Yukima Azuma quickly returned to the edge of the sports field.
Kato Megumi had clearly been waiting there for a long time.
"Yukima-san, where did you just go...?"
Kato Megumi asked softly, but her sentence trailed off halfway.
"Ah, sorry, there was a bit of a situation earlier. Anyway, do you want some water?"
Yukima Azuma offered her the bottle of water he had brought with him.
But Kato Megumi didn't respond.
Following Kato Megumi's gaze, Yukima Azuma looked down at his shoulder.
"Ah, this? It was just a little mishap... but it's nothing serious."
Yukima Azuma tried to explain.
However, when Kato Megumi stared at him like that, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.
Although Kato Megumi's expression didn't change.
Yukima Azuma felt that her calm eyes were now looking at him as if very sternly.
Kato Megumi looked at Yukima Azuma for a moment.
Then, she grabbed his arm and dragged him off the sports field.
"Come with me, I have a first aid kit in my bag in the classroom."
"But what about your 800-meter result, Kato-san?"
"What about it? Just fill in a number on the board, no one will notice anyway."
"Then... is Kato-san mad?"
"You imagined it."
She was definitely mad.
Realizing this,
Yukima Azuma obediently let Kato Megumi pull him back to the classroom.
At this point, the classroom was empty.
Kato Megumi pushed Yukima Azuma down onto her seat.
Yukima Azuma looked at this girl, seeing her take out a small white first aid kit from her bag.
"Take off your shirt."
Her voice was gentle, but unusually heavy.
Yukima Azuma really wanted to ask Kato Megumi, "Aren't you embarrassed?"
But under her stern gaze, he obediently took off his shirt.
Under the school sports jacket was a fairly well-proportioned body.
When wearing a white shirt, it was almost impossible to see.
But when it was taken off, the clear, sharp lines appeared before their eyes.
After all, Yukima Azuma had been training continuously for over a year.
Although he didn't have overly impressive muscles, he still had a fresh, fit look, the kind of handsome that everyone liked.
It was the "looks skinny in clothes, but has muscles when the shirt is off" kind of physique.
Kato Megumi paused for a moment, seemingly unable to take her eyes off him.
While the fitness data could give some clues,
actually seeing it, really...
Kato Megumi's bobbed hair gently swayed, and her small ears turned slightly red.
The atmosphere in the classroom became a little "tense".
"Impressive"
After a brief moment of admiration, Kato Megumi forced herself to shift her gaze to Yukima Azuma's shoulder.
Kato Megumi took out a bottle of alcohol and a cotton swab from the first aid kit.
"It might hurt a little, try to endure it," she said, then began wiping the blood off Yukima Azuma's shoulder.
After using the alcohol to clean most of the blood,
the wound on Yukima Azuma's shoulder finally became visible.
It was four small scratches.
The wound wasn't very deep.
It looked as if it had been slightly scratched by the cat's sharp teeth.
Looking at the wound,
Kato Megumi showed a look of confusion.
Yukima Azuma smiled awkwardly.
Luckily, Kato Megumi didn't continue to ask questions.
After disinfecting, she applied a hemostatic ointment and finally placed a band-aid over the wound.
"Oh, thank you so much, Kato-san. To repay you, can I let you touch it?"
Yukima Azuma pointed to his abs.
He was trying to make a joke to break the somewhat awkward atmosphere.
The result...
"Eh, can I? Well, then I won't be polite."
Kato Megumi said, and since she was looking down, Yukima Azuma didn't see the expression in her eyes.
The girl extended her small hand and touched Yukima Azuma's abs.
How did it feel?
Both of them could distinctly feel the friction, both feeling a little embarrassed with their hearts racing.
Suddenly, a loud noise came from the classroom door.
Both of them jumped in alarm.
— — — — — — — — — — —
If you like this story, please leave me a comment, review, collection and power stones if you can, that really help me a lot
If you're looking for good fanfics, try reading my other books, you won't be disappointed, promise.
If you want to read 40 advanced chapters and support me to have more motivation to continue as a translator, here is my p.a.t.r.e.o.n patreon.com/curse_heian_chef
Thanks you, Have a nice day ()
Chapter 41: Eriri ready to confront her own heart.
"Kita-san, could you come with me to the infirmary for a bit?"
Eriri and Kita Ikuyo went to the infirmary together.
