Chapter 93 A Gentle Flick Makes You Shy (Bonus Chapter with Landmine) You're in elementary school...
When Sanada brought the exhausted Kirihara back, Yukimura was leaning against the courtyard railing sending a message, a rare gentle smile on his lips.
"Are you in contact with Matsuno?" Sanada reminded him sternly. "Don't let your guard down and affect tomorrow's schedule."
Yukimura put away his phone, a lingering smile in his eyes. "Genichiro, don't you think... Kyoto's night view is also perfect for filming movies?"
Kirihara suddenly looked up as if he had risen from the dead: "Minister, didn't you just say those awful lines like 'night' and 'movie'?!"
"Based on the filming locations of the short film Matsuno starred in, the probability of you meeting is 0%." Liu's voice came from the shadows of the corridor, startling Kirihara.
“By the way, Sanada, Yanagi.” Yukimura turned to the two of them casually, a smile on his face, “I plan to go straight to Osaka the day after tomorrow morning.”
"Huh?!" Kirihara's eyes widened in surprise. "Is the captain going on a date with Risa-nee?"
Yukimura turned to Kirihara and smiled: "Aka, will you come with me too?"
Kirihara was about to answer when Sanada pressed his shoulder down. Unusually, he didn't say "too lax," but instead exchanged a glance with Yanagi.
After a moment's hesitation, Sanada finally said seriously, "If it's just for one day, it's not a big problem." He then immediately added, "But a school trip is not a game; we absolutely cannot let our guard down!"
"Don't worry," Yukimura patted his friend on the shoulder, "I'll be at Shinsaibashi before 10 p.m. to meet everyone."
-
Osaka, near Jimian Park.
The morning sunlight filtered through the maple leaves, dappling the stone path.
Risa was looking down at her navigation app when suddenly the world spun around her, and she was pulled into the back alley of a washi paper shop.
“Miss,” Yukimura pressed her against the wall covered with ukiyo-e prints, his fingertips lightly tracing the faint dark circles under her eyes, “it’s very dangerous for you to sneak out to play alone.”
Risa, still shaken, nudged Yukimura's shoulder.
"It was clearly some bad guy who used 'soft and refreshing matcha warabi mochi' to lure away a current actress—"
Before she could finish speaking, her nose bumped into his chest.
The crisp scent of cedar mixed with the slightly bitter aroma of orange blossom wafted over, instantly stealing her breath.
"Kidnapping?" Yukimura's voice fell beside her ear, tinged with a low, husky laugh. "Didn't Risa come along on her own?"
"...This is entrapment." She mumbled in his arms, her voice slurred.
Yukimura chuckled softly, the vibrations from his chest reaching her.
“Now,” he said, pulling away slightly and leaning down to touch her forehead, “we’ve caught it, shouldn’t we pay some ransom?”
In the shadows of the ukiyo-e wall, two breaths intertwined.
The girl's eyelashes trembled, and just as she was about to touch that warm, soft touch, he suddenly stepped back, not giving her the chance.
"The first installment of the ransom—"
Yukimura took her hand, and the sunlight streamed in, illuminating his smiling eyes and brows.
"Time to go and redeem someone's promise of matcha warabi mochi."
-
As you walk down the slope where maple leaves are gradually turning red, a century-old shop comes into view at the foot of the mountain.
Inside the glass display case, the two sat side by side by the window.
Risa, remembering his earlier resentment at not giving her a kiss, scooped up a spoonful of matcha parfait and held it to Yukimura's lips, waiting to see his embarrassed and awkward expression.
To everyone's surprise, Yukimura merely raised an eyebrow slightly, then calmly bent down and took the dessert from her hand.
As he looked up, his eyelashes slowly fluttered, and his gaze lingered on her. His tongue lightly brushed the rim of the spoon before politely withdrawing.
"It's very sweet."
He commented, unsure whether he was referring to parfait or something else.
"......"
Risa's fingertips trembled.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
She subconsciously looked around and saw several elderly people smiling and looking at her with loving eyes, as if they were watching their own grandchildren's wedding ceremony.
The tips of my ears suddenly burst into flames, more vibrant than the red leaves covering the mountains and fields.
