CHAPTER XLII
~If I Show You the Real Me~
But as Yuzuki took a few steps ahead into the pouring rain, a car suddenly approached, headlights cutting through the misty downpour. She and the teachers froze, the world narrowing to the sound of tires splashing on the wet pavement.
The teachers exchanged quick, alarmed glances—then, recognizing the car, they hurriedly opened the doors and slid inside, calling out urgently to a friend seated within. The car’s door clicked shut, engine roaring to life as it sped away through the rain-soaked streets.
Left standing in the downpour, Yuzuki felt the weight of the moment press down on her. From somewhere behind her, Rin’s voice broke through the storm — raw, desperate, and trembling with all the emotions he couldn’t hold back.
“Yuzuki! Please—just one night, I’m begging you! Don’t leave me out here alone, I can’t—please, I swear, I’ll protect you. Just stay, please stay!” Rin’s voice was raw, trembling with desperation, breaking free in a flood of emotions. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, eyes wide and shining fiercely as if the whole storm depended on her answer.
“Please, Yuzuki! I don’t care what anyone says. I don’t care about the rain, the thunder, or your mom coming for you—I’m here, and I need you here with me. Please, I’m begging you on my knees in my heart. Just one night. I’ll keep you safe. I won’t let anything happen to you, I swear on everything I’ve got.”
His voice cracked again, thick with urgency and pain: “You’re not alone. Not while I’m here. Not while I’m breathing. Please don’t go. I need you—please, don’t leave me.”
His words spilled into the air like a desperate prayer, repeated again and again in his eyes, his stance, every trembling breath, a silent vow that this was more than just pleading—it was his whole heart poured out, raw and unfiltered, reaching for hers in those fierce, relentless moments.
Yuzuki’s heart hammered loudly against her ribs, matching the relentless drum of thunder crashing above. The rain poured down in thick sheets, soaking her thoroughly, the soaked fabric of her uniform clinging tightly to her slender frame. Her breath caught as Rin’s desperate shout reached her ears, cutting through the storm’s chaos like a fragile lifeline.
“I-I-If I show you the real me, will you—will you stay back? That—that TALL GUY you mentioned earlier, if I—I—I become him, will you please stay back?” His voice cracked, raw and pleading, trembling as if the weight of all his fears and hopes pressed hard against his chest.
Yuzuki’s mind raced—Wh-why was he so desperate? This was the first time he had ever called out her name. Is he scared? That tall guy…so it really was him, she thought, squinting through the heavy rain. The memory of the night, the fleeting glance, the mysterious figure—Rin himself—was suddenly undeniable.
Her soaked hair dripped down over her face, and a cold shiver wracked her body. A long exhale escaped as the heaviness of the moment pressed down on her chest. Then, without hesitation, Yuzuki turned on her heel, her soaked shoes splashing through the puddles as she dashed back toward the school’s warm, dimly lit entrance.
Rin’s eyes widened in joy and relief, the faint glow of the school’s dim outdoor lights reflecting like sparks in his gaze. His smile bloomed—bright, genuine—lighting up against the dark storm like a beacon.
Yuzuki had just reached Rin, her soaked shoes splashing puddles on the wet ground, when she quickly pulled out her phone and tapped nervously to send a message to her mom saying she’d be staying at school tonight.
Rin floated up beside her face, hovering close, his eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and concern. To Yuzuki’s surprise, her phone suddenly beeped nonstop—showing 37 missed calls from her maids, and 62 unread LINE messages from them. Among all that, there were only 8 missed calls from her mother.
Without hesitation, Yuzuki called back her mom. The phone barely rang before Ayame’s voice burst out, rushing with overwhelming joy and worry:
“YUYU! MY BABY! FINALLY YOU PICKED UP! WHERE’VE YOU BEEN????? I’VE BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU. I HEARD THERE’S A TYPHOON IN Takayama! HAVE YOU REACHED HOME YET? I SUDDENLY HAD TO LEAVE FOR TOKYO AGAIN! LUCKILY, I LEFT BEFORE IT EVEN BEGAN! A NEW CONTRACT DEALER HAS SHOWN INTEREST IN MY PRODUCTS! I’M SO SORRY BABY, I CAN’T BE THERE. BUT YOU’VE REACHED HOME, RIGHT? HANA AND MAYA WERE TELLING ME YOU HAVEN’T!”
Yuzuki paused for a moment, swallowing hard, slowing her racing breath. She wiped her mouth roughly with the sleeve of her soaked uniform before answering carefully, “Ye-yes, Mom. I’m—I’m home.”
Ayame’s voice softened, trembling with concern, “Why’s your voice so weird? Did you get caught in the rain and catch a cold?”
Yuzuki faked a weak sneeze, “Ye-yes.”
