In the evening, Ichin and Utaha returned home.
At home, Yukino was already preparing dinner and had reached the final stage.
Utaha went upstairs to change, while Ichin headed into the kitchen to help.
As soon as he entered, he wrapped his arms around Yukino from behind and softly said, "Were you reading at home this afternoon?"
Yukino nodded, then turned her head and kissed Ichin on the cheek. "I read for a bit, then went out at two to buy groceries. Tonight we're having braised beef with tomatoes and curry chicken."
"All my favorites."
Nuzzling gently into her soft hair and giving her a kiss, Ichin smiled. "I need to go to college tomorrow anyway. How about I accompany you to class?"
"Wouldn't that be a waste of your time?"
"It won't." Ichin shook his head, watching her handle the curry chicken in the pot as he spoke. "I was already planning to go to college in the morning to ask the professor about some coursework. As for the company, I've been working consistently these past few days. Half a day won't make a difference, and you know how efficient I am."
Hearing that, Yukino agreed.
"Alright, then let's go to college together tomorrow. What about Utaha?"
"I already asked. She's not going to college tomorrow, she's heading to the publishing office. We'll drop her off there first, then go to class."
"Okay!"
After giving the adorable Yukino another kiss, Ichin finally let go and started helping with dinner.
About fifteen minutes later, Haruno returned from work just as dinner was ready, arriving right on time.
While eating, Haruno said to the three of them, "Just so you know, I'll probably be very busy for the next few days, so I won't be coming back for dinner. I'll also need to go back to Chiba with Mom to attend a few business banquets. It'll probably take at least three to five days."
"That long?"
Ichin looked at her in surprise. "Then make sure you take care of yourself, especially your meals."
Yukino also said, "Sis, when you're in Tokyo, I can bring dinner to you."
Haruno nodded happily. "Hehe, if you're not too busy, that would be great."
Although the company cafeteria food was decent, Haruno still preferred home-cooked meals. She had already gotten used to them.
Taking a bite of beef, Utaha asked curiously, "Is this about the villa development project?"
"Yeah, that's the one. Besides visiting the site, there are a lot of things I need to handle personally. In short, for the next month or two, there will definitely be days when I can't come back for dinner."
"Sounds exhausting."
Ichin shook his head and looked at her. "Alright then, if you can't make it back for dinner, just give us a call. If we have time, we'll bring you food. Work is important, but you still need to eat properly. Nutrition matters."
That clearly pleased Haruno, and her appetite increased noticeably.
The next morning, after dropping Utaha off at the publishing office, Ichin and Yukino headed to college.
For the first class, Yukino went to the classroom first to save a seat, while Ichin went to meet his academic advisor. Since he didn't come to college often, he had to check in regularly so the professor could stay updated on his progress.
Even though his graduation thesis was already completed, there were still exams to pass. It wouldn't make sense to pass the thesis but fail the exams.
After discussing coursework and chatting for a bit, Ichin left the office and headed to Yukino's classroom.
Because she was waiting for him, Yukino had chosen a seat in the back.
Entering quietly through the back door, Ichin slipped in and sat beside her.
Yukino, who was taking notes, noticed him and smiled. "All done?" she asked softly.
Ichin nodded. After glancing at the case study the teacher was explaining at the front, he replied, "Yeah, all sorted. I'll spend the rest of the morning attending classes with you."
The teacher was currently discussing a real-life case, which Ichin actually found quite interesting.
After the first class ended, most of the students finally noticed Ichin sitting next to Yukino.
They were a bit surprised, but it wasn't the first time they had seen him, so they quickly returned to normal. They were just curious why Utaha wasn't there this time, since previously it was either the three of them together or just Utaha and Yukino.
After Yukino packed up her books, Ichin asked, "Shall we head to the next classroom? Want to grab something to drink on the way?"
"Yeah, let's get some coffee."
They took a slight detour to buy two cans of coffee before heading to their second class.
After accompanying Yukino through the morning classes and having lunch at college, Ichin left to pick up Utaha from the publishing office, and the two of them returned to the company together.
Yukino had a full schedule that day, so they would just pick her up after her afternoon classes and head home together.
Over the next few days, just as Haruno had said, she became extremely busy, often not returning home until after ten at night.
Ichin and Yukino took turns delivering meals to her. Every time they went, they would either see Haruno rushing around nonstop or not see her at all because she was in meetings.
"Haruno is really busy," Utaha said while chopping vegetables in the kitchen. "I wonder how long this will last."
"Probably about a month or so," Yukino replied. "Besides the villa project, she's also taken on a new one. Managing two projects at once, it's impossible not to be busy. Only someone as capable as my sister could handle both in an orderly way. At most, she's just very busy, but she hasn't made any mistakes."
"Haruno really is impressive in business. She was able to fully take over the company's operations in such a short time," Ichin added. "And honestly, she's completely different at work compared to at home. It's like she's two different people."
If Haruno in the past always seemed like someone wearing a mask, then the Haruno at home now had completely returned to her true self, living happily and naturally without any pretense.
But the moment she stepped into the company, she transformed into a strong, capable career woman unlike anything seen before.
To be honest, the way she conducted meetings in the conference room had left a deep impression on Ichin. It was undeniably cool.
According to the assistant who had received him during previous visits, Haruno had quite a few female admirers in the company. She was incredibly charismatic.
Just as they were talking, Haruno's call came through.
As soon as Ichin picked up, he heard her voice:
"Ichin! I'm starving!!!"
Ichin smiled helplessly. "Hang on, the last dish is almost done. I'll bring it over as soon as it's ready!"
...
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