Natsukawa Sosuke looked speechlessly at the instigator who had ruined the mood. Kushida Kikyo was walking over with light steps, a sweet, harmless smile still on her face, as if the person who had scared away Sakura Airi wasn't her at all.
Kushida Kikyo walked over with light steps. She first glanced worriedly in the direction Sakura had disappeared, then tilted her head, looking at Natsukawa with her big, watery eyes, her tone filled with just the right amount of concern.
"Natsukawa-kun, Sakura-san... is she alright? Did I disturb you two?"
'What do you think?'
Natsukawa Sosuke looked at her, speechless.
Seeing Natsukawa's reaction, Kushida Kikyo's smile remained unchanged, but her lively eyes quickly scanned around. After confirming there was no third person on the deck besides them, her sweet and lovely angel mask vanished instantly without a trace.
In its place was a slightly disdainful, teasing expression.
"I say, Natsukawa-kun." Her voice also changed, no longer that syrupy girlish tone, but with a hint of sharpness and mockery, "Don't you get tired of playing these pure high school boy games, holding hands under the moonlight?"
She looked Natsukawa up and down, a sarcastic curve forming at the corner of her mouth.
"Tsk tsk, I thought someone like you would be more direct. Turns out, you're just another guy who only dares to play it pure. But then again... to make that Sakura so infatuated, you must be a complete scumbag at heart, huh."
Facing this sudden personality shift and malicious attack, Natsukawa Sosuke's face showed no ripples. He merely looked at the girl who had finally dropped her disguise, then, before Kushida Kikyo could react, he suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms.
"Mmm!"
Kushida Kikyo let out a short gasp, her body firmly hitting Natsukawa's solid chest. A strange, aggressive male scent completely enveloped her, making her mind go blank instantly.
"Do you know what a scumbag is?" Natsukawa Sosuke's low voice sounded in her ear, "This, is a scumbag."
Kushida Kikyo's body stiffened instantly. She instinctively tried to struggle, pushing hard against Natsukawa's chest with both hands, but found that his arm around her waist was as steady as a mountain.
She struggled symbolically for a moment, then gave up resisting, softening completely and leaning into Natsukawa's embrace.
"I really wasn't wrong about you." Kushida Kikyo buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled, "After flirting with that ice queen Horikita, now you're flirting with the timid Sakura. No wonder your moves are so practiced. You... you damn scumbag."
"As the saying goes," Natsukawa Sosuke looked down at the girl in his arms, a hint of playfulness in his tone, "a scumbag deserves a bad girl. See, what does that mean?"
He loosened his arm slightly, looking down at the slightly defiant, upturned face in his embrace.
"It means, we're a match made in heaven."
"Who's a match made in heaven with you!"
Kushida Kikyo's cheeks flushed at his words. She reached out and fiercely pinched Natsukawa's arm.
"What about Sakura Airi?" She looked up, her beautiful eyes holding a hint of defiant questioning, "What's your relationship with her?"
Natsukawa Sosuke looked at her adorable pouting expression and suddenly smiled.
"You are all my wings."
The moment he said that, Natsukawa Sosuke felt the girl in his arms stiffen abruptly.
The next second, a foot in an exquisite little leather shoe landed with full force, stomping hard on his instep.
'Hiss... this girl, she really kicks hard.'
However, Natsukawa Sosuke's face showed no sign of pain; he merely grunted, then tightened the arm around her waist even more.
The two embraced tightly in an extremely ambiguous posture, falling into a silent embrace. The sea breeze ruffled their hair, and only the sound of the ocean remained.
Finally, Natsukawa Sosuke was the first to speak.
"It's windy on the deck, aren't you cold? Want to go inside for a hot drink?"
Kushida Kikyo didn't answer, merely moving her shoe off Natsukawa's foot and burying her face deeper. Natsukawa Sosuke took it as her assent.
He let go of her, naturally took Kushida's still slightly cool little hand, and led her towards the ship's cabin.
