Chapter 365: It’s Always Been That Way (1/2)

She hesitated for an instant before getting herself back together.

Sakura spoke in a placid tone.

“I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”

If he hadn’t been the wiser, he might have not noticed her wavering, fooled by her excellent acting techniques.

But Taiyou was neither trying to trick her nor make conjectures.

He had conviction, evidence, and he did not hesitate to thrust it at her.

“ ‘Never thought I’d see the day when I start liking the same man as that girl.’ “

She was even more visibly shaken than earlier. There was no going back.

After she gaped at Taiyou for a bit, she finally spoke.

“Eavesdropping…no, that can’t be it.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“Of course it’s because I’m always cautious. I don’t even mutter out loud.”

Sakura lowered her long eyelashes.

“Yes, I did indeed take good care. I could swear I did. There was not a single instance in which I put it into words or even letters.”

She then opened her eyes, looking at Taiyou.

Why, then, had Taiyou known this?

“Ruri’s world.”

Taiyou answered promptly.

Since he had already approached the issue like this, he couldn’t play dumb.

“Tengai Ruri?”

“It wouldn’t be easy to explain this in detail—-ah wait, you’ve experienced it before so I guess not. You’re familiar with how her power works, then?”

“Yes…”

He didn’t bother to ask if she wanted further explanation.

Sakura had known Ruri longer than Taiyou had. Surely she must know more about Ruri’s power and what kind of person she was.

“Would you mind moving away? It isn’t very easy to have a leisurely conversation in this position.”

“Alright.”

Taiyou backed off.

Sakura got up, putting her appearance back into order and straightening her posture.

As she did that, Taiyou stared at her. He, too, needed time to sort this out. In a sense, this was like the time when he had first met the triplets. He had been approached, and Ruri had been the one to expose the situation for what it was. It felt very similar.

So he regulated his feelings as he waited for Sakura to begin talking.

“I wonder where I should start from.”

“What I want to know most is when this began, because I honestly have no clue.”

“That makes sense, yes. I doubt you would know such a thing.”

Sakura chuckled. Taiyou felt slightly sullen, feeling like he was being called dull. That wasn’t the case, however.

“I don’t know either, actually.”

“What? You don’t?”

“Indeed, I do not. The only thing I do know is that it was after New Moon-sama.”

Sakura chuckled again. Her smile was the same as before, but this time he could tell it was one of self-derision.

“After all, from the very beginning, I was already astonished at the fact that I liked the same man that she did.”

“Okay, so this was after Youran came to my place.”