Chapter 34

In this storm of desire, Fukuji Mihoko could not distinguish between what was a real touch and what was a lingering phantom of memory.

Every movement of Kageyama Sora deconstructed her past and reshaped her future.

When everything finally settled into silence, she lay limp on the sofa, staring at the flickering light spots on the ceiling, feeling as though things were no longer the same as they had been yesterday.

What awakened Fukuji Mihoko was Kageyama Sora's slightly relieved voice: "Good thing I didn't stain your clothes, otherwise it would have been a waste of your time."

"Mm..." Fukuji Mihoko stared blankly at Kageyama Sora, a shy crimson flush belatedly creeping up her cheeks: "I have to go back; I can't keep fooling around with you."

"I'll take you."

Considering the time and the series of exhausting events she had been through, Fukuji Mihoko naturally did not refuse Kageyama Sora's offer of a ride.

And so, though they were not quite a young couple, they were two people with an emotional foundation who arrived together at the gates of Kazekoshi Girls' High School.

As Kageyama Sora's luxury car pulled up along the cherry-blossom-strewn school path, Ikeda Kana was crouching under the wisteria trellis, counting petals.

The phone in her hand suddenly emitted a faint "click"—her knuckles turned white, as if she were about to crush the device.

Fukuji Mihoko's movement as she leaned against the car door to stand up was slow, like a kitten just learning to walk.

As the morning breeze lifted the hem of her school skirt, Ikeda Kana clearly saw the winding, pale red scratch marks extending down to her knees.

Even more jarring was the bruise on the girl's neck, glowing with an eerie, pearlescent luster in the morning light, like white jade that had been coiled by a venomous snake.

"Club President!" Ikeda Kana sprinted over, stepping on the carpet of cherry blossoms, her pink skirt fluttering: "I couldn't find you since the tournament ended yesterday, and you wouldn't answer your phone! You didn't even call to let us know you were safe after being taken away by that guy!"

She suddenly fell silent, because when Mihoko looked up, although she maintained her usual state of one eye open and one closed, the open eye still held lingering traces of mist, possessing an... indescribable allure.

It felt as if... the Fukuji Mihoko of yesterday was still a young girl, but today, she had transformed into a woman.

"Something came up..." Fukuji Mihoko lowered her head to adjust her ribbon, the golden tips of her hair falling in an arc that perfectly concealed the hickey: "Don't worry about it."

She said this very softly, yet the tail end of her voice trembled like butterfly wings dampened by rain.

Ikeda Kana suddenly grabbed her wrist, the cold metal of her camera brushing against the other girl's burning skin: "Does this have to do with that man?"

She caught a glimpse of Kageyama Sora's half-open car window; he was using a lighter to ignite a cigarette, the flame illuminating a fresh bite mark on his collarbone.

Mihoko jerked her hand back, stumbling half a step.

This action made Ikeda Kana's throat tighten—their Club President had always been steady, calm, and gentle; how could she be so uncomposed now...

"I need to go back first; there are things I still need to handle." As Fukuji Mihoko turned, her long golden hair brushed against the back of Ikeda Kana's hand, carrying the unfamiliar scent of... a man.

It was a scent Ikeda Kana had smelled before—the very same one that had clung to Kageyama Sora when he brushed past them yesterday.

In the Mahjong Club activity room late at night, moonlight cut silver grids across the floor through the blinds.

Ikeda Kana stared at the candid photo on her phone—the way Kageyama Sora had reached out to support Mihoko's waist as she got into the car was more piercing than anything else.

She didn't even know what kind of mood she had been in when she took the picture.

She pressed the send button, forwarding the address to the number saved as "Kageyama," along with the candid photo.

The text message was anonymous, but there was no one else who could have taken such a photo besides that girl.

Kageyama Sora was actually quite curious about what the other party wanted with him.

Because the address sent to him was, surprisingly, an... abandoned factory.

Since an interesting girl had invited him to meet at an abandoned factory, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

When the iron gate of the abandoned factory creaked in the wind, Kageyama Sora was idly playing with the Zippo in his hand.

In truth, he wasn't the type who enjoyed smoking, but so much had happened lately that he felt he needed a small moment of relaxation.

