After seeing Iroha off, Utaha let out a soft sigh.
She sat on the sofa, rubbing her temples with both hands to organize the scattered information in her mind.
After taking a brief moment to rest, she dialed Eriri's number.
"Isshiki left?"
Eriri immediately guessed the situation at the apartment.
Utaha responded with a quiet "mm."
A light chuckle came from the other end of the call, but it was just Eriri's usual habit—there was no mockery in it.
"Judging by your tone, it sounds like the plan you mentioned didn't go too smoothly."
"Whether it went smoothly or not isn't the point—the situation is quite complicated right now."
"What do you mean?"
"It's hard to explain in a few words..."
Utaha took some time to recount, as thoroughly as possible, her conversation with Iroha just now, along with her own personal speculations.
Eriri knew this was an important matter, so as she listened, she refrained from interrupting.
Instead, she kept her questions to herself, planning to ask them all after Utaha finished speaking.
"…That's basically it. I think Isshiki may have experienced something extremely unpleasant at Chisato's hands in her dream, or else there's no way to explain why she said those things to me.
"In the end, we exchanged contact information. Before she left, she even repeated her stance, saying that as long as I was willing, she'd help me break free from Chisato anytime."
By the time Utaha finished speaking, she couldn't help but laugh.
After all, things had progressed to such a surreal point that it was almost comical.
Eriri, after taking a moment to organize her thoughts, finally responded,
"Are you sure Isshiki isn't deceiving you with ulterior motives?"
"I'm sure."
Utaha clearly remembered Iroha's tone and expression when she spoke—reactions like that couldn't be faked.
"Then things are getting even more complicated."
"There's nothing to worry about. Now that I understand most of her thoughts, I have the advantage. I can use this misunderstanding to steer the situation in my favor."
"That's exactly what concerns me. The situation is already complicated enough, and now you're adding extra layers to it. It's unsettling."
"You think I'll mess it up?"
"..."
Eriri didn't respond. Silence was the best answer.
Utaha frowned slightly, displeased.
"The worst-case scenario is that she sees through me. Other than that, there's no real loss, right?"
"That's only the most optimistic outcome you're considering."
"..."
Sigh—
Utaha closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.
She didn't respond immediately but instead gave herself a deliberate pause to think things through.
"…Then what do you suggest I do if Isshiki contacts me again?"
For the first time, Utaha refrained from overanalyzing things.
She recalled everything that had happened between her, Eriri, and Chisato before, and for once, she chose to hold back and ask for advice instead of figuring things out on her own.
Eriri was surprised—this was the first time she had seen Utaha show weakness like this.
When she had bluntly called out the problem earlier, she had expected Utaha to snap back at her as usual.
Normally, they would have launched into one of their heated but ultimately meaningless debates.
Without that, something felt... off.
Has this girl finally grown up...?
"Well, my take is pretty simple. Before anything else, you should tell Chisato exactly what happened just now."
"If things go well, you might be able to use this opportunity to get Chisato to reveal what really happened between him and Isshiki in the dream. That would put you at a true advantage."
After hearing this, Utaha held back her response for a long time before finally saying,
"Easier said than done. If Chisato was willing to tell us, he would've been upfront about it back then."
"That's why you need to put that seductive body of yours to good use. Maybe you can easily change his mind and open up the situation?"
"…I don't have time for your dirty jokes."
"I'm not joking. You have no idea how to use a woman's greatest weapon—it makes me wonder what you're even thinking."
"…I'm hanging up."
"Hey, wait! I'm not done—"
Ignoring Eriri's voice on the other end, Utaha decisively ended the call.
"…A woman's greatest weapon, huh."
She leaned back on the sofa, tilting her head up to stare at the ceiling.
Of course, she understood what Eriri meant.
There had been multiple nights when she had made up her mind to take the initiative and cross that line with Chisato.
But every time, the moment she thought about the fact that he still had Kazusa and Hitori by his side, an uncomfortable tightness seized her throat, and her enthusiasm vanished instantly.
In the end, she was still lacking determination.
Maybe it was just part of her personality.
If she could be as straightforward as Eriri—facing her feelings head-on instead of being easily swayed by fleeting emotions—then perhaps things would have turned out differently in the first dream.
Perhaps even reality itself would have been different...
"Ugh… even I find myself troublesome."
Chisato is probably meeting with Kazusa right about now...
I hope it rains today and tomorrow—preferably a storm, so their date gets completely ruined. No romance, no fun.
Utaha wished for this with all her heart.
…
But what Utaha wished for did not happen. The weather does not change just because of one person's sincere prayers.
When Chisato arrived at Kazusa's residence, he found her lounging lazily in the living room. She was enjoying the cool air from the AC while munching on a family-sized bag of chips.
Notably, the flavor on the package read "Licorice Honey," with a dusting of pale yellow sugar coating the chips.
In a display of affection, Kazusa casually popped a chip into her boyfriend's mouth.
Chisato was immediately overwhelmed by the sweetness. But under Kazusa's expectant gaze, he couldn't bring himself to give a thumbs-up and shower it with praise.
