"So, we're neighbours now?" Sui couldn't help but comment, thinking about the fact that Eriri lived to his left, while Utaha would soon be living on his right. The situation struck him as a bit strange.
"Seems like it," Utaha replied, brushing her hair back thoughtfully before adding, "What's wrong? Not happy to see me?"
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"No, you're welcome here," Sui laughed.
At that moment, the door to the neighboring apartment suddenly opened, revealing Eriri. Her messy blonde hair and haggard face suggested she hadn't slept in days.
Upon seeing the two of them together, Eriri was stunned. She pointed at Utaha and shouted, "Kasumigaoka Utaha! What are you doing here?"
"Could you please not call people by their full name, Sawamura-san?" Utaha said calmly, giving her a cool glance. "Besides, you look awful right now."
Sui took note of Eriri's dark-circled eyes and hair that resembled a bird's nest. He was speechless. Could it be that she had pulled another all-nighter?
Eriri's face flushed red. In truth, she hadn't slept at all last night, trying to finish her manuscript.
Her gaze fell on the small pile of luggage at Utaha's feet, and she suddenly remembered their conversation from the day before. "Are you really moving here, just like I thought? What are your intentions, you dark-hearted person?"
Various H-manga scenarios played out in Eriri's mind.
"Your imagination is truly wild," Utaha replied, seemingly able to read Eriri's thoughts. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and continued, "You're a disguised princess, beautiful on the outside but with an utterly useless soul. You have no right to speak to me like that. And now you look even more useless."
"Ugh, so annoying," Eriri gritted her teeth, clearly frustrated.
Sui, feeling the tension, quickly changed the subject. "By the way, Eriri, where are you off to?"
It occurred to him that although he'd been living here for a while, he'd only just realized that Eriri lived next door.
Then again, he spent most of his time at Totsuki and only opened his shop in the evenings. Eriri, on the other hand, was a typical otaku, staying cooped up in her room to work on her H-manga, only showing up occasionally. If she hadn't caused a commotion yesterday, he might never have discovered her presence.
"Oh, right! I finished my draft. Want to see it?" Eriri waved her manuscript in front of him.
"Of course!" Sui's interest was piqued. He was eager to see her latest work. "Come on in."
Then he turned to Utaha, "Senpai, would you like to come in as well?"
"Sure," she replied, nodding indifferently.
The three of them entered Sui's apartment together. As they walked in, Utaha spotted Tohru and Kanna eating breakfast at the table and was momentarily stunned.
Wasn't his girlfriend the blonde girl from last time? Has he switched to someone else?
"What happened to the girl from before? Did you two break up?" she asked.
"Uh, no. She's busy with her own work," Sui explained.
"She's still working?" Utaha asked, surprised. "Are you really okay with her profession?"
Her writer's imagination had clearly kicked in again.
"Huh?" Sui was momentarily confused, thinking she was referring to food-tasting, and replied, "It's fine, though I'd like her to take a break from work. Maybe when I'm more established, she'll be able to relax and stay at home."
Utaha nodded, looking at Sui with newfound respect. It was rare to find a man willing to accept his girlfriend's difficult situation and work hard to free her from it.
Initially, she had thought Sui was just an ordinary otaku, but after tasting his cooking, she realized there was much more to him. Now, she truly admired him.
In her mind, she was already weaving a story: a poor boy trying to save a noble lady who had fallen into an unsavory life.
If Sui had known what Utaha was imagining, he would have been speechless at her ability to jump to such conclusions.
Eriri gave Sui a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Keep at it!" she encouraged.
"Uh, thanks," Sui nodded.
But then, Eriri's attention shifted to Tohru and Kanna, who were staring back at her. She began to drool, her mind conjuring up a host of inappropriate scenarios.
"What a filthy mind," Utaha commented dryly, casting her a disapproving glance. "Otaku like you are truly disgusting. I can't even imagine what goes through your head all day."
"None of your business!" Eriri shot back angrily.
Everyone eventually settled into their seats. Sui began reviewing Eriri's manuscript. As expected, her latest work was of high quality—beautifully drawn with an engaging plot. It was another impressive piece from the "veteran driver," as Sui couldn't help but nod in approval.
Meanwhile, Eriri and Utaha glanced at the breakfast spread on the table, secretly salivating.
Today's meal consisted of fried steak, poached eggs, and bread—an absolutely mouthwatering combination.
Sui noticed their expressions and asked, "You two haven't eaten yet, have you? Would you like to join us?"
"Don't mind if I do!" Eriri quickly grabbed a piece of bread and took a big bite.
The freshly toasted bread was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and filled with the rich aroma of wheat.
"I'll have some too," Utaha said after a moment's hesitation.
Eriri glanced at her while chewing, a teasing look in her eyes. "You didn't move here just for Sui's cooking, did you?"
Utaha's face immediately flushed at the accusation. "Of course not! I moved because the lighting is better here, and it's convenient and quiet," she stammered, clearly flustered.
"Is that so?" Eriri asked with a knowing grin, stretching out the words while biting into another piece of bread.
-----
If you want more chapters, you can read 30+ advance chapters on my patre0n [patreon.com/Fanfic69]!
-----