"It's okay. It's okay. Everything is fine, Mio. It's not your fault. And in the first place, you don't even know whether it has been stolen from your house or the source is something else."

As Chihiro said gently, she rubbed Mio's back to soothe her since she had been crying her heart out since the time she came inside.

Mio was uncontrollably weeping since she heard about the news, as in her mind, it was her cousin who could have secretly sneaked inside her room when she wasn't around and done such a horrible thing.

It could have been only a possibility but knowing that the drive was the only evidence of Yuuta's past misdeeds, coupled with the fact that Mio's aunt visited today, which Mio came to know after leaving the house, made her believe entirely that it all happened because of her carelessness.

"*Sniff* I kn- *sniff* Know it's Raika who*sniff* I am sorry Yuu...I am *sniff*..."

Seeing her in the most broken condition up to this date, Yuuta's heart was tingling in a way he had never felt before. Without realizing it, his heart was clenching in grief to see the girl he loves in such a miserable condition. 

Getting up, he went to the side of the bed where Mio and Chihiro were before he crouched down in front of them and took Mio's hand carefully.

"Mio, look at me."

His voice was as deep and serene as ever, but the glimpse of gentleness was a blend that Yuuta could muster only for this silly girl.

Mio, with her eyes which were red and stained because of the amount of tears she had shed, turned herself towards Yuuta while still sniffing once in a while.

"You know me, right? What kind of mood fluctuations I have at different times, I think you know the best. So look at me, Mio, and tell me, is there any sign of anger or sorrow about the news or my rustication?"

Chihiro, who was just some inches apart from them, also looked at Yuuta's face quite intently, but what she was able to see was only his gentle gaze and his whole aura oozing with worry for the girl who was filling his world.

Mio remained silent for quite some while before slowly shaking her head left to right.

With a gentle smile, Yuuta hugged her dearly in his embrace as he further reassured her.

"Don't worry, whatever happens, I will look after it. My parents aren't angry with me, nor do I care about anyone else's opinion. So stop blaming yourself, okay?" 

Mio, in her favorite warmth, seemed to be melted as she nodded without contemplating much as her eyes also started to feel heavy.

"Yuuta-kun."

Chihiro from their right whispered as she gestured Yuuta toward Mio.

Looking down, Yuuta found that Mio had fallen asleep in his embrace quite peacefully with her tiny lips slightly parted and a fragile snoring sound leaking out.

The sleeping face of Mio was so adorable that Yuuta thought of seeing it for another few hours. Still, knowing how uncomfortable it would be for Mio to sleep like that, he took Chihiro's help and tucked her inside the blanket.

**Switch** 

Turning off the lights, Yuuta and Chihiro stepped out of the room as they didn't want to disturb Mio when she finally seemed to have calmed down.

"Okay then, Chihiro. Please take care of Mio in my stead; I will come back early in the morning."

As Yuuta said, he was about to walk down the stairs when a warm and a slight sensation enveloped his hand, pulling his attention toward the source.

"Well, it's late, but I think I can do something."

Yuuta was thinking of calling the car from the mansion since taxi services mostly would have turned grey. But Chihiro had some different thoughts as she whispered meekly.

"W-why don't you stay here for today, Yuuta-kun? Since it's already so late at night and considering the weather, I think you should stay here."

Upon hearing Chihiro's proposal, Yuuta made a face that said he was not completely fine staying here, so without waiting, Chihiro landed her final blow.

"And also, what if Mio wakes late at night and after remembering things, breaks down again? I think it would be better for you to be here rather than getting stressed at home."

The point Chihiro landed was enough to make Yuuta believe that it was not about convenience anymore, but it was necessary for him so he could be at Mio's side if something happened in his absence.

Looking at Chihiro in a different light, Yuuta asked something out of nowhere.

"Do you have something to wear?"

_______________________ 

Standing in the kitchen, Chihiro was preparing coffee for two people. 

Yuuta, after taking clothes and asking for directions to the bathroom, went straight to have a nice hot shower.

Since it was taking him time to come back, Chihiro took the two cups, and after placing one of them on the right of the table, she sat at the head chair while facing the entrance of the dining hall.

With her thin yet textured lips circled, she blew over the hot coffee before she connected the edge and took a sip of her favorite brew when suddenly her sip became longer than she intended because of the person who had just entered inside.

Chihiro, upon seeing the current Yuuta, wasn't able to part the cup from her lips as she knew she might make an embarrassing expression.

Yuuta, with lazy steps, walked inside. His still wet hair strands were freely falling over his forehead with his bare chest in view due to the loose-fitting blue yukata he was wearing. 

Due to the hot shower, his face was slightly flushed, and the fact that he was giving out the same scent as Chihiro made the coffee-sipping girl even more flustered. The current Yuuta was far more charismatic than he even seemed.

'Why does he look so unfairly hot?!!'

"Is it for me?"

Even though he asked, he was already on the way to sip on the hot drink; even so, Chihiro nodded while still covering half of her face using the cup and the hand which was holding it.

"Ah, it's delicious."

Yuuta made a satisfied look as he tasted the coffee, helping the dazed Chihiro to get out of her stupor as she realized that she had long finished her drink.

"Thank you."

With a smile, she stood up and hurriedly went to the kitchen while trying her best to calm her raging heart beat and not let her inner thoughts come up to her face as the dangerous scent that was oozing out of Yuuta was more than enough to make her flustered.

The damage dealt was too much for her to handle so she left the dining hall to not let him see her embarrassing side.

'What's wrong with me....!!'

_____________________

A/N:- I thought adding the night conversation would make the chapter way too long, so the next chapter would be focused on it only. 

Comment if you are hyped to know what would change between the two~

Editor : Zenon#4120