Today, Utaha and Eriri looked very different from their usual selves.
Not only did they smell wonderful from the perfume they wore, but their outfits were also much more carefully chosen than the last time they met.
This showed how much effort they put into their appearance for today's outing.
Utaha wore a pure white shirt with a flowing design, paired with a high-waisted black skirt.
Eriri opted for a loose T-shirt and denim shorts.
Both girls were wearing high heels, and interestingly, they were barefoot without socks.
Utaha's shoes matched her overall style, looking mature and sexy, while Eriri gave off a cool and casual vibe, making her look elegant.
Just standing there, without doing anything, they added beauty to the bustling street, capturing the attention of many passing men who admired them.
In just a moment of distraction, Utaha circled around Eriri to stand in front of him, playfully standing on her toes, making her chest appear noticeably more pronounced.
She kept her hands behind her back and looked at him with a teasing smile.
"I can see some regret in your eyes. Is it because I'm not wearing something you like today? But I couldn't help it; the last one is at your place, and I don't have any other options to wear."
"...I'm not sure what you mean."
Chisato lifted his gaze, casually meeting her eyes before glancing at Eriri beside her.
"But you both look really beautiful today; I almost got mesmerized."
"Well, it's rare to meet you outside, so we thought we should dress nicely."
With a smile, Eriri subtly pushed Utaha aside, unaffected by her annoyed glare.
The tension between the two resumed as soon as the main character appeared.
Chisato sensed the unease between them and quickly shifted the conversation to something he had promised earlier.
He led them to an ice cream shop, buying each of them a scoop.
As they walked down the street with the two girls flanking him, he finally found the opportunity to ask why they had invited him out today.
"There's no special reason; I just wanted to see you. Is that okay?"
Utaha maintained her usual assertive tone.
Unhappy with her approach, Eriri interrupted before Chisato could respond, stating the facts to take her down a peg.
"Actually, I got a hotel voucher for some reason and thought it would be great to invite you out for dinner. I heard the food there is amazing, and everyone who's been there raves about it."
Utaha shot a displeased glance at Eriri. With her around, she couldn't tease the guy she liked freely.
Eriri responded with a playful sticking out of her tongue, wearing a dismissive expression.
"Got it."
Chisato recalled what Utaha had said when she invited him. If he had mentioned being free on Sunday during the day, they might have planned something for the morning.
But now, it wasn't too late. If they went to eat now, they would finish around eight.
Hitori would probably be at the store practicing late, so after dinner, he could bring her some treats and then take her to the station.
Maybe they could find a quiet corner along the way to share a tender moment.
Yes, everything seemed perfectly arranged.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me; it's just a voucher I got from someone else. It's you who made time to come with us that we should thank."
Eriri replied naturally, her words full of charm, and with her bright, cute smile, she naturally made Chisato feel comfortable and lowered his guard around her.
Chisato's gaze shifted to her, while Utaha let out an ambiguous laugh.
"Okay, it's about time to head out."
She waved down a taxi by the side of the street.
Isn't the restaurant nearby?
Chisato wondered.
Sitting between the two girls in the backseat, Eriri announced the name of the restaurant.
The elderly driver set the GPS, and they started driving, leaving the busy city streets behind for the elevated highway.
The scenery outside continued to fade away as the sunset painted the sky in soft shades of red.
Utaha adjusted the window to block the wind and opened the conversation again, holding her ice cream cone in her left hand, gently swaying it while her right hand rested on Chisato's thigh.
"What should I do if I can't finish this?"
Just as Chisato was about to say something, Eriri spoke up first from the other side.
"If you can't finish it, why did you ask the staff to add an extra scoop? That makes no sense."
Ignoring Utaha's increasingly gloomy aura and her dangerous stare, Eriri quickly finished her ice cream and pulled out a barf bag from the passenger seat to hand to Utaha.
"Just throw it away; you really need to ask someone about this? Are you a child?"
Utaha slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"If you say any more, I might take back the promise I made to you earlier."
Promise? What promise?
Chisato was left confused between the two.
Unfazed, Eriri replied, "Then you won't get your way today."
The two continued their whispered exchange.
Utaha suddenly laughed lightly.
"It's okay; worst case, I'll just ask the driver to take us home. Considering our home environments, who do you think will have more freedom tonight?"
Eriri's expression finally changed. She needed something from Utaha and couldn't push her too hard.
If today's outing got canceled midway, going home would be easy.
However, with the strict family rules of the Sawamura household, she wouldn't be able to go out without a good reason.
On the other hand, Utaha's mother was much more laid-back; who knew what she would do if pushed to her limits during a time when Eriri couldn't go out?
Understanding this, Eriri backed off, huffing quietly and turning her gaze out the window.
With the conversation back on track, Utaha faced Chisato again, returning to her charming smile, her wine-red eyes glistening with a bright shine.
"If you really can't eat it and don't want to waste it, I can help you out."
Chisato reached out his hand.
Utaha was pleasantly surprised by his initiative, and Eriri's mix of anger and helplessness only made her mood better.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
She handed her ice cream to him.
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