"No."
"That doesn't count."
Rui Tachibana flatly refused.
Yes. She refused to accept Lin Ye's explanation, no matter what.
What she meant by sleeping beside him wasn't that at all.
"Lin-kun, playing word games is pointless. If you won't keep your end of the deal, then I won't keep mine either. I won't break up with you, and I won't accept our agreement to end things."
Anyway, she refused. She was unwilling.
She had come this far. If Lin Ye did nothing and it ended here, that wouldn't be her at all, and it wouldn't give her what she needed.
So Rui Tachibana held her ground, her will firm, allowing no retreat.
"You really want to do this?"
Lin Ye spoke as he looked at the girl beside him. The room was dim, but the faint light filtering in from outside was enough to make out her delicate face.
He caught that trace of shyness, too.
Not that he could miss it now. Their skin was touching, and through that contact Lin Ye could clearly feel the particular tension running through her.
He only had to shift slightly to feel how taut Rui Tachibana's nerves were.
"Yes. Unless you don't dare. Unless you're not a man. Unless you don't want to keep your word."
Rui Tachibana was stubborn and kept pressing her point.
Lin Ye, however, didn't react to the goading. He had expected her answer all along.
What he did react to was the girl on his other side, Yukino Yukinoshita.
Rui Tachibana might not know it, but Lin Ye did: the girl with long black hair on his left had been staring at him with a frozen gaze this whole time. One cold hand rested at his waist, her slender fingertips pressing lightly.
Lin Ye could feel how delicate that touch was. He could also tell that the moment he did anything, that delicacy would turn into a vise, and the strength in her grip would be unleashed in full.
It was Yukino's warning.
She said he could do as he pleased, but in truth she was unwilling.
"Whether I'm a man is nothing Student Tachibana needs to worry about."
"Heh."
Rui Tachibana gave a flat, cold laugh, as if hoping her mockery would provoke Lin Ye into giving in.
"Since you won't keep your word, don't expect me to keep mine. We're still lovers after this. This relationship won't end just because you unilaterally decided it should."
"Why bother!"
Lin Ye sighed softly.
"I'm willing."
"The girl I like is right here beside me. Do you think I'd touch you in front of her?"
"So you just don't dare. Student Yukinoshita doesn't mind, right?"
Rui Tachibana tossed the question out.
Her words fell into Yukino's ears, and the girl with long black hair pursed her lips, not knowing how to answer.
"Student Yukinoshita is fine with it."
"…"
Silence counted as consent?
He figured Yukinoshita simply didn't want to answer, yet couldn't bring herself to deny it either.
"Besides, there are two girls lying right next to you. Don't you have any thoughts at all?"
She'd made it explicit, and this time she dragged Yukino Yukinoshita into it too.
Rui Tachibana knew that agreeing to share a bed with Lin Ye already meant a measure of acceptance. Physically, Yukino Yukinoshita had long since dropped her resistance toward him.
What was there left to get used to?
If Lin Ye was willing to reach out and touch her, Yukinoshita might resist at first, but in the end she would coyly give in, half refusing, half welcoming.
That was how a woman saw it.
Rui Tachibana knew her own personality differed from Yukinoshita's, but from what she knew of her, she could make that judgment.
"I do. I have a lot of thoughts about the girl on my left, but she's not willing."
Yukino Yukinoshita rolled her eyes.
Rui Tachibana huffed.
She was right there beside him, and he had no thoughts at all?
That was outrageous!
"Student Yukinoshita, would you please leave the hotel for an hour? No, half an hour will do."
Yukino Yukinoshita: ???
Lin Ye: ???
Hey, hey, hey, that's going too far. Half an hour? How little do you think of me?
"Fine."
Yukino Yukinoshita reached out to turn on the lamp, but Lin Ye caught her hand and pulled her into his arms.
"Stay here."
His tone left no room for argument, not giving Yukino Yukinoshita the slightest chance to refuse.
"If I stay, I'll only get in the way of you two… bonding. As an outsider, it's better if I leave."
Yukino Yukinoshita put particular weight on the word "bonding."
Getting in the way had been her whole reason for being here, but now that Rui Tachibana was openly telling her to go, staying would only make her unwelcome.
