Chapter 173: I Like You Too
Yu returned home, immediately seeing Sasuko sitting on the courtyard bench, idly swinging her feet.
Seeing Yu, Sasuko's eyes immediately brightened, yet then as though recalling something, she stubbornly turned her head aside.
Yu smiled slightly, actively walking to sit beside Sasuko.
"Sasuko, you're awake." His voice was warm as always.
Sasuko maintained that bit of small pride in her heart, yet her body unconsciously shifted closer to him.
"Why did you even come back?" She deliberately kept a straight face. "You actually used genjutsu on me!"
Yu: "..."
He'd wanted to explain—it wasn't him actively casting the technique but Sasuko using genjutsu on him when his Mangekyo passively reflected the effect.
Yet the words reached his lips before being swallowed back. Ultimately he only said softly, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
These words made Sasuko's small face instantly flush—this time from anger.
She whirled around. "Again with 'next time'! How many 'next times' have you said? Yu is a big liar!"
Yu gazed at Sasuko's puffed-up profile, warmth rippling in his eyes.
He reached out to gently grasp her hand resting on her knee, finding it carried some coolness.
"This time is real." He promised softly, his thumb gently rubbing her hand's back. "I guarantee it."
Sasuko made to withdraw her hand yet was held gently by him.
She glared at him reproachfully, yet her eyes had softened considerably. "You say that every time..."
Just then, a breeze swept through the courtyard. Pink-white cherry blossoms rustled down. Yu reached out to catch a falling petal, gently tucking it behind Sasuko's ear.
"You!" Sasuko instinctively tried dodging yet froze upon meeting Yu's focused gaze.
His overly gentle eyes made her momentarily forget to continue being angry.
"Forgive me this once, okay?"
Sasuko lowered her head, voice soft. "Then... you must promise me one thing."
"What thing?"
She raised her slightly flushed small face, saying proudly, "Tonight accompany me shopping, just the two of us."
Yu froze slightly before laughing softly. "Alright."
Sasuko raised her chin with feigned hauteur. "Hmph, then I'll forgive you this time."
Yu gazed at her, eyes carrying shallow amusement.
He could sense that since his adoptive parents' return, Sasuko's personality had also quietly changed—no longer as obsessive as before, her attitude toward him no longer that nearly pathological compliance and accommodation. This transformation brought him comfort while letting him feel slightly more at ease, though his heart remained reluctant.
Sasuko felt her cheeks burning under his gaze.
Yu was always like this—watching her with such gentle eyes that she couldn't even maintain feigned anger for long.
Sasuko felt increasingly uncomfortable under Yu's stare, reaching out to lightly push his shoulder. "Stop staring at me like that..."
"But I want to look at Sasuko more. May I?"
These words instantly dyed Sasuko's cheeks an even deeper crimson.
These years, to pursue Yu, she'd read so many orthopedic novels (medical type—moderators, don't overthink), yet never imagined Yu would also speak such clichéd lines.
What left her even more flustered—though she'd seen countless similar dialogues in books, hearing them from Yu's mouth now left her completely unsure how to respond.
She lowered her blushing small face, long lashes trembling lightly. Sunlight fell on her pink-tinged ear tips. Even her neck was dyed with a layer of faint crimson.
Those usually cool black eyes now rippled with moisture, carrying shyness, helplessness, plus unhideable joy.
She lightly bit her lower lip before finally nodding almost imperceptibly.
This appearance made Yu's gaze soften further.
Yu gazed at Sasuko's blushing profile, unable to suppress light laughter.
"My Sasuko is becoming more and more adorable."
These words made even Sasuko's breathing chaotic. She wanted to escape his burning gaze yet also craved his warmth.
Finally she could only murmur softly, "You... why are you saying all these things today..."
"Because these are all words I've always wanted to say." Yu leaned closer, warm breath brushing past her ear.
Sasuko instinctively shrank her neck yet was smoothly pulled into his embrace. Through thin fabric, she could clearly sense the warmth transmitted from his chest, plus her own drum-like heartbeat.
"Too cunning..." She buried her burning cheeks in his shoulder, voice muffled. "Clearly knowing that I toward you..."
She suddenly raised her head, meeting his smiling eyes, mustering courage to say, "Clearly knowing I like you most!"
Just as her words fell, her entire face flushed crimson. Yet those eyes rippling with moisture still bravely gazed at Yu.
Yu smiled before tightening his arms embracing her.
"I know." His voice was exceptionally gentle.
"Because..."
"I also like Sasuko most."
Sasuko heard this long-awaited confession, her eyes suddenly feeling somewhat hot. She buried her face deeper into Yu's shoulder, murmuring softly, "These words... should have been said earlier..."
Then she raised her head, using those moist eyes to gaze at Yu. "Yu, I'm not still under genjutsu, right?" Speaking, she extended her small hand to lightly pinch his cheek.
Yu was amused by her childish action. "In this situation, shouldn't you pinch your own face?"
Sasuko said righteously while pinching again, "No way. What if it's really not genjutsu? Pinching myself would hurt."
The warm touch transmitted through fingertips felt so real, finally making her certain this wasn't a dream. She couldn't help showing a smile, sweetness rippling in her eyes.
"So, is it real?" Yu gazed at her with a smile.
"Not sure~" Sasuko deliberately dragged out her tone. "Let me carefully confirm again."
Speaking, she lithely adjusted her posture, knees kneeling on the bench, her entire body softly pressing toward Yu's chest. Slender arms encircled his neck. She leaned forward slightly, pink lips drawing closer and closer to him, warm breath faintly brushing his skin.
"Sasuko." Yu reminded softly, yet his gaze never moved from her blushing small face.
"Hehe~" Sasuko blinked proudly. "Mother just went out shopping for groceries. She won't return that quickly."
She moved even closer, nose tips nearly touching. From this angle, Yu could clearly see her pink lips emitting faint light, sense the delicate fragrance on her body. The maiden's soft form pressed intimately against him, transmitting heart-stirring warmth through thin fabric.
Sasuko's voice grew increasingly tender:
"Now..."
"Let me confirm properly."