Had it been any other man, even if he hadn't pounced on her outright, he'd at least have let his mind run wild — and faced with her hint, he'd surely have moved as fast as possible, wanting to devour her whole and leave not a scrap behind. But Lin Ye was different. Completely different. Faced with her allure, forget impulse — he barely reacted at all.
That wasn't quite right, either. Lin Ye did love kissing her — when he kissed her, he was plenty forceful about it. But when it came to that most intimate act, he always seemed to carry a faint, lukewarm indifference.
This wasn't her imagination. It was fact.
Otherwise, why hadn't she and Lin Ye ever crossed that final line, even now?
Not that she was desperate to cross it — she simply wished things would happen naturally, that their relationship would run its course, rather than Lin Ye holding back for some reason of his own, forcing her in the end to restrain herself and never find a normal release.
That was what truly worried Mai Sakurajima.
"Lin-kun,"
Realizing what she was about to say, a faint blush rose on Mai Sakurajima's delicate cheeks.
She was embarrassed.
Of course she was — any normal girl about to bring up a thing like this on her own would blush.
A girl who felt no shame at all could only mean she'd already been through a great deal. Otherwise, why would she act this way?
"Actually, you don't have to hold back,"
That one line said everything she meant.
Lin Ye understood exactly what she meant. But shouldn't a thing like this happen naturally, rather than being forced for its own sake?
Lin Ye looked at the girl beside him — her graceful curves, her exquisite figure, every inch of her radiating temptation.
His heartbeat quickened, just a little.
No wonder she was Mai Sakurajima — one sentence, and she'd already stirred the man in him.
"Hold back on what?" Lin Ye shot back.
Mai Sakurajima knew at once he was doing it on purpose — saying that just to torment her.
"You know what,"
"I don't know anything at all!"
Faced with his almost shameless response, Mai Sakurajima grew even more annoyed.
She pouted, clearly displeased. "I'll get upset if you keep this up."
"But I…"
"Lin-kun…"
"Fine, fine, I know — that should do it, right?" Lin Ye gave in, helpless.
"So, what's your answer?"
She'd already spelled it out this far, and yet Lin Ye still hadn't done much of anything on his own. Mai Sakurajima had no choice but to push further, prompting him to give her a clear answer.
"Let's just let things happen naturally."
That answer left Mai Sakurajima far from satisfied.
She even suspected it was just Lin Ye's way of stalling. Any other man wouldn't have acted like this at all.
It seemed to prove that Lin Ye simply had no real desire for her in that regard.
"Is it… does Yukinoshita satisfy you?"
Mai Sakurajima had thought of a possibility.
If Lin Ye had no interest or desire for her, then it could only mean he had those feelings and needs for his other official girlfriend.
She was no worse than Yukino Yukinoshita — in some ways even better — so why did Lin Ye show so little interest in her?
"Mai, you don't need to worry about your charm. In my eyes you're an incredibly alluring, attractive girl. I like you — I like you a lot,"
Lin Ye said first.
Girls just loved comparing themselves to others — even ones already excellent in every way still couldn't resist measuring themselves against other girls, let alone against a fellow girlfriend like Yukino Yukinoshita.
To Mai Sakurajima, Yukino Yukinoshita was rival number one.
And after Yukino Yukinoshita came Ai Hoshino.
As for the rest—
Since Mai had no idea Ryou Fujibayashi even existed, she couldn't spare her much thought.
Yet Lin Ye had already gone all the way with Ryou Fujibayashi, forming the most intimate bond possible with her.
That relationship predated every other girl's.
It had been an accident, true — but it was fact now, all the same.
Lin Ye wouldn't deny it.
As for the future—
Lin Ye hoped Ryou could get along well with Mai Sakurajima and Yukino Yukinoshita.
And with Ai Hoshino, too.
Fujibayashi had a gentle temperament, easily accepting and tolerant of others — and she was well aware herself that she was the latecomer. Ren Nanase, her close friend, had been with him even before she was, and he had feelings for her too.
Yet knowing all this, Ryou Fujibayashi had still ended up involved with him, and it had turned into the tangled relationship it was now.
Naturally Ryou Fujibayashi felt she owed Ren Nanase something for it, but Lin Ye knew there was no chance she'd withdraw because of it.
