Yukima Azuma sat at the table in the store's back office, holding his forehead with one hand.
The staff quickly scattered to fetch a mirror, medical supplies, and other essentials.
He took the mirror, gave himself a brief glance—
As expected.
Nothing serious.
Just a shallow cut, some torn skin. A bit of disinfectant and a bandage would be more than enough.
"Do you need to go to the hospital?" one staff member asked.
Azuma shook his head.
"No need."
He picked up the alcohol bottle nearby, soaked a cotton ball, and began wiping away the blood and cleaning the wound.
The sight made the staff around him flinch.
Right then, Machida Sonoko burst into the office.
Upon seeing him self-treating the wound, her expression twisted in dismay.
Without hesitation, she rushed over, snatched the supplies from his hands, and began tending to his injury herself—
Carefully. Gently.
She cleaned the wound, applied some antiseptic, and then placed a large bandage over it.
Once it was all done, she sat beside him at the table.
"Thanks. But, uh… who are you, again?" Azuma asked, puzzled by the presence of this well-dressed adult woman.
"I'm Machida Sonoko. I'm in charge of Kasumi—"
Before she could finish, Azuma cut her off.
"You're Senpai's editor, right? She's mentioned you before. Thank you for taking care of her all these years."
Machida Sonoko froze, then held her forehead helplessly.
Wasn't that supposed to be her line?
"I should be the one thanking you," she replied. "I've been with Kasumi-sensei a long time. This signing event means everything to her. If anything had gone wrong, it could have ruined everything."
Fujikawa Publishing had poured resources into promoting The Metronome in Love, Volume 4.
The series had finally gained mainstream recognition.
If the release went smoothly, it would blow past expectations.
But if something had gone wrong…
All that attention could have turned into backlash.
Yukima Azuma wasn't just Kasumigaoka Utaha's personal savior—
He was now a savior to the publishing house as well.
"To be honest, when I first read the manuscript for The Metronome in Love, I cursed you as a total scumbag," Machida said, leaning back against the wall and gazing up at the ceiling.
Azuma let out a wry chuckle.
Volume 2 had been full of resentment. Anyone unfamiliar with their history would've thought the male lead was a nightmare of a human being.
"At the time, I genuinely felt sorry for Kasumi-sensei. I thought you'd completely fooled her."
She paused, then added,
"But now I get it. You're someone worth remembering—someone good enough for her to never forget."
"So… after thanking you, I also owe you an apology."
Machida Sonoko bowed her head sincerely.
"If Senpai badmouthed me back then, I'd understand. Just be honest—I won't mind," Azuma said, trying to lighten the mood.
Machida blinked, then smiled, realizing Azuma was giving her an easy out.
"I'm not the tattling type," she replied with a little snort.
But after a glance at him, she added:
"Still, I'll keep a close eye on Kasumi-sensei. Make sure no one else gets too close to her."
That was a pleasant surprise.
Kasumigaoka Utaha had always been beautiful—
So beautiful that she attracted the attention of all kinds of people.
Not all of them respectful.
Machida's willingness to protect her was genuinely reassuring.
As they spoke, the office door suddenly burst open.
Kasumigaoka Utaha stormed in.
Time had slipped away quietly. The signing event was over.
Seeing her, Machida Sonoko immediately made herself scarce, slipping out the door to avoid being a third wheel.
As Kasumigaoka's editor and her close friend, she gave her full approval to this couple.
Lock him down, girl.
…
The office door shut.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's imposing presence filled the room.
Her wine-red eyes were misty with unshed tears.
Her slender, pale hands were clenched tight, her body trembling ever so slightly.
She looked furious—no, hurt.
Seeing her like that made Azuma panic.
"Senpai, I…"
He tried to explain.
But Utaha rushed forward—
And bit down hard on his lip.
The kiss was sudden, wet, and full of emotion.
Yukima Azuma's eyes widened.
Was he… being kissed by force!?
Not only that—
Utaha pushed him back, making him fall onto the table.
Both of them were now lying on top of it.
The kiss lasted a long, long time—
Long enough for a certain… reaction to occur.
Something rising, but not the Shield Hero.
Only when she ran out of air did Kasumigaoka Utaha finally pull away.
Her breath was heavy, ragged, and—
Unmistakably sultry.
