Chapter 309 - Provide me with more skinship

Lying on the cold floor, Kinoshita Iori wonders about the meaning of her life.

She's freaking jobless.

Her senior is dead. There's a ninety-nine percent chance that he was killed. But the damned investigators told her that chances of suicide are high. 

"Sawano senpai." Iori exhales, exhausted, "I know that you didn't kill yourself. You would never do it."

Just why would he do it?

"But I am jobless." She whimpers weakly, "My cousin will kick me out if I don't pay the next month's rent."

They are completely ruined. She's talking to the walls. That's how bad her situation is. Where will she get the money to run the news company on the verge of bankruptcy? 

"Senpai, why did you hide the situation from me?" She rolls on her stomach and slaps the floor in agony. "You told me to publish celebrities' gossip. I should have understood back then. Why didn't I tail some celebrities?" 

Sawano Shusui might have lived if she didn't go after Tezuka Kohei.

"What was in that book?" Iori asks herself. Yuta is fine right now, but she is worried. He got hurt because of her. However, Takeshi didn't blame her this time. She can't forget the look on his face though. He was sweaty and pale, but he patted her back and kept telling her to calm down. The Kamiyama couple wasn't doing any better. 

"Why did it happen?" It feels like the Kamiyama family is hiding something. She sighs. They are quite secretive. It could be an important secret. She's not a family member. 

Takeshi won't tell her either. 

Honestly, she's been avoiding him. Yuta got hurt because of her. They fought last time because he didn't trust that she would ever put their family over her job. Maybe he doesn't feel the same again. The problem is that she might not put their family over her job.

But she's jobless right now. "Is this what it is? The silver lining in some cloud?" 

Iori crawls to the couch and climbs it as if she has no energy to stand. She looks for the remote. The subject of her search is lying near the TV. Her cousin must have done it.

"Sister is right." Iori closes her eyes. "I should think about my career options."

Ding Dong! 

She jumps on her feet when she hears the sound of the bell. Iori glances at the clock. It's not the time for her cousin's return. Who is it then?

Ding Dong! Ding Dong!

The person keeps ringing the bell. 

Iori walks to the door, wondering whether she should open the door or not. It could be the person who set fire on their last apartment. What would she do if --

"Iori?" It's Takeshi's voice. "Open the door."

Letting out a breath of relief, Iori opens the door and lets Takeshi into the apartment. She notices the package in his hand. "Did you bring pizza?"

"Yamashina-san told me that you are starving yourself." He hands her the pizza box, smiling slyly at her. "I told her that it's impossible. The woman I know would never starve herself for anything or anyone."

"That's not true." Iori holds the pizza box close to her c.h.e.s.t. When the warm delicious cheesy smell wafts into her nose, her stomach grumbles loudly. How long has it been? She misses Sawano senpai. Iori looks down at the floor with teary eyes.

Takeshi strokes her hair gently. "You are making me jealous now."

"Why?" She inhales sharply, fighting her tears. 

"You are crying so much for another man," Takeshi huffs, wiping the corners of her eyes with his thumbs. "Have you thought that I haven't received any attention from you?"

"..." Is he a child? 

"You haven't looked at me properly." Takeshi complains in a low tone, "You haven't been taking care of yourself either. Either you cry or sulk. You are ignoring me. I feel like…"

When he stops talking, Iori nudges his elbow curiously. "What do you feel like?"

"I feel like I am abandoned." Takeshi pinches her cheeks with an annoyed look in his eyes. "I don't like this feeling. Get a grip on yourself and start paying attention to me."

Iori yelps in pain. "What's wrong with you? You are a grown man. Stop acting like a --"

"I am your boyfriend." Takeshi squeezes her cheeks hard. "I am no longer your childhood friend. Don't take me for granted. Pay more attention and provide me with more skinship."

Provide him with what? Iori gawks at him blankly. Has he gone mad? Why is he talking in a strange manner? 

"You and I are childhood friends." Takeshi stares into her eyes. "We have seen each other n.a.k.e.d. We have held hands. We have hugged and kissed. Don't you think that we should take the expressway in our relationship now?"

Expressway… her brain stops functioning. He doesn't mean that? Does he? She isn't ready yet. "What about dating?"

Takeshi sighs. "Can't we date after we get married? We have our whole lives. I promise you that I won't take you to bed with me until you are ready. We will take it slow and do it in the way you want. But I don't see the point of dating before we get married. Honestly, you are the only woman I am going to marry. Why should we delay the inevitable? Let's do it like Elder Brother and Sister-in-law. We will go to the civil office and get married."

This guy is insane. Iori pushes him away, widening her eyes in shock. "Takeshi, why are you acting desperate? Everything has an order. What if you realize that you don't want me after we get married?"

"Alright." Takeshi closes the door behind him first. "Eat pizza first. Your stomach is growling non-stop. I can't concentrate."

She doesn't know whether she wants to beat him up or scream at him with everything she has. Should he point out her growling stomach? She's supposed to be his girlfriend. It's so annoying when he still acts like her childhood friend. Ugh! It's a bad idea to date a childhood friend. It's already too late to act graceful and elegant. 

An emerald ring with diamonds on the band? Since when did pizza come with rings? 

"Iori." Takeshi sits down on his knees. "Let's get married."