Chapter 114 Seven Days of Honey: An Embrace Across the Ocean
After ending the call, Risa had just put her phone down when the screen lit up again.
It was a message from Yukimura:
"I have a week off after the Madrid Open final next weekend. I'd like to come see your new design, and by the way, grab a hug that's traveled all the way from overseas :)"
As Risa looked at the words, a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.
She will be joining the crew at the end of the month, and all her time before that is free.
So she replied: "Looking forward to it (*▽*)"
A few days later, Asuka's problem was successfully resolved. Niou, using some unknown method, actually managed to get the factory's experienced workers to willingly tackle some of the difficult points. Yuzuki also received a more favorable quote.
The new product launch was a resounding success.
Risa and Asuka stood backstage, the flashing lights reflecting in their eyes, creating an illusion.
"I never thought we'd actually do it," Asuka said softly.
Risa reached out and tightly grasped Asuka's slightly cool fingers.
"We did it. Because you were there, and everyone was there."
The evening celebration was held on the terrace of a relaxed restaurant.
A gentle evening breeze blows, and the lamplight is dim.
Yuzuki walked up to Risa with a champagne glass in hand, a genuine smile in her eyes.
"Congratulations, Risa." She gently clinked glasses with Risa. "Not only was the press conference a great success, but congratulations also on becoming a national idol. Our founder is about to shine."
Risa looked at her, then at Asuka who was laughing and talking with Niou not far away, and her heart was filled with a warm feeling.
They seem to stand on opposite banks of a river, each cultivating their own path and achieving their own brilliance, yet they resonate with each other through LUMIERA, witnessing each other's growth.
"Thank you, Yuzuki." Risa smiled. "Without your support, I wouldn't be where I am today."
If Yuzuki hadn't taken the initiative to talk to her back then, where would they be now?
Risa drank the juice in her glass in one gulp.
Thank goodness. Thank goodness.
-
Outside the airport's international arrivals hall, traffic moved slowly.
Risa lowered the car window, letting the afternoon sunlight and gentle breeze stream into the vehicle. Her gaze searched the crowd until a graceful, slender figure came into view.
Yukimura Seiichi pushed his suitcase out, wearing a simple light purple knit sweater and gray trousers, still standing out from the crowd.
He looked up, saw her direction at a glance, and instantly his face lit up with a smile as he quickened his pace to walk towards her.
After putting the suitcase in the trunk, Yukimura opened the passenger door and got in.
"Have you been waiting long?" He turned to the side, his voice slightly hoarse from the long flight, but his smile was even more captivating.
“Perfect.” Risa smiled and shook her head, restarting the car and skillfully merging into traffic. She focused intently on the road ahead, one hand lightly on the steering wheel, the other resting on the center armrest.
A soft chuckle came from beside me.
"Hmm?" Risa glanced at him absentmindedly.
Yukimura leaned slightly forward, his gaze falling on her hands gripping the steering wheel. His tone was drawn out, his mockery undisguised:
"The way my sister drives the steering wheel with one hand is so cool."
"Cough!" Risa was caught off guard and choked by the sudden "older sister" and the straightforward praise, her ears gradually burning.
She glared at him quickly, "...Speak properly. Where did you learn all this glib talk?"
“It’s a heartfelt compliment.” Yukimura leaned back in his chair, his gaze smiling as he looked at her slightly reddened earlobes. “It seems this car was a worthwhile purchase; it suits your style perfectly.”
I don't know if others feel this way, but for Risa, after six months of not seeing each other in a long-distance relationship, the sudden reunion always carried a subtle sense of awkwardness.
Even though she knew he was her closest lover, she still felt... like she wasn't very familiar with him.
She tried to shake off the strange thought and asked instead, "Are you hungry? Do you want to go home and drop off your luggage first, or go find a place to eat?"
“I’ll listen to the driver. I’m just a passenger now, and I’ll leave the rest to Ms. Risa.” He smiled like a satisfied cat, relaxed and at ease, without the slightest hint of unease.
"Let's go eat first." Risa turned on her turn signal and changed lanes. "I'll take you to a set meal restaurant that I really like. This time should be just in time to avoid the peak hours."
-
As we finished eating, the sun gradually set.
The two walked side by side towards the parking lot, their shadows stretching long.
On the way back, Risa drove slowly, listening to Yukimura tell her about the sunshine in Parma, the fun on the clay court, and the little episodes in her training life abroad.
The dim streetlights swept past the car window, casting flowing shadows on her profile.
Yukimura turned his head to look at her, and the topic suddenly changed:
"I'll get my driver's license when I come back from winter break this year."
Risa glanced at him sideways, looking puzzled. "What's wrong?"
“I wanted you to see it too,” he said with a smile, “the view from the passenger seat.”
“That must be beautiful,” she answered without hesitation.
"Sunset, dusk, coastline... and Oichi in the driver's seat."
Yukimura rested his chin on his hand, a smile playing on his lips as he heard her last words. He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her shoulder.
Today she wore an off-the-shoulder silk blouse paired with high-waisted wide-leg jeans, looking capable and neat, yet exuding an indescribable feminine charm.
"Let's go to the convenience store before we go back," he said abruptly.
"What do you want to buy?" Risa asked him.
Yukimura smiled but did not answer.