"You..." she lowered her voice, "Are you really a high school student?"
This level of skill in readily accepting advances and even flirting back—is she a dangerous player on par with a Casanova?!
Yukimura slowly swallowed his dessert.
"I should be asking Risa that question."
His lips curled slightly, and he smiled like a satisfied cat.
"She gets shy with just a gentle touch... Is she a primary school student?"
—Critical Hit!
Risa felt like she'd taken a thousand hits, and leaned back abruptly: "B-Of course it's because you're too..."
"Too what?" He leaned closer, resting his chin on his hand, seemingly unfazed. "Hmm?"
"That's insane!!!" Risa grabbed the menu to cover her face, her voice muffled behind the pages: "Who would use that face to do something like this without even realizing it!"
"Risa, would you like to... try again?"
Yukimura tilted his head, his eyes innocent yet harboring a hint of malice: "I'll let you off the hook this time."
Risa squinted, peeking out a suspicious eye from the edge of the menu.
—It's a scam. Absolutely a scam.
"However," sure enough, he had more to say.
"If you get shy again... you'll have to accept a punishment, okay?"
Risa: "..."
...What kind of concession is this?!
Risa put down the menu, stared at him expressionlessly for a few seconds, and then—
He reached into his pocket.
"Didn't we say we were going to take some photos to show Akaya and the others?"
The Thirty-Six Stratagems: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell.
The moment my fingertips touched the edge of the phone, my wrist was grabbed.
"I was just kidding them." He laughed naturally. "Risa's expression is so cute... of course, only I can see it."
Risa's breath hitched.
How exactly did this person manage to do it?
To make such blatant flirtatious remarks sound as elegant as reciting a waka poem.
Like a dry landscape garden in a traditional Chinese courtyard, it reveals nothing, yet evokes a wealth of thoughts.
If only the face were changed...
For example, if it were a certain stern-faced goddess, this sentence would probably directly trigger her three-part counterattack of "too lax";
If it were that white fox from the next class who's always on Wi-Fi, she'd probably have her menu slapped into the wall and used as a decorative painting by now.
But it was Yukimura Seiichi.
Risa silently covered her chest.
...Damn it, is this what they mean by "beauty is justice"?!
etc--
The black-faced god and the white-haired fox seem to be quite good-looking too.
Could it be—
Risa's pupils dilated.
She understood!
This isn't some kind of good looks boost; it's clearly... the magical filter of being in love at work!!
"My God! When did I put on this kind of filter?!"
Just as she was lost in self-doubt, she caught a glimpse of Yukimura resting his chin on his hand, watching her. His lips were slightly upturned, and beneath his thick eyelashes, his smiling eyes seemed to say:
"My Risa is so cute even when she's spacing out."
Risa: "......"
—Oh no, this filter not only adds drama automatically, but it also showers us with compliments.
-
As dusk fell and twilight descended, the two strolled along a path interwoven with bamboo groves and red leaves.
The bamboo shadows sway gently, and the setting sun casts hazy light and shadow through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, giving the entire secluded space a mysterious natural filter.
"How does this bamboo forest compare to Arashiyama?" Risa asked casually.
Yukimura slowed his pace and turned his head to look at her.
“Of course, it’s here,” he replied.
The bamboo shadows cast oblique shadows on his profile, making his features appear even more exquisite.
Before she could ask why, he added, "There's no Risa in Arashiyama."
A single, light sentence, like a drop of dew falling into a calm lake, creates ripples in the twilight.
The bamboo leaves rustled.
Risa was speechless for a moment.
She turned her face away: "Where did you learn such cheesy pickup lines...?"
"Is it corny?" Yukimura chuckled, naturally taking her hand and continuing to walk. "I'm just stating the facts."
The bamboo shadows stretched long behind them, and their silhouettes gradually merged into one in the setting sun.
“Besides,” he whispered in her ear, “when I’m with Risa, even the most beautiful scenery pales in comparison.”
"Aichi!!"
The girl's embarrassed shouts and the boy's clear, cheerful laughter echoed through the bamboo forest.
Dusk was falling.
As the last rays of the setting sun sank into the depths of the bamboo forest, the streetlights gradually came on.
