Chapter 168: Don't Lie to Me
Yu's figure silently appeared in the bedroom, only to see Sasuko with her back to him, carefully arranging the bedding.
Every movement was gentle and serious.
Yu stood at the doorway, quietly watching Sasuko's busy figure.
"Sasuko."
He called softly.
Hearing his voice, Sasuko turned, face blooming with a bright smile. "You're back! Where are Father and the others?"
"Still socializing." Yu entered the room, gaze sweeping over the meticulously organized surroundings. "You don't need to do these things."
"I'm idle anyway." Sasuko returned the last book to its place before turning to study him carefully. "Your complexion isn't good. Are you feeling unwell?"
"Just been a bit tired lately." Yu sat in the chair by the window.
Yet Sasuko wouldn't let it go, moving closer. "Are you sick?"
"I'm fine." He answered softly.
Sasuko wasn't convinced by his casual dismissal. She stepped forward.
"Really? I don't believe you." She said softly, reaching toward his forehead.
The temperature transmitted through fingertips made Yu freeze slightly. Sasuko's hand was very soft, carrying maiden-specific warmth, lightly pressing against his skin.
"No fever..." She murmured, yet her hand lingered, instead sliding down his cheek to stop at his neck. "But your complexion really doesn't look good."
"I said I'm fine."
Sasuko tilted her head. "Then... let me check once more."
Before he could react, she suddenly cupped his face with both hands.
This action forced her to lean forward slightly. Her loose collar drooped accordingly, exposing a stretch of delicate collarbones with vague beautiful curves visible beneath.
"Don't move." She said softly, pressing her forehead against his.
Sasuko slowly sat on his lap, maintaining the forehead-to-forehead position, warm breath lightly brushing past his lips.
"Your heartbeat is a bit fast." She said in a low voice.
The maiden's elegant fragrance lingered at his nose. Soft hair occasionally swept across his cheek.
"Sasuko, stop fooling around."
Sasuko shook her head lightly, nose barely brushing his bridge. "Not enough yet."
She withdrew slightly. Slender fingers still cupped his face. Her gaze lingered momentarily on his lips before slowly rising to meet his eyes.
Those clear, moist black eyes carried indescribable meaning at this moment.
This distance let him count her lightly trembling lashes, see clearly her slightly flushed cheeks.
Sasuko's lips slowly approached yet stopped at the final distance.
"Yu." She called softly, voice soft and sweet. "Just now... were you anticipating something?"
Yu: ...
Suddenly, soft lips covered his.
This kiss initially carried tentative gentleness, like a butterfly glancing across petals.
But sensing Yu showed no obvious resistance, she boldly deepened the kiss. Carefully exploring inward, carrying maiden-specific sweet scent, awkward yet persistent in entangling with him.
Yu's hand unconsciously supported her waist. Her slender waist felt slightly hot beneath his palm. Sasuko took advantage to press even closer. The softness before her pressed through thin fabric against his chest, rising and falling lightly with somewhat rapid breathing.
After a long while, lips parted.
Sasuko still straddled his legs, cheeks crimson, breath unsteady.
She pressed her forehead against Yu's chest, murmuring softly:
"Yu..."
Her voice carried post-intimacy softness. "You promised you wouldn't lie to me."
These days, Yu's abnormalities—Sasuko had kept them in mind all along.
The deliberately casual attitude, this morning's late-rising excuse—all seemed like deliberate concealment.
Only recently everything had been too wonderful—parents returning, their relationship progressing—making her unconsciously ignore these anomalies.
Not until just now when helping him tidy his room did she notice more oddities. The bedding was too neat, completely lacking sleep-wrinkled quilts, as though he'd only lain stiffly all night. Changed clothing was carelessly tossed bedside, still carrying unusual sweat scent. This completely contradicted Yu's usual tidy habits.
If late rising was truly from laziness, how to explain all this?
She couldn't help recalling his unusually cold hands yesterday, this morning's slow responses.
"Tell me," she raised misty eyes, fingertips lightly stroking his cheek, "what exactly are you hiding?"
The maiden's soft form still nestled in his embrace. The earlier kiss's lingering warmth hadn't yet dispersed, yet those eyes gazing at him already overflowed with worry.
Yu gently supported Sasuko's shoulders, pushing her slightly from his embrace. Fingertips tenderly brushed her flushed cheeks, attempting to use this intimate gesture to deflect her questioning.
"Really just a bit tired." His tone was gentle, yet his gaze imperceptibly shifted aside. "Perhaps these years I've been too tense. Suddenly relaxing actually feels uncomfortable."
Sasuko stubbornly cupped his face, making him face her directly. "Look into my eyes and say that again."
"The quilt hasn't moved all night. Changed clothes carry sweat and were thrown carelessly—this isn't your habit at all. This morning you didn't immediately respond to me. You've never slept so deeply... How do you explain these?"
Yu sighed helplessly, grasping her wrist. "Sasuko, stop fooling around..."
"I'm serious." Sasuko pulled free from his touch. "Do you know how worried I've been this entire day? From this morning seeing you wake late, I felt something was wrong..."
She grew increasingly agitated, eyes slightly reddening. "If you're truly fine, why won't you look into my eyes? If you're truly just tired, why didn't you even lay out the quilt before lying down?"
Moreover, thinking back now, what made her most uneasy—the usually reserved Yu had actually responded frankly to her feelings yesterday. Today he showed no resistance to her kiss either.
Mother was currently at home. This was truly too abnormal.
Yu watched Sasuko's stubborn expression, helping smooth her somewhat disheveled hair.
Actually, he himself didn't know why he'd given Sasuko that answer yesterday. It had been instinctive.
Before Sasuko, he couldn't maintain the rationality he'd shown toward Naruko.
But he truly had little time left. He'd tried resisting this decay at night, yet to no avail. Telling Sasuko and the others now would only make them worry needlessly.
Reason told him he should leave now, not let Sasuko invest more emotion in him. Yet in life's final moments, emotion made him reluctant to release Sasuko's hand.
Yu momentarily didn't know how to answer.
Just then, Mikoto's call came from outside, approaching from afar:
"Sasuko—are you downstairs?"
This call made Yu's expression shift slightly, instinctively wanting to create distance. Yet Sasuko paid no attention, still staring intently into his eyes, awaiting his answer.
"Sasuko," Yu lowered his voice, carrying some helpless urging. "Go down first. Don't make Mother worry."
Not only did Sasuko not withdraw, she actually moved closer, warm breath exhaling against his face.
Since she'd already made her feelings clear to her parents, what did it matter if they were seen now? Yu's physical condition was currently most important.
Seeing him still deliberately evading, Sasuko embraced his neck and kissed him once more.
Mikoto's footsteps were getting closer and closer...
***
20+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces