When she turned back, her hand reached up to touch the pendant. "Thank you. I I love it. And I love you."
Akifumi's smile widened as he pulled her into a warm embrace. "I love you too."
When they draw away, they look each other deep in the eyes for a moment.
The longer Akifumi look at her, the more he become aware of how precious she is
"Mahiru... Can we.?"
"...Okay"
[140] Yor Dilemma
Yor's Apartment
The walls of Yor's apartment were thin.
She had always known this, but it wasn't until recently that it became a real problem.
Yor wasn't the type to pry, or at least, she liked to think she wasn't.
She prided herself on being professional, disciplined, and above all, focused on her mission.
But lately, her curiosity had been getting the better of her.
Her neighbor, the very person she was supposed to protect, had become a source of endless intrigue.
And when Mahiru visited him, Yor couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going on behind those thin walls.
It wasn't long before she found herself pressing her ear against the cool surface of the wall, straining to catch even the faintest sound from next door.
The apartment was eerily quiet most of the time, but there were moments were odd, unsettling moments, when Yor could swear she heard something.
Muffled whispers, faint shuffling, or the occasional creak of furniture. It was all so strange.
"What are they doing in there?" Yor muttered to herself, her brow furrowing as she leaned closer.
She knew Mahiru. Sweet, kind Mahiru, who always seemed to have a smile on her face and a dish in her hands.
Yor had seen her come and go from the neighbor's apartment countless times, often carrying groceries or a container of freshly cooked food.
At first, Yor had assumed it was nothing more than a friendly gesture.
After all, Mahiru was the type of person who would cook for anyone in need. But lately, Yor couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it.
"Did I just hear laughter?" Yor whispered, her ear still pressed against the wall.
The sounds were faint, almost imperceptible, but they were there.
A soft murmur of voices, the occasional giggle, and thensilence.
Too much silence. It was as if they were deliberately keeping their voices low, as if they didn't want to be overheard.
Yor pulled back, her mind racing. "Am I just being paranoid?" she wondered aloud, pacing the length of her small living room.
She stopped abruptly, her eyes widening as a thought struck her. "Ah! Maybe Mahiru is just there to cook for him. That's all."
It made sense.
Mahiru was always cooking for someoneher friends, her coworkers, even Yor herself on occasion.
It was just who she was.
Kind, generous, and always thinking of others. Yor nodded to herself, trying to push aside her growing unease.
"Yawn Since Mahiru is with him, nothing else should happen tonight," Yor said, stretching her arms above her head.
"I should go to bed."
She shuffled to her bedroom, the events of the day finally catching up to her.
Her body ached from hours of training, and her mind was exhausted from overthinking every little sound that came from next door.
She changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.
Just as she closed her eyes, a sound jolted her awake.
It was faint, but unmistakablea small, sharp scream, followed by a series of muffled noises. Yor sat bolt upright, her heart pounding in her chest.
"What was that?!" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Without thinking, she scrambled out of bed and pressed her ear against the wall once more.
This time, the sounds were clearer. She could hear soft Mahiru's voice, followed by the low murmur of her young master response.
Yor's mind raced.
Was Mahiru in trouble? Was something happening next door that she needed to intervene in?
Her instincts screamed at her to act, to burst through the door and make sure everything was okay.
But she hesitated. What if she was overreacting?
What if it was nothing?
"Calm down, Yor," she told herself, taking a deep breath. "You're a professional. You can't let your imagination run wild."
But as the sounds from next door continued, Yor's confusion only deepened.
She kept listening, her ear pressed firmly against the wall, when suddenly, a new sound emerged a rhythmic clapping noise, like skin meeting skin.
'Are they fighting something?' she wondered, her brow furrowing in bewilderment.
She sat there for what felt like an eternity, her ear glued to the wall, her mind racing with wild possibilities.
Just as she was about to get up and check on them, Mahiru's voice grew loudermuch louder than before. This time, Yor could hear it clearly.
"AAAH ! Mugiho-kun !"
The moment those words reached her ears, Yor jerked away from the wall as if it had burned her.
"Uh ummm What are they doing?!" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling.
Her mind spun with confusion and disbelief. 'What is this? Since when did they become like that? And in the first place, aren't they too young to be doing that?'
