Chapter 37

(Really fell asleep...)

Yuri looked down at Yuki, who was snoring softly on her lap.

At first, it was just a joke, but before she knew it, she had been led into this situation.

Now, as she calmed down a bit, she thought it would be very embarrassing if any classmates or acquaintances saw her in this situation.

Yuki seemed completely unaware of the potential consequences.

Looking around, the few people she could see were mostly elderly couples, grandparents with children, and elderly couples.

At a glance, it didn't seem like there was a problem. It didn't feel like a place where young couples would come on a holiday.

The chances of running into someone she knew were almost non-existent.

Did he plan this all out? For a moment, she suspected he was a master manipulator, but seeing his blissfully peaceful sleeping face, she quickly concluded that wasn't the case.

"Sleeping like a log. Should I take a picture?"

She reached for her bag to get her phone, but hesitated, thinking she might wake him up, and decided against it.

There was no real need to be so careful, but his calm breathing and relaxed profile had a strange, unintrusive atmosphere.

(She's kind of cute...)

If she stayed quiet, she seemed harmless. It was peaceful.

As she gazed at his sleeping face, a strange feeling began to grow, making her want to stroke his head or gently pat his back.

Her heart started to race, and almost unconsciously, she reached out to touch his head, but stopped just before making contact, coming to her senses.

If he woke up, there would be no way to explain it.

"I just wanted to pet you because you looked cute" wouldn't be an easy thing to say with her usual cool demeanor.

(And I'm sleepy too...)

The sudden date invitation.

It was supposed to be a pretend date to fool her sister, but it was still a date.

She had tossed and turned last night, thinking about everything, and couldn't fall asleep.

Consulting her sister about the date had only made things worse.

She was bombarded with all sorts of advice, making it feel like a terrifying ritual.

(Tricked again, damn it.)

Actually, it was fun. She felt light and airy, and at times, her heart would flutter.

As her racing heart gradually calmed down, a strong wave of sleepiness overcame her, drawn in by Yuki's peaceful sleeping face.

The environment around her was conducive to sleep.

Yuri fought the sleepiness while staring blankly at Yuki's sleeping face, but eventually, her head drooped, and she began to drift off.

---

She woke up with a start.

Lifting her head, which had been resting on something, she heard a voice close to her ear.

"Ah, you're awake."

By the time she realized it, it was too late.

Yuki was already awake and sitting normally on the bench.

And she had been leaning on his shoulder, asleep.

The realization hit her, and the sleepiness vanished instantly.

Yuri's face turned bright red as she leaned into Yuki's chest.

"Why didn't you wake me up right away!"

"I thought it would be mean to wake you. And your sleeping face was so cute."

His smile made her face feel even hotter.

It felt like all the blood in her body was rushing to her face.

"How long have you been sleeping? How long!?"

"Pretty long. I woke up thinking something was soft, and there was your chest right in front of me. It smelled nice, so I thought I was lucky, but it was a bit uncomfortable..."

"Wait, I get it, stop talking."

His detailed and emotional explanation made her feel like she was being verbally humiliated.

It seemed she had fallen asleep deeply, leaning forward, and pressed her chest against his face to wake him up.

She didn't remember the exact time, but judging by the setting sun, she must have slept for quite a while.

This was a major mistake. If Maki found out, she would probably scold her.

"S-Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep..."

"I fell asleep first, so it's okay. We both fell asleep on our date. Haha."

Yuki didn't get angry or blame her; he just smiled.

His usual calm tone made her chest feel warm, and she let out a sigh of relief.

Regaining her composure, she laughed along with him.

---

After Yuri woke up and things settled down, Yuki stood up and said, "Let's go."

They walked along the evening promenade, left the park, and took a bus back to the nearest station.

Just before the bus arrived at the station, Yuri, who was sitting next to him, looked at him and asked, "What do you want to do?"

Checking the time, it was already past five in the evening.

"I think Rina will be home soon, so let's buy dinner and go back."

Yuri was taking the train, so they would part ways after getting off the bus.

Thinking it might be rude to decide without considering her, he asked,

"Is that okay?"

"Eh? Ah, I don't mind..."

Yuri was unexpectedly passive, unlike Rina, who would assert her preferences.

Thinking about this, he suddenly remembered Rina pulling Yuri's hand forcefully.

It felt a bit wasteful to part ways like this, so he suggested,

"If you have time, do you want to come over and have dinner with us? Rina rarely initiates conversations with others, so I think she'd be happy if you came."

"Eh?"

Yuri looked surprised and hesitated for a moment but then said,

"Well, if you insist..."

Yuki, feeling encouraged, immediately sent a message to Rina: "I'm buying dinner and coming back."

They headed to a beef bowl restaurant in the station, which Rina had particularly enjoyed the last time they bought dinner there.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Yuki called Rina to ask what she wanted, but she didn't answer, and the call went to voicemail.

The message he had sent earlier hadn't been read, so she was probably still sleeping.

With no choice, he bought three portions, including Yuri's, and headed back home.

To avoid any awkward questions, they quickly discussed a few things while on the way back.

When they opened the door, the room was dark.

Thinking Rina was still sleeping, Yuki stepped inside but immediately noticed something was off.

Rina's shoes, which she usually wore outside, were missing.

"Rina, you haven't come back yet?"

"It seems so."

They went into the living room, put down their bags, and Yuki tried calling Rina again, but there was no answer.

He opened the messaging app to check, and just as he did, his phone vibrated with a message.

"I'm out with friends, so I'll be late."

That was all the message said, and the phone fell silent.

Yuki put his phone away and turned to Yuri.

"Sorry, I need to go out for a bit."

"Where to?"

"Can you stay here? If Rina comes back, let me know. And if you're hungry, go ahead and eat."

Without waiting for a response, Yuki rushed out, leaving a confused Yuri behind.

The sun had set, and it was darker outside than he expected.

His pace quickened, and he jogged down the street, looking around as he went.

He checked the nearby park, supermarket, and convenience store, but there was no sign of Rina.

These were the only places she would go alone.

It was unusual for her to be out this late by herself.

The only other place he could think of was an anime shop three stations away.

It seemed unlikely, but if she had gone there by herself, it would be nearly impossible to find her now.

Despite this, Yuki ran back to the station they had just come from.

Panting, he searched the station and its surroundings.

Finding her in the crowd on a weekend seemed like a daunting task, but Yuki moved without thinking.

As he wandered aimlessly around the station and its surroundings, he noticed the wall clock showing it was almost eight.

It was getting late, and he needed to get Yuri home.

He rushed back to the apartment.

When he opened the door, Yuri was standing in the entrance, looking worried.

It was clear Rina hadn't come back.

"Yuki, you're sweating..."

"It's late, and you should go home. I'll take you to the station."

"But what about Rina?"

"Don't worry, I'll take you to the station and then go to the police."

"P-Police? Oh, right..."

Together, they left the apartment and went downstairs.

Just as they were about to step out of the entrance hall, a figure rushed in and bumped into Yuki's arm.