chsdbacks Page 34
Page 34
"Ah~"
Yuto Itsuki was thoroughly enjoying his senior's back-rubbing service. He watched as water droplets slid down the wall in front of him, gathered into a stream, and eventually disappeared into the drain.
He suddenly realized that his relationship with Mai Sakurajima was similar; if he continued in the same way as before, he probably would never be able to leave a mark on her heart.
Although he now seems to have become the persona of "I'll use any means necessary to keep you by my side," at least the result is not bad.
She's standing right behind me now, doing what most couples do for me.
This should be considered a normal dating experience, right?
"All right."
After an unknown amount of time, Mai Sakurajima's voice rang out again.
She stopped what she was doing.
Yuto Itsuki turned around and saw her placing a bath sponge on the shelf next to her, then turning on the shower and directing the water stream at his back.
The warm water washed away the foam on his skin, and also washed away the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
Mai Sakurajima silently finished all of this, hung the showerhead back up, then turned around, opened the bathroom door, and walked out.
Her expression remained unchanged from beginning to end.
Yuto Itsuka stood alone in the bathroom, touching his back, where the sensation of her fingertips seemed to still linger.
He then quickly rinsed himself off, turned off the water, and dried himself with a towel.
As he changed into his clean pajamas and stepped out of the bathroom, a rich aroma of rice porridge wafted towards him.
On the dining table in the living room, a bowl of steaming white porridge was already set out, with a small dish of pickles next to it.
Mai Sakurajima sat across from him at the table, watching him quietly, like a loyal maid waiting for her master to eat.
No, maids and such are going too far.
Would "Mai-chan" be a more fitting name?
Yuto Itsuki pulled out a chair, sat down, picked up a spoon, and scooped a spoonful of porridge into his mouth.
The rice grains were cooked until very soft and sticky, melting in your mouth and sliding into your stomach with a sweet and warm taste.
"Delicious!" he exclaimed sincerely, having been starving all day.
"Thank you, senior." Itsuka Yuto looked at her and said earnestly.
She nodded slightly, accepting his thanks.
After finishing the bowl of porridge, Itsuka Yuto felt his body regain energy and felt much more comfortable.
He put down his spoon and let out a satisfied sigh.
Just then, Mai Sakurajima suddenly stood up and walked towards him.
She stopped beside him, leaned down slightly, her smooth black hair falling like silk, a few strands even gently brushing against his cheek, bringing a slightly itchy sensation.
She had a pleasant scent, like a mixture of sunshine and soapberry.
Yuto Itsuki subconsciously leaned back, not understanding what she was trying to do.
"This time..."
"...Is it just a normal fever?"
Yuto Itsuka blinked, not understanding the sentence for a moment. Is there anything abnormal about having a fever?
A few seconds later, he suddenly realized what was happening.
She suspected that this fever was another staged "suicide attempt" orchestrated by him.
He suddenly felt a bit amused and exasperated; it seemed that his persona of "being capable of suicide at any moment" had become deeply ingrained in her mind.
"Senior, you might have some misunderstanding about me?" He shrugged helplessly. "Trying to die from a fever is a very difficult thing, and the process is extremely painful and time-consuming. If I really wanted to die, I would choose a more efficient and less painful method."
He paused deliberately, observing Mai Sakurajima's expression, then cleared his throat and continued, "For example, jumping off a high place, or standing in the middle of a highway... In short, things like drowning, hanging, or burning charcoal are too long and the experience is too bad, so I would never consider them."
"Not allowed."
"what?"
“I said, you are not allowed to consider those methods,” she repeated.
Yuto Itsuka suddenly laughed, "Of course not now, right? Senpai promised to take care of me, didn't she?"
"Ah."
After saying that, she straightened up and began to clear the dishes from the table.
Watching her retreating figure disappear into the kitchen, Yuto Itsuka leaned back in his chair, feeling more relaxed than ever before.
The illness came at just the right time, bringing the two of them even closer together.
From initially preventing his suicide to now taking care of him closely, Mai Sakurajima is being drawn step by step into the vortex called "Yuto Itsuka".
He wanted to get her used to it, to numb her, to make her think that all of this was perfectly normal.
When he suddenly leaves one day, the immense emptiness he feels might just carve a crack in her barren heart.
Plan passes.
Yuto Itsuka gave himself a thumbs up for his ingenious plan, completely forgetting that he had just been inwardly condemning his own despicable actions.
The most important thing in life is to be flexible and adaptable.
Volume 1: Chapter 43: Has anyone ever been unable to defeat a Grik soldier at the start of the game?
The day after recovering from his illness, Yuto Itsuka still stayed in bed, looking frail and weak.
"Senior, I'm still a little dizzy, and my limbs feel weak. I feel like my body has been hollowed out," Yuto Itsuka said weakly to Mai Sakurajima, who was standing by the bed.
At that time, Mai Sakurajima had changed back into her Minebara High School uniform, carrying her schoolbag, and seemed to be on her way to school, stopping by to check on the well-being of this "key person under her supervision".
Upon hearing this, she reached out her delicate, slightly cool hand and touched his forehead, then touched her own.
"Let's not burn it," she concluded.
