novellhall 38. It's better to keep your distance.
38. It's better to keep your distance.
Sorry, we can't go out together tomorrow.
After sending the message, Yuko Asahi felt her fingers trembling.
She felt dizzy and couldn't even look at her phone screen.
She dreaded receiving the question from Genji Aoyama: "Why?"
Unable to explain her weakness, she simply wanted to stay quietly alone in a dark corner.
Genji Aoyama's concern was like sunshine; though warm, her heart was too fragile, and just being exposed to it caused her burning pain.
hum.
Asahi Yuko shrank her shoulders slightly as her phone vibrated slightly in her palm.
She dared not look, yet she couldn't help but want to.
[Aoyama: Hmm]
Without asking any questions, he simply gave a curt reply.
Did I hurt him because of my indifference?
Yuko Asahi felt a strange, aching sensation gripping her chest.
But amidst this unbearable pain, she suddenly felt a sense of relief and liberation.
That's fine.
Yuko Asahi thought to herself.
Unknown emotions swirled and surged within me, giving rise to a bittersweet sense of comfort.
"That's good."
It's just an agreement anyway, and once the time is up, I won't feel abandoned anymore.
After speaking to herself, Yuko Asahi put her phone aside.
"Ah, it's already this late."
The balcony faces a direction where it receives almost no sunlight, and it was already evening.
Yuko Asahi curled her slender body up in the chair, letting the boundless shadows envelop her.
"Buzz—"
Yuko Asahi was only pulled out of her suffocating shadow when her phone vibrated on the desk.
[Aoyama: Asahi-kun, let's chat tonight.]
◇
"Huh? Something's off about Aoyama-kun's expression?"
Saki Izumo practically pressed her small face against Genji Aoyama's face as she scrutinized him.
"Get dressed, it's time to leave."
Genji Aoyama looked at her calmly.
"Is your girlfriend starting to distance herself from you again?" Izumo Saki persisted, pressing on with a grin. "That's why dating a girl like that is exhausting. Aoyama-kun, why don't you just date me instead?"
"So you'll just kick me aside when you're tired of playing with me?"
Aoyama Genji smiled.
He gently pushed away Izumo Saki, who was clinging to him, and went to the sink to tidy his clothes.
There was no doubt that his clothes were all wrinkled and crumpled from being handled so much.
"Hehe, it's okay if we don't break up."
Izumo Saki didn't deny it. She skipped over to Aoyama Genji and hugged his waist. "In fact, the fact that Aoyama-kun has a girlfriend is more exciting to me."
The person in the mirror twitched their eye.
"Alright, stop fooling around and get dressed."
A surge of softness could be clearly felt against his back, and Aoyama Genji's tone was somewhat helpless.
"That's so mean, Aoyama-kun. He wasn't like this before. He's suddenly become so cold, but it feels so good."
Saki Izumo's little hands started to wander around.
Then she tiptoed, opened her mouth and took Aoyama Genji's earlobe into her mouth, gently licking it. Her voice, warm and sweet yet slightly husky, brushed against his ear: "..."
"...Don't think about it."
Genji Aoyama tried to remove Saki Izumo's hand.
The girl had excellent physical fitness and exceptionally high energy levels, which bothered him.
Fortunately, it was relatively fast.
……
On the train back, Genji Aoyama looked thoughtfully at the system panel.
Izumo Saki (Sage Mode)
[Special Check-in - Valentine's Day - 2 times]
[Basic Information: Stamina 7, Intelligence 7 (9), Charisma 8]
[Intelligence: A wealthy young woman suffering from mild mania has developed a strong interest in the host.]
2 times?
The check-ins from Saki Izumo are not calculated by the day, but by the number of times.
Before this, Genji Aoyama didn't even understand what it meant.
But now, all he wants to say is—
What does it mean?
Genji Aoyama was too lazy to complain, so he simply checked the mission rewards.
[Acquire Skill: Proficient Karate]
The knowledge that suddenly appeared in my mind was quickly integrated and became part of Aoyama Genji.
The thought, "What would I do with this thing?" flashed through his mind, but he dismissed it immediately.
Genji Aoyama simply wants a stable life, with a healthy body and a stable career.
He had never even considered fighting.
However, while one can refrain from actively harming others, the use of force is indispensable.
After I stepped out of the station, the sky was already tinged with a hint of ultramarine.
Nearly 40 minutes have passed since Genji Aoyama sent a message to Yuko Asahi, and she has read it but not replied.
But from the panel, he saw her emotions, even their gradual change—
Anxiety, fear, sadness, and the urge to escape take turns appearing.
They shouldn't be too intimate.
After exposing her weakness, Asahi Yuko retreated to her safe zone.
Intrusive care and contact can harm her.
But I can't really leave.
"What a troublesome woman."
Because it's so cute and can generate gold coins, Genji Aoyama can only forgive it.
Back in his room, he wanted to lie down in a chair and think about the problem carefully.
But not long after, Yuko Asahi sent a message.
[Yuko: Eating.]
It's getting shorter and shorter.
Genji Aoyama composed himself before going out and knocking on the door of the next room.
The door was opened quickly, and Yuko Asahi didn't look at him, but just stood quietly to the side.
Genji Aoyama didn't respond. When he changed his shoes, he didn't say "smells good" as usual, and he didn't use the nickname he usually used.
It's as if they came here with only one purpose: to eat in peace and quiet.
Silence was the accompaniment to this dinner.
Genji Aoyama had little appetite. After feeling full, he put down his chopsticks and looked at Yuko Asahi sitting next to him.
"Asahi-kun, I won't be coming to eat here anymore."
After saying that, Genji Aoyama calmly added, "Also, I'll be very busy in the future, so we might not be able to meet often."
"it is good."
The familiar yet unfamiliar form of address made Asahi Yuko's eyelashes tremble slightly.
The content made her feel even more guilty.
She had long realized that her actions would hurt Genji Aoyama.
and so……
Are we leaving now?
"There's also an agreement..."
After saying this, Genji Aoyama seemed to pause for a moment as if he were thinking.
"...Should we cancel it?"
This seemed to confirm Asahi Yuko's guess; she felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if it were being repeatedly cut by a dull knife.
"no."
The source of the suffering was simply a shake of the head.
The pain in my heart lessened, but then a wave of unease washed over me.
"The content just needs to be slightly modified."
"..."
Yuko Asahi didn't know how to respond.
"time…"
Because he rarely gets sick, Genji Aoyama felt he could live past one hundred years old; he almost blurted out "one hundred years."
He quickly changed his mind after thinking for a moment and continued, "Let's change it to ten years for now, because we'll have fewer opportunities to meet during the week. So you'll need to set aside a fixed hour each weekend to chat with me."
Yuko Asahi's face showed a look of resistance.
She sensed that Genji Aoyama was unwilling to give up on her, a feeling that brought her both joy and pain.
"No." She tried to say, but was interrupted by Aoyama Genji's next words.
"At other times, I think it's better for us to keep a little distance."