The Promise: A Tasuki and Miaka Love Story

By KittyLynne:)

(All rights to Fushigi Yugi and its characters belong to Yuu Watase/Shogakukan Shoujo Comics/TV Tokyo/ Studio Pierrot / Pioneer Entertainment.)

Author's note: Italics denote a character's unspoken thoughts. Contains spoilers for TV series and OVAs. Chapter Rating: 15+ (for coarse language/adult conversation)

Chapter Nine: Reminiscing

Tasuki wended his way through the maze of corridors that made up the Oracle's palace with the Priestess of Suzaku draped about his shoulders like a human shawl. He had no idea where he was going, but she didn't need to know that.

"Hey, quit wigglin'!" His captive ignored the warning, and he inhaled swiftly as her hair slid across his cheek like a swath of silk. A subtle but titillating floral scent filled his nostrils, and her supple thigh flexed under his grip in a way that made him grit his teeth. "Dammit, Miaka! I'm tellin' ya I'll drop ya!"

"A big, strong warrior like you?" She scoffed.

"Strong ain't got nothin' to do with it!" He protested. In retrospect, initiating this kind of bodily contact with Miaka had been a bad idea. Scooping her up and carrying her off like this was coming way too close to the possible fulfillment of oine of his dreams...

"You've carried me like this going up a rocky mountainside without me getting a single bump!" Miaka retorted, eeriely echoing his train of thought. "How could this be a challenge?"

In an attempt to prove her point, she began to violently rock back and forth.

Tasuki came to a stop, holding his balance with ease until she was forced to gasp for air and rest. But the unexpected aftermath of this respite knocked him sideways in a different way, rendering him unable to think of anything but the press of her full, soft chest against the side of his face. It was a tantalizing pleasure, evoking a feeling that was the total opposite of his fear of being smothered by his mother's neck breaking breasts. Absorbed in the sensations, he loosened his hold on her wrists.

Miaka slipped backwards to the point of hanging off only one of her seishi's broad shoulders, but what met her eyes had her too busy gaping to make any serious protest about her predicament. The tautly muscled backside that now filled her vision was a very effective distraction from the discomforts of hanging upside down. So much so that it took her skirt starting to slide towards her head to force her back into the reality of her situation.

"Tasuki! Help!"

Her outcry yanked him out of his trance. He hoisted her back up onto both shoulders, performing the action as easily as if she were a five-pound sack of potatoes. "Shit, I'm sorry 'bout that. You okay?"

"Y-Yes." She tugged at her bunched up garment with one hand as she rubbed one throbbing temple with the other. "Ooh, it feels like pins and needles are rushing to my head."

"Best if I put ya down, then."

Dropping to one knee, Tasuki carefully angled his body to allow his passenger to slide slowly off his shoulders. When she was on her feet, he stood and faced her, just in time to catch a flash of panties beneath her hiked up skirt.

He turned quickly from the tantalizing sight of lace encased flesh, and hunched his shoulders against the temptation to take another peek.

There were sounds of fabric being pulled back into place, but his relief at hearing them was interrupted as he was unexpectedly whapped across the back of the head.

"Ouchie!" He whined, covering the afflicted spot with a hand and pivoting to face his attacker. "What th' hell was that for?"

"A lowdown trick!" She sputtered. "You pretended to drop me!"

At that, Tasuki's irritation vanished, and he bit back the beginnings of a grin. Miaka apparently hadn't realized the reason for his behavior, and he sure wasn't about to let her in on the dirty little secret. If she thought he'd let go simply to scare her, that suited him just fine.

"Well what th' hell were ya expectin'?" He teased, playing along. "Those are the only kinda tricks a mountain bandit knows!"

"But you also happen to be a Suzaku celestial warrior!"

"Yeah! Which means I tricked for your own good, Priestess."

Her eyes took on the glint of challenge. "And you think you know what's good for me?"

He folded his arms across his chest and regarded her with an air of superiority. "I know I do."

"Really. And why is that?"

"'Baka! Cause I'm your guardian, the great and all-powerful Tasuki!"

She snickered.

"Hey now!" His arms dropped to his sides and he glared. "What's so damn funny?"

"It's just like Kouji's monologue!"

"Eh?"

