"That's different. Talking to them about my future always feels a bit awkward, and there's a generation gap.
The biggest reason is that I don't know where my future is headed right now, so I thought I'd talk to you, since you seem to have a clear direction in life, and I'm hoping you can give me some inspiration."
Iroha's hands, resting on her legs, clenched slightly.
Out of a desire to get closer to Chisato, she had thought long and hard, her mind racing with ideas, but ultimately discarding them due to various concerns.
The main reason for this was that she could clearly sense Chisato's resistance toward her.
He didn't want their relationship to get any closer and was content with keeping things as they were.
During the time when he "visited her when she was sick," she clearly understood that being picked up by him was a compromise he made out of necessity.
However, even so, during that intimate contact, Iroha felt an overwhelming sense of care and satisfaction, both mentally and physically, trembling with pleasure.
The warmth in his arms, the happiness that made her want to stay in that embrace forever—even if it meant suffocating and dying without regret—was so addictive.
It was only after experiencing such wonderful and fulfilling feelings that the initial attempt to get close to Chisato turned into a thing of the past.
After thinking repeatedly about the current situation, she finally made up her mind.
Although Chisato-senpai did resist her, if you look beyond the facts, even though she occasionally overstepped by being overly forward and showing more intimate actions, he never displayed any extreme dislike or even disgust.
He at most would give a light verbal reprimand or withdraw, creating distance on his own.
What did this mean?
It meant his subconscious reactions and rational thoughts were in conflict.
And because of this contradiction, Iroha could make her decision with certainty.
There are generally two situations in which men and women end up together.
One is when feelings develop first, and then they grow closer gradually, typically seen in traditional childhood friends.
The other is when feelings come first, followed by developing affection over time, similar to love at first sight or arranged marriages.
Iroha had already decided that to get Chisato to accept her and allow her to easily leap into his embrace at any time, her method would be different from either of the above.
She wasn't sure if it was influenced by the troubling dream she had for a long time, one that she could still vividly remember, but her thinking had become somewhat extreme.
Since he was so firm in his rationality and wouldn't give her a chance, she would find an opportunity to make his rationality "offline" temporarily.
In simple terms, find the right moment, use a certain method, and skip the slow emotional buildup, taking a shortcut straight to the finish line, displaying the reality before them.
If everything went smoothly, with Chisato-senpai's personality, he would never leave her alone.
And once they were really together, nothing would stand in their way.
As for the other girls around him, that could be considered after they were truly together.
For now, the most urgent task was to get on the same starting line with them, or else she wouldn't even have the qualification to compete.
However, despite all this, she couldn't rush it too obviously.
If her true intentions were discovered, it would make him wary, and implementing her plan afterward would become very difficult.
So from this point on, while she would avoid any obvious physical contact, the teasing action that had just happened at Yukinoshita-senpai's house must never be repeated.
But that moment had been unavoidable—after all, she had been sitting so close to him, she couldn't help herself.
"Alright... I think I understand your point. So, basically, Isshiki, you see that I'm actively developing my career, and you wanted to come to me for advice as someone with experience, right?"
Chisato summarized, and Iroha nodded enthusiastically.
Historically, many proverbs describe female beauty, like "a beauty so stunning it could rival a meal," "a beauty that could cause fish to sink and birds to fall," or "a beauty that could ruin a kingdom."
But one must realize that when a man's appearance reaches a certain level, the impact on women is just as potent as the expressions of these proverbs.
Chisato himself wasn't aware of this, but whether it was with Kazusa, Eriri, or Utaha, they couldn't openly admit it…
Although their satisfaction during intimacy with him came mainly from his vitality and skill, a significant portion was due to his looks.
Just look at how fans react when they support their idols—worshiping them to the point of exhaustion, then collapsing with a look of admiration—one can understand the effect.
As long as looks and feelings are aligned, women can easily reach an indescribable state just from looking.
Iroha was starting to feel the same way.
As she listened to Chisato's voice and saw his gaze toward her, knowing they were alone, she couldn't deny that she had some thoughts.
But for the sake of the future, she had to control herself.
"I understand your idea, but before I give you advice, I want to hear your thoughts. Are there any industries you're curious about?"
Chisato didn't have as many thoughts as Iroha did; his thoughts weren't as complicated.
After hearing her, he simply maintained the same caring attitude toward her, intending to answer her questions seriously.
"Hmm..."
Iroha touched her chin, thinking carefully.
Chisato guided her gently,
"You don't need to think too hard, just relax. For example, have you ever been interested in any profession, even if it was just for a moment?"
"Well... actually, I have, but it's a little embarrassing."
"It's okay, just tell me."
"Well... it's probably office worker types."
"Oh? What about this profession interests you?"
"Because their clothes look mature and very feminine."
Iroha gave this superficial reason, which left Chisato speechless.
After all, he wasn't a professional career counselor, and he didn't know how to continue the conversation.
Just then, his phone rang.
He picked it up to see it was Eriri calling.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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