As the lights began to glow, the two walked hand in hand on the way back.
"Didn't you say you were going to study?"
Murakami Yuu smiled teasingly, breaking the slightly stuffy atmosphere between them.
Tachibana Rui wore a dress today. There was nowhere on her body to store books, only a small lady's clutch in her hand, but that was obviously just for money and a phone.
"Too much trouble to bring them. I can use yours."
Tachibana Rui was composed. She had already prepared this explanation when leaving home.
Even knowing it was just an excuse, she had to express it - not deception, but attitude.
"I see..."
Murakami Yuu looked at the heavy traffic on the street and continued:
"Looks like the trip to the countryside gave you nature's purification. Your spirit and complexion are much better than before."
Tachibana Rui turned her head away somewhat uncomfortably. She understood that the reason she looked like this was probably due to the joy and excitement of meeting Murakami Yuu.
Trying not to let herself smile, she responded along with his words:
"Indeed, the air in the countryside is very good, with the fresh, moist scent of trees. It's leisurely and not as fast-paced as the city. You should take time to go relax there too."
"Then you'll accompany me."
"We'll see if there's time."
That was close - she almost blurted out "okay."
Tachibana Rui remained composed. The expression on her face had completely relaxed compared to the beginning. Her hand even proactively changed position in Murakami Yuu's palm.
Murakami Yuu's apartment wasn't far from the station. Although the two weren't walking fast, they quickly arrived downstairs and entered the elevator.
During the ascent, Tachibana Rui asked the question she'd been concerned about all along:
"What are the two little ones you mentioned in the message?"
"We're almost home. You'll see for yourself."
Out of the elevator and at the door, Murakami Yuu released their joined hands to get his keys. Tachibana Rui immediately felt somewhat empty, but after opening the door, this emptiness was instantly filled with something else.
As if they had heard sounds long ago, two little cuties sat properly on the inner side of the door. Seeing the door open, they meowed and tried to pounce on their legs.
"Go in, go in."
Murakami Yuu feinted a few times with his foot to block them back, then quickly pulled the somewhat unresponsive Tachibana Rui through the entrance.
"They're actually cats."
Looking at the furry creatures rubbing around her calves, Tachibana Rui's heart melted.
She thought of the big orange cat she had raised as a child.
"Let me introduce - this is Hedgehog, this is Pigeon. I hope you'll get along well."
"Why would you give such cute creatures such uncute names?"
"What do you mean? Don't you think it's cool? What do you guys say?"
Murakami Yuu was addressing the cats, receiving unanimous "meows" in response.
"See!"
His face showed obvious pride, like a child showing off toys.
"Whatever, as long as they're cute."
Tachibana Rui pursed her lips and picked up Pigeon to stroke its fur.
Murakami took slippers from the shoe cabinet. The two changed into them and came to the living room.
"When did you eat lunch?"
Murakami Yuu picked up Hedgehog swaying around his legs and sat beside Tachibana Rui.
Ragdoll cats love being close to people. Their clingy nature was undeniable. This was one of the reasons he bought these two little ones - the feeling of being needed was good.
"Probably around 10 AM. I ate before leaving from the countryside."
"It's been that long?"
Murakami Yuu was somewhat surprised. He had thought if she ate lunch late, he'd delay preparing the meal. Now it seemed he needed to speed up instead.
"It's okay, I'm not very hungry."
"That's because you're so hungry you don't feel it anymore. Here, I'll go handle the ingredients now."
Murakami Yuu's tone had an unquestionable quality. He placed Hedgehog on Tachibana Rui's lap and stood up.
Tachibana Rui grabbed his hand.
Murakami Yuu looked down, puzzled, meeting her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm really not very hungry. You just got back from outside - rest a bit first."
He stared at Tachibana Rui steadily until her cheeks flushed and she averted her gaze.
His lips moved slightly. He smiled before speaking:
"Alright, then there's no rush. I'll first help these two little ones prepare some cat food."
"Mm."
This time she released her hand without further obstruction.
Seeing Murakami Yuu preparing cat food and fresh water, the two little creatures stopped clinging to Tachibana Rui and left her lap one after another, their tails raised high as they ran over.
The happiness slipped away.
Tachibana Rui, feeling a sense of loss, began surveying the living room. Compared to her last visit, there were many more things here.
Cat beds, litter boxes, cat trees, scratching posts - almost everything was cat-related. He must really like cats.
"I want to apologize to you."
After preparing dinner for the two little ones, Murakami Yuu sat back beside Tachibana Rui. This time the distance was even closer than before.
"What's wrong?"
"The Kumamon you gave me - Pigeon accidentally tore its ear open with her mouth."
"It's okay."
"Not angry?"
"I wouldn't get angry over such a small thing."
"I thought so too."
