She didn't hesitate once the thought struck.
Nyamu had always considered herself someone with strong initiative. Back when she decided to take off her mask, she hadn't wavered. Now that she felt the need to test the waters, her body moved before her mind even finished processing.
Catching Haru still holding the camera and unprepared, Nyamu used her drummer's strength to push him flat onto the bed. Her soft, curvy body pressed against him as her light-pink eyes boldly locked onto his black gaze.
"…Can I ask what exactly this situation is?"
Still holding the camera in both hands, Haru's face remained expressionless. He glanced at the hand Nyamu had braced on the bed beside him, and at her pale thigh pressing into him beneath her skirt. It looked more like a submission hold in a fight cage than anything else.
"Hmph~ Isn't it obvious?"
A teasing smile curled at Nyamu's lips. She leaned closer, studying Haru's handsome face at this first-ever intimate distance.
His black eyes seemed to carry a strange pull. His long lashes, the lines of his nose and cheeks, all were strikingly beautiful. Up close, she could even catch the faint clean scent of him. It was nearly impossible to look away.
So that's it...it's the face, isn't it?!
Haruko-chan, you bastard...you've been charming girls with that face all along!
"What do you mean, 'Isn't it obvious'? From where I'm lying, it looks like you need a doctor to check your brain."
"Meowm! Who are you calling brain-damaged?!"
Nyamu's pink diamond-like eyes widened. He was still acting arrogant, even pinned beneath her. She, a gorgeous girl, had just attacked him! Shouldn't he be showing his real intentions by now?!
She'd never dated anyone before, but that didn't mean Nyamu lacked confidence in her own charm. Quite the opposite, she was proud of both her looks and her figure, almost to an excessive degree.
That was probably one of the reasons Togawa Sakiko had taken notice of her in the first place.
"Don't twist my words. I never said that."
Haru glanced at Nyamu's hand pinning his arm. With the strength he'd gained through drumming, he could easily throw her off, but he worried about hurting her if he did. So for the moment, he didn't move.
Nyamu, misreading his lack of resistance, smirked with a smug expression that begged to be smacked.
"See? That proves I was right all along~"
"Right about what?"
Seeing his confused look only annoyed her further. He was still pretending? Then fine, she'd expose him outright, strip away all his lies and reveal his true thoughts.
"Don't play dumb! Haruko-chan, you like me, don't you?!"
"Sure, you act normal around me most of the time, but your behavior lately has completely given you away. You clearly have feelings for me, and you thought you could swoop in and win me over while I was down, right?"
Deep down, she knew the truth too.
And Nyamu had to admit, she really had developed strange feelings for him over this time. She'd been used to living alone, but lately eating by herself left her with an indescribable emptiness.
At first, she thought it was just loneliness. But no, it was something more.
She really might be falling for him…
"I already saw through you, so just fess up!"
"…"
Haru sighed, massaging his temple. Her expression was like a smug little detective catching the culprit red-handed. He honestly didn't even know how to respond.
"So that's your justification for pinning me on a bed and interrogating me in this… ambiguous position?"
"Leaving aside why I'd even like you, aren't you worried I'd snap and force myself on you?"
He'd once thought Nyamu was just a little sly. But now he saw she was downright naïve. To drag a boy into her home, to end up alone in a bedroom with him, and then to pull something like this without a second thought…
His blunt words made Nyamu's cheeks flush red. Only then did she realize she hadn't considered that possibility at all. If she really pushed him too far, with the two of them alone here, she'd have nowhere to escape.
But she forced herself to act calm, muttering irritably.
"…If you don't like me, then why are you so nice to me?"
Nyamu, seriously...down bad!
Haru thought his own shamelessness was unrivaled, but apparently she'd managed to surpass him.
Whose disciple is she, anyway? Clearly Sakiko's fault!
And seriously, are Geijutsu girls all this easy to fool?!
