Chapter 301: Weight

Feeling someone lightly patting her face, the kendo girl slowly woke up from her slumber.

As she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was his face.

“Senpai,” Rumi murmured groggily, staring at him.

Lei Yin said to her, “Get up, it’s already morning.”

Rumi sat up and glanced around, finally remembering that they had sought shelter from the rain at the shrine the previous night.

As Lei Yin smoothed out her slightly messy hair, he said, “Let me take you to wash your face first, then I’ll carry you back to the inn.”

“Okay,” Rumi replied softly, standing up slowly and slipping on her sandals.

She followed him to the back of the shrine, where they quickly spotted an old well.

“This water is clean—wash your face here,” Lei Yin said, tilting a bucket of water he had drawn earlier so that it trickled out slowly.

Rumi cupped her hands under the flow, splashing the cool water onto her face. Feeling refreshed, she exclaimed with delight, “Senpai, this water is so cool and pleasant!”

Lei Yin laughed. “If we had a watermelon, we could soak it in the well for half a day—it’d be delicious.”

Rumi eagerly nodded in agreement.

After she finished washing up, Lei Yin turned his back to her and said, “Hop on. We need to get back to the inn before your companions wake up.”

“Why?” Rumi asked as she climbed onto his back.

“You silly girl, think about it. If they realize you went out and didn’t come back all night, what would they think? Either they’ll assume something happened to you, or they’ll start speculating about what you did overnight. Neither option is good for you.”

Hearing his explanation, Rumi finally understood. Her face turned red at the thought—after all, she really had spent the night out with him. The realization made her feel as if her face were on fire.

As Lei Yin walked on, he continued, “I already called Kazumi and told her to wait for us outside the inn. Once we meet her, you can go with her. I’ll return a little later. If anyone asks, just say you slept with Kazumi last night. Got it?”

“I understand.” She knew everything he was doing was for her sake. As she breathed in the unique scent of him, a soft, fluttering feeling stirred in her heart, spreading outward like ripples.

“Senpai, Senpai,” she called out softly.

“What?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to call you.”

“You’re acting weird. Are you still half-asleep?”

“Not telling you.” Then, in a quieter voice, she called again, “Senpai.”

“Hey, are you messing with me?” Lei Yin said, sounding a bit annoyed.

“No, I really just wanted to call you,” Rumi said, laughing.

“Then say what you want to say.”

“Senpai, I feel really lucky to have met you,” she said softly, almost as if dreaming.

“Even if you didn’t know me, you’d live just fine—maybe even happier than now,” Lei Yin replied slowly.

“No, I wouldn’t. I just know it,” Rumi said, her voice gentle but firm.

Lei Yin didn’t respond, continuing to carry her as he walked briskly.

Since they had already traveled halfway the night before, it took less than twenty minutes before Rumi could see their inn and the gymnasium they had been using for training from afar.

Not spotting Kazumi, she asked, “Senpai, where’s Kazumi? I don’t see her.”

“I told her to wait for you at the phone booth near the inn. Not many people pass by there, so you’ll find her easily.”

“Got it.” Rumi secretly wished he would slow down, so she could stay on his back a little longer.

Just then, Lei Yin asked, “Rumi, have you gotten used to school life now?”

“Yeah, university life is definitely more free than high school. Sometimes, even if you skip class, the teachers won’t care. But don’t get the wrong idea, Senpai—I rarely skip class,” Rumi declared earnestly.

Then she smiled and said, “Actually, I was really worried back then.”

“What were you worried about?”

“Because back then, I rushed to Hokkaido to find you and wanted to learn kendo from you. I was afraid you would find me troublesome, and at that time, I was the only one left in Tokyo. Honestly, I was quite scared. But when I saw you smile at me, I wasn’t afraid anymore.” The girl’s simple words revealed a deep sense of attachment.

After a brief silence, Lei Yin said, “Rumi, now that you’re in university, it’s time to expand your social circle and meet more friends. If you meet a good guy, consider getting to know him better. Of course, be careful in relationships, because many men are wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

“Senpai, you… want me to date other guys?” Before he could finish, Rumi suddenly asked with a strange tone.

Lei Yin didn’t answer immediately. After a moment, he said, “If it feels right, you could consider it.”

