Chapter 255: Compensation
(2526 words)
.....
"What nonsense are you babbling about?"
Hearing Sasaki go on and on about how much he liked and admired her, Nanao Akane felt both flattered and annoyed, giving him a playful glare.
No one dislikes hearing genuine compliments, especially when they come from someone with positive qualities.
And when that person is also smart, reliable, kind, and thoughtful, like Sasaki, the joy from the compliments only multiplies.
In her eyes, Sasaki was someone with a lot of positive traits.
He was someone she could relax and enjoy talking to, as he was straightforward and didn't make her feel like she needed to keep her guard up.
Naturally, this made her think highly of him.
But if there was one flaw in Sasaki, it was his "flirtatious" tendency.
He already had a girlfriend, yet he was still pursuing her, a girl who was also in a relationship.
If she didn't already know a bit about Sasaki and understand that he wasn't someone who played with girls' emotions, she might have seen him as a shallow, frivolous person.
Even so, she couldn't help but express her disdain for his sweet words, saying, "You're so smooth with your words; no wonder so many girls are deceived by you."
"Hm. Has Nanao-san also been deceived by me?" Sasaki asked with a teasing grin.
"No! How could I be fooled by you, you playboy?"
"The name that Nanao-san used is really too much."
"Isn't it true? Sasaki-san, who is fickle-minded."
Sasaki couldn't really argue with that.
He simply laughed and then shifted the conversation. "But seriously, Nanao-san, what's going on? Why did you leave school wearing your baseball club uniform?"
Without waiting for her to respond, he continued, "Actually, it's not hard to guess. I'm sure... no, I'm certain that after you had that talk with Katase, there was a disagreement, right?"
"And the reason for that disagreement... let me guess. Katase was probably confused about why I'm so nice to you."
"I've been giving you tips, helping you out, even betraying others just to give you a chance... Who would be that selfless, right?"
"He must have seen my face when we met last Friday.
With me hanging around his girlfriend, he's bound to feel some hostility towards me."
"You..."
"Hold on, let me finish," Sasaki said, cutting her off gently with a smile.
"I know you want to say that Katase isn't the jealous type or someone who would think like that."
"But the fact that you're so eager to explain yourself only proves that what I'm saying might be true, doesn't it?"
Sasaki's light-hearted tone and gentle laughter made Nanao look at him with a mixture of irritation and resignation.
Having her thoughts laid bare so bluntly made her feel embarrassed and flustered.
It was one thing to be criticized, but it stung even more when the person she was being criticized for was someone she cared about—her boyfriend, no less.
And when the person doing the criticizing was someone who openly admitted to liking her, it made the whole situation even more uncomfortable.
Sasaki didn't stop, despite seeing the mix of sadness and frustration on Nanao's face and pressed on, "Since he is very hostile to me, you shouldn't have added fuel to the fire by telling him that I like you."
"So the excuse you used should be to say that our relationship is just that of friends."
"You and I are just friends. What do you mean by using an excuse? Don't say such misleading things!"
Hearing Sasaki speak as if there was something more than friendship between them, Nanao Akane's frustration quickly turned to embarrassment and annoyance.
Her relationship with Sasaki was originally just friends, and that wouldn't change just because he was pursuing her.
She hadn't explicitly told Shou-kun about Sasaki's feelings because she didn't want to give him any unnecessary worries.
After all, Shou-kun already had significant hostility toward Sasaki. If he found out that he was her suitor, it would likely intensify his negative feelings toward him.
Her decision not to mention it was purely to avoid unnecessary conflict, not because there was anything special going on between her and Sasaki.
Their relationship was perfectly innocent; the only slightly intimate moment they had shared was when she had given him a lap pillow.
But even that was just a unique circumstance, not something that implied any deeper connection.
"Alright, alright, I won't say it like that anymore," Sasaki replied with a smile as if he were soothing a grumpy lover.
"But the excuse of being 'just friends' probably didn't convince Katase, did it?"
"If we were merely friends, I wouldn't have done so much for you… I have to admit, he's right to be suspicious."
"He doesn't believe that our relationship is purely platonic, just like you don't believe Tougou is a good person. The disagreement lies there."
"And the conflicts that followed must have stemmed from this fundamental issue."
Sasaki was spot-on, and the girl couldn't deny the truth of his words.
