Chapter 103: Truly, the Best Kouhai

"Ah… that hurts…"

"Sorry, did I press too hard?"

"Mm… lighter… a little lighter…"

"Phew…"

After several minutes, Kanade Natsukawa finally let out a long breath, removing his hand from Utaha Kasumigaoka's delicate back.

"Senpai, you're too fragile. First, you say it hurts here, then there. I don't even know where to start anymore."

"Perhaps you were simply too rough, Kouhai-kun?" Utaha shot him a glance, her sharp eyes brimming with playful amusement as she adjusted her attire. The coy, bewitching expression on her face was almost lethal.

"But I can understand your eagerness," she teased, her voice dripping with faux sympathy. "Since it's your first time doing something like this, it's no wonder you were so eager to press your… everything against me."

"Could you please stop replacing the word 'hand' with something ambiguous?" Kanade retorted, exasperated. "Anyone listening in would think I've done something horrible to you!"

"Oh? It's just a hand. Who would even care about that?" Utaha chuckled softly, her slender fingers trailing upward to brush against her collarbone. "Unless… did you let your mind wander? Were you imagining something else?"

Kanade stiffened, her words striking uncomfortably close to home. His face flushed as her suggestive tone sent an involuntary wave of heat coursing through his body.

"All boys are like this, aren't they?" Utaha continued, a mischievous smirk spreading across her lips. "Always thinking indecent thoughts, no matter the time or place."

"…"

Kanade fell silent, unsure how to respond. It was true that humans—boys and girls alike—had their moments of unbidden thoughts, but did she have to single him out like this?

"Senpai, you're overthinking things. I'm just fulfilling your request as usual," Kanade replied, trying to brush off her accusations.

He had hoped their interactions might have grown more normal over time, but instead, they had veered even further into chaos. Utaha was now not only adept at teasing him with her words but also weaponized her presence with terrifying effectiveness.

"Don't bother hiding your feelings, Kouhai-kun," Utaha purred. "You're allowed to enjoy this, you know? I won't think any less of you for it."

"Stop emphasizing random words like that!" Kanade shot back, glaring at her. "And for the record, I'm not enjoying this. Standing there while you kept micromanaging every movement? It was exhausting."

He wasn't lying. Once he realized there was no intruder, his only focus had been Utaha's health. The reason he obeyed her every instruction without complaint was simple: she was a patient, and he couldn't in good conscience refuse her.

Still, seeing how lively she seemed now, he wondered if her illness had ever been as severe as he'd been led to believe.

"Are you feeling better now?" Kanade asked, tidying up the scattered clothing around the room. "By the way, have you told your parents about this?"

"No. I didn't want to worry them," Utaha replied, shaking her head.

"You could've told me instead. Being alone while sick—" Kanade began but hesitated as his thoughts drifted to the men's shoes he'd seen earlier. His voice faltered.

"You could've also asked your… your boyfriend to take care of you…"

Utaha's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me, Kouhai-kun. Do you think I'd date one of those mindless pigs? The kind who spend all day drooling over fantasies, believing they'll win over a girl's heart with nothing more than a half-hearted confession?"

Kanade flinched. Her words were sharp enough to wound.

"Honestly, I wouldn't let anyone but you touch even the hem of my clothing, let alone take care of me. Do I look like someone so frivolous to you?"

Kanade shrank back under her glare. "I didn't mean it like that…"

He couldn't help feeling attacked, though. He, too, had once confessed to someone, only to be rejected—a fact he preferred not to dwell on.

"The shoes in the entryway, then…"

"Oh, those?" Utaha paused for a moment, then smirked. "Don't tell me you didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"Those are decoys," she explained matter-of-factly. "A man's shoes in the doorway, shirts and boxers hanging on the balcony… It's all to create the illusion that a man lives here. Helps deter creeps and stalkers."

"…Really?" Kanade blinked. He'd never considered such measures before, but they made sense.

"Did you think I'd suddenly started dating someone, Kouhai-kun?" Utaha asked with a teasing grin. She crawled forward slightly, resting her hands on the bedframe as she leaned close to him.

"First, you're worried I'm in danger. Then you're worried I've gotten a boyfriend. Could it be… you care about me more than I thought?"

Her voice carried an uncharacteristically soft edge, and her playful taunts seemed to mask something deeper.

Kanade felt a pang of guilt as he looked at her. Beneath her teasing exterior, Utaha genuinely seemed to appreciate his concern.

"Alright, alright. Enough nonsense," Kanade said, keeping his expression neutral as he gently pushed her forehead away. "I was just curious what kind of person could win over someone as untouchable as Kasumigaoka-senpai. It's not what you think, so stop overanalyzing."

"…"

Utaha froze for a moment, then let out a quiet laugh.

This Kouhai-kun of mine… truly the best.