249 The Dog and the Fish

"I've always talked about this with Kyousuke—you see, creators can't help but be swept up in their own passion. Sawamura-san, you'll understand once you truly step into the professional world."

Utaha stood up, casually flipping her damp hair. It clung slightly to her skin from the moisture, subtly shaped by the proximity of their bodies.

"I…"

'How could I not understand?'

'Back when I used to draw with Kyousuke, I'd even model for him myself. I would cooperate with him every step of the way!'

"I…" Eriri opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

Her freshly bathed, rosy cheeks puffed up red with frustration.

If she said it out loud, wouldn't that put her on the same level as this shameless seductress?

But—but—it was in her own room! And besides...

Ugh~~~

The girl was on the verge of tears.

'Where's Shouko? Come on, let's team up and roast this temptress together, or Kyousuke's really going to get stolen away.'

That heartless, cold-blooded pervert with a brain full of white, murky fluids—there's no way he can resist this evil enchantress!

"Well then, Kyousuke, take a good look at this for me. Let's discuss it again tomorrow."

Seeing Eriri's utterly defeated expression, even Utaha felt a momentary pang of guilt.

'Am I really going too far?' But she immediately brushed the thought away.

'Love is war—there's no room for mercy!'

"Ahem, Eriri, are you hungry? I just baked some pancakes in the kitchen. They should be the perfect temperature now."

Sensing the mood spiraling, Kyousuke quickly changed the subject.

He'd spent countless late nights at Eriri's house over the years and knew her otaku habits like the back of his hand.

Late-night snacks were non-negotiable.

If the mood struck, the two would even hop on a bike and ride across all of Tokyo in search of food under the night sky.

'Like hell I want to eat anything you made, you big idiot, Kyousuke!'

Fuming inside, Eriri shot him a fierce glare with her big eyes.

Even she knew that throwing a tantrum now would only make that seductress more smug.

"I want mayo. The hand-whipped kind!" she snapped and stormed out of the room without looking back.

'Stupid idiot. If you've got that much energy, use it to make my food!'

"Got it!" Kyousuke replied instantly.

Eriri always threw out random demands when she was angry, but he didn't mind.

In fact, he found it endearing.

Unlike girls who sulked and made you play mind games trying to guess what they were feeling, Eriri was surprisingly straightforward.

The fact that she was asking for something meant she'd already forgiven him.

"Senpai, would you like anything to eat?"

Utaha was just as much a night owl.

Back when they lived in the same apartment complex, he'd often made her midnight snacks too.

But that habitual offer now made the blonde girl leaning against the hallway wall grit her teeth hard enough to almost shatter them.

"No need for me tonight. I should be getting to bed," Utaha replied with a smile. She stepped forward and gave Kyousuke a soft hug.

"Good night, Kyousuke."

"Good night, Senpai."

As the two stepped out of the room, they saw Eriri standing at the end of the hallway, by the window, gazing out into the courtyard.

"Eriri…"

"Hurry up and make it already! I won't forgive you if it's only 'perfect'—it has to be absolutely flawless!"

Eriri's standards for mayonnaise weren't based on taste or how well it was whipped.

The ingredients were simple: egg yolks, vegetable oil, vinegar, lemon juice—basic enough that even she could make it.

Though she insisted it had to be hand-whipped, the difference from using a mixer wasn't really that big.

And for someone like that idiot with monster-level control over his body, it was child's play.

Her standard was this: when she spread the mayo onto a pancake or toast with a knife, the spread had to be smooth—no gaps or inconsistencies.

Since she was the one doing the spreading, it meant even her technique became part of the "recipe."

So ultimately, the mayonnaise's quality was judged not by the maker, Kyousuke, but by her own actions.

Completely unreasonable—but that idiot would always just laugh awkwardly and go along with it anyway, even cheering her on like a total child.

'So annoying.'

"Okay~~"

Most of the time, a single tilde at the end of a sentence gave off a playful, cheerful vibe.

But when it turned into two, it was more of a slow, calm drawl—a sign of quiet resolve.

Watching Kyousuke disappear downstairs, Utaha didn't head to her room.

Instead, she stood right there with composed elegance.

"Waiting for me, Sawamura-san?"

"Hah? Don't flatter yourself. I just wanted to tell you something."

