Chapter 148: Night (2)

Naoko smelled wonderful. Yukina had always thought so, ever since the day they first met.

More than her clothes, Yukina loved Naoko’s neck and hair, and also her lips.

A few days ago, Naoko was like a winter orange; today, she was like a mellow peach wine.

Or maybe, a liqueur-filled chocolate?

She wondered what Naoko was like in the eyes of others, and if they could ever catch a whiff of such a scent.

If that were the case, then when Naoko was pressed beneath her, that version of Naoko would surely be safe from anyone else’s prying eyes, right?

Yukina’s thoughts drifted.

She lay on her side in bed, her small hand wrapping around Ephnel’s arm, burying that fleeting, possessive little thought into the crook of Ephnel’s neck.

“It tickles…”

Naoko’s protest reached Yukina’s ears.

“Yukina, don’t, it’s a little ticklish…”

Yukina didn’t respond.

Relying on the fact that Naoko couldn’t do anything about it, she just snuggled tightly against Naoko like a lazy kitten, refusing to move from the hollow of her neck.

Feeling the warmth and softness radiating from Naoko’s body gave her a sense of peace.

“Sister, did we used to sleep together like this when we were little?”

Yukina suddenly asked.

“You remember? Well, there was a time. You really didn’t want to spend the nights alone, so you’d run over to my room, saying things like ‘don’t tell uncle and auntie’…”

Ephnel let out a soft giggle.

“But that was when you were very young. Back then, you always liked to lie on my stomach, like a little kitten.”

“Ngh…”

Yukina was a little embarrassed.

Honestly, she used to sleep on Naoko’s stomach? She truly didn’t remember that at all.

The air fell silent.

Yukina vaguely remembered that she and Naoko had a very good relationship when they were children.

But that kind of sibling affection was probably very different from the love-turned-infatuation she felt now.

Though she was still close with Naoko like this, the feeling she sought between them was different.

“Do you still remember the big talk you made when you were little?”

Ephnel suddenly seemed to recall something and brought it up.

“What was it?”

“About… marrying me or something…”

“How is that big talk…”

Yukina mumbled under her breath, a cute, muffled grunt escaping from her nose.

The embarrassing things said without thinking as a child now seemed to have a different meaning.

Back then, there was no budding girlish romance, just the simple reliance of a younger sister on her older brother, who was older but not too far apart in age.

It was a completely different feeling from the current infatuation she felt, a longing she wanted to claim and pursue at all costs.

“Isn’t it about to become a reality now?”

It seemed to be the case, but something also felt off.

Ephnel pondered for a moment.

“Yukina, speaking of which…”

As she spoke, a restless little hand landed on Ephnel’s waist.

The sensation, like an electric shock brushing past, made Ephnel’s voice change pitch.

Ephnel suppressed the feelings being stirred up and spoke softly:

“Your… feelings of ‘like’… for me… when did they start?”

Although it might be a little late to be asking these things now, Ephnel suddenly wanted to know which version of herself Yukina liked.

She used to be Yanase Naoto. Later, she was Ephnel, and at the same time, Yanase Naoko.

Between these three identities, which one did Yukina see?

“Probably when you stole my first kiss.”

Yukina answered in a low voice, while extending her small, soft tongue to lick across Ephnel’s neck.

A tingling, slick sensation corroded Ephnel’s heartbeat.

Her breathing began to grow hot.

“So… you remembered… back then?”

Her body was teased to the point of discomfort, and Ephnel’s words broke into fragments.

“I didn’t completely pass out, you know… Of course I’d remember the person who took my first kiss without permission.”

Yukina gave Ephnel a sidelong glance and said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

She remembered the view from between Ephnel’s hair that day and the body fragrance that lingered around her, not much different from what she was smelling now.

The ambiguity in the air slowly settled, transforming into a different kind of affection that stirred in Yukina’s heart.

To be honest, until “Ephnel” stole her first kiss, Yukina had never experienced that kind of green, naive flutter in her heart.

Was it because that kiss awakened a dormant love, or was Yukina simply a lesbian? She herself couldn’t tell.

