Chapter 24

“Yuuuuukiiiii.”

I called out. No response.

“Wake up already.”

I lightly rapped on the table a few times. Yuki didn’t budge.

Standing, I moved around the table and knelt beside her sleeping form. Lying on her side, she looked uncannily like a lounging cat.

My eyes drifted, unbidden, to the bare skin of her thighs peeking out from beneath her skirt. Too defenseless. If I were some villain, who knows what might happen?

“Hey, seriously, go home. I’m not responsible if you get stuck here.”

Even as I spoke, she showed no sign of waking.

Feeling mildly concerned, I leaned in to check her face. Her sleeping expression was, annoyingly, flawless. Not the point—I could faintly hear the gentle rhythm of her breathing.

“End of the line, miss. Time to go home.”

I shook her shoulder. No dice.

Next, I pinched her cheek and tugged. Soft. Still nothing.

With a firmer tug—enough to expose her teeth—there was… no response.

“Come on…..”

I let go, exasperated. No way someone could sleep through that. This had to be a deliberate act. Pretty sure I’d suspected as much all along.

Now, how to wake her up? After a moment’s thought, I focused on her feet. Beneath navy socks that reached her ankles lay my target. I lightly traced a finger along the sole.

Yuki’s body jolted slightly but quickly stilled again.

Not enough. Using both hands this time, I worked at both feet simultaneously, fingers gliding up and down over the slight arch.

She shifted awkwardly, pulling her feet back, only to stretch them out again. One of her legs kicked gently. It was working, but clearly, she still wasn’t planning to get up.

Fine. If that’s how she wants to play it…

I shifted my attention upward. My new target: the side she’d left unguarded.

I prodded her exposed waistline with the tip of my finger. Once, then twice. Her body twitched visibly both times.

“Hueh, heh…”

She let out a breathy chuckle. Still, her eyes stayed firmly shut.

I adjusted the placement of my jabs, moving up and down her side. She couldn’t hold back anymore, squirming as her elbow swatted my hand away.

“No way you’re actually asleep.”

Yuki, however, remained obstinately “asleep.” Her refusal to open her eyes only fueled my determination.

Time for the finishing blow.

Summoning all ten fingers, I went all in, tickling along her sides with everything I had.

“Ah—ahh…!”

Her voice came out in breathy, half-stifled bursts.

That… was… probably not a sound anyone was supposed to hear, right?

Frozen mid-action, I realized I might’ve crossed a line. Before I could figure out what to do, Yuki sat up abruptly, her eyes wide open now.

“…Damn. My panties might be wet.”

“Excuse me?”

“Getting tickled while my eyes are closed is insane. You never know where you’ll get touched next—it’s such a rush.”

Her cheeks were flushed as she rubbed her knees together nervously. The restless movements and quick glances made her look undeniably fidgety.

“Wait a second, you were awake the whole time, weren’t you?” 

“What? So you knew I was awake and still kept touching me? That’s such a perverted way to go about it, Knight-kun.” 

I was just trying to wake her up. Maybe I went a bit overboard……

“But you’re pretty good at foreplay.” 

“Don’t call it that!” 

“Think you’ll keep being this good in the next step, too?”  

She tilted her head with a mischievous smile. I let out a heavy sigh. Best to steer the conversation back on track. 

“Anyway, now that you’re up, time to head home.” 

“Eh~? At this hour, isn’t it faster to just let me stay over?” 

“It’s not about being late or fast. Does your family even know you’re here?” 

“Of course they do! I told them, ‘Can I stay over at my boyfriend’s place?’ and they were like, ‘Sure, just make sure to use protection and don’t wander around late.’” 

“The part where you have a boyfriend is the wrong assumption here.” 

“Grown-ups don’t nitpick with ‘I like you, please go out with me.’ Life’s more about nuance, you know?” 

“Why are you acting like some wise old sage when you’re still a brat yourself?” 

“Oh, also, they gave me this.” 

Yuki rummaged through her bag and pulled out a box. That kind of rectangular box—yep, unopened condoms. 

“You think you’ll manage to put one on, Knight-kun?” 

“Alright, look…” 

There’s no telling how serious she is, but this definitely called for a proper talk. I shifted to sit directly across from her, making sure to catch her gaze before speaking. 

“Just so we’re clear, I didn’t help you because I wanted to save you. I intervened because what was happening ticked me off. It annoyed me enough that I couldn’t just ignore it. In other words, I acted for my own sake.” 

I’m no knight in shining armor or prince riding to save the princess. Just a short-tempered, self-centered passerby. I wanted to get that straight. 

Yuki, however, tilted her head, visibly confused. 

“Where’s this coming from? I don’t get it.” 

“You said something about liking me because I saved you, didn’t you?” 

“Oh, that? Yeah, that’s unrelated to how I feel about you now.” 

I pressed a hand to my forehead. 

It’s not that her words felt bad—they didn’t. It’s just that the way she brushed things off so casually threw me for a loop. I looked up, locking eyes with her again. 

“I understand you like me, Yuki. Honestly, I’m glad you feel that way. You’re cute, even if you get on my nerves sometimes, and I don’t hate hanging out with you. You’re fun to talk to. If you don’t have anyone else to rely on and you’re feeling isolated at school or whatever, I’d want to help out. Whether I’m your boyfriend or just a friend, I’m here to listen when you need it.” 

That came out more sincere than I’d intended, but I felt it was worth saying. Yuki stared at me as I spoke, taking in my words. But as soon as I finished, her expression shifted into an unimpressed frown. 

“…Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“What do you—” 

“I thought you were confessing, so I kept quiet and listened, but this is just you saying, ‘Let’s be friends,’ isn’t it?” 

I thought I’d conveyed my honest feelings, but boiled down like that, I guess that’s how it sounded.  

“Well, uh…” 

“Or is this more like, ‘You’re cute, and I’d totally sleep with you, but you seem like too much trouble, so let’s not date’? You do know that’s the kind of thing people get stabbed over, right?” 

“I didn’t mean that ok. You’re scaring me. Calm down a bit..” 

Her response was lightning quick, words flying out in rapid-fire frustration. She was smiling, but her eyes definitely weren’t. The kind of vibe that spelled danger if I wasn’t careful.  

Reluctantly, I realized there was no getting away from this conversation without addressing it head-on.