They sat down at an empty bar counter. The lighting here was dim, the atmosphere quiet, perfect for conversation.
"Speak," Natsukawa Sosuke poured her a glass of juice and pushed it towards her, "You came all this way to find me late at night, is something wrong?"
Kushida Kikyo held the glass, took a small sip of juice, and then slowly began to speak.
"Originally... there was something." Her voice returned to its usual sweetness, but still carried a trace of imperceptible grievance, "But now, there isn't."
'Little Kikyo is getting jealous so easily?'
Natsukawa Sosuke understood as he looked at her. He didn't press further, but got off the high stool, walked behind Kushida, and gently hugged her from behind with both arms.
Kushida's body stiffened slightly, but she didn't pull away.
Natsukawa gently rested his chin on her shoulder, then took her hand that was resting on the bar counter.
"You know Sakura's personality." His voice was soft, his breath brushing against her ear, "In the whole class, she only dares to say a few words to me now. I can't just leave her alone, can I?"
He held Kushida's hand on the bar counter, gently caressing her fingers.
"But you are different."
He pointed to the pink rabbit charm hanging on Kushida's phone.
"Remember this?"
Kushida Kikyo's gaze fell on the charm, and the memories of that date instantly flooded her mind.
"You are special." Natsukawa's voice continued to sound in her ear, "And unique. That has never changed."
"We went to the arcade together, watched movies together, complained about those boring plots together." He slowly recounted those memories that belonged only to the two of them, "I haven't done these things with Sakura, nor with Horikita."
As Natsukawa spoke, he picked up the glass of juice in front of him, a third of which was drunk, and brought it to Kushida's lips.
Kushida Kikyo hesitated for a moment, but finally drank from Natsukawa's hand, taking small sips.
Seeing this, Natsukawa Sosuke knew that little Kikyo was finally appeased... The glass of juice was quickly finished, and Kushida Kikyo's mood was noticeably much better. She jumped off the high stool, a cheerful and cunning smile once again gracing her face.
"Let's go!" She grabbed Natsukawa's hand, "I'll take you somewhere nice!"
"Now?"
"That's right, now!"
She pulled Natsukawa through several corridors, finally arriving at a large glass door. Behind the door was a brightly lit, steamy indoor hot spring pool.
"At this hour, there should be no one inside." Kushida Kikyo turned back and winked playfully at him, "It's the perfect time for a hot spring bath."
With that, she let go of his hand and turned to walk towards the women's changing room.
Natsukawa Sosuke watched her retreating figure and shook his head helplessly. Then, he turned and walked into the nearby swimsuit rental shop, casually picked a black swimming trunk, and entered the men's changing room.
When he had changed into his swim trunks and entered the steamy hot spring area, he happened to meet Kushida Kikyo, who had also changed into her swimsuit and was walking out.
She was wearing a red and white bikini-style swimsuit, perfectly showcasing the girl's explosive figure. Her fair skin, under the warm steam, glowed with a faint pink hue, appearing exceptionally alluring.
"How is it?" Kushida Kikyo twirled in front of him, a hint of anticipation and shyness on her face.
"It's very beautiful." Natsukawa Sosuke's answer was direct, "The swimsuit is beautiful, and the person is even more beautiful."
"Smooth talker."
Kushida Kikyo's cheeks flushed slightly. Although she said that, the smile in her eyes couldn't be hidden.
She took Natsukawa's hand and walked directly to a relatively secluded small hot spring pool, then slid into the water first.
"Come on in," she waved at Natsukawa.
Natsukawa Sosuke also entered the hot spring pool. The warm pool water instantly enveloped his entire body, dispelling a day's fatigue.
'Although I've been to hot springs before, soaking with a girl like this feels completely different. This counts as s... no, not quite, not quite.'
The two sat in the pool, and Kushida naturally leaned against him.
'It seems little Kikyo's goal from the beginning was to bring me here. As for what happened on the deck just now, it was probably just part of her act, a unique little romantic gesture from Kushida.'