Nono'u stared at Saiki as he lunged toward her, a flash of shock and panic crossing her features.
She hurriedly reached out to push him away, but Saiki's strength was far beyond her expectations. She was instantly tackled and pinned to the bed, unable to break free from his grip.
"Saiki, calm down!" Nono'u cried out in a frantic whisper.
But Saiki was beyond listening. His eyes were filled with nothing but stubborn defiance. He leaned down and captured her lips in a fierce kiss.
Nono'u's eyes went wide. She never imagined Saiki would be this bold. She tried to struggle, but Saiki's hands pinned her wrists to the mattress, rendering her completely immobile.
"Mmph! Nngh!"
She tried to shout him awake, but her parted lips only allowed Saiki's tongue to invade her mouth.
Her feelings for Saiki were incredibly complex. After he had taken her purity in that accidental encounter, and witnessing everything he had done for her sake, it would be a lie to say she felt no love for him. But she believed their relationship was a road to ruin.
Sensing Nono'u's resistance gradually fading, a flicker of hope ignited in Saiki's chest. He thought she was finally starting to accept him.
He eased the pressure on her wrists and slowly lifted his head, breaking the kiss.
It had been a brief exchange, but both their hearts were hammering against their ribs, and their breathing had turned into heavy, frantic hitches.
Staring at Nono'u's trembling eyelashes and her flushed cheeks, Saiki felt a rush of overwhelming excitement. In this moment, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
However, as he looked at her with expectant eyes, she only spoke with that same, heartbreaking gentleness. "Alright, Saiki. Stop this before it goes any further. Let me go, please."
She was always so kind, even after Saiki had used force on her twice. She never truly got angry.
They say "softness overcomes hardness." No matter how impulsive Saiki was, facing Nono'u's unwavering tenderness felt like punching a cloud of cotton.
A crushing sense of defeat rose from his soul. Saiki slumped forward, burying his face in her soft, ample chest. He listened to the frantic thumping of her heart and felt her shallow, uneven breaths.
Nono'u looked down at him. She reached out and gently stroked the hair of the boy whose face was still youthful yet increasingly handsome, her heart aching with a bitter sweetness.
"Why?" Surrounded by her warmth, Saiki tilted his head up to meet her gaze, his voice raspy and pained. "Sister Director, you love me, don't you? We already had a deal. Why are you acting like this?"
She was afraid. She feared their gap in status and age. She feared the immense talent Saiki was displaying would be stifled by her presence. She didn't want to ruin his future, and so she remained trapped in her own hesitation.
Nono'u let out a long, helpless sigh. Her eyes were a whirlpool of conflict. She spoke slowly, her voice trembling slightly. "Saiki, you are still so young. Your future is limitless. I am no longer a young woman. There are too many differences between us—too many barriers. I'm terrified that my selfishness will end up destroying you."
The gap in their ideologies was still a chasm. Nono'u, Tsunade, and Tsume were all shackled by the traditional norms of this world, which was why Saiki's romantic life felt like a constant tug-of-war.
Tsunade's relationship with him was a mess of steel wire, while Tsume had only surrendered out of a "medical necessity" to save him.
If Saiki's other relationships were going well, Nono'u's gentle rejection might have convinced him to back off for a while.
But Saiki had been hitting walls everywhere lately. He was carrying a mountain of frustration in his gut, and Nono'u's words were the spark that ignited the keg.
He sat up abruptly, clutching his head and roaring with a hint of madness, "What are you so afraid of, Sister?! I'm not afraid! Are you worried about gossip? I'll kill anyone who dares to open their mouth about us!"
His sudden shift from calm to explosive violence startled Nono'u. She began to wonder if her constant rejection had finally broken something inside him.
In reality, Saiki was just "internally empty" and physically drained, making his temper far more volatile than usual.
He was like a wounded predator; he needed to be soothed and licked clean. If you poked him too hard, he was going to bite.
"Saiki, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Nono'u reached out frantically to cup his face, her eyes filled with maternal dread.
Saiki took a deep, shuddering breath to steady himself. Looking at her, his face instantly filled with regret. "Sister... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. You don't need to apologize. I'm fine. I just... I just want you to understand. I truly love you. I want to be with you. I don't give a damn about gossip or barriers."
Seeing his mix of stubbornness, hurt, and fear of losing her, Nono'u's heart finally shattered. She thought to herself, He loves me so much. It might be immature, it might be an impulse, but does it matter? I never intended to marry anyway. If I can give him a period of happiness before he finds a girl his own age, why am I making him suffer like this?
This thought hadn't appeared out of nowhere; she had been wavering for a long time. Otherwise, she wouldn't have put on her best lingerie before coming to his room tonight.
As Saiki persisted, Nono'u—who lacked the courage to face him earlier—finally decided to acknowledge her own heart.
A "mature sister" falling for a "young boy" was a bit scandalous, but Saiki possessed a soul of an adult. Aside from his physical age, his power and maturity made him indistinguishable from a man in his prime.
"You really are something else," Nono'u murmured. She didn't say "I love you," but she reached out to stroke his face again, her expression a mix of melting warmth and helpless surrender.
Human experiences are varied; true understanding is a rare thing.
But in that simple, tender look, Saiki understood everything.
He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. "Sister Director, I love you."
This time, she didn't talk about "suitability." She just smiled at him, her heart filled with a warmth she had never known.
She didn't need to answer; the look in her eyes was enough for Saiki.
When he leaned in to kiss her again, she didn't push him away. She closed her eyes, her long lashes fluttering and her hands gripping the bedsheets in a fit of nervous tension.
This time, Saiki wasn't a brute. He peppered her lips with soft, tender pecks before deepening the kiss.
Nono'u had thought Saiki was "immature," but in the arena of kissing, she was the one who lost immediately. She was like a shy, inexperienced maiden, unable to do anything but follow his rhythm and surrender to his demands.