Chapter 194: Restless Thoughts

Kazumi stopped explaining the question as she noticed the distracted look on the girl’s face. “Tired? Let’s take a break.”

Rumi nodded slightly.

“What’s wrong? Not feeling happy?” Kazumi held her hand and asked.

“No, not really. Maybe I’m just a little tired.”

“Silly girl, why pretend with me? Is it about him?”

The kendo girl hesitated before finally nodding faintly.

She had stayed in Tokyo over the summer partly for tutoring and partly to spend more time with her. Although Kazumi had assured her that the ship he was on had indeed encountered a storm but that he was fine, she couldn’t help but worry. She needed to see him safe and sound with her own eyes to feel reassured.

After half a month, he finally returned from his university friend’s home. But ever since he came back, he had been out most of the time, rarely staying home. On two nights, he hadn’t even come back, leaving her feeling dejected and uneasy.

After some hesitation, she looked up and asked, “Kazumi, do you think senpai has… a girlfriend at university?”

Seeing the hidden disappointment in her eyes and the tension she was trying hard to suppress, Kazumi felt a pang in her heart.

Gently stroking her soft hair, Kazumi smiled and said, “Don’t overthink it. I can promise you that he doesn’t have a girlfriend at university.” She left out the part that his girlfriend wasn’t from university.

Hearing this, the kendo girl immediately felt relieved, and her face slowly lit up with a smile.

Clutching Kazumi’s hand and leaning her head on her shoulder, she said in a soft but determined voice, “Kazumi, I’ll do my best to get into Teikyo University. I want to see him every day, just like back in high school.”

Listening to her words, Kazumi felt a sting of emotion welling up in her chest. While Rumi wasn’t looking, she discreetly wiped her eyes and then said, “That’s enough studying for today. Let’s sit in the living room for a while.”

“I’m fine now. You can go ahead. I want to finish some more practice questions.”

Kazumi sighed. “You’re so stubborn. Fine. It’s boring to go out alone anyway. I’ll stay and keep you company.”

Rumi was delighted and hugged her arm. “Kazumi, you’re the best.”

Seeing the bright smile on her face, Kazumi made a silent decision in her heart.

When the door opened, standing outside was none other than Kogure Ryoko. Aiko teased, “Oh, it’s Miss Kogure. What a rare guest! I thought you’d be glued to your boyfriend and wouldn’t have time to show up.”

Kogure Ryoko rolled her eyes. “You’re still holding a grudge? I only canceled on you once, and you’re still harping on about it. Are Mami and the others here yet?”

“They’ve been here for ages. We were just waiting on you, as usual. You’re always the last one.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. You’re getting naggier by the day.”

“How dare you call me naggy when you’re the one who’s late?”

The two bickered as they walked into the living room.

There, a young man sat at the table, playing cards with Murashima Mami and Aikura Ai. Kogure Ryoko froze for a moment upon seeing him and then whispered to Aiko, “Aiko, who is that?”

“Are you serious? That’s Gennai Masashi,” Aiko replied, exasperated.

“What? Gennai Masashi?” Kogure Ryoko almost exclaimed out loud.

The last time she had seen this eccentric boy had been two years ago. Studying his profile closely, she realized it really was him. But compared to two years ago, he seemed entirely different now. He exuded an air of maturity that made her fail to recognize him at first.

As Murashima Mami noticed Ryoko’s arrival, she smiled and said, “Ryoko, you’re here. Long time no see.”

The quieter Aikura Ai also greeted her, “Hello, Ryoko.”

Seeing so many familiar faces, Kogure Ryoko felt as though she had returned to her high school days.

With one more person joining the game, the atmosphere became even livelier. However, Ryoko’s thoughts were elsewhere. She was curious about what this peculiar boy had been up to over the past two years.

After some casual conversation, she learned that he was now a student at Teikyo University. Staring at him in disbelief, she asked, “Are you serious? Back in high school, your grades were awful. How on earth did you get into Teikyo?”

Masashi teased her, “I’m the kind of person who doesn’t do well in daily classes but excels in exams. It’s called explosive potential. Want my autograph?”

