[Romani Oyama]
During class, I was getting a few glances from Issei Hyoudou.
Assuming the guy was still infatuated with me, I simply chose to ignore him.
I don't like hurting other people's feelings.
I'm a good person, and that is my greatest sin.
Resisting my urge to fall asleep on the desk, I managed to sit through the entire class... Taiga-sensei, why do you look so disappointed that you didn't get to smack me on the head?
With the bell ringing, I rose from my seat with a yawn, and instead of heading to the kendo club to spar a little with my teacher, I made my way to the school rooftop... I had something urgent to take care of.
By "urgent," I mean I was simply dying to devour the delicious cookies I had made.
Hungry, I moved my hand and pushed open the heavy metal door, stepping calmly onto the open rooftop bathed in sunlight.
Instantly, my gaze fell directly upon an adorable little girl sitting alone in front of one of the wooden benches.
The girl had a small, delicate frame, with immaculate white hair falling in two long, smooth bangs that cascaded gracefully past her slender shoulders, perfectly framing her expressionless face. Over her silky hair, she also wore decorative black cat-shaped clips on both sides of her head. In contrast to her white hair, she had beautiful, vibrant golden eyes that shone like precious gems.
Koneko Toujou!?
I couldn't help blinking repeatedly at the sight of my peerage companion sitting quietly on the bench, absorbed in her own little world.
Out of all the girls in the occult research club, Koneko was the one I had exchanged the fewest words with.
Not that it mattered much, given that she could beat me with a single punch, crushing my bones like dry twigs.
With that unsettling thought, an amused smile tugged at my lips as the extremely cute little girl ignored me completely, focused on her own modest snack.
Looks like we're just going to ignore each other, huh?
Shrugging, I walked over casually and settled comfortably onto the bench positioned across from the little white cat, keeping a respectful distance between us.
With my stomach growling, I carefully untied the knot of the fabric furoshiki and opened the bento lid, revealing rows of handmade cookies shaped like golden stars, dusted with crystallized sugar and giving off an aroma of chocolate.
Even if they looked a little too childishly whimsical for someone my age, my mouth literally filled with saliva.
Thank you, ⟨Alchemy⟩!
Offering a quick, sincere silent prayer of gratitude, I moved my eager hand and delicately picked up one of the perfectly baked heart-shaped cookies, bringing it to my expectant mouth...
Stare~~~
Feeling someone watching me with startling intensity, I raised my eyes only to find Koneko with her large golden eyes fixed hypnotically on my appetizing cookies.
Not just looking, either. Her small pink mouth was visibly salivating, a thin line of drool escaping involuntarily past her soft lips.
Her golden eyes were locked onto my cookies while her small, incredibly cute nose twitched delicately like that of a hungry kitten, appreciatively sniffing the sweet-scented air.
Upon suddenly realizing I was staring directly at her, she visibly flushed a little, a rosy tint spreading across her pale cheeks, and shyly lowered her eyes in embarrassment.
I couldn't honestly blame her completely, this adorable little devil girl, since these cookies were indisputably pure luxury.
But too bad, little one. These delicious cookies are exclusively mine.
As I deliberately bit into the crispy cookie, feeling its crumbly texture and sweet flavor exploding in my mouth, I felt a distinct pang of sadistically satisfying joy coursing pleasurably through my entire body upon watching the little devil cat dramatically widen her eyes with an evident mix of surprise, intense longing, and growing despair over the cookie.
She really seemed to desperately want the cookies.
Undeniable proof of this was a growing thread of drool escaping from the corner of her mouth, tracing a moist path over her pink lips.
Koneko-chan, I sincerely thank you for unintentionally feeding the darkness inside me.
Methodically eating the cookies, I blinked, slightly horrified at my own personality, which was honestly a little sadistic.
Even with this unsettling discovery about myself, I continued eating cookies provocatively in front of the visibly hungry little girl.
