rely

5:30.

The alarm clock on the bedside table went off right on time. As usual, it only rang once before being turned off.

He Zou slowly opened his eyes, his gaze shifting from hazy to clear in just a few seconds.

The first thing she did was pick up her phone and look at the messages that were still from yesterday, which made her eyes feel a little disappointed that her expectations had been dashed.

The air still carried a faint scent of cedar. Kanade looked at the aromatherapy diffuser, which had stopped automatically, and murmured, "Kunimitsu is probably still asleep."

She was thinking about Tezuka's schedule for the day. He had landed in Frankfurt in the early hours of the morning and should be back in his apartment adjusting to the time difference by now.

We can meet that night.

Thinking of this, Hezou's brief disappointment vanished, and she cheered up again. She casually opened her phone's music playlist, and to the sound of the cheerful music, she slipped on her slippers and headed towards the bathroom.

After a quick wash, she was getting ready to change and go for her morning run when the doorbell rang.

She glanced at the digital clock by her bedside—5:45.

The person who would ring the doorbell at this time...

He Zou practically ran to the door. Even though she had a premonition, her heart still skipped a beat when she saw a tall figure through the video doorbell.

With a slight creak, the door opened.

As dawn broke, the person she had longed for day and night stood silently before her, carrying a slightly cool aura, as if he had walked straight out of the night.

He Zou suddenly realized that he hadn't arrived at this exact time; perhaps he had been waiting for a while and then, according to her waking-up habits, chose the earliest suitable time to ring the doorbell.

I don't know how long he waited.

He played along with the music.

He was also looking down at her. His usually calm, deep brown eyes filled with tenderness the moment their gaze met, and his straight lips curved into a gentle smile.

Good morning, Melodia.

A simple, ordinary morning greeting inexplicably brought tears to Kazusa's eyes. She blinked, looking at the weariness in his eyes and the dark circles under them, then took his hand and led him into the room.

The door closed behind them, shutting out the morning light.

The living room curtains were not yet drawn, and Hezou hadn't had time to turn on the lights, so the room was somewhat dim.

They were very close, their breaths mingling.

Kazusa looked up at his still-clear silhouette in the dim light, her eyes already brimming with smiles, "Kunimitsu, welcome back."

The calm that had been maintained by some people was broken.

The next second, Hezou felt himself fall into a familiar, warm embrace.

A deep, long embrace that they both desperately needed.

In the close embrace of our bodies, the void in my heart that had been left after we parted was finally filled.

As she was steadily enveloped by his aura, Kazusa suddenly felt that the long separation was also wonderful, which made her feel the joy and longing of this reunion.

It's no wonder that some people describe the reunion as a "mini-resurrection".

She nestled against his shoulder, gently inhaling the scent of his cedarwood. Over time, she realized that this scent wasn't a residue from his clothes, nor was it a trace of perfume he had deliberately used; it seemed more like an innate fragrance emanating from his very skin.

I love it.

Kazusa's nose twitched slightly, brushing against the skin of his neck almost imperceptibly, but it still felt like it wasn't enough...

"Mmm!" The spot touched by the warm, wet tongue instantly became a sensitive area, and Tezuka felt his heart tighten suddenly, as if the air was being squeezed out. Even someone who could maintain his composure during a world-class competition couldn't help but let out a heavy gasp, as if she were gently biting his reason.

“Melodia…stop.” He took a half step back and leaned against the cold, hard wooden door, trying to calm the churning desire within him.

Even when he lost control and retreated, he held her tightly in his arms.

That's why He Zou wouldn't listen to him and stop; she missed him so much.

Ignoring his tense body and voice, she pressed her lips to the side of his neck, moving them all the way to his ear, and whispered teasingly, "The taste of Guoguang... I really like it."

Finally, a kiss, urgent and eager, landed as she wished, swallowing the smile on her lips.

He kissed her very deeply, even a little fiercely.

His strong arms gripped her waist and back tightly, the unrestrained strength causing her some pain. His lips and tongue, burning hot, penetrated deeper, entwining with hers.

He Zou staggered under his force, but did not resist at all. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head back to try to respond to the kiss.

Not just her brain and heart, her body craved him even more; every part of her wanted to intertwine with him.

He could feel the intense heartbeat pressed against his chest; he could taste the faint bitterness of coffee on his lips and... the deep-seated unease.

She stood on tiptoe, her heart pressed against his, surrendering herself to him more completely.

The kiss lasted for a very long time, so long that the body remembered the pleasure of the deep kiss and would be awakened whenever the other person touched it.

The deeper you go, the harder it is to stop.

Unbeknownst to Tezuka, his behavior was gradually spiraling out of control, and a bizarre hunger arose in his heart. He felt that even embracing her with all his might was not enough, and his deep kiss turned into a nibbling, from her lips to her neck.

“Melodia…Melodia…” he called her name in his throat, yearning for her to respond to his love. Over and over again, as if only her response could put his mind at ease.

