You're going to go sleep with her?!
You're kidding me.
You refused just now, and now you agree? What does that even mean?
Is he doing this on purpose, saying it in front of me just to provoke me?
Aside from that,
Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't think of any other possibility.
Anger. Fury.
The girl with long black hair clenched her fists, her dark blue eyes flashing with an intense, icy glare that settled on Lin Ye.
If the strength of that gaze alone could kill, he'd already be dead.
Lin Ye's expression didn't change. He met it calmly, as if Yukino Yukinoshita's fierce stare meant nothing to him at all.
At that moment,
Rui Tachibana finally came to her senses and slowly spoke up. "Are you serious?"
She'd only just now realized what Lin Ye had actually said.
This guy had actually agreed, and chosen the second condition.
And he'd dared to say it right in front of Yukinoshita — wasn't he worried she'd get angry, that she'd be disgusted?
Telling the girl he liked that he was going to go sleep with another woman — how bold could someone be!
Rui Tachibana could hardly believe it.
In that moment,
both Rui Tachibana's and Yukino Yukinoshita's gazes fixed on Lin Ye. He didn't so much as flinch.
"I'm serious. So, Student Tachibana, what about you?"
He turned the question back on Rui Tachibana.
The blue-haired girl watched him, her eyes flickering with conflicted light.
Her proposal earlier had come from genuine feeling, sure, but it had mostly been a test, a probe — she'd figured Lin Ye probably wasn't actually willing to go that far.
So she'd guessed he'd lean toward telling Yukinoshita about what had happened with her sister instead.
That Lin Ye had chosen neither option had actually let her breathe a small sigh of relief.
She hadn't been fully mentally prepared either.
But now, how to put it — Lin Ye had actually agreed, chosen the second condition, and done it right in front of Yukino Yukinoshita. There was no way she could believe he was joking.
Between just the two of them, maybe it could've been a joke. But with the girl he liked standing right there, how could this possibly be a joke!
"Since you're willing, Lin-kun, I obviously have no objections. I'm fine with it,"
Rui Tachibana answered directly, though her body gave a slight reaction — nerves, fear.
But there was no backing out now. She'd have to grit her teeth and accept it.
And besides, there was something else — saying this in front of the girl Lin Ye liked gave her a strange thrill, an excitement she couldn't quite put into words.
She didn't know how to describe it, but she didn't dislike it at all. If anything, she found it rather fun.
The two of them had reached an agreement.
But the third party, Yukino Yukinoshita, showed no sign of accepting any of this.
The two of them had struck this deal right in front of her,
completely disregarding her, completely ignoring her feelings!
Especially that bastard Lin Ye — had he not thought about her feelings at all?
She was his official girlfriend, after all.
How could Lin Ye do this!
"Student Yukinoshita, Lin-kun won't be able to walk you home tonight,"
Rui Tachibana spoke up,
wanting Yukino to leave first — after that, it would be her time.
"You think so too?"
This was Yukino Yukinoshita speaking to Lin Ye.
To Lin Ye, Yukino Yukinoshita's attitude wasn't really that important —
he'd expected the girl to be provoked, to be angry. That was within his expectations.
What mattered was how Yukino would react next.
"If Student Yukinoshita doesn't mind watching from the side, I wouldn't object either."
The moment those words left his mouth,
the anger inside Yukino Yukinoshita exploded.
She nearly lost it completely.
Watch from the side? Was he joking?
You do that kind of thing with another woman, and she's supposed to just stand there and watch?
The scene was simply unimaginable.
Yukino Yukinoshita didn't even dare think about it.
Right now, she was furious enough to want to slap Lin Ye — hard, twice — to give him a taste of a proper whipping, to teach him how a boyfriend should treat his girlfriend.
"Then how about this, Student Yukinoshita — you can just stand by the door,"
Lin Ye rephrased it, though the meaning hadn't really changed at all.
This did nothing to improve Yukino Yukinoshita's mood — if anything, it made her angrier.
She knew Lin Ye was saying this on purpose.
This guy had always resisted going all the way with other girls — there was no way he'd so easily accept Rui Tachibana's proposal.
This had to be to provoke her.
There was no other explanation.
"Student Lin, you sure know how to have fun. Do you need me to knock on the door partway through, to add some extra thrill?"
As soon as she said this,
the one who reacted most was Rui Tachibana.
The scene played out in her mind, and a shiver ran through her entire body.
