She didn't want to break up.
Yes.
Rui Tachibana had just realized she didn't want to break up at all.
She even wanted to tear up the contract. The thought kept climbing and kept stinging, until her feelings tangled into a thick, complicated knot.
She was resisting. She was refusing. She wanted to stay in her current relationship with Lin Ye.
Rui knew perfectly well that once this relationship was gone, rebuilding it with Lin Ye would be harder than climbing to heaven.
But breaking the contract, even if she was the one to do it, was something Lin Ye would never accept.
And then the last thread between them would snap as well.
A thousand thoughts churned through Rui's head, complicated and distressing, and she had no quick way to sort them out.
Rustle, rustle…
A faint sound of fabric shifting against fabric.
Rui came back to herself. On Lin Ye's other side, Yukino Yukinoshita had slowly opened her eyes, and the haze in them was quickly clearing.
The two girls stared at each other. Silence stretched on for a while.
Neither of them said a word.
Rui saw that Yukino Yukinoshita wasn't wearing anything, her fair, lovely shoulders bare.
She was the same herself.
But neither girl reacted at all. Only, deep down, certain thoughts kept bubbling up.
They had shared a bed.
That counted for something, too.
And Rui couldn't help marveling inwardly.
Yukino Yukinoshita was willing to share a bed with Lin Ye and sleep right beside him. That was enough to show how much she liked him.
She hadn't even put on pajamas. She'd just slept right next to him like that.
Maybe last night hadn't gone all the way, but Lin Ye had surely taken advantage of Yukinoshita. There was no way his hands had behaved.
Thinking of that, Rui's face flushed red.
What she had done with Lin Ye last night had played out right before Yukino Yukinoshita's eyes. She had watched the whole thing.
Even now that it was over, just remembering it made her blush and want to hide.
Since Lin Ye hadn't woken up, neither Yukino Yukinoshita nor Rui got out of bed. They lay quietly, waiting for him to wake.
There was school today, but both of them had already decided not to go.
Rui was exhausted. Her legs ached so badly she didn't even feel like lifting them. All she wanted today was a good rest.
As for Yukino Yukinoshita, her hand was sore. Remembering last night, she blushed, and she couldn't help glaring at Lin Ye.
How had she ended up agreeing in the end? And actually doing it?
And this bastard…
Weren't men supposed to be over quickly?
She couldn't help thinking it.
She didn't know much, but she had picked up a little physiology from books. This guy, though, was completely different.
Feeling the soreness in her arm and palm, she finally let it all out in a sigh.
It had already happened. Lamenting it now wouldn't help.
Yukino Yukinoshita did her best to adjust her mindset and accept it calmly.
About ten-odd minutes passed.
Lin Ye slowly opened his eyes. In truth, he had been awake for a while, but once he realized Yukino Yukinoshita and Rui were both up, he hadn't opened his eyes right away. He'd waited a bit longer.
He looked toward the two girls, and Rui and Yukino Yukinoshita, in remarkable unison, chose to close their eyes and pretend they were still fast asleep.
Lin Ye smiled faintly, reached out, and pulled one girl in by the waist, holding her closer.
Then he kissed her, hard and without the slightest hesitation.
Yukino Yukinoshita never imagined Lin Ye would dare be so bold.
Rui was right there beside them. If he did this, then wouldn't she…
But then she thought: she was already lying next to Lin Ye, so a kiss was the most natural thing in the world.
"Mmn…"
A few seconds later, Yukino Yukinoshita let out a muffled moan she couldn't hold back.
Rui opened her eyes and watched the two of them kissing.
Her hand unconsciously touched her own red lips.
The memories of last night lingered in her mind.
That feeling left her unable to pull herself free, unable to hold herself together, and she even wanted…
Three minutes later, Lin Ye let go. Yukino Yukinoshita was gasping for breath.
"I could kiss Yukino's lips for a lifetime and never get tired of them."
"Heh."
What he got was a cold laugh from Yukino Yukinoshita. She didn't believe it for a second. A few decades from now, when she was old and her beauty had faded, would Lin Ye still treat her like this? Impossible.
