Chapter 34: Awkwardness and Warmth

When the alarm rang, Shiina Mahiru woke with dark circles under her eyes, shadows of a sleepless night filled with swirling thoughts. Breakfast today was still being prepared by Sayu Ogiwara, and Shiina Mahiru quickly rushed to help, trying to distract herself from her inner turmoil.

Sayu Ogiwara looked at the dark circles under Mahiru's eyes and couldn't help but cover her mouth, suppressing a laugh. "Why, couldn't sleep?" she teased.

"Yeah, how could I sleep after hearing something like that?" Shiina Mahiru glared at the culprit, Sayu, in annoyance, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Sayu Ogiwara winked mischievously at her. "So, have you thought about it carefully?"

"I refuse!" Shiina Mahiru replied firmly, though there was a hint of panic in her tone. "Even if I've never dated a guy, there's no way I could choose someone who already has a girlfriend."

"But Renji Kamisaka doesn't have a girlfriend," Sayu calmly countered.

"You don't count?!" Shiina Mahiru's eyes widened in disbelief. You all spent the night together, and even Misaki Kamiigusa-senpai has to be included in the list. Is this not considered having a girlfriend?

"Not really," Sayu Ogiwara answered confidently, a faint smile on her lips. "I was trying to repay a favor and make Renji Kamisaka happy, but it was purely an accident, and we haven't confirmed our relationship."

"This... this won't work!" Shiina Mahiru didn't know what to say. After all, she wasn't planning on dating Renji Kamisaka.

"Alright. Then I'll see when he catches you," Sayu Ogiwara shrugged indifferently, as if it were a foregone conclusion.

"I already know so many things, why would he still pursue me?" Shiina Mahiru said this was impossible, her tone resigned yet stubborn. She would not date a man who already had two girlfriends.

Sayu Ogiwara didn't say much, just looked at her with a smile and continued making breakfast. If Shiina Mahiru really started to hate Renji Kamisaka because of my words, shouldn't she move out as soon as possible? To avoid getting entangled with a scoundrel like him, it's best to stay away from him as soon as possible. However, Shiina Mahiru only planned to pretend she hadn't heard anything. Deceiving herself was a good start. She had accepted Renji Kamisaka's current form and would continue to live here and interact with him. After being together for so long, Sayu Ogiwara didn't believe that Shiina Mahiru wouldn't be moved.

"Hey, Shiina-san, Sayu, good morning."

With two people in a complicated mood, the one who caused all this appeared with a bright smile on his face, as if carrying no burdens.

"Morning," Shiina Mahiru replied softly, her eyes unconsciously glancing at Renji's lower body, her cheeks instantly flushing, and she quickly averted her gaze. She remembered back to their first meeting, she had said that if Renji dared to attack her, she would use physical means to ensure he couldn't get up again. As a result, he didn't do anything when he hugged her tightly yesterday...

"Good morning, Renji-kun, today's a love breakfast for me and Shiina-san," Sayu said cheerfully, as if challenging her.

"It's not a loving breakfast!" Shiina Mahiru tried to refute, her voice rising slightly. But her small, rosy face only made the girl even more adorable in Renji's eyes.

Renji Kamisaka smiled and nodded, "I'll look forward to it."

During breakfast, Shiina Mahiru tried her best not to look at Renji Kamisaka, focusing on her bowl. Meanwhile, Sayu Ogiwara gazed gently at the boy, occasionally glancing at the restless Shiina Mahiru. She had expressed her thoughts clearly yesterday, conveying to Shiina Mahiru her feeling that she couldn't live without Renji Kamisaka.

This way, even if Shiina Mahiru really starts dating Renji Kamisaka in the future, I don't have to leave, Sayu thought. Because she could see that Shiina Mahiru was also a kind-hearted girl. Shiina Mahiru wouldn't do something like making her leave Renji Kamisaka. This could be considered Sayu's small thought, doing her best to create conditions for herself to continue being with Renji Kamisaka. Of course, she was serious about what she told Shiina Mahiru. After all, my boyfriend is so amazing. She likes him very much and doesn't want to see him feel bad. So, even though she felt hurt and jealous, she still hoped to have more sisters.

