Chapter 68: Yukino's Fragile Beauty!
When they departed from Chiba Station, the sky was covered in the pale lead-gray color so characteristic of Tokyo Bay.
The Shinkansen platform was packed with students in uniform, all chattering excitedly about Kyoto's attractions. Their voices echoed beneath the station roof in a chaotic chorus, like a flock of sparrows that refused to stop chirping.
Inside the train, however, things were much quieter.
Saku had the aisle seat.
Beside him, in the window seat, was Yukinoshita Yukino.
She hadn't brought much luggage. Just a single bag, which she'd placed on the overhead rack.
The moment she sat down, she took out a book and began reading.
The stylized title on the cover read Kokoro, by Natsume Soseki.
Sunlight slanted through the window and fell across Yukino's profile, making her already pale skin seem almost translucent.
From this close, Saku could even make out the nearly invisible fine hairs on her face and catch the faint scent of her shampoo.
Her skin looked exceptionally smooth and healthy, with the natural softness of someone her age.
For some inexplicable reason, Saku suddenly felt the urge to pinch her cheek.
"What are you reading?"
Saku asked despite having already seen the cover.
He simply wanted an excuse to start a conversation.
Yukino lifted her eyes and lightly waved the book in her hand.
"Kokoro. Have you read it?"
"Yeah."
Saku nodded.
"Sensei kills himself at the end."
"..."
Yukino's brows slowly drew together.
"Summarizing a literary work that way is practically sacrilege."
"I'm only stating a fact."
"There are many ways to state a fact."
She looked back down at the page.
"You chose the worst possible one."
Saku chuckled and stopped bothering her.
Instead, he pulled out his phone.
After nearly two weeks, the frenzy surrounding Michiru and the rest of Icy Tail had finally settled down.
There was still plenty of discussion online, but nothing close to the madness immediately after Idol went viral.
For Michiru and the others, that was unquestionably a good thing.
Saku logged into Niconico, the largest video platform in Japan in this world.
Ever since Idol exploded in popularity, countless creators had uploaded cover versions.
So Saku had registered an official account for Michiru's band and uploaded the original music video there too.
The result had far surpassed all the unofficial covers.
The only real headache was the fans relentlessly demanding another song.
They were already desperate to hear Icy Tail's next release.
Michiru, naturally, had enthusiastically promised that something was coming.
She even wanted to personally take charge of their second song.
After all, music was their dream.
They couldn't keep relying on Saku to write everything for them forever.
Otherwise, wouldn't they eventually become nothing more than performers carrying someone else's songs?
Saku had no objections.
He might technically be their manager, but he wasn't a professional one.
Fundamentally, his role was to support the band and respect what they wanted, not squeeze out the maximum possible profit.
As for their future commercial value...
Once Mai officially signed them, Mai could worry about that herself.
While Saku was checking the account, the Shinkansen finally began moving.
Once the train left the Chiba area, the scenery beyond the window gradually changed.
The high-rise buildings receded into the distance, replaced by neatly arranged farmland and scattered homes.
Mountain ranges could faintly be seen farther away.
The students inside the carriage gradually quieted down as well.
Some put on headphones and listened to music.
Others leaned against the windows and began dozing.
Yukino continued reading.
But after a while, the words in front of her gradually blurred.
Her head suddenly grew heavy.
Then she tipped sideways and collapsed onto Saku's shoulder.
"Yukino?"
Saku jumped in surprise and immediately put down his phone.
Her face had gone noticeably pale.
Seeing the normally composed Yukino looking so weak and defenseless gave her an unexpected sense of fragility.
"What happened?"
"Did you not sleep well, or...?"
"I'm fine."
Yukino's voice was faint.
"I'm just a little dizzy."
She tried to push herself upright.
Unfortunately, the attempt failed almost immediately.
Instead of sitting up, the movement caused her to lose what little balance she had left, and she slumped against Saku again.
This time, she practically fell into his arms.
Saku didn't dodge her.
