Chapter 73

Tokyo, Narita Airport.

The early summer wind blows in my face, carrying the slightly salty smell of sea water and the unique hustle and bustle of the city.

I was dragging a light suitcase, wearing a simple light green dress, and followed the crowd out of the international arrival gate like an ordinary tourist.

The phone screen was lit up, and it was the real-time location sent by Oshitari.

【Tokyo University Law School, 3:00 PM, Internal Exchange Competition, Venue 3.】

Without informing anyone, I hopped on an express train to the city.

Outside the window, the streets of Tokyo flew by quickly, with tall buildings and heavy traffic. My heartbeat quietly accelerated as the destination approached.

The campus of Southeast University is more solemn and ancient than imagined. The towering ancient trees shade the red brick buildings, revealing the accumulation of a century-old institution.

Following the signs and the faint sounds of hitting balls, I quickly found the tennis court area. Surrounding the court were a number of students, mostly girls, their eyes fixed on the court.

I saw him at a glance through the green barbed wire.

Atobe Keigo.

He wore a gray and white tracksuit. His hair was soaked with sweat, a few strands clinging unruly to his full forehead. He bent his knees slightly, lowering his center of gravity as he stared intently across the room. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a shadow on his face, outlining the smooth, powerful lines of his shoulders and back.

With a clean volley, the ball landed precisely inside the line, causing a suppressed exclamation from the sidelines.

He stood up and wiped the sweat from his chin with his wrist guard, his movements flowing with grace and power. His eyes scanned his opponent sharply, and the corners of his mouth raised in a habitual curve of control.

The chatter on the sidelines grew louder, mingled with excited whispers and the gentle click of cell phones taking photos.

He turned and walked to a bench on the sidelines, picked up a bottle of water, and unscrewed it. Oshitari was sitting next to him, looking down at his phone. I took a deep breath, quietly walked around the wire fence behind them, took out my spare phone, and dialed Atobe's number.

A familiar cell phone ringtone suddenly rang out on the sidelines, drowning out the sound of tennis balls hitting each other and the discussions on the sidelines.

Atobe paused in unscrewing the bottle cap, his brows furrowed habitually, as if he was somewhat displeased with this interruption that interrupted his concentration on the game.

He looked at the unfamiliar caller ID and said, "Who is this?" with his usual, slightly distant, flourish after being interrupted.

On the other end of the phone, my voice, tinged with laughter, penetrated the vast distance and the barbed wire in front of me, clearly and with a hint of the cunning of a successful prank, and drilled into his ears:

"Turn back."

Time seemed to be infinitely stretched at this moment.

Atobe's grip on the water bottle suddenly tightened, and the plastic bottle made a creaking sound as it could not bear the weight.

His entire body froze, as if struck by an invisible lightning bolt. A storm of fear instantly filled his eyes, and he was momentarily in disbelief, as if he were hallucinating.

He turned his head very slowly, almost mechanically.

His sight passed over the noisy crowd on the sidelines, over the green barbed wire fence, and accurately fixed on the girl in a light green dress outside the net.

The sunlight danced on her body, outlining her clear outline. She was holding her phone to her ear, her head tilted, her eyebrows curved in a smile, like a little fox who had successfully stolen something.

All the sounds of the world faded away at this moment.

The water bottle in Atobe's hand fell onto the plastic ground with a "pop", and a transparent liquid gurgled out of the unsealed bottle mouth, soaking a small area of ​​the ground.

He seemed to be completely unaware, just staring at the figure outside the net. His Adam's apple rolled violently, and his thin lips opened slightly, but no sound came out.

He subconsciously raised his hand, and his slender fingers nervously loosened the tight collar of his sportswear, as if this would help him inhale more oxygen and confirm that everything in front of him was not an illusion.

Across the net, across the crowds, across the tipsy early summer breeze and the rustling of leaves.

His light, his moon, his beloved girl, were standing there.

Crossing the time difference and distance, with a long-planned surprise, I unexpectedly broke into his world again.

Time stood still.

Atobe Keigo stood in the middle of the tennis court, with a fallen water bottle and a small puddle of water spreading under his feet.

He maintained that stiff posture of looking back. The noisy stadium, the sounds of balls hitting the balls one after another, the excited discussions on the sidelines... all the sounds seemed to be taken away by an invisible hand, leaving only his own heartbeat like a drum in his chest, heavily hitting his eardrums.

Then, the scene suddenly started playing as if the pause button was pressed.

He moved.

Without any hesitation, he turned around and rushed towards the green wire mesh gate at the edge of the court with a clear goal.

His movements were so fast that they stirred up a gust of wind, sending the wet hair flying back, revealing his smooth and tense forehead. He practically slammed the door open, and the metal hinges groaned harshly.

"Atobe-senpai?"

"Where is he going?"

Exclamations and doubts arose one after another from the sidelines.

In his eyes, there was only the smiling person outside the Internet.

I watched him run through the crowd on the sidelines like a cheetah locked on to its target, ignoring all the surprised looks he received.

The sunlight fell on him, and the sweat reflected tiny spots of light. On the face that always showed gorgeous pride, there was now only an almost inappropriate, pure eagerness and incredible ecstasy.

I smiled too, quickening my pace as I walked towards him, my heart pounding in my chest, the words "surprised or not?" that I had prepared for my conversation already on the tip of my tongue.

In the end, the words could not be uttered.

He rushed in front of me, so close that I could see the surging emotions in his eyes that almost drowned me.

Then, without any buffering, without any words, he suddenly opened his arms, and with an irresistible force, he held me tightly in his arms!

“Hmm!”

