Chapter 128: A Tough Problem to Solve
During class, Yuta found himself sandwiched between two beauties—Mishima Sayoko on his left and Belldandy on his right.
Belldandy was fully focused on the lecture, and so was Sayoko. However, Yuta couldn't concentrate at all.
Glancing to his left and right, Yuta felt he was on the verge of becoming a hopeless slacker. By the end of the class, he had hardly absorbed any of the content.
After class, while the other students gradually left the classroom, Sayoko showed no intention of leaving.
"Yuta, how about having lunch together?" Sayoko said warmly, looking at Yuta with a friendly smile. "Consider it a small token of gratitude for saving me last time. You can't say no; otherwise, I'll feel really guilty!"
Her words left Yuta with no room to refuse. She even put on a pitiful expression, making it impossible for him to decline.
Yuta, however, was wary of staying too close to Sayoko, fearing he might be dragged into trouble. His only thought was to get away from her as quickly as possible.
"No thanks," Yuta said as he stood up, smiling politely. "Belldandy and I need to head home. There are some things we need to take care of there."
He tried to downplay the situation, adding, "What I did yesterday was simply what anyone would do, and Belldandy helped me as well."
But Sayoko only had eyes for Yuta, ignoring Belldandy's contribution entirely.
"It was you who saved me from such a dangerous situation, Yuta! I really thought I was going to die back then!"
Feigning fear, Sayoko naturally clung to Yuta's arm, putting on a pitiful look as she glanced at Belldandy. Her expression carried a clear hint of provocation.
Belldandy didn't perceive Sayoko's actions as provocative; she genuinely believed that Sayoko had been frightened by the overwhelming force she had experienced.
When Yuta stood up, Belldandy followed suit, and the three of them began walking out together.
In the tiered classroom, being overly focused on certain things could be a hazard—especially for those who walked in unnatural postures.
As they were walking, Sayoko, leaning slightly as she walked, suddenly felt her body lose balance. Her hand, as if electrified, instinctively shoved Yuta away.
She had been struck by lightning!
Belldandy, who had anticipated the possibility of an attack, had already set up a protective barrier. While it managed to neutralize most of the lightning's force, a portion still got through, leaving Sayoko's entire body momentarily numb.
Yuta immediately sensed something was off. When he saw Sayoko falling forward, he quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
Sayoko, who had felt herself about to fall, was steadied by Yuta. She found herself leaning against his warm, firm chest, and her heart instantly felt at ease.
But Yuta's heart was far from calm. After confirming that Belldandy had neutralized most of the force's punishment, he glared at Sayoko with irritation.
"Can't you just settle down for once?! Isn't living a normal, peaceful life good enough for you?!"
Yuta was furious. Although he knew it was partly his fault for not explaining the situation with Belldandy and the force to Sayoko, her constant pestering was bound to lead to disaster one day.
Unlike his usual calm demeanor, Yuta didn't bother to hide his frustration. A gentle refusal clearly wasn't working with Sayoko; she needed to understand his stance.
Sayoko, however, didn't seem angry or upset at Yuta's scolding. Instead, she shyly nodded and apologized, "I'm sorry… I think I got a static shock just now..."
She assumed Yuta was upset because she had pushed him earlier. And once again, Yuta had saved her, further solidifying her feelings for him.
Yuta sighed, realizing his words had no effect. Resigned, he said, "Belldandy and I are heading home. Take care of yourself."
Since he couldn't be sure whether the force might strike again in his absence, his words were essentially a warning for her to fend for herself.
Sayoko, however, wasn't willing to give up so easily. As she followed them out of the building, she continued, "Yuta, my car broke down. Could you give me a ride home?"
"Take the bus. The station isn't far from here," Yuta replied bluntly, not even turning back. His tone was noticeably impatient. "Belldandy, let's go."
"Yuta!" Sayoko called out, thinking he was still upset about being pushed earlier. She believed she had annoyed him and was now desperate to reconcile, even disregarding Belldandy's presence.
Belldandy glanced at Sayoko and sensed her sadness. She turned to Yuta and said, "Yuta, she seems really upset..."
"Being upset is better than getting attacked by the force," Yuta replied as they distanced themselves from Sayoko. He then asked Belldandy, "Can you still sense the force nearby?"
Belldandy closed her eyes and focused for a moment. After sensing no trace of the force's energy, she beamed with joy. "Nothing! Sayoko must be a good person after all!"
Yuta, however, felt uneasy.
To him, Sayoko didn't seem like someone who would back down so easily. While his attitude earlier had been harsh, he doubted it would have much effect on her. Something about her persistence just didn't sit right.
Still, as long as there was no force, it wasn't worth worrying about. Yuta's main concern was the possibility of Sayoko being attacked. Beyond that, he wasn't too bothered.
"Alright then, let's head home and eat," Yuta said.
"Okay!" Belldandy replied cheerfully.
Yuta had come to realize that while Belldandy loved cooking, she didn't particularly enjoy eating. As a goddess, she didn't need to eat to sustain herself; rest and sleep were enough to keep her full of energy.
It wasn't so much the act of cooking that she enjoyed but watching others enjoy her food. Seeing how much happiness it brought her, Yuta had entrusted her with meal preparation entirely.
As they walked, Belldandy quickly shifted her focus to lunch, completely forgetting about Sayoko. "Yuta, what do you want for lunch today?"
"Hmm, anything's fine," Yuta replied, as he didn't have any particular preferences when it came to food.
Belldandy nodded thoughtfully. "How about fish? Maybe pan-fried fish?"
"Up to you," Yuta said nonchalantly. He didn't particularly like fish, but he didn't dislike it enough to refuse.
Picking up on his indifference, Belldandy suggested, "Then how about curry? Vegetable curry or beef curry?"
"Whatever," Yuta answered again. He wasn't a big fan of curry either but didn't mind it.
Frowning slightly, Belldandy continued brainstorming. "How about pelmeni? I learned how to make it from Sasha!"
"Do as you like," Yuta said, showing little interest in foreign dishes like pelmeni.
Belldandy tilted her head in confusion. She still couldn't quite grasp what Yuta's idea of "whatever" truly meant.
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