Ichinose Honami had a strong sense of morality.
The fact that she remained so haunted by the theft incident from middle school precisely proved this point.
It was precisely because of this that she had made the decision back then to correct Kaoru rather than compromise or resist—though looking back now, it was clear she knew nothing about romance, even appearing somewhat naive and inexperienced.
However, Kaoru was well aware that she was the least likely girl to ever accept a harem.
"Who is the other woman?" Ichinose Honami asked, just as expected.
Though he wasn't sure if others could remain calm when faced with such a question, Kaoru felt little panic.
Instead, he replied, "I've been thinking about something these past few days. Possessiveness is a manifestation of love, but love isn't necessarily possessiveness. I know what we have can't really be called affection yet—"
"No, it is affection," Ichinose interrupted him. "Because it is affection, I told you I would change your womanizing habits, as well as your tendency to resort to underhanded methods."
Kaoru froze for a moment, his expression turning odd.
Was this a confession?
"I already know about you and Mako-chan."
"Did she say something to you?"
"Mako-chan is troubled. She doesn't know if she likes you, nor does she know if she still has feelings for that senpai."
"Sorry, I don't understand emotions at all."
"Whenever Kaoru lies, his eyes stare straight ahead, and his face becomes completely expressionless."
"..."
Kaoru instinctively touched his face.
Was his face really that obvious?
"But I know Kaoru is troubled right now too." Ichinose forced a faint smile.
"Forcing a carnivore to go vegetarian is just too much. The more you suppress it, the more tangled things become."
"Making your first love turn out like this... I feel a little guilty." Kaoru didn't apologize, nor did he suggest breaking up—because right now, a breakup was impossible.
He would never let go of Ichinose Honami.
Ichinose shook her head.
"I never thought I'd have a boyfriend in the first place. I assumed I'd spend high school alone. Back then, when Chihiro-chan asked me what my standards for a boyfriend were, I thought for a long time but couldn't come up with anything. My mind was completely blank."
"They'll probably find out today, to some extent." Kaoru no longer had any intention of keeping it hidden.
Continuing to hide things would only be irresponsible toward Ichinose.
"Including the other woman?" Ichinose murmured. "I don't think it's Sakayanagi-san. Even though she seems close to you, she doesn't strike me as the type to settle for being second to anyone. Then there's Kamuro-san, Kushida-san, Asahina-senpai..."
"Why is Asahina-senpai's name in there?" Kaoru couldn't help but tense up.
"Because the way she looks at you is strange," Ichinose Honami added.
"Plus, with Tachibana-senpai, she might not even realize her own feelings toward you."
"Tachibana-senpai probably just enjoys teasing me," Kaoru offered a reasonable guess.
"Girls don't provoke someone for no reason." Ichinose Honami counted on her fingers.
"Adding it up, my boyfriend is really something, managing to attract so many girls."
In reality, there might be even more, but Kaoru kept that thought to himself.
"Are you angry?"
"Is there any reason I shouldn't be?"
"Because even if you're angry, I won't break up with you, Honami. So I'll just have to ask you to keep being angry."
"How domineering." Ichinose Honami leaned slightly forward, locking eyes with Kaoru.
"But, when you already have me, why do you still act like this?"
"Are you asking me to choose?" Kaoru pondered.
"I want to understand all of you better. I want to know your joys and sorrows. I want to be with all of you. If I had to give up any one of you, I wouldn't be satisfied."
"From that statement alone, you're a complete scoundrel and narcissist." Ichinose Honami wasn't sure how to feel.
She had already anticipated this outcome, but it still left her heart unsettled.
"But I don't have any right to be angry. It's not like I've done anything about it."
Just dealing with Amikura Mako's situation had left her feeling helpless.
Should she give up Kaoru and let Amikura Mako take her place?
Or should she continue trying to dissuade Amikura Mako?
"If you'd prefer, I can pretend otherwise." Kaoru pointed at her bowl.
"Your ice cream is melting. It'll be wasted if you don't eat it soon."
"Don't do that. Our relationship isn't normal to begin with—it could never be like an ordinary romance." Ichinose Honami lowered her voice.
"Besides, I've already gotten used to you doing bad things."
Truthfully, every guy does bad things to their girlfriend.
Kaoru scooped a spoonful of ice cream, savoring the cold, sweet sensation melting on his tongue.
"By the way, have you been dealing with something lately?"
Ichinose Honami's expression stiffened slightly as she feigned confusion.
"No, why do you ask?"
"You act unnatural when you lie." Kaoru pointed out. "Plus, your fingers keep tracing circles on the table."
