"Uh! Cough, cough—cough!"
What nonsense are you talking about, you awful woman?
Saying things like you don't need me to teach you!
Where is this desperate, jealous woman coming from?
What if you scare Chisato away!!!
Eriri was so shocked that she started to cough embarrassingly. But she quickly brushed it off, wiping her mouth before fixing her intense gaze on Utaha.
When Chisato heard the question, he was momentarily taken aback, forgetting to chew the delicious beef in his mouth.
He stared at Utaha, who was smiling beautifully, trying to read her emotions.
At the moment their eyes met, Utaha's fair face turned slightly red, and her eyes inexplicably glistened.
Despite that, she maintained her composure and didn't try to soften the impact of her question or joke around by saying something like "just kidding" to brush off the awkward situation.
She was serious; she wanted to know Chisato's honest answer to her question.
It was bold and unexpected, laying everything out in the open.
After processing the information, Chisato swallowed his food and answered candidly, "I can't give you an answer."
Utaha wasn't upset. She continued to ask, "Is it that you haven't thought about it, or you just don't want to say something that would put me in a difficult position?"
"The latter."
Chisato didn't hesitate.
"That's fine. Since I've already asked this question, I've prepared myself mentally for your response."
"You don't have to worry about how I feel. Besides, I'm not that fragile; your answer won't hurt me."
"Since you've said that..."
Chisato turned his head slowly to look at Eriri.
With her full attention on him, she quickly put down her knife and fork and shifted her body toward him.
"I feel the same way."
Though she didn't understand why the atmosphere had suddenly turned serious, she had promised him earlier, so she would fully cooperate now.
"I understand."
Chisato nodded, took a napkin to wipe his mouth, and calmly spoke under their expectant gazes.
"From a guy's perspective, Utaha and Eriri, you both are truly exceptional, beautiful, and charming girls."
"Honestly, ever since I had that strange dream, which felt almost like destiny, I often find myself thinking about you two."
"I want to be with you and hope we can start a fulfilling life together, just like in the dream, until we grow old and happy."
After hearing this, Eriri's eyes widened slowly, her ears turning red and her heartbeat quickening.
Can she interpret this as a formal confession from him?
Utaha, however, keenly sensed the ambiguous meaning behind his words. Clearly, he wasn't finished.
"But before I had that peculiar dream, I had already fallen for another girl."
Chisato bluntly stated the reality, knowing they were already aware of it.
Instead of beating around the bush, it was better to be straightforward; there was no need for pretense. This revelation also somewhat answered Utaha's earlier question.
"I see."
Utaha didn't seem surprised.
"So the reason you couldn't answer my question was because of this reality, right?"
Chisato nodded.
Utaha smiled in relief, resting her chin on her palm as she quietly watched him, still controlling the situation.
"But even so, you agreed to Eriri and my invitation to meet up. Does that girl know about this?"
Eriri sensed that the situation was getting a bit tense; she understood Utaha's implication.
"Hey, what are you suddenly saying…"
Chisato raised his hand to signal Eriri to let him speak.
"It's fine; it's the truth. She doesn't know. If she found out I was having dinner with you two at a place like this, she'd probably be mad at me for days."
"Just a few days of her ignoring you? Tsk... then there's no room for maneuvering here."
Utaha looked regretful.
"What do you want to do?"
"I want to take a close-up photo of us eating together so she knows you aren't that honest guy she thinks you are. Then she'll naturally dislike you and distance herself."
"That's too extreme. You think I'd be that much of a player? That doesn't fit your character, Utaha."
"Who knows? Girls in love often lose their rationality and can act unpredictably. That girl with the twin tails on your right even threatened me that if I kept anything from her, she'd make me pay."
Utaha spoke lightly, and Eriri, who had been silently watching her antics, gradually became numb to it all.
As for Utaha's teasing about pulling her into this situation, Eriri merely snorted softly, not wanting to respond.
Chisato didn't seem to be acting up suddenly; he maintained control of the conversation.
Eriri decided to let him continue and see what else he had to say.
"About that dream where it was just the two of us, without Eriri involved, you remember, right?"
"I remember part of it."
Chisato nodded, which made Utaha smile happily.
"Forgive me for being so direct since the beginning, but this is the most important lesson I learned from that not-so-successful dream: I don't want to repeat those mistakes in reality."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean to let go of being capricious and secretive and to be a responsible person to myself and those I care about."
"No matter what happens, I shouldn't be vague or hide my feelings. I can't conceal my thoughts from the people closest to me or make impulsive decisions on my own."
"...Actually, you can't take all the blame. After Chiyu was born, your health declined, and you weren't as strong as before. It's understandable to feel deceived after realizing that."
"Enough; there's no need to make excuses for me. That's just my little temperament acting up. It's a flaw I've always had, and I've paid the price for it."
Utaha switched to a cheerful tone.
"But thankfully, dreams aren't reality. I still have the chance to change and start over. Making the same mistake a second time isn't a slip-up; it's just foolishness."
"I won't let myself get into such a passive situation again."
She smiled, leaning slightly forward to close the distance between them.
"This is a declaration in advance, and it truly reflects my feelings right now. For Chiyu's sake, I will make you fall in love with me again, Chisato."
_______
20+ advanced chapters on patreon.com/SenatusTheta
_______
If any of you noticed an error, please point it out in comments!