After dinner, Yunyi planned to see Mayumi Saegusa off as he had done in the previous days.
But today, Mayumi Saegusa had other plans. She sat down next to Yunyi Yunyi, leaning against his shoulder and whispering, " Yunyi-kun, can I lean on you like this for a little while?"
Seeing this, Yunyi gave up the idea of seeing her off and slightly adjusted his sitting posture so that Mayumi Saegusa could lean back more comfortably.
"Thank you, Yunyi-kun," Mayumi Saegusa.
Yunyi asked with some doubt, "Is the work of the Nine Schools Competition very tiring?"
Hearing his question, Mayumi Saegusa simply shook her head. The Nine Schools Competition? It wasn't her first time participating. She was just a bit busy, but not really tired.
What exhausted her both physically and mentally were the affairs of the Saegusa Family, the affairs of Koichi Saegusa, and the affairs of Mayumi Saegusa.
"What happened to the Saegusa Family?"
" Yunyi-kun, you really are very perceptive." Mayumi Saegusa's voice became very soft, and she leaned closer to Yunyi.
"Not long ago, my father had a conversation with me, and he learned about our affair."
" Yunyi-kun, do you know? My father gave me one, only one chance to be willful. He tolerated my choice without knowing that we were only pretending to be a couple."
"What should I do, Yunyi-kun? Can you tell me?"
After listening to Mayumi Saegusa's words, Yunyi finally understood the source of the strangeness he had sensed from Mayumi Saegusa recently.
In this world, it seems that a magician's innate talent at birth determines everything. And she's not the only one with the same worries Mayumi Saegusa.
Even Yunyi, when he displayed his talent, almost fell into a situation of being manipulated. If he hadn't used his methods to intimidate those people, how would he be any different from Mayumi Saegusa now?
Even for him, helping Mayumi Saegusa wouldn't be easy. The reason is simple: their positions alone determine their future.
"So, you want to end this fake relationship, tell your father, and try to get a new opportunity?" Yunyi countered.
Mayumi Saegusa fell silent, unsure whether she should do this. It concerned her future, and she absolutely could not afford to make a wrong move.
" Yunyi-kun, is there really no future for us?"
Mayumi Saegusa's question touched a slight part of Yunyi's otherwise indifferent face.
"The future?"
Yunyi repeated it softly.
"There's no future for Mayumi Saegusa and Liu Yunyi." But the next moment, Yunyi shattered Mayumi Saegusa's fantasy with the most serious words.
"Yes, we have no future." Mayumi Saegusa's voice trembled slightly, and her slightly closed eyes became a little moist.
"If only Yunyi-kun were Japan?" Mayumi Saegusa murmured softly.
Yunyi raised his arm and pulled Mayumi Saegusa into his embrace. This action was met with no resistance; instead, Mayumi Saegusa adjusted her position and leaned against Yunyi's shoulder.
Feeling her body tremble, Yunyi closed his eyes. After a moment, he gently pushed Mayumi Saegusa away.
Gazing into Mayumi Saegusa's wine-red eyes, which were filled with mist, Yunyi said softly, " Mayumi Saegusa and Liu Yunyi have no future, but Mayumi and Yunyi can."
" Mayumi, the power of choice has always been in your hands alone. Only you can make the decision. All I can do is help you bear the pressures you can't handle."
At this moment, Mayumi Saegusa stared blankly at Yunyi. She had already decided to give up, to abandon her unrealistic fantasies, and to continue to shoulder the responsibilities that the younger generation of the Ten Master Clans and the eldest daughter of the Saegusa Family should bear. But Yunyi's words were like a ray of light piercing through the darkness, and more like a seed, a seed of hope planted deep in her heart.
"Is it really okay?" Mayumi Saegusa trembling voice.
Yunyi didn't speak, but simply nodded.
Having received a definite answer, Mayumi Saegusa blinked, then burst into tears.
A glimmer of hope amidst despair? A sudden glimmer of hope? These words are utterly inadequate to describe Mayumi Saegusa's feelings at this moment.
Ignoring the tears streaming down her face, she threw herself into Yunyi's arms. Whether the person before her was truly her hope, Mayumi Saegusa wasn't sure. But for that sliver of hope, she was willing to gamble. Even if it ended in tragedy, she wouldn't complain.
After an unknown amount of time, Mayumi Saegusa stopped crying. She remained in the same position and fell asleep in Yunyi's arms.
Yunyi carefully picked her up and carried her to the guest room. Given her current mental state, Yunyi was genuinely a little worried about letting her go home.
After tucking Mayumi Saegusa in, Yunyi chuckled softly as he looked at the girl's peaceful sleeping face.
"Not long ago, I was saying that Tatsuya was possessive of his younger sister. Now that I look like this, does that mean I'm also becoming possessive of her?"
Yunyi's murmur was very soft, but it was clear in the quiet room. Moreover, his words were heard by Mayumi Saegusa, who happened to wake up.
Just as he turned to leave, Mayumi Saegusa raised her arm and grabbed him.
Yunyi was slightly stunned for a moment before being pulled onto the bed by the force of his arm. If he hadn't quickly reached out to support himself, his body would have landed squarely on top of Mayumi Saegusa.
"Stop fooling around and get some sleep." Yunyi tapped Mayumi Saegusa an annoyed tone.
Unexpectedly, Mayumi Saegusa raised her arm, hooked it around Yunyi's neck, and forcefully pulled him down. Then, her warm lips pressed against his.
It was a sudden, somewhat unsuccessful kiss, but it was also the boldest thing Mayumi Saegusa could do at that moment.
After doing all this, Mayumi Saegusa released Yunyi and shrank completely under the covers, leaving only half of her head exposed. Her cheeks were burning hot, so she quickly used words to urge Yunyi to leave.
"You should leave now, I want to sleep."
Yunyi ran his thumb across the corner of his mouth, the sensation from the previous touch still lingering. He looked at Mayumi Saegusa, who was blushing so much she wanted to disappear into the ground, shook his head helplessly, and turned to leave the guest room.
Once the guest room door closed, completely shutting out Yunyi's figure, Mayumi Saegusa pulled back the covers. Her fingers traced her lips, a look of relief flashing in her eyes.