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"Onii-chan, please let me go, Don't bully me anymore," she whined, her eyes welling up as she tried to use her cuteness to sway me.

I remained completely unmoved, giving her a stern look.

"Kiss me. Now. Or I'll eat you right here!"

Finally, a cry of defeat escaped her. To avoid being discovered, she could only wrap her arms limply around my neck, part her small lips, and press them against mine.

Heh...

I wrapped an arm around her slender waist, pulling her tight against me.

Instantly, the tables turned. I took the lead, my movements instinctively greedy as I deepened the kiss. Kotori's face was so red she could barely breathe.

I wasn't sure if it was because she was always eating lollipops or if it was just her natural scent, but a wave of sweetness washed over my senses.

Kotori, on the other hand, just felt her head spin, her arms reflexively tightening around my neck.

————

A short while later, Kurumi, Tohka, and the others came back downstairs.

"We searched the entire second floor, but there's nothing suspicious," Kaguya reported.

"Same here," Tohka added. "Yoshino and I even checked the roof."

"That's weird," Yuzuru said. "Kyoya, where's Kotori?"

Hearing the commotion, Kotori emerged from the bathroom, a faint blush still coloring her cheeks.

"I, uh, I just checked the bathroom. Nothing suspicious in there, either."

"Oh, okay. But your face is really red, Kotori," Tohka pointed out.

"Uh... it's probably just hot in here."

Kotori breathed a sigh of relief, having successfully fooled Tohka.

From the corner of my eye, however, I saw Kurumi on the sofa, shooting a subtle, knowing glance between me and the still-flushed Kotori. 'She doesn't really think I'm deaf, does she? I was on the second floor. From that distance, I heard everything.'

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After lunch, everyone prepared to resume the search for Natsumi.

At the same time, Kotori and Reine had to return to the Fraxinus for their duties. After regrouping, I decided to pair up with Princess Tohka.

I slid my arm around Tohka's soft, slender waist and, with a gentle tug, pulled her entire body into my arms. My fingers traced a light path over her waist, like a feather, sending a pleasant shiver through her.

Instantly, Tohka's mind went blank. Her limbs went limp as she melted against me.

She looked up, her face flushed, a hint of nervousness in her eyes.

"Um... Kyoya, aren't we looking for Natsumi?"

"No need."

A smirk played on my lips, my tone laced with meaning.

"I think I've already found her."

"Y-You found her!?"

Hearing that, the girl in my arms' heart began to hammer against her chest.

Just then, my expression turned serious. "Forget Natsumi for a second. I just remembered something important."

"Eh? What is it?" Tohka blinked curiously.

"Tohka, you barely ate anything for lunch today. Are you feeling sick?" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel✶fire.net

As I spoke, I gently pressed my forehead against hers, checking her temperature.

"Th-That's... I might have had a little trouble sleeping last night, so my appetite isn't great."

Her eyelashes fluttered, a blush rising on her cheeks as she shyly averted her gaze.

"Trouble sleeping? Well, at least it's not a fever, but you still need to rest properly," I said, my face full of concern.

'Yep. The tone, the feeling—it's all wrong. Tohka's been switched. I have to hand it to Natsumi, she's good.'

'But... this is basically a home delivery.'

"Hey, Tohka. Since everyone else is out, how about we share a long-overdue kiss? It's been a while, hasn't it?"

I tilted her chin up with my finger, a wide grin on my face.

"!!!"

I saw a muscle in 'Tohka's' eye twitch. She looked like she was in physical pain. I could practically hear her screaming in her head: Pervert! A total pervert!

But I knew she could see that all the girls, including the real Tohka, were in love with me. Kissing was probably a common occurrence. If she refused now, it would blow her cover.

I could see the frantic struggle in her eyes. She wouldn't allow that to happen.

"I... I understand," Natsumi finally conceded, her expression one of tragic defeat. 'What a disaster! First day and I run into a pervert who's about to steal my first...'

I didn't waste any more time. With a flash of a smirk, I leaned in.

As my face rapidly filled her vision and my warm breath washed over her, Natsumi's cheeks turned crimson. She squeezed her eyes shut. 'I just have to endure this. Once tomorrow morning comes and he still hasn't found me, I'll get my revenge... Yes, that's right. Just like that.'

She held her breath, waiting for the inevitable.

The next moment, my lips met hers.

A faint, sweet scent of milk filled the air between us.

————

It seemed a certain Spirit had enjoyed a lot of it with her strawberry daifuku for lunch. That, mixed with the sweetness of the dessert, created a combination that made me want to take more.

Instinctively, I reached down and gave her foot a playful tickle.

"Ngh..."

A muffled sound escaped her, her body trembling with laughter.

Just as I expected her to stop me, I was surprised to find she made no move to resist. Her eyes remained squeezed shut, the entire situation suspended in a strange, silent tension. It was as if she were completely oblivious to what I was doing.

Her face, however, told a different story. The deep crimson blush that spread across her cheeks completely betrayed the panic raging within her.

'What am I doing??' she was surely thinking.

By the time she snapped out of her daze, her first kiss was already gone—stolen by a guy she had known for less than two days. She stared at me, her mind a total blank.

I watched her, a storm of emotions crossing her face even with her eyes closed. I could almost hear the gears turning in her head... a frantic rationalization to endure this for the sake of her little game.

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