TATEV – Chapter 1

Umm, Surprise. Yea, I went on a bit of a hiatus again. Got distracted by other stuff, the story of my life. I’m pretty sure to stay focused on anything for longer periods of time, I’d need an editor wielding a whip standing behind me every dayXD

Also as you can see this isn’t Affection: call of the king. The last month or so I’ve been pretty focused on improving my Japanese, which isn’t stellar, and also tends to be the reason I drop off translating when the process starts to get too frustrating, and I picked this book for a casual reading whereupon I discovered I really liked it and that it was easier to read than Affection, so I just started translating it bit by bit every day. This is the full 1st chapter, which is like 40 pages long in the book.

I’ll try to go back to Affection for the next update, I have about half of the 3rd chapter left to translate (20 pages or so).

Anyways, Enjoy the brief detour into the world of adorable childhood friends, and we’ll be back with the werewolf drama next time.

~^>^~

Chapter 1

The door closed with the sound of escaping air, and the sideway gravity put weight on his tired body.

Yukino absentmindedly gazed at the reflections of the straps on the train window, as well as at the swaying people captured in it. It was dark outside the window, and the scenery inside the train distinctly stood out.

The last Friday train was packed to its capacity, and Yukino was grasping the strap as if he was dangling from it.

After a short while the woman sitting in the seat right in front of his eyes stood up abruptly. Just as Yukino sat in that free seat, the train stopped.

Even though he was relieved at being able to sit, Yukino softly sighed. His body was exhausted, so just like that he completely sank into the seat.

The fact that he had been working till just before the last train was not the reason. His workplace was so busy he thought gladly of returning home with the last train. The reason for his exhaustion was more mental.

“I hope Numata-san will be alright.”

His eyes opened wide in surprise at the words that had spontaneously spilled from his mouth, and he closed his mouth in panic. After he had given a brief glance to his surroundings, he cast his eyes down as if to deceive, and pretended to be sleeping.

No matter how tired he was, the increased amount of talking to himself was no good. He, of course, did it at the apartment where he lived alone, but lately he had let it slip at his workplace as well, so he had thought he should be careful, but…

…his workplace, huh?

Remembering that one room of the building where he had been just not too long ago, Yukino let out a sigh once again. The company Yukino worked at was, so to speak, a black company [1]. They naturally did not pay extra for overtime or working on a day off, and there were a lot of people who had quit because they had been broken physically and mentally by the overwork and the harassment.

[1] ブラック企業 – business that exploits its employees.

However, Yukino had several reasons for continuing to work and not quitting.

 Circumstances like his own poor financial situation, and his resignation letter not being accepted. And also, the existence of his senpai at work Numata.

For Yukino he was the only one he could rely on, and the one who held up the useless him at the last moment. If he had not been there, Yukino’s body or mental state, or perhaps both would have broken a long time ago, and he would have probably quit.

That Numata collapsed today.

It happened during work. Numata’s face had suddenly gone as white as a piece of paper, and he and the chair had collapsed to the floor with a thud. Yukino had taken him to the hospital with a car. That was because their superiors did not allow them to call an ambulance. They probably balked at it becoming a work-related-injury.

Numata was a 32 year old man; there was exactly a decade between him and Yukino. Most likely he entered the current company with a mid-career recruitment. Between him and his wife they had one child, and he had often said that he also had to work hard for the sake of that child.

When Numata’s wife had come running, he had already regained consciousness, but as if seeing her husband’s pale complexion and the IV drip in his arm had been too much to bear for her, she had started crying…

Like that, as his wife cried while clinging to him, Numata said he would stop working at the company.

Because Numata said he would inform the company himself, he asked Yukino to not say anything to their boss, and Yukino obeyed his words.

As he remembered that, Yukino bit his lip.

He thought it would be impossible for him to continue this job any longer than this as well.

Honestly, up until now he had conveyed the intention to retire several times. He had also once submitted a resignation letter, but as it could not be officially accepted, he worked in compliance.

However, if Numata quit, his burden would probably grow to a degree that could not be compared with his current one. He meant it both practically and, of course, mentally.

If, because of that, he also collapsed like Numata…

Thinking of that happening, Yukino gulped.

Just imagining it his spine froze over.

There was no one Yukino could rely on if he collapsed. It did not mean he had no blood-relatives, but there was no one he could rely on no matter what.

