The room was enveloped in silence, broken only by the faint hum of the night outside. Yuzuru lay on his bed, staring at the blank expanse of the ceiling. Sleep seemed impossibly out of reach as his mind replayed the events of the evening in an endless loop.
He closed his eyes, hoping to quiet the thoughts, but Shiori's words echoed in his head like an unresolved melody.
"Are we truly meant to be together?"
Her question, so sudden and raw, stirred something deep within him. Yuzuru exhaled slowly, his chest tight with emotions he couldn't quite name.
"Why would she ask that?" he whispered to himself. "Doesn't she know this is all just an act? A contract with an expiration date?"
But even as he said it, the weight in his heart told him it wasn't that simple anymore. The image of Shiori's tear-streaked face flashed in his mind, and he felt his cheeks grow warm. Her quiet plea-"Will you kiss me?"-was impossible to forget.
Yuzuru turned onto his side, gripping the edge of his blanket as if it could anchor his swirling thoughts. "Why didn't I just do it?" he muttered under his breath. "She wouldn't even remember it tomorrow..."
But he knew why. Deep down, he knew. It wasn't about her memory or the fleeting nature of the moment. It was about something more. Something unspoken.
He bit his lower lip, frustration mingling with regret. And then, like a ghostly whisper, another question crept into his mind, one that unsettled him even more.
"Why did she suddenly talk about wanting a child? What could she possibly be thinking?"
The thought lingered, heavy and persistent, as Yuzuru turned his gaze toward the dark window. The quiet night outside seemed to mirror his own inner turmoil, vast and inscrutable.
Somewhere, in the tangled mess of confusion and doubt, a sliver of realization began to form. Perhaps his feelings toward Shiori weren't as straightforward as he had once believed. Perhaps, this relationship-a facade carefully constructed-was beginning to blur its edges, becoming something neither of them had anticipated.
Yuzuru sighed deeply, the sound barely audible in the stillness of the room. Sleep remained elusive, and his thoughts refused to settle.
The night stretched on as Yuzuru lay there, wide awake, staring into the darkness. And for the first time, he couldn't deny the growing complexity of his emotions for the woman who had turned his world upside down.
Morning sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the dining room. Yuzuru and Shiori sat across from each other at the small dining table, the air between them unusually quiet. Yuzuru sipped his coffee with a subtle smile, his eyes drifting toward Shiori every now and then.
Shiori, catching his gaze, finally looked up with a cold expression. "Why are you looking at me like that? And why are you smiling?"
Yuzuru's smile widened, teasingly. "Ah, I just remembered something from last night. You remember, don't you? You asked me to... kiss you."
Shiori froze, her chopsticks halting midair. Before she could respond, Yuzuru rose from his chair and began to walk out of the room, leaving her speechless and flustered.
"Wait!" Shiori snapped, pushing her chair back with a screech. She stood abruptly and followed him, grabbing his arm with a firm grip. Her brows furrowed as she looked up at him, confusion and frustration written all over her face.
"What do you mean by that? Don't tell me... Did we actually kiss? Did you take advantage of me while I was drunk?"
Yuzuru turned around, his expression calm yet unreadable. Without warning, he stepped closer to her, his movements deliberate and slow. Shiori instinctively took a step back, her breath hitching as he closed the distance between them.
She kept moving backward until her back hit the wall. Yuzuru leaned in, his arm reaching out to rest against the wall beside her, effectively trapping her in place.
Shiori raised her hand, her fingers brushing against his chest in an attempt to push him away. But Yuzuru caught her hand gently, lowering it and pinning it lightly against the wall. The space between them shrank, his face inches from hers.
His eyes locked onto hers, and a teasing smirk curled his lips. "How about we make it real this time?" he murmured softly, his voice low and laced with mischief. "Would that satisfy your curiosity?"
Shiori's breath hitched, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson as her heart thudded wildly in her chest. She couldn't find the words to respond, her mind spinning from the proximity and intensity of his gaze.
For a moment, it felt as if the world had stopped. Yuzuru's lips hovered dangerously close to hers, their breaths mingling. Then, just as suddenly as he had closed the gap, he pulled back.
Yuzuru stepped away, releasing her hand and allowing her to breathe again. His smirk remained as he turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving Shiori rooted to the spot, her face burning and her heart pounding erratically.
She leaned back against the wall, pressing a hand to her chest as if it could calm the storm inside her. Whatever had just happened, she couldn't shake the lingering warmth of his presence-or the way his words had left her utterly speechless.
Morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over Shiori's room. She sat at the edge of her bed, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her face a mix of confusion and embarrassment. Her chest rose and fell as she tried to calm the rapid beating of her heart.
She pressed a hand to her chest, as if trying to steady herself, but the effort was in vain. No matter how hard she tried to focus, her thoughts kept circling back to the events of the morning.
A vivid memory replayed in her mind: Yuzuru stepping closer, his face mere inches from hers, his hand sliding around her waist to pull her closer, the palpable tension between them as if they were about to kiss.
Her cheeks flushed as she muttered to herself, her voice tinged with both disbelief and embarrassment. "Did we... almost kiss? Did he really have the nerve to do something like that?"
Shiori shook her head quickly, as if trying to banish the thought. But no matter how hard she tried, the image of Yuzuru's intense gaze and the warmth of his presence refused to leave her mind.
Her emotions churned, a chaotic mix of annoyance, bewilderment, and something she couldn't quite name. "Why would he do that?" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Doesn't he realize this is all just an act? And why is my heart... beating like this?"
She let out a long sigh, her shoulders slumping as her face grew even hotter. No matter how she framed it, she couldn't shake the memory-or the way her heart raced every time she thought about it.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Shiori leaned forward slightly, her head bowing. "What's wrong with me?" she muttered softly. But deep down, she wasn't sure if she was more frustrated with Yuzuru-or with herself.