Chapter 138: Because I Like You
Chapter 138: Because I Like You
[Quest Completed!]
[Congratulations! You have acquired the low-probability triggered skill—”Pervert Charm”!]
……
The sound of the BGM suddenly blared throughout the entire shopping mall.
Among the panicked crowd scattering in all directions, several paused in surprise to turn back. Then, seeing something, they all instantly froze in place, dumbstruck!
On the third floor, someone was glowing, holding a vibrating stick…
…
Himekoji snatched the “weapon” from the madman’s hands immediately.
Because, seriously, he hadn’t even pointed his stick at Yukinoshita yet! What right did this lunatic have?
Himekoji was furious!
Well… compared to Yukinoshita though, his anger was like comparing ants to elephants.
The girl’s expression was terrifyingly icy.
With her cold and proud personality, Yukinoshita Yukino had every reason to be furious about being pointed at with that thing in front of everyone.
But was her face carved from ice?
Beautiful yet freezing.
Still… Yukinoshita’s tightly scrunched-up little face was unexpectedly kind of cute.
He really wanted to poke it…
“VzzzzzZZZZZ—”
And so, the vibrating stick advanced with shocking, unstoppable momentum.
Oh no!
His body was moving on its own!
The vibrator poked right onto Yukinoshita’s face.
At the exact same moment—
[Triggered Scene Special Effect!]
[BGM Overlay!]
As the system notification sounded, the vibrator erupted in dazzling, brilliant light.
“Taro! Yutanarana, Mi!”
Stop! That isn’t Taro! That’s Tiga!
No, forget Tiga! What about Tiga?! It’s not Tiga either!
Honestly, you’re not even an Ultraman transformation device! You’re just a vibrator, hey!
“Ahh… Ooh… AAH! Iku iku~~ Yamete~”
After the Ultraman transformation sound effect ended, the next second, the BGM audaciously mixed in a strange audio clip…
Himekoji held the glowing vibrator pressed against Yukinoshita’s face, which was rapidly shifting from white to red and back to white, feeling intensely awkward beyond measure.
Would Yukinoshita forgive him if he explained it was all a beautiful misunderstanding?
“It… wasn’t me making those sounds.”
Yet, unexpectedly, that was the first thing Yukinoshita said.
“It wasn’t me either!”
Yuigahama, who had rushed up following Yukinoshita, also shook her head anxiously, denying it.
Idiots, of course it wasn’t either of you.
Seeing that this was what everyone focused on first, Himekoji secretly breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly pleased. It seemed he had successfully shifted the focus of the incident.
“The person doing the yelling was actually her!”
Himekoji took the chance to pull the vibrator back from Yukinoshita’s face. Then, with a “swish,” he pointed it straight at the side— at Eriri, whose mouth was sealed with tape and was unable to speak.
“Mmph! Mmph mmph!”
Eriri stared with wide, tear-filled eyes, disbelieving.
Are you kidding? Can’t you see my mouth is still taped shut tight?! How could I make sounds even if I wanted to?!
“Eriri, you have thirty seconds to defend yourself. If you don’t speak, we’ll take it as you admitting guilt.”
“One, two… thirty! No words! The evidence is indisputable!”
“Being lewd in broad daylight, in front of everyone! How dare you, Eriri!”
Figuring the girl was still shocked from her ordeal, her nerves must be frayed, Himekoji decided to tease her to lighten the mood.
Sure enough, with this ruckus, Twin Tails immediately forgot her previous unpleasant experience, perking up energetically and looking ready to claw at him.
She stretched her legs out, trying desperately to kick at Himekoji.
Luckily, she was still tied to the railing. Himekoji just subtly took a tiny step back, and the “ferocious” little girl couldn’t reach him at all.
“‘Lewd’ my foot! Hurry up and untie me already!”
Eriri glared at the pervert—the pervert who was waving the glowing vibrator around and having way too much fun.
Untie me NOW! How long am I supposed to be tied up like this?!
Seizing the moment, Yukinoshita frowned and stepped forward, cutting short their “playful banter.”
Hmm, so… she stays tied up a bit longer then…
“First, we need to ensure this guy is completely incapacitated.”
Yukinoshita glanced down coolly at the masked man pinned under Himekoji’s foot, rendered immobile with just one foot.