Murakami Yuu looked at her and let out a brief laugh.
Tachibana Rui felt somewhat embarrassed. She arranged her hair to try to ease this feeling.
"Where's Kumamon? I'll sew it for you."
"No need. I already sewed it. I just wanted to tell you this time."
"You can do that?"
"Many skills don't weigh you down. Don't underestimate male high school students."
"Strange guy."
"I'm not too happy to be called that by you."
Murakami Yuu shifted his hips. The two pressed close together. He grasped her hand again.
Tachibana Rui didn't resist this contact. Her body didn't choose to actively move away either, but her face remained impassive as she pretended to be very proper:
"What are you doing?"
"Just wanted to get closer, like those two."
Following Murakami Yuu's gaze, Hedgehog and Pigeon were eating cat food, their heads lowered almost touching, occasionally extending their tongues to lick each other's mouths.
Sensing the warm breath on the back of her neck, Tachibana Rui immediately tensed up and hurriedly turned back, meeting his burning, attack-filled eyes.
There was fear, but what she didn't want to admit was that there was even more excitement.
As his body slowly pressed over, Tachibana Rui's body leaned back, finally lying flat on the sofa with nowhere to retreat.
"How about we cook first? I'm getting a bit hungry."
With one hand propping against his chest, Tachibana Rui's eyes flickered, looking all around.
She felt her current posture must be very messy, very embarrassing, looking very unseemly.
Although she had mentally prepared before coming, doing it like this on the sofa still felt too fast.
She didn't want her psychological defenses to be so simply and completely crushed. At least let her resist a few rounds, maintain some dignity.
Wait a bit, wait a bit longer...
"Should I go cook now?"
Murakami Yuu raised an eyebrow and asked, his hand stroking her hair, rubbing it back and forth like a brother doting on his sister.
Face-to-face at close range, it was unclear whose breathing became rough. One person's exhaled breath was quickly inhaled into the other's chest. Hormones were freely dispersing, becoming an even stronger reaction.
Tachibana Rui's hand that had been propping against him also fell to her side, without a trace of strength. Only her lips could still move slightly:
"Mm... go cook now..."
Her hair was messy, which didn't feel very good, but at the same time there was a feeling of being cared for. This feeling was strange - she wanted him to stop, but was also reluctant to part with it.
"I waited so long for Rui today. It was somewhat tiring."
Murakami Yuu rubbed her hair, lightly scratched her nose, then reached out to pinch her face and tugged at it. Although she looked quite slender, she was unexpectedly plump.
This concern was very direct, with just the right amount of restraint. She had become his plaything.
"I want a reward."
Murakami Yuu's voice was somewhat hoarse.
Tachibana Rui half-closed her eyes, pouting, breathing slightly hard:
"What do you want?"
"Your palm. It looks like it has a very good feel. I want to try it."
As soon as he finished speaking, he slowly reached down.
Her palm was too full and tempting, attracting him toward a taste.
Tachibana Rui couldn't generate any resistance or refusal. She just stared blankly at that slowly approaching hand, until the moment his palm met hers.
Only then did she react. Just as she was about to speak, he took advantage of the momentum to attack, their fingers interlacing, the degree deepening once again, becoming entangled.
Tachibana Rui's body heated up. Her whole body lost feeling. Vines and flowering branches extended behind her, gently lifting her up like floating among clouds.
This was their first time interlacing fingers.
Although they were already in a relationship to a certain extent and very intimate with each other, very tacitly, neither of them had thought of interlacing fingers during those two times.
In their eyes, this sweet gesture of showing affection was a direct expression of love and respect. Once done, they needed to proactively take on something.
Murakami Yuu was freely interlacing fingers, passionately feeling the temperature of her palm.
Tachibana Rui's body began trembling uncontrollably. Her hand came to his hand's back and curled tight. She tried to invade his other territory, but she had long since been routed, losing any strength to resist.
Their hands separated. Before leaving, Murakami Yuu lightly scratched the back of her hand.
Looking at Tachibana Rui breathing in small gasps with a peachy complexion, Murakami Yuu suppressed the thought of interlacing fingers again. Tonight, there was plenty of time to do it.
He pulled Tachibana Rui's hands before him, looked into her eyes, and brought them to his mouth for a kiss:
"I'll go cook for you. You watch TV here and play with Hedgehog and Pigeon."
Tachibana Rui's eyes were moist, her heart beating fiercely. She couldn't speak at all and could only nod.
Murakami Yuu left her body and said teasingly:
"Rui is very good. I like it very much."
Referring to her hand.
To his words, Tachibana Rui's response was to cover her eyes with her arm, silently showing him the door.
"Wait for me here. It'll be quick."
Murakami Yuu left this line and walked toward the kitchen.
