Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 185 An Invitation at Night

After strolling around the temple fair, Akizuki Makoto and the others had many more things in their hands.

There were small goldfish won while playing goldfish scooping, prizes won from shooting air guns, and plush toys won from ring toss.

And their stomachs were filled by all sorts of vendors.

Fried noodles, takoyaki, shaved ice, cheese hot dogs, candied apples... they ate all the popular items at the temple fair.

Soon, it was 8:25 PM, five minutes before the fireworks show.

Akizuki Makoto and his group entered the Meiji Shrine, found an open space, and prepared to enjoy the fireworks show.

"It feels completely different coming back after so many days..."

Akizuki Makoto thought to himself, recalling the last time he came to Meiji Shrine, he was with Shimizu Rei and Fuyuko.

Thinking of Shimizu Rei, his feelings became slightly complicated.

He felt regretful and sorry that his childhood sweetheart, whom he had known for decades, had broken up because of a momentary wrong choice.

But since things have come to this, there's no use in reminiscing or feeling sad; it only adds to the troubles.

"Hehe, I'm so happy to be able to watch the fireworks with Cheng-kun."

Shiina Maki chuckled softly, her face radiating irrepressible happiness and contentment.

Recently, her life seems to have become more colorful.

Not only do I have friends by my side, but I'm also dating someone I like, and I can live with my mother, who no longer gets angry at me for no reason.

It can be said that she is the happiest person in the world right now.

Although she knew that Akizuki Makoto would often miss Ji Yexue and was constantly trying to contact her, she didn't mind.

She had already gotten what she wanted, so she no longer had any more expectations.

Being too greedy will only lead to dissatisfaction. She is already happy enough and only wants to maintain this happiness.

"I am also very happy."

Makoto Akizuki turned his head and smiled at Maki Shiina.

However, this smile seemed somewhat unreal and melancholic, not a genuine smile from the heart.

"boom!"

Just then, a loud noise suddenly came from above.

At the same time, there was also a dazzling light that shone all around.

Akizuki Makoto withdrew his gaze, looked up at the sky, where beautiful fireworks bloomed, his eyes seeming to be looking at a very distant place.

Shiina Maki, who had been staring intently at his face, could see the loneliness in his heart from his profile.

At this moment, Akizuki Makoto must be thinking about Hime Yexue again, right?
In fact, that was exactly the case; he had been thinking about Ji Yexue all night.

Their group would be more complete without Ji Yexue, especially during such a lively event.

Akizuki Makoto couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be if Ji Yexue were here.

What kind of yukata will she wear, or will she just wear a kimono?

Someone as proud and noble as her must be wearing a gorgeous furisode kimono, stunning everyone and outshining everyone else, right?
Then, what will she eat and what will she play while visiting the temple fair?

When the fireworks go up into the sky, what will she think? Will she find it beautiful and amazing, or just ordinary?
Thinking about these things filled Akizuki Makoto's heart with loneliness, as if a huge hole had been torn in his chest.

He longed to stroll through the festival with Ji Yexue, watch the fireworks together, and bicker and argue with her, neither of them willing to back down.

"I'm so... greedy."

Akizuki Makoto smiled bitterly. He had personally destroyed his future with Ji Yexue, so what right did he have to fantasize?
The future, which was once out of reach, is now within reach, yet he greedily desires more.

He knew perfectly well that Ji Yexue would never compromise, and that no matter what he did, even if he knelt down and begged, Ji Yexue would not agree.

He clung to a pitiful illusion, believing that Ji Yexue loved him very much and that she would eventually find a way to get him back.

But now, he realizes deeply that not only he is prepared, but Ji Yexue is as well.

She was serious; she genuinely wanted to sever all ties with him.

Even though it would cause her immense pain, as if it were tearing her flesh apart.
If she agrees, it would be tantamount to stifling her personality, and she would absolutely not allow it.

She is the proud heiress of the Ji Ye family, and it is impossible for her to bow down and compromise for love, or to share her beloved with other women.

……

After the fireworks display ended, Makoto Akizuki and his group waved goodbye at the entrance of Meiji Shrine.

Rin Shiraishi was picked up by a car and had already gone back alone. Meiji Shrine is located in the Shinjuku area, and she also lives in Shinjuku Ward, but she doesn't go the same way as the others.

