Chapter 289: Call

“Rumi, are you really not joining the school trip this time?”

“Since the Kendo Club has training camp, I don’t have a choice.”

“But you don’t seem the least bit upset. Is training camp really that much fun?”

“Actually, I don’t want to go either, but I’m a new member, so I can’t skip it.”

“You’re smiling kind of weirdly. Are you hiding something from us?”

“No, of course not.”

“Really?” The other girl’s suspicion deepened as she observed her.

“Of course not. By the way, what are you planning for summer vacation?” The kendo girl quickly changed the subject.

The other girl sighed. “What else can I do? Just go home and relax. Keiko’s the lucky one—she gets to spend time alone with her boyfriend. Are you planning to stay at his place?”

“Stop making things up! We’ve only just started dating, and he’s planning to work during the summer, so he won’t have time for me. I’m going home, too.”

“What about you, Rumi? Are you going back to Hokkaido after training camp?”

“What?” The kendo girl, lost in thought, snapped to attention when her name was called.

“Hey, what’s on your mind?”

Embarrassed, the kendo girl apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

“I asked if you’re going back to Hokkaido after training camp.”

“Probably.”

“‘Probably’? You’re definitely hiding something from us. Be honest, have you gotten a boyfriend?”

“No way! Stop guessing!”

Just as the other two girls were about to press her further, a phone rang, rescuing the flustered girl.

“Senpai, where are you?”

“I see. I’ll head over right now.”

After ending the call, Rumi turned to her friends. “Sorry, I have to go. Let’s talk later tonight, okay?” With that, she hurriedly left.

“That girl’s definitely acting strange. Do you think she really has a boyfriend?”

“Probably not. She seems the same as usual—not like someone who’s started dating.”

When Rumi arrived at the school cafeteria, she quickly spotted Lei Yin sitting with Takeshima Shinobu, Takeda, and a few others. Amy was by his side, engrossed in a comic book, while Shiraishi Akira sat quietly, listening to the conversation.

It had been almost a week since their exams ended, and she hadn’t seen him during that time. Seeing him again now, Rumi felt a rush of excitement she couldn’t quite explain. Without thinking further, she briskly walked over to them.

“Senpai,” she called softly as she approached him from behind.

Lei Yin turned to her with a smile. “You’re here. Have a seat.”

“Okay.” Rumi hesitated, then lowered her head and sat down next to him, avoiding his gaze.

Takeshima Shinobu, who had been discussing travel plans with Yoshikawa and Takeda, noticed her arrival and immediately asked, “Rumi, did you check your grades? How did you do?”

“Not bad.”

“What do you mean by ‘not bad’? Do you think you’ll qualify for this year’s scholarship? Kazumi is amazing—just like last year, she’s gotten the top-tier scholarship again. She’s a real monster.”

Yoshikawa chimed in proudly, “Akira and I should qualify for scholarships too, though mine will likely be third-tier. He might get the top tier.”

Blushing slightly, the kendo girl said, “The teacher said I should be able to get the top-tier scholarship as well.”

Takeshima Shinobu clicked her tongue in disbelief. “You and Kazumi are both monsters. Compared to you, I really feel ashamed. Except for that one time in my first year when I got a second-tier scholarship, I won’t even make the third-tier this year.”

Takeda tried to comfort her. “Don’t stress about it. You won’t have to worry about this anymore anyway.”

Takeshima Shinobu glared at him. “You, barely scraping by at the passing line, have no right to say that to me!”

“Pfft, I just don’t care about these meaningless titles,” Takeda retorted.

Takeshima Shinobu immediately made a mock gagging gesture.

Rumi asked, “Senpai, where’s Kazumi?”

Takeshima Shinobu responded, “She wasn’t feeling well, so she didn’t come to class today. After we finish here, we’ll go back to the apartment to check on her. You must be hungry. Let’s order something.”

As Rumi handed him the menu, she suddenly stared at him in surprise. “Senpai, did you cut your hair?”

Lei Yin laughed. “You’re the first to notice. None of them even realized. I took Amy to get a haircut, and while waiting, I got mine done too.”