For Yukino, such was the case with blood-relatives.

In any case, he had to think about what he should do after this, and his future course.

While he was thinking about it, Yukino slowly fell asleep.

Snow is falling.

The woman stopped in front of the stone steps. Turning around, she steadily gazed down at him.

Their similar facial features were obvious, but her facial expression was not clearly visible.

“Yukino, mom has something to do, so wait here.”

That’s right, the woman was his mother.

Speaking to the child whose height only reached to her hips, she did not bend, and as if throwing them from above spit out the words.

Instinctually thinking she was going to leave him behind, Yukino shook his head.

“I’ll be good, so take me too.”

“Don’t be troublesome. Listen up, and wait here. Don’t move until mom comes back.”

“You’ll come back?  Really?”

“…really? I promise. Look, I’ll pinky promise.

The finger his mother held out was clad in a glove.

The hand he held out as if lured was bare, cold like ice, and his numb finger did not bend easily. The woman entwined their fingers like that, shook them up and down several times and let go.

“See ya. Stay there.”

And saying as such she turned on her heel and walked away.

Yukino stood until that back could not be seen anymore, but before long he sank unto those cold steps.

A chill was gradually seeping in from his buttocks, so his body was shaking. However, his feet were tired, so he could not stand for long either.

Luckily there was a roof hanging over him, so aside from when the wind occasionally blew the snow also could not get in.

However, no matter how much time passed, his mother did not return.

The promise had been a lie.

Thinking about it, he looked downwards and closed his eyes, but soon there was the sensation of his back being gently caressed.

When he opened his eyes there was no more snow, and there were fallen leaves piling up on the ground.

It was no longer that winter day.

Days and months had already flowed by, and the limbs that were in his field of vision had become a little bigger.

Before Yukino knew it, there were tears coming from his eyes, and sobs spilling from his lips. His cheeks were hot, his breathing was strained. However, that sensation on his back was consoling him as if it’s saying that it’s alright.

“…I will definitely come back for you.”

That a little bit high voice characteristic of children reached his ear, and Yukino raised his head.

There in front of him was a youth who was somewhat taller than him. His tense eyebrows that spoke of a strong will were currently just a little lowered as if he was troubled.

“Really?”

At the words that spilled out from the young Yukino’s mouth, the youth…Izuna nodded.

“When I become an adult, I will definitely come for you. That’s why, at that time, I want you to become my spouse.”

“Spouse [2]?”

[2] The word Izuna uses is 伴侶. Its most common translation is companion, but it can be understood as ‘companion in marriage’. I chose spouse because it can also be translated like that, and it suits the situation better.

Child Yukino tilted his head at the word he was not used to hearing.

“If you become my spouse, after that we can be together forever.”

“Forever?”

“…you don’t want to?”

At Izuna’s words, Yukino shook his head in denial with a buzz.

“Spouse? if I become that, will we really be together forever?”

“Uh huh.”

At Yukino’s words, Izuna’s face broke into a smile, and he pulled out something from his pocket. It was a small, black flight feather.

“…pretty.”

Izuna let Yukino take the dazzling feather into his own hand.

“Yukino had previously made a promise, right? That’s why, I’ll promise too. This is the proof of that.”

“Promise…”

At those words, Yukino became just a little anxious. It was because he remembered his mother who had said she will come for him, but as it was had not returned.

However…

Yukino steadily looked at the feather in his hand, and after that he raised his head and gazed at Izuna.

“…you definitely have to come for me.”

At Yukino’s words, Izuna once again clearly nodded his head…

There was a sign of people moving, so Yukino’s eyes opened. Seeing the many people exiting, Yukino checked the name of the station in panic. It appeared that they will arrive at his nearest station after two more stops.

Realizing he had not overslept, Yukino sighed in relief. It looked like he had probably fallen asleep while he had been pondering about various things.

…that dream, he had not seen it in a long time.

As expected, he was just that tired.

It was not his first time seeing that dream. Rather, it was a dream he had seen repeatedly since a long time ago.

Yukino often saw this dream at times as such as when he was tired. Both were scenes of something that actually happened when he was a child. It was not his only memory as aside from what the promise he had ‘previously made’ was, he more or less remembered everything. No, rather he should say he could not forget it since he saw it in his dreams…

As for Yukino’s real mother, just like in the dream where he was left alone on the temple grounds, it had happened on a snowy winter day.