Kogure Ryoko said indignantly, “Who would believe you? A guy like you getting into Teikyo University—it’s just too unfair.”

“Hey, what kind of comment is that? What do you mean by ‘a guy like me’? Looks like a jealous woman truly defies logic.”

“Tch, who’s jealous of you? For your information, my boyfriend is the vice president of the student council. Impressive, right?”

“And what does that have to do with you?”

“He’s my boyfriend!” Kogure Ryoko retorted loudly.

“So, you’re saying that if you ever broke school rules, he could cover for you and hide your crimes? If that’s the case, he might actually be somewhat useful.”

“You…”

Aiko interrupted, slightly annoyed, “Hey, are we playing cards or not?”

Murashima Mami smiled quietly at their banter, while Aikura Ai stole occasional glances at the young man.

At that moment, Naoko came downstairs from the second floor.

Lei Yin looked at her and asked, “Is the little one asleep?”

Naoko sat down beside him and replied, “Already asleep.”

“Does your wound still hurt?” Lei Yin asked with concern.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore, but it feels a little itchy.”

“That’s a good sign—it means the wound is healing.”

From his tone of care, Kogure Ryoko suddenly remembered that two years ago, Lei Yin and Aiko’s older sister were already a couple. She was surprised that even after two years, the six-year age gap between them hadn’t been an issue. Their interactions radiated a warm and comforting bond.

Suddenly, Kogure Ryoko asked in surprise, “Naoko sis, did you get injured?”

Naoko replied, “It’s nothing. Last week during an earthquake, I accidentally got cut by some glass. It’s already fine now.”

“Where did it cut you?” Kogure Ryoko asked, unable to see any visible injuries.

“On my back,” Naoko said, pointing to her shoulder.

Kogure Ryoko looked closely and noticed a slight bulge, indicating a bandage underneath.

Aiko shuddered at the memory. “When I came back, I saw a pool of blood on the ground. It scared me so much—I thought something terrible had happened. If my sister hadn’t called from the hospital, I would have called the police.”

Lei Yin felt a pang of guilt. At the time, he had been on the deserted island, helping fill in the pit. While no one could have predicted such an incident, if he had been in Tokyo, there would have been at least a fifty percent chance he could have protected her from getting hurt.

As if sensing his thoughts, Naoko gently grasped his hand and gave it a small shake, as if to comfort him.

Seeing that no one was interested in continuing the card game, Aiko suggested, “Let’s stop playing and go shopping.”

The other girls didn’t object—they had originally planned to go to Shinjuku to shop for clothes. Since Naoko didn’t want to go out because of her injury, Lei Yin stayed home with her as he had for the past few days.

After leaving the apartment, Kogure Ryoko clicked her tongue in amazement. “Unbelievable. After two years, that guy actually got into Teikyo. That’s definitely one of the top ten most unbelievable events ever.”

Aikura Ai suddenly spoke up, “I don’t think it’s that unbelievable that Gennai managed to get into Teikyo.”

Kogure Ryoko asked curiously, “Why do you say that?”

“Because… because Gennai has always given me a feeling that I can’t quite figure out.”

“I don’t see anything extraordinary about him. Let’s not talk about him anymore. Aiko, Mami, my boyfriend knows that you two are still single, so he’s trying to set up a group date with some decent guys to see if you click. I hear they’re all very handsome. Are you interested? Oh, Ai, you should join too. You don’t have a boyfriend, right?”

Aiko frowned. “You make it sound like no one wants us. I hate these kinds of group dates—they feel like matchmaking. And being judged like some kind of commodity by those guys is just disgusting.”

“Oh, come on. These days, relationships are all about mutual selection. It’s completely normal for university students. Besides, with your looks, what guy would turn you down? Just give it a shot—you might meet a good man.”

“I’m not going. Even in school, guys have tried to invite us to group dates, and we always turn them down. It’s annoying.”

“I’m only trying to give you an opportunity because you’re still single. Fine, suit yourself. Mami, Ai, what about you two?”