“Oh my. I hear loud noises of rain and thunder. Stay safe baby and get well soon, love you.”
“HEY HEY! When’ll you be returning, Mom?” Yuzuki asked quickly.
“Huh? Oh um… probably in two days? I’m on the plane right now. First class,” Ayame replied.
“Okay, Mom. Love you—please come back soon!” Yuzuki said warmly before ending the call.
Rin’s face lit up, and he threw his arms up, fists clenched in pure, unfiltered happiness. “Yo, BIG MAMA QUEEN! First class? Damn, classy vibes only! You better bring back some fancy snacks, no cap.”
Yuzuki didn’t even bother responding to Rin’s teasing and immediately dialed Hana.
But before Hana could answer, Maya’s voice came through urgently, “Miss! Where are you??? Please come home. Please. Please. We’ve been trying to call you for the past three hours!!!”
Yuzuki’s voice dropped firm but gentle: “Maya, it’s raining really bad. I don’t think any cabs or cars can even reach the school with the streets flooded. I’ll stay here tonight, and don’t you dare say a word to Mom about it. She’ll worry herself to death. As soon as the rain clears, I’ll come straight home, okay? Take care until then. I’ll manage. I promise. Don’t worry about me. Just make sure Mom doesn’t find out. I trust you, Maya.”
Maya bit her lip, a soft but determined, “Yes, Miss.”
“Good. See you then.” Yuzuki cut the call, slipping the phone back into her soaked pocket.
Without warning, Rin suddenly threw his hands around her neck and pulled her into a warm, floating hug. Suspended gently in the rain, the droplets cascading around them, his hold was fierce but tender, an unspoken vow wrapped in his mischievous, cool energy.
“Yo, Yuzuki,” Rin whispered with a sly grin and genuine warmth, “no matter what, I gotchu. Rain, thunder, storm, or crazy moms on first class planes—ain’t nothing gonna shake this crew. You’re stuck with me, pocket-sized chaos squad forever.”
Yuzuki closed her eyes for a moment, melting into the embrace as Rin’s presence cut through the cold storm, the chaotic world pausing just for them—a rare safe place bathed in rain and quiet promise.
Ayame reclined into the plush embrace of her ANA Suite Class seat—the height of Japanese aviation luxury. The gentle hum of the aircraft, the glint of city lights far below, and the delicate aroma of premium matcha all faded into the background as her mind tangled with memories and venomous words from the Kisaragi household earlier that day.
She absentmindedly curled the ends of her loose, silken hair around her finger, staring past the crystal flute of champagne on her tray. Each smooth swirl of hair mirrored the looping questions and resentments still gnawing at her: the old matriarch’s trembling voice, Mei’s stifled anger, and her own careful replies measured in ice and regret.
Outside the window, rain streaked against the glass, echoing the turmoil within. Every luxury—soft leather, the promise of Tokyo gleaming ahead—felt distant, thin. Even at 30,000 feet, Ayame could not escape the family ghosts she’d left behind, nor the secrets still buried in the dark, polished silence between mother-in-law and former daughter.
Where is he?
The thought surfaced, unbidden—a ghost just as persistent as any living adversary. Ayame’s eyes lingered on the rain-streaked glass, seeing not the city or sky, but only emptiness. The ache in that single question hollowed out her certainty, leaving her briefly unmoored in the cocoon of first-class solitude.
No matter how far she flew, it circled back, fierce and inescapable. Where could he even be?
Her hands tightened around the cup, untouched and cooling, even as the world moved forward beneath her. The past was never truly behind.
Here, adrift in the clouds, Ayame was untouchable—at least for now—but the aftertaste of that Kisaragi conversation lingered, sharp and poisonous, at the very roots of her being.
The conversation in Kisaragi Household:
Mei emerged from the kitchen behind a thin cloud of steam, her lacquered tray carrying the weight of ritual and unresolved history. Each step was measured, her slippers nearly silent across the polished wood, but beneath her calm, her shoulders stiffened with everything unspoken. The teapot gleamed in the faint light—a relic of better days—and she poured with slow precision, filling three delicate cups. One… two… three. The curl of the steam made the air thick with anticipation.
She set the cups down, the ceramic clinking softly—one before her mother-in-law, one for Ayame, and finally her own. Mei sat apart, keeping distance not just in seating, but in posture—a deliberate separation, her posture straight, chin slightly dipped as if insulating herself from what would follow.
Across from her, the old matriarch adjusted the shawl over her thin wrists, her gaze darting between Mei and the woman flanked by dark-suited shadows. Ayame’s presence was unsettling in its grace: all snowy silk and icy stillness, her very breathing appeared delicately controlled, as if the wrong exhale might shatter the room’s fragile balance. Her bodyguards said nothing, but their silent watchfulness was a promise, a warning threaded into the edges of the scene.
