Natsuhi even had the feeling that Nikaido was watching her; otherwise, why would it be such a coincidence!
[My dear sister, are you trying to kill me faster?!]
"Your relationship with your classmate is truly 'good'!"
Yui deliberately emphasized the word 'good', and a mocking smile played on the corners of her lips, making Natsuhi shudder.
"It seems the relationship is quite extraordinary... 'A date'? 'Clothes personally selected'? And, and garter stockings?! Our Natsuhi really has quite the skills."
Natsuhi's brain was racing at this moment.
[Make excuses? Say it's a misunderstanding? How could Yui believe that! Where would so many misunderstandings come from!]
[But if I tell the truth, the System, the Pure Love Guardian mission... how am I supposed to explain those?!]
Natsuhi felt that with her eloquence, things would definitely just get worse; indeed, she still had good self-awareness.
Now, she could only pin all her hopes on Yui's trust in her.
Under the gaze of Yui, which was a mix of disappointment, anger, and a hint of hurt, Natsuhi took a deep breath.
She realized that she couldn't weave a complete lie for Yui.
"She... is indeed a classmate,"
Her voice was a bit dry, but Natsuhi's eyes did not waver,
"She is my classmate, Nikaido Rinka."
"She... does have a somewhat special attitude towards me, I cannot deny that."
While being honest, Natsuhi was also carefully observing Yui's reaction,
"That 'date', to some extent, was... a favor I owed, and I had to go."
Speaking of this, she suddenly took a step forward, closing the distance between them, close enough to see her own reflection in Yui's eyes.
She didn't try to snatch the phone back, but instead gently placed her hands on Yui's shoulders, her gaze incredibly earnest as she locked eyes with those trembling ice-blue pupils:
"But, Yui,"
Every word was measured, her warm breath brushing against Yui's bangs,
"I promise you, between her and me, it is absolutely not the kind of 'intimate' relationship you imagine."
"I have a reason that I must do this, but I will never do anything... that is 'not pure love'."
[Sigh, I feel like I've confessed so many things today, but having Yui look at me with disgust is something I really don't want to see.]
Why, even though I've never had this feeling before, could it be... could it be that I have fallen for Yui?
When did it happen... I can't remember.
Is that so? So this is what it means to like someone?
Just by looking at the girl in front of her, Natsuhi felt her heart pounding, wanting to show her best side to her, wanting her to always gaze at her, wanting to involuntarily... get closer to her.
Being stared at by Natsuhi's burning gaze, Yui felt like she was about to burn up.
Her ice-blue pupils trembled slightly, attempting to dodge, but she was firmly locked in Natsuhi's line of sight, with nowhere to run.
She could clearly feel the heat from Natsuhi's palms on her shoulders, as well as the unquestionable certainty in her words.
However, what made her heart flutter the most was that pure, unadulterated passion in Natsuhi's eyes—intense, pure, enough to melt the ice of mistrust.
[Natsuhi is serious. She isn't lying to me.]
This realization made Yui's heart soften, while simultaneously feeling extremely shy due to that overly direct gaze.
Her heart was already a mess; Natsuhi was just too direct, how could she still have the nerve to...
"I-idiot..."
Yui was eventually defeated, lowering her eyelids, her voice very low:
"Who asked you to guarantee these things? What kind of relationship you have with her... i-it has nothing to do with me..."
Although she said that, her reddening ear tips and the beautiful smile on the corners of her lips could not be hidden at all.
Looking at Yui's cute, duplicitous appearance, Natsuhi felt like she was about to turn into a hungry wolf; the palpitation in her heart grew even stronger, and the urge to get close to her and make her happy almost reached its peak.
[How can I endure this—!]
Transforming into a charging bull of love,
Natsuhi didn't hesitate at all and pulled Yui's petite body into her arms.
Because of the height difference, Yui's head rested perfectly against Natsuhi's shoulder, and Natsuhi gently stroked Yui's little head with her hand.
An indescribable softness and warmth immediately enveloped her,
Yui's body was even more delicate than it looked, as if it would shatter with a little force, yet it possessed a vivid vitality, fitting closely against her curves.
The damp hair after a bath emitted a sweet fragrance, mixed with the girl's own clean and warm scent, drifting in wisps into Natsuhi's nostrils.
The touch brought by this embrace made her mind wander, and her fingertips even felt slightly numb.
