Chapter 198 – Break room

On the night the workplace special exam was announced, the night sky was pitch black, as if a celestial being had drunk too much and accidentally shattered an ink bottle, scattering its fragments across the inky sky.

"Is autumn approaching?" Yukio walked through the small forest, feeling the night breeze, which carried a hint of autumn. The last remnants of summer's heat, no matter how reluctant, would soon fade away, only to return in a year.

After a while, Yukio emerged from the forest and arrived at the campus lake of the school. As always, it was eerie. The lake, popular during the day, turned sinister and frightening at night.

Kushida was leaning against the railing with both hands, clearly waiting for Yukio. As he approached, he realized he was wrong—Kushida didn't need to use her hands to lean on the railing.

"Yukio-kun," whether it was the playful night breeze or that, like Shiina, Kushida had figured out Yukio's preferences, she turned around and tucked her short hair behind her ear, exuding charm.

Yukio first appreciated this girlish gesture, watching as Kushida let the breeze gently brush her hair back behind her ear before asking why she had arranged to meet him at the campus lake: "Why did you come here?"

"You're so annoying," Kushida expertly used her coquettish tricks: "This is where we first met. Don't you remember why we are here?"

The campus lake was etched in Kushida's memory, as the subsequent teasing by Yukio had been intensely stimulating, draining all her accumulated negative emotions. She could never forget it.

"..." Yukio was silent for a moment, then pointed distantly in the direction of the library: "Our first meeting was in front of the school library, wasn't it?"

"That's why I said you're annoying," Kushida's coquettishness deepened as she lowered the hand that had fixed her hair behind her ear, letting the wind blow her hair back in front of her face.

Through the strands of hair, she gazed at Yukio with a dreamy look, creating a unique atmosphere: "That meeting doesn't count. Outside the library, Yukio-kun only saw the false me."

"At the campus lake, Yukio-kun, you saw the real me, didn't you?"

"That makes sense." Yukio took a few steps closer, leaning against the railing and looking out into the distance, but he couldn't see clearly. In this dark, unlit environment, whether near or far, everything was pitch black.

Without the silver moonlight reflecting off the lake, he might not even be able to see Kushida clearly.

Kushida habitually leaned against Yukio's shoulder, instantly closing the distance between them, like a chilled young animal seeking a warm nest.

Yes, it was indeed a bit chilly. Yukio instinctively grabbed Kushida's wrist, momentarily startling her. By the time she realized what was happening, she found herself pulled into Yukio's embrace.

Her heart, which had been pressing against the railing, now crashed firmly against Yukio's chest. His embrace enveloped her, and the warmth spread from her cheeks to her body, dispelling the early autumn chill.

"Hehe," understanding the situation, Kushida felt content, her eyes narrowing slightly as she rested her head against Yukio's chest, listening to his strong, reassuring heartbeat.

With summer transitioning into autumn, Yukio was already wearing his school jacket. Kushida slipped her hands into his jacket, wrapping her arms around his broad back.

The contact between her hands, his back, and the jacket made Kushida feel exceptionally warm: "Revisiting this place is just one reason."

"The other reason is because of the workplace special exam. The dormitory building is chaotic, with everyone moving around and discussing strategies. To avoid people discovering our relationship, we had to meet outside the dorm."

"This special exam is quite challenging. I didn't expect that besides Horikita, another person would emerge from our class..."

Leaning against Yukio, Kushida described all the changes happening in the class, without any embellishments. She knew that Yukio needed these true and specific details to analyze and judge certain things.

In fact, Yukio had already finished his analysis. He first received a text from Sakura after school and another one from Karuizawa an hour later.

Without exception, both messages were about Matsushita Chiaki.

Unexpectedly, Kushida had also brought up Matsushita Chiaki during their evening meeting. The information about Matsushita Chiaki was repetitive, becoming somewhat of a luxurious annoyance.

But the same question remained: Why did they need to meet in person when the information was repetitive?

"Did you call me out here just for Matsushita Chiaki?" Yukio continued to hold Kushida, letting her absorb his warmth while he enjoyed her softness and fragrance.

"Not just that." Mentioning other matters, Kushida lifted her head from Yukio's chest, her eyes filled with seductive charm, as if she wanted to capture his entire face within her gaze.

"Tell me, how long has it been since the last time we contacted each other after that big pool event? You wanted to let Horikita go, and even though I wasn't happy, I agreed, didn't I?"

"So why haven't you contacted me for so long?" Was it that he didn't need her anymore? Kushida felt a bit afraid of this thought but didn't dare to say it out loud.

"..." Is she feeling insecure? Yukio could sense Kushida's inner thoughts through her words. She was worried about being abandoned as his little informant.

She even brought up the "letting Horikita go" incident to show her loyalty to Yukio, hoping he wouldn't stop contacting her.

Understanding this, Yukio felt assured. He wrapped one arm around her waist and placed a firm hand on her back: "Isn't it normal to have less contact with an informant? Besides, I'm a hot-blooded guy; meeting too often can be... overwhelming."

Kushida rolled her eyes at him. Maybe Yukio's words and actions had restored her sense of security, or maybe she simply missed him after not seeing him for over a month.

She felt very peaceful inside now. The earlier thoughts about Yukio possibly not needing her had vanished. She continued to face him with her head raised, eyes closed, clearly expecting something.

Yukio lowered his head slightly. After a long moment, under the moonlight, an almost invisible thread seemed to connect them. Kushida could barely stand it and took out a special key from her pocket: "I have good relationships with many teachers."

"I got a key to a break room in the special teaching building." The implication was clear: she was inviting Yukio to not return to the dormitory tonight.

The special teaching building was mostly unused, without surveillance or air conditioning. While it might be deserted in the summer, it was a pretty good place during other seasons, as it was cleaned regularly.

Yukio was quite surprised. Wow, she had planned this far ahead? Should he praise her outstanding social skills for getting the key, or should he say Kushida enjoys this even more than he does?

Noticing the surprise in Yukio's eyes, Kushida paused and then lowered her head slightly. She didn't bury her face in Yukio's chest but maintained a bit of distance.

Despite being a two-faced person, she was still a young girl, prone to feelings of insecurity: "Yukio-kun, do you... dislike me for being so forward?"

"After being treated so harshly by you three times and still... still coming to you, you must think I'm very lo..."

Before she could finish, Yukio interrupted her with another kiss, forming a new thread of connection. Then he took the special teaching building key from her, smiling: "You're such a fool. Have you forgotten how awkward you were on the cruise? Whether you're forward or not, can't I tell? Let's go and see if there's a sofa in that break room."

Oh, right! Kushida suddenly realized, her previously downcast spirits rising with joy again. No longer feeling insecure, she sweetly took Yukio's arm: "Who's the fool~? I've gotten much better now!"

"And, whether it's the awkward me or the experienced me, I belong only to you, Yukio-kun."

Yukio felt a bit overwhelmed, thinking if there were any succubus in the world, they would be like this...

***

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