"Maki, let's go back."

Rie Niijima invited Maki Shiina to go home together. Although they lived in different areas, at least she lived in Ueno, which was next to Adachi Ward, so they could take the same train.

"Um... I'm sorry, Rie-chan!"

When faced with Rie Niijima's invitation, Maki Shiina hesitated for a moment before suddenly bowing her head and apologizing.

"I'm not going back to my mother's tonight; I want to go back to my apartment in Bunkyo Ward!"

Her rent isn't due yet; it's due next year. She's just packing up her belongings and moving back to her mother's place.

"Ah, that's right."

After a moment of stunned silence, Rie Niijima suddenly understood and nodded to indicate that she understood.

Then, she said goodbye to Shiina Maki and the Akizuki siblings, and took a taxi home alone.

As Akizuki Makoto watched Niijima Rie leave, he asked curiously, "Why did you suddenly decide to go back to your apartment over there?"

"Suddenly, I just wanted to go back to live there."

Shiina Maki was a little shy, her cheeks flushed slightly, as if she was worried about something.

Upon seeing this, Akizuki Makoto immediately understood what was going on, but he simply nodded and said, "Then let's go back. We've had a lot of fun, and school starts tomorrow."

After that, Shiina Maki and Fuyuko each hugged Akizuki Makoto on either side, clinging to him in this intimate manner, as they returned to their apartment in Bunkyo Ward.

After returning home, Akizuki Makoto arranged for Fuyuko to take a shower first, while he sat in the living room waiting.

As expected, when he took out his phone, Maki Shiina sent him a LINE message.

"Could you come over here for a moment? I have something I'd like to discuss with Cheng-kun privately."

Looking at the message, Akizuki Makoto thought to himself, "So it was true."

But now that he's dating Maki Shiina, it's only natural, right?

So he sent a message to Shiina Maki, accepting her invitation and saying that he would come over after taking a shower.

"Brother, Dongzi's all washed up!"

A dozen minutes later, Dongzi pushed open the bathroom door and walked into the living room with her hair still wet.

"Then I'll go wash it."

Qiuyue Cheng nodded, returned to his bedroom, packed his change of clothes, and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

He didn't like taking baths, so he turned on the shower and let the warm water rinse over his body, casually washing himself.

When he finished showering and returned to the bedroom to dry his hair with a hairdryer, Dongzi was already lying in bed, covered with a blanket, and getting ready to fall asleep.

Seeing this, Akizuki Makoto said, "Touko, you should go to sleep first. I'm going to see Maki later; she needs to talk to me." "...Okay, sure."

After a moment of silence, Dongzi nodded in agreement and said softly, "Dongzi will wait for her brother obediently."

"You don't need to wait for me. I don't know how long it will take to get back. If you're sleepy, just go to sleep."

Akizuki scratched his head. If things went as expected, he probably wouldn't be able to come back tonight.

"Dongzi understands."

Goodnight, sweet dreams.

"Good night, brother."

After saying goodnight to each other, Akizuki Makoto quietly closed the door, left home, and went to the door of the neighbor's house next door, where he rang the doorbell.

"Cheng, Cheng Jun!"

After he rang the doorbell, the door opened within two seconds, and Shiina Maki appeared behind it.

She wasn't wearing pajamas; she was still wearing that sky-blue bathrobe.

Although she took a shower, there were no spare clothes for her in the house, so she had to continue wearing her bathrobe.

Fortunately, she didn't sweat too much, and her bathrobe was still clean.

"Welcome, come in!"

"Then I'll excuse you."

Akizuki Makoto nodded and followed the nervous Shiina Maki into the living room.

Just like before, nothing had changed. Shiina Maki took only her own clothes and some things that were easy for her to carry.

The furniture and such remained untouched, since they didn't belong to her; they were part of the apartment complex.

Upon entering the living room, Shiina Maki did not stop but continued walking forward, leading Akizuki Makoto into the bedroom.

"Sit down, have a seat."

Shiina Maki sat down on the bed first, patted the sheets beside her, and invited Akizuki Makoto to sit down.

