Stealing Spree

“Let’s just say I know her personally,� I answered honestly as I told her a tidbit of my past with Yue.

“Hmm... One of those who didn’t chase after you.� While rubbing her chin, Nami smirked.

But her smirk immediately fell upon hearing my next words.

“Yes. And someone I rejected.�

She stared at me as if looking at a heartless idiot who only knows how to play with women’s hearts.

“... This Breaker of Hearts and Destroyer of Relationships. This world cursed your existence, Dark Prince of the Stealing Void! It’s Asahi! I’m also her fan, idiot Ruu!� Nami inhaled for a few seconds before she blurted all that out, berating me from my words.

This girl... Did she just full-on ‘Elizabeth’ with me?

Wait, that’s not the most important point, won’t her mother be startled by her shout?

I took a quick glance at the kitchen and her mother’s nowhere in sight.

“She went to the bathroom, idiot Ruu. And even if she’s there... mom is already used to my nagging. Because you know, we’re the same.�

“Is that how you bond?�

“Unfortunately, yes. most of the time.�

That’s a special way to bond. Nagging at each other.

Uhh... It’s making me imagine them again. Sitting on the sofa together, nagging at each other as they cheered on their favorite heroine, their hands tugging at each other.

That’s weirdly pleasant. Who knows? That actually happened at one point in time.

“What can I say? Hearing about that, your level of cuteness just went up. It goes to show that... I still have a lot I don’t know about you.�

“It’s natural. It’s better to hide embarrassing habits like that. I’d rather you see me as the scary observer than a loudmouth.�

“You surprised me with your chuunibyou remarks though.�

“I picked that up from Risa-chan. She’s always preaching about her Dark Prince and how she wanted to be pierced by your smelting hot rod again.�

This girl... Is she aware of what she meant by that?

There’s no change in her expression. She’s unaware. Surprisingly, she got saved by the last bits of innocence left with her. She’s not fully tainted yet.

In any case, let’s not taint that purity she had about the ‘smelting hot rod’ yet.

“You’re surprisingly calling her by her name.�

“Uhm... It’s embarrassing to say Elizabeth all the time. Also, I like how she gets flustered even if we’re just chatting on messenger.�

Oh. I get it. But I’m already too used to calling her Elizabeth that it would be weird if I changed that now. Besides, that girl was truly easily flustered if you go off script with her, tearing down her status as the Cursed Princess.

After a while, we finished our discussion about Yue, Elizabeth and her mother.

Nami then clasped my hand as she pulled me to their dining table.

At the same time as we reached it, her mother returned from the bathroom and immediately flashed a smile towards me.

Although there’s nothing wrong with that smile, I somehow felt a chill down my spine as if my life suddenly felt threatened.

“Don’t be shy, Onoda-kun. It’s the first time my daughter brought a boy home. Not even Daiki-kun or that Kazuo-kun managed to take a single step from our front door.�

After finishing our rather silent dinner, Nami’s mother, Andou Kasumi smiled expressively as she intentionally put down that kind of information.

She didn’t even wait for us to put away the dishes or even my gratitude for preparing the meal.

I don’t know. It felt like a warning or a commendation. Either of the two, there’s no doubt that I am currently in the hot seat.

Furthermore, she had Nami sit next to her. Perhaps to stop her from providing me subtle hints on how to answer.

“I see. I can understand Ogawa but even Tadano? I thought they've been close friends since childhood, auntie.�

While maintaining a respectful tone, I answered more than what’s needed to carry on the conversation.

I believe not only do I need to be honest here, but I also have to sound confident.

“That boy? Let me think... He’s infatuated with this girl. What do you mean friend? He’s biding his time to confess. But I doubt he’ll have the courage to step in here.�

“Mom!� Nami suddenly interjected as she grabbed her mom’s arm to interrupt her.

“What? As if you don’t know about that. Doesn't he need to know about it?�

This auntie... don’t just give away someone else’s secret easily. Moreover, to your daughter’s supposed boyfriend? Are you trying to incite a conflict between us?

No. That’s probably her true aim... Nami’s mother is quite insidious... Or I’m just reading too much about this.

In any case, good thing I contained those thoughts inside my head.

I maintained my smile as I watched Nami slowly get flustered by her mother’s flamboyant interrogation of us.

I kinda get what she’s doing. Testing us if we’re truly that into each other. If we didn’t pass, she’d probably treat our relationship as a fleeting fling that would expire soon enough.

“He already knew about it and Daiki confessed long ago.�

“Ara? Did you reject Daiki-kun? After all this time of waiting for you?� After she dropped that last word, I noticed how she quickly glanced at me.

She’s clearly trying to incite something.

“What do you want me to do, mom? I like Daiku as my friend but I love this shameless man in front of us.� Nami declared as she stretched her arm and pointed at me.

However, despite that kind of answer from Nami, her mother simply smiled as their gazes returned to me.

“Oh? Shameless? How shameless is he?�

“No comment.�

With that quick answer by Nami, her mother remained unfazed. She shrugged her shoulders and pointed her chopsticks towards me, “How shameless are you, Onoda-kun?�

Eh? You’re asking me?

But really, this pair of mother and daughter... This is somewhat unexpected. Nami’s mother is more unrestrained than what she told me. She’s not holding back with her questions or rather she’s not being reserved even if there’s another pair of eyes watching them.

“According to Nami, I’m the most shameless man on Earth.�

“Are you, now? Come and show it to me. Let me judge if you truly are the most shameless.� She clapped and urged me to stand up.

“Mom?! What are you trying to do?�

At this point, Nami was already strung along by her mother’s whims. She would react to everything.

So, to pull her back to my side, I better show her mother that I wouldn’t be discouraged easily, no matter how much she tried to pressure us.

“Don’t worry, Nami. I promised to give your mother a good impression of me... I can be shameless when I’m expressing my affection to you, right?�

I stood up and circled to the other side of the table or specifically towards Nami.

Under her mother’s watchful gaze, I stopped in front of Nami, leaned forward and lowered my head to her level. I then caressed her cheek before lifting her face by her chin.

With this, it’s quite clear what I intended to do.

“... Ruu.� Nami dreamily muttered as she waited for what’s about to happen.

And I didn’t let her wait any longer, after a quick glance at her mother who finally had a slight change in her expression, I unhesitatingly kissed Nami. Not a quick kiss that couples our age usually do but another passionate one that lasted for more than a minute.

By the time we finished, a string of saliva stretched between us.

“Ara ara~ My daughter is blushing.� With a teasing tone, Nami’s mother clapped her hands. However, her tone instantly changed to a chilling one, “You dared to kiss my daughter in front of me. And it’s a torrid kiss at that! How can you be so sure that I won’t snap at you?�

She crossed her arms and rapped her fingers on it. At this point, the demure air around her had long disappeared.

Whether she’s angry or not, I had no idea.

I only followed her words, showing how shameless I was.

“Honestly, I have no idea, auntie. I just don’t want to embarrass Nami. Moreover, auntie enjoys seeing her daughter get flustered like this. That smile you have is genuine.�

I answered as I took the chair next to Nami. To stimulate more of a genuine reaction from her mother, I endearingly wrapped my arms around her, pulling her in my tight embrace.

Let’s see if she could still retain that provoking smile.