Furayu noted that Inoue seemed to like cutesy interactions

“Sometimes… I feel alone even with my brothers around.” She quietly murmured. “I don't know if it's because I'm not a good enough sister… or maybe something else.” 

Her voice was soft and fragile. Her expression was vulnerable almost as though she was confessing something.

“Erm… are your presents absent in any form?” Furayu asked, cautiously. 

Trying to be gentle in case of a sensitive topic, the last thing he wanted was another Ren situation.

“No, no, they're always there! And super supportive.” She replied quickly. 

“It's just… something feels empty. Like I'm missing something from my life and I don't know what it is.” 

Her gaze lifted to meet his, hoping he understood her problem. Almost desiring him to have the solution to her problems.

But he didn't.

He sat there, almost completely stunned by her problem, completely lost for words.

Silence settled over the room. Only the sound of rain pelting against the building remained. The trees outside softly brushed their branches. The sound of the rain was the only thing that hung over the silence, as Inoue still stared deeply into Furayu's eyes. Hoping.

Through the grey clouds, a small ray of sunlight broke through. Beaming into the room. 

Lightening up Inoue's face.

Her eyes… The warm hazel brown… It blinded him.

At that moment, they gleamed so brightly. It felt as though the beauty that everyone talked about so highly, was finally present in his eyes.

She's beautiful…

Painfully beautiful. How could someone be so beautiful? 

Furayu's hand continued to gently ruffle Inoue's hair, surprisingly she leaned further into him. Her body nestled against his, drawn to his warmth like a moth to a flame.

“D-dont get the wrong idea! I'm only doing this cus i'm cold…” She muttered aggressively, her face deeply buried into his chest. Hiding both the vulnerability on her face and voice. 

Furayu let out a quiet chuckle to hide his complete confusion. 

The same girl who could make any guy crawl at her feet… now curled up, laying on me? ACTING SOFT? 

It felt surreal. 

“You know,” He murmured, letting a nostalgic sigh escape out of his mouth, “This reminds me of something that happened to me when I was a kid.

While he spoke, his body further relaxed around her, arms wrapping around her torso gently. It felt like they were in the state of being a cocoon, by the way they were intertwined with each other. 

“Mmm?” She hummed, nudging him to continue his memoir, completely dissolving in his comfort. 

“It wasn't anything crazy. Nanami and I were locked in a room because his older sister found us to be little shits.” He said, a soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips

Inoue didn't respond with words, just a low, content purr. She sunk deep into his warmth, nearly melting into his embrace.

The room began to chill, the open window letting cold air seeped into the room. Yet the heat between them, intimate and heavy, clung like a second skin. 

A cold sweat ran down Furayu's body. Skin on skin, breath on breath. They were stuck to each other by warmth… and something else neither of them wanted to say what it was.

 “Being stuck in a room…” She muttered. “Staring at me… You're just a huge perv.” Her fingers lazily drew circles on his chest, head resting against his shoulder

This feels way too sensual!

Her body pressed against his. So soft, so warm. It was driving him insane. 

Why does her hand feel so gentle?! 

Furayu's mind spiralled into chaos. Impure thoughts flooded his mind like a broken dam, his self control slowly falling apart under the weight of Inoue. 

“H-hey.” He stammered, “ Let's juet… find a way out of here.” 

He slowly backed away, desperately trying to kill off the mood before it consumed the both of them. 

“Y-yeah… I need to pick up my brothers,” Inoue replied, quickly pulling away. 

The air between them grew thick with tension. An invisible weight burdened the both of them, leaving them with a heavy feeling in their hearts. Whatever unspoken connection they had just formed, had now become twisted into an awkward, uncertain situation where they couldn't walk away from.

The silence lingered on. 

The rain hammered against the building even harder than before. 

What had just happened between them couldn't be reversed. Neither of them knew what to do to fix the awkwardness. 

“Forget it.” Inoue snapped. 

Even with the bite in her voice, a pink hue slowly blushed onto her cheeks. It wasn't her usual tone of arrogance, it was just sharp enough to mask her embarrassment. 

“Yeah…” Furayu replied softly, unable to meet her gaze.

The awkward air still heavy between them, Inoue sharply moved to the door and began pounding on it with both fists. 

“HELP! WE'RE STUCK IN HERE!” Her voice pierced through the silence. But no one answered. 

“Hey, what time is it?” Furayu asked her non-chalantly. 

“I don't have my pho–” She froze mid-sentence. Her eyes widened as realisation hit. 

“WHERE THE FUCK IS YOUR PHONE!?” She bellowed, turning to him in a demonic fashion.

Furayu immediately began patting himself down, the dreaded truth set in. 

It wasn't there. 

Empty pockets.

He sighed defeatedly. Surrendering to his fate. 

“Oops.” He muttered, shrugging with a smile, hoping his one last attempt to soften the hellish punishment that awaited him. 

Silence.

Inoue stared at him, eyes wide with pure disbelief. Disdain. Misery. Furayu kept the harmless smile, hoping this was just a small mistake. 

“Forget it.” Inoue muttered, annoyed, shaking her head in disgust.

“Wait, where's you p–” 

SLAP. 

“Shut up! You've got no right to question me.” She shrieked. “You forgot your phone too!” Her voice cracking with disbelief at his arrogance

“You didn't have to hit me!” Furayu snapped back, his voice rising with every word.

“I do what I want. Okay!?” She spat, turning her back to him and facing the door, brushing him off like he wasn't worth her time. 

Furayu snapped.

“Listen to me when I'm talking, you dickhead!” He growled, yanking her to turn back to him, shoving her lightly against the door. 

Inoue silently gasped, completely caught off guard. Her back met the door with a soft thud, and now, with Furayu towering over her, the space between them vanished. 

The air shifted. 

The room shrank. 

All she could see, feel, was Furayu. 

His chest covered her view.

“G-Get away from me!” She whimpered, her voice trembled. Part of her hoped he'd back off, or maybe just show something a little gentler. But her mind was in chaos. Spinning with uncertainty and too overwhelmed to figure out how to respond.

“Apologise,” Furayu growled. 

The air grew heavier. The room suddenly felt small. Hot. Humid. Suffocating. 

What do i do? 

Should I push him away? Say sorry?