After speaking, she pulled out a leather belt from who-knows-where and used it to bind the now quiet madman’s hands firmly behind his back.
“Pleased to meet you, young lady. I’ll be even happier when I see you next time.”
However, the other person suddenly spoke up at that moment.
Though half his face was covered by the mask, you could almost feel him smiling.
“What about meeting me? Aren’t you happy to see me?”
Himekoji turned the vibrator’s setting to max and shoved it straight into the guy’s pants.
This beast actually dares to flirt with Yukinoshita right in front of him?!
Unthinkable! Utterly brazen!
Himekoji wouldn’t even dare—
Wait, ‘dare’ isn’t the right word here. People might think I’m afraid of Yukinoshita.
Hmm, better wording!
Too precious. Yeah, that fits. He himself was too precious to tease Yukinoshita like that!
Wow, actually, that makes me seem really gentle, huh.
“Whoa~ sh-shocked numb…!”
Obviously, of course it’s numb. Did you even look at which company made this thing?
“Speak! Are you happy to see me?”
Himekoji thought about how Eriri had already been crying and couldn’t hold back at all, giving the jerk on the ground another kick.
“H-ha~appy! We… we’ll definitely meet again!”
“Meeting again won’t be necessary. Bro, you better stay in jail. It’ll be sweet, just like home.”
…
The police arrived late. Yukinoshita took on the task of escorting that lunatic away. Before leaving, she shot Himekoji a look.
Go comfort her properly.
That seemed to be the meaning in her eyes?
Huh… did he misunderstand? Since when was Yukinoshita ever this reasonable?
And she hadn’t even asked why the gun turned into a vibrator either.
Himekoji had been worrying just moments ago about how to explain it to her.
“A… Akito…”
Yuigahama came over, wanting to say something. But as soon as she started, Yukinoshita suddenly called her.
“Yuigahama, come with me.”
“Eh? But…”
Yuigahama looked at Himekoji and Eriri, then at Yukinoshita, hesitating.
“Hurry up. It’s a bit troublesome alone.”
“Ah, ah… okay.”
When it came to Yukinoshita’s requests, Yuigahama just couldn’t refuse.
…
The third floor was now empty, leaving just Himekoji and Eriri.
“Riiip—”
The sound of tape being torn off, clean and crisp. Somehow, it actually sounded… kind of satisfying?
He really wanted to stick the tape back on now, just to rip it off again. Then stick it back, and rip it off again, over and over in an endless cycle.
Huh, surely this didn’t count as S&M?
“Why are you bothering about me?”
The first thing she said after being able to talk again was this.
“How could I not care? You were kidnapped and held hostage.”
“Then I don’t need you to care either!”
Eriri glared, throwing a bit of a tantrum.
Her face was tear-streaked, traces of her crying still visible.
Tears are colorless, yet they had stained the rims of the girl’s eyes red.
Himekoji pursed his lips silently, yet he seemed to have words caught in his throat, unable to hold them back.
Eriri shook her head fiercely like she was throwing a fit, her blonde ponytail whipping wildly through the air.
And then—
Himekoji suddenly reached out, firmly covering the girl’s ears.
“But Eriri is Himekoji’s hostage. Besides me, no one can kidnap you.”
He whispered it softly.
Not letting the one whose ears were covered hear.
…
He said Eriri was Himekoji’s hostage.
Oh, right. Eriri was Himekoji’s hostage. He almost forgot.
…
Why was Eriri Himekoji’s hostage?
Because Eriri hated Himekoji.
Why did Eriri hate Himekoji?
Because Eriri was Himekoji’s hostage.
Why was Eriri Himekoji’s hostage?
Because Eriri hated Himekoji.
Hate! Hate! Hate!
…
Hmph, it wasn’t just Yukinoshita who could read lips.
Idiot!
…
Memory suddenly drifted back to childhood, like an old film unsealed in his mind—
“I like you.”
“Why do you like me?”
“Because Eriri is Himekoji’s hostage.”
“Why is Eriri Himekoji’s hostage?”
“Because I like you.”
Memory was a vast ocean, the girl drowning within it.
At that age, liking someone was simply liking them. No pretending otherwise, no dishonesty, no tsundere.
…
…