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Ruri let out a yelp as she felt a tug on her pigtails. She turned around, annoyed, and shot a glare, "Hey, what's the big idea? Ride Hikari-kun if you want, but why are you pulling my pigtails?"
She flicked her hair back, grinning smugly. "I styled them just for him—they're like reins, got it? So don't mess them up."
Reina Hamazaki scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Reins? Please. I doubt Hikari-kun's even coming back tonight."
With a sigh, Ruri nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. It's late, and he's not answering his phone no matter how many times I call. Guess he's not coming back. Let's just head home."
The three girls exchanged glances, their initial excitement now fading into disappointment as they reluctantly began descending the staircase.
Under the glow of the moonlight, their shadows stretched long and weary across the steps.
"Damn it, I can't take this anymore! Tomorrow, when I see Hikari, I'm going to just pounce on him!"
"Yeah! I'm losing it. The second I see Hikari, I'm going to tackle him!"
"Enough of his mysterious disappearances! That guy doesn't even know what he's missing. I curse him to stay a virgin forever."
"That's right! Making us wait around all night like idiots… That guy deserves to stay a virgin forever."
And so, the three girls, fuming with irritation, walked home, muttering curses at Hikari under their breath.
Unbeknownst to them, just as they passed a certain hotel on their way back, the very target of their curses was there, blissfully unaware. As for their curses, they seemed to have the opposite effect—perhaps even giving him a bit of encouragement.
———
"Achoo!"
Hikari sneezed suddenly as he played a horse riding game with Natsuha.
At that moment, he was kneeling behind her, holding onto her freshly styled pigtails like reins.
Since they were both broke high schoolers who couldn't afford to go to a real horse ranch, they had to settle for this little role-playing game. Sometimes Natsuha played the knight, sometimes Hikari did, but they always took turns to keep it fair.
Though they were both exhausted from the game, Natsuha's delicate features showed fatigue in every line. But when she heard Hikari sneeze, she still turned around, worry flickering in her eyes.
"Hikari-kun, are you alright? Did you catch a cold?" she asked softly.
Hikari waved it off with a smile. "Nah, I'm fine. Healthy as can be. It's probably just someone—maybe even Miss Mira or someone else—thinking about me. Achoo!"
"Don't worry about it. Just stay in character."
"You've been the knight long enough. My turn now." With a cheeky grin, Hikari tugged on her reins and playfully patted her shoulder, indulging in his little knight fantasy.
Natsuha, in return, made a sound mimicking a horse, "Neigh… neigh…"
Back and forth, they swapped roles, the game going on for a while longer.
Hikari still seemed fine, but Natsuha's stamina was quickly running out.
"Ugh… I can't… I'm done…"
She slumped onto the bed, utterly spent.
Hikari looked down at her with understanding. She was just a girl with some Aikido training—not enough to match his endurance. She'd clearly pushed herself to keep up, all to make sure his excitement didn't go unfulfilled.
Seeing her so drained, Hikari gently lifted her up, unscrewed a bottle of electrolyte water, and carefully fed her a few sips. But she was so exhausted that even drinking became a challenge.
With a quiet chuckle, he took a sip himself, then leaned over and transferred the water to her mouth, their lips meeting briefly. A soft smile curved Natsuha's lips, her eyes glinting with two heart-shaped twinkles as she gazed at him, a hint of happiness painting her cheeks.
Hikari had just finished feeding her the water when Natsuha closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.
Gently, he tucked the blanket around her, stroked her flushed, delicate cheek, and then slipped under the covers himself, nestling close. He was pretty worn out himself.
After all, he'd had a long day: school in the morning, a scuffle with a few thugs on the way there, a run-in with Takahashi the groundskeeper, helping Natsuha, getting to know Yukina the Snow Maiden, pulling a fast one on Coach Togo, and then taking down him again.
Then, to top it off, he'd spent all this time playing horse-riding games with her.
Yeah… he was definitely tired.
With his arms wrapped around the soft, warm body of the high school beauty, he finally fell into a peaceful sleep.
———
"Hikari, you jerk! Eternal virgin!"
"Hikari-kun, you big dummy! Virgin for life!"
"That unreliable guy who breaks promises... Virgin forever!"
At a tonkatsu restaurant, the three girls sat together, exhausted and hungry after waiting so long for Hikari.
As they tore into their pork cutlets, their complaints turned into outright curses against him.
Perhaps it was the sheer force of their frustration, but Hikari, still sound asleep, sneezed again, his dreams momentarily interrupted.
After a while, having vented their anger, the girls huddled together in the booth.
"No way. That jerk stood us up; we can't just let him off the hook!"
"Yeah! When have we, the Hot Girl Trio, ever been treated like this? We've gotta get him back."
Ruri clenched her fist. "I'll ride on his back and make him eat the freshest seafood."
"Oh please, I've got something even better planned."
"Save it, ladies. First, let's make sure we know how to keep him under our control." be
"I've got a plan, if you're interested," Reina said, her eyes gleaming.
"Let's hear it, Reina!"
With a sly smile, she leaned in, whispering her scheme. "Alright, here's what we'll do…"
The three of them grinned wickedly as Reina detailed her plan, each expression more mischievous than the last. They were drawing quite a few strange looks from the other patrons, but they didn't care. They had their eyes on the prize—teaching Hikari a lesson he wouldn't forget.
————
The first light of dawn crept into the sky, casting a soft glow over the city. It was around five or six in the morning, with a light mist hanging over the bustling streets of neon-lit Kyoto. The street cleaners were already out, and early-rising office workers were beginning their commute.
A ray of light slipped through the hotel's curtains, landing on the crisp white sheets and gently waking Hikari.
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