Chapter 27 (Three-in-One): He Turned Evil After Seducing the Handsome Younger Brother...
#1.
Yukimura lowered his eyes, looking at the girl in front of him whose acting was so exaggerated.
The setting sun pierced through her trembling eyelashes, casting a hazy shadow on her cheeks. Her usually mischievous and lively eyes were now misty, like obsidian glistening with morning dew.
Even though you know it's an illusion, it still makes your heart soften.
His gaze shifted downwards, landing on the tips of her fingers clutching his clothes. Her neatly manicured nails were slightly white, as if she were truly afraid.
But Yukimura knew better than anyone that this little fox could spout nonsense one second and then act pitiful the next.
Risa noticed that the other person didn't speak, but just stared at her. She couldn't help but click her tongue in surprise: What's wrong with the teenagers in these sports anime? I've acted so pitiful, and he still doesn't soften?
With her excellent acting skills and good looks, isn't she worth him stabbing his brother in the back for her?
Hmph~ As expected, men are all unreliable.
Just as Risa was about to turn and run away, the boy's hand landed on her shoulder, and with a spin, he pulled her into the equipment room behind him.
The moment the door lock clicked shut, Sanada's hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor.
"Save you?"
Yukimura's voice was tinged with laughter as his long arms braced against the door beside her ear, trapping her in a small space. He leaned slightly forward, wisps of hair falling across his forehead, casting a soft shadow on his brow bone.
"That depends on Matsuno-kun..."
He deliberately slowed his speech, his voice low and alluring: "What price are you willing to pay?"
The afterglow of the setting sun pierced through the blinds, cut into fine, golden threads.
A hazy halo hung between the two.
Risa was forced to tilt her head back, meeting those violet-blue eyes so close to hers. The smile within them was both gentle and dangerous, like a hunter who had been lying in wait for its prey to walk into its trap.
I miscalculated.
They intended to use one predator to devour another, but instead attracted an even more advanced predator.
The delicate scent of cornflowers spread silently, weaving an invisible cage in the enclosed space. The sound of heartbeats grew louder and louder, making it impossible to tell whose was which.
This scene is exactly the same as the ambiguous moment on the Ferris wheel that day.
She gripped his tie tightly, the silky fabric tightening in her palm: "Yukimura-kun, taking advantage of someone in distress is not the act of a gentleman."
Sanada's footsteps were right outside the door, but Yukimura calmly bent down.
"But Matsuno-kun only has two choices now."
"First, continue the stalemate with me and wait for Sanada to break down the door."
“Or…” he paused deliberately, “to fulfill the promise made at the amusement park.”
Risa's pupils suddenly contracted, and her heart skipped a beat.
(I see)
During this period, he seemed to let her do whatever she wanted. From the ambiguous relationship at the amusement park to tacitly allowing her to use the image of the tennis club's regular players to sell merchandise, to his silent protection of her in front of Sanada this morning, and even the smile that flashed in his eyes when they "coincidentally" met at the corner just now... Every seemingly accidental moment is now connected into a clear trajectory.
This devil, cloaked in the guise of an angel, had already woven his web without her even realizing it. And now, she stood right in the center of his meticulously crafted spiderweb.
"Yukimura?" Sanada's voice came as the doorknob turned. "Are you in there?"
Yukimura gazed at her trembling eyelashes, his thin lips silently counting down: Three, two—
At the last second, Risa's palm covered his thin lips.
“I choose option two,” she said in a low voice, “but on one condition—”
“Don’t give Akaya extra training because of our grudges.” He emphasized each word.
A smile flickered in Yukimura's eyes as he enveloped her hand in his warm palm, slowly pulling it away, the calluses on his fingertips brushing against her wrist.
"make a deal."
The moment he turned to open the door, his face had already donned that perfect model student expression: "Sanada?"
He feigned confusion: "I was organizing the equipment. What happened?"
Sanada's gaze swept across the equipment room like a searchlight: "Have you seen Matsuno Risa? She just came this way."
"Matsuno-kun?" Yukimura turned to the side, the setting sun casting long shadows on the empty storage shelves. "I haven't seen him yet."
After Sanada left, the door lock clicked shut again.
Yukimura pulled his phone out of his uniform pocket, the screen lighting up to reflect his smiling eyes: "Speaking of which, haven't we exchanged LINE contacts yet?"
Risa, leaning against the wall behind the door, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "Is the department head... trying to flirt with me?"
"Just to let you know..."
Yukimura tapped his finger lightly on the screen. "Regarding the adjustment of Akaya's training plan."
Risa: "..."
Okay, okay, whatever you say.
Risa took out her phone and scanned his QR code.
The phone notification sounded, and Risa looked at the friends interface that popped up on the screen—the profile picture was a blue cornflower, and the nickname was simply written: Yukimura Seiichi.
"Such an official account?"
She deliberately pursed her lips: "Could it be a work ID number?"
"Then do you want to... verify it?"
The light and shadow from the blinds danced across his handsome face, making his confident smile even more captivating.
Risa suddenly lowered her eyes.
After quietly retreating to a safe distance, he spoke softly:
"Yukimura-kun, just say what you want to say, don't try to seduce me."
"?"
"You know I'm easily tempted."
"..."
Risa pressed the "Friend Request" button.
The next second, the phone vibrated.
