"You certainly have a way with words, Yuki. And you're quite the charmer. No wonder you're always surrounded by so many beautiful girls." Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled faintly, a teasing edge to her voice.
Yuki just smiled back. "It's nothing. I was being honest, every word of it. After all, Senpai truly deserves that kind of praise." He had already figured out why she had come, so he responded with an easy, open expression.
"Is that so? Then why did it take you so long to show up? I kept inviting you to meet, but you always turned me down, saying you were busy." Kasumigaoka's gaze now carried a hint of resentment, like a wronged wife.
"Huh? What do you mean, Senpai? I'm not following." Yuki feigned confusion, acting as though he had no idea what she was talking about.
Seeing right through him, Kasumigaoka decided to fight fire with fire. "You're such a jerk. You've done so much for me, and now you're pretending not to know me. Am I really so unattractive that you don't want to take responsibility?"
She half-covered her face, sniffling as if she were about to cry, teary-eyed and pitiful, like an unfortunate woman abandoned by a heartless man.
Watching Kasumigaoka's theatrical performance and the wildly misleading things she was saying, Yuki felt a headache coming on. Even though no one nearby could hear their conversation, her vivid acting fully sold the image of a poor, forsaken woman. Some of the other students actually began to sympathize with her and shot Yuki accusatory looks.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, helpless. "Has anyone ever told you that you deserve an award for your acting? Why would someone bite the hand that helped them?"
Seeing Yuki's exasperated expression, Kasumigaoka instantly dropped the pitiful act and switched to a smug smile. "Hehe. Maybe if you hadn't pretended not to know anything, I wouldn't have had to." She chuckled.
"Ugh. I can't believe you recognized me." Yuki shrugged and sighed.
"Mm-hmm. If you hadn't shown up at the publishing house last week, it probably would've taken me a lot longer to figure out that you're the owner. The one who helped me back then and saved my book from being cancelled." Kasumigaoka smiled softly, her gaze fixed on Yuki as she studied him closely.
This was the third time she had seen him. The first was on the school stairs, the second at the publishing house. And now, the third time, and the first time she'd had the chance to observe him up close like this.
The more she looked, the more she realized that Yuki was genuinely handsome. His appearance was so flawless it defied description, as if he had stepped right out of a fantasy. And there was an intangible charm about him that made people want to get to know him.
"Haha. To think you guessed it from just that. It's a shame you're not a detective, Kasumigaoka." Yuki chuckled warmly, his expression returning to its usual calm and composed state.
"Detective? No thanks. And please, call me Utaha. Yuki-kun."
"Oh… alright then."
Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled brightly. In a way, this was their official re-introduction though they had already known each other online for some time. Now that she had confirmed Yuki's identity, her goal was accomplished.
She picked up her fork again, twirled some pasta, and took a couple of bites. "Would you like a taste, Yuki-kun? It comes with the special flavor of a beautiful girl's saliva~" She held out the forkful of noodles, smiling playfully.
The sight of the senior personally feeding him didn't go unnoticed by those nearby. Eriri nearly jumped out of her seat in shock.
Marin let out a small gasp. "Wh-What are they doing?! Why are they…"
Nana and the others frowned slightly at the scene. Momo, however, watched Kasumigaoka thoughtfully. A small smile tugged at her lips, as if she had figured something out.
Yuki blinked, taken aback by the gesture. "Why did you have to specifically mention the saliva part? That makes me sound like some kind of weirdo." He looked a little exasperated, wondering if Kasumigaoka had gotten the wrong idea about him.
"Huh? You don't like it, Yuki-kun? That can't be right. The reason you helped me back then… wasn't it because…" Kasumigaoka's eyes widened slightly as she spoke, but then she seemed to realize something. A flush crept across her cheeks, and she quickly stopped mid-sentence. "Ahem. Never mind. Forget I said anything." She glanced at Yuki with a hint of shyness.
Yuki caught her saying half a thing and stopping, and gave her a curious look. He knew a thing or two about Kasumigaoka's personality. When she actively got close to someone, it meant she liked them. And the girl sitting in front of him now was no exception.
Back when Yuki had first helped her, Kasumigaoka had already developed feelings for that mysterious, faceless internet stranger. At first, it was gratitude for bringing warmth and support into her life during a dark time. But as they continued talking, discussing novels and other things, those feelings quietly turned into something deeper. Without realizing it, she had fallen for Yuki. And after meeting him in person today, she felt as if she had fallen for him at first sight.
Despite always giving off an unapproachable aura, Kasumigaoka Utaha actually harbored a sense of inferiority deep down. She was, at heart, a girl who dreamed. So when Yuki appeared during her time of confusion and doubt, her feelings found somewhere to anchor themselves.
She pulled her hand back and ate the forkful of pasta herself. Then, she sighed softly.
"Who would've thought the hidden owner of a publishing house was still a high school student? If word gets out, I wonder how many people would be shocked," she teased Yuki with a smile. "Does that mean you're keeping me, Yuki-kun? I mean, the moment you arrived, you had the company pour all its resources into promoting me. It's hard for other authors not to think that way."
Yuki shrugged, looking unconcerned. "Think whatever you want. But you're wrong about one thing, the reason your novels are so successful is mainly because of their quality. Funneling resources to you was just one favorable condition." He smiled, his tone sincere. "The real reason you've achieved what you have is your own hard work."
He didn't try to take all the credit.
Kasumigaoka's face lit up with joy at his words. "But you helped too, you know. You were a big part of the creative process." She gave him a meaningful look.
When they had discussed her novels before, they often role-played as the characters. Yuki, of course, played the male lead, while Kasumigaoka played the female lead.
That process gave her countless valuable ideas for her writing. And through it, the feelings in her heart grew deeper—so much so that she almost felt as if she were living the story.
They chatted a while longer. After learning which class Yuki was in, Kasumigaoka eventually headed back to her own classroom.