Chapter 88: Time, Place, and People Aligned

After washing away the sweat and drying himself off, Sosuke Kitahara sat on the short stool, waiting. Ten minutes passed. The steam in the bathroom had already begun to fade, yet no one came to the door. Finding it strange, he slipped into a bathrobe and stepped out only to pause mid-step. The door to his bedroom, which he clearly remembered being wide open earlier, was now ajar. A subtle smile crept onto Sosuke's lips. Without hesitation, he strode over and gently pushed the door open before softly closing it behind him. The room was cloaked in darkness. Heavy curtains had been drawn tightly shut, sealing out the light. He pressed the switch on the wall, and the soft glow of a nightlight flickered on. There on the bed lay Utaha Kasumigaoka, her graceful figure curled beneath a light fleece blanket, turned away from the door, sleeping on her side. Sosuke's heart thudded in his chest as he admired the alluring curve of her body beneath the thin cover. With a faint smile, he turned off the nightlight, slipped under the blanket, and laid down beside her. Utaha remained motionless, breathing steadily, as if she had already drifted into slumber. Sosuke grinned, gently turning her delicate shoulders as he whispered teasingly, "Why pull the curtains so tightly? It was pitch dark in here. I almost walked into the wrong room." Utaha cracked a faint smile, rolled her eyes at him, and yawned softly. "If you don't like it, go sleep somewhere else. There are still three spare rooms besides Yukino's." Sosuke chuckled. He lifted her smooth chin with a finger and murmured, "What's this? Are you jealous?" Utaha pouted, her voice laced with mock indifference. "Why would I be? Yukino is sweet, beautiful, and her figure is..." "Not as good as yours." Before she could finish, Sosuke leaned in and kissed her. Their eyes met in the dimness, sparks dancing between them. As their breaths mingled, a hint of tenderness flickered in Utaha's eyes. She gently pushed against Sosuke's chest, turning her head and whispering, "That's enough. We have to get up early tomorrow, remember? I'm exhausted." "Alright." Sosuke rested his cheek against her pajama-clad chest, inhaling the faint floral scent lingering on her. One arm wrapped around her slender waist, and he nuzzled closer, his nose brushing the edge of her collar, gently tugging to widen the gap for a glimpse of the cool skin beneath. "That tickles..." Utaha squirmed, letting out a muffled laugh. His gentle teasing was making her wriggle with discomfort. "You're such a pig! Nibbling around like that?" she giggled, giving his waist a firm pinch as she tried to wiggle free. Sosuke winced but held on tight. Just as they were caught up in their playful struggle, Utaha suddenly froze. Her body went rigid, and she stopped responding. Something felt off. Sosuke leaned in, only to see her beautiful face streaked with silent tears. His chest tightened. He rubbed his forehead and whispered gently, "Utaha... don't cry." Utaha clutched the wrinkled blanket, eyes shimmering with helplessness. Tear after tear rolled down her cheeks as she bit her lip and asked, "Sosuke... do you really love me?" Sosuke kissed the tears from her eyes and said seriously, "Of course I do. Why even ask?" "Then how could you bear to make the woman you love bleed... and cry?" "..." Utaha leaned back slightly, her delicate hand caressing Sosuke's cheek as she whispered with rare vulnerability, "You're the only person I still trust in this world. Please... don't let me down." Sosuke froze. Something in his heart clenched. "...What do you mean?" Utaha sighed softly. "There are things I've kept buried in my heart for a long time. But sooner or later, you have to know." "If you ever force it again, I swear... I'll end it all." Silence hung thick in the air. Sosuke lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling, his mind swirling with memories of their time together. He had always thought Utaha genuinely liked him. Even if they didn't cross that line tonight, surely she felt something too. He never expected her to say something so... final. Could it be she had been pretending all along? That everything he believed was just wishful thinking? He furrowed his brows, the weight of regret creeping into his chest. Once again... he had let a woman's tears sway him. The room fell into stillness. Sosuke lay there with his eyes open, wide awake. Beside him, the gentle sound of Utaha's breathing gradually returned. Several minutes later... Utaha, who had seemed fast asleep, quietly smacked her lips and turned to face him. Her eyes fluttered open, gleaming in the darkness. She stared silently at Sosuke's profile. Then, grinning mischievously, she twirled a strand of her hair and used it to lightly brush his cheek. Sosuke reached out to block it, his face expressionless as he turned away. Utaha covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, then leaned closer and teased his neck with her hair. When he didn't react at all, she gave him a light push on the back and whispered, "Hey... you seriously mad at me?" Sosuke didn't answer. He really was upset this time. He had no mood to play around. "You dummy... I was just messing with you." Utaha propped herself up on one elbow, eyes sparkling like diamonds in the dark. She gazed at his jawline, leaned forward, and gently blew a warm breath against his ear, letting out a soft giggle. Sosuke's heart stirred. This was so like Utaha playful, unpredictable but that was exactly why he couldn't give in so easily. If he let her get away with it now, where would his pride go? How would he ever maintain dominance in the future...? Ahem. "So it's okay for you to tease me, but I can't joke back?" Utaha pouted. Then, sighing, she slipped her arms around him from behind, her flushed cheek resting against his back. After nuzzling him for a bit, she muttered resentfully, "I just... felt upset, okay? You're the one always chasing after other girls." Sosuke's irritation had mostly faded by now. He knew better than to drag it out. If he gave in too quickly, she'd only act more smug. But if he held on too long, he'd come off as petty. He was just about to speak when he saw Utaha reach beneath her pillow, rummaging for something. Then a small box flew past his face and landed softly on the bed. "I knew this day would come," Utaha grumbled. "Back when we went to the hotel to save Yukino and Haruno, I already had a hunch. So I secretly slipped this into my pocket when no one was looking." Sosuke nearly jumped with excitement. His smile bloomed instantly as he reached for her hand, pretending to ask innocently, "Hmm? What's this?" "Don't play dumb." Utaha huffed, cheeks puffed up. "You're really getting bold, huh?" "How many should we use?" Unable to hide his glee, Sosuke burst out laughing only to be met with a flurry of light punches on his back. "You perv! You're not using even one!" Utaha was both embarrassed and furious. She pinched his waist hard, then leaned in close and whispered something into his ear. Sosuke's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Heaven is smiling upon me tonight..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going. The story's already ahead on Patron. Go there if you want to catch up faster! [email protected]/_theon Change @ to "a"