As can be surmised, his mother had not returned. She had not kept her promise.

He had only heard what happened afterwards, but the one who had found the completely chilled Yukino collapsed on the stone stairs was probably the chief priest of the temple. As it was Yukino had caught a fever, and had been in a comatose state for several days.

And then, the recovered Yukino had become the adopted child of that chief priest, and had been raised by him.

It had probably been thought of as a very strange tale, as he had neither been put in an institution, nor had he become the adopted child of the priest’s son who had already been married by that point and had children, but he had been made the adopted child of the almost sixty year old chief priest.

When he was a child he had tried to inquire about the reason behind it only once, but had been rebuffed at that time, so in the end he had only learned the truth after that chief priest had died.

Yukino was the child made between the son of that chief priest and his adulterous lover. In other words, the chief priest was actually Yukino’s grandfather.

Yukino’s mother who had left him behind and disappeared had apparently put a letter addressed to the son of the chief priest, Yukino’s real father, in his belongings.

However, because it would be bad for their reputation, they hid it, and substituted it for a moving tale of adopting a thrown away child. Like that, he had been raised as the adopted child of his grandfather, such was the truth.

The meeting with Izuna, it had probably occurred after about 2 years had passed since he had started living like that. He had just entered Elementary school.

The incident that made them friends was that Izuna had saved him from being bullied for being a thrown away child.

Because he had not seen Izuna at school, he had most likely been from a different school district.

However, since they spent every day after school together, he thought he must live in the neighbourhood.

For him, the time spent with Izuna was the only cherished memory of his childhood.

However, at that time Izuna had declared that he would soon not be able to come here. Hearing that, Yukino had sobbed since Izuna was also throwing him away.

He had thought that he truly understood that his parent’s situation could not be helped. However, no matter how, he could not easily accept their separation. For the Yukino of that time, it was as such that it could be said that Izuna was practically his everything…

In parts thanks to his older brother of a different mother or his nephew as it was from the standpoint of the family register who had spread the rumour that Yukino was a thrown away child, he had no friends at school. Because he would be lying if he said his home was a place where he belonged, only time spent together with Izuna was when he truly had fun, and could be free.

Izuna was in some respect a strange, very mature youth. His features were more orderly than any of Yukino’s classmates, he could do exercises, and his physical strength was high. On top of all that, Izuna always treated him gently… There was no reason for Yukino not to be fascinated by a boy like him.

Being told by Izuna that soon they would not be able to meet, it felt like the end of the world to Yukino, which he thought could not be helped in the case of a child’s narrow worldview.

Izuna had probably promised to ‘definitely come for Yukino once he grows up, and make him his spouse’ and had given the little black flight feather because he had been unable to just watch Yukino keep on crying.

At that time even though Izuna had said spouse he had not gotten it, but thinking about it now it was a strange promise.

Likely, Izuna himself had not understood the meaning of the word ‘spouse’.

He probably had a smattering knowledge of it from adult conversations. As such, he had just thought if you become spouse you can be together forever…

In the end, he had not met with Izuna again. However, it is true that the promise had helped him a lot during his childhood. Even now, he was grateful about it.

After the chief priest’s death, his real father, the new chief priest, who was his brother in the family register and his son were hard hearted to him, so after graduating high school Yukino left home and entered his current company.

Like that, two years went by.

Even though he was aware that it was a problematic company, he had continued to work there up until now.

He had no place to return to, he naturally had no time to search for a new job and becoming unemployed as it is would be worrisome, and there were also things he could not even begin to think about.

However, seeing Numata today, his thoughts had changed.

If he collapsed and had to be hospitalised, it would be troublesome to contact his home. By all means he at least had to avoid a situation where he had to ask them to pay the medical expenses.

If at all possible, he even wanted to spend the rest of his life without seeing them again…

It did not mean he was not thankful to them for raising him. However, it would definitely be better if they both never met again. Especially that real father of his, who was also his brother on paper…

While he was thinking about all of this, Yukino exited the train in the nearest station to him. It was a small station where even the semi-express train did not stop. Passing the ticket barrier, his feet took him in the direction of the apartment where he lived alone.

The leaves of the ginkgo nut trees that line the sidewalk had fallen here and there, and you couldn’t help feeling how the autumn was intensifying.

