"Yami-kun, thank you for helping me move. Your ability is really convenient," Utaha said softly, walking beside him. She had originally thought about hiring movers, but with Yami's shadow space, all her belongings were packed away in an instant.
Honestly, she had even considered letting him carry her directly with Shadow Escape. But seeing how relaxed his posture was, she decided to insist on walking home with him instead.
"By the way, Yami-kun," Utaha suddenly remembered, "do you want to read my novel? I don't think I've properly introduced it to you before."
Yami chuckled at that, his lips curving.
"Kasumigaoka Utaha—cutting-edge light novel writer. Author of Love Metronome."
Utaha blinked in surprise, her eyes widening.
"Eh? Yami-kun, you actually know?"
Yami raised their intertwined hands slightly, giving her a look that was both teasing and sincere.
"Please. This is my girlfriend we're talking about. How could a boyfriend not know about his girlfriend's work?"
Her heart skipped a beat, the warmth of his words sinking in.
"Th-then… have you actually read it?"
"Of course."
"Hoho~" Her lips curled into a sly smile, but her eyes were hopeful. "So, tell me the truth—what did you think?"
Without hesitation, Yami answered:
"Well, it feels like your understanding of love is still a bit shallow. But it works—after all, Love Metronome is about the beginning of a relationship, the part where the protagonist first falls in love."
"…You're already preparing the second volume, right?"
"That's… a pretty good guess," Utaha admitted, impressed.
Happiness bubbled inside her chest. He wasn't just flattering her—he had really read her work.
Still, her expression soon clouded. She sighed softly.
"Honestly, my second novel has been stalled for a long time. Maybe it's true—I just don't have a deep enough understanding of love. I even thought about… giving up."
"Give up? Why give up?"
Yami stopped, turning to face her directly. His gaze was calm but firm.
"Isn't falling in love exactly what we're doing now? Isn't that already enough to turn into experience?"
Her breath caught.
"Yami-kun…"
Realization struck her. Yes… wasn't this love? Her racing heartbeat whenever he teased her, the unsteady emotions whenever their eyes met—these were the very feelings she had been searching for.
Her lips trembled, and as if pulled by an invisible thread, the distance between them shrank. Slowly… closer…
"We must kiss each other when we see each other…"
But before their lips could touch—
"I knew you two would try something sneaky!"
A small but firm hand shoved itself between them, blocking Utaha's mouth.
"Eh?!"
Utaha blinked in disbelief, then glared. The culprit was none other than a certain twin-tailed blonde, fangs bared like an angry cat.
"E-Eriri?! Why are you here?"
Utaha was sure Eriri couldn't make it today. Yet here she was, glaring daggers.
"Hmph!" Eriri crossed her arms over her chest, puffing herself up proudly. "Don't think I don't see through your little schemes! To keep you from doing anything indecent, my mom and I have decided to move into Yami's house too!"
"…What?"
Utaha froze, unable to process it.
And as if on cue, they arrived at Yami's house—where a beautiful black-haired woman was already waiting at the door, smiling wryly.
Yami scratched his cheek, looking awkward.
"Ah… right. Eriri and her mother are renting a room here now. That's… basically it."
The truth was, Sayuri had pressed her daughter until Eriri confessed everything she knew.
Shocked by Utaha's relationship with Yami and worried Eriri might get deceived, Sayuri had insisted on checking the situation herself.
And when Yami, with his usual nonchalance, said his house was big enough and it wasn't a problem… she had simply agreed.
The result? Both Sawamura women were now living under his roof.
Utaha's jaw dropped.
"Ha…? How is that even possible?!"
This… this wasn't right at all!
Her own family would never allow something so outrageous. Even she wouldn't dare confess such a thing! But Eriri's mother not only allowed it...she moved in with her daughter to support it?
The fragile fantasy Utaha had been holding...of a private romance, just the two of them, shattered instantly.
--
The housewarming dinner was warm and lively—quite literally, since Sayuri insisted on cooking everything herself.
Yami and Utaha helped in the kitchen, and seeing that, Eriri felt embarrassed just standing around. Determined, she rolled up her sleeves and joined in… only to nearly slice her fingers off while chopping vegetables.
"Oi, oi, you'll lose a hand before dinner's ready," Yami said, pulling the knife from her hand.
To stop her from causing more accidents, he simply dragged her away from the kitchen and sat her down with her sketchbook.
Of course, the painting she was working on was… let's say, "not very child-friendly." Yami occasionally leaned over and asked teasing questions about her art, making Eriri blush furiously.
Their noisy back-and-forth echoed through the living room like a bickering couple, leaving Sayuri who peeked in from the kitchen—feeling as though she had stepped into a different world.
This boy Yami had only known her daughter for such a short while, yet he was already acting like he had known her for years.
The impression he left was undeniably good… if only not for the fact that both Eriri and Utaha seemed equally smitten with him.
Sayuri sighed inwardly. Two boats… this is far too dangerous.
Turning to Utaha, she asked in a pointed voice:
"Wouldn't you mind, Utaha-san?"
It was an indirect question, of course—what she really meant was, don't you mind how close Yami is with Eriri?
Utaha's lips curved into a calm smile.
"Aunt Sayuri should be asking Eri if she minds, don't you think?"
Sayuri blinked. She had no reply to that. After all, Utaha had made her choice.
"..."
…Alright. Sayuri admitted she'd asked a stupid question.
She had already tried to talk Eriri out of this love triangle, but her daughter had only cried and thrown a tantrum, insisting she wouldn't back down.
And so, what could a mother do? For now, she could only take things one step at a time.
Ah… raising a daughter really is exhausting.
Dinner was finally served.
It must be said, Sayuri's cooking was incredible.
Yami himself had never made such complicated dishes, nor had he ever tasted anything quite so delicious.
Both he and Utaha praised her cooking repeatedly.
"Hmph! Of course it's delicious—it's my mother's cooking," Eriri boasted, nose tilting skyward.
Utaha smirked. "Careful. With that smug look, someone might think you actually cooked it yourself."
"Fufu," Sayuri laughed softly, enjoying the banter. "Well then, you can leave the cooking to me from now on."
Yami immediately agreed. "That would be perfect. In that case, I'll cut half off your rent."
The "rent" was little more than pocket change to both the Sawamura family and to Yami, but it was a tacit agreement—everyone accepted it without fuss.
After dinner, however, Sayuri's heart sank again.
Even when there was a boy she liked right in front of her, her daughter still didn't know how to fight for him.
Look—Utaha had gone to her room, tidied herself up, and after a bath, she reappeared fresh and radiant.
The moment she spotted Yami, she pulled him into conversation, her hand brushing against his from time to time, her skin grazing his deliberately.
Anyone could see her intent.
Meanwhile, Eriri… had gone straight back to her room to paint. As if nothing had changed.
Sayuri rubbed her temples. This idiot girl… she's acting like she's already the mistress of the Sawamura household, not the Tsukishiro household!
"Why, oh why," she lamented inwardly, "was my daughter born so dull?"
She had long suspected Eriri would fall behind, but she never imagined her premonition would become reality so soon.
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