Chapter 16

Yurina found it hard to go back to sleep after Wataru left. Yeah, he was rough around the edges, but using him as a pillow was surprisingly comforting. Having someone to hold onto was nice. As she lay there, staring up at the ceiling, her phone buzzed from its place on the nightstand. Groaning, she rolled over and picked it up, squinting at the bright light.

The message was from an unknown number that read:

"Sorry for dipping out on you, freshman."

She immediately knew it was Wataru. As for how he got her number, she'd worry about that later. Yurina sent back a simple thumbs-up emoji and left it at that. After setting her phone aside, she tried to sleep but eventually gave up. Her mind was racing too fast, and her stomach was rumbling too loudly. So, being Yurina, she decided to have a study session with the plethora of snacks that Wataru bought for her.

She was up until eight in the morning studying. It was probably the most she'd studied since starting university, and honestly, she was pretty happy with her progress. She was able to finish her work earlier than planned, which meant more time for her to relax before the next week of classes. Sleep was her reward for all the hard work she had just put in.

But as soon as she lay down, Daiya burst through the door. "Wakey, wakey! Rise and shine!" He shouted, jumping onto her bed and startling her awake.

"Jesus! What the hell, Daiya? Get off my bed, and stop shouting so early in the morning!" She groaned, pushing him away and covering her head with the pillow.

Huffing, Daiya dialed it back a bit, opting to take the loving and caring boyfriend approach as pretend. He was always a sucker for dramatics, and Yurina was fun to tease. He sat down beside her and brushed the hair from her face. "Come on, angel face. Let's get some breakfast. My treat. We can have whatever you want."

"You're not leaving until I agree, are you?" Yurina said, peeking out from underneath the pillow.

"Nope," Daiya grinned.

Yurina rolled her eyes and sat up, pushing her blanket off.

Before she could swing her legs over the side of the bed, Daiya caught her by surprise, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "Daiya—" she blurted, blinking at him in confusion, but he just smirked, shifting closer to plant another kiss on her cheek.

"What?" he said innocently, leaning in for a third, placing his lips directly against hers. Her lips tingled pleasantly, and her body warmed despite her initial reluctance. "You looked like you needed it."

"Okay, seriously, what's your deal?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "We both know there's nothing between us besides... well, you know."

Daiya tilted his head, pretending to be hurt. "Ouch. Just casual hookups, huh? That's all I am to you?" He placed a dramatic hand over his heart, then grinned when she rolled her eyes again. "Relax, baby. I'm bored, I'm hungry, and everyone else is busy. So, why not bother you?"

"So, you're telling me you came here just because no one else was around?"

"Pretty much." He shrugged, his grin turning mischievous. "Not like I came here to try to screw you. But of course, I'd do it if you wanted to." Seductions aside, Yurina knew he wouldn't do anything unless she asked him to, so she relaxed a little. At least he had the decency to warn her when he was being a horny douche.

"You're unbelievable," she muttered, grabbing a pillow and smacking him square in the face. 

He laughed, catching the pillow before it fell and tossing it back onto the bed. "I'm kidding. Relax."

But was he? She couldn't tell. Daiya had this infuriating way of walking the line between seriousness and teasing, always keeping her guessing. She couldn't deny that his touch lingered in her mind longer than it should. Maybe it was because she wasn't used to this kind of attention—casual or not. "Hey, freshman. You alright?" Daiya's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" She looked up to find him staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You good?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah," she replied quickly, waving a hand. "Just tired."

Daiya hummed monotonously but didn't push further. Instead, he plopped down with Yurina, snuggling himself underneath the blanket. "We could always just order in instead. What are you in the mood for? Shoot me some suggestions." He pulled out his phone and opened the delivery app. "You could get a big ol' stack of pancakes. Or eggs. You're probably a vegetarian, aren't you?"

"What is your obsession with breakfast foods, and what does my diet have to do with anything?" Yurina said, giving him a look that she hoped conveyed her exasperation. Daiya shrugged and continued swiping through the app, scooching closer to her in the process. Only now, their arms were pressed together, and their thighs were brushing.