On the way, he thought about stopping by a konbini (24/7 mini supermarket), but he had no appetite. Instead, he felt like if he ate something his stomach would get worse, so in the end he continued on without stopping.

Turning away from the main road, he trudgingly walked along a street with few streetlights.

In his heart he had decided to retire, but even though he had decided that it did not mean it would happen easily.

There was the problem of whether he would be able to retire at all, and also the problem of what to do after retiring.

Luckily, he had renewed his apartment’s lease the spring of this year. He also had a little bit of savings. Until he decided on a change of occupation, he felt he could ration out and survive with just a part-time job.

As expected, the problem was how to actually quit his job.

“When I previously researched this, I wrote the resignation letter with proof of content and sent it by hand…”

As expected when he thought of reaching that point, the result of giving it directly had been a disagreeable exchange and a mild refusal.

As he sighed remembering that, he climbed up the stairs of the two floor apartment building.

Because the iron staircase made footsteps reverberate, he ascended carefully trying to make as little noise as possible.

However, the situation today was a little different than usual. Despite there usually being no signs of people at this time, there was someone standing in the corridor.

What’s more, somehow or other it appeared the person was in front of his room.

He knew of no acquaintances that would come visiting at such an hour.

He thought the person had probably made a mistake with the rooms, but…

As if he had noticed the footsteps, the person raised his head and looked in Yukino’s direction. And then his eyes widened slightly, and as if it was a matter of course, he approached.

“Yukino, you’re late.”

“Ee?”

He greeted Yukino as if he was a friend who he had promised to meet, and Yukino’s eyes widened.

Since the man called his name, it did not seem he had mistaken him for somebody else. Yukino carefully observed the man standing underneath the pale fluorescent lamp.

Their age was probably somewhere in the same decade? He was quite tall, most likely close to 185 centimetres. He was a head taller than Yukino who was 165 centimetres tall. On top of that, he had very well put together features. A clear pair of eyes, a straight nose, and his thin lips with upturned corners gave his masculine features elegance. All the same, he wondered that if he had such an acquaintance, would he really have forgotten him, but…

“Ah.”

A face quickly floated by Yukino’s mind, and his mouth opened wide. Impossible, he thought. However, the boy he had just seen in his dream, he also eyes like that…

“…No way, Izuna…?”

“Correct.”

Saying that, Izuna smiled cheerfully.

That smile, it really was Izuna’s.

“I’m sorry for making you wait for 13 years. As I promised, I’ve come for you.”

Being told as such, Yukino’s eyes went wide.

He thought he was still dreaming. How could such a thing happen at the end of a day he has wanted to escape?

“…how did you know where I live? Did you ask my family?”

Yukino asked as to make sure this was reality.

“I had no need to do that, I know where my feather is.”

“Feather?”

As he said feather, what came to Yukino’s mind was that it was probably that flight feather he had received at that time. However, it looked just like a normal bird feather, it would be impossible to insert something like a GPS in it…

What did he mean by it? Even though he thought about asking that, if this was reality, he realized talking about it here would probably be a nuisance to the neighbours.

“Don’t mind that. Since you’ve finally come, we should go up.”

How long has he been waiting?

Although Izuna couldn’t help it since he had no way of contacting Yukino, Izuna probably also didn’t think he would be returning so late.

“It’s a small place, but since the last train has gone, if it’s alright with Izuna, you can stay here.”

While saying that, Yukino started to open the lock on the door, turning his back to Izuna, but…

“I assume you have things you want to take with you?”

“Ee?”

In a confused voice, he blinked and turned around.

“Things I want to take?”

However, at Yukino’s reaction, this time Izuna’s expression became confused.

“I told you? I’ve come for you.”

“Wai…wait a moment!”

Izuna’s come for him?

Come to think of it, Izuna had said that. At the same time, he remembered the dream he had seen on the train.

Truly, Izuna had promised that he would come for Yukino. However, 13 years had already flown by since then. Despite that, in Izuna’s eyes at which Yukino was gazing, it did not look like he had said it as a joke…

“…you’ve come for me…that…really?”

“What, did you not believe me?”

Seeing Izuna furrow his brows as if he was a little bit vexed, Yukino shook his head in a hurry.

‘I will definitely come for you’ echoed in his ear in Izuna’s still young voice.

