Asuna's mind was in turmoil, her heart pounding like a startled deer's—there was no better way to describe it. Kazuto Kirigaya pointed to the bright moon outside and gazed up at the stars. Shedding his usual unseriousness, he spoke slowly in a deep, magnetic voice. "How about we think of these past few years as the journey we'll take together? Everything we've experienced is something no one else has. Since we can't change reality, why not try to accept it?"
Her cheeks flushed, and her head spun. The boy's words were like music to her ears. Kazuto's voice was gentler than she'd ever heard it, and with his usual flippancy gone, his steadiness and reliability left Asuna momentarily dazed.
Or perhaps this was the boy at his most captivating.
Looking down at the exquisite face so close to his, at her cherry-blossom lips, long eyelashes, and lovely chestnut eyes, Kazuto found every part of her irresistible. His desire stirred. He pulled the girl's slender waist into his arms and breathed in her faint, sweet scent. His gaze gradually grew hazy.
The bright moon, the quiet night, the white sheets... What would happen next was obvious.
Asuna's long eyelashes trembled. Overcome with shyness, she closed her eyes of her own accord.
Kazuto gently nibbled her earlobe. Asuna felt a tingling sensation at her ear, then heard the boy's teasing voice. "Asuna, you're so naughty. What are you planning with your eyes closed?"
The love and affection filling Asuna's heart vanished in an instant, replaced by hurt and anger.
He was always like this, teasing her and then doing nothing about it.
Asuna pressed her lips together, feeling awful. She opened her eyes, wanting to say something, but the next moment, the boy's lips were already pressed against hers.
A warm, moist