And even if Ryou Fujibayashi wanted to step back, Lin Ye wouldn't allow it.
She was already his woman — Lin Ye had no intention of letting her go.
He would hold onto Ryou Fujibayashi tightly, making certain she had no chance of ever leaving him.
As for whether Ryou Fujibayashi could manage her relationships with the other girls—
Lin Ye wasn't too worried. With her gentle, introverted personality, she wasn't the type to clash with anyone — outright arguing was even less likely.
As for Yukino and Mai, that was on him to handle — getting the two of them to accept Ryou.
Worst case, they'd simply know of each other's existence without any contact between them.
That would work well enough.
Lin Ye didn't think that just because they were all his girlfriends, they had to know each other and get along splendidly.
Simply knowing of one another without actual contact — that was a viable approach too.
Lin Ye was satisfied with this idea of his.
After all, people's personalities differed, and so did how they got along with one another.
Take Haruno, for instance — even if she became his woman someday, that didn't mean Lin Ye wanted her getting acquainted with his other girlfriends.
Even if Haruno wanted to meet them, and they wanted to meet her, Lin Ye would still put a stop to it.
He really didn't dare let Haruno get close to the others, with too many points of contact between them.
Haruno was simply too good at stirring up trouble. An ordinary girl was no match for her at all — even all the others banding together might not be enough.
He had to stay on guard.
Mai Sakurajima's mood lifted, pleased — Lin Ye's words were an affirmation of her. But somehow, she still felt it wasn't quite enough.
He liked her, a lot — but that was all.
Couldn't it be love instead — a lot of love?
"Lin-kun's way of showing affection is really simple,"
"Then let's make it more complicated."
While Mai Sakurajima was still lost in thought, Lin Ye closed the distance, pulled her close, and kissed her deeply, sealing her lips with his.
Helpless, Mai Sakurajima gave in and kissed him back.
How many times was this now?
She'd honestly lost count.
But it had been many, many times by now, and the total time added up must have already reached a point she found astonishingly long.
Lin Ye really did love kissing.
She found it almost absurd.
No interest at all in that other matter, yet endless enthusiasm for this one.
Fine, then.
As his girlfriend, she supposed she owed him this one small wish.
If her boyfriend liked kissing, then as his girlfriend she ought to meet his expectations properly.
And so—
This time Mai Sakurajima kissed him back, and with far more fervor than usual.
That warmth spurred Lin Ye on, making him keenly aware of her response.
He grew even more worked up, even more unrestrained.
Before long,
Lin Ye suddenly felt a tapping against his back and quickly let go, steadying himself.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Mai Sakurajima was gasping for air, drawing in great heaving breaths.
"You — you were trying to suffocate me."
She'd nearly lost her breath entirely.
It had been agony.
Yet that breathless kiss had given her a thrill unlike any other.
Somewhere, faintly, she'd even found herself wanting more of it.
The instant that thought surfaced, Mai Sakurajima shoved it out of her mind.
She couldn't allow herself to think like that.
It wasn't normal. Something was wrong with her.
"My mistake — but whose fault is it that Mai's so pretty a man can't help but kiss her senseless?"
"How many times have you kissed me already?" Mai Sakurajima huffed.
She half-suspected her lips had swollen from all the kissing.
She'd have to check in a mirror later — if they really were swollen, she wouldn't be able to face anyone for days, and her scheduled work would just have to wait.
"Not that many, surely."
"Six or seven times already, and you call that not many?"
"Of course it's not many,"
"That's six or seven times in under two hours!"
"How about we push past ten, then?"
"Absolutely not."
Mai Sakurajima refused instantly. She didn't want to be kissed again.
If this kept up, she was afraid she'd get addicted.
If word ever got out that Mai Sakurajima, of all people, had gotten addicted to kissing — how would she ever show her face again?
"I like it."
Three words.
But they struck something in Mai Sakurajima.
If her boyfriend liked it, what was she, his girlfriend, supposed to do?
Mai Sakurajima felt utterly helpless.
Agree, or refuse? It had genuinely become a monumental question.
"To-tonight…"
Mai Sakurajima pushed him back a step, but agreed all the same.
