video
"Buzz—"
Tezuka's phone, which was lying next to him, vibrated.
He picked up his phone, engrossed in taking notes, and opened a new message.
"Kuoguang, what are you doing?"
The single line of text, containing no useful information, subtly softened Tezuka's usually stern expression.
It was supposed to be a study session, but he didn't hesitate to put down his pen, open the chat box, and reply carefully, word by word, in a way that didn't conform to his principles of efficient communication.
"I'm organizing my notes from the day. What about you?"
"I just played a game of chess with Grandpa and lost pretty badly. But he looked even worse than Lu because he was watching and giving me advice."
"How good is Yagyu-kun's Go skill?"
"He's a terrible player, but he's stubborn. Isn't Guoguang a very good player?"
"I'll spend time with my grandfather when I have time."
"That will definitely be better than what Hiroki did, and it will give him a chance to teach his stubbornness a lesson."
The writing is lively and the tone is cheerful, making it sound like a passionate sharing between lovers.
But Tezuka's fingertips lingered on the screen, keenly sensing something amiss: her replies were rapid and fragmented, as if she were filling in the gaps with frequent communication.
He remembered the phone call that had been abruptly ended before dinner. He had heard a cold, angry voice on the other end of the line; it was Melodia's father.
With that thought in mind, Tezuka put away the books on the table and focused on his phone. After a moment of thought, he typed out a few words.
"Melodia, you're in a bad mood."
As Hezou looked at this calm statement, the image of those clear eyes that seemed to see through everything naturally came to mind.
He has always been so meticulous.
This realization left Hezou momentarily unsure whether she sent him the message to let him know how down she was, or not.
She held her phone, typing and deleting text repeatedly.
Tezuka waited patiently, and after a long time of typing, a reply finally came back:
"Is it obvious?"
She didn't say much, but her words said a lot.
Tezuka paused for a moment, then made a decision.
"Melodia, can we video chat?"
I want to see you.
He Zou was stunned for a moment when he saw the two messages that popped up one after another, but he quickly realized that this was the most effective way to confirm things in his opinion.
"good."
As soon as she uttered that word, a video call request flashed on the screen.
She subconsciously tidied her still slightly damp hair, took a deep breath, and then pressed the green connection button.
The screen lit up, the image shook a bit, and then it stabilized.
A handsome face appeared on Hezou's phone screen. The background was probably his room, which looked very simple, with only bookshelves and dark curtains.
“Melodia”.
He Zou felt his gaze fall on her face through the screen, filled with insight and concern.
She placed her phone on the stand attached to the desk lamp, tilted her head, smiled, and waved to her boyfriend: "Guoguang, good evening."
Tezuka heard her call his name. The voice came through the receiver and sounded more real than the text messages. He could easily hear the nasal tone in her clear voice.
She was wearing comfortable light-colored loungewear, her long purple hair was slightly damp and draped over her shoulders, and her eyes seemed... a little more moist than usual.
Seeing this harmony, Tezuka felt a slight sinking in his heart.
"Hmm," he replied, his gaze lingering on her face. "It's better to confirm this way."
His gaze was calm and focused, carrying an invisible power that seemed to penetrate the screen.
Under his gaze, He Zou recalled his current appearance and, unusually embarrassed, smoothed the wet hair at his temples.
"I just washed it and it's not dry yet, it's a bit messy..." she muttered softly, trying to change the subject, but her eyes were still fixed on his handsome features.
Tezuka looked at her, his eyes deep, "Not chaotic, and..."
Seeing that he couldn't finish his sentence after a while, He Zou couldn't help but tease her boyfriend and added for him: "And I look good no matter what I look like?"
"Yes," Tezuka's voice was deep and certain, "It's very beautiful."
Originally, she had malicious intentions, wanting to see him speechless, but he replied with those three straightforward words, which made Kazusa's heart tremble slightly again.
It turns out there really is such a person in the world; just seeing him and hearing his voice made her heart flutter.
She lowered her eyes, but the corners of her lips curved slightly. The gloom that had been lingering in her heart seemed to have dissipated considerably.
But she remained unusually silent.
Tezuka gave her no more room to put on a brave face and asked, "Melodia, what happened?" His voice was deep and gentle, but it did not allow for evasion.
Silence fell on the other end of the screen. He didn't urge them, but waited patiently.
A few seconds later, he saw her back slump down as if it had lost its support, and she lay face down on the table, her voice becoming muffled: "Nothing. It's just that I had a little disagreement with Dad."
Her words were understated, but he could roughly imagine the unpleasant scene. He recalled that time in the medical room when she was just as downcast.
Although he didn't know the full picture, Tezuka understood that this was not a conflict he could resolve directly.
