Asking whether or not I've finished filing papers, I began to wonder just what her motive was.

"Well, there's just a few finishing touches to take care of..."

"Oh, then I'll be waiting by the gate."

An incomprehensible amount of thoughts ran through my mind after that comment.

"Well that's a surprise. Them, I guess I'll be seeing you later?"

"Mm," she nods before taking a step back while raising her hand to wave, "Don't work too hard, Senpai."

She walked away in rather light steps.

...

After meeting her again at the front gate, the sun was basically setting at that point as she then invited me back to her home. I say invite however she basically dragged me along. I didn't think she was the sort of girl to be so assertive.

"Nothing..."

Now alone with Tsuchida-san in her own home, It was obvious from the outside; the size of the place is awfully large. Her front yard, though well maintained; it lacked what people would call a fancy garden. It surely has potential to be attractive, but not even a flowerbed was to be seen, let alone plants. The inside is the same; a large home, with nothing of much in it. Nothing to give the place character asides from the generic things you'd see; the essentials. It felt empty.

With there only being three chairs by the dining table, I'd assume she's the only child as she did mention both her parents are night shift workers.

Situated at said dining table, she's sitting across from me staring into me. I find silence rather soothing as it helps me concentrate, however, as of the moment, it's almost deafening. Her lips slowly arc into a grin as she seems rather excited.

"W-What?"

"Oh, it's nothing...~"

With her elbow against the table, she rests her cheek upon her palm and simply giggles to herself.

"You know, you're the only person from school who has seen my house."

"I am? What about your friends?"

"Of course not," she smiles as she bats away the issue, "If they saw my house, they'd think I'm rich and that'll change the way they see me."

And yet, she's somehow contradicting herself. This is a side I didn't think she had.

"Is that so."

It's not my place to get involved with her personal ordeals.

Better yet, why would she invite someone who rejected her offer to her house?

"Hey, Senpai... Aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask? About?"

"Hehe, no, it's fine..."

Giggling, her excited expression once again warps, as the change is rather disturbing; her grin seems rather cynical.

"Say, Senpai... You don't have your phone, do you?"

"W-What..?"

Her laugh, unlike the gentle ones she expressed before, it was enough to make hairs stand on end.

"Your phone... Your smart phone, you lost it, didn't you?"

Wondering how she knew. I honestly don't have my phone on me, I in fact lost it about a week ago and have yet to find it. It contains quite a proportion of personal data, but nothing too significant. I could always get it replaced, but that doesn't mean I'm not sad over losing it.

"Yes, I did lose it."

"Mm, you did."

Immediately after, she reveals a phone that strikingly resembles mine.

No, it is mine. I can tell from the scratches against the surface, and the charm I bought dating back to when I was in junior high.

"Tsuchida-san... Why do you have my phone?"

Suddenly, it feels like I accused her for taking it.

"Well, I was planning to give it back straight away, but... Of course, I couldn't. I wanted to, but I didn't. It belonged to Senpai."

As though she went through a tough predicament, she taps against the screen as the phone lights up.

"...Why do you know my pass code?"

"Hm?"

Casually tapping away on my phone, she appears to have bypassed the password required to unlock it.

"Hehe, well. It's not like I knew it, but.~ There are other ways to get it. You know, you shouldn't use the birthday of the one you so deeply lust after."

"W-What?!"

Unable to keep my voice down, she merely laughs and continues.

"Jougasaki-senpai... That's who Senpai loves, isn't it?"

"Himeko-san has nothing to do with it."

Jougasaki Himeko's apart of the Student Council, she's Vice President and unlike me, she's openly admired by her peers. She's talented and with her help, we managed to gain large support of the student body.

"Hehh... Jougasaki-senpai has nothing to do with it..."

In a rather sarcastic tone, she continues to tap through my phone before smirking as her tapping comes to a stop.

"Then, Senpai. How do you explain," turn the phone around, the screen displays a photo, "This photo you have saved? Especially one so perverted."

"T-That's-!"

I forgot about that one photo I have saved. And it's one of Himeko-san. Shit, why didn't I delete it when I had the chance?

"You know, I was wondering who it may be. After all, their face isn't in this shot... But, if you go by their aspects. They fit Jougasaki-senpai's figure to the letter, her brilliant waistline, and her wonderful legs... I can see why they entrance Senpai so. Ahh... and her panties, hehe, they're so mature, aren't they? It fits her, Jougasaki-senpai."

"..."

"But you know, Senpai. If you wanted to see panties, then you could've just asked. I would have shown you mine. You wouldn't even need to take pictures, because I'd shown you mine all you want. Hehe, but... If I do, you'd take many regardless, wouldn't you?"

"T-that's-..."

It's a misunderstanding. But of course, she wouldn't buy it. It's my phone after all. But the one who took the photo wasn't me, but someone else.

"Ah but if you compare Jougasaki-senpai's to mine, they're rather childish. Say, Senpai? Which do you prefer? Cute pastel colours, or more of a-"

"You've got it wrong! Besides I wasn't the one who took that photo."