[Yukimura Seiichi: See you at the art club tomorrow at 5 PM.]
Typing that fast?
Risa looked up and met those smiling eyes, clean and pure.
It was as if the one who had just harmed her was someone else.
-
The following day, at noon.
After lunch, Risa went to the rooftop for some fresh air and drew up the pre-sale artwork for the third batch.
Pushing open the rooftop door, a familiar figure sat on a bench not far away. Yukimura Seiichi was looking down at a book of poems, his violet-blue eyes as deep as the sea in the sunlight.
He seemed to notice the gaze, looked up at them, and smiled slightly: "What a coincidence, Matsuno-kun."
Risa hesitated for a moment, then stopped in her tracks: "Yukimura-kun, you're here to enjoy the breeze too?"
"Hmm, come get some fresh air." He closed his book, moved aside, and gestured for her to sit down.
"I won't bother Yukimura-kun any longer." Risa, holding her sketchbook, turned to leave.
"Matsuno-san."
A gentle voice came from behind her, like vines suddenly wrapping around her ankles.
When Risa turned around, Yukimura was already standing just inches away, the coolness of mint and the floral scent of fabric softener wafting over her.
He lowered his gaze to her eyes, his eyelashes casting a fan-shaped shadow beneath them: "Which issue of the 'Tennis Monthly' special you mentioned yesterday?"
Risa: "..."
It was made up on the spot; there's no such thing.
The moment their eyes met, he smiled, a faint smile playing at the corners of his eyes: "It seems to be fiction."
Risa tilted her head slightly and mimicked his smile.
"Yukimura-kun is so concerned about his own media coverage?"
"What I care about is..."
His breath suddenly drew near, his voice low and soft, carrying an unavoidable tone.
"Matsuno-kun, why are you using me as a shield?"
The scent of iris floating in the air suddenly became ambiguous and sticky.
(Since the atmosphere has gotten this far...)
Risa's eyelashes trembled. Without looking up, she gently bit her lower lip, her voice suddenly softening, carrying a subtle, almost coquettish, grievance—
"...Because, I like Yukimura-kun the most."
The subtle pause, the final note tinged with a sob, was like a cat's claw gently scratching at the heart.
The air suddenly froze.
Yukimura gazed at the girl, a slight smile playing on his lips, and asked slowly, "Is that so? Then why don't you dare look at me?"
As he spoke, he raised his hand and picked up a strand of her hair that had been ruffled by the wind, twirling it between his fingers.
Risa bit her lip, finally raising her eyes, her gaze shimmering. She seemed extremely shy, a pale pink blush spreading from her ears to her neck, like cherry blossoms. The angle at which she looked up at him revealed her most endearing feature: her neckline.
--Perfect.
The three-time Best Actress winner's acting skills reached a state of perfection at this moment.
Risa snapped her fingers in her mind. Her trembling voice, reddened eyes, and the tears welling up in her eyes—every detail perfectly replicated the shyness of an innocent young girl.
(However, the guilt of saying such things to minors is still really huge X﹏X)
The knuckles hanging at the sides unconsciously tightened.
Yukimura noticed this subtle movement, his gaze deepening as his fingertips still tugged at her hair.
"I see." He seemed to chuckle softly.
Risa: "?" He was actually laughing.
"How many people has Matsuno-kun said that to?"
His voice remained gentle, but a cold, icy light flickered in his eyes. That was the look in his eyes as he dismantled his opponents inch by inch on the court.
Risa clenched her fingers, her heart filled with doubt and uncertainty.
The script deviated from her expectations. She had imagined the boy's shy ear tips, flustered gaze, and even his forced composure in rejection, but she never expected it to be this effortless sense of control.
Ambiguity swirls in the air, like a silent game. Whoever wavers first loses.
“Yukimura-kun is really…” She lowered her eyelashes, letting tears well up in her eyes, “making him sound like a habitual offender…”
Before she could finish speaking, his cool fingertips suddenly pressed against her lips.
The long, calloused fingers of a tennis player gently caressed her stiff lips, finally stopping at her burning earlobe.
Do you know what the 'Child of God' is best at?
He nodded slightly, his breath brushing against her burning earlobe, each word sounding like a judgment.
Risa's pupils suddenly contracted.
The sound of the wind seemed to vanish. No, all sound was collapsing. Even the faint scent of fabric softener on the boy's uniform and the warm midday sunlight were all sucked away into a vacuum.
Only the warmth of his fingertips shone brighter, like the only flame burning in the darkness.
“In my spiritual realm—” his voice came from a distant shore, “even the frequency of my heartbeat speaks.”
Before the rooftop door closed, Risa faintly heard the boy's voice again. It was so gentle it sent chills down her spine, like poison coated in honey.
"Next time someone tells a lie like this, I suggest choosing Sanada. He's more..."
"—Easy to fool."
As the footsteps faded into the distance, the deprived senses surged back like a tide.
Risa felt as if all her strength had been suddenly drained away; her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.
A three-time Best Actress winner was utterly defeated by a 17-year-old kid.
"Where exactly did they slip up...?"
She buried her burning face in her palms, and memories replayed frame by frame as if rewinding.
The curve of her furrowed brow, her trembling breath, even the calculated glint of tears—every micro-expression was textbook-perfect.
unless……
"This guy isn't a normal high school student at all, is he?" Risa suddenly looked up, and the back of her head slammed against the wall with a "thud".