Miaka lowered her voice to a husky growl as she recited the dark-haired bandit's favorite style of greeting. "Knock knock! Who's there? It's Miaka who's been carried off by her great and all-powerful guardian, Tasuki, formerly known as Genrou! Well that's great, come right in, Miaka and Guy with Two Names! Don't mind if we do, thank you very much!"

Tasuki was laughing. "That was damn good, Mi-chan! Kouji's gonna be real flattered t'hear you remembered him an' his routine!"

"I'm not so sure of that!" She said, as her grin turned rueful. "As I also remember, he was always bopping me on the head and calling me a pest!"

"Aw, he didn't mean nothin' by it- it's just his way, y'know? He hates when women figure out that he's kinda shy, so he acts extra bad-ass around 'em."

Miaka made sure to keep her expression neutral, but inwardly she was giggling. It was both funny and sweet to think of rough and gruff Kouji as being shy with girls. "So he really thought I was all right back then?"

"He told me more than once that I'm a lucky bastard t'be one of your guardians." Smirking at her noticeable astonishment, Tasuki added, "I told him about ya, and he understands why I need to do what I do. And after what you did for Konan, there ain't no doubt that he thinks highly of ya, Mi-chan."

"Oh. Well. Thank you. It's... nice to know." Miaka said, blushing with pleasure that was accompanied by rampant curiosity. 'Why on earth would they be discussing me at all after I left? I didn't think Tasuki would ever want to talk at length about any woman!' "Have you made him acting leader again so you could meet me here?" She asked aloud.

"Didn't have to. I had already turned over th' position to him for good."

Miaka was speechless. A small smile played around her warrior's lips as he took note of her shocked expression.

"When?" She finally asked.

"Since a couple months after you left last time."

"But why? I don't understand, I thought- are you-I mean, is everything all right? Didn't you like being the boss?"

"Everything's fine, an' of course I did! But with the fan bein' totally mine, and me havin' my duties as a warrior, I figured it was best if I turned the position over to someone who could be there for the guys on a full time basis." Tasuki explained. "Kouji made me somethin' he calls 'Leader Emeritus'. I'm still an unofficial part of the gang, an' when I ain't travelin' around Konan with Chichiri, I always head back to Reikaku to keep up on my old skills! Can't get soft an' out of practice, or the guys would lose all respect for me."

Tasuki paused, waiting for his priestess to lavish much-deserved praise upon him for his decision and noble sacrifice. But to his confusion and chagrin, Miaka neither said or did anything of the kind as the moment passed. Even worse, she was looking as if he had just given her some very bad news!

As the silence stretched out, he eyed her with rising apprehension and annoyance. Why the hell was she frowning? What was not to like about what he'd done?

"Maybe I'm off on this. I kinda thought it was a good thing that I ain't stealin' for a livin' any more!" He muttered.

His sullen tone finally caught Miaka's attention.

"Oh Tasuki, it is! I'm so proud of you!" She exclaimed, with some but not all of the enthusiasm for which he'd been hoping. "Forgive me for not saying so sooner...it's just that I'm wondering..."

"What?" He grumped, when she hesitated.

Green eyes regarded him with anxious intent. "Reikaku and your friendships there have meant the world to you, not to mention it being your livelihood! All this time we've been parted, it made me feel better to think of you being in the place and with the people that made you so happy. To find out that you gave it up and have been living a different life all that time..." She stopped, cleared her throat, took a breath. "Tell me the truth- are you happy, Tasuki?"

As she asked the question, she grabbed his hand in both of hers. Tasuki blinked in surprise and felt the heat of a blush rising up his neck. He'd been the recipient of Miaka's concern before, but this seemed much more personal. Having her worry about how he was living life was something to savor, along with her revelation that she'd been thinking of him while back in her world.

She was truly worried about me. She wants me to be happy, even if it meant being a bandit.

The realization brought on a huge smile as it revived his flagging spirits.

"I'm happy with my choice." He said, after daring to place his other hand over their joined ones. "Sure it took some gettin' used to, but Chichiri's good company, an' bein' known as celestial warriors brings us a lot of excitin' things t'do." His smile was impish. "It's like what a certain priestess once said to me, 'I'm pretty famous around these parts, y'know!' "

The certain priestess looked embarrassed. "Yes, well, being well known doesn't always fill your belly or a safe place to sleep, does it?"

"Nope!" Her seishi confirmed with a chuckle. "But workin' for the Empress Dowager sure does!"

