Stealing Spree

Chapter 2359:  Futaba's Conflict

Eri woke up right before the bus arrived at their stop. She straightened up, looking slightly embarrassed about falling asleep. Her hair got a little disheveled but it was easy to fix by combing it with my fingers. Although that gesture could be taken as intimate, the girl leaned into it, allowing me to take care of her before we stood up to leave.

Futaba didn't say anything. However, there was an unmistakable silent reprimand in her eyes when she saw me still acting so intimately with Eri. But she knew better than to make a scene now that we've arrived. After all, we would reach Eri's house soon. Furthermore, Eri also became conscious enough not to link arms with me after getting off the bus.

As we approached the house, Eri's eyes grew glossy with sleepiness and perhaps shame, but she pushed out a cheerful smile, "Thank you for walking me home, Ruki. And for knocking some sense into me. Escort Futaba safely too!"

"Mhm. Leave it to me. Goodnight, Eri." I said with a wink as she gave me a quick peck on the cheek before turning around to face her house. She probably had a lot on her mind but one thing didn't change even after the conversation we had; Eri was leaning more into our closeness despite knowing how wrong it could be taken.

It could be because she had this clear distinction between me and her boyfriend. Nevertheless, it was already so bad in a normal sense.

I didn't mind it that much since I was already living an abnormal life but for Eri, she should be more careful.

Well, better to let her think about it on her own. It's not like she didn't understand the implication, she's simply way too comfortable with the idea of getting close to me. I know it's my fault too but she's a grown girl, she should be making the right decisions herself.

With Eri disappearing inside their house, I turned my attention back to Futaba as we resumed our walk to her house.

She was looking at me, her eyes a mix of emotions that I couldn’t quite place. Maybe it’s the awkwardness of the situation, or perhaps she’s feeling a bit jealous of Eri’s openness with me. She couldn't act like that, after all.

"How far are we from your house?" I asked.

"Not that far. Only two streets down. The first house right at the turn." Futaba answered. She looked at me with a slightly forced smile, her eyes hinting at the turmoil of emotions beneath her calm demeanor.

Somehow, this girl was easier to read than Eri who would act playfully unserious at times.

"Alright. I'll have to make sure you arrive safely too, otherwise, Akane and Fuyu will scold me."

"It's not like our streets are dangerous. I could've walked home by myself." Futaba said, trying to play it cool but her voice betrayed the slight tremor of uncertainty.

"Come on. You're a girl. And it's late at night. Even if there was only a small probability to get into an accident or encounter someone unreasonable, it's better this way." I teased, trying to ease the tension between us.

"Y-you're right."

"So, how's it going with you and your boyfriend?" Instead of waiting for her to bring it up, I decided to be direct. We only have until we reach her house, after all.

Futaba's eyes widened slightly before she nodded, "It's... it's fine. Just like with Eri, nothing changed. Also, we haven't been able to get private time recently so there's nothing to really talk about."

"I see. So, you haven't tested out what I told you back then?"

"No. Not yet. Will it really work?"

"I'm not sure. Honestly. We'll never know if you don't try." I shrugged before momentarily stopping my steps to look at her.

Futaba gulped down as though she was ready to hear what I was about to say but at the same time, she was dreading that I might also tell her that she should communicate with her boyfriend first before trying out something other than tickling with me.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Futaba. You still want to level up your intimacy with your boyfriend, right? I don't know if it's because of our influence or it's just because you've been together a long time already and you have yet to do something more than just a kiss. Whichever the case, is it going to cause a problem if it hasn't been resolved?"

Although I could've been indirect with that question, it would just be too roundabout that I might not be able to hear her true thoughts from it. That's why I decided to be blunt.

Futaba's eyes trembled a little before she shamefully averted her gaze, "I think it will cause a problem. If we continue like this... won't it be unfair to him if we can't break past our situation?"

"Mhm. I get you. The physical aspect of being intimate with the one you love is just as important as the emotional aspect of it. It helps you validate your feelings and shows your partner how much you care." I nodded, trying to put myself in her shoes. "In our world, a relationship cannot survive in feelings of love alone. Or maybe it will be a rare case but everyone needs something more concrete, right?"

Futaba nodded slightly, her eyes still on the pavement.

"In any case, you're still young anyway. There are those who hold back until there won't be complications and there are those who just couldn't resist. Both sides have their own reasons." I said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me, Futaba. Which side are you on?"

Futaba's cheeks grew redder by the second, "I-I'm... I'm not sure."

"Let's say hypothetically, won't you be like us if your body doesn't react that way?" I continued probing.

I get it. I could just ask her if she's conscious of me because of what happened but that wouldn't really root out her current situation. In fact, it might just make things more complicated for her. That's not an ideal scenario.

As Akane's friend, they'd be too worried if this girl became too caught up in how she should feel rather than just directly confronting her concerns.

Futaba took a deep breath, then looked back at me, "Yes... Maybe we would've done it that day."

"You still love him, right? Just to make sure you're not getting confused."

"... I do."

"Be honest with me, Futaba."

"What do you want me to say, Onoda-kun? That I'm having second thoughts?"

"No. Not like that. I just don't want you to regret or feel bad, especially when it comes to this kind of thing."

I'm not trying to confuse her here but thinking about it, it might really lead her to that. But it's not like it won't happen sooner or later. However, looking at her like this, I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for planting the idea that her sensitivity might not flare up when it was me touching her. On top of that, my overly considerate nature swayed her more than I could think of.

"You and Eri had this same problem with your relationships but a different situation. You can't proceed to be more intimate because of your body's sensitivity, causing you pain while Eri and her boyfriend might be too immature for it. But in Eri's case, it's easy to see how she's getting influenced by us. Or in other words, with the fact that Akane and I were so open about that topic." I continued, trying to get into her head. "But for you, it's different. You know what you want but your body won't allow it."

Futaba nodded slowly, "It's frustrating... I want to feel it too. To feel that same feeling again without the prickly pain..."

Hearing that, I couldn't help but pat her head. Of course, since I did make her feel that way just by touching and without triggering any pain, it's only natural for her to seek it.

The problem is... I'm not her boyfriend so here we are.

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