Kissing My Student, It's Over if We're Caught-Chapter 1Volume 2 . - Takagami Yuzuka - Regrets in Life: Unrequited Love

And now, Takagami Yuzuka—Yuzu, once again appeared before me.

“Can I stay over tonight? It’s okay, right?”

With her hands clasped together in a playful gesture, she added a smile and pleaded with me.

She hadn’t changed a bit from the old days.

But I had changed.

I don’t hold any ill feelings towards Yuzu, but now I have Kirihara.

“No, you can’t.”

“Eh!? No way!? I can’t?”

Yuzu’s eyes widened in surprise, and she dramatically spread her arms, showcasing an exaggerated reaction that could remind one of a foreigner.

“That’s obvious. Besides, why would you think that’s okay?”

“Because, it’s you and me… And you don’t have a girlfriend right now, right?”

Internally, I choked on my words.

The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓.

I do have Kirihara, but our relationship, of course, can’t be made public.

If it were exposed, it would be the end of both our relationship and our lives. It would hurt Kirihara again.

Furthermore, Yuzu has a genius-level ability to worm her way into others’ hearts, driven by her curiosity.

It would be all too easy for her to pry if given even a slight chance to talk.

With someone like that, it’s better to hide the fact that I currently have a lover.

For Kirihara’s sake. And for mine.

Now, I need to find a different reason to send Yuzu home.

“Even if I didn’t have a girlfriend, this is a single man’s house. I can’t just let someone who has a boyfriend stay over, can I?”

“That’s not a problem at all. I’ve already broken up with him.”

“Eh… You broke up?”

“Yeah. Look…”

As she spoke, Yuzu reached into her shoulder bag to pull out her smartphone.

Midway through showing me the screen, she exclaimed, “Ah! It’s no use! My smartphone battery’s dead. I can’t show you the proof message.”

It didn’t seem like she was lying. Even if it was a lie, charging it and turning the power back on would immediately reveal the truth.

She probably really did break up.

“You were living together with your boyfriend under the assumption you’d get married, right?”

“Not boyfriend, ex-boyfriend! …And yes, that’s true about the cohabitation.”

“And after breaking up, you were kicked out? …This escalated quickly. Why did it go so wrong?”

“That’s… I want to talk about it and want you to listen, but we’re outside…”

It was already late at night. Talking outside could be a nuisance to the neighbors.

Leaving her outside in the cold, especially with her phone’s battery dead, was honestly concerning. If something happened, I’d have a lifetime of regret.

“…I can’t let you stay over, but you can come in for now.”

Immediately, Yuzu’s previously drooping expression brightened up.

“Thank you!”

As always, she’s cunning.

In the end, I allowed her inside my home. Truly, Yuzu hasn’t changed a bit.

“By the way, Yuzu. How long have you been waiting for me?”

“Hmm? Oh… I’ve been here since the evening, waiting the whole time?”

“What!?”

I unconsciously checked the time on my phone before unlocking my home’s door.

It’s now ten at night. By that calculation, she had been waiting for almost four hours.

“I was surprised myself. Time flew while I was lost in thought.”

“Why didn’t you contact me?”

“That’s because my phone’s battery died.”

“Right.”

Even if she was lost in thought, four hours is unusually long.

Perhaps something significant happened for her to be so preoccupied.

Unlocking the door, I felt a slight relief for not having left her outside.

“Wow, Gin’s room!”

Once inside, Yuzu began to frolic about without showing any signs of fatigue.

“This layout is similar to your room from university days, isn’t it? Even the furniture placement… Did you do it on purpose?”

“Not really…”

“Ah, you’re still using this loungewear.”

One after another, she found small details, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Turning to me, Yuzu smiled freely.

“You haven’t changed, Gin.”

“You’re one to talk… Even the way you carry your bag is the same as before.”

Her shoulder bag was slung diagonally across her body, just like in the past.

Noticing my observation, Yuzu glanced at her body and then covered her front with both hands.

“Hey! Naughty.”

She looked embarrassed but also pleased.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I wonder… Gin is a closet pervert and a beast, after all.”

Ignoring the odd comment to avoid being teased, I tossed the backpack containing my overnight set for Kirihara’s house aside and got some drinks from the fridge.

“Is water okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Yuzu set her bag down on the floor and casually took a seat.

Sitting down, Yuzu let out a small sigh.

“…Despite appearing cheerful, you’re actually tired and down, aren’t you?”

“Can you tell?”

“…We’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Yeah! …Thanks for always replying to my messages.”

She must be referring to the years of message exchanges after our breakup.

Pouring water into a prepared cup, I decided to get to the heart of the matter.

“Let me say this first, you’re not staying over, okay?”

“That’s so cold!”

“Still, I’ll listen to what happened. What’s going on?”

“Well… Huh? What exactly did I tell you about my ex?”

“We were cohabiting with the intention of getting married… And he’s a colleague from the same company, a promising young ace in the sales department, right?”

Yuzu works reception at a well-known company, which could be considered first-class.

For a man referred to as a young hopeful in such a company, he couldn’t have been a bad match…

“Right. He’s a cheerful guy, loved by his direct boss, the senior management, and his juniors. We got to talking at a company BBQ where he said he’d been interested in me for a while. After a few dates outside of work, he confessed… and about half a year later, as my house lease was up for renewal, he suggested we try living together.”

“Hmm…”

Smooth move from the sales department’s hope.

“Even I hesitated at first, wondering what to do. But while I was pondering, my ex accidentally let slip at a drinking party that he had suggested we cohabit with marriage in mind.”

I listened quietly, inwardly admiring Yuzu’s ex.

If revealing this at a drinking party was a strategic move to secure his position, it was impressive.

Especially considering Yuzu’s declaration during our university days that sleeping with men was a form of communication, she has certainly mellowed. Yuzu back then was indeed risky.