He walked into the abandoned factory; the graffiti on the wall behind him twisted into grotesque, demonic faces in the moonlight, which matched the expression on Ikeda Kana's face perfectly.

"Stay away from the Club President! She isn't a toy for rich people like you!" Ikeda Kana raised a baseball bat, the metal tip dragging against the concrete floor with a jarring screech.

A cute, petite girl, wearing the uniform of Kazekoshi Girls' High School.

With the face of a cute kitten, yet looking at him with fierce, murderous intent while holding a baseball bat—she looked like a cat with its fur standing on end.

Kageyama Sora didn't feel offended in the slightest; instead, he found it quite adorable.

Chapter 76: Disobedient Kittens Must Be Punished

The overhead light in the abandoned factory flickered with a buzzing sound above Ikeda Kana's head. The girl, whose height barely reached Kageyama Sora's collarbone, stood on her tiptoes, clutching the baseball bat to her chest as if it were a toy instrument taller than herself.

As her shoulder-length black hair was lifted by the night breeze, it revealed her round, almond-shaped eyes—though now, the corners were tilted up like a feral cat with its fur bristling. Her pale pink lips were pressed into a sharp line, and even the baby fat on her cheeks looked somewhat fierce due to her tense jawline.

The pleated skirt of Kazekoshi Girls' High School trembled gently with her shifting toes, creating an absurd contrast with the baseball bat she gripped until her knuckles turned white.

"Stay away from the Club President!" The girl's voice was as crisp as a wind chime, yet it was wrapped in shards of ice.

The moment Ikeda Kana swung the baseball bat, the sparks struck from the metal tip against the concrete floor illuminated her reddened earlobes; perhaps she was even panting slightly from the exertion of the movement.

Kageyama Sora leaned against the mottled wall, the Zippo spinning a silver arc of light between his fingertips.

The girl's flushed face, her rapidly heaving chest, and her eyelashes trembling with anger all reminded him of those pouting ceramic cat figurines in shop windows.

Truly adorable...

Perhaps it was because he accidentally chuckled out loud that he directly infuriated Ikeda Kana.

Ikeda Kana roared in anger like a cat with its fur standing on end: "Do you know that the Club President practices mahjong until three in the morning just to win back the national championship? Do you know how much she has sacrificed for the glory of the entire Mahjong Club! You don't know anything at all; men are nothing but stumbling blocks for her!"

Kageyama Sora had originally been facing Ikeda Kana with a casual attitude, but after hearing her say that, he felt it was necessary to explain himself; he wasn't as despicable as she made him out to be.

Thus, he put his lighter away, his demeanor no longer as relaxed as it had been at the start: "I think you've misunderstood. I respect Fukuji Mihoko very much. I think the way she plays mahjong is dazzling, and I have no intention of toying with her..."

"I saw it all!" Ikeda Kana didn't want to listen to Kageyama Sora's explanation, her entire being filled with agitation: "The marks on her body—you clearly devoured her completely... The club president is still in school, she's still a high school student, and you did this to her. If she ends up **..."

Listening to Ikeda Kana's long-winded rant, Kageyama Sora felt a vein throb on his forehead.

The atmosphere he had deliberately cultivated vanished completely, and he reverted to his usual sarcastic, deadpan self: "Hey, hey, hey, calm down. You're getting more and more exaggerated..."

Ikeda Kana was completely worked up by now, lost in her own world.

She had two very young sisters, so she knew better than anyone that while children looked cute, they were terrifying to take care of.

Thinking about her club president having to start raising a child, she completely broke down, losing all sense of reason: "I am not exaggerating! You have no idea how exhausting it is to raise a child!"

The shout made Ikeda Kana's emotions spiral further. As a baseball bat swung through the air with a whistling sound, Kageyama Sora accurately caught Ikeda Kana's wrist: "Have you lost your mind? We were just talking, did you really have to resort to violence!?"

Kageyama Sora didn't understand Ikeda Kana's madness; he only hoped she would calm down.

After all, Ikeda Kana's mahjong skills were impressive, and she was someone Kageyama Sora already admired; he didn't want things to end up like this with her.