The huge impact made me groan, and my whole body crashed into his solid and hot chest.

The force was so strong that I could hardly breathe, as if it was crushing me and embedding me completely into his bones and blood. The heat from his exercise, mixed with the scent of sweat, sunlight, and a light sports spray, instantly surrounded me.

Through the thin clothes, I could clearly feel the heart beneath his chest, beating wildly with astonishing frequency and strength, boom, boom, boom!

Like an out-of-control war drum, it was hot and vigorous, piercing through our skin and pounding straight into my heart.

The whole world is completely quiet at this moment.

Inside and outside the tennis court, a chorus of gasps erupted instantly! This was followed by an uncontrollable, tidal-like whisper of disbelief and immense shock.

"Hold... hold?!"

"Oh my god! Who is that?!"

"Atobe SAMA...he took the initiative to hug a girl?!"

"Am I...am I dreaming?"

"My prince... wuwuwu..."

The girls' suppressed screams and heartbroken sobs were clearly audible, but I could hear nothing.

The only sound in my ears was his deafening heartbeat and his heavy, hot breath brushing against the skin of my neck.

This hug blocked out all the noise and drained all my strength. I subconsciously reached out and tightly embraced his sweat-soaked, strong, yet slightly trembling back. I buried my face deep in the crook of his neck, greedily breathing in his soothing scent.

All the emotions were melted into this hug that almost strangled each other.

I don't know how long it took, but he finally loosened his grip slightly, but his arms still held me tightly.

He stepped away slightly and cupped my face with both hands, his gesture almost reverently cherishing me. His fingertips, still calloused from exercise, were a little rough, yet strangely warm.

Like the deep sea after a storm, it stares at me intently, with strong and insoluble emotions surging inside. It is a hot love that has been deposited for too long and finally broke through the ground.

All the sounds around him seemed to disappear, leaving only him.

He lowered his head slightly, his forehead almost touching mine, his deep gaze locked onto mine. Every word he spoke seemed to be chiseled from the depths of his soul, with unprecedented solemnity and clarity:

"Long Yin," he called my full name, his voice low and hoarse, yet incredibly firm, penetrating all the background noise, "I've liked you for a long time."

These words were like a huge rock dropped into a calm lake, instantly detonating the crowd! Louder gasps and exclamations of disbelief erupted!

"Confess... confess?!"

"Atobe Sama confessed on his own initiative?!"

“Ahhhh! My dream is shattered!”

"Who is that girl?!!"

Atobe ignored the clamor around him. His world was filled with the only thing in the pair of watery eyes that reflected his own reflection. He paused, as if gathering his last bit of courage, or as if trying to confirm he wasn't dreaming. Then, with unwavering clarity and measured emphasis, he asked:

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

As the last few words fell, the tennis court and the surrounding area erupted in excitement! Cheers, whistles, and the even louder wails of heartbroken girls swept over like a tsunami!

"Promise him! Promise him!"

“Whoa—!”

"Atobe! Atobe! Atobe!"

“Wuwuwu…no…”

However, all the noise instantly lost its power when it touched the overwhelming deep love in his eyes that lasted for a long time.

That love was like a warm tide, gently and powerfully enveloping me, drowning all shyness and hesitation.

Time seemed to flow backwards, back to the tit-for-tat exchanges when they first met, back to the thrilling life-or-death encounter in London, back to the profile of him clumsily peeling an apple in the manor, back to the promise under the fireworks that he'd make to "spend the New Year with you every year"...

All the little things gathered at this moment into the brightest light in his eyes.

I looked at him, looked at the small, clear self in his eyes, looked at his lips slightly tightened because of nervousness, and looked at the fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

My heart feels like it's been soaked in warm honey, so soft.

Without hesitation, I nodded vigorously, my voice a little choked but unusually loud: "I do."

The moment the words fell, the last trace of tension in his eyes completely shattered, replaced by a light of ecstasy that was enough to melt everything.

The next second, he held my cheek with his fingers, exerted a little force, leaned over, and kissed me deeply with irresistible tenderness.

The moment their lips touched, it felt like an electric current ran through their limbs.

His kiss was full of the awkward exploration of the forbidden fruit, followed by a surge of long-suppressed passion.

It was an almost pious possession and declaration, gentle yet strong, with the scent of sunshine and sweat, his pounding heartbeat, the great joy of regaining what had been lost, and the certainty that after a long time, the dust had finally settled.

"ah--!!!"

"Kiss! Really kissed!"

"Oh my God! My heart is broken!"

The tennis court totally exploded!

The screaming, booing, and whistling almost blew the roof off!

Oshitari pushed up his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses showing understanding and a mischievous smile. His voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by the boiling center: "It's not easy, Atobe. I've been holding it in for so long, and now I can finally say it."

"Ah ...

"My CP is the best! The real couple is showing off their sweet moments! It's officially confirmed! I'm so happy I'm about to pass out! Ahhhh! The fog has cleared and the scenery is revealed! The house will never collapse!"

However, all the noise, all the screams, all the gazes became so far away at this moment.

In my world, there is only the burning entanglement between our lips and teeth, only his warm palm with thin calluses holding my cheek, and only his eyelashes as thick as crow feathers that are so close to me.

I closed my eyes, and obediently and tightly wrapped my arms around his neck. I stood on tiptoe, awkwardly but with great determination, and responded to this kiss that I had finally waited for after such a long time.

The chirping of summer cicadas, the hitting of tennis balls, the bustling voices, heartbroken cries, fanatical screams...all of these have become the noisiest and most insignificant background noise in this grand confession.

There are only two people hugging each other, telling a love story under the bright midday sun.