Chapter 77: No Regrets Allowed

Words : 1021 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

"Wanna hang out tonight?" Though Kokomi had never heard this phrase before, she instantly understood its meaning. Why would he suddenly say something like this? Then, memories of that day—the one she'd forced herself to forget—flooded back, making her heart race. Of course, Kokomi hadn't actually forgotten. She'd just pretended to. But now, it was clear: he hadn't forgotten either. Not only had he remembered, but he'd also labeled her as... that kind of woman. Kokomi wanted to shout at him, to insist she wasn't so frivolous... but when she thought about that day and the increasingly frequent dreams she'd been having, she couldn't muster the courage. From an outsider's perspective, she did seem like that kind of woman, didn't she? But she wasn't! So, faced with such an invitation, she should firmly reject him. ...But with that day's events hanging over her, even her resolve to refuse felt shaky. One misstep had led to another, and now Kokomi felt cornered. No matter how she tried to refuse, if she put herself in his shoes, she could think of a hundred arguments to counter her objections. She had no way to reject him with dignity. —Smart people tend to overthink things. If Kokomi had simply refused outright, Ye would've dropped the matter. After all, he was a man with some sense of shame; he wouldn't pester a woman. But Kokomi stayed silent. She was too busy trying to figure out how to reject him in a way that would shut down any further discussion. "Sorry, I'm not feeling well today." —But that would imply she'd be open to it another day. "Sorry, I'm a shrine maiden. I can't..." —Even thinking of using that excuse felt like an insult to her intelligence. "What do you mean by 'hang out'?" —Playing dumb would only make things worse if he decided to explain in detail. As Kokomi's mind raced, her face flushed, and she lowered her head, steam practically rising from her ears as she tried to figure out how to reject him. To Ye, her silence was a tacit agreement. So, when Kokomi finally decided the best course of action was to pretend she hadn't heard him, stand up, and leave without a word... she looked up and realized Ye was already gone. "Huh?" Kokomi was utterly baffled. Meanwhile, Ye was happily making preparations. He was a considerate man and understood that women, like himself, had thin skin. Though Kokomi had been bold that day, it was understandable that she'd be too shy to agree outright now. So, he'd left to give her space, not wanting to pressure her into saying yes. There was no need. If both parties were willing, everything else would naturally fall into place. Now, it was time to prepare. What kind of preparation? A bath and a change of clothes, of course. This was a sign of respect. Ye was a man who took marriage and parenthood seriously. Wait, why was he suddenly talking about marriage and children? Hadn't he mentioned it earlier? When Ye had said, "Wanna hang out tonight?" —That was his way of proposing!! Ye wasn't the type of man to casually suggest such things without serious intentions. This was a solemn and significant matter. Ye bathed, changed into fresh clothes, and prepared to visit Kokomi that very night. Today would mark the day he officially left the ranks of the single. But then... his phone rang. Pulling it out and seeing the name "Fufu" on the screen, Ye felt a surge of hatred for the invention of the phone—or rather, for giving one to Furina. To this day, phones were still a closely guarded secret in Fontaine. Ye hadn't planned to spread the technology widely, given its potential impact. But now, he regretted letting Furina in on the secret and giving her a phone. Why the regret? Heh. Ye's expression turned icy as he debated ignoring the call. But as a responsible subordinate, he couldn't bring himself to disregard his superior. Reluctantly, he answered. "Ye, come back immediately," Furina demanded without preamble. "Has something major happened, Lady Furina?" "I don't know why, but I have a terrible feeling. I need to see you." Honestly, do you have hidden cameras on me? This suspicion had plagued Ye for centuries. He glanced around again, but as always, found no evidence of surveillance. Does Furina possess some power I'm unaware of, allowing her to monitor me without my knowledge? How else do you explain her impeccable timing in ruining my plans every single time something good is about to happen? Centuries of this! Who wouldn't think she's spying on me?! Oh, right. The one time she didn't ruin things was when she didn't have a phone. Out of sight, out of mind. Intuition? Your intuition is even more ridiculous than the hyper-intuition I gave Fischl, and you only use it on me, don't you? Ye's expression hardened. This time, he wouldn't let her ruin things. He would resist! He would fight for his right, as a subordinate, to marry and have children! "Lady Furina, I'm currently in Inazuma dealing with something very important. I really can't—" "Ye." Furina's voice trembled, laced with fear and a hint of tears. "I'm so scared... really scared... Are you... abandoning me?" "Yes, Lady Furina. I'll return immediately." Ye gritted his teeth, his tone uncharacteristically bitter. "Right away." You're really a professional actress, aren't you? Sorry, Kokomi. But there's always tomorrow. Don't worry, we'll have plenty of chances to get married. And so, with a heavy heart, Ye returned to Fontaine. ...Well, it wasn't exactly unexpected. When Ye had chosen Furina as the chain to restrain himself, he should've foreseen this. Though he certainly regretted it now. I shouldn't have acted on impulse back then! Impulse is the devil! The devil!

Chapter 77: No Regrets Allowed

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