Chapter 88: Sleepover

Yayoi

I walked Kai over to my house which lay on the northern end of my family's lands.

As we reached the house, I watched Kai looking around curiously. His eyes were wide as they took in the sprawling farmland and the rustic house that my family called home.

"It's... really nice here," he said, his green eyes still roaming the landscape.

I shrugged. "It's alright, I guess."

He looked at me with a surprised expression. "Just alright? Yayoi, this place is beautiful!"

I looked around at the fields, the house, the sky overhead. I had lived here all my life. It was just... normal to me.

Kai turned back to the house, his eyes shining. "It's so calm and peaceful. All this open space... it's incredible."

I watched him, a strange feeling settling in my chest. I had never really thought of the farm as anything special. It was just... home. But seeing it through Kai's eyes, I felt a strange sense of pride at what my pops had accomplished. It was my job as the heir to carry on this place. Although, was I capable of it?

"Come on," I said, heading towards the house. "I'll show you where you'll be tutoring me."

Kai followed after me, his eyes still taking in the surroundings with awe. I couldn't help but feel a small smile tugging at my lips. Maybe having Kai around wouldn't be so bad after all.

As we entered the house, I led him to my room. A corner of it had a section cluttered with books and papers, but it was comfortable.

"Here we are," I said, gesturing to the desk in the corner of the room. "This is where the magic happens."

Kai looked around the room, his eyes lingering on the stacks of books. "Looks like you have all the resources you need."

I shrugged. "I guess. But it's not the books that are the problem. It's the motivation."

Kai turned to me, a determined look in his eyes. "Well, that's what I'm here for, right?"

I couldn't help but smile. Maybe this tutoring thing wouldn't be so bad after all.

Kai picked up some books and papers, lining them up all nice and neat.

I watched him with a mixture of bemusement and irritation. "What are you doing?" I asked, unable to hide the annoyance from my voice.

Without looking up, Kai replied, "Cleaning. A clear space equals a clear mind."

I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "I know where everything is in this mess."

Kai simply chuckled, continuing to stack papers and books into neat piles. It was oddly soothing to watch him work. Everything Kai did seemed to have a certain rhythm to it, a calming, methodical pace that was completely different from my own chaotic tendencies.

I scoffed and removed my shirt. "Well, while you clean, I am gonna go bathe. I stink of manure. You should probably get cleaned up too. While they'll probably be loose on you, I can lend you some clothes."

Kai smiled as he continued to clean. "Got it."

I put a hand on my hips and sighed. This guy must've really loved to clean.

I found myself staring at my reflection in the mirror. My muscles ached from the day's work, but there was a sense of satisfaction that came with it. 

I turned the shower on, letting the warm water wash away the dirt, sweat, and stink. I closed my eyes, letting the water soothe my aching muscles. I thought of the day's events, of Kai's determination.

A small smile tugged at my lips. This city boy, this bookworm, was really something. He was strange, but not in a bad way.

Once I was done, I wrapped a towel around my waist and headed to my room. Kai was still there, tidying up the last of the papers. To my surprise, his hair was wet. He had even changed into the clothes I'd lent him. They were indeed loose on him, but he looked comfortable.

"All clean?" he asked, looking up at me.

I nodded, heading to my closet to grab a fresh set of clothes. "Yeah. Surprised to see you showered too. You seemed so engrossed in cleaning."

He laughed. "Well, after you left, I realized I might stink up the place with my stench, so I went to see where the spare bathroom was. Thankfully, your mother was nice enough to show me around."

I blinked. "You met Mom?"

He nodded. "She seemed pretty nice. Nothing like the scary lady your dad made her out to be."

I chuckled as I put on my clothes. "That's only when her mood is bad. When she's in a decent or good mood, she is an angel. But make her angry and she will give you Cianio."

Kai laughed. "Sounds like Rena."

I blushed. True. Come to think of it, was that why I was attached to her?

Kai patted the seat. "Well, let us begin!"

I sat down, watching as Kai started to pull out some textbooks and notebooks from the piles he'd neatly stacked earlier. He looked focused, serious, and I couldn't help but feel a ripple of curiosity and anticipation. What was studying with Kai going to be like?

He looked up at me, his green eyes bright. "Ready?" 

I nodded, leaning back in my chair. "Sure. Let's do this."

