The jet-black wings flapped and flew directly into the room, landing on top of the air conditioner it had grown used to perching on.
Utaha left her suitcase at the entrance and didn't bring it inside. Rubbing her cold hands, she walked into the kitchen.
Winter nights were indeed harshly cold. She made herself a cup of hot tea and also prepared one for Eriri.
Back in the living room, she handed the tea to Eriri, then sat on the sofa.
As she enjoyed the warmth of the room, she let out a soft sigh, blew on the steaming tea, and gently sipped from the edge of the cup.
After taking in the heat, her expression visibly softened, and she finally turned to face Chisato—who was smiling with his eyes slightly narrowed—and spoke.
"Don't get the wrong idea. Eriri and I just happened to have overlapping plans with yours. We were already planning to go skiing.
Right now, both my writing and Eriri's illustration work are on hold, and since we finally have a break, we figured we shouldn't just stay home the whole time.
We need to get out and relax a bit."
She said all this naturally and fluidly, without the slightest stumble.
Chisato looked at her thoughtfully and nodded. He could more or less imagine her rehearsing and refining this explanation in her head over and over during the trip here.
However, Eriri, who was also holding a hot cup of tea beside her, let out a silent sigh and looked helplessly at Utaha after she finished her speech.
This kind of self-sabotaging honesty… was just too exasperating.
It was hard to believe that the novels written by this woman were praised by most veteran critics as "delicate," "deep," and "thought-provoking."
She herself was so easy to read—were her novels really that profound?
Sure enough, the next moment Chisato smiled and said,
"Utaha, I didn't even ask anything."
Utaha's motion of blowing her tea stopped for a moment. An obvious look of embarrassment spread across her face.
But she quickly recovered and replied stiffly,
"Even if you had asked, our answer would still be the same."
"No, that's just you. Not me."
Eriri rolled her eyes and exposed her mercilessly, immediately earning a cold glare from Utaha.
She was displeased that Eriri didn't go along with her.
Eriri, however, remained perfectly calm.
If you want people to go along with you, at least do it properly.
If you're going to be this haphazard, what do you expect me to do—join you in a comedy sketch?
This isn't a variety show.
She knew Utaha too well. They say barking dogs don't bite—Utaha was the reverse.
She often put on a scary front, but when it came to actually doing something, she didn't know what to do next.
Aside from that sultry body, everything else was just for show.
"Actually, it was after your call, Chisato, when you told us about your schedule for the next few days, that we thought it'd be nice to go out for a few days too.
The ski resort you mentioned sounded interesting, so after looking up some info and thinking it aligned with what we wanted, we went ahead and booked tickets to Sapporo for tomorrow."
Eriri came out and explained the truth directly.
In her view, there was no need to hide this kind of thing from Chisato.
After all, they were already in a skinship-level relationship—there wasn't anything they couldn't be honest about.
If people that close still had to play mind games, wouldn't that just be too sad?
Besides, Chisato had just mentioned his itinerary, and right after they arrived, they revealed they had the same plans. Anyone with half a brain would realize it was deliberate.
Yet Utaha insisted on framing it her way, and now you could see the result.
Honestly, she should've just gone through the trouble to talk her out of it earlier. Oh well—now it was just a matter of drawing a clear line between them.
So far, everything was still under control.
"Don't worry, Chisato. I know you're going on this trip for a company retreat.
Even though we're going to the same destination, we won't be thoughtless enough to barge in and insist on joining you.
The two of us will stick together and take care of ourselves, so there's no need for you to worry. You've worked so hard lately—use these next few days to really relax."
Eriri clearly and earnestly laid out their plans for the coming days, doing her best to emphasize how considerate and understanding they were.
Though her chest still seemed a bit small even as she straightened her back, the elegance and confidence in her demeanor gave off a very dignified aura, like that of a respectable wife.
"Hey!"
Just as Chisato was quietly feeling pleased and unsure what to say, Utaha immediately voiced her discontent.
Because her thoughts were completely different.
They had already booked flight tickets for tomorrow morning to Sapporo, the same destination as Chisato. Clearly, she had intended to spend time with Chisato too.
Now they were splitting into two groups and doing things separately? What kind of joke was that?
She had no intention of spending the next few days seeing nothing but Eriri's face.
If things were to go as Eriri suggested, then what was the point of her choosing the same travel destination as Chisato?
She had a weak tolerance for the cold.
If it weren't for Chisato—if it weren't for the wish to create lasting memories with him—she would never want to go to a freezing snowfield surrounded by mountains like Sapporo.
If she couldn't sleep in his arms at night, she would surely wake up halfway through due to the cold and unfamiliar hotel bedding.
That was something she definitely didn't want to happen!
"Don't go making decisions by yourself. If you want to do it that way, then go ahead. Enjoy your trip."
Utaha didn't explicitly state what her plans were, but as she stood up and deliberately squeezed herself down between the two, it was clear enough what she intended.
Whatever Eriri planned didn't matter—she was going to stick to her own intentions without compromise.
Eriri's eyelids twitches as she tried hard to suppress the urge to curse out loud.
Utaha remained calm, sipping her tea. Winter tea cooled quickly, and at this just-barely-hot level, it was perfect for her.
Chisato, seeing all this unfold, didn't feel much trouble—just a touch of amusement.
But just as he was about to say something, his phone rang. It happened to be a call from Seika.
After answering, he listened as she began discussing work matters.
Chisato glanced apologetically at the two girls before slowly walking out to the balcony while replying.
Dark Wing, perhaps missing him after a while, flew down from the air conditioner and perched on his shoulder, following him to the balcony.
The sliding glass door opened, then closed gently behind him.
Through the transparent glass, his tall and slender figure could be seen. The two girls in the living room stared at his silhouette for a moment before looking away.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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