Every time I deliberately reached for a new perfectly baked cookie and theatrically raised it to my mouth with exaggerated movements, her golden eyes widened even more dramatically, her pupils visibly dilating.
She really did have tremendous willpower, didn't she? I continued calmly eating my cookies.
Meanwhile, the adorable little white girl stared intensely with her expressive, pleading golden eyes at the cookie box sitting comfortably in my lap, swallowing audibly and nervously. At this critical juncture, her own modest, bland snack probably seemed utterly tasteless and uninteresting compared directly to my feast of luxury.
I could clearly see her resolve visibly wavering with every deliberately loud, crunchy bite I took provocatively from my handmade cookies. Her small, delicate body was unconsciously and involuntarily drifting closer and closer to mine, centimeter by centimeter, as though drawn by an invisible magnet.
And as the visible number of cookies in my box progressively dwindled, she began noticeably growing more agitated and anxious, restless in her seat, shooting me increasingly frequent, absolutely irresistible beggar-cat glances, even flinching defensively whenever I deliberately reached for another tempting cookie.
With every crunchy bite accompanied by chewing sounds, our little Koneko drew progressively closer, practically sitting glued to my side. Her body pressed lightly against mine like a moth drawn to a flame.
Perhaps due to my ⟨Euphony Constitution⟩ curse, her natural defenses were gradually dissolving imperceptibly, even to her, who possessed sharp supernatural instincts.
Koneko raised her small, pale hand, sliding her slender fingers across her pink lips to carefully wipe away the drool escaping in silver threads.
With an adorable pout forming on her moist lips, she reluctantly returned to eating her own bland bento, but her golden eyes remained fixed on my cookies, following every movement I made.
When I deliberately extended my hand to grab another cookie, I noticed Koneko inching even closer, her body tense with anticipation, alternating an intensely pleading look between me and the rapidly dwindling cookie box.
Having provoked her satisfactorily enough, I finally turned to her with a kind smile, breaking the pact of silence between us:
"Do you want something, Koneko-chan?"
Torturing creatures this adorable was far too challenging for my soft heart... My heart is far too kind for this cruel, merciless world.
"..."
She stared at me silently with her expressionless golden eyes. But the moment I made a move to grab another cookie, she quickly parted her pink lips.
"Can I... have one?" she asked in her characteristically monotone voice, timidly pointing a finger toward the box in my lap.
"I don't mind sharing." I tapped my finger on the box, flashing an amused smile at the little nekomata. "However, nothing in this world is free." Though I do owe you for carrying me to the theater. I'll set that part aside for now.
"Want to make a trade?" She lifted her rice bento, already half-eaten, offering it with both hands.
"No, thank you for the generous offer." At my straightforward reply, Koneko visibly furrowed her delicate brow, forming an utterly irresistible pout.
It was impossible not to find this little girl utterly charming. Even a blind person couldn't resist her cuteness, and my instinct in that moment was to squeeze her marshmallow-soft cheeks.
"Counter-proposal!" I raised my index finger dramatically to capture her attention. "These handmade cookies took a fair amount of effort to make. They certainly won't be handed over for free so easily."
Koneko drew back cautiously, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. She furrowed her white, arched brows and crossed her delicate arms over her chest, adopting a visibly defensive posture, her eyes fixed on me in a deeply distrustful stare.
Hey!? I'm not that kind of person! The worst part was that I honestly couldn't blame her for the distrust.
In a school where more than half the boys are notorious perverts, certain precautions are entirely understandable and justified.
"It's absolutely nothing like what you're imagining." I'll admit to being naturally a little perverted, but definitely not to that deplorable extent. "I'll let you keep the entire box of cookies if you let me pat your head a little... don't you think that's perfectly reasonable?"
Koneko thoughtfully brought her small, delicate hand to her chin, pondering whether the negotiation was truly worth it. To speed up her decision, I lowered my hand threateningly, making a move to grab another cookie.
The silver-haired girl grabbed my wrist with supernatural speed, immobilizing my arm in mid-air with surprising strength.
