The morning sunlight always carried a gentle, lukewarm feeling that felt exceptionally comfortable against the skin.
Combined with the heavy rain over the past few days, the moisture in the air had not yet entirely evaporated.
As a gentle breeze swept past, that cool, damp freshness made one feel remarkably relaxed and at ease.
Reflected in the depths of her burgundy eyes was her soft, gentle smile. He casually brushed a green leaf that had fallen onto her shoulder and smiled. "Because it has been a long time after all."
Even though there was no physical contact to speak of, and he wore no overly affectionate or ambiguous expression; this sign immediately stirred up the feelings that had only just settled down.
Taking advantage of the moment he looked away, she secretly crept just a tiny bit closer.
And as if he had not noticed a thing, Sasaki kept walking at a steady pace while casually making small talk. "Come to think of it, what a coincidence. I never imagined the place you are staying at would be so close to my house."
Naturally, he could not possibly know that she had deliberately chosen to live in his surrounding neighborhood.
And she didn't want to tell him.
So, hearing the words, she wore a look of expertly timed, pleasant surprise, she nodded. "Yeah, I originally just planned to come here for a trip and picked a place to stay at random.
I never expected it would be so close to your home~ What a coincidence~"
As she spoke, she glanced at him sideways until he met her gaze before continuing. "Though what is even more of a coincidence is that
I managed to run into you again in this vast sea of people.
For a long time, I honestly thought we would never see each other again."
Her tone was light and gentle, carrying the long-awaited joy of a rare reunion, yet Sasaki caught a faint trace of resentment lingering in her burgundy eyes.
As the two of them walked and conversed, those once-fudged memories gradually grew clear in his mind and he could easily understand why she held that resentment.
It was because he had left back then without saying a single word.
Well... strictly speaking, not entirely without a word.
Because his parents move had been sudden and he did not own a mobile phone, he had no choice but to ask a neighboring kid who attended the same school to pass along a message and briefly explain the situation to her.
Whether that message actually reached her or not... he still had no idea.
Because he had liked her so much back then, he had suffered for a long time after leaving.
The guilt of leaving without saying goodbye, the anxiety of never seeing her again—those worries had constantly plagued him.
If it had not been for the comforting presence of Otome, Rinka and two elder sisters Koharu and Yuka, whom he met shortly after, he would not have recovered so quickly.
As he grew older, he eventually realized how childish that childhood promise had been.
With an adults way of thinking, it was impossible to take it seriously, and so he had eventually let the matter go.
But now... judging by how she had been secretly stalking him recently, he understood.
She had genuinely taken that promise to heart.
She had remembered it and carried it with her for over ten years.
The guilt that had long since dissipated within Sasaki's heart re-condensed, making him hesitant to meet her gaze. "Um... about that... I am really sorry..."
Knowing full well what he was apologizing for, the latter shook her head dismissively. "It is fine. Your parents had to move because of work, so it could not be helped."
In fact, when she first found out that he had left like that, Yukari wasn't that heartbroken.
That was because, at the time, she didn't believe that she could truly fall in love with a child.
Yet, for a period following that, she would often zone out from a sense of emptiness.
She would catch herself accidentally calling out his name during class, and she frequently found herself staring out toward the places where he usually liked to hang out.
She would even dream of the wonderful moments they had spent together.
From that point on, she gradually came to terms with her own feelings.
And far from fading away with the passage of time, those feelings had only grown richer and more intoxicating like aged wine, making her look forward to seeing him more and more with each passing day.
Now, she had gotten her wish.
She had seen him.
However... did he still remember the promise they made back then?
She wanted to ask, but she was afraid of getting an answer that would let her down...
She neither wanted to accept that kind of reply nor could she.
Therefore, before she could fully test the waters, she could not afford to be reckless.
He had to fulfill the promise, and he must fulfill it.
A promise made with linked pinkies had to be kept!
She had told him back then: the word "like" should not be thrown around casually to just any girl.
If you say it... you have to take responsibility all the way to the end!
Because Sasaki was avoiding her gaze, he failed to notice the somewhat murky and intense depth in her eyes, only sensing that the atmosphere around her felt a bit off.
So, the only thing he guessed was that she might still be harboring resentment over his abrupt departure.
However, he could not think of anything else to say besides offering another apology.
Yet since she had already said it was fine, continuing to apologize would only ruin the mood.
Just in time, the two of them arrived at a small park.
So, Sasaki pointed toward a swing in the distance and smoothly changed the subject. "Yukari, do you want to go over there and sit for a bit?"
Following the direction of his finger, the latter spotted the swing resting beside the sandbox and the past events swirled inside her mind.
This guy had always loved riding the swing when he was a little boy.
Thinking about that, she couldn't help but chuckle mouth. "Do you still like riding swings even now? Do you want the teacher to push you again?"
Hm..
