Now that Yuhi mentioned it, it surprised her when she found out they attended the same school. However, she should have realized that he would enroll in a liberal arts high school.

Out of all the ones in Tokyo, why would he choose 'Iro road'? There were other top-rated art schools, so Sumire knew the chances of meeting him were slim.

It shouldn't have been possible to meet. It may have been the initial surprise that kept her from speaking with him at first. But even then, she could have spoken to him properly. However, ever since he broke into her apartment that night, old feelings she had locked away had resurfaced. Of course, those feelings then were mere recollections of the past. At that time, she was with Mamoru after all.

That feeling was hard to describe. But even now, she remembers it so well. So when she saw Yuhi again it all came back.

When their every day intertwined with each other. She gradually became self-conscious of his because that single action of returning to being her partner already showed how much he cared for her.

So when she kissed him in the science prep room, as 'surprising' as it was for him, that action was not without thought.

Her cheeks turned redder at the memory; there is no way she can tell him that.

"I wonder what you remember now, Sumire."

He-- doesn't know; there is no way she is telling him. Even now, he is teasing her so much. What would happen if he knew what she thought?

"It's something I don't know about, huh?"

Eh? He's figured it out already. Sumire buried her head in his neck, causing his laughter to increase.

"Don't be shy. If I think about my actions towards you initially, I can pretty much narrow it down. You don't have to tell me."

"Yuhi, I get embarrassed. My confidence can only last so long. The stuff you do is bad for a person's heart." She trails off and pulls away slightly so she could see his face. "It's bad for me, but I like it so much."

She loves it a lot, being touched by those strong hands of his. Even though he holds back when he is with her, she enjoys it when he breaks those shackles.

"Mmm, I know. When you started blushing like that, of course, I became curious. So for a while, I gradually overstepped my boundaries, and each time you'd react the same."

"Y--you set me up?" Sumire said, startled.

Yuhi is one of the easiest people for her to trick. But now that she thought it through, Yuhi is the same type of person as her.

"Well yeah, I had to. I couldn't just brush off what I saw. I thought then if there was the slightest chance you were attracted to me, it wouldn't hurt to give it a go. The chances were against me from the start anyway. So I thought I might as well give it a chance."

She frowns at that comment. "You should have believed in our relationship more. Weren't we pretty close than necessary then too? You didn't think I liked you any more than a friend?"

"It was impossible for me to think of something that would have a happy outcome for myself."

Right they are the same type; that's why this shouldn't surprise her. "What kind of places did you go to?"

Yuhi laughed. "You want to hear?"

"Mm, I am curious where you went."

When Yuhi left, he didn't return to his career right away. So Sumire suspected that he did some dangerous jobs first.

"I went to some countries that needed help. Countries were facing a war every day. Initially, I just wanted to find a quiet place, and I was tired, you see."

Indeed, when he was a member of the underground organization with her, Sumire noted how busy he was every day.

He was busy and always hurt. She hated seeing him that way.

"But after I stepped out of the country and relaxed for a bit. In the airport, I looked over at the lines for the immigration center. There were so many people, so many just barely escaped their countries. When I saw that sight, I changed my ticket and went there myself."

He did something so dangerous. Why would he do something like that?

What a stupid question, he is like herself. If it were, she wouldn't be able to leave those people alone either.

..

It surprised her how they both fell asleep after that conversation. But then again, even when Yuhi held her, she noticed how tired he was. Her gaze fell on the man beside her. Originally when he suggested they live together, it baffled her. They are both still high school students, and she knew many people looked down on them both.

She does not care what others say about her but insulting Yuhi is a no. Sanos words echoed in her mind about her dragging him down. In the end, that person understands her mindset better than she does. It is frustrating that he still understands her.

Just as she thought that she heard her phone ringing sound, she immediately knew who it was due to the ring tone.

From: Sano

Do you want to come over?

A knowing ah passed her lips. He understands her very well and knows she hates rainy days. When he first brought that up not too long ago, it surprised her. He noticed something like that when they dated. She was nothing but his toy, but he noticed something like that. Maybe she was important to him?

From: Sumire.

It's alright. Yuhi is home today.

After she typed out that message, she received a call from him.

"Yes?"

"I want to see you for a bit; go out."

She didn't get a chance to say anything since he ended the call. Could it be he is outside? She focused on what she heard earlier and bit her lip. He must be around here.

Sumire quickly got dressed and quietly but hurriedly exited the room. Thankfully the other guys were no longer around. They probably left when they realized what she and Yuhi were doing.

The moment she opened the door, a familiar pair of arms pulled her into his embrace. "San?"

"You're alive."

Her eyes widened when she heard those words. It only took her a moment to realize that he was trembling badly. "San-- what's--" Her eyes widened when she spotted something red from the corner of her eyes.

"Blood?"