Chapter 21: A Brief Respite

Sosuke Kitahara found a clean set of clothes in his bedroom wardrobe. As he returned with them, he passed by the master bedroom, its door ajar. Glancing through the narrow gap, he suddenly froze, his gaze heating up. Utaha Kasumigaoka sat at the edge of the bed, her slender, beautiful legs resting on the carpet as she bent forward to peel off her black stockings. Her delicate fingers worked deftly, quickly slipping the stockings down, revealing smooth, porcelain skin. She let out a soft sigh of relief. "Ugh, why is it snagged?" She frowned, recalling how she had scuffed it while climbing the wall to help Sosuke earlier. Casually, she draped the black stockings over the back of a chair, swept her hair over her shoulder, and fell back onto the bed. Sosuke's heart skipped a beat, as if his pulse had fallen along with her onto the soft, inviting bed, trembling with excitement. What startled him even more was Utaha's next move: she gently hooked her small, delicate hands around her ankles and slowly drew her legs up in an alluring, suggestive pose. Her figure became even more mesmerizing, radiating a seductive grace that pulled at his soul. As her long legs folded against her chest, Sosuke's heart raced, his mouth instinctively dry. Utaha let out a soft, satisfied murmur as she slowly stretched her legs back out, her toes pointed straight, then sat up languidly, rolling her slender neck before getting off the bed. Their eyes met Sosuke still dazed. Utaha instantly realized what had happened. Her face flushed crimson as she frantically tugged at the hem of her skirt, her eyes wide with both panic and anger. "Are you a cat? You walk without making a sound!" "Why so flustered? I didn't do it on purpose. Besides, you weren't exposed. I didn't see anything." Since he'd been caught, Sosuke simply walked into the room. Utaha huffed angrily. "You completely missed the point! A gentleman would've quietly left or at least coughed to alert me!" Sosuke chuckled, dragging out his words, "A true gentleman remains silent, standing still until the lady finishes her business. Think about it if you hadn't noticed me, you wouldn't feel embarrassed now, right?" Utaha flushed even more, gritting her teeth. "What kind of twisted logic is that? I've never seen anyone so shameless. If all gentlemen were like you, the world would be doomed." "Maybe there's another kind of gentleman you've never met, and I happen to be that kind. Besides, this world is already halfway to being doomed." Sosuke set the clothes by the bed, his gaze briefly flicking to Utaha's skirt, lingering on her fair, slender legs. "There aren't any women's clothes in the house these are my old clothes that I've barely worn. Make do with them for now. Once we wash and dry our clothes, you can wear yours again." The clothes they had on were soaked with blood and sweat, making them uncomfortable to wear. Thankfully, his home had a dryer after washing, the clothes would dry overnight. Seeing how Sosuke remained so brazen, Utaha shot him a glare and picked up the clothes, holding them against herself for size. She frowned, "They're a bit big. Don't you have anything smaller? Your mother's clothes, perhaps?" Sosuke paused briefly, then shook his head. "Sorry..." Utaha quickly softened, apologizing. Sosuke smiled faintly. "It's fine. It's been a long time now. By the way, the bath towels are hanging in the bathroom. Grab one for yourself later. Tonight, we're having hot pot. Let's enjoy a proper meal it won't be easy to eat this well in the future." ... When Utaha emerged from the master bedroom in slippers, carrying her clothes, Sosuke was already busy in the open kitchen, expertly preparing ingredients while cheerfully whistling. He even wore an apron, clearly no stranger to cooking. A new wave of admiration rose in Utaha's heart. His reliable presence and the warmth of the moment made her cheeks flush. As she approached the bathroom, she glanced back, uneasy. "Sosuke, you're not planning to pull some childish prank like a surprise attack, right?" "Do I look that immature?" Sosuke smiled helplessly. Utaha sized him up for a moment, then chuckled. "I guess not." When she finally closed the bathroom door, Sosuke dropped his smile and sighed. "You said before that if I survived, you'd let me do whatever I wanted... but now you're being so cautious." As he sliced the potatoes, Sosuke huffed, "Push me too far and I really will charge in. Like a bathroom door could stop me." Truth be told, ever since realizing Utaha was his classmate, Sosuke had always harbored a bit of a crush. Every time he saw her elegant face, her full figure, her slender waist, his imagination would inevitably wander. Especially after their relationship deepened following her book signing event seeing Utaha constantly within arm's reach, it was impossible not to be tempted. But temptation was one thing. Sosuke knew that with the collapse of order in the apocalypse, people's desires would be amplified under the stress of survival. Even so, Sosuke Kitahara would not be ruled by desire. He would master it, not the other way around. There were lines he would never cross. Besides, he had scanned Utaha with the system earlier, and the screen immediately displayed new information. [Trust Level: 80%] [Note: Trust levels above 60% allow team binding. Teammates' zombie kills can contribute a portion of points to the host.] His eyes lit up. "I can gain points even when others kill zombies. If I recruit a few more teammates, I can rapidly enhance my stats and speed up my evolution..." ... Water cascaded from the showerhead, hot steam quickly filling the bathroom. Utaha tilted her head back, letting the water wash over her face, fully savoring the soothing sensation of the shower. The grime on her body gradually washed away. After rinsing, she tested the water in the bathtub. Finding it just right, she slowly eased her long legs into the bath. As the hot water enveloped her, she finally relaxed, tension and exhaustion melting away. She let out a soft sigh and leaned against the bath pillow, drifting into a light doze. She only stirred when Sosuke knocked on the door, telling her dinner was ready. Wrapping herself in a large towel, she reluctantly climbed out of the tub. Meanwhile, outside, Sosuke received an unexpected phone call. "Hello, classmate. Do you have a moment to talk?"