Chapter 4: Unexpected Kiss
Kosuke Kurosaki smiled as he led Sayu to the office on the first floor of Sakurasou. The space was cozy, with a warm light filtering through the window, but there was a certain professional air about it. Kosuke gestured to the desk, where a stack of forms lay.
"Fill out your basic information," he instructed, his tone casual.
Sayu took the pen and quickly filled out the required details, handing it back to him with a quiet nod.
Kosuke glanced at the form, raising an eyebrow. "Hokkaido, huh? That's quite a distance. You came all the way here on your own?"
"Yes," Sayu replied softly, her voice tinged with the weight of something unsaid.
She had run away from home with 300,000 yen from her brother. The plan was to "adjust her mentality" and return later, but she had no intention of going back to the cold home where she never felt welcome. She spent most of the money on a one-way ticket to Kyoto, hoping that traveling further away would help her escape from everything. The money ran out quickly, leaving her to fend for herself on the streets.
It wasn't long before a creepy middle-aged man approached, eyes gleaming with unwanted attention. He asked if she wanted to come home with him, clearly mistaking her for someone looking for trouble. As he got closer, Kosuke, who had been quietly watching from the sidelines, stepped in without hesitation.
"Come home with me, miss."
"Hey, I saw her first!" the man protested, annoyed.
Kosuke pulled out his phone and dialed with calm precision. "Hello, police? Yes, there's a middle-aged man here harassing a girl. He's approaching her right now."
The man, realizing his cover was blown, cursed under his breath and backed away. Kosuke gave Sayu a reassuring smile, then nodded toward the man as he slinked off.
"Looks like you're with me now," Kosuke said, his voice light.
Sayu, still processing, simply nodded, her gaze lingering on the man retreating into the shadows.
Back inside the office, Kosuke and Sayu had barely exchanged more than a few words before the school's manager, Chihiro Chiishi, arrived, holding Sayu's paperwork.
"So, you're a high school student?" Chihiro raised an eyebrow, flipping through the form. "You don't look much older than that."
"I'm a student at Hokkaido Academy," Sayu explained, her tone soft but firm.
Chihiro gave her an appraising look but said nothing further. She knew the ins and outs of this place well enough, and with a phone call from Kosuke to smooth things over, getting Sayu registered was no problem.
"Welcome to Sakurasou," Chihiro finally said, handing her a work permit. The words "Sakurasou Manager Sayu" were printed neatly on the card.
Sayu blinked at it in surprise. "Wait, manager?"
"Yeah," Chihiro shrugged. "Kosuke set it up. Go, don't keep him waiting."
With a mix of nervousness and excitement, Sayu rushed to Kosuke's room, where the smell of food greeted her. She pushed open the door to find him cooking in an apron, humming to himself.
"You said you'd cook, but now you're doing it yourself?" Sayu crossed her arms, feigning frustration.
Kosuke grinned, pinching her cheek playfully. "Today's your first day. At Sakurasou, we have a tradition of a welcome dinner. Help me out, and we'll make it a feast."
Sayu sighed but smiled at him. "Fine, I'll help."
Minutes later, the table was filled with a spread of sizzling stir-fried dishes and a hot pot, the aromas making everyone's stomach growl.
"Okay, time to call the others!" Kosuke said, giving her a nudge.
Sayu hurried out and first found Chihiro, relaying the message. "Kosuke said dinner's ready."
Chihiro nodded, making a few quick calls. Soon, the residents of Sakurasou began trickling into the common room.
The first to arrive was Kanda Sorata, a shy boy who always had a cat on his shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw Sayu. "Wow, she's... beautiful."
"Don't get any ideas, Kanda. This one's Kosuke's," Chihiro teased, a smirk on her face.
Kanda blushed furiously. "Oh! I wasn't thinking that at all!"
Misaki Kamiigusa bounced into the room next, grinning widely. "Hey, I'm Misaki! You're the new girl, huh? You're gorgeous! Welcome!"
Sayu blinked in surprise, but then smiled and shook Misaki's hand. "I'm Sayu. Nice to meet you."
Next came Hitoshi Mitaka, exuding charm as he entered with a cocky grin. "Looks like we've got a beauty in the house. I'm Mitaka. Call me Ren."
Before Sayu could respond, Misaki puffed out her cheeks, glaring at him. "Don't even think about it, Ren! Kosuke will kick you out if you try anything with her!"
Mitaka chuckled and waved her off. "Relax, I'm just here to welcome her. Though, I won't stick around long. I have a date waiting for me."
"Six girlfriends, and counting," Kosuke muttered under his breath, half in admiration, half in disbelief.
Misaki, clearly still a little tipsy from the wine, raised her glass. "Kosuke, your cooking is amazing! Why haven't you been showing off these skills before?"
Kosuke laughed, shaking his head. "I don't cook often, but for Sayu's welcome, I made an exception."
Misaki grinned. "Don't let anyone fool you, Kosuke. You have a hidden talent."
Sayu blushed at the attention but didn't say anything. As everyone continued to eat and laugh, the warm atmosphere in Sakurasou was a stark contrast to the loneliness she had felt before.
As the night wore on and everyone returned to their rooms, Kosuke and Sayu lingered in the kitchen. Just as Kosuke was about to head to his shower, Sayu wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.
"Sayu?" Kosuke froze, surprised.
"It's me," she murmured, her voice soft and shy. "I just wanted to say... thank you. For everything. For letting me stay here."
Kosuke turned around, his gaze meeting hers. Before he could say anything, Sayu leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips.
Kosuke smiled, deepening the kiss, letting the warmth of the moment wash over them both. Tonight, things felt right.
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Chapter 3 is done. Did you like it? Or are you still here because you're hooked on this wild ride? Either way, if you want to skip the waiting game and see more of my brilliance before the rest, check out my Patreon, Patreon.com/TLLina. It's where the cool kids hang out. 😎