Risa focused on the road ahead, and after a moment, she understood. After entering the auxiliary lane, she gently turned the steering wheel, and the car smoothly pulled over to the side of the road.
Yukimura got out of the car and strode towards the convenience store not far away.
When he came out again, Risa was leaning against the car door, looking up at the huge strawberry milkshake poster on the convenience store window. She seemed to remember something and suddenly chuckled softly.
Yukimura approached and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
"What are you laughing at?" He rested his chin affectionately on her shoulder and followed her gaze to the advertisement.
Pear turned her head and poked his cheek, "It reminds me of a certain idiot who took two cold showers early in the morning a year ago."
She smiled and tiptoed, her breath sweet as orchids whispering in his ear, "Now you finally don't have to hold back anymore?"
"Hmm." He chuckled softly, his voice low and husky. "Tonight I'll show you... how hard I had to hold back back then."
-
In the dead of night, all was quiet.
Only the window screen was fluttering in the night breeze, and... some indescribable murmurs.
The warm yellow bedside lamp, like a ripe apricot, cast a soft, diffused light, enveloping the two figures.
The fabric rustled, and the sound of water mingled.
A heavy, forced breath turned into a short, soft sigh. A soft, melodious moan, lingering and intertwining, warmed the air.
The occasional streaks of light from car headlights flashed past the window, momentarily illuminating the man's forehead, which was damp with a thin layer of sweat.
His usual gentle and refined demeanor vanished, replaced by a turbulent undercurrent in the depths of his purple eyes, an intense tenderness and possessiveness that seemed to devour all her reactions.
The apricot-shaped lamp cast halo-like light on the wall, reflecting two swaying shadows.
My vision gradually blurred, my thoughts drifted, as if I were immersed in a warm pool of water, my slightly damp eyelashes trembling.
Floating and sinking, immersed, together we plunged into a misty, deep sea.
Those expectations that were repeatedly postponed, in the soft whispers and in the deep, restrained atmosphere, transformed into an uncontrollable ripple, and slowly subsided.
Night returned to silence.
-
During his week-long vacation, Yukimura spent two days with his family, and the rest of the time was devoted to Risa.
This period of time felt like being soaked in honey.
Most of the time, they don't even need to do anything special. Just being together quietly, feeling each other's breath, warmth, and heartbeat, fills them with a peaceful and fulfilling happiness.
Yukimura accompanied Risa to the supermarket to shop, watching her profile as she carefully compared product descriptions in front of the shelves, and then naturally took the heavy shopping bag from her hands.
He kept his promise and made her omelet rice and miso soup. It tasted better than he expected.
Risa also made curry rice. Yukimura ate it all up, then smiled and commented, "As expected, Risa's is the most unique."
As for whether it was particularly delicious or particularly hard to satisfy, he smiled without saying a word, letting Risa guess angrily.
In the afternoon, Risa was revising the last few design drafts of the "Floating Light" series in her study, while Yukimura sat on the carpet next to her, leaning against the sofa, flipping through her thick inspiration book.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting warm dappled patterns on the floor. The only sounds in the air were the turning of pages and the scratching of pens on screens—a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere.
He would occasionally point to a particular page, such as the one where he was exaggeratedly depicted with a "gentle spring breeze" expression when he was jealous... and let out a pleasant chuckle, which would earn him a soft cushion thrown over by Risa.
One evening, they drove to a nearby coastline. It wasn't a famous tourist spot, just a quiet bay.
The setting sun was like blood, dyeing the sea a deep orange-red.
The sea breeze blew in her face, and Yukimura's fingertips brushed her cheek, tucking a strand of hair that had been blown to her lips behind her ear.
Risa turned her head to look at him. Behind him was a huge setting sun sinking into the sea, its afterglow thickly coating him with a halo.
"Are you stunned?" Yukimura's eyes crinkled into a smile.
Risa didn't deny it, gently resting her head on his shoulder and murmuring softly, "Yes, because the sunset was so beautiful."
Yukimura paused slightly, his smile deepening. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer into his embrace, as they both looked up at the burning sea.
"Yes, the sunset is so beautiful." His clear, gentle voice, accompanied by the sound of the waves, reached her ears.
What neither of them said was: No matter how beautiful the sunset is, it can't compare to even a fraction of what you are like right now.
The holiday ended quickly, as if it were the last day in the blink of an eye. On the way to the airport with Yukimura, Risa was a little quiet when she came to pick him up.
Before getting off the bus, Yukimura turned around and gently cupped her face in his hands.
"The next time we meet will probably be when your drama airs." He stroked her cheek, his eyes filled with tenderness and pride. "National idol, Ms. Risa."
"Don't make fun of me," Risa said reproachfully, her eyes welling up with tears.
“How could I be making fun of you?” He nodded, his forehead gently touching hers. “I’ve been watching you all along, before anyone else, and I’m proud of you.”
A gentle kiss landed on her lips, warm with lingering affection and reluctance.
"Be careful on the road," he whispered, as if she were the one embarking on a long journey.
"The same to you."
Risa watched him walk into the airport gate until he disappeared from sight, then gently touched the corner of her lips, which still seemed to retain warmth, and started the car.
The car seemed to still be filled with his faint, refreshing, and pleasant scent.
A journey home alone is no longer lonely because of a week's worth of sweet memories.
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