It was not the case that he had not believed him. Truthfully, he himself had believed those words, and had been able to accept the separation from Izuna because of that.

“It’s not like that, but…”

Years had passed, and when he had learned what the word spouse means, he had come to think that there was no point in keeping such a promise.

In other words, it had turned into something he did not believe?

“But, it was just a childhood promise? The point is, since I’m a man, it’s impossible for me to become your spouse…”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ee?”

This time Izuna again tilted his head in confusion.

“There’s no problem because you’re a man. Since, as a rule a Tengu’s spouse is a human male.”

“What?…Tengu?”

Of course, it was not like he did not know what the word Tengu means.

Tengu’s have red faces and long nose, and they take the appearance of mountain priests, or there are cases where they have beaks and wings as well, they are a so called being of legend.

In other cases, he had to say it was a word with a bad meaning. Such as ‘that guy has become such a Tengu’. However, because of that his spouse has to be a man, either the context for that pronouncement was strange, or he did not understand the meaning…

“Had I not told you?”

Despite this, Izuna made such an expression as if Yukino was the one who had said something strange.

“I’m not human. I’m a Tengu.”

As Izuna said that, at the same time with a thud there was the sound of wings flapping nearby.

“…”

Yukino could not make a retort to Izuna’s seemingly reckless remark as it was, but stood still in blank amazement.

There were large black wings on Izuna’s back. Underneath the pale light of the fluorescent lamps it appeared too much like a fantasy, however, it did not seem like a dream or an illusion as there was a weight to it that felt real.

“Did I become scary? …but, even if that is so…”

Izuna smiled just a little bitterly, but then he immediately pulled Yukino’s arm towards himself without hesistation.

“Ah.”

“…a promise is a promise.”

The moment after he realized he was being embraced, Izuna whispered as such near his ear. The muscles along his spine shivered.

“I’ll take you along like this.”

At the same time as the words, there was the sound of wings even closer than previously. The feeling of ground beneath his feet disappeared.

“We…We’re floating…”

As Yukino opened his eyes wide in surprise, the ground gradually grew farther and farther, and the roof of the apartment became smaller.

“No way…, can it really beeeaaahhh…”

“Lost your ability to speak Japanese?”

As Izuna said that, he raised his voice and laughed merrily.

“I can’t help it, because this…”

“You are not afraid of heights, right?”

“I’m not, but that is not the problem…”

Flying in the sky, being able to do such a thing, he had never thought about it. No, not having thought about such a thing is probably normal.

No matter how much he thought about it, this was not an act of a human. Earlier, Izuna had called himself a ‘Tengu’. Immediately, he had thought it an unbelievable story, but with things becoming like this, on the contrary, unless it was true, he thought it could not be explained.

However, things like Tengu, they are probably impossible under any circumstances.

As expected, this was something like dream, and he was probably still riding that train. Thinking like that was much more rational.

No, but, even so the sensation and warmth of the arms embracing him, the sound of wings and wind that occasionally reached his ears, it all seemed real…

 “…is this real?”

At Yukino’s inadvertently spilled words, Izuna’s eyes went wide, and he puffed out.

“It’s decided. If you don’t believe me, let’s do something that’ll make your eyes pop out even more?”

“Ee, aaah!”

Suddenly, his body was floating, and, he gasped at the sensation like that of his internal organs becoming loose, feeling like he was riding a roller coaster.

However, before he could panic, they were once again ascending.

A bit late, his heartbeat sped up as if his heart was about to jump out, and sweat suddenly poured out of him. He realized that somehow or other Izuna had just for a moment stopped moving his wings and they had dropped down.

“Did that open your eyes?”

“…Idiot! There was no need to do that!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Izuna told the shouting Yukino without a shred of shyness.

“…you don’t look like you’re particularly sorry.”

Even though Yukino had sighed, soon he was laughing.

…that’s right, it was like this back then as well.

Izuna had been mischievous and had often surprised him, but in the beginning he had not answered back. However, during their time together, he had little by little become able to express his grievances… Only in front of Izuna Yukino was able to express what he really thinks.

Equally, he could vent both his feelings of anger and joy. Izuna was the only such companion Yukino had. That’s why, he had thought of Izuna as an irreplaceable friend.

“It really is you Izuna.”

No mistake, this was the boy he had known, that Izuna.

