Chapter 261

Hoshino Ai crossed her Hands and nodded Kokoro, as if admitting her mistake.

He chuckled to himself, never expecting that she would actually do something he had just casually mentioned.

"Come sit here."

He patted the bed next to him.

Hoshino Ai remained silent, took small steps over, and then sat down gently as if afraid of breaking something, keeping a distance of twenty centimeters between them.

After she sat down, Sakurakoji Talent pulled her close, placing one hand on her slender waist and the other on her chin, making them look at each other. He said casually:

"Ai-chan ~ What should we do about this~?"

"No, I don't know... I'm sorry, Mr. Talent!"

Hoshino Ai froze, at a loss, her eyes filled with confusion and guilt, like a child who had made a mistake.

"Is an apology enough? That was my first kiss, which I've kept for over ten years!"

"Then, what should I do?"

Wearing only a yukata, she shivered, only now realizing that she seemed completely unable to bear the consequences of her impulsive act.

That was just an action she took out of her own selfish desires, without much thought.

Am I going to get reported to the police and arrested by Mr. Talent?!

"Don't be nervous, I didn't say I was going to blame you."

Sakurakoji Talent pinched her delicate nose, making her wrinkle her features in an endearing way.

He held her soft body and pondered for a long time, a resolute glint in his eyes.

Before he came down, he had already figured it out. Since he couldn't escape this fate of being physically raped no matter what, there was only one thing he had to do.

Anyway, he had long been mentally prepared to give everything to survive. It was just that the good things that had happened a few days ago had made him temporarily forget this.

Although he was concerned about the potential risks of doing so, he didn't actually dislike interacting with them.

He pulled the beautiful woman in his arms closer, and whispered in her ear, "Ai-chan, am I handsome?"

"Ah?"

Hoshino Ai was stunned. She thought he was going to give some kind of punishment after thinking about it, but she didn't expect him to say this. But the question was not difficult at all.

"Handsome, handsome! I've never seen anyone more handsome than Mr. Talent!"

Even disregarding her personal biases, in her eyes, his looks were superior to hers.

"Your little mouth is so sweet, it must be coated with honey! Let me check."

He pinched her cherry-colored lips again with his index finger and thumb, smiling smugly.

"Huh? How do I get tested... um!"

Just as she was about to ask him how to perform the examination, Hoshino Ai immediately learned the answer.

One minute later.

"Hmm, so you really did sneak some sweets last night, didn't you, Ai?"

Hoshino Ai's beautiful face flushed crimson, her delicate hands gripping his clothes tightly. She lowered her head, her small mouth moving, stammering and unable to utter a complete sentence.

With Sakurakoji Talent's exceptional listening and summarizing abilities, she managed to piece together what Sakurakoji wanted to say: For dinner, she ate a dessert from the refrigerator.

"I've told you to eat less, let's see who wants you when you get fat."

Hoshino Ai remained silent.

Have you brushed your teeth?

"... not yet."

"Let me brush your teeth for you, otherwise you'll easily get cavities."

"Then, let's go to the bathroom."

"Why go to the bathroom? We'll talk about it later."

"Eh? Then how do I... um!"

"..."

This time it took even longer than before, since brushing your teeth takes more than a minute.

"Phew~ Okay, it should be clean now, right?"

"..."

Hoshino Ai seemed to be covered in a layer of light red antifreeze. Despite her excellent physical condition, her breathing was rapid, just like his, due to her daily hard training.

Feeling each other's heartbeats, after a few minutes, Sakurakoji Talent asked again, "Hey, Ai, do you like me?"

Asking now?! It's already... Hoshino Ai thought to herself, feeling both embarrassed and indignant.

She covered her face with her Hands, about to respond, but the words caught in her throat, and she couldn't utter a sound.

"..."

"..."

The space fell silent; no one made a sound, and it was unclear how much time had passed.

"Oh, I see. I understand..."

Sakurakoji Talent's heart clenched, a mixture of indescribable disappointment and inexplicable doubt washing over him, and his voice trembled as he spoke.

Could it be that I'm just imagining things, and the other person doesn't actually like me that much?

Then his earlier speculation and lewd actions... Ugh! So embarrassing!!!

"Well, it's getting late tonight, so I'll head back now..."

He stiffly released her slender waist, slowly stood up, and prepared to escape.

"Etc!"

Hoshino Ai hurriedly grabbed his wrist, her eyes blurry with tears. "No, it's not like that! It's just, it's just!"

Seeing her tears welling up and her anxious expression, Sakurakoji Talent was truly puzzled. What did this mean?

He stood there, frozen for a few seconds, when suddenly, a flash of lightning struck his mind, and a long-forgotten piece of information came to mind—so that's how it was...

He sat back down, wiped away the two streaks of tears streaming down her face, patted her sobbing back, and comforted her, "It's okay if you're afraid to say it or don't want to say it."

He had forgotten how much she longed for affection and love, and how Kokoro she craved it.

