Side Story 9
Even after being so stubborn, as soon as the guiding began, Irene lost all will to resist.
As for me, I was so faint during the guiding that I couldn’t even tell if it was working. But then, all of a sudden, Irene went limp and practically collapsed into my arms like a baby bird.
It was something that would have been unthinkable for the usual Irene, so that’s when I realized—it worked.
Oh, of course, given the height difference, it looked more like I was the one being held… but still.
“Is it working? Do you feel anything?”
Irene couldn’t even answer, just swaying as if she were intoxicated. Yet, instinctively, she rubbed her cheek against my neck, craving more guiding. It felt like when a cat, usually hissing and swatting at you, suddenly climbs into your lap and starts kneading.
Seeing this kitty-like side of Irene, something I never thought I’d witness, was shocking. She was so pretty that it was kind of cute, but after all the years I spent suffering at her hands… more than anything…
…It satisfied a strange sense of conquest.
“Come on, repeat after me, Irene. ‘Rose, you’re better at this than me.'”
“……”
“Come on, hurry up. If you don’t say it, I won’t give you any more guiding.”
“Rose… you’re better at this… than me…”
The words I never thought would come out of her mouth finally did. Unbelievable.
Suppressing my twitching lips, I cleared my throat. I couldn’t let this precious moment go to waste.
“Say it again. ‘Rose, you’re so dependable.'”
“You’re… dependable…”
“Haha, and next…”
Irene continued for quite a while, spouting all sorts of praise while clinging to me. Oh, how exhilarating that moment was!
Even now, after sending Irene off and returning home, I still hadn’t calmed down from the excitement.
So, as soon as I saw Claude, I enthusiastically started telling him everything that had happened…
“You…”
Suddenly, he grabbed my shoulders roughly.
“Is a pretty face all it takes for you?”
“Huh?”
Confused, I blinked up at him, but Claude’s expression was anything but ordinary.
“Not only do I have to watch out for men, now I have to worry about women too?”
“…What are you talking about? You gave me permission, remember?”
I was so taken aback that I could barely get the words out. After all, I had asked for his permission to guide Irene several times.
“That’s because…!”
“You gave me permission, so why are you going back on your word now? Don’t get mad!”
As I yelled back at him, Claude clamped his mouth shut, still glaring at me with a face full of frustration.
* * *
Claude was very upset.
Rose was always unpredictable. He should have known better than to let his guard down.
This time, the shock was pretty big. Sure, Rose had blushed the first time she met Oscar, but that was just because it was their first encounter. After that, every time Oscar’s name came up, Rose looked disgusted, and whenever they met, they’d bicker nonstop. So Claude had overlooked it.
Rose, it turned out, was a shameless face-con.
But even so—after Daniel, now… Irene?
She kept insisting they weren’t really friends. Yet, after nearly a year of living as roommates, even after moving out of the dorm, she’d run off to see Irene whenever she could.
Upon further investigation, it turned out that Rose was the one who had volunteered to be Irene’s roommate in the first place. Despite their constant bickering, everyone knew they were always together.
That much, Claude could tolerate.
…But if she had given Irene guiding, that changed things.
It would mean, even if unconsciously, that Rose felt some kind of physical attraction to her.
Whether Rose knew how he felt or not, she had the nerve to shout at him, completely oblivious to her crime.
“Why are you mad? What did I do wrong?! I even got your permission beforehand! You laughed and told me to try if I could, so why are you scolding me now! Do you think I’m a pushover!”
“Rose, it’s not that you did anything wrong…”
“Then why are you glaring at me like that? Stop frowning!”
“…Yes, I’m the one who’s wrong.”
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