I swallowed nervously, suddenly remembering that this apparently fragile girl, two years younger than me, could easily snap my wrist like a dry twig without even trying.
"I... accept the deal... pervert." Her normally stoic expression was faintly tinged with irritation.
Ignoring the offensive accusation, I carefully handed over the cookie box, which instantly seemed to visibly brighten her mood. More animated, Koneko folded her legs into a comfortable position and began devouring the cookies with delicate little bites, letting out small, unconscious murmurs of absolute satisfaction.
Watching her enjoy every bite, I carefully brought my hand close and stroked her silky hair.
The moment my fingers touched the incredibly soft strands, her golden eyes turned briefly toward me with a flash of surprise before returning to the cookies, as though my existence were secondary and irrelevant compared to them.
I didn't mind the indifference. In that precious moment, I had something considerably more important to appreciate. All I could think about was how her hair was the softest thing I had ever touched.
I couldn't help but remain immersed in a kind of nirvana, my fingers stroking her silver-white hair in a way that was nearly addictive for me and, judging by her gradually relaxing expression and half-closed eyes, an equally pleasant experience for her as well.
With each gentle pat on Koneko's head, she seemed progressively more at ease and relaxed with my presence, subtly leaning toward my hand.
While I savored every second, the next instant, the shrill bell announced the end of the break.
Releasing a disappointed sigh, I reluctantly withdrew my hand from her white hair, but in that same second, Koneko instinctively tilted her head seeking my touch before quickly composing herself with an adorable faint blush tinting her pale cheeks.
Cute~!
Without saying a single word, I slowly rose from the bench. Then I suddenly remembered the bento box. Turning toward Koneko, I found the box completely empty, without a single crumb remaining, and a nekomata wearing a visibly melancholic expression, as though she had lost something precious.
"Next time I'll bring more delicious cookies." Upon hearing my words, her golden eyes instantly lit up with joy.
Even though those cookies were utterly delicious and I had wanted to eat them all myself, I think it's absolutely worth the sacrifice if I get to play a little with this adorable little cat.
With that thought, I bent down to pick up the empty box. But as I made that simple movement, something unexpected and entirely unplanned captured my complete attention: Koneko had carelessly left her skirt bunched up as she sat, and the angle offered a rather candid view of her white underwear. I couldn't help letting my gaze linger on her immaculate white panties, which clung perfectly to her pale skin like a second skin, tracing every delicate curve of her petite frame. The fine fabric, gently stretched by her carefree pose, softly outlined the tender contours of her most intimate place while magnificently accentuating the velvety smoothness of her pearly thighs. She had not adjusted her panties, leaving the crotch nestled firmly between her lips.
Silently thanking whatever stars aligned for that unplanned glimpse, I turned to leave, but not before gently handing her a small additional box of sweets I had bought for later.
Upon noticing the unexpected gift, her golden eyes sparkled once more with joy and gratitude.
"Don't look so sad." I extended the treat with a gentle gesture. "It's just a small sincere thank-you for the... special service." I directed a meaningful glance toward her bunched-up skirt.
Following my gaze, she looked down in confusion, only to suddenly realize with horror that her skirt was riding up, carelessly exposing her white underwear. With an embarrassed grimace, she quickly closed her legs as an intense blush stained her pale cheeks.
"Shameless pervert..." Even with an embarrassed and adorable pout, she still extended her small, delicate hand to accept the offered sweets. "But... thank you for the gift." She discretely adjusted her skirt and cast me a curious, intrigued look. "You really do smell nice."
"Huh!? Thanks." I raised my hand to scratch my cheek. That was the second time she had said that. Does it mean something? Deciding to set that aside for now, I calmly exited the rooftop, carefully storing a certain precious visual memory in my head as a satisfied smile involuntarily tugged at my lips.
Author's Note: Romani likes to tease others a little, especially cats. Koneko is starting to become more aware of our boy Romani. And Koneko is quite cute; she's definitely one of the best girls.