In the cramped office, the atmosphere had turned positively pink.
"Are you… okay?" she finally asked softly.
"You should've asked before ambushing me with a kiss," Azuma said, smiling helplessly.
"If you were worried, why didn't you just say so instead of attacking me?"
"You were clearly fine. And you were even worried about the autograph session!" Utaha snapped, her voice brimming with frustration.
Azuma wrapped an arm around her neck, pulling her closer.
The position—her on top, him below—felt oddly fitting when it came to a domineering senpai like her.
"Because I know how much you love literature. How much you value being a light novel author."
"That signing event… it was important. Because it was for your work—your dream."
"If that hadn't been the case… I would've cried, begged, pleaded for you to stay by my side."
He pointed at the bandage on his forehead.
"This really hurts, you know."
Utaha paused.
Since they'd parted, he'd changed so much.
From a boy who couldn't cook to a man with real culinary skill.
From an average writer to someone brimming with literary talent.
From clueless to emotionally perceptive.
He'd even mastered the one thing he used to lack—
Understanding a girl's heart.
But the one thing that had never changed—
Was the care and respect he gave her.
The way he cherished everything she loved.
The way he never tried to force her to choose.
That was why she'd fallen for him in the first place.
That was why she'd never stopped loving him.
She had once poured her resentment into her writing after their breakup.
And once again found inspiration the moment she saw him again.
She was in love—completely, utterly, hopelessly in love.
Unable to argue back, she resorted to childishness.
Leaning down, she kissed the wound on his forehead.
Then gently blew on it.
"Blow away the pain," she whispered—like a mother coaxing a hurt child.
Azuma's heart thudded in his chest.
Her smooth, white neck was right in front of his eyes, her delicate collarbone visible in his line of sight.
But it wasn't the visual that shook him—
It was the emotion behind her gesture.
Kasumigaoka Utaha had come here to "blow" for him.
The proud, aloof Kasumigaoka Utaha.
"Considering your ridiculous performance earlier…" she muttered, "I've decided to bring back your old nickname—'Kodoku-kun.'"
A name from the days when they'd first fallen in love.
It had two meanings:
One, from Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World—
A fool content in his self-made isolation.
Two, from the look in Azuma's eyes back then—
A lonely soul, untethered by family or friends.
And, as if to say:
If someone calls you lonely… you're not really alone.
"Yes, Utaha-senpai," Azuma replied softly, smiling.
Utaha bit his lip again, this time on purpose.
Back then, he was always the one who initiated kisses.
Now? Payback.
…
It had become a habit.
Utaha's fingers slid downward.
And then stopped.
Because something was in the way.
She paused. Then smiled—mischievously.
"Azuma-kun, looks like I finally got my answer to that question from before."
Azuma twitched slightly.
She was referring to the time she'd asked if a high school boy like him really had no urges.
Her curiosity had been piqued.
At the time, he'd calmly looked back at her.
Making her embarrassed—and silently vowing revenge.
And now…
That composure was gone.
Because Kasumigaoka Utaha was the type to keep a little notebook.
One where she marked every grudge.
And paid them back.
With interest.
Thankfully, once she got her revenge, she never brought it up again.
And that notebook?
Only had a few entries left.
"So… how about it?" she whispered in his ear.
"Beg me, and I'll help Azuma-kun solve the troubles of a high school boy."
Her breath brushed against his earlobe.
It was lethal.
"Want me to use my hands? Or maybe my feet?"
"Oh, I know—the tights from the other day. Azuma-kun didn't use them, did he?"
Utaha smirked devilishly.
Back then, he had removed her tights…
Only to cover her with a blanket afterward.
Not human!
Azuma was speechless.
As expected of Kasumigaoka Utaha—
A top-tier driver.
Her "wheel" flattened his face without mercy.
…
Outside the office, Machida Sonoko had been waiting for about an hour.
Finally, the door opened.
The two emerged.
Well, they were high school students. Chatting for a bit was normal.
But still—
"Kasumi Utaha-sensei… where are your tights?" Machida asked, suspicious.
Utaha turned away, discreetly wiping the corner of her mouth.
"They got caught on a nail on the desk and tore, so I threw them away."
It was a perfectly reasonable explanation.
And yet…
Machida Sonoko had serious doubts.