Chapter 299: Story

“Ah, there are so many mosquitoes here.”

“Well, who told you to come out wearing just your pajamas? The mosquitoes must be grateful to you for bringing them a midnight snack.” Lei Yin teased indifferently.

“But why are they only biting me and not you?” she asked, realizing she had been so eager to see him that she hadn’t thought about changing her clothes. Even the shoes she wore were just the hotel slippers.

“Because the female mosquitoes have a special fondness for me, so they can’t bear to bite me. Here, apply this on your arms and feet.” Lei Yin casually handed her a tiny jar, no bigger than a thumb.

“So, you had mosquito repellent this whole time? Ugh, why didn’t you take it out earlier? I’ve already been bitten several times!” Rumi grumbled as she opened the small jar. She dipped her finger into the ointment and began applying it to her exposed arms and feet.

Lei Yin chuckled. “If I didn’t let you suffer a little, you’d think we were just playing a ghost-hunting game.”

“You’re so mean, Senpai. Oh, this ointment feels cool when I put it on—it’s so comfortable. And it smells nice, too.” Rumi eagerly applied more to her arms.

“Hey, can you keep your voice down? Or are you worried the underwear thief won’t hear us?”

Only then did Rumi remember why they were sitting there. Embarrassed, she stuck out her tongue a little.

After a moment, she leaned closer to Lei Yin and whispered, “Senpai, do you think that person will come back tonight?”

“I don’t know. People who do these kinds of things usually have psychological issues, so it’s hard to predict their behavior logically. But if they know you’re leaving in a few days, they might hurry to grab more ‘souvenirs.’ It depends on whether your underwear is enticing enough to lure them back.”

Hearing this, Rumi’s face flushed, and she couldn’t help but softly complain, “Senpai, that’s a bit too much.”

“What is?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“Fine, don’t tell me. I’m not that curious anyway.”

After sitting for a while, Rumi unconsciously looked up. Suddenly, she was delighted to see the sky filled with countless stars. She excitedly tugged at his sleeve and said, “Senpai, look! There are so many stars in the sky!”

Lei Yin glanced up. The night sky was indeed dotted with countless twinkling stars.

“Senpai, do you know where the Big Dipper is?” Rumi asked, searching for the legendary constellation shaped like a ladle.

“In the north,” Lei Yin answered confidently.

“I know it’s in the north, but which way is north? Senpai, can you help me find the Big Dipper?”

“No. Looking up for too long makes my neck sore.”

“Then I’ll give you a massage! Please, help me find it. I really want to see the Big Dipper.” Rumi shook his arm persistently, pleading.

Lei Yin sighed, unable to refuse. “Fine.” He tilted his head up to search for the constellation.

Seeing him seriously trying to find it, Rumi happily placed her hands on his shoulders and began to massage him.

“How does it feel, dear customer? Is my massage to your liking?” she asked with a laugh.

“You must be new here. What kind of massage is this? It feels more like you’re scratching an itch,” Lei Yin replied casually as he continued to search.

Rumi glared at him, half-amused and half-annoyed, then pressed harder with her hands.

“Ouch! Murder! Someone call the manager! I want to file a complaint and ask for someone else!” Lei Yin cried dramatically.

“Sorry, but I’m both the manager and the only employee of this establishment, so your complaint is invalid,” Rumi replied with mock seriousness, trying to hold back her laughter.

“No wonder your business is so bad. This is clearly a shady establishment.”

Finally, Rumi couldn’t hold it in any longer. She leaned against his back and laughed uncontrollably. Realizing her laughter was a bit loud, she quickly covered her mouth with her hands to stifle it.

Her laughter was contagious, and Lei Yin chuckled softly.

After a while, he pointed to a group of stars. “There’s the Big Dipper you were looking for.”

Rumi immediately widened her eyes and looked in the direction he was pointing.

“Each star is so bright, and it really does look like a ladle!” She studied it carefully for a moment, her excitement making her seem like a child.

Lei Yin lazily said, “Constellations don’t have fixed shapes. Whatever you think they look like, that’s what they are. To me, it doesn’t look much like a ladle—more like a flyswatter, the electric kind.”

“Senpai, that’s so mean! You totally ruined such a romantic moment.”

Lei Yin chuckled. “You kids just have too much imagination.”

Leaning her back against his shoulder, Rumi looked up at the star-filled sky and said, “It’s so beautiful. If only things could stay like this forever. Senpai, what other constellations are near the Big Dipper?”

“The Big Dipper is actually part of the Ursa Major constellation. Its seven stars form the bear’s back and tail.”

“Ursa Major? Those stars don’t look like a bear at all.” Rumi stared at the sky, unable to see the shape.

“You have to include the dimmer surrounding stars in your imagination. But you’ll have to figure it out yourself.”

“Senpai, I heard that every constellation has a story. Is that true?”

Lei Yin had a bad feeling but replied, “Yes, that’s true.”

“Then tell me the story of the Ursa Major constellation.” Rumi smiled expectantly.

Lei Yin inwardly groaned. “Those are just made-up mythological stories. They’re not very interesting.”

“But I really want to hear them. Please tell me, Senpai.”

Knowing she wouldn’t give up, Lei Yin reluctantly began telling the story. He had read a wide variety of books, from the Bible to Freud’s psychoanalytic theories, so he easily recalled these constellation myths.