"Besides, you? Losing your temper? Meowhahaha~ I can't even picture your angry face! Honestly, Haruko-chan, you're a boy pinned down by me and still talking big. How shameless can you get?"
"…"
A vein pulsed on Haru's forehead. Watching this oversized cat revel in her little power trip killed off the last shred of restraint in him. In one swift move, he caught her wrist.
"Eh?"
In an instant, the proud purple cat was flipped. Both her hands were pinned effortlessly in one of his. She struggled, but it was no use. Her resistance only made her shoulder strap slip down.
No way…!
He looked so slim but yet she, who'd built up years of drumming strength, couldn't even budge him. The gap in power made her cheeks burn red, her body trembling despite herself.
"If I can play drumlines you can't even keep up with, why wouldn't I have the strength to hold you down?"
"Now do you see who's really in charge here?"
Haru's voice was exasperated as he scolded her. Her bare shoulder, exposed where her strap had slipped, only made her feel more vulnerable. Even he found his gaze flicking downward, drawn to the line of cleavage revealed.
Damn it. Auto-lock.
"Y-you… you're not seriously going to—"
Now it was Nyamu who was flustered. Pinned down, her struggling looked more like playful wriggling. She hadn't considered the consequences at all before pulling this stunt, and now she had completely lost control of the situation.
What do I do now, meow?!
Her pink eyes dropped, shimmering with tears. Her face was already flushed deep red. She had never looked so breathtaking.
Her soft, warm body pressed against his, her chest flattening against him, lace peeking out in plain view. A strand of purple hair even brushed against his lips.
"…Huh. I didn't expect this side of you, Nyamu."
Haru was momentarily surprised, his tone subtly shifting.
Nyamu, proud to a fault, felt her embarrassment spike. His words sounded like mockery. She bit her lip, glaring up at him with a mix of defiance and weakness.
"Cut the crap. If you're gonna do it, then hurry up!"
"I'll just shut my eyes. I won't make a sound!"
Her eyes flickered with emotion. Strangely, she felt no fear. Instead, an unfamiliar, electric anticipation spread through her chest, tangled with shame.
But deep inside, she couldn't deny it, there was also a faint trace of joy.
Sensing it, Nyamu's gaze faltered. She cursed herself in her heart for being such an idiot. How had she let herself start feeling this way about this black-haired boy? Her shame finally made her close her eyes tightly.
Did this mean… she'd really been seduced by him?
"Cut it out. Just hurry up and film the damn channel footage."
Haru pulled himself out of the moment. Loosening his grip, he let go of her wrists.
Nyamu's eyes snapped wide. She had just steeled herself, and now... now he stopped?!
The disappointment hit like a slap.
Smack!
She furrowed her brows and grabbed Haru's wrist. Her wide pink eyes trembled slightly, her delicate brows knitted tight. Anyone could see her emotions were spiraling out of control.
"You, what do you mean by this?!"
"Are you… looking down on me?!"
"…Huh?"
Haru's mouth twitched. For a moment he had no idea how to respond.
If he held her down and scolded her, that wouldn't do. If he let her go and calmly got back to work, that wouldn't do either. What exactly would satisfy her? Did he need to pull a thirst trap or something?
"What do you mean, 'looking down on you'…? Stuff like that is what couples do, isn't it? Teasing is one thing, but how could I actually lay hands on you?"
"You…"
Nyamu stared, as if she'd just heard the most unbelievable thing.
She had just given him silent consent. A free pass to the "unspoken rule." Who would refuse that? On top of that, Nyamu's face was no less beautiful than Sakiko's, and her figure easily outshone every member of Ave Mujica.
Could Haruko-chan really be this pure?
"If you're done fooling around, let's start filming already. Otherwise, dinner will get pushed back who knows how long."
"…I like you."
Haru froze. Had he heard wrong?
But Nyamu only tightened her grip on his wrist, pressing his hand against her chest. He could feel the pounding rhythm of her heart through the softness there, and she glared at him with fierce eyes.