Miaka's eyes were full of surprise and admiration."You've been working for Houki?"

"For most of the last three years, Chiri an' me have been travelin' around Konan on behalf of her an' her son. We've been gatherin' information, takin' down suggestions, an' helpin' people rebuild the villages that got sacked in the war with Kutou." Tasuki stated with quiet pride. "Th' council of elders told her it wasn't a good idea for lil' Boushin to go too far away from the throne with Kutou's government bein' new an' unstable, so she decided to pay Chiri an' me to inspect th' domain in his place."

"Wow." Miaka breathed. "That's a lot of responsibility."

"Yep." Her seishi agreed, then added, "Hotohori must have told Houki a lot about his travels with us an' the poverty he witnessed, because she's insistent about improvin' lives of th' poor. She says it's a much better way to honor Heika's memory than puttin' up some fancy statue or shrine to him- an' I think so too!"

His priestess nodded emphatically. "Yes! And Hotohori would have been so proud of her for being a champion for his people."

"Yeah. The Empress is doin' a great job with that, and also makin' sure his son grows up to care about the people just like him."

"I'm so glad to hear that. " Miaka said, then closed her eyes against the sharp, searing pain that came whenever she thought of any of her slain guardians who had made the ultimate sacrifice.

Because of Hotohori's duties to her, Houki had lost a husband and Boushin had lost his father. Yet no one had blamed her for it. INstead they had comforted her, and made her a part of their family. Her pennance was knowing that she would never again see Hotohori, Nuriko, Mitsukake or Chiriko as they had been in her time. After Tenkou had been defeated, she had sensed when her deceased warriors had finally been able to be reincarnated. Their souls were now anchored in brand new bodies, which meant they could no longer visit with her in their spirit forms. Until they met again, all she could do to honor them as their priestess was to pray to Suzaku to favor their new lives with all the love, happiness, good health, and good fortune they so richly deserved.

A few tears slipped free before she could squeeze them back. Tasuki murmured something, his hand tightening on hers, then freeing them to cup her face between his warm palms. Her eyes opened in surprise as her seishi began wiping away the droplets from her cheeks with gentle swipes of his thumbs.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, fighting back the urge to throw herself at him and sob out her lingering grief into his shoulder. "It's selfish, but I really wish Hotohori and the others could be here with us! I miss them so much!"

Amber eyes regarded her with fierce tenderness. "It's not selfish, it's human. I miss 'em all too."

As calloused thumbs made another lingering pass over her damp cheeks, Miaka heaved a shuddering sigh. It felt so good to be comforted, and to talk to someone who understood. "I know you do." She said, as Tasuki's arms dropped down to his sides. "You loved them like brothers."

Her seishi nodded, looking glum. "I wish I'd let 'em know that at th' time."

It was her turn to give comfort, and she didn't hesitate. "Tasuki, they all knew how you felt about them! Even if you didn't say the actual words, you always told them with your actions."

He stared at her. "Ya noticed that?"

"Yes."

He was silent, his gaze now directed at the floor.

Miaka gave him a few moments before venturing a tentative,"Tasuki?"

He looked up, and there was determination in his smile. "I was just thinkin' maybe we should take some more time to check out this crazy joint. That is, if you think you're brave enough to wanna find out what Grandma's been keepin' in her closets..."

He let the suggestion trail off and eyed his priestess with a hopeful half smile.

Much to his relief, she responded with a return of her usual perkiness. "You know I am! A little adventure is just what I need!"

After a length of time spent darting in and out of alcoves, Tasuki's attention was captured by the shaft of sunlight streaming out of one of the smaller corridors.

"Hey Mi-chan, it looks like there's a courtyard or somethin' over there- wanna go an' see it?"

Miaka grinned at her seishi's natural exuberance, something for which she'd gained a new appreciation. Being in his company had definitely cheered her up; in fact, she had probably laughed and had more fun in the last hour than she had in months! "Sure! Lead the way!"

The bandit seishi's guess was confirmed as soon as they turned the corner. Before them stood a huge, open doorway that framed an unlikely landscape dotted with trees, a vast profusion of flowers, vine covered lattices, sculpted shrubs and in its center, a large wooden pavilion.

"I know where we are!" Tasuki declared. "Chichiri once told me there's a meditation garden he uses whenever he stays here. This has t'be it!"

