Utaha understood that everything had to progress step by step, so she could also comprehend why Chisato, who had lost parts of her memory in the dream, was distant and unfamiliar with her.
But, but still!
Shouldn't there be some fairness? Why was he distant and unfamiliar with me, yet warm and close to that Eriri girl?
Who in my position could keep a cool and calm demeanor in a situation like this?
The more Utaha thought about it, the more irritated she became.
She picked up her coat from the bed, intending to maintain the last shred of her dignity. Just as she was about to put it on and leave, she suddenly recalled her first dream experience.
In that dream, her married life had been blissful, but due to her own stubbornness and inability to let go of certain thoughts, she caused irreparable harm to herself, Chisato, and even her daughter.
The tragic ending was nothing short of a human tragedy.
Because of that difficult personality, she ruined what had been a happy life and dragged down those who loved her.
With such a painful lesson in mind, was she really going to throw a tantrum and repeat her mistakes?
Thinking of this, Utaha calmed down a little.
She had done something so excessive before, what right did she have to get upset over something so trivial now?
After putting on her coat, she didn't get up and leave as Eriri had expected.
Instead, she yawned lightly in front of the two, kicked off her slippers, hugged Chisato's pillow, and lay down sideways on the bed.
"I'm a bit tired. I'll take a nap. Eriri, remember to wake me when you leave."
Her sudden and unexpected action left the two of them dumbfounded.
Eriri noticed Chisato's gaze and hurriedly tidied up Utaha's skirt, covering what needed to be covered.
Utaha didn't move further. She rested her head on the blanket, smelling the same scent as Chisato's, and slowly closed her eyes.
Her behavior left Chisato at a loss.
Most of what he had said earlier was meant as a joke; he didn't really want Utaha to leave.
He just wanted to see her cute, slightly angry face, so he could then take back his words and make her smile again.
But to his surprise, before he could even start to coax her, she had already calmed herself down, obediently lying down on the bed with her eyes closed, as if to say,
"No matter what you two do or say next, I won't hear or see it"
It was... strangely considerate.
But wait, was she really the kind of person who'd act like this?
Chisato found himself questioning her behavior.
Eriri was also shocked by how different Utaha's reaction was from her usual self. She nudged her lightly.
"Hey, get up. You don't have to pretend to be asleep."
"…"
Utaha, with her eyes closed and her breathing soft, didn't respond at all, as if she had really fallen asleep.
This made Eriri feel awkward. She even began to suspect that this troublesome woman had done this on purpose.
"Utaha seems genuinely tired. Let's let her rest," Chisato said, prompting Eriri to stop her nudging.
She wanted to continue the conversation with Chisato, to pick up where they left off. She opened her mouth slightly, but for a moment, didn't know what to say.
After struggling for a while, she finally managed to speak, sharing details about her school, her parents' jobs, and similar topics.
Chisato followed her lead, giving a brief overview of his real-life situation.
Listening to their conversation, Utaha couldn't help but laugh to herself.
What is this, a blind date? It's so awkward.
But jokes aside, nearly half an hour passed, and surprisingly, the atmosphere between Chisato and Eriri gradually improved.
They were chatting happily, despite the dry and trivial nature of their conversation.
Not only did they exchange contact information, but the topics also became more personal, and they even started reminiscing about the events that had happened in their dreams.
They were reminiscing about their 10th wedding anniversary trip to the Seaside Hot Springs and the luxurious resort they had enjoyed together.
Utaha felt that she should probably wake up now.
If she continued to let them chat like this, these two, who were clearly having way too much fun, might soon veer into topics that were far from appropriate for all audiences.
Is this really something you should be discussing when you've just met? And why is it that when he's with Eriri, he seems like a completely different person?
So happy, so... proactive!
No, no… I can't get upset, I even ruined his life once.
Even though she kept telling herself this in her mind, Utaha couldn't help but feel unsettled when faced with the person she truly liked.
"Sorry..."
Eriri, looking a bit embarrassed, pressed her legs together slightly.
"May I use the bathroom?"
"Go ahead, it's just through the door near the entrance."
After she left, Utaha opened her eyes, sitting up with a gloomy expression. Her eyelashes trembled as she stared at Chisato with a mournful gaze.
"Do you hate me?"
Her direct question took Chisato by surprise.
The Utaha he knew was more of an elegant, playful, and confident older sister type, not the soft-spoken, meek girl sitting in front of him now, looking as though she had been abandoned like a helpless puppy.
He couldn't quite grasp what kind of emotion was behind her words at that moment.
Was she overwhelmed, or was she acting?
Chisato got up from his chair and sat down beside her, speaking seriously.
"How could I hate you?"
Utaha's eyes brightened slightly, but she still pressed on.
"But you treat me differently."
"How am I different?"
"You're so natural with Eriri, but with me, you're distant."
"I'm not."
"You are!"
"…"
Chisato fell silent. He took Utaha's hand, awkwardly averting his gaze.
"Doesn't the thing I left on your couch last time already prove something?"
"Ugh..."
Utaha hadn't expected him to bring that up.
Her cheeks instantly flushed red, and her entire demeanor quickly regained its usual radiance.
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