Eriri snorted.

'How can she walk around in such revealing pajamas? So shameless!'

Even as a fellow girl, she couldn't help but avert her gaze in embarrassment at the sight of that barely-covered curve and those long, snow-white legs.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Utaha asked with a light smile.

"You like Kyousuke, don't you."

Eriri went straight for the throat.

Based on her past experiences, exposing this fact would usually leave her opponent flustered and open to attack.

"Yes, I do. And?"

'Y-You what!?'

What is with this woman!?

"Ahem. Using your body to seduce a man is a low and dirty tactic. Even if he falls for you now, he'll eventually move on to someone with an even better figure."

"Oh my, what a flattering thing to say, Sawamura-san."

Despite being called vulgar, Utaha looked anything but upset—if anything, she looked more amused.

"Flatter?! Who the hell is flattering you?!"

"If a man looks at a woman with zero desire, it's an insult to her and a blow to her dignity. But if even you, another girl, acknowledge my beauty, then that's the highest compliment I could receive."

"Hah!?" Eriri's head filled with giant question marks.

"Beauty is a kind of power. To remain attractive over the years, a woman needs something deeper—an inner strength. And I…"

As Utaha spoke, she stepped closer to the window where Eriri stood.

The hallway lights were off, and only the moonlight spilled down through the windows.

Eriri shrank back as the dark-haired enchantress drew near, her crimson eyes gleaming faintly in the shadows, her voice both cool and seductive.

The blonde princess instinctively took a step back, bracing herself against the window ledge.

'What is she doing? Is she really planning to seduce me with that pervy body of hers!?'

"If I didn't have this face, would I still be charming?"

Utaha leaned in, peering down at the wide-eyed girl like a predator closing in.

'Too close! Too close! Utaha, do you not understand the concept of personal space!?'

Eriri could practically feel the pressure radiating from that indecent body.

She didn't want to admit it, but even if Utaha weren't blessed with such a face or body, her aloof demeanor, unmatched grades, and overwhelming talent made her the kind of woman who'd draw eyes just by standing still.

"But I'm no different!" Eriri shouted defiantly.

"Yes, you are," Utaha said softly. "The most popular girl at Toyogasaki, the perfect rich girl. If you really tried, Sawamura-san, plenty of people would fall for your act too."

Kasumigaoka took a step back, a playful smirk on her face as she looked at the fool who had walked right into her verbal trap.

"Who would do something so shameless?" Eriri muttered.

"Is it that you won't, or that you can't?" Kasumigaoka teased, chuckling softly.

Not waiting for a reply, she turned and walked away.

Watching her leave, Eriri lowered her head, hands clenched tightly in front of her chest.

"I have grown a lot... that lustful witch..."

———————————————————————

Meanwhile, in Shouko's room, two girls were huddled up against the door, eavesdropping with great focus.

Of course, it was Naoka who dragged Shouko into this.

Unfortunately, the soundproofing was a little too good, dulling much of the entertainment value.

"Hahaha, I bet that Sawamura girl is fuming right now," Naoka said cheerfully.

"Naoka~" Shouko scolded her gently, clearly embarrassed by the act of eavesdropping.

"And you too, Shouko," Naoka added. "Stop wearing kiddie clothes all the time! You've got such a great body and you're just wasting it."

There was no one who knew better than Naoka what kind of figure Shouko was hiding beneath her loose, oversized outfits.

Though Naoka might win out in the leg department, when you added in Shouko's chest, her figure was easily on par with Kasumigaoka's.

"These aren't kiddie clothes... Eriri's outfits are way more childish—ah..." Realizing what she'd just said, Shouko quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

"I just like wearing something comfortable. If I wore anything too, um, sexy, people would just stare and that'd be way too embarrassing..." she mumbled.

"That's not how you should think about it. Didn't you hear what Kasumigaoka-senpai said? You've gotta show off your charm!"

"I'd rather not..." Shouko replied timidly.

"Nope, tomorrow we're going shopping. You are coming with me."

"..."

———————————————————————

The Next Day

With things finally settling down at home, Kyousuke was free to focus on transferring schools.

He had been accepted into Toyogasaki Academy with full tuition exemption and a full scholarship—one he didn't have to pay back.

For him, the transfer was no big deal; he trusted the school would accommodate him generously.

