Chapter 529: How Can Two People Whose Wavelengths Don’t Match Be in Love?
Kazumi was feeling a little uneasy.
It wasn’t because she was being led by the young man down the corridor; she’d become somewhat accustomed to holding hands, which had almost become a daily routine. Even students often held hands on their way to and from school, so she wasn’t uncomfortable due to the current situation.
What felt a bit off was the way Satō Shin’ichi was holding her right hand, and the determined, serious expression on the boy’s rugged profile, as seen from Kazumi’s perspective.
Normally, in their interactions, Kazumi rarely saw Satō Shin’ichi wear such an expression. The gentle blond young man had never been angry with any girl. Even during minor disagreements in their daily conversations, he would usually back down with a smile. If she were to look for a similar expression, it would probably only appear when the boy was seriously tackling his studies or training.
\[Oh, is he angry?\]
Following Satō Shin’ichi obediently as he walked in his chosen direction, Kazumi instantly arrived at this definitive answer. The girl slowly averted her gaze, thoughtfully considering the problem before her boyfriend. While, from a lover’s perspective, her previous words might not have been entirely correct, and getting upset over a little temper tantrum was quite fitting for a boy of this age.
However, from the perspective of a master and a pet, those words were akin to heavenly gifts. Pets had no right to be angry with their masters. Furthermore, based on Kazumi’s long understanding of Satō Shin’ichi, she knew there was a limit to what she could do: how to gradually broaden the boundaries of his tolerance without truly enraging him, or even provoking him to more extreme or rash behavior.
Clearly, Kazumi’s actions had not met this standard. Moreover, with Shinomiyai Mai serving as the focal point of the situation, he shouldn’t be taking his anger out on his official girlfriend, should he?
\[If it’s really necessary, I’ll just appease him a bit.]
Watching the two people gradually walking towards the corner of the teaching building, and gazing at the blond young man who had suddenly become serious and focused, Kazumi’s heart inexplicably softened. For a moment, she felt a hint of helpless surrender.
Because, if she were to be honest, wasn’t this all just a young girl with a new toy, using her curiosity to test the loyalty of her “pet” and also to see the boy’s flustered and helpless, comical appearance when he panicked? And the result…
Actually, as long as it wasn’t too excessive, Kazumi could accept it. Having been a man in her previous life, Kazumi naturally knew what men thought about. If an exceptionally outstanding, beautiful, and well-off woman appeared who was also willing to openly show her affection, it would be almost impossible for him to remain completely unfazed. Rather, Satō Shin’ichi’s current reaction was precisely what Kazumi had hoped for, reaching her basic requirements?
Well, the kind of basic requirement where he wouldn’t immediately be turned into undead. After all, the fact that he didn’t act like a pervert or passively accept the situation already put him above 99% of the harem protagonists in novels. Whether it was good or not, at least this was the normal reaction a boy should have. Anger represented his concern for this relationship, his unwavering stance of not tolerating anything else interfering with his feelings.
Thinking this, the coldness on Kazumi’s face melted away significantly, and her previously passive footsteps became lighter as she gradually caught up to the young man ahead.
The distance from classroom B-2 to the end of the corridor wasn’t short. The location where the two were now was a small platform near the teacher’s office. Because there were no classrooms nearby, students generally didn’t come here; it was usually used as a smoking area for male teachers during their breaks.
Satō Shin’ichi let out a long breath and stopped, releasing Kazumi’s hand, which he had been tightly gripping. Only when the girl subconsciously touched her right wrist did the young man belatedly realize how hard he had been squeezing. His stern expression instantly broke, and he quickly extended his hands, repeatedly apologizing.
“I’m sorry, Kazumi. I wasn’t paying attention. Did I hurt you by squeezing too hard?”
“It’s fine, I’ll just rub it a bit and it’ll be better,” she said, giving the panting blond a stern look. The girl used both hands to push away the hands he was trying to hold hers with, rubbing her slightly reddened wrist a few more times as if that would make the pain disappear. She then looked up and calmly asked, “What is it that you couldn’t tell me in the classroom that you had to specifically come here?”
Although the awkward, hesitant scene of wanting to refuse but being reluctant to refuse, which Kazumi had hoped for, didn’t materialize, Satō Shin’ichi’s current handling of the situation still met the girl’s passing standards. At the very least, she wouldn’t need to rush to turn him into undead for now. Otherwise, Kazumi would genuinely be troubled about where to find another high-level undead conversion scroll.
As for what the young man was about to say, Kazumi could guess it with her toes. He would probably just express that he absolutely had no such intentions, and would surely tell Shinomiyai Mai to set boundaries. If that was the case, why did he have to pull her aside to talk about it? Wouldn’t it be more effective to say it directly? Or perhaps the young man was considering Shinomiyai Mai’s feelings and didn’t want to say it face-to-face?
“Huuu…” Staring intently at the girl standing right in front of him, Satō Shin’ichi let out another breath, his hands nervously rubbing his cheeks. He slowly let go of his worried expression and, returning to his previous serious demeanor, met the girl’s deep eyes with utmost sincerity. Suddenly, he extended his sturdy forearm, gently encircling the girl’s shoulders, and then pulled her soft body firmly into his embrace.
\[Wha-what’s happening?\] Kazumi’s mind reeled with question marks. The masculine scent that hit her only deepened her confusion. The blond young man, naturally, was unaware of Kazumi’s current inner turmoil. He simply squeezed his girlfriend’s tender, boneless, and faintly fragrant shoulder, then leaned close to her ear and spoke with unwavering sincerity and conviction.
“I’m sorry, Kazumi.”
\[???\]
