After dinner, Haru stood at the kitchen sink, washing the dishes. Utaha, meanwhile, stood at the doorway, holding an orange cat in her arms.
She had originally wanted to help, but Haru had politely refused with a simple, "Guests should just relax."
The cat was calm in her embrace, already accustomed to human affection after spending so much time around people. However, Utaha's petting skills were far inferior to Yukino's.
She absentmindedly stroked the cat's head, her gaze fixed on Haru, unable to hide the warmth and happiness welling up inside her.
This scene—it was one she had seen before at home.
Whenever her father had free time, he would sometimes take the initiative to wash the dishes, while her mother would stand by the doorway, watching with a gentle smile.
Just like a married couple.
The thought crossed her mind.
"What are you thinking about?"
Haru had already noticed her lingering gaze.
Utaha shook her head. "I just realized something… Jelly actually knows how to use the bathroom on its own."
"I trained it before. It took a lot of tries, but unfortunately, cats just aren't as quick to learn as dogs."
"More accurately, it's about obedience," she corrected him.
Then, as if something came to mind, she looked down at the cat in her arms. "I heard something interesting at the editorial office today. My editor knows someone who's planning to shoot a pet commercial, but they haven't found the right cat yet."
Haru instinctively turned around. "You want Jelly to be in it?"
"Well, since it can even use the bathroom properly, I think it's pretty smart. Maybe it could earn you some advertising money."
"We can talk about it later. I'm not particularly interested in the money."
"Mm."
Utaha had only mentioned it in passing, so seeing him uninterested, she let the topic drop.
Once Haru finished the dishes, she put the cat down on the living room floor and grabbed her clothes to take a shower.
She locked the bathroom door, lifted her long, jet-black hair, and wrapped it in a towel.
As a girl—especially one with hair as long as hers—if her hair wasn't particularly dirty, she would rather not wash it.
Not only was it troublesome to wash, but drying and combing it was even more of a hassle.
She quickly undressed, removing her skirt, stockings, and underwear, exposing her tall and shapely figure to the cool air.
She paused in front of the mirror, observing herself. Her breathing was slightly uneven.
A mix of nervousness… and anticipation.
Ever since she had given Haru her first kiss, she had been looking forward to this moment.
Just as she had told him: "I can give you everything."
I'm different from Yukinoshita.
A sense of pride filled her as she smiled to herself and stepped into the bathtub.
When she emerged from the bathroom, she was wearing only a black slip dress—the kind that hugged her figure, accentuating her astonishing curves.
Her waist-to-hip ratio was exceptional. In simple terms, she had the kind of body people would describe as perfect for childbearing.
She walked over to the couch and sat down beside Haru, her subtly fragrant body leaning against his. Her posture was relaxed, one leg stretched out slightly, making her already long legs seem even more striking.
"Are you sure about this?"
Haru understood exactly what it meant for her to sit so close. He turned to meet her gaze, his expression serious.
Utaha felt a little shy, but perhaps because she had been waiting for this day for so long, she didn't panic. Instead, she curved her lips into a teasing smile. "Are you nervous?"
"I admire your confidence right now," Haru remarked dryly.
Her eyes gleamed with both amusement and challenge. "You'll find out soon enough whether I'm just putting on an act."
"Well, you are the heroine tonight."
Haru nodded solemnly as he stood up. It was his turn to shower.
Watching him disappear into the bathroom, Utaha placed a hand over her chest, taking two deep breaths.
Even now, I can't help but feel nervous.
Thinking back to his words—"the heroine"—she couldn't help but smile again.
A short while later, Haru emerged from the bathroom.
He was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs, his upper body bare as he towel-dried his hair.
Utaha openly admired his physique, deliberately teasing, "I didn't get a good look at you last time at the pool. Tonight, I finally have the chance."
She rested her hand under her chin, tilting her head slightly. "Your muscle definition is surprisingly good. Looks like all that training paid off."
"Oh? So now you're giving me a review?" Haru picked up the hairdryer, shooting her a look.
She smiled even more mischievously. "What's wrong? Are you finally feeling nervous about being judged by your senior?"
Haru suddenly paused.
Utaha thought he was flustered and was about to tease him further when, without warning, he turned around and casually tossed the hairdryer onto the single-seater couch beside him.
"Wait, what are you—? Shouldn't you be drying your hair—ah!"
Before she could finish her sentence, Haru scooped her up effortlessly, carrying her in his arms.
The way she had been sitting made it far too easy for him to pick her up like this.
Utaha instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Any attempt to hide her shyness completely collapsed, her face and neck turning a deep shade of pink.