"Hmmm... I see, And? Just how are you going to prove it?"

"The phone model. If you inspect the file details, it'd show the phone model in which the photo was taken."

"Hmm... Hehe, that's my Senpai. Yes, it'd seem you weren't the one who took the picture. But if so, why do you have it?"

"...Someone I know. We were joking around, and soon after, he sent the image over line."

"Someone you know, huh...~"

Despite proving I wasn't the one who took the photo, she seems to have an ulterior motive.

"If so, then Senpai. Why do you still have it? You gaze at this photo every day, don't you? And?~ Is there anything else you'd do?"

"I-I don't! It's just, well..."

Against a rock and a hard place, there's no way out of this without admitting to it.

"You don't have to look so guilty. It's not like I care that much. Senpai may be the Student Council President. But more than that, he's a growing boy."

Despite referring to me as her Senpai, it's as though our roles have been reversed.

"So you invited me over, just so you could embarrass me?"

"Embarrass?"

Her eyes widen with surprise as she bursts into laughter.

"No no, that's not it at all, Senpai. I invited you over, because I wanted to spend some alone time with you. But... Hehe, I guess I can admit, I wanted to see how you'd react.~ Will his face become flushed, will he cry? Will he force himself on to me and tear it away from my grasp? In the end, Senpai didn't do either, his face didn't even heat up. It's a bit of a shame, but it's not like it wasn't exciting."

"...Can I ask for you to keep it a secret?"

"Hmm? And, why should I do that? After all. Senpai, you rejected me. So there's no reason for me to not tell anyone. I could first tell Jougasaki-senpai, no... Not that, I could post it all around campus."

"You're joking, right?"

"Hehe, it'd be easy... After all, the schools security is lacking tremendously. I could have it done by tonight."

"..."

As my anxiety reaches its peak, I quickly rise from my chair.

"I'm just joking, Senpai.~ You don't have to look at me like that. I won't do anything that'd make Senpai hate me."

"So then, why are you doing this? What do you gain from this?"

"I just wanted to show I'm on Senpai's side. Whatever the case may be. Even if Senpai becomes a criminal, I'll still be here."

Declaring so, she hops off her seat and stretches her arms up high with a yawn.

"Aahhh... Well, hehe... That was fun," with my phone in hand, instead of handing it to me, she merely walks away into the corridor, "I think i'll take a shower."

"I'm glad you had fun and all, but before you do that. Could I have my phone back? It's getting late and I'm on dinner duty."

"Nooo wayy.~ If I do that, then Senpai would just run away. I can't have that, especially when you're here."

"..."

I just about reach my limit of patience.

"Don't look at me like that.~ Let's see... hehe. Okay," with a playful smile, she turns to me and places it in her breast pocket, "Go ahead, take it if you want."

She sticks her tongue out and adjusts her posture which compliments her features.

"What are you playing at?"

"Ehhh, I'm not playing anything. I may change my mind if you don't hurry.~"

"Hahh, whatever..."

I'm not about to let this opportunity slip, even if it's in her pocket or wherever it may be.

Stepping up to her, she looks up at me with a grin as I could feel my heart beat accelerate. As my fingers grasp just the edge of it, she grabs my hand and pushes it against her as she squeals.

"H-Hey!"

Doing so, I take a step back.

"Ahh, Senpai... Hehe, did you think it'd be that easy?~ Senpai's so childish."

"I didn't think you'd-... do that."

"Just a bit more and Senpai would've..."

As though she thinks I would've done something to her, I shake my head.

"Nothing would've happened."

"Ehhh, but Senpai fawns over Jougasaki-senpai's figure all the time."

"You know. If I did think of her like that, I wouldn't be able to do my job."

"Hehe... Well, I guess that's true. The two of you are usually alone together in the same room. During school hours, after school hours...~"

"Hahh... I don't even what to say to get it through to you."

"Oh no no, don't worry, Senpai.~ Hehe, I guess I shouldn't tease you too much. But I really should take my shower. My parents get really angry when I don't shower before the sunsets. How about you, Senpai? When do you usually shower?"

"Hahh... Straight after I get home, that way it's out of the way. Then I'll take one before I sleep and when I wake up."

"Is that so..." removing her blazer, it falls against the floor as I advert my gaze.

"W-What are you-"

"I did say I was going to shower."

"Then get changed somewhere else!"

I walk away but before I could she draws my attention.

"You want your phone back, right?"

Saying so, I don't turn back. Because I continue to hear her clothes shift which would suggest that she's ignoring my request to undress elsewhere.

"It'll be in my pocket. But after showering, I'll give it back."

"Is that right? But how can I trust you?"

"Ehhh, you don't believe me, Senpai? ...Hehe, but that's okay."

Accepting the situation, her footsteps fade into the distance behind a closed door as I then turn around.

"...Honestly. You're one heck of an enigma."

Her clothes lay piled up against each other, the only thing that's missing is her undergarments along with her skirt.

"In her pocket, hm."

I search her shirt pocket and of course it's not there.

"Figures."