Chapter 25: Interruption

Chapter 25: Interruption

“Over here~”

Yatsuno Gen got off the bus.

On the bustling commercial street, he saw the girl’s fair arm waving not far away.

Under the afternoon sunlight, Kazama Sakura seemed to be glowing.

Compared to the way she looked when she was hiding worries and frowning, Yatsuno Gen did admit that he appreciated this carefree, smiling version of her more. She seemed to represent the very meaning of youth.

Today was Sunday, so instead of her school uniform, she had changed into her everyday clothes.

A white camisole dress with hot pants underneath.

A simple oversized top look.

But it undoubtedly suited her very well. After all, her figure was already considered tall among girls her age, and dressed like this, her pair of fair, straight, beautiful legs appeared even longer and more dazzling.

The girl had even specially tied her hair into a bun today, giving her an even more charming and cute air.

Beneath her light bangs, those clear eyes carried a radiance that seemed even more dazzling than summer.

Her shiny pink lips curved slightly, making people want to smile along with her just by looking at her.

“I could have gone in and found you. Why did you come out?”

By comparison, the boy who approached her was dressed very casually, still in a T-shirt and jeans.

Kazama Sakura lifted her head and said with a beaming smile, “Wasn’t I afraid you would waste time? And I’m the one who forced you to come here, so how could I not come pick you up?”

“Then I really troubled you.”

He said this without the slightest trace of apology.

Kazama Sakura shook her head.

“How could it be troubling me? I’m the one troubling you. After all, I suddenly called you over... Sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

He walked into the KTV with the girl.

This kind of KTV was still slightly different from Yatsuno Gen’s impression. It seemed much quieter and colder, but there were people in quite a few private rooms.

The decoration was not that exaggerated or flashy either. By comparison, it was simpler.

The girl walking in front kept looking back at Yatsuno Gen from time to time, as if worried that this boy who always acted unpredictably would suddenly slip away.

Until she opened the private room door, and the sound of accompaniment instantly flowed out from inside.

“Sakura, you’re finally back... Eh? Yatsuno-kun? You really called Yatsuno-kun over!”

When Yatsuno Gen appeared from behind Kazama Sakura, he immediately drew a burst of cheers from inside the private room.

It was slightly exaggerated. Anyone who did not know better might think some popular celebrity had joined a variety show and made a surprise offline visit to ordinary people in a KTV.

There were quite a few people inside, both boys and girls, but they were all around the same age as Kazama Sakura and Yatsuno Gen. They were all students.

However, once some of them left school, their outfits seemed unconventional, even gaudy, making it slightly hard to tell.

“It’s really Yatsuno-kun!”

“My god, he’s really so handsome.”

“Kazama!! Confess honestly, how did you get him here? What is your relationship!”

All at once, no one cared about singing anymore.

Aside from the excited expressions of the girls, Yatsuno Gen could also clearly see the eyes of several boys who were obviously not very pleased.

Envy or jealousy?

Yatsuno Gen had long since grown used to these things. He smiled.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Yatsuno Gen from Class Three.”

Kazama Sakura explained somewhat embarrassedly, “What relationship? We’re just pretty close normally, and we happen to be in the same class... Don’t talk nonsense.”

Then she leaned close to the boy’s ear and said softly, “These are members of the club I joined. Today is supposed to be a group outing or something. Sorry. I don’t know where they got the news from, but they insisted I invite you over to sit for a bit.”

Yatsuno Gen lowered his voice without a change in expression.

“I thought it was because you wanted to see me. So that was it... Then you really should feel sorry. You betrayed my feelings.”

“What feelings? Don’t talk nonsense...”

Kazama Sakura’s cheeks flushed somewhat unnaturally as she secretly glanced at the boy beside her, who looked completely unconcerned.

Damn it, he was doing it again!

There was not a single serious word from him. Words that easily made people misunderstand seemed to come out of his mouth as if they cost nothing.

“Oh~ Friends, huh? Who isn’t a friend? Come on, hurry and sit!”

There were alcoholic drinks and beverages in the private room, but Yatsuno Gen did not smell any alcohol on Kazama Sakura.

“Did you drink?”

He deliberately asked.

Kazama Sakura, who had sat beside the boy, shook her head.

“Why would I drink for no reason?”

Yatsuno Gen smiled and said, “When we ate oden before, didn’t you seem to like drinking quite a lot? Why aren’t you drinking today?”

The girl’s ears turned pinkish red, translucent like rubies.

“That was because I was with you...”

The charm in that glance carried a faint hint of complaint.

It seemed as though she was reproaching this boy for knowingly asking, clearly understanding everything, yet deliberately acting insensitive.

“By the way, Yatsuno-kun, do you want to sing? Give us a song?”

Someone warmly called out to Yatsuno Gen.

Yatsuno Gen smiled and shook his head.

“No need. I don’t know how to sing. You all go ahead.”

The girl who looked more like an older student smiled and said, “Yatsuno-kun has good grades and is this handsome. How could someone so perfect not know how to sing?”

“Sigh, there has to be something imperfect about me. Otherwise, wouldn’t I be leaving no way for the other boys to survive?”

“Pfft, you’re too funny, Yatsuno-kun. Hahahaha.”

Yatsuno Gen’s answer still seemed very self-absorbed, but apparently no girl would dislike him because of his narcissism. Kazama Sakura was naturally the same, though she usually kept saying that he was too narcissistic and unbearable.

In truth, there was no such thing at all, because he had the right to be self-absorbed.

Yatsuno Gen did not sing. After the others paid some attention to the boy, they began their original activities again, singing and drinking as if it were a festive celebration.

