Sunday's weather wasn't very good. Dark clouds covered the sky, and intermittent raindrops fell from above, striking the windows and making continuous, irregular light sounds.
Murakami Yuu quite liked rainy days, especially rainy rest days, as it meant he could stay home all day with a clear conscience. After all, doing so on bright, sunny days always carried a slight sense of guilt, but on rainy days there were no such concerns.
As for today...
Looking at Tachibana Rui curled up in his arms, still fast asleep, Murakami Yuu carefully got up to use the bathroom, then slipped back under the covers, placing his hand on Tachibana Rui's body and closing his eyes again.
It was still early—he'd sleep a bit more...
When he woke again to the sound of movement, it was already close to noon.
Murakami Yuu opened his eyes to see Tachibana Rui's beautiful pale red eyes staring at him motionlessly from close range.
"Morning."
"..."
Tachibana Rui didn't speak, just blushed and shrank her head down under the blanket.
Seeing her reaction, Murakami Yuu was amused.
"A certain someone's reaction last night was much more cute and proactive than this."
She pressed her hands against his chest, but finding that she couldn't escape his control no matter what, Tachibana Rui gave up the futile effort.
Raising her head to meet Murakami Yuu's gaze, she was somewhat indignant.
"So skilled... You really do have experience with many people, don't you?"
Thinking about how she had tried desperately to stay calm last night, but still couldn't suppress the embarrassing sounds she made under his strange actions, she felt so ashamed she wanted to crawl under the bed.
"I told you it's your imagination. I just applied some knowledge I learned in health class."
Well, since he was now in the identity of "Murakami Yuu," his previous life's experience naturally couldn't count.
Tachibana Rui gave him a "yeah right, tell it to the ghosts" expression, clearly not believing his words at all.
"Never mind that—does it still hurt?"
"Not very much..."
Tachibana Rui's tone was dissatisfied.
"Don't move around."
"Got it, got it... So, can you tell me what it felt like?"
Huh?
Tachibana Rui looked at Murakami Yuu and finally showed a contemptuous expression.
"What's that supposed to be? Are you a pervert? Does seeing a high school girl blush and say things she doesn't want to say satisfy some unspeakable strange fetish of yours?"
"I saw enough of that kind of thing last night. By the way, your cute appearance from last night has been etched into my brain—I probably won't be able to forget it anytime soon."
"Pervert, toad, disgusting... At the mixer I couldn't tell you were this kind of person at all. Yuko, Eri, and I were all deceived by the appearance you showed!"
"That's not true. I never said I was some kind of positive character from the beginning. You all just filled in the blanks and imagined me as the kind of person you wanted me to be."
Tachibana Rui's mouth puffed up slightly, her dissatisfied expression like a hamster with its cheeks full of food.
"So, how did it feel? You still haven't answered my question."
"Do I have to answer?"
"Not necessarily. You could choose not to answer. I'm just a bit curious—like how the service industry wants to know customer feedback."
Murakami Yuu said with a smile, tightening his embrace slightly.
Although that's what he said, the actual meaning was obvious—if she didn't answer, he wouldn't let go.
Tachibana Rui stared at him with resentful eyes for a while, but finally gave in.
"Overall, it was very strange.
All the strength in my body was slowly drained away, I couldn't clearly sense my limbs, it felt like electric current was passing through my entire body, my skin kept getting goosebumps..."
Tachibana Rui said this with a red face, delivering it in a completely emotionless recitation style.
"Finally, it was like my consciousness didn't allow it but my body... that kind of... that kind of..."
Her voice got smaller and smaller, and by the time she reached the last sentence, Tachibana Rui's voice was barely audible.
Murakami Yuu was somewhat surprised. He had originally expected at most perfunctory answers like "not bad," "average," or "terrible," but he hadn't expected her to answer so seriously and in detail.
Looking at Tachibana Rui lying beside him with her face slightly red and lazy appearance, he felt momentarily tempted, but thinking of something, he forcibly restrained himself.
"Why didn't you let me use it earlier?"
When everything was ready and he was being cautious in his preparations, Tachibana Rui had knocked it to the floor with the back of her hand.
At the time, the place he was using for thinking wasn't his brain, so he hadn't thought much about it, but now he wanted to know the reason.
"Because I wanted to experience the entire process in a more complete way..."
"I see..."
"Mm..."
Murakami Yuu nodded in understanding, making a mental note to go to the pharmacy later, while saying aloud:
"It's better not to do that in the future."
"There won't be a future—this was just once."
Tachibana Rui's eyes held an inexplicable meaning.
That's right—she had originally wanted to use Murakami Yuu to experience what she had in mind. Now that her purpose was achieved, there probably wouldn't be a future.
Murakami Yuu understood in his heart, hearing the implication in her words, and withdrew his hand from her body.
Tachibana Rui slowly sat up, supporting herself on the bed to get up, but the moment she put weight on her legs, she couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.
The sore and numb feeling throughout her body made her stop moving.
Seeing this scene from the side, Murakami Yuu's lips curved upward. This kind of condition in the woman could provide quite good psychological satisfaction for the man from a side perspective.
But good mood aside, he should still help when needed, since he was the one who had made her this miserable.
"The first time will inevitably be somewhat uncomfortable. Until you adapt, just sit there honestly and don't move."
Murakami Yuu got up and brought her shoes from the foot of the bed, his eyes carrying barely concealed amusement.
"Do you need my help?"
"No need, I can do it myself..."
Tachibana Rui turned her head to the side. Although they had just experienced a warm night together, having Murakami Yuu's body displayed so directly in front of her still made her unable to look directly at it.
Especially the prominent dark red scratch marks on his body—traces she had accidentally left.
Shrugging his shoulders with slight regret, Murakami Yuu turned his head away.
When the two left the hotel, the rain had stopped, and they first went to a pharmacy.
"Want to eat something?"
"No need, I'll head back first."
"Let me walk you there—your body is probably still somewhat inconvenient."
"It's fine, I've adapted well enough."
"I see..."
"Mm."
The two walked in silence to the subway station.
"If possible, please forget about last night..."
Tachibana Rui said.
"Alright, I understand."
Murakami Yuu replied flatly.
"Thank you. Well then, I'll head back first."
"Mm."
...
Watching Tachibana Rui's figure disappear into the crowd, Murakami Yuu withdrew his gaze, turned around, and randomly found a ramen shop to enter.
What happened with Tachibana Rui could be considered a hidden event triggered during the mixer. Although his overall impression of her was decent, that was only on a superficial level—lusting after her body.
Murakami Yuu wasn't the type to turn cold after putting his pants back on, but after the other party clearly indicated she didn't want to continue having any contact in the future, he also gracefully cast this experience to the back of his mind.
Having lived two lives, he understood that people could only live more easily in this society by being carefree. Sometimes stubbornly pursuing something when you have regrets can't achieve the situation you hope for, and instead makes you live like a worrier, constantly anxious about gains and losses.
"Boss, char siu ramen, light oil, cook the noodles soft."
"Coming right up! Please wait!"
Murakami Yuu sat down at a window seat in the shop.
For now, he'd just fill his stomach. As for other matters, he'd let nature take its course.
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