Anime: Desolate Darkness

At night, the sky is dotted with stars.

When Kimura Takumi finished checking Matsusaka Sato's recovery and left, it was already 20 p.m.

On the way back by car, the beautiful scenery along the street was like a colorful painting, which was intoxicating.

The street lamps emit a soft light, illuminating the entire street. Under the lights, there are shadows of people, some are hurried pedestrians, some are leisurely strolling couples, and some are playing and playing children.

Their laughter and footsteps intertwined into a beautiful nocturne, echoing in the streets.

The trees on both sides of the street appear particularly tall and straight under the light.

Their branches and leaves intertwined together to form a green canopy, providing a cool place for pedestrians to rest. Occasionally a breeze blew, and the leaves rustled, as if accompanying this beautiful night.

After returning home, as soon as Kimura Takumi walked into the hall, what caught his eye was Izumi Riko's red cheeks, blurred eyes, and unconscious posture.

"Be careful." He walked forward quickly and supported the other person who almost fell because of tripping over his left foot.

After carrying the other person to lie on the sofa, Kimura Takumi looked back at the several empty beer cans on the table in front of the sofa and felt a headache.

At this time, Izumi Riko grabbed the little finger of his left hand, with a charming smile on her face, and said dazedly: "Dear, you came back early today~"

Kimura Takumi squatted down, smoothed down her messy hair that covered her face, and asked softly, "Why are you drinking again?"

Not sure if she was pretending to be confused or was really confused, Izumi Riko denied this obvious fact, "Huh? Alcohol? I didn't drink." She shook her head.

"Riko, you can't lie. Those empty bottles of wine couldn't have been drunk by Sagiri, right? Besides, you smelled of alcohol when you spoke." Kimura Takumi smiled bitterly, and then asked again in a slightly serious tone, "Why did you drink?"

"Didn't I tell you last time? Don't do this when I'm not around. What if something goes wrong after getting drunk?"

Izumi Riko pouted, looking somewhat dissatisfied, and complained: "What do you mean by 'why do you have to drink'..."

"Don't you really know?"

Her tone began to get excited and tears welled up in her eyes. This scene made Kimura Takumi a little overwhelmed.

Clear what?

Without waiting for Kimura Takumi to ask the reason, she told it herself.

"Although I know you have a serious job and are very busy most of the time..."

"But, but I go out early and come back late every day. I only come back for a while at dinner time. The rest of the time I come back, I basically go straight to sleep. As a teacher, do you really have so many things to deal with?"

"It's fine for Monday to Friday, but why is it the same for the weekends as well?"

"Qiaojun, you wouldn't... wouldn't..."

Izumi Riko stared blankly at Kimura Takumi's deep pupils. Even though she had decided before drinking to ask everything clearly while she was drunk, when it really came to this moment, she couldn't ask at all...

In desperation, she opened her arms, hugged the other person's neck tightly, and began to cry in grievance.

"Woo woo woo~! I just, just want you to give me a little more love!"

"If that doesn't work, you can give it to Sagiri. Just don't leave, okay?"

"Sorry..." Kimura Takumi lowered his eyelids, feeling guilty.

I did ignore the other person too much and was too obsessed with Nanamiya Chion's situation.

"So... is it okay? It's okay, right?!" Izumi Riko hugged her arms tighter. What she wanted to hear was not an apology, but an answer.

"Well, don't worry, I won't leave, I'm always here." Kimura Takumi patted the other person on the back and said softly.

Hearing this, Izumi Riko released his neck and held his face in her hands, "Is what Qiao-kun said true?"

When their eyes met, her gaze was unusually firm, but deep within, there was a hint of fear.

Kimura Takumi smiled, patted her head lovingly, and said seriously, "Of course it's true, I didn't lie to you, right?"

"Takumi-kun is the best!" Izumi Riko finally showed a happy smile on her face and hugged Kimura Takumi's neck tightly again.

But behind her, where she couldn't see, the corners of Kimura Takumi's mouth slowly drooped. Under the reflection of the light, his whole face looked a little gloomy, and he thought, can I really do this?

The next day, after school in the afternoon.

Takumi Kimura changed his usual style. He did not stay in school or go to the laboratory, but went straight home.

On the big bed in Izumi Riko's room, Kimura Takumi was lying flat on it, while Izumi Riko was using his abdomen as a pillow and sitting there without any scruples.

"I just got back, are you in such a hurry?" Kimura Takumi joked.

Thinking of the other party's greedy look last night, he now felt a little scared, not physically, but mentally.

Izumi Riko blushed. Of course she understood what the other person meant. "What nonsense are you talking about, Qiao-kun?"

"Sagiri is still outside in the hall, how could I do such a thing?!" She clenched her fist and punched Kimura Takumi's chest, glaring at him angrily.

"Are you sure?" Kimura Takumi placed his hands on Izumi Riko's hips with an intriguing smile on his face. "Then when I just woke up today..."

If I remember correctly, this morning when Sagiri was shouting that she was hungry outside the door, the other party was still secretly eating "tonics".

"Stop talking!" Izumi Riko's delicate body trembled, and she threw herself directly into his arms, her blushing cheeks pressed against his chest.

"That...that was an accident..." She muttered to herself words that she didn't even want to believe.

Even through the shirt, Kimura Takumi could feel the temperature of the other person's cheek, it was frighteningly hot.

"Yes, yes, what a surprise." His voice was low and gentle. He put his hand on the other's shoulder and patted it gently.

Izumi Riko didn't reply, but from her face which had cooled a lot, Kimura Takumi knew that she had heard it.

After a long time, Izumi Riko raised her head and said, "Hey, Takumi-kun, please go out, otherwise Sagiri will start to have wild thoughts."

Seeing the other person's worried face, Kimura Takumi was puzzled, "Can't you just tell her the truth?"

Things like this will be exposed sooner or later. We can't keep it secret forever, right?

"Not now, I want to wait for some time before talking about it..." Izumi Riko struggled internally.

"How long?" Kimura Takumi was curious.

Izumi Riko thought for a long time, and finally said, "I don't know."

"Okay, I'll listen to you." Kimura Takumi didn't force it. In his opinion, it didn't matter whether he said it or not.

"Thank you..." Izumi Riko felt a little guilty.

She thought that the other party really wanted to hear Izumi Sagiri call her dad, but out of respect for her decision, she agreed not to reveal their relationship.

……