287: Enemy at Your Front Door

Wait, why was she here?

Was she looking for Chisato? Or for her and Eriri?

Many thoughts raced through Utaha's mind.

But she didn't hesitate for long.

If a potential threat was at her doorstep, she wouldn't hide—that wasn't her style.

Adjusting her expression, she straightened her robe, ensuring her attire was appropriate before opening the door.

When their eyes met, she clearly caught a flicker of surprise in Isshiki's gaze.

So, she wasn't expecting me to answer. That mean she came for Chisato?

Utaha felt a surge of tension.

After all, the girl in front of her possessed a delicate, youthful charm that neither she nor Eriri had. 

A definite threat.

She didn't know why Iroha was here, but that didn't stop her from probing for answers.

And with Chisato not at home, she could act freely.

Decision made, she stepped aside and opened the door fully.

Iroha hesitated for a moment—this wasn't what she expected.

Facing Utaha's inviting smile, she didn't know how to react at first.

But then she remembered her purpose.

Maybe this was an opportunity—a chance to learn more about Chisato from another perspective.

So, she put on a polite smile and bowed slightly.

"Then, excuse me for intruding."

"Not at all. Please come in. Watch your step—there's a little ledge."

Utaha returned the smile.

She was giving off a completely different vibe from before—one that was warm and inviting.

As Isshiki followed her inside, she quickly sent Chisato a message.

[You're not home, so never mind. I'll talk to you next time.]

Even if Senpai later found out that she had privately spoken with Kasumigaoka-san, she could always argue that she had just responded to the message and was then immediately invited inside when she opened the door. 

So, there was no problem at all.

Having secured a fallback plan, Iroha slipped her phone back into her pocket and, without revealing any emotion, took a seat on the familiar sofa under her host's invitation.

Previously, she had sat in this very spot to converse with Chisato.

However, the emotions she felt then and the ones she felt now were worlds apart.

"Please have a seat for a moment. I'll make some tea."

Since they had both learned about each other from Chisato in private, there was no need for redundant self-introductions.

"Ah, there's no need to go through the trouble."

"No need to be polite. It's no trouble at all; it'll be ready soon."

Utaha maintained her impeccable hospitality.

In front of Chisato, she could be openly wary and dissatisfied with Iroha, but if she acted the same way when he wasn't around, it would be a bit too unpleasant. 

This was where experience and social decorum came into play.

Although she often found herself at a disadvantage in front of Eriri, there was no way she would let the same happen with a girl who was still inexperienced in the ways of the world.

Utaha had more or less solidified her stance, but before proceeding, she habitually wanted to hear Eriri's opinion.

She found it a little embarrassing to be so reliant on this subconscious habit, yet she couldn't help it.

As it happened, before opening the door earlier, she had casually placed her phone on the kitchen counter without hanging up the call. Now, she didn't even have to redial.

Keeping an ear out for any movement from the living room, she brought the phone to her ear and spoke softly.

"Eriri."

"Hmm? You're back? Is it Chisato who came home?"

"No, it's Isshiki Iroha."

"Isshiki Iroha?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure why she suddenly showed up, but I let her in for now."

"What do you plan to do?"

"No matter her reason for coming, I'll talk to her first. Last time, Chisato didn't say much about her. Don't you want to know what's going on between them?"

"…Fine, but you'd better tone down your usual sarcastic attitude."

"That's only for you."

"You little—"

"Anyway, that's it. Hanging up."

Without giving Eriri a chance to respond, Utaha ended the call and swiftly prepared the tea.

Though she didn't want to admit it, hearing Eriri agree with her plan did give her more confidence.

"Sorry for the wait."

Returning to the living room, Utaha placed a cup of tea in front of her guest.

The fragrance of tea rose with the steam, and Iroha softly expressed her thanks.

She carefully blew on it, then took a small sip.

She wasn't particularly knowledgeable about tea, but after having tasted the tea brewed by Yukino, she couldn't help but feel that Utaha's tea was somewhat lacking.

But that was unimportant. She wasn't here for a cup of tea.

"Um, please accept this."

Iroha picked up the ice cream she had bought at the supermarket and handed over one of the bags, explaining her reason for visiting.

"I was studying at my senpai's place across the hall today, so I thought I'd bring some ice cream for Suzumiya-senpai as a thank-you for helping me before."

"He just happened to be out today, but I'll thank you on his behalf."

"Oh, it's nothing. Compared to the help he gave me, this is hardly worth mentioning."

