Chapter 62 "Oracle" CP She's the one with "malicious intentions"...
Kirihara Akaya's voice abruptly stopped.
Her gaze swept back and forth between the two people who were almost touching, and her innocent face flushed red.
"I...I didn't see anything!" He turned and ran.
"Akaya," Yukimura called out to him, "What happened?"
Kirihara turned stiffly, his fingers twisting the hem of his clothes frantically: "The vice-minister and Niou-senpai were having a lobster fishing competition, and he got his big toe pinched by a crab claw..."
"puff--"
Risa covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling suspiciously.
At first, I was just trying not to laugh, but then the image of Sanada's serious face, paired with the picture of his toe being pinched by a crab, popped into my mind—
"Hahaha! Help!! This is so out of character!"
She completely disregarded her image, curling up on the sofa and laughing so hard she rolled around.
"You...you're serious? Sanada...hahaha!"
Kirihara looked at his cousin, who was laughing so hard she was almost breathless, and then looked helplessly at Yukimura: "Captain, Risa-nee... has she been through something traumatic?"
Yukimura's gaze fell on Risa. The girl, who had just been shrouded in gloom, was now smiling like an innocent child, almost sliding off the sofa.
He reached out and held the girl's shoulder to prevent her from actually falling.
"It's alright, Akaya. You probably just made her laugh."
Kirihara Akaya: "?"
He didn't do anything.
The boy blinked his eerie green eyes, a sudden inspiration striking him: "Risa-nee! Want to go check it out? The vice-captain is still on a mad dash along the coast!"
"Go! We have to go!" Risa wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes. "How can we miss such an epic scene? I have to film it for later use."
She clutched her aching stomach from laughing so hard, and before she could even put her shoes on properly, she and Xiao Haidai rushed outside.
Yukimura watched the two figures hurrying away, sighed softly, got up, took his room key, and followed them.
Before they even reached the shore, Sanada's furious roar could be heard from afar:
"Niou Masaharu!! You stop right there!!!"
This was followed by Niou's signature playful response: "Puri~ Vice-Captain Sanada, how's your toe? It's best not to move it around if it's injured!"
Risa and Kirihara exchanged a glance, simultaneously covering their mouths to stifle their laughter. But when they saw Sanada's serious expression paired with his comical stumble and fall, they couldn't hold back any longer.
"Puhahaha—!"
Risa laughed so hard she almost fell over, collapsing onto the beach.
Kirihara went even further, laughing so hard he slapped the beach, "The vice-minister's expression! It was like he'd been struck by lightning! Hahaha—"
"And that pose!" Risa covered her aching stomach from laughing, gasping for breath.
"Sanada actually hopped on one leg to chase Niou... That's so OOC... Pfft!"
Yukimura stood a few steps behind them, quietly watching the scene unfold.
The slanting rays of the setting sun bathed Risa in a golden halo. She laughed without any restraint, even with a touch of childlike innocence, a stark contrast to the "perfect NPC" she usually portrayed.
So she can laugh like that too.
The last time I saw her with such an unguarded smile was when we went to the sunflower field.
At that moment, she saw a sea of flowers, tilted her head back to face the sunlight, and laughed freely and vividly.
Yukimura unconsciously rubbed his hands at his sides, his gaze never leaving her.
—I want her to be this happy forever.
-
At 10 p.m. that night, in room 2207.
Risa turned off the hairdryer and came out of the bathroom, her hair still damp.
There was a loud knocking on the door.
Risa opened the door, and Asuka and Chinatsu stood outside, holding various snacks and drinks.
"Ta-da—Pajama party surprise attack!" Asuka waved the plastic bag in her hand.
Chika added, "We brought all our best snacks!"
Risa turned to look at Yuzuki, and after receiving her tacit approval, she stepped aside from the doorway: "Come in!"
Four girls sat cross-legged in the center of the room. Torn snack bags were scattered on the carpet, and the sweet smell of juice and the salty aroma of puffed snacks filled the air.
"so--"
Asuka suddenly lowered her voice, her glasses gleaming, "Everyone should have 'special plans' for tomorrow's fireworks festival, right?"
Chika's face flushed instantly, while Yuzuki coughed lightly.
Risa tilted her head and blinked in confusion.
It's normal to have a date with Yuzuki... but what's with Chinatsu's reaction?
Did she miss out on some earth-shattering revelation without even knowing it?!
"I...I made a promise with Marui-senpai..." Chinatsu said softly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. "He said he'd take me to the best viewpoint..."
"puff--!"
Risa choked on a mouthful of juice, which went down her trachea.
What?! Marui Bunta, who's always chewing bubblegum?! When did this happen?!
and--
Didn't Chinatsu initially like gentlemen? Even though she was rejected, but...
Wow!
Asuka exaggeratedly drew out her words, "No wonder we're a group of dessert lovers~"
Risa's pupils dilated.
Why is everyone so calm?!
Was she the only one kept in the dark?!
Yuzuki covered her lips and laughed, "As for me... I do have a date, but..." She held up her index finger, "It's a secret for now~"
"It must be Mitsuya-senpai!" Asuka and Chinatsu said in unison, revealing knowing smiles.