At last, it certainly appeared like that. For the sake of fulfilling his promise, Izuna had come here like this…

“If it was not me, who else could it be?”

Izuna asked in astonishment, and Yukino’s cheeks became hot.

“I mean, it has been 13 years since our last meeting, your appearance has changed, and above all that you told me you’re a Tengu and we’re now flying in the sky, it can’t be helped if I’m a little confused?”

Or perhaps he should say, it did not mean he was still not confused. However, the fact that this did not seem like a dream and the fact that he was flying in the sky, he already had no choice but to accept those things as being real.

“For now what I’ve understood is that Izuna has come to see me as he had promised.”

“It’s not ‘has come to see you’. It’s ‘has come for you’.”

“…right, Izuna has come for me. That’s why, for now let us descend.”

“Why?”

Izuna asked in confusion, and Yukino was at a loss for words for a moment.

“You’re asking why…maybe because I can’t calm down while being in the air like this.”

“Ah, if it’s like that, we’ll soon reach my holy precinct. When we do, we’ll be able to land.”

“Holy precinct?”

“You can think of it as your new home.”

“New home…no, wait, that can’t…”

They lowered their altitude again, and the end of Yukino’s sentence got cut off.

However, that probably had not been meant as a prank as it had been earlier. As he realized that, he could see something that looked like densely packed shadows below him.

Since it was dark, he was not sure, but as they got closer, he realized that the shadows were trees, and a Shinto shrine surrounded by a village shrine grove.

“We’ll pass through it soon.”

“Pass through it?”

He wondered what he meant by that, but it looked just like a normal Torii gate. Naturally, in that direction although it was shrouded in darkness since the sun had set there should be the main shrine of this place.

No, it really was there. He could see it, although dimly.

However, the moment he passed through that Torii gate while being held by Izuna, the scenery completely changed.

“Ee.”

What appeared was a gate lit by fires built into an iron basket. But, he could assert that previously such a thing had definitely not been there. It was the only thing brightly burning. If it had been there, he definitely would have noticed it.

More than that, for some reason there were small children standing on both sides of the gate. Children at such an hour? That was the final thought he was able to have before something happened.

“Uuuh…”

Suddenly, the inside of his head was assaulted by a warping feeling of discomfort. Like in a bad case of carsickness, his field of vision distorted, and Yukino firmly closed his eyes.

“As expected, you’re in pain… I know it hurts, but bear with it. I’ll ease it soon.”

“Ease…it…”

In a corner of his mind Yukino thought it sounded almost like he was going to kill him. Of course, it had to be a joke. However, he was in no condition to laugh about it.

Even though he thought he should try to understand his condition, it was hard to open his eyes, and in the end he was carried away by Izuna while he was still in a state of confusion.

Finally he was lowered, and laid down somewhere. At the soft sensation, he perceived that it should be a futon. It was faintly bright on the other side of his eyelids.

“Is it painful?”

Hearing Izuna’s worried voice, he was just a little relieved by it. He was afraid of his condition whose cause was not known growing worse, but his feelings were greatly relieved by the fact that he was currently not alone, and that the one who was with him was Izuna.

Fingers touched the base of his throat, and undid several of the buttons.

“Th…nk…yo…”

“Don’t force yourself to talk. You’re intoxicated by the divine energy. When you get used to it, it’ll get better.”

Intoxicated by divine energy?

He wondered what that was, but it hurt to speak, and since Izuna had said not to speak he depended upon him. Since it seemed Izuna clearly understood the cause, if he said he would get better soon, it definitely must be so.

“Nnn…”

Abruptly something soft touched his lips. It felt a little cool.

“Open your mouth.”

The voice whispered, and he obediently followed. Thereupon some wet slippery thing slipped into his mouth.

…Ee?

It was different than before as it was a little warm, he thought it felt like a tongue, but, no, that would be stupid. There was no reason for kissing him in this situation.

However…

The thing that was crawling around in his mouth, it twined itself around Yukino’s own tongue. Finally Yukino dozingly made a sound with his throat and swallowed the overflowing liquid. The thing inside his mouth left at approximately the same time.

Just then, as if that had been medicine the feeling of discomfort slightly lessened. Half of that had to have been his own saliva. However, he supposed that most likely it was not just that.

“Wh…what?”

As he slowly opened his eyes while still a bit confused, Yukino saw Izuna peering at his face from just up above.