"Haruko-chan, do you really see me as that kind of shallow girl?"
"Sorry to disappoint! From the day I was born until now, I've never dated anyone, I'm a genuine virgin! The only reason I did all this… is because you actually managed to trick me into falling for you!"
Haru instinctively tried to pull his hand away. For a split second, Nyamu's eyes dimmed with loneliness, but they soon reignited with stubborn fire. With a huff, she sat back on the bed.
A stabbing pain throbbed in Haru's temples. He pressed a hand to his forehead, needing several seconds just to process.
"Wait… Nyamu, did you just say you like me?"
"…Did I not make myself clear enough?"
The seriousness in her eyes, mixed with hurt, made Haru draw in a sharp breath. He'd faced confessions before, but even now it took him time to find words.
"…Why do you like me?"
"…There's no particular reason. Stop asking so many pointless questions."
Crossing her arms, Nyamu huffed. She had no intention of taking her words back.
Geijutsu girls were always straightforward, and she was no exception. Once she recognized her feelings, she would never waste time dithering like some shy maiden.
If you like someone, you say it. End of story.
Haru slowly closed his eyes. Realizing her words held no deception, his own tone grew solemn. He placed the camera carefully on the small round table, then sat squarely across from her.
"First of all… I already have a girlfriend."
"…I figured. Honestly, how could you not?"
Nyamu didn't look shocked. She'd long sensed the complicated feelings among the other band members. Only now, much later, had she confirmed her own emotions. Of course, she was the latecomer.
But what did that matter?
"So, who's the woman you're dating?"
"Is it Mutsumi? Or Uika? My guess is one of them. Or maybe it's Umiri? With her straightforward personality, I wouldn't rule it out. But it's definitely not Sakiko~ With her type, she wouldn't even manage to snag a spot under the bed to eavesdrop."
That was savage.
Her jab was almost ninety percent accurate. If Sakiko actually heard it, she would probably sputter and sulk all the way home.
"…You're close enough."
"Oh? So which one is it?"
Nyamu smirked, suddenly more at ease. If it was Uika or Umiri, she might worry. But if it was Mutsumi or Sakiko, then she had plenty of confidence to compete.
"I'm dating all of them."
"Right, I figured as mu—HUH?!"
She froze in place.
Her expression was priceless. She had considered every possibility but never this one. Drawing in a sharp breath, she covered her burning face with her hands.
After a long silence, she asked again.
"…You're joking, right?"
But Haru only remained expressionless. His silence was an answer in itself.
At this point, he had no intention of hiding it. Of course he would admit it openly. But the weight of that truth crashed down on Nyamu far too heavily for her to process at once.
"S-so, Haruko-chan, you're two-timing? Or three-timing?!"
"To be precise, MyGO and the disbanded band too. They all know. They've all agreed. I plan to marry every one of them and take responsibility."
His candid voice, paired with calm eyes, made Nyamu feel like she was the odd one out.
The sheer scale of it left her reeling. More shocking than an entire year's worth of surprises crammed into a few lines of dialogue. Not only had he convinced more than ten girlfriends to accept this absurd 'harem,' he had even won the approval of their families.
Convincing families like Togawa's or Wakaba's? That was unimaginable.
"That's how it is. I'm nothing more than a scumbag."
"I'm grateful for your feelings, Nyamu-san, but you can see now… the real me doesn't match the person you thought I was. So…"
Before he could finish, Nyamu bit her lip hard and snapped back.
"So you're rejecting my confession?"
"This was the very first time in my life I told a boy I liked him, and you want to turn me down with an excuse like that?! There's no way I can accept that!"
"You already have more than one girlfriend, don't you? Then what's the problem with accepting one more?"
Haru blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected her personality to be this forceful.
"…Wait, Nyamu-san, are you saying..."
"It's just a harem. So what?"
"If Sakiko can accept it, why can't I?"