Before she could even get up to rummage through her wardrobe for clothes, another message from Sasaki arrived.
[Then… could Sensei send me a photo? I'm sure I won't mistake you for someone else, but I really can't help being curious—I want to see how beautiful Sensei is now~ Is that okay? (Expect.jpg)"] 20:31
She knew he was just saying sweet things to please her, but Sasaki Yukari couldn't stop the joy bubbling up inside.
As long as he still remembered their promise, forget a photo… even if he asked for more, she would give it.
Lying back down on the bed, she sent him a reply.
[Okay, but wait just a little bit~ I need to look through my album.] 20:32 「Read」
Before she could even exit the chat to search her gallery, Sasaki replied:
[Not old ones—I want a photo of Sensei right now, the current you~ (cute.jpg)] 20:32
She understood what he meant by "right now," but…
She waved her hand to turn off the room light, got out of bed, and walked to the vanity.
Looking at her reflection, disheveled hair loose, no makeup, Sasaki Yukari picked up her cosmetics in slight panic: eyebrow pencil, everything she would need…
But just as she raised her hand, she put it down again…
To be honest, she was confident that with a little time, she could do flawless makeup.
But before starting, she should let him know first—otherwise, he might overthink things.
So, she picked up her phone, typed and sent:
[Right now, huh? Sensei needs a little time to get ready—it'll be quick~ (praying hands.jpg)] 20:34 「Read」
On the other side, Sasaki, who was still eating, looked at the message on his phone, quickly typed a reply with his fingers.
But right before hitting send, he deleted everything in the input box.
Someone naturally beautiful looks good no matter what…
He didn't really want her to waste time getting ready.
Because after taking the photo, she'd have to remove the makeup anyway, it would be troublesome.
Although he hadn't seen her in a very long time, based on his memory,
He knew Sasaki Yukari was very beautiful; she had been the famous beauty of his kindergarten class.
Otherwise he wouldn't have confessed to her… And since she still wasn't married, she surely hadn't changed for the worse.
So whether she got ready or not, it wouldn't make much difference to him.
But in this situation, if a girl went out bare-faced, she might be seen as impolite or disrespectful.
If Sasaki said, "No need to get ready, no need to put on makeup," she might not agree.
Besides, who wouldn't want to leave a perfect first impression on the person they like?
Asking her to send a bare-faced photo would be pushing it a bit.
He re-edited the message and hit send.
[Sorry for troubling Sensei. Then just send an older photo—it's fine as long as it's you. (laugh.jpg)] 20:35 「Read」
The message was quickly marked as read, and she replied.
["It's no trouble at all, almost done—don't worry~"] 20:36
Compared to other girls who might take fifteen or twenty minutes to do their makeup, she really was fast.
In less than ten minutes, she told Sasaki she was finished and sent him a selfie.
In the photo, a mature woman with an oval face smiled brightly yet with a hidden trace of seductiveness.
She was radiant and captivating because she truly was stunningly beautiful.
Her coffee-brown hair was softly curled, her bangs naturally parted to the sides, falling to her chest and revealing a smooth, fair forehead.
Her gentle, slender brows curved into a very approachable and tender arc that made people feel fond of her at first glance.
Below them, her dark red eyes followed the curve of her brows, becoming full of tender affection, like aged red wine.
Just meeting her gaze felt like getting drunk...
Her smile carried a hint of allure, not just because of her rosy, fair cheeks, but also because of her shyly pursed lips and the corners that lifted upward as if anticipating something.
The way she looked resembled a gentle, newlywed wife: dignified yet soft and moving, her expression brimming with attachment and expectation toward her beloved.
Unable to withstand the way she gazed at him like a husband, Sasaki awkwardly looked away and shifted his attention elsewhere.
…He had to admit, she really knew how to choose clothes.
What she was wearing wasn't pajamas or casual loungewear, but a kind of… sweater that was hard to describe.
It was a cold, rainy day, so wearing a thinner sweater wasn't strange.
But hers was off-shoulder, and not just that; the front, the chest area, was open-knit.
It looked like a series of connected figure-8s linked together, subtly revealing glimpses of her collarbone and soft white skin to Sasaki.
The unexpected sight made the young man, who was in the middle of eating, instinctively take a deep breath.
Immediately after, he choked.
"Cough cough~."
After coughing the grains of rice into the trash bin, Sasaki waved his hand at Otome, who had turned red-faced and was about to stand up.
"It's, it's nothing. I just ate too fast."
Not pulling her small foot back from the fluffy slipper it had already slipped into, Sakuragi Otome rose from the sofa and slowly walked over to the dining table, then picked up the kettle and poured him a cup of hot tea:
"You... eat slower. No one's going to steal your food."
Taking the cup from Otome, Sasaki took a sip to soothe his throat before setting it down on the table.
