Chapter 163 – Real hunters often appear as prey

The early morning light, as if plucked from a basket by a goddess and scattered across the world, cast its rays, illuminating everything in sight. It was a bright and clear day.

Yukio, who had a fixed morning jogging routine, woke up early even after a late night out. Given that it was the weekend after the sports festival, there was no rush to get up.

Upon opening his eyes, he saw Shiina's adorable sleeping face.

Shiina's long, curled eyelashes seemed to tell stories of her affection for Yukio. Her peaceful sleeping face, coupled with the warm breath she softly exhaled, felt as if it could ignite the blood in Yukio's veins.

With her eyes closed, Shiina looked like the sleeping beauty described in fairy tales—calm yet delicate, like flowing clouds or a spring breeze. Despite appearing out of reach, she was right by his side.

Her soft cheeks tempting Yukio to gently pinch them.

"Ummm." Disturbed from her slumber, she showed a slight sign of displeasure, her nose twitching slightly, and her cheeks pouting adorably.

As if half-awake, she mistook his pinching for a mosquito and tried to scare it away with a tiny pout.

How can someone be so cute? Yukio couldn't help but think as he remembered the method he taught Shiina for "brewing" last night.

He felt nothing but happiness and satisfaction about it—no negative emotions at all. He wasn't like those naive protagonists from anime, overthinking the consequences of taking Shiina's most precious gift.

If he had felt guilty about taking Shiina's treasure, he would have ruined the atmosphere by talking about Kushida, seeking consent after telling the story behind, which might have made the "brewing" fail, ultimately causing real harm to Shiina.

To put it simply, Yukio couldn't imagine letting Shiina go; he was unwilling to release this cute girl who was ready to leave everything behind to be with him. It was as simple as that, revealing his greedy nature.

Yukio never denied being a greedy person and embraced the most fundamental human trait: possessiveness. He had no confusion about his emotions and was ready for anything that might come.

If Shiina were upset or sad, Yukio would try his best to comfort her and make her happy. However, he would not let her go—that would be too foolish.

"What are you thinking about? So absorbed." At that moment, Shiina woke up and realized that the annoying mosquito disturbing her sleep was actually Yukio's hand pinching her cheek.

Waking up and seeing Yukio brought a sense of joy and sweetness, infusing her heart with a feeling of pleasure, making Shiina feel as if she were dreaming.

As she thought about the brewing process, her face turned red and her heart raced. She felt so embarrassed and wished she could hide under the covers again.

But when she glanced at Yukio's thoughtful expression, she felt both shy and happy, leading to her question.

"In my thoughts." Yukio didn't let go of her cheek, even though it was getting quite warm. "I was thinking about you—the cherry blossoms in spring, the irises and peonies in summer, the red maples in autumn, and the pure snow in winter."

"What, what are you saying!" Shiina immediately pulled Yukio's hand and buried her face into his chest, her cheeks blushing so deeply they could almost bleed. She pressed against him, not wanting him to see her shy expression.

Those sweet but embarrassing words made Shiina feel overly praised. Did she really deserve such romantic descriptions from Yukio?

On the one hand, Shiina felt undeserving of such compliments, but on the other hand, she was delighted—happy that Yukio could describe her in this way.

Is there any girl who doesn't like hearing sweet words from the person they love?

However, her silver-gray hair and occasionally exposed red ears already betrayed her inner feelings.

Without knowing that her hair and ears had given her away, Shiina, tucked into Yukio's embrace, felt an unprecedented sense of safety. The clean, fresh scent that surrounded her made her feel at ease and deeply comforted.

The comfort was so great that Shiina unconsciously rubbed her cheek against Yukio's chest, more affectionately than a kitten: "I read about this in a book and always wanted to try it."

"It feels like a dream..."

Yukio felt his heart soften as Shiina snuggled like a cat, making him want to scratch her under the chin, but since she was burying her face, he couldn't reach. "The books you're reading seem to have quite the touch of romance."

Her face now felt a bit warmer, realizing how suggestive her actions had been, prompting her to press her face even harder against Yukio's chest, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

Yukio chuckled softly, shifting from squeezing her cheek to gently stroking her silky hair, smoothing it with a gentle touch: "Are you hungry? I can make breakfast for you."

"Huh?" Shiina perked up, then quickly said, "Oh yeah, I should make breakfast for you! You go wash up; I'll prepare something quick."

She walked away in a rush, her steps light but somehow awkward, turning back every now and then, her face beet red, before vanishing into the kitchen.

Yukio smiled silently, careful not to laugh out loud, since it might cause Shiina to hide in embarrassment. He headed to the bathroom to wash up, where he noticed the couple's toothbrushes and matching cups, black and silver, complementing each other's hair colors.

The preparation surprised him.

Impressive, very impressive, he thought, recalling the saying: the best hunters often appear as prey. Who was really hunting whom last night?

When he returned, he saw Shiina humming a folk tune, wearing a pale blue apron, making sandwiches. The whole idea of hunter and prey melted away. Whether it was her cheerful demeanor, the apron that outlined her delicate figure, or the domestic atmosphere, all worries vanished.

It didn't matter who was hunting whom anymore; none of it mattered in the face of this moment.

***

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