10:00 PM.
Chiba Prefecture, Sawamura family villa.
"Alright, I understand. I apologize for the trouble, Aki-kun."
After hanging up the phone, Sawamura Spencer gently shook his head at his wife, who was eagerly looking at him.
"Eriri isn't with Tomoya, and she didn't go to see him today either."
"Honey, do you think Eriri has been kidnapped?"
Hearing that even Tomoya didn't know where Eriri was, Sayuri started to panic.
Though their daughter was a little headstrong in daily life, it wasn't often.
Sawamura Spencer thought for a moment, "I don't think so."
He did have enemies, but if someone were to go so far as to kidnap his child, he was certain that wasn't the case.
Moreover, if it were a kidnapping, they would have called by now with demands.
"Could it be some obsessed man or drunk who saw Eriri on her way home, found her beautiful, got the wrong idea, and knocked her out to take her back to his place?"
Hearing this, Sawamura Spencer began to panic as well.
After thinking it over, he realized there was actually a possibility of this happening.
After all, his daughter wasn't just moderately attractive—she was quite beautiful.
What if there was someone living an unsatisfactory life, who, in a bad mood, bumped into Eriri on the way home today and impulsively had ill intentions?
Many crimes stem from momentary impulses, after all.
"Let's go, we need to report this to the police right now."
The Sawamura couple didn't even bother to change clothes, quickly getting ready to go out in their pajamas to search for her.
On the hilltop, beneath the boundless starry sea.
The moon emitted a serene light, casting its glow across the land.
Standing in front of the heavy and imposing wrought-iron gate, Takashi handed over a plastic bag containing medication and, with concern, reminded her,
"Make sure to eat on time and take your medicine regularly, understood?"
"You'll have to supervise me every day to make sure I do."
Eriri slightly lifted her face, the curve from her chin to neck forming a graceful line.
She turned her hand that was holding the bag behind her back, a smile dancing in her eyes.
"Otherwise, I'll definitely forget."
"You're a child. You need me to supervise you for something this simple?"
Takashi put his hands in his jacket pockets, looking at her helplessly.
The night air was thick, accentuating his tall figure.
"I'm only sixteen, so I'm still a kid, right?"
Eriri raised her chin with a playful, cute air.
"Besides, don't you want to?"
As she said this, Eriri purposely put on a fierce expression and glared at him.
"Of course, of course."
Takashi raised both hands in surrender.
"It's my honor to remind Miss Sawamura to take her medicine."
"Glad you understand."
Eriri's delicate face showed a satisfied expression.
Her smugness lasted for no more than three seconds before a cold breeze blew in, causing her to instinctively pull in her neck.
Takashi reached out and helped her zip up her jacket. "Hurry and go inside; it's cold out tonight."
"Mm."
She responded, but still stood there, staring at him without blinking.
Takashi raised his hand in front of her, waving it. "Are you stunned? What are you looking at?"
"Looking at you!"
Takashi froze for a moment.
After Eriri spoke, her face turned bright red.
She shyly lowered her head, and after a while, she lifted it again, glancing at him.
The moonlight was clear and bright, and the surroundings were quiet and peaceful. The hustle and bustle of Tokyo didn't reach here.
Takashi stared deeply at Eriri.
He looked at her delicate, petite face.
He looked at her ears, which were flushed with embarrassment.
Takashi felt a stir in his heart.
"Takashi~"
Perhaps it was because Watanabe Takashi had been searching for her all over Tokyo today and was accompanying her to the hospital in the late night, or maybe it was the atmosphere at that moment, but Eriri took a bold action she would never usually make.
She took a step forward, gently bumping her head against his chest, then raised her gaze.
In the moonlight, her slightly parted lips beckoned his gaze.
His eyes unconsciously drifted downward, from her eyes to her lips, and finally, to the soft pink tip of her tongue.
Takashi's hand involuntarily lifted.
His large, warm hand cupped her pale face as he leaned down slightly.
As he saw the young man's face drawing closer, Eriri's long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and then she closed her eyes.
At this moment, even the moon seemed to grow shy.
Covered by clouds, it's clear outline became hazy.
It felt as though the world itself was creating an opportunity for the two of them.
Just as their lips were about to meet, a bright light suddenly illuminated them, and Takashi instantly snapped back to reality.
He quickly pushed Eriri away, taking two steps back to create some distance.
'Damn, that was close.'
Takashi's heart raced wildly in his chest like a frenzied drumbeat.
If he had kissed her, he probably would have been done for in this lifetime.
Takashi admitted that he had let his guard down for a moment.
But it wasn't that he liked her—it was the atmosphere messing with his mind.
In fact, a person's behavior is not only influenced by logic, but also by emotions and the surrounding atmosphere.
Once the atmosphere is right, the emotions follow.
And once the emotions are there, a kiss can happen.
In this atmosphere, it didn't matter whether it was Eriri or someone else—if it had been Utaha or Umaru, he would have kissed them just the same.
Of course, part of the reason was also because Marin had stirred his desires.
It was like when people open up certain websites in the dead of night.
Who looks at that stuff during normal hours?
It's only when the night is quiet and the mood is right that people end up looking for something to indulge in.
Of course, not including those who are addicted—maybe it's time to quit.
In the front passenger seat, Sayuri turned to look at her husband. "Do you think we came at a bad time?"
In the driver's seat, Sawamura Spencer awkwardly scratched his slipper with his toes.
He hadn't expected this either.
Sawamura Spencer felt that this was mostly Tomoya's fault.
He had been with their daughter, yet he lied and said Eriri wasn't with him!
Now, he didn't even know whether he should drive over and say hello.
Sayuri read her husband's thoughts and said, "Go ahead and drive over. At least greet Tomoya; we can't be impolite."
"True."
The car slowly pulled up in front of them.
Takashi tilted his head, while Eriri covered her face with her hands. Neither of them looked at the car that had stopped in front of them.
'How did this kid grow so tall all of a sudden?'
Sayuri looked at Takashi, who was several heads taller than Eriri, puzzled, but still smiled and greeted, "Good evening to both of you."
Takashi glanced at Eriri, noticing she was still pretending to be an ostrich and realizing he couldn't rely on her.
It was up to him now.
Although Takashi had never planned on meeting the Sawamura couple, since they had already met, he wasn't going to back down.
Adjusting his mood, Takashi turned and smiled. "Good evening, Uncle and Aunt!"
"Nice to meet you, I'm Watanabe Takashi, a suitor of Sawamura-san."
"Just now, Sawamura-san got some sand in her eyes, and I was helping her blow it out. Please don't misunderstand."
Blow?
Sand in her eyes, and you're blowing into my daughter's mouth?
Are you taking us for fools?
The Sawamura couple found it amusing, but they didn't plan to call him out. Actually, that wasn't the issue.
What did he say his name was?
Watanabe Takashi?
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