Chapter 532: Me, I’ve Fallen For It

Chapter 532: Me, I’ve Fallen For It

The next bus didn’t make them wait long, or Yukinoshita probably would’ve drifted off to sleep…

When she boarded the bus, barely awake and yawning, Himekoji had to hover behind her, ready to catch her in case she stumbled.

“You taking this bus too?”

Yukinoshita blinked her sleepy, panda-like eyes at him.

“I’ll see you home.”

She didn’t protest much. The first groggy thought that crossed her mind was: Maybe this guy could work as an alarm clock? He’d wake her before her stop. That way, she could safely nap on the journey.

Once seated, Yukinoshita quickly surrendered to sleep. She sat bolt upright while dozing, her head bobbing uncontrollably like someone nodding off. Himekoji watched from the side, amused. Who naps sitting so properly? Her posture was flawless, hands resting gracefully on her knees as if she were attending class.

After a while, seeing her head keep drooping, he tried to help. He gently cupped her chin to steady it. It worked—her head stopped bobbing. Himekoji smirked, pleased. This’d be more comfortable, right? Plus, with her face resting in his palm, she looked peaceful and beautiful in profile, like delicate carving.

If only the bus hadn’t slammed its brakes…

The sudden jolt caught Himekoji off guard. Yukinoshita, deep asleep, was defenseless. As she pitched forward, he reflexively leaned back, even flinging his hand wide to balance.

Then—smack—the back of his moving hand slammed into her throat instead of supporting her chin. A brutal collision, worsened by their combined momentum. Himekoji winced at the imagined pain.

Yukinoshita jolted awake with a pained moan. Guilty, Himekoji hid his “ weapon ” behind his back.

“Wh-what happened?” she mumbled, dazed.

“The driver braked hard. Your neck hit the seat in front.”

“No wonder it hurts…” She rubbed her neck, too foggy to question it. Her first thought? Did I have… one of those dreams? Lately, checking had become instinct.

Legs steady? Yes. Back relaxed? Yes. Pulse normal? Yes. Underwear… dry. Still in place. So—no dream! Relief hit her instantly. Was it the daytime? The sitting nap? Didn’t matter. Finally, proof those things weren’t inevitable! Thank heavens…

Unbeknownst to her, the credit really went to Himekoji. If he’d dozed too… well, they might’ve ended up tangled in the back, “having fun,” unlocking a very special bus scene.

“Why are you staring?” Yukinoshita demanded, snapping back to reality under his intense gaze. “Something on my face?”

Had he seen her drool while asleep? Subtly, she dabbed her lips. Dry. No embarrassing spot. She relaxed.

“A bit…”

Her heart shot back into her throat at his words. A bit? Bit what? She wasn’t even wearing makeup! Appearance was just bonus points to her, never the main factor. Yet now, vanity gripped her hard.

“What bit?” Her voice betrayed flustered annoyance.

“A bit… pretty.”

“…Huh?!”

Utterly unexpected. She stared at him, shocked. His expression? Dumb. Completely foolish! But her heart flipped once, hard. Wait, Yukinoshita, focus! This Pervert was spouting the oldest, cheesiest praise ever. She’d heard it hundreds of times. So why… did none ever make her pulse race like this?

“I—I know!” She sucked in a breath, forcing calm. Straightening, she faced forward, spine rigid—like a proud black swan holding its head impossibly high—refusing to glance at him.

“Yuki—”

“DON’T SPEAK!” she cut him off, almost harshly.

She immediately panicked. Wrong! All wrong! How could I sound so wild?! It had to be those stupid dreams messing her up, making her act weirdly! And now this creep would think she was flustered by his lame compliment! As if! Frantic damage control followed—

“I… I want to speak! So don’t sleep!”

“Huh?”

“Wait! NO! I want to SLEEP! So don’t TALK! That’s what I meant! Don’t talk!”

“Ha, I—”

“What are you laughing at? You what you? Shut up!”