Instead, what crossed his mind was that he needed to figure out a way to get this sugar-loving anomaly to cut back on sweets.
Otherwise, he had a strong feeling that her chances of developing diabetes would skyrocket in the future.
"It's about time we head out, isn't it?"
Chisato glanced at the clock—it was a little past noon. If they left now, accounting for travel time, they would arrive at the beach by around 2 or 3 PM.
The plan was to drop off their luggage at the reserved hotel, explore the nearby shopping district, have an early dinner, and rest up to prepare for tomorrow's activities.
The next part of their schedule was already planned out in his mind.
Except for one small hiccup.
"Oh."
Kazusa obediently clipped the unfinished bag of chips shut and tossed it onto the coffee table.
She stood up and stretched, causing her light blue shirt to lift slightly, revealing her fair stomach and cute navel.
Noticing Chisato's gaze shift unnaturally, she didn't say anything, though she felt both shy and secretly pleased.
"Have you eaten?"
"I have. Milk and toast."
"Oh, then never mind."
Kazusa turned to head upstairs to grab her luggage, but what she said made it impossible for Chisato to ignore.
"Wait a second— you haven't eaten yet?"
"Mm. I thought you'd arrive earlier, so I wanted to wait and have lunch together. Whether at home or out somewhere."
"…What about the housekeeper?"
"I'm heading out today anyway, so I told her to take the day off and not come over."
"Then let's stop by a convenience store and get you some buns or oden."
"No."
"Then how about a burger or some fried chicken?"
"No."
Kazusa turned back, hands on her hips, looking a little disgruntled for some reason.
"Someone once told me those weren't healthy foods and that I should eat less of them."
"…"
"Feeling guilty now, so you can't argue back?"
"…There's still food in the fridge, right? I'll make you something."
Chisato caught on and tested the waters.
"Okay! I want that fried rice you made last time."
Kazusa agreed instantly, a sly smile appearing on her face.
This was a side of her she only showed to her boyfriend. She loved the relaxed and easygoing atmosphere between them.
Chisato, on the other hand, found his girlfriend's little schemes adorable.
He playfully flicked her nose and left her with a casual "Go get ready. Once you've eaten, we're heading out," before walking into the kitchen.
After making the fried rice and sharing a little with her, the two finally set off, taking a taxi to the Shinkansen station.
The train swayed slightly as it moved forward, carrying with it the lazy, drowsy atmosphere of a summer afternoon.
Watching the passing scenery outside the window, the previously energetic Kazusa slowly started yawning.
It couldn't be helped—she had been so excited for today's date that she barely got any sleep the night before.
Seeing her head nodding off little by little, Chisato chuckled softly and adjusted his posture so his shoulder was closer to her.
Kazusa glanced at him knowingly. Without hesitation, she leaned her head against his shoulder, quickly dozing off like a child.
Chisato could smell her refreshing scent, and a few strands of her soft hair tickled his neck, making him feel an inexplicable itchiness.
This wasn't his first time seeing Kazusa asleep.
But no matter how many times he saw it, he never got tired of the sight.
It was hard to believe that someone usually so cool and stunning could look this defenseless and innocent while sleeping.
Feeling the weight on his shoulder, Chisato discreetly took out his phone and captured the first selfie of their trip.
…
"…It's about time to wake up."
In a daze, Kazusa vaguely heard someone calling her. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was that familiar, handsome face.
Ugh, as much as she hated to admit it, this guy's smile was way too mesmerizing—it was basically cheating.
Muttering to herself, Kazusa patted her cheeks lightly to wake up before asking,
"Are we there yet?"
"One more stop."
"You could've woken me up when we arrived."
Kazusa rubbed her eyes. That short nap had been incredibly satisfying, even more so than sleeping in her own bed.
"I would've, but you were drooling all over my shoulder. If I didn't wake you now, I wouldn't be able to wear this shirt anymore."
"Wha—?!"
Kazusa's face turned red in an instant. She hastily wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand before glancing at Chisato's shoulder.
But her hand came away dry, and there was nothing on his shirt either.
"You…!"
Realizing she had been tricked, Kazusa clenched her fists and swung at him, though her punch was so light that it barely had any force.
And just before hitting his stomach, she consciously pulled back even more, ensuring he felt no pain at all.
"If you mess with me again, I won't be aiming for your stomach next time."
Chisato, still playing along by holding his stomach, couldn't hold back his laughter.
"You're still laughing?!"
This time, Kazusa pinched his cheeks.
"Okay, okay, I was wrong. To make up for it, I'll compensate you as much as I can."
"What do you mean by that?"
"After watching the sunrise tomorrow, it'll still be early. Since the aquarium is near the beach, why don't we go check it out?"
"The aquarium, huh…"
Kazusa let go, folding her arms arrogantly.
"Doesn't sound all that interesting. I'll have to think about it."
Chisato responded sincerely,
"No need to force yourself. If you don't want to go, we can just head back after the sunrise. Might as well buy our return tickets now."
"You…"
And just like that, the two started bickering again.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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