Rumi couldn’t help but laugh. “Even a haircut can be done on the side like that?”

Lei Yin continued, “In a couple of days, summer vacation officially starts. When is your Kendo Club planning to start the training camp?”

“The morning of the first day of vacation. We’ll meet at school.”

“If I have time, Kazumi and I can come check on you during the camp.”

“Really?” Rumi was both surprised and delighted.

“I said if I have time. There’s no guarantee I’ll actually be able to make it.”

“Come on, don’t get my hopes up for nothing. I don’t care—you have to come see me, Senpai!”

“See, I shouldn’t have said anything in the first place.”

“No take-backs!” The kendo girl, in high spirits, deliberately avoided looking at him and happily opened the menu to browse.

Seeing her reaction, Lei Yin couldn’t help but smile.

※※※

“Big brother, I’m scared.”

“Don’t be. It’ll just hurt for a moment, and then it’ll be fine.”

“…”

“Forget it. I don’t feel any pain now anyway.”

“No way. You had a fever from this yesterday. If you don’t get it removed, it’ll just get infected again sooner or later.”

“Then why didn’t you have any problems when your wisdom teeth came in?”

Lei Yin grinned smugly. “Sorry, but my wisdom teeth grew in perfectly—not only straight but fully erupted as well. And for the record, it didn’t hurt at all when they came in. That’s incredibly rare. Maybe only two or three people out of a hundred are as lucky as me. So, there’s no use being jealous.”

“Ugh, that’s so unfair!” Kazumi glared at him, clearly upset.

At that moment, a nurse approached. “Miss Gennai, it’s your turn. You can go in now.”

Kazumi’s expression immediately showed fear.

“Big brother, maybe we should just forget it. It might heal on its own in a few days,” she said quietly.

Lei Yin sighed in exasperation. “Come on, you’re a college student. Don’t act like a kid afraid of the dentist. It’s just a tooth extraction—it’ll be over in a few minutes.”

Seeing how nonchalant he was about it, Kazumi retorted angrily, “It’s easy for you to say since you’re not the one getting it done! I looked this up online. They said removing a wisdom tooth takes much longer than a regular extraction. If the tooth is too short to be pulled out, they even have to cut into the gum to get it. Just thinking about it makes me feel sick! Can’t you show a little sympathy?”

Lei Yin leaned back lazily. “You’re well-informed. Then you should also know that in your case, extraction is absolutely necessary.”

Hearing this, Kazumi’s confidence instantly deflated. She muttered, “It’s just a bit misaligned. Besides, it’s so far back—who’s going to see it anyway?”

Lei Yin rolled his eyes. “Seriously? Did you forget how swollen your face was yesterday? Fine, I’ll come in with you. Honestly, you’re such a troublesome kid.” With that, he grabbed her hand and started walking toward the dentist’s office.

“Let go! I don’t want to go in!” Kazumi struggled to free herself.

Ignoring her protests, Lei Yin dragged her inside.

The nurse behind them covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

About ten minutes later, Lei Yin emerged from the dentist’s office, supporting a pale-faced and unsteady Kazumi.

The same nurse came over with a small bag of medication. “Miss Gennai, here are some anti-inflammatory pills. Please take them as prescribed to avoid infection.”

Lei Yin took the bag and said, “Thank you. I’ll make sure she takes them on time.”

After settling the bill, Lei Yin helped Kazumi out of the clinic.

Once they got into the car, Lei Yin was about to fasten his seatbelt when Kazumi spoke softly, “Big brother, can we not go home yet? I don’t want Rumi or Shinobu to see me like this.”

Lei Yin couldn’t help but laugh. She was always so stubborn.

“How about we go back to my apartment instead?”

“Okay,” Kazumi replied weakly.

After fastening her seatbelt, Lei Yin started the car and drove off.

Back at Lei Yin’s apartment, Kazumi’s complexion had improved slightly and wasn’t as pale as before.

After turning on the TV, Lei Yin went to the kitchen to pour her a glass of water. Returning to her side, he opened the bag of medication.

