"Thanks for having me here."

"I will pour us some tea. So make yourself at home." Yuhi said as he walked over to the kitchen. Through the small mirror on the wall, he could get a clear glimpse of her. Sumire was looking around curiously.

"It's the first time I've been inside your studio, Yuhi."

"Indeed."

Where did he put those tea bags? Although it's not a place, he comes to frequently anymore unlike the old man's manor. He hasn't left this place vacant for a long time.

"I'm kinda nervous."

'Is she stupid?'

"The nervous part will come later. So shouldn't you relax for now?"

From the mirror, he saw it. Her flustered red cheeks and nervous sounding laughter.

"Well, okay. But we will start with my lips, right?"

"Mmm, sounds like a plan."

Once he finished making tea, he placed it down on the table where she was sitting. Usually, he would sit beside her. But they ought to get the serious business out of the way first.

For the next ten minutes, no words were spoken at all as the brunette haired girl with the cup in her hands, letting it cool down before taking a sip.

In that somewhat tense atmosphere, it was her brightly lit eyes when she took a sip of the tea that made him feel at ease.

If Morris and the other guys heard that he was having such soft-sounding thoughts, they would undoubtedly laugh at him. But he can no longer return to how he was before.

Since he was pondering on his own thoughts, those 10 minutes went by quickly.

Sumire spoke up. "We've delivered all the threats or rather greetings that we had to. I'm sorry that most of them didn't look happy about it at all."

After his conference finished, they received a call from Soujiro saying. 'The paperwork is complete. I shall submit it to the government office by tonight. Please go to all these people's places and make the announcement yourselves. 'Seeing how long the list was. Yuhi decided to cancel both their work for the rest of the day. Once he saw that long list, he did think that it would take all day. However, Sumire handled everything so smoothly.

"Why do you have to apologize? Besides, we are older now; we don't have to apologize for every single thing."

She doesn't say anything to that. "So about what you said the other day. About starting over from the beginning --" Yuhi is cut off when he saw her expression.

"Old .." A dark, depressing aura wraps around the brunette, as she slumps her head on the table. "Indeed. I can feel it too."

"You don't have to worry. I will grow old with you too."

The brunette doesn't respond, but he noticed her staring at him for a few minutes.

"What is it?" Yuhi questioned.

"Nothing."

"Actually, I don't understand what you mean by starting over from step one."

Why would they need to start over? For the past two days, Sumire did not see him in the hospital, but she did send that heartful note. On that note, she said something about starting over.

Sumire looks up. "Isn't it about doing stuff together and getting to know each other?"

"Really?"

"For example, naturally holding hands."

"Don't we always do that?"

What does she mean by naturally? It's something they always do, so isn't that natural?

"Or eating meals together, or going on walks and other places together."

"We did that every day in high school." he trails of seeing her innocent expression change to a dark one. His sweatdropped, "We can just do it again. What's with that funny face."

Sumire sighed. "Well, I don't get it either. But I do want things to be different from now on." She trailed off. "I don't want things to be awkward anymore."

It seems like she noticed that too. No matter how well they get along, some of their conversations are awkward. Is it because of Mamoru? He needs to do something about this. He stood up and sat beside her.

For a moment, he does not say a word before he cupped her cheeks.

Yuhi covered his mouth with hers.

This is all he can do to reassure her.

....

Yuhi didn't know how they got upstairs to his room. But before he knew it, he was all over her.

"Sumire, this is bad." He mumbled.

She extended her hand out. "Bad?"

"Yeah, I might do something." Yuhi trailed off and sighed. "I really want to have sex with you right now."

Sumire laughs softly. "Did Hino give you a warning?"

Recalling the words the redhead said earlier, a scowl appears on his face, "If you ask me. He's doing it on purpose."

"Perhaps. But we ought to listen to him."

His gaze dimmed when something came to mind. "That reminds me, you stayed overnight at Hino's place recently."

Sumire giggled. "Mmm, I did. Jealous?"

"Damn." He trailed off and saw her red-stained face. "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm just embarrassed."

"Yeah. I should probably stop using my tongue."

Sumire hits him, but he grabbed hold of her wrist. "Even if you're not sick, I think you should sleep a bit."

He tucked the blanket around her.

"Hey, Yuhi?"

"Yeah?"

"If your ex-girlfriend showed up. Would you get back together with her?"

'Why is she asking something so stupid for?' Yuhi sighed. "Of course, I won't."

"Hmmm…" She trailed off. "But you know something Yuhi, I heard that you did it a lot with your previous girlfriends."

Yuhi almost dropped the cigarette he was about to put in his mouth. "How on-ear-"

'That dammed Hino.'

"Am I not pretty enough? You always stop."

"Look here, and I just told you that I couldn't control myself. Don't provoke me."

Sumire laughed. "I know, sorry."

This girl probably has no idea what she is doing to him. It is harder than he thought, holding back. Yuhi figured he could do it before; he felt he could hold back. But spending time with her every day is having the reverse effect.

Maybe it would have helped if he did not touch her the first day they went out with one another. A deep sigh crossed his lips. What is he doing thinking such things now of all times? What use is there?

He glanced over at the girl who was staring at him. Why does she keep staring at him? This is one thing he noticed about her since he first asked her out. She has a bad habit of staring, and doesn't she touch him far too easily?