Late December.
Cold air was advancing fast, and the temperature kept dropping.
The fog on the inside of the Suzumiya household's balcony windows was enough to suggest the biting chill outside.
At this time of year, the warm blankets seemed to transform into silent demons, quietly devouring anyone brave enough to crawl into them.
This morning, Utaha, who was a very light sleeper, was awakened by the movement of Chisato getting out of bed.
But instead of following, she curled up and occupied the spot where her lover had just been, gathering the blanket tightly around her to keep out the cold air.
Very different from before, back when the weather hadn't turned this cold and she'd get up with him, the two of them heading to the bathroom together.
He'd hold her by the waist as they brushed their teeth in front of the mirror—so sweetly close it was almost nauseating, like a pair of newlyweds.
Chisato changed clothes while casting a glance at Utaha, who was entirely wrapped up in the blanket except for her head, which peeked out just enough to watch him.
He found it strangely amusing.
The reason was simple: the way Utaha was acting now was completely unlike her usual cool, refined persona.
The contrast made it stand out all the more.
If she was doing all of this deliberately, then all he could say was—this woman was quite the schemer.
"Still not going to school today?"
"Mm… No need. I already got a recommendation for the university I want to attend.
As long as I meet the standard on the final exam, my usual performance will be enough to get the diploma. Doesn't matter how many classes I skip."
"Being an honors student really does come with unexpected perks."
Chisato commented offhandedly, clearly referring to her guilt-free wintertime indulgence of sleeping in.
"If you wanted, you could do the same."
"If I did, I'd worry your body wouldn't be able to handle it."
"Tch~"
Although she knew he wasn't following her lead because he was busy lately with finalizing the band's new song release, Utaha still smiled faintly, clearly pleased.
"I'll turn on the heater for you before I go. It won't be as cold then."
Just before he left the room, Chisato asked for her opinion.
After being together for so long, he of course knew she had a cold constitution—if she slept alone, it would take her hours in bed before her feet would finally warm up.
For reference, Eriri was the opposite.
From the moment she got under the covers, she was soft and warm—like a cozy little stove.
Hugging her was pure comfort. But Chisato didn't let their physical differences color his thoughts about either of them.
"No need. If the heater's on, the air gets too dry. Just leave it as is."
And that was the problem—Utaha was both sensitive to the cold and unable to tolerate dry air.
They did have a humidifier at home, and while it helped a bit, it could only improve things to a certain extent.
It didn't completely eliminate the discomfort from breathing heated, dry air.
As Eriri once put it: "Utaha, you're just too damn picky."
When Utaha heard that remark, she didn't argue or respond much. She just yawned lazily and pretended not to hear it.
"If it's still a problem later, I'll move the coffee table into the guest room and get us a heated table."
The best solution would actually be to install floor heating in the apartment. But to do that, they'd have to move out all the furniture, tear up the floors, and undergo construction.
From demolition to reinstallation, it would take at least a week.
Considering the hassle, Chisato figured it wasn't worth it.
Winter would pass in the blink of an eye, and by this time next year, he would already be close to graduation.
If worse came to worst, he could just look for an apartment with underfloor heating then.
"A kotatsu, huh…"
Utaha was clearly tempted by Chisato's suggestion. Her family had a kotatsu at home, and whenever the weather turned cold, her mother would bring it out.
She loved curling up inside it to read or pour her thoughts into her writing on the computer.
However, after thinking for a moment, she still shook her head.
"Moving it back and forth is too much trouble. Let's not."
She didn't want to trouble him.
Chisato noticed the shift in her expression and roughly understood her feelings.
"Alright, I'll figure something out myself. You go back to sleep a bit longer."
"Mm… be careful on the way… wait, you didn't brush your teeth yet… mmm—"
Chisato leaned down and planted a goodbye kiss, which made Utaha let out a flustered, adorable sound. Only then did he leave, satisfied.
He entered the bathroom, turned on the water, squeezed some toothpaste, and began his morning routine.
Staring at himself in the mirror, Chisato reflected on his recent cohabitation with Utaha and Eriri.
As for Eriri, since her parents were quite strict, she rarely had the chance to stay overnight. At most, she could come over occasionally for dinner or something.
But Utaha… that was a bit much. In a whole week, she would spend nearly five days at the apartment. Who knew how she convinced her family?
But judging by how casually she talked about it before—completely relaxed and not the least bit anxious—it clearly wasn't a big deal to her.
As a result, the time the two spent together far exceeded that with anyone else.
They were practically like a real married couple.
Thanks to her, Chisato now felt a strange emptiness in his heart when he woke up and didn't see her familiar figure in his arms.
Holding her felt like holding the entire world.
He used to be extremely self-disciplined, always waking up efficiently no matter what. But now, he wouldn't get up until they'd spent a little time playfully tangled under the covers.
Was he being subtly tamed by her?
Utaha—what a terrifying woman!
After washing up, Chisato went to the kitchen and made a simple breakfast: two boiled eggs with milk.
No need to prepare anything for Utaha—she would get up later and wash some fruit for herself.
Before leaving, he returned to the bedroom and slipped his cold hands under the unaware, half-asleep Utaha's back—skin to skin.
The next second, a desperate cry for mercy rang out in the room—from Chisato's mouth.
The reason was that Utaha, her face instantly frosty, flipped over and bit the hand he used to mess with her.
During lunch break, when Hitori saw the bite marks on Chisato's hand and asked about them, that was the explanation she received.
Hitori nodded obediently.
To be honest, she also longed to have moments alone with Chisato after school.
Even staying the night, not going home—just staying by his side. Then, as he had just described, waking up together in the same bed the next morning.
Just imagining such a scene was almost overwhelmingly blissful.
She was confident that if it were her, even if Chisato put his cold hands on her, it wouldn't be a big deal. She wouldn't bite him.
If Chisato ever wanted to warm his hands, she could even offer him her warmest spots without hesitation.
For example…
"Hm?"
Chisato looked confusedly at Hitori, who kept glancing his way and slowly unzipped her jacket.
With a sigh, he reached out gently,
"Hey now, it's cold—don't be reckless and catch a cold."
After zipping her jacket back up, he smiled affectionately and gave her cheek a gentle pinch.
"Mmm…"
Even though this kind of care made her happy, it wasn't exactly the kind of tenderness she was truly wishing for…
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The title kinda reminds me of Persona 3 lol. "Want to be close~"
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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