Chapter 108 Yukimura is so hard to please after returning to Japan, Risa.
As dusk settled, Risa stood at the airport arrival gate.
As she looked down at her phone, a pair of hands gently covered her eyes from behind.
Guess who it is?
A deep voice whispered in my ear, tinged with a lazy smile.
Risa felt as if an electric current had shot through her spine; as she turned around, Yukimura released her grip.
The shadow of his hoodie hoodie swallowed half of his silhouette, and a few strands of dark blue hair escaped, swaying slightly with his movements.
"Shh-"
He raised his index finger to his lips, his eyes filled with a mischievous smile.
"Didn't they say we'd arrive in half an hour?"
Yukimura blinked: "The plane landed early because I wanted to give someone a surprise."
On the way back to the city, Risa quietly recounted the trivial matters that had happened during this period—the progress of the establishment of LUMIERA Corporation, the finalization of the graduation limited edition merchandise design, and Akaya becoming more reliable in the tennis club... Yukimura listened quietly, occasionally twirling a strand of her hair with his fingertips.
After exiting the station, Risa took out her phone and swiped the screen.
“I’ve compiled a list of a few good restaurants,” she said, turning her phone toward Yukimura. “They’re all restaurants with great reputations lately. Which one would you like to choose?”
Yukimura glanced at the list—an Italian bistro with an open kitchen, a French bistro with window seating, a bustling barbecue restaurant... Each place was labeled with its "signature dish" and "best seat," yet they were all open spaces teeming with people.
“These are all good, but…” Yukimura grabbed her hand holding the phone, “I know a restaurant with a Sichuan chef. The owner is the father of a friend I met in Chengdu. The private rooms are especially… private.”
Risa: "......"
This guy didn't actually want to have dinner with her; he clearly...
"...Since Aichi wants to go, let's go to that store."
Putting aside any ulterior motives he might have, Risa has absolutely no resistance to Sichuan cuisine. After all, who can resist the taste of home?
Yukimura chuckled as he watched her eyes light up, as if she were about to drool. He naturally took her hand and intertwined their fingers.
The shop is called "Shudaoyuan" and is decorated in a retro Chinese style.
The door to the private room closed gently behind her, and Risa looked up to study the poem inscribed on the landscape painting.
"The road to Shu is harder than ascending to heaven..." She stopped mid-sentence.
A warm sensation pressed against her back, and his arms were wrapped around her waist.
"Does Risa know this poem?"
"Yes, it's a famous work by the renowned ancient Chinese poet..."
As Risa turned around while speaking, Yukimura reached out and took off the hood of his sweatshirt. His dark blue hair was slightly messy, and he casually tousled it a couple of times, with a few stray strands falling onto his brow bone, making his purple eyes appear even deeper.
...It's only been a month since I last saw you, how come you seem even more handsome?
Despite training under the scorching sun every day, his skin remained excessively fair, his jawline became increasingly sharp, and he exuded a mature and imposing aura.
Risa unconsciously swallowed, her heart racing.
—This is outrageous! How can they grow at this rate?!
"Ashi..." she muttered softly, her gaze lingering uncontrollably on his face until she met his smiling eyes.
Her amethyst-like pupils were bright and clear, like a pool of spring water, full of tender affection.
"Hmm?" Yukimura nodded, as if trying to hear what she was saying.
"...You seem to have matured."
Risa suddenly covered her mouth, turned her face away, and her ears turned crimson at a visible speed.
She actually said it! She really said it!
Ugh, what am I saying?! How could I say such an embarrassing line?!
Yukimura paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Is Risa praising me? Hmm?"
He stroked her cheek with his palm, pressed his forehead against hers, and closed the distance between them.
Her back pressed against the cool wall, while his body heat pressed against hers; the interplay of hot and cold created a subtle, ambiguous atmosphere in the air.
Risa lowered her eyes in a panic, looking away: "We haven't ordered the food yet."
No rush.
Yukimura propped his hand on her ear, lifting her chin with the base of his thumb. He tilted his head slightly, his thin lips uttering softly, "Try it first..."
"Pre-dinner dessert".
Risa: "......" This guy is too lazy to even pretend anymore.
Their breaths mingled, igniting a flame at the slightest touch. Just as Risa closed her eyes, almost letting herself indulge in the moment—
"Buzz—"
My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket.
Both of them froze at the same time.
Yukimura stopped in his tracks. Risa frantically pulled out her phone, the words "Akaya" flashing merrily on the screen, accompanied by a cute seaweed emoji.
She lifted her eyelids, her moist eyes looking at Yukimura: "Shall I take this call first?"
Knowing full well that his girlfriend has a brother complex, can the "son of God" say "no"?
