Stealing Spree

Chapter 54: Kanaʼs Insight

”Hey, Ruki.”

”What is it?”

”Kenji, heʼs becoming cold towards me.”

”Why?”

Should I tell her? About what that bastard tried to do with Ishida-senpai?

”Before he will be mad if I donʼt stay with him but lately, he doesnʼt mind if Iʼm not with him. Just like today.”

”Maybe thatʼs because of me.”

”No. Itʼs because of me. I keep rejecting to go with him.”

”Then thatʼs really because of me. I was the one who told you to do that.”

Kana looked up and reached her hand to my face. She caressed it slowly while staring directly into my eyes.

”No, I chose not to. Even if you say that, I have a choice to reject what you commanded, right? But I chose to reject his advances.”

”Kana… Right. You have that choice, youʼre mine doesnʼt mean I can force you to do what I wanted.”

”Right, right. Now, you understand. You changed quite a bit since I last saw you. What happened?”

”You can tell Iʼve changed? Ah, you canʼt be the best advisor with only literary skills. You also know how to read people.”

I seem to forget. Kana, sheʼs 2 years older than me. In most subjects, sheʼs ahead of me. I only saw her as naive before because of her lack of experience on that particular subject I excel at. Turns out, itʼs me that was naive.

Kana smiled and raised her head then she cupped both of my cheeks with her hands.

”Youʼre younger than me. I can tell. Something changed inside you.”

”What changed then? I want to know what my Kana thinks.”

”Uhm... Letʼs see. When I first saw you, you seem to only be driven by one goal. But I can see more now. There are now more things inside you than just that thing thatʼs driving you forward.”

”My Kana is this great. Youʼre right. Something has changed.”

Kana planted her lips on mine while I stretched my arm to embrace her. Her shyness that was always there seems to vanish when sheʼs with me. Probably, sheʼs already comfortable with my company.

”Will you tell me about that change?”

”Thatʼs why Iʼm here. But what about Kenji?”

”Donʼt mind him for now. My mind is currently full of you. I donʼt know it myself. I think Iʼm starting to like you. Is this bad? Will you leave me if it really developed to me liking you?”

”I see. This is what changed, Kana. If itʼs before my change, I might really leave you when I hear you say that. But now, I want to understand. Why do you think that youʼre starting to like me? All I did was steal you from the guy whoʼre dating you. I even used a despicable method to compel you. Blackmail.”

Sheʼs turning to be like those girls from my middle school. I didnʼt do anything special for her. Nothing according to what I can remember. Nowʼs the time for me to understand.

Kana stopped her kisses and then she fell back to my chest.

”You see, Kenji. When he first approached me back when weʼre 1st year, I was scared.”

”Scared?”

”Un… Heʼs scary. The way he keep on asking me to date him. You knew my personality. I canʼt deal well with new things. And him trying to court me is like that.”

”I see. Like when we rode the train. You look cute back then, like a lost puppy.”𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Sheʼs the Shy and Cute type. Usually sheʼs always shy around people or places thatʼs new for her. And when she started liking someone, she will eventually forget the one she initially likes because she doesnʼt want to like two persons at the same time.

I got her with that mindset. Kana kept on liking that Kenji, while I took advantage of her using the new sensation Iʼm bringing her. That doesnʼt mean she likes me, she found that new sensation something she wanted to experience and to understand. But now sheʼs telling me, sheʼs starting to like me.

Whatʼs the reason? Could the reason be Kenjiʼs sudden change?

”Muu. Stop teasing me but yes, itʼs like that. Kenji, heʼs persistent. And soon enough, I got used to him always asking that. I said to myself that if he can keep up on that until the end of the school year, Iʼll accept him.”

”And he really did persist up to that point. Does that mean you started liking him by then?”

”No. I just admired his persistence. So we started dating during our 2nd year. I gave another ultimatum to myself. If he can persist for half a year without us doing what couples do, like holding hands, hug and kiss, then Iʼll learn to like him.”

”I see. Itʼs a rough road for him. So he accomplished that as well. And you started to like him”

Could it be? Ah. I see. This girl, she didnʼt naturally liked him. She forced herself to start liking the guy who persisted through all that. Then when I came in with that new sensation she felt, she has gotten confused.

”Yes. I came to like him or maybe itʼs just me forcing myself to like him. Magically, that was imprinted on me. Even now, I always look back to the time he persisted and remind myself all of the time and effort he spent for me.”

”I see. Kana, is liking him an obligation for you? To repay him?”

”Uhm. I donʼt know. Itʼs been like this since I decided to like him. My defenses loosened slowly from holding hands, hugs and kisses. And when we were about to do that, you appeared before me. With that smile on your face like you found something interesting.”

