Sumire tried to stop her but Aika marched up to Yuhis classroom and slammed the doors open. Yuhi was surrounded by people and for a moment she paused to look at him. She has never seen him speak casually with others like this.
“Hey, Yuhi!”
“Wait, Aika-chan!”
“What are you doing making time for summer classes but not taking Sumire on a date? Surely you’re not that cruel.”
“We are always together at home.”
“Not those dates, a proper date! Go somewhere nice with her.”
Yuhi turned to her. “Is that what you want?”
“Well, I would like to go somewhere with you.”
“Then let’s go now.”
Aika’s eyes twitched, annoyed. “You two, did you forget why you’re attending extra classes? You both skipped so much.”
“Sorry, but now I’ve seen her, I’m taking her away; thanks for bringing her Aika.
“Geez, stupid couple.”
Aika, however, didn’t say anymore, and Yuhi dragged her away. The place Yuhi brought her to was the outside stairwell at the end of the corridor. The moment he backed her against the wall, he leaned forward.
“Yuhi-” Her sentence fell short when she saw his face up close. There were dark circles underneath his eyes.
Oh….
“Sorry, we will go on a proper date soon.”
He looks so tired. Sumire leaned forward and kissed his lips. “A date?”
“Mm, a date with you.”
“More than that, I want you to come home early if you can. I want to spend some time with you.”
He looked troubled for a moment but nodded. “Then, shall we go home after this?”
“But I don’t want you skipping work.” She plays with the buttons of his shirt.
“Skipping is fine since I’ve worked like a machine lately. Besides, you don’t want to continue this?” Yuhi pointed to her fingers.
“I do, but-” Her sentence fell short when Yuhi kissed her.
“No good, I want you now.”
“Uh, we didn’t come to school to fool around.”
“We didn’t?”
Geez, this guy. But she supposes it’s okay since quite some time has passed since they were like this. Sumire wrapped her arms around his neck and muttered. “Continue Yuhi.”
She didn’t hear a reply.
Yuhi’s touch, lately it feels a bit different. But she doesn’t dislike this feeling. Before she could get lost in this feeling, however, Yuhi’s phone started ringing. She immediately pulled away, and Yuhi sighed.
“Wait, this won’t take long.” He kissed her lips lightly. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?”
Sumire nodded and watched as he headed back inside. A deep sigh passed her lips once he left. She traced her lips that still burned from his kiss a few seconds ago. She wonders exactly what this odd feeling is.
‘That person is weird.’
Even though her behaviour and mood are unusual lately, Yuhi does not leave her side. Instead he, her cheeks turned scarlet when she recalled how he kissed her scars this morning. ‘He must be an idiot.’
Why does he accept even the ugliest things about her?
Her thoughts broke off when she heard a clattering sound. ‘This place is off-limits to students though…’ Unless Sumire followed the direction of the sound and discovered a man with blue colored hair leaning against the second set of steps.
“Shin.”
Shin turned to her and dropped the cigarette in his hands. “This-”
Sumire rolled her eyes. “All musicians tend to smoke. Besides, EMMA has a punk band image, and it doesn’t surprise me.”
“It doesn’t make it okay, and I’m a teacher.”
“It’s summer classes. You’re not teaching a class today, right?”
“No, but I heard Yuhi was here so.”
Sumire stared at him and noticed Shin averting his gaze. ‘Geez, these two are so bad at hiding things.’
“I was just with him, and he just took a call.”
“Are you…okay?” Shin awkwardly asked.
“So you know?”
He ran his hands through his hair but nodded. “Yeah, Atsuro prescribed those sleeping pills to you, right?”
“Mmm.”
The two of them did not talk too long since the doors opened, revealing Yuhi.
Ah, Yuhi? “Welco-” Her thoughts broke off when he slumped his face on her chest.
Uh..?
Shin sighed deeply. “Well, considering how this guy works like a machine lately, this is normal, no?”
That’s true. “Sorry Shin, but-”
Shin nodded. “I’ll save it for another time.” The moment Shin disappeared behind those doors, Yuhi kissed her lips.
“Yuhi-san, maybe we should go to the infirmary. You look pale.”
How come she didn’t notice this earlier?
“It’s okay; you’re with me.”
“Yuhi.”
“Hey, let me kiss you a lot.”
..
A few hours later, she was on her way home, still dazed from the events earlier.
The sensation of his lips on hers did not leave for the remains of the day. She found herself unconsciously touching her lips.
She worried and worried about Yuhi the entire time after that. Yet he sent her a text saying be good and wait for him at home. ‘I wanted to go back together, but I suppose it can’t be helped.’
Her thoughts broke off when she saw somebody approaching. At first, she thought it was a merely a fellow student, but the closer he got, the more uneasy she felt. Eventually, she spotted the camera.
A reporter? But why would- Sumire recalled that odd feeling she got a few months back during the festival. Could it be this is the same guy?
“Now, Miss Ibuki, isn’t that rude? You’re an idol, right? You should pose for the camera.”
Despite the darkness of the tunnel, Sumire saw the dangerous look in his eyes. She felt goosebumps all over her skin. What is with this person?
Sumire turned to walk away, but he grabbed her wrist, causing her to turn around.
“What is this? Even though I’m your fan.”
“What…what do you need?” Sumire managed to say.
“Just answer a few questions. What is the relationship between you and Nagawa Sano?”
“My ex-boyfriend.” Sumire knew it was futile lying. The media must have noticed Sano’s odd behavior towards her now. It is best to admit this early on before they find out.
“Then what about Kusaji Atsuro? Did he not frequent your place?”
“As a doctor.”
The reporter asked many questions; not once did he loosen his grip on her arm. ‘I have enough strength to push him away. But that is what he wants.’ If she pushed him away, there would be a violent media report about her. She cannot allow these people to know about her connection to the underworld.
“Lastly, how did you kill him?”
Her eyes widened when she heard that question. The reporter phrased it vaguely and yet Sumire understood. He was aiming for this from the start.
She felt her body turn cold. ‘Kill…’ That’s right, it was her fault after all.
Since she came to Tokyo, seldom anybody has mentioned it since they did not have enough facts. But she knew that reporters back home would never let this topic go. This is why she wanted to hide away from the public eye, why she wanted to give up her dreams. She does not want to feel that pain again.
She does not want people to say she killed him.
“I…it wasn’t me.”
“But didn’t he want to go to the concert separately? Yet you made him take you. Isn’t that suspicious? He even took your car that day.”
“…”
“Ibuki-san, I’m not asking as a reporter but as a member of the general public. The police ruled this as an accident, but many do not think so. The criminal investigations department believes you had a hand in his death, and many clues point that you did it deliberately.”
“Why?”
“Why? Indeed why. Did he not treat you very well?”
‘Ki, I love you.’
‘Your too precious, so let me handle everything.’
He did; he treated her so well.
“Is it because you were in a relationship with Kusaji Atsuro, too, and you wanted to break up with him?”
Eh?
‘There were rumors about you two sleeping around.’ Shin’s words echoed in her head, and she clenched her fist. So it was about this?