After finishing the story, Rumi immediately asked about Aquarius, her own zodiac sign.

Lei Yin sighed and told her the story of Aquarius. But since Rumi only knew a few constellations—mainly the 12 zodiac signs commonly recognized—she eagerly asked for another story as soon as he finished.

Thinking there was still plenty of time and not wanting to dampen her enthusiasm, Lei Yin continued, story after story.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but when he was halfway through the story of Leo, Rumi suddenly leaned forward and fell into his arms.

Lei Yin smiled wryly and gently adjusted her position, letting her lean against his chest more comfortably.

Taking out his phone to check the time, he realized it was already past midnight—over half an hour later than they’d originally agreed. He couldn’t help feeling he’d been taken advantage of.

Listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing, Lei Yin faced two choices: carry her back to the hotel or wake her up to go on her own.

After some thought, he decided on the latter. The hotel was full of students from Teikyo, and if anyone saw him carrying her, it would surely spark gossip. While he didn’t care, he couldn’t disregard Rumi’s reputation.

“Rumi, wake up.” After gently shaking her a few times, the kendo girl’s eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

“What is it, Senpai?” she asked groggily.

“You fell asleep while listening to the story. It’s late now, so you should head back to bed.”

Rumi immediately protested. “Senpai, you’re going back on your word! It’s not time yet, and you’re trying to send me away.”

Lei Yin knocked her lightly on the head, then held his phone in front of her. “You dare say it’s not time? It’s already past midnight.”

“What? It’s already time?” She thought for a moment before looking at him suspiciously. “Senpai, you didn’t secretly change the time while I was sleeping, did you?”

Lei Yin nearly choked. “You’re the only one who’d do something that childish. Now go to bed!”

“Fine, I’ll go. You’re always so mean to me.” Grumbling, Rumi reluctantly stood up.

Just as she was about to step out of the bushes, Lei Yin suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist from behind and pulled her down. At the same time, he covered her mouth with his other hand.

Rumi had never expected her senpai to make such a move. By the time she realized it, her body was already pressed tightly against his chest.

In that instant, her heart seemed to stop. But immediately afterward, as if to make up for that pause, it started racing at an unprecedented speed. The side effect of this rapid heartbeat was a chaotic breathing rhythm.

As the warmth from his body seeped through her back, she felt like her entire body was on fire.

“Don’t make a sound. Someone’s coming,” Lei Yin whispered softly into her ear. Then he let go of her and crouched down nearby, quietly watching the scene ahead.

His words instantly snapped Rumi back to reality, but at the same time, an inexplicable sense of disappointment welled up inside her.

After a moment, she lightly slapped her own face to refocus. Peeking through the gaps in the bushes, she didn’t see anyone, but she trusted that her senpai wouldn’t be wrong. So she remained quiet, waiting.

A few seconds later, she finally spotted a shadowy figure sneaking near the balcony.

Glancing back at Lei Yin, she noticed the faint smile on his face, like a predator watching its prey.

“Senpai, is it that person?” Rumi whispered.

“Let’s see what he does next,” Lei Yin replied.

Rumi watched as the figure lingered near the area for a while before slowly moving under the balcony. Then, he began climbing up using the first-floor windows for support.

This traditional three-story inn, designed in a Japanese style, had balconies on the second floor just over two meters above the ground. With the help of the windows, it wasn’t too difficult to climb up.

However, the man still appeared to struggle. After several attempts, he finally managed to grab hold of the balcony’s edge and awkwardly pull himself up.

Lei Yin chuckled. “It seems being an underwear thief isn’t easy. Look at him climbing up—he’s like a frog dangling on a string. If the balcony were a little higher, he’d probably fall and break something.”

Rumi couldn’t help but laugh, finding the comparison amusing.

From their hiding spot, Lei Yin could clearly see the man pulling underwear and lingerie off the balcony railing and stuffing them into his shirt through the neckline.

Lei Yin suddenly asked in a low voice, “Whose room is that?”

Rumi looked carefully and said, “That should be Okawa-senpai’s room.”

“That Okawa must be pretty big, right?”

“How do you know? Have you met her before?”

“You can tell by the size,” Lei Yin replied casually.

Rumi froze for a second before realizing what he meant. Her face flushed as she exclaimed, “Senpai, you’re terrible!”

The man quickly stuffed all the lingerie and stockings into his shirt and began climbing back down the balcony.

As he neared the ground, Rumi asked, “Senpai, what do we do now?”

“Don’t rush to catch him just yet. Let’s follow him and see if he has any accomplices or where he’s staying,” Lei Yin said.

“This feels like a game! It’s like being the police chasing a thief!” Rumi said, her excitement evident.

Lei Yin retorted, “No matter how fun it is, it’s none of your business. Once he leaves, you go back to bed.”

Rumi immediately protested. “No way! I want to come with you! Please, Senpai, take me along!” As she pleaded, she unleashed a barrage of pleading looks at him.

Lei Yin sighed, feeling a headache coming on. This girl had been acting increasingly spoiled around him lately.

Seeing his hesitation, Rumi pointed at the thief and whispered urgently, “He’s getting away, Senpai! Let’s follow him!”

Lei Yin saw through her antics at a glance. Leaning close to her ear, he said with mock severity, “You little troublemaker, I’ll deal with you later when we get back.” Then, grabbing her hand, he quietly followed the man.

Rumi grinned triumphantly, like she’d just won a battle.