“Is it too noisy?”

Yatsuno Gen leaned lazily against the sofa and watched. Kazama Sakura leaned over in concern and spoke softly.

“It’s all right. Aren’t you going to sing?”

Yatsuno Gen asked back.

Kazama Sakura shook her head and said, “I already sang before you came. I’m not very good either, so I won’t embarrass myself in front of you.”

Yatsuno Gen pretended to be dissatisfied.

“What do you mean? You can embarrass yourself in front of other people, but you won’t let your best male friend hear it?”

Best male friend?

What kind of strange relationship was that?

“Get lost. I won’t let you hear it. When you sing for me someday, I’ll consider singing for you.”

Kazama Sakura shook her head in a tsundere manner, and the small bun tied on her head bobbed back and forth, somewhat cute, making one want to reach out and tug it.

Because he thought that, he did exactly that.

Yatsuno Gen never liked depriving himself. Things he wanted to do did not need to be deliberately suppressed, so he reached out and pinched it.

There was not much sensation, but he did see Kazama Sakura’s face turn instantly red.

“W-What are you doing?”

Even her voice trembled slightly.

Yatsuno Gen shrugged.

“I was checking how you tied it. I thought there was something hidden inside.”

“What could be hidden in this... You just wanted to take advantage of me.”

The girl muttered while secretly glancing around. It seemed no one was paying attention to their little scene right now. That made her relax slightly, but for some reason, there was also a small, undeniable trace of regret.

Perhaps she felt that even if it was not actually true, if in other people’s eyes, they had the sort of relationship that could be teased about...

Then it would also satisfy a bit of her possessiveness.

“This counts as taking advantage?”

Yatsuno Gen asked incredulously.

“Then what does count?”

The girl raised her brows and eyes. She was somewhat shy and timid, yet still brave enough to provoke him.

Yatsuno Gen made as if to stretch out his hand toward her fair, firm thigh.

But it seemed Kazama Sakura did not pay any attention to what he was doing at all. She continued staring into Yatsuno Gen’s eyes, merely biting her lip.

As if quietly waiting for Yatsuno Gen’s next move.

Her heartbeat was very fast, and she did not know whether he could hear it.

But whether he heard it or not no longer mattered, because she was now so nervous she could barely breathe. Would he really dare?

And after he touched her, what reaction from her would be considered normal...

But at that moment,

Creak.

The private room door was pushed open, and Yatsuno Gen calmly withdrew his hand.

The singing stopped abruptly as well, and Kazama Sakura let out a breath of relief.

It seemed that the tension blocking her throat and holding her breath had finally faded.

But why was there still a disappointment she could not deny?

She bit her lip and gave Yatsuno Gen a resentful look. The boy smiled.

“What’s with that expression? Did you actually want me to take advantage of you?”

“...Coward. Hmph.”

Yatsuno Gen:???

Oh, so this was turning the world upside down.

And through the opened door walked an uninvited guest.

A coldly handsome boy.

The moment he entered, many girls subconsciously looked toward him.

“Eh. Isn’t that Senior Watanabe from the school’s kendo club?”

“Why is he here? But Senior Watanabe is really impressive. He represented our school in the national kendo competition and won second place. I heard several famous universities have already guaranteed him admission.”

“He’s amazing at kendo, and he’s also really handsome. Though not as handsome as Yatsuno-kun, he looks like he could punch Yatsuno-kun to death.”

“Oh no, I’m starting to imagine a forced-love plot between Senior Watanabe and Yatsuno-kun. Punching him until he cries, then...”

What were these bizarre fantasies?

Yatsuno Gen’s five senses were sharp, so of course he could hear these whispers clearly.

But this was not something worth caring about. He clearly sensed that the tall boy who had entered, fairly good-looking in appearance, first looked toward Kazama Sakura, then looked at him.

Their gazes met for an instant. Yatsuno Gen did not reveal any particular emotion. On the contrary, the other party looked at him quite seriously.

It seemed as if, like a martial artist, he wanted to see some kind of opening in Yatsuno Gen. There was an obvious aggressiveness.

That was why people called them youths. Youth, impulse, and passion were all related words, but more importantly, youths were not good at hiding their emotions.

Of course, there was no need to.

If youth required you to hide and conceal everything, frantically suppressing yourself, treating your emotions as some incredible treasure that no one else could see,

Then it seemed to lose the most beautiful meaning of that time.

“Watanabe? Why are you here?”

The short-haired older student who had greeted Yatsuno Gen earlier stood up and looked at the boy in surprise.

Watanabe Ga shifted his gaze back and smiled.

“Our kendo club happens to be holding a gathering next door too. I saw this side, so I thought I’d come say hello... I didn’t disturb you, did I?”

The older student naturally smiled so happily she could barely contain herself. She wondered if her luck in romance was especially good today. Why were handsome guys appearing one after another?

“Of course you’re not disturbing us. By the way, do you want to sit here for a bit? Have a drink or something.”

Watanabe Ga revealed a thoughtful expression, then smiled and nodded.

“Since Senior says so, of course I can’t refuse. I’ll just sit for a bit. You all continue.”

“All right, then sit...”

“Is this seat all right?”

Before the older student could arrange a seat,

Watanabe Ga had already walked toward the direction he had been watching for a long time.

Here, he looked down from above at a man and woman who seemed exceptionally well matched.

His cold expression revealed a calm smile, looking like a kind of bestowal.

Especially that sentence.

It seemed to be addressed to the stunned Kazama Sakura, but his eyes were clearly fixed straight on Yatsuno Gen.

Interesting.