"I'm here." He Zou looked up and murmured in response, running his fingertips through his short hair to soothe his tense body and rebuild his sense of security.

Under her soothing touch, Tezuka's out-of-control emotions slowly returned to normal. He kissed her chin, lips, and the tip of her nose, then stopped kissing, his forehead pressed against hers, his eyes still churning with lingering passion. His erratic breathing sounded even more ambiguous in the quiet room.

Two pairs of misty eyes gazed at each other silently in the dim space.

Then, it's unclear who first expressed their desire, but the two kissed again.

After releasing all the pent-up longing, the kiss became gentle and lingering.

Noticing that the long, deep kiss had left Kanade somewhat exhausted, Tezuka bent down to support her waist and legs, holding her steadily in his arms as they walked toward the living room.

Their lips remained locked in a kiss, as Hezou gently bit his lips, refusing to let him leave even for a moment.

Tezuka chuckled and lowered his head to offer himself to her lips, letting her explore his body in a way that they both preferred.

He enjoys being possessed by Melodia—he has only recently discovered this side of himself, but accepts it gladly.

After sitting down on the sofa, He Zou was still being held on his lap.

She looked down at him, rubbing his earlobe, and saw him unconsciously rubbing his palm against hers as he tilted his head... Hezai cupped his face and said earnestly, "Guoguang, do you love me very, very much?" Of course, a closer look would reveal the teasing smile in her eyes.

But Tezuka nodded without hesitation: "Yes." In Kanade's somewhat surprised gaze, he turned his head and placed a light kiss on her soft palm.

Public opinion has been making unwarranted speculations and accusations against her, but it's clear that he can't live without Melodia.

He didn't know when this dependence started, perhaps it began when she agreed to be with him, but Melodia's love made it hide it. It was only in the past two days of public opinion that he realized that those uncontrollable voices would push her away from him.

This realization unsettled him, and for more than ten hours after the plane landed at Frankfurt Airport, this unease intensified, and he couldn't stop himself from thinking about that possibility.

After landing at 2 a.m., he returned to his apartment but couldn't fall asleep. After washing up and tidying himself up so he wouldn't look so travel-worn, he went to her apartment, waited for her to get up, and rang the doorbell.

But Melodia was too smart and understood him too well. She didn't say anything, but comforted him in her own way.

He didn't feel at ease until he touched her.

He Zou gently stroked the dark circles under his eyes, her voice soft and affectionate from the long kiss, "Didn't you sleep on the plane?"

"I slept for a while." Hearing the heartache in her voice, Tezuka took her hand, kissed it, and pulled her back into his arms.

He just couldn't sleep soundly, waking up every now and then, which made him even more tired. He didn't mention any of this.

The weariness in his eyes was more convincing than his words. He Zou leaned against his shoulder, squeezed his fingers, and asked, "Any plans for today?"

Holding her fingers that were playing around between his own, Tezuka thought for a moment and said, "No classes this morning, but I have classes this afternoon."

“Then take a nap this morning to adjust to the time difference.” With that, He Zou got up from him, took his hand and pulled him up from the sofa, walking towards his bedroom. “I won’t be able to sleep peacefully at home, so I’ll sleep here.”

Tezuka followed behind her without saying a word, watching her make decisions for him and naturally leading him into her bedroom... He couldn't help but smile.

This was the first time he had stepped into Kazusa's room. Before he could even see what the room looked like, she pushed him onto the bed.

Tezuka lay on the bed, which was filled with the scent of Harmony and still warm from her body. Almost the instant he sank into it, exhaustion washed over him. He glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table; there was still an hour and a half before she was supposed to go to the hospital.

It was supposed to be her morning run time, but he still reached out to her, his voice low and dependent: "Melodia, lie down with me for a while."

He lay on his side on her bed, looking into her eyes and seeing clearly that he didn't want to be apart.

No one can resist Tezuka Kunimitsu like this.

She already owns Tezuka Kunimitsu and can kiss him at any time, but that's not allowed.

This rare act of capriciousness alone was enough to melt Kazusa's heart. She didn't necessarily have to go for her morning run, and she decisively changed her schedule at the last minute.

She took his hand and had just lay down beside him when he stretched out his long arm and pulled her back into his embrace.

“Melodia, I’m back.” He pressed his face against the crook of her neck, a gesture of dependence that no one had ever seen Tezuka Kunimitsu like before.

"Mmm, you've worked hard." Kazusa nuzzled his cheek against his hair, gently patted his back, and said in a voice as soft as the morning mist, "Sleep now, I'm here."

"good."

His breathing quickly became long and even, and the arms around her loosened their grip slightly.

He came back and fell asleep beside her.

He Zou lay quietly in his arms, clearing her mind and focusing on listening to his breathing and heartbeat until it was time to go to the hospital.

She carefully moved his arm away, tucked the blanket around him, leaned down and left a light kiss on his lips before quietly getting up to change and go out.

The sound of the door closing was barely audible.

The morning light outside the window was blocked by the curtains, and the bedroom was peaceful.