manynovel Page 103
Page 103
"Come on, tell me honestly, did...something happen between you two? Takada-senpai, he usually seems so serious and unapproachable, but who knew he was so romantic? Moonlight, ocean waves, tsk tsk tsk..."
“Nothing happened!” Sato Miwako blurted out, but inappropriately, the warmth of Takada Yuuki’s body when he approached, his suppressed breathing, and those words lingering in her ears replayed in her mind.
Her tone softened involuntarily, "...At least, it's not what you think."
Seeing her best friend's reaction, Miyamoto Yumi dropped her joking expression and leaned closer to ask seriously:
"Is something really wrong? Miwako, are you alright? Takada-senpai... didn't bully you, did he?" Although she was playful, she was more concerned about her friend's safety.
“No!” Sato Miwako immediately shook her head. “How could he bully me? He just… he just said some strange things.”
She sighed, knowing she couldn't hide it from the quick-witted Miyamoto Yumi, so she simply sat down on the edge of the bed, hugged her knees, and vaguely summarized Takada Yuuki's abrupt remarks about "seeing a different side" at the beach, omitting, of course, the close-up details that made her uneasy.
After listening, Miyamoto Yumi stroked her chin, her expression inscrutable: "Seeing a different side... This doesn't sound like something an ordinary colleague would say. Miwako, could it be that Takada-senpai... has feelings for you?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Sato Miwako's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately denied it. "We're just partners. He might just be... just acting a little strange today."
“Anything unusual is the beginning of something fishy!” Miyamoto Yumi said confidently. “I’ve noticed for a while that Takada-senpai’s gaze towards you has changed. But speaking of which, Miwako, what about you? Were you spacing out and blushing just now because of him?”
“I…” Sato Miwako was speechless.
She herself couldn't sort out those chaotic emotions.
Surprise?
Is it a problem?
Or perhaps... a hidden flutter of excitement?
She could only rub her hair in frustration. "I don't know! Yumi, don't ask anymore, I'm confused right now."
Seeing that her friend was indeed upset, Miyamoto Yumi finally stopped pressing her for answers and patted Miwako on the shoulder:
"Okay, okay, I won't ask anymore. But Miwako, if Takada-senpai really... you'd better think it through. After all, it's really troublesome to deal with partners turning into that kind of relationship."
This touched on what Miwako Sato was most worried about.
She and Yuki Takada are a perfect team, and their work is the strongest bond between them.
If this relationship becomes complicated, how can future cooperation continue?
She dared not think too deeply about it.
"Go to sleep, we have to travel tomorrow." Sato Miwako pulled the blanket over herself and lay down, turning her back to Miyamoto Yumi, ending the conversation.
Miyamoto Yumi obediently lay down and turned off the light.
In the darkness, each of them harbored their own thoughts.
Miwako Sato gazed at the faint moonlight streaming through the window, wide awake.
Scenes from today kept flashing through her mind.
Especially Yuki Takada's "I'm sorry...", what exactly was he trying to apologize for?
Is it because of tonight's intrusion, or something else?
……
The next morning, when Miyamoto Yumi woke up and went outside, she happened to run into Takada Yuuki, who was yawning as he came out from around the corner.
Yuki Takada looked at Yumi Miyamoto in front of him and greeted her politely, "Good morning, Yumi Miyamoto."
I feel like I didn't sleep well at all last night.
"Good morning, Takada-senpai. I didn't expect to see you so early in the morning," Miyamoto Yumi greeted her normally.
"Are you going to wash up now?" Miyamoto Yumi asked casually as she watched Takada Yuki come out with the toiletries.
"Are you going out?" Yuuki Takada asked softly.
Seeing Miyamoto Yumi come out in her pajamas, Takada Yuki felt it was necessary to remind her.
but……
The light blue pajamas worn by Yumi Miyamoto do indeed look quite pleasing to the eye.
"By the way, Takada-senpai, I have a question for you?"
"Huh..." Takada Yuuki responded, "What's wrong?"
Miyamoto Yumi suddenly thought of something, turned her head slightly, then smiled faintly and looked at him directly: "No, it's nothing, let's do our best together today."
"Okay," Yuuki Takada said, and slowly walked towards the hotel's bathroom.
Upon arriving at the washroom, she was surprised to see Miwako Sato fixing her hair.
"It's Takada-senpai, good morning."
"Good morning!" Sato Miwako greeted him simply, and Takada Yuki squeezed out toothpaste and started brushing his teeth.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Sato Miwako looked at him sideways. "You look so listless."
"No!" Yuuki Takada brushed his teeth, trying his best to pronounce the words clearly.
Sato Miwako chuckled, "You didn't suddenly remember something, did you?"
As she spoke, she slowly approached Yuuki Takada, her breasts almost touching his arm. "It's about what happened last night."
Yuuki Takada turned his head slightly and looked at Miwako Sato's appearance. He froze for a moment, then quickly took the toothbrush out of his mouth and coughed a few times.
"Really, you look so dirty." Sato Miwako chuckled.
Yuuki Takada turned on the tap and washed his face with running water. Then Miwako Sato handed him a towel and quickly left the washroom. Before leaving, she tilted her head and said, "What happened last night is a secret between me and Takada-senpai."