Where are the butterflies and awkwardness that teenage boys should experience? This completely defies the laws of biology!
The girl covered her face with one hand.
Why is it that everyone else gets a system and superpowers when they're reincarnated, but she's stuck in hardcore survival mode? Even high school students have evolved into mind-reading monsters now?
"Forget it..." she told herself in despair, "Next time I encounter a problem I can't handle, I'll just pretend to faint."
In short, this time, the actress refused to admit that it was a problem with her acting skills.
-
After school, Yagyu Hiroshi stopped Risa in front of the school building.
"Matsuno-kun, do you have time to talk?"
He adjusted his glasses: "Regarding the comic you uploaded to Pixiv, 'The Gentleman's Medical Record'..."
"Yagyu-kun, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. You say I uploaded the comic, where's your proof?"
Liu Sheng calmly took out his phone, and the screen displayed detailed network tracking data: "The login IP of ID 'Evil F-kun' is exactly the same as your commonly used account 'Lisa-chan's Merchandise Workshop'."
His glasses flashed, “And this IP address… happens to be the network address of the Kirihara family.”
Risa: "..."
A gentle breeze swept by, lifting the stray hairs at her temples.
She just had her five senses destroyed at noon, and now she's run into a hacking expert, with a data maniac lurking in the shadows. She really is... a hardcore survivor every day.
God, do you think this is right?
A 25-year-old, experienced and talented actress, reincarnated into an ordinary life, only to be repeatedly overshadowed by underage high school students. What kind of human suffering is this? (T_T)
Risa paused for two seconds, then gave a forced smile: "As expected of Rikkai University's data expert, you can even find such details."
"So?" Yagyu put away his phone. "The Disciplinary Committee will probably be very interested in this discovery."
Risa: "Does Vice-Captain Sanada know about this?"
“Currently, only Liu Jun and I possess the core evidence.” Liu Sheng slowly put away his phone.
"Oh?" Risa crossed her arms. "So, Yagyu-kun, are you trying to threaten me?"
"No, I just want to make a deal with you."
"What transaction?"
"My family has arranged a blind date for me at the end of this month..."
A blind date?!
Risa's eyes widened like saucers.
As expected of Japan, she's already going on blind dates at only 17.
Ignoring her shock, Liu Sheng spoke calmly, as if discussing the weather: "You find a way to mess this up for me. In exchange, I'll cover up all your online traces, even from Liu's side. I'll make sure he won't cause you any trouble."
Risa narrowed her eyes and moved closer like a cat that had smelled fish: "Wouldn't Niou-kun be more suitable for this kind of role-playing game?"
"He just wears my skin and says even worse lines."
Yagyu pushed up his reflective glasses and looked at her: "This is the last time. Will you agree?"
The girl lightly tapped her chin with her fingertips, then suddenly tilted her head and asked, "That lady on the blind date... could she be the daughter of a tycoon?"
She hadn't forgotten the tragedy of being resented by the heiress of a film tycoon in her past life. She'd only worked with her on one film, and yet she'd been treated like that.
Thinking of this, Risa subconsciously touched the back of her neck.
Compared to being punished by Sanada's iron fist, or being reprimanded by the disciplinary committee for reading adult comics, the revenge methods of some high society members are truly chilling.
Besides, she's currently staying at Akaya's house; she's not all alone, so she can't afford to cause them any trouble.
A few cherry blossom petals suddenly drifted in from outside the window and landed on the floor between her and Yagyu, like a natural dividing line.
"Don't worry," Yagyu said with a smile, "she's just the granddaughter of my grandfather's old friend, an ordinary girl who runs a confectionery shop in Kanagawa."
Hearing Yagyu's guarantee, Risa extended her hand and said, "Deal."
Yagyu grasped her hand: "It's a pleasure working with you."
“However, I have one condition,” she added.
Yagyu: "?"
Risa: "Regarding the next 'Gentleman and Fox' series of merchandise, I want the portrait license for you and Niou. Please help me get Niou's license."
Yagyu: "Okay. But it can't be anything adult-oriented."
Risa: "...No problem."
If she had known he would agree so readily, she should have made more requests.
Risa felt she had been cheated.
#2.
Evening
The art club was bathed in an orange glow.
As Yuzuki closed the paint box, she looked up and saw Risa standing at the door.
"Yukimura-kun went to answer the phone," she said softly, then picked up her bag and left.
As she reached the door, Yuzuki stopped and looked at Risa: "By the way, Uncle Sato just informed me that the second batch of goods has completed its final quality inspection."
Risa nodded slightly: "Tomorrow after school, the usual place. Let's finalize the specific pickup time."
Yuzuki gave an OK sign and was about to leave when she turned back.
She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "The collaboration invitations from those boutiques in Ginza and Shibuya... are you sure you want to accept them?"
“Of course I’ll answer.” Risa leaned against the window.
"Have you really thought this through?" Yuzuki frowned slightly, expressing her concerns. "After all, we're still just students. Would it be... risky to get involved in these business dealings so rashly..."
“Yuzuki, you’re right.” Risa continued, tapping her fingertips lightly on the windowsill. “We are students, we should be enjoying campus life, not being overwhelmed by these things.”
She turned her face to the side, and sunlight streamed through the glass window, illuminating her silhouette.