Yukino Yukinoshita flatly refused to believe it.
"I'm serious."
"I want one too."
Rui moved closer on her own and wrapped her arms around Lin Ye from behind, making her request.
She wanted one too.
Yes.
Seeing that Lin Ye wasn't going to kiss her himself, she realized he probably never would. She couldn't just say nothing and do nothing and let these hundred days end like this.
She wanted to kiss Lin Ye too.
"Student Tachibana, our relationship is already…"
But Rui didn't hold back. She rolled over, pinned Lin Ye down, and kissed him.
Lin Ye pushed her away, but their lips had still met.
Yukino Yukinoshita felt inexplicably irritated, as though something of hers had been kissed and claimed. But given her nature, she said nothing.
She also knew that Rui's position in Lin Ye's life had already changed.
"Once. Just once."
Rui even used a pleading tone, hoping Lin Ye would grant her request.
"Our relationship is over."
Rui's whole face fell. Sorrow welled up, and it clearly hurt.
She looked just like an abandoned puppy, drenched in loneliness and grief.
And her eyes stayed fixed on Lin Ye.
Their eyes met.
Lin Ye knew full well that he couldn't compromise at a time like this, couldn't go soft for even a moment.
He had to be firm with Rui. Otherwise, it would only bring endless trouble down the road.
So…
He had to show his resolve now.
"Or is Student Tachibana not planning to honor our agreement? Are you planning to break the contract?"
That sentence struck Rui right in the heart.
Breaking the contract was absolutely out of the question.
She couldn't show any attitude or take any action that suggested she would.
But accepting it like this was hard for her too. Everything inside her rebelled.
After everything that had happened between her and Lin Ye, it just ended like this?
"I believe Student Tachibana is a girl who keeps her promises."
"…"
Rui stayed silent.
She pressed her lips together. A thousand words rose in her, but in the end none of them left her mouth.
In truth, she knew she had no chance left.
Keeping up this standoff would only earn her Lin Ye's annoyance.
"I'll keep the agreement."
Those words put both Lin Ye and Yukino Yukinoshita at ease.
Lin Ye wasn't afraid of Rui clinging to him, but if he could avoid it, he'd rather avoid it.
And Yukino Yukinoshita felt it even more strongly. She had no wish to see a girl hovering around her boyfriend every day, dropping hints about that sort of thing every so often.
That Rui could accept it and leave was exactly what she'd been hoping for.
"But I'm going to keep pursuing you. I won't let go."
Silence settled over the room.
It wasn't something they couldn't have guessed. Lin Ye had considered it. But hearing that Rui really meant to do it still caught him off guard. Yes, off guard.
"It's pointless."
"I don't care."
Rui's attitude was firm.
"I won't give up. I'll make you accept me again, and we'll be lovers again."
Lin Ye looked at Rui, then gestured to the girl beside him. "Yukino Yukinoshita, the girl I love. The two of us have already gone this far. You think you still have a chance?"
"Sleeping together doesn't mean anything. You and Yukino Yukinoshita aren't official lovers yet."
"We already are."
Rui froze.
They already were?
Had Yukino Yukinoshita, after Rui fell asleep last night, finally given in and admitted her feelings, agreeing to be with Lin Ye?
Rui couldn't think of any other explanation.
"Lovers can break up. Didn't you and I just break up?"
Rui had clearly made up her mind not to give up.
Yukino Yukinoshita wanted to talk her out of it, but after what the girl had shown last night, she knew words would be wasted.
"And even if you two get married, people can divorce. I'd still have a chance."
It was a shocking thing to say, and it had just come out of Rui's mouth.
It showed how determined Rui was where Lin Ye was concerned.
Yukino Yukinoshita hesitated. She nearly told her about the engagement with Lin Ye outright.
But Rui had already declared she wouldn't give up even if they married, so mentioning marriage didn't seem like it would change anything.
"Student Tachibana, what you do is your own choice. But you know my attitude and my answer. Continuing like this is just a waste of your time."
"I don't mind."