After saying that, Sato Miwako waved her hand and walked outside.
Yuuki Takada turned around, and after the other person disappeared from sight, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Eh... it seems like they'll tease me about this for now."
However, thinking about what happened with her last night...
This has made Yuuki Takada feel really awkward right now, but overall it's not bad. After all, he's finally resolved some misunderstandings with her, so the two of them won't be so embarrassed in the future.
She's responding to me in her own way, isn't she?
I need to pull myself together now, no matter what.
Chapter 123 Stay one more night?
Yuuki Takada vigorously rubbed his face with a towel a few times, the cool touch making him more awake.
He looked at his still somewhat tired face in the mirror, took a deep breath, and tried to temporarily suppress the chaotic thoughts from last night and the excitement brought on by Sato Miwako.
"Cheer up, Yuuki Takada," he told himself, then composed himself, trying to appear as normal as possible before turning and leaving the washroom, heading towards the hotel restaurant.
The hotel's breakfast is a traditional Japanese set meal, and the restaurant has an elegant ambiance filled with the subtle aroma of rice and miso soup.
When Yuki Takada arrived, he immediately spotted Miwako Sato and Yumi Miyamoto sitting by the window.
A delicate breakfast set was already laid out on the low table in front of them.
"Takada-senpai, over here!" Miyamoto Yumi waved, her voice as energetic as ever. Sato Miwako looked up at him, a subtle smile, almost imperceptible, on her lips, similar to the one she had shown in the washroom earlier.
Yuuki Takada walked over and knelt down on the cushion opposite them.
"Good morning, you two." He tried to make his tone sound natural and casual.
"Good morning, Takada-senpai. How did you sleep last night?" Miyamoto Yumi blinked, her tone clearly teasing.
"It's...it's alright," Yuuki Takada mumbled, avoiding her gaze and turning to look at the breakfast in front of him.
The small lacquerware bowls and plates are filled with white rice, miso soup, grilled fish, tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet), and a small dish of pickled vegetables. The colors are harmoniously matched, making them very appetizing.
“The breakfast at this hotel looks quite good,” Miwako Sato remarked at the opportune moment, seemingly trying to steer the conversation to a safer direction.
She clasped her hands together and said softly, "I'm going to start eating."
"I'm starting," Yuki Takada and Yumi Miyamoto said in response.
The three began their meal.
For a moment, the only sounds were the slight clinking of cutlery and the chewing of food.
Yuuki Takada ate his meal in silence, sensing a subtle tension in the atmosphere.
Miyamoto Yumi's gaze kept shifting between him and Sato Miwako, her expression one of anticipation for a good show.
Although Sato Miwako seemed much calmer than she had been in the washroom, she would still quickly look away when her eyes met Takada Yuuki's occasionally, her ears blushing slightly.
"By the way, Takada-senpai." Miyamoto Yumi finally couldn't resist the temptation and, after swallowing the tamagoyaki in her mouth, launched another attack, "I remember you seemed to have gone out for a while last night as well?"
"Did you go for a walk on the beach? I heard that the beach at night is a good place to 'contemplate life'."
She emphasized the words "reflecting on life".
Yuuki Takada paused for a moment, holding his chopsticks. He glanced at Miwako Sato unconsciously and found that she was also looking down, focused on picking the bones off the grilled fish, as if she hadn't heard him. But the slightly tense lines of her profile betrayed her.
"Hmm... I just took a walk." Yuki Takada mumbled, taking a sip of miso soup. "The sea breeze does help to clear your head."
"Oh~ just to clear your head?" Miyamoto Yumi drawled, clearly dissatisfied with the answer. "Didn't you encounter anything... interesting or anyone?"
Sato Miwako finally couldn't resist and gently kicked Miyamoto Yumi under the table, whispering, "Yumi, eat your food properly."
Miyamoto Yumi winced in pain, letting out an exaggerated "hiss," but her smile widened. She finally stopped asking questions and began to comment on how perfectly the tamagoyaki was cooked.
Yuuki Takada breathed a sigh of relief and gave Miwako Sato a grateful look.
Sato Miwako simply kept her head down, sipping her miso soup in small sips, without responding to his gaze.
The atmosphere eased considerably during the rest of the meal.
Yumi Miyamoto began to discuss the day's itinerary with great enthusiasm, and Miwako Sato gradually returned to normal, occasionally joining the discussion and offering suggestions.
Yuki Takada mostly listened, occasionally offering a few words of response.
He looked at the two women opposite him, who were very different yet equally vibrant, especially Sato Miwako—sometimes listening attentively, sometimes unable to suppress a smile because of Miyamoto Yumi's exaggerated descriptions. The morning light shone through the window lattice onto her, softening her usually slightly sharp features.
"I'm done eating," Miwako Sato said softly, putting down her chopsticks.
"I'm almost done too." Yuuki Takada also quickened his eating pace.
Yumi Miyamoto watched the two finish eating almost at the same time, a knowing smile flashing in her eyes, but she wisely didn't point it out.
"Okay, let's get ready and set off!"
"Excuse me, my stomach isn't feeling too well, I need to go to the restroom. Please wait here for me." Sato Miwako looked a little unwell and hurried towards the restroom.