Who Gets Gross Right After Kissing Someone?

There was a trace of panic and confusion in Imaizumi Keita’s tone.

“How can that be called taking advantage of me?!”

Yanami Anna immediately retorted.

She even took the initiative to shift a little closer to Imaizumi Keita, narrowing the distance between them.

“This is a very important ‘lover-style rehearsal,’ you know!”

She explained with a straight face.

“Besides, it’s just practice.

It’s not like I’m forcing you to take responsibility or anything.”

As she spoke, she raised both hands and gently cupped Imaizumi Keita’s cheeks.

A soft, warm sensation spread from his face.

“So…”

Yanami Anna took a deep breath, a moving, shy blush coloring her face.

“…this time, I’ll be the one to take the initiative.”

The moment her words fell, she gave him no chance to react.

She tilted her head slightly upward and pressed her lips against his.

The soft touch, carrying the uniquely sweet scent of a girl, instantly enveloped all of Imaizumi Keita’s senses.

At the very moment their lips met, he clearly felt the “succubus” power within him change once again.

What had originally been nothing more than a stable energy pool suddenly, deep within his consciousness, opened up an entirely new space.

Streams of pure emotional energy flowed continuously from the girl in his arms who had taken the initiative to kiss him, then were absorbed and stored in the newly formed energy pool.

He didn’t know how much time passed.

Only when the girl in his arms let out a faint, breathless whimper did Imaizumi Keita slowly bring the kiss—initiated by her—to an end.

Looking at the girl before him, her lips slightly swollen, her eyes shimmering with moisture, her cheeks so red they looked ready to drip blood, he felt his molars begin to ache again.

This new ability’s activation method…

Could it really require intimacy at the level of kissing to progress quickly?

If that were the case, then in the future…

“Hehe… hehe hehe…”

Just as his head was starting to ache, Yanami Anna suddenly cupped her own burning cheeks with both hands and let out a series of silly laughs.

Her whole body seemed to be floating on clouds, her eyes sparkling with happiness and satisfaction.

Seeing her like this, Imaizumi Keita couldn’t help but complain.

“I’m just saying, your drool is practically about to drip.”

He paused, then sniffed the air and frowned slightly.

“And the umeboshi from that rice ball you ate earlier—it came through just now.”

“Eh?!”

Yanami Anna snapped out of her dazed bliss like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She glared at him indignantly and shot back with righteous confidence.

“So what?!

I tasted your curry bread too!

It was a bit spicy, but pretty good!”

There was still a faint blush lingering on Yanami Anna’s face, but her tone made it sound as though she were simply doing a food review.

Looking at her like this, Imaizumi Keita felt his temples begin to throb again.

Not because of his ability.

Purely because he was being infuriated by this woman’s thick skin.

Just a second ago, she had been all misty-eyed and weak from a single kiss.

The next second, she was calmly evaluating flavors.

This kind of rapid mental switch—

Should he praise her for her adaptability, or say she simply didn’t take this sort of thing seriously at all?

“Yanami.”

Imaizumi Keita frowned deeply, his face full of disdain.

“You’re really gross.”

“Hah?!

How am I gross?!”

Yanami Anna immediately puffed out her cheeks in protest.

Her clear eyes glared at him, filled with accusation that screamed, “How dare you look down on me.”

“I didn’t even say you were gross!

Who reacts after kissing by evaluating what the other person’s mouth tastes like?!

You’re the pervert with zero sense of romance!”

For a moment, Imaizumi Keita didn’t know what to say.

After all, he had been the one to bring up the umeboshi flavor first.

He had only instinctively wanted to be snarky toward Yanami.

He hadn’t expected to get completely counter-killed.

Seeing his rare, speechless expression, the dissatisfaction in Yanami Anna’s heart instantly vanished.

The corners of her mouth lifted uncontrollably, and a sly, triumphant grin appeared on her face.

“Hmph, calling me gross, huh?”

Her body once again leaned proactively toward Imaizumi Keita.

The hands cupping his cheeks not only didn’t let go, they even gave them a light squeeze.

“Then I’ll just gross you out a bit more!”

“I’ll gross you out!

I’ll gross you out!”

As she spoke, she pecked him again and again like a woodpecker, pressing her soft lips against his—not too hard, not too light—several times in a row.

Each contact carried a hint of playful, retaliatory lightness.

Imaizumi Keita didn’t push her away.

He could only helplessly let her mess around, feeling that complex emotional energy—mixed with smugness, revenge, and intimacy—continuously flow from her into the newly opened energy pool within him.

Now, he was even more certain.

Yanami Anna was absolutely taking advantage of him under the banner of a “lover-style rehearsal.”

Only after an unknown amount of time, when Yanami seemed to have finally satisfied her tiny desire for revenge, did she release him.

She licked her lips, wearing the radiant smile of a victor.

Those bright, sparkling eyes were filled with triumphant smugness that said, “See if you dare call me gross again.”

Looking at the girl before him—someone he had personally “educated” into this state—Imaizumi Keita felt a wave of helplessness wash over him.

That crying, defeated girl in the family restaurant, who couldn’t even bring herself to refuse—

When exactly had she evolved into this crafty little devil who would take the initiative to kiss, use his own logic against him, and even shamelessly take advantage of him?

Forget it…

In the end, he gave up on continuing to tangle with her over this.

If this went on, he had no doubt she’d use the excuse of “practice” to turn today’s lunch break into her own one-sided buffet.

Yanami Anna really did love eating too much…

“Alright, alright.

Practice over.”

Imaizumi Keita reached out and pressed a hand lightly against her forehead, pushing her still-leaning head away and forcibly changing the topic.

“By the way, how’s your preparation for the weekend training camp going?”

“T-training camp?”

The word successfully pulled Yanami Anna’s attention away from her earlier victory.

She was still immersed in the afterglow of having led two kisses, her brain a bit sluggish from excitement and lack of oxygen.

“Yeah.”

Imaizumi Keita nodded and continued naturally.

“Didn’t Tsukinoki-senpai say it already?

The camp’s at the Youth House in Tahara.

I checked—there seems to be a beach nearby.”

He glanced at Yanami and asked.

“It’s so hot.

There might be a chance to go swimming.

Have you prepared your swimsuit?”