One of Yukishin Tanaka's Principles (Continued)

"After all, people's minds are ever-changing and difficult to define."

Tanaka Yukishin's deep gaze seemed to pass through Karuizawa Kei and fall on the distant figure curled up in a small ball on the desk— Sakura Airi.

"Unrequited love is ultimately just a flower that blooms quietly deep in the heart, not a love that blossoms brightly in the sunlight." His tone was calm, yet carried an almost cold clarity, "If you don't even have the courage to bring it into the sunlight..."

Karuizawa Kei's delicate brows furrowed slightly, clearly not entirely convinced by this reason for "standing idly by."

She pursed her rosy lips, about to retort, when she saw a flicker of interest in Tanaka Yukishin's eyes, as if she were recalling something from a long time ago.

Let me tell you two stories.

He suddenly spoke, his voice softening, yet possessing a captivating magnetism.

Karuizawa Kei's curiosity was immediately piqued, and her slight dissatisfaction from before was temporarily suppressed.

Her body instinctively leaned towards him, like a child eager to hear a bedtime story.

"The first story,"

Tanaka Yukishin's gaze drifted to the clear sky outside the window, as if retracing the passage of time. "There was a girl who, from her innocent childhood, secretly harbored a crush on her childhood sweetheart, the boy next door. This small affection was hidden in every unintentional glance, in the sweetness of sharing candy, and in the notes secretly passed under the desk... For ten whole years, she carefully guarded this secret, as if protecting a fragile glass bottle under the moonlight."

Karuizawa Kei listened intently, her long eyelashes fluttering gently in rhythm with his words.

Ten years later, she finally mustered all the courage she had ever known. On a summer afternoon filled with daisies, blushing and trembling, she spoke the words she had kept hidden in her heart for ten years to the boy who had always been a part of her life—"I love you."

Tanaka Yukishin's voice is gentle, narrating the pure courage of a young girl.

"What about the boy? Did he agree?"

Karuizawa Kei couldn't help but press for more information, her fingers unconsciously gripping Tanaka Yukishin's sleeve.

The boy was overjoyed and deeply moved. The two young hearts finally opened up to each other, embracing this long-awaited confirmation.

Tanaka Yukishin's tone turned somber. "However, fate always seems to play cruel jokes. Just as they were beginning to savor the sweetness of love, the boy was diagnosed with a serious illness, and it was progressing rapidly. No matter how much the girl prayed day and night, no matter how desperately she tried to hold on, the boy's life slipped away like sand through her fingers, irretrievably."

Karuizawa Kei's heart clenched suddenly, as if she could feel that helpless despair and profound sorrow herself.

Her fingers, gripping Tanaka Yukishin's sleeve, tightened unconsciously, her knuckles turning slightly white.

"Later, when the boy's mother was sorting through her son's belongings, she solemnly handed some things that he considered extremely important to the girl. He had treasured them in the last days of his life."

Tanaka Yukishin's voice was heavy with a sigh.

The girl opened the small box with trembling hands... Inside lay a letter. On the envelope was the boy's familiar, neat handwriting.

Karuizawa Kei held her breath, as if she herself were in that Matoba filled with sorrow and the belated truth.

"The girl, tears welling in her eyes, opened the letter. The familiar scent of ink and handwriting greeted her. The letter was filled with the boy's unspoken love and struggles. It turned out that he, too, had been cautiously in love with her for twelve years, even longer than hers for ten. Those encounters she thought were chance meetings, his clumsy acts of concern, his hesitant glances... all stemmed from his deeper, more enduring affection. He was afraid of shattering the pure beauty of their childhood friendship, afraid that failure would mean losing even their friendship. So he kept delaying, until the end of his life. That fervent confession could only be transformed into cold ink, forever sealed in the envelope, becoming her endless regret and tears for the rest of her life."

After the story was finished, a quiet sadness seemed to settle over the classroom.

Karuizawa Kei's eyes were slightly red, and her nose felt sore.

She could almost see the girl holding the letter, sobbing uncontrollably. Behind that belated confession lay a missed opportunity that the two could never undo.

"And... what about the second one?"

Karuizawa Kei's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly, as she eagerly awaited the ending of the other story.

Tanaka Yukishin gently grasped Megumi's hand that was clutching his sleeve, her thumb stroking the back of her hand in a soothing manner, dispelling some of the heaviness.

He cleared his throat, and when he spoke again, his tone became somewhat strange.

There was even a hint of a smile on his face.

"The second story is also about a girl and the boy she likes."

His gaze refocused on Karuizawa Kei's face. "The difference is, this girl is a textbook example of a tsundere."

"Tsundere?"

Karuizawa Kei blinked, somewhat sensitive to the word, since others had teased her like that before.

"Yes, saying one thing and meaning another is her daily routine, and being awkward is her protective shield. But her drive is absolutely top-notch."

Tanaka Yukishin's smile deepened.

