I am that male friend in the harem story-Chapter 212: Sensation

"Please eat and drink my crepe and mocktail. Or, if you don't, you can order more!"

"...is that okay?"

"Yes!" Chitanda nodded. "Please eat them, or just order more!"

"...I will just eat yours, then."

"Please." Chitanda quickly put her crepe and mocktail to Satoshi's side, but her eyes kept glued on them.

Satoshi noticed her gaze, but he didn't say anything and just ate the double strawberry crepe and the virgin mojito mocktail that she ordered. This was probably the disadvantage of not having money. If it was a man who treated the woman, naturally, he would treat her and, if possible, impress her, but if the woman who treated him, while some might be shameless, ignoring the girl, most of them would feel a little awkward.

"Are they delicious, Fukube-san?" Chitanda asked curiously.

Satoshi, who had eaten the sweet with the refreshing sourness of the double strawberry and drank a cool virgin mojito, nodded. "Yes, they are delicious."

"T-That's great..."

Yet, despite saying so, Chitanda's eyes were glued toward his crepe and virgin mojito.

"Here, do you want to try?"

Satoshi was just joking and took part in the crepe as he moved it close to Chitanda's lips, which were fleshy and cute. Their color was a faint pink with a slight luster from her saliva, and they appeared more delicious than his crepe still, as he thought that within his mind, he saw her open her lips and eat the crepe.

Chomp!

"Delicious!"

Chitanda held her cheeks as she was happy with the sweetness and the fresh sourness of the double strawberry.

"...."

Still looking at his fork, Satoshi wondered whether she didn't care about the indirect kiss.

'Well, if she doesn't care, then why should I care?'

As he thought so, he continued to eat as he noticed Chitanda's gaze on him. He noticed the slight rosiness of her smooth cheeks, but he ignored it and just asked, "Do you want more?"

"Eh?!"

"Here."

Chitanda, who realized what kind of a silly thing she had done, looked at Satoshi, who appeared unperturbed by the exchange of their body liquid, which happened when they used the same fork. Still, watching how calm he was, it ticked her off slightly, or did he have done more dangerous things with Kaho?

When she thought so, her face felt hot, as if burnt by the feeling that made her never felt before. Still, watching his expression that appeared amused as if he tried to feed a small animal, she also didn't bother to think and just opened her lips, stuck her tongue out lightly as she put his fork inside her lips, biting, then licking the remained of the sweetness deliciously.

"...delicious?"

"...yes."

Inwardly, they knew it was wrong, yet they kept doing it until they finished their meals, with him feeling slightly unsatisfied as he hadn't eaten enough. It was fortunate that he had eaten in the morning, and it was also fortunate that he had picked up some money, so after this, he thought to eat something else later when he went home.

Still, while Chitanda was okay to treat him, Satoshi knew that there was also a reason why she did that, and because of that, he knew while it was troublesome, he asked, "So... can you tell me the reason why you invited me out?"

At that moment, Chitanda realized that she had forgotten her objection, but as Satoshi reminded her, she knew that she had to say it. However, as she knew what she wanted to say, her lips couldn't be opened, seemingly hesitating as this trouble wasn't something that he should bear, and this was something that she had to take care of herself.

Yet, with how helpless she was, she knew that the only one that she could see was him, and in her mind, he must have a way to solve this problem of hers.

Yet... yet... was it okay for her to trouble him?

"It will be okay."

His hand was placed on top of hers so naturally, gently patting her as if trying to soothe and calm her down. It was unexpected, and she should have pulled away or stopped this action as she knew it was wrong, considering he had a girlfriend, but somehow, she held his hand firmly and said, "Fukube-san! Can you please help me?"

"Hmm?"

By then, Chitanda expressed her intention and purpose to take him out as she held his hand.

Her reason was to know what her uncle said to her during her childhood.

"...you want me to make you remember what he said to you?"

"Yes."

"...can I ask why?"

Why should she ask him to help her to remember something that had been long forgotten?

Even if Chitanda had told him that her relationship with her uncle ten years ago was so close, as time passed and as she grew older, it was impossible for their relationship to remain the same.

"T-The truth is... my uncle has gone missing in Indonesia."

"....."

'Well, Indonesia is a huge country, after all.'

There was still even cannibalism and black magic, so everything was possible, he thought.

"I am sorry to hear that, but missing? Then, there should be a chance to find him, right? If you go to find him, then you will remember what he had said to you during your childhood."

Shaking her head softly, Chitanda said, "Ten years ago, he traveled to Malaysia, and we lost contact with him seven years ago after he traveled to Indonesia. According to the law, after seven years, if we can't find someone, whether they are living or dead, they will be treated as dead, and my uncle's family has prepared to prepare his funeral... so... before all of that, I hope to find the truth.

"To find out what my uncle said to me at that time, which caused me to cry so much, yet he did nothing to comfort me despite loving me..."

As she finished her story, she kept holding his hands tightly, which showed how vulnerable she was.

"..."

Still, taking a deep breath, Satoshi wondered how a woman could express her inner weakness so easily to someone. They had just known each other for a while, but she could tell him everything, which made him speechless.

"Um... Fukube-san..."

As Satoshi didn't say anything, Chitanda became anxious and looked at him timidly while holding his hands, or rather, she had never let him go.

"I am sorry, but I am just thinking."

"...thinking?"

His expression was so gentle, and his voice was so warm, which made Chitanda feel relieved. "Yes, after all, I can't give you false hope, right? More importantly, if the truth is horrible, I might make you sad and... I am afraid to disappoint you. However, thank you for telling me. It must be hard to keep all of that by yourselves."

"Fukube-san..."

Chitanda understood why Satoshi was silent for a while since he was thinking of her, and he had empathy toward her and thought of her problem seriously.

"I can't make a promise that I can make you remember, but if I find something that can become a clue, then I will tell you."

"Thank you, Fukube-san..."

Still, as Chitanda's uncle was a member of the Classic Club, the two of them knew that all of the clues could only be discovered in this club, and because of that, they had to find the anthology of the Classic Club, which might lead to the mystery of what her uncle said to her ten years ago.

However, after that talk, it was impossible for him to have a mood to walk around, especially when Chitanda's story was so heavy, so after that, the two decided to leave, but—

"F-Fukube-san."

"Yes?"

"If... if you somehow find the clue, I-I will repay you!"

"Repay?"

When they were about to leave, unexpectedly, Chitanda stopped him and said timidly, expressing her thoughts at that moment.

"You don't need to, and I haven't found anything, after all."

"But even so, you have helped me so much... and I-I want to repay you!"

"With?"

"Anything!"

"...anything?"

"Yes." Chitanda looked at him with a determined expression and said, "If you wish anything, then tell me, and I will grant it for you!"

"...can you let me conquer the world?"

"....." Chitanda.

"How about becoming an immortal?"

"...." Chitanda.

"How about giving me a superpower."

"I am sorry! I can't grant all of that!"

Chitanda was helpless, but she knew that she couldn't grant him everything, which made her feel helpless.

"Well, I am sorry for teasing you too."

"Fukube-san!"

Pouting, Chitanda wondered why Satoshi loved to tease her so much.

"But then again, smile, okay? You are cuter that way."

Patting her head softly, Satoshi then let go of Chitanda's hand and left. "Then, I will go back first. Thanks for the treat, Chitanda-san."

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"Ah, yes, no problem!"

Waving his hand, Satoshi then left with a smile.

Only Chitanda didn't leave, staring at his back, before touching the part of her head that was patted by Satoshi and her hand that could still feel how firm his hand was when he grasped her, which made her long this sensation further.