Chapter 9
"Nothing extraordinary?" she repeated, tilting her head with an amused smile. "Let me call my number, then. Maybe you'll come and see the extraordinary later on."
Before he could react, she turned, reached across the top bunk, and grabbed his phone from where it lay beside his pillow. Her fingers danced over the screen, tapping quickly, confidently.
"There," she said, flashing it at him with a grin. "Saved it under Ayumi with a little purple heart. Don't forget it."
Yuki stared at the screen as she handed the phone back to him. Her name glowed against the dark background, the heart beside it almost mocking in its sweetness.
Ayumi bent down, casually collecting her scattered clothes from the floor. The hoodie, the panties, her bra. One by one, she dressed in silence, like it was any other ordinary night and she hadn't just turned his world inside out.
Once dressed, she tugged the hoodie down and turned back to him, brushing her long dark hair over one shoulder.
"If Renji asks," she said smoothly, "just tell him my manager came to pick me up. It's already midnight and he's still not around."
Yuki nodded numbly, still clutching the phone like it was a lifeline.
Ayumi smiled one last time, a mysterious curve of her lips that hinted at secrets and promises.
"I'm going," she said, stepping toward the door. "And Yuki..."
He looked up.