After Ichin and Utaha's relationship deepened further, Ichin found himself thinking about her more often, even during class. His daydreaming increased to the point where he nearly missed answering the teacher's questions on several occasions.
During breaks, a few of his male classmates teased him about his distracted behavior.
After finishing school for the day, Ichin stopped by the supermarket to pick up groceries before hurrying ho.
At ho, Utaha was already up, sitting in the living room with her laptop, typing away.
After putting the groceries in the kitchen, Ichin walked over to her and gently hugged her from behind. "How are you feeling now?"
"Perfectly fine," Utaha replied, turning her head to kiss him on the cheek. She smiled and said, "I was fine by noon."
"What did you do for lunch?"
"I ate at the studio with everyone. Rin made lunch," Utaha said with a grin. "Oh, and Mom told we're having dinner at my parents' place tonight."
"Eh?" Ichin froze for a mont, then nodded. "Alright, I understand."
"What's wrong? Nervous?" Utaha turned to face him, her eyes narrowing playfully. "After all, you've already taken full responsibility, haven't you?"
"I wouldn't say scared—just a little tense," Ichin admitted, gently pinching her cheek before sitting down in a nearby chair. "Do your parents know everything?"
"Of course they do. I didn't co ho last night, after all."
Utaha shook her head lightly, her hair flowing elegantly. "But don't worry. My parents are pretty open-minded—they won't be angry."
"That's a relief."
Reassured by her words, Ichin felt more at ease. He returned to the kitchen to put the groceries in the fridge, saving them for the next day's bento.
When he ca back out, Utaha had closed her laptop and extended her arms toward him.
Ichin imdiately understood, laughing as he walked over. He lifted her into a princess carry and brought her to the sofa.
Sitting down with Utaha on his lap, Ichin wrapped his arms around her waist. "Are you sure you're feeling fine now?"
"I've told you, I'm fine. I've been able to move around freely since the afternoon," Utaha said, leaning against his chest. "I even thought about coming to class, but in the end, I decided to stay ho and write instead. By the way, Ichin, no underclassn brought you any gifts today, right?"
"After the way you confronted after school yesterday, there's no way anyone would think they had a chance anymore," Ichin explained, then paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her. "Wait… yesterday, was that why you—?"
"That was part of it," Utaha admitted, holding up her fingers to show a tiny gap between her thumb and index finger. "Just a little bit. But mostly, it's because I'm a bit greedy. I wanted to deepen our relationship even more, so I took the initiative. Though I was sore all morning, I'm very satisfied with the results. Oh, and Ichin, I'm staying over again tonight!"
"You..."
Ichin couldn't help but smile as he looked at Utaha's beaming face. Though the events of the previous day had taken him by surprise, he had no complaints. When faced with Utaha's boldness, Ichin couldn't help but take the lead in response.
Although Ichin was a rational person, he was far from an ascetic. Utaha was his girlfriend, and with her being so open about her feelings, there was no way he could remain indifferent.
Holding Utaha close, Ichin leaned his head back against the sofa and murmured, "I should find a chance to tell my parents about our relationship."
"Hm?"
Utaha looked at him with sparkling eyes, clearly delighted, though she didn't say much. Ichin's reaction alone already spoke volus.
---
Friday Afternoon
After school, Ichin returned ho.
After changing clothes, he and Utaha prepared to head down to the studio.
Inside the elevator, Utaha clung to Ichin's arm and asked, "Today's the day for the new hire interviews, right? Did Hazuki ntion how it went?"
"Yeah, she did," Ichin replied with a nod and a smile. "All three candidates passed. They're still at the studio right now."
"Three? Who are they?" Utaha asked, surprised.
"Two of them are people we didn't know, but the third one is soone you're familiar with—Sakura Nene."
"Her?"
Utaha was taken aback. "Isn't she a law major?"
"She is," Ichin confird. "But last year, she worked at Eagle Jump as a bug tester, and that sparked her interest in becoming a programr. She's been self-studying ever since. She even included a small ga she made in her resu. For a beginner, it's impressive—she's very talented."
"Wow, I didn't know any of this. You've been keeping secrets, huh, Ichin?" Utaha teased with a smirk. After a mont's thought, she added, "Does Aoba know? She'd definitely be talking about it at the studio if she did."
"Nope, Aoba doesn't know," Ichin replied, unable to suppress a laugh. "Honestly, I'm looking forward to seeing her reaction when she finds out Nene ca in for an interview."
As they chatted, the elevator arrived on the third floor. They made their way to the studio door.
Ichin unlocked the door, and as they entered, everyone inside looked up.
Hazuki waved enthusiastically. "Ichin-kun! Utaha-chan! You're back! The new recruits are here!"
Holding Utaha's hand, Ichin stepped inside and smiled. "Hazuki, you didn't make things difficult for them, did you?"
"Of course not~~ I'd never do sothing like that!" Hazuki replied cheerfully before pointing to the three standing newcors. "Co on, let introduce them! Well, I guess Nene-chan doesn't need an introduction. These two are Tsuba Narumi and Momiji Mochizuki."
[Insert Image of Tsuba Narumi]
[Insert Image of Momiji Mochizuki]
[Insert Image of Sakura Nene]
Sakura Nene puffed her cheeks in protest. "What do you an I don't need an introduction? I'm a new recruit too!"
Unlike the familiar Sakura, the other two seed more reserved. They bowed politely and greeted Ichin, "Hello, boss!"
Ichin laughed. "No need to call 'boss.' Around here, nobody does. Just call Ichin. I'm the founder of the studio—nice to et you all."
He asked everyone to pause their work and gathered them in the lounge area next door for a quick eting.
Looking at the expanded team, Ichin smiled warmly. "It's great to see our team growing. Welco to the three of you. I've reviewed your resus, and Hazuki and Umiko have filled in on today's interviews. Since you're joining us, we're confident in your skills. That said, we're a small studio, so I'll be upfront—there's not a lot of ti for easing into things. You'll be assigned tasks soon, so be ready!"
All three, including Sakura, nodded earnestly, ready to take on the challenge.
...
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