When Suzuki Yuu woke up the next day, he was still being held in her arms.
At this moment, lying in bed, he could only describe himself as somewhat numb.
What was he even thinking about last night, facing the girl beside him?
The mysteries of the universe, the truth of life? Why do humans exist? What is metaphysics?
In short, all sorts of thoughts burst forth in his mind, and it took him ages before he could finally fall asleep.
He had thought about sneaking away in the middle of the night, but she was holding him so tightly that he simply had no chance.
All in all, he was very tired now, but at the same time, he couldn’t sleep.
He sat up and glanced at the girl beside him, quickly catching an unusual sight.
Shiraishi Ayaha was fast asleep, her long eyelashes casting little fan-shaped shadows beneath her eyelids, her breathing steady and gentle. Maybe she felt hot in her sleep, for she had unconsciously kicked the blanket away a bit.
And then Suzuki Yuu saw the alluring scenery beneath her T-shirt. Because of her careless sleeping posture, the loose shirt had gradually slipped down from her shoulder, exposing her snowy-white skin.
And because her close-fitting clothes had been washed and changed…
Hmm. Suzuki Yuu quickly looked away.
To be fair, she really was a carefree person—he couldn’t tell if it was because she trusted him too much or for some other reason.
Luckily, Suzuki Yuu was a person with boundaries.
He stretched, sitting up.
Just then, a sliver of light slipped through the curtains, shining directly into the girl’s eyes.
Shiraishi Ayaha woke up. She sat up in a daze and looked around.
When she saw Suzuki Yuu’s face, she froze for a second, then quickly sobered up.
Oh right, she was still staying at someone else’s place.
“Good morning…”
She greeted him cautiously.
“Good morning. Did you sleep alright?”
Suzuki Yuu’s face turned towards her, but his eyes looked elsewhere.
Shiraishi Ayaha noticed his behavior and curiously looked down.
Her face instantly flushed red. She hurriedly pulled her clothes tight and scrambled off the bed.
“I… I’ll go make you breakfast!”
With that, she left the bedroom as if running away.
If anyone had witnessed this scene, they might really have thought something had happened between them.
Suzuki Yuu scratched his head, sighed, and got up to wash up as well.
At this moment, the rain outside was still pouring down.
“The manager seems to still be fixing the tires. He might come a little later to pick you up.”
Suzuki Yuu told Shiraishi as they ate breakfast.
The girl before him had already changed into her school uniform, which made him breathe a little easier.
“Okay~” Shiraishi Ayaha responded, feeling a little happy, but also a little disappointed.
She was happy that she could stay here a bit longer, but disappointed that she had to go home today.
Of course, no one else would notice her subtle emotions. After Suzuki Yuu finished breakfast and downed the coffee on the table, he planned to go practice the cello.
The performance was drawing nearer, and he needed at least to raise his cello skills to ‘proficient’ and close to ‘expert’ level.
With that in mind, he got to work.
Shiraishi Ayaha was very understanding. Knowing Suzuki Yuu had things to do, she obediently sat on the sofa to study on her own.
Their morning passed peacefully.
[Cello (Beginner): 70% → 75%, reaching 100% will upgrade to Proficient.]
By midday, seeing his progress increase, Suzuki Yuu nodded in satisfaction.
He walked out of the bedroom and found Shiraishi looking a bit drowsy.
She often did this during tutoring sessions.
“Shiraishi.” He called her softly.
Shiraishi Ayaha quickly perked up: “Ah, Yuu! Are you done practicing?”
“All finished. How’s your studying going?”
“I’m working hard, but some of these problems are just too hard…” Shiraishi Ayaha smiled awkwardly.
Suzuki Yuu leaned over to see where she was stuck.
He reached out and patiently explained the questions to her.
“By the way, have you always been focused on studying? I don’t really see you doing anything else on a daily basis.”
Halfway through, Suzuki Yuu asked curiously.
“That’s not it, I’m also in the tennis club, you know.”
“Eh, really?” Suzuki Yuu was surprised.
But he also recalled that back in middle school, Shiraishi Ayaha often participated in track and field competitions—her athletic abilities were pretty good.
If it weren’t for the fact that Suzuki Yuu was surrounded by so many geniuses, the girl before him would certainly have seemed exceptionally outstanding in his eyes.
Of course, she was still excellent now—it was all relative.
“Speaking of which, Yuu, do you know about the Joint Inter-school Summer Games in June?”
“Oh, I know. The student council over here has already started preparing.”
Suzuki Yuu replied.
“Our school will be participating too. I’ll finally get to visit Seizan Saint Academy then!”
“Hmm? I’ll give you a tour when the time comes.”
“Really?” Shiraishi Ayaha’s eyes instantly lit up. “You promised! No take-backs!”
“I won’t go back on my word.”
“And I’ll be cheering for you, too,” Suzuki Yuu added, “You’ll be playing in the tennis club matches, right?”
“Of course!” Talking about her specialty, Shiraishi Ayaha’s face was instantly filled with confidence. “I’m the ace of our tennis club! I’ll definitely show you my coolest side then!”
“I’m looking forward to it. Just do your best, though.”
Suzuki Yuu reminded her, because he knew the level of their school’s tennis club.
And then there was the unofficial member, Shiina Chisa…
He wasn’t sure if she would participate, but he still hoped Shiraishi Ayaha wouldn’t feel too pressured.
“Don’t worry, like you said, I’m always someone who’s easily content.”
Shiraishi Ayaha replied, and just then, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Manager Shiraishi.
[The car’s fixed, I’ll be downstairs soon. Get ready to come down.]
“Ah, it’s Dad. He’s here,” she said quietly to Suzuki Yuu, her tone sounding a little reluctant.
“Is that so.” Suzuki Yuu nodded and stood up. “I’ll walk you downstairs.”
The apartment returned to quiet, leaving only the soft sounds of the two packing their things.
At the entryway, Shiraishi Ayaha put on her shoes, turned around, and gave Suzuki Yuu a deep bow.
“These two days… I really caused you a lot of trouble! Thank you!”
“It’s nothing.” Suzuki Yuu reached out, habitually patting her head. “Go on, be careful on your way home.”
“Mm!”
She smiled in response, seeming to really enjoy this moment of reassurance. It felt like she was completely at ease.
After seeing Shiraishi Ayaha off, Suzuki Yuu returned to his apartment.
He stood there, looking at the space Shiraishi Ayaha had just tidied up, and felt the place was suddenly very empty—he wasn’t used to it at all.
“How strange, why does it feel so lonely?”