Chapter 254: Powerless

“Kazumi, you’re here.” As soon as he saw her, Ogata Yasuda immediately showed a gentlemanly demeanor and pulled out a chair for her.

“Did Shinobu invite you here?” After sitting down, Kazumi asked, frowning slightly.

“Yes,” Ogata Yasuda smiled and answered.

“Where is she now?”

“I’m not sure, but I can give her a call and ask.” He then took out his phone from his suit pocket.

After a while, the call seemed to connect, and Ogata Yasuda said, “Shinobu, where are you?”

“Yes, Kazumi has already arrived. Where are you now?”

“Alright, I understand. Wait a moment.”

Ogata Yasuda suddenly handed the phone to Kazumi and said, “Kazumi, Shinobu wants to talk to you.”

Kazumi gave him a glance before taking the phone.

While she was on the call, Ogata Yasuda silently watched her.

Thanks to Takeshima Shinobu, he had finally seen her in a dress again, and tonight, she looked particularly captivating.

After finishing the call with Takeshima Shinobu, Kazumi returned the phone to Ogata Yasuda, her face showing a strange expression.

Originally, she had come here because Takeshima Shinobu had insisted on treating her to dinner when she paid the salary two days ago. Though Kazumi thought it was a bit of an overreaction, she had agreed under her friend’s stubborn insistence.

However, just now, that person had told her over the phone that she wouldn’t be coming and asked Kazumi to dine with Ogata Yasuda instead. Takeshima Shinobu mentioned that today was Ogata Yasuda’s birthday, and she hoped Kazumi would spend the evening with him. She also mentioned that this man had gone to Miyu Himeko to clear his name earlier, and now Takeshima Shinobu hoped Kazumi could give him a chance to have a pleasant evening together.

Kazumi felt helpless at Takeshima Shinobu’s clearly playful behavior. No wonder she had insisted on telling her to wear a dress—she had already planned to present her as a birthday gift.

“I understand, thank you, Shinobu.”

After hanging up the phone, Ogata Yasuda smiled and said, “This whole thing wasn’t my idea; it was all Shinobu’s, but I’m truly grateful to her.”

Kazumi looked into his eyes and said, “Don’t tell me you had no idea about this.”

Ogata Yasuda was about to give a definite answer, but when he saw her gaze, the words got stuck in his throat.

After a moment, he smiled bitterly and said, “You guessed it right. I did hint to Shinobu that I would love to have dinner with you for my birthday.” Then, he nervously looked at her expression.

Kazumi didn’t speak but gave him a deep look.

Seeing her reaction, Ogata Yasuda felt even more nervous. He was afraid she might suddenly stand up and walk away.

At that moment, Kazumi suddenly picked up the menu from the table and started flipping through it.

Seeing this, Ogata Yasuda’s heart soared. He knew she had agreed to stay, and he silently rejoiced that he hadn’t lied earlier.

“Kazumi, their steak and lobster are pretty good. How about we order one of each?” Ogata Yasuda eagerly suggested.

“Anything’s fine.” Kazumi didn’t continue looking and casually closed the menu.

Ogata Yasuda’s face lit up. He immediately called the waiter over to place the order.

After the order was placed, Kazumi said, “Just so you know, we’ll split the bill.”

Upon hearing this, Ogata Yasuda, who was drinking water, nearly choked.

After coughing a bit awkwardly, Ogata Yasuda smiled bitterly and said, “It’s just a meal; there’s no need to be so particular about it, right?”

“I don’t like owing anyone favors,” Kazumi replied calmly.

Ogata Yasuda looked helplessly at the woman, stubborn to the point of being unyielding.

Fortunately, during the meal, Kazumi wasn’t entirely unapproachable. Occasionally, she would speak, though it often seemed like the two were bickering to an outside observer—and indeed, that was often the case. Ogata Yasuda realized, however, that she wasn’t deliberately antagonistic; she just spoke sharply whenever their views clashed.