“Take one pill now, and another after dinner tonight. Stick to a liquid diet for the next couple of days. You can stay here for dinner; I’ll make some porridge for you.” While speaking, Lei Yin handed her the prescribed medication.

Kazumi took the medicine and swallowed it with the water.

Seeing her frown after taking the medicine, Lei Yin asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It tastes like blood.”

“It’s normal for there to be some blood mixed in after having a tooth pulled. Does it still hurt?”

“It seems to be hurting more now—probably because the anesthesia is wearing off. Brother, can you talk to me for a bit? Distract me.” Kazumi looked at him with a pained expression.

Lei Yin nodded and smiled. “Your classmates would never guess that you’re terrified of things like shots and tooth extractions. Last time you had a cold, you avoided the hospital because you didn’t want an injection. If they found out, they’d be shocked. But Rumi is pretty similar to you in that regard.”

“Make sure they never find out.”

“You’re such a fool. There’s no need to keep up appearances in front of them. No matter what, you’re just an ordinary girl. Everyone’s afraid of pain—there’s nothing shameful about that.”

Kazumi leaned her head lightly on his shoulder and softly said, “I don’t want to, but I’m just used to being like this. It’s hard to change all at once. Only you know how weak I actually am.”

Gently stroking her hair, Lei Yin smiled. “You’ve always done well. I’m proud of you.”

Kazumi didn’t respond, just leaned quietly against him, enjoying the long-lost feeling of his hand stroking her hair.

It had been so long since she’d been alone with him like this. Kazumi suddenly felt grateful to the wisdom tooth that had forced her into this situation.

“Brother, if I weren’t your sister, would you still be this good to me?” she asked softly.

“Why are you asking such a silly question all of a sudden?”

“Just answer me.”

“My answer is: who knows? If you weren’t Gennai Masashi’s sister, we might never have met. Even if we did, with your personality, you’d probably just treat me like some random guy on the street.”

“That’s such a cold-hearted answer. But you’re wrong about one thing. If we weren’t siblings and I happened to meet you someday, I definitely wouldn’t treat you like a random stranger.”

“Like a random passerby instead?”

“Idiot.”

…

When Kazumi opened her eyes, she saw a white ceiling. For a moment, she was completely disoriented and unsure of where she was.

After sitting up and looking around, she remembered that she was in her brother’s apartment.

Seeing the thin blanket covering her, she smiled faintly.

Suddenly, the aroma of soup wafted in, followed by the sound of dishes being washed in the kitchen.

“Awake? Perfect timing—I was just about to wake you,” Lei Yin said, walking out of the kitchen with a bowl and spoon. He placed them on the table in front of the sofa.

“What time is it?” Kazumi asked groggily.

“Seven-thirty in the evening. Go wash your face, and then come eat something.”

As he spoke, Kazumi realized she was indeed hungry, so she got up and went to the bathroom.

When she returned to the sofa, she was surprised to see a pot of steaming borscht on the table.

“Did you make this?”

“Of course. Do you think any restaurant around here can make borscht this good? There’s also some bread. Tear off pieces and dip them in the soup. This should be more filling than just eating porridge.” As Lei Yin spoke, he set everything up.

Kazumi took a tentative sip of the soup and looked at him as if she’d seen a ghost. “You can actually cook? My god, is there anything you can’t do? If Rumi found out, she’d probably cry.”

Lei Yin replied while eating, “I usually don’t bother, but I can cook once in a while. If I had to cook every day, I’d rather live on instant noodles.”

“Lazy to an infuriating degree,” Kazumi said irritably.

“Hey, don’t forget who made this soup.”

“And who’s the one who often comes over to cook and clean for you?”

“Did that ever happen? I don’t recall.”

“Care to say that again?” Kazumi asked with a sly smile.

“Ahem, the weather’s nice today.”

“Hmph, sneaky guy.” Kazumi glared at him.

Lei Yin couldn’t help but laugh.

As they chatted lightly while eating, a sudden ringtone interrupted them.