When she mentioned the terms “repressed little virgin” and “hungry wolf,” Chu Youyu intentionally emphasized her tone. Not only that, she used her peripheral vision to cast an extremely subtle yet highly provocative glance at Saginomiya Shiori, who was standing nearby pretending to look at the scenery.
Shiori, being accurately called out, stiffened slightly.
Although she didn’t respond, a flicker of guilt from being poked in her sore spot clearly flashed in those cold eyes. She awkwardly hid her hands behind her back, her gaze beginning to wander aimlessly.
“But…”
Chu Youyu’s tone shifted. She suddenly bent down, her delicate white hands bracing on the armrests of the gaming chair, boxing Su Ruanruan into her sphere of influence. She leaned close to Su Ruanruan’s face, a suspicious blush appearing on her cheeks, yet her eyes were exceptionally bright.
“Actually, Ruanruan doesn’t need to earn that kind of hard-earned money by showing her face at all! If you really need money, can’t you just come to me? At worst… at worst, I’ll support you!”
Hearing the words “support you,” Saginomiya Shiori, who had been feeling guilty just a moment ago, instantly became like a protective dog whose tail had been stepped on while guarding its food.
Shiori took a sharp step forward, her long arm reaching out to pull Su Ruanruan up from the gaming chair, shielding her behind herself with an extremely forceful and undeniable manner.
“Ruanruan doesn’t need you to support her.”
Shiori lowered her head, her bangs obscuring the surging possessiveness in her eyes. Although her voice still carried its usual soft trembling, her tone was unusually obsessive and stubborn.
“If Ruanruan needs money, I can go work. I can give her all my money… Ruanruan is mine. You don’t need to worry about her, Student Chu.”
“Huh? Yours? What right do you have to say Ruanruan is yours!”
Chu Youyu’s fur stood on end instantly, glaring at Shiori like a little leopard cub whose territory had been violated. “I was clearly the one who helped Ruanruan pay back her money first! Ruanruan and I have the best relationship!”
“I’m Ruanruan’s best… best whatever… anyway, I’m much more intimate than you.” Shiori bit her lower lip, her face flushing red as she argued back. In her mind, the title of “doggy” was really not suitable to show off in this kind of situation, but she absolutely would not admit that Chu Youyu was closer than she was!
“Bullshit! Ruanruan and I are the best!” Chu Youyu stomped her feet in anger.
“I can do anything for Ruanruan!”
Watching the two of them go back and forth, the atmosphere becoming more and more heated as if a full-blown fight was about to break out in the small dark room, Su Ruanruan, caught in the middle, felt like her head was about to explode. Her eyes turned into frantic, swirling spirals.
“Stop! Stop, stop, stop!”
Su Ruanruan quickly crawled out from behind Shiori, her small hands making a “halt” gesture. Her little face was flushed bright red as she shouted grumpily:
“Both of you, stop arguing! I’m not some little pet. I don’t belong to anyone!”
Su Ruanruan took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound like a mature adult.
“I owed so much money before and did many things I’m sorry for. My primary goal now is to become independent and pay off all my debts! I don’t want to find a partner at all right now, and I don’t have the mind for those messy things!”
“And…” Su Ruanruan shyly poked her slender fingers together, her voice growing smaller and her cheeks crimson. “And… I still don’t really know what it feels like to fall in love…”
Hearing this, Chu Youyu, who had still been angry, suddenly had her eyes light up like two 1,000-watt light bulbs, as if she had discovered some new continent.
“You don’t know? That’s fine!”
Chu Youyu grabbed Su Ruanruan’s hand, excitedly patted her own underdeveloped chest, and said with total confidence, “I can teach you! As long as Ruanruan is willing, you can use me for ‘Practice Romance’ first! I promise I’ll make you experience the most wonderful feeling of love in this world! By then, you won’t want to work hard to make money; you’ll only want to be with me!”
“Eh? Pra — practice?!” Su Ruanruan was stunned. Could something like love actually be practiced?!
“No… no way!”
Saginomiya Shiori completely panicked now. Her cold face instantly turned beet red. She reached out from behind and hugged Su Ruanruan’s petite body, holding on tight like she was guarding her most precious bone.
“Why not!” Chu Youyu’s eyes widened.
“Be — because…” Shiori stammered, her brain working at high speed. She finally squeezed out an extremely lame excuse. “Because Ruanruan is still young! Ruanruan is only 16 years old. That’s not an age where she can just try romance casually! This is puppy love! It will affect her studies!”
“Huh?!” Chu Youyu looked at her like she was an alien. “Saginomiya Shiori, what kind of good student are you pretending to be! Do you dare say you don’t have any wicked thoughts toward Ruanruan? When you were teaching her how to play games just now, your face was almost pressed against her neck. You’re just purely jealous that I can rightfully be her practice partner!”
“I… I don’t!” Shiori turned her head away guiltily, but her arms holding Su Ruanruan tightened even more, as if she wanted to melt Su Ruanruan into her own body.
Seeing that Shiori refused to let go no matter what, Chu Youyu bit her teeth, a thought suddenly flashing through her mind.
“Hmph! Since you think it’s unfair if only I teach her… fine!”
Chu Youyu put her hands on her hips and waved her hand grandly with an expression of showing mercy. “To let Ruanruan truly experience the feeling of love, I’ll take a step back! The two of us will take turns!”
“Eh???” This time it was Su Ruanruan’s turn to scream.
“That’s right!” Chu Youyu stared at Shiori, her tone full of provocation. “Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Ruanruan will be my girlfriend. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Ruanruan will be your girlfriend! We’ll let her rest on Sundays! We’ll take turns letting her experience the feeling of love and see who is the person most suitable for her! How about it, Saginomiya Shiori? Do you dare accept the challenge?!”
Time seemed to stand still at this moment.
Saginomiya Shiori, who had been fiercely resisting and swearing to defend Su Ruanruan’s “purity,” instantly short-circuited upon hearing the words “let Ruanruan be your girlfriend” and “experience love.”
The words she was going to use to argue back got stuck in her throat.
Just thinking about how she could rightfully hold Ruanruan’s hand on a date, how she could openly hug and snuggle with her as her “girlfriend,” and even do some more intimate things…
“I…”
Shiori swallowed hard, her face so red it looked ready to drip blood. She lowered her head, her voice as small as a mosquito’s, yet it carried an irrepressible sense of anticipation and secret joy.
“I… if Ruanruan really does need to practice… I, I’m willing to cooperate with this proposal…”
“Aaaah! What on earth are you two deciding on your own?!”