Murashima Mami smiled and said, “If Aiko goes, I’ll go.”

Aikura Ai hesitated before saying, “I read in the news that some guys at group dates spike drinks with drugs.”

Hearing that, Kogure Ryoko rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Suddenly remembering something, Kogure Ryoko looked at Aiko with a puzzled expression. “Aiko, you’re not still interested in Gennai, are you?”

Seeing her slightly flustered reaction, Kogure Ryoko grew even more suspicious.

“Alright, enough about that. Let’s go,” Aiko said, avoiding eye contact as she hurried to the curb to hail a taxi.

Seeing her like this, Kogure Ryoko sighed. “I still don’t understand it. For someone like Naoko and you, Aiko, who are both such beauties, why would you be interested in Gennai? Guys like him are everywhere in school.”

Murashima Mami quietly said, watching Aiko’s retreating figure, “You wouldn’t understand.”

After carefully peeling off the bandage, Lei Yin saw that the long cut had improved significantly compared to yesterday. At this rate, it looked like the wound would fully heal in a few days.

Opening the box of ointment on the table, he used his clean hand to scoop a small amount of the milky white ointment onto his index finger and gently applied it to the wound.

Feeling the cooling sensation spread from the cut, Naoko asked curiously, “Lei, what kind of ointment is this? It feels so cool and comfortable when you apply it.” Just the day before, Lei Yin had brought the ointment and said it was for treating her injury. Naoko, trusting him without any doubts, had stopped using the hospital’s medication and started using the ointment.

As he applied the ointment, Lei Yin explained, “This ointment is homemade. It works very well for treating external wounds, and it won’t leave scars once it heals.”

“Really?” Naoko said, her face lighting up with joy at the thought of not having a scar.

After cutting a new piece of bandage to wrap the wound, Lei Yin put his arm around her slender waist. “My Naoko is so beautiful, I definitely don’t want her to have any imperfections.”

A wave of sweetness surged within Naoko. Overcome with emotion, she turned and hugged his waist, pressing her head tightly against his chest.

“You silly girl, be careful. Your wound isn’t fully healed yet,” Lei Yin said, quickly holding her waist to keep her from moving.

Feeling her smooth, bare skin from where the ointment was applied and the faint fragrance at her nose, Lei Yin felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, wanting to hold her forever.

The two of them stayed in a quiet embrace. After a while, Lei Yin leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Thank you. If it weren’t for you, it would have been the little one who got hurt.” As for Amy, Lei Yin knew that when the earthquake happened, Naoko had protected Amy by pressing her down, and the wound on her back was from a broken piece of glass.

Naoko said softly, “I never expected Amy to accept me because of that. I’m so happy.”

Lei Yin stroked her hair. “The little one is obedient, but she can be stubborn at times. I was worried you two would keep going like this.”

Suddenly, Naoko giggled. “Do you know what Amy said to me in the hospital?”

“What did she say?” Lei Yin asked.

Still laughing, Naoko said, “She said she would share you with me, but only if she could sleep with you at night.”

“Am I some sliced pork? I can’t believe you girls,” Lei Yin said, shaking his head fondly. He kissed the tip of her nose, then slowly moved down to her red lips, kissing her.

Naoko responded gently.

As Lei Yin fully savored her soft lips and sweet tongue, Naoko, sensitive by nature, started to feel aroused. Her breathing quickened, and her body grew feverishly hot.

Realizing that if things continued, her body would be overwhelmed, Lei Yin began to slow down his movements to take her injury into consideration.

After what felt like an eternity, their lips parted, and Lei Yin quietly admired her flushed, shy expression. Naoko, feeling his intense gaze, couldn’t bear it anymore and pressed her face back against his chest, humming softly.

After she calmed down a bit, Lei Yin said, “Today, I want to take the little one home for a visit. She’s been here for so long, and aside from Kazumi, no one else has seen her yet.”

Naoko smiled. “I wonder what your mom and Mr. Maeda will think when they see her.”

Lei Yin smiled back. “I’m curious to find out too.”