Eriri asked the nurse about the necessary medications to treat the bite wound.
After that, under the nurse's somewhat puzzled gaze, Eriri took a large bag of medicine.
She carried the bag and went back to the schoolyard to look for Yukima Azuma.
However, unable to find him in the schoolyard, Eriri headed to the gymnasium where the boys were.
There was no one there either.
Finally, Eriri decided to go to the classroom.
As she approached the classroom door, she looked through the window and saw a familiar figure.
She was preparing to gather all her courage to enter the classroom and start a conversation.
But just then, another figure stood up.
Katou Megumi had just stood up after bending down to search for something in her bag, so Eriri didn't recognize her immediately.
And at that moment...
'Who is she?'
A sudden thought appeared in Eriri's mind.
Because Katou Megumi had such a faint presence, Eriri didn't even recognize this classmate.
Looking at the unfamiliar girl standing next to Yukima Azuma, Eriri's heart tightened.
Not knowing what to do, she saw Yukima Azuma had taken off his jacket.
Eriri:!!!
As a doujinshi artist, she was well-known in the community, Kashiwagi Eri-sensei.
Immediately, hundreds of R18-themed stories featuring school settings flashed through her mind.
Among them, empty classrooms were the prime location for "activities."
With a flood of R18 data rushing in, Eriri's mind temporarily "froze," entering a state of suspended activity.
Beside her, Kita Ikuyo, who had been following her, had also covered her face with her hand, her fair white skin turning bright red between her fingers.
Luckily, the situation didn't unfold like the limited stories they imagined.
It was simply washing the wound, applying medicine, and bandaging it.
However, the location of the wound required her to remove her shirt.
After dispelling those unpleasant thoughts, Eriri only felt a bitter sensation rise from her throat, spreading through her mouth.
What had she even done?
Yukima Azuma had noticed she was trying to appear strong, so he stayed behind on the schoolyard.
When she nearly collapsed from a muscle cramp, he rushed over and supported her.
He even cared about her dignity, taking her to a place where no one could see to treat her.
He didn't mock her after she had been exhausted from physical activity...
And she, not only did she not thank him, but she also bit him.
She didn't even have the courage to stop him.
As a result, the wound she caused had to be treated by other girl.
Eriri couldn't even imagine being in that situation.
Just thinking about it made her heart want to break.
What confused her even more was...
She suddenly realized.
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
Back in the day, when they were in love.
Things like that were almost routine.
It was nothing surprising...
Nothing surprising that he had left her from the start.
Eriri realized that the person who had loved her deeply, whose heart always longed to be with her, had eventually chosen to leave.
Eriri clenched her fists.
Her nails almost dug into her skin, leaving deep marks on the palm of her hand.
Large drops of tears, as big as raindrops, uncontrollably rolled down and fell to the ground, shattering into shining fragments.
In her blurry vision,
Eriri saw the other girl reach out toward Yukima Azuma.
'Hurry up, Eriri, Azuma is going to be taken away!'
A desperate scream echoed in Eriri's heart.
But at the same time, another voice spoke, full of sarcasm.
'What right do you have to stop him, Eriri? He's been hurt too much by you, you've already broken up, right?'
Both voices were Eriri's.
In the end, Eriri, unable to hesitate any longer, unable to bear the thought of Yukima Azuma being taken away,
She ran to the door of the classroom, slamming into it.
A loud noise rang out.
Then, she turned and ran away.
"Ehh, Sawamura-san!"
Kita Ikuyo hurriedly chased after her.
Her feelings were really complicated right now, as if she had just witnessed an unbelievable love triangle.
In the classroom, Yukima Azuma and Katou Megumi were startled.
Then they heard Kita Ikuyo calling out.
Katou Megumi withdrew her hand.
Her face slowly turned bright red.
Yukima Azuma grabbed the nearby jacket and put it back on.
"Won't you go after her?"
Katou Megumi softly asked.
"If I chase after her now... it feels like I'll just repeat the mistake. It's better to let her think things through on her own."
Yukima Azuma made that decision.
Katou Megumi, upon hearing this, seemed to think for a moment.
....
The physical education test ended.
to the next class, Eriri seat was empty.
Yukima Azuma asked Kirisu Mafuyu.
The answer was that Eriri had asked for sick leave and went home.
.....
