Chapter 528: Nanami’s Lack of Ambition

Chapter 528: Nanami’s Lack of Ambition

“You… let go! You’re already with Mashiro, yet you… yet you still…”

As Nanami said this, a mixture of hurt and sadness welled up inside her, and she stifled a sob.

Seeing this, Himekoji quickly obeyed and released her. His other hand was holding the cold medicine, so he couldn’t wipe her tears easily.

“Why did you chase after me? Say something!”

Nanami clenched her small fists and pounded Himekoji’s chest.

“I chased you… to give you the cold medicine… it fell on the ground…”

Himekoji was being pretty blunt with his answer.

Hearing that, Nanami felt the tears threatening to spill again, even though they ’d just stopped. Her eyes red, she glared at him, unhappy with his reply.

Was Himekoji saying she lost things often?

Was it her fault?

This shameless scumbag!

He was already with Mashiro, yet he publicly kissed her on the bus!

And afterward? Not even a hint of regret or an apology! He acted like it was nothing!

No way! She had to teach him a lesson!

“Nanami, your foot… your foot…”

Nanami sniffled, pretending not to understand. “My foot… what about it?” Her voice was still choppy from crying.

“N-nothing! I’m… I’m honored! Extremely honored you’re stepping on me, Nanami! If I could… I’d want more! I want you to step on me in all kinds of ways! With your canvas shoes! Your casual shoes! Your little leather shoes! Slippers! High heels! Little sandals! Barefoot! Wool socks! Black tights! White tights… I… I want Nanami to step on me in every possible way!” Himekoji forced a smile despite the pain in his foot, trying to flatter her.

“You pervert?!”

The one saying this didn’t sound embarrassed at all, while the listener blushed.

Nanami was utterly helpless against Himekoji’s shamelessness. Furious, she gritted her teeth, even more determined to make him pay. So, she put all her weight onto the foot she was stepping on him with – a queen-like stomp.

Himekoji finally couldn’t take the pain. He sucked in a sharp breath and doubled over.

At that moment, Nanami lifted her foot off him, just like letting go of a clutch pedal. She lifted her other foot slightly and suddenly threw herself forward.

A sweet breeze wafted by as Nanami’s arms wrapped around Himekoji’s neck. He watched Nanami’s face come close, her tear-streaked pretty face closed eyes and fluttering lashes.

“Mmm…”

There was no time to make a sound, though, in that moment, no sound was needed anyway.

“Ouch!”

But only a moment later, Himekoji realized he was wrong – making a sound was necessary after all, because it hurt!

The same spot… exactly the same spot!

Yesterday bitten by Hiratsuka Shizuka… today bitten by Aoyama Nanami…

Are all you women puppies or something?!

“Hmph!”

After what felt like forever, their lips parted. Nanami stepped back triumphantly. Because they were stained with Himekoji’s blood, her lips, previously pale and dry from her cold, now looked full and crimson again.

Nanami laughed forcefully, as if that could hide the fact she’d been crying.

“I’m giving you my cold!”

“Colds aren’t spread by kissing, you know.”

Himekoji’s voice was soft; he didn’t feel the pain.

No, it probably still hurt. But looking at Nanami, the pain just didn’t matter anymore.

“Th-they aren’t?”

Nanami took another step back; holding back from running away in total embarrassment took enormous effort.

Himekoji nodded solemnly.

“Then… then what about blood…”

“Not spread by blood either.”

“No way?!”

Nanami was both shocked and upset. Did that mean she’d done something pointless again? How stupid!

“Ahem… but…”

Himekoji took two steps forward, glanced furtively around, and suddenly leaned close to Nanami’s ear, whispering low,

“But… they’re spread by love.”

“You! You’re gonna die!”

Nanami scrambled back again, putting distance between them, staying alert.

“I… I’ll tell Mashiro!”

“Yeah, go ahead. Mashiro will be really happy to see you.” Mashiro had hinted at this before, so Himekoji was confident.

“You…”

Nanami raised an eyebrow. For a moment, she forgot to sniffle. She couldn’t believe Himekoji could be this brazen and shameless.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I’m serious…”

“Serious?”

“Go ask Mashiro yourself.”

Himekoji reached for Nanami’s hand. Nanami pretended to pull away.

So, Himekoji muttered cryptically—

“You know… when you have a cold, holding hands is actually way more contagious than kissing.”

“You… you’re lying again!”

Nanami didn’t believe him, but the struggle in her hand weakened noticeably.

“I mean it. Your nose and eyes are the main ways viruses get in. Coughing, sneezing, or touching your face increases the chance of infection. So… holding hands with someone who has a cold is the riskiest contact. Because… people with colds often blow their noses, and their hands have loads of germs and viruses…”

Mid-explanation, Nanami interrupted him, her voice full of complaint.

“I didn’t blow my nose that much!”

“Okay, okay, you didn’t.”

“So kissing was even more useless than holding hands?!”

Nanami was deeply disappointed by this.

“Well, not entirely useless. Kissing might not pass the cold to me, but it definitely burns calories and helps lose weight!”

“Huh?”

Don’t listen to Himekoji’s nonsense! Don’t listen! She told herself firmly. But as soon as she heard the word “weight loss,” Nanami’s ears twitched unconsciously.

“Statistics show that every 45 seconds of kissing between lovers provides stimulation equivalent to eating 25 grams of chocolate, while also burning around 12 calories!”

“Between lovers…”

Nanami started picking at the details.

“Nanami and I count as lovers, right?”

“You and Mashiro do!”

Himekoji chuckled and shifted gears.

“Well, regardless, let’s calculate if that kiss from before lasted 45 seconds.”

Hearing this, Nanami fell silent. She seemed to genuinely start calculating.

45 seconds of kissing burns 12 calories? An hour of Hatha yoga barely burns 200!

So… kissing for an hour would burn…

Oh… actually, still not as good as yoga…

Once Nanami did the math, she understood. Yeah right, nothing that easy could exist in the world.

Still, kissing was way more relaxing and comfortable than yoga!

But… yoga can be done alone, while kissing needs two people…

That put a big damper on Nanami’s plan for easy weight loss.

Especially now that Mashiro had quietly gotten together with Himekoji without a word.

Maybe she could discuss this body-toning plan with Mashiro. Mashiro was so cute, Nanami didn’t dislike her at all. Besides, kissing Mashiro would be like indirectly kissing Himekoji.

If Nanami often toned up with Mashiro like this, then every time Himekoji kissed Mashiro later on, he was bound to remember Nanami, right?

Remember her… and the feel of her lips.

Stop, stop, stop! What shameful thoughts are these?!

Nanami realized her thoughts were veering wildly off track. She felt ashamed of herself, and deeply upset by that.

So little ambition.

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