Back then, Sasaki had only sat on the swing because he loved the feeling of looking down at everything from above...
Nowadays, he looked down on most people naturally and had not touched a swing in ages.
Compared to riding one himself, at this point in his life, he much preferred pushing someone else from behind.
Shaking his head, Sasaki slowed his pace, walked around behind her, and placed both hands gently on her soft shoulders. "You were always the one pushing me when we were kids.
By all accounts, it is about time it is my turn. I have never actually seen you ride a swing before, either."
"Eh, eh~?"
After he wiped down the wooden seat, Yukari found herself reluctantly coaxed into sitting on it, as she gripped the thick ropes on either side with her smooth, fair hands and turned her head back with a nervous expression. "Fuyumi, um... please take it easy, okay? Don't go too fast, it has been a really long time since I last sat on one..."
Seeing her adorable, anxious expression, the latter smiled as he leaned down to meet her uneasy burgundy eyes. "It is just a swing, no need to be nervous. Don't worry, I will not push you too high."
With that, he applied a bit of strength to his palms, gently pushing against her slightly rigid back.
Because the force he used was very light, the swing arc remained small, and her lingering fear of losing her grip and falling gradually melted away.
A cool, damp, and refreshing breeze brushed against her face, prompting her to tilt her neck back with a pleased expression, her fair skin reflecting a dazzling sheen under the sunlight.
Standing right behind her and breathing in the faint fragrance of her hair, Sasaki applied another gentle push and asked with a smile. "How is it? Feels pretty good, right?"
Yukari had only ever ridden swings as a child.
Later on, after coming across a video of someone falling off a swing and cracking their head open, she had avoided them entirely for years.
Now, with the person she loved standing right behind her, coupled with the pleasant breeze and comfortable motion, she pushed all her tension to the back of her mind and answered in a light, happy tone. "Yeah, yeah!
Can you push a little faster?"
"Alright, speeding up then."
"Whoa~"
Sensing her genuine happiness, the young man stood behind her with a slightly odd expression.
To be honest, matched the image from his memories almost perfectly.
There was not a single trace of any yandere tendencies about her—to think he had actually worried she might try to poison him or something.
Still, he could not let his guard down entirely...
After all, she still did not know his current situation.
They stayed at the park until nearly noon.
As the sunlight grew increasingly intense, he held out a hand toward her, and made a suggestion. "It is almost noon. Let us go grab something to eat."
The latter happily grasped his palm and used his leverage to stand up.
"Are you hungry? Sure! What do you want to eat?"
Looking at her face, Sasaki couldn't help but sigh.
Although a yandere was still dangerous, she was not showing any abnormal behavior whatsoever.
And on top of that, she was his first love who had harbored feelings for him for so long...with all these things,
Sasaki had no intention of withholding his care and concern.
Not to mention, acting coldly toward her would not do him any good—if he accidentally triggered her, things could turn disastrous very quickly.
Thinking like that, he pulled out a tissue from his pocket and gently wiped a thin layer of sweat from her forehead.
Catching her by surprise, he tilted his head naturally and smiled.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?
You just got here not too long ago and are not very familiar with where the restaurants are. Tell me what you are craving, and I will lead the way."
Uh.
To be honest...Yukari did not really want to eat outside.
If they ate out, there were far too many things she would not be able to easily ask or say.
Coupled with his increasingly intimate actions, her patience was wearing thin.
She understood the logic that haste makes waste, but facing the uninhibited physical contact from the person who owned her heart, she was truly struggling to hold back...
After all, she had already waited far too long.
With that thought, she tipped her face up slightly to enjoy his thoughtful care, and asked. "Do you really want to eat outside that badly?"
"..."
With just that single question, Sasaki instantly guessed what she was thinking.
However, he didn't show any particular reaction and continued to wipe the sweat from her forehead without missing a beat, before replying in a casual tone. "Not really. It does not matter to me where we eat.
I just figured since we went through the trouble of coming out, I wanted to treat you to something nice~"
Noticing that his desire to eat out was not particularly strong, a bright spark lit up in her eyes as she offered an alternative. "There is no need to go out of your way for me. If it is all the same to you, why don't we head over to my place instead? I can cook something delicious for you~ I will make a lavish feast to celebrate our reunion! What do you say?"
To be honest, spending alone time with someone suspected of being a yandere was undeniably dangerous.
However, as the saying goes: If you do not enter the tigers den, how can you catch its cub?
Wealth and success are often found amidst danger...
Furthermore, Sasaki had a trump card prepared, so he was not actually afraid of spending time alone with her.
Even so, agreeing too readily would make him look overly anxious, so he hesitated and declined with a feigned reluctance. "This... might not be a good idea. I don't want to be a burden to you."
However, Yukari didn't care.
After all, as long as he had not given a flat-out refusal, it meant there was a high probability she could bring him home.
