Chapter Seventeen

Yatsu knocked and opened the door to Sasha’s place, not waiting for a reply, not wanting to think about how he was going to tell Sasha about the invitation he received yesterday.

“Who is it?”

Yatsu’s eyes widened as the most adorable girl Yatsu has ever seen rounded the corner to the entrance.

Sasha’s pink hair flowed over her shoulders, not tied up like it usually was. Her pink PJ’s gently embracing her small figure.

“Don’t stare at me like that,” Sasha said before rushing into his arms.

Yatsu hugged her back.

“How are you today?” Yatsu asked and hugged her tighter.

“I didn’t do anything today, like you said I should,” she looked up at him. Her sapphire eyes twinkled and cheeks turned pink.

Too adorable. Yatsu forced himself to let her free. She could turn even the tamest of people into a predator.

Yatsu recalled Sasha’s ability to fight and fought back a chuckle.

They’d still end up the victim.

“What are you smiling at?” Sasha tilted her head.

“You-” Yatsu brushed her hair from her face. “-are too adorable today.”

Sasha blushed. “Did you want some hot chocolate?”

“That would be nice.”

Yatsu followed her into the kitchen. He sat at the counter while Sasha poured water into a kettle and, with shaking hands, set it on the stove.

She’s struggling to lift that. “Do you need help?”

“No,” Sasha proceeded to hunt through the cupboards and reached for something on the higher shelf.

“Are you sure you don’t need help?”

“I don’t,” Sasha said and reached further, standing on her tiptoes.

I can’t watch this anymore. Yatsu stood up.

Sasha took a different approach and tried pushing herself up on the counter.

“Ah, nope,” before she could apply pressure to her hands, Yatsu wrapped his arms around her. “We don’t want your wrists to start bleeding again.”

Sasha tensed at his touch, but leaned back into him. “Fine.”

“What am I getting?”

Sasha pointed. “The hot chocolate mix is up top.”

Yatsu moved to get it but Sasha took his hold of his hands. Keeping them wrapped around her.

Yatsu breathed in. Should I tell her about the invitation now?

“Sasha.”

“Mhm?”

Damnit, why do you have to look so comfortable? “I need to tell you something.”

Sasha spun around in his arms to face him. “What is it?”

The kettle whistled.

Sasha moved from Yatsu’s grasp and turned the stove off.

Yatsu took the chance to grab the chocolate mix from the cupboard. Sasha grabbed cups. Yatsu took the kettle and poured the water, not letting Sasha have the chance to lift it again.

After dumping the mix into both cups, they moved back to the table. Yatsu tested the drink by taking a sip. Too hot.

Sasha stirred hers a little more.

“So what did you want to tell me?” Sasha asked.

Yatsu stirred his drink and tried another sip. Still too hot.

“A few girls approached me on the rooftop at lunch today; they said they wanted to invite you and Eva to the popular kid’s club.”

“I don’t care,” Sasha sipped her drink.

“I didn’t think so,” Yatsu said. “But you’re going to anyway, aren’t you?”

“I might.”

“They invited me too,” Yatsu said. “Though only because they think I know you.”

Yatsu tested his drink once more and found it satisfying. He set it down after he was done.

Sasha sat staring at her cup a little bit too long before shaking her head. “Okay.”

“Huh?”

Sasha stood up and took both cups to the sink.

“Sasha?”

She grabbed Yatsu’s arm and pulled him toward the living room. “We’ll deal with it later. Come... sit for a while.”