STEALING SPREE

Seconds after Nina perched herself on my knees, the train jolted slightly. The shake made her posture stiff, yet her grin remained unwavering. She balanced there precariously, clearly trying to respect the boundaries of her dramatic little act while still reveling in the moment.

Nevertheless, the faint tremble in her legs told me she wasn’t as confident as her theatrics suggested. She was committed. I’ll give her props for that.

Sumire’s pout deepened as she’s airing out a hint of jealousy by locking my arm that’s supporting Nina at the moment.

“Senpai, you’re too soft on her! She’s gonna keep pushing if you don’t draw a line.”

Umi, still tucked against my shoulder, giggled softly as she also voiced out her thoughts, “It’s okay, Sumire. Ruki-senpai’s just being nice. Nina-chan is funny.”

Chii wiped a tear from her eye, her laughter finally subsiding as she leaned back into her seat. “Kii, Sumimin is right, you know? You’ve got a real talent for turning every situation into a circus. It’s making us jealous of how effortlessly you handle this sometimes. And you, Nina-chi… if you’re serious about this, it’ll be great to introduce you to someone.”

“Someone? I’ll only be loyal to my Night Prince!” Nina blurted out as she failed to grasp that Chii wasn’t talking about another guy.

Hana didn’t say anything. Instead, she pinched me on my side, reaching in from in front of Umi.

That’s her way of expressing her opinion on this.

I shrugged, keeping my tone light as I adjusted my hold on Nina to keep her steady. “Alright, it’s my bad. But look at her. Isn’t she so obedient? Don’t worry. I’ll scold her later for this.”

Despite my words, Nina beamed, clasping her hands together again as she tilted her head back to look up at me. “The Night Prince’s mercy is boundless! Do sip my blood when you’re scolding me!”

I winced slightly as I shifted my grip on Nina to keep her from toppling off my knees when the train swayed.

“Nina, I told you. I won’t bite you. You have such a beautiful neck. Why do you want my fang to be buried there?”

Nina’s eyes widened slightly, but she wasn’t discouraged.

“As proof that I’m your minion, Night Prince – uhm. Senpai.” Her lips curved up slightly as embarrassment slowly crept their way to her face.

Mami groaned audibly, rubbing her temples as if Nina’s antics were giving her a headache.

“Nina, you’re hopeless. Onoda-senpai, I’m sorry. But she’s so smitten with the thought of you being a vampire… She only told me that recently, but it seems like she already brought it up to you before.”

“No harm done, Mami-chan,” I said, waving off Mami’s apology with a reassuring smile. “If anything, it’s also my fault for giving in and playing along with her fantasy.”

Mami nodded, but the complicated expression on her face remained.

Meanwhile, Nina’s ears had already turned red as she fidgeted on my knees.

Clearly, sitting there was uncomfortable for her, but sliding back to occupy my lap fully was probably not considered by her. She’s considerate that way.

“Alright, Nina. Take this seat instead. It’s making me feel bad to see you like this.” I said as I tried to lift her slightly, my fingers digging into her soft sides.

However, the girl wriggled out of my attempt to stand up. She grabbed my wrists and declared, “No… I’m most comfortable here, senpai. You promised me. You’ll play along.”

With puppy eyes, she turned her head slightly to meet my gaze. Really, this is cheating. Her gothic fashion, plus acting this adorable and unhinged at the same time, could topple the minds of average men. I bet if Tadano sees her like this, he might forget about his previous affection for Nami.

And sure enough, it was also effective on Sumire and Umi as they took her side.

Sumire’s grip on my arm loosened slightly, her pout softening as she glanced at Nina’s pleading expression. “Fine, senpai. If she’s that insistent, let her stay. But don’t think this means I’m okay with you spoiling her too much.”

Umi nodded in agreement. “Nina is happy like this. It’s okay, senpai. Just… don’t forget us, too.”

Chii and Hana didn’t say anything but I could tell from their expression how they find this ridiculous and appropriate at the same time. This progress was something they had expected.

