“They’re here!”
At the sight of the other person, Suzuki Yu’s heart tightened. The scenario he wanted to avoid most had finally appeared.
He had been doing everything he could to avoid Shiina Chisa, just so this awkward scene wouldn’t happen, but he never expected her to come looking for him herself.
What kind of situation is this?
A pair of ex-lovers who had already broken up, suddenly meeting again—and it was the perpetrator actively seeking out the victim?
Good grief, in this moment, a beautifully written light novel passage flashed through Suzuki Yu’s mind, as if he were some suffering, gentle protagonist being bullied by a villainess.
Of course, the scene in his imagination didn’t happen; in reality, Suzuki Yu’s body reacted before his brain did.
Run!
However, just as he turned around, he heard Shiina Chisa’s threatening voice in his ear:
“I still have your Browser Search History over here.”
“So what! I’ve cleared out everything that needed clearing, and used Incognito Mode for the rest. Even if there really is something inappropriate, that’s just normal for a high school boy. What’s there to be afraid of?”
“How to capture an aloof Ojou-sama, the Shiina Family’s background, what rich women generally like… All these are from before you signed the Agreement with me.”
But putting that aside.
Suzuki Yu stopped where he was and turned around, his expression more serious than ever before:
“I think there’s a lot we could sit down and talk about, but you have to promise not to tie me up again!”
“You just came out of the Student Council Room. Did you go to see Jinguuji Amane?”
Shiina Chisa didn’t respond to Suzuki Yu’s words, nor did she make any small talk. She went straight to the point with her question.
He didn’t know if he was imagining it, but Suzuki Yu thought he saw a hint of regret flash across Chisa’s face.
But he didn’t dwell on it, just quickly answered her question:
“So what if I did?”
Shiina Chisa bit her lower lip, her eyes full of complex emotions.
“You didn’t actually know her before, did you? That was just a lie you made up to get away.”
It seemed she had deliberately double-checked this, and found something off.
Suzuki Yu didn’t deny it. He nodded, then added:
“But I know her now… thanks to you.”
Shiina Chisa’s icy expression finally faded, replaced by disappointment.
“Did you sign an Agreement with her too?”
Suzuki Yu nodded again.
Shiina Chisa’s fingers curled slightly, her nails almost digging into her palm.
She lowered her gaze, lashes casting delicate shadows beneath her eyelids. Silence lingered for about five seconds, as if the air itself had frozen.
“I’m really curious, during the time you spent with me, did you truly not feel anything else?”
“Shiina-san, you can question my character, but you can’t question my professional abilities!”
At the word “Shiina-san,” that distant form of address, Shiina Chisa’s eyebrows twitched. Her mood seemed to worsen.
“So, why did you approach me in the first place? If it was for money, you really don’t have to worry…” she took a deep breath and asked again.
Of course it was for Skill Grinding…
Suzuki Yu retorted inwardly. He wouldn’t dare say that aloud—he planned to take that secret to the grave.
“Lust.” He cut her off.
Obviously, that answer made him seem like a scumbag, but there was no better excuse.
After all, this Ojou-sama before him was truly a top-tier beauty. If he claimed to have been attracted by her looks, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
He thought she’d hear this and consider him shallow trash, then turn around and leave.
Yet, Shiina Chisa didn’t do so.
She was silent for a few seconds, then slowly lifted her head. The eyes that had once been so cold now had a subtle blush.
“Is that so…”
She spoke softly, her voice carrying a gentleness Suzuki Yu had never heard before.
Then, she took a step forward.
Suzuki Yu instinctively wanted to retreat, but there was a wall behind him—no way out.
Shiina Chisa closed the distance, so near he could clearly see every arc of her eyelashes, and faintly catch the scent from her body.
“If…”
Her voice was very low, almost pressing against Suzuki Yu’s ear as she spoke:
“If that really is the reason…”
She paused, the blush on her face deepening:
“Then you can come to Shiina’s Home any time… I won’t refuse you.”
Boom—
Suzuki Yu’s mind went blank.
What’s going on?
Was this really something the aloof Ojou-sama from the Shiina Family would say?
This isn’t some ero-manga world, is it?
“If it was really for that, then why did you refuse me that day?”
Shiina Chisa’s voice dropped even lower.
It was true: on that day, this Ojou-sama had been the one making moves on him. But no matter how you looked at it, this was just too much for anyone’s worldview.
Not to mention, Suzuki Yu’s stated reason had always been a lie.
So, this time, he refused without hesitation:
“Because I don’t want to give up a whole Forest for a single tree, even if that tree is a Primeval Tree.”
“The whole Forest?” She repeated the words. There was no telling if she was happy or angry, but the air in the corridor seemed to grow heavier. The slanting sunset lit her figure, stretching her shadow long and thin at Suzuki Yu’s feet, like invisible shackles.
Suzuki Yu pressed his back against the cold wall, sweat beading on his palms. He knew the words were hurtful, but they were also the only way to completely shatter Shiina Chisa’s feelings—he knew her personality all too well. She was indifferent to most things, but once she set her mind, she was tenacious to the end.
“Yes.” He met her gaze, steeling himself to sound even more like a jerk, “Whether it’s Jinguuji-senpai or any other girl, I don’t want to be tied down by anyone. Shiina-san, no matter how outstanding you are, you’re just one of many.”
“An Agreement is just an Agreement. From the start, I never promised feelings.” With those words, he turned away, not daring to look into her eyes any longer.
Yet the cursing Suzuki Yu had expected never came, and the tense atmosphere suddenly eased.
He looked up in disbelief, only to see a playful smile on the girl’s face.
No, what’s going on now?
Suzuki Yu sensed danger.
“Yu-kun, you’re lying.”
“Wha…what?”
“If things were really as you say, you shouldn’t have refused me. Someone obsessed with beauty wouldn’t turn down a ‘tree’ offered right to his door. Even if you wanted to find the next one, with your nature, lying wouldn’t be hard.
“I don’t think Yu-kun is an honest person, so you must actually be pretty responsible inside.”
Crap, busted again.
Suzuki Yu wished he could slap himself.
“Logically, you should have accepted anyone who came your way. But that day, your first reaction was to refuse—without any hesitation.
“So, Yu-kun, you have a secret—one only you know.”
Shiina Chisa’s lips curled up. She leaned close to Suzuki Yu’s ear again, whispering in a tiny voice:
“Yu-kun, your reactions are really cute.”
There was an unprecedented delight in Shiina Chisa’s voice:
“If you were truly a complete scumbag, I wouldn’t see any flaws. But now… I especially want to find out your secret.”
She stepped back, regaining her cold demeanor, but her gaze shone with an unyielding determination:
“And then I’ll have you for a lifetime.”