"Did you not understand anything I just said? Don't assume what others are thinking. I believe I made myself quite clear earlier."
After saying this, Utaha turned around, ready to leave.
"But! There must be a reason! Why else would you suddenly decide to leave the club? It doesn't make any sense!"
Aki Tomoya suddenly became emotional, his frustration growing as he reached out to grab Utaha's shoulder.
Chisato, who had remained silent until now, extended his hand and gently grasped Utaha's wrist, pulling her slightly towards him, causing Aki's attempt to fail.
Utaha stared at her hand in Chisato's grasp, lost in thought.
She repeatedly told herself to stay calm, but when he let go, she felt a brief moment of disappointment.
She couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't just held her hand.
"Tomoya, you need to learn about personal boundaries. People who lack a sense of boundaries are disliked wherever they go."
This was the last thing Utaha said to Aki Tomoya as she turned back to face him, trying her best to remain calm.
Afterward, she softly said "Let's go" to Chisato, and the two of them left the school gate together.
The onlookers, expecting to witness a dramatic showdown between two equally matched sides, were disappointed.
Instead, they watched someone embarrass himself by overstepping his boundaries.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, Aki Tomoya was left standing there alone, his face pale. He stood there for a long time, lost in thought.
…
On the street.
Chisato glanced at Utaha beside him.
The wind played with her long, jet-black hair as she tucked a strand behind her ear, holding her bag in one hand.
She met his gaze with a look that was warm and smiling, completely different from the cold and stern expression she had worn at the school gate.
Chisato, who usually observed situations from a distance during simulations and only switched to a first-person perspective at critical moments, now found himself in an awkward position.
To be honest, he wasn't sure how to interact with the girl beside him.
The one thing he knew best about her wasn't her personality, but something much more specific—her body, and the places she liked and felt shy about…
While those moments were enjoyable, he hadn't expected they would lead to an actual meeting in real life. It was a bit embarrassing.
"Let's find a place to sit," Chisato suggested.
Wandering aimlessly like this wasn't going to solve anything.
"Sure," Utaha replied with a faint smile, one that made Chisato linger on her face for an extra couple of seconds.
"I know a place nearby where the coffee is pretty good."
"Then let's go there."
With Utaha taking the lead, Chisato had no objections.
He mentally calculated how much money he had left, confident that he had enough to cover the coffee.
As for the days ahead, he figured he could take on some part-time jobs to make ends meet, and if things got tough, he could consider using his points to exchange for cash.
They entered the train station and got off after just two stops.
Chisato noticed that the area they arrived in didn't resemble a commercial district; it was much more relaxed.
His confusion grew until, five minutes later, they stood in front of a house with the name "Kasumigaoka" engraved on the front.
Utaha had brought him straight to her house.
Looking back, he realized that she hadn't specifically mentioned a restaurant; she had simply said "a place."
It was a subtle but clever choice of words, designed to lead him to a certain assumption—a classic move by a writer.
"Stop staring and come in," Utaha said, lightly tapping Chisato's leg with her bag as she opened the gate and walked inside.
Chisato hesitated. "I didn't bring any gifts for visiting."
"You don't need anything. My parents aren't home. If you're concerned, you can make up for it the next time you come."
Utaha opened the door and placed a pair of slippers neatly in front of Chisato.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. You can put your bag on the sofa. Sit here for a bit while I make some coffee."
Chisato wanted to say it wasn't necessary, but Utaha had already gone into the kitchen.
So he decided to be a good guest and quietly sat on the sofa to wait.
In the simulation, Chisato had once visited Utaha's home, but the layout he had seen then was completely different from what he saw now.
He understood, though. Since each simulation started with him in a different role, it made sense that the circumstances in the simulation wouldn't exactly match reality.
Utaha soon returned with the coffee.
When she saw Chisato blowing on the hot coffee and taking a small sip despite its temperature, a familiar action, she couldn't help but smile.
"By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet."
"That's true, but since we're sitting here face-to-face, I feel like we could skip that part, don't you?"
Utaha crossed her legs and leaned forward, resting her chin on her left hand.
Ever since she had served the coffee, she had maintained a relaxed posture, her gaze fixed on Chisato, as if she didn't want to miss a single expression or movement of his.
"You're right, but this is our first time meeting in real life, after all."
"Alright then, I'm Kasumigaoka Utaha. It's nice to meet you, Chisato Suzumiya."
Utaha extended her right hand with a friendly gesture.
"…"
With Utaha leading the conversation, Chisato shook her hand. As they let go, her pinky lightly grazed the palm of his hand.
"How old are you, Chisato?"
"Seventeen."
"Is that so? I'm a year older than you. If you like, you can call me 'Sister' in private."
"…Is that a hobby of yours?"
"No, but I think it's something you'd enjoy."
"I wouldn't…"
Chisato averted his eyes as he responded.
"Really? Are you sure?"
Utaha looked down, hooking her finger under the top of her knee-high socks, letting it snap back to press into her thigh.
"And what about this? You don't like it either?"
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