His arm moved around Yukino almost instinctively to keep her from falling.
"Stop moving."
He looked down at her.
"Did you eat breakfast before leaving this morning?"
Yukino's lips moved slightly.
In the end, she said nothing.
She merely shook her head.
"Could be low blood sugar."
Saku placed a hand against her forehead.
She didn't seem feverish, so at least it didn't look like a cold.
Whether his guess was actually correct, Saku had no idea.
Still, he quickly opened his backpack, pulled out a packet of mint candy, and gave her one.
Yukino could feel how carefully Saku was looking after her.
A faint flush slowly appeared on her otherwise pale cheeks, giving her fragile appearance a little color.
Her heart was beating faster than she'd ever experienced before, like a dense roll of drums inside her chest.
No matter how many times she reminded herself that Jinnai Saku was a hopeless flirt, her restless heart refused to calm down.
She tried to pull away.
Saku immediately pressed her back against his shoulder.
"Enough."
"Just use my shoulder for a while."
He gave her a faintly smug smile.
"No need to be too grateful."
「Yukino really is slender. Her waist is so narrow she looks like a willow branch swaying in the wind. Completely different from the impression Mai gives.」
「She's too thin. She seriously needs to eat more. Skipping breakfast and then wondering why you get dizzy from low blood sugar...」
Resting against Saku, Yukino listened to his endless inner muttering and suddenly wanted to drive an elbow into him.
'If you're going to hold me, then just hold me.'
'This happened because I nearly fainted. Fine.'
'But why are you reviewing my figure while you're at it?'
She knew perfectly well that she didn't have the same kind of figure as Sakurajima Mai.
Did he really need to point it out?
It had been such a warm moment.
And he'd ruined the entire atmosphere.
Yukino felt irritated.
Then that very thought startled her.
'Wait.'
'Why am I thinking like that?'
The mint candy slowly dissolved in her mouth, spreading a cool sensation across her tongue.
The dizziness gradually began to fade.
It wasn't only the sugar.
The refreshing mint also helped clear her head.
And once her thoughts became clearer, Yukino suddenly realized something extremely important.
She was practically lying in Saku's arms.
If someone saw them like this, then her reputation...
Yukino refused to even finish the thought.
The moment a little strength returned to her body, she hurriedly escaped from Saku's troublesome arm.
Like a startled rabbit, she quickly looked around the carriage.
Fortunately, everyone who could've seen them was looking elsewhere.
Only then did she breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
"Thank you."
She hesitated.
"But next time, don't hold me like..."
The confident reprimand died halfway through.
The moment she met Saku's amused expression, Yukino found herself unable to finish.
She could only turn her face away in embarrassment.
After all, phrased like that, she sounded absurdly ungrateful after he'd just helped her.
"No need to thank me."
Saku answered casually.
"It's what I should do."
「Honestly, what an idiot. You're my finance person. Most of my money is under your management. If something happened to you, what would I do?」
「The money itself is one thing. More importantly, if Haruno found out you collapsed while you were right beside me, she'd probably skin me alive.」
The restless warmth in Yukino's heart instantly vanished.
Completely.
She didn't even know why she was angry.
She simply knew she no longer wanted to talk to Saku.
Turning her head away, she reopened Kokoro and resumed reading.
Saku had no idea why her mood had changed so abruptly.
He could only assume she was embarrassed about what had just happened.
That awkward refusal to admit vulnerability was perfectly consistent with Yukino's personality, so he didn't give it much thought.
The Shinkansen continued racing forward, indifferent to any one person's feelings.
When they passed through Shizuoka, Mount Fuji suddenly appeared outside the windows on the right side of the train.
Someone noticed first and let out a quiet exclamation.
Within moments, the entire carriage came alive.
Students who'd been half asleep immediately woke up, pulled out their phones, and crowded toward the windows to take pictures.
Even Yukino was drawn away from her book.
She lowered it onto her lap and quietly turned toward the window.
…