Stealing Spree

Chapter 1022 Who?

　　Soon, the time to leave for home arrived. Since I still wanted to make up for going home early yesterday, I made sure to walk my girls to their destination regardless of the number of students still lingering inside the school.

　　I guess after everything that happened, I’m close to becoming numb to their raised eyebrows or jealous gazes.

　　I used to be like this before anyway. Just that, back then, only a few would even put me on their radar. Too different from how it was these days. Moreover, I would seldom be seen with another girl because of my nature to keep the girls I stole for myself. We’d either spend time somewhere deserted or in a private space.

　　Now, everything flipped except for the fact that I still have that desire to make a girl mine regardless of whether they’re in a relationship or not, have someone they like or not.

　　Anyway, that’s it. As long as we took caution not to be openly intimate, everything would work out fine tomorrow. A gossip or two doesn’t matter anymore. The only thing we have to protect at the present is the truth about how complex our relationship is.

　　A while later, after sending most of them to their stops or station platform, I was now watching the last group as they got on the bus.

　　Once they settled inside, they all looked from outside their windows. Let’s not mention the others with them. They’re not important anyway.

　　There’s Hina, Saki, Nami, Shizu, Arisa and… Izumi-senpai.

　　As their bus started to leave, each of them was looking at me with a complicated expression. No, not that complicated, it’s more of, they’re concerned about something.

　　Yep. Even the normally scowling Izumi-senpai was concerned about me.

　　It’s understandable, anyway. Because she’s the one who informed me about the reason for their concern.

　　Perhaps, if not for my insistence, the girls would ask me to let them stay behind and accompany me instead of leaving me alone here.

　　Nonetheless, I stood by my decision. Even if they became a little upset at me, I remained steadfast.

　　I mean, I still had no idea what was really going to happen. But for their sake, I should approach this alone first and be cautious.

　　The last thing I need is for them to be marked by those who are hostile against me.

　　Ah. Right, what happened?

　　Earlier before coming to the club, I found another letter slipped inside my shoe locker.

　　I thought it was another love letter. However, compared to the exquisitely-written letter of yesterday, what I found was like a hastily written note and the paper used was just a page torn from the back of a notebook. There’s even a crease on the paper and it’s not put inside an envelope.

　　When I picked it up and read its content, I first dismissed it as a prank. I even threw the paper into the trash as soon as I passed by a bin. That’s why I got to spend that time with Ishida-senpai without being distracted.

　　‘Behind the soccer club’s clubroom, after the practice hour.’

　　That’s it. It only contained one line with neither a sender nor a reason for it.

　　It’s more of a command to me.

　　Only idiots would follow a letter of that kind, right? One could naturally be curious, however, I had no time to do so.

　　That’s my mindset until I went to pick up Nami and the other girls at their clubroom.

　　Izumi-senpai instantly approached and asked me if I received any kind of letter. From her expression earlier, she’s possibly hoping for me to say no.

　　However, for her to bring it up, I naturally remembered the piece of paper that I’d thrown and nodded.

　　From there, the girl pulled me outside and informed me who the sender might be.

　　It’s that second-year dog of hers. I couldn’t remember his name but… I remembered how pathetic he was in front of Izumi-senpai.

　　Sure, I also did something as lowly as that to curry favor with a senior. But I never acted like a dog.

　　Anyway, Izumi-senpai told me not to come and just ignore it. But knowing that it’s from those troublesome students, I have to check, right?

　　It’s just this Monday that she also informed us about the delinquents ‘moving’. If I became someone who got a target on my back within their group, I had to be aware of who was targeting me. Not just for me but the girls as well.

　　At least, no one was following me yet, otherwise, they would’ve found out about my close connection to a lot of girls already.

　　And so… I returned to the school grounds and made my way to the place indicated by the letter.

　　It didn’t take long. Only around five minutes from the school gate, I reached the soccer field and the clubroom mentioned was a few steps away from it, along with the other clubrooms and lockers for the sports clubs.

　　Actually, most of those clubs were still practicing in their respective fields. They’re all going to compete in the interhigh competitions, after all.

　　I even found Sakuma among the soccer club members running and picking up balls.

　　So that meant, whoever called me there was definitely not someone from that club. Izumi-senpai’s guess might be right.

　　Or so I thought.

　　Taking the small path heading to that clubroom, I inconspicuously scanned my surroundings. Apart from the shouts coming from the nearby soccer field, it’s quiet. Furthermore, I couldn’t even hear an activity behind the said clubroom.

　　Traversing the remaining distance, I arrived at the location but there was no other soul around apart from myself. From how it looked, this place might be one of their hangout spots.

　　There were plastic stools and makeshift tables there. There’s even something like a makeshift throne close to the wall of the clubroom. It’s made from one of those stools and boxes stacked together. As for its seat, there’s a comfortable-looking cushion.

　　What the hell are they doing here?

　　It’s also weird that Sakuma isn’t aware of this place or… he’s just not telling me about it.

　　Since the letter said ‘after practice hours’, are they waiting for those from the soccer club to leave?

　　I have no time to wait but… I’m also a little curious as to the reason they called me here.

　　“Alright. There’s also the possibility that I’m just being pranked by them.” I loudly muttered before approaching the ‘throne’ and sitting on it.

　　Since there’s no one else here, I took it upon myself to collect information.

　　As I scanned the surroundings for at most two minutes, checking everything I could check here, I found the place too neat for a hangout spot.

　　Furthermore, there are some suspicious points. This place lacks a roof over their heads. It rained two days ago, yet, there are no traces of that as though everything was only set up today…

　　Did they actually arrange this place just for this occasion?

　　Anyway, to stave off my boredom, I thought of checking my phone.

　　However, it was at this moment that I finally heard approaching footsteps.

　　Foregoing what I planned, I rested my back on the comfortable backrest of the ‘throne’ and waited.

　　Judging from the direction I was hearing it, I turned my head to the left and waited.

　　Step. Step. Step.

　　As the volume of those steps gradually grew, I noticed that… it’s not coming from a guy. The clear clicking of heels on the ground was reminiscent of heels. Not the crisp sound of high heels but just a moderate one that’s commonly used by girls.

　　Moreover, whoever was coming… she’s alone…

　　Soon enough, the person appeared from my sight. As though she was expecting where I would be, the eyes of the newcomer instantly fell on me. Her lips instantly stretched to either side of her face.

　　After clapping her hand once, she said,

　　“Perfect. You came as expected.”

　　Taking in the appearance of the girl, one question rose to my mind, “Who?”

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