Rui Kuroki came back after the other four had already left, claiming she’d forgotten something in my room.
Before I even realized she was there, she was standing right behind me. Startled, I spun around to face her.
"Y-You forgot something...? You’re not lying, are you?"
"It’s the truth, Ryouta-kun. What’s wrong? Are you doubting me?"
"I-It’s not that, but..."
Given her track record, I had a feeling Kuroki would do just about anything to get her way with me.
In fact, she was the one who suggested the "trio of beauties" come to my house in the first place. She must have had some kind of ulterior motive for wanting to hang out in Ryouta's Room.
There was no way the legendary Rui Kuroki would suggest something like that without a goal in mind.
(Now that I think about it, she was unusually composed from the moment she arrived, and she stayed pretty quiet while we were in my room.)
Could her actual plan have been to find a moment where she could get me one-on-one like this?
"Fufu... Ryouta-kun, are you expecting something, by any chance?"
"E-Expecting?"
"Like, for example... thinking I intentionally forgot something just so I could get you alone in Ryouta's Room and do something 'strange' with you?"
Kuroki spoke with an unnervingly calm tone, her eyes narrowing as she watched me.
"Wh-...! I...! I wasn't!"
Her guess was way too specific. Because it wasn't entirely off the mark, I found myself getting flustered.
If she was being this detailed about it, did she really leave something behind on purpose? Was she actually plotting to do something "strange" with me in my room—with me?!
(Oh my god... is it finally happening? My V☆I☆R☆G☆I☆N☆I☆T☆Y G☆R☆A☆D☆U☆A☆T☆I☆O☆N!?)
"Fufu... but I’m afraid I have to disappoint you. I didn’t leave it behind on purpose, and I’m not going to do any of the 'strange things' you might be hoping for, Ryouta-kun."
"Eh..."
"Sorry for getting your hopes up. I'll head home as soon as I grab what I forgot."
Th-This girl...!
Any guy would have his heart skip a beat after hearing something like that.
I felt a sudden surge of heat as blood rushed violently to my head and my lower half, but I managed to rein it in.
(Stay Cool. If I let myself get swept up in her pace now, my heart—and my pants—won't be able to handle the pressure.)
I let her into the house, and we headed up the stairs together.
Apparently, she’d forgotten her smartphone. If she’d just told me that, I would have gone to get it for her... but well, whatever.
"Today was fun, wasn't it, Ryouta-kun? The other two seemed to enjoy themselves, but did you have a good time too?"
"I... well, yeah, I guess. It was alright."
I couldn't bring myself to say it was honestly fun. If I told her I had a blast, I had a feeling she’d start showing up here every single day.
"More importantly, Kuroki... didn't you hate it?"
"Hate it? What do you mean?"
"You know, coming to my house."
"Why would I?"
"I mean..."
The conversation continued as we reached the top of the stairs and entered my room.
"Well, nobody usually wants to hang out in the room of an otaku like me. From your perspective, you might be forcing yourself because you think winning me over is necessary for your 'perfection,' but don't you think you're taking it a bit too far—"
"You still don't understand, do you, Ryouta-kun?"
Kuroki cut me off as she picked up her phone from under a cushion.
"It’s true that I told you under that umbrella that 'I need you for my perfection.' But what that actually means is that I need you in order for me to remain perfect."
She needs me... so she can stay perfect? I couldn't wrap my head around what she was trying to say.
"I thought you were surprisingly sharp, Ryouta-kun, so I figured you'd get it right away... how disappointing."
"Wh-What’s that supposed to mean?"
"But even that part of you is... fufu."
Whispering those words, Kuroki brushed past me as I stood by the door and made her way out.
"I'll tell you the true meaning once the Cultural Festival is over. So, let’s give it our all for the Cultural Festival Drama, okay? My little Princess?"
"O-Oh..."
I saw her off, her words echoing in my head. She was layering mystery upon mystery, leaving me completely baffled.
That girl... she didn't leave anything else behind this time, did she?