After a brief silence, Masuzu turned her face away. Her long, glossy silver hair covered her flushed, sweet face.
"I won't fall for your sweet words… Do you remember what you said to me on the mountain?
'Liking you as an individual and liking Natsukawa Masuzu are two different things—so don't worry, I won't want to date you, and I won't seriously pursue you.'
'Someday, I'll like another girl. I'll seriously pursue her and have the kind of relationship you hate most with her.'
"You said that, so why are you still so persistent with me? Go like another girl!"
Speaking in an awkward tone, Masuzu slowly turned back. Her deep blue eyes looked gloomy and dim. She said to him in a self-deprecating tone:
"There are so many girls around you. Whether it's Yukinoshita-san, Dango-chan, or even those two juniors, they're all so much better than me, a fake girlfriend who can only live with lies."
"They're real and beautiful. That's a place I can't reach, no matter how hard I try. Only by using a fake relationship as an excuse can I stand confidently by your side… You know that feeling. The light around me is too dazzling. Without shadows to cover me, I can only lower my head and escape, searching for another corner that suits me."
Beneath her confident and elegant exterior was a fragile, weak, insecure, and dark heart.
The components that made up Masuzu must be incredibly complex.
There was a spiciness like seasoning, elegance like truffles, and sweetness like honey. All these flavors mixed in squid ink, stirred until inseparable. Beneath the glamorous surface was a deep darkness, but beneath that lay a transparent sediment yearning for clarity.
She was like Yukinoshita Haruno… No, she was completely different.
By now, Yuu no longer compared the two.
Because Masuzu was Masuzu. Her distortions, confidence, insecurities, weaknesses, cowardice, and persistence—her smiles and tears—were all uniquely hers, her singular inner self.
Though not entirely beautiful, she unconsciously drew him in.
Because Masuzu was so flawed, Yuu wanted to make her happy and see her smile by his side.
"People can change, Masuzu."
Yuu reached out. Smiling, he patted her head. "At the same time, relationships between people keep changing. Everything in the world is constantly moving, and nothing stays the same. It's natural for people to change after learning from the world's changes."
Masuzu stared at him in confusion.
"Back then, I did think that way. But just as you've unconsciously come to like me, words spoken in the past can't shackle you now—that's what feelings are."
"I don't like you…" Even now, when that word was mentioned, Masuzu reflexively wanted to deny it.
Yuu pressed his thumb to her soft lips, silencing her murmur. "Besides, do you think I'm the type to choose what looks best over what I like most?"
"It's not because you think they're good that I have to choose them. And it's not because someone's more suitable as a girlfriend that I have to pursue them, Masuzu."
He used his not-too-large palm to cover half her cool face. His fingertips stopped at the corner of her eye. He could feel her skin's temperature gradually rise and warm.
"Remember, no matter how badly you talk about yourself, I like this flawed you—and from now on, I'll like you even more."
"If the light is too dazzling, hide by my side."
Yuu smiled. He pulled her onto him, letting her silver-haired head rest against him, leaning on his chest.
"I can give you as many shelters as you need."
His gentle voice fell like feathers.
For the first ten seconds, Masuzu didn't move against his chest, as if her consciousness had drifted away.
The next ten seconds, she slowly raised her trembling fingers, gripping his collar, gradually tightening her hold.
Like being found at last in a long-lost forest. Like discovering that a long-lost treasure was always beside her bed.
She hugged him tightly, as if entrusting her entire heart to him. No sobs, no tears, but her fingertips were filled with sorrow, digging firmly into his flesh, quietly leaving marks.
Then, in his gentle embrace, the sorrow faded, and her strength evaporated. Like a baby sleeping in its mother's arms, she curled up against his chest, safe and happy.
"Can you give me time, no matter how long it takes?" Masuzu asked in a spoiled tone.
"On the condition that you don't back out," Yuu inhaled the scent of her hair. As if wanting to remember every minute and second, he said softly, "Go find your answer. Don't run away anymore… No matter where you go, I'll be with you."
"…That's such a reassuring answer."
Masuzu looked up and kissed his chin.
Her snow-white skin flushed. She gazed at him with eyes that seemed to melt, giving a slightly silly smile.
"Hehe, this is a reward for saying nice things~"
Yuu couldn't hold back a laugh.
(Really, this Masuzu. She's so cute.)
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
After making her lips swell from kisses and leaving many dark purple marks on her neck and soft skin above her chest.
Yuu refused her request to return to her room for a jelly drink. He went to the kitchen, retrieved the dinner set he'd asked to be saved in an insulated box, and fed her while watching TV. The atmosphere was harmonious and warm, a rare occurrence.
After Masuzu was full, it was time to bathe and sleep.
"Wanna… bathe together?"
She covered her chest, looking at him cautiously. Even the backs of her ears were as red as apples.
Having endured a tough trial, Yuu didn't hide his regret. He sighed and said, "Let's skip it for today. The main course should be saved for last. I want to have you after the knot in your heart is untied. It feels incomplete now."
"Picky guy. Is this some kind of psychological virginity complex?"
Masuzu muttered discontentedly. She gently twirled the silver hair falling over her chest. Suddenly, her gaze shifted to the tatami below. Her voice grew softer until he could barely hear.
"If you don't want to eat, it can be settled another way… I also want to do something for you."
"Huh?" Yuu blinked. His usually sharp brain jammed for the first time.
She glanced up secretly, eyeing his crotch, then casually looked away. She stammered as she spoke.
"W-Well, doesn't it hurt? It's been… hard this whole time."
"…"
Even Yuu, with his strong mentality and ability to act shamelessly like a city wall when needed, couldn't help coughing awkwardly a few times. He unconsciously tilted his hips slightly and turned away from her.
"Though I can control my muscles, some parts I can't control."
He hoped she understood how hard he was restraining himself.
If Masuzu was truly his girlfriend, it wouldn't matter. Yuu wasn't against premarital intimacy. The kisses and touches earlier nearly sparked a fire. The kiss marks on her body were proof…
But the moment he thought about how this alluring, sweet girl behind him would soon forget him. Maybe she'd live alone until old age, or fall into another man's arms.
His head, once raised, drooped, and his heated stomach quickly cooled.
Readers could call him pretentious or a virginity monster—indulging in desire with someone who'd forget him was something Yuu never did, whether with Yukinoshita Haruno or Yuuki Asuna. Now, in front of Natsukawa Masuzu, he wouldn't act differently.
He hadn't changed since he fell for someone… And someone like him didn't have the right to lecture Masuzu.
"I won't hold back when I want to do it. For now, hold off." Taking a deep breath, Yuu walked to his suitcase, grabbed clothes and his phone, and turned toward the bathroom.
"I'm gonna take a bath."
"Cold shower?"
"A cold shower at a hot spring inn?"
"I heard of a case where someone did that in a pool and got a virgin pregnant…"
"Relax, I'll remember to drain the water."
"So you're really planning to do that in the bathtub? Yuu, you pervert!"
"…"
Forget it. Masuzu, with her mouth full of dirty words, was much better than the gloomy, quiet her.
With a resigned smile, Yuu closed the bathroom door and started filling the tub with water.