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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Nekorune
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Chinami woke up with one eye closed.
The other eye was half-open.
Judging by the way her mouth felt dry, it seemed she had slept with it slightly open.
“Master.”
Chinami scratched her neck and looked around. When I called her, she looked back at me with a sleepy expression.
“Mmm…?”
“Stay here for a second. I’ll get you some water.”
“Okay…”
Chinami leaned her head against the wall and slumped languidly.
If I pressed her body now, she’d probably sink in like pudding.
Suppressing that urge, I left the storage room.
The club room was noisy. Everyone was practicing head strikes on mannequins wearing protective gear, each letting out various shouts.
“Haaaat!”
Crack-!
“Haaap!”
Crack! Snap!
I also saw Tetsuya pounding on a mannequin’s head in the corner.
He was yelling louder than usual, even louder than everyone else.
Could it be that the scent of Miyuki’s plums, emanating from my body, had made him uneasy?
I grabbed a bottle of water from the corner of the clubroom and was about to return to the storage room.
Just then, Renka, who had been quietly practicing her consecutive strikes, approached and called me.
“Matsuda…! Wait.”
The cold sweat clinging to her face and long neck caught my eye.
Would it taste like blueberry if I licked it?
When I imagined myself forcibly licking her, her glaring at me in disgust, but unable to defy me, her master, trembling like a ferocious yet submissive animal…
It was arousing.
“What is it?”
“Is Chinami… awake?”
“Yes.”
“You… did you perhaps…”
“Can we talk later? Master seems thirsty, so I need to get her some water.”
I shook the water bottle in front of Renka’s eyes. A long sigh escaped her pert nose as she closed her mouth.
“Alright… Then stay behind for a bit after club activities.”
I nodded vaguely and returned to the storage room, crouching down in front of Chinami, who was still groggy from sleep.
I then opened the water bottle and held it to her lips.
“Say ‘ah’.”
“I, I can drink it myself…”
“Ah.”
“…Ahhh…”
She opened her mouth wide, even making a sound like someone getting their throat examined at an ENT clinic.
After carefully pouring the water into her mouth, I said,
“You still seem sleepy. Do you want to sleep in the restroom? I’ll finish up here.”
“I, I can’t do that…”
“It’s okay, go ahead. You didn’t get much sleep.”
“Mmm… I can’t…”
She pouted and glanced at me, mumbling, but it was obvious she wanted to sleep.
Staring intently at the transparent Chinami, I smoothed her messy bangs.
“Club activities aren’t going to end soon. Are you going to walk around half-asleep like this? What if you make a mistake?”
“Th, That’s true…”
“Let’s go to the restroom.”
I stood there and extended my hand towards Chinami. After a moment of contemplation, she seemed to make up her mind and grabbed my hand, getting up with a groan.
“I’ll only sleep a little… Just 30 minutes…”
The way she said that, it sounded like she was going to sleep soundly.
“Yes, do that.”
I patted the back of Chinami’s hakama with my hand.
Her plump buttocks were noticeable even through the fabric.
Every time my hand brushed against them,
“Hng…!”
Chinami let out a strange moan and squirmed.
She seemed to want to stop me, mumbling something, but perhaps thinking I was doing it out of kindness, she seemed to let it slide.
After brushing off Chinami’s spotless hakama, I placed my hand on her back.
And then, with a hand full of ulterior motives, I gently stroked her back, following the contours of the hollows beneath her shoulder blades down to her external obliques.
“Nn…!?”
Chinami raised her head sharply, showing a sensitive reaction.
If I continued like this, she would completely wake up, so I stopped touching her after giving her back a final, short pat.
“Shall we have ice cream after you wake up?”
“Ah…! Yes! Then I’ll go to the changing room to get some money…”
“You’re sleepy. When are you going to have time to go to the changing room? I’ll buy some.”
“But…”
“Come on, let’s go.”
“…Okay…”
Chinami answered obediently and shuffled away.
I wondered how she managed to stay awake for so long when she was that sleepy… For Chinami, she’d endured quite a bit.
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Inside the now quiet clubroom…
While everyone was showering, I was cleaning the floor. When Renka emerged from the girls’ changing room and beckoned me, I followed her.
She led me behind the clubroom and crossed her arms, remaining silent for a moment.
She was staring intently at me, as if pondering what to say.
As I waited patiently for Renka, she finally spoke.
“How did that happen?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why was Chinami sleeping on your shoulder?”
“Because there are no pillows in the storage room?”
Renka’s eyebrows twitched.
I let out a chuckle and continued.
“I’m kidding. Master looked so sleepy, so I lent her my shoulder for a bit.”
“I know you two are usually close. But even so, your bodies are touching…”
“Hold on. Does the club president think men and women can’t even touch each other unless they’re lovers? Are you that uptight?”
“U, Uptight…! A slight touch and resting one’s head on a shoulder are completely different…!”
