247: Doubting His Taste

After Chisato sent his apartment address to Hitori, he turned around, opened the floor-to-ceiling window, and walked into the living room from the balcony.

Dark Wing was nestled on the TV cabinet. When he heard the movement, he raised his head to glance at her before quickly closing his eyes.

Chisato walked to the kitchen, where Utaha and Eriri were preparing dinner.

Yes, even after discovering that their loved one had betrayed them, the two of them did not display any hysterical reactions.

Instead, they repeated the same routine as before in an extremely calm and ordinary manner.

No matter what happens, they still had to eat.

The outside world might be exciting, but after the chaos, they still needed to return to a simple life.

And the home around them was where they sought relaxation when they were tired.

There was profound meaning behind everything they did.

It was Utaha who first noticed that Chisato had ended the call and was standing outside the kitchen, watching them motionless for a long time.

Her chopping movements slowed slightly, and with a gentle smile, she turned and asked, "Already called?"

"Yes, she will be here soon."

This situation had arisen from Chisato's deliberate intention when Eriri asked about another girl besides Kazusa.

After roughly answering Eriri's questions, he casually asked, "Do you want to see her?"

The reactions from Utaha and Eriri were exactly what he had expected.

The two exchanged glances and nodded in unison, showing no signs of hesitation.

Before Eriri called Chisato, she had specifically asked the girl named Hitori if she had any taboos.

Regardless of whether this thoughtful gesture was sincere, the fact that she made such an effort at least indicated her desire to maintain a semblance of peace.

For that alone, Chisato felt very grateful.

If she didn't care much, how could she have taken the trouble to be so considerate?

She did this all to preserve his own dignity.

"Then we need to speed up the cooking a little. Chisato, you can't help me much now, so go take a shower first."

Eriri was busy frying fish fillets in the pan, so she turned around skillfully as she spoke.

"Alright."

After answering smoothly, Chisato stepped forward and suddenly hugged Eriri's slender waist from behind. 

He buried his head deeply in Eriri's neck, inhaling the fresh and natural scent on her.

Such an intimate gesture caused Eriri, who was unprepared, to squeak and make a very cute sound, prompting Utaha to chuckle.

After Chisato left, she couldn't help but tease her.

"Why have I never noticed how sensitive you are before?"

"Shut up! You would have the same reaction if you were in my position!"

Feeling both happy and embarrassed, Eriri sighed sadly, knowing they were about to meet their competitors.

"To be honest, are you not worried at all about seeing that girl soon?"

When the topic turned serious, Utaha's playful smile faded.

"A little, but not to the point where I lose my composure. Just like you said before, we share a bond with Chisato that is unimaginable to others. That's our greatest advantage."

"I don't think anyone else's love for Chisato is as strong as ours. After all, what we experienced in those two dreams was indeed a lifetime."

"How can a young love that forms merely through acquaintance compare to the depth and weight of real life?"

"...What I'm saying is that I shouldn't constantly worry about gains and losses or overthink things."

Eriri rubbed her eyebrows, and when she opened her eyes again, she was resolute.

"What we need to worry about now is how we should get along with the girl when she arrives."

Utaha paused what she was doing and contemplated her answer.

"My idea is that we shouldn't show obvious hostility towards her. That would only make us seem petty and upset Chisato."

"We just need to be polite to her while subtly indicating that we are on the same side."

"Additionally, we should show a closer bond with Chisato than before, making it clear that we are living together with him."

"Finally, the current state of your relationship with Chisato is also our best weapon against her."

Eriri shot Utaha an annoyed look, finding her last suggestion rather dismissive.

"In short, we show her our determination and how sweet our relationship with Chisato is. That should be enough to make her reconsider."

"Exactly."

Utaha nodded and resumed chopping vegetables.

"It would be great if everything went this smoothly."

Eriri was not so optimistic.

"Then you can share any good ideas you have."

"No, let's do as you suggest, but we also need to consider other possibilities."

"What do you mean?"

"What should we do if that girl is the type who is difficult to deal with, doesn't read the room, and is deliberately provocative?"

"If that's the case, then there's no need to be polite. Let's just deal with it today. Are we afraid we won't be able to handle her alone in the future?"

Utaha sneered repeatedly.

If that girl really had such an annoying personality, she would feel relieved, as it would mean she could act without holding back.

"Hopefully, it won't be that bad."

Compared to Utaha, Eriri still hoped for a stable resolution.

Even if it only appeared so.

…

The access control phone rang. Chisato, having taken a shower and changed into casual clothes, answered the phone and unlocked the door downstairs.

It was the girl named Hitori.

Realizing this, Eriri and Utaha in the kitchen simultaneously entered an unspeakable wartime state.

The two quickly removed their aprons and squeezed into the bathroom together, adjusting their appearance in front of the mirror.

Once everything was ready, they dignifiedly sat on the sofa, straightening their backs under Chisato's watchful gaze.

To be honest, seeing them like this made Chisato want to laugh.

But in this situation, he dared not, so he could only hold it in.

Soon the doorbell rang, and Chisato got up to answer it.

Eriri and Utaha strained their ears to listen to what was happening at the entrance.

But as the footsteps grew louder, they immediately returned to their original pretentious poses.

Chisato brought Hitori into the living room and briefly introduced them.

Facing them, Hitori bowed at a 90-degree angle. Slowly raising her head, she nervously spoke, "Please... please! Please give me some advice. I... I am Hitori."

Looking at her, her hair appeared a bit messy, and she hunched over in pink sportswear, giving off a lackluster impression. 

She seemed like the kind of gloomy girl who lived at home and aged prematurely, leaving an extremely negative first impression.

Utaha and Eriri simultaneously raised their eyebrows.

For a moment, they doubted Chisato's taste.

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(10/22)

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

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