Seika reached out her hand above the grill.
Feeling the heat, she took the oil can and poured a little onto the surface, then used a small brush to spread it evenly.
"Ryo, if you're hungry, go ahead and eat. Grill whatever you want."
"Finally. I won't wait for the others, then."
Ryo picked up the tongs and placed high-quality meat onto the grill.
"Mm, we're going to take a group selfie, so you guys eat first—don't mind us."
Seika and Ikuyo casually waved them off as they called Hitori over and started discussing poses for their photo.
Because fewer people were now under the table, there was more legroom, and Chisato subtly breathed a sigh of relief. His movements under the table also grew bolder.
He pressed his left foot down on Utaha's ankle to keep her from escaping, then extended his right foot, gently rubbing the sole of her foot with his big toe, applying just a little more pressure.
As he moved, Chisato kept a discreet eye on Utaha.
She maintained a perfectly calm expression, which puzzled him.
He knew all too well that Utaha's feet ranked among her most sensitive spots—normally, just the slightest touch would get a clear reaction.
But as he continued, it started to make sense.
Maybe it was the thick socks.
After all, they were out in a snowy mountain resort, and the temperature was freezing. Everyone was wearing thick socks and warm shoes to avoid frostbite—Utaha included.
Back in Tokyo, Utaha almost always wore black stockings.
And anyone who knows about those knows they're more for visual appeal than actual warmth or protection. That thin layer didn't do anything to block out sensation.
So of course, the thick socks were acting as a buffer, dulling the ticklishness.
Chisato glanced at Utaha, who was calmly looking at her phone, and couldn't help but feel provoked—as if she were silently challenging him: "That's all you've got?"
Well, that was easily solved: just take off her socks. Once her bare feet were exposed, he'd see if she could stay that composed.
Chisato wasn't exactly confident in the dexterity of his toes—honestly, what guy would ever train that?
But just pulling off a sock wasn't too complicated. Without the aid of sight, it might take a bit more time, but it was doable.
What surprised him, though, was that even when he nudged Utaha's foot upward with his toes, hooking onto the top of her sock, she didn't resist.
Only when he started tugging downward did he feel her try to pull her foot back—and then her other foot came up to tangle with his, clearly resisting.
But it was too late to fight back now.
She was a literary girl—no way she could match the physical strength of someone like Chisato.
Chisato watched her lips curl slightly upward while she stared at her phone. Excited, he quickened his movements under the table.
Very soon, he'd pulled off one of her socks.
It seemed Utaha had realized she couldn't resist, and gave up trying. The second sock came off just as easily.
Now both of her bare feet were gently entwined with Chisato's under the table.
"Suzumiya, Utaha, let's not wait for the others. Let's start eating. I'm hungry too—how about some mushrooms?"
Seika picked up the tongs and placed some white mushrooms at the edge of the grill.
"Mhm."
Utaha replied with a soft smile. She didn't feel like eating right now, but replied out of politeness. After that, her attention returned to her phone.
Chisato lifted the drink pitcher.
"Pass me your cups—I'll pour you some juice."
"Ah, thanks."
Seika and Ryo both handed over their cups.
Utaha didn't thank him, but she passed her cup over too.
As she received the filled cup, Chisato mischievously traced her bare sole with extra pressure.
Smack—
"Ah..."
Ryo's chopsticks froze mid-air as she stared at the freshly grilled, high-quality beef that had fallen onto the table, her eyes filled with regret.
Chisato's attention was caught by this small accident and, distracted, he missed Utaha's reaction, allowing her to take the juice from him.
"If it falls on the table and isn't clean, don't eat it. There's plenty more. And if it's not enough, we can just order more."
Chisato wiped the table clean with a napkin.
Ryo still looked reluctant, but gave him a small nod.
"Let me take this chance to make an announcement."
Utaha suddenly spoke with a rare, radiant smile.
Everyone turned to look at her.
Chisato felt a brief wave of nervousness. After all, right now under the table, their feet were still tangled together.
Ah…
Chisato internally muttered, This can't be good.
Utaha was now using her toes to tug at his sock.
"What's the announcement?" Eriri asked from her spot by the window.
"It's something good for me, at least," Utaha said, sitting upright, not keeping them in suspense.
"My novel was selected as one of the yearly works in This Light Novel Is Amazing!"
She delivered the joyful news in a calm tone, but her face couldn't hide her delight.
"What yearly work?"
Ikuyo hadn't quite followed.
Eriri paused, then gave a brief explanation.
"It's a pretty famous award within the light novel industry.
Being selected means not only recognition of the author's skill, but also shows how popular they are among readers. It's a big deal."
Though she often bickered with Utaha, Eriri was genuinely happy for her accomplishment.
"That's really amazing!"
Seika and the others also congratulated Utaha.
"Such great news—we should toast to it."
Chisato suggested cheerfully, but Utaha shook her head.
She held up her phone slightly.
"Let's toast a little later. I need to step out and call my editor. It's hard to explain everything over text."
The others all nodded in understanding. At first, Chisato didn't think much of it—but then it hit him.
Utaha's socks had been completely taken off by him. If she left the table now, wouldn't everything be exposed?
Or did she think no one would notice?
But something that obvious definitely wouldn't go unnoticed!
Maybe she had a convenient excuse ready, like saying it was too warm under the table so she took off her socks…
That might work—though it felt a bit crude. It was hard to imagine someone like Utaha using such an excuse. But realistically, there wasn't any better explanation.
"No need to wait for me, this might take a while."
As Utaha finished speaking and stood up from the table, Chisato's eyes widened slowly, a creeping sense of horror settling over him.
Because when Utaha left the table, the pair of bare feet that he'd assumed had been teasing him all along were still tangled with his under the table.
Utaha was wearing her socks perfectly fine, and she left the room looking completely composed.
"The flavor's amazing," Ryo said as she blew on a piece of grilled meat and popped it into her mouth with satisfaction.
"It really is," Seika agreed, nibbling slowly on a mushroom she'd grilled.
"…!!!"
Chisato sat with his chopsticks lowered and his head bowed, sweat beading on his forehead.
He didn't dare move.
The soft, warm bare feet under the table had now gone from passive to aggressive.
No longer restrained by him, they wrapped themselves around his leg on their own, toes gliding sensually up and down the skin of his calf.
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Bruuh… what a way to mess up and not noticing that…
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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