Then reached out to wrap his arm around her slim, soft, and flexible waist, pressing his face against her flat stomach and gently rubbing.
"I just wanted to finish eating quickly so I could go back to the room..."
Go back to the room for what...
Even without him saying it, Otome knew exactly what he meant.
She lightly patted his shoulder as if gently scolding him for being improper, then blinked her watery, glistening eyes and asked.
"Are you still eating? Want me to get you more?"
Stopping his rubbing against Otome's stomach, Sasaki pressed a light kiss through her silky, thin short top onto her firm, soft lower abdomen.
"No more. I'm going to take a bath—finish soaking early..."
It was clearly just an ordinary kiss through clothing, yet it felt as though he had kissed straight into her heart, making her whole body go weak and tremble.
Otome knew this was the result of her lover having "tormented" her for so long that even his slightest touch was enough to make her feel hot all over.
She gently stroked her lover's hair, cheeks faintly flushed as she sniffed and softly replied.
"Mm, I... Rinka and I will wait for you in the room."
"Okay~"
Not wasting any more time here, Sasaki gave Otome a firm hug, then took his phone and headed to the bathroom.
Since he had already showered at Tomoe's place earlier, he simply rinsed off quickly before lying down in the bathtub and sending a message to Sasaki Yukari, who was still waiting for his reply:
[Sorry, sorry, I got too absorbed looking and choked on my food... My family was right next to me earlier, so it wasn't convenient to reply. If Auntie saw, I wouldn't know how to explain.] 20:53 「Read」
The message was marked as read almost the instant it was sent.
Immediately after, the nickname he had for her changed to "Typing..."
Clearly, she had been glued to the screen waiting for his message.
...He had to admit, being cared for and liked so earnestly by someone felt really good.
She would genuinely care about you, look after you, help and comfort you when you faced difficulties or setbacks...
She wouldn't throw unreasonable tantrums, wouldn't get angry at you, wouldn't make any demands.
The only thing she wanted was for you to like her.
A girl like that was like winter bedding, encompassing and warming every part of you... utterly impossible to resist.
Sasaki felt the same...
That's why, when he saw Otome care about him, he couldn't resist making her his. After all, she was exactly this kind of girl.
However, contrary to Otome, who simply wanted his love, and didn't mind even if it was broken into pieces,
Yukari's affection came with a price... If she were to find out about his current situation...
Imagining her holding a fruit knife with a completely broken expression, staring at him...
Sasaki couldn't help but shiver.
He pushed aside the little yellow rubber duck that had floated in front of him, leaned his head back against the edge of the tub, and thought about how to handle this.
From everything she had shown so far, her "condition" probably hadn't reached the worst stage yet.
Otherwise she wouldn't have waited over ten years to find him.
Since it hadn't reached the absolute worst point, her possessiveness toward him likely wasn't extreme.
She should still be able to listen to reason.
As long as he had a chance to talk his way through... If she went straight for checkmate from the start, then there'd be no game left to play.
While his thoughts were turning, Sasaki Yukari sent a message:
[Sasaki kun is so good at saying sweet things to make people happy... But I'm really glad~] 20:54
[Also... what Sasaki kun meant by 'not convenient to reply' was...] 20:54
He knew she was starting to overthink... but Sasaki had no intention of confessing everything to her over the phone.
That would lead to too many uncontrollable variables, so...
[Can I explain when we meet in person, Sensei? Saying it over the phone... feels a bit weird.] 20:54 「Read」
After he sent that message, just like before, it was instantly marked "Read."
But unusually, she didn't reply right away.
At the top of the chat, her nickname and "Typing..." kept switching back and forth.
A long while later, she finally replied with one word. "Okay."
From her behavior, Sasaki became even more certain that she was capable of listening to him.
With the chance to talk his way out, plus real-world action... the odds of handling her smoothly were very high.
Shifting the topic, he started asking about her plans after coming to Tokyo.
They chatted like that via text until nearly 9:30, when Sasaki finally sent:
[I'm heading to bed now.]
And ended the conversation.
After drying off and leaving the bathroom, Sasaki, now in fresh pajamas, headed upstairs to his room.
While he was eating earlier, Otome and Rinka had been whispering nonstop...
He wondered what they were talking about... They weren't plotting how to "torment" him, were they?
...Whatever. Even the two of them together weren't that much.
Shaking his head indifferently, Sasaki turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.
The scene that greeted him... yeah, exactly what he had imagined: Otome and Rinka "combined"...
Rinka was one thing, after all; she had always been bold, but Otome...
It was hard to believe that this girl would willingly be the top slice of bread in a sausage sandwich.
Sasaki took a deep breath, met her shy yet inviting gaze, and closed the door behind him with a flick of his hand.
Click—
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