Yukino Yukinoshita wasn't about to stoop that low.
Besides, Lin Ye basically wouldn't go through with it. And if he really did, it would make no difference whether she was there or not.
She had already made her position clear. Yes, that was how she saw it.
"Who's an outsider? How could you be an outsider, Yukino?"
Yukino Yukinoshita rolled her eyes. She tugged to get away, but Lin Ye held her tight, giving her no chance to break free.
"Student Tachibana, you can accept even this?"
Rui Tachibana obviously knew that Lin Ye was doing this on purpose, trying to make her give up out of sheer embarrassment.
But things had gone too far for her to back down now. If she gave up, the chance would be gone. And Lin Ye was clearly bluffing. He didn't have the nerve.
So she had to see it through to the end.
The worst case was Yukinoshita watching from beside them.
What was so unacceptable about that?
She and Yukino Yukinoshita were good friends who had been through life and death together, after all.
"I can. Come on."
"Fine."
Lin Ye's answer came just as bluntly.
The blue-haired girl's face froze in shock, and Yukino Yukinoshita's expression was just as striking.
Neither girl had expected Lin Ye to say fine.
He really meant to do it.
Both their hearts leapt into their throats.
Both were nervous, though for different reasons.
In the silence of the night, only soft breathing remained.
Lin Ye held a girl in each arm, and his right hand grew restless.
Yukino Yukinoshita could tell what Lin Ye was doing just from the faint sounds.
Bastard.
Damn him.
Her own man was touching another girl's body while all she could do was endure it, watching, unable to do anything. The frustration made her chest tight with anger.
She wanted to say something, do something, but…
"Mm…"
A soft, breathless, bashful sound rose.
It was Rui Tachibana's voice.
Yukinoshita knew exactly what circumstances made a sound like that. A few times, kissing Lin Ye too deeply, she herself had been unable to hold back such little noises.
And now it was Rui Tachibana's turn.
Yukino's resentment grew stronger and stronger, but all she could do was bear it.
"Mm…"
Another one.
Rui Tachibana had already squeezed her eyes shut, her face burning red.
She knew her voice was being heard, listened to closely by both Lin Ye and Yukino Yukinoshita.
She had been resisting, clearly, yet she hadn't been able to hold it in.
A rustle of sheets.
Rui Tachibana felt herself being pressed down.
Even with her eyes closed, she could feel that sense of pressure.
More rustling.
The pressure grew stronger. She could feel his heat.
Yukino Yukinoshita's eyelid twitched as she looked at the two tangled together.
What on earth was this?
She wanted to stop it, but the words wouldn't come out.
Was she really going to spend tonight watching the two of them, witnessing a full-blown battle?
"Look at me."
Lin Ye's voice suddenly sounded.
At his prompting and a light pat, Rui Tachibana slowly opened her eyes and met his gaze.
Their eyes locked.
"Relax."
"Leave the rest to me…"
Under that gentle, easy voice, Rui Tachibana nodded, dazed.
Soon her whole body went slack, and her thoughts gradually stilled.
Then a murmuring voice reached her ear. She tried to focus and make out the words, but couldn't.
After a short while, she lost consciousness completely.
Yukino Yukinoshita stared at Lin Ye, replaying what he had just said.
What Lin Ye had whispered beside Rui Tachibana's ear, Yukino Yukinoshita had heard clearly.
It was a description of events.
Rustling.
Yukino Yukinoshita also noticed the reactions of Rui Tachibana, now unconscious and asleep.
Clearly Lin Ye had used his special ability, and unless she was mistaken, it was Hypnosis.
Lin Ye had used Hypnosis to put Rui Tachibana under, and now she was probably having an erotic dream.
Lin Ye lay on his side next to the girl and pulled Yukino Yukinoshita into his arms.
Yukino Yukinoshita struggled slightly, but didn't keep resisting.
"How's this?"
"…"
He was asking her?
"Do whatever you want."
That was Yukino's answer, and she sounded rather dissatisfied.
"Yukino, you're putting me in a really tough spot."
Yukino raised her eyes.
"I'm a man too, and it's out of respect for you that I…"
"You can."
"Fine, if you put it that way, I won't hold back. Student Tachibana is willing, after all, so I'll relax a little."
