Chapter 275: The Future

Naoko looked closely at her and smiled, “Rumi, you’re very beautiful.”

“You… you’re too kind. Naoko-san is the truly beautiful one.”

Seeing Rumi still so tense, Naoko gently held her hands and said softly, “Rumi, I really like you. You’re a pure, kindhearted girl without any ulterior motives—no one could dislike spending time with someone like you.”

She paused briefly before continuing, “Tell me, do you like Masashi a lot?”

Rumi’s entire body stiffened as she stared at her in shock.

“Although I can already see the answer in your eyes, I still hope you can say it out loud. Can you?”

The girl didn’t respond, but her eyes, filled with fear and sadness, silently locked onto the beautiful woman before her.

Naoko waited patiently, saying nothing.

After what felt like an eternity, Rumi slowly lowered her head and said in a bitter but resolute voice, “Yes, I like Senpai.”

Before Naoko could reply, Rumi suddenly trembled and said, “Naoko-san, I… I won’t see Senpai again. I’m sorry…” With that, she stood up, ready to leave.

Naoko quickly grabbed her hand. “Rumi, please don’t misunderstand me. That’s not what I mean. Listen to me—don’t go.”

Unable to leave, Rumi lowered her head again and sat motionlessly.

Seeing tears steadily falling onto Rumi’s clothes, Naoko felt a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry, Rumi. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m not asking you to leave Masashi. I just don’t want us to have such awkward encounters in the future. I believe Masashi wouldn’t want that either. Listen to me, Rumi. I’m a woman too, so I understand how you feel about him. I came here only to say this: let the three of us take things as they come, okay?

“You’re still young. Maybe a few years from now, you’ll meet another remarkable boy and fall for him—or maybe you won’t. A girl as sweet as you will have plenty of choices in the future. For now, let’s keep things as they are, alright?”

Hearing her words, Rumi slowly lifted her head, her eyes full of confusion and unease.

Naoko took a handkerchief from her purse and gently wiped the tears from her face.

Afterward, Naoko smiled and said, “In my eyes, you’re still just a child. It’s too early for you to make any life-altering decisions. Let time decide everything for us. What do you think?”

“Naoko-san, I…” Rumi’s eyes filled with disbelief, mixed with hesitant joy and lingering apprehension, as if the resolution was too sudden for her to process.

Naoko smiled, then pulled her up from the sofa. “Come on, let’s go to the supermarket to buy ingredients for tonight’s dinner, okay? And call Kazumi to join us. Let’s have dinner together—the four of us.”

Rumi couldn’t find the words to respond and simply nodded blankly.

Seeing her agree, Naoko grabbed her purse and gently led her to the door.

At that moment, Rumi felt as if she were dreaming, the only thing grounding her being the soft warmth of the hand holding hers.

※※※

When Naoko returned to the apartment with him after walking her home, she couldn’t help but break the silence. “Why didn’t you ask me what I said to Rumi?”

Lei Yin smiled. “I don’t know the details, but I trust you wouldn’t hurt her.”

Naoko wasn’t satisfied with his answer. “Don’t you know women can be very possessive, especially about matters like this?”

Lei Yin shook his head. “To you, Rumi is just a child. That’s how I see her too. So, I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.”

Once again, Naoko found herself exposed by his insight. Feeling slightly indignant, she hugged his neck and playfully complained, “You always have to be right. Can’t you let me win just once?”

Lei Yin embraced her tightly. “Fine. Next time you ask me what one plus one equals, I’ll make sure to answer wrong.”

“Ugh, how insincere!”

Lei Yin chuckled, holding her even closer.

Resting comfortably in his arms, Naoko recounted everything she had said to Rumi earlier.

When she finished, Lei Yin smiled and asked, “Aren’t you worried?”

Naoko gazed at him deeply before leaning close to his ear and whispering, “Lei, I really like that child. If you want, I wouldn’t mind sharing you with her in the future.”

Lei Yin shook his head gently. “She deserves a better future. She’s still so young, with such a limited view of the world right now. Over the four years of college and the years afterward as she starts her career, she’ll experience and learn so much more. She’ll meet remarkable men and might come to realize that I was just her Senpai. After all, most first loves end in failure.”

“You did the right thing. What she needs is time to discover her future, to meet the people and events she’s destined to encounter. Making any decisions now would only lead to regret later.”

Seeing his calm expression, Naoko sighed softly in her heart. After all, he wasn’t a woman; it was hard for him to truly understand a woman’s thoughts. What he didn’t realize was that while feelings can be nurtured, love cannot. Some things, once rooted, can never be removed.

