After closing the door, which Touma had left wide open in his haste, Asakura turned towards Sato. He wanted to say something, but hesitated. It took him several moments before he mustered up his courage and got closer a few steps.
“Are you alright? Did he hurt you?” he asked in what he hoped was a soft tone.
Even so, the timber of his voice trembled, betraying a hubbub of emotions.
“It’s nothing. I’m alright.” Sato replied, appearing to have regained his composure in the meantime.
His eyes no longer seemed frightened and on the verge of tears. But his lips were still carrying the traces of that kiss. Asakura frowned at the mere sight of it. Before he could stop himself, his mouth was already blurting out his most inner thoughts.
“Would you be willing to lean on me more? Sato-kun, I’d like to help you if possible. There is nothing I am not prepared to do. Haven’t I proven that enough these past few days?”
Sato stared at him in silence. His eyes traced the handsome man’s features, every line, every contour, trying to understand the thoughts that laid behind that face. Remembering the short conversation he just had with Touma, a series of questions exploded in his head.
‘Why? Why would you go so far for a stranger? What am I to you, Asakura-san?’
But as the last question rose in his throat, it was immediately blocked by his reason. Sato swallowed heavily, pushing back down all the emotions that had surged inside him. He brushed a trembling hand over his forehead, looking away from the man who continued to stare quietly at him.
Asakura’s silent gaze was so intense, so open, that it was impossible for Sato to maintain eye contact for long.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Uhm, I would like to go take a hot bath.” Sato said after a little while, hoping that with this the previous subject would be dropped.
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So, Asakura could only concede. His expression quickly became despondent and he let out a deep sigh.
“Alright. I’ll help you there.”
“It’s alright, Asakura-san. I can get there myself. My ankle is almost fine now and the baths aren’t so far away from the room.”
Without pressing the matter further, Asakura nodded and turned around to leave. But before the door opened, he stopped and turned his head to look at Sato one last time. His face was currently riddled with disappointment, which cast a dark shadow over his attractive features. Even his shoulders were slightly slumped, giving his tall figure a rather downcast appearance.
In short, he bore the aura of a defeated warrior on the battlefield.
“Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be waiting for you to eat dinner together.”
“En. Thank you, Asakura-san.” Sato replied softly.
He was currently fighting against the pang of guilt he was feeling.
At the sight of the other man’s hurt expression, Sato’s heart trembled. Half of him berated himself for being unnecessarily cold towards a person who helped him so much. But the other half simply couldn’t handle being around anyone at that moment.
Sato slowly walked along the corridor, heading for the men’s baths. Luckily, it was pretty late and by the time he arrived the place was already empty.
Without wasting any more time, Sato undressed and slid inside the pool. The water was of the right temperature and he immediately felt all his muscles relaxing. He dipped his body until only his head was above the water, reveling in the soothing sensation.
Clouds of misty white steam hovered above the surface of the water, making his hair damp. Droplets caused by condensation hung on his eyelashes and he blinked several times to throw them off.
While his body relaxed, his mind kept revisiting the recent events. To his astonishment, instead of being hung up on Touma’s behavior and words, his brain kept showing him Asakura’s face. His furious expression and the dejected manner in which he left the room had made a powerful impact in Sato’s mind.
All of a sudden, Sato felt a strange sensation in his stomach. Something churned and twisted, making him feel both uncomfortable and agitated. He splashed some hot water over his face in an attempt to calm down, but discovered his face was already burning. It wasn’t just because of the hot water, but due to a blush that had taken hold of his face since a while ago.
Thinking about it further, Sato realized he had to reach a conclusion, and soon. Because, if he kept hiding and running away, he might end up hurting that man who was so good to him. The kindness Asakura had shown him these past few days couldn’t be compared to anything anyone has ever done to him. Even in Kyosuke’s case, Sato found it easier to accept because, in the end, they were family, as well as best friends.
But then what about Asakura Ryuu? What exactly were they to each other? Colleagues? Friends? Or was there something more?
Unable to answer any of these questions properly, Sato spent the next half hour soaking inside the bath. Before he even realized, his mind became fuzzy and his vision blurred. By the time he finally got up to leave, his body was softened and weak and his head was spinning.
After a couple of unsteady steps, his legs gave in and he collapsed on the cold floor.
As he was fighting to keep his consciousness from drifting away, he thought he heard something. A voice was calling out his name. Or so he thought.
The next second, his body went limp and he felt like he was floating. It was an odd feeling, similar to the one people have just before they fall asleep. They roam between dream and reality, only half aware of what is happening around them.
Then, some time later, he felt a warm sensation on his face and across his body. He was enveloped in something warm and comfortable. That’s when his mind finally couldn’t hold onto the light any longer and Sato completely lost consciousness.
When Sato woke up, an hour had passed. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times to try and clear his vision. He realized with stupefaction that he was back inside the room, bundled up in a futon. He concluded someone must have found him and brought him back to his room.
That person had also been kind enough to wrap him up in a blanket so he wouldn’t catch a cold. But that’s all he could think about.
A moment later Sato felt a sting at his temples and his vision blurred once again. Despite being out of the hot water for so long, he was still feeling lightheaded. So, he closed his eyes and slowly drifted into sleep again.
That’s when the door opened and the outline of a man appeared inside the room.
Outside, it was already dark. The moon had risen up on the black canopy, sending silver streaks of light through the windows. They landed on the floor, creating mesmerizing patterns and casting trembling shadows across the room.
The newcomer began walking, his feet steering him away from the moon-lit area inside the room. In this manner, his figure remained entirely enshrouded in heavy shadows.
As he advanced towards the innermost part of the room, his steps were slow and soft, almost soundless, just like those of a thief infiltrating through the night.
Once he reached the place where Sato was resting, the person leaned his tall body over the sleeping young man and remained still.
After a moment’s hesitation, the figure bent down further, until there was almost no distance between his face and Sato’s.
Poor Sato-kun is confused. but I am proud of Asakura-san being involved instead of looking from a distance.
thanks for the chapter <3
Yep, he has learned his lesson and now is trying his best to stay in the light. And I think it’s also happening instinctively. He really is attracted to Sato.
<333
Thank you for the chapter 💕
💜💜💜