As Mahiru's voice grew even louder, Yor could feel her body growing hotter by the second.
Her face flushed a deep crimson, and she clutched her pillow tightly, trying to steady her breathing.
'Ahh, Yuri what is your sister supposed to do at a time like this?' Yor thought, her mind spiraling.
Desperate to block out the sounds, Yor buried her face in her pillow, but it was no use.
The walls were too thin, and the noises were too vivid.
The clock on her nightstand blinked 2:14 a.m., but sleep was the furthest thing from her mind.
From the other side of the wall, she could hear everythingthe muffled moans, the rhythmic creak of the bedframe, and other unmistakable sounds.
Yor's face burned with embarrassment, and she groaned into her pillow.
"Why why is this happening?" she muttered, her voice muffled and strained.
The muffled sounds of moan, the creak of a bedframe, and then other noises.
As an assassin, Yor was used to being alert, focused, and in control.
Her mission was clear: protect Akifumi, her neighbor, at all costs.
He was an important clientsomeone with dangerous enemiesand Yor had been assigned to ensure his safety.
She had taken the apartment next to his, blending into the background while keeping a close eye on him.
But tonight, her mission was being tested in a way she hadn't anticipated.
"I can't believe this," Yor groaned, rolling onto her side. "How am I supposed to protect him if I can't even think straight?"
The sounds from next door continued, relentless and unmistakable.
Yor squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus on her training.
She recited mission protocols in her head, visualized combat drills, and even tried counting backward from 100.
But nothing worked.
The noises were too distracting, too intimate.
"This is a nightmare," she whispered, burying her face in her pillow.
In the grand mansion of the Shinomiya family, though it was already late at night, the lights in a certain young lady's room were still on.
Holding a magazine in her hands, Shinomiya Kaguya's face was unreadable, though her eyes occasionally flickered with emotion.
Her maid, Hayasaka Ai, asked in confusion, "Didn't you say you'd never read this mangaka works again?"
"Hayasaka, you don't understand!" Kaguya wore a smug expression.
"The internet has thoroughly analyzed itthis manga is different from his previous works!"
"I hate depressing stories. But healing stories? That's a different matter!!"
But healing stories can still make you cry, right?
Hayasaka wanted to say that, but Kaguya spoke first.
"Yes, healing stories aren't just about fantasies. There are still touching moments."
"But the overall experience is beautiful!!"
As she spoke, she glared at a book on her nightstand titled The 'WorldEnd', her resentment palpable.
"A story that's sorrowful from start to finish and ends in utter despair is completely different!"
"I see." Hayasaka nodded, her face expressionless.
But as she glanced at the open magazine in Kaguya's hands, she saw the title Your Lie in April and raised an eyebrow.
'Every single one of his works inevitably turns into a tragedy. Do you really think this time will be any different?' She didn't voice her concerns, only sighed internally.
'I just hope this time, Kaguya-sama won't make me deliver another ton of razor blades.'
Even now, thinking back on that incident made her cringe so hard she wanted to disappear.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Hayasaka reminded her, "Kaguya-sama, it's very late. You should get some rest."
"I know." Kaguya waved her hand dismissively, resting her chin on her hands.
Her slender, fair legs swung idly as she stared at Arima Kousei's monologue in Your Lie in April, her eyes slightly dazed.
'But in my eyes, everything is dull and colorless. Like sheet music, like the keys of a piano.'
'In the spring of my 14th year, I took my first step forward.'
'Time, which had been frozen, began to move again.'
"When will someone appear in my world, like they did for Arima Kousei, and light up my life?"
A hint of loneliness crossed Kaguya's face.
The next morning, Yor stumbled into the hallway, her eyes heavy and her mind still reeling from the night before.
She was halfway to the elevator when she heard a familiar voice.
"Oh, good morning, Yor-san!"
Yor froze.
Slowly, she turned to see Mahiru standing there, her cheeks slightly pink and her hair tied up in a loose ponytail.
Beside her was Akifumi, looking as calm and composed as ever, though there was a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"M-Morning," Yor stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
She couldn't meet their eyes, her face burning as memories of the previous night flooded her mind.
