Stealing Spree

“At least, you know. Don’t always force Onee-sama to do what you want.”

Itou was sulking at her seat while still refusing to look at us but the way she said it was still full of concern for her older sister.

“Ya-chan. As always, thank you.” Himeko gently pulled herself away and went over to her sister. Acting like the big sister that she was, Himeko hugged Itou to her chest.

And such action was enough for the sulking girl to melt in her beloved sister’s embrace. After a while, I heard muffled sobbing from Itou as she also encircled her arms to her sister.

Looking at this scene from where I was, it’s more like a mother comforting her child.

Well, despite being an introvert, Himeko was truly giving off some kind of motherly vibe, especially when it comes to her sister.

I could say with certainty that it felt like that since I also experienced that before. Just being embraced by Himeko like that, it was so comfortable that I got to rest my overthinking mind about the issues that I couldn’t really find a solution to. Just sniffing her scent and feeling the softness of her body was enough to calm me down.

“Don’t leave me for him, Nee-sama.”

After a while, like a child who’s afraid to be left behind by her parents, Itou lifted her neck and pitifully asked her older sister.

“What are you saying? I don’t remember my Ya-chan being this spoiled. I love you. And I also love Ruki… I can’t just pick one of the two. There’s also Haru. You’re aware of it, right?” Himeko answered while caringly brushing her little sister’s hair. Following that, she turned her head towards me. “Ruki, can you come here?”

I naturally heeded her words and approached the two. Himeko then reached for my hand and clasped it tightly. Because there’s no one around us, the girl was boldly showing her affection to me in front of her sister.

“Nee-sama…” Itou put on another sad expression as she stared at our connected hands.

However, Himeko was already expecting that, so she also reached for her sister’s hand and pulled her up from that bench.

“Should we go and walk like this? Do you mind this, Ruki?

“Not really. You’re the reason why I’m here. Moreover, I am also the one who suggested taking her with us. Besides, this is also a chance to settle our differences.” I answered before shifting my gaze to her sister. “Itou, I know why you hate me but as Himeko said, we’re both important to her. There’s no such thing as me taking her away from you.”

There was really no other way to change her mind but to talk it out with her. Now that even her sister voiced out what’s on her mind, there’s no way this girl would still be stubborn or it might truly cause a rift between them.

As she slowly cast her gaze towards me, I could see how she’s trying to swallow the indignance she was feeling. But in the end, her honest feelings still came out of her mouth “You made Nee-sama as one of your many girls… That’s what I hated about you… Why can’t you be content with only one? And…”

She was about to say more but as if she remembered something, she immediately closed her mouth and covered it with her hands as if she’s afraid that she wouldn’t be able to stop her mouth from continuing to voice out her thoughts.

That definitely got me curious and along with that, I remembered what Akane told me.

There were other reasons why she hated to see me with her sister.

“And what?”

When I tried to pursue what she prevented herself to say, the girl got irritated again as she shouted her answer. “Nothing!”

Then after that outburst, Itou inhaled and exhaled a few times, seemingly calming herself down. Once she calmed down, her gaze alternated between her sister and me. After getting an understanding nod from her sister, her eyes settled on me. Her glare or any of her annoyed gestures earlier had already disappeared from her face. And perhaps, what she wanted to say earlier was also put at the back of her mind.

“Onoda… I told you why I hate you. I know I was really selfish by asking her to stop seeing you. I… I only wanted to protect her. Protect her from your shameless claws.” Itou then released a sigh with her shoulders drooping down. “I probably came off as ungrateful to you… After letting us reconnect, I began hating you instead. But let me tell you this… I... I’m extremely grateful. That’s why… I’ll stop… I’ll stop hating you but that will not mean I will let you off if ever you hurt Nee-sama.”

“I never thought of you as ungrateful. I expected your reaction. I am aware of my own abnormality or the abnormality of my relationship. And I can guess that you already heard about it, if not from your sister then from Akane… I love all of them and I will do what I can to prove that as well as to protect them from any harm. My abilities might be seen as meager for you today but I intend to improve on that, to give Himeko and to give everyone who will stay with me a bright future.” I honestly told her what I thought. “Bright might be an overstatement, I guess. But you can get the gist of what I am planning to do.”

“Ruki, not just you. What we’re planning to do, with Haru and everyone else.” Himeko, who was only listening to our conversation, suddenly corrected me.

“That’s right. I’m getting ahead of myself again. It’s impossible for me to do it alone. With you and the others, we’ll make it happen.” I wryly smiled before agreeing with her.

Nonetheless, the one I was addressing those words to had an expression of disbelief on her face as she pointed her finger at me. “Nee-sama, are you hearing this? He’s speaking of delusions!”

“Delusion or not. We will be the judge for it, Ya-chan. I am not asking you to accept what we planned for the future… I only want you to understand that I love to be with him.” Himeko strongly bared out her thoughts as well.

“… I understand.” With a gloomy look, Itou lowered her head before pulling her hand out of Himeko’s hold. She then turned around, put on her cap and pulled up her hoodie before distancing herself from us.

Himeko turned her head towards me with a look as if she’s deliberating whether to run after her sister or stay here with me.

This was a point where that rift could really be made if I let her sister walk away. That’s why instead of holding her hand tightly and asking her to stay with me, I put on a smile of understanding and nodded towards her as I gestured for her to chase after her sister.

Himeko instantly understood it as a beautiful smile bloomed from her lips. However, before she released my hand from her hold, Himeko leaned towards my chest using her other hand and tiptoed a bit to kiss me.

“Thank you.” She whispered when our lips separated. Following that, she turned towards her sister whose every step was filled with her gloom.

Even though she’s wearing heeled sandals today, Himeko unhesitatingly ran towards Itou and embraced the latter from behind, stopping her from her steps.

“Stay with us, Ya-chan. Let’s all go together.”