After finishing the exam and completing the usual tidying work in the library, it was time for them to close up and lock the windows.
Sasaki sat behind the curved counter with both hands holding a book, his whole body tense.
Chuu— chuu… gu~
After the discouraging sense of release appeared, he steadied his breathing, slid his chair back, and smiled at Serizawa Yukiha, whose long, delicate eyelashes were dotted with glistening teardrops:
"Yukiha is so dedicated… and more than before… do you like it that much?"
Hearing his words, the girl blinked her watery eyes, reached up to wipe the moisture from the corners of her eyes and mouth.
After swallowing hard, she pursed her lips and mumbled in a vague voice, defending herself:
"It's not… it's because Fuyumi likes it…"
"…"
Whether because of Yukiha's words or the lingering rush of blood from earlier, Sasaki's heart felt warm and he immediately pulled the girl into his arms.
Helping pat the thin layer of dust off her flushed knees and buttoning up her pure white shirt, he kissed her bright red cheek.
"Do you hate it?"
If it were the very beginning, yes...she definitely hated it so much.
Even when she went home for dinner, she was still feeling miserable… but after getting used to it, it got much better.
Plus, this was to please the person she liked.
Hate?
No, she didn't hate it.
As for liking it… well, what exactly did she like?
She liked the way Fuyumi tightly pressed his lips together in enjoyment..
She liked him stroking her head…because it was the reward for her efforts, proof that he really liked it.
Enjoying the gentle way he tied her tie for her, Serizawa Yukiha, who no longer needed to go to the bathroom, gave a faint smile and shook her head:
"I don't hate anything about Fuyumi."
"…"
"You're really such a dummy."
After a stunned silence, Sasaki came back to himself, smiled, and pinched her soft, mushy cheeks:
"We can go now. Let's close up early so you can get home and take a bath. If your underwear gets soaked through, it's still a bit uncomfortable."
"Mm~"
The two of them checked the doors and windows together one last time.
After confirming everything was securely closed, they locked the library door and walked along the corridor to the building entrance, to the shoe-changing area.
After Sasaki finished changing his shoes, he came to the doorway.
The sky was overcast and gloomy, with a continuous drizzle falling in fine, unbroken silver threads.
Looking at the campus veiled in a misty, frosted-glass-like water curtain, the boy turned to Yukiha beside him, who had just finished changing her shoes.
"Yukiha, did you bring an umbrella?"
His little "wings" were gradually getting to know each other… The ones who didn't know yet wouldn't appear at this time anyway.
So while asking, Sasaki naturally took hold of Yukiha's soft but slightly cool little hand.
A girl's hand felt like soft jade...soft, full of springy elasticity, impossibly smooth.
It was just a small bundle in his palm.
With a gentle squeeze and rub, he could feel the tender, faintly pink center of her palm.
He really liked the way girls, in public, would get shy and try to pull their hand away when he held it.
Sasaki admired the flush rising on both her cheeks, kneading her small hand neither too hard nor too lightly, and asked with a faint smile:
"Your hand is a bit cool. Are you cold?"
Doing something so intimate with the person she liked, right out in the open…
Serizawa Yukiha glanced around.
Facing the few curious looks from other students near the entrance, she shyly curled her fingers around the hand he held in his palm and shook her head.
"Not cold, just… there are people watching… around us."
"Let them watch, then."
Sasaki smiled nonchalantly, let go of her hand, took off the jacket he had brought that morning, and draped it over Yukiha's narrow, soft shoulders.
"The more they see, the fewer ideas they'll have about you. Yukiha is mine."
As he spoke, he took the school bag hanging from her shoulder, helped guide her arms into the sleeves, then began buttoning it up one by one:
"Just like this, wearing my clothes. No matter where you go, everyone will know you have a boyfriend."
She already felt like they were lovers..
After all, aside from giving away her virginity ..
they had done many sexual things together, however, the girl had never received an official confession from Sasaki, so deep down in Serizawa Yukiha's heart, there was actually a tiny bit of unease.
After all, she still hadn't heard the words she longed for… Whenever she thought about it, her heart would flutter with panic.
However, the girl didn't think Sasaki was just playing around with her.
If that were the case, he wouldn't have needed to care so much about her feelings.
Ignoring her own pleading, he could have just taken her right there in the library…
If he had been a little more forceful, she didn't think she could have firmly refused.
This doubt had lingered in her heart for a very long time.
Even now, she still hadn't figured it out… but it didn't matter anymore.
Although she still hadn't heard a formal confession, he had already admitted to being her boyfriend.
