Rainy Night
The weather in Central Europe is unpredictable in March, with rain coming unexpectedly.
Under the warm yellow light, Hezou sat with his back against the sofa, curled up on the soft, long-pile carpet in the living room, flipping through a thick book on neurology.
The book's edges were covered with index labels, and the blank spaces were filled with her meticulous annotations. She read quickly; the thick book was already more than halfway through, clearly she was reviewing. Occasionally, she would stop at the computer next to her to jot down a flash of inspiration or a difficult point that needed further investigation.
Tezuka leaned back on the sofa behind her, his glasses off his nose, his shoulders relaxed against the sofa back, and he held the Pad that Kanade always held in his hand, the screen of which was silently playing a replay of one of his hard court matches.
In the quiet, undisturbed space, the two focused on their own tasks. The sound of rain outside the window became the perfect white noise, isolating the interior from the silent, dark world outside.
When it rains, the already quiet city falls into complete stillness at night, as if any living thing would disturb it.
At this moment, the magnificent and ancient gray-black European-style buildings only appear somewhat gloomy.
Many international students who are already lonely and adrift here can't stand this atmosphere. The serious and rigid life is already very draining, and if they encounter continuous rainy weather on top of that, they will probably go crazy little by little in the silence.
But Tezuka adapted well to, and even appreciated, Heidelberg, and did not dislike rainy nights like this.
In such an environment, noise and redundancy are minimized, leaving only a sense of order, allowing his body and mind to be fully immersed in calm and efficiency.
Just like what he's watching now, stripped of cheers and commentary, leaving only a purely technical match review.
The orderliness of all this made him feel mentally comfortable.
The sound of rain outside the window gradually increased, and raindrops began to patter against the glass.
He Zou glanced out the window, then looked up at the time on the wall clock, his brow furrowing slightly.
She put down her pen and paper, picked up her phone, fiddled with it for a few moments, and then dialed Lin Tang's number.
The call was answered after only a few rings.
He Zou listened to the sound of rain over there and asked, "Tangtang, is it over on your end? The rain seems to be getting heavier."
Lin Tang's slightly tired but cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone: "Just finished, and I'm about to rush back to the dorm in the rain!"
"Don't ride your bike back," Kazusa said quickly, listening to the sound of her footsteps crunching in the rain. She could almost see her movements through the phone. "I called a car and it's almost here. I've shared the itinerary with you. Don't wander off. Make sure you're sure before you get in. Safety first."
Lin Tang on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, then teased in a roundabout way, "I knew you still love me~ Don't worry, I'll text you when I get to the dorm!"
After hanging up the phone, Kazusa turned around and found that Tezuka had paused the game recording on the tablet at some point and was looking at her calmly.
“Lin Tang,” she explained to him naturally, “she just finished her part-time job and has to go back to her dorm in the rain.”
"Mmm," Tezuka responded softly, his gaze still fixed on her gentle face.
Tezuka suddenly wanted to ask her if, in those past lives in which he had never been a part of her life, on similar or even worse rainy nights, someone had ever found her an umbrella or called her a car to save her from being disheveled and cold.
But as soon as the thought arose, he rationally suppressed it. He knew it was completely unnecessary worry; if she could handle her friends' difficulties with ease, she would naturally be even more capable of managing all the problems in her own life.
Asking this question is tantamount to defining her past experiences, which she went through alone, as some kind of "unavoidable difficulty," in order to highlight his value at this moment.
But this was a slight to Melodia.
For her, the experience was not suffering, but the traces she left behind in exploring the world, medals won by wisdom and perseverance.
It is often said that love is about feeling indebted. He would feel sorry for her, but he would not say dismissively, "If only I had been there back then." Such a statement, besides dwelling on the unchangeable past, does not solve any problems. Melodia does not need such pale comfort.
He was keenly aware that she was capable of being an excellent person without relying on his strength; her exploration of scientific life filled her world with joy and made her self-sufficient.
Her pillar of support is her exploration of the mysteries of life, the vast universe of knowledge in her mind, and not any concrete lover.
The most precious thing he could give Melodia was to see and understand.
Seeing her occasional vulnerability, I understand the weight she carries with each success.
Melodia was the same to him.
She is the unnecessary necessity for him, the blank space where disorder lies beneath his self-consistency, and the gentlest flower that blooms on his steadfast path toward the future.
They were so compatible that they never even argued.
—He now firmly believes this.
Thoughts flowed in an instant.
After Tezuka figured it out, he put down the tablet, leaned forward, and looked down at her bare ankles.