After saying this, he felt the girl’s body on his back stiffen suddenly. At the same time, the air, which had been fresh and natural, seemed to grow heavier…

※※※

At 2 PM, Lei Yin walked slowly forward while watching the students running on the sports field.

When he reached the lawn, he walked to the usual tree and sat down in its shade, leaning his back against the trunk.

Listening to the incessant and jarring cicada chirping around him, he couldn’t help but mutter a curse. He pulled out the cigarette he had just bought, lit it, and took a drag.

As he started to smoke his second cigarette, someone approached him slowly.

“It’s rare. This is the first time I’ve seen you smoke, Brother.” Kazumi said as she sat down on the grass beside him.

Lei Yin didn’t say a word, suddenly extending his hand in front of her.

“What?” Kazumi looked at him, puzzled.

“Viewing fee,” Lei Yin said, not turning his head.

Kazumi grinned, “This performance is too easy. If you could smoke with your nose, I might consider it. Don’t you see those weird people on TV? Some can even smoke with their ears.”

Lei Yin gave her a smile before reaching behind her to grab a can of iced soda.

“Damn, how did you know? You didn’t even turn to look this way,” Kazumi asked as she pulled out another can of soda from behind her and opened it.

“Because you’re too dishonest, so I’m not going to tell you,” Lei Yin said as he stubbed out his cigarette and took a sip of soda.

“Tch, stingy guy. Where’s Amy?”

“She’s napping in my room. I’m just out for a walk. I’ll go back soon, so she won’t be scared when she wakes up and sees I’m not there.”

Kazumi sighed. “Brother, why are you so nice to Amy but like this to Rumi?”

“You should already know the reason,” Lei Yin said faintly.

“Although I know your reasoning, I still want to ask—sometimes, you’re really so cold-hearted.”

Lei Yin gazed at the sports field ahead and said, “Some things need to be said, after all. Where is she now?”

“She’s resting in my room. I already asked the kendo club advisor to give her the day off. Brother, Rumi cried a lot. Could you go comfort her?” Kazumi said in a low voice.

Lei Yin’s mind immediately recalled the scene from earlier that morning—Rumi running back to the inn barefoot, crying.

After finishing the soda, he slowly stood up. “I’ll go find her. I’m heading back now.” He then walked toward the inn.

Watching his figure fade into the distance, Kazumi let out a soft sigh.

※※※

When Amy woke up, she immediately sat up and instinctively looked around. Upon seeing him sitting on the couch watching TV, she quickly got up and walked toward him.

“Awake?” Lei Yin turned his head and smiled at her.

“Mm.” The little girl rubbed her eyes while nuzzling her head into his chest like a kitten.

Lei Yin knew she must have sensed his change in mood, which was why she asked. [I’m confused. Amy didn’t ask anything in the raw.]

He gently pinched her nose and chuckled, “It’s because of you troublesome little brats. I just bought a watermelon. After washing your face, we can eat it together.” He said this as he picked her up and walked toward the bathroom.

Though she didn’t understand what he had just said, the little girl still happily wrapped her arms around his neck.

When Lei Yin took the watermelon out of the fridge, Kazumi walked in from outside.

Lei Yin didn’t say anything; he just looked at her.

Kazumi waved her hand and said, “She won’t come out.”

Lei Yin stood up and said, “You and the little brat eat first. I’ll go call her.”

Kazumi gave him a strange look, then walked over and sat beside Amy.

Standing outside Rumi’s room, Lei Yin knocked on the door.

He knocked several times, but there was no response from inside.

After a while, Lei Yin stopped knocking and called out through the door, “Rumi, it’s me. Can we talk?”

Still, there was no response.

But from the sudden rapid breathing inside, Lei Yin knew she wasn’t asleep.

Leaning his back against the door, Lei Yin pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with the disposable lighter he had gotten when he bought the pack.

As he took a drag, he organized his thoughts.

After slowly exhaling the smoke, he spoke in a soft tone, “Rumi, are you blaming me? Blaming me for what I said to you? Maybe you don’t believe it, but I didn’t want to say those words. But they were words I had to say. The reason is that I don’t want my personal situation to affect your life and your choices, though that influence may already exist.”