”You already resolved yourself to give yourself to him but my appearance broke that resolve.”

Kanaʼs arms tightened its embrace on me, her face is still buried there in my chest. I donʼt know what expression sheʼs having right now. Putting my hand on her hair, I started stroking it with my fingers.

”Un... And maybe not just my resolve. I somehow woke up to the notion that Iʼm forcing myself. So I started rejecting what he wanted.”

”But you told me, you still like him when I brought you home. You even say I love you to each other through the phone.”

Kana giggled softly and cutely at what I said.

”Ruki, youʼre really cute and a bit naive. I know what weʼre doing and I let that happen. Not with him but with you. Those words we exchanged were just me trying to ease his mind, a lip service.”

”Ah. Iʼm really a bit naive. I thought I got you through my means.”

”You did get me though. You wanted to steal me from him, and I understood when I saw that girl in front of your house. Your ʼI like youʼ to me is different. It could even be false.”

”I see, I was seen through by you. Iʼm really naive. Yes, youʼre right. That ʼI like youʼ could be false. You see, that is one of the things I planned to tell you today. Love or like. I canʼt feel that emotion, yet. The ʼI like youʼ that I told you just meant I want you to be mine.”

When Kana heard that, she raised her head again and looked at me. Her face is a bit red and thereʼs a teardrop on the corner of her eyes.

”You canʼt feel that emotion? Explain it to me.”

”I meant it like that.”

And then I told her what I revealed to Satsuki earlier. The thing about my desire, the desire to steal her from Kenji. And that sheʼs not the only one.

”Uhm. I think I could guess the part about me not being the only one. From that girl I saw back at your house, I can infer the possibility. But Ruki, you really donʼt feel love? You only want me to fill up your desire?”

”Yes, I canʼt but Iʼm trying to learn. There are people helping me, to understand and feel it. That was my motive for approaching you, yes.”

”Is it that girl? Sheʼs the special one you mentioned, right? Muu. Itʼs a bit sad hearing thatʼs your motive.”

”Yes, thatʼs her. You can really see through me. Err, Iʼm sorry, but me wanting you, thatʼs genuine. Youʼre mine now, Iʼll take responsibility to what Iʼve done.”

”So sheʼs one of the reason why you changed. You realized something. That girl, I only saw her twice but her eyes were fixated on you. Thatʼs love, right?”

Then sheʼs back at snuggling me. This cute girl. Whatʼs going through her mind? Even with my revelation of my desire the only protest she did was saying she was a bit hurt because of my motive.

”Kana, is your specialty Detective novels? Yes, she loves me so much thatʼs why she always do that when I bring a girl home. But I only realized lately how special she is for me.”

”Muu. I only read some, Iʼm far from writing one. I still donʼt know the definition of your special, how is she special?”

”I kinda want to read something you wrote, Kana. Hmm, I wanted her not because of my desire but something else. ”

”Muu. You bully. Iʼll let you read some if you come by the club again. I see. I understand. Not from your desire. ”

Sheʼs embracing me tight now. This girl. Itʼs like with Satsuki earlier. Saying they understood but deep inside they felt something about it but wonʼt tell me.

”I will visit the club soon to read those. Yes, you can ask me about it and Iʼll tell you everything.”

”No. Itʼs fine. I quite understand what you meant.”

”I see. Then Kana, will you still stay with me or…?”

”Ruki. Iʼm yours. So donʼt ask me to choose. Iʼll stay with you.”

”Ah, youʼll really stay? Even if thereʼs not only you? And I canʼt reciprocate if you really start liking me.”

”I will stay, you bully. Iʼm yours. Donʼt ask anymore. And liking you, itʼs not definite yet. Kenji, heʼs still in my mind.”

”Right. Youʼre mine. Iʼm suddenly pissed off by that Kenji.”

”Donʼt worry about him, Iʼll deal with whatever is between us.”

This cute girl, Iʼm learning more about her and in turn sheʼs also trying to learn more about me.

I raised her chin and this time Iʼm the one giving her a kiss. She responded to it and handed over the control of her body to me. She just let herself be pulled close while her arms were embracing me tight.

Thereʼs not enough time for us to talk about things. Maybe she will really start liking me. I wonʼt throw her away but first, that Kenji, Iʼll deprive him once more. This time, of Ishida-senpai.

I donʼt know myself, but seeing those tears nearly forming from her eyes, that invoked a feeling on me to protect her and not let that tears fall. The cause of it is probably because of that Kenjiʼs sudden change in attitude. Even if she only forced herself, she liked him.