So, she shook her head with a hint of eagerness, and replied. "It's no trouble at all~ I live all by myself, so it's completely fine."
Oh well ...how should he reply?
The fact that she still remembered him made it easy to deduce she was still single... but since the two of them had not explicitly discussed the topic yet, So Sasaki figured he still needed to act a little surprised.
"Um... well, are you still single?"
Is he about to ask that...?
With that thought in her mind,
Yukari stared straight into his eyes with a smile, and nodded. "Yeah, I have always been single~"
If he followed up by asking why?, she would undoubtedly take it as an immediate hint about the promise.
After getting the answer he knew and already but was still looking forward to, Sasaki didn't know what to say.
He knew she was subtly asking...and yes he still remembered the promise, and he did not intend to break it, after all, no one could refuse such a gorgeous beauty, especially since she was his first love... but right now he was drowning in relationship debts, and she was still in all likelihood a yandere.
He did not want to lie to her, nor did he dare to lie to her.
Yet being out here right now, making a direct confession certainly was not appropriate, so... playing dumb was the safest route.
Without asking any further or saying anything more, Sasaki simply replied with a complicated tone, "I see."
However, not hearing the words she wanted, Yukari blinked, her mind swirling with thoughts.
Weren't his increasingly affectionate actions toward her just now proof that he still had feelings for her in his heart?
Upon hearing the news that she was still single, even if he was not overjoyed, shouldn't he at least ask why?
One possibility was that it was proof he remembered the promise; the other was that it showed he had forgotten it entirely...
So which category did this complicated tone of his actually fall under?
"It's so strange, why are you making that face?" Yukari asked, her curiosity and confusion prompting her to lean forward with her hands clasped behind her back, her burgundy eyes staring straight into his. "Is there something wrong?"
Answering that was impossible.
So, Sasaki took a step back and shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong. I'm just going to go throw this tissue away."
Yukari maintained her forward-leaning posture, her eyes gradually shifted to a deep, dark red, tracking his retreating figure as she watched him walk away.
Since she hadn't known him here for long and her observation of him was still superficial, she couldn't reach a definitive conclusion just yet.
However, judging by the information currently available... her "lover" might have already "cheated" on her.
The girls he mentioned before; Otome, Rinka, Yuka, Koharu, and the three young girls living right next door to him—all of them treated him with a very affectionate attitude.
Even so, she hadn't doubted his "infidelity" prior to this.
As his "lover" and prospective bride, she owed him one hundred percent of her trust.
But now, looking at the situation, looking at his reaction...it seemed.
Ah...
Are there sleeping pills at home?
Is there any rope at home?
Does anyone else know he came out today? First she would have to lock the door so tight that no one could open it.
From now until evening there is still...time.
Just a little sedative in his dinner tonight. Just a soft, secure binding around the door handle, or perhaps the bedpost, just to ensure he wouldn't try to wander off in his sleep.
Her burgundy eyes grew increasingly murky and clouded due to the more and more extreme thoughts swirling in her mind...
Just as Yukari was falling into a trance of obsession over her "lover's" "betrayal," Sasaki finished throwing away the tissue and walked right back up to her.
"Yukari~ Your complexion looks terrible. Are you feeling unwell?"
To be honest, looking at her,
Sasaki knew she was likely thinking about some bad things and having some bad ideas.. but if he backed down now, he would really be completely screwed.
So, going all out, with his brow slightly furrowed and worry evident on his face, he reached out and placed his palm right between their foreheads.
Huh!
Startled awake by such an intimate gesture, the latter locked eyes with his gaze, which was filled with genuine worry and just like that, those dark and twisted thoughts in Yukari's mind evaporated into thin air, in an instant.
The suffocating tension that had gripped her chest only a second ago shattered like thin glass, replaced by an overwhelming, dizzying rush of relief.
If he had really "cheated," he wouldn't be showing this much worry and closeness toward her.
The frantic, jagged beating of her heart began to slow, steadying into a rhythmic hum of absolute adoration as she drank in the sincerity written across his face.
He still had feelings for her in his heart...
Of course he did. How could she have ever doubted it?
Men were simply foolish creatures, easily led astray by the shallow, fleeting distractions of the world.
He had simply been momentarily bewitched by those little vixens, and she had the duty and the necessity to let him know who he truly loved.
It wasn't his fault he had strayed; it was just a temporary lapse in judgment, a stray bug buzzing too close to the flame.
She would simply have to guide him back to the right path with infinite patience and devotion, wrapping him so tightly in her warmth that no outsider could ever reach him again.
She had the duty and necessity to let him know who truly loves him and whom he truly loved.
Rid of those dangerous thoughts, Yukari's expression returned to normal in the blink of an eye, turning into a bright and warm smile.
"Fuyumi is so concerned about me~ Don't worry, I'm fine. Let's go, let's head home."
.
.
.
(End of the Chapter)