"What's wrong?"
"I just had a thought if we work in the same building, I can fool around with you casually, and nobody can say anything."
'Fool around casually?'
Since Christmas, this girl has been quite bold. Then again, it is better than her suppressing her feelings.
"If you feel bad still, I'll cancel your work."
"That won't do! I have to regain my status quickly. So we can fool around more openly."
"You are really messing with me," Yuhi mumbled.
Why does she keep wanting to fool around? Yuhi decided to ask her, and Sumire sighed.
"The other day, San asked me seriously what I wanted in the future. He asked me if I could truly picture a future with you."
"So, how is that related to fooling around?"
"When he asked that, I imagined a home filled with many, children." Her cheeks colored, and she laughed softly. "We have to fool around more to have that many, right?"
Yuhi stared at her dumbfounded. He had no idea that was what she was thinking.
"You haven't spent much time with Huan recently."
"Yuhi-san, why are you changing the topic?"
"Because-"
"If you don't want to attack, then I will."
..
Yuhi's gaze fell on the girl nestled in his embrace. He thought back to what happened a few minutes ago, and he cursed softly.
'What is she doing to me?'
"You alright?"
"Beast."
Yuhi rolled his eyes. "Your the one who keeps seducing me." He placed his hand on her pale face. "But you really do look unwell."
"Mmmm. I wasn't feeling well yesterday, so I took some pills at San's place. But I think it made me worse."
"Pills?"
"It looked like normal medicine! But I feel nauseous."
'I don't like the sound of that.' Before he could inquire more, he heard the sound of her phone.
"Yuhi-san, answer it for me. I don't feel so good." She buried her face back under the covers.
If she felt that bad, why did she attack him? No, why did he even allow her to do that? Yuhi sighed deeply. He needs to regain his self-control; he does not want to lose control of himself like before. Back when he dated Makino, he was at his lowest point.
Sumire already told him that he does not mind the stuff he used to do, but it does not change the ugly feelings he has inside his heart. His main concern right now is the media; if the media discovered the stuff he did back then, it would impact Sumire.
'I cannot change the past, but I need to protect the present. The present where they are in a relationship.' It did not matter to him before if he got found out. His career would end up destroyed at most, but that was all.
He loves singing, but unlike Sumire, he could live without music. The situation has changed now. The current him cannot afford to lose his career. There is the child to consider; he wants to raise the child properly with Sumire. He cannot do that jobless. However, he has indeed saved up a lot of money since he debuted at a young age. He shouldn't risk it.
Moreover, 'I love your singing Yuhi.' She would be disappointed if he stopped singing, right?
Yuhi realized how persistent the person was since the phone continued to ring even after a few minutes. He noticed Sumire's discomfort at the sound, so he picked it up.
The moment he did, he heard a familiar voice.
"Sumire, I'm sorry about yesterday--"
Nagawa, Yuhi immediately identified the source of the voice.
"It's me," Yuhi interjected.
"Is she busy?"
"She has a fever. I think she caught your cold."
"Where is she?"
"Were in school."
"I'll be there."
Nagawa ended the call without saying another word. Yuhi looked blankly at the screen for a few minutes. 'What happened yesterday? Why did Nagawa apologize like that? His thoughts broke off when he heard Sumire's unsteady breathing and saw how red her face was.
He placed his hand on her forehead, and the heat immediately transmitted to his palm. She is burning up too much. He should get her some medicine. But first, something light to eat- Yuhi proceeded to stand up only to feel her tug on the edge of his shirt.
"Don't go away."
"It's only for a moment."
Sumire did not move her hand away. "Just now when I watched your concert I felt very happy. But at the same time, I felt frustrated."
"Frustrated?"
"Yuhi is so talented. I acknowledged this a long time ago; however, I was wrong. If all you had was talent, you would not be capable of moving so many people's hearts with your song. I wonder if you realize it, Yuhi, whenever people hear you sing, others shine so brightly."
"Do you think you're incapable?" Yuhi immediately understood what she was trying to say.
"I wonder, it's true that I have more confidence than I did, unlike the past. But sometimes, I feel frightened." Sumire trailed off. "The thing about dreams is they come with anxiety and confusion. No matter how much I love to sing, there is this deep fear."
"Is this the reason why you took a long time to debut?"
"Yes. I have always loved to sing ever since I was a child. But I was not particularly talented at it. When my family was still alive, they hired tutors for me, but my tutors said, 'since you're not gifted, you can do it as a hobby.' I felt mortified and depressed."
"But your voice when we met-"
Sumire laughed weakly. "I practiced very hard. I discovered that I had a high voice and decided to use it. After much training, I managed to achieve satisfying results. But my parents, no, my mother told me to stop singing. She classified it as something dirty and would not bring any benefits to my life or money."
"I see."
That way of thinking is common for those born with noble blood, even though it is an old-fashioned thought.
"But that didn't stop me. When I first heard your voice, I truly fell in love. I thought how beautiful a person's voice can sound so beautiful for the first time."
Yuhi recalled something Hino told him not too long ago. 'Forget what I said to you before. The feelings that girl has for you are genuine. I can guarantee it.' Previously he thought she only fell for him because of his singing.
"Yet despite that, I thought how lonely. Even though you were singing and shining brightly on stage, there was something lonely about your songs. It was hard for me to tell just watching you on TV, that's why I worked hard to earn the money to get a ticket for your concert. If I used the family money, my parents would know. For a while, I snuck out and did odd jobs."
Yuhi blinked when he heard those words. So for that single ticket, she worked that hard?