Seeing this, Akizuki Makoto hesitated for a moment, but still stepped forward and sat down next to Shiina Maki.

Although he was a little impatient, Shiina Maki had specifically called him over, and he was already prepared for the consequences.

Besides, he already knew Shiina Maki's character all along. Didn't he already know exactly what she was planning to do?
Rather, it's more accurate to say that he has been avoiding it, which is why it has dragged on until now.

"Cheng-kun, I'm so happy today. I never dared to imagine that I could go to the festival and watch the fireworks with you."

As Shiina Maki spoke, she took the initiative to reach out and hold Akizuki Makoto's hand.

Akizuki Makoto felt the sudden touch on his hand and his body trembled.

Compared to Maki Shiina, he was like a green recruit, and his reactions were more like those of a girl.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you, Cheng-kun?"

Shiina Maki noticed Akizuki Makoto's subtle reaction, immediately let go of his hand, and bowed her head to apologize.

At the same time, she felt a little annoyed, wondering if she had been too impatient.

"It's nothing, I was just a little too nervous."

Makoto Akizuki shook his head, explaining softly as he took Maki Shiina's hand in his.

He wasn't against having a relationship with Shiina Maki, but he hesitated whether it was really a good idea.

"Hey, hehe, me too, my heart's pounding, it's so noisy..."

Shiina Maki smiled shyly, raised her other free hand, and pressed it against her chest through her yukata, feeling the intense beating of her heart.

Akizuki Makoto understood her meaning and responded to her, which made her very happy.

Shiina Maki turned her head and gazed at Akizuki Makoto, tentatively asking, "Hey, Makoto-kun, would you like to feel... my heartbeat?"

"This……"

Akizuki's heart suddenly raced, and his gaze, which had been fixed on Shiina Maki, unconsciously shifted downwards to look at her chest.

It's unclear when it started, but Shiina Maki's yukata has been worn with the front open quite a bit, revealing her shapely collarbone and a large expanse of snow-white skin.

"...Aren't you wearing anything?"

Suddenly, a lewd thought popped into Akizuki Makoto's mind.

Indeed, that is the case; Maki Shiina is currently in a vacuum.

She was dressed properly while visiting the festival, but she stopped wearing clothes after taking a bath.

My heart is pounding...

Shiina Maki took Akizuki Makoto's hand and gently guided it to her chest, her cheeks flushing crimson.

Even though the air conditioner was set to the lowest setting of 16 degrees Celsius, the two people sitting on the bed still felt incredibly hot.

Not only my body, but my mind as well, felt like I had a high fever.

Akizuki felt a sense of familiarity with this feeling; he had felt the same way when Ji Yexue invited him on the yacht.

His hand, guided by Shiina Maki, was pressed against her chest, sinking deep into it.

Through his palm, he could feel the intense beating of his heart hidden beneath his skin, gradually resonating with his own heartbeat.

"Um……"

Shiina Maki half-closed her eyes, pursed her lips, and let out a breath that left much to the imagination.

"Wow, that's really fast."

Akizuki stammered as he spoke, his heart pounding with nervousness.

Ultimately, he has no experience in this area, so he'll definitely be nervous.

"Would you like to feel it more carefully?"

Shiina Maki bit her moist cherry lips, her eyes glistening as she looked at Akizuki Makoto, and whispered, "If it's Makoto-kun, I can do whatever I want, okay?"

If she could, she really wanted to be ravaged at will, even if it meant being treated like a toy and manipulated without any mercy.

She wanted to be marked by Akizuki Makoto, to have his unique mark left on her to prove her existence.

"Um... I don't know what to do either. If I hurt you, I apologize in advance."

"Wow, Cheng-kun is so gentle~"

Shiina Maki smiled, brought her face close to Akizuki Makoto's, and whispered in his ear, "It's okay, or rather... I want to be hurt."

"Maki..."

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Akizuki Makoto succumbed to his desires and pushed Shiina Maki down.

He looked down at Shiina Maki, who was lying on the bed in a disheveled yukata, and without further hesitation, he lowered his head and kissed her.

Now that things have come to this, there's no need for further explanation; they just need to follow their hearts.

"Hmm... Cheng-kun, love me. I am yours, body and soul, everything I have is yours."

(End of this chapter)