Iroha quickly waved her hands.

Utaha, suppressing her curiosity, put the ice cream in the fridge before returning to the living room.

"I don't recall him mentioning it. What did he help you with?"

"Um… it wasn't anything major…"

Iroha hesitated.

Utaha gave a refined smile.

"My apologies. That's personal business, and I was being intrusive."

"No, I don't mind telling you, Kasumigaoka-san. But before that, could you satisfy a small curiosity of mine?"

Iroha's smile was as innocent as could be. Most people would let their guard down in the face of such an expression.

Utaha, however, was not deceived. Instead, she became more vigilant, though she kept her suspicion from showing on her face and simply asked with feigned confusion:

"Curiosity?"

She could already guess what Iroha wanted to ask—most likely something about her, Eriri, and Chisato's relationship.

Iroha nodded slowly, lightly scratching her cheek as if embarrassed.

"Well, I heard something from Suzumiya-senpai. He seemed quite serious when he said it, and he didn't look like he was lying, but… it's just so hard to believe without confirmation…"

She paused, looking at Utaha's still-bewildered expression before deciding to get straight to the point.

"He told me that you and Sawamura-san not only live here with him but also… share a romantic relationship with him. Is that true?"

Utaha feigned surprise, raising her hand to her lips.

"He actually told you that?"

Iroha pressed for an answer.

"So… it's true?"

Utaha's cheeks tinged with a faint blush. She nodded, then shook her head.

"Eriri and I do have a romantic relationship with him. But we don't live here permanently—we still live with our parents most of the time and only come here occasionally."

"So it really is true…"

Iroha's face showed a mix of expectation and disbelief, but she quickly adjusted her expression, realizing her reaction might have been inappropriate.

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just a little hard to wrap my head around."

Utaha watched her performance quietly before replying naturally:

"It's fine. I don't mind. Before I met Chisato, I never thought I'd accept such a thing either."

"Yeah… it's really hard to imagine. What exactly did Suzumiya-senpai do to win over both you and Sawamura-san?"

Iroha's question sounded casual, but her eyes betrayed her strong curiosity as she looked at Utaha, eager for an answer.

Meanwhile, Utaha found herself smiling inwardly.

How should she put it? Facing Iroha, she felt a long-lost sense of confidence and superiority.

If Eriri was like a bottomless lake, impossible to gauge in depth…

Then Iroha was like a shallow puddle left behind after the rain—completely transparent, with the sand and pebbles at the bottom in plain sight.

Although Iroha acted composed, her approach was far too clumsy to go unnoticed.

She wants to know what happened between us?

And then what? Analyze it and figure out how to interfere?

Utaha wouldn't do anything that didn't benefit her. And when it came to Chisato, she had to be even more cautious.

She already had Gotoh Hitori and Touma Kazusa as formidable rivals, and neither had been properly dealt with yet. 

If Iroha joined the fray, wouldn't that just make things even more complicated?

She had to prevent that from happening.

Fortunately, Chisato hadn't told Iroha much about their situation. Otherwise, Iroha wouldn't be fishing for information.

This imbalance in knowledge was Kasumigaoka's advantage.

Analyzing the situation, she came up with a new plan.

At first, she had only intended to subtly extract information from Iroha about her relationship with Chisato.

But now, she had a more aggressive plan—one that could make Iroha see Chisato in a negative light, causing her goodwill toward him to plummet.

This plan carried a significant level of uncertainty. If Iroha went to Chisato to verify the claims, her scheme could be exposed.

However, if it succeeded, the benefits would be enormous. Iroha might come to loathe Chisato and gradually distance herself from him—it wasn't impossible.

The worst-case scenario was that Chisato and Iroha would uncover her scheme.

It didn't matter how much Iroha hated her.

As for Chisato… he probably wouldn't hold it against her over something so trivial. 

At worst, she could always wear that untouched pajama set at the bottom of her drawer, put on a pair of cat ears, and act all apologetic. 

With Eriri helping to smooth things over…

It was a safe bet.

After weighing the risks and rewards, Utaha made her decision.

Of course, stating things outright would lack credibility.

After all, their relationship was nothing more than a casual acquaintance.

She had to be more meticulous—some things needed to be revealed unintentionally so that Iroha would follow the breadcrumbs herself and arrive at the desired conclusion.

It was a challenge… but why did she feel a thrill from it?

"Come to think of it, it's actually not that complicated…"

Just like before, Utaha spoke with an air of complete ease.

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