Throb

Kiyoko, wearing the slippers Hayato had prepared for her, had just walked into the living room when she saw the busy young man. The pot was already placed in the center of the table, and the other ingredients were sorted and arranged in plates around it.

The clean and refreshing young man was wearing a dark blue t-shirt with a cloud pattern and loose gray shorts. He looked up when he heard footsteps, his gaze falling on her, and he offered a smile as bright as sunshine.

"Kiyoko-senpai, welcome back. Dinner will be ready soon. What would you like to drink? Coffee or barley tea? I've already boiled water, so I can make anything you want."

Looking at the young man, whose smile was free of any shadow, Kiyoko remembered the past. She recalled a time when her father was too busy with work, and other bad kids would bully him, saying he didn't have a mother. He would hide under the slide in the park and cry alone. Every time she found him, he would hold back his tears and tell her.

"Kiyoko-senpai, I'm fine."

That sensitive yet strong little boy had now grown into a sunny and handsome young man.

"You've been the one working hard all these years."

With a hint of a sob in her voice, Kiyoko didn't know why she felt so sad. She quickly turned her head, not wanting Hayato to see the tears welling up in her eyes.

Hearing her words, Hayato also fell into a memory. Although he hadn't experienced those days himself, the memories still affected him when he thought about them. He shook his head, pushing the unpleasant memories to the back of his mind.

"It's nothing, it's all in the past. Kiyoko-senpai, you still haven't told me what you want to drink?"

Hayato asked in a gentle tone, his spirits restored.

"I'll get it myself. You, on the other hand, should go take a bath."

Wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye, Kiyoko turned back and urged Hayato to go take a bath.

"Eh, there's no need. I've already changed."

"How can that be? What if you catch a cold? The bathwater is ready. Hurry... go."

As she reached the end of her sentence, Kiyoko suddenly realized that the bathwater was the water she had just used. Now that she was rushing him, wouldn't that mean...

"Kiyoko-senpai is right. I'll go then. Oh, Kiyoko-senpai, I'd like barley tea~"

Sensing Kiyoko's awkwardness, Hayato spoke to her in a relaxed tone. After Kiyoko nodded, he walked into the bathroom.

"Kiyoko Shimizu, calm down. Today has already been embarrassing enough!"

After Hayato left, Kiyoko gritted her teeth and chided herself. Once she had calmed down, she didn't forget to make tea for Hayato. She opened the tea bag, poured the hot water into the cup, and the tea bag quickly floated up. The aroma of barley wafted out, stimulated by the hot water.

"Mmm, it smells so good."

Since Hayato still needed to shower and all the preparations were done, Kiyoko could only make herself a cup of barley tea and sit on the chair, sipping it slowly.

Generally, boys take a shower faster than girls. In a short while, Hayato came out of the bathroom, still wearing the same clothes, though his hair was still a bit damp.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's start eating~"

Shaking her head to indicate she hadn't waited long, Kiyoko helped Hayato put the ingredients into the pot after he said they could start eating. After they had a hot sukiyaki meal, the heavy rain outside showed no signs of stopping.

After discussing it, they decided to go to Hayato's room to review their studies and pass the time.

This was Kiyoko's second time entering Hayato's room, the first being when she helped clean it. The layout wasn't complicated. To the left of the door, there were many sports equipment. Further ahead were bookshelves and a wardrobe placed side-by-side against the wall, filled with manga and professional books and magazines about volleyball and basketball.

To the right was a bed slightly larger than a single bed, with the headboard against the wall and the foot of the bed facing the desk used for studying.

Directly opposite the door were two sliding glass windows.

After drawing the curtains, Hayato took out a small desk and cushions, sitting on the side directly facing the door. Kiyoko sat opposite him. While studying, Kiyoko was surprised to find that Hayato sometimes even knew the material for third-year students.

Hayato couldn't exactly say that he had already learned this material, so he could only use the excuse of having previewed advanced material.

As time slowly passed, the only sound in the room was the scratching of mechanical pencils on paper.

"Speaking of which, Kiyoko-senpai, why do you always wear black stockings?"

Hayato's sudden question startled Kiyoko. Her hair had completely dried, and she was now with her hair down. She tucked her sideburns behind her ear and calmly spoke about her past.

In junior high, Kiyoko was in the track and field club. Because she exercised frequently, her legs always had many bumps and bruises. Gradually, those wounds turned into scars, so showing her legs wasn't a good thing for her. She had to wear black stockings to cover these scars.

Hayato already knew this, but he still listened carefully as she finished. When Kiyoko pointed to the scars on her knees and calves with a wry smile, asking him if they looked ugly, Hayato shook his head.

"Those are proof of your hard work, Kiyoko-senpai. They're not ugly; they're your medals. I think they look even better. Why would I think they're ugly?"

