No Strings Attached

Chapter 2

"Let me accompany you." He replied as he smiled happily as he snaked his arm around my waist.

I leaned against his chest and left the room in that position, leaving the stunned and confused students.

We first passed by the faculty area so he can drop off his stuff before going to my room where I quickly change into something comfortable.

We first had dinner at a restaurant in Central town. We talked about our star rank as we ate happily. Things were pretty awkward at first, but our topic moved from star ranks to teasing each other about our unusual agreement to his freaked out students.

After dinner, we went to a nearby park and sat on one of the benches.

"Say, Naru. Do you have a lot of experience in dating?" I asked the blonde who was now staring at me confused at my sudden question.

"Why'd you ask?" He replied.

"Well, for someone who's been single for a long time, you really know your dating stuff." I replied tilting my head to one side.

"Ah... well... I was kind of a player during my days." He replied while awkwardly playing with his hair and laughing.

"Whoa! Really?! So does that mean you're also quite experienced in bed?" I teased and nudge him playfully.

He turned bright red from my accusations and started stuttering and denying it. I giggled at his reaction as he pouted.

A strong gust of cold wind passed by us causing me to shiver a bit. Naru must have notice as he removed his jacket and put it around my shoulder.

I was about to ask him if he won't feel cold when he held my hand. I looked at him. He was wearing a serious expression. It felt weird seeing him wear that expression, it was like he was a different Naru or something.

"Why did you decide to create something like this agreement?" He asked while I just looked at him confused.

"You already asked me this before and I'm pretty sure I already gave you an answer." I replied.

"Hmmm... I just wanted to know if there were other reasons." He added.

"Well, I had a feeling you were someone who doesn't want to involve himself with a serious relationship and like I said, I just want a private fling. It's a lot less emotional this way. But I do mean my first answer. I also do want to be treated like a proper girlfriend. Ughhh... even I'm confused by myself." I groaned as I threw my head back.

I heard Narumi chuckled and I glared at him a little.

"How about you? Why did you accept this agreement?" I asked. I stared at him directly, making him feel a little self-conscious.

"I don't really know. I guess it intrigued me. You don't really get offers like yours quite often." He replied with a laugh which died out as soon as it started.

"But then I thought about it. I don't know. Maybe I just want to do what I couldn't do with someone." He said sadly while staring at nothing.

"She must have been very important to you." I replied suddenly feeling a sense of loneliness.

"She is and will always will be." He smiled still staring at nothing.

He looked so peaceful when he was talking about her. I slowly started caressing his hand, trying to sympathize with him, and ever so slowly, we intertwined our fingers. I rest my head on his shoulder and just stayed there for a while.

After what seemed to be minutes, we decided to go back to the dorms. We walked in comfortable silence with our hands clasped together.

We soon arrived in my room. He pat me on the head softly before saying good night.

I didn't want the night to end with the atmosphere set on 'comfortable with lingering loneliness'. Just as he was about to walk away, I called him and boldly kissed him on the lips much to his surprise.

"If you accepted this agreement because you wanted to do the things you couldn't do with her, then you shouldn't do it half-assed." I scolded him.

He seemed shocked at first but eventually chuckled, amused at me. He wrapped his arms on my waist, pulling me closer, as he leaned his face to mine until our lips fully touched. We stayed like that for a few seconds until I decided to kiss back which he reciprocated immediately. Just as things were about to get heated, he pulled away.

"Good night." He said once more before giving me a kiss on the forehead and left.

I continued to stare at his back getting further away until I lost sight of him. The uneasy feeling in my chest caused me to put my hand over it. I snapped back to reality and entered my room. I threw myself on my bed and started reassessing the events that just happened. The uneasiness in my chest still lingers and grows stronger whenever I thought about Naru, but I dismissed it and started to remove my clothes lazily. I first removed the jacket I was wearing and realized that it wasn't mine.

I stared at it for a few moments and remembered the time in the park.

'He forgot his jacket.' I thought as I stared at it.

"I wonder..."" I unconsciously started to inhale the scent of its owner.

'He smell really good.' I thought with the jacket covering half my face.

'Nice hobby you got there me.' My brain alerted me of what I was doing. I threw the jacket on the other side of the bed in panic.

"It's not what it looks like!!!" I said defensively to no one.

'Uh huh. Right.' I can hear my own thoughts telling me that sarcastically.

"I'm going to bed!" I half shouted as I buried myself under my pillow.