Making Friends

Unaware that the fish on the cutting board was already prepped and ready for cooking, Sasaki, who claimed he was helping Sakuragi Otome with dinner, soon reverted to his old ways.

After washing vegetables for a while, he reached out, wrapped his arm around the girl's slender waist, and pressed himself against her back.

However, he didn't do anything too outrageous.

He simply held Otome by the waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, and quietly watched her cook.

He knew how to prioritize.

Given that Rinka could come downstairs at any moment, Otome would hardly agree to anything more daring than this.

A single misstep could ruin tonight's pink-haired bunny girl outfit.

That was something he had treasured long before he awakened.

Without the pink-haired bunny girl, Rinka wouldn't be able to handle things alone tonight.

Though Otome saw nothing unusual in him being intimate with Rinka, it was crucial not to let the latter find out.

Since he needed her to create a facade later on when Otome inevitably caught them, he couldn't push that girl too hard tonight.

If Rinka ended up bedridden like Otome had previously, it would be difficult to come up with an excuse.

And if found out that Otome had accepted her, things would get complicated.

Given how clever that little rascal was, it wouldn't be hard for her to figure out that Otome's words from last night were directed at her.

So Sasaki did his best not to disturb Otome.

Not feeling his usual teasing, and sensing he was being unusually well-behaved, Sakuragi Otome stopped chopping vegetables.

She relaxed, leaning back into the boy's embrace like a willow without roots, and rubbed her head against his chin.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Feeling a twinge of anxiety, worried that she might have sensed something, Sasaki tightened his hold on her and responded in his usual calm and gentle tone.

"Hmm? Why do you ask?"

"Because... because..."

Caught off guard by her own question, Sakuragi Otome stammered, unsure how to answer.

She couldn't very well say, "You're so well-behaved tonight, it's making me uneasy."

Realizing that Otome hadn't figured out his little scheme, Sasaki looked down at her flushed face and watery blue eyes, and instantly understood the reason.

It wasn't hard to guess.

The two of them had been so intimately involved over the past few nights, growing more familiar with each other than ever.

This was also why he was worried about Otome discovering his intentions.

The person who knows your character best is the one who dislikes you, but the one who knows both your character and body is your partner.

So seeing Otome blushing and looking at him with affection, Sasaki mischievously started teasing her.

Leaning down to gently kiss her fragrant shoulder, Sasaki, taking advantage of her moment of distraction, began to pave the way for the idiot Chifuyu.

"Tsukimi doesn't have any sense of presence in the club, does she?"

"Hmm?"

With hazy, misty eyes, the girl blinked in confusion, clearly not understanding why he was bringing up someone unrelated at such a moment.

Sasaki didn't want to bring it up at this time either.

But comparing it to mealtime or when Otome transformed into a bunny girl, this was the best time to casually ask.

Otherwise, if he brought up "How's Tsukimi doing?" while she was dancing for him later, it would be even more out of place.

So, after much consideration, this seemed like the best time to bring it up.

At this time, he could distract her with some physical affection, preventing her from taking it too seriously.

And he could also frame it as casual conversation.

Although it might slightly disrupt the mood for Otome, it was a necessary step.

After all, tomorrow, that idiot Chifuyu would be bringing gifts for Otome and Rinka.

Once they saw that the gifts were their favorite snacks, it wouldn't take much thinking to realize that someone had spilled the beans about their preferences.

So rather than letting Otome overthink it later, it was better to come clean now.

The more nonchalant he acted now, the less she would suspect.

The more secretive he appeared, the more it would seem like he had something to hide.

In relationships, sometimes honesty really is the best policy.

"You know Tsukimi is my classmate, right? This morning, while she was preparing some test papers for her boyfriend, we chatted a bit. She mentioned that besides me, she doesn't have many friends. I thought it was a bit... well, sad. So I hoped you could look out for her more in the club."

While saying this, Sasaki continued to kiss and nuzzle Otome, his tone casual, as if he were just mentioning it in passing.

And the girl, who was always attentive to anything related to Fuyumi, didn't overthink his casual tone.

No one would imagine that someone would ask their girlfriend to look after their side interest.

She simply thought he was concerned about a classmate, and that's why he made the request.

So she didn't think much of it.

"Hmm... what should I do?"

"Nothing much, just accept the gift she gives you tomorrow~"

"Gift?"

"Yes." Feeling the soft, boneless person in his arms, Sasaki hugged her tighter. "She told me that you helped correct her yoga posture yesterday, so I suggested she buy a small gift to thank you and hopefully become friends."

"Just to make friends, why buy snacks?"

Having practiced yoga for a long time and strengthened by Fuyumi's care, Otome wasn't out of breath despite his tight embrace.

But her voice, though sweet and soft, carried a hint of complaint.

Regardless of whether it was Fuyumi or anyone else, she didn't want others to spend money because of her.

She didn't want him to spend money because his income was limited, and every penny had to be carefully considered to avoid any unnecessary expenses.

That's why she still felt a twinge of guilt about the phone Fuyumi bought her.

She didn't want others to spend money on her to avoid causing any trouble.

As for making friends, Otome simply felt it was unnecessary.

She didn't see herself as someone difficult to approach.

Knowing what she was thinking, Sasaki explained, "That's why I wanted her to become friends with you and have you look out for her. She's too shy and without this excuse, she wouldn't dare."

"Is that so."

Having interacted with Tsukimi Chifuyu before and knowing her general personality, Sakuragi Otome nodded. "Don't worry, she won't have any problems in the club."

"Mm~"

Sasaki responded briefly, not wanting to dwell on the topic to avoid her from noticing his excessive interest in Tsukimi as he smoothly changed the subject:

"Let's focus on cooking. I'll help you."

"Just don't get in the way~"

"Don't say that. You seemed distracted when I wasn't helping."

"What kind of help is that~"

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