Karuizawa Kei's curiosity was completely piqued, and she forgot her original intention, wanting only to listen.

"She might always have a long face and speak harshly to you—'Hmph! We're just friends!' Then, when you're feeling down and frustrated, she'll suddenly come over and, when you're least expecting it, quickly... kiss!"

Tanaka Yukishin made a very quick kiss, causing Karuizawa Kei's cheeks to flush slightly, and she subconsciously covered her mouth.

"A kiss... it's just to comfort you! Don't get the wrong idea, you idiot! She'll blush, yell at you angrily, and her eyes will dart around nervously."

Karuizawa Kei couldn't help but chuckle softly, already picturing the awkward girl in her mind.

"Even..." Tanaka Yukishin's voice lowered, tinged with a hint of mischief, "She might approach you when you're feeling extremely down and doubting yourself, and then..."

"And... and then?" Karuizawa Kei's voice trailed off, her face flushing.

"Then something more intimate happens. Afterwards, she'll be wrapped in a blanket, only her ashamed and indignant eyes peeking out as she glares at you. With you... sex... it's just... because you look so pitiful... it's not... liking you! Forget about it!"

"Wow!" Karuizawa Kei's face turned completely red, like a ripe apple. She covered her face, but couldn't help peeking through her fingers at Yukiko's smiling eyes. "This... this is too..."

"It's not over yet," Tanaka Yukishin continued, her tone tinged with a teasing admiration. "When it comes to discussing marriage, she might be signing the marriage application form while still stubbornly insisting: 'Marriage... it's just a formality! I'm only with you because nobody else wants me!'"

"Pfft, hahaha..."

Karuizawa Kei finally couldn't help but laugh out loud; the previous heaviness was greatly relieved by this extremely vivid tsundere character.

"Then, when new life begins to unfold," Tanaka Yukishin's eyes softened, "she would stroke her slightly protruding belly, and might even mutter to the baby inside, but more like to the baby's father: 'Having a baby...isn't having a baby a normal thing between friends? Remember, your father and I are just friends!'"

"My God... that's incredibly stubborn!"

Karuizawa Kei laughed so hard she almost cried, completely amused by the tsundere girl's extreme performance.

Looking at Megumi's radiant smile, Tanaka Yukishin finally revealed the ending.

Years later, when the two are old and gray, and reach the end of their lives, their tombstones might bear the inscription. "We were buried here together only because burial plots were too expensive! Not because we wanted to be so close to this troublesome fellow!"

"Pfft--!" Karuizawa Kei burst out laughing, almost collapsing into Tanaka Yukishin's arms, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably. "Help... This... This is too tsundere! Even on a tombstone, she's still being stubborn!"

Tanaka Yukishin looked at her lover, who was laughing hysterically in her arms, with a smile. After she calmed down a bit, she pinched her flushed cheek and asked with a knowing smile.

"What's wrong? You're looking sad one minute and laughing the next. What's on your mind?"

Karuizawa Kei finally managed to stop laughing, wiping away the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. She looked up and glared at Tanaka Yukishin reproachfully, then lightly punched him in the chest with her small fist.

"You're malicious! You... you're clearly making excuses! Don't think I'm so easily fooled!"

She had indeed been shocked by the heavy story and amused by the exaggerated arrogance, but now that she had calmed down, she immediately realized the purpose of Xuexin telling these two stories—both were to emphasize the importance of "active expression," whether it was a brave confession or an awkward action.

She changed the subject, her tone slightly spoiled and confused, and returned to the original core issue.

"I just feel that, as... uh, a harem guy..."

She said the word a little awkwardly, "Shouldn't you be more responsible? Shouldn't you be the one taking the initiative in a situation like this? Look at Sakura Airi's so timid, it's too difficult for her to take the initiative."

Karuizawa Kei's eyes sparkled, filled with anticipation and a hint of barely perceptible urging.

"Have I not taken responsibility yet?"

Tanaka Yukishin, her tone slightly innocent as she asked, and then raised their clasped hands and waved them in front of her.

"I rejected other girls' advances without hesitation, right in front of you. And, Hui, I'm not indifferent to Sakura Airi. It's just that I need her to take the first step towards me, even if it's just a small one. As long as she musters the courage, I will take the remaining ninety-nine steps towards her without hesitation."

He paused, then added, "For example, the pressure she might face from her parents... These subsequent obstacles are things I should be dealing with and resolving."

Karuizawa Kei retorted eagerly, leaning forward even further.

"But!"

"This is something you should have taken the initiative to do! If you didn't know Sakura Airi's feelings at all, I could completely understand if you did nothing! But now, you know everything, yet you still wait until she confesses herself before taking action... Xue Xin, don't you think treating her like this is a bit too much?"

Her voice carried a hint of reproach for her friend, and a touch of heartache furrowed between her beautiful brows.

"Oh?"

Tanaka Yukishin seemed to find her logic amusing, a playful smile playing on her lips.