"Club activities should not come at the expense of our studies. The monthly exam is next week, and we have already wasted too much study time."
During this period, everyone has been working non-stop to prepare for the pre-sale – a routine between the classroom, club activity room, and late-night family restaurant.
For Risa, who is already accustomed to the realities of society, this high-intensity work pace is nothing new. Staying up late, rushing to finish work, and dealing with emergencies are all things she is used to.
But what about the other three people?
Although Yuzuki is composed, she is essentially a young lady who grew up in a privileged environment; Asuka has a lively personality, but her dark circles have been getting worse lately; as for Chinatsu... she doesn't say it, but Risa has seen her rubbing her temples and trying to stay awake more than once.
Can they really withstand this kind of pressure?
“However, economic independence is also important,” Risa said, changing the subject.
"Yuzuki, you were born into a wealthy family, so it might be hard for you to understand. But for people like Asuka, Chinatsu, and me, university tuition is an astronomical sum."
In NHK's documentary "The Invisible Poverty of Women," the average annual tuition fee for national universities is as high as 800,000 yen, while that for private universities it exceeds one million yen.
One in three college students relies on student aid, and 90% of those are loans that need to be repaid. Many recent graduates are burdened with millions of dollars in debt before they've even begun their lives.
Risa couldn't possibly ask her mother, who had abandoned her, for this money, let alone her biological father, whose face she barely remembered. She had no choice but to earn it herself.
In the drama "Tomorrow's Girlfriend," Yuki works as a "rent-a-girlfriend" once a week to save money for tuition. The girls at her agency initially thought they could hold their ground, but in the end, they were forced to lower their standards time and time again. Some were doing "daddy jobs," while others were even involved in fraud rings.
This is not the path she would choose, and she certainly doesn't want Chinatsu and Asuka to fall into the same predicament.
Yuzuki's gaze fell on Risa's face, her pupils contracting slightly.
The girl before me, whether in her voice, expression, or eyes, possessed a worldliness, clarity, and sharpness beyond her years.
"only--"
Risa suddenly smiled. She tapped on the edge of the windowsill with her fingertips.
"None of our current partners are qualified."
The nonchalant tone made it sound like they were talking about a commodity up for sale, rather than a "precious opportunity" in the eyes of their peers.
Perhaps from beginning to end, Risa's gaze went beyond all of them, looking towards something much farther away.
Yuzuki's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and a relieved smile appeared on her lips.
"I understand." She nodded gently.
When I looked up again, my hesitation had turned into determination: "Once you find a suitable partner, I will definitely cooperate fully."
Risa's fingertips paused for a moment on the windowsill.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, a hint of emotion appeared on the lines of her profile.
"Thank you, Yuzuki."
"Of course. We're the best partners."
Yuzuki turned and left, the door closing behind her with a soft click.
The light from the corridor was blocked out, leaving only Risa in the studio.
The sky outside the window gradually darkened.
Silence filled the air.
Risa withdrew her gaze and swept it across the empty art studio.
On the easel near the corner, a painting caught her eye.
She walked closer and saw that the painting depicted a young girl.
The girl stood in the corridor, her face slightly tilted back, gazing at the sky.
The dark green school uniform skirt and thick black hair danced in the wind.
In April, cherry blossoms fall like snow, but she seems trapped in the cold winter.
Those eyes held the desolation of an entire harsh winter.
In the lower right corner of the canvas, the pencil writing is crisp and neat:
The Melancholy Transfer Student
——Yukimura Seiichi
As dusk crept onto the easel, it gradually swallowed the girl's figure.
Risa belatedly realized that the person in the painting was herself.
Why aren't the lights on?
Hearing the sound, Risa turned to look at the doorway.
With a "click," the studio was suddenly filled with warm yellow light.
Yukimura's hand was still on the switch, and he paused slightly when he saw Risa.
"I thought you weren't coming."
His voice was clear and gentle, like spring water bathed in moonlight.
"I will not break my promise."
Her gaze returned to the canvas, and her throat tightened.
"When... was this drawn?"
As Yukimura approached, Risa caught a faint scent of turpentine. His dark green apron was stained with paint, like flowers blooming in a forest.
He stopped half a step away from the easel.
"On the day of the opening ceremony," he said.
Risa was startled.
She remembered that day; at the time, she thought she was a time traveler, a lonely soul residing in someone else's body. Looking at Akaya's carefree appearance, she thought of her younger brother and stood in the corridor in a daze for a long time.
"So...we were seen."
Risa murmured, stroking the edge of the picture frame.
No wonder he paid special attention to her and could easily see through her carefully crafted acting. After seeing her most authentic self, any performance seemed clumsy and laughable.
"But Matsuno-kun, like the morning dew, disappeared later."
He suddenly turned around, and the distance between them instantly shortened. Those clear purple eyes were like jewels, and Risa unconsciously looked away.
He had actually seen her—the way she collapsed on the rooftop after being pushed down the stairs that day. He just probably mistook her tears for gratitude for his tender care.
"You specifically asked me to come here just to see this painting?" she asked in a deliberately distant tone.
Yukimura tilted his head slightly, the wisps of hair falling over his brow bone swaying gently with the movement: "To be honest, I don't know either."
"……ha?"
This cunning fellow is best at deflecting problems like a tai chi master.
"Does Matsuno-kun have a favorite flower?"