"So~" Asuka turned to Risa, her glasses reflecting a dangerous white light, "Risa-san, you wouldn't happen to be... with that 'Child of God'..."
Risa was still in shock at the bombshell revelation about Chinatsu and Marui Bunta when she heard this and almost choked again: "Cough, cough... Why did the topic suddenly turn to me?!"
"Wow! She's blushing! She's blushing!" Asuka calmly pushed up her glasses. "Looks like it's true!"
"N-No, that's not it!" Risa waved her hands frantically, choked by the choking.
"It just so happened that when I got back to the hotel that night, he asked me..."
"What do you want to ask you?" Jieyue tilted her head, her eyes mischievous.
"...asked if I was free tomorrow night."
Risa's voice grew softer and softer, and suddenly an image of evening flashed into her mind:
His long, slender hands covered the back of her hands, the warmth of his palms burning. He lowered his head slightly, pressed his cheek against her palm, and when he lifted his eyelids, his eyelashes slowly curled up.
"You see, it has warmth, it's a real existence."
"You are right in front of me right now, I can see you and I can touch you."
His voice was so low it sounded like a sigh, carrying a tenderness she had never heard before.
--boom!
It was as if a dormant volcano had suddenly erupted, the scalding lava instantly overwhelming all reason. Risa felt her whole body burning up and buried her face in the pillow.
"Whoa—!"
Asuka and Chinatsu simultaneously erupted in exaggerated cheers, even the usually composed Yuzuki couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
No... that's not what Asuka and the others said at all.
Yukimura... just wanted to ask her about the other world.
After all, his question hadn't been answered by evening when Akaya interrupted him.
Risa clutched the pillow, trying to convince herself with those words, but her heart was racing uncontrollably, like a flock of startled birds, fluttering and pounding against her ribs.
--Why?
She's clearly a mature adult at heart; she should be calmer.
But why... just recalling his warmth and his eyes makes her lose control of her reason?
Is this what it means to be smitten? Is this the magic of love?
Chinatsu suddenly changed the subject: "What about Asuka-senpai? She's not going to go to the festival alone, is she?"
"Hmph~" Asuka pushed up her glasses, "I'm going to be a 'special correspondent' for this fireworks festival. Everyone better watch out, you might get some embarrassing moments captured on camera~"
Yuzuki: "Please, Princess Asuka, show some mercy."
"Hey, what do you guys think...?" Risa suddenly asked, "...what does it feel like to be in love?"
The air fell silent for a moment.
Yuzuki rested her chin on her bent knee, a gentle smile spreading across her lips: "It's probably because... as long as I'm with him, even the most ordinary daily life becomes sparkling."
“I…I think…” Chika added, blushing, “It’s that even though my palms are sweating from nervousness, I still can’t help but want to get closer. Even just walking side by side makes my heart flutter.”
"Wow—how cheesy!" Asuka exclaimed, hugging herself exaggeratedly.
“But I think I can understand…” she pushed up her glasses, “It’s that feeling of suddenly realizing, ‘Oh no, I’m doomed,’ right?”
Yuzuki and Chinatsu nodded in agreement.
At the same time, the three girls all looked at Risa: "What do you think, Miss Risa?"
"I...I don't know..."
Risa hugged her knees tightly, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
"...Even though I know it's wrong, I still can't help but feel my heart flutter...It's so close, yet it feels so far away, like a dream..."
"As expected of Lord Yukimura." Asuka nodded knowingly. "That godlike aura really makes people feel anxious and insecure."
“But,” Chika suddenly clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling, “this ‘god’ has done many ‘breaking’ things for you!”
She counted them on her fingers:
"The brand ambassador secretly sent you flowers before the competition."
"To make it possible for you to come and stay, they not only invited the three of us, but also specially adjusted their training schedule."
“The most amazing thing is—” Asuka lowered her voice, a glint of light flashing in her glasses, “Last week’s Truth or Dare game, Yukimura-sama’s line, ‘I’m going to steal Matsuno-kun away…’”
"Wait!" Risa sat bolt upright. "What are you talking about?"
The three exchanged glances, all simultaneously giving each other a "Are you serious?" look.
Asuka suddenly raised her juice can high: "To our Rikkai University's most oblivious love heroine!"
"Eh? Wait, wait a minute!" Risa waved her hands in a panic.
Yuzuki placed the can on the coffee table: "Risa, haven't you realized yet? Yukimura-kun specially invited our club to participate in the training camp, just hoping that you can enjoy your summer vacation."
“Lord Yukimura is very worried,” Asuka chimed in. “He said that you have to juggle club activities, studies, and even work part-time as a print model on weekends, not to mention that you’re about to start filming a movie.”
Chinatsu leaned closer to the stunned girl: "We asked Yukimura-senpai, and that's exactly what he said."
"It's a pity that someone didn't understand my feelings at all," Asuka sighed dramatically.
Risa's fingers loosened slightly, and the cushion silently slipped from between her knees.
Yukimura... he actually considered so much for her?
But she remained completely unaware.
Just like before, he always kept his head down and focused all his energy on making money.