And what she said was true. She and Renji Kamisaka had a mutually dependent relationship. Renji Kamisaka pampered her, and she was happy. But she hadn't confirmed her relationship with Renji Kamisaka, nor had Misaki Kamiigusa confirmed hers. This was in a state of tacit understanding.

"Alright, let's head out then."

After breakfast, and with the lunch bento ready, Renji Kamisaka greeted Sayu Ogiwara.

"Alright, have a good day. If you're not joining a club, please come back early." Sayu replied.

"Good," Renji Kamisaka smiled and nodded, then left Sakurasou with Shiina Mahiru.

Walking down the street, they hadn't met Sumireko Sanshokuin yet. So Renji naturally spoke to Shiina Mahiru.

"Shiina-san, something happened that day, right?" he asked, his voice soft.

"Eh... yeah," Shiina Mahiru didn't dare to look at him, just nodded listlessly, her cheeks still holding a faint blush.

Renji Kamisaka smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'm not so indiscreet as to ask about something a girl doesn't want to talk about. I just wanted to complain." He looked up at the sky. "Shiina-san, please take care of yourself." He turned to look at Mahiru, his eyes showing genuine concern. "Next time, don't go out alone in the rain. You know, I'm a bad role model. I caught a cold right away." He chuckled softly. "I don't know what happened with you, but if you need help, I'd be happy to offer it." Renji raised a hand, as if to interject Mahiru's thoughts. "Ah, of course. I'm not saying this to hit on you or bother you. I mean, as the owner of Sakurasou, I have a responsibility and obligation to care for my tenants."

When Shiina Mahiru heard this, she looked up at him, seeing Renji Kamisaka trying hard to explain himself, and couldn't help but smile faintly. "I see. Thank you."

But she couldn't help but complain in her heart. He's also using himself as an example to educate me. Aren't you the stupid one who insisted on giving me the umbrella and ended up getting rained on instead? That's what he said. He also knew that if he hadn't done this, she wouldn't have returned easily that day. I would have continued to give up on myself and get stuck in the rain. This man used his own way to force her to return to Sakurasou immediately. That was truly thoughtful.

She seemed to understand why Sayu Ogiwara liked Renji Kamisaka so much. This feeling of being cared for and meticulously looked after truly made people feel warm from the bottom of their hearts. However, even if she was a little touched, it was impossible for her to share a boyfriend with another girl. Thinking of that, she remembered the feeling of being hugged yesterday, which made her blush and her heart pound. She unconsciously quickened her pace, a little afraid to face him.

Seeing that she had taken his words to heart, Renji Kamisaka said nothing more and simply sat there as a background figure. Watching her quicken her pace, he also sped up, walking alongside Shiina Mahiru, towards the tram stop.

You can't rush matters of the heart, Renji Kamisaka thought. He had actually overheard what Sayu Ogiwara and Shiina Mahiru said to each other last night. Revealing the fact that he already had two girls and was a scoundrel would subconsciously make Shiina Mahiru distance herself from him for a while. But the advantage was being open and honest. Even if she knew he already had two girls, he would still ultimately win over Shiina Mahiru. Then this feeling must be very precious and lasting.

Cheating is the worst tactic. Didn't someone like Jin Mitaka fail once? All the married women and older women ran away. There was also the famous "Brother Cheng," why did he have such a cruel ending? Precisely because he played with several women at the same time, broke promises, and flirted with this woman and that, he became a scoundrel. Renji Kamisaka admitted that he was also a scoundrel. Wanting to start a harem. Isn't that just trash? But he had the Game Life System and was confident that he could bring happiness to the girls he liked. So he would continue to be a scoundrel boldly and openly.