For her, who was used to lying and pretending, simply saying the words "like" and "love" was a special thing.

As soon as it's spoken, she immediately realizes whether it's true or false.

If it's a fan with whom you have a distant relationship, it's fine; at most, you'll feel guilty.

But what if it's someone important to her? What if, after confessing, she discovers that her feelings are also a lie...? Just thinking about it is enough to overwhelm her with fear.

After a long while, Hoshino Ai, finally calmed down, leaned against the headboard, hugged her knees, and murmured softly, "Mr. Talent, I hate myself."

"Really? But I like you very much."

"... Is that so?"

Hoshino Ai swallowed hard, the feeling she had just been building up was shattered, and a hot current seemed to flow out of her heart as if a spring had opened up.

After coughing awkwardly for a while, she covered her face with her hand, slightly tipsy, and continued, "Me? I grew up in Orphanage."

As soon as the words left her mouth, her emotions gradually stabilized, and a look of reminiscence appeared in her eyes.

"I grew up in a single-parent family as far back as I can remember. My mother was arrested for theft when I was little, and I was sent to Orphanage during that time."

"But my mother didn't come to pick me up after she was released..."

After a moment of silence, she continued, "That's why I'm not good at loving others. I have no memory of such an experience, and I've never felt loved."

"I'm better at lying than loving others; before I even think, I've already uttered the words appropriate for the occasion."

"Gradually, even I couldn't tell whether what I was saying was sincere or a lie."

"Someone like me is unworthy to confess my love to Mr. Talent."

She gave him a helpless and desolate look, "Because, even if I told you, I still wouldn't know what it really is..."

"Isn't it fine?"

Sakurakoji Talent broke his silence and interrupted.

"Um?"

Hoshino Ai was surprised.

"You've finished your story, now it's my turn. After all, we should reciprocate."

He looked at her gently, took off his shoes, got into bed, and sat down next to her.

The soft bed, with its pale pink hue and floral scent, was also one he had chosen for her.

"Well...!"

Hoshino Ai's heart raced, but she couldn't stop it.

A minute later, having composed himself, Sakurakoji Talent, with a serious expression, slowly began to speak, "This is the story of a boy who grew up in a pampered environment from birth."

"From birth, the boy possessed almost every advantage the world had: a beautiful appearance inherited and enhanced by his parents, a wealthy and powerful family background, exceptional talent rarely seen in the world, and family members who were loved by everyone..."

He paused, then looked at the girl beside him. "Ah... isn't it the exact opposite of you, sounding like I'm showing off? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, but it's the truth."

"When telling a story, you should mention the background, right?"

"..."

Hoshino Ai puffed out her cheeks like a pufferfish and abruptly turned her head to the other side, refusing to look at him.

"Then I'll continue, cough cough,"

He cleared his throat and continued, "But even such a perfect Young Master isn't without flaws, namely..."

"..."

Halfway through the conversation, Hoshino Ai's resentment vanished, and she stared at him intently, lost in thought.

"It sounds painful, right? Not even the freedom to enjoy food, being tormented by constant pain every day, and occasionally having an acute attack that can make you faint from the pain—it's really a headache!"

"Haha! You have no idea, before I learned to talk, my parents all thought that every time I fainted from the pain, I was sleeping! Isn't that funny?"

As if telling someone else's story, Sakurakoji Talent unfolds slowly, occasionally punctuated by a few self-deprecating remarks to lighten the mood.

"Ugh~ Anyway, I don't know how many times I've fainted from pain since I was a child."

"I felt dizzy right at the beginning of the attack, but I gradually got used to it and only felt dizzy in the middle. By the end, I was able to enjoy the whole thing."

"Although its power has gradually increased as I've grown older, I still can't move when it flares up now."

"Don't you think I'm amazing? Even under such torture, I didn't choose to give up my life."

"Hmm, if it's true... that's really remarkable..."

Hoshino Ai swallowed the secretion that felt completely different from before.

Although she really wanted to ask him if he was lying to tease her, seeing his serious and uninteresting expression, and considering his usual impression... it didn't seem like he was lying.

If he's lying, then his lying skills are incredibly poor.

She simply couldn't imagine what kind of pain that must have been. Even just one of those symptoms seemed incredibly severe...

She felt that her life had been quite bumpy, but the greatest pain she had ever suffered was being beaten and kicked by her mother when she was a child.

"So I often wonder, is it because my starting point was too high that the gods imposed this kind of punishment on me to offset it?"

He stroked his chin, pondering this question that still has no answer.

"... But that doesn't seem right either. Among the people I know, there are even those who started out better than me. Why not punish her? It's still unfair."

He sighed deeply, expressing his sincere envy for the girl next door Tsurumaki Kokoro.

"But thinking about all this is pointless. What I really want to say is,"

He turned to face her, cupped her small face in his hands, and gently rubbed it until it deformed, his gaze earnest:

"What has kept me alive until now is twofold: first, my knowledge of the preciousness and beauty of life, and second, the unwavering love from my family over the past ten years."