What else can I do? I gave up lifting Nina and just adjusted my hold on her, pulling her back slightly to make sure she wouldn’t slip off when the train rocked again.

After that, I reassured my two adorable juniors, “Don’t worry, you two. I’ve got plenty of attention to go around. Nina’s just adding a little extra flair to the ride.”

Nina beamed, settling more comfortably on my thighs now that she had Sumire and Umi’s reluctant approval.

She clasped her hands together, her tone playful and grateful. “I love you two, Sumire, Umi. No worries. Senpai is only playing along with me. I won’t steal him from you.”

Sumire appeared challenged. “Hmph. You don’t know what you’re talking about, Nina. If someone’s going to steal someone here, it’s this shameless senpai.”

Chii snickered, leaning forward to poke Nina’s cheek. “You’re really something, Nina-chi. If you keep this up, Kii might actually start believing he’s some vampire lord, but Sumire is right. You better be careful.”

Hana smirked, her fingers still lingering near my side as she gave me another light pinch. “Stop giving her more ideas.”

“Alright, minion. You’ve got your spot, but no more squirming. I don’t want to drop you.”

Nina nodded vigorously, her grin widening as she straightened her posture, trying to look as regal as possible despite the awkward perch. “I shall be as still as the midnight grave, senpai! No disturbance shall come from this humble servant.”

Mami sighed, her shoulders slumping as she resigned herself to Nina’s antics. “You’re all ridiculous. I don’t know how you put up with this, Onoda-senpai.”

Umi giggled again, her soft laughter a quiet counterpoint to Nina’s theatrics. She tilted her head up to meet my eyes, her voice barely above a whisper. “Senpai… It’s fun with everyone like this. Even if it’s loud.”

I patted Umi’s head gently, feeling the warmth of her affection seep through her words. “Glad you’re enjoying it, Umi. I’ll keep the chaos in check. For you, at least.”

The train car filled with muffled laughter from the girls, the tension easing into a playful rhythm. Even Mami’s stiff posture relaxed a bit, though her eyes still flickered with that unspoken unease whenever they landed on me. I caught her gaze again and offered a small nod, trying to bridge the gap without pushing her too far.

“Mami-chan,” I said, keeping my voice casual, “you sure you’re okay standing? It’s a long ride. I can still shuffle things around if you change your mind.”

She shook her head quickly, her grip tightening on the pole. “I’m fine, senpai. Really. I just… didn’t expect to run into all this today.”

“I see. I apologize for this mess,” I replied, letting it drop. No point in pressing her when she was clearly still sorting through her thoughts about me and Nami.

“Anyway, I thought you would come to help us this week? Looks like you’re all still busy, huh?”

“Oh. Right. It’s because of me, shameless senpai… I had practice and they waited for me.” Sumire apologetically said, but Umi, Nina and Mami shook their heads or waved their hands, telling her that it was not her fault at all.

After that, they promised to come starting tomorrow. Chii immediately volunteered to take care of them for our festival preparations and Hana for their review sessions, which was part of our agreement for allowing them to help.

The train rattled, and eventually, we were nearing their station.

Nina wobbled on my knees and I steadied her with my arm hooking around her navel, earning a triumphant grin from her.

“See? The Night Prince protects his loyal minion!” She declared, loud enough to draw a few curious glances from nearby passengers.

Chii snorted again, covering her mouth to stifle another laugh. “Nina-chi, tone it down, or Kii will become a notorious womanizer in the eyes of everyone… which is technically correct and wrong at the same time.”

She ended that with a wry smile as though she didn’t know how to reconcile the idea.

Nina puffed out her cheeks but lowered her voice to a dramatic whisper. “For the Night Prince, I’ll temper my fervor… but my loyalty burns eternal. Thank you for putting up with me, senpai.”

I responded with a pat on her head and an aggressive ruffling of her hair, enough to make her pout.

By the time the train stopped and the doors opened, the seven of us walked out. I promised to walk them to their house, after all.

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