He paused briefly, then continued, “Rumi, you’re a very cute girl, and many outstanding men will like a lively and cheerful girl like you. So, you’ll have many good choices in the future. But because of me, you might reject all those choices. That’s the result I don’t want to see.”

At this point, he suddenly heard the sound of her getting out of bed, followed by soft footsteps.

Finally, the door gently opened.

Lei Yin pushed the door open and walked in. The room, made darker by the drawn curtains, had a girl with swollen red eyes staring at him from her bed.

After closing the door behind him, Lei Yin quietly observed her.

After a moment of silence, Lei Yin slowly walked up to her, then quietly said, “I’m sorry. I made you cry again.”

Upon hearing this, the tears in the girl’s eyes fell immediately.

Lei Yin sighed and reached out, gently wiping away her tears with the back of his finger.

Rumi didn’t pull away, still staring at him motionlessly.

When his finger left her face, she could no longer hold back, and threw herself into his arms, crying loudly.

“Why did you say those things, Senpai? Why did you push me to someone else? Why did you do that? Why… I don’t understand, I really don’t understand…” Rumi cried, speaking in broken sentences.

Lei Yin didn’t answer or try to stop her; he just gently stroked her hair.

He didn’t know how much time passed, but eventually, her crying began to subside.

Noticing that she seemed exhausted from crying, Lei Yin gently lifted her and placed her on the edge of the bed, then sat down beside her.

At this point, Rumi’s crying had completely stopped, but she still lay tightly in his arms, occasionally trembling.

Lei Yin continued to stroke her hair as he said, “Rumi, when you’re with me, I will take care of you and protect you as much as I can. But there’s one thing I can’t give you, and that’s a complete relationship. That wouldn’t be fair to you.”

“With your qualities, you can easily find a good man who will treat you wholeheartedly. But because of my presence, you might reject the affection of other men. This is the reason I mentioned earlier: I don’t want my personal feelings to affect your life and choices. You just asked me why I had to do this, and now I’ll answer you: It’s because I have no right to interfere with your position.”

For Lei Yin, Rumi was a very special girl. First, she was the granddaughter of an old friend, so taking care of her was an undeniable responsibility. Second, after living with her for such a long time, he had become accustomed to having her by his side, and his feelings for her were no longer just out of duty.

Therefore, he hoped she would have a good future. With her qualities, she could easily find a man who would treat her well and not have to share her feelings with anyone else. But because of him, she was likely to reject others, so he felt it was necessary to remind her of this—this was his true feeling.

After he finished speaking, Rumi moved slightly and slowly raised her head to look at him.

After a while, she quietly asked, “Senpai, will you still avoid me like you did before?”

Seeing the nervousness in her eyes, Lei Yin stroked her head and said, “No, I promised you I wouldn’t do that again.”

Upon hearing his answer, the resentment in the girl’s eyes disappeared suddenly, replaced by a strange look that had never appeared in her eyes before.

Gently, she wrapped both her hands around his neck and pressed her head closely to his ear, whispering, “Senpai, I… I’m so happy, really happy, because I know you’re truly kind to me. But I can’t do it. I like you, Senpai, only you. I really can’t accept other boys being nice to me.”

“Do you know, Senpai? Back in high school, several boys actually wanted to date me, but at that time, I was scared. I didn’t even dare to reject them alone. At that time, I didn’t understand anything. Only after you disappeared did I truly begin to understand my own feelings. I… I like you, Senpai, a lot, really a lot. Please don’t push me away, okay?”

By this point, the girl was crying uncontrollably.

Hearing her heartfelt words, Lei Yin felt as though his chest was tightly pressed against something, making it hard to breathe.

After a while, he whispered, “Rumi, can we make a promise?”

The girl didn’t move, but her body’s trembling quickly stopped.

Lei Yin paused for a moment before continuing, “If you meet a man in the future who makes you feel something, and he expresses his feelings for you, you cannot refuse to interact with him because of me. You should try to see if you could be with him. As for whether it leads to something more, I won’t interfere. Do you agree?”

“What if… I never meet someone like that?” After a brief silence, Rumi quietly asked in his ear.

“We’ll talk about it then,” Lei Yin replied, unsure of how to answer, and simply gave a vague response.