Although their conversation lacked any romantic undertones, Ogata Yasuda felt genuinely happy. After all, in the past, she wouldn’t have even agreed to have dinner with him. He also thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of their banter.

When it came time to pay, Ogata Yasuda was stunned to see Kazumi actually take out a credit card and hand it to the server, insisting on splitting the bill.

The server, seeing two credit cards placed on the tray, gave Ogata Yasuda a strange look. After all, in his experience, it was rare—if not unheard of—for a well-dressed man in a designer suit to dine with a woman at such a restaurant and have her pay half the bill.

Ogata Yasuda knew exactly what the server was thinking. Embarrassed and frustrated, he glared at the man.

When the server walked off to settle the bill, Ogata Yasuda looked at Kazumi, who was calmly sipping her water, and couldn’t help but smile bitterly again.

After they left the restaurant, Ogata Yasuda invited Kazumi to see a movie, but she declined. Left with no other option, he drove her home.

When they reached the area near Kazumi’s apartment, Ogata Yasuda parked the car. Just as Kazumi was about to get out, Ogata Yasuda suddenly followed and called out to her.

Kazumi stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him.

“Can I ask you a question?” Ogata Yasuda said.

“What is it?”

“After all this time we’ve spent together, do you really not feel anything for me at all? I hope you’ll answer me honestly,” Ogata Yasuda asked, his gaze serious.

Kazumi looked at him for a moment before replying, “Ogata, give up. Stop wasting your time on me. Maybe then we can at least remain ordinary friends.”

Ogata Yasuda suddenly grew agitated and said, “Kazumi, don’t you understand how I feel by now? Do you think I’d spend so much time and effort if this were just a game? I don’t want to be just your ordinary friend. I want you to be my girlfriend.”

Kazumi remained silent for a moment before replying, “Whether your feelings are genuine or not makes no difference to me. And it’s not just you—this applies to any other man as well. Maybe that will make you feel better. I’ll say it again: stop wasting your time. It’s not good for either of us.” With that, she turned to leave.

As she walked away, Ogata Yasuda suddenly called out, “You say you feel the same about all men. Does that include your brother?”

Kazumi froze mid-step.

Slowly, she turned around, her eyes as cold as ice. “What do you mean by that?” she asked, her voice frosty.

Ogata Yasuda’s face twisted with pain. “You tell me I’m wasting my time, but aren’t you also wasting yours? You know very well that if you continue like this, it will lead nowhere.”

“Shut up!” Kazumi shouted angrily.

Ogata Yasuda glanced at her, then continued, “Kazumi, stop being so stubborn. It’s completely meaningless.”

Without looking at him again, Kazumi turned and walked quickly toward her apartment.

Watching her retreating figure, Ogata Yasuda let out a bitter smile, then leaned tiredly against his car.

The next morning, when Takeshima Shinobu came into the living room after freshening up, she was startled to see Kazumi curled up on the sofa. She was hugging her knees tightly, her forehead resting against them, fast asleep.

Seeing her still dressed in the same outfit from last night, Takeshima Shinobu couldn’t help but wonder if she had been sitting there since returning home without going to bed.

Wasn’t she with Ogata-senpai for dinner last night? Why didn’t she sleep in her room after coming back? The more Takeshima Shinobu thought about it, the more concerned she became. She walked over and gently nudged Kazumi.

“Kazumi, Kazumi,” she called softly while lightly shaking her friend’s shoulder.

After a moment, Kazumi finally stirred. She slowly raised her head to look at Takeshima Shinobu.

“You’re awake? Why are you sitting here like this?” Takeshima Shinobu asked, puzzled.

“What time is it?” Kazumi asked groggily, her mind still foggy. She felt a sharp pain in her head, and her entire body ached with discomfort.

Unaware of anything amiss, Takeshima Shinobu replied, “It’s already 8 o’clock. Have you been sitting here since last night?”

“Mm,” Kazumi mumbled as she attempted to stand up.

However, as soon as she rose, she felt a sudden wave of dizziness and quickly grabbed the back of the sofa for support.