But Ikeda Kana could no longer listen. As she struggled, the utility knife hidden in her sleeve sliced across the back of his hand... warm blood dripped onto the girl's trembling wrist.

The sudden pain hit him, causing Kageyama Sora to stop holding back. He gripped Ikeda Kana's wrist tightly.

In an instant, the knife dropped. A dangerous smile appeared on Kageyama Sora's face as he pinned her hand that had held the blade: "Kittens that scratch people have to have their tails caught and be punished."

Kageyama Sora's thumb rubbed against Ikeda Kana's slender wrist bone, pressing gently on the red marks caused by her struggle.

Kageyama Sora was doing it on purpose.

Since Ikeda Kana insisted that he was just a rich guy playing with toys when it came to Fukuji Mihoko, and she had even wounded him, he was going to scare her one way or another.

The sudden proximity caused Ikeda Kana's rapid breathing to spray against his neck, carrying the sweet scent of peppermint, though it was shattered by the damp, rusty smell of the factory.

"Do you know?" As he leaned down, his warm breath brushed against her reddened earlobe: "Before a wild cat shows its claws, it always bristles its fur to warn you first."

Ikeda Kana's back slammed hard against the rusted iron frame, the cold metal digging painfully into her.

The overhead lamp swayed violently, the dim, yellow light spots dancing across Kageyama Sora's sharp-angled profile, turning the dark tide churning in his eyes into something resembling an abyss.

She kicked her legs in vain, her pleated skirt pulled askew to reveal a length of fair knee, but it only earned her an even tighter restraint from Kageyama Sora.

"Let go!" Ikeda Kana tilted her head back to glare at him, her nose almost brushing his chin.

The tips of her hair swept across Kageyama Sora's hand, triggering a subtle tremor.

Kageyama Sora looked at Ikeda Kana's cat-like eyes, moist with anger, and suddenly remembered the little kitten he had seen on the side of the road last week.

How troublesome. He had only meant to scare her, but she was actually so cute...

Kageyama Sora's other hand suddenly cupped the back of her neck, forcing her to stop turning her head away in defiance.

"I hate it when people misinterpret my intentions." His voice dropped, carrying a dangerous huskiness: "I explained it to you, and you still don't believe me. That makes me very annoyed—annoyed enough to want to turn your nonsense into reality..."

As he spoke, he deliberately rubbed his thumb against the sensitive spot on the side of her neck, watching the girl's pupils shrink as she stiffened like a startled rabbit: "What... what are you doing? Aren't you afraid I'll tell the club president?"

What answered Ikeda Kana was the sensation of an electric current exploding along her spine.

The strange feeling made Ikeda Kana's cheeks burn hot.

She wanted to curse, but as she opened her mouth, Kageyama Sora pressed his index finger against her lips.

"Shh..." His fingertip traced lightly over her soft lips: "If you keep struggling, the little kitten is going to have its claws pulled out."

As his words fell, he suddenly grabbed her other struggling hand, stacked her wrist against the one he had already pinned, and held them firmly against the iron frame above her head with one hand.

"Smooth talker! I'll make you regret this." Ikeda Kana tried to break free from the shackles, but only succeeded in pressing herself closer to Kageyama Sora.

However... the next second, her unfinished threat shattered in the night wind.

Because Kageyama Sora suddenly pulled open his shirt collar, revealing the crisscrossing scratch marks on his chest, provocative and alluring.

"Look closely..." He grabbed Ikeda Kana's hand and pressed it against his heart: "You said that me leaving marks on Mihoko was bullying her, but she left plenty on me too... It was something done between two consenting people. How did you manage to make me sound like a pervert..."

His heartbeat transmitted through her palm, shockingly hot, and Ikeda Kana's face turned bright red instantly.

Chapter 77: Punishing the Little Kitten

Ikeda Kana looked at the scratch marks on Kageyama Sora's body, her cheeks flushed crimson.

Ikeda Kana's fingertips wandered over the scratches on Kageyama Sora's chest; the rough texture of the scabs made her pull back sharply, but she was held even tighter by Kageyama Sora.

