Her kiss had none of the guilty passion I shared with Kurumi. Nanaougi’s kiss was controlling. It was meant to toy with the recipient.
“…Mmm… Smooch… Ah-ha! Your eyes are losing focus. Ren, you’re even cuter than I thought. Mmm… Oh? …Mmm…mmph…”
“Gasp! …Hey… What in the…? Mmph! Wait, stop…!”
I tried to peel her off, but my hands slipped off her shoulders, unable to grasp them. Her kiss had left me too weak-kneed to apply any real force.
And all the while, she kept persistently prodding my weak points. How long would I be at her mercy?! Why was this happening at all?!
I looked to the side. Kurumi was standing there, gaping. I begged her for help.
Please! Don’t just watch… Stop her!
She caught the look in my eye and shook herself, snapping out if it.
“H-hey, wait a sec! What are you doing?! Get off him! Back away!” Kurumi dived in between us, prying us apart.
The arduous kiss ended with an ardent gasp. Spit trailed between our lips, before melting into the air.
Whew. I was free. My mouth was on fire. The experience had been overwhelming.
“Nanaougi…? Was that your name? What’s the big idea?!”
“What do you mean? That was a display of my sincerity, like I said.”
“In what world does kissing mean sincerity?! What country are you from?!” Kurumi roared.
I could almost see the question marks hovering over Nanaougi’s head. “Is membership not contingent on kissing the boss?”
“Why would you think that?! Absolutely not, you hussy!”
I felt like we were the last people to be throwing that accusation around, but I let it pass. Saying something would only complicate things.
Kurumi had started hissing like an angry cat, so after wiping my lips with the back of my hand, I pulled her away.
I thought I should probably handle the discussion, since Kurumi seemed even more worked up than I was.
“…Nanaougi, I’m afraid we can’t let you in. We’re not pranking this school for shits and giggles. We’ve got a cause.”
“I’m well aware. I’ve been following your careers.”
“Then you should have expected rejection. Why would we want someone who’s just here for fun?”
“Aw, I hate this school, too. Is that not enough?”
“How can we believe you? You’re in a good class,” Kurumi spat. I had to agree with her.
Nanaougi saw how tense we both looked and sighed. She seemed just as confident as ever.
“Fair enough, fair enough. Guess I’ll just have to keep proving my sincerity.”
“…That’s not happening again!”
Kurumi placed herself between us, but this time Nanaougi meant something else. She folded her arms, a cocky grin on her lips.
“I know. Instead, I propose a wager… No, more of a contract.”
“…Meaning?”
At that point, Nanaougi dropped a bombshell.
“Before summer vacation ends, I’ll launch an attack on Saigou High. I’ll show you what sort of resistance I can muster. If I manage something that really impresses you…then admit I’m serious, and let me in.”
“Huh…? You’ve gotta be kidding.”
“I’m not joking at all. In fact, this is about proving that.”
Silence fell. Kurumi’s glare met Nanaougi’s level gaze.
She had a point. An attack of her own would prove she meant business. It was a viable approach. Scoring a victory on her own would demonstrate far more sincerity than her kiss, at least.
“How will you determine if we’re impressed?’” Kurumi asked, her gaze like daggers. “That’s not a very specific measurement. All we have to say is, ‘It wasn’t all that,’ and you’ll never get in.”
“That’s not an issue. I just have to do something so amazing, it’ll make you change your mind.” Nanaougi’s eyes narrowed, her tone growing increasingly competitive.
How was she so damn sure of herself? Did she have a plan of attack in mind? Or was she just born this way? I couldn’t tell.
“A successful attack will prove I’ve got it in for the school, right? Are we agreed on that?”
“……”
Kurumi and I looked at each other, then down at the floor. After a long silence, we looked back up at her and nodded.
“…All right, you’re on,” Kurumi said. “On one condition—not a word about this to anyone else. And if you fail to convince us before summer vacation ends, you’ll erase all the evidence you’ve collected and agree to keep your distance from us. Promise us that.”
“Okay, sure. I swear. And if I can knock your socks off, you’ll let me join?”
“Yeah, okay. If you manage it.”
Nanaougi nodded, and the contract was made.
I had no issues with the terms Kurumi had laid out.
All we had to do was stay firm. I wasn’t sure what Nanaougi had in mind, but this agreement was entirely in our favor.
She had a photo of us from the broadcast incident, making it tough for us to reject her outright. This was a formality—but it was one we’d both agreed to, and that made all the difference.
…But just in case, I’d better make sure she understood.
“Well, there you have it—expect great things, Ren, Kurumi,” she said, fluttering a hand.
“Hang on, Nanaougi.” I took out my phone and showed her an app for recording oral notes. “I’ve recorded this conversation. You’d better not leak that photo or tell the school about us. Should that happen, everything you’ve said will be made public knowledge.”
“Tell the school about you? Puh-leez. I never had any intention of doing something so boring. I’m not turning you in. You have my word.”
Losing us would be boring for her. That made sense, in a way. She had photographic evidence but hadn’t once threatened to show it to the faculty if we didn’t let her join. That was because she’d never intended to snitch in the first place.
As I accepted that, she leaned in close.
“So you like to keep your bases covered, huh, Ren? I do love a cautious man.”
“Love?!” shouted Kurumi. “Argh, what is your problem! Go away!”
“I was speaking to Ren. Come, now, no need to push…!”
Kurumi forcibly ejected Nanaougi from the Stargazing Club room.
Damn. This girl was a total nightmare, and I couldn’t predict her at all.