"How about pizza? Pizza for breakfast sounds amazing, right?" Daiya nudged her; his tone was lighthearted and playful. Yurina rolled her eyes and nudged him back.

"It sounds terrible and also very unhealthy."

"Way to suck the fun out of things," he teased, sticking his tongue out.

"I can't believe you're a grown adult."

Eventually, they mutually settled on actual breakfast food—specifically, omelets and toast. While they waited for the delivery guy, they sat quietly. Yurina's head wobbled as she fought to stay awake. She hadn't slept enough, and her eyes burned. She rubbed at them, yawning widely.

"So," Daiya started, "you and Wataru, huh?"

Yurina nearly fell over in shock. "What?" She choked out, her eyes widening.

"Nothing." He smirked at her flustered state. Personally, Daiya didn't think it was a big deal, but the idea of her getting involved with a gangster was funny to him. Especially since she was such a goodie two shoes. Cutely naive, that was what Yurina was to him. Someone Daiya wanted to play around with but wouldn't get too attached to.

"I don't even know what you're talking about," Yurina sputtered, shaking her head vehemently. The lie was evident, and her voice was pitched an octave higher than normal, but Daiya didn't care enough to call her out. Eager to change the subject, Yurina said, "You should be catching up on your classes instead of bothering me. Aren't you worried about failing?"

"Look, angel. I appreciate your concern, but I'm good." Daiya was horrendous when it came to studying. He just couldn't bring himself to care about any of it. But he was smart enough to skate by, and that's all he really cared about. "Even if I did flunk, my old man would just pay someone off. No worries."

Of course, rich kid problems. She didn't understand people like Daiya, Shigeru, or even Wataru, who seemed to have everything handed to them on a silver platter. How could they possibly be interested in her? There wasn't anything special about her, nothing particularly enticing. Yet they still kept coming back. Anyhow, she dropped the conversation entirely and got out of bed.

Daiya's gaze followed her as she moved. She stretched, arching her back and raising her arms above her head. Her shirt rose, revealing a strip of her creamy, smooth skin. The sight was mouthwatering and made Daiya want to remember how she tasted. He'd been dying to have another round but hadn't found the opportunity yet.

Yurina turned towards him, and he averted his gaze, not wanting to seem like he was checking her out. But Yurina was already suspicious and noticed the way his eyes trailed after her. Ignoring his roaming eyes, she grabbed the laptop and returned to the bed. Daiya's brows furrowed as he watched her crawl back in. "Are you actually going to study right now?" He asked, incredulously.

"No, dummy. I'm putting on a movie or something. Just to pass the time." Yurina browsed the streaming service before settling on some random movie that looked good. The movie was based on the pearl concubine of the late emperor. A tale about a young maiden who was selected by the emperor himself to become his concubine. However, the emperor's empress became jealous and sought the young girl's demise.

Daiya wasn't paying attention at all, but Yurina was absolutely absorbed. When she wasn't paying attention, he would brush a finger across her shoulder or down her arm, and she would swat his hand away. This would repeat several times throughout the movie, and eventually, he managed to worm his way under the covers and get close enough to her that their thighs were touching. Physical touch was the language Daiya knew best.

Yurina was too engrossed in the story to notice or care. At least until she felt his fingertips ghost across her waist, tracing the curve of her body. Yurina tried her best to focus, but the more the movie progressed, the harder it was for her. Daiya's fingers crept down her thigh, and she shuddered slightly. "Daiya," she murmured, not looking away from the screen.

"Freshman," he murmured back, his warm breath fanning across the nape of her neck. Flickering his gaze from her thighs to her lips, he couldn't help the desire that welled up within him. Her body was soft and inviting, and her lips were pink and slightly parted; it was a sinful image. Daiya leaned in closer, his nose brushing her jawline. "Yurina."

She finally turned her head, meeting his eyes. They stared at each other, both daring the other to make the first move.