At nine in the evening, Haruno finally came home after working overtime yet again.
"I'm back…"
Hearing her exhausted voice from the entryway, Ichin poked his head out from the kitchen. "You're back? Haruno, are you hungry? I can make you something. Want some mixed noodles?"
"Yes! I'm starving!"
She tossed her handbag onto the sofa and, still dressed in her office attire, walked to the dining table. Pulling out a chair, she sat down and slumped forward onto the table without even greeting Utaha or Yukino.
Seeing her like that, Utaha and Yukino got up and moved over, sitting on either side of her.
Utaha looked at her with concern. "Haruno, you've been working overtime these past few days. Do you still have more coming up?"
"Not after this," Haruno replied weakly, still resting her head on the table. "That piece of land I'd been eyeing? We finally secured it yesterday. Today was nothing but meetings at the company, planning and assigning tasks. After this, I can relax a bit. I won't be as busy as these past few days. I can leave things to the people under me."
"That's good," Yukino nodded, unable to hide the concern in her eyes for her sister.
While waiting for Ichin to finish preparing the late night meal, Utaha told Haruno about Ichin's parents coming over in a few days.
After taking a couple of sips of tea, Haruno smiled. "Godfather and Godmother are coming? Perfect timing. I'll be free by then. When their plane lands in three days, let's all go pick them up together."
"Of course we will," Utaha said with a smile. "They're not familiar with the new house location, and it's been a long time since we've seen them."
Ten minutes later, Ichin came out carrying a tray.
"Here you go, Haruno. Tomato and egg mixed noodles, the braised chicken wings I saved for you, and a bowl of vegetable soup. Eat up."
"Yay!"
Seeing the food placed before her, Haruno clapped happily and immediately grabbed a chicken wing with her chopsticks.
"Thanks for the meal! Ah—!"
Sitting across from her, Ichin watched as she quickly finished one wing and moved on to the noodles. "Did you skip dinner?"
"I ate," Haruno replied after swallowing a mouthful of noodles. "But I was running around all day without a break. By evening I just grabbed something quickly. I had no appetite at all. It's much easier to eat properly once I'm home and relaxed."
Ichin understood that well. When work was hectic, eating in the middle of it could easily disrupt focus, and the meal never felt satisfying.
Fortunately, his own company no longer had that issue. Everyone managed their time strictly, making sure not to encroach on rest or meal times. After all, health was the foundation of everything.
Fifteen minutes later, Haruno slowed down and finally finished the bowl of noodles, the chicken wings, and the soup. She leaned back in her chair, looking completely satisfied.
"Ahh… that feels so much better… hic…"
After clearing the dishes, Ichin looked at her. "Have some tea and rest a bit. You should go to bed early tonight. You're exhausted. Oh, and my parents are coming in a few days. Try to behave a little more at home. No more running around in your sleepwear."
"Got it~~~"
After resting downstairs for a while, Haruno went upstairs to shower and sleep. Ichin and the other two did not stay on the first floor either. They turned off the lights and headed to the home theater upstairs, using the large screen there to watch a drama.
Tonight was the final episode of the television series Utaha had written. Of course they had to watch it.
Haruno knew as well, but she was too tired and decided to watch it online the next day.
With snacks in hand, they closed the door, dimmed the lights, and sat close together to watch.
The drama did not rely on excessive melodrama. Overall, it was a mainstream, straightforward romantic idol series. With Utaha's script and the strong performances of the lead actors, the show might not have had explosive moments, but it had steadily remained the number one romance drama over the past six months.
These days, too many shows squandered top tier resources on unnecessary gimmicks, turning promising starts into disappointing endings.
With work pressure so high for most people, viewers watched romance dramas to relax and soothe their hearts, not to deal with complicated love polygons between two men and a woman, or two men and two women, forcing them to burn extra brain cells unraveling tangled relationships. Most people just wanted a simple dose of sweetness.
In a way, trends were cyclical. After audiences had grown weary of melodramatic angst filled series, pure romance had returned to the spotlight and was warmly embraced again.
Compared to those angst ridden dramas, Ichin had always preferred simple romance, past and present.
There was no helping it. He had been traumatized enough by melodramatic shows in his childhood.
Sitting between Utaha and Yukino, Ichin wrapped an arm around each of them and watched comfortably. The two girls occasionally fed him snacks, so he did not even have to lift a hand.
An hour passed quickly. With the wedding of the main couple, the series came to its conclusion.
After finishing, the three of them exhaled slowly.
"It really was good," Ichin said. "From beginning to end, the script was excellent. The cinematography and acting were strong too, and the ratings kept rising steadily. With this under your belt, Utaha, if you want to continue in this field, you'll definitely receive plenty of invitations."
"That's true," Utaha nodded with a smile. "By the latter half of the broadcast, Sonoko had already received invitations from several directors on my behalf. But I'm currently collaborating with Akane, and my new novel just released. I don't want to take on extra projects right now. It would be too much. Once I finish the next volume of my new book and complete the collaboration with Akane, I'll have even more leverage to negotiate with those directors. Though honestly, writing this type of script again doesn't excite me as much anymore. I'd rather try something different."
Her new novel was no longer a simple romance like her previous two. While the relationship between the main couple remained central, she had added quite a few fantasy elements.
It could be said that Utaha now had virtually no limitations when it came to creative genres. With some preparation, she could attempt many different types of scripts.
Turning on the lights, Ichin stretched. "Then keep it up. I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of game you and Akane create together. For now, though, let's get showered. It's time to rest."
---
RedX43's Note:
➤ Want More? Get up to +50 Extra Chapters on Patreon!
➤ [email protected]/RedX43
➤ +300 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter Drop!
➤ Thanks for the support! 🙌