Moreover, Yui didn't push her away immediately, which meant that she didn't reject her.
The hand stroking Yui's hair unconsciously became lighter and slower, and close to the other's ear, the voice was so soft as if afraid of startling the girl,
"Of course it has to do with you."
"Because... Yui is very cute. Seeing you worry about me and get angry for me makes me very happy."
"So, I don't want you to have any misunderstandings, not even a little bit."
[Boom—!]
Although Natsuhi's voice wasn't loud, it exploded in Yui's mind; not to mention her face, even her neck was stained with a faint blush.
She couldn't even speak properly,
"Y-you, what are you talking about! Who, who is worried about you! Who is angry! And, and... cute or whatever... don't say it! Idiot! Pervert!"
Yui raised her little fist and hit Natsuhi's shoulder, not too hard or too soft, but that force was more like acting spoiled than being angry.
Natsuhi didn't say anything, just looked at the girl gently,
After several seconds, the tense back gradually relaxed, and a thin layer of moisture welled up in Yui's eyes.
She buried her cheek deeper into the crook of Natsuhi's shoulder, feeling that reassuring warmth and strong heartbeat.
"...Too, too cunning..."
A muffled voice came from her arms, and even the slow-witted Natsuhi could hear the shyness within it:
"Suddenly doing this..."
Without answering, Natsuhi just tightened her arms, using this silent but powerful embrace as a response.
Getting intoxicated in this unprecedented intimate contact...
"I'll forgive you this time! N-next time if you dare to do this again... I'll really be angry!"
She crawled out of Natsuhi's arms; looking at Yui's reaction, she must have reached her limit; if it continued, she really wouldn't be able to hold on.
"Thump, thump, thump—"
Yui tightened the white bath towel on her body, trotted upstairs, collapsed onto the bed, and covered her head with the quilt.
Natsuhi stood in place, the corners of her mouth rising uncontrollably, looking at her hands that had just embraced Yui, closing them slightly, as if the palm still retained that soft and warm touch.
[I really want to keep holding her like this.]
[I want to touch more...]
This thought carried a burning temperature, causing Natsuhi's heartbeat to become disordered again.
She was panting like an ox,
[No, too excited, deep breath, inhale—exhale—]
Forcibly suppressing the restlessness in her heart, she turned and walked into the bathroom, using the icy water to cool down the scorching heat all over her body.
After a simple wash and tidy up, the clock already showed nine forty-five.
Natsuhi looked upstairs, it was silent, thinking Yui had already fallen asleep, so she thoughtfully didn't disturb her, and spread out the bedding on the floor beside the bed,
Although her soul was that of a grown man, the gentlemanly conduct that should be there couldn't be lacking, so she chose to sleep on the floor.
Just as she had just lain down and was preparing to stare blankly at the electric light on the ceiling—
"Rustle, rustle..."
The quilt upstairs was quietly lifted at one corner, and Yui poked half her head out, her tone filled with confusion and worry:
"Why... are you sleeping on the floor? It's hard, right? It will be uncomfortable."
Seeming to feel that she was being too direct, Yui added, trying to cover up:
"...Anyway, this is your house."
After saying this, the girl squeezed into the inside of the bed, leaving the outside for Natsuhi.
[Oh my!]
It was like hearing heavenly music; did Yui's meaning need to be said any more clearly?
Natsuhi excitedly threw off the quilt, did a kip-up, and rushed upstairs!
"Is it okay?! Can I really sleep on the bed?"
Watching her impatient appearance, Yui's cheeks grew hot, and she immediately turned around, covering her mouth with the quilt, and warned:
"You can! But! No doing strange things at night! No grabbing me randomly! And even less getting too close! Otherwise... otherwise I will kick you down!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I promise to strictly abide by the rules!"
Instant reply, no! Faster than an instant reply!
Natsuhi climbed onto the bed with incredibly agile movements and lay down cautiously beside Yui.
Although they kept some distance, they could feel each other's body temperature and breathing, and the atmosphere suddenly added a touch of pink filter.
Glancing at Yui's back, Natsuhi turned her gaze to the ceiling, feeling warm inside.
[Although I still want to do many things with you, just being able to stay by your side like this now, I am already very happy.]
She closed her eyes and sank into the first dream since arriving in this world.
[Why did this idiot fall asleep so quickly!]
Listening to the steady breathing beside her, Yui's heart was in a mess, feeling that she might have insomnia tonight...