No matter what happens, even if you feel dissatisfied and aggrieved, you must go home and discuss it slowly without any outsiders present.
This is the smartest and most effective way to resolve the incident.
It may seem weak not to argue or quarrel, but it actually contains a great deal of wisdom.
Therefore, what Utaha did was the worst example in Eriri's view. As a top student, she would naturally not follow the misguided cues conveyed by her prodigal life.
However, Eriri still spoke. When Iroha calmed down a little and raised her head from Chisato's chest, she chose to talk to Iroha.
With a sweet smile, she spoke confidently, "What a coincidence, we meet again."
Utaha's expression shifted dramatically upon hearing those words; she suddenly felt betrayed.
"Do you know each other?"
Yui answered naturally, "When we came here this morning, we happened to meet in the elevator."
Utaha breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah... hello."
Iroha also realized her gaffe at that moment.
She quickly released her grip from Chisato's waist, and after responding to Eriri's words with a simple and perfunctory acknowledgment, her gaze returned to Chisato, unable to hide her interest.
In the dream, the male protagonist who lived with her on screen had suddenly and casually appeared before her.
This unexpected occurrence left her feeling anything but calm.
Eriri took a step closer, allowing herself to be near Chisato while speaking again. But this time, she was addressing him directly, not Iroha.
"Chisato, I thought I heard her call you 'brother' just now. Are you two related?"
This was a very awkward question. Since Chisato couldn't grasp Iroha's specific situation, it was difficult for him to give a straightforward answer.
At that moment, two other girls approached, pushing strollers from a distance, making their official debut.
One was elegant and quiet, while the other was lively and animated. The latter even lowered her head slightly in greeting.
Utaha observed the two newcomers, her eyes sharpening and her scalp tingling. She felt she had been cautious enough, yet she still underestimated the seriousness of the situation.
How could this guy attract so many people?!
The succubus analogy seemed overly exaggerated!
After glancing at the five girls surrounding him, Chisato made a decision as the situation grew increasingly complicated.
"We've almost bought everything we need. If anything happens, let's talk about it when we get home."
He first looked at Yui and then turned his attention to Iroha.
They both nodded in agreement.
…
Two groups of people, unaware of each other's names and identities, exited the supermarket one after the other, keeping a short distance apart.
Iroha no longer followed Chisato; instead, she chose to walk with Yukino and Yui.
After all, they were seniors from the same school. Compared to the two unfamiliar girls, being with them felt much more reassuring.
Yet, her gaze remained fixed on Chisato the entire time. This fixation made Yukino quite concerned.
Recalling Teacher Hiratsuka's entrustment, she instinctively felt that Iroha's earlier gaffe was somehow connected to the man in front of her.
However, there was very little information available at this stage, and many things remained unclear.
Fortunately, Yui was present. Thanks to her, Yukino didn't have to ask about everything herself.
"Iroha-chan, was that person just now... your brother?"
"..."
Iroha shook her head.
"Is he... your boyfriend?"
Yui's face turned red as she leaned closer to Iroha. She felt her guess was pretty close.
The way Iroha had thrown herself into the other person's arms so intimately in public was a bold move that only couples would make.
"...It's not like that."
But Iroha continued to deny her speculation.
"Haha, I guessed wrong..."
Yui noticed Iroha's reluctance to discuss the matter and realized she might have been a bit too nosy.
She quickly raised her hand to touch the back of her head and laughed to ease her embarrassment.
"However, he is really handsome and has a great temperament. He feels like an idol star from a TV series."
"..."
Iroha didn't continue to refute this claim.
Indeed, compared to his image on the TV screen, meeting Chisato in person made him appear even more handsome and exceptional.
In contrast, the senior she had always felt a vague affection for seemed like nothing more than a passing figure.
But...
What a mistake! How could she be so reckless as to run over and hug him?!
That was not the behavior of a well-behaved girl at all!
Iroha felt her face heat up at the realization.
Her earlier actions had been completely instinctual. By the time her mind reacted, her body had already made that move.
It could only be said that although the dream had lasted only about a week, it had a significant impact on her.
However, after recognizing that this was reality, she began to calm down a bit. Although her thoughts remained chaotic, she was starting to think through some issues.
She couldn't help but revisit the reasons behind the strange dream that had occurred previously, pondering whether Chisato's sudden appearance was a sign of something significant.
What's more, his reaction upon seeing her just now was somewhat troubling.
They had never met in real life, yet his behavior felt familiar, as if he knew her equally well.
Could it be that he had experienced something similar?
The more Iroha thought about it, the more likely this possibility seemed, and her eyes gradually brightened.
Deep down, she had always felt uneasy about the strange events she had encountered, but with no one to confide in, she had chosen to bear the burden alone.
Although the outcome was favorable and she was no longer entangled in that weird dream, it still lingered in her mind.
Now that she saw Chisato, who had appeared in her dreams, perhaps she could learn something from him that she never knew before.
This feeling of finding someone on the same path was quite gratifying.
It also made her look forward to the conversation with Chisato later.
_______
25+ advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
_______
If any of you noticed an error, please point it out in comments!