Chapter 12

Yurina had just finished her midterm exam and felt physically and mentally drained. The entire morning had been spent hunched over her laptop, her brain aching from the relentless flow of information she'd been cramming in. She needed a break from the grind, something that didn't involve staring at a computer screen or resorting to reckless escapes like snorting drugs.

She hadn't heard much from Shigeru or Daiya, which she supposed was okay. There were no serious discussions about being in a committed relationship or anything beyond a casual connection. But she missed having some companionship around. Things had become so different since meeting them, and now, the prospect of spending her day without their presence seemed dull, almost colorless compared to before.

Yurina stormed into her dorm room, her frustration evident. "What the hell!" she shouted, immediately covering her eyes. The unexpected sight of Serena and Lucia mid-intimacy froze her in place. Her voice startled them, and Lucia scrambled off Serena, hastily grabbing a blanket from the floor to cover herself.

"Oh my God!" Lucia squeaked, her cheeks flushed bright red. She turned her back to Yurina and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.

Serena, however, was far less fazed. She sat up lazily, pulling a sheet around her shoulders, a bemused expression on her face. "I guess we're even now, huh?" she remarked with a smirk, her tone light but teasing. "Maybe I should start putting a sock on the door or something."

Yurina's brain seemed to short-circuit as she struggled to process the situation. "Uh… I'll come back later," she mumbled hurriedly, backing out of the room. "Sorry!" She shut the door behind her and walked off in a random direction, trying to shake the embarrassing image from her mind.

Eventually, Yurina headed toward the student union building, desperate for a quiet place to sit and let her mind settle. It was usually less crowded during the afternoon, so she hoped to find a secluded spot. She spotted an empty chair and quickly sank into its plush cushions, leaning back with a heavy sigh. Closing her eyes, she let herself relax, the exhaustion from her day catching up.

Her moment of peace didn't last long. A flick to her forehead made her jolt upright. "Ow!" Her eyes snapped open to find Wataru standing before her, his expression of bored amusement.

"What was that for?" she grumbled, rubbing her forehead and glaring at him.

Without answering, Wataru plopped into the chair next to hers, spreading his legs in his signature manspreading style. His knee bumped into hers, and she sighed in exasperation, scooting away. Of course, he just followed suit, closing the distance again.

"Ever heard of personal space?" Yurina snapped, crossing her arms.

"I know you like me in your space," Wataru replied with a cocky grin, propping his elbow on the armrest and resting his chin on his fist. "What are you doing here, anyway? Don't you have some test to take or something?"

"It was this morning," Yurina said, her voice still tinged with exhaustion. "And then I walked in on Serena and Lucia… you know… in our room. So now I'm waiting for them to finish." She rubbed her temple at the memory, still embarrassed. "What about you? I didn't think you actually showed up on campus."

Wataru smirked. "I'm a student too, you know."

Yurina raised a skeptical eyebrow, and Wataru rolled his eye, leaning forward. "Okay, fine. I was skipping today. Got bored."

She wasn't entirely surprised; he didn't seem like the academic type. "Are Daiya and Shigeru around?" she asked, curious if he knew what they were doing.

Wataru's grin widened. "Why? Miss your boyfriends?" he teased. When Yurina refused to take the bait, he chuckled and shrugged. "No idea. We don't keep tabs on each other."

He leaned back, turning to face her fully. "So, you just gonna sit here, or do you wanna do something?" The glint of mischief in his eye made Yurina immediately suspicious.

"That depends," she said warily. "If it involves drugs or sex, the answer is a hard 'no.'"

"College is for living a little, you know. Having fun." Wataru waved his hand dismissively before Yurina could argue back. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're all about studying and good grades. It's lame. But I've got an idea, and it doesn't involve breaking the law. Trust me."

Yurina eyed him skeptically. "I shouldn't, but I'm bored. So fine." She stood, stretching her arms above her head.

Wataru's gaze flicked to her legs, his smirk growing. "Don't you think that skirt's a little short?" Before she could respond, his hand crept toward her thigh, trying to lift her skirt.

"Hands off," she snapped, slapping his hand away. She smoothed her skirt, though the attention was oddly flattering in a way she refused to dwell on.

"Damn. Alright, freshman," Wataru said with a chuckle, standing up. He led her out of the building and toward the parking lot, stopping in front of a motorcycle. He tossed her a helmet.

"Get on."

Yurina stared at the bike, then at him. "You're joking, right? What about you? Don't you need a helmet?"

Wataru patted his head lazily. "Nah, I'm good. Hurry up, freshman."

With a resigned sigh, Yurina strapped on the helmet and climbed behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. He felt solid and strong under her hands. As the bike roared to life, they sped off campus, and she clung to him, her heart racing—not just from the speed but from the thrill of doing something so impulsive.

After weaving through traffic, Wataru eventually stopped in front of an overgrown graveyard. Yurina dismounted, her legs shaky. "Are we here to rob graves?" she asked nervously, eyeing the eerie surroundings.

"Scared of a little graveyard?" Wataru grinned, pulling her along. He eventually stopped and pulled a small bag of joints from his pocket.

"Really?" Yurina sighed, watching him light up.

"Relax, freshman. It's just weed," he said, taking a long drag and exhaling a puff of smoke. "This place is quiet. Peaceful."

"Peaceful?" She gave him a skeptical look. "In a creepy, death-is-all-around kind of way?"

Wataru smirked. "Exactly."

As they wandered, Yurina's gaze drifted to his eyepatch. She pointed to her right eye and asked, "How did that happen?"

Wataru stiffened briefly before forcing a smirk. "Don't remember," he lied.

He remembered everything. They'd been messing around with a BB gun for the first time. Being kids, they obviously hadn't used common sense or safety gear. Wataru ended up losing his vision. Of course, that hadn't stopped him, even when doctors told him to avoid certain activities and hobbies. He'd continued doing what he wanted and suffered consequences for it—including permanently damaged vision.

"If you say so." Yurina knew when someone didn't want to share; she was familiar enough with that dance.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled above them. The gray sky had darkened rapidly, clouds swelling ominously. Still, neither of them had paid much attention until the first fat droplets splattered against their skin.

"Shit," Wataru cursed as the sky opened up, rain pelting them mercilessly. He threw away his ruined half-smoked joint in annoyance and dragged her by the wrist to take shelter under a tree. They huddled close, his hand remaining firmly wrapped around her wrist.

"So much for peace and quiet," Yurina muttered, wiping water from her eyes with her free hand.

"Life's a bitch like that," he remarked, glancing down at her. He admired how the rain dripped from the tips of her hair, rolling down her face in tiny rivulets. Wataru watched her catch a raindrop with her tongue. Her eyes closed, and her head tipped back with her mouth open. She reminded him of a cat. "What are you doing?"

Without opening her eyes, Yurina hummed lightly before saying, "Rainwater tastes better than regular water, but they say that you'll get sick drinking from it because of bacteria buildup on whatever surface it's gathering on, like trees or graves." Her tongue darted out again, and her pink lips curved upward slightly. "Tastes pure, though."

He looked at her for a moment, a long moment. This was the point in time when a kiss usually happened. Something that ended with heated kisses and bodies pressed together, gasping breaths in between. As much as Wataru wanted to push his mouth against Yurina's and kiss her senselessly, he resisted the temptation. Yurina opened her eyes wide like a doe. That momentary flash of innocence had him wanting to defile and preserve her all at once. Eventually, Wataru broke eye contact and coughed. "Right."

Lightning lit up the sky. The resulting thunder boomed instantaneously, scaring Yurina. She latched onto him reflexively, nails biting into his skin through the wet fabric. And that was the beginning of his undoing.