Stealing Spree

Chapter 2300: Asking for Exemption



"Oh. Right, Ruki-kun. Have you already run into Minami Shouko?" After our short intimate moment where Ryouko-san and I just couldn't ourselves back, she seemingly only remembered about that as I was helping her back into her tracksuit.

"Yes, I have. And Ryouko-san doesn't need to worry. She's not as dangerous as you thought." I said as I helped her up, her cheeks still tinged with pink from our little escapade.

"What do you mean? I did receive your message about this but... I couldn't wrap my head around how you managed to resolve this new case without even a day."

There was relief in her voice, knowing I settled it easily but there was also curiosity as to the method I used. I couldn't blame her; it was quite a swift resolution, even for me.

Who would've thought she'd really show herself right at the door of the Disciplinary Office after I cracked her plot?

"Well, it turns out she's just a lonely girl. All the trouble she did was to find this one connection she was seeking. I believe you can also understand her, Ryouko-san. After all, you also tend to get lonely sometimes. When looking up at rain clouds." I said, watching her reaction carefully.

That thing about rain clouds was the one I suspected to be why she was having difficulty opening up to the opposite gender. I did manage to somewhat overwrite her trauma about being groped but that one remained a mystery to me.

She truly looked like she could cry anytime when I saw her staring up at the sky back then.

Although momentarily surprised at my words, Ryouko-san stared at me with a small smile. She's already back in her tracksuit and she once again returned to my lap, letting me hold her intimately.

"I see. She's a lonely girl, huh? I'm surprised you've noticed that part of me as well, Ruki- kun." Ryouko-san's voice was filled with a hint of melancholy. She leaned into my embrace, her arms looping around my neck as she snuggled closer. "But you're wrong about one thing. I don't look up at rain clouds because I'm lonely. I do it because they remind me of the strength I need to face my fears. Rain Clouds may bring sadness, but they also bring growth."

"Is that really the case?" Although skeptical, I could tell she was being genuine about it. Maybe something truly happened during one of the rainy seasons and that kept reminding her of that incident. However, it didn't mean it was something as traumatic as the groping incident. I held her tighter, kissing her forehead gently, "Well, you don't have to face your fears alone anymore, Ryouko-san. I'm here to be your sunshine."

"My sunshine... I like the sound of that, Ruki-kun," Ryouko-san whispered, nuzzling against my neck as she tightened her grip on me. Her words filled me with warmth and I felt a sense of responsibility and protectiveness for her that was as strong as the affection I had for the other girls.

We stayed like this for a while, talking about her and also commenting about Minami Shouko. When it was time to leave we naturally moved separately to prevent suspicion.

Ryouko-san left the Administration while I moved to another private office. My last destination in this building.

Upon entering, I immediately saw Orimura-sensei in the same kind of tracksuit as Ryouko-

san.

Of course, she was definitely wearing a swimsuit beneath that as well. Her swimming classes for the second years wouldn't start at the same time as Ryouko-san though so she's still lounging here.

"Shameless brat, you sure took your time." She said as she saw me approaching her. She looked unhappy but at the same time, pleased upon seeing my arrival.

"Sorry, sensei. I had to make sure Ryouko-san was okay," I replied with a cheeky smile, earning a playful glare from her.

"Tsk. You had to make sure or you just took your time flirting with her?" Orimura-sensei raised an eyebrow and clicked her tongue. She sounded like she was complaining that I didn't come here right away. However, I could tell that she was also relieved about me paying more attention to Ryouko-san.

Yep. She was still that conflicted about all this. Despite everything that happened between us, she's still trying to prioritize her friend's happiness. I could see the hint of jealousy in her eyes though, which I found utterly adorable.

"Well, I wouldn't deny that. But sensei, should I come to you first tomorrow?" I asked, tilting my head with a playful smirk.

Orimura-sensei's eyes widened for a split second before she composed herself, "Why would you do that? Just do what you must do. I'm still going to correct your path, regardless."

"But sensei, I was just asking because I want to make sure I don't miss out on seeing you in your swimsuit," I teased her and she immediately crossed her arms to the front, thinking as though I was talking about wanting to see her in it now.

Her cheeks reddened and she looked away, trying to hide the blush.

I walked over and sat down next to her, my arm hooking around her waist, "Don't worry, sensei. I won't ask you for it. I'm just here to see if you're doing well after you know... last week."

"Why won't I be doing well? Shameless brat, I lost control and I admit I liked it as well. I came to terms with that. You don't have to worry."

Heh. Was she trying to sound nonchalant? Or did she truly put it behind her? Whichever the case, I knew she was just putting up a brave front.

"Alright. If sensei says so, I won't insist. I'll still look forward to how you will correct me but I guess we don't have much time today. Also, I have something else to ask of you, sensei."

I teased her and before she could react to it, I already steered the conversation away from it. Nevertheless, my hand firmly settled on her waist and we were as close as we could without truly being in an intimate position.

"What is it, shameless brat?" Ignoring our closeness, Orimura-sensei replied with a hint of annoyance.

"Can someone be exempt in the swimming class? You see, I have this senior who was afraid of showing herself in public..." I started without giving the specifics about Yuika-senpai's reason for wanting to skip swimming class.

Orimura-sensei looked at me with a skeptical gaze, "This senior. Is she one of your girls?"

"Well, not exactly. But I promised to help her. She came to me for help and I already brought her to Hayashi-sensei. She said we should talk to you instead since you're the one in charge of their class." I spoke truthfully.

This time, Orimura-sensei didn't answer right away but contemplated for a while, her arms were still crossed but I could tell that she was slowly getting comfortable with my arm around

her waist.

After a while, she sighed, "What's her name?"

"Yuika. Konishi Yuika." I provided the Yuika-senpai's full name and Orimura-sensei

immediately recognized it.

"I see. It's that girl. She was also not that keen during PE. She didn't have a medical condition but she didn't want to participate in extraneous activities." Orimura-sensei leaned back into the chair, her eyes narrowing slightly as she thought.