Leaving the publishing house, Utaha happily clung to Ichin's arm, her voice filled with satisfaction.
"Finally, I can take a proper break while waiting for the second volume to be released, Ichin-kun."
"You definitely deserve a bit of rest," Ichin nodded, glancing at her thoughtfully. "Um, Utaha, can I make a small suggestion?"
"Hm? What is it?" Utaha looked at him curiously.
Scratching his cheek awkwardly, Ichin said, "Well, since we're dating now, maybe you could stop using such formal ways to address me. Just call me by my name."
(T/N: Those who don't know, Ichin's Chinese name is Yi Chen, but we will stick with Ichin f*ck with formality)
"Is that all? I hadn't even realized," Utaha replied, tapping her chin in mock contemplation. Then, with a teasing smile, she continued, "So, what should I call you then? Maybe… 'darling'?"
"Let's skip the that one for now," Ichin replied quickly, not prepared to handle such an affectionate term. "Just Ichin is fine I guess."
After a brief pause, Utaha nodded. "Alright, I'll go with Ichin. Let's head home, shall we?"
"Sounds good."
The two took the train back to their apartment building. As they were walking toward the entrance, a familiar voice called out from behind.
"Utaha?"
Turning around, they saw Mrs. Kasumigaoka holding a shopping bag.
"Uh… Mom?"
Utaha froze for a moment, realizing that her arm was still wrapped around Ichin's. The situation was clear—there was no hiding it now.
Though a bit flustered, Utaha didn't let go of Ichin's arm. Instead, she looked at her mother and asked, "Mom, were you out shopping?"
"Yes, I ran out of some seasoning at home," Mrs. Kasumigaoka replied as she walked over. Her gaze fell on the two of them, and despite the intimate gesture, she didn't seem particularly surprised. Smiling warmly, she turned to Ichin.
"Ichin-kun, why don't you join us for dinner tonight?"
In this situation, there was no room for Ichin to refuse. He nodded quickly. "Of course, I'd be happy to."
They entered the building and took the elevator up. On the third floor, Ichin stepped out, explaining that he needed to stop by his workspace first.
Utaha initially wanted to go with him, but her mother gently held her back. Reluctantly, she stayed behind, temporarily parting ways with Ichin.
When they returned home, Utaha's father hadn't come back from work yet. Mrs. Kasumigaoka put away the groceries and then gently pulled her daughter to sit with her on the couch.
Noticing her daughter's stiff expression, she chuckled softly and asked, "So, when did you and Ichin-kun start dating?"
Since she'd been caught so directly, Utaha saw no point in hiding it. She answered honestly, "Not long ago—right after Golden Week."
"I see."
Mrs. Kasumigaoka nodded in understanding. That explained everything: her daughter frequently visiting next door, their morning runs together, and other small details.
She raised her hand to pat Utaha's head gently and spoke in a warm tone, "You've grown up. And since Ichin is our neighbor, I know him well enough. I won't interfere in your relationship. But there's one thing—you mustn't let romance distract you from your studies. Understand?"
"Don't worry, I know."
Utaha replied obediently, "Ichin and I have the same mindset. We'll focus on our relationship but won't neglect our studies. I'm even planning to beat him in the midterm exams and reclaim the top spot in the grade rankings."
Hearing her determined words, Mrs. Kasumigaoka felt reassured and had no objections to their relationship.
Standing up, she smiled and said, "Alright, take a break. I'll go prepare dinner. I should also let your father know about this so he won't be too surprised when he gets home."
"I'm going downstairs for a bit. Ichin and I will come back together for dinner."
With that, Utaha got up and headed for the door.
Watching her daughter's actions, Mrs. Kasumigaoka shook her head with a mix of amusement and resignation. She didn't object, though—young love always had a certain eagerness to it, and she herself had been the same at that age.
Taking the elevator to the third floor, Utaha used a key to unlock the studio door and stepped inside.
The atmosphere in the studio was much the same as usual, except for one notable difference: there was now an additional presence—Hazuki's cat. Ichin was sitting on a chair, and on his lap lay a plump cat with a red ribbon tied around its neck.
Seeing Utaha enter, Ichin smiled and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to see Hazuki-san's cat? Here it is."
"Meow~~~"
The lazy-eyed Mozuku glanced at Utaha, let out a low meow, and promptly returned to lying down, showing no interest in moving.
Utaha crouched beside Ichin, looking closely at Mozuku. "Wow, it's even chubbier in person than in the photos. He really needs to lose some weight."
Hazuki, seated in the chair next to Ichin, swiveled to face them and said, "It's not too bad. I took Mozuku to the vet, and while he's a bit plump, his health metrics are all normal. He's active during the day, so he doesn't actually need to diet yet."
"That's good. I don't know much about cats, but if the vet says he's fine, then there's no problem."
Nodding, Utaha took Mozuku from Ichin and held him in her arms, stroking his soft fur with a smile. "Even if he's heavy, he's really nice to pet."
"Right?!" Hazuki beamed proudly. "I've been taking great care of Mozuku. Sure, he's gained some curves, but he's still the most beautiful cat in my neighborhood. Honestly, if I hadn't had him spayed early, he'd probably have a harem of his own and countless offspring by now."
As if understanding Hazuki's words, Mozuku suddenly shuddered at the mention of being spayed. He squirmed out of Utaha's arms, jumped to the floor, and walked off toward the cat tree.
Watching Mozuku's retreating figure, Ichin couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy.
Sigh... Getting neutered must be a traumatic memory for any male cat.
Ichin picked up a stick with a feather toy and crouched near Mozuku, offering it as a peace offering. Enticed by the toy, Mozuku quickly regained his energy and began exploring the studio again, rubbing against things and inspecting every corner.
When Ichin threw the toy's wrapper into the trash, Hazuki said with a teasing smile, "Ichin-kun, you seem to like Mozuku a lot. I'll make sure to bring him over more often. It's a shame he's spayed and can't be considered a 'complete' boy anymore. Otherwise, he could've added some masculinity to our studio. Speaking of which, Ichin-kun, when we eventually hire more staff, will you consider bringing in some male team members?"
"Hiring, huh?"
The topic made Ichin pause and think seriously.
While he pondered, the others in the studio all looked up, their attention turning toward him with curiosity.
...