Shouko and Sakura, on the other hand, were a bit more complicated.

Their grades were solid—they'd both been admitted to Toyogasaki on merit.

But transferring schools at this point in time meant they'd need to go through a special admissions route.

Kyousuke didn't mind paying for it, but he knew that would probably make the girls feel uncomfortable.

So, to ensure Sakura and Shouko could enroll normally, he agreed to a request from the principal: give a speech as the new student representative during the entrance ceremony.

Kasumigaoka-senpai took over writing the speech—no surprise there.

She had been top of her grade since middle school and was a regular on stage at school events.

The holidays passed one by one.

Naoka's cosplay outfit finally went on sale on a website, priced at a bold 80,000 yen.

She was initially nervous about the steep price, but Kyousuke showed her comparable cosplays with official licenses, which helped ease her worries.

The outfit was sold via preorder and came as a complete set.

What she had made so far was just the prototype.

Naoka also modeled the outfit herself.

Despite her lack of curves, her lean frame and sharp pose gave the photos a bold and powerful vibe.

With that short jacket from the Scout Regiment cosplay, her legs looked like they went on forever.

The first person to place an order? Eriri, of course.

Once Eriri found out what Naoka was working on, the hardcore otaku instantly clicked with her.

They bonded so well that Eriri started spending less time sparring with Kasumigaoka and even forgot about her main job.

Sayuri-san had to call repeatedly to chase deadlines, and the responsibility of nagging Eriri eventually fell to Kyousuke.

Aside from the two major summer and winter conventions, Eriri's doujin circle, egoistic-lily, also took part in smaller fan events throughout the year.

These kept her creative juices flowing and helped maintain the circle's popularity.

The doujin world moved fast—if you didn't release new content regularly, people quickly forgot about you, even if you had a hit.

Kyousuke never imagined that the tables would turn. He used to remind Eriri to take breaks—now he was reminding her to get back to work.

With a whole group of close friends, Eriri's shut-in lifestyle had never been more enjoyable.

She had Shouko to watch anime with, snacks and drinks always prepared, and whenever she got bored, she'd go verbally spar with the "witch" to blow off steam.

She even had a personal tailor working on her cosplay outfits.

Sure, she only dared wear them alone, but that was more than enough to make her happy.

Utaha was also enjoying herself.

The shared living arrangement was a bit different from what she'd imagined—there were more people than she expected—but as long as Kyousuke was home, he spent most of his time with her.

That idiot Eriri was like a child—she'd be over the moon as long as there was anime on.

Toyonozaki

———————————————————————

Early in the morning, a small truck pulled up to the front of Kyousuke's house.

"Eriri, what's all this?" Kyousuke asked, watching workers carry wooden crates into the yard.

"Koi fish!" she said brightly. "You said before that you liked them, right? Now that you've got a proper place to raise them, I figured I'd give you a little back-to-school gift."

"Where did you get them?"

"Huh? From home, of course. You like our koi fish, don't you?" she said without hesitation.

...Fair enough. Kyousuke had no comeback.

Soon, the once-spacious pond in his yard was swarming with koi as the new arrivals flooded in.

The original fish, previously enjoying a peaceful life, suddenly found their territory invaded.

As Eriri generously scattered food across the water, the koi surged forward in a chaotic frenzy.

Shouko and Naoka squealed in delight.

Kyousuke, on the other hand, was hit with a wave of nostalgia—he remembered fishing with his classmates at the school pond in his past life.

These naive little fish didn't know any better. Toss out a handful of feed, and they'd just come rushing over.

———————————————————————

That afternoon, Utaha returned home—struggling slightly as she wrangled a small dog.

"A puppy!" Shouko gasped, abandoning the koi to squat down in front of the fluffball.

"My cousin's getting married and moving back to the countryside, so she can't take care of him. She practically forced him on me. We can keep a dog here, right, Kyousuke?"

Relieved to be home, Kasumigaoka let out a long sigh.

Don't be fooled by the little guy—he was a real handful.

"Of course we can," Kyousuke replied, eyeing the dog.

It was clearly a purebred Samoyed, freshly bought from an upscale pet store, but he decided not to say anything.

The fluffy white pup, who looked like a walking marshmallow, was small but full of attitude.