He changed the subject abruptly and forcefully, but in a natural tone, as if discussing today's weather.
Risa paused, then said, "Jasmine."
He paused for a moment, then added, "The white kind."
"Hmm." Yukimura nodded and didn't say anything more.
Risa looked at his profile; his features were sharp and handsome. But she couldn't figure out what he was thinking.
Yukimura picked up the palette and skillfully squeezed out a few swipes of paint. Risa stood beside him, watching his brushstrokes move lightly across the canvas, expecting to see pure white jasmine bloom on the canvas.
However, as the colors spread, a cornflower blue gradually emerged. That pure, almost blinding blue seemed to freeze the entire summer on the canvas.
"...Why cornflower?" she couldn't help but ask.
"Because I like it," he replied matter-of-factly.
“I know that. But…”
"But?" He stopped painting and turned his head, a stray hair falling in front of his eyes.
Those eyes, which always seemed to see through everything, now held a hint of pure confusion, and... innocence?
Risa suddenly felt uncertain—was there a problem with her own logic, or was the way this world operated simply so absurd?
Logically speaking, if you specifically call someone over and ask them what flowers they like, isn't it so that you can draw them for them to see?
So, he specifically asked her what the meaning of her favorite flower was...?
“…It’s nothing. As long as you’re happy.” Risa felt a subtle sense of defeat.
She glanced at her phone screen.
17:23
There are 37 minutes left until Akaya finishes his training.
The tennis court in late spring was like a sauna, not to mention having to endure Liu Lianji's X-ray-like gaze; just imagining it made her forehead break out in a cold sweat.
(It's still quiet here.)
After sending a message to Akaya, Risa walked to the window and sat down, not wanting to disturb the "great painter" from creating.
As dusk deepened outside the window, the setting sun painted the sky orange-red.
Risa leaned lazily against the window frame, her gaze fixed on the boy painting. His long eyelashes drooped slightly, his nose was high and straight, and his hand holding the pen was long, strong, and with distinct knuckles.
"So beautiful..." she murmured unconsciously, and couldn't help but yawn.
The coolness of the windowpane was gradually overwhelmed by weariness, and my eyelids grew heavier and heavier. The last thing I could see was the boy's delicate profile.
...
During a pause in his painting, Yukimura glanced sideways at the girl by the window.
Backlit, her silhouette was bathed in a warm glow, like a newly completed oil painting.
He had indeed intended to paint her favorite flowers. But rather than a predictable reaction, he wanted to see something different in her—a genuine, unguarded expression, one that wasn't carefully crafted.
Although she had a mischievous streak, her confused and helpless expression was indeed more interesting than one might imagine.
The brush tip hovered in mid-air, and paint dripped onto the palette, spreading out a small patch of deep blue.
She knew he liked cornflowers, and her tone was so matter-of-fact, as if she knew everything about him.
Yukimura suddenly remembered that when they first met, the way she looked at him was less about amazement and admiration and more like witnessing some kind of surreal existence, as if he were a ghost that shouldn't exist in this world.
The incident in front of the clock tower was even stranger. She practically rushed up to him and, without a word, pinched his face with no mercy, causing him pain for quite some time.
She stared at his furrowed brow, her expression a mixture of confusion, shock, and deep contemplation, as if confirming some absurd assumption.
In each subsequent meeting, her attitude became unusually calm. That resigned indifference was as if she had been forced to accept some unchangeable destiny.
Sanada suspected she was a spy sent by another school. Similar incidents had indeed occurred in the past, so Yanagi and Sanada were extra wary the first few times she came to pick up Akaya.
But her performance surprised everyone.
She never went near the tennis courts, always sitting alone on a bench outside, either reading or lost in thought. Unlike the other girls who came to watch the training, she had a sense of detachment that made her seem out of place.
His expression was always indifferent, his eyes were also indifferent, and his whole person seemed to be separated by a transparent barrier, giving people a sense of a living person who was almost dead.
When he occasionally glanced at the court, his gaze was peculiar. It wasn't as if he were looking at his peers, but rather as if he were observing some interesting experimental subject. Like a spectator standing outside the fourth wall, calmly watching the joys and sorrows unfold on the stage.
However--
The "Risa-nee" that Akaya mentioned was completely different. She was no different from an ordinary high school girl.
She'd fight him for pudding, stay up all night watching dramas, and sleep in the next day. She was also quite immature, always saying things that sounded profound. Although she was always complaining, the tone of her complaints sounded like she was proud of something.
Later, he stopped pretending altogether and constantly referred to her as "my Risa-nee." He praised her beauty, her intelligence, and her sense of justice, saying she would take him to the arcade, even though he was terrible at claw machines—a terrible player who loved playing. He also mentioned that she would buy him his favorite snacks and give him limited-edition sneakers...
...
With the final stroke, Yukimura put down his brush and walked towards the girl by the window.
Risa fell asleep leaning against the windowpane.
She seemed to be trapped in some bad dream; her thick eyelashes trembled uneasily, her brows were furrowed, and her lips were pursed.
After looking at it for a while, Yukimura turned his gaze to the portrait painting that had been completed not long ago in the corner.
One is real, the other is illusory;
One was warm, the other was cold;
Yet it is equally captivating.
"...What secret are you hiding?"
"What are you looking at every time you look at me?"
