Chapter 43

The next day during lunch break, I was at the same spot with Yuki.  

Today, the weather had completely changed—it was clear and sunny. The midday sunlight poured straight down, and the small puddles scattered across the damp soil began to dry, reflecting bits of light.  

“So, she just told me, ‘That has nothing to do with you, Yuki.’ And I was like, ‘Ah, yeah, yeah, sure.'”  

Yuki said while playfully waving her chopsticks in the air. Maybe because I was the one who invited her today, she had been a little more cheerful than usual from the moment we met.  

She had also talked to Miki at home about the whole HimeRoyal thing.  

But Miki kept insisting, “That has nothing to do with you.” And so, Yuki had simply said, “Fine, whatever,” and dropped the topic without pushing further.  

We didn’t dwell on that conversation and moved on to other topics while finishing our lunch.  

I crumpled up the wrappers from my convenience store rice ball and bread and stuffed them into a plastic bag.  

For once, my wallet felt a little heavier than usual. When I went home recently, I got a generous allowance. Everyone had been in a good mood that day.  

“Are you not drinking that?”  

Yuki, having just put away her bento box, pointed at the plastic bottle sitting on the brick ledge.  

It was the one I had bought from the vending machine earlier. I hadn’t even opened it yet.  

“It’s for you. I always end up taking stuff from you, so I figured I’d return the favor for once.”  

Yuki looked a little surprised.  

Now that I thought about it, this might have been the first time I ever gave her something. Not that I was particularly stingy, but most of the things I received from her had come in the form of rewards or thank-yous. This time, I had bought it intending to give it to her from the start.  

“Wow, that’s rare. But why strawberry milk?”  

“Hmm… you just seem like a strawberry milk kind of person.”  

“Huh? Wait, is that a dirty joke?”  

“No, it’s not.”  

Yuki laughed as she twisted the cap open and took a sip.  

After swallowing a mouthful or two, she handed the bottle back to me.  

“I can’t finish this, so you drink the rest.”  

At this point, neither of us even acknowledged the whole indirect kiss thing.  

Without hesitation, I took the bottle and tilted it toward my lips. As I looked up, I noticed the second-floor corridor window reflecting the sunlight.  

After drinking about half of it, I placed the bottle back on the bricks.  

“From here, you can just barely see it.”  

“Hmm?”  

“Stand up for a sec and go over there.”  

“Huh? Why?”  

Yuki looked confused as I guided her toward the wall.  

I had her stand with her back against it while I positioned myself in front of her. Looking up again, I saw that the corridor window was now hidden behind the tall tree’s shadow. This was a true blind spot.  

“Alright, this is the spot.”  

“What? What’s going on?”  

“Well, you know… it’s flirting time.”  

“Huh?”  

I placed my hands on her slender shoulders and leaned in.  

Yuki’s face went blank for a moment, and she instinctively pulled her chin back, stepping one foot away. But her heel hit the wall behind her.  

I took another step forward, closing the distance. Without a word, I looked into her eyes, giving her a silent cue.  

For a moment, Yuki looked taken aback. But then, without saying anything, her expression softened, and she lightly closed her eyes.  

I pressed my lips against hers. Our tongues entwined.  

A sweet scent filled my nose. Her mouth was moist with a little extra saliva.  

After pulling away, I murmured:   

“See? It tastes like strawberry milk.”  

“Whoa, what was that? Is that what you were going for? You’re such a perv.”  

Yuki smirked as she lightly poked my chest. “Wow, you actually have abs,” she said, trailing her fingers across my stomach.  

In response, I reached out and placed my hand on Yuki’s chest.  

“Ah, you touched me~.”  

She looked up at me with a teasing, scolding gaze. Though she grasped my upper arm as if to stop me, she didn’t push me away.  

With her hands still on me, she kissed me again.  

A lingering sweetness remained between us. The warmth of our closeness made everything feel almost surreal.  

As I pulled her closer, Yuki gently placed her hands on my shoulders, looking up at me with wide eyes.  

“Hey… this is bad. What if someone comes?”  

“Hmm? Do you not want this?”  

“It’s not that I don’t, but… mm—”  

Before she could finish, I pressed my lips on hers again.  

Yuki wavered, stumbling slightly until her back met the wall behind her. Trapped between me and the wall, she had nowhere to escape.  

“Mmph…”  

A breathy sound slipped from her lips.  

When I finally pulled away, Yuki caught her breath and looked at me.  

“What’s gotten into you? You’re acting kind of… different.”  

“I just thought… you never know what might happen tomorrow, so what’s the point in worrying too much about the future?”  

“W-What? Why are you suddenly talking about things like that?”  

Even I wasn’t sure why I had said that. Maybe I was feeling restless. Maybe yesterday’s conversation with Miki was still weighing on me.  

That, or something else entirely. The emotions bubbling inside me were hard to put into words.  

“Big breasts are better right?”  

“W-Wha…?”  

Yuki squirmed, embarrassed. She tried to push my hand away, but when I reached up and gently ran my fingers through her hair, her resistance weakened.  

For all the teasing remarks she threw my way, she wasn’t nearly as confident when things got serious.  

“S-Stop… It’s making me feel weird.”  

“Weird how?”  

“Th-That’s… ugh…”  

Yuki looked away, blushing furiously.  

Something about this moment, about her expression, made my heart race.  

“Can I check?”  

“N-No. It’s… embarrassing…”  

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s cute.”  (TL: kawaii kawaii)

Her cheeks turned even redder, her flustered expression making her even more cute.  

I reached out, my hand grazing the smooth skin of her thigh before sliding up toward the hem of her skirt. But just as I was about to go further, Yuki’s hand came down, stopping me. Unlike with Miki, this was different.  

“S-Seriously, we can’t. Not here… what if someone walks in, like yesterday?”  

“I see… sorry. Then, where would be okay?”  

“Somewhere… proper…”  

So, it wasn’t a no—just a matter of the right place.  

I gazed into her eyes, now glistening with uncertainty and something else I couldn’t quite name.  

“Hey… want to come over to my place today?”  

For a moment, Yuki hesitated, looking away. But then, slowly, she nodded.  

I stroked her head gently before letting her go.  

(TL: Demm, Knight-sama rizzed her hard.)