- Back Stage-

Performing seven straight songs through the interval like that is more exhausting in her present condition . Perhaps she should take some medicine before going back on stage, as the Lila debated about it . She feels a cold drink pressed against her cheek . " Waah"

Her eyes sparkled, "Haruka!"

"Don't get yourself sick again, eat, and drink plenty . Here have some meat buns, I don't know what kind you like so I just picked any," Haruka pa.s.sed her a bag .

Lila opened it immediately and saw a bag of her favorite flavors . She looked at him confused, 'didn't he say to her that he didn't know what her favorites are? Oh well . Lila picked one up and took a large bite out of it .

"It's warm and delicious!" Lila exclaimed .

"Good to know . "

"Did you bring Aizawsan over?"

"Mmm . "

"Did she touch you?" Lila looked at him, curiously and scrutinized her eyes .

Haruka deeply sighed, "Don't get paranoid again . "

"But Haruka, you have no defenses," Lila trailed off, "More like, you don't even think about how dangerous things are . "

Her sentence fell short when Haruka bent down, and lifted her skirt slightly, "Wh-what, are you doing?"

"What do you think?"

"Hara.s.sing me?"

Haruka's lips curve to a smile, "That's nice and all . But I had my fill of you earlier babe, just checking your injuries . "

'Babe,' again . Lila flushed red, is he going to keep calling her that? She felt embarra.s.sed hearing it . Lila frantically shook her head . Don't get too worked up .

"Okay," Lila replied shyly as she played with a strand of her hair . She wonders what Haruka thought of her singing . In the past, people would always criticize her for singing her mother's songs . But now, she's getting a different response when she is the most hated idol . For them, has she changed? If she has them, it's most likely because of Haruka .

The whole time Haruka was checking her injuries, she remained utterly frozen . She was far too embarra.s.sed to look him in the eye after all .

"Your so beautiful, and your s.h.i.+ning even brighter than before . What do I do if you leave me? I can't live a life without you anymore . "

Ah…

"Would Haruka die if I died?"

"Mmm, most likely . "

Would he die if she left him? Lila didn't want to ask that question, so she subst.i.tuted it with the one just now . It's painful for the two of them .

"This mark, did it show when you were performing? " Haruka pointed to the marks on her neck .

Lila's cheeks grew hotter .

"I wonder what people thought when they saw you like this . "

"That's enough teasing me!" Lila exclaimed and pushed him away from her . Why does he keep doing these things that make her feel embarra.s.sed today? "Haruka, don't tease me anymore," she repeated as his grazed her neck .

"I'm not teasing, I am hungry though . So stay put . "

Well, if that's all… Lila nodded . Now that she thought about it, lately they drink a lot of each other blood, right? When they first started to date, they refrained from doing so . After a few minutes, she noticed something was wrong .

"Haruka," his eyes had turned a bright shade of red . How pretty, she hardly sees him like this .

Haruka, however, looked away from her and quickly wiped his mouth, "Thanks," he muttered .

Lila reached over and tugged on the edge of his clothes, "Lately, you don't let me touch you . "

"Mmm? You want to touch me, babe?"

"Nno, I'm just wondering," Lila trailed off cheeks flushed, "I mean, at the beginning you were acting all high and mighty about teaching me . Now…"

Haruka smiled, "Well, that's before I learned how fragile you are . "

Lila glared at him, offended by his words, "I'm not that weak!"

"Hmm, I know . But I don't want to make you do things that your not used too . "

"But, isn't it bad for you, Haruka?"

"Bad?" he looked at her with an amused look in his eyes .

"Um, you know…"

Haruka leaned forward, "I know? Tell me, speak more clearly . "

This jerk is just teasing her now, isn't he? He always does this, he's such a bully . If she replies to him he will be on 100% bully mode for G.o.d knows how long . Lila took a sideways glance at Haruka, "It's bad because you're the only one doing something . "

She doesn't understand that stuff well . But isn't it bad if only one person experiences pleasure?

"My bad, you're so beautiful these days . Besides it's not like I'm not getting anything out of it," Haruka gently placed a kiss on her cheek, "But, if you're really so fussed in trying to make it up to me . Why don't you do me a few favors?"

"Favours?"

"Sit on my lap . "

Lila looked at him, dumbfounded, "You mean, right now?"

"Yeah . "

Hesitantly Lila s.h.i.+fted over, and Haruka pulled her onto his lap, "W—ait, this position is a bit strange," she stammered . Why does she have to be facing him? It almost feels like she is… Lila gulped .

"Your way too nervous, what do you think I'll do to you?"

"You're a pervert, so who knows? I'm always in danger . "

"Ha," Haruka smiled, "But calm down, I won't do anything now," he placed his hand on her cheek, "I wonder why even now, I find it hard to believe that you choose me . I can feel your love for me everyday increase, and yet I still have such naive and foolish thoughts . "

"I'll make them disappear . "

"You really are confident, where does it come from?"

"If Haruka doesn't have confidence, I'll share mine . "

Haruka gently kissed her forehead, "I do need that, confidence . "

He looks so lonely and sad again . She hates it when he is like this . "Haruka, will you cheer up if I kiss you?"

"Hmm?"

Lila leaned forward, "I'll kiss you and make the pain go away . "

"Don't you just want to kiss me?"

That's a part of it, but she is serious about what she said .

. .

Lila rested her head on his shoulder as Haruka murmurs, "Between the two of us, there's a lot of l.u.s.t, huh?"

"Haruka?"

"At the start, our relations.h.i.+p started from l.u.s.t, no matter how much you try to define it, and even now we're still relying on each other's warmth . But," Haruka moved away so she could face him, "Something has changed?" he seemed uncertain and yet hopeful .

Lila felt his hands trailing on her skirt, and she blushed, "Id—idiot, don't ruin the money . "

"Whoops, habit . "

"Geez," Lila deeply sighed, "Say, Haruka? What do you think of my singing?"

"What's the matter?"

"Do you think it's changed? Since I became Kiku Ari, I've heard from a lot of people . But for me? Deep down, nothing has changed . For a while, I thought I had . But just now when I sang Mothers song, it felt the same . "

"It sure has changed that is . "

Eh? Lila only asked this question randomly . She didn't think he would respond to her .

"Before it felt like you would hesitate before taking any actions . But today you just dove right in," Haruka's lips curve to a smile, and he laughed, "You're amazing, you know?"

Ah, Haruka is smiling . He's smiling so brightly . This is the first time she has seen him like this . Singing like this, she makes him happy? Their gaze met each other, and Lila felt her heartbeat turn rapid, "Haru-" her sentence fell short when she saw Haruka lean towards her until he was cupping her cheeks .

And their lips softly laid on each other .

Haruka was kissing her so hard that she could feel her lips swell up . A ma.s.sive tremor ran through her body, and a moan escaped her lips . "Ngh…"

"It's fine, Lila, just a little more . "

Before Lila could reply, Haruka's tongue invaded her mouth . His tongue searched for hers and tried to intertwine his tongue with hers . Embarra.s.sed, Lila attempted to make a quick escape . But he wouldn't let her . There was absolutely no escape from his arms .

She recalled that bright smile just now and compared it with what he was doing now . It's like he just did a complete 360°c . But there is something gentle and beautiful about this kiss .