Himekoji: “……”

Himekoji rubbed his eyes hard, trying to see through exactly who was behind Yukinoshita’s mask.

Eriri, I know it’s you! Stop pretending!

He really wanted to reach out and tug at Yukinoshita’s face. This pretty, smart face must surely be a fake mask made to look real, right?

What happened to his always-rational, always-calm Yukinoshita who always won people over with logic?

Why had she been replaced by this unreasonable fake version?!

Though he liked this Yukinoshita too. Really liked her, actually.

In fact… he felt that only like this did Yukinoshita seem like a real girl in her vivid youth—every frown, every smile, every word, every gesture sparkled with life and vitality, giving him a genuine sense of reality.

Often, when he looked at her, it felt as if she dwelled apart, like a rare orchid hidden in a deep valley, untouched by the world—always just out of reach, and it intimidated him.

He couldn’t deny it; maybe it was also his foolish inferiority complex messing with him before.

But now, watching her like this, she felt so close. He felt he could approach her. He felt he undoubtedly, truly, liked her.

He didn’t like her out of responsibility.

He wanted to fulfil responsibilities because he liked her.

How could it be just because of the child?

That feeling must have started much, much earlier.

“Yukinoshita, I—”

The words Himekoji tried to say were instantly banged back by a fierce glare from Yukinoshita.

“Don’t speak! You’re not allowed to speak! Lend me your shoulder. I’m sleeping.”

Yukinoshita’s unusual rudeness, hardness, and bossiness immediately stunned Himekoji.

He watched as she quietly rested her head against his shoulder. His heart began thudding like a roaring engine.

He was afraid she might hear it beating so loudly. His whole body stiffened, not daring to move an inch.

Yukinoshita wasn’t faring much better, though.

She regretted carelessly borrowing Himekoji’s shoulder. Wouldn’t that make Himekoji mistakenly think she had feelings for him?

This pervert… if you give him a finger, he’d take your whole hand. Would he push his luck because of this?

Lost in these thoughts, she suddenly felt the light dim in front of her tightly closed eyes. Her heart sank: Oh no, here it comes!

Would he really sneak a kiss while she pretended to sleep?

Such a pervert thing to do!

But she wasn’t actually asleep yet!

At least wait a little longer!

He couldn’t possibly be this anxious, could he?

Who falls asleep literally the second after leaning on your shoulder?!

Whatever!

She had to fall asleep fast—really fast—before that pervert kissed her. Then she could pretend she was just a dog’s chew toy in her dream.

She had been gnawed countless times in her dreams anyway; she was used to it!

After convincing herself, Yukinoshita suddenly discovered, quite magically, that she wasn’t actually that against Himekoji kissing her…

There was even a small, slightly shameless sense of anticipation…

I’m so dead!

However—

The expected event didn’t come.

Yukinoshita was truly baffled:

What are you dawdling for?!

If you’re going to kiss me, do it now! Hurry up!

If you don’t hurry up and do it, how can I sleep peacefully?!

Finally too impatient to wait, she secretly opened her eyes just a sliver… and saw…

Appearing before her wasn’t Himekoji’s face with its leering, perverted expression, but his broad, warm palm.

His hand was shielding her from the last rays of the setting sun.

A human Eye Patch…

So the sudden dimming of the light wasn’t because Himekoji leaned in to kiss her?

Her heart felt strangely both disappointed and moved. Emptiness washed over her, then was quickly replaced by waves of warmth.

A few stray beams of sunlight slipped through the gaps between Himekoji’s fingers, falling softly onto Yukinoshita’s peacefully resting face.

They were neither harsh nor glaring. Just warm.

At that moment, Yukinoshita wished the bus could drive slower, and even slower.

She wanted to see how long Himekoji could be her “human eye patch”.

Holding his arm up like that… must be really tiring.

Yukinoshita, who usually hated troubling others, suddenly liked it this time.

Happily nestled against Himekoji’s shoulder, she thought –

Wow…

I ended up falling in love with things I used to dislike after all.

Pervert-kun.

……

……