Noticing her unusual state, Takeshima Shinobu asked urgently, “Are you okay?”

“My head hurts,” Kazumi said, rubbing her temples.

Takeshima Shinobu reached out to feel Kazumi’s forehead and found it warm to the touch. “You have a fever. You might have caught a cold. Don’t go to class today; I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Kazumi, feeling chills creeping through her body, didn’t want to go to the hospital. She replied, “I’ll just take some cold medicine and rest. I want to sleep, Shinobu. Take Rumi to class; don’t worry about me.” With that, she went to fetch the medicine.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go? I think you should see a doctor.”

“I don’t want to go to the hospital.” Kazumi downed a glass of water along with the medicine, then headed back to her room.

Seeing her insistence, Takeshima Shinobu reluctantly let the matter go.

When Rumi woke up and learned that Kazumi was sick, she too was very worried. However, to avoid disturbing her, she only peeked in on Kazumi from outside her room before reluctantly leaving for school with Takeshima Shinobu.

Around noon, still worried, Takeshima Shinobu decided to return to the apartment. Rumi had wanted to come as well, but Takeshima Shinobu reassured her that one person checking in was enough. Rumi eventually agreed and stayed at school.

Upon reaching the apartment, Takeshima Shinobu knocked on Kazumi’s door a few times but received no response. Gently, she pushed the door open.

Seeing her friend sound asleep on the bed, Takeshima Shinobu sat down by her side. She placed her hand on Kazumi’s forehead to check her temperature and was alarmed to find it even hotter than it had been that morning.

Realizing that things couldn’t go on like this, Takeshima Shinobu had no choice but to shake her friend awake. “Kazumi, wake up. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

However, no matter how much she shook her, Kazumi didn’t wake up.

Deeply worried, Takeshima Shinobu took out her phone to call for help. Once she knew the person was on their way, her heart finally calmed down a little.

After thinking for a moment, she went to the bathroom, dampened a towel with water, wrung it out, and placed it on Kazumi’s forehead.

Watching her friend’s sleeping face, Takeshima Shinobu couldn’t help but fall into deep thought. She knew Kazumi had caught a cold because she had spent the whole night in the living room. But what exactly had happened between her and Ogata-senpai the previous night?

Just then, she suddenly heard Kazumi mumbling. Thinking she was awake, Takeshima Shinobu quickly turned to look. But Kazumi’s eyes were still closed, and it was clear she was talking in her sleep.

Curious about what Kazumi was saying, Takeshima Shinobu leaned closer to listen.

※※※

When Kazumi finally woke up, she felt completely drained of strength. Her head throbbed, and her entire body ached as though her bones were being pricked with needles.

After a while, she heard the sound of the door opening, followed by a familiar voice. “Awake?” The person spoke as they placed their palm on her forehead to check her temperature.

“Am I about to die?” Kazumi asked weakly, even speaking being a struggle.

For someone who was rarely sick, falling ill often hit them harder than most, and Kazumi was no exception.

“Don’t be silly. You’re not that fragile. Don’t worry, your fever’s gone down. Do you want some water?”

“Mm,” Kazumi replied feebly.

Lei Yin helped her sit up and held the cup to her lips, tilting it carefully to let the water flow into her mouth.

After drinking half a cup, Kazumi felt slightly better.

Once he helped her lie back down and tucked her in, Lei Yin smiled and said, “This is rare. I never thought even you could catch a cold. Is this the first time you’ve been sick since high school? This deserves a commemoration.”

“Idiot. You still have the nerve to make jokes,” Kazumi retorted, glaring at him despite her headache.

Lei Yin smiled, using a damp towel to wipe the sweat off her forehead. “Are you hungry? How about I make you some noodles?”

“I don’t want to eat.”

“Alright, we’ll leave it until later. Just sleep for now. If you need anything, call me. I’ll be just outside in the living room.”

“Brother, can you stay with me?” Kazumi suddenly asked softly as she saw him about to leave.

Seeing this rare moment of vulnerability from Kazumi, Lei Yin nodded. He went to the living room, grabbed a chair, and brought it to her bedside to sit down.