Looking at how naturally he acted, she guessed he had probably felt that way all along, which was why he had overlooked the confession part…
Having come up with her own excuse, Serizawa Yukiha felt the heavy stone in her heart finally lift.
After he finished buttoning the jacket for her, her small hand slipped into her lover's palm like a soft snake.
Seeing the gentle joy in her obedient expression, Sasaki pinched her hand and asked with a smile.
"Just now you didn't want me to hold your hand, but now how come…"
"That's not true at all~"
Not wanting her lover to think she was rejecting him, Serizawa Yukiha's cheeks flushed as she opened her small mouth and shyly retorted.
After all, her earlier slight resistance had simply been because there were too many people around, and she felt embarrassed.
Now that he had already done this much to her, holding hands again didn't matter.
Of course, the biggest reason she was doing this now was the joy of finally receiving acknowledgment in her heart.
Perhaps in Fuyumi's eyes, they had long been lovers, but in her eyes, today was the first day she had truly been acknowledged.
It felt a little embarrassing to say it out loud, but Fuyumi had said right here today that he was her boyfriend.
She always had the feeling that all her long efforts...like kneeling under the desk for so many days, swallowing his fluids, had finally borne fruit.
Mm… an unspeakable sense of accomplishment.
Watching Yukiha's smile grow gentler and gentler, the joy between her brows becoming more and more obvious, Sasaki couldn't help but smile along with her.
He wasn't entirely sure why Yukiha was smiling so happily… but he had a little guess.
After all, he wasn't an idiot.
Je could sense that Yukiha's happiness had started the moment he said he was her boyfriend.
In that case… this girl had probably felt that he had been deliberately keeping her hanging, intentionally or not.
That was normal, after all. girls were always especially sensitive and delicate when it came to emotions.
The attitude Sasaki had shown toward Yukiha before had been pure scumbag behavior: "I'm not the one taking the initiative; you're the one throwing yourself at me, so I can't help it."
There was no helping it…
Back then, the foundation of their feelings had been too thin.
If he had suddenly confessed everything, Yukiha might not have accepted his harem palace.
Even now, she might not accept it… but seeing how obedient and compliant Yukiha was, with that "I'll agree to anything as long as you're happy" look, Sasaki couldn't bear to keep stringing her along like this.
There would be a chance to be completely honest with her later…
There was no need to trample on her feelings like this...for such sincere feelings, even though he couldn't respond give her the honest love she wanted, he didn't want to take advantage of her without giving anything.
With a quiet sigh in his heart, Sasaki cupped her snow-white oval face with both hands.
His right thumb gently rubbed the delicate corner of her eye, where a tiny tear mole sat, and he teased with a laugh.
"You're smiling like a complete idiot."
"You still haven't answered me, did you bring an umbrella or not? If you didn't, getting home is going to be a bit troublesome. The rain outside is pretty heavy."
Because of that incident, she had always been teased by him as a idiot, and Serizawa Yukiha felt a tiny bit unwilling about it.
But she had indeed done something very stupid that time, so she didn't refute it.
Firmly keeping that incident in mind and warning herself to be much more cautious around strangers in the future, the girl pursed her lips, expressing her little resentment and dissatisfaction, then turned her head to look at the pouring rain curtain outside:
"It really is heavy, but I brought an umbrella. Did Fuyumi bring one?"
Whether he had brought one or not depended on her answer.
If she hadn't brought one, Sasaki would say he had… If she had brought one, Sasaki would say he hadn't.
Since her answer was that she had brought one, he naturally replied that he hadn't.
Hearing him say that, Serizawa Yukiha, who had always been called a idiot by him, smiled brightly and shook his arm:
"Now who's the real idiot~?"
Not bothering to argue over such small nicknames, Sasaki rolled his eyes and lowered his head to kiss her cheek. "Is the umbrella in your bag?"
"Mm~"
Holding hands was already no big deal, but kissing still…
The girl pressed the back of her cool hand against her heating cheek, glanced around and, seeing no one paying attention to them, finally let out a sigh of relief.
Then she tilted the corner of her mouth, looking at her lover with a mix of shyness and faint complaint.
Finding the spare umbrella in Yukiha's school bag, Sasaki wrapped his arm around her overly soft little waist and blinked.
"Let's go, wife~"
Private roleplay was fine, but doing it outside too… Shifting her attention away from the large hand on her waist, Serizawa Yukiha panicked and looked around.
After confirming no one was giving them strange looks, she patted her chest and grumbled reproachfully.
"You're being indecent again."
"We're heading out, stay close."
