"But what about the beef we bought from the supermarket?"
"Put it in the freezer for storage. We can take it out and defrost it when needed."
Chisato suggested.
Yukino nodded and then turned to Chisato to thank him.
When Chisato saw her accept it so openly, he smiled and waved his hand nonchalantly.
After confirming that he didn't need to help in the kitchen, he was pulled to the living room by a rather impatient Iroha, who wanted him to assist with organizing various event arrangements recorded in the meeting earlier.
"The beef Suzumiya-senpai brought is still frozen solid. What should we do, defrost it?"
"Yes, don't remove the plastic wrap. Just soak it in warm water to defrost."
"Isn't it faster to use the microwave?"
"That would cook it directly and affect the texture of such good quality beef."
"I see. I learned something new."
In the living room, with a big smile on her face, Iroha patted the spot next to her, clearly indicating for Chisato to sit beside her.
Chisato sat down next to her. Then, the high school girl next to him leaned in quite familiarly, almost magnetically, pressing closely against him.
"..." Chisato turned his head, silently staring at Iroha, giving her some pressure.
Iroha, however, was unfazed, her overly cheerful smile blocking out all hints of discomfort.
"Let's get started, senpai."
Chisato had no choice but to tell her directly,
"Isshiki, you're too close, I can't start."
"Is it because my heart is racing?"
"No, my arms can't stretch out like this. I can't type."
"Tch~"
With a mock sigh, Iroha slightly pulled away, creating some space between her and Chisato.
She didn't feel discouraged though; she knew the close contact wouldn't last long.
She was just shamelessly trying to get as much as she could from the moment, and since her goal had been achieved, there was no regret.
"Thank you for your help, senpai. Since I type slowly, I had no choice but to ask you to help."
"No problem, just consider it a return favor for inviting me to dinner."
Chisato focused on the handwritten notes beside him, recording a few sentences before typing them accurately and quickly into the computer.
The text in the notebook was clearly written by Yukino—elegant, clear, and as pleasant to look at as she was.
Utaha's handwriting was also very beautiful, neat and elegant, while Iroha and Eriri's handwriting was more rounded, clearly written by girls.
As for Kazusa and Hitori... well, let's just say there's plenty of room for improvement.
"Senpai, I poured you some tea. It's cooled down a bit, just right for a sip."
"Oh, thanks."
Chisato didn't suspect anything and took a sip from the cup Iroha handed him.
"I forgot to tell you, I had a sip earlier because I was thirsty. You won't mind, right?"
"..." Iroha reminded him only after the fact, which earned her a slow, intense gaze from Chisato.
He reached to pinch her cheek.
"What did you say?"
"Ow, ow, just kidding, senpai. How could you think I'd do something like that?"
Though she said it was painful, Iroha's expression showed that she was thoroughly enjoying the situation.
"Just behave yourself for a bit. If the text I enter into the computer ends up wrong and your club president scolds you, I won't take responsibility."
Chisato invoked Yukino's name, which immediately got Iroha to calm down a bit.
Iroha obediently responded with a simple "Okay," and Chisato relaxed slightly.
Unexpectedly, after some time, Chisato met with Iroha again. He had originally thought things would remain as usual between them, but he was wrong.
Despite successfully fending off her advances, his heart was no longer as calm as it had been before.
For example, just as he sat down, her entire upper body pressed against him...
They were indoors with the air conditioning on, everyone's coats were hung up by the door, and thus Iroha's body shape became clearly visible through her not-too-thick clothes.
The sweet scent that Iroha wore also invaded his senses, and under this simultaneous assault on both touch and smell, it would be a lie to say that Chisato had no thoughts at all.
In most cases, men were led by reason, but there were always exceptions.
Moreover, in some sense, Chisato and Iroha had already reached a point in their relationship where even a slight action from her could stir up memories for him.
Iroha, with her feminine intuition, seemed to sense something, so she decided to follow Chisato's lead and refrained from any further obvious teasing.
She picked up her phone and went out to the balcony to call home, telling them that she'd be home later.
Earlier, when they walked home together after school, she learned that Chisato was living alone now.
This rare opportunity to be alone with him couldn't be missed.
After dinner, she planned to find a way to get Chisato to go home with her... just the two of them...
Judging by the mood earlier, if things went well, maybe their relationship would take a step forward that night.
With this thought in mind, Iroha, after hanging up the phone, stuck out her pink tongue and licked her lips, wearing a pleased smile as if everything was under her control.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city...
After receiving a call from Utaha, Eriri's face gradually became serious as she listened to the details.
She glanced at her messy desk and immediately decided to grab her coat and head out the door.
Work opportunities were plenty; if one passed, another would come.
But if Chisato caused the family to add more women to their household for various reasons, it would be a blow to both her and Utaha—an unbearable pain.
Such a thing absolutely could not happen.
"Where are you going so late, Eriri?"
"I'm just going to the bookstore to check some materials. I'll be back soon."
At this time, a lie was the best excuse.
Standing at the door, Mrs. Sawamura watched her daughter leave and muttered to herself,
"When did that kid get so studious?"
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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