At the Sawamura house.
Sawamura Sayuri saw Eriri running home with red eyes and a flushed forehead. Her gaze gradually became dangerous.
Eriri, who wanted to rush upstairs to cry, was stopped in the living room.
Sayuri quickly pulled Eriri into her embrace.
She gently stroked Eriri's hair.
In the past, at this moment, Eriri would have cried loudly out of frustration.
But this time, Eriri's tears slowly stopped, leaving only quiet sobs.
Noticing the change in her daughter, Sayuri asked:
"Eriri, what happened? Tell me, sweetheart."
Eriri choked up, feeling a strong desire to tell her mother everything.
However, after fully calming down, she spoke:
"Mom, I... I've done some things wrong, hurt someone. What should I do to make it right?"
Sayuri was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.
Then, she immediately asked:
"Is it someone really important to you, Eriri?"
Eriri placed her hand on her chest.
She could feel the emotions deep within.
She nodded seriously.
"Someone very important to me, as important as you, Mom."
Sayuri was truly surprised.
She understood her daughter the best.
Sayuri knew well how proud Eriri was.
And now, Eriri was facing her emotions, ready to confront her own heart.
Chapter 42: Arent We Friends?
Chapter 42: Aren't We Friends?
There are many things that parents can't teach their children.
For example, how to face their own inner selves and confront their emotions.
Eriri, in the past, with her tsundere personality, was never able to do this.
As soon as her sensitive inner self was touched,
Eriri would immediately use her tsundere facade as a shield, isolating everyone, even herself.
But Eriri, like this...
Today, she...
"A person very important to Eriri, as important as me."
After the surprise, Sayuri couldn't help but smile.
If only Eriri could mature sooner.
Otherwise, when she enters society in the future, she might be deceived by bad men to the point where she loses herself.
Then she might throw away her inheritance at some shady club and end up freezing to death on the streets, for example.
Sayuri truly didn't want to see Eriri's future turn out like that.
So...
She had to push her daughter a little.
"Because they are important, Eriri should apologize properly."
Eriri blinked a few times, her blue eyes filled with confusion, as if she couldn't believe what her mother had just said.
"Is that all?"
"Yes, because Eriri is so cute, the other person will surely forgive her."
"But what about the past mistakes?"
"Mistakes made in the past, no matter how much you try to make up for them, cannot be changed. So, look forward, work on improving, and fill the bad memories with better ones."
Eriri nodded thoughtfully, though it wasn't clear how much she had taken in.
After the serious conversation between mother and daughter, Sayuri suddenly smiled mischievously.
"Someone as important as me... Eriri, you're really ungrateful!"
Sayuri wrapped her arms around her daughter's waist, poking her gently in the side.
Eriri's sad face immediately disappeared, replaced by a burst of laughter as she struggled to escape her mother's embrace.
.....
Toyonosaki Academy
After school.
Yukima Azuma took out his phone and immediately received a notification from LINE.
Opening it, he was surprised to see the message was from Sayuri.
[Yukima-kun, please come to my house for dinner this weekend.]
Though the message seemed ordinary, Yukima Azuma felt a bit of hostility in those words.
It seemed this wasn't an invitation he could refuse.
Thinking about it, if Eriri had run home looking so upset, it was strange that Sayuri hadn't come to find him.
But, things that need to be faced must be faced.
[Yes, I will trouble you, Sayuri-obasan.]
Yukima Azuma replied.
They exchanged a few more polite words, finally settling on a time for Saturday evening.
Yukima Azuma put his phone away and, alongside Kato Megumi, walked out of the school gate.
Today was the day Yukima Azuma had planned to buy his usual cooking ingredients. While chatting, Megumi mentioned she also needed to go to the supermarket for some groceries, so they decided to go together.
Looking over at the girl beside him, graceful as a blooming wisteria flower, Yukima Azuma felt a sense of lightness and comfort when he was with Megumi.
Megumi's company always had a natural, almost uncanny ability to soothe one's heart, like a sip of hot cocoa on a cold winter day.
However, Yukima Azuma understood that, no matter how well two people got along, occasional bumps were inevitable.
If things always went smoothly, it was certain that one of them was always yielding to the other.
"Yukima-kun's gaze, it's rare to see you look so directly at me like that," Megumi remarked, noticing his gaze and teasing him lightly.