Ichinose Honami instinctively glanced at her fingers.
Had she been drawing circles?
Only when she noticed the spoon in her hand did she realize—Kaoru had tricked her.
"Come on, what's wrong?" Kaoru frowned.
At first, he thought she was upset about the earlier threat, but that wasn't it.
Then she brought up the topic of infidelity, but that wasn't it either.
Honestly, he couldn't figure out what was troubling Ichinose Honami.
[Ichinose Honami: Worried, distressed, guilty, afraid, conflicted.]
[Recommend immediate reassurance to boost her confidence and resolve.]
Unaware that her emotions were laid bare before Kaoru, she shook her head softly.
"It's just some trouble in class. You don't need to worry about me, Kaoru."
"Is it about Amikura?" Kaoru asked.
Ichinose Honami shot him a glare.
He was bringing this up again, and she had no idea how to handle it.
"Kaoru, what do you think of Mako-chan?" Since they were already on the topic, she decided to ask outright.
"She's cute. I have a pretty good impression of her." Kaoru recalled what Amikura Mako had said to him.
Though it might have sounded a little self-absorbed, he could tell she was a girl with a good sense of boundaries.
Ichinose suddenly felt like the odd one out, her irritation growing.
Maybe she really shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place.
But wouldn't that just play right into Sakayanagi Arisu's hands?
…
As they stepped out of the restaurant, both were lost in their own thoughts.
Kaoru glanced at the girl beside him but still couldn't figure out what was on her mind.
"Where should we go next?" Ichinose looked around the mall—upstairs was the entertainment area, while downstairs housed the department store and the exit.
"It's getting colder. Maybe we should buy some seasonal clothes." Kaoru, still in short sleeves, could already feel a slight chill.
"Sure!" Ichinose suddenly perked up.
She realized she had never bought Kaoru a gift before, and this was the perfect opportunity.
Just as they were about to head downstairs, they ran into Karuizawa Kei, who was chatting and laughing with a group of girls.
In that instant, Kaoru made a decision.
"Honami, maybe we should—"
"Yahooo!"
Sure enough, Karuizawa quickly noticed them and waved enthusiastically, a bright smile on her face.
"What a surprise! I didn't expect to run into Mitoma-kun and Ichinose-san here."
The girl waved, her eyes sparkling with delight.
It was the weekend, so she was in casual wear—a light-colored vest over a long-sleeved top, a white shirt tied at her waist, and a skirt that revealed smooth, pale thighs with a faint blush at her knees.
Her white scrunched socks rested atop little leather shoes, making her stand out even more.
Beside her were several other girls from Class D, all in casual outfits, clearly out for some fun.
"Good afternoon, Karuizawa-san, Matsushita-san, Mori-san…" Ichinose suppressed her fluster and forced a polite smile.
"Are you all out together?"
"Yeah! We heard there's a new place with really good food," Karuizawa replied cheerfully, her gaze flickering between the two.
Thankfully, they weren't holding hands—that would've been awkward.
"But, huh, where's Amikura-san and the others?"
Instead of directly asking why Ichinose was with Kaoru, she took a roundabout approach.
If Ichinose had snuck out without telling Amikura and the others, then her current relationship with Kaoru would be worth speculating about.
"I think they're still in the dorm," Ichinose answered with a light smile.
"It's the weekend, so they probably wanted to rest up before exams."
Kaoru added, "There's some minor student council business, so Ichinose and I were discussing it today."
Karuizawa's expression cleared as if she'd just figured something out, and she smiled naturally.
"Oh, I see! That explains why you're together. I almost thought you two were dating or something."
Although Kaoru had mentally prepared himself, he couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing how boldly she launched her attack—the jealousy was practically dripping from her words.
"Yabai, I thought the same thing. It really surprised me."
"But Mitoma-kun and Ichinose-san look really good together."
"It's such a shame they're not dating."
Listening to the voices around her, Karuizawa Kei narrowed her eyes.
So, they weren't planning to announce their relationship yet?
Thinking about it carefully, with the special exam about to begin, suddenly revealing that they were dating would inevitably cause some shock.
So, were they planning to let everyone get used to the idea gradually?
A faint sense of crisis crept into Karuizawa heart.
Kaoru and Ichinose Honami were progressing so quickly—what about her?
"Ahaha, you guys surprised me too." Ichinose also let out a sigh of relief.
She still didn't know how to face Amikura Mako, so she wanted to delay things a little.
But deep down, she already knew her place in Kaoru's heart.
That was enough.
Maybe it really was enough.
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