Truthfully, Amikura Mako wasn't sure how far she could accept things.
Kissing and hugging were understandable, but something like licking feet? That was way too embarrassing.
So when Kaoru took her small hand and led her behind another shelf, her heart raced uncontrollably, and a faint blush colored her cheeks.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
Mako kept her voice low.
This was a crowded mall—she couldn't possibly do something bad here, could she?
"I feel like Mako is hiding something from me."
Kaoru had noticed early on that Mako and Ichinose were plotting something, though he couldn't quite grasp their intentions.
"But I should be honest with you too—though you probably already know—Honami isn't my only girlfriend. There's also Kikyo from Class D, and even some upperclassmen."
Mako froze for a moment before forcing out a weak "Mm," her disappointment barely concealed.
"How many girlfriends you have has nothing to do with me. We're just friends," the girl insisted, even as Mitoma continued holding her hand.
"And I'm not keeping anything from you, so don't worry."
Kaoru gently stroked her small hand, causing her to snap back to reality and hurriedly pull away, her face flushing red.
"But like I said before, I have my own ambitions when it comes to you, Mako. Just being friends isn't enough for me."
For a brief moment, Mako held her breath, a light, floating sensation enveloping her.
Even though she knew she shouldn't show any reaction, her heart couldn't help but leap.
The warmth spread across her chest, where a restless little rabbit seemed to be hiding.
"W-who cares what you think?" She narrowed her eyes, masking the flicker of emotion within them, though her lips curled slightly despite herself.
"I already told you—someone as unfaithful as you could never win me over. It's already too much that I'm willing to be friends with you."
Kaoru studied her for a moment, Tachibana Akane's face surfacing in his mind.
Maybe those who could accept him were the real outliers.
"Hey, you'd better not be thinking of doing anything shady."
Misinterpreting his silence, the girl fidgeted awkwardly.
"That kiss last time... didn't mean anything. And Honami doesn't know about it either."
Her tone was almost comically unconvincing, betraying her bravado.
No girl would kiss a boy for no reason at all.
Kaoru, of course, understood this perfectly.
After a brief pause, he said, "Alright. But since we're friends, can I ask you for a favor?"
"Sure! What is it?" Amikura Mako nodded cheerfully.
Though she had initially been bitter about the whole girlfriend situation, she had gradually come to terms with it—after all, he had so many already.
One more or less wouldn't make a difference. There was no need for her to force her way in.
Therefore, Amikura Mako's current state of mind was that being friends was quite nice, with the occasional opportunity for some sneaky affection.
"Before we continue, Mako, from now on, could you call me by my first name?"
Kaoru said, "Even as friends, we shouldn't be addressing each other by surnames, right?"
Mako's happiness froze.
She stared at Kaoru in bewilderment, her gaze instinctively darting away, but there was nowhere to hide in this space.
She had no choice but to face one of life's major turning points—no less significant than the moment she first realized she might have feelings for this guy.
"Did I make you uncomfortable?"
"N-no, just give me a moment... I... I forgot your name for a second... No, no, I mean, I can do it right away!"
Under Kaoru's gaze, the girl's face flushed crimson.
After struggling for a long while, she finally uttered an extremely faint name.
"I didn't quite catch that."
"K... Kaoru..."
"What?"
"Kaoru... Kaoru-kun."
"What did you call me?"
"..."
Unable to withstand his teasing, Mako lowered her burning red face, seemingly ready to bolt.
Fortunately, he swiftly blocked her escape route.
"Ahem, alright, Mako, let's get to the main topic now."
Watching Kaoru casually block her path without a care, Mako muttered "mean" under her breath, though her eyes remained fixed on him, waiting for him to continue.
The next moment, Kaoru spoke up.
"Mako, you called me a pervert earlier, and I admit it. Part of the reason I'm interested in you is because you're cute and pretty, so I can't possibly suppress those desires."
Mako was furious.
Was he saying he only liked her because of lust?
But, considering he had called her cute, she decided to let it slide—for now.
"And then?"
The girl tried her best to keep a straight face.
"I won't be able to keep my hands off you."
After saying this, Kaoru braced himself for the worst.
Just as he expected, Mako froze for a long moment before making an expression of utter disgust.
"Pervert."
Hearing such an evaluation from a beautiful girl no longer fazed Kaoru in the slightest.
He continued calmly, "Is it really that hard for you to accept, Mako?"
"Of course it is! Isn't that obvious?"
Every time she faced him, Amikura Mako felt like she had gotten angry countless times.
"That kind of talk is way too flippant. Girls aren't your personal property—can't there be even a little bit of love, not just desire?"
Unlike boys, girls don't have such simple, crude physical desires.
Because there are so many potential partners who could satisfy them, most girls hope that the other person can fulfill their emotional needs before their physical ones.
In other words, Mako didn't see herself as Kaoru's personal property, nor would she ever accept a purely physical relationship between them.
"I understand. The problem has always been mine."
Kaoru let out a sigh of relief.
He suddenly realized that whenever he faced these girls, he always approached them with utilitarian motives.