Tonight, at a hotel or her apartment, Lin Ye could kiss her all he wanted.
Somewhere private, she wouldn't have to worry about anyone finding out.
Mai Sakurajima had no desire to be watched, and even less desire for this to end up spreading online.
"So Mai wants to be with me tonight after all,"
A slow string of question marks formed in Mai Sakurajima's mind.
Wait — weren't the two of them going to be together tonight regardless?
How could they not be?
That was completely unacceptable.
Mai Sakurajima objected first, and firmly.
"Don't tell me you'd rather be with Ai Hoshino instead? Well, of course you would! Such a sweet little idol girl — a man like you must adore her. Mm, must adore her completely. How lovely for you — a beautiful, young idol girl."
"That face, that sweet voice — they must make you so happy, right? So very pleased with yourself?"
In that moment,
Mai Sakurajima transformed into a bitterly resentful woman scorned.
And because she was a major star, that resentment came through in full, vivid force.
Even knowing full well Mai Sakurajima was putting on an act, Lin Ye had to admit her acting skills were formidable.
He certainly couldn't match her himself, and Ai Hoshino wasn't even in the same league.
Even trouble-loving Iroha Isshiki, and Haruno too, fell a full tier short.
It was simply a gap in raw skill.
Isshiki and Haruno were plenty good in the acting department already, but compared to Mai Sakurajima, the gap wasn't small at all.
Mai Sakurajima was a professional actress, a true expert in the field — not something an ordinary person could rival.
"How should I put it? Happy? Sure, I'm happy. Pleased? Absolutely pleased. Especially seeing Mai react like this right now — it makes me even happier, even more pleased,"
The grin spreading across his face nearly broke Mai Sakurajima's composure entirely. Was Lin Ye going too far?
Even knowing he was doing it deliberately, teasing her on purpose, she still felt thoroughly irritated, thoroughly displeased.
Couldn't her boyfriend show her a little more indulgence, as a boyfriend should?
No sooner had the thought surfaced than Mai Sakurajima extinguished it.
That kind of thinking was wrong, unacceptable — not something she should ever allow herself where Lin Ye, her boyfriend, was concerned.
Mai Sakurajima told herself so, firmly.
"Mai wanting to be with me tonight — that's not impossible at all. It all depends on how you behave."
Mai Sakurajima felt exasperated.
What more behavior could there possibly be? What was she supposed to do?
Wasn't what she was doing right now enough?
"How do you want me to behave, then?"
"The question is how you want to behave, Mai."
Lin Ye tossed the question right back at her.
Mai Sakurajima countered anyway. "The whole point is what you want. Whatever you want, I'll do it."
She wasn't about to spell out any details — she was certain this man would only push for more.
If she said one, Lin Ye would dare ask for two. If she said two, he'd probably dare ask for four.
In short, it would only ever grow, never shrink — she wasn't giving him any opening.
"Sincerity isn't something I get to propose — it should obviously come from you, Mai. Only then would I actually feel it,"
In any case, Lin Ye wasn't going to name specifics either.
Mai Sakurajima thought it over, and an idea suddenly struck her.
Something she was certain Lin Ye would never actually do.
And its sincerity, she was sure, would be beyond question.
Mai Sakurajima spoke up. "Tonight, you can do whatever you want to me. Anything at all,"
After she said it, a faint smile crept across her face. "Though I doubt a certain someone would actually dare. Ha, ha, ha…"
She laughed as she spoke, as though deliberately goading and provoking him.
Lin Ye, of course, saw right through her intention.
But there was no way something like this could scare him off.
Not a chance.
"Anything" didn't have to mean just that one thing.
"I'm worried a certain girl might end up regretting it — crying, begging me to go easy on her,"
"Oh?"
Mai Sakurajima drew the word out, grinning.
Her, beg for mercy?
What kind of joke was that?
"I, Mai Sakurajima, would never beg for mercy,"
"You really think novel stuff happens in real life?"
That made Lin Ye laugh. "So Mai reads that kind of novel, does she?"
Mai Sakurajima's face flushed instantly.
It had struck right at her sense of shame.
"I like reading it too."
But Lin Ye's words did nothing at all to ease the embarrassment burning inside her.
She was still thoroughly mortified.
…
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