Utaha was still asleep, and Ichin didn't wake her. After a simple breakfast of bread and milk, he drove out to the supermarket to buy ingredients for lunch.
On his way back, he happened to spot Aoba, Momoji, and Hifumi walking together, so he picked them up and brought them back to the apartnt building.
Sitting in the backseat, Aoba asked curiously, "Ichin-kun, you actually went grocery shopping?"
"Of course I did."
Ichin, who was driving, nodded. "Did you think Kō was just joking? Every one or two weeks, she wants to co over and freeload a al on the weekend. I'm used to it by now. Plus, we all live in the sa building—getting together for a al is actually a lot of fun."
"Lunch made by Ichin-kun..."
Hearing that, Momiji Mochizuki couldn't help but swallow a little—she was clearly tempted.
Through the rearview mirror, Ichin naturally caught sight of the gluttonous look on Momiji's face. Smiling, he said, "For lunch, counting the three of you, there'll be eight of us in total. The weather's still a bit hot, so I'll focus on lighter dishes—not too many with heavy flavors. That okay?"
Momiji nodded enthusiastically. "No problem! I'm not picky!"
"By the way, Momoji, why didn't Tsuba co with you?"
Momiji replied, "I asked her. She said she's studying at ho today, and she's planning to et up with Nene this afternoon. They're going to work on so programming stuff together."
"I see."
Ichin understood. As one of the younger mbers of the studio, Narumi Tsuba was a programr who was highly motivated. Even while keeping up with her schoolwork, she'd been diligently reading various technical books.
Since she wasn't planning to co, and would be eting up with Sakura Nene later, Ichin didn't have to worry about her being alone or feeling left out.
Soon, the car arrived back at the apartnt building.
Ichin told Aoba and the others to head up to Kō's place while he carried two large bags of groceries back ho.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw that Utaha was already up and sitting in the living room, toasting so bread.
"Welco back, Ichin!"
She waved at him but didn't get up to help since she still had a mouthful of breakfast.
Ichin placed the groceries in the kitchen and ca back to sit beside her on the couch.
"When did you get up?"
After finishing the last bite of toast and wiping her hands, Utaha replied, "I woke up when you turned off the computer and left, but I lazed around for a bit before actually getting up."
She stifled a yawn, then leaned against Ichin's shoulder and asked, "Are Aoba and the others here already?"
"Yeah, I ran into them on the way back and gave them a lift. They're at Kō's place now."
Ichin checked the ti—10 a.m. Still early.
"If you're tired, want to lie down for a bit longer?"
Utaha rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "Nah, I've already slept plenty. I'll help you get lunch ready."
And so the two of them headed into the kitchen and began preparing the ingredients he had just bought.
Since the weather was still warm, Ichin planned to make a pot of sweet corn, lotus root, and pork rib soup that everyone loved, along with two cold side dishes and a few other light-flavored mains.
Light or not, the taste definitely wouldn't disappoint.
After about ten minutes of busy prepping, the doorbell rang.
Utaha went to open it and found Umiko standing there.
Smiling, Umiko said, "You guys are prepping lunch, right? I didn't have anything going on downstairs, so I thought I'd co up and help."
Ichin, who was in the kitchen mixing a sauce, heard her voice and ca out holding the bowl.
"Umiko, perfect timing. Can you two help prep these cuts of at?"
"Sure, leave it to ."
By the ti it was close to noon, lunch was nearly done. Yagami Kō and the others didn't even need Ichin to call them—they showed up on their own, as if they could sll the food from afar and tid it perfectly.
When Ichin brought out a large clay pot, Momiji Mochizuki's eyes went wide. She instinctively followed him, sniffing the aroma curiously from the side.
Ichin chuckled at her reaction and said, "Corn, lotus root, and pork rib soup—everyone gets so. Go wash your hands first."
Nodding quickly, Momiji rushed off to the kitchen to do just that, helping carry dishes along the way.
Once all the food was brought out and everyone was seated, Momiji looked at the table full of dishes and swallowed hard. "Tsuba is definitely going to regret not coming today."
What followed, of course, was a feast.
Since the main reason the three girls had co over was to discuss designs for the pre-order outfits, nobody drank alcohol at lunch—they stuck to soft drinks and polished off every last bite of the al.
Afterward, Aoba and Hifumi volunteered to handle the dishes and clean the table.
Momiji wanted to help too, but she had eaten too much and was now slumped on the couch, unable to move.
Rubbing her belly, she looked up at the ceiling and said, "Ever since I joined the studio, not only has my art improved, but I feel like I've slowly been putting on weight too."
Utaha walked over with freshly brewed tea and handed her a cup, smiling as she asked, "You don't exercise regularly?"
"I do."
After sipping the perfectly warm black tea, Momiji let out a content sigh and continued, "Tsuba drags to exercise almost every day. But I get hungry easily after working out, and then I eat even more. The weight's going to all the right places, but yeah… I've gotten heavier."
Hearing that, Utaha glanced over and gave Momiji's figure a quick once-over.
The girl was a bit shorter than her, but body-wise, they were quite similar—on the fuller side, but with no noticeable flab on her arms or legs.
As she looked, Utaha suddenly reached out and gave Momiji's tummy a gentle pinch before the girl could react.
With Momiji's cheeks gradually turning red, Utaha said, "Hmm~~ nope, no flab. Don't worry. Just keep exercising, and you'll be fine."
It was a good thing Utaha had only given a light pinch—any more, and Momiji might've let out a yelp.
As Utaha pulled her hand back, Momiji's gaze drifted toward her.
Since they were at ho, Utaha was dressed casually today—a simple short-sleeved top and a short skirt, without her usual stockings. Her long, shapely legs were on full display, and even as another girl, Momiji couldn't help feeling envious.
In the entire studio, probably only Haji could compete with Utaha when it ca to legs.
"Utaha, how did you get a figure like that?"
"?"
Utaha replied with a mysterious smile at the corner of her lips. "Well, part of it is genetics… but having a boyfriend helps a lot too."
That comnt was heard loud and clear by the rest of the girls still sprawled out post-lunch—and all of them turned red in the face.
...
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