After dinner, Utaha followed Ichin back to the house next door.
Sitting down on the couch, she rubbed her stomach and muttered,
"Mom's really sothing. It's one thing to keep giving you food, but why did she have to pile so much onto my plate too? I feel like I've put on weight lately."
"Really?"
Ichin, who had just finished brewing tea, set down two cups and walked over to her. He pulled Utaha onto his lap and weighed her lightly in his arms.
"Nope. You haven't gained weight—relax. With your height, being too skinny would actually look worse."
A lot of people chase after that so-called slim beauty ideal, but many of the images seen online are achieved at the cost of health.
Utaha maintained a good balance between weight and height, and thanks to Ichin regularly dragging her out to exercise, she was in great health.
"You don't have to flatter ."
Utaha grabbed his hand off her stomach and frowned.
"It's not just Mom—you always cook such delicious food too. My appetite has definitely grown. No good. I've got PE class tomorrow. I need to get so serious exercise in. Lately, aside from the treadmill at ho, I've been way too lazy during school PE."
"Let's skip tomorrow."
Ichin interrupted as soon as she ntioned PE class.
"Did you forget? It's about that ti of the month for you."
Utaha paused for a second before realization hit.
"Ah, you're right... It should be these few days. You rember so clearly, Ichin."
"Of course I do."
Gently pinching her soft, flawless cheek, Ichin smiled.
"We live together and spend every day side by side. How could I not rember sothing like that?"
Staring into his eyes, Utaha suddenly wrapped her arms around him tightly and rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes in bliss.
"Ichin, will you always treat this well?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
Ichin stroked her back with a smile.
"As long as you don't get tired of , I'll never change."
"Of course I won't."
Lifting her head, Utaha gave him a sudden kiss on the lips and asked,
"Then even when I'm old and wrinkly like a grandma, will you still treat this way?"
Her question made Ichin chuckle and shake his head.
"A grandma? If you're a grandma, I'll be an old man too. Don't worry—nothing will change."
Utaha nodded and snuggled back against his chest.
"It all feels like a dream... this past year."
"What's so strange about that?"
Ichin remained calm.
"When has a dream ever felt this good? We've had it pretty easy, honestly. Reality's way more outrageous and absurd than anything in novels or movies."
"That's true."
After the two cuddled on the couch for a while, Ichin looked at her and said,
"Alright, since your special ti's about to start, let's get to bed early tonight. No writing for now, take a break."
Utaha didn't argue. She obediently went to grab a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
---
The next morning, early.
Without needing an alarm, Utaha had already woken up.
Frowning slightly, she curled up under the covers and gently touched her lower abdon.
The inevitable guest—her "monthly relative"—had arrived last night. But thanks to being well taken care of by Ichin and maintaining a healthy lifestyle with little to no late nights, Utaha had managed to get through the night feeling relatively okay.
However, now that she was awake, there was still so discomfort, though compared to the past, it was well within a tolerable range.
Ichin was already up. Utaha glanced at the clock—it wasn't even 7 a.m. yet.
Running her fingers through her hair, she sat up in bed and began to get dressed.
She stepped out of the room and looked around, heading straight for the kitchen.
If Ichin was up this early, that was the most likely place he'd be.
And sure enough, as she reached the kitchen doorway, she saw him there, completely focused on making stead buns. He was so absorbed in his work, he hadn't even noticed her arrival.
Watching him for a mont, Utaha smiled softly before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him from behind.
"Good morning, Ichin."
"Good morning, Utaha."
Setting down the bun he'd just finished shaping, Ichin turned to face her and asked,
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine."
"Good."
After confirming that she was really okay, he said,
"Go wash up, I'm almost done with the buns. I'll steam them in just a bit."
Utaha didn't leave right away. Instead, she looked at him and asked,
"What ti did you get up?"
"A little before six."
Ichin thought for a second and added,
"We went to bed early last night, so I woke up pretty early too. Look, no dark circles—I'm full of energy."
Right as he finished speaking, Utaha cupped his cheeks in her hands and leaned in to kiss him.
"Thanks for everything, Ichin. I'm off to wash up."
"Mm, go ahead."
—
After breakfast, Ichin spent a little more ti preparing bento lunches for both of them. He also filled a thermos with warm brown sugar water for Utaha to take with her. Once everything was ready, they headed out for school.
Having a car really made things more convenient—especially during these few days when Utaha had her period. She no longer needed to wait outside in the cold for a bus; now she could stay warm and comfortable in the car all the way to school.
Of course, to avoid drawing attention, Ichin didn't drive all the way to the school gates. Instead, he parked in a public lot nearby, and the two of them walked to campus together.
After changing into their indoor shoes and heading upstairs, Ichin held her hand and said,
"You're not feeling well today, so make sure you skip PE, alright?"
"Got it."
Utaha nodded with a smile. Even though Ichin had already reminded her several tis, she didn't find it annoying at all. On the contrary, it made her feel warm and happy—so much so that she didn't even feel tired anymore.
Once they got to class, Utaha sat down, put her things away, and pulled out the thermos. Pouring herself a small cup of brown sugar water, she took a sip, thoroughly enjoying it.
Ichin had packed plenty of brown sugar, so even if she finished the water in the thermos, she could refill it later with hot water from Shizuka Hiratsuka's office and make more.
A few girls who were now pretty close to Utaha ca over, and it didn't take them long to notice her situation today. They also quickly realized that everything had been prepared by Ichin, and soon enough, their eyes were filled with envy.
Utaha basked in the attention and smiled smugly.
"No need to envy . You couldn't have this even if you tried~"
"Ugh! Utaha, you're so an!"
"I want a boyfriend who spoils like that too!"
The girls chatted and sighed for a while before glancing around at the boys in the class. One by one, expressions of despair settled on their faces.
There was no hope. Among this bunch, there was just no one like that.
....
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