“Are you alright?”

“A little better, but…”

What did you just do? That was what he wanted to say, but those words could not exit his mouth successfully, so Yukino put his hand over his own mouth.

Izuna either did or did not notice Yukino doing as such, but he still remained hanging over him, and began to undo Yukino’s belt.

Same as before with the buttons, he was probably trying to make Yukino more comfortable. Although he was somewhat better, his condition was still bad. Leaving it to be, his belt was pulled out, and the buttons of his pants were also undone.

“Umm, that’s enough, it’s fine to leave it like that.”

At Yukino’s words, Izuna made a puzzled face after which his expression became a bit mean and he laughed. No, rather than a mean expression…it was a lewd one.

“How have you survived up till now being this defenceless?”

“Defenceless…”

“Well, from now on I’ll always be with you so I don’t mind.”

When he wanted to ask Izuna what did he mean, Izuna’s face suddenly got very close to his, and Izuna’s lips touched Yukino’s lips.

“Wha…what are you doing…”

That sensation was the same as when something had at first touched his lips while his eyes were closed.

That means, after all, that thing previously had been a kiss? Just as he thought that, his cheeks heated up.

More than that, once more a tongue slipped into his mouth, and Yukino’s body stiffened in surprise. After that he shook his head in panic. However, he soon got dizzy, and could not move.

“Hey, don’t try to move around. If you stay still, I won’t do anything bad to you.”

“That sounds like something a bad person would say…”

“Haha, you’re right.”

Laughing like that Izuna really looked like he did back then…

“Why…”

Once again a pair of lips descended on his, and the insides of his mouth were stirred by a tongue. He did not think it felt bad. But, as he thought about his partner being Izuna, he was filled with a feeling that they could not do this.

…they were friends, after all.

However…

“Uu…unnn…”

Despite in his head thinking that they shouldn’t be doing this, little by little his body heated up at the now deep kiss.

A palm slowly crept on top of his shirt, and reaching a seam slipped inside.

He felt bitter about his previous defencelessness. However, it couldn’t be helped as he would have never thought he was being undressed for such a reason.

“Nnn, nnn…”

Because that place was gradually feeling pleasurable, and had begun to harden, Yukino became aware that those were his nipples that were being tenaciously caressed.

They were tightly pinched, and his lower body went numb.

His body was unbelievably hot. He even felt that the bad state he was in just not too long ago would be replaced by pleasure.

“Fuu, ho…hot…”

“There there, it seems you’ve gotten used to it.”

When their lips finally separated, he felt as if there was a fever burning his body till his fingertips.

Everywhere he touched felt good, and although he thought it strange, he was washed away by it.

“Izuna…no…ah, aaah…”

When he became aware, the fastener on his pants had been lowered, and his pants had been removed along with his underwear. Before he noticed the buttons on his shirt had also all been undone.

His lips were just play-bitten, but a numbing sort of pleasure welled up.

He noticed Izuna slipping in between his legs, but there was nothing he could do. Izuna’s skin that touched his inner thigh was a little cool, and he wondered at even that feeling good.

“Aaa…”

Izuna’s hand touched in between his legs. Yukino felt how slippery his quickly hardening length was, and was overwhelmed by the reality that he was already so excited he was dripping pre-cum.

“No, nooo…aahh, ahh…”

The big and a little bit angular palm mercilessly stroked his member up and down. His heels slid on the sheets, and his knees enthusiastically tried to tuck Izuna’s body between them.

He had become so embarrassed so he was telling him to stop, but he couldn’t help that he already wanted to come.

“Aaa, nnn…sto…aaahh…”

Izuna bent down his body, and put his lips on the nipple he had been persistently caressing with fingers till a moment ago.

He licked them, sucked them, and while he did that Yukino’s hips twitched and sprang up. It was almost as if he was being pushed by Izuna’s hand. He did realize that his member that was in Izuna’s hand was gradually becoming harder.

He felt so ashamed of his wretched state that he wanted to cry. And yet, as Izuna repeated it over and over again, little by little Yukino became impatient, so even if his nipples were no longer touched, his hips still moved.

“Aaa, It’s enou…gh…, I’m…com…coming…aahhh…!”

 However, even though he had just reached climax, Yukino’s fever did not lessen.

