Chapter 492: Let’s Try Again (3)

Ten minutes later, Sui and Utaha were walking side by side on campus, both enjoying ice cream. 

The ice cream had been a gift from Araki, as a "reward" for helping him with the photo shoot. Although he hadn't captured the kiss he had hoped for, he was satisfied with the candid shot of their panicked expressions when they realized they had been photographed in secret. He said it was even more fitting for the theme of young love.

Utaha was focused on her ice cream, occasionally licking the creamy treat, which left a trace of cream around the edges of her lips. 

Sui watched for a while and couldn't help but feel that the way she ate ice cream looked, well... messy.

"Mmm..., mmm... mmm..." Utaha mumbled something, her mouth still full of ice cream.

"Huh? What are you saying?" Sui couldn't make sense of her muffled words.

"Hey, Kouhai-kun, why do you keep staring at me while I'm eating ice cream? What's on your mind?" Utaha teased, removing the ice cream from her mouth. She wiped the cream off her lips with her delicate fingers, then licked them lightly while giving him a sly glance from her wine-red eyes.

"Uh, nothing," Sui replied, rolling his eyes.

"Could it be... you're imagining me eating ice cream as something else?" she said, a mischievous smile curling her lips.

Sui went speechless, starting to wonder if she was doing this on purpose. 'What's going on in her head?' he thought.

"I don't know what you're talking about, senpai. You're imagining things," Sui said, trying to remain calm.

"Oh, really? That's good, then," Utaha chuckled before returning to her ice cream.

But as they continued walking, Utaha persisted with making deliberate, suggestive noises while eating her ice cream.

Sui's forehead twitched in exasperation. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "senpai, do you even realize what you're doing?"

"Why, Kouhai-kun, what am I doing?" she asked, feigning innocence, her eyes still teasing as she slowly licked the ice cream.

Before she could finish her teasing remark, Sui suddenly leaned in and kissed her.

Her eyes widened in shock, and her face flushed with a deep blush. She hadn't expected this from him—Sui had always been careful to maintain a "safe" distance from her. 

"W-What are you doing? There are so many people around..." Utaha mumbled, her voice soft and flustered. But after a moment, she closed her eyes, giving in to the unexpected kiss. The ice cream slipped from her hand, falling onto her black stockings.

After what felt like an eternity, the two finally separated.

Utaha covered her lips, looking down at her feet as her heart pounded uncontrollably. Despite having shared a few kisses with Sui in the past during her novel-writing sessions, this one felt different—real. She hadn't been prepared, and now her mind was racing.

"S-Sorry, it's because you—" Sui started, scratching his head awkwardly.

Before he could finish his words, and to his surprise, Utaha lifted her head and said, "Let's try again."

"Uh... what?" Sui was stunned for a moment.

Before he could react, Utaha moved closer to him, her eyes determined.

"Wait, there are still so many people around here. Shouldn't we find somewhere more private?" Sui suggested, his voice faltering.

"It's fine. Let them see if they want," she replied, her tone calm and unwavering.

Sui was left speechless. It seems he flipped a switch on her.

"Then…"

——

After another long kiss, the two finally pulled apart once more, this time with a slight shift in the air between them. Their relationship had changed, though neither could quite define how.

Utaha, her face red, murmured, "So this is what it feels like... it's even better than I imagined."

Sui, still feeling the lingering warmth of the kiss, agreed silently. Kissing Utaha had a unique blend of gentleness and intensity that he hadn't experienced with anyone else before. 

But before he could get lost in his thoughts, he felt a sharp pain in his side. He looked down to see that Utaha was pinching him.

"Kouhai-kun, you were really skilled back there, weren't you?" she said, her voice laced with playful menace, her wine-red eyes gleaming with mischief.

"H-Hey! That hurts!" Sui winced, his body jolting in pain.

Nearby passersby shot curious glances at them, murmuring to each other.

"What's going on?"

"I'm not sure, but it looks like they're fighting."

Five minutes later, the pair found themselves in a small grove on campus.

"Are you sure about this, senpai? Do we really have to stay here?" Sui asked hesitantly, glancing around to make sure no one else was nearby.

"Where else would we go?" Utaha asked with a hint of challenge in her tone. "What's wrong? Are you scared?"

She twirled the stick of her finished ice cream in her fingers, her eyes gleaming.

"No... just let's be quick, alright? So no one sees us," Sui muttered.

Utaha nodded with a small smile. Then, without hesitation, she bent down and lifted the hem of her skirt.