Dinner (Part Two)
The atmosphere in the hall was lively, but He Zou's heart felt as if it were being gently pulled by an invisible thread.
She and Kobayashi pointed to the beverage area and stepped back from the edge of the dance floor.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, she waved in Tezuka's direction, subtly pointing her finger at the glass door leading to the terrace, and then quietly turned and walked over there.
They don't care whether the other party saw their actions clearly, or whether they would comply with their wishes even if they did.
It was as if they were certain he would come.
Wazou leaned on the railing, gazing at the distant night view of Tokyo Bay, waiting patiently.
Sure enough, not long after, the balcony door was gently pushed open. Tezuka walked in, a coat draped over his arm.
He Zou's lips curled up slightly as she glanced back, a small firework exploding in her heart—it was the beige coat she had taken off from the entrance coat rack when she first entered the venue that evening.
"It's cold outside." He handed me his coat, his soft, deep voice bringing warmth to the chilly night.
But He Zou didn't take the coat and put it on. She put her hands behind her back, looked up at him, and kept smiling.
After staring at her for a few seconds, Tezuka sighed silently, opened his coat, and took another half step forward.
The next second, a soft beige cashmere coat, warm from the embrace of his arms, was wrapped around her shoulders.
She was also enveloped by the warm scent of cedar.
The harmony was satisfactory.
But the thought that he had seen her the moment she stepped into the hall tonight made her want to push her luck even further.
She shook her head, frowned, and muttered, "It's pressing on my hair."
They say that, but they don't actually do anything about it.
Looking at the smile in her eyes, Tezuka silently curved the corners of his lips, reached around to the back of her neck, and pulled out her long purple hair that was covered by her coat.
The hair was soft and fine, with a slightly cool touch.
His movements were restrained, but his fingertips inevitably brushed against the delicate skin of the back of her neck, sending a barely perceptible shiver through her…
"Alright." The voice, even deeper than before, sounded particularly clear on the empty terrace.
Despite the burning sensation in her ears, Kazuna forced herself to remain calm and said, "Thank you, Tezuka-kun. You're very considerate." After saying that, she turned away from him and looked at the brightly lit Tokyo Bay at night.
Their hurried movements, however, suggested a hasty retreat.
Tezuka, who had been left behind by her, clenched his fist to suppress the laughter that was about to spill from his lips. After suppressing his laughter, he walked over to her side.
The terrace on a winter night is completely different from the warm and cozy indoors. The crisp, cool air instantly envelops you, invigorating your spirit.
The scenery is definitely not the same no matter who you see it with.
Even the most dazzling night view of Tokyo Bay is nothing new to me, having seen it since I was a child.
But at this moment, because of the people standing beside her, the arc of the Rainbow Bridge spanning the water in the distance appeared exceptionally elegant in Kazusa's eyes.
"It's so beautiful." She leaned over the railing, and the cool breeze that hit her face lowered her temperature. She exhaled, "It's a bit stuffy inside. It's much more comfortable here."
"Hmm." Tezuka stood beside Kazane, not leaning forward like Kazane. His tall, slender figure remained straight, but his hands hung naturally at his sides, showing his relaxation at that moment.
He glanced at him, measuring the distance between them with his eyes, which was probably exactly 1.2 meters.
Self-discipline and adherence to etiquette are both good and bad.
Her gaze lingered on his profile. Although his expression wasn't as cold anymore, the glasses still made him look somewhat serious. She wondered... if those glasses would reveal more warmth once the lenses were gone?
Kanade's eyes darted around, then she suddenly turned to look at Tezuka, took a small step closer to him, and then tilted her head up, her eyes gleaming with a sly and expectant light. "Tezuka-kun, can I borrow your glasses for a moment?"
Tezuka was clearly taken aback by the request, and paused for a moment before turning to look at her. He had intended to ask, but the hint of probing on her face stirred something within him, and he vaguely realized something.
He Zou had already found a perfectly legitimate reason. She took out her phone and waved it in front of him, "Such a beautiful night view, I want to take a picture~"
Tezuka looked down at her, his phoenix eyes deep, clearly seeing through her thoughts. But he said nothing, only raising his hand to take off his glasses and hand them to her.
He took the glasses, which still held his body heat, and placed the lenses in front of the camera lens, seemingly just wanting to use the glasses as an aid.
Tezuka watched as she skillfully adjusted the camera settings, blurring the swirls and stretching the edges... A surreal photo appeared in the viewfinder.
"Snap!"
Kanade looked at the freshly taken photos, held the screen up to Tezuka, and asked him with a satisfied expression, "Hey, Tezuka-kun, what do you think?"
Through a concave lens, the space appears stretched, and the light and shadow become more irregular.
Simply put, the blurring is too severe.
But Tezuka paused for a moment, then nodded and replied, "Very...artistic."
This answer was tactful, even somewhat cunning, which was unlike Tezuka Kunimitsu's style.
Upon hearing this, Kazusa burst out laughing: "Then, if you don't wear glasses, is the scenery in Tezuka-kun's vision the same?"
Tezuka wanted to say that his eyesight was not that bad, and he wore glasses only to make things clearer; not wearing them wouldn't affect his life much.
But before he could speak, Kazusa's face suddenly moved closer to his: "Tezuka-kun, can you see my face now?"
"..." Tezuka looked at the clear, rosy smiling face in his vision and remained silent.
"Can't see clearly?" She leaned closer, her voice tinged with amusement. "How about this?"
How could a future doctor not know the basic principles of optics? He could roughly determine the problem just by looking at the thickness of the lens.
She did it on purpose.
But so what?
He was indulging her.
As Kazusa watched the gentle expression on his face so close to hers, the joy in her heart bubbled up.
I can't help but want to get closer to him, tease him, and see him show different emotions in front of me.