By the time you come to your senses, the person you care about is no longer there.
My chest felt like it was being burned, and even breathing became difficult.
......
Before the girls' party ended, Risa hesitated before asking the question that had been bothering her:
"So, what are your thoughts on dating at 17 and 25?"
The air suddenly fell silent.
Asuka's straw fell onto the table with a thud.
"Huh? An old cow eating young grass?" She frowned bluntly, her tone filled with undisguised disgust.
"Isn't this just adults attacking high school students? This is a crime, isn't it? It's completely an older person's emotional manipulation of a minor."
"Risa-senpai, do you like women who are so much older than you?" Chinatsu put down her drink and looked at her with concern.
"Be careful not to get deceived. I've heard that adult men are masters of sweet talk, especially towards young girls..."
Yuzuki rested her chin on her hand and looked at Risa: "The gap is a bit too big. He's already in the workforce, while you're still in high school. It doesn't feel like you can have an equal relationship."
"Risa-senpai, don't you like Yukimura-senpai?" Chinatsu looked at Risa expectantly. "Um... is our 'Oracle' pairing going to have a bad ending?"
Yuzuki: "What divine divination pairing?"
Chinatsu: "Yukimura-senpai is the child of God, and the 'ri' in Risa-senpai's name is associated with 'prayer,' implying 'a girl watched over by the gods,' so it's the 'oracle' pairing."
Chinatsu: "By the way, the couple pairing of Yuzuki-senpai and Mitsuya-senpai is called 'Sanju-Ryoujin' (三结良缘)~"
Yuzuki: "......"
"Damn it! Risa-chan, put away your dangerous thoughts." Asuka is a staunch supporter of the "Oracle" pairing and will never allow her favorite pairing to be broken up.
"What's so great about middle-aged office workers? They wear cheap watches and all they talk about is overtime and stocks..."
“No!” Risa interrupted Asuka, “The other person doesn’t know she’s actually 25 years old…”
"Huh?" Asuka became even more agitated. "Isn't that deception? That's outrageous! Risa-chan, what's so great about a man like that? You should choose Yukimura-sama instead."
Risa opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but didn't know what to say.
Friends were still chattering away:
"In the end, it's impossible to have a serious relationship, isn't it?"
"By the time I graduate from university, he'll be almost thirty!"
"What if I meet someone better or more suitable after I go to college, and that person keeps pursuing me and won't let go?"
"I've heard that these older men are most afraid of young girls seeing a wider world, and they would definitely stop Risa-senpai from applying to universities in other cities..."
Risa stared at the distorted reflection in her juice glass. Her friends would never know that she was the "malicious adult."
The lemon tea tasted bitter at first sip, and my twenty-five-year-old moral compass began to gnaw at my heart.
The exhilarating excitement that had been coursing through my blood was now being frozen, condensing into ice.
-
The night breeze was slightly cool.
Risa stood alone on the balcony, gazing at the distant coastline.
The sound of waves could be faintly heard, and the moonlight gilded the beach with a layer of silver.
She took a deep breath, her chaotic thoughts from the pajama party still lingering.
"Risa-senpai, don't you like Yukimura-senpai?"
Chika's voice still seemed to echo in my ears.
She unconsciously gripped the railing, her fingertips slightly cold.
—How could I not like it?
She had realized it long ago.
Those uncontrollable heartbeats in front of him, those feigned composures that were always seen through, those contradictory feelings of wanting to get closer yet forcing oneself to stay away... all of these are signs of "liking" him.
She fell in love with that gentle and refined young man.
It wasn't the pity of an elder, nor the doting on a younger brother, but a purer, more ardent emotion mixed with excitement and longing—wanting to hold his hand, wanting to hug him, wanting to be the only one in his eyes.
Just like sunflowers always chasing the sun, it's instinctive.
Despite possessing the rationality of an adult, she was as helpless as a real teenage girl.
Even so, this is the only way it can go.
A flutter of the heart is unrelated to time and space, but reality cannot.
Just like Asuka said, it's an old cow eating young grass, it's emotional manipulation, it's deception.
Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure on the balcony next door.
Yukimura leaned against the railing, moonlight streaming down his profile, outlining his handsome features. His deep blue hair, glistening with moisture, was gently stirred by the sea breeze.
He seemed to sense the gaze and suddenly turned his head—
Their eyes met in the damp air.
Yukimura paused for a moment, then smiled faintly at her.
Her gentle, alluring smile was like a Udumbara flower quietly blooming in the dead of night.
Risa's breath hitched. Hot blood rushed to her cheeks.
She staggered backward, her bare feet treading across the cold marble floor, and fell into the French windows. The glass door slammed shut behind her, making the window frame vibrate.
"Risa?"
Yuzuki's voice came from beside the bed, tinged with sleepiness.
She ignored him.
My back was pressed against the cold glass door, my heart pounding deafeningly in my chest.
Moonlight filtered through the frosted glass, casting a hazy, misty glow over the night.
And he stood there in the mist.
So close, yet so far.
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Author's Note: Although there were no extra chapters this week, most were around 5000 words, which is equivalent to extra chapters (just kidding).
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[Heart emoji]
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