Tachibana Rui lowered her arm and slowly sat up, clenching her hands, feeling the abnormality in her body. Her thoughts began to become different.
Are they now - have they confirmed their romantic relationship?
...
The originally hot and passionate peachy atmosphere slowly cooled down after Murakami Yuu entered the kitchen.
The TV was on. After Pigeon and Hedgehog finished eating, they came to lie down by Tachibana Rui's feet. That soft fur made her itch to the point her heart swayed.
Her gaze swept toward the kitchen. Murakami Yuu was facing her sideways, wearing an apron with a focused expression cutting something. The domestic atmosphere naturally surrounded him, adding other charm to this man out of thin air.
Tachibana Rui's legs pressed together again, accompanied by light rubbing movements.
She wanted to help, but unfortunately she really didn't have the strength now. Going over in this state wouldn't help and would only add chaos.
It clearly wasn't like this the previous two times. Was it really because of that finger interlacing just now?
Does she... perhaps really like interlacing fingers?
Tachibana Rui thought this with a completely red face.
Perhaps because her secret gaze carried temperature, the perceiving Murakami Yuu turned his head. His originally focused expression softened the instant it touched her gaze. Different from before, this time there was only indulgence.
Tachibana Rui quickly straightened her head. Her slightly calmed emotions became turbulent again.
This warm and healing scene was something that would only appear in dreams. Yet she was currently in it, enjoying all this almost extravagantly.
For the first time, she had such a strong wish - hoping to grasp him, to tightly bind herself together with him.
Pigeon jumped onto her lap, drawing her attention. Suddenly thinking of something, she secretly glanced at the kitchen, then slowly bent down, drew close to Pigeon, and said extremely softly:
"Pigeon, is it okay if I become your mistress?"
Pigeon just raised its paw to scratch its face, ignoring her.
Somewhat deflated, but the childish emotion that only occasionally appeared wouldn't easily dissipate. She tried again:
"If you agree, meow once."
This time Pigeon cooperated: "Meow~"
Yes!
Tachibana Rui celebrated with a small fist pump. Happy emotions scattered again. She reached out to grab its little paw and shook it:
"Then it's decided. Please take care of me from now on, Pigeon."
Pigeon: "Meow~"
"You're an angel in cat form, aren't you..."
Rubbing her face against its face, the relationship between person and cat was rapidly drawing closer.
Hedgehog by Tachibana Rui's feet occasionally wagged its tail, sleeping soundly.
...
Half an hour later, after turning off the range hood and placing all the prepared dishes on the dining table, Murakami Yuu raised his voice slightly:
"Time to eat."
Tachibana Rui responded, picked up the remote to turn off the TV, gently placed Pigeon from her arms onto the sofa, patted its head, and came to the dining table.
"Come wash your hands."
Murakami Yuu called her in the kitchen.
"Coming."
While washing her hands, Tachibana Rui watched Murakami Yuu. He was doing post-kitchen cleanup work.
After she finished washing, Murakami Yuu had also just finished. The two sat together at the dining table.
Carefully plated steak, colorfully bright salad, soup with drifting milk fragrance.
"Try it. Although it's simple dishes, the taste should be pretty good. I hope Rui will like it."
Murakami Yuu wiped his hands with a napkin from the table.
"It looks delicious. Itadakimasu."
Putting her hands together in a pre-meal gesture, Tachibana Rui picked up her knife and fork.
"I feel like you're very restrained."
Murakami Yuu saw something in her movements.
"Not really. I'm just normally following social etiquette."
Tachibana Rui didn't think this was the case. She thought she was just overly shy toward this guy before her.
After thinking, Murakami Yuu said again:
"Just relax. Treat it like your own home."
"Oh."
Tachibana Rui responded, but in her heart she interpreted his words with another meaning.
Perhaps this was a hint that he had long since regarded her as family.
With a red face, she cut a small piece of juice-filled steak and put it in her mouth.
"How does it taste?"
Although Murakami Yuu was asking, his words carried strong confidence.
"Very good."
Seeming to feel this wasn't enough to express his culinary skills, she quickly added:
"Extremely good. Better than any steak I've ever eaten before."
Murakami Yuu's face showed a smile:
"As long as you like it."
The conversation temporarily paused. He also lowered his head to start on his own steak, but his gaze would occasionally fall on Tachibana Rui. Her small-bite eating posture had aesthetic beauty, looking pleasing to the eye.
The steak's fat inevitably got on her lips, shiny and bringing another different kind of temptation.
After all, boys ate faster. After finishing his meal, Murakami Yuu watched Tachibana Rui for a while. After discovering she was somewhat uncomfortable, he considerately left the dining table, saying the cooking smell on him was too strong and he'd take a bath first.
