Does This Love Suit Your Taste? - Volume 1 Chapter 4.2

Likes and Dislikes 2

“Wait a minute! Here, take this!”

In the middle of the conversation, Hirai-sensei took some Japanese sweets from her desk drawer and gave them to me.

“…What is this?”

“This? These are some fancy rice crackers that were sent to me by a relative recently. Look, I’ll give you two, so why don’t you share them with Shirahime-san and enjoy them together?”

“Uh, no thank you, you don’t need to.”

“It’s fine-it’s fine, don’t be shy! It’s a reward for being a good boy.”

“N-no, being a good boy… I’m saying I don’t need it…”

“It’s too late to act rebellious now, a delinquent who writes in the class journal has no persuasive power~♪ Ufufu♪”

“Ah, fine! I’ll take it, geez…”

Since there wasn’t really a reason to refuse that much, I reluctantly put two bags of rice crackers into my pocket and left the staff room.

That marks the end of today’s duties.

Phew, I worked hard today…

But still, a reward for being a good boy?

From the teacher’s perspective, I must have been doing good these past few days. The complete opposite of a delinquent.

It’s been since elementary school since I was last praised by a teacher.

Just like that, I dragged my feet as if I were pulling chains weighted with lead balls or as if the gravitational pull of the Earth had suddenly increased several times.

With such heavy steps, I ascended the stairs of the old school building. I’ve grown all too familiar with this path.

Then, I saw the nameplate that read ‘Multipurpose Room E’, and my spirit sank heavily.

“Sigh…”

As I pulled open the rotten, nearly decaying wooden door, I saw my master, the domineering S-Hime, sitting at a desk by the window, legs crossed, resting her hips, and fiddling with her phone.

“Ah, welcome back!”

I handed Shirahime the souvenir.

“Here.”

“Whoa… don’t throw it. So, what’s this… is there poison in it or something?”

Shirahime was clearly suspicious of the rice crackers that Hirai-sensei had given me.

“Wrong… as always, you’re not cute at all. Hirai-sensei said it’s a reward for being good lately and told me to eat it with you. I don’t like salty stuff, so you can have both.”

“What… so it’s from Anzu-chan. Then the journal’s effect really worked wonders, huh?”

“The journal’s effect?”

“Yes. I thought that having Toui-kun write and bring a journal every day without fail would improve his image even a little in the eyes of Anko-chan.”

“Hmm… So, all these other tasks I’m doing now are also to rehabilitate me?”

“Exactly. I want everyone to see Toui-kun working hard and being a good person, we’ll change everyone’s impression of you from being a delinquent with that. It’s a great idea, right? Actually, I’ve started to hear people around me saying that maybe you’re not a bad person after all~”

I had a feeling that these chores being pushed onto me were a bit too much, but that’s what it was about.

Come to think of it, she was all about ‘reform’ me. I thought it was something like not letting me rebel against her, but is she serious about making me quit being a delinquent?

I do feel like my reputation has been getting better lately, so this was her aim…

But that’s not making me happy at all.

I’ll definitely escape from this situation one day.

“Alright then, I guess I’ll go home.”

“Wait?”

“…What now?”

“We haven’t done it yet today, right? That thing. Are you planning to run away?”

“That thing… right… okay-okay…”

I lean against the door of the classroom, hands in my pockets, glaring at Shirahime. Now completely hers, Shirahime looks at me with an ecstatic smile on her face in contrast.

The distance between the two of us is quite far, from one end of the room to the other, but the fact that we are still in the same space oddly resembles ‘our current sense of distance’ between us.

“Come on, you’re so far away. Come over here.”

“Alright…”

Reluctantly, I approached Shirahime, and she also rose from her seat at the table.

“Now, shall we do it then?”

Shirahime, placing her hand on my shoulder and looking up at me, asked for confirmation.

“…okay.”

Feeling somewhat embarrassed when our eyes met, I averted my gaze to the side.

Shirahime stretched herself up. Ah, here it comes——

——Chu.

For a few seconds, our lips overlap.

The soft, moist sensation and the warmth of her involuntarily made my whole body tingle.

“…alright, that’s it♡”

After finishing numerous tasks, the end always comes down to this time after school, where I am to offer my lips to Shirahime.

It’s a kiss filled purely with a sense of obligation, devoid of any warmth.

Although it’s become part of my daily routine, I’m still not used to it. Yet Shirahime always seems nonchalant about it, teasingly, and then carries out the kiss as if it’s just another task.

Does she really feel nothing?

It’s a kiss, for god’s sake! A kiss… Sigh, I really shouldn’t have agreed to this…

Shirahime places her hand on the door and looks back at me.

“Well then, let’s go home!”

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