Either to fulfill some wish or to satisfy his own selfish desires. They weren't idiots—they could naturally sense his intentions.
That's why, back then, he had been too direct, leaving Tachibana Akane no room to consider things.
Next, Kaoru froze for a long moment.
He glanced at Mako, then thought of Kushida and Horikita Suzune, his emotions tangled in complexity.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Amikura Mako assumed she had convinced him, feeling a mix of pride and lingering concern.
"Actually... you don't have to feel bad. Even if it's just... just simple desire, you still have Honami, right?"
She struggled to voice it.
Even if Ichinose Honami had confessed to her about their misdeeds, the imagery was still unimaginable to her.
"Honami is Honami. There are some things about you, Mako, that are different from her."
Kaoru exhaled deeply. "Like when I see your ponytail, I want to touch it. Or when I held your hand just now—I didn't want to let go at all. No matter what you think, the moment I see you, I want to be close to you."
He admitted to harboring utilitarian thoughts about these girls.
The reason Ichinose Honami's words had resonated with him was because he, too, had selfish desires—the darker side of a man's instinct to possess beautiful girls.
Now that their relationships had become this entangled, was Kaoru really going to abandon his own feelings?
Just because he had started with ulterior motives, did that mean this connection had to end here?
Kaoru had no intention of giving up.
Nor did he plan to deny his own pragmatism.
"To you, Mako, this might seem like lust. But seeing you by my side makes me happy."
As Kaoru spoke, Mako's lips parted slightly, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Her heartbeat raced wildly. In this situation... he dared to confess a second time?
No, no—this wasn't a confession.
Her thoughts were in complete disarray, unable to process what Kaoru was trying to do.
Even if she could think clearly, Kaoru would shatter her composure anyway.
Because a pair of arms wrapped around Mako, pulling her effortlessly into his embrace with masculine strength.
Then, wide-eyed, she watched as he leaned in and kissed her.
Lips met lips—a soft, fleeting kiss, carrying an unimaginable warmth that left her mind blank, buzzing.
"That was a Friendship Kiss, Mako."
Kaoru's voice was low. "And this is a Friendship Hug. Even if someone questions it, I'd dare say this is a friendship that belongs only to us."
Mako didn't hear a word he said.
All she could think about was the lingering sensation. Had her first kiss just been stolen so easily?
A faint frustration rose in her chest, quickly replaced by an inexplicable joy.
Maybe... this wasn't so bad after all.
"Still, I'm not trying to paint myself as righteous. You can keep thinking of me as a pervert."
Kaoru held the girl quietly in his arms.
Her school uniform revealed little skin, the thick blazer and shirt obscuring her figure.
Only when pressed against her could he feel the faint rise and fall of her chest, teasing his instincts with every subtle movement.
She tilted her head slightly, cheeks flushed, lips parted as warm breaths escaped.
A strange light flickered in her eyes, her legs rubbing together unconsciously, her waist twisting ever so slightly. Her breathing seemed to grow quicker.
"You... you kissed me?" Mako stammered, her words faltering.
Kaoru froze for a long moment.
After all he had said, the girl was still stuck at the beginning?
"Yes, I kissed you, and I'll kiss you a second time, a third time, a fourth time… until our friendship lasts forever."
Though it was clearly nonsense, Mako felt as if he had outright confessed to her, her face burning red.
"No more kissing!"
Mako waved her fists, trying to intimidate Kaoru with a fierce glare while struggling to break free from his embrace.
Kaoru had initially paid no mind, but the little rabbit couldn't stay hidden for long—her constant squirming in his arms, the irresistible softness and bounce—made him hold on a little longer.
Mako didn't realize any of this.
The moment Kaoru released her, she hastily took a few steps back, her face flushed, her heart pounding.
Just the thought of Ichinose being nearby made her feel like she was doing something bad behind her best friend's back.
"Let's keep doing bad things next time," Kaoru said. "Of course, these are friendly bad things. Mako should definitely keep them a secret from Honami."
Mako's eyes widened.
Oh no, she thought.
'He really figured out what's going on between me and Honami.'
"I… I won't…"
She had meant to refuse, but under Kaoru's gaze and the memory of that first kiss, the words died in her throat.
"You… already know?" Mako whispered.
Kaoru shook his head lightly. "I don't know what you two are planning, but I think I'm starting to understand."
Mako studied him for a moment, her fingers brushing against her lips, before a strange light flickered in her eyes.
She reached out with her right hand, grasping his sleeve, and stared straight at him.
"I'm not like Honami. I don't know if I've ever liked you, but I don't want to pretend anymore."
Her fingers tightened around his sleeve. "I don't mind you doing bad things to me—just one condition. You can't love me more than you love Honami, and you can't let me lose to the others."
After saying this, Mako felt her entire face burn as if on fire.
But since he had already guessed, there was no point in forcing herself to keep up the act.
Better to lay her feelings bare—after all, a first kiss wasn't something you could return.
He could take responsibility—but not full responsibility.
Because that would only weigh Mako down with unbearable pressure.