"Following your logic, Megumi-chan... then, there's Shiina Hiyori, the quiet girl in Class C who's always carrying a book; Kamuro Masumi, the girl in Class B who you've gotten to know quite well because she often delivers groceries and runs errands; and Kamuro Masumi, the Ichinose Honami in Class A with a warm smile and excellent interpersonal skills..."

He deliberately slowed his speech, clearly pronouncing the names, and watched with satisfaction as Karuizawa Kei's expression subtly changed, from seriousness to astonishment, and then to a hint of barely perceptible wariness and jealousy, her lips unconsciously pouting slightly.

"Because I helped them deliver messages to their families, or helped them in other ways... they all My Style a considerable degree of affection, although perhaps not to the point of romantic love."

Tanaka Yukishin changed the subject, asking a question with a mischievous smile.

"So, shouldn't I also take the initiative and make a move on each of them?"

"Xue Xin!"

Karuizawa Kei's face instantly turned bright red, half from embarrassment and half from anger.

She suddenly reached out and forcefully covered Tanaka Yukishin's mouth, stopping him from saying any more names that made her heart race and anger her.

"Don't try to twist the facts! Don't downplay the issue! You know perfectly well... that's not what I'm saying at all! You're bullying me!"

She accused him with shame and anger, her clear eyes glistening with tears, carrying both accusation and a hint of grievance.

Seeing Karuizawa Kei reveal such a rare childlike and adorable side, Tanaka Yukishin's smile deepened.

He gently pulled down her hand that was covering her mouth, held it in his palm, and squeezed it reassuringly.

He dropped his joking expression, pondered for a moment, and his gaze became deep, carrying an almost analytical calmness.

"Hmm... let's say something more realistic, or perhaps... a little cruel."

Karuizawa Kei was affected by his sudden change in tone and quieted down, looking at him with a hint of nervousness and curiosity.

Tanaka Yukishin spoke slowly, each word perfectly clear.

"Judging from Sakura Airi's reaction, especially her near-shutdown state after you told her the truth yesterday... her feelings for me have probably transcended liking and reached the level of love. A girl who can accept the fact that the other person has other lovers has a depth of feelings far beyond ordinary infatuation."

Karuizawa Kei's heart sank slightly; she knew that Yukiko was telling the truth.

The way Sakura Airi was yesterday, that dizzying, earth-shattering feeling—only someone deeply in love could experience that.

"However," Tanaka Yukishin changed the subject, her gaze meeting Karuizawa Kei's frankly, "my feelings for her are currently... from initially finding her simply cute and interesting, to later admiring her kindness and resilience, it's a clear feeling of affection, and this affection has deepened with time, definitely reaching the level of liking. However—"

He paused for a moment, seemingly considering his words, his voice calm and even.

"This affection isn't strong enough for me to disregard everything and take the initiative to confess to her."

There seemed to be a momentary stagnation in the air.

Karuizawa Kei was stunned.

She had imagined many Tanaka Yukishin.

Perhaps it was out of consideration for her feelings, perhaps it was because they needed time, or perhaps it was for some other reason...

But she never expected it to be such a cold and precise self-analysis.

This... this is practically an emotional assessment report!

"This... is too realistic... too cold!"

Karuizawa Kei's voice was filled with disbelief and astonishment, her cherry lips slightly parted.

She looked at him, as if for the first time truly seeing a certain quality deep within the heart of the lover she was whispering sweet nothings to.

"Moreover, emotions... such a complex and subtle thing, Xuexin, how come you... can distinguish them so clearly? This feeling, so... so rational... so rational it's almost like..."

She searched for the right words, and finally muttered softly with a hint of reproach and confusion, "... like an emotionless robot."

No.

Tanaka Yukishin immediately denied it, her expression remaining calm.

But in those deep eyes, Karuizawa Kei's confused and slightly aggrieved face was clearly reflected, carrying a strange light.

"Expression is always the most direct proof of feelings. If a person's feelings for another person are so strong that they cannot suppress them, wanting to possess the other person and yearning to establish a relationship with them, then they will naturally muster the courage to overcome obstacles and confess their feelings to the other person."

He leaned slightly closer to Karuizawa Kei, his deep and clear voice reaching her ears.

"If you go and take action, it proves that your feelings at that moment have reached a point where it's worth taking the risk to express them. If you don't go, no matter how valid the reasons may seem—fear of rejection, bad timing, or many concerns—it ultimately means that your feelings, at that time and place, haven't yet burned intensely enough to overcome all your concerns and make you fight for them."

Tanaka Yukishin's initial attraction to Sakura Airi was driven by curiosity.

Then, because she was so interesting, I started treating her like a younger sister and a "pet."

It takes time to develop a good impression into liking someone.

Even Karuizawa Kei initially only started the connection because she was looking forward to interesting developments and the [Dragon Bloodline].

Tanaka Yukishin was a person who clearly distinguished between love and hate.