Chapter 069: This is Compensation
Lin Ye embraced her, feeling the soft body of the nurse and the pleasant, soothing fragrance. The gentle touch of her hair brushing against his skin was causing a tickling sensation, yet he had no intention of pushing her away.
Why rush to push her away when he had gotten such a good deal for free?
It wasn't his fault. It was Ren Nanase who had embraced him first. Strictly speaking, he was the one at a disadvantage.
Lin Ye lowered his gaze and met the nurse's eyes, whose expression had completely forgotten their intimate proximity, filled with surprise.
At this close distance, he couldn't help but gaze at her exquisite face, flawless and clean, so soft it made him want to kiss her.
Ren Nanase blinked and her long lashes fluttered lightly. She finally realized what had happened as her chest was pressed against him, causing her to lose her usual firmness. A subtle sensation spread across her body, continuously provoking her.
In a panic, she quickly let go and tried to push him away. However, she lost her balance, her foot slipping.
"Ah..."
Ren Nanase instinctively screamed, her hands flailing to find something to steady herself, but there was nothing to grasp.
Her eyes closed instinctively as she braced herself for the pain of falling.
"Be careful," Lin Ye said, steadying her in his arms and preventing her from falling.
"Th-thank you," she said, her face red as she hurriedly stood up, her hands awkwardly trying to straighten her disheveled clothes.
After a moment, she regained her composure.
"Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I would never have made it off that bus."
Thinking back to the experience on the bus, Ren Nanase couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. It had been a dangerous situation where one wrong move could have left permanent consequences.
If it weren't for Lin Ye, she definitely wouldn't have survived.
Lin Ye took out his phone and found the first message. He tapped on it.
— No sincerity.
Ren Nanase blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I'll treat you to yakiniku. You can eat as much as you want until you're full. If you want other dishes, it's fine too, as long as they're available in Chiba. I'm prepared for a big spend."
She was prepared to spend a lot.
However, this perilous adventure had sparked Ren Nanase is craving for food, especially since she had felt intense hunger during the ordeal. Although it had faded, the lingering hunger still urged her to eat a hearty meal.
"Yakiniku?"
Lin Ye immediately recalled the strange yakiniku experience from Tuesday night. Wasn't that a bit too stimulating?
"Hmm, isn't that good? Don't you like yakiniku, Lin-kun?"
"Sure, but actually, there's something else I want to eat even more."
He looked at Ren Nanase.
"What is it?"
Ren Nanase then saw Lin Ye slowly raise his right hand and point... at her.
"Eh?"
In an instant, the words from the bus ride flashed in Ren Nanase is mind.
"No, no, no, this is not allowed. This one thing is absolutely not allowed."
Ren Nanase shook her head vigorously, as if shaking a rattle.
But she didn't step back, nor did she increase the distance between them.
"What a pity. I was hoping that after saving the beautiful nurse, you'd be so moved that you'd offer yourself to me."
"How could that happen?!"
Ren Nanase blushed and shouted back.
Such things were impossible!
"I understand. It's because I'm not handsome enough. If a handsome guy had done it, he would've said 'I can't repay this kindness, I can only offer myself in return'."
"No way! I'm not that kind of girl! Things like this are just too fast. I... I've never... no experience."
By the end, her face was even redder, her voice barely a whisper, and her fingers rubbed nervously together.
Ren Nanase was also trying to make Lin Ye feel better.
"You... you're very handsome and charming, especially when you stepped up to protect me on the bus. I... I'm really moved. I like boys who are willing to protect me, but offering myself in return is too soon."
She said a lot, some of it contradictory, but Lin Ye could see the kind of girl Ren Nanase was.
"It was just a joke earlier. Don't take it too seriously."
"Mm," she nodded.
Suddenly, Ren Nanase remembered something and said quickly.
"I... I still don't know your name."
She had just realized she didn't know how to address him.
"Lin Ye."
"I'm Ren Nanase. You can just call me Ren, Lin-kun."
"Okay. By the way, the things that happened on the 18 bus need to be kept a secret."
"Mm, I understand. But if others find out, could there be any danger?"
Even without Lin Ye's warning, Ren Nanase intended to keep it secret. Although surviving the bizarre 18 bus ride was something she could boast about, she wasn't the type of girl who liked to show off and be envied.
"I can't say for sure, but if someone knows the details, there's a high chance they'll encounter that strange event."
In other words, if she told a friend about the 18 bus incident, they could easily end up experiencing it themselves.
"Don't think that just because you know the rules, you'll survive. The rules can change. How many types of passengers do you think there are?"
There are many, so many that the number of rules might be as many as there are people in the world!
Ren Nanase swallowed.
Even if she were to board the 18 bus again, she might not survive.
"By the way," Lin Ye walked up to her, gently patting her on the shoulder and giving a small smile.
"Miss Ren, you just did something quite rude to me."
"Hmm?"
What?
Lin Ye pointed to his own cheek.
"You took advantage of me. You kissed me."
"I..."
Ren Nanase wanted to explain, to defend herself, but with Lin Ye closing in, she kept retreating until she backed into a tree branch, unable to move further.
"One of the things I hate most is being taken advantage of, so... you know what that means..."
Ren Nanase bit her lip, her hands clutching her clothes. She wanted to refuse but didn't know what to say.
"I... I'm sorry... is that okay?"
She asked carefully.
Lin Ye just watched, smiling, saying nothing, doing nothing, quietly waiting.
Ren Nanase clenched her hands tighter, her body tense. After a while, she sighed and stopped struggling.
"You can kiss me."
She even turned her left cheek towards him.
Lin Ye didn't hesitate. He placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to kiss her delicate, flawless cheek.
The feeling was nice, very nice.
"Other side."
"Huh?"
She froze.
"That was to make things even. Now, this is compensation."
"How could this be?!"
But Ren Nanase turned her head, offering her right cheek. Her face was bright red, like a rose about to bloom.
Would he ask for something even more outrageous now?
She couldn't help but think.