The gentle, helpless, and indulgent Tezuka Kunimitsu, who always appeared different in front of others, captivated her deeply.
They were so close they could hear each other's breaths; she could see his Adam's apple bob slightly. He didn't back away or answer, simply letting her approach. His beautiful phoenix eyes, no longer hidden by his glasses, looked exceptionally focused.
In the end, Zou Xian was defeated because her heart was beating uncontrollably fast.
She looked down at the glasses in her hand, as if curiously holding them up to her eyes, "What's it like wearing glasses?"
She looked into his eyes through her glasses, as if she was eager to try.
Tezuka calmly steadied his heartbeat and shook his head at her: "The prescription might not be suitable for you. Be careful not to get dizzy."
"It's okay, I'll just take a look."
He carefully placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose—the world instantly became blurry and distorted, and the distant lights were stained into patches of light.
"As expected, it's no good. I can't see anything clearly." She smiled and turned her head to look at the people next to her, but the distorted space through the glasses made her feel dizzy and her body swayed.
"Be careful." Tezuka, whose attention had been on her, reached out and grasped her wrist, his brow furrowed with worry—even with the high fence, it was still too dangerous.
No longer letting her play around, he reached out: "Glasses, it's time to give them back."
He Zou put the glasses back into his hand with satisfaction.
After putting his glasses back on, Tezuka could clearly see her profile and the upturned corners of her mouth.
She was in a good mood because of him.
Upon realizing this, even Tezuka couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
The terrace was quiet, but the harmony could be heard.
She didn't look at him, but tilted her head back contentedly, letting the wind brush against her cheeks. Only then did she realize that she could see many stars today.
"There seem to be fewer stars in Tokyo than in Heidelberg."
"Light pollution is more serious."
"Really?" Kazusa was amused by his serious answer again. She looked up and exclaimed, "You can see the Milky Way at night outside Heidelberg."
Tezuka recalled the night in Heidelberg, but he failed; all he remembered was the light on the roof of the training ground.
“Next time…” As if knowing his thoughts, Kanade paused suddenly, as if considering her words, and then said with a smile, “If Tezuka-kun sees a particularly bright star in Heidelberg, if you’re not busy, could you take a picture for me?”
She is always very brave.
Noticing the slight pressure he was applying to the railing, Tezuka felt a strange tenderness welling up inside him. He looked down at her and replied gently and clearly, "Okay."
Hezou blinked and his fingers twitched.
She suddenly turned around to face him and said quickly and softly without warning, "I want to hold your hand."
Tezuka was clearly stunned. His eyes behind his glasses widened slightly, and a look of surprise and panic flashed across his face.
So cute.
Seeing his unusually calm and composed demeanor, He Zou couldn't help but laugh out loud, his eyes curving into crescents.
Realizing he had been tricked, Tezuka pushed up his glasses with a hint of helplessness.
Just as he was about to say something, the terrace door slid open silently.
The two turned their heads at the same time upon hearing the sound.
Fuji Syusuke was holding up his phone, the camera pointed at the night view in the distance, with his usual gentle smile on his face.
He seemed to have just finished taking a photo. After putting down his phone, he looked at them with his icy blue eyes, which were now open: "Ah, indeed, the view here is unique. I hope I haven't disturbed you two... enjoying the night view?"
His gaze swept over the close proximity between the two, and his smile deepened.
Tezuka had returned to his usual self, and he nodded slightly to Fuji.
Kazusa tilted her head and smiled at Fuji for a second. Seeing his innocent expression, she went along with his words: "Fuji-kun, are you also looking for some peace and quiet? The scenery here is indeed more suitable for taking pictures than inside."
"Yeah." Fuji wasn't embarrassed at all about disturbing anyone. He was seriously adjusting his phone's camera mode when he casually asked, "They said they're going to play games. Do Tezuka and Yagyu-san want to join?"
Upon hearing this, Tezuka did not make a decision immediately. Instead, he looked down at Kazuna and asked her opinion in a natural tone, "Should we go over there?"
Under Fuji's smiling gaze, Kanade looked up at him as if no one else was there and nodded: "Okay, that sounds interesting."
Fuji, having witnessed their interaction, turned around with a smile and held the door open for them. "Let's go back together then. Maybe..." he paused, then added in a lighthearted tone, "we might discover some secrets tonight~"
When the three returned to the living room, everyone was already sitting in a circle, with the center empty.
"Ta-da! The 'I Have, You Don't Have' game is about to begin!" Kikumaru Eiji, who suggested the game, excitedly explained the rules. "The rules are simple: each person takes turns saying something they've done that they think others might not have done. The person who hasn't done it breaks a finger. If all ten fingers are broken, they're out. The last person left wins!"
Sadaharu Kane pulled out an enormous beverage bottle from somewhere and held it high: "The loser will be punished by drinking an upgraded version of the beverage."
One sentence caused many people's expressions to change drastically!
Kirihara jumped up and shouted in protest, "This game is unfair! Atobe will definitely win in the end. He's done so many things that we haven't!"
Atobe Keigo leaned back elegantly on the sofa, merely raising an eyebrow at the words without comment.
Yukimura Seiichi smiled gently and said, "Life is a wilderness, Akaya. It's normal to have different experiences."
“Then we can add restrictions,” Yanagi Renji calmly added to the rules, “experiences brought by external things don’t count, only actions or events personally experienced.”
This sounds acceptable.
And so the game began.
The first few rounds mostly consisted of harmless anecdotes or embarrassing stories, such as "I once drank a dry, specially made vegetable juice and remained sober!" and "I was once mistaken for a teacher"...
After several rounds, it was time for the harmony to play.
Her eyes darted around, and she gave a sly smile—
"I have a crush on someone."
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