The rainy nights in early spring are chilly. Even if it is warm indoors, the humidity is still affected, and prolonged exposure can easily lead to catching a cold.
He reached out and grabbed the thin wool blanket draped over the armrest of the sofa next to him, knelt down on one knee, and spread the blanket over Hezou's legs.
The sudden soft touch and warmth pulled Hezou away from the book, only then realizing the coldness in his legs and feet.
She looked down at the thin blanket on her lap, and when she looked up at Tezuka, a smile appeared in her eyes.
Tezuka didn't lean back on the sofa. Instead, he sat down next to Kanade and picked up the tablet to continue reviewing the game.
He Zou naturally adjusted the reading lamp on the table to a more comfortable angle, allowing the light to illuminate his entire body while minimizing the contrast between light intensity.
Tezuka chuckled silently, lowered his head and gave her a light kiss on the corner of her forehead before his gaze returned to the paused match screen.
Their arms were touching, not in a lingering or ambiguous way, but incredibly intimate.
After a while, He Zou's phone screen lit up; it was a message from Lin Tang letting her know he was safe.
The string of hearts following the message made her feel as if she could see her friend's vivid expression, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Tezuka was distracted by her cheerful laughter. When he turned his head, the smile on her lips caught his eye, and he couldn't help but follow her gaze to see a string of red hearts on her phone screen.
That's a symbol that female friends often use to express intimacy; there's nothing wrong with it.
However, a subtle, almost instinctive emotion peeked out from Tezuka's chest. It wasn't jealousy, just a slight concern—he wouldn't express his love for Melodia so readily.
Melodia is always very straightforward, so wouldn't it make her happier if she expressed her love in the same direct way?
Tezuka looked at the little parentheses of her smile, and his body once again involuntarily wanted to kiss her deeply. At the same time, his brain, as it had done many times before, rationally prevented him from disturbing her concentration.
He thought of that string of hearts...
And so, in just a moment, Tezuka's brain was convinced by his body.
He leaned in and pressed down on her, cupping her slightly cool cheek with one hand. As she looked at him in surprise, he braced his other hand against the floor behind her, as if to prevent her from retreating, creating a complete envelopment.
His movement of bowing his head was not hasty, but rather carried a solemn slowness, his eyes looking directly at her, as if confirming her wishes.
But He Zou did not flinch. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, which then turned into a knowing look with a hint of cunning.
She tilted her head slightly to meet his deep gaze, a smile playing on her lips as she softly asked, "Guoguang, are you jealous of Tangtang?"
The gentle smile in her eyes and the slight teasing in her voice were like a cat gently scratching someone with its little paws.
But what's most annoying is the way her lips open and close.
Tezuka lowered his eyes, gave her a light peck, and whispered in defense, "...No." He was denying it, but the low, husky tone of his voice made his explanation less convincing.
"Oh—?" Hezai deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her smile deepening. She raised her hand and gently tapped his slightly warm earlobe. "Is it because of those hearts?"
Tezuka caught her mischievous fingers and held them in his palm. He gazed at the understanding in her eyes, chose to abandon futile explanations, and said, "A very direct expression."
This statement is equivalent to a default.
Unable to contain herself any longer, Kazusa laughed and leaned against his shoulder, her shoulder swaying slightly.
"Guoguang, am I that stupid?" She laughed until she looked up and met his eyes. "I can understand what you're saying now, like you want to... kiss me."
It turns out that a snow mountain collapse only requires the weight of a single glance.
The restraint in Tezuka's eyes was thus gently revealed. After his long eyelashes trembled a few times, he lowered his head and kissed her deeply.
This kiss was different from the gentle mark on his forehead just now. It carried a clear desire, and still had his unique, slightly awkward earnestness. But the surging emotions aroused by her were enough to make Hezou's breathing become disordered.
She wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him closer. The next second, she felt herself being easily lifted up and placed firmly on his lap, her whole body sinking into his warm embrace.
Before Hezou could speak, he lowered his head again, gently and persistently deepening the kiss.
The already humid air became sticky, and his crisp scent completely enveloped and overwhelmed the harmony.
This was the longest kiss they had shared since they started dating.
After an unknown amount of time, Tezuka slightly stepped back, but his forehead was still touching hers, and his nose gently brushed against hers. After a while, he couldn't help but kiss her again and again.
So Kazusa started to avoid him, but she didn't hide too fast or too far, just enough for him to catch up. Then she would press herself against his slightly trembling chest and exchange a brief kiss with him.
They enjoy it immensely.
It was a perfect rainy night.
The only regret for Hezo was that the first time he executed "shared time with Knmitsu", it timed out.
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