Sometimes, Kaoru Mitoma couldn't help but wonder if women were equipped with some kind of radar.
Now, sitting face-to-face with her, he noticed the faint smile floating on her lips.
Her crutch leaned against the seat beside her, and the gentle rise of her chest beneath the white short-sleeved shirt looked soft and delicate, like a small, rolling hill.
Even though she wasn't doing anything, it stirred a protective instinct in him—yet at the same time, her composed demeanor made him want to disrupt that calm, to see her flustered and desperate, to shatter her poise.
Kaoru lifted his paper cup.
The set meal he'd ordered included juice, and as he took a sip, the sweet-and-sour taste lingered on his tongue, carrying a hint of summer's fading coolness.
"Though I haven't witnessed your conflicts firsthand, Nagumo-senpai seems to harbor a lot of hostility toward you. And right now, the second years appear to be in chaos for some reason."
Sakayanagi sat with perfect posture.
Even in the student cafeteria, she carried herself as if they were sharing a candlelit dinner—despite it being broad daylight with no candles in sight.
Still, her athletic wear was a far cry from her usual school uniform.
Normally, she carried herself like a little princess, exuding an air of effortless superiority.
But now, she seemed cuter and more fragile.
The thin short-sleeved shirt subtly revealed her figure, the sleeves exposing her pale arms.
Perhaps it was this very detail that made Kaoru glance at her a little longer than necessary.
"Mitoma-kun, you don't actually think the first year is already settled, do you?" Her gaze sharpened, clearly displeased, as if she felt slighted by his dismissive attitude.
"I don't underestimate you, but we'll inevitably face off against the second-years sooner or later," Kaoru said.
"Take today's sports festival as an example—I don't think it's an isolated incident. In the future, we might become teammates or enemies with upperclassmen."
"So, you're betting on Class 2-B?" Sakayanagi Arisu asked with mild curiosity. "Normally, most people would choose Nagumo-senpai, wouldn't they? He's already taken control of his entire year and is practically guaranteed to be the next student council president. I've also heard he has a substantial amount of Personal Points. Why did you pick Kiriyama instead?"
"How much do you know about Nagumo-senpai?" Kaoru inquired.
"Rumor has it he used to be quite the troublemaker—a pervert just like you," Sakayanagi blinked playfully.
"Though it seems he's cleaned up his act recently."
"Whether he's reformed or not, that alone makes peaceful coexistence impossible. What if he takes a liking to you?" Kaoru said with utmost seriousness.
Sakayanagi smirked teasingly.
"Are you admitting you're a lolicon now?"
"Rather than questioning whether I'm a lolicon, perhaps you should reflect on why you're so petite." Kaoru had always found it perplexing—while it was true that lolicons liked lolis, shouldn't lolis occasionally ponder why they were lolis in the first place?
Sakayanagi froze momentarily before flushing with irritation.
She was developing, thank you very much!
"How rude. Take that back immediately."
"If I'm already a lolicon, can't I at least say it?"
"Heh, this is exactly what I dislike about you. Whenever you want to avoid a topic, you either dodge it or divert attention."
"I don't want another lolicon taking an interest in you."
"Enough. This joke has gone too far."
Sakayanagi was genuinely annoyed now.
She'd only been teasing, yet he kept throwing the word "loli" around as if she were some tiny child.
"Angry?" Kaoru asked. "If you're displeased, you can step on me."
Sakayanagi found herself torn between irritation and amusement.
Clearly, nothing was more shameless than a pervert doubling down—his skin was far too thick.
"Heheh, is that what Mitoma-kun wants? For me to step on you?"
As she spoke, the girl extended her leg, lightly raising her toes to hook around Kaoru's calf in an unseen spot, like a kitten rubbing against its owner.
"That expression is disgusting—it makes me want to crush you like a bug," Sakayanagi's lips curled slightly.
"But Mitoma-kun hasn't earned the privilege of receiving such a rewa—Eek!"
Her words cut off abruptly as a strange sound escaped her lips.
Her entire body shuddered violently!
Then, with a soft clack, her shoe fell to the floor.
Kaoru had firmly grasped the mischievous feet beneath the table—the smooth, delicate ankle and bonelessly soft toes.
A single light scratch was enough to send the girl opposite him trembling uncontrollably.
"L-Let go...!"
Flushing crimson, Sakayanagi glared at him, regret washing over her.
She'd gotten too carried away, completely forgetting he'd never submit obediently.
This guy would never hold back!
Until now, it had always been her teasing him while he endured silently, gritting his teeth in helpless frustration, never daring to retaliate with such outrageous behavior.
Therefore, Sakayanagi Arisu once again instinctively teased Kaoru, never expecting that he would straightforwardly grab her little foot—just like how he had actually licked her feet right in front of her before, leaving her stunned for a long time.
"I'm a bit curious. Your legs… is it because of your heart condition that it affects your nerves?" Kaoru only felt that the sole in his hand was excessively warm and soft.
"But judging by your expression, it doesn't seem like a nerve issue."
As if testing Sakayanagi's reaction, he occasionally tickled the sole of her foot, causing her to tremble violently, her face flushed red as she desperately bit her lip, letting out a sweet sound from her nose.
However, considering Sakayanagi's condition, Kaoru soon stopped.
"T-The biggest issue with congenital heart disease is insufficient blood supply. The feet are the farthest from the heart…" Sakayanagi panted. "Though I still have sensation, I can't walk or run like a normal person, or else I'll fall. You could say it's underdeveloped."
Kaoru looked at the feet in his hand—pale with a hint of pink, like a delicious mangosteen, incredibly beautiful.
"Stop looking… If you keep playing around, I'll get angry." Sakayanagi lightly bit her lower lip, her eyes shimmering faintly as she stared straight at him.
Kaoru silently helped her put her shoes back on.
Once she withdrew her leg, he said, "One day, I'll have these little feet step on me."
Sakayanagi nearly thought she'd misheard him.
That serious expression, those cool-sounding words—how dare he say something so perverted with such confidence?
"You hopeless foot fetishist are beyond saving."
"Other than licking your feet, what else have I done?"
"Hehehe, please don't say things like that during mealtime."
In the end, under the threat of Sakayanagi's cane, Kaoru wisely refrained from bringing up the topic of foot fetishes again.
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