No, he can't.
After all, everyone can tell the difference between being full at one meal and being full at every meal.
His forehead was still pressed against hers, and he let out a very soft sigh, as if filled with regret and helplessness.
Having received tacit approval, Risa immediately darted toward the daybed, simultaneously sliding her thumb to answer the call: "Hello, Akaya?"
Under the guise of making a phone call, she subtly shrank into the corner of the bed, grabbed an embroidered cushion, and held it in front of her chest like a small animal raising its guard.
Yukimura stood frozen, staring at his empty hand, and suddenly longed to know—
If I change my practice match opponent to Xiao Haidai next week, would that be considered settling a personal score?
A spirited young voice came from the other end of the phone: "Risa-nee! I'm done with training!"
"Ah... um, that's great..." she mumbled, glancing around the private room out of the corner of her eye.
—Huh? Where did everyone go?
"Are you home? Do you want me to bring dinner back? The new rice balls from that convenience store last time—"
Before Kirihara could finish speaking, Risa's body stiffened.
A pair of warm hands encircled her waist. Yukimura had somehow moved to her side and was now mischievously rubbing against her earlobe, seemingly close yet distant.
"Hello? Risa-nee?"
"At home, you don't need to bring me... um!"
A soft, warm touch brushed against her earlobe, causing Risa's hand to tremble and her phone to nearly slip from her grasp.
"What's wrong? Risa-nee?" Akaya's voice instantly became alert.
"N-nothing!" She turned and glared at Yukimura before calmly replying, "I saw a big cockroach... ugh!"
That bastard! How dare he bite her.
Risa nearly crushed her phone before managing to avoid making a strange sound: "Um... Akaya, I'm watching a TV series right now, I'll hang up... Ah!"
Just as she was about to quickly hang up the call, Akaya's voice suddenly turned cold: "Risa-nee, where are you now?"
Risa's breath hitched: "I'm at home, why are you asking that?"
"lie."
"There's someone next to you, right? Who is he? That model partner who's always bothering you?!" Kirihara threw out the three deadly questions.
A slight tingling sensation came from her collarbone, bringing Risa back to her senses. She caught a glimpse of Yukimura's arched eyebrows—his gaze practically saying, "Oh? Model partner?"
"No, that's not true!" Risa denied.
She could almost see the horrific scene of blood flowing like a river after the vinegar jar was overturned.
"Who is that? As the younger brother of the world's number one, and Rikkai's strongest rising star, I have a duty to protect Risa from being kidnapped by suspicious people!"
Risa: "......"
When did this child become so difficult?!
Just as Risa was racking her brains for an excuse, her phone was snatched away by a hand with distinct knuckles. She looked up in surprise to see Yukimura pressing the speakerphone button—
"Chiye."
Those two simple words elicited a loud "thud" from the other end of the phone, like the sound of someone falling off a chair.
"Minister, Minister, Minister... Minister?!"
Although Yukimura had long since stepped down as captain of the tennis club, Akaya's spontaneous use of the title still revealed the awe ingrained in his DNA.
"Minister, aren't you at that giant panda base or something?"
"Yes, I just got back." Yukimura said gently.
A suspicious swallowing sound came from the other end of the phone: "Is that so? Hahaha... Um... I didn't say anything! See you later!"
Before hanging up, he thoughtfully added, "Risa-nee! I'll tell Mom you're not coming home tonight! Have fun!"
The call was abruptly ended, leaving a busy tone.
Risa: "......"
What happened to the promise of "the world's number one younger brother, the guardian of Rikkai's strongest rising star"?!
"Looks like I left a stern impression on Akaya." Yukimura blinked innocently and placed the silent phone back in her palm.
It's good that you have self-awareness.
Risa thought to herself, stuffed her phone into her pocket, looked up, and suddenly met his gaze—
Danger!
The moment the thought crossed my mind, the arm around my waist suddenly loosened its grip.
"Let's eat first." Yukimura took her hand and led her to the dining table.
He considerately pulled out a chair for her and took a hot towel to wipe her hands, his actions were incredibly gentle.
Shortly after, the waiter knocked on the door and served the food.
Exquisite Sichuan dishes were laid out on the table, and Li Sha's eyes lit up. The chili oil glistened enticingly under the light, and the spicy aroma wafted straight into her nose.
Risa had been starving for most of the day, and as soon as the waiter left, she immediately turned into a glutton.
"Eat slowly." Yukimura rested his chin on his hand and looked at her. "No one's going to take it from you."
"Isn't Ashi going to eat?" she asked, puffing out her cheeks.
Faced with the taste of home, I had already forgotten the little incident from before.
"I ate on the plane, so I'm not too hungry." He put on disposable gloves and slowly peeled the shrimp.