"It's absolutely beautiful!" Miaka's voice was hushed as they stepped through the stone archway that served as a portal to the garden. "But how can everything grow and stay so green in this altitude? Look at the roses!" She added, excitedly pointing to a bed of flower covered bushes. "They're gorgeous! I've never seen any that large in my world!"

"Those ain't roses, they're peonies." Tasuki corrected. "There's some roses here," he gestured to the flowering vines clambering the latticework arch over their heads, "an' there." He pointed to a nearby shrub covered with large blooms. "Ya can always tell a peony bush, because they grow on individual stalks with pointed, not rounded, leaves. See th' difference?"

"Yes, now that you told me." She said, glancing at her warrior in surprise. What other little things about him had she missed?

"Wanna check out the pavilion over there?" He indicated a open sided, red roofed structure that rose in the distance beyond the rose bushes.

"Oh yes! It looks like such a pretty walk."

He proffered his arm. "Ya better hang on to me. The path is kinda uneven, an' those strappy shoes you got on don't look like they were made for serious hikin'."

Her small hand curled shyly around his lower bicep. "My goodness! This is very thoughtful of you, Tasuki."

"'Course it is!" He grinned down at her. "I guess ya didn't know I'm capable of bein' a gentleman."

"I knew that!" She protested indignantly. "I knew that all along!"

"Uh-huh, sure ya did!"

Laughing and bantering, they strolled along the path that led to the pavilion, passing the beds of beautiful flowering plants and ponds full of brightly colored goldfish along the way.

Miaka observed the wonders about her with awe, and privately admitted she was far more taken with the man walking next to her. This was Tasuki! Tasuki, not Tamahome! She shouldn't be feeling this giddy around him, or the hot, liquid sensation that filled her loins with the intermittent brushing of their hips.

But knowing that couldn't stop the honest reflections that swirled to the front of her consciousness.

'He's such good company. I'm happy to be with him again. He's so handsome. And fun. And...really sweet. This is the happiest I've been since...oh! My heart is beating so loud! I wonder if he remembers doing mouth to mouth on me... oh Suzaku, why am I thinking about that?'

A low chuckle from Tasuki sidetracked her from her churning thoughts.

"Okay, Mi-chan, let's have it!" He drawled, as she looked up at him. "Ya got somethin' stewin' in that busy lil' mind of yours-an' don't say it's nothin', because I know better!"

She looked away. "I don't know what you mean."

"Sure ya do."

She considered a fib, but then startled herself and her companion by blurting out the truth.

"If you have to know, I was thinking about you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"Huh, now that's interestin'." He said. "You were thinkin' about me."

As Tasuki directed his gaze to the path ahead of them, the unspoken 'and not Tamahome' hung in the air between them.

Miaka's furtive glance lingered on his cheek, which now bore the unmistakable hint of a blush. A silence gave brief respite before he asked the inevitable question.

"So...what were ya thinkin' about me?"

"Good things." She told him breezily. "Mostly that I'm happy to be with the sweet guy I always knew was there ...no, really!" She protested, as he gave a snort of disbelief. "You give off this amazing aura, the warmth of your heart and spirit!"

"Yeah, okay. I may be warm an' spirited, but I sure as hell ain't sweet."

"I beg to differ on that, Tasuki." She said. "Being able to sense your innate goodness is why I wasn't scared of you when we first met."

Her warrior turned his head to meet her gaze. The sunlight came from behind him now, and Miaka's breath caught at seeing the rays illuminate the nimbus of molten red gold surrounding his strong features. She had always loved his hair; it was a beautiful myriad of colors, and its wild, windswept thickness provoked an urge to tame it with her fingers. Only bashfulness, worries about a possible negative reaction from him and having to justify the impulse kept her from doing so.

It took her a moment to realize that Tasuki was frowning.

"What's wrong?" She asked, as they slowed to a halt and faced each other. "I've embarrassed you, haven't I? My compliment made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry..."

"No, I liked it." He stated, with a directness that left no doubt in her mind that he did. "It's something else."

"Tell me." She encouraged.

"That night we met...it bothers me that I was way too rough with ya! Even if I didn't know you were the Priestess, I should have been a lot more respectful of ya."

"Oh Tasuki, don't worry, it's all right-"

"No it ain't! And I'm sorry for it. Can ya forgive me?"