"You were acting pretty smug just now," Haru remarked, still holding her.
After the initial surprise, Utaha quickly regained her composure.
And then—she showed him what made her different from Yukino.
"As your senior, I must be strict with my disrespectful junior. And as for being 'smug'…" Her voice took on a playful, authoritative tone. "Should I take that as a sign of your lack of respect?"
She fell into character instantly.
Her blushing face maintained a serious expression as she deliberately gave him a reprimanding look, her voice laced with feigned scolding.
"You must have forgotten who I am," he muttered, carrying her toward the bedroom. "Back at the start of the school year, I took on a group of senior bullies without hesitation."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "Which means… I'm much better at defying my seniors than respecting them."
Utaha sensed there was more to his words than just their literal meaning.
There was something about the way he said it… something peculiar.
Unfortunately, her understanding of wordplay wasn't quite strong enough to decipher the hidden implication.
But soon, she wouldn't have the time to think about it anymore.
Haru carried her into the bedroom.
It wasn't her first time here.
She had been in this room before—when she had come to him for lessons on scriptwriting, when she had explored the space out of curiosity.
"You really are an insolent junior," she murmured softly.
Her arms remained wrapped around his neck, unwilling to let go.
Haru was completely enveloped in her scent.
And now that she had just bathed, the fragrance seemed to have blended into her very skin, forming an intoxicating allure that made it impossible to focus on anything else.
Every breath drew his eyes to the soft curve of her lips, the dewy glow of her eyes, the subtle shifts in her expression.
Every fleeting moment, every delicate movement—right now, nothing could compare to the beauty before him.
The evening breeze of this season was anything but gentle, but at this moment, her radiant smile and fiery gaze outshone even the softest night wind.
Saturday morning.
When Utaha woke up, Haru was already awake.
On a normal day, he would've been out for his morning run by now.
But today was different.
This was when she needed company the most—when she longed for warmth and closeness.
"Morning."
She saw Haru's face beside her and instinctively smiled, though she quickly averted her gaze, feeling a bit awkward.
Only she knew just how quickly she had surrendered last night…
If, before stepping into the bedroom, she could still pretend to carry the dignity of a senior, then once inside, she had become a knight who abandoned her sword without a fight.
Not only had she lost quickly—she had surrendered even faster.
Yes.
Compared to Yukino, who had bravely charged forward and held her ground for days, she had completely given up on the very first night.
"It's still early. You can sleep a little longer. I'll make breakfast later."
Haru, of course, understood why she was feeling embarrassed, so he smiled and changed the subject.
Utaha's cheeks were tinged with a rosy hue. She looked back at him, a mix of shyness and disbelief in her voice.
"How is your stamina even human…?"
"That's just the result of regular exercise."
"Even if you train a lot, this is ridiculous…"
Seeing the rare, almost sulky expression on her face—so different from her usual composed demeanor—Haru suddenly realized just how adorable she could be.
"I'll work hard from now on too," she muttered.
She was still the same determined senior, unwilling to back down after being provoked by Yukino.
Barely minutes after waking up, she was already regaining her fighting spirit.
"Then do your best."
Haru chuckled and pulled her soft, fragrant body into his arms.
She closed her eyes, completely at ease as she savored the warmth of her lover's embrace.
And this beautiful morning—one she had never experienced before.
Half an hour later, Haru finally got out of bed and dressed.
Seeing Utaha still curled up under the covers, her bright, captivating eyes watching him intently, he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Just the forehead?"
She arched a brow, her lips curving into a teasing smirk.
In response, Haru began unbuttoning his shirt.
Utaha's smile froze.
And then—panic.
"Get out!"
Her flustered voice rang through the room, but Haru simply laughed like a mischievous trickster waiting for the perfect ambush.
Still, he was considerate enough to close the door behind him as he left.
Utaha felt the heat lingering on her cheeks, memories of last night flashing through her mind.
She chuckled softly.
But after a while, her delicate brows furrowed, her exquisite eyes filled with deep contemplation.
"There's no way Yukinoshita hasn't already reached this stage with him… Looking at how radiant and refreshed she always looks at school…"
A sudden realization struck her.
"…Could it be that she's that good at this?"
Utaha bit her lip, her expression the very picture of someone who had just failed every pull in a gacha game.
Last night, her performance was… terrible.
Though Haru had reassured her that it was completely normal for a first time, she had still felt embarrassed.
At the time, his words had been sweet, making her heart melt.
But now, with the morning calm giving her space to think, other thoughts began creeping in.
Naturally, she thought of Yukino.
