[After saying goodbye to Sawamura Eriri, you arrived at the school gate, where Kasumigaoka Utaha was already waiting. Your ten-minute delay didn't seem to upset her.]
[Following the initial agreement to pretend to be a couple, Kasumigaoka Utaha walked beside you, and after leaving the school, she affectionately held onto your arm.]
[To others, you appeared to be a loving and well-matched couple.]
[You kept an eye out, but didn't spot any sign of a stalker.]
[Kasumigaoka Utaha thanked you for your help. She said that perhaps the plan worked, making the stalker less bold.]
[She invited you inside for fruit and tea, showing you to the bathroom. As you walked over to wash your hands, you saw a pair of black, thin, and alluring stockings draped over the sink.]
[The light, black stockings on the sink clearly belong to Kasumigaoka Utaha.]
[You heard the sound of fruit being peeled from the kitchen, indicating that Kasumigaoka Utaha won't be coming over immediately. You decided:]
[1. To pick them up and sniff them to check if they were forgotten after washing or if they were worn and not cleaned.]
[2. To put them away and examine them at home.]
[3. Since you're wearing long pants, maybe you could just wear them.]
None of these options seem right!
Isn't there a fourth option?
No matter what, it feels inappropriate!
Isn't he supposed to be a top-notch rich young master? What happened to his dignity? His pride?
Doing any of these actions would completely ruin his character!
Chisato thought to himself, but it didn't help.
The three options just hung there, waiting for his choice, with no changes.
After thinking for five minutes, Chisato tried to find the best option among these.
But he failed, all the actions seemed inappropriate.
He gave up and randomly selected the first option.
[You stepped forward, calmly picked up the stockings, and casually sniffed them.]
[They didn't have an unpleasant smell but rather a natural fragrance, not like laundry detergent.]
[You realized that the stockings were likely left there intentionally by Kasumigaoka Utaha to tempt you.]
[There was no need to smell them; it was obvious.]
[You put the stockings down, acted as if you hadn't seen them, and returned to the living room.]
[After eating fruit and drinking tea, as evening approached, you prepared to leave.]
[Kasumigaoka Utaha asked you to stay for dinner to thank you properly, saying it felt too formal to just give you money.]
[Seeing her sincere eyes, you nodded and sat back down.]
This simulation hadn't yet switched to a first-person perspective.
Maybe it was because of the lack of intense scenes, but Chisato hadn't thought about this until now.
Now, being alone with Kasumigaoka Utaha could provide more information than just reading the text.
With his heart swayed and senses heightened, the environment changed to a warm and cozy living room.
Utaha was smiling at him.
"Please wait a moment; I'll go prepare dinner."
She picked up the empty fruit plate and went to the kitchen.
Chisato followed. Knowing his cooking skills were poor, he didn't plan to help.
He just stood outside the kitchen and asked Kasumigaoka Utaha, "Do you know how to cook? I thought you were going to order takeout."
"Takeout isn't healthy. I may only cook simple home meals, but they're clean and healthy. The taste is average, though."
"If the taste isn't great, I might leave."
"If you dare to leave, I'll cry right here."
She swiftly tied her hair into a ponytail and put on an apron. Her delicate earlobes and white neck were exposed.
Seeing her like this, Chisato felt a sense of traditional grace from her.
Despite being a high school student, she gave off a wife-like aura.
Watching her gracefully wash rice and cook, Suzumiya Chisato sincerely said, "You'll definitely make a great wife and mother in the future."
Utaha stopped her actions because of his words.
"Hey, the fire's too high; the pot is already smoking."
Chisato reminded her.
Utaha quickly lowered the heat. After adding the vegetables to the pot, she responded to his previous comment, "Thank you for your kind words."
Dinner was ready quickly.
Chisato noticed a new quality in Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Her cooking skills were quite good, evoking a strange but undeniable sense of nostalgia in him.
Despite being just ordinary home-cooked dishes, Chisato rarely ate three large bowls of rice in one night.
After the meal, Utaha cleared the table and went to wash the dishes.
Chisato sat on the living room sofa and turned on the TV. After finishing her chores, Utaha joined him on the sofa.
She leaned back against the couch and, without Chisato noticing, fell into a deep sleep.
When Chisato prepared to leave again, he saw Utaha peacefully sleeping.
She had taken off her school uniform jacket, and her chest rose and fell with her breathing.
Upon closer inspection, he could even see the black fabric underneath her white shirt.
Chisato poked her cheek but got no response.
He initially intended to wake her up but decided against it. He got up and, after locating Utaha's room, gently picked her up.
Perhaps his movements were too abrupt; Utaha's eyes, which had been closed, opened.
She didn't get angry upon realizing she was being carried. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Senpai, if you're awake, you should just go to your room and rest."
"No, I'm too tired and weak. Whoever carries me has to make sure I'm settled."
"That's so sneaky."
"I don't care."
With no other choice, Chisato continued carrying her to her room.
When he pushed open the door and stepped inside, Utaha stretched out her toes to close the door behind them.
Her slippers fell off, and her beautiful feet wrapped in black stockings were exposed to the air.
Chisato placed Utaha on the bed.
However, the arms that had been around his neck didn't loosen; instead, they tightened even more.
Chisato sighed helplessly.
"Senpai, you can't be so willful."
Utaha looked at him with eyes that had become very moist, saying,
"... I'm scared. Please don't leave tonight, okay?"
It was as if everything around them had been put on pause, and the world stood still in that moment.
___
20+ advanced chapters on patreon.com/SenatusTheta