After saying that, he deliberately looked at Kiyoko's exposed calves and knees. Since she wasn't wearing socks and her slippers were by the door, Hayato saw Kiyoko's slender, fair feet and her round, jade-like toes.

"Wait, wait, no, don't look at me like that."

Feeling Hayato's gaze, Kiyoko immediately pulled her loose t-shirt down, trying to block his view. However, her action only further highlighted her pure and alluring aura.

With a gulp, the sound of Hayato swallowing echoed in the quiet room. Kiyoko, still feeling shy, couldn't help but laugh.

"Wait a moment, Hayato, you just..."

"I didn't, I wasn't, you misheard."

The triple denial couldn't save Hayato from his social death.

"Really~"

After the recent commotion, Kiyoko, who had completely let go, asked with a hint of coquetry. Then she saw a stream of bright red blood flowing from Hayato's nose.

"Pfft, hahaha, you, you have a nosebleed, Hayato."

Wiping his nosebleed with a tissue from the table, Hayato felt an urge to shout in embarrassment. He wasn't a novice, but Kiyoko's destructive power was too great. Anyone would find it hard to resist.

After a few wipes, the blood was still not clean. Kiyoko, sitting opposite him, couldn't stand it and took out a tissue.

"Really, let me help you."

She finished and came over to wipe Hayato's face. Since Hayato was sitting and still a bit taller, Kiyoko had no choice but to remain kneeling, straightening her upper body to clean his bloody nose.

But Kiyoko had forgotten that she was only wearing the white t-shirt Hayato had given her, with nothing underneath.

As she straightened her upper body, her full figure was immediately accentuated, revealing even certain unmentionable things.

Stimulated by this, Hayato couldn't hold back and reached out to embrace Kiyoko's slender waist. The warmth of his hands transmitted directly through her clothes to her skin.

Gradually, both of their breathing became a little rapid. Kiyoko even closed her eyes, but at this moment, Hayato suddenly sobered up. He quickly withdrew his hands, placed them on Kiyoko's shoulders, and pushed her away slightly.

As she was pushed away, Kiyoko first realized what she had done, her face turning bright red. Then, realizing she had been rejected, she turned deathly pale.

Knowing what she was thinking, Hayato quickly explained before the situation got out of hand.

"It's not like that, Kiyoko-senpai, listen to me. Even though we're childhood friends, we've only reunited a few days ago. It might be the atmosphere right now, or perhaps it's because of our past feelings that we're like this, but I don't want to rush into things. You're the person I value most, so let's wait a little longer."

After saying it all in one breath, Hayato didn't know if the decision-maker now was the original Hayato or the current Su Yun, or perhaps both. But after saying all these words, Hayato felt a lot more relaxed.

"So, you're not rejecting me?"

After Hayato finished speaking, Kiyoko also recovered. She calmed her emotions and then asked proactively.

"Of course not. I'm not afraid of being embarrassed even now. From when I was a child until now, I've always liked you, Kiyoko-senpai. I even thought about marrying you."

With the memories of both of them, Hayato no longer cared about embarrassment and recounted all his childhood memories.

"Th-that's good then."

Kiyoko breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling a bit weak, she slumped down. Everything that had just happened was too sudden. Although she was also driven by the atmosphere, the fact that she closed her eyes proved she wasn't entirely against it. From childhood affection to current flutterings, Kiyoko couldn't deny that she had developed new feelings for Hayato.

Now that they had cleared the air, the atmosphere became awkward again, after all, they had almost stepped into adult territory.

Kiyoko was the first to stand up, using the excuse of needing to go to the bathroom, she ran downstairs with a clatter.

Hayato also fell backward.

"That was too intense, my god, we almost got into trouble. Heh, you're more energetic than me."

Feeling a certain area, Hayato twitched his lips and complained helplessly.

However, what he had just said were his true thoughts. There had been some subtle romantic tension between Kiyoko and him these past few days, but it was still a long way from love. So Hayato didn't regret his actions. Most importantly, without even confessing, doing something like that first just didn't feel right.

On the other side, Kiyoko was also scolding herself in front of the mirror in the bathroom.

"No matter what, I shouldn't have closed my eyes. That's like giving my consent."

Pinching her cheeks and tugging them twice, Kiyoko said with a hint of shame and annoyance.

"But, Hayato thinks like that."

Leaning on the sink, Kiyoko's gaze drifted into the distance.

After a long while, the sound of the door opening was heard. Kiyoko, having tidied herself up, returned to Hayato's room. Neither of them mentioned what had just happened. They studied for a while longer until it was time to sleep.

Since the other bedroom hadn't been tidied yet, Hayato had to give the bed to Kiyoko and prepare to sleep on the floor downstairs. Unexpectedly, Kiyoko grabbed his clothes and indicated that he could sleep in the room.

And so, Kiyoko lay on Hayato's bed, while Hayato made a makeshift bed in his own room. The light switch was turned off, and the room plunged into darkness.