Although she had no actual experience, her habit of sneaking peeks at various books allowed her to imagine just how passionate her club president had been yesterday, and how intensely she had left such marks on Kageyama Sora's chest...

The sensation at her fingertips and the fantasies in her mind made Ikeda Kana, who had been fierce just a moment ago, instantly shrink back like a cat that had had its claws pulled.

Beyond that, Ikeda Kana could even feel the stagnant air in the factory being ignited by something scorching. She could clearly feel his chest rising and falling with his breath, thumping against her palm, beat after beat.

"Believe me now?" Kageyama Sora's voice carried the smugness of success. At such a close distance, Ikeda Kana smelled the scent of gunpowder mixed into his collar: "Or do you need me to prove it more thoroughly?"

A fine tremor ran down the girl's neck. Catching a glimpse of her own crooked pleated skirt, she suddenly realized how ambiguous their posture was—she was pinned against the rusted iron frame like a young beast held under the paw of a predator, and beneath his deliberately pulled-open shirt were the marks left by Fukuji Mihoko.

Even though she wasn't the one who had scratched him, the excessive proximity made it feel as if she had.

"You... let go!" As she turned her head, the ends of her hair swept across Kageyama Sora's chin, earning a low, muffled groan from his throat.

This unexpected sound made Ikeda Kana's pupils shrink, as she suddenly realized that her struggling was causing their bodies to rub against each other incessantly.

Kageyama Sora inexplicably felt the girl's softness and fragrance, and he even had a wicked thought.

But he knew he couldn't do that; after all... things with Fukuji Mihoko were still a mess, and he couldn't get involved with another girl, but scaring her a little was still fine...

Kageyama Sora tightened his fingers around her wrists, pinning the backs of her hands firmly in place.

"How interesting..." He leaned down and bit her earlobe, his tongue tip lightly grazing the scorching skin: "You're clearly scared to death, yet your ears are as red as a ripe strawberry, and you're still putting on that fierce, cat-like expression..."

Ikeda Kana felt her whole world fall apart from being treated this way, and she shuddered violently.

In the flickering light and shadow, she saw Kageyama Sora's eyes; his pitch-black pupils almost swallowed his entire irises, looking like a bottomless vortex.

She suddenly remembered what the captain had said: Kageyama Sora was a very unique man, his intelligence and ability far surpassed his peers, and going against him would be very troublesome, but if he was willing to treat you as a friend and one of his own, you would feel very safe.

And now, this man was pinning her down just like this, teasing her as if she were a little kitten.

"You can't..." Ikeda Kana forced herself to glare at Kageyama Sora, though her voice trembled due to her rapid breathing: "If the captain knew you were doing this to me..."

"Oh?" Kageyama Sora's thumb traced the pulse on the inside of her wrist, feeling the rapid beating there, as if he didn't take Ikeda Kana's threat seriously at all: "Have you ever thought about how your captain would feel... if she knew what you and I were up to? After all, when I was with Mihoko, it was a case of mutual affection..."

Ikeda Kana's face turned deathly pale in an instant; after all, she was the one who had asked Kageyama Sora to meet.

If something really happened, would Fukuji Mihoko believe she was innocent?

Would the captain, who had always taken such good care of her and been so kind to her, be disappointed or even stop talking to her!?

This realization made Ikeda Kana's eyes redden until she was on the verge of tears. Seeing this reaction, Kageyama Sora suddenly realized he had played too hard and scared the little girl.

Kageyama Sora was actually quite afraid of little girls crying.

He hurriedly said: "Hey, don't cry... listen to me..."

However, Ikeda Kana was already completely drowned in the vortex of being misunderstood by Fukuji Mihoko and being ignored from then on; tears fell, and she stopped listening to Kageyama Sora entirely.

Kageyama Sora thought, how could this be happening?

He immediately released his grip on her hands, but the moment she tried to escape, he grabbed her waist, lifted her up, and pressed her against the iron frame: "As long as you don't talk nonsense, I won't say anything, and I won't touch you, okay?"

Kageyama Sora's seemingly comforting words caused Ikeda Kana's exclamation to catch in her throat, her pleated skirt pushed up to the base of her thighs... well, she wasn't wearing safety shorts either.