Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The Marks She Left on Him
Chapter 2: The Marks She Left on Him
"I'll take this apartment!"
As soon as Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke,
the real estate agent hastily rummaged through her bag, frantically pulling out the rental contract.
This cursed place—she couldn't bear to stay another minute.
"Alright, per the agreement, rent is paid quarterly in advance; the deposit is equivalent to one month's rent; and the brokerage fee is half a month's rent. Utility costs like water, electricity, gas, and large garbage disposal fees are to be negotiated between you two. The details are all in the contract. Please review it carefully, and if there are no issues, sign it!"
A rapid-fire stream of words burst forth from the agent's mouth like a machine gun.
She had likely summoned every ounce of speaking speed she had ever possessed in her life.
"I'll wait outside for you two. Let me know when it's done!"
With that, the agent bolted out of the apartment as if fleeing for her life.
The apartment was left with just the two of them, and silence descended once more.
Kasumigaoka Utaha quickly skimmed through the contract in her hands.
Finding no apparent issues, she pulled out a pen and signed her name at the bottom of the page.
Her signature was elegant and aesthetically pleasing—
a perfect reflection of her character.
Once she finished signing, she casually tossed the contract toward the boy.
Yukima Azuma.
That was the name left behind on the contract by the boy.
The kanji portion of his name had an artistic flair,
but the katakana part…
Well, it could only be described as somewhat unpolished.
"Eager to have me move into your apartment, are you, Yukima-kun? My dear ex-boyfriend?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke with a faint smile.
"That's right, Kasumigaoka-senpai,"
Yukima Azuma replied with a gentle nod.
His candidness left no room for the sarcastic remarks Kasumigaoka had prepared to unleash.
She had expected him to try and explain himself, perhaps even stammer out a few awkward excuses.
But once again, after their breakup, Yukima Azuma managed to catch her off guard, leaving her with no room to maneuver.
Yukima called the real estate agent waiting outside back into the apartment.
Handing over one of the three copies of the contract, he also settled the brokerage fee on the spot.
The agent, contract in hand, swiftly departed like a gust of wind, eager to escape the tense atmosphere.
After escorting the agent out, Yukima casually picked up the large red suitcase left near the entrance.
To be honest, it was quite heavy.
But heavy luggage from a woman wasn't exactly surprising.
He shut the front door and lifted the suitcase effortlessly, heading toward the staircase.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai, follow me. The room you rented is on the second floor. I'll give you a quick tour."
Kasumigaoka Utaha's gaze instinctively fell on her suitcase.
Her lips parted slightly,
but in the end, she said nothing.
She merely followed Yukima Azuma in silence.
His action of carrying her suitcase seemed so natural, so seamless, and so logical—
as if it were something he was meant to do.
To the point where Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't feel the urge to protest at all.
Yukima Azuma's two-story apartment had a fairly straightforward layout.
Each floor featured an independent bathroom and an open space.
The open area on the ground floor served as a living room, while the second floor resembled a reading room, with two enormous bookshelves neatly arranged.
The kitchen was located only on the first floor.
The two made their way up the stairs.
As they passed between the bookshelves, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but let her gaze linger on the books.
In the corner of one bookshelf near the desk,
The book titled "The Metronome in Love" sat silently on the shelf.
That section of the shelf was particularly clean, clearly having been frequently browsed through.
This made Kasumigaoka Utaha involuntarily recall some memories.
The first time she met Yukima Azuma,
this young man was not passionate about literature.
It wasn't until she gave him "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World" by Haruki Murakami that
Yukima Azuma began to visit the bookstore regularly.
Every time he came, they were almost always together.
Among the numerous books on these shelves, one-fifth were books that she, Kasumigaoka Utaha, had introduced to Yukima Azuma.
Moreover, one-third were books they had bought together.
Right at the beginning of the bookshelf, in the first section,
Kasumigaoka Utaha saw "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World".
The book she had given him.
Her gaze burned as if scalded; as soon as it touched the cover, she immediately withdrew it.
Kasumigaoka Utaha unconsciously placed her left hand on her chest.
This couldn't be helped.
The traces she had left on him were so obvious and visible.
Anyone who saw them would undoubtedly feel a stir in their heart.
"This is your senpai room. The mattress and blankets are new, so feel free to use them."
Yukima Azuma stopped at the room to the left of the hallway.
Kasumigaoka Utaha quickly shifted her gaze away, shaking off the thoughts in her mind.
"Oh, then where's my ex-boyfriend-kun room? Is it across from this one? After all, it's convenient for a late-night raid."
To cover up her awkwardness, Kasumigaoka Utaha blurted out a random remark... or rather, a teasing one.
"My room is on the first floor." Yukima Azuma pointed down to the floor below.
"All the room keys are in the drawer in the room, there is a master key and a spare key. I don't have a copy. This has been stated in the contract, so you can rest assured, Senpai."
He said it seriously.
Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't know what else to say.
But she didn't forget to use sarcasm.
"You really don't seem like a high school boy at all. Could it be that my ex-boyfriend actually has some unspeakable secret?"
Yukima Azuma simply smiled.
That smile, in Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes, seemed to say:
"Senpai, didn't you already know if there's some unspeakable secret?"
She grabbed her suitcase.
Kasumigaoka Utaha entered the room and slammed the door shut.
She sat on the bed with the white sheet.
She hugged herself, her long legs clad in black stockings trembling uncontrollably.
This is so frustrating!
How did this guy become so 'sly' like this?
In the past, just a little teasing would make him blush and feel embarrassed.
Thud...
Kasumigaoka Utaha collapsed onto the soft bed.
"What am I even thinking? It's as if I'm some kind of ex-wife who can't let go of the past."
She waved her hand, casting those thoughts aside, and took out her tablet.
Kasumigaoka Utaha began to write.
The light novel she had left unfinished for the past few days suddenly sparked some new inspiration.
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