"Take your time. It's okay if you can't finish. Leave the plates on the table. I'll clean up when I come out."
Murakami Yuu, carrying his change of clothes, said this to her.
"Mm."
Tachibana Rui simply responded.
...
Standing under the showerhead, Murakami Yuu let warm water pour over his head. He rubbed his face with both hands hoping to ease that restless feeling in his heart, but ultimately it had no effect.
A youthful body was always energetically full of vigor.
Well, it had been nearly half a month. In between, Anna Kinomiya had provoked his nerves again and again. No matter how amazing one's self-control, the desire for finger interlacing would uncontrollably arise.
But why was there still nervousness? Was it because of the reunion after a brief separation?
Forget it, don't think about these things. Wash clean and get out quickly.
While rinsing his whole body, Murakami Yuu even anticipated the entire process from start to finish. This counted as advance planning.
Moving quickly out of the bathroom, he was somewhat surprised.
All the dishes on the dining table had been completely cleared away. Tachibana Rui was sitting on the sofa, holding a book in her hands.
You really started reading.
Murakami Yuu was first stunned, then laughed. A girl's instinctive reserve - he couldn't rush it.
From another perspective, the process from no to yes was also a kind of flirting process. Handled properly, it could also be quite atmospheric.
"Sorry, I took the liberty of taking the book from your bag."
Tachibana Rui heard the sound and turned to look at him.
"It's okay."
Murakami Yuu approached and found she was holding classical literature.
"You just finished eating. Don't you want to rest a bit?"
"I've already fallen behind on a lot of coursework. I shouldn't continue wasting time."
Tachibana Rui looked back at the textbook. Her face was very red, not because of Murakami Yuu, but because of herself.
"Mm, if there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."
Murakami Yuu cooperated with her, maintaining this scene playing out on the surface.
After bathing, he had more patience. He didn't rush to lean in directly like before, but stood from her perspective, methodically and gradually approaching:
"Let's go to my room. There's a desk and paper and pen. Learning efficiency is always much better than on the sofa."
This was secretly advancing.
Murakami Yuu's acting was at full capacity. His attitude of seriously giving suggestions wouldn't make anyone suspicious. Rather, even if Tachibana Rui suspected something, she would voluntarily take the bait. So she nodded and followed Murakami Yuu to the room, then sat at the desk.
"You look at that first. I'll go make you a cup of tea."
"Okay."
A tidy room completely unlike one occupied by a single boy. Everything was neatly organized with no strange smells at all.
Cleaner than my room.
Tachibana Rui was somewhat depressed.
"Here's your tea."
Murakami Yuu brought hot tea and placed it on the desk, while also bringing a stool from the living room and placing it beside her.
"Thank you."
Tachibana Rui watched him turn and return to the living room to turn off the lights, come back to the room and close the door. Her heart finally started beating rapidly again like when the two were kissing on the sofa before.
Wild thoughts were sprouting and growing. Although unwilling to admit it, she was beginning to have that feeling of anticipation and excitement again.
"If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."
Murakami Yuu sat beside her, reaching for an English textbook and casually flipping through it.
His demeanor and tone both seemed so natural, his eyes without a trace of desire.
This attitude instead left Tachibana Rui somewhat shocked, then produced some doubts about herself.
Was he really planning for the two of them to have a friendly and harmonious study session here?
Pouting in dissatisfaction, she just happened to notice the corners of his eyes seemed to have a smile.
Bad guy!
Tachibana Rui thought. After a while, she was the one who spoke first:
"Teacher Murakami, I don't quite understand this part."
"Oh? Let me see."
Murakami Yuu put down the book in his hands and leaned his body over. Just as he was about to lower his head to look at the content Tachibana Rui was pointing at, he was unexpectedly ambushed by her lips at close range.
Like a dragonfly touching water, touching and separating.
"Not studying anymore?"
Murakami Yuu pulled her into his arms, forehead touching her forehead.
"I want to study, but not this. There's another place I'm interested in that I'd like you to teach me."
Feeling the pleasant body wash scent on him, the corners of Tachibana Rui's mouth curved up, then curved up more.
She wasn't that passive type to begin with. The first time was also her active invitation. Those various moods and reactions before today were mainly because she hadn't seen him for a while and was somewhat unaccustomed, plus that sudden kissing incident that produced different psychology.
He held her hand:
"What is it?"
"I'll tell you after I finish bathing."
"No need to be so troublesome. I don't mind."
Holding her to the bed, already leaning over to press down, his hand and hers slowly intertwined, fingers interlacing, very tight, very tight.
Tachibana Rui couldn't stop laughing, and couldn't break free from his constraint. She could only gently hug his back, then spoke insincerely:
"It tickles, don't..."
"Okay."
The next moment, he raised his head and blocked her mouth.
...