Chapter 108 – Longing for the impossible

If Sakura does household chores, she must be the type who doesn't miss a single detail. No matter how fine a strand of hair falls into a corner, she could clean it up thoroughly and make everything look new.

This is the conclusion Yukio arrived at because Sakura really managed to dry his hair completely with just a small handkerchief, not leaving a single drop of rainwater, not to mention easily accessible places like the face and neck.

Sakura took such good care of Yukio, and with his personality, he couldn't just stand by idly. Although it meant he wouldn't have the pleasure of the view, Yukio was not some kind of desperate pervert.

With Sakura by his side, drying off, they walked around the gymnasium and soon found several windows that weren't closed.

Yukio opened a window, propped himself up on the windowsill with one hand and vaulted inside. He then reached out to Sakura, who seemed a bit at a loss. After all, she was essentially a well-behaved student and had never done something like climbing through a window before.

Even with Yukio lending a hand, she didn't know how to climb through.

Seeing Sakura's difficulty, Yukio didn't hesitate to reach out with both arms, encircle Sakura, and with a strong lift, helped her half up and half into the gymnasium.

"Ah!" Sakura let out a small exclamation, realizing she was embraced by Yukio, she instantly blushed, unable to react, make any judgment, and just closed her eyes tightly, daring not to move.

Feeling herself being lifted over something in mid-air, her little feet even grazed the windowsill, but just brushed past without collision, ensuring she wouldn't get hurt, Sakura then dared to slightly open her eyes.

Yukio felt something wasn't quite right because such an embracing posture was too intimate. He could distinctly feel Sakura's "assets" pressing against his chest, making his heart race.

He wanted to hug her a bit longer, thinking Sakura probably wouldn't resist, right? Didn't she say he was the most important?

After Yukio entertained this slightly overbearing thought, he was reminded of the scene where Sakura earnestly helped dry off the rainwater.

In an instant, he had set her down and began to look around. After various club competitions during the summer, the usually bustling gymnasium had fallen silent, and in this stormy weather, it felt especially atmospheric.

"Yukio-kun?" Sakura was still in a daze, immersed in the hug just now, and subconsciously called out upon noticing Yukio's departure.

"I'll have a look." Yukio estimated their location, "The 2nd gymnasium is shared by the basketball club and a few other clubs. I remember Ishizaki telling me that there are showers inside the gymnasium, so the women's basketball team has a hairdryer stored here."

"Being this soaked could easily lead to a cold. It would be better if I use a hairdryer to help you."

Hearing Yukio's purpose for climbing through the window was for her sake, Sakura felt deeply touched. Inside her heart, a joyful deer seemed to prance and play, grounding her with a sense of solid contentment.

And then, as she pondered, Sakura suddenly felt her cheeks burning hot. She remembered Yukio's embrace, how he could lift her so effortlessly. 'Yukio-kun, you're so strong, and your embrace... it's so warm and comforting.'

"What are you thinking about? Come here; I've found it."

When Sakura snapped back to reality, Yukio was signaling her from the other side, beckoning her over. Now Sakura, feeling too shy to have Yukio assist her further, demurred: "No, no trouble at all. I can manage on my own."

Yukio, silent but smiling, merely watched her. Under his gaze, Sakura felt extremely awkward and self-conscious.

In the whole gymnasium, the only sound was the whoosh of the hairdryer, like a warm accompaniment to their private moment.

Eventually, unable to withstand Yukio's quiet observation, Sakura took a seat, flustered, prompting Yukio to give a satisfied smile and start drying her hair.

Despite feeling slightly disappointed that he couldn't continue watching her, Yukio didn't wish for Sakura to meet the unknown admirer while still in wet clothes.

With this in mind, he prioritized drying her blouse first. Of course, he wasn't so ungentlemanly as to blow directly and closely. Instead, he chose the highest speed of hot air, maintaining a distance to slowly evaporate the moisture from her white blouse, ensuring Sakura, too shy to face anyone, kept her eyes tightly shut, not daring to open them.

Because the hairdryer was aimed at drying the clothes and to prevent a cold, it was directed at Sakura's chest, leaving her unavoidably embarrassed.

The warm air dissipated the coolness left by the rainwater on her white blouse. Even as the absorbed heat raised its temperature, Sakura, with her eyes closed and seeing nothing, could feel the warmth in front of her heart.

The tension and shyness that had gripped her so tightly began to ebb away gradually. Her tightly shut eyes slowly relaxed, and the breath she had been holding was slowly exhaled.

'If only this shirt could always stay wet like this,' the girl's warm heart secretly wished, longing for the impossible.

If the moisture in the shirt never evaporated, then she and Yukio could stay together in the deserted gym forever, right?

"Alright," Yukio finally said, regretfully ending the moment. Due to the high efficiency of the basketball team's hair dryer, the water evaporated quickly. As Yukio packed it away, Sakura opened her eyes with a hint of disappointment.

Just as she was about to speak, Yukio reminded her, "It's about time. The rain sounds have stopped. These thunderstorms come and go quickly. Sakura, it's time for your meeting."

"I'll be hidden nearby, so don't worry."

"Okay, I trust Yukio-kun," Sakura said earnestly, nodding without any fear, appearing brave and dashing.

But her cool demeanor lasted only three seconds before Yukio's embrace through the window turned her back into a shy girl.

What followed was straightforward. Yukio hid nearby and discovered that the one confessing to Sakura was one of D class's trio of fools, Yamauchi. Sakura rejected him promptly and directly, leaving no room for hope or opportunity, and left immediately after her refusal, leaving Yamauchi with no chance to speak.

After walking a short distance, Sakura looked around anxiously.

"I'm here," Yukio called out from beside a tree, waving at Sakura to stop looking around and be careful not to twist her neck.

"Yukio-kun!" After rejecting the confession, Sakura seemed much lighter, as if she had shed a burden.

As the storm cleared, the dense clouds began to disperse, and streaks of golden sunlight broke through, casting a dazzling light upon the earth.

Hearing Yukio's call, Sakura turned around, her smile radiant against the backdrop of evaporating rain mist and the Tyndall effect, framing her in a backdrop of clear golden sunlight, creating an image of exquisite beauty: "Having Yukio-kun with me today... was truly wonderful."

***

Enjoyed the chapters? Read 20 chapters ahead on Patreon!

PATREON.COM/METARLN

500 power stones = 1 extra chapter

700 power stones = 2 extra chapter