That was Rui's answer.
Lin Ye didn't say more.
Anyway, for now at least, the relationship with Rui had been formally dissolved.
"Are we going to school today?"
Lin Ye was in great shape, and going to school was no problem for him. But he figured Yukinoshita probably wasn't feeling so well.
Last night, Yukino had worked quite hard, and Rui, given what had happened last night, was bound to be in rough shape.
"No," said Rui, shaking her head.
Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head too.
Neither of them had any intention of going to Sobu High.
"I'll send Sensei a message asking for leave."
As she spoke, Yukino Yukinoshita fumbled for her phone, typed out a message, and sent it to Shizuka-sensei.
Yukinoshita's leave requests were basically never refused, because she was a girl people could trust.
This time, Shizuka Hiratsuka didn't refuse either. Still, Yukino Yukinoshita had been requesting leave noticeably more often lately.
That had Shizuka Hiratsuka starting to wonder whether something had happened to her. Otherwise, why so many absences?
She'd sent a message asking, but Yukinoshita had replied that it was nothing serious.
Out of trust in Yukino Yukinoshita, Shizuka Hiratsuka didn't press. But the matter had lodged itself in her mind.
She felt she needed to find time to look into it. Or maybe she'd just ask Haruno.
"I'll ask Haruno sometime," Shizuka Hiratsuka thought.
Meanwhile, on the other side,
Rui had contacted her older sister, Hina Tachibana, to say she'd be resting at home today, asking her to let the homeroom teacher know.
With her sister stepping in, the leave would be approved quickly. But she faced a different problem.
She hadn't come home last night, and today she was asking for leave while still out. However you looked at it, something was off.
Sure enough,
Rui got a call from Hina Tachibana.
"Rui, honestly, what happened last night?"
The call from Hina Tachibana caught Lin Ye's and Yukino Yukinoshita's attention too. Both looked at Rui, waiting to see how she'd answer.
"It got too late last night, so I stayed at a hotel."
"Were you with Lin Ye?"
Rui instinctively glanced at Lin Ye.
She badly wanted to say yes.
Yes.
If her sister learned she had spent last night in a hotel with Lin Ye, she would assume the two of them had crossed that final line, that their relationship had gone a step further.
That would only complicate things between them even more.
But…
Rui felt that wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be good.
"I was with Student Yukinoshita."
"Huh?!"
"Student Yukinoshita is right here beside me."
At Rui's signal, Yukino Yukinoshita spoke. "It's me, Tachibana-sensei."
That cool, clear voice stunned Hina Tachibana for a moment.
Why was Sister with Yukino Yukinoshita? The two of them shouldn't have had any connection.
"Last night, Student Tachibana and I ran into something dangerous. Lin-kun saved us and got us settled at a hotel."
Yukino Yukinoshita phrased it cleverly, giving the impression that Lin Ye had been staying somewhere apart from them.
"Something dangerous? Was it thugs? Did you call the police? I'll go and…"
"Not thugs. It was one of those strange things."
For the first instant, Hina Tachibana didn't understand. But in the next, memories of the danger she'd once faced surged into her mind.
The terror of facing the Strange set her heart trembling.
She was worried about Sister. The feeling of nearly losing her was almost unbearable. Fortunately, she thought of Lin Ye, and realized that with him there, those things were no problem at all.
She didn't need to worry.
"I understand. Get some good rest. Thank you, Student Yukinoshita. I, I…"
Yukino Yukinoshita knew what the teacher was about to say, so she spoke first. "It's fine, Sensei. Student Tachibana and I helped each other."
"Mm, okay. Next time, let's find a chance to have a meal together."
That was Hina Tachibana's way of expressing her gratitude to Yukino Yukinoshita.
But as far as Yukino Yukinoshita was concerned, it was she who ought to be thanking Rui, not the other way around.
Still, since Hina Tachibana had put it that way, she didn't explain further, to avoid having to clarify anything more.
"Of course, Sensei."
Yukino Yukinoshita played along with Rui, bringing Hina Tachibana's suspicions down to their lowest point.
…
…
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