He was looking at her as if nothing else mattered. A pleasant fluttering began in her midsection.

"Of course I do!" She exclaimed. "But how could I blame you for it?"

His smile was grim. "Ya can and ya should."

"You were worried about your men, you had just lost someone dear and had your inheritance stolen, you were going to have to fight Eiken - and the Priestess of Suzaku had just arrived on your doorstep demanding to know who you were! That's a heck of a lot for anyone to have to deal with all at-"

"Ya don't have t' make excuses for me, Miaka! I was a jerk t'ya!"

"And I was a brat! I hit you!" She shot back.

"That was self defense, not bein' a brat! You did the only thing you could to tell an ugly badass outlaw that he shouldn't be touchin' ya."

She looked him straight in the eye. "Yes, I could say I was defending myself. But outlaw or not, I knew you were honorable. And I did not think you were ugly!"

"Nothin' doin'! I kidnapped ya, an' sicced my illusionary wolves on Hotohori an' Nuriko! I made ya my hostage, an' threatened ya with bodily harm! Those ain't exactly things a good-hearted and honorable guy would do! Admit it, when you think about it, I was a jerk! Why would you say otherwise?"

It's true that he didn't see me as anything but a means to an end. Miaka thought. But we were complete strangers, and he was doing what he needed to do to get the leadership back, so why is he so concerned about what I thought of him then? This whole conversation is weird...I shouldn't encourage it.

But something in the way Tasuki was looking at her made her want to be truthful with him, even if she wasn't sure that it was the wisest thing to do.

"I guess… it was because of how careful you were about keeping me safe and secure when you carried me away." She acknowledged. "And when we were alone you didn't try to restrain me or retaliate when I slapped you. I mean, we both know you could have forced me into doing things, but you didn't." She gave a light laugh. "You weren't exactly gentle in your approach, but as I remember, you went out of your way to assure me that I wouldn't be hurt as long as I stayed put, and being your captive was nothing you had against me. You made it perfectly clear that my worth was as a bargaining chip, and that you weren't interested in me as a woman at all."

When the last few words had left her tongue, she wished for them back. The idea that Tasuki was completely unimpressed with her as a woman was something that had bothered her, and that sudden realization had colored her tone before she could stop. There was no good reason she should be sulky or pouting about his lack of attention, and no way she could undo it without admitting it did bug her.

Or why.

Hopefully he hadn't noticed. Gnawing on her lower lip, she watched his eyes.

The gleam that appeared in them didn't bode well for her.

"Ya know, Mi-chan, " he said, after a tension-filled silence, "if I didn't know better, I'd say you were kinda disappointed that I wasn't... 'interested'."

Heat seared her cheeks and she averted her eyes. "I, uh, misspoke. I didn't mean it that way."

"Then what did ya mean? And why can't ya look at me?"

"The sun is in my eyes." She said, grabbing at a plausible excuse.

"Your face is all red." He persisted.

"It's warm out here!"

"Mm-hm." This time there was a definite smile in her seishi's voice. "Or could it be maybe 'cause ya were?"

She knew that tone. He was having fun putting her on the spot. If she didn't know better...it was unbelievable to think that Tasuki could actually be flirting with her! But wasn't he? And even more astounding was knowing that even though it flustered her, she was enjoying the kind of exchange that would have been unwelcome and maybe even slightly scary to her in days gone by.

'I've got to stop reading into things! It might be more adult, but he's just picking on me like he always has! I'm making way too big a deal out of it!'

But deciding that she was overreacting didn't assuage the problem. Flirting was a cause for concern when she was enjoying it this much with a man other than Taka. With all her unresolved feelings for that relationship...well, it was clear that the best and right thing to do would be to change the subject immediately or to flat out take her leave of her companion. But when it came to Tasuki, she was learning what she ought to do and what she wanted to do were two entirely different things.

"That was quite an expression ya just had." Tasuki remarked. "Decided to confess?"

She moistened her lips, which suddenly felt bone dry. "You're acting really weird, you know that?" She challenged, adding silently, and so am I. "Why would you even care if I was disappointed?"

She expected a joke or quick denial, but to her surprise, he took the question quite seriously.

"Why would I care..." He said, half to himself, and there was a long pause before he continued. "Guess the answer to that is it's time I got a few things out in the open with you too."