She was just puzzled by how accurately he had guessed the situation.
As if reading her thoughts, the bot leaned back against the bench, looking up at the sky that was gradually deepening into a rich blue and then asked,
"Do you think Katase Shouya genuinely loves baseball?"
It was Katase Shouya's passion for baseball that had initially drawn Nanao to him.
She was sure, without a doubt, that Shou-kun was deeply in love with the sport.
After receiving her silent confirmation, Sasaki continued,
"If something you're passionate about could bring you unimaginable wealth and glory in the future, would you easily trust someone's words and start doubting the person who holds your future in their hands?"
"Even if the person advising you is your lover."
"..."
"I would."
"Hmm,"
Hearing her words, Sasaki replied with a soft chuckle.
"Girls tend to be more emotional, so even you would hesitate. How much more would a guy who thinks more rationally?"
"Just because you might be willing to trust someone, it doesn't mean Katase would."
"His decision right now speaks volumes, doesn't it?"
Facing his heart-piercing words, Nanao Akane clenched her hands and retorted with red eyes, "He's only acting this way because of you..."
Hearing her words, Sasaki, who had been gazing up at the sky, turned his attention to Nanao, whose face was illuminated by the harsh, white light of the streetlamp behind her and shook his head, saying,
"Katase's suspicion of Tougou and his suspicion of me are two separate issues.
He could have doubted both of us."
Sometimes, leaving things unsaid and allowing the other person's imagination to fill in the gaps is the most effective approach.
So, Sasaki stopped there and said no more.
As for the truth behind what he had said…
He wasn't Katase; he couldn't possibly know exactly what was going through his mind.
He was simply taking the opportunity to play on the situation, presenting the darkest and most troubling scenario—one that was advantageous for Katase but deeply unsettling for Akane Nanao.
Regardless of Katase's actual thoughts, the fact remained that he didn't trust Nanao.
The harsh reality was right there in front of her, and no amount of excuses could change that.
But Sasaki wasn't trying to make her stew in doubt and gradually escalate her conflict with Katase until they broke up.
That would be too troublesome, too time-consuming, and it wouldn't help her become his girlfriend.
His goal was simply to throw her off balance, leading her to accept a suggestion he had in mind.
Seeing the dull, frozen look in her ocean-blue eyes, he waited a moment before saying,
"Actually, there's a way to make Katase see whether Tougou has any bad intentions toward you."
Hearing his words, Nanao's lifeless gaze flickered with a hint of hope as she turned to him and asked, "What way?"
Sasaki didn't answer right away; instead, he smiled at her, observing the eager expression on her face.
"..."
The agreement between them was clear—Sasaki's help would no longer come free of charge.
Nanao bit her lip and set aside the empty food container from her lap.
She smoothed out her white pants, thinking Sasaki's unspoken condition would be something like the lap pillow from before.
To Sasaki, the lap pillow had been a fleeting experience, a curiosity satisfied.
He wasn't the type to be content with just that level of intimacy.
"Nanao-san~ I didn't say this time's reward was a lap pillow," Sasaki said with a teasing tone.
Akane Nanao's hand paused in mid-action, her brow furrowing as she asked, "Then what do you want?"
"A massage,
?!
Hearing the word "massage," Nanao's mind immediately jumped to the kind of leg massages she'd seen in a manga her classmates had shown her—a rather suggestive one.
Because she had never come into contact with that kind of thing before,
The memory, even though it had been just a quick glance, had left a deep impression on her.
After hearing that Sasaki asked for a massage as compensation, the girl shook her head and refused without even thinking, "No way, I can't do that."
"Do what?"
"A back massage—is that too much to ask for?"
Knowing that she wouldn't agree to anything too outrageous, Sasaki wasn't planning on teasing her needlessly.
The relationship between them was delicate, and making inappropriate jokes could easily turn her against him, which would not help with his future plans.
So, when he said "massage," he genuinely meant a straightforward, non-suggestive back massage.
Seeing that she was thinking about something else, Sasaki suppressed his smile and said:
"If you can't even give me a back massage, then forget it. Just ignore what I said before."
Blushing deeply as she realized where her thoughts had wandered, Nanao Akane quickly corrected herself, "A-a back massage is fine. Are we doing it here?"
"Of course not. There's no place to lie down here," Sasaki replied, shaking his head. "We'll go to a hotel."
