Eternal Melody

"Yeah. Why don't we eat? The food will get cold."

Oh, right, she almost forgot about the food. Sumire sweat fell when she saw the number of dishes on the tray. How much does he want her to eat? Isn't this going overboard? Her thoughts broke off when he grabbed hold of her wrist.

"You lost weight; you need nutrients."

"Pfft." Sumire laughed when she heard his serious-sounding tone. Yuhi-san can be quite silly sometimes.

Sumire picked up the tempura with her chopsticks, and her eyes brightened. "It's so crispy; how did you make it like this?"

Yuhi chuckled. "I'll show you next time we cook together."

"Mmm, you should; don't keep it a secret."

Still, for his cooking skills to improve this much in a short amount of time, he must have practiced. But why?

"Yuhi-san, you're not asking me to finish my story."

"Because there is no need since it's you, I think I understand. For you, those flames are flames to protect then destroy."

"Mm that is correct."

"Your flames aside, I wonder if the same could be said about my black flames."

Sumire recalled that time she stepped into Yuhi's dreams. That destroyed city and his lonely figure staring at the broken buildings. She grabbed hold of his hand. "Yuhi, you don't have to do anything! I will protect you."

His lips curve to a smile. "Cheeky brat. That is something a guy should say."

Sumire puffed her cheeks into a pout. "But if you don't like your powers, then you don't have to use them. If anything dangerous happens, I will protect you."

Yuhi pulled her into his arms, causing her to drop the chopsticks. "You don't have to worry. I understand the burden behind having an ability very well. But up till now, nobody has said they would share the burden with me."

"That's because everybody knows you like me. Who would dare utter something so romantic?"

He laughed, and she sighed. He is so carefree even when he is clearly troubled. "Does everybody know that you liked me?"

"Not at first. But some experts started to analyze my songs, and I certainly got an earful dedicating all my love songs to one lady. After the experts analyzed everything, the idol association board started to get on my case about ghostwriters. Even if my songs all look different at a glance because of the analysis, they thought I was being lazy."

Sumire frowned. "How could they?"

"But all of that was an excuse. They just wanted to find any flaw, so I could accept a ghostwriter."

"Um, this sounds like my fault."

"It's not your fault; you didn't ask me to write songs for you."

"No, but uh, if you didn't fall for me-"

"Then it really is your fault."

Yuhi-san is too blunt, and lately, there is that frightening smile on his face. Perhaps, she extended her hand out and caressed his cheeks. "Are you worried about San?"

Yuhi sighed deeply, answering her question right away.

"I said to myself after hearing about you and him that it was okay. There is no way you would ever return to a man like that. But as time went by, I realized not only did he genuinely care for you, you seemed to care for him too."

"Yuhi, it's not-"

He hugged her again, but this time tighter. "I truly do not want anybody to take you from me, Sumire."

"Nobody can take me away, idiot."

"Hah, but even if you say that I have too many rivals. It does not help that they are all good guys who genuinely care for you. If they were all jerks,, I would have gotten rid of them long ago."

Uh got rid of them?

"Um, would you care to clarify?"

"Hm? It's nothing. Depending on how they treat you, I might have ripped out their tongue and cut out their hands. If they treasured their appearance, I might have burned their face a little."

Her sweat fell when she heard his explanation. Make note, do not make Yuhi-san mad. Her dear is even scarier than her when it comes to defeating romantic rivals.

"I think you don't know this. But I am very possessive." Yuhi brought his lips to her neck, and she shuddered. "If we ever got together, I planned to treat you as gently as I could for as long as I could restrain myself. However, I am at my limit seeing that man get so close to you."

In the next second, Yuhi is hovering over her, her head almost hitting the headboard. But Yuhi casually blocked it.

"Tell me something, Sumire. Even if he is important to you, do you have to let him get so close to you?"

"So close?"

"Don't you two kiss a lot? You think I won't find out?"

G-geh, she is busted. She doesn't know much about Yuhi's powers, but she would never have thought he would be able to read her thoughts so clearly.

"Listen that-"

"If you cheat on me, should I kill you?"

Normal people would be frightened if they heard such a sentence, but Sumire felt her cheeks redden for her. This is the first time she has seen Yuhi look so dangerous. Ah, it makes him look more handsome!

Her thoughts broke off when he suddenly pulled away.

"You really do have a strange fetish. Even when I am like this, you're getting embarrassed."

"Ah, did you do that deliberately?"

"No, I am angry."

Sumire hugged him from the back. "Don't sulk too much. You trust me, right, Yuhi?"

"This is why I didn't want to bring this up. I didn't want you to think I didn't trust you. But Hino keeps seeing right through me, and every time we talk about it, I get annoyed."

"Hino is being nosy as usual. But he does it because he cares. I'll be careful from now." Sumire mumbled. "So Yuhi, you don't have to worry about Sano. What I said during the new year was the truth. However, if he ever crosses the line. If he betrays me again, I will show him no mercy."

So many people have told her that her behavior towards Sano is unusual. Indeed she must admit that she acts strangely around him.

At first, she intended to use him as a toy, but she realized that controlling him that way doesn't do anything. So she switched tactics, but Sano's behavior towards her puzzled her even when she did that.

In the end, she decided to leave it up to him to determine the outcome of this relationship. If he betrays her, she will show him no mercy. She will not hesitate to strike him down.