His fingers deftly dissected the shrimp meat, even removing the shrimp veins completely; his movements were so pleasing to the eye that they were almost excessive.
Risa put down her chopsticks, looking at his flawless profile and calm, smiling eyes, and alarm bells went off in her mind.
This is highly unusual—
He was acting like he was going to devour her just a moment ago, but now he's behaving like a prince.
This gentle restraint is more terrifying than a direct attack.
It's like standing on a beach before a storm, watching the calm sea recede little by little, knowing that a towering wave will come in the next second, but not knowing when it will crash down.
The rice in the bowl suddenly lost its flavor.
"Oichi, the model Akaya mentioned..."
"Shh." Yukimura fed her another shrimp. "Don't talk about work when there's such delicious food in front of you."
Risa instinctively opened her mouth to catch it, her tongue inadvertently brushing against his fingertips. Yukimura's eyes darkened for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.
The conversation stalled, and Risa had no choice but to eat obediently. No, she ate nervously.
-
"I'm full." She put down her chopsticks.
Yukimura picked up the teapot and poured her a cup of tea: "Here, have some tea to cleanse your palate."
Risa, holding her teacup, said, "Oichi, something's wrong with you."
"Hmm?" Yukimura tilted his head. "What's wrong?"
"So gentle!" Risa said.
"Don't you like it?" He wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth with a wet wipe.
“I do like him…” Risa snuggled up to him and whispered, “but I always feel like you’re holding back something big.”
"Heh..." Yukimura chuckled, pulling the person into his arms: "Gentleness won't work, nor will forcefulness."
"You're so hard to please, Risa."
"Come on!" Risa tilted her head back, squinting her eyes. "Tell me honestly, did you do something to betray me over there?"
“Didn’t I send you my training schedule every day?” Yukimura pinched her puffed-up cheek, then changed the subject, “But I did see some interesting things over there.”
"What is it?" Risa's curiosity was piqued.
"The men over there all seem to be particularly... well, what they call 'henpecked'?"
“Ah…men from Sichuan and Chongqing,” Risa’s eyes lit up, “they’re known for spoiling their wives.”
“So I was thinking…” Yukimura leaned closer to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her ear, “...why don’t you want to learn that too? Like…”
He twirled a strand of her hair with his fingers, smiling warmly as he said, "From now on, will you hand over your salary card? Will you do all the housework? Will you cook for me yourself...?"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Risa pushed him away, her face flushed. "You absolutely mustn't. Don't think I don't know about the time you blew up the aluminum lunchbox in middle school."
Yukimura blinked innocently: "That was an accident. A person should be viewed with new eyes after three days' absence. I have a very strong learning ability."
Risa cupped her boyfriend's face and gently pecked his thin lips.
"Ashi is fine as she is now; she doesn't need to imitate anyone. After all—"
She hugged him: "This face is the best example..."
“What if I said…” He grasped her hand, his voice husky and seductive, “I want to learn something else for Risa?”
Risa's heart raced: "For example?"
"For example... how can I get you to kiss me a second time, like you did just now?"
Before Risa could react, Yukimura lowered his head, his nose touching hers, his soft touch covering hers.
Unlike her fleeting kisses, his kisses were like a predatory beast, full of aggression and possessiveness, like a wolf finally tearing off its gentlemanly mask.
He only stepped back slightly when her breathing became erratic, his thumb brushing against the corner of her lips, his voice hoarse: "...Looks like I've learned pretty well?"
Risa's lips parted slightly, but before she could say anything, her words were once again silenced by his kiss.
When I left "Shudao Garden", my lips still felt a slight tingling sensation and his warmth.
It started raining outside.
Yukimura helped her adjust her coat. "Back to Kanagawa?"
Raindrops brushed against her face, feeling a little cool. Risa quietly moved closer to him, muttering softly, "...It's raining, I don't want to bother. Anyway, Akaya said he's not going back tonight."
Yukimura chuckled and put his arm around her shoulder: "That's perfect, I left something at your house, I'll just go get it on the way."
"......fraud."
His response was to tighten his arms around her and place a kiss on the top of her head.
-
Matsuno House.
As Risa bent down to change her shoes, Yukimura's hand naturally rested on her waist.
"Are you tired?" he asked softly.
"fine......"
As Risa straightened up, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly in his embrace.
"No one is bothering us now."
He leaned down, his breath brushing against her eardrums, like a devil's whisper: "Shall we continue the conversation we didn't finish at the restaurant?"
The rain suddenly poured down.
-----------------------
Author's note: There are still two chapters left. Should I finish them all tomorrow?
But the next update might not be until Thursday. No drafts left. [Empty bowl]
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