Once seated, Lei Yin said, “Alright, go back to sleep. I’ll wake you up when it’s time to eat.”

“But I can’t fall asleep.”

“Is that so? How about I tell you a story to help you sleep?” Lei Yin teased with a smile.

“Silly, I’m not a child. But fine, let’s hear it.”

“Alright, listen. Once upon a time, there were three porcupines.”

Kazumi couldn’t help but laugh and scold him, “Three porcupines? It’s three little pigs, not porcupines!”

“You don’t understand. Those pigs were actually porcupines because they had really long quills. But in the West, where people also have long body hair, they mistook the porcupines for regular pigs.”

“Utter nonsense,” Kazumi said, laughing despite herself.

“Just listen,” Lei Yin continued. “So, the three porcupines built three houses. The first one made his house out of straw—it was not only the easiest but also the most eco-friendly option. Because of this, that porcupine eventually became the mascot of many environmental organizations. But that’s a story for another time. The second porcupine built a wooden house. Its advantage was that it was warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but the downside was that you couldn’t cook inside it. As for the third porcupine, it built its house out of stainless steel.”

“That’s ridiculous! Stainless steel? Really?” Kazumi rolled her eyes.

“Stop interrupting! Just listen. Anyway, after finishing their houses, the three porcupines each planned to find a mate and settle down. But nearby, a wolf had escaped from the zoo. This wolf wanted to roast them into suckling pigs, so it went after the three porcupines. On that day, the three brothers were playing cards in the eldest’s straw house. When the wolf tried to disguise itself as a door-to-door salesman to sneak in, the brothers ignored it because they all hated salespeople. Enraged, the wolf took a deep breath and blew with all its might, easily collapsing the eldest’s eco-friendly straw house. The three porcupines immediately ran to the second brother’s wooden house. But let me clarify something here: theoretically, pigs can’t outrun a wolf. The only reason the brothers escaped was that the wolf had blown so hard it got temporarily lightheaded from lack of oxygen.”

Kazumi covered her mouth, laughing as Lei Yin continued to spin his ridiculous tale.

“When the three brothers reached the wooden house, the wolf tried to blow it down too. But the wooden house was much sturdier than the straw one, so it wouldn’t budge no matter how hard the wolf huffed and puffed. Luckily for the wolf, it had grabbed a jackhammer and a chainsaw while escaping from the zoo. Using these tools, it quickly sawed the wooden house to pieces. The brothers had no choice but to flee once again, this time to the youngest’s stainless steel house. And again, let me clarify: theoretically, pigs can’t outrun a wolf. The only reason the brothers escaped this time was that the collapsing wooden house accidentally fell on the wolf, pinning it down temporarily.

“When the wolf finally reached the last house and saw it was made of stainless steel, it tried using the jackhammer and chainsaw again, but no matter what it did, it couldn’t break in. After a long time, the wolf finally figured out the house’s weakness. Standing outside, it yelled, ‘Listen up, pigs! You’re surrounded! Surrender immediately, or I’ll resort to violence!’ The three porcupines didn’t believe the wolf and thought it was bluffing, so they ignored it. The wolf then dismantled the jackhammer, pulled out the wires, and hooked them up to the stainless steel house. Finally, it flipped the power switch…”

At this point, Lei Yin suddenly shuddered, pretending to be electrocuted, and laughed. “The three porcupines were zapped like crazy. The wolf electrocuted them a few more times until they couldn’t take it anymore and opened the door to surrender. Feeling triumphant, the wolf was just about to eat them when suddenly, a dozen police cars arrived. It turned out the zookeepers had called the cops. In the end, the wolf was taken back to the zoo, and the three porcupines, though their quills were permanently frizzed from the shocks, were otherwise unharmed. They each found their mates and lived happily ever after. The end.”

By the time Lei Yin finished, Kazumi was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face.

No matter what others said, being able to stay by his side was enough for her. As Kazumi laughed, she silently made a decision in her heart.