Chapter 11: If You Want It, Come and Get It Yourself

“You guessed right~”

Akiba Sakura seemed to have guessed what Yuuma Tsugumu was thinking.

She merely gave a faint, pitiful smile before plopping herself back down on her cushion.

“…Converting your own bedroom door like that, I feel like you’re a bit of a…”

“Scrub Tsugumi is just a little small fry, after all~ You don’t have the right to say that to me~”

‘Since that remote can lock it, it means it can unlock it too…’

At this moment, Yuuma Tsugumu had no interest in whatever Akiba Sakura was saying.

He had a strange feeling that the longer he was trapped here, the more dangerous his situation would become —

‘God only knows what this girl will do to me… she’s got so many wicked ideas in that head of hers!’

Therefore, Yuuma Tsugumu desperately wanted to leave this room.

At the same time, he felt a bit of regret.

If he had just been a little more firm about staying in the living room to watch TV earlier, none of this would be happening.

“What are you thinking about, Scrub Tsugumi~”

“…”

Yuuma Tsugumu fixed his eyes on the miniature remote control that Akiba Sakura had placed on the table.

‘If I go over there now and snatch the remote…’

Yuuma Tsugumu finally settled on the remote Sakura used to control the door as his way out.

After all, if he shouted for help to Akiha Shiori downstairs…

‘Even if I’m saved, crying for help would be way too pathetic and spineless…’

However, just as Yuuma Tsugumu was about to rush over and grab the remote, Akiba Sakura suddenly snatched it off the table.

“Honestly, that’s why I’m saying, Tsuguo, your thoughts are written all over your face — “

Akiba Sakura toyed with the remote in her hand while smiling.

“Still, if I were you, I would definitely try the same thing — I can’t really blame you for having such an obvious face… So, as a reward, I’ll give Scrub Tsugumi a chance…”

With those words, Akiba Sakura’s other hand slowly reached under her skirt.

She grabbed the hem and suddenly rolled it up, revealing her blue-and-white striped panties.

“???”

The move sent a jolt through Yuuma Tsugumu’s body, and he hurriedly spun around to avoid looking at her.

“W-What… what are you doing?!”

In just that one moment, Yuuma Tsugumu’s face turned bright red, and a bit of sweat began to bead on his forehead.

“What do you mean ‘what’? Of course, I’m planning to give Tsuguo a chance to get the remote control~”

The coy tone coming from Akiba Sakura behind him made her signature wicked smile involuntarily float into his mind.

“What’s wrong, Tsuguo? Don’t you want to admire a beautiful girl’s panties? I don’t mind~”

“Sh-Shut up! How can you… how can you be so shameless!”

Yuuma Tsugumu was genuinely flustered now.

It would be a lie to say he had no interest in a beautiful girl like Akiba Sakura; after all, he was a normal male.

Right now, two forces were clashing in his mind:

One was a primal urge, and the other was his remaining sense of reason.

“Mmm…”

Another soft hum came from Akiba Sakura behind him, followed by a faint snap sound, like the quick flick of elastic against skin.

“You can look back now, Tsuguo~”

“I won’t!”

Yuuma Tsugumu couldn’t have been more pathetic at that moment.

Before entering Akiba Sakura’s room, he had been telling himself that he wouldn’t let this wicked woman play with him.

Yet, he was already on the verge of surrendering to her very first move.

He didn’t dare turn back to look at her now.

If Akiba Sakura had lifted her school uniform top as well…

“Alright, alright. Do you want the remote control or not? I already said I’d give you a chance to get it. If you don’t look back…”

Akiba Sakura lowered her voice.

“We’ll just have to wait until my mom finishes cooking. By then, you might already be… Hehehehe…”

Hearing that laughter, Yuuma Tsugumu felt a sense of dread, but it also allowed his rapid breathing to steady slightly.

‘Wait… why am I panicking? This is clearly a reward! I’m just… just harboring a heart that appreciates beauty! The remote is more important right now…’

After weighing the pros and cons, Yuuma Tsugumu chose to turn around —

However, Akiba Sakura had already pulled her skirt back down and was sitting properly and decorously on her cushion.

“Hmph~ Was Scrub Tsugumi thinking of something naughty just now?”

Akiba Sakura’s mouth curved into a wicked cat-like shape as she looked at him mischievously.

“I… I was not!”

Yuuma Tsugumu responded guiltily, his heart still thumping wildly.

‘As… as I thought, it was another prank. How loathsome… she teases me like this every time without giving me the real deal. She really is a wicked woman!’

“Wait, wait, wait! What am I thinking…”

Yuuma Tsugumu shook his head vigorously, clearing the unhealthy thoughts from his mind.

‘It’s all because of this girl…’

“Fine, fine~ I’ll stop teasing you. Come and get the remote~”

Akiba Sakura suddenly waved her hand, generously inviting Yuuma Tsugumu to take the remote.

“…”

Yuuma Tsugumu looked at her with a sour expression.

“If you’re done teasing me, just use the remote to unlock the door yourself…”

Despite his words, Yuuma Tsugumu took a few steps and stood beside Akiba Sakura, staring at her blankly.

“Why are you looking at me? Is Tsuguo still thinking about those perverted things?”

Feeling his gaze, Akiba Sakura giggled and covered her mouth.

“As if! I’m waiting for you to take out the remote, hey!”

As if his thoughts had been exposed, Yuuma Tsugumu nervously averted his eyes.

“Mhm, if you want it, then you’ll have to take it~”

“What kind of gibberish are you saying?”

“The remote control is… right here — “

“?”

Upon hearing this, Yuuma Tsugumu quickly looked where she was pointing — inside her skirt.

“…I thought you said you were done teasing me?”

Yuuma Tsugumu sighed helplessly.

“Stand up — “

Akiba Sakura blinked, seemingly surprised that he was telling her to stand up.

Then, as if realizing something, she gave a slight nod.

After standing up, she added, “Be my guest~”

“…”

Looking at the empty cushion beneath Akiba Sakura’s feet, Yuuma Tsugumu’s fists tightened.

“Are you playing with me?”

“I’m not~ I told you it was right here — “

Akiba Sakura stuck her tongue out slightly and pointed at her skirt again.

This time, however, her gesture was much more precise — an action that made Yuuma Tsugumu freeze instantly.

He suddenly recalled the faint snap sound he had heard when he turned around earlier.

That slight sound of elastic flicking against skin.

Thinking about it now, that sound was very similar to the snap of an underwear waistband against the skin…

‘Could it be?!’

As the realization hit him, Yuuma Tsugumu snapped his head up to look at the ‘Little Devil’ who was still smiling.

At that moment, the Akiha Little Devil’s smile seemed to confirm his suspicions, causing his heart, which had finally calmed down, to start racing violently again.

“Did you… the remote…”

“That’s right~”

Seeing that Yuuma Tsugumu had figured it out, Akiba Sakura stopped beating around the bush —

“You guessed exactly right, Scrub Tsugumi~”

“…”

‘This girl… she stuffed the remote control inside her panties!!!!!!!!’