But she needed him.
Tezuka didn't press further, but simply told her, "That night, I told my mother I had someone I was dating, and she was very happy. My grandfather and father also found out."
"Ah!" Kazusa's voice rose slightly. She instinctively sat up straight and leaned closer to the screen, her tone becoming more tense. "What...did they say?"
The fair face magnified on the screen looked especially adorable with its wide-open eyes, making Tezuka almost reach out to pat her head. His fingertips twitched off the screen, and then he said calmly, "My mother asked me a lot about you; she likes you very much. My grandfather told me to 'never give up on my will.' My father said you're welcome to come."
As always, it was concise and to the point, but it used the most effective way to convey the family's acceptance.
“…Really? Thank you.” Kazusa’s chest slowly lowered. His words always made her feel incredibly at ease, but then she remembered the atmosphere at her family’s dinner. She lowered her eyes and spoke with a slightly nasal tone, “I’m sorry, Kunimitsu, I didn’t even have time to tell my family.”
This subtle change, like a needle, gently and slowly pierced Tezuka's heart.
He looked at her and said softly, "There's no need to apologize. We have plenty of time; we can take it slow."
"Mmm." Kazusa nodded, picked up her phone, and looked at her boyfriend with a confident expression. "My family will definitely like you a lot too."
She was probably sitting at her desk when her phone camera panned, bringing the tablet lying on its side next to her into the frame. The video playing on the tablet was thus captured by Tezuka.
He was slightly taken aback.
He Zou followed his gaze and was also taken aback—she had recently gotten into the habit of playing his match videos as background noise.
When he found out, her first reaction was to use "studying muscle groups" as an excuse, but he was so smart... Kanade subconsciously brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and looked at him with rare shyness: "Looking at Kunimitsu is very motivating."
Her voice trailed off as Tezuka on the screen didn't say anything, but simply turned his gaze back to her face.
He knew that she was always self-sufficient and sought inner peace; she had a rich enough inner world that she did not need to seek external things as a driving force.
So, she just wanted to see him.
Behind the glasses, her figure was clearly reflected in those always calm phoenix eyes, and a smile slowly spread across them, carrying a knowing tenderness and a touch of satisfaction.
On the screen, he was wearing simple loungewear, his collar slightly open, revealing his handsome collarbone. He had shed the sharpness he displayed on the court, and under the warm lighting, he looked exceptionally real and... alluring.
Looking at his handsome and gentle face and the joyful smile in his eyes, He Zou was stirred by this intimate yet visible distance, and a desire to possess him surged into her heart.
Her purple eyes met his gaze, still tinged with lingering shyness, yet filled with an even stronger, frank longing. Her soft, gentle voice reached Tezuka's ears:
"Guoguang...I want to hug you."
After he finished speaking, both ends of the screen fell silent.
Tezuka could see that after she finished speaking, the tips of her ears turned pink at a visible speed, but her eyes were still looking directly at him with complete intimacy and trust.
Under that gaze, he felt his heart skip a beat, and at the same time, a warm and surging tide of emotion began to assault his reason.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his gaze deepened.
“I know.” His deep voice was slightly hoarse, tinged with emotion. “Me too.”
He traced her features with his eyes, and after a moment added, "I'm sorry, Melodia, I can't get to you right away."
Throughout the relationship, Melodia remained sincere, using directness, honesty, and consistently positive responses to build an incredibly safe emotional fortress for him.
So at this moment, besides a feeling of complete satisfaction, a touch of guilt welled up in his heart, so much so that his words were tinged with a hint of resentment.
He Zou immediately sensed the emotion in his words and burst out laughing, the gloom in his heart suddenly dispelled.
When she spoke again, her tone even carried a hint of coquetry: "Then... when we meet tomorrow, Guoguang has to make it up to me, double the amount."
Knowing that she was using this method to appease him, Tezuka smiled and replied, "Okay."
Then, the two remained silent, with only the sound of their steady breathing transmitted through the electric current.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked, his attention always on her.
"Yeah, much better." Kazusa nodded and brought the phone closer, as if to get closer to him. "Hearing your voice makes me feel much better."
His presence had already brought her enough comfort.
"That's good." Tezuka felt a little relieved as he looked into her eyes, which had regained some of their sparkle.
He wasn't good at sweet talk or comforting others, and he was probably a little apprehensive about whether he could handle things well in a relationship.
The two people looked at each other through the screen. Two people who were used to planning their time abandoned all their plans and talked aimlessly.
“Melodia”.
"Um?"
"Will you come with me tomorrow?"
"Okay, didn't we agree to go to the library?"
"Let's not go to the library, let's go somewhere else."
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