Whether it was the tight harness bothering it or the sudden crowd of strangers, the dog was low growling and trying to back away, head down.

Truthfully, Kasumigaoka was already regretting her decision.

Why had she gone and picked a fight with Eriri again? Bringing home this walking disaster… She should've gotten a cat or a bird—something that ate fish.

But then she'd seen it through the pet store window, tilting its head and smiling that dopey little smile, and she'd bought it on impulse.

Japanese pet stores were basically zoos.

Fun to look at, but buying something? Way too expensive.

Even the most basic dog would set you back over 200,000 yen.

If she really wanted a pet, adoption would've made way more sense.

Kyousuke gently took the leash from her, knelt down, and carefully removed the harness. Then he carried the little dog out to the yard.

As soon as it got into the open space, the Samoyed perked up immediately and began joyfully bounding through the low grass.

"Senpai, what's the dog's name?" Shouko asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Much like her newfound love for the garden, she'd never had the chance to be around animals growing up.

"Take care of yourself first before worrying about anything else"—that's what her mom always told her.

Ever since moving in, Shouko had thought about adopting a pet, maybe a puppy… but she kept hesitating. And so, time just slipped by.

"Name… Kyousuke, you got any ideas?" Utaha clearly hadn't thought that far ahead.

Honestly, she was leaning toward something like "Smiley," since that silly grin was the reason she bought the dog in the first place.

"Lucky!" Kyousuke offered without missing a beat.

"So tacky—" Eriri cut in with a look of disgust, having wandered over at some point.

Strangely enough, the rebellious little pup was now happily circling around her feet.

That sight made Utaha fume—she'd literally bought this dog to spite this idiot, and now it was betraying her! But then, her lips curled into a mischievous smirk.

"Oh my, looks like the pup found one of its kind."

Come on now, no one's going to mistake a golden retriever puppy for a Samoyed, Kyousuke thought to himself.

"It's white, okay? Totally different," Eriri snapped, shooting Kasumigaoka a glare like she was the idiot here.

No, Eriri, your rebuttal is totally off-point…

"Ah, sorry, my bad. Guess I should've gotten a golden retriever—I must've picked the wrong one by accident," Kasumigaoka replied innocently.

"Kasumigaoka Utaha!!" Eriri exploded, finally realizing she'd been played.

She lunged forward to try out the judo moves she'd been practicing for days—but almost kicked the dog in the process and had to twist mid-step to avoid it, nearly falling flat.

"Hehe~"

"You're just as annoying as your owner!"

Eriri huffed as she crouched down and aggressively ruffled the little Samoyed's fluffy head.

The pup just tilted its head and gave an even goofier grin.

"I do agree that 'Lucky' is too basic. Shouting it at the park would probably have ten dogs turning their heads," Utaha said, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Shouko, Naoka—any suggestions?"

"Eh? I can help?" Shouko's face lit up with surprise.

"Of course."

"Then… how about 'Money'?" Kyousuke pitched in again, dead serious.

Names like "Lucky" or "Cash" practically radiate good fortune. Just saying them feels like the universe owes you some change.

"Let's name it Fluffy!" Eriri chimed in, excited.

"So tacky—" Utaha shot her own insult right back.

"Fluffy, do you like being called Fluffy?" Eriri bent down and asked sweetly.

"Yip yip yip~" The dog's ears twitched at the sound.

"See? It totally loves it!" Eriri said proudly, puffing up like she'd just won a trophy.

"Alright, fine. Its name is Momotarou," Utaha declared with a smug look.

"Wait, isn't it a girl?" Kyousuke finally pointed out, having been ignored for far too long.

"Oh, so now you're one of those people who enforces human norms on animals?"

"No, no. Whatever makes you happy." He wisely bowed out—he had zero interest in being grouped with dogs.

And judging from the dangerous gleam in Utaha's eyes, he made the right call.

"Hmph, whatever. I'm naming the koi!" Eriri dropped the puppy and marched over to the pond.

"You shall be… Bubble General." She pointed at a red-and-white koi blowing bubbles near the edge.

"You're Weed Commander." This one had a strand of pondweed trailing from its tail.

"You're Glutton Vanguard." Clearly still eating even after everyone else had finished.

"And you're Ferrari!" Because it was fast. No deeper meaning.

"..."