That image was unimaginable — her body trembled involuntarily.
This... could even be played this way?
Rui Tachibana's impression of Yukino Yukinoshita shifted; she realized Yukino was quite different from what she'd imagined.
Not the kind of untouchable Ice Beauty above worldly concerns at all — she was a woman living in the mortal world too.
"I'd welcome that, if Student Yukinoshita is willing,"
Lin Ye immediately caught sight of the girl's icy glare — like a beam of freezing light that seemed capable of turning him into a popsicle on the spot.
"Then I'm not willing. Happy now?"
But Yukino Yukinoshita's expression didn't change at all.
"Student Tachibana, look at Student Yukinoshita's jealous, unwilling face and reaction — I don't think I can agree to your proposal after all."
A string of question marks bloomed in Rui Tachibana's mind.
You just agreed, and now you want to back out?
"No. You already agreed,"
At this, the girl dropped all her reservations and spoke up immediately — Lin Ye had to honor his word.
If Lin Ye didn't follow through, there might never be another chance.
Rui Tachibana knew exactly how precious this opportunity was. Once missed, there was no guarantee of a next time. So there was no way she'd give it up. Absolutely no way.
"One's willing, one's not — how about... the two of you fight it out, and whoever wins, I'll listen to?"
Lin Ye spread his hands helplessly as he said this.
This earned him a sidelong glare from Yukino Yukinoshita.
This guy was getting more shameless by the day, saying things like that,
making it sound like she and Rui Tachibana were competing, fighting over him out of jealousy.
"I have no right to stop you. Do as you please and bear the consequences,"
That was the answer Yukino Yukinoshita threw back at Lin Ye.
She knew he wouldn't actually do it. Her emotions had already settled down — there was no need to keep pushing the point.
Against someone like Lin Ye, staying calm and indifferent was the best approach.
"Since Student Yukinoshita no longer objects, then please, Student Yukinoshita, go on home. Lin-kun and I are heading to the nearest hotel now,"
Rui Tachibana cut in immediately.
Settle this quickly, get Yukino Yukinoshita to leave sooner, get herself and Lin Ye to the hotel sooner, lock things in — that was Rui Tachibana's plan.
Kicking her out, basically.
Even Yukino Yukinoshita felt annoyed at that.
But even so,
she didn't lash out.
There was no need to.
"Walk me home first,"
But Yukino Yukinoshita spoke first.
She made her demand.
Rui Tachibana immediately stepped up beside Lin Ye and looped her arm through his.
Her attitude was simple: not happening.
Having Lin Ye walk Yukino Yukinoshita home first — even if she went along too — who knew what might happen during that stretch of time.
That wasn't something she could accept.
Delay bred complications.
She needed to settle things quickly, minimize unnecessary risk.
Yukino took a deep breath. She was so angry. She'd never felt this kind of fury before.
In all her life, she'd never had to endure anger like this.
She stopped caring.
She just turned and walked away.
She wasn't worried about what Lin Ye might do.
Staying here would only mean staying angry, getting worked up to death over that bastard.
Better to just leave, go home, wash up, and get a good night's sleep — that was Yukino Yukinoshita's thinking.
At that moment,
Rui Tachibana finally relaxed.
She slowly let out a breath. If Yukino Yukinoshita had really insisted, she was fairly certain Lin Ye would have given in.
Yukino Yukinoshita's place in Lin Ye's heart was different — a place Rui knew she herself couldn't match.
This whole situation now was also, in part, because Lin Ye wanted to shake her off, to end things with her.
Still,
saying all this in front of Yukino Yukinoshita, saying he was going to sleep with her tonight — did Lin Ye still think he had a chance with Yukino? Did he still think he could win her over?
Under these circumstances, how could she possibly still want him!
Rui Tachibana really didn't think there was any chance left between Lin Ye and Yukino Yukinoshita after tonight.
If anything, she felt Lin Ye's behavior tonight was his way of telling Yukino Yukinoshita: if you won't accept me, plenty of other girls will.
That was how Rui Tachibana read it.
Whatever Lin Ye's actual thoughts were, at least this time, she had won.
Afterward, she and Lin Ye would go to the hotel, and then... this and that...
A flush of embarrassment rose in Rui Tachibana's heart.
After tonight, she'd become a woman! Officially stepping onto the stairway to adulthood.
She was nervous, but more than that, she held herself in check with reason, suppressing the unease inside.