But for now, it was best to let everything stay as it was. Thinking this, Naoko rested her head gently against his chest, closing her eyes to listen to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

Afraid that Aiko might suddenly return, Lei Yin refrained from indulging in anything more passionate. Instead, he wrapped one arm around her back, leaving the other free to play with her soft, delicate feet, which resembled flawless jade.

Before long, Naoko’s face turned increasingly flushed, her breathing becoming labored. Despite feeling weak and overwhelmed with tingling sensations, a part of her didn’t want him to stop.

Lei Yin leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Tomorrow night, wait for me at the villa. No, I’ll come pick you up. Wear that black silk mini-dress I bought for you last time.”

“Can I come early? I want to cook dinner for you,” Naoko said, hugging his neck.

“As you wish, as long as you don’t find it troublesome,” Lei Yin replied indulgently, planting a kiss on her nose.

“Idiot, how could it ever be troublesome? Enough now, stop it. Aiko might be back any moment,” Naoko said breathlessly, her voice tinged with coquettishness.

Lei Yin was about to retort when he suddenly smiled bitterly. “You always speak so prophetically—she’s really back.”

Naoko immediately jumped out of his arms, hastily tidying herself and sitting upright beside him. Although her relationship with him was already established, she still wanted to maintain her dignity as an older sister in front of her younger sibling. Therefore, when Aiko was around, she avoided overly intimate actions.

Sure enough, moments later, the sound of keys turning came from the door.

“I’m back!” Aiko called loudly as she removed her shoes in the entryway.

“Have you eaten yet?” Naoko asked when Aiko entered the living room.

“I already did. Oh, so this guy is here too.”

“Hey, I’m your brother-in-law. What kind of attitude is that?” Lei Yin glared at her.

“So what? Besides, our stubborn old dad hasn’t even agreed to let you marry my sister yet,” Aiko teased deliberately.

Lei Yin shrugged nonchalantly. “Good, we were just discussing the details of eloping. What do you think—Hokkaido or Okinawa?”

Unable to argue with him, Aiko stuck out her tongue in defiance and then grabbed a soda from the fridge.

Seeing her sister’s tired expression, Naoko asked, “What’s wrong?”

Aiko sighed. “It’s because of Ai.”

“Is she still not better?”

“She’s awake, but her condition is terrible. Although her body is mostly fine now, she sometimes suddenly clutches her head and screams in pain. It’s terrifying. When the doctor first mentioned it, we didn’t believe it, but after seeing her episodes with my own eyes, I was genuinely scared.”

After taking a sip of soda, Aiko continued, “During her episodes, she acts like… a madwoman.” Feeling the term was too harsh for her friend, she quickly corrected herself, “Like she’s lost control—screaming and banging her head against the wall. It’s truly horrifying. Every time this happens, the doctors and nurses have no choice but to restrain her and administer sedatives.”

“How did this happen?”

“The doctor said it might be due to the severe impact when she was hit by the car, which caused brain damage. Sometimes, I really feel like killing that damn driver.”

“Is there any treatment?”

“They don’t know yet. The doctors still aren’t sure which part of her brain is damaged, so they need to do further tests before considering surgery. Ai’s father is already planning to take her to the U.S. for treatment.”

Naoko’s heart ached. “I didn’t expect something like this to happen.”

Lei Yin, who had been listening silently, felt pity for Ai but remained emotionally unaffected, having seen too much of life’s transience over the years.

Glancing at the time, Lei Yin stood up and said, “I should go.”

Naoko immediately got up to see him out.

At the door, Naoko suddenly hugged him tightly. “Lei, be careful driving.”

Seeing the worry on her face, Lei Yin realized that Ai’s situation had deeply unsettled her.

Hugging her slender waist in return, Lei Yin kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon.”

Naoko’s expression softened slightly but still didn’t let go. Instead, she said in a low voice, “Lei, I’ve realized that happiness isn’t guaranteed.”

Lei Yin stroked her hair gently. “It’s a good thing you’re not working in a hospital; otherwise, you might not last a week. Listen to me—stop overthinking it. Once you’re back, go straight to bed and sleep. Got it?”

Hearing his commanding tone filled her with a sense of sweetness, and her anxiety lessened considerably.

Reluctantly letting him go, Naoko stood at the door, watching as he got into his car. Only after his car disappeared from sight did she slowly return to her apartment.