Stealing Spree

Chapter 2426  Deeper Understanding

As the car streaked through our peaceful city road, I broke the silence between us by raising a question.

"Hitomi, what about you? When will you bring me to your parents?"

Truthfully, I might actually meet her father tonight. He’s serving Otoha’s father, after all. He’s already aware of my relationship with Hitomi but just like her grandfather, he’s not approving of her involvement with me.

"Ruki-sama… They will react the same way as my grandfather. "

"Haa... I told you to stop adding honorifics with me."

"I apologize... It is simply more comfortable for me to speak to you that way."

Hitomi replied, her grip on the steering wheel tightening slightly.

I took a quick glance at her face and while it was hard to see because of the lack of light, her face reddened slightly.

Nonetheless, I picked up why she’s insisting on not dropping the honorifics.

It was to prevent herself from losing control of her feelings for me. She’s afraid that if she openly showed it, she might neglect her duties.

Maybe she's only going to drop that when we are in a private place or when she’s having a break from her duties as a Mihara.

“Mhm. I understand. I’ll stop hounding you about this. I shouldn’t be too pushy or my Hitomi will hate me.”

“H-huh?!”

“Oh? I got a reaction.” I smirked and leaned close to her, just enough to blow air into her ear. I shouldn’t distract her too much when she’s driving. “I mean it as is. I am being a little pushy, aren’t I? Maybe it was the detriment of seeing many girls, but I neglected to look further into your reason for refusing to drop the honorifics. Now I understand.”

Hitomi’s lips parted slightly, her surprise was evident as her grip on the steering wheel softened.

She didn’t respond immediately, but her gaze flickered toward me, at least just barely by using the angle of the rearview mirror.

After a moment, she sighed softly and spoke, her voice dropping the tightness when she was on duty. "You’re not being pushy, Ruki-sama. I… simply need to keep this boundary. Not for you, but for myself. It helps me stay focused on my duties. If I let my guard down, even just a little, I’m afraid I won’t be able to rein myself in."

Her admission came with a faint tremor in her voice. I picked up her emotion from it, I couldn’t help but smile.

Mhm… She’s now acting the same as when we first confessed our interest in each other.

"I know. That’s why I said I understand now. Sorry if I’m slow at picking it up. I should really start seeing you regularly. Not just finding a little window from time to time. And not just you… the other girls too. Just filling my inadequacies with using modern technology will never be enough.”

I wryly smiled. I was clearly lacking in being a boyfriend to the other girls not attending the same school as me. Yet, none of them were complaining.

“That’s a ridiculous idea, Ruki-sama. We understand. There are certain limitations that you cannot realistically overcome unless you can be in multiple places at once. We love you not because you are perfect, but because you do your best to make us feel special within those limitations."

Hitomi's voice softened up. Her words carried a weight of reassurance. Her gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead, but the subtle upturn of her lips told me she appreciated the sentiment behind my earlier apology.

Unfortunately, my stubbornness was rearing its head at the moment. Was it because of the upcoming dinner? Not really. I just feel like I have to act more like a boyfriend to this woman while we’re alone like this.

"Still, I feel like there’s always room for improvement. Not just for me, but for us as well. Balancing everything has been... manageable so far, but I can't let myself grow complacent."

Yeah. That doesn’t really sound so inspiring. But at least, I’ve said what's on my mind.

Hitomi glanced at me briefly, her expression a blend of understanding and determination.

"That’s why we’re here, Ruki-sama. To support you. And if the day comes when you falter, we’ll pick you back up. You’ve built this bond with us; let us share the weight when it gets too heavy."

Her words struck a chord, a reminder of the trust and strength that my girls continuously offered me. It wasn’t about being flawless. Instead, it was about the effort and the connections we’ve cultivated together.

Haa… To think that I’d get schooled instead for pushing through like this.

Before I knew it, I was already laughing at myself.

“Alright, Hitomi. Sorry for being so stubborn. Let’s do this together,”

“Yes, Ruki-sama.” With another quick glance at me, Hitomi who rarely laughed started giggling even though she stopped right away, eliciting a blush from her.

Since I wasn’t the one driving, I took this moment to admire her from this angle. Taking in her beautiful features, the way she sat so elegantly and her confidence as she navigated the car.

"Now, about that detour… Shall we grab something sweet before the dinner? I heard there’s a dessert shop near the main avenue that’s open late."

Hitomi raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a faint smirk. "You’re still trying to pamper me even when you have a challenge ahead, aren’t you?"

"Of course," I said without hesitation. "My Hitomi deserves it."

She chuckled lightly, the sound carrying a rare warmth. "Fine. Let’s make that detour. But don’t forget, Ruki-sama, tonight isn’t just about winning over Otoha-sama’s parents. It’s also about showing them the real you."

"Don’t worry," I said, my voice calm and confident. "I’ve got this. Especially when I get this encouragement from the usual silent Hitomi. By the way, it's a surprise to hear you don't reject my suggestion. Do you actually like sweets?"

"I like you more than the sweets. I'll still accept it even if you suggest something else."

Upon hearing that, I almost lost control of myself. Look at her, isn't she so sweet? I feel like I've just won a jackpot worth hundreds of millions.

With that, we drove off toward the dessert shop to steal a small moment of peace before diving into the anticipated confrontation of the night.

However, the moment she parked a distance away from the shop and took her hands on the steering wheel, my restraint broke and I ended up keeping us inside the car rather than getting out to buy something.

And as though she was expecting me to do that, Hitomi held me by my chin as she bit my lips, letting me understand that she was just the same as me. Longing for the moment we could let go of our inhibitions to show our affection for each other.

"But you should know that whether you call me ‘Ruki-sama’ or just ‘Ruki,’ I’m still the same person. And I’ll always respect you for who you are. Not just as Otoha’s personal attendant or as someone bound by duty, but as my woman."

I said in between our kisses which Hitomi responded with another bite but this time, on my neck as she climbed out of the driver's seat and onto my lap.

"Ruki..." Dropping her honorifics this time, Hitomi pulled on my tie, taking it off of me before unbuttoning my inner shirt and doing the same to hers.

"Hitomi," I called her name back as I helped her with what she was thinking of doing, "Sweets can wait for next time."