20demayo Page 42
Page 42
He was afraid of waking him from this beautiful dream.
Just then, Mai Sakurajima's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Eyes facing each other.
From the initial confusion of waking up, to recognizing the person in front of her, Mai Sakurajima was instantly overcome with a thin layer of shyness, her face turning bright red.
"Good...good morning," she whispered, instinctively trying to pull away from his embrace, but he held her firmly in his arms.
"Good morning." Itsuka Yuto smiled; he liked seeing her shy expression.
"Won't you sleep a little longer? II. The Pursuit of Qi Liu Jiu Yin Shan (Part Six)"
"No...no." She buried her face in the blanket, her voice muffled. "It's time to get up."
"Are you shy?" he asked, knowing the answer already, deliberately teasing her.
"no!"
"Oh? Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?" he said, even reaching out to feel her forehead temperature as if it were a serious matter.
"Stop messing around!" Mai Sakurajima finally couldn't hold back any longer, poking her head out from under the covers and glaring at him with a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance.
That glance had no harmful intent whatsoever; instead, it carried a hint of coquettishness, making Itsuka Yuto's heart itch.
Looking at her vivid expression, he couldn't help but lower his head.
Mai Sakurajima's eyes widened instantly, and her body froze.
After a brief moment of surprise, Mai Sakurajima's tense body gradually relaxed.
She closed her eyes and began to respond to him awkwardly.
After a long and tender good morning kiss, both of them were breathing a little rapidly.
Mai Sakurajima's face was so red it was almost bleeding. She was panting as she leaned against his chest and whispered, "You... fouled."
"There's nothing I can do." Itsuka Yuto hugged her, looking completely innocent. "It's because you're so cute."
Mai Sakurajima couldn't help but smile.
The two snuggled in bed for a while longer before finally getting out of bed reluctantly.
Volume 1: Chapter 54: Double Kill (Third Update)
After a quick wash, the two left the hotel and continued their unfinished Kamakura trip from the previous day.
The sun is just right, the breeze is not dry.
Without the heaviness of searching for the past, all that remains is the ease and comfort between lovers.
Like any ordinary couple, the two strolled hand in hand through the streets of Kamakura.
Passing by a dango shop, Mai Sakurajima stopped, tilted her head to look at it for a while, and then tugged at Yuto Itsuka's sleeve.
"Want some?" Yuto Itsuka asked.
She nodded, blinking her eyes expectantly at him.
"Boss, please give us a skewer of soy sauce dumplings."
Yuto Itsuka paid for the food and handed her the still-steaming dumplings.
Mai Sakurajima didn't take it. Instead, she took a bite of one herself, then held up the skewer and offered the remaining one to his mouth, looking at him with bright, sparkling eyes.
"what--"
Yuto paused for a moment, then opened his mouth with a smile.
The soft, chewy dumplings, with their slightly salty soy sauce aroma, melt in your mouth.
He discovered that Mai Sakurajima, having rediscovered her emotions, seemed to have unlocked many new skills.
For example, actively feeding them.
For example, when I see a cute cat on the roadside, I can't stop and squat down to look at it for a long time.
For example, when passing by an arcade, she would point to a pink rabbit plushie in a claw machine and say, "Yuto, I want that one."
"Sigh, what a spendthrift woman."
Yuto Itsuka would complain as he resignedly pulled out his wallet.
Fifteen minutes later, Yuto Itsuka looked at the empty coin box and the two men's hands, and fell into deep thought.
“…There’s definitely something wrong with this machine.” He tried to salvage his reputation after his failure.
Mai Sakurajima watched him sweat profusely, and instead of being disappointed, she found it amusing.
"Never mind." She took Yuto's hand. "Let's go."
"No way!" Itsuka Yuto's competitive spirit was ignited. "I have to catch it today! You wait here, I'm going to get some more coins!"
"No need." Mai Sakurajima shook her head, then stood on tiptoe and gently kissed him on the cheek.
"?"
Yuto Itsuka stood there, touched the wet patch on his face, looked at Mai Sakurajima, and tentatively said, "Wait a minute, I'll go get something else?"
"Boom~"
"I...I'll go get some more?"
"Boom~"
"I……"
"Boom~"
What's wrong with this woman?! Can't you let him finish what he has to say?!
On the way, Yuto Itsuka covered his face, looking silly as Mai Sakurajima led him behind.