"You look tired," Mahiru said, her tone laced with concern. "Did you not sleep well?"
Yor's eyes widened, and she shook her head vigorously. "N-No, I mean, yes! I mean I'm fine! Totally fine!"
Akifumi raised an eyebrow, his smirk growing wider. "You sure? You look like you've been up all night."
Yor's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "I I just had a lot on my mind," she mumbled, clutching her bag tightly.
Mahiru tilted her head, her expression softening. "Well, if you need anything, let us know, okay? We're here for you."
Yor nodded quickly, her heart pounding in her chest. "T-Thanks. I I should go. I'm late for something."
Before they could respond, Yor turned on her heel and bolted down the hallway, her footsteps echoing loudly.
She didn't stop until she was safely inside the elevator, leaning against the wall as she tried to catch her breath.
Back in the hallway, Akifumi watched Yor disappear around the corner, his smirk turning into a full-blown grin.
"Well, that was interesting," he said, crossing his arms.
Mahiru frowned, looking up at him. "What do you mean?"
Akifumi shrugged, his grin never fading. "Oh, nothing. Just Yor seemed a little off this morning, don't you think?"
Mahiru tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "I guess she did seem a bit flustered. Maybe she's just stressed about work or something."
Akifumi chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, maybe. Or maybe she just needs a good night's sleep."
Mahiru smiled, leaning into him. "Well, I hope she's okay. She's such a nice person."
Akifumi nodded, his smirk softening into a genuine smile. "Yeah, she is, let's go wake up Mashiro first"
Meanwhile, Yor was halfway across the city, still trying to shake off the embarrassment.
She vowed to herself that she would never, ever press her ear against the wall again.
[141] Human Connections, Gifts, and Christmas [100 PS]
Wednesday.
"Everyone looks so happy."
Watching her classmates joking and playing after class, Kato Megumi sighed.
Akifumi was curious. "Didn't expect you to be the sentimental type, Kato."
"It's not sentimentality. I just have mixed feelings about the upcoming New Year."
It was already December 20th.
Once Friday ended, the winter break would begin.
Which also meant that the year was coming to an end.
"Time flies too fast. Looking back, I feel like I didn't accomplish much this year."
"Like I wasted a lot of time."
"That's not a problem for you, Akifumi. You did so much this year."
"Huh?"
Kato spoke calmly, "After all, the whole school's talking about it. Surely, Akifumi, you've heard about it, right?"
Akifumi recalled the book signing event from October.
Though it didn't stand out much due to Mahiru's enrollment,
it still had quite an impact.
The fact that Kato was bringing it up like this was proof of that.
"Even someone like me, who doesn't pay attention to this stuff, knows about it."
It was clear that this wasn't as insignificant as Akifumi had initially thought.
However
"You're bringing this up now"
Akifumi raised an eyebrow, curious, "Kato, are you angry?"
"Yes."
Kato didn't hesitate in his reply. "As a good friend, it's frustrating to be kept in the dark about something like this."
"I didn't hear it from you, but from the school rumors."
"Considering everything, it's totally reasonable to be upset, right?"
Akifumi felt a little troubled at this.
Kato's straightforwardness didn't annoy him at all;
on the contrary, it was refreshing not to have to guess at hidden meanings.
But... why was Kato angry? It seemed almost... cute?
With a wry smile, Akifumi spoke up.
"But Kato, you never asked me about it." He shrugged. "I couldn't just randomly tell you, 'Hey, my manga's a huge hit online.' Can you imagine?"
"Now I'm a semi-famous new manga artist, right?"
"That would sound like nothing but bragging."
"Huh." Kato blinked, surprised by this turn of events.
Before Kato could respond, Akifumi continued,
"Besides, I started drawing manga because I needed extra pocket money."
"The success I've had was completely unexpected."
"Not that I think it's a big deal, though."
"After all, manga and light novels are more about the commercial side of things, just trendy stuff for young people."
"If one day I write a world-famous classic, though, I'll be impossible to stop from showing it off!"
"...?" Kato fell silent.
'How did we end up talking about classic literature?'
'Should I admire Akifumi for his boldness or tell him not to overthink things?'
'Wait.'