Naming fish.

Not just one, but a whole squad.

Eriri's royal behavior had drawn the whole group over, all of them now standing around the pond listening to her roll out increasingly ridiculous names.

"Hold up, didn't that one already have a name? Wasn't it Deep-Sea Helicopter?" Kasumigaoka interrupted.

"Uh—" Eriri's outstretched finger faltered.

She squinted at the fish, trying to remember if she'd gotten them mixed up.

But with so many nearly identical red-and-white koi crowding the pond, how could she be sure?

'Wait—if I can't remember, there's no way Kasumigaoka Utaha can!'

"Wrong! That one's Deep-Sea Helicopter!" she blurted, randomly pointing at another.

Utaha's eyes gleamed. "No, this one is!"

Faced with that confidence, Eriri instinctively hesitated—but refused to back down.

She turned toward Kyousuke.

"Kyousuke! You say it! Which one is the real helicopter?!"

Kasumigaoka turned to him at the same time.

This was serious now.

Kyousuke, whose skills included sketching accurate muscle curves from memory and calculating wind patterns based on flower sway, was their final judge.

'Why me? You two were fighting just fine on your own…'

Now caught between their intense gazes, Kyousuke felt the pressure spike.

Fortunately, his brain had already labeled each fish like icons in a video game.

He knew exactly which was which.

But clearly, both girls wanted their choice to be validated.

This wasn't about truth—it was about allegiance.

'Shouko? Naoka? Any help here?'

He turned to them like a desperate referee calling for backup.

But the two girls had quietly retreated, giggling behind their hands, watching the drama unfold with delight.

Back to the fish.

Both girls still stared at him.

Eriri's big blue eyes were welling up, and Kasumigaoka's glare had gone from amused to sharp.

Doorbell? Someone ring the doorbell.

A text notification?

Anyone? Mitsuha, weren't you supposed to come over today?

Sakura? Didn't you say you'd be back?

Silence.

The only sound was the puppy bouncing around and yipping, eager for Eriri to play.

Kyousuke cleared his throat.

"Ahem. This one's Bubble General—red to white ratio is about 4:3, with the line starting from the pectoral fins."

"That's Weed Commander—the one with the tear near the top of its tail."

"Glutton Vanguard's over there, still eating. And this one…" He paused, pointing to the last remaining koi, "...is Deep-Sea Helicopter. Just like you both said!"

"Kyousuke, you're such a sneak," Kasumigaoka said with a laugh, letting it go.

She knew better than to press a guy too far.

With a parting smirk, she headed inside to take a bath.

"Idiot!" Eriri stomped in frustration.

Why couldn't he just agree with her?

Would it kill him to be more assertive?! Ugh! So not cute!

"Hehe~"

Still grinning, Kyousuke handed her his phone.

"You could use these photos to make a koi catalog. Sketch each one with its name. When Sayuri-san and Uncle Robin visit, you'll have something fun to show them."

"Oh! That's a great idea!"

Sure, she had pictures—but for an artist, nothing beats drawing them by hand. Her annoyance vanished in an instant.

She dashed off to the tatami room, grabbed her sketchpad, and was already fired up to get started.

Shouko and Naoka, afraid of getting dragged into any future payback, had already made a quiet escape.

For a while, the only ones left in the courtyard were Eriri, calmly seated as she mixed her paints, and Kyousuke, crouched beside her gently petting the puppy.

Well—no, not "the puppy" anymore. It had a name now: Momotarou.

And then, at long last, the doorbell rang—just as someone had been desperately hoping.

But Kyousuke didn't rush to answer it.

The visitor's identity had already been registered in the security system.

Like him, Miyamizu Mitsuha was spending her final vacation before university.

Her grandparents had called her back to Nara, where she'd been staying until now.

"Eriri, looks like a friend of yours is here," he said.

"A friend?" Eriri paused mid-brushstroke, confused.

All her school friends were girls—no way Kyousuke would know any of them.

As for Sakura, she had already asked and confirmed that Kyousuke didn't know about their connection.

"Well, you probably don't realize you know her," Kyousuke said, after a moment of thought. "But she really likes the koi in your pond."

"What do you mean, I don't realize I know her?" Eriri stared at him, baffled.

'What kind of nonsense was this idiot spouting now?'