She only knew that her feelings for Yanase Naoto were not romantic love, and she felt nothing more than an ordinary relationship towards other men.

Likewise, she had never felt that way about other women either.

Only Ephnel was different.

Perhaps she was simply “Ephnel-sexual.” She had considered this possibility before.

And now, her feelings for Naoko were different from that kind of infatuation.

It was the kind where “even if Naoko was no longer Ephnel, Yukina would still love her.”

“Then… if the one who saved you that time wasn’t me… would you have fallen for that person just the same?”

Ephnel asked dryly.

“But the one who came to save me was you, Naoko. Facts can’t be changed by ‘what ifs’.”

As if in retaliation, Yukina gently bit Ephnel’s sensitive ear and blew hot air into it, drawing a soft moan from Ephnel.

“Ngh… but…”

“Then let me ask you in return,”

Yukina flipped over, pressing Ephnel down beneath her.

She moved closer to Ephnel’s lips, her breath a light caress, her eyes bewitching.

She gazed down softly at the person beneath her and asked in a small voice:

“If the person who confessed to you and forcibly kissed you that night wasn’t me, would you have given yourself to that person?”

“Absolutely not.”

Ephnel blurted it out almost instantly, earning a light laugh from Yukina.

Whether it was relief or joy, Yukina herself couldn’t quite tell.

Even though she had expected Naoko to answer this way, actually hearing Naoko say it with her own mouth still gave Yukina a special feeling.

“So there you have it.”

Yukina slowly leaned down, her warm breath drawing nearer as she pressed her lips against Ephnel’s.

“Mmph…”

Being passively kissed by Yukina, Ephnel’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Yukina’s kiss was heavy, as if she was pressing the entire weight of her body down.

Under Yukina’s teasing, Ephnel’s tightly shut lips gradually relaxed.

Her face grew red, her eyes half-lidded, brimming with moisture.

Unconsciously, she gently closed her eyes, her lips parting slightly.

Yukina paused.

She could feel the body beneath her tense up slightly, and those lips that had carefully opened just a tiny crack.

She was enduring, yet at the same time, she was longing.

This silent gesture was indulgence amidst restraint.

Sensing this, Yukina’s rationality snapped.

“Naoko…”

Yukina’s throat was very dry; she felt her voice was a little hoarse.

She asked, “Are you feeling better today?”

“Mmm, yeah…”

Ephnel replied.

Her body was hot from being teased.

Ephnel’s voice was soft, laced with a faint, almost imperceptible pleasure.

“Much better…”

Ephnel paused, suppressing the awakened desire, and asked softly:

“The weather’s been getting colder recently, so… after my check-up tomorrow, do you want to go buy some autumn clothes?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah… tomorrow. Didn’t we agree to go on a ‘date’?”

Yukina froze for a moment.

Her assault on Ephnel’s lips stopped, and the girl beneath her could finally catch her breath.

“So… you still remembered, Naoko…”

“Of course I remember. This is our promise for our first date…”

Ephnel’s breathing was slightly uneven as she replied.

She had been looking forward to this day for a long time.

Ephnel had spent the afternoon and evening doing her homework, planning out the entire route and schedule for their date.

For her first “date” with Yukina, Ephnel was both excited and anxious.

These past few days, she had been bedridden in the hospital due to her injuries.

Although Yukina didn’t say anything, Ephnel saw the worry etched between her brows.

Ephnel considered that her own responsibility.

Seeing Yukina show such an expression because of her made Ephnel happy from the bottom of her heart, but at the same time, she didn’t want Yukina to be like that.

So she wanted to at least make Yukina a little happier with a date plan for just the two of them.

As for her physical injuries, they were no longer a problem.

Although she wasn’t in a state where she could fight easily, just walking around freely was not an issue.

When she was first discharged, she could still feel the pain in her wounds and would limp when she walked, but after a day of rest, this symptom had basically disappeared.

Besides, appropriate outdoor activities were actually beneficial to an Agent’s self-healing.

An Agent’s power came from Order energy, and using Order energy consumed the user’s physical and mental strength.

Physical strength aside, the existence of mental strength actually still required further verification.