He murmured softly, raising his hand to smooth her furrowed brow.
Just as he was about to touch his eyebrow, his hand hovered in mid-air.
In the end, they withdrew their offer in disappointment.
He picked up his coat from the back of the chair and gently covered the girl with it.
#3.
A sudden evening breeze lifted the curtains, waking Risa from her light sleep.
She opened her eyes with a slight tremor of her eyelashes, just in time to meet the boy's gaze. In the dazed state before she was fully awake, a fleeting emotion flashed in her eyes that she couldn't hide.
It's like a nostalgic journey through time, or perhaps a kind of indescribable melancholy.
Yukimura caught it, but didn't ask anything.
"woke up?"
Risa nodded absently, her gaze slowly focusing.
Looking around, I was still in the art studio.
The sky outside the window was already dark, and the streetlights were just coming on.
"I...slept for a long time?" Her voice was hoarse from just waking up.
Yukimura lowered his eyes and looked at his phone: "It's alright, it's just past 6:30."
Risa: "..."
I actually slept for an hour without any warning; I was definitely too tired.
Why didn't you wake me up?
"You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to disturb you."
She took her phone out of her skirt pocket.
The screen lit up, and a message from Akaya popped up:
[Akaya: Risa-nee, the department head said he has something to discuss with you, so I'll head back now.]
[Akaya: [Animated emoticon] I'm outta here!]
Yukimura closed the book, and as he stood up, a shadow fell over her.
As Risa looked down at her phone, she noticed a coat draped over her shoulder, its delicate cornflower scent lingering in the air.
"Thank you." She handed the coat back to him.
Yukimura took the book and casually placed it on the easel.
Risa put away her phone and stood up, noticing a smear of blue paint on his right cheek.
"Yukimura-kun, there's something on here...." She instinctively reached out, her fingertips touching his cheek.
Yukimura suddenly turned his head to the side.
Her hand froze in mid-air, her fingertips just inches from his cheek.
He lifted his eyelids, his pupils filled with tiny, scattered starlight, as if the Milky Way had been crushed and soaked in a violet lake.
In the stagnant air, their breaths mingled.
Yukimura's gaze slowly moved downwards, from her trembling eyelashes to her slightly parted lips in surprise, and finally landed on her hovering fingertips—those slender fingers unconsciously curled up, like the wings of a startled butterfly.
"Do you need me to wipe it off?"
His voice was very low, and his Adam's apple bobbed gently with each breath.
Instead of asking "Can I?", I directly asked her "Do you want it?"
—This subtle difference in wording caused Risa to pause for a moment.
He leaned forward, his warm breath brushing against her fingers hanging in mid-air, tilting his head slightly to deliberately show her the right half of his face.
The cunning glint in his eyes was like a wolf lurking in a flower bush finally baring its fangs, or a child secretly gloating over a prank about to succeed.
He knew perfectly well that this was his trap...
My fingertips felt slightly hot, and I couldn't resist touching them.
"..."
Risa sighed softly.
She decided to let him off this time.
Who can blame him for being so young and good-looking?
A subtle shiver ran through me as my fingertips brushed against my skin.
She suppressed her unease, withdrew her hand, and pretended to be calm.
"Are we even now?"
"Um."
He should have been nonchalant and taken half a step forward.
Risa's heart skipped a beat.
His shoe tip touched her, he did nothing, he just looked down at her.
Beneath thick, long eyelashes, her hydrangea-like eyes shimmered with a captivating light, like the moon's reflection rippling in a deep pool, mysterious and alluring.
“You…” Risa felt uncomfortable under his gaze and instinctively wanted to back away.
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I forgive you for what happened on the Ferris wheel."
Risa: "..."
He's actually quite vengeful, even though I treated him to a meal at Ang's Sushi.
"Childish," she muttered to herself as she stepped back to a safe distance.
"Hmm?" Yukimura tilted his head slightly, a stray hair slipping down and falling beside his beautifully shaped cheek.
What did Matsuno-kun just say?
"It's nothing~"
Risa mimicked his usual expression, flashing a professional smile.
What kind of "son of God" or "top student" is he? He's clearly just a vengeful, mischievous, and immature brat.
"Is Matsuno secretly criticizing me?"
"..."
As expected of the leader of the main characters, he is very perceptive.
Risa pouted: "I wouldn't dare."
"Don't dare? So you're pregnant?" He deliberately emphasized the syllables, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Risa ignored him, her eyes darting around as she pretended to study the shadows of the trees outside the window.
"I suspect... Matsuno is holding a grudge against you for numbing your five senses at noon?"
Risa: "!!!"
These words were like stepping on someone's tail; Risa instantly bristled.
"I don't even want to talk about you!" She glared at him, puffing out her cheeks as she approached him with her hands on her hips. "Anyone else would be overjoyed to be confessed to by a beautiful girl like me, with such a good personality and gentle and virtuous nature!"
Yukimura frowned: Gentle? Virtuous?
"And you? Huh? Deprive me of my five senses?" She took a step forward with each sentence. "If you're going to refuse, just refuse. But to do it in such a cruel way? Is your heart made of iron? Don't you know how to cherish a woman?"
Yukimura remained motionless, allowing her to approach. Only when their toes touched did Risa realize they were too close and hastily leaned back—
"I feel so sorry for him."
He suddenly spoke, delivering a fatal blow.
