“It's not because of how I act, is it?”

I have a number of guesses that are more specific than that. However, after weighing it in, I still chose to pick that one. Because at the moment, that’s how I felt. Uncertain.

Somehow, my gut feeling was telling me that none of the guesses I pooled in my head was the correct answer. And I decided to trust that.

Shiina's slanted eyebrows curled a little as she responded with a nod. She then gestured with her hand, urging me to put out another guess.

“Hmm… If that’s not it, can it be something very specific?”

Her lips stretched from side to side, grinning as she nodded.

Now that we’ve gotten the chance alone and my attention solely focused on her, I couldn’t help but pick out her uniqueness compared to the other girls.

Yes, she's unusually bold for a woman I was only meeting for the second time.

Even Juri only felt fondness towards me after our first few meetings. It only developed to this point because of our experiences together.

Marika also didn't magically fall for me. In the end, when she approached me, I kind of took advantage of her dissatisfaction over Ichihara Jun's treatment while showing her that she could be treated better. Well, she would deny that I took advantage of her though.

Anyway, Shiina's uniqueness in my eyes came from her decisiveness.

Upon recognizing me, she immediately went to confirm it. She keenly observed me throughout that instance where we cooked and ate our breakfast, determining my closeness to specific girls. When she saw me wandering close to their cabin area, she pulled me in regardless of the rules they set. Not to mention, she didn't hesitate crafting this plan of having me accompany her like this.

Most likely, at the time she asked Sawano to pick me as the courier, she only had curiosity towards me. Her initial aim was to get to know me more through this. It's now different as she already tipped over to being attracted to me.

“I consider myself a simple woman, Onoda-kun. My attraction to you solidified from watching you deal with things that would've been troublesome for some in an easy and efficient manner.”

“More than your looks or your boundless consideration, that's possibly all I've been looking for in a man. Uhm. Let me correct that. Your looks are also a factor. It's hard to be attracted to someone who can't take care of themselves, right?”

Shiina put on an embarrassed smile as her eyes drilled into my side frame, admiring my face.

“That's true. But Shiina-san. I originally didn't care about my appearance. My hair was unkempt. It's long enough to cover my eyes. And I've never stood in front of a mirror longer than a few seconds.”

“You mean you originally didn't care about your hair? Onoda-kun, what do you think I am hugging right now?”

“My body?”

This time, it was my turn to curl my brows. Where is she going with this? Will she brush that off and say that it’s already in the past?

Perhaps noticing my reaction, Shiina pressed herself further. If earlier she only leaned to me while her hands clutched onto my chest and back, this time, she let her arms slide further, enclosing me in her embrace.

Then, her small head took the liberty of resting against my chest.

“Correct. Let me tell you this. Sara's body is as soft as a marshmallow. If you hugged her, you'd feel like she’d be great as a body pillow. But yours? I can honestly sleep comfortably using this sturdy chest of yours as my pillow. This pair of refined arms can provide me with great security. Even by just hugging you like this, I could sense how much work you put into this.”

Looking like she was about to sink further into my body, Shiina buried her face in my chest, inhaling my body fragrance. Moments later, she promptly lifted her head, appearing as though she was shaking off her mesmerized state.

Yeah. She did lose herself a bit there.

“Oh! What I'm saying is… having unkempt hair isn't enough to say you're not taking care of yourself. This body of yours must have been built by unrelenting hard work. And for you to maintain it like you're not packing anything beneath your shirt, I can only imagine how disciplined you are.”

As she finished saying that, Shiina once placed her face right in the middle of my chest, rubbing her nose with it while blatantly inhaling my scent.

Do I smell that good? I don’t know. Nonetheless, because I haven’t stopped her from doing that, she’s probably thinking I’m fine with it.

In any case, I could attest to what she said about Sara’s body. I already carried her on my back and recently, carried her like a princess and placed her down on the long couch inside. Obviously, I got the chance to feel that softness she’s talking about. But well, that’s not the point of her speech, right?

She didn’t brush off my attempt to disprove her by saying I neglected my hair. She went on to prove that I’ve taken care of my body by feeling it herself…

I guess I have no choice but to accept that.

Thinking about it, it hasn’t been that long since I’ve changed my mindset. Within this short timeframe, a lot of things have already changed in me, especially in how I deal with girls or women in particular.

Back then, each time I would face one of them – be it someone I stole or someone I was still trying to conquer, I would always be prepared to keep myself in an advantageous position, controlling them through words and small actions. If ever I sensed that it was about to spin out of my control, I would make a hasty retreat to retry on another occasion or after resetting the mood around us by various means.

At present, I’ve only done that on certain occasions. For example, when I first dealt with Marika or when I first visited Nakanishi-senpai in their clubroom.

The rest was done without any preparation at all. I’d simply carry myself there and engage them with my headspace containing nothing but thoughts of them. Of course, there were other times wherein I’d meet them with a mindset of continuing our previous interaction. Still, those instances didn’t involve meticulous preparation.

My new image and perhaps, my uncapped consideration kept me in most girls’ good graces. That’s why I couldn’t help but wonder if that’s all a guy needs to gather someone’s interest. Hence my little skepticism when she was coming to me this strong.

However, Shiina had just proved me wrong…

She’s different.

“Alright. I believe you, Shiina-san. Then, is that it? Your attraction to me was founded on watching my efficient handling of a situation and my body?”

“T-that doesn’t sound great if said next to each other but yes, it’s that simple.” Shiina put on a silly smile as she picked on the way I said it. Still, she displayed her jolly mood knowing that I understood her.

With her whole body trying to squeeze in further, I stopped remaining idle. Stretching my arm around her back, I hooked it around her waist, securing her.

Shiina only wriggled a little when feeling my hand on that usually sensitive part. I guess nothing could top the sensitivity of her ear.

“Mhm. I believe you and it’s flattering to hear, Shiina-san.”

“Is it? But you don’t have to feel pressured, Onoda-kun. I’m not seeking an answer from you. Didn’t I tell you I originally just wanted to get to know you more through this? I’m satisfied with being able to hug you like this. I’ll wait for my next opportunity to build my image in your head and make you fall for me. I’ll look for you after this camp.”

Shiina confidently declared. Not long after, I could hear her giggling sweetly.

“Shiina-san, shouldn’t it be a dealbreaker for you knowing that I’m already involved with a lot of girls?”

“No? If they can get along with each other knowing they’re all involved with you, why can’t I do the same? It’s another can of crazy, I get it. However, isn’t it hard to control yourself if you find yourself attracted to someone? That’s my current state. Maybe I will come to regret this in the future and maybe I won’t. Whichever the case, that has yet to happen, no? I live in the present not in the past or the future.”