Hearing his noncommittal answer, a strange smile appeared on Rumi’s face.

“Okay, I agree. But Senpai, you have to promise me that you won’t distance yourself from me, okay?”

“Because I’m really scared.” Her voice suddenly dropped to a very low pitch.

Feeling the slight tremor in her body, Lei Yin felt a wave of pity in his heart. While stroking her hair, he gently said, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my promise to you.”

Hearing his affirmative response, the girl’s eyes began to shine brightly.

At that moment, Lei Yin noticed that she was almost entirely leaning on him. Feeling that their physical closeness was becoming a bit too intimate, he decided to change the subject, “Kazumi and the little brat are still waiting for us outside. Let’s go out and eat watermelon.”

“Then I’ll go get some watermelon.”

Reluctantly, Rumi released her arms from around him and got off him.

As she watched him stand up and prepare to leave, she suddenly couldn’t help but grab his right hand.

Lei Yin looked at her with a questioning gaze.

“Senpai, do you… do you hate having me by your side?” The girl looked at him with a worried expression.

“What nonsense are you talking? No one would hate being with you.” Lei Yin gently patted her head.

As she enjoyed his affectionate gesture, the unease in her eyes quickly began to fade away.

※※※

“Brother’s worries do have some merit.” After listening to what Rumi said, Kazumi sighed softly.

In the steam-filled bathroom, Kazumi and Rumi were talking while taking a bath.

After wiping her face with a wet towel, Rumi suddenly blushed and said, “Kazumi, I’m really happy. Since earlier, my hands have been trembling nonstop.”

“Why?” Kazumi couldn’t figure out why she’d be happy.

“Because it’s the first time I’ve clearly understood Senpai’s feelings. Even though Senpai has always been good to me, I could never guess what was on his mind. Maybe it’s because he’s a mature adult and I’m just a little girl who doesn’t understand anything. But this time, he took the initiative to tell me what was on his mind, and I know he did it for my sake, so I’m really happy. It’s the first time I’ve felt so close to him.”

Seeing the glow in her eyes, Kazumi couldn’t help but smile as well.

After thinking for a moment, Kazumi turned off the shower and sat in front of the bathtub facing the girl, saying, “Although I don’t want to dampen your mood, there are some things I still want to say. Rumi, as Brother said, with your personality and looks, you could easily find a boy who is truly good to you, and the two of you could start dating, get married in a few years, and have one or two children to form a happy family. Maybe that kind of life would be better suited to you.”

Rumi fell silent for a moment before replying quietly, “Kazumi, I may not understand many things, but I’m very clear about what I want most. Maybe in the future, I won’t be with Senpai, but at least for now, I can stay by his side, and that’s enough for me.” Her calm tone revealed a subtle but firm determination.

Kazumi looked at her with a complicated expression.

※※※

The next morning, Lei Yin prepared to drive back as planned. To see them off, Rumi took half a day off from the Kendo club advisor.

After driving for about two hundred meters, Kazumi looked through the rearview mirror and saw the girl in the white kendo uniform still standing motionless, watching the car as it drove away.

“Brother, can I ask you a question?” After taking her eyes off the rearview mirror, Kazumi turned to look at her brother, who was driving.

“What?” Lei Yin asked without turning his head.

Kazumi said with a half-smile, “If Rumi really gets a boyfriend in the future, will you be okay with it? Answer honestly.”

Lei Yin glanced at her before continuing to focus on the road ahead. “As long as that little brat is happy, whether I’m okay with it or not doesn’t matter.”

“Brother, you’re so sly, always avoiding the real answer.” Kazumi said somewhat displeased.

“You’re the one who’s bored, always asking these trivial questions. It seems I need to help you find a boyfriend. I’ll go back and tell Grandma to arrange a blind date for you.”

“Hmph, you can try, but I won’t let you have a good summer vacation.”

“Such elementary school-style threats.”

“Hmph.”

A while later, as Kazumi looked out the window, she suddenly remembered what Rumi had said while they were bathing together the previous evening.

Thinking about it, she turned to glance at him. She saw that Lei Yin was listening to music while concentrating on driving, and Amy, sitting next to him, had already unknowingly fallen asleep.