The air froze instantly.
Risa hesitated for several seconds before stammering, "...Huh?"
He leaned down, his breath brushing against her flushed earlobes. "Because I couldn't bear to, I only extinguished my senses for a minute. If it were someone else..."
The last syllable of his voice trailed off, tinged with a lazy laugh, “At least five minutes.”
Risa: "...So I should thank you?"
"Just kidding." He took a half step back, his eyes curving into a beautiful arc.
Risa was speechless for a moment: "?"
Which of these things was he lying to her about?
“Destroying the five senses isn’t such a cheap trick. Besides…”
Yukimura looked up at her, smiling, and asked, "Do I look like a sadist?"
Risa: "But..."
The darkness and silence at that time were terrifyingly real.
"It's just mental stress and psychological suggestion. The moment you looked me in the eye, you gave yourself that suggestion..."
Risa unconsciously held her breath.
"Then, I gave it a little push."
"?!"
So, from the very beginning, there was no such thing as extinguishing the five senses?
So, he was just acting as her?
"In the end..." he chuckled softly, his voice languid, "it's because Matsuno-kun lacks confidence in his acting skills and wavers."
"you……!"
This person's twisted sense of humor is simply unparalleled.
"Actually, I quite like it." As he said this, he suddenly reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear with his fingertips.
Risa: "...?"
She froze, looking like a cat being pinched by the scruff of its neck.
Was it... just now...?
Under her blank gaze, Yukimura slowly leaned forward.
"If Matsuno-kun were to confess to me seriously..." His deep, magnetic voice brushed against her burning earlobe, his breath hot:
"I would be happy to accept."
Risa's pupils opened slightly, her whole body stiffening.
An unprecedented burning sensation spread from the tips of my ears to my cheeks, like a thermometer being thrown into boiling water.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
She stumbled backward, her heel getting stuck in a gap in the wooden floor, and she bumped into the paint stand behind her.
"careful."
Just as the paint bucket was about to tip over, Yukimura reached out to steady it. But Risa suddenly grabbed his collar, causing him to fall forward.
"Bang--"
Lemon yellow paint was spilled all over the floor, creating a dazzling color on the wooden floor.
After the loud noise, the studio fell into an eerie silence.
Yukimura braced his hand against the wall beside her ear, creating a perfect wall-slamming pose.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of paint, yet it couldn't mask the refreshing floral fragrance emanating from him. Risa froze, too stunned to move, hearing the deafening pounding of his own heart.
"Cute~"
A low, husky voice sounded from above.
Risa looked up and met a pair of slightly lowered eyes, which were full of smiles.
"Matsuno's expression is much cuter now than before."
"..."
Risa glared at him and pursed her lips.
Her cheeks were so hot they could fry an egg, and even her neck was flushed a light pink.
(This awful guy... he definitely did it on purpose!)
Even though she was gritting her teeth inwardly, she had to admit that the boy before her possessed a breathtaking charm. His exquisitely sculpted face, from his brow bone to his jawline, was flawless from any angle.
There are no blind spots.
Even someone as experienced as her in the entertainment industry couldn't help but hold her breath at that moment.
"Tick-tock—tick-tock—"
The sound is similar to water droplets falling on the floor.
Risa's gaze followed the sound downwards. Yukimura's left hand, hanging by his side, was stained with lemon-yellow paint from his fingertips to his cuff, the bright color spreading across the white cuff of his shirt.
"...It's dirty." He looked down at his hands, then slowly raised his eyes. "Matsuno-san, how do you plan to take responsibility?"
Risa: "..."
That tone, that look in his eyes.
If nothing unexpected happens, he's brewing something bad again.
Risa pressed her back against the wall, her hands crossed in front of her chest: "Yukimura-kun, faking an accident is immoral."
"Oh?" He leaned down, his nose almost touching hers. "Risa-chan, you're just going to leave me like this?"
The sudden, affectionate address, the deliberately softened voice, tinged with aggrieved trembling. In the dim light, his long eyelashes trembled, making him appear even more fragile and vulnerable.
Risa's breathing suddenly became erratic.
(This prodigy...it's practically cheating!)
However, she is not the kind of person who is blinded by lust and whose values are dictated by physical appearance.
No sooner said than done. Risa suddenly bent down and slipped through the gap under his arm.
"It's just paint..." She grabbed her bag and rushed towards the door, turning back to give him a sly smile. "Yukimura-kun, go to the bathroom and take care of it yourself."
Yukimura stood frozen, watching her fleeing figure, paint still dripping from his fingertips.
After a while, he looked down at his disheveled left hand and suddenly chuckled.
An outward expression of emotion, a joyful laugh.
-
Risa finally finished the design drafts for the third batch of pre-sales late into the night.
She rubbed her aching temples, dragged her tired body to the bed, and read two chapters of a romance novel as usual before falling asleep.
However, the dream was not peaceful.
In a daze, she returned to that art room.
But this time, the lights in the art room were off, only the setting sun cast its last rays.
Risa stood in front of the easel, the canvas completely blank.
The pale canvas exudes an unsettling sense of oppression.
Easels, plaster casts, and paint tubes cast eerie shadows in the orange light.
"Risa-chan".
A familiar voice sounded behind her. Risa trembled.
He tried to turn around, but found he couldn't move even a finger.
It was as if they were nailed to the spot.