For the next couple of hours, we dived into the world of academics. Despite my initial reluctance, I found myself slowly getting drawn into Kai's teaching. He was patient, explaining concepts in a way that made sense to me. I was a quick learner, but I lacked motivation. Kai, however, seemed to have motivation to spare.

By the time the sky turned dark, I was mentally exhausted but strangely satisfied. Kai looked at me with a small smile on his face. "Good job today, Yayoi," he said. "Keep this up and you'll be caught up in no time."

I grumbled something under my breath, but I couldn't deny the small sense of achievement that welled up within me. I stood up, stretching my tired muscles. "We should call it a day. Same time tomorrow?"

Kai nodded, his smile not wavering. "Absolutely. I'll see you then."

As Kai left, I found myself staring at the now tidy room. It felt strange, alien even, but not in a bad way. It felt... productive.

I sighed, falling back onto my bed. Maybe, just maybe, this tutoring thing wouldn't be so bad after all. And perhaps, I could even look forward to it.

Suddenly, the door opened again. It was Kai.

"Uh, forgot something?" I asked, sitting up.

He fidgeted. "I know my way around town, but not around here."

I sighed. "Then just spend the night here." I stood up. "You haven't eaten, have you?"

"Well, I had the lunch Rena and the others made for me."

I scoffed. "That was all candy. You will never grow muscles with that kind of diet."

He frowned and pinched his thin arm.

I held out my arm and put his hand on it. "Feel that, that is what real muscle feels like."

Kai blinked, his eyes widening slightly as his fingers curled around my arm. He squeezed lightly, his hand feeling small and warm against my skin. 

"I see," he murmured, a faint blush painting his cheeks. He quickly pulled his hand back, cradling it against his chest as if he'd been burned. "I'll... I'll keep that in mind."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction. "Come on, let's get some food in you. You're all skin and bones."

He blushed more as he followed me out of the room, his steps hesitant. As we walked through the corridors of the house, he looked around curiously, his eyes wide and bright.

The house was quiet, the only sound the soft hum of the refrigerator and the distant chirping of the crickets outside. My parents were probably already asleep, leaving the house in a peaceful silence.

I led Kai to the kitchen, pulling out leftovers from the refrigerator. There was plenty of rice and some beef stew that my mom had made. It was nothing fancy, but it was filling and tasted good.

As we ate, I found myself watching Kai. He ate slowly, savoring each bite as if it was the best thing he'd ever tasted. A small smile tugged at my lips. It was a simple meal, but seeing Kai enjoy it so much made it feel special.

"So," I said, breaking the silence. "You'll stay the night, then?"

Kai looked at me, a trace of surprise in his eyes. Then, he nodded. "If it's not too much trouble."

I shrugged. "It's not. You can take the guest room. It's not much, but it's comfortable."

He smiled, his eyes warm. "Thank you, Yayoi. Although, can I sleep with you."

I coughed. "W-what?" I asked blushing.

He laughed. "Please don't laugh at me, but I've always wanted to have a sleepover with friends. Sadly, I've yet to do so."

I waved my hand as I turned away. So, he didn't mean it in that way. Good. He scared me for a second.

"First of all, we aren't kids. Second of all, are you an elementary kid or something? What kind of third year highschool student does sleepovers?"

He lowered his head. The guy looked like a dog. But he also reminded me of his sister. What was with these twins?

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Fine," I grumbled. "But only for tonight."

His face lit up, a wide grin spreading across his features. "Really? Thank you, Yayoi!"

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "Yeah, yeah. Don't make it weird, okay?"

He nodded, his eyes shining with excitement. "I promise."

That night, we ended up sharing my room and the bed. Kai insisted that the bed was big enough for the two of us. 

As we settled down for the night, I found myself watching Kai. He was curled up on his side the bed, his eyes closed and a peaceful expression on his face. His breathing was slow and steady, a soft lullaby in the otherwise silent room.

I shook my head, pulling the blanket over my shoulders. I needed to sleep, not sit here watching Kai. But as I closed my eyes, I found my thoughts drifting back to him. To his bright smile, his eager eyes, his infectious enthusiasm.

I sighed, rolling onto my side. This was going to be a long night.

But to my surprise, I found myself drifting off to sleep. The sound of Kai's steady breathing was comforting, a reminder that I wasn't alone. For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace.