yukinoshita wasn't right next to me, I'd be grinning like an idiot. I'm sure of it. It would probably gross her out.
"I'll go get my bike."
I told her, asking her to wait while I went to the bike parking area.
But she followed me, slightly hanging her head while holding onto the hem of my coat. Why?
"You can just wait here. I'll be right back."
"To make sure you don't run away..."
Come up with a better excuse.
Geez... this is embarrassing!
"As if I'd run away. I'm actually really looking forward to this."
"! Th-That's right... That's right."
Don't repeat that. It's not that big of a deal. That's why it's embarrassing.
In the end, she trailed after me like a little duckling.
I really want to pet her head without any time limits.
I want to go home and line her up next to Komachi and just pet them both.
Unlocking my bike, I started walking it alongside Yukinoshita.
...To her house.
*****
Night had already fallen, and we walked down a dimly lit, sparsely populated road.
Every time Yukinoshita was briefly illuminated by a streetlamp, I stole glances at her profile, trying not to be suspicious.
I'll definitely look suspicious.
"Did you contact Komachi-san?"
Yukinoshita asked in a calm voice after a while of silence.
"Yeah, while you were returning the key to the faculty office. She replied too."
"What did she say?"
"Here."
Feeling awkward to read it aloud, I just showed her the message. Though, showing it directly was also awkward.
[Got it! You're not just missing dinner, right? You're also staying out all night, right? Hope you get 'taken' away for good☆☆☆"]
"W-Well, as long as she's having fun."
You're bad at responding, Yukinoshita. Your face is bright red.
Mine's probably red too.
After this brief exchange, silence fell between us again.
It's not like we usually chat non-stop in the clubroom or elsewhere. Silence is comfortable between us.
But now, it felt different.
Not awkwardness, but something warmer.
Nervousness, perhaps. Probably.
Thinking about what's to come, I wondered if it would've been better to go further while caught up in the moment at the clubroom.
Taking this walk home might calm our feelings too much.
That thought scared me a little.
I once saw a TV comedian talk about how after a lively first round of a group date, the women's enthusiasm completely dies during the second round at a different location. It's hard to recover from that.
I don't think Yukinoshita is like other women, but in this situation, I'm scared she might say, "I'm not feeling it tonight after all. Thanks for walking me home. Good night."
Imagining Komachi's disdainful look when I return home scares me even more.
Thinking about it makes me want to cry!
Lost in such sad thoughts, I noticed Yukinoshita had removed one of the mitten-like cat paw gloves she got from Yuigahama and extended her bare left hand towards me.
What's this? Does she want to shock me with static electricity?
Even in this situation, she's trying to damage me? Yukinoshita-san, you're amazing.
This is bad. Really bad.
Wait, is she looking a bit annoyed?
Stop it, you're too cute.
You're acting all cat-like at times like this. Super cat-like.
"Hand."
With a simple word, she waved her extended left hand slightly.
Oh, I get it now.
I totally got it, of course. Obviously, in this situation!
I took off my right-hand glove and gently held her hand.
Sharing warmth with another person.
I knew very well how comforting that could be. I'd experienced it plenty with Komachi.
But the warmth from holding Yukinoshita's hand was a different kind of comfort altogether.
Honestly, with the heat from the embarrassment added to it, I felt like I didn't even need my coat.
I could almost go in just a T-shirt.
Sorry, that's a lie. I'd die.
In any case, my body was warm from the core.
We continued walking forward, without looking at each other.
That was enough.
When I glanced at her, Yukinoshita's usual composed face looked somehow very content.
We were about halfway to Yukinoshita's house when I noticed the hand I was holding move slightly.
I wasn't doing anything, so it must have been Yukinoshita.
What was she doing?
I glanced at her, but she was walking forward as if nothing had happened.
I continued walking, thinking it was nothing.
A few dozen steps later, her hand moved again.
This time, her slender fingers clearly intertwined more with mine.
The movement was subtle, but the sensation was incredibly ticklish.
I got aroused. Just from this.
I decided to respond and gently intertwined my fingers with hers.
She responded by intertwining her fingers more sensuously.
The lewd sensation of her tongue when I had my fingers in her mouth came back to me.
After a while of intertwining our fingers, Yukinoshita stopped walking.
Wondering what was wrong, I looked at her and saw her lips trembling slightly.
Then, she slowly looked at me.
"I'm sorry. I know that doing this makes it harder for you to endure. Even though I know we're almost to my house, I feel like my body and mind are falling apart, and before I knew it, I was intertwining my fingers with yours."
Her words made my heart stir.
My chest felt like it was burning.
"Let's hurry a bit, shall we? Once we get to my house, we can—"
Unable to endure her words any longer, I let go of her hand, cupped her face with both hands, and forcefully took her lips.
Her eyes widened in surprise as I shoved my tongue into her mouth without hesitation.
"Mmmph!? Mmm... slurp... nnh... mmm..."
Yukinoshita's moans echoed in the alley.
In the past few hours, and those few minutes the other day, my image of Yukinoshita had greatly changed.
No, to be precise, it had expanded.
When she lets her guard down, she becomes so needy.
Honestly, it was irresistible.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, wanting more.
Forgetting that we were in a place where someone could pass by at any moment, we devoured each other's mouths.
*****
After a long, intense kiss, we finally arrived at Yukinoshita's apartment.
We got into the elevator, still holding hands, and I pressed the button for her floor.
"…"
Still caught up in the moment, we were both silent again.
Thinking back, what I did was incredibly embarrassing.
Well, the things we did in the clubroom were just as outrageous.
I'm heating up just thinking about it.
I glanced at Yukinoshita standing to my right.
Her white nape and the shapely bottom below it caught my eye.
Swallowing hard, I reached out my right hand and touched her bottom.
"Eek!? Ah... nn..."
She jumped slightly when my hand touched her over her shorts. However, she soon let me touch her without resistance.
"...Ah... nn... just wait a bit longer... please wait... nn..."
She looked back at me with a flushed face, but despite her words, she pushed her bottom towards me.
The elevator doors would open in about ten seconds. We didn't have much time.
But even that short time was too much to bear.
I quickly reached out with my left hand as well and grabbed her bottom with both hands.
"Nngh!?"
Yukinoshita trembled and placed her hand below the elevator buttons, pushing her hips out towards me.
Without mercy, I groped her bottom and then pressed my thumbs into her sensitive spot multiple times.
"No, no, if you keep this up... ngh!? Ah, I'm... I'm going to..."
As the elevator doors opened, Yukinoshita let out a faint cry, her whole body trembling as she collapsed to her knees.
Fortunately, no one was around.
Supporting the unsteady Yukinoshita with my right hand, I also fondled her chest as I led her to her apartment.
She muttered, "Pervert…" and pinched my cheek weakly, which made me laugh a little.
This only made her angrier, but as soon as I squeezed her chest a bit harder, she let out a sweet moan and fell silent.
With a sensitive younger sister like this, it's no wonder Haruno-san toys with her.
The image of Haruno-san teasing Yukinoshita flashed through my mind, sending a chill down my spine.
Once we entered her apartment, Yukinoshita locked the door with trembling hands.