But in fact, if one’s mental state was poor, their control over Order energy would also fluctuate and become unstable.

Conversely, a good mental state would deepen the user’s resonance with Order energy.

This was an empirical conclusion drawn from countless experiments and practices, so researchers called this yet-to-be-fully-understood influencing condition “mental strength.”

Simply put, the existence of mental strength was just a concept believed to be objectively real, but what it was exactly, where it came from, and how to observe it, were still inconclusive.

For things that couldn’t be seen or touched, one could only generalize from experience.

An Agent’s depth of resonance with Order energy was linked to their mental state.

This effect wasn’t obvious, but the influence was real.

So for an Agent, it wasn’t just their physical condition that needed to be managed, but their psychological state as well.

Thus, appropriate relaxation and outdoor activities were sometimes essential.

In short, even if it was just for a speedier recovery, there was nothing wrong with going out for a walk.

But for Yukina, Ephnel’s words held another meaning.

She swallowed past her dry throat, inhaling the sweet breath of the person beneath her, and asked tentatively:

“Then… is your body okay, Naoko?”

“It’s completely fine. In fact, my recovery this time has been quite good. It’s all thanks to Yukina taking care of me these past few days.”

“You’re not lying to me, are you?”

Yukina asked once more.

“Naoko, don’t force yourself. It’s just one date, I can wait. But if your injuries get worse, I’ll be very sad. All I want is for Naoko to be safe and sound, and not get hurt. Nothing else matters.”

Ephnel’s breathing gradually calmed down.

She looked up at the darkness before her, knowing Yukina was right above her, and answered seriously, “I’m not lying. No matter what, I wouldn’t go so far as to joke with my own body.”

In Yukina’s eyes, Ephnel’s expression was very serious, with no sign of lying.

Yukina’s eyebrows raised slightly.

In the darkness, Ephnel couldn’t see Yukina’s expression.

If she could, she certainly wouldn’t have maintained such a calm, matter-of-fact demeanor.

Because what Yukina was thinking was not at all the same as what Ephnel was thinking—if her body had recovered well, that meant, if she was a little careful, a little gentle, could she perhaps…

“Since Naoko says so, then I’ll listen to Naoko.”

“Then…”

Hot, moist breath drew near, mingling with her own.

Before Ephnel could finish her sentence, the end of her words was bitten off and swallowed by Yukina’s small mouth.

This was the continuation of their earlier kiss.

The red flush on Ephnel’s snow-white cheeks had not yet faded before it was once again stained by a surging tide of passion.

Yukina’s tongue was like pudding.

Ephnel’s eyes narrowed, her breath scorching.

Her dignity as an elder was slowly being churned into pieces by Yukina’s pudding, as she took the initiative to taste its sweet flavor.

The sticky, wet sounds were like rippling water.

Her clothes were lifted, and a warm hand slipped in from the hem, pressing against her waist.

Her body could feel the warmth from Yukina.

During her days in the hospital, the thing Ephnel did most with Yukina was kiss.

Because Ephnel couldn’t do anything else, and besides, if anything really happened in the hospital and left any marks, it would probably be hard to explain.

So the two of them tacitly tried their best to restrain their surging desires.

But now, something seemed different.

Like a spring that had been compressed to its limit.

Ephnel slowly lifted her right hand, which had barely moved for days due to her injury, and hooked it around Yukina’s waist.

Yukina’s hand slipped under Ephnel’s neck, allowing Ephnel to tilt her head back slightly, their warmth intertwining between each other’s breaths.

There was a slight pain in her shoulder.

Of course, a wound that was a full ten centimeters deep wouldn’t heal so easily, but Ephnel, lost in her response to Yukina’s demands, had already thrown all caution to the wind.

The feel of Yukina’s knee.

The warmth of her knuckles.

The softness of her hair.

Very lightly, slowly, clumsily, yet stubbornly, she pressed down on Ephnel.

Ephnel couldn’t help but lift her chin, and their lips parted.

Yukina’s eyes opened slightly, and what she saw was Ephnel, her back arched tightly, her face tilted up, her small lips stained with moisture and parted slightly to let out a soft moan, her eyes filled with a deep wetness and passion.