With that, Lin Ye let go of the girl's hand, turned, and moved toward the girl on his right.
But he was quickly caught by the wrist.
A smile spread across Lin Ye's face, a victorious one.
He knew it. At heart, Yukino Yukinoshita was unwilling.
With Rui Tachibana already asleep and lost in an erotic dream, how could she let him really do anything with Rui Tachibana?
Yukino Yukinoshita was just stubborn and refused to say it, refused to admit it.
"So what do you mean, Yukino?"
"Get some sleep. Don't disturb Student Tachibana's rest."
"That… isn't great, is it? Me and Student Tachibana…"
"Get some sleep."
Yukino Yukinoshita raised her voice.
"Can't sleep."
Yukino Yukinoshita went quiet.
"I'm a little worked up."
Yukino stayed silent.
In truth, an idea had already surfaced in the girl's mind, and she'd guessed what Lin Ye was after.
"So this is when I need a girlfriend."
Lin Ye leaned in a little closer. "Yukino, I'm your boyfriend."
"I'll say it again: as long as you promise to cut things off cleanly with the other women, I can satisfy you. I can also…"
Yukino Yukinoshita thought it over and continued, "I can even wear some uniforms for you."
She knew Lin Ye was a uniform fanatic.
So using that to raise her bargaining chips wasn't out of the question.
Yukino Yukinoshita decided she could do it. Their relationship had already come this far anyway.
"Really?"
"Really."
Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly felt a bit resentful, and dissatisfied too. She even wondered whether things might have gone better if she'd tried the uniform temptation sooner.
"I refuse."
Yukino Yukinoshita: ???
What was going on? What did this guy mean?
How could he refuse?
"Let me tell you, Lin Ye, I…"
"All I want is…"
Lin Ye leaned in and whispered into Yukino's ear.
Yukino Yukinoshita listened with her face flushing red to the ears.
This guy, this guy actually…
"You're my girlfriend, my fiancée. If you won't, then I'll… just have to ask Student Tachibana to help."
"You…"
Yukino Yukinoshita was mortified and furious. "If you just…"
"I won't agree to Yukino's terms. I want everything. Why would I give up a whole forest for a single tree, Yukino?"
His matter-of-fact tone had Yukino Yukinoshita grinding her teeth.
"So, choose."
"…"
Choose what?!
She, Yukino Yukinoshita, wouldn't accept either one.
"Then I won't trouble you, Yukino."
Lin Ye tried to turn away again, getting ready to roll over once more.
Yukino caught him again.
She knew she was Lin Ye's girlfriend too.
She also knew his demand was outrageous. But, but… given the two of them, maybe she could also…
"Yukino, look, I haven't even eaten the meat right at my mouth."
"You just don't want to eat it."
"I just didn't want to hurt Yukino's feelings!"
Lin Ye smiled at the girl before him.
"Who'd be hurt over you?"
Lin Ye pulled the girl close, and she didn't resist.
In the end, there was more rustling.
She gave in to Lin Ye's unreasonable demand.
That bastard.
She couldn't believe she had actually agreed, and actually gone through with it.
Forget it.
She'd just treat it as indulging him.
Lin Ye knew he had advanced another step.
Yukino had compromised for him one more time.
The next day.
The first ray of morning sun slanted in.
Rui Tachibana's consciousness slowly returned.
She let out a small whimper and shifted her body slightly, and an ache immediately shot through it.
She was tired, utterly exhausted.
She didn't dare move again.
Her mind was sluggish and slow, and she had no idea what had happened.
After a good while, her brain finally started turning again, and only then did she recall what had happened.
Rui Tachibana slowly opened her eyes and saw the man beside her.
It was Lin Ye.
Her boyfriend, Lin Ye.
And now the two of them were sleeping together,
with Yukino Yukinoshita on his other side.
That delicate, sleeping face really made Rui Tachibana a little envious.
Of course, what she cared about most right now was last night.
At last, she and Lin Ye had crossed that final line.
But crossing it also meant that a new stage had arrived.
She and Lin Ye were going to break up.
A thread of sorrow rose in the girl's heart.
She gazed at Lin Ye's sleeping face, her feelings in a tangle.
…
…
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