บท 106: Chapter 106 – Glasses
Lightly treading, Karuizawa performed her undercover work with utmost diligence, ensuring no one discovered her connection with Yukio. Not only did she inspect the hallways, but she also inspected both safety exits and elevators to affirm no one else was around, swiftly signaling Yukio through her phone, facilitating his unnoticed departure.
Descending to the lobby via the elevator, Yukio sought a leisurely stroll to consider over some subjects. Upon the elevator doors parting, he was met with the solitary figure of Sakura Airi, who stood absentmindedly outside.
Clutching a pristine envelope, Sakura seemed lost to her surroundings, as if a pure deer that had wandered from the forest into the vastness of a metropolis, bewildered and full of despair.
Yukio's curiosity was piqued upon seeing Sakura, who resembled a lone deer. He wondered if her virtual identity, "Shizuku," had been exposed by someone in reality.
Typically, Sakura gave off an impression of being timid and cautious. Whenever she stepped outside, she was particularly vigilant of her surroundings, fearing to bump into anyone or cause any trouble.
However, at this moment, Sakura appeared to be lost in thought, far removed from her usual cautious self. Given Sakura's non-confrontational nature, Yukio speculated that the only plausible reason for her current state was the exposure of her identity.
To avoid suspicion from other students in the lobby, Yukio quickly analyzed the situation as he exited the elevator. Passing by Sakura, he whispered, "If you're troubled by something, maintain a distance from me and we can discuss it outside."
Startled, Sakura looked up, recognizing Yukio's voice. Did he know she was troubled?
By the time Yukio had passed her, Sakura, belatedly realizing, clutched the envelope tighter, even crumpling it slightly.
She was about to follow him impulsively but was held back by the last strand of rationality in her mind. Instead, she deliberately entered the elevator, waiting for the doors to close. Just as the doors began to close, she acted as if she had almost forgotten something, pressed the open button, and stepped out of the elevator again.
Maintaining a safe distance from Yukio, she followed him, keeping her head down to avoid drawing attention.
Yukio led Sakura through the quiet, secluded woods of the School, taking advantage of the extensive grounds that made finding a remote area a simple task.
Once he was sure they were alone, Yukio turned to face Sakura and asked, "What's wrong? You look troubled."
"Yukio-kun," Sakura didn't immediately dive into her concerns but instead just happily gazed at him as if she couldn't get enough of his face, wanting to etch his image deep into her heart.
Perhaps it was the longing after being apart for so long, making it hard to have just a single glance be enough.
Yukio allowed Sakura to look at him, amused by her attention. He gently took off her glasses, saying, "It's more natural this way."
Sakura's heart raced as Yukio removed her glasses so intimately. She couldn't describe whether it was her heart pumping blood too quickly or the intoxicating effect of their solitude, but her head felt dizzy in the most pleasant way, wanting the sensation to last forever.
Driven by this light-headedness, Sakura spoke her truth, "If Yukio-kun likes it, when it's just the two of us, I can go without glasses."
Realizing the boldness of her statement, Sakura immediately hung her head, too embarrassed to look at Yukio. Her cheeks flushed, extending to her ears and neck, and even in the dim light of the night, steam seemed to rise from her head in embarrassment.
'What had I just said? How... What if Yukio took it the wrong way... as a confession?'
She didn't want that; not like this, not so ambiguously. And such a casual confession might disappoint Yukio.
Yukio smiled slightly, finding Sakura as endearing as a young deer, "It depends on the situation for me. Sometimes I like you without your glasses, and other times I prefer you with them."
Sakura, with her head still lowered, filled with confusion, wondered at Yukio's particular tastes. Sometimes glasses, sometimes not?
It seemed that Yukio's kindergarten-level comment had already exceeded Sakura's understanding…
Overwhelmed by shyness, Sakura couldn't voice her confusion and merely nodded her head, like a pecking chick, signaling she understood. She would leave everything to Yukio's discretion.
While idly playing with Sakura's pink glasses, Yukio shifted his focus to the envelope in Sakura's hands, "What's that?"
"Ah? This, this…" Sakura suddenly became flustered, fearing Yukio might misunderstand something. Despite being somewhat inarticulate, she hurriedly explained, "I, I don't really know!"
"Just, just today, when I was returning to my dorm, by the roadside, in the bushes, suddenly, someone threw this to me. It wasn't, wasn't received in person!"
Yukio slightly narrowed his eyes, realizing the situation wasn't quite what he initially thought. It wasn't that Sakura's online identity was discovered, but rather due to receiving this mysterious letter?
"May I read it?" Perhaps due to the habitual scheming in his mind, upon seeing the envelope, Yukio didn't think in any other direction.
Instead, he thought along the lines of "Is someone threatening Sakura?" or "Has someone discovered Sakura is an undercover and sent the letter for a transaction?" among other possible conspiracies.
"Of course, you can!" Sakura immediately handed over the envelope, and after passing it, she let out a huge sigh of relief, as if she had just rid herself of a hot potato.
Yukio didn't immediately read the letter upon receiving the envelope but first examined every side of it. The back of the envelope read "Personal for Sakura Airi," and with no other marks, he then opened it to read.
Inside was just a short line of text, not a threat, but a simple invitation asking Sakura to come to the back of Gymnasium No. 2 the following afternoon, saying there was something important to tell her.
Seeing this, Yukio's expression became peculiar. This... seemed not to be any threat or conspiracy, just a plain love letter.
Vaguely, Yukio recalled a conversation with Ichinose in the morning, when she asked him what his first reaction would be upon receiving a love letter.
Yukio had said his first step would be to investigate who sent it and whether there was any conspiracy involved.
Ichinose's comment at the time, still clearly echoing in Yukio's ears, was, "Yukio-kun really does have some unique thoughts."
***
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