Ignoring her complaint, Sasaki reminded her once, then held her and slowly stepped into the rain curtain.
The cold raindrops beat against the umbrella surface like fingertips dancing on piano keys, producing an intoxicating, pleasant sound.
Serizawa Yukiha loved listening to the sound of raindrops falling, but she didn't like walking in the rain.
Because it would soak her clothes…
She didn't like that, and right, getting drenched could also make her catch a cold.
So she rarely went out on rainy days.
If it was after school and the rain didn't stop, with no other choice, she would hurry home as fast as possible.
But today… she wanted to take longer getting home, and she hoped the rain wouldn't stop.
Because that way she could better feel her lover's warm embrace.
Enjoy the comfortable, lazy feeling of nestling against her lover's chest.
It was like curling up under a kotatsu in winter… so cozy…
The body in his arms grew softer and softer. Sasaki lowered his gaze from the distance:
"You… what naughty thoughts are you having? You're walking slower and slower. Do you need me to carry you?"
"No, I'm not thinking naughty thoughts."
Hoping time would pass more slowly… that couldn't count as a bad thing, right?
Burying her flushed little face in her lover's chest, Serizawa Yukiha muttered to herself in her heart.
Sasaki tightened his hold even more on the girl's increasingly soft waist in his arms, lowered his head, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I actually hope you would admit it… That way…"
Sasaki didn't continue speaking…
But his half-finished sentence successfully caught Serizawa Yukiha's attention.
What came after "that way" wasn't hard to guess.
Having read forbidden books, Yukiha easily figured it out.
Since they were only missing the very last step with him, if it came to doing it, the girl wouldn't reject it either… but asking her to take the initiative and invite him, she just couldn't bring herself to say the words out loud…
Hinting at it, though, she could manage.
Burying her face in her lover's chest, Serizawa Yukiha rubbed against his shirt collar, drawing his attention, and responded in a mosquito-like voice.
"Mm~"
"…"
Sasaki knew that if he kissed her right now, he could enjoy her fully tonight..
However… among the ordinary girls he was currently involved with, except for Otome… all the others knew about his playboy nature when they got together with him.
There was no deception or concealment.
Sasaki didn't want to make an exception and create unsolvable trouble for his future self.
So, facing Yukiha's hint, he didn't respond and simply stroked, patting her soft waist, then made no further moves.
"…"
She was sure he understood her hint, so why…
Was she not attractive enough… no, if she wasn't attractive to him, he wouldn't have gotten so… hard…
Then why?
Weren't things like that supposed to be extremely appealing to boys?
Unable to figure it out, Serizawa Yukiha suppressed the shyness in her heart and looked up at him with a mix of resentment and confusion.
Noticing her little glance, Sasaki couldn't help but chuckle and lowered his head to kiss her cheek.
"What's wrong? Does Yukiha want to be eaten by me that badly? You won't regret it?"
She did feel curious about those things, but she definitely wasn't in a rush.
The main reason was that she didn't want her lover to feel uncomfortable.
So, the girl did not respond to his teasing, instead looked at her lover seriously:
"If it's Fuyumi for my first time, I won't regret it."
She said it so directly…
Not to mention, his self-control wasn't that great.
With a somewhat helpless smile, Sasaki gave a firm pat to the skirt hem that made his blood boil, and said.
"Then we still need to take it slow. Let things happen naturally, no need to force it."
"Otherwise you'd be so nervous you wouldn't know what to do, right?"
Understanding that he was taking care of her feelings, Serizawa Yukiha's eyes became misty like the heavy rain outside the umbrella:
"Fuyumi~"
Gently rubbing the spot he had just patted (a little too hard), Sasaki winked at her with a very naughty, very bad smile.
"When I said take it slow, I actually meant… we're only missing the last step, but there's actually one more thing…"
As he spoke, the boy lowered his head and nibbled on her ear, whispering words that made Yukiha's face grow redder and redder.
She had never thought about that place… Hearing his words, Serizawa Yukiha's already faintly flushed pretty face instantly bloomed with a vivid rose color, and her already misty eyes grew even wetter because of her lover's suggestion.
Seeing her shy but not refusing, Sasaki diligently kissed her cheeks, her neck, murmuring more words that made her body grow softer and softer.
She wanted to refuse… but her lover was being so considerate of her feelings, and today was the very first day they had truly confirmed their relationship...she didn't want to ruin his mood.
But that… it really felt so strange.
After agonizing over it for a long time… her feelings of liking him ultimately won out.
"If… if it doesn't hurt, then…"
"Yukiha~"
.
.