After all, they had gone to the swimming pool together before, and she had seen Yukino's figure up close in the changing room.
"Wait, I overlooked something important."
Utaha recalled Yukino's slender frame.
She was delicate—her legs showed no sign of the toned muscles that frequent runners usually had.
That meant her stamina… probably wasn't that great.
"Could it be… she was even worse than me?"
The more Utaha thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Though, she wasn't quite sure how to verify it.
She'd have to find a way to casually bring it up with Haru another time.
At nine in the morning, Utaha, now dressed in fresh clothes, was comfortably nestled against Haru on the couch.
She loved this feeling of being alone with him.
If possible, she wished they could stay like this forever, uninterrupted.
Unfortunately, reality had other plans.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Kato Megumi.
She glanced at it—and her expression stiffened.
Haru noticed. "What's wrong?"
Utaha cleared her throat. "Megumi said… my mom just called her. She told her I was in the shower and couldn't answer the phone."
Haru immediately understood. "Do you want me to take you home now?"
"No way."
Like hell she was going back so soon.
Instead, she adjusted her position, lazily leaning into his embrace with a playful smile.
"Megumi's reliable. She's already handled it for me. As long as I go home for dinner, it'll be fine."
She reached up, gently caressing Haru's face, her voice laced with amusement.
"In other words, we have the whole day to ourselves."
Haru had just opened his mouth to respond when she cut him off with a knowing smirk.
"That is, unless Yukinoshita comes looking for you."
"…How did you know that's what I was thinking?"
"Because I'm smart."
After lunch, Utaha felt much better—no longer sore or exhausted.
At her insistence, Haru accompanied her on a shopping trip.
She didn't have anything in particular she wanted to buy.
She just wanted to spend time with him.
It was different from the times she had gone shopping before.
For example, when she picked out clothes for Haru in a store, she noticed the female store clerk sneaking glances at him.
That gave her a small sense of pride.
"See? My taste is impeccable."
Later in the afternoon, they sat on a bench in the nearby park to rest.
Being a Saturday, the park was bustling with parents and children.
Normally, Utaha would have found the noisy environment of shouting kids annoying.
But today, she didn't mind.
In fact, as she watched the children play, her gaze softened.
"Someday… I'll have his child too."
That thought made her heart race.
What her family would think?
She didn't care.
She was happy right now—she didn't want to think about anything that might ruin it.
Then, she noticed Haru had been staring at a group of kids for a while.
"Do you… like children?" she asked, curious.
"Huh? Not particularly." Haru pointed ahead. "I was looking at what they're playing with."
Only then did Utaha realize what had caught his attention.
"A yo-yo?" She raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "Are you seriously that childish?"
"Yo-yos aren't childish. There are actual professional tournaments, and the tricks people pull off in those competitions are insane. You'd be shocked if you saw them."
"That impressive?"
"Here, I'll show you."
Haru got up and walked over to the kids.
Utaha watched with amusement as he chatted with them.
Before long, one of the children eagerly handed him a yo-yo.
And then, in a flurry of spinning strings, Haru performed a few amateur but still impressive double-handed tricks.
The kids gasped in awe.
Even some nearby boys who had been playing soccer ran over to watch.
Utaha chuckled as she watched him bask in the excited cries of "Big bro, you're amazing!" from the children.
And then—completely serious—he told them,
"If you master this trick, the next time you go to a toy store to buy a new yo-yo, the shopkeeper will revere you like a god."
"Whoaaaa!"
The kids' enthusiasm exploded.
Haru returned to Utaha's side, grabbing her hand without a word.
She blinked, surprised. "What's wrong?"
"Time to run." His tone was grave.
"…Run? Why?"
She was confused but followed him anyway as he quickly led her out of the park.
It wasn't until they had walked a few streets away that he finally explained,
"They got way too hyped. And kids that age love trying things out for themselves. If we didn't leave now, we'd be stuck watching a disaster unfold."
Utaha didn't entirely get it.
So Haru pulled out his phone and showed her a compilation of yo-yo fail videos—kids accidentally hitting themselves in the face, tangled strings snapping back at high speed, absolute chaos.
She burst into laughter. "Ah… I see now."
That afternoon, the park witnessed an unusual spike in yo-yo-related accidents.
By the time bewildered parents saw their children sporting fresh bruises and frantically searched for the culprit…
Haru and Utaha were long gone.
That evening, Utaha reluctantly returned home.
Haru had offered to walk her back, but she refused, worried about running into her parents.
Yet, the moment she stepped inside, she pulled out her phone and dialed Megumi's number.
"Hey, are you free tomorrow? As thanks, let me treat you to a meal."