After the meal, Kouhi was washing the bowls and chopsticks in the kitchen. Just at that moment, Meisha also darted into the kitchen like a puff of smoke.
"Brother Kouhi, leave it to me!"
Seeing Meisha like this, Kouhi felt it was somewhat inappropriate and replied with a smile, "You're a guest, after all. There's no reason to make a guest help out. You should go play with Ryuseki instead. I'm enough by myself here, no need to trouble yourself."
Yet Meisha insisted on helping anyway. "Brother Kouhi, you're being too polite." With that, she also picked up some dirty bowls and chopsticks to wash. Given Meisha's repeated persistence, Kouhi found it awkward to refuse further, and unable to win against her, he simply let her be.
The two of them busied themselves in the kitchen, and Meisha proved very diligent. So pretty and possessing the poise of a young lady from a wealthy family, she was surprisingly handy with housework. One could tell just from the way she washed dishes that she was someone who frequently did chores around the house. Even so, she protected her hands very well.
Before long, Ryuseki walked into the kitchen, looking around. He had come looking for Meisha! Seeing Meisha busy in the kitchen, Ryuseki walked up to her.
"Hey, bro, I have some things to talk about with Meisha. Don't make her work in the kitchen anymore." With that, Ryuseki pulled Meisha along as he walked outside.
"Don't rush, I haven't wiped my hands yet!"
On the other hand, Kouhi curled his lips slightly, then lowered his head and continued washing.
Ryuseki and Meisha left the house without telling her where they were going. Along the way, Ryuseki just walked silently in front by himself without uttering a word. Not understanding what was going on, Meisha could only follow behind him. With such cold weather, not a single person was on the streets, and the dim light of the streetlamps shining down on the two of them looked exceptionally desolate.
The temperature was very low, and Meisha couldn't help shivering, so she cupped her hands in front of her mouth and exhaled warm breath against them. Then she murmured in a low voice, "So cold!"
Hearing her quiet mutterings, Ryuseki turned around. Looking at the slightly trembling Meisha, he decisively took off his own coat and draped it over her shoulders. At that moment, Ryuseki didn't say a thing, only quietly gazing at Meisha as she stamped her feet.
"Aren't you cold?" Meisha raised her head to look at Ryuseki's expressionless face. However, Meisha hadn't noticed that her own face had been frozen into a slight blush. Although it made her look even cuter, this kind of cold wasn't all that comfortable to endure. The breath exhaled from her mouth condensed into water vapor in the air—such was the temperature of this city in November.
"No, it's fine! As long as you aren't cold, I'm okay."
After a long while, Ryuseki finally answered Meisha. He lowered his head, seeming a bit embarrassed. He took Meisha by the hand and brought her to a park not far from home. The park was very small, perhaps only the size of half a football field. Moreover, there weren't many people around, so the two of them sat face-to-face on the swings, looking at each other.
Now, aside from the two of them, there was not a single other person in this quiet little park. The park's streetlamp emitted a faint yellow glow, and though dim, it still offered a touch of warmth.
"Thank you, Meisha! If not for you, I—I probably wouldn't have realized what it is I need to protect at all. Only when you care about a person or a matter do you know what it is you truly want to guard. Thank you for awakening this emotion lurking deep within my heart. The past me honestly couldn't understand what caring was all about.
Thank you."
Ryuseki gently swung back and forth on the swing, facing Meisha with a warm smile.
"Well, how are you planning to thank me then?" Meisha sat on the swing, tilting her head with a cute smile as she teased. Her neat bangs slanted slightly to one side, and the side locks clung to her cheeks, revealing an even cuter sense of beauty.
At that moment, Ryuseki stood up, walked silently up to Meisha, wrapped his arms around her in an embrace, and replied, "I think this is my true heart! Inoi Meisa, I really like you!"
Ryuseki gently pressed Meisha's head against his chest. At such a close distance, Meisha could almost feel the irregular beating of Ryuseki's heart.
Because of this sudden confession, Meisha's face instantly turned flushed red, and for a moment she didn't even know how to respond to him. She lowered her head with her hands behind her back, constantly drawing circles in the palms of her hands. Her heartbeat began to accelerate as well, and the hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth grew brighter. Seizing the moment, she pressed her ear tightly against Ryuseki's chest, carefully listening to the sound of his heartbeat and feeling the pulse emanating from his body.
Next, Ryuseki gently lifted Meisha's head, gazing closely at her beautiful face and captivating eyes. Slowly, he began to move closer, the distance between their lips gradually narrowing. The two of them could clearly sense each other's heavy breathing, the moist sensation directly brushing against their cheeks.
Meisha's gaze flickered, the blush on her face becoming even more prominent, and her breathing grew more hurried. Ryuseki was the same. Immediately afterward, their lips pressed together, the four lips feeling like four cherry blossom petals clinging to each other in the warm breeze.
Soft, smooth, and tender. It really was very soft! This must be what kissing feels like; the sensation of seeming to melt into each other was truly wondrous! To be precise, it should be an indescribably marvelous experience. Almost every cell on their lips reached its most sensitive period, allowing the two of them to fully feel the intense stimulation brought by each other's lips, each other's tongues, and each other's kiss. This most direct manifestation of love lacked the slightest bit of embellishment or pretense, conveying itself sufficiently through the most direct method.
Through the contact of lip to lip, they fully experienced that love imbued with body temperature. The intertwining of tongues passed on the most sincere emotions without reservation, and soft lips paired with nimble tongues were the most perfect embodiment of love! Exchanging the sensations from one another, striking the depths of each other's souls—kissing truly possessed such a marvelous experience!
Meisha gently closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling in the cold night wind, and trembling right along with them were the deer-like racing hearttips of the two lovers. The intense love accelerated their heartbeats and sublimated the wondrous feeling brought by the kiss.
At that moment, sporadic snowflakes began to flutter down from the sky, appearing exceptionally beautiful against the backdrop of the streetlamp. The cold night sky, the pristine snowflakes, the slightly dim streetlamps, the serene little park, and the lovers in love—compared to the scene right now, even the most magnificent spectacles would pale considerably!
"Today's forecast sure wasn't accurate!" Out on the balcony, Kouhi muttered to himself as he watched the snow drifting outside the window.
Meanwhile, in the small park, Meisha nestled in Ryuseki's arms like a cat, looking at the pretty snowflakes with a face overflowing with a happy smile.
"November's snow, so beautiful!"
"Yeah! So beautiful!"
Before you continue