Renka was flustered, which was unlike her.
Looks like I hit a nerve.
I shrugged and said,
“Your casual fashion is quite revealing, so it’s unexpected.”
“Why are you suddenly bringing up fashion?”
“I find it fascinating that your outward appearance and inner thoughts are so different.”
“…Think what you want.”
“Alright. But why did you call me? Because of the question you just asked?”
“That’s…”
Renka trailed off and closed her mouth.
Her expression showed she was struggling.
It seemed she felt like a nag if she interfered further, but was also worried that Chinami would fall into my clutches if she backed down.
“Right, about the headgear you picked out for me last time.”
“Hm…? Ah… that…? What about it? Is there a problem?”
“No. I tried it on, and it seems good, so I wanted to thank you.”
“It’s nothing to thank me for…”
She took the bait when I changed the subject.
You’re so easy to read.
“It’s a bit tight on my head, but you didn’t intentionally pick a small size, did you?”
“…I’m not enough of a jerk to mess with someone by giving them expensive equipment that doesn’t fit. Headgear is supposed to feel tight. That way, it fits securely and doesn’t hurt once it’s broken in.”
“I was joking. But why don’t you seem to like me? Is it because of bad rumors?”
“It’s not that I don’t like you… It’s just that during matches and usually… you…”
Just as Renka was about to explain her reasons in a serious tone,
“Kouhai…! Where are you…?”
Chinami’s weak, sleepy voice came from around the corner, behind the clubroom.
As Renka’s ears perked up and her gaze shifted, Chinami poked her head around the corner, her footsteps padding closer.
Spotting Renka, she tilted her head.
“Renka, my friend…? What are you doing here with Matsuda-kouhai…?”
Renka glanced at me before answering.
“We were just talking about this and that. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes… I’m supposed to have ice cream with Matsuda-kouhai. Can I take him with me…? Or would you like to join us, my friend?”
“I’m good. Thanks.”
“Why? Let’s eat together. It’s peach flavor, which you like too.”
“No… You two enjoy it.”
I thought she would suggest eating together because she assumed something unholy would happen if Chinami and I ate ice cream alone…
It was unexpected of Renka, who usually had a stick up her butt.
“Then we’ll be going.”
I gave Renka a brief nod and went back into the clubroom with Chinami, without looking back.
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“I slept for an hour.”
Chinami said, sitting in a corner and nibbling on her ice cream.
I, holding my ice cream stick without eating it, chuckled.
“You must have been that sleepy. Is it good?”
“Yes. I never get tired of eating this. And it’s cheap too. If this ice cream disappears from the store, I might transfer schools.”
“That’s a bit hurtful. Is peach ice cream more precious than me? What am I supposed to do?”
When I pressed her with a look of disappointment, Chinami’s eyes crinkled into crescents.
She patted my back reassuringly and said,
“I’m joking. Why would I leave Renka, my friend, and you, Matsuda-kouhai? That will never happen.”
Seeing her suddenly energetic made me feel good too.
Sleep is truly the best medicine.
“I was almost disappointed, but I’m glad to hear that.”
“You worry too much, Matsuda-kouhai. But why aren’t you eating your ice cream?”
To be honest, I’m sick of it.
I think I know why Renka refused the offer to eat together.
Renka, having spent so much time with Chinami, must be tired of peaches.
Isn’t that a plausible hypothesis?
“I only bought two… I’m holding back in case Master wants more.”
“I really appreciate your thoughtfulness, but I like eating ice cream together with kouhai. Take a big bite.”
Well… I can’t not eat it when she’s saying that.
Sighing inwardly, I forced myself to bite the ice cream, enduring the overwhelming peach flavor that filled my mouth, and swallowed it without chewing properly.
“I’m glad you like it so much. Let’s have peach yogurt next time.”
“…Yes. Speaking of peach yogurt… how about we go have some together after club activities this Friday?”
“This Friday? Why not today?”
“I want to give you a massage on Friday.”
“Hmm…? Already…?”
What do you mean already? It’s about time.
“It would be nice to relieve the fatigue that’s built up since Monday, have some peach yogurt together, and then go home… What do you think?”
“…Certainly… since the next day is the weekend… I could sleep in…”
“Exactly. You’ll wake up refreshed on the weekend. If I find the used Momo goods, we can go buy them together on Friday too.”
“Hmm… That’s a good idea…”
I wrapped a tissue around my index finger and wiped the apricot-colored cream from Chinami’s philtrum.
Her face instantly flushed, like a ripe peach.
“So we’re doing this?”
“…”
Chinami pulled her knees up to her chest and took a small bite of her ice cream.
Then, she demurely nibbled and nodded.
“Okay… Let’s do that…”
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thank you nekorune-samaaa! my lord and savior!
You give that pink shadow member vibe from TEIS
Do not fear, for I am here. Thank you for the chappie
Their interactions are actually so wholesome, if only I didn’t know his monologue 😭