It's a Chastity-Reversed World, But It's Different From What I Imagined? - 94

Chapter 94: Long Night

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After moving my body during the sports festival, my head felt clear when I got home. I took a shower to wash off the sweat, changed into casual clothes, and started cooking. At some point, it had begun to rain, and the rain clouds hid both the moon and the night sky.

“Tsuki… She’s late…”

Even after 8 p.m., Tsuki hadn’t come home. As the rain grew heavier, I wondered if I should go pick her up, but then a message came through.

『I’ll be staying at Mom’s place tonight.』

“So… She’s not coming home? And I made enough for two, too… Haa… Maybe I should invite Yuuna over?”

I sent Yuuna a message asking if she’d like to have dinner together. She replied right away that she’d come, so I began setting the food out on the table.

Ding-dong.

“Welcome.”

“Th-thanks for having me. I-it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Since we last ate together?”

Yuuna sat down shyly, and I began placing the dishes in front of her.

“Wow~ It looks beautiful.”

I had made the meal with extra care, hoping to cheer up Tsuki tonight, so I was feeling confident about it.

“I just wanted to try recreating that caprese I had with Mom.”

Tonight’s menu was: Caprese salad, chilled corn soup, meat sauce pasta, and peach jelly for dessert.

“Alright, let’s eat.”

“You’ve gotten better at cooking than you used to be.”

Yuuna took a bite and said that.

“You remember?”

“Of course. Back then, your omelets were always burnt, and your instant ramen would get soggy.”

We both laughed awkwardly at the memories only childhood friends could share.

“There were so many times when our moms came home late, and we messed up dinner together, huh? Tsuki-chan was amazing, though…Even though she was younger, she learned how to cook right away.”

“Yeah. Up until middle school, Tsuki was always the one cooking for us. She really helped us a lot.”

A brother and sister. When we were kids, I always thought I was the one taking care of her. But before I knew it, she had become the one who could do everything and started taking care of me instead. It was a common enough story, but one I’d never really thought about before.

“That was delicious~ Thanks for the meal.”

Talking about the old days while eating with Yuuna was enjoyable. She wasn’t as carefree and full of energy as she used to be, but her once-short blue hair had grown into a semi-long cut that made her look mature. She almost reminded me of Yui-san.

“You’re welcome.”

Yuuna offered to clean up the dishes, so I left them to her. I had made up my mind to tell Tsuki that I was a reincarnator. Maybe because that tension had finally eased… Or maybe because the sound of the rain was soothing… I drifted into sleep while listening to the soft sound of running water from the kitchen.

It had been a long time since I felt like this. Even as Yoru, there had been peaceful days in my life. But it felt like ages since I’d truly been able to fall asleep with a calm heart. When I woke up, someone had draped a towel blanket over me. Yuuna was sitting a short distance away, tapping on her smartphone.

“You didn’t go home?”

“It hasn’t been that long.”

When I checked the clock, it was just before 10 p.m. It seemed I’d been asleep for about an hour.

“I’m sorry for dozing off when I had a guest.”

“It’s fine. The old Yoru used to fall asleep easily too, so I’d spend that time chatting with Tsuki-chan.”

“The old me?”

Something about Yuuna’s wording felt strange.

“I’m really stupid, you know.”

She didn’t mean academically.

“That’s why I couldn’t think about how other people felt. I realized I never really thought about you either, Yoru.”

Had Yuuna been reflecting on things in her own way? Sure, I had been shocked before, but I never came to hate her. If we could make up properly, then there would be no problem.

“But… You still love me, right, Yoru?”

Huh?

Yuuna’s blue eyes seemed to lose their light. Her cheeks flushed red, her lips curved into a wide smile.

“Because you fell asleep right in front of me like that… You were so defenseless… It means you trust me. You love me, so you can do something like that. Otherwise, you wouldn’t do something so defenseless…. Right, Yoru? You love me, don’t you? Fufu… I’ve always known.”

Wait? Was Yuuna always like this? Something was off.

“Hey—”

“Yoru, you don’t have to say anything! I already know everything! Yoru.. I’ve been thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking thinking….”

This is bad! Something’s wrong!

Yuuna stood up.

“Hey, Yoru. You like looking at my body, don’t you?”

Through video calls, I had seen Yuuna’s tanned skin. Her sun-kissed body, with faint swimsuit tan lines, had always radiated a healthy kind of beauty.

“Hey, Yoru. It’s okay if you look more. If you want to touch me, you can.”

She slipped the straps of her dress off her shoulders, holding the fabric against her chest. I quickly stood up and grabbed Yuuna’s shoulders.

“Yuuna, I admit I’m a pervert, and I did like looking at your skin.”

“I knew it. I know that you love me, Yoru.”

“But… The Yuuna in front of me right now doesn’t seem normal. I want us to be able to confess to each other properly. I want the two of us to want each other from the heart after we’ve decided to be together. The Yuuna standing here isn’t the Yuuna I know. I don’t want to do something like that with this Yuuna.”

I didn’t have any intention to push her away. I simply told her honestly how I felt right now. Yuuna looked down, pulled her clothes back on over her shoulders, and ran out of the room.

…All the strength drained from my body. Confusion and fear were swirling together. I exhaled deeply at seeing a side of Yuuna I had never known before.

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