241: Utaha’s Effort

"Bang!"

The guest room door slammed shut. 

Judging by the sound and the force with which it was closed, Utaha was clearly very angry, to the point where she could no longer maintain the energetic expression she had just moments ago.

Chisato stared at the closed door of the guest room, scratching his head. He had anticipated this reaction.

It was natural for her to be angry. No matter what kind of girl she was, if she didn't lash out in such a situation, it could be considered a sign of exceptional self-restraint.

By slamming the door to express her inner turmoil and difficulty in accepting the situation, it was evident that Utaha had done her best to hold back her emotions.

The current situation could be classified as a dispute, one that would take time to resolve.

Therefore, Chisato felt it was best to maintain some distance and give her space to think independently.

He chose not to knock on the guest room door. Instead, he turned off the living room lights, leaving only the dim nightlight for illumination, and slowly settled onto the sofa.

After a while, he sighed silently and stood up again.

He didn't really want to do this, but he definitely didn't want to create a rift between himself and Utaha.

He didn't want to give up on any of the four girls in his life now.

Gentleness would not yield the outcome he desired.

The current atmosphere felt stagnant and lifeless.

Perhaps stepping out of his comfort zone was the only way to find a turning point in the situation.

Chisato walked to the entrance, picked up the apartment key he had left on the small wooden countertop after returning home, and held it in his palm, his resolve gradually strengthening.

…

In the guest room, Utaha sat beside the bed, seething with anger.

As her initial fury subsided, her focus drifted to a particular point, and waves of sadness and resentment began to wash over her, causing her lips to tremble slightly and filling her with a sense of profound grievance.

This feeling was reminiscent of what she experienced during the later stages of her first dream life.

However, the two situations were entirely different.

In the dream, she had been overly paranoid and reckless, making the worst choice among all possible actions.

She had prioritized her fragile self-esteem, believing she had been deceived, and left with her daughter, ignoring the real love that had existed between husband and wife for so long.

Her decision alone had shattered the lives of several people, and an originally happy family had ceased to exist.

In contrast, the current situation found her trying her best to compensate.

Seeing that Chisato's original apartment was too old and small, she had rented a comfortable and convenient apartment for him, one that she and Eriri could afford, believing it to be the best option.

She knew Chisato worked late every day, and after Eriri had told her that one night lasted for seven rounds, she became shy and worried. 

From her experience, it was clear that such a frequency was excessive.

That's why she had rushed to the supermarket to buy fresh ingredients when she had some free time. 

Upon returning home, she took the time to prepare the meals herself, calculating the time for his arrival and starting to cook in advance so that he could enjoy a hot and delicious meal upon returning.

She hoped that Chisato could feel her presence in the spacious apartment after a tiring day and experience the warm, incomparable feeling of home.

The temperature outside had been quite high that afternoon, and since it was Sunday, the supermarket was crowded due to its weekly discount sale.

Utaha despised crowded places, and as a delicate literary girl, she struggled with the heat.

So when she returned home in the afternoon with heavy groceries, her underwear was soaked with sweat. 

She almost dropped everything the moment she got in and sat down in the entrance hall, unable to compose herself for a while.

These were just trivial matters to her. 

Whether she squeezed among a throng of housewives in the supermarket's food section or emptied her savings to rent a nice apartment, she thought nothing of it.

As long as she believed Chisato could benefit from her actions or feel a bit happier because of them, it was entirely worth it.

Though they were still in a semi-committed relationship, she had already assumed the role of Chisato's wife.

As a wife, it was reasonable for her to take such actions.

However, whether it was punishment for her foolishness in the dream, the reality was now beginning to shift.

Despite her efforts to play the role of a virtuous wife, Chisato had not given her this chance.

In what felt like revenge, he had forcefully revealed an unacceptable truth.

There was more than one incident. Just when she and Eriri were enjoying their time together with him, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Chisato had already developed two additional relationships behind their backs, which they were unaware of.

Betrayed.

Such thoughts immediately surfaced.

Then, more embarrassing and insurmountable thoughts followed one after another.

Your lover falls for someone else, the relationship you carefully maintain is disrupted by others, and the things you treasure are taken over by someone else.

The sense of unwarranted humiliation made Utaha, who had always prided herself on her dignity, feel utterly intolerable, even losing control of her expression.

Upon learning the news, she had been so furious that she became dizzy, forgetting to inquire about the second girl's specific situation. 

Instead, she turned around and locked herself in the guest room.

She couldn't bear to spend another moment with Chisato. 

She feared losing control of her emotions and repeating the same mistakes she had made in her first dream life, leading to an irreversible ending.

Utaha slowly placed a hand over her chest, finally realizing just how much she cared for that man.

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(4/22)

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