Normally, if he came once that would be the end of it, but…

“What…why…ahhh”

“You don’t have to be afraid. I’ll help you.”

It seemed Izuna understood Yukino’s body better than he himself did.

With those words, Yukino’s body was turned around. Then, the end of his shirt was pushed up, and a finger crept in between his asscheeks.

“Stoo…!”

The thing pushed inside of him, the wet finger slowly penetrated him. There was no pain, but with a shiver goose bumps rose on his  back at the uncomfortable feeling.

And yet…

“Ahh…ahhh…”

The finger was slowly thrust in and out, and Yukino realized how that place was twitching and trembling.

Despite the fact that he had never imagined that something could be put inside that place, he had already understood how that place would be used. Izuna was going to put it in there. Not his fingers, but something much thicker.

Yukino again thought about how such a thing could not happen.

The finger moved around inside of him, and the feeling of discomfort grew. As he realized it was because the number of fingers had increased, Yukino twisted his body as if in denial, clutched the sheets with both hands, and somehow tried to raise his body.

However, his nape was messily licked by Izuna who was hovering over him, and he soon lost strength.

“Nnn…no good…I said no….Izuna…”

The fingers moved, and as they did Yukino said something like that between his laboured breathing.

Finally, the fingers were removed for a moment, and then his hips were pulled up suddenly.

“Wha…no…”

This pose, with just his butt being raised high in the air, was embarrassing, and tears ran from his eyes. Izuna’s hand spread the mounds of his ass widely, and something scorching touched the place that just been invaded by fingers a moment ago.

“Ahh…”

What that was, he did not need to ask.

“Ahhh…uhhh…no…don’t put…”

As Yukino entreated, the movement stopped momentarily. He realized that Izuna had gasped. Right after he thought he should ask him to stop…

[tr: Let’s just stop here for a moment, girls. Imagine now, the seme kneeling behind the uke, his hands on two glorious asscheeks, squeezing a bit, a cute pink hole fully in view and his hot, throbbing dick touching it, maybe catching a little bit on the rim as the hole twitches and tries to suck him in. Wouldn’t you be gasping too? Anyways, feel free to drool over that mental image.”

“Aaahhh…”

 Pushing through, something a lot larger than a finger penetrated him.

His hips that had tried to rise up in reflex were brought back down, and gradually the thrusting became deeper. Yukino sensed that the thick length was opening up a place deep within himself that the fingers had not been able to reach.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time…”

Yukino heard a slightly husky voice near his ear, and his body shook in surprise.

His hand was stretched out on top of the sheets, and Izuna put his hand on top of it.

“It’s…take it ou…t, it’s enou…gh…”

“Give up. If I don’t pour the divine energy inside of you, it won’t stop hurting.”

“Ahh…”

Izuna moved as if he was trying to pierce deep inside of him, and Yukino’s twitching hips shook.

“Ahh, ahhh…nnn…”

Slowly, his insides were stirred, and pleasure ran up his spine.

Despite it being his own body, it was almost like it was an unknown thing to him. The fact that such a place could make him so good, although he found it strange, every time Izuna moved his hips, the fever inside of him rose higher.

Over and over, as that deep place was hit, every time uncontrollable moans would spill out.

“Haa…, nnn…”

As that fat length was buried to the deepest spot, Yukino’s spine bent backwards.

“Does it feel good right here…?”

“No, that’s no…aaa…aaaahh…aaaaahhhhh”

Despite wanting to reject it, despite wanting to deny it, his body did not hear his words.

It felt good, and it did not seem to matter how that came about.

However, finally the movements stirring his insides got steadily faster, and the moment Izuna reached a climax inside of him…

“Hiya…..aaaa,…aaaahhhhhhhhh”

His insides grew unbelievably hot, and Yukino welcomed a climax without his front having been touched.

His twitching body shook furiously in the aftertaste of pleasure. His head became blank.

And then, just as that Yukino’s consciousness slowly grew dimmer and dimmer…

~^>^~

It’s cute, right? And it gets even cuter. I’ve read about half the way through the novel, and there’s a wedding, and a fishing date…adorbs

Anyways, that’s it for now. I hope to get the rest of Affection chapter 3 out this week, and then we’ll see.

Now, I’m gonna go watch some…Patalliro…pa’pan, ga’pan, who killed cock Robin?…(If anybody knows what that is, I love you.)

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