“But the psychological trauma can’t be measured with a temperature.” Yuto Itsuka clutched his chest, his expression pained. “My heart aches just thinking about how I almost didn’t see my senior yesterday. I’m afraid it will take at least ten days to two weeks to heal this kind of aftereffect.”
Mai Sakurajima watched his performance quietly, her eyes revealing no emotion, neither belief nor disbelief.
She stood silently for a while, then turned and walked out of the bedroom.
Yuto Itsuka thought she was leaving and was just thinking about what excuse he should use to keep her here when he heard a familiar voice coming from the kitchen.
He lifted the covers, quietly walked to the bedroom door, and peeked out halfway.
Sakurajima Mai put down her schoolbag, skillfully took it off the hook of her Shiba Inu apron, and tied it around her waist.
She opened the refrigerator, took out half a bag of rice left over from cooking porridge last night, and also took out two eggs.
Is she... planning to make breakfast before leaving?
Yuto Itsuka was overjoyed. He immediately turned back, lay down on the bed again, and continued to play the role of a sickly, beautiful boy.
Not long after, Mai Sakurajima came in carrying a tray with a bowl of white porridge, a plate of scrambled eggs, and two slices of slightly charred toast.
"I'll go to school after I finish eating." She placed the tray on the bedside table.
"Aren't you going to eat, senior?"
"Eat bread on the road."
"Eating breakfast alone is too lonely."
Mai Sakurajima glanced at him, then turned and went back into the kitchen. When she returned, she was carrying a glass of milk.
She pulled up a chair in the room, sat down on the edge of the bed, and quietly sipped her milk, keeping him company.
While drinking his porridge, Itsuka Yuto secretly glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
The morning light shone through the gaps in the curtains, casting a pale golden halo on her smooth black hair.
At this moment, a ridiculous thought suddenly popped into Wuhe You's mind: If this is love, then it doesn't seem so bad.
However, he dismissed the thought after only 0.1 seconds.
After all, even if he hadn't eaten pork, he had at least seen pigs run. This kind of one-sided care didn't seem like something that would happen in a normal relationship.
Yuto Itsuka's current idea is to find out the reason for this senior's emotional deficiency and try to deepen the connection between the two of them through continuous interaction, so that she can experience emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow and happiness.
He feels like a psychologist now, except that the methods he uses to treat patients might be a bit too radical.
……
……
Sakurajima Mai's daily routine now includes an unwavering routine—taking care of Itsuka Yuto.
In the morning, she would get up half an hour earlier than usual, go to his rented apartment, prepare breakfast for him, and then the two of them would go to school together.
After school, she would first go to the supermarket to buy groceries, and then come back here to prepare dinner.
Yuto Itsuka, on the other hand, enjoyed all of this with a clear conscience and, under the pretext of being "weak and needing to rest," pushed all the housework onto Mai Sakurajima.
Initially, Mai Sakurajima was simply fulfilling her duties as a guardian when she did these things.
But a week later, Yuto Itsuka discovered that this situation was quietly changing.
……
On a weekend afternoon, he would curl up on the sofa and play video games, while Mai Sakurajima would clean the living room with a vacuum cleaner.
The vacuum cleaner was quite noisy, and he subconsciously frowned.
Almost at the same time, the vacuum cleaner stopped.
He looked up and saw Mai Sakurajima watching him. Then he silently picked up the broom beside him and began to sweep in a quieter manner.
In the days that followed, Yuto Itsuka noticed that the coat he casually tossed on the sofa would be neatly folded and placed on the bedside the next day, and his dirty clothes would be washed and hung out to dry on the balcony at some point.
This change has truly occurred, and he believes it is a sign that Mai Sakurajima's "condition is improving," and that she is now doing more than just fulfilling her duties.
……
As their cohabitation became more stable, Mai Sakurajima's behavior began to exhibit certain traits that went beyond the responsibilities of a guardian.
That evening, Yuto Itsuka was wearing headphones, holding a controller and pressing buttons non-stop, immersed in the latest AAA game.
He played for a long time without realizing it, when suddenly he felt a sense of oppression coming from above. When he looked up, towering mountains blocked his view, and Mai Sakurajima was standing behind him.
She had finished washing up and changed into a set of plain cotton pajamas. Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, giving her a gentler look.
"Senior? What's wrong?" Itsuka Yuto took off one of his earphones.
She didn't speak, but simply pointed to the clock on the wall.
The clock hand has already pointed to 11:30.
Isn't it still early? There are still ** hours before school starts.
"Ah, right away, I'll go to sleep after I defeat this BOSS!" Wu Er Jiu Qi Lu Yi (San) Ba 6 He You Dou said perfunctorily.
Mai Sakurajima didn't speak, just stood there quietly watching him. The invisible pressure made Yuto Itsuka feel a chill down his spine.
"Almost done, almost over!"
Roll, A, roll, A, roll, A...
Despite the pressure, he operated the machine for another ten seconds or so.
However, Mai Sakurajima bent down, reached out, and with a "snap," pressed the switch on the power strip.
"..."
The screen went black instantly.
Yuto Itsuka's heart sank.
"what--!"
"So close! So close!"
We were so close to defeating that soldier from Grik!
"Senior, you..."