Yukimura stopped and turned to look at the girl beside him, who was panting and leaning on her knees.
“Risa’s stamina…is more worrying than I imagined.” He leaned close to her flushed ear and lowered his voice, “You’re already weak in the knees at this level? That won’t do.”
"Not everyone is like you bunch of superhuman athletes!" Risa gasped, her chest heaving. "Who in their right mind would run ten kilometers every day and still..."
Before he could finish speaking, his legs went weak.
Yukimura swiftly caught her around the waist, chuckling as he helped her sit down. His tall, slender figure knelt before her, one knee touching the ground.
His palms were burning hot as he gently kneaded the taut muscles of his calves.
"With such poor stamina, if Risa does more strenuous exercise in the future, won't she cry?"
"What kind of more strenuous exercise?"
Yukimura looked up at her, his eyes giving her a knowing look.
As the bamboo shadows swayed, certain embarrassing images uncontrollably surfaced in my mind.
"You, you, you..." Risa suddenly squeezed her legs together, her face turning red from her ears all the way down to her collarbone.
"Pervert! Beast! Erotic Demon King!!"
"Huh?" Yukimura blinked innocently. "I mean, the physical fitness test after the final exams in mid-February next year."
"......"
The worst thing is when the air suddenly goes quiet.
"What are you thinking, Risa?" He tilted his head. "Risa wouldn't possibly think...?"
"Shut up!" Risa interrupted him, grabbing his collar and shaking him violently. "You were definitely looking at me with those ambiguous eyes on purpose, weren't you?! You were definitely waiting for me to misunderstand, weren't you?! You black-hearted white lotus!"
Yukimura let her shake him, laughing so hard his shoulders were shaking.
When Risa stopped, panting, he stood up, squatted down with his back to her, and said, "Get on."
"what?"
"There's still a distance to go, I'll carry you on my back."
"No! No need!" Risa refused firmly, getting up to straighten her skirt.
"I see." Yukimura stood up and magically pulled a lemon candy from his pocket.
"Then let's replenish some sugar."
Risa narrowed her eyes warily: "Sour?"
"It's sweet." Yukimura chuckled, offering it to her with his palm facing up.
The girl's eyes darted around, and her fingertips slowly reached out. She deliberately rubbed her fingertips lightly against his palm before picking up the candy.
Taking advantage of the moment his gaze faltered, she tilted her head back, parted her red lips slightly, and put the candy in her mouth.
Her tongue seemed to casually brush against her fingertips, leaving a damp trail on her lips. It was like a carefully crafted slow-motion scene. Her eyes darted around, her moist gaze fixed intently into his.
Yukimura's eyes suddenly darkened.
"Is it sweet?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
"Mmm..." She nodded gently, tiptoed, and pecked him on the lips. "—But it doesn't taste as sweet as yours~"
The sneak attack was successful.
Seeing the usually composed boy's uncharacteristically stunned expression, Risa beamed with smug satisfaction. She had finally won this round—
Before the smile could reach her eyes, she met those suddenly deep and unfathomable eyes.
(!)
Risa's animalistic instincts kicked in a frantic alarm, and she turned to run away, only to be grabbed by the waist and pulled back by him.
Warm breath brushed against the back of his neck, and a devilish whisper sounded in his ear: "You've gone bad in just a few days? Hmm?"
As the view shifts, the sweet aroma of lemon candy dissipates amidst the intertwined scents.
Just as she was about to run out of breath, Yukimura stepped back slightly, his forehead pressed against hers.
“...Risa.” He cupped her face in his hands, his voice slightly hoarse.
"I've taught you many times... Remember to breathe when you kiss."
The last syllable disappeared between their pressed lips.
A gentle caress, a light touch, a first taste of its subtle sweetness, then gradually spreading... The rustling sound of bamboo leaves rubbing together seems to fade into the distance.
Only when she heard footsteps in the distance did she snap out of her daze and lean back. Her knees buckled, and she fell helplessly into his arms.
Yukimura then withdrew his arms, smiling like a satisfied cat.
His fingertips brushed against the corner of her moist lips.
"...You bad guy!"
"Yes, I learned it from Risa."
-
After the school trip, the tennis club received a call-up for the U-17 training camp.
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