Ayame held the delicate teacup, cradling its warmth in her palms. For a moment, she seemed softened by the simple act—a living woman, not a ghost in white. But when she spoke, her words were gentle and razor-edged, slicing cleanly through the quiet.
“Totsuzen no hōmon de mōshiwake arimasen. Honjitsu wa, moto otto no kisaragiitsuki ni tsuite o ukagai shitai koto ga ari, go renraku itashimashita.”
(Translation: I apologize for the sudden intrusion. Today, I’m here because I wish to inquire about my ex-husband, Kisaragi Itsuki.)
The syllables lingered in the humid air, more intrusive than the tea’s perfume. For a heartbeat, no one moved. The matriarch’s fingertips hovered over the rim of her cup, trembling, her lined face flickering with memories that ached to be left buried.
The old matriarch’s reply was nothing more than a fraying thread, voice fragile, trembling, breaking with each word. Her hands trembled as she lifted her own cup but did not drink. Her voice, when it came, was thin and laden with years of loss.
“...Moshi kare no kotonara…anata ga musuko o keisatsu ni tsūhō shita nochi, watashitachi kazoku wa hotondo subete o ushinaimashita. Bakudaina baishō-kin, shittsui shita hyōban. Ki wa aru yoru, shizuka ni ie o dete, nidoto modotte kimasendeshita. Nando mo yukue fumei-sha sōsaku o shimashitaga, kare wa modotte kimasendeshita. Keisatsu mo keiji mo, nani mo tegakari ga arimasendeshita. Subete mudadeshita.”
(Translation: If it’s about him... After you reported our son to the police, our family lost nearly everything. Enormous compensation, our reputation destroyed—Itsuki left home one night, quietly, and never returned. We filed missing person cases over and over, but he never came back. The police, the detectives—none of it led anywhere. It was all for nothing.)
Her hand shook as she set her cup down again, the years of bitterness and helpless searching etched in her every gesture. The table sat in oppressive silence, the only sound the rain beating against the windows and the nearly inaudible breaths of all three women.
As Rin slowly let go of the hug, his feet floating a few inches off the ground, he drew back just enough to meet Yuzuki’s gaze. His cheeks were still flushed, but his smile was the kind that belonged entirely to her—relief, pure joy, and gratitude all rolled into a crooked, boyish grin.
He pressed his palms together and gave her an exaggerated, almost ceremonial bow, his voice light and warm but brimming with sincerity.
“Yo, thank you, Yuzuki! Really. For coming back, for not leaving me out here solo-dolo in this whole thunder circus. I owe you, like, infinity noodles and a million late-night stories. Swear on it.”
He steadied himself midair, giving her a little two-finger salute and a wink, still beaming.
Yuzuki folded her arms, trying to hide the faint tremble of her relief. She eyed him with teasing seriousness, though a smile tugged at her lips.
“Yeah?” she said, tilting her head, her voice just the right mix of playful and firm. “Then you better keep all those promises you just made, ‘little chaos dealer.’ Every single one. No take-backs. Got it?”
Rin puffed up his chest, making a mock show of crossing his heart.
“Promise kept, boss lady. Pinky swear, stamp it, seal it. From tonight… all of them, for real.”
Rin dropped smoothly to the ground, landing on one knee with all the exaggerated flair of a kid playing knight. He extended one hand toward Yuzuki, the other placed dramatically on his chest, while tilting his head just so, eyes twinkling with sly mischief.
“Ayo, m’lady! Would you like a certified gentleman—pocket-sized, 100% trouble-approved—to escort you? I promise to keep all dragons away and throw zero shade. Your wish is my command, no cap.”
Yuzuki’s face lit up instantly with pure joy as she closed her eyes, beaming and chirped, “Why not?” She reached out and placed her wet hand gently on his offered palm.
The moment she opened her eyes again, the air shimmered softly—and right where Rin knelt now stood the very boy she’d met that stormy night, mirroring the same posture but emanating a calm, towering presence. His voice dropped to an unmistakably deep, mature timbre, smooth and steady as rain falling on glass:
“Ah, yes. The thing is…I get to keep this adult form for as long as I want during rains. You see, it’s when most things quiet down, when the world softens and lets me be.”
Yuzuki’s cheeks flushed a warm rose as the gravity of the moment washed over her, her breath catching just a little. The blend of that profound calm with the boyish playfulness she’d known made her heart flutter in a whole new way.
The tall Rin’s deep voice rang out, calm but charged as he leaned back, eyes scanning the approaching figures with a knowing smirk.
“Ah~ There comes the dragon’s minions,” he said smoothly, his gaze flicking to the shadows behind them where the Korobokkurus charged forward, urgency etched into their every step.
To be Continued...
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