239: Emergency Meeting

In the dim room, Eriri sat at the table, painting with great concentration.

Some time ago, she had rented an apartment for Chisato and paid a security deposit, which slightly reduced her personal funds.

Considering the expenses she would incur in the future, Eriri couldn't afford to meet with Chisato during her free time.

Aside from her studies, Eriri devoted most of her energy to painting commissions to earn extra money.

The name "Kashiwagi Eri" that she used in the industry was somewhat well-known, so she didn't have to worry about finding work or making money. 

However, the constant, high-intensity painting was mentally and physically exhausting.

But that didn't matter; as long as she thought about moving out of her family home after starting college—using the excuse of practicing self-reliance—and beginning a wonderful life living together with Chisato, all these hardships seemed insignificant.

Before that, there was only one thing she needed to do: work hard to make money like a little squirrel tirelessly stockpiling food for winter.

Ideally, she wanted to earn enough during this relatively unfree time to cover their daily needs in college, so they wouldn't have to work for money later and could spend more time together rather than apart.

Having completed her current painting, Eriri breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at the half-finished picture on the computer screen.

After painting non-stop for over two hours, she leaned back in her chair and took off her glasses, intending to reward herself with a ten-minute break.

She picked up a small piece of puff pastry from the table and popped it into her mouth, then stood up, stretching her stiff body in the middle of the room.

At that moment, her mobile phone on the table vibrated.

Could it be a call from Chisato?

Eriri picked up the phone with excitement but felt disappointment when she saw the caller ID: Utaha.

"What's up?"

Eriri's tone was not very friendly when she answered, and it was clear she was a bit impatient.

It was no wonder; after all, she was currently in a state of mental imbalance.

Utaha's family rules were very lenient. It didn't matter if she didn't come home for several nights as long as she provided appropriate excuses.

In contrast, Eriri was completely different. After leaving school early, her parents had chased her for a long time, demanding to know why. 

Fortunately, she managed to get through it, or else she might have faced a long lecture.

If her parents knew that their daughter could no longer be called a girl at this moment...

The consequences would surely be serious and unpredictable.

"...Can you be more polite?"

On the other end of the phone, Utaha responded after a long silence.

Eriri hummed in amusement, took another puff pastry, and continued speaking without a care.

"Anyway, you're calling me at this hour just to brag about the time you'll be spending alone with Chisato, right? This is your way of getting back at me for my previous behavior."

Faced with such speculation, Utaha took a deep breath.

"I did have that idea originally."

The tone of the other party, along with her soft and unnatural voice, finally made Eriri aware that something was off. This wasn't like Utaha at all.

"What happened?"

"Remember the girl named Kazusa that we saw when we first followed Chisato? Chisato said he's currently dating her."

"..."

Eriri's eyes widened, and she became a little absent-minded for a moment, slowly sitting on the edge of her bed.

Meanwhile, Utaha, who was hiding in the bathroom, felt an inexplicable sense of relief at finally being able to share this burden with someone.

It felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders, making her feel lighter.

Now, both of them could put aside their past disputes, unite, and work together.

Eriri held her mobile phone tightly. Although this incident had come as a shock, it wasn't entirely unexpected. She quickly forced herself to calm down.

"How did you find this out?"

Utaha answered quickly,

"He told me right after returning from school."

"What exactly did he say?"

"Nothing special. He just informed me of the fact in a straightforward manner. After that, I told him to eat first and we could discuss everything later."

"So now you..."

"I'm talking to you in the bathroom. We'd better hurry. I don't want Chisato to mistakenly think I have stomach issues."

"Phew—this is troublesome."

"If it weren't troublesome, I wouldn't have called you to discuss it."

Eriri and Utaha shared a similar mindset; they both felt overwhelmed by the news, but surprisingly, they quickly calmed down.

It was hard to say how uneasy and anxious they were.

Perhaps it stemmed from the shared experiences of being women in their lives. They understood the seriousness of the situation, yet could analyze it quite calmly.

Eriri stood up and drank the juice on the table, letting the sugar help sharpen her mind.

"There's one thing I want to know: how did Chisato act when he told you this?"

Utaha frowned in confusion.

"Why do you ask? Is it important? Isn't that girl Kazusa, the one we should be focused on right now?"

"That's true, but we at least need to clarify Chisato's feelings about us first."

"…What do you mean?"

Seeing that Utaha still didn't understand, Eriri sighed and clarified,

"When a man tells his lover that he's fallen in love with another woman, what do you think his intentions are?"

"...To end the current relationship and start a new one, or..."

Utaha murmured, contemplating this conclusion. 

She pressed her fingers against the bathroom window sill, digging her fingers into the edge until her knuckles turned white from the pressure.

"To be honest and straightforward, to find a way to make his lover accept it, and finally... to have both."

"It would be great if you could understand. Since I'm not there, I can only make this judgment for you. Between the two mindsets we've discussed, which do you think Chisato is closer to?"

Eriri held her breath, knowing that Utaha's next answer was particularly important.

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(2/22)

50+ advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta

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