His expression was resolute, and there was an underlying rawness in his voice that made her shiver in a good way. Her tummy now felt like she was going uphill on a roller coaster, not wanting to take the plunge into the unknown and yet wanting to more than anything.

That was the thing about roller coasters, though. Once you were on your way, you had to see it through to the end.

"And what would those be?" She asked, doing her best to keep her voice steady while not quite meeting his gaze.

As he answered, he moved closer. "Stuff I've been carryin' inside that's weighed heavy on me since the day ya last left here."

She wouldn't risk looking at him, but that choice was nullified as her chin was taken prisoner by his hand. It was something he'd done the first time he had tried to kiss her, but different in that his hold was tender rather than commanding. And unlike that time, she had no intention of resisting as he turned her face and tilted it upwards. The voice of reason that was shouting at her to get away fast went unheeded; even if she'd wanted to, the weakened, trembling state of her knees would have made it an impossible opition to carry out. It was getting harder to breathe in a normal manner when her heart was beating so violently against her ribs. Even so, she was determined not to step back or drop her gaze, lest it gave away how much being this close to him affected her.

"It's not the best timin' for it, but it can't be helped." He continued in a low voice. "Before we can live together again, it's only right that ya know. I'd rather tell ya while we got some privacy."

"Okay." She swallowed. "Wh-what do I need to know?"

His smile was unexpected. "For starters, that you're dead wrong that I wasn't interested in ya when we met. Grabbin' ya as a hostage was an excuse for takin' ya for myself!"

Yui squealed, startling the man lying next to her. "There's an interesting development!"

"What? What's happening?" Tetsuya exclaimed, propping himself up on one elbow. "Are they on their way back yet? Should we go and wake up Keisuke?"

"No, not yet. They're still at Taits-kun's palace. Tasuki just carried Miaka off, and now they're walking in a garden."

"Tasuki? The one who hates women?" Tetsuya frowned as an unwelcome possibility occurred to him. "Wait! Isn't he the one who beat up Taka and tried to seduce-"

"Yes, but he was under a spell," Yui interrupted impatiently. "You can stop the big brother routine-he's been a perfect gentleman since Miaka arrived! They're just talking and having some innocent fun." She read the next line, then added happily, "but if they feel about each other the way that I think they do, I do wonder if it's going to stay that way. "

"If he's being a gentleman, then what's with the hentai grin?" Tetsuya prodded.

"Well, from what I've read so far, I'm positive that Tasuki is in love with Miaka for real, and has been for a long time." Yui told him breathlessly. "And knowing Miaka as I do in reading between the lines, and from the way she's been acting, I think she's just figuring out she feels the same way."

"We can't smile about that, Yui." Her companion stated, after a few seconds. "Think of what that means for poor Taka!"

Yui gave him a long, cool stare. "Excuse me, but I think the sentiment should be 'poor Miaka!', considering she's got yet another heart ripping choice to make!" Her lips trembled. " If Tasuki is the man she chooses, then I say good for her! After the terrible time I gave her over Tamahome, I think I- at the very least- owe her my unconditional support in this."

Tetsuya reached for her hand, which had fisted on top of the comforter. "Yui, I'm sorry…"

She shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile. "It doesn't matter. Having your love has helped me to move past all that, and to look forward to the future. When I say I don't think Taka can make her happy, I am talking about Taka, not the Tamahome I once had a crush on." She uncurled her hand and interlaced her fingers with Tetsuya's. "My opinion is that Miaka hasn't realized yet that she was in love with the memory that Taka represents, and I think Taka resents her past love for Tamahome even though that love brought him to Miaka. Although he claims he's comfortable with who he is, I think Taka is still trying to prove to himself that he's as good as a mortal as he was as a celestial warrior."

"I think you're right." Tetsuya slid over until his head was lying comfortably upon her pillow. "I'm getting bummed out, so let's change the subject. What's happening in the book? Is Fang Boy behaving himself?" He watched with interest as new columns of text formed on the scroll.

Yui grinned down at him. "He was, but a lot could've happened in the last few lines!"

"Just so you know, the book doesn't go into detail when it comes to private moments." Tetsuya informed her with a mischievous smile. "Too bad, huh?"

Giggling, Yui simply raised the scroll and began to read.

To be continued!