Stealing Spree

”Huh? You’re alone, senpai. Where are the others?” I asked after peering over Izumi-senpai’s shoulders. The room was deserted with the chairs seemingly clattered.

On the table, I could see a stack of papers with a pen on top with some pieces strewn all over in a rather unorganized manner. It’s placed in front of where she always sits so… she must’ve been working on it before I arrived.

“They went out to fulfill a support request from a club. Come back later if you’re here for your women.” Izumi-senpai answered. She then lightly sighed before turning around and moving back to her seat. “Oh. And close the door for me, I forgot.”

I thought she deliberately left it open for me… Or was that a sign? In any case, that’s intriguing. A support request that required a lot of them… I wonder what was that about?

“Wait. Tell me more about it… Also, this is good timing, senpai. I wanted to talk to you.”

I entered the club room and closed the door behind me. But when I did so, Izumi-senpai who was trying to organize the papers sighed again. That’s a lot of sighs coming from her, huh?

Looks like she was truly conflicted about what happened. Or there’s more to it than what she’s showing.

“Just message Nanami or Arisa to get the gist of what they’re doing. I’m busy here. And I don’t want to talk to you so go out.”

Her answer came in a rather dismissive and exhausted tone. She picked up a paper and sluggishly placed it in front of her. Her mind and sight were clearly out of focus on what she said she was going to do.

“Well, I don’t want to disturb them and you’re here now. Let me help you with that.”

“I don’t need your help.”

Izumi-senpai hissed, hitting the table with little force. When she saw how the paper crumpled beneath her palms, she panicked and quickly straightened it out.

That’s… kind of cute.

Anyways, I ignored it and continued to approach her, picking up some of the papers that flew closer to the edge.

I was widely aware that there’s still tomorrow and the following days to talk to her. However, this was another rare occasion to find her alone. And it’s a lot better to sound out what’s on her mind sooner than wait for her to form some kind of conclusion or prejudice from what she heard and saw.

“Really? You look like you really need one. Anyway, why are you alone here? Couldn’t you at least leave one of them behind to help?”

“Ugh… Stop probing. And get out.”

“Hmm… I’m not hearing you clearly, senpai. Here.” I put on a smile as I tried handing her what I picked up.

Alternately staring at my hand and face, she let out another sigh before hurriedly what I was handing to her. “This guy… Won’t you leave me alone?”

“Alright. It seems like I am hated now.”

“That’s obvious. I can’t stand a bastard like you.”

She huffed before picking up the pen and starting to work on the papers. Looking at the contents of those papers, it’s not the reports for the Mentor Program but possibly another request they took. Perhaps from a teacher.

They should really remove the ‘Student’ on the name of their club if they would continue taking requests even from teachers.

“I understand. After what you heard, of course, this is what I expected to happen. By the way, one last question, senpai. I’ll leave after this.”

“What?”

Perhaps hearing that it would be the last, Izumi-senpai raised her head and looked me in the eye again.

However, because of that, instead of asking a simple question concerning that coward, I shelved that thought and changed the question…

“Do you really want me gone?”

It’s a simple one. And she could easily say yes, reaffirming what she already expressed earlier.

But now that it’s a question coming from me, Izumi-senpai failed to quickly gather her thoughts.

One…

Five…

Ten…

It took her a quarter of a minute before she could react.

“Of co—”

Before she could finish that answer that she deliberated for that long, I made my move.

I approached her side and with a bit of force, pushed my hand down on the table.

Izumi-senpai was surprised at the sound it made that successfully stopped whatever she was going to say.

Following that, I grabbed her arm and pulled on it, facing her to me. I pushed my face a little closer and stared directly into her eyes.

By observing her facial expressions, the way her eyes moved as well as the minute bodily movements wherein rather than becoming frozen from fear, Izumi-senpai met my gaze with a hint of unwavering determination.

As to where that determination was focused, I had no idea.

“You seem conflicted yet determined. Did he once again push you away and in your mind, you’re still convincing yourself that he will come around soon enough?”

“How do you…?”

It’s a wild guess coming from me after considering their personalities. But with that reaction, I hit the bullseye?

“That’s not what I’m thinking!”

Or so she said. However, her eyes started wavering after hearing what I said.

“Is that so? Then let me borrow your words, senpai. ‘That’s obvious, I can’t stand a bastard like him’. That’s why I can somehow predict what he’s going to do. And on the same note, because you’re still clinging to the sliver of a chance, I also predicted what you’re going to think.”

Also, what happened last week was written off because of what happened today. No, not written off, she put it to the back of her mind. Yet, here I was, digging it and raising it back to the surface.

“He didn’t come to the club, right? Otherwise, you’d all be here, being gloomy and wondering what’s wrong.”

“And whose fault do you think was that?”

“Mine, naturally.” I readily took the blame. It’s the truth anyway. I shrugged, released her arm and took a step backward. “I reduced him to that state and I know an apology will not cut it. But he needed that. Not just for me or for Nami. It’s also for that guy. I know senpai understands that. You can hate me again, that’s also fine by me. However, Izumi-senpai. What I told you last week. That will not change.”

“What are you…”

“Now, I’ll ask you again. Do you want me gone or will you allow me to help you with this?” Ignoring her mutterings, I raised the same question that I stopped her from answering earlier.

Izumi-senpai was at a loss for words. And that’s to be expected.

“Ah. Also, fill me in on what they’re doing, I’m curious.”

Adding that up in an attempt to at least clear even a bit of the heavy air in the room, I put on a smile before sitting on the chair next to her.

It’s Arisa-senpai’s chair, her wonderful scent still lingered on it…

Uh… Wait, I’m getting off track again.

I shook my head before turning to face Izumi-senpai again.

Like earlier, she’s having a hard time contemplating what kind of answer she would pick. Or she’s still processing what I said.

A minute later, Izumi-senpai closed her eyes before taking a deep breath and relaxing her back on her chair.

An attempt to clear her mind.

After doing so, she muttered along with a long sigh. “… Suit yourself.”

“Thank you, senpai.”

I tried putting on a smile but Izumi-senpai grabbed my whole face, her palm covering my mouth as she began telling me what kind of request the others were attending to.

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