"..."
Even though she had suspected that might be the answer, hearing it confirmed made Nanao's heart race with anxiety.
The thought of a young man and woman going to a hotel together inevitably brought certain implications to mind…
She felt nervous and uneasy, but she didn't voice any objections.
If Sasaki had any intention of forcing her, he would have acted back in the classroom.
There was no reason for him to wait until now.
Seeing that she neither protested nor suggested an alternative, Sasaki was a bit surprised.
"I thought you might be more reluctant.
You really trust me enough to go to a hotel together?"
"Aren't you afraid I'll try something?"
The more he joked about it, the less concerned Nanao felt.
Hearing his teasing words, she shot him a sideways glance and replied, "You wouldn't do that."
"Ha~" Sasaki chuckled, glancing at the untouched oden beside them. "You should eat this too. What we're about to do will take a lot of energy."
Nanao didn't argue and took the oden, placing it on her lap with a slight pout.
"You really shouldn't say things that can be so easily misunderstood."
"What can I do if I can't actually do anything to you? Can't I at least have a bit of fun teasing you? You're so strict, Nanao-san~."
Ignoring his playful remarks, Nanao quietly started eating the oden with small, careful bites.
Sasaki leaned forward on the bench, resting his chin in his hand as he watched her eat with a soft smile.
As expected, a beautiful person looked just as pleasing while eating, he thought.
Akane Nanao, not used to being watched while she ate, felt uncomfortable under his gaze and frowned slightly.
Then, picking up a takoyaki from the disposable tray with a skewer, she offered it to Sasaki, hoping to divert his attention.
However, instead of taking it with his hand, the boy leaned forward and ate the takoyaki directly from the skewer, surprising her.
"..."
Nanao blinked in surprise at the empty skewer in her hand, clearly not expecting Sasaki to just eat it like that, despite it being hot.
As the situation dawned on her, she reacted...
Feeding someone like this was an intimate gesture usually reserved for very close relationships, and it left her feeling flustered and embarrassed.
She hadn't even fed something to Shou-kun before, and now her first time doing so…
Swallowing the takoyaki, Sasaki noticed the deep blush on Nanao's face and the way she opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, so, he tilted his head and asked innocently, "What's wrong?"
"..."
Feeding someone might be an intimate gesture, but ultimately, it was a small matter.
Since they were alone, there was no point in overthinking it and making a big deal out of it would only give Sasaki more reason to tease her.
After hesitating for a moment, Nanao decided not to say anything, shaking her head before quietly resuming her meal.
Seeing her struggle between wanting to speak and deciding not to, Sasaki nearly burst out laughing.
Although this habit of subtly taking advantage might seem petty and lacking in dignity, he really enjoyed watching her wrestle with the urge to argue, only to decide against it in the end.
It was endlessly amusing to him.
However, Nanao had no intention of playing along with his amusement.
Having learned her lesson from before, she chose to completely ignore Sasaki this time.
Even when he continued to gaze at her, she didn't acknowledge him, letting the silence stretch until after they had finished eating.
After disposing of her food container and chopsticks in the trash, Nanao turned to Sasaki and said, "Let's go."
"No rush," The latter replied.
Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he stood up and stretched lazily before adding, "We need to get you some new clothes before heading to the hotel."
"I don't want you giving me a massage in those clothes."
Confused by his insistence, she frowned and asked, "What's wrong with these clothes?"
"They're dirty,"
The plain and simple response felt as harsh as nails scratching on a chalkboard to her.
No girl can hear someone call her dirty without feeling offended, and Akane Nanao was no exception.
Even though she often presented a cold demeanor, it didn't mean she had a bad temper.
She rarely got angry at others, but this time she was genuinely upset.
"I'm not dirty!" she retorted, glaring at Sasaki while looking down at her clothes. "I wash these every day—they're not dirty!"
"Alright, alright, they're not dirty," Sasaki answered her perfunctorily in a greasy tone.
Then walked a few steps ahead and then turned back to her, gesturing toward the direction of the shopping district.
"But you've been busy with the baseball club all afternoon, and it's been hot. You must've sweated quite a bit, right?"
"When we get to the hotel, aren't you going to wash up? It'd be uncomfortable to stay in sticky clothes."
"Besides, if you don't have anything to change into, are you really going to put those back on? Let's go, we'll get you some new clothes."
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Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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