……
The fun time is over.
Three days passed in a flash, and the two boarded the tram for their return journey.
Remembering his promise to Kazuko Sakurajima, Yuto Itsuka said, "Mai."
"Ok?"
"Have you thought about... what you want to do in the future?" he asked casually.
"You can't stay in my house as a cook forever, can you? I'd love to, but I can't afford to support you much longer."
Mai Sakurajima was amused by the joke in the second half of his sentence, and she answered honestly, "I don't know."
For the past ten years, her life has been planned out; she has never thought about what she wants to do or what she likes to do.
"Then start thinking about it now."
Mai Sakurajima was silent for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly, "I don't know... whether I can act well again."
"So, Mai actually has the idea of returning to the screen?"
"……Um."
“Mai doesn’t need to worry like that. Now you can use this to act.” He pointed to her chest.
"Use your own joy and your own sorrow to give the character a true soul. Believe me, you will shine brighter than ever before."
Looking into Yuto Itsuka's determined eyes, and seeing his trust and encouragement, Mai Sakurajima felt her confusion and unease dissipate somewhat.
Perhaps we could give it a try?
"If... I go back, my mother..." She was still a little worried.
"Leave your mother's side to me," Itsuka Yuto assured, patting his chest.
"She'll understand once she sees how you're behaving now."
I will not leave until your heart is truly strong.
He watched as Mai Sakurajima's brows gradually relaxed, and silently added another sentence in his mind.
……
After returning from Kamakura, Yuto Itsuka and Mai Sakurajima officially began living together.
Mai Sakurajima begins to legitimately occupy the apartment as his girlfriend.
In the bathroom, her toiletries were placed side by side with his; in the wardrobe, several of her everyday clothes hung next to his shirts; on the sofa, there was an extra pink bunny cushion; and in the shoe cabinet in the entryway, there was also dedicated space for her several pairs of shoes.
Mai Sakurajima herself seems to have broken some kind of seal, revealing more and more sides of herself that Yuto has never seen before.
In the afternoon, Yuto Itsuka was playing video games in the living room while Yukino, a kitten, rolled around at his feet.
Mai Sakurajima came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of sliced apples, walked over to Yuto, and poked his arm.
"Hmm?" Itsuka Yuto's gaze was still glued to the screen as he mumbled a reply.
She prodded again.
Yuto Itsuka had no choice but to pause the game and turn to look at her: "What's wrong, Lady Mai? Is there anything you need?"
Mai Sakurajima didn't say anything, but forked a piece of apple and held it to his mouth.
Yuto smiled and opened his mouth to eat, "Thank you for feeding me, Mai-sama."
She rolled her eyes at him, ate a piece herself, and then put the plate on the coffee table. Instead of leaving, she sat down next to him and gently rested her head on his shoulder.
"Yuuto."
"Ok?"
"Is the game... fun?"
"It's alright, good for killing time." Itsuka Yuto picked up the controller, ready to continue.
"Then..." she drawled, her voice soft and sweet, "you're just planning to play games all the time?"
"?"
Yuto Itsuka turned his head frame by frame to look at Mai Sakurajima, who was leaning on his shoulder.
She was looking up at him with her small face upturned, her clear eyes fixed on him without blinking.
"...What does Mai mean?"
"We can play the game later, why don't we do something else first?"
Oh my, this little trick, blowing air right into his ear, made Yuto feel like half his face was going to go numb.
“No, I don’t know what happened… Could you wait a moment?”
Mai Sakurajima couldn't help but laugh. She dodged the controller in Yuto's hand, then lifted her thighs and straddled Yuto's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Yuto, are games really that fun?"
“This isn’t fun!” This time, Yuto Itsuka didn’t hesitate for a second.
“Then…” Sakurajima Mai glanced toward the bedroom.
What are we waiting for?
Without saying a word, Itsuka Yuto grabbed Mai's drum with both hands and suddenly stood up from the sofa.
"Hey!"
His arms were bulging with veins, he was breathing heavily through his nostrils, his eyes were wide open, and his cheekbones were prominent; he was visibly straining.
But Yuto Itsuka did not give up.
A real man never says no!
"Huff, huff—"
He carried Mai Sakurajima step by step toward the bedroom.
Seeing how much effort he was putting in, Mai patted his back with amusement. "Yuto, put me down."
Do not!