Lin Ye watched Yukino's retreating back, her footsteps softly fading as her figure grew smaller in the distance.
He liked teasing Yukino in daily life, liked seeing her reactions change — but he wasn't so cruel as to let her walk away alone once he sensed she'd be genuinely hurt by it.
"Yukinoshita..."
Lin Ye spoke.
The word cut through the night air, making the newly relieved Rui Tachibana tremble. Her sense of relief hadn't even lasted a moment.
So Lin Ye really did care about Yukinoshita, care about her reaction.
She'd been completely overlooked.
No — not quite overlooked. Just... not valued as much.
That was the truth. But in Rui Tachibana's eyes, it was still a heartbreaking truth all the same.
Rui Tachibana watched Lin Ye walk toward Yukinoshita, even quickening his pace. After a moment's thought, she followed, not wanting to be left standing there alone.
But Yukino Yukinoshita showed no sign of slowing down at all.
"Yukinoshita,"
Lin Ye called out again.
Only when he caught up and put a hand on the girl's shoulder did Yukino Yukinoshita finally stop.
"What is it?"
Yukino Yukinoshita's voice was cold.
"I'll walk you home,"
Yukino Yukinoshita's expression didn't change, though inside, a quiet happiness was spreading.
Lin Ye still cared more about her, still paid more attention to her.
"No need,"
But Yukino Yukinoshita refused.
"I'll walk you home,"
"No need. Go with Student Tachibana to the hotel. I don't need you to walk me,"
But Lin Ye's hand stayed on the girl's shoulder, not showing the slightest intention of letting go.
"Really, you don't need to,"
This time, Yukino Yukinoshita's tone softened a little. "Go do what you need to do. Don't worry about my safety,"
Lin Ye caught the hidden meaning behind her words.
But to Rui Tachibana's ears, it sounded like Yukino Yukinoshita had given up, had accepted the fact that Lin Ye would be with her tonight.
Rui Tachibana's mood turned strangely complicated.
What was this feeling.
Why, now that Yukino Yukinoshita had accepted it, did she feel like this?
"Really, you don't need to, Student Lin,"
At this,
Lin Ye finally accepted it too. He lowered his hand, letting it go.
Since the girl had said so herself, there was probably no need to keep insisting.
Let her go home alone.
That was what Lin Ye thought.
Yukino Yukinoshita took a light step, ready to leave — but suddenly Lin Ye grabbed her by the shoulder.
"You can't leave,"
Because —
because Lin Ye had used his superpower, glancing at Yukino in passing, and the countdown number above her head now read 32:18.
This was completely different from what he'd observed before.
It had, put simply, crashed.
The countdown he'd seen earlier had marked what should have been Yukino's natural lifespan, the normal endpoint.
But this time, right now...
This was clearly the kind of countdown that appeared when someone was about to face some sudden, dangerous mishap.
In a little over half an hour, Yukino would be facing mortal danger.
"Why?"
"Just — you can't leave tonight. Stay with me,"
Lin Ye had made up his mind.
He would not let Yukino out of his sight.
Only that way could she be safe.
"Lin Ye, you're not seriously planning to make me watch on the spot, are you!"
Yukino Yukinoshita didn't believe it, but for a moment she genuinely wondered if that was really his intention.
"If you're thinking that, Student Tachibana won't agree to it either. You should think about how the girl feels too,"
Lin Ye's expression turned serious as his gaze fell on Rui Tachibana — and he saw that the countdown number above her head was nearly identical to Yukino Yukinoshita's.
One right after the other.
This...
Were the two of them about to face the same danger?
Surely it wasn't some citywide disaster hitting all of Chiba at once?
Lin Ye looked at the distant pedestrians. "Come with me,"
But neither girl moved, so Lin Ye immediately grabbed both their wrists, one in each hand, and pulled them forward with him.
Yukino Yukinoshita and Rui Tachibana both froze, unable to understand why Lin Ye had suddenly turned so forceful.
"Lin-kun... are you..."
Rui Tachibana swallowed, wondering if Lin Ye was actually serious about that.
Even if Lin Ye was willing, she certainly wasn't!
And besides, there was no way Yukino Yukinoshita would agree to that either.
Rui Tachibana's gaze drifted to the side of Yukino Yukinoshita's face, only to find the girl's expression as calm and still as water.
She really had no idea what Yukino Yukinoshita was actually thinking.
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