"Yukimura...kun?"
She rolled her eyes, her voice stuck in her throat.
"They escaped so quickly during the day."
A deep voice brushed past my ear, carrying a faint sigh.
Before she could react, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Warm palms covered the back of her hands, the calluses from years of gripping the racket caressing her skin, sending a slight shiver down her spine.
"Now……"
His breath brushed against her flushed earlobes.
Have you figured out how you're going to take responsibility?
"I don't understand what Yukimura-kun is saying..."
"Don't understand?" He chuckled softly, his voice like moonlight spilling through the courtyard.
"That……"
The boy's long, slender fingers slowly slipped between her fingers.
"I'll teach you slowly... okay?"
A shiver ran down my spine.
Risa felt as if she had been stripped of control over her body, as if she had fallen into a realm where her five senses were "extinguished." His overwhelming presence invaded all her senses, and even the air seemed thin.
"...Your pulse is beating really fast."
His calloused thumb caressed the delicate skin of her wrist with just the right amount of pressure, yet it was enough to drive anyone mad.
"But why was my heart so calm when Risa told me she liked me?"
Risa's pupils contracted to the size of a pinhead.
“That’s it…” He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his breath hot.
Show me more expressions.
On the easel opposite, the unfinished portrait gradually became clear as the paint seeped in. In the painting, her cheeks were flushed, her lips were slightly parted, and her eyes were filled with a misty, watery light she had never seen before.
"Yukimura-kun... please don't do this..."
"Don't do what?" he looked up at her innocently.
"It's here..."
His slender fingers gently caressed her lips, the fingertips sliding down her chin and stopping at the hollow of her collarbone.
"Is this place... not suitable?"
Risa's breathing became completely erratic, her chest heaving violently.
"Heh~ How interesting~"
The scorching breath burned into my eardrums, the voice was deep and gentle, yet it was the whisper of a demon.
“Fear, resistance, tension…”
He traced his fingers across her cheek inch by inch, like ants crawling on her skin, a tingling, numbing sensation.
"And the anticipation they couldn't hide was written all over their faces."
"……I don't."
"He's lying again."
He grabbed her waist and spun her around. The world spun around, and Risa was pressed against the cold wall. Before her was the boy's face, so close to hers.
“Didn’t I warn you? In my spiritual realm…” He gently touched her heart with his finger, “even the sound of its beating is telling me a secret.”
Foreheads pressed together, their breaths hot and intertwined.
The boy deliberately tilted his head, his high, straight nose close to hers, then cruelly pulled away just before they were about to touch. This repeated, tantalizing back-and-forth finally caused Risa to tremble slightly.
The moment his lips pressed down on hers, Risa jerked her way away: "Let me go—"
She staggered as she ran, but after only two steps, she was pulled back by a force.
The moment my back hit the wall, my hands were grabbed and pulled over my head, firmly restrained.
"Where does my sister want to run off to? Hmm?"
The boy smiled at her, loosened his tie with one hand, wrapped it around her wrist, and spoke in a voice so gentle it was chilling.
"don't want--!"
Risa suddenly woke up with a start.
The morning light was filtering through the gap in the curtains, casting a golden line on the floor.
She was breathing heavily, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
(It was a dream...)
Risa looked at her hands; the touch was terrifyingly real.
The strength with which he gripped her wrist, the burning breath on her ear, and that morbidly possessive question—"Where does my sister think she can escape to?"
What's going on?! That gentle, calm, noble, and elegant white moonlight has become aggressive in her dreams, turning into a possessive and lewd man.
Risa buried herself in the fluffy pile of pillows, her legs kicking wildly on the bed, her ears, faintly visible through her hair, burning red.
"I was so scared, waaaaaah T﹏T"
"Why would I have such a dream..." A muffled voice came from under the pillow. "Wouldn't this be considered... psychological molestation of a minor?"
This idea startled Risa.
She jumped out of bed.
Unlock your phone and carefully type in the dream interpretation tool:
What does it mean if you are forced to have sex with a minor in your dream?
In the few seconds it took for the search page to load, her toes involuntarily curled up.
First search result:
"Dreams reflect underlying desires, indicating that you are currently concerned about..."
"Ahhh, don't look! It's a bad review, a really bad review." Her hand trembled and she flung her phone away, which slammed against the tablet on the bedside table.
The tablet slipped onto the carpet, and the screen suddenly lit up—
The words "The handsome younger brother I seduced has turned evil" glowed with an ambiguous light in the dimly lit room.
On the cover, a black-haired boy leans lazily against the wall, his loose tie tucked into his slender fingers. His slightly upturned phoenix eyes stare intently at the screen, a chilling possessiveness surging within them.
Most strikingly, his slightly raised left hand revealed glistening traces between his fingers, the dampness of which was incredibly suggestive.
Risa stared at the boy on the cover for a full three seconds, then suddenly felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
That look... isn't that the look Yukimura gave her in her dream?
"Damn it..." she desperately covered her burning cheeks.
"I really shouldn't have read this kind of yandere literature before bed..."
-----------------------
Author's note: [Cracked] My hands are numb. I didn't expect to write so much.
The next update will be at 11 PM on Saturday, and daily updates will begin on Sunday. In case of any unforeseen circumstances, the author will post a leave notice.
Hope you like the new cover! Goodnight (￣o￣) . z Z
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