There was nothing more than dead silence transpiring between Ryosuke and Mirai, as he led her to somewhere even she does not know. his grip of her hand remains certain nonetheless, that she didn't wanna question him. Guilty she is, cause she felt herself defensive against him, or at least her heart is telling her so. was it the fierce image earlier towards Haruna that scares her, she thought. consciously, she tried to musk her hurtful doubts. Unclear of where she's heading to, she could only entrust her safety to her boyfriend whom she is madly in love with.

Then when he brought her down a dark alley, she started to becoming fearful once again. shameful as it may seem, probably hurting him in the process if she's not tactful enough, she decided to quench her curiosity.

"R-Ryosuke, where are we going?" her stammering gave her away. she hoped it wasn't too obvious, the way she reacted.

his response didnt come immediately. Sensing her subtle retreat, he realised he was too careless about her feelings and reservations about him. "we'll be there soon" he returned a brief smile that got her more guilty about having doubted him for a bit. Still, she was very much bothered by where this dark alley led to.

She held back once again when she was faced with an entrance to a building. yet he reassured once more with a gentle squeeze on her small palms.

"follow me, it'll be alright" he winked and cupped her shoulders thereafter, leading her through the entrance to a row of apartments.

Stopping at one located right at the far end, he loosened his grip and dug into his trousers for a bunch of keys. 

"Ryo~" she uttered as she realised that he could be the owner to the house, and what this could imply.

"here, this is my house... kind of...maybe more like a shelter. I've never brought any girl here before, so.. you are the one and only who stepped in" he scratched his head shyly, very much avoiding her gaze when he spoke. 

Mirai surveyed the neatly arranged house, much more organized than her own room, and she breathed in the lavender scent that diffused throughout. her heart has reacted faster than her mind, and before she knew it, she has thrown herself in his arms. tears flow, wetting his clothes slightly, more importantly he was nervous that he caused the breakdown.

"Mirai~ what's wrong" he ran his fingers through her hair, patting her softly.

She was touched by his gestures, guilty for doubting his purity, still hurt from the torment by the girls, Unsure how to put all of those in words, she merely shook her head in response, while refusing the leave his embrace. Enveloped nicely around her waist, she found herself nicely cushioned between his broad chest and wide shoulder, seemingly pampered like a kid. it lasted minutes after minutes of unwavering skinship, until her tears ran dry and her heart calmed down that she finally pulled away.

He wiped the reminiscent on her tears on her reddish cheeks gently as if worried about hurting her.

"now that you feel better, let me tend to your poor face. it must be sore after those merciless blows" he frowned while he looked at her face and then turned towards a row of drawers.

"I'm fine" instead, he was interrupted by a pair of arms that wrapped comfortably around his waist, along with a light compression on his back and a warm breathe blowing across his neck. "I'm fine, as long as you're here" she murmured to herself, but he heard it clearly.

He sighed at her stubborn reliance and thought silently"what am I going to do with you, Mirai~"

Breaking loose slightly, he turned and faced her with a intense gaze. "You sure you're okay?"

"it's just a little stinging, that's all...but I'm fine," she repeated.

"if you insist... but I think this will help abit" his face revealed a smirk. there wasn't a need for Mirai to probe what he meant, cause almost instantly, he leaned forward, closing the little proximity between them. She never close her eyes this time, after having missed the minor details during the trip by the lake. she dazed at his neckline as it was the only part in her line of view while he gently placed his lips against her swollen cheek.

 this didn't satisfy her, instead made her more greedy, so when he pulled away, she protested by bringing him closer. Securing her arms around his neck, she pushed towards him and pressed her lips onto his. He skillfully maneuvered his lips around hers, guiding her steadily and comfortably, increasing her wildness and passion meter exponentially. Pressing him against the wall, the kiss turned wet and intimate. there was no stopping, as they were both immersed and addicted by each other's breathe. However, they knew their limits, they were disciplined regardless of the strong inertia that Ryosuke had to overcome. even the innocent Mirai was aware of the dangers of even the nicest and kindest man when they are after all those many dramas she was exposed to during her free time.

once they realised they were moving too far and too fast, they both pulled back telepathically.

"er... haha, it's a little stuffy here, ne~ I'll get the fan. make yourself at home," he giggled awkwardly to ease the tension and meddled with his shirt collar as he spoke. immediately, he zoomed into a tiny room in search of the fan. once alone, he pressed upon his heart and reminded himself to practice restrain before he hurts her like a man to a woman. he peeked through the tiny gap and gazed at her, nostalgically and with apologia. 

"Oh goodness, I forgot sensei gave us a piece of work to do before tomorrow!" she rummaged through her bag and took out a sheet of paper.

"you still have time. just work on it here, then I'll bring you home later" Ryosuke returned with the fan and a cup of cold drinks. 

"arigatou Ryosuke!" she returned a wide smile and buried herself in her work almost instantly. Ryosuke watched her quietly by her side, ensuring he's not disturbing her in anyway. Despite his conscious effort, he couldn't hold back his amusement.

"say, Mirai, I'm really amused by how long you take for a piece of work like this~" he teased. leaning his chin on his elbow, he looked at her with playful eyes.

"you're so evil~ this is really difficult" she pouted, inviting a giggle from him.

"hai hai... i understand, from someone who couldn't even tell Chinen and me apart" 

"heh?.... Chotto... Chinen?? ahhhh! you mean..." she looked in confusion.

"it took you really long to realise," Ryosuke laughed so hard that she felt irritated.

"yamette!" she slapped his back as a firm of revenge.

when his face squinted and frowned, she knew she went overboard.

"Gomenasai... does it hurt? how could I be so careless" she blamed herself profusely while rubbing her hands behind his back. looking at her guilt-stricken face, his mood sunk.

"I'm okay. there's no need to overreact, I'm not that weak... just focus on your work" he gestured and engrossed himself with his kindaichi manga, distracting himself from her worried expression.

Mirai really have her brains to blame, cause it took her not one hour, but several more to finish a piece of relatively fundamental work. when she finally completed, she was so tired that she didnt even realised herself dozing off.

Ryosuke was startled when Mirai's head toppled on him, nesting her head nicely on his shoulders. 

"Mirai~" he called, but there was no response, only deep peaceful breathing sounds. Letting out a soft giggle, he gently lowered her on his lap so she could comfortably rest without being awaken by too much abrupt movement, yet wouldn't end up with a stiff neck or a backache.

He ran his fingers on her hair which flowed forward, blocking part of her face, and brushed it to the back of her ears, revealing her fresh face. he traced his fingers from her forehead, to her eyelids, to her nose then to her lips, before cupping her supple cheeks with his bare hand. 

there was much going through his mind as he allowed himself to be captivated by her innocence. she may not be prettier than some of the girls he knew, but she has a pure heart that touches his soul and weakens his determination to leave her when the time comes. that was his initial plan, to enjoy each other's accompany for only the time being, but as time progresses, he found his heart wavering everytime they interact. The uncertainty grows to a point he's afraid that he himself won't be able to put a stop when the need arises.  

"love.... is it my cure or poison? is it your poison or vitamins, Mirai?" he silently thought to himself as he watched the tranquility in her.

"Kamisama, is it too much to