Chapter 178 - 178: Damn You, Utaha

Words : 1343 Updated : Oct 12th, 2025

Utaha had mixed feelings about how her little "test" turned out. On one hand, she was satisfied. She had long been wondering how to get a read on Megumi's true intentions. The girl seemed to keep her guard up at all times, so probing her thoughts was no easy task. But as luck would have it, Yukino got all fired up after watching a cat food tutorial video and immediately rushed out to buy ingredients—leaving the perfect opportunity behind. And as if by fate, Megumi arrived at just the right moment. Utaha wasn't going to let that golden chance slip through her fingers. So she made her move. Haru, unfortunately, got caught up in it. But that kiss told her everything she needed to know—finally putting her suspicions to rest. Megumi is definitely hiding something. Something big. She could swear—when Megumi walked in and saw her kissing Haru, there had been a flicker of displeasure in her eyes. No matter how quickly she masked it, Utaha had caught it. She couldn't help but recall that little joke Megumi had made the other day about wanting a copy of Haru's house key. Looking back, that might not have been a joke at all. She might've been serious about wanting access to Haru's home. And to think, I haven't even said anything yet! Now, the three of them were gathered around the kotatsu in the living room, the air thick with tension. The orange cat that Yukino had been cuddling earlier had wasted no time in diving under the heated table the moment she left. Winter wasn't just a trap for humans—it sealed cats in place too. Haru could clearly feel the weird tension in the room. He had a "Big Rocket" lollipop (as gifted by Megumi) in his mouth and tried to steer the conversation away from awkward territory. "So... Megumi, are you staying over tonight?" "If you don't mind," Megumi replied almost instantly, like she had already made up her mind beforehand. Haru crunched on the candy, strawberry flavor spreading across his tongue. "In that case, I'll sleep in the living room again like before." "Wouldn't that be cold?" Utaha asked, concern in her voice. "If it gets too bad," Haru joked, pointing at the kotatsu, "I'll just pass out under here." Utaha fell quiet, a thoughtful expression on her face—clearly scheming something. Haru didn't read too much into it. Besides, he wasn't worried about the cold. Only he knew the truth: once his [Steel Body] skill reached max level, it didn't just boost strength and speed—it also changed his physical tolerance. Today at school, for instance, he wore only a short-sleeved shirt under his uniform. That kind of outfit was fall weather at best, but he hadn't felt the cold at all. If Yukino or anyone else had hugged him that day, they'd have realized his body was as warm as a personal space heater. "By the way, Kato," Haru suddenly asked, "aside from the lollipops, is there anything else in your bag?" He remembered the bag she carried looked a bit too big for just candy. Megumi didn't hide anything and replied honestly, "I brought pajamas. It's not really appropriate to always borrow your bathrobe, and sleepwear is definitely more comfortable." Haru chuckled and teased, "So, what did you tell your family? They can't possibly be okay with you staying overnight at a guy's place, right?" Megumi turned her eyes toward Utaha across the table, her expression calm. "Same as always—I told them I'd be spending the night with Utaha-senpai." "How clever," Utaha commented, her tone laced with ambiguity. Just then, Yukino's voice called from behind them. "It really is clever. Since she'll be seeing Senpai here anyway, technically it's not a lie." The three of them turned around to see Yukino walking in with shopping bags in both hands. Instead of diving into the warm kotatsu like the rest of them, she took off her scarf and heavy coat, then walked straight to the kitchen, tying on an apron and rolling up her sleeves. "Starting dinner already? Aren't you going to rest a bit first?" Haru got up, intending to help. Yukino shook her head. "I'm in a rare good mood. I don't want to lose my momentum." "Then I'll assist you," Haru offered. "Sure," she nodded. The two headed into the kitchen together. Back in the living room, Utaha rested her cheek lazily on the table and murmured, "Yukinoshita really goes all out for that cat." Megumi agreed. "Every time I visit, she's feeding it jelly snacks. Sometimes she even brings treats from the pet store." Silence settled over the room. The orange cat, now curled beside Utaha with half-closed eyes, was probably more familiar with her than anyone else in the house aside from Haru and Yukino. On a normal day, Utaha would've already reached out to pet the lazy cat, unable to resist. But not today. Her mind was still dwelling on the implications of her earlier "experiment." The quiet in the room felt like a tangible wall between her and Megumi. An invisible rift. Megumi, however, remained composed. The subtle tension didn't faze her one bit. She casually scrolled through her phone, but her gaze occasionally drifted to Haru's cup of tea, still steaming faintly. "Megumi," Utaha spoke up abruptly, "do you think I was imagining things earlier?" A sudden question like that—out of nowhere—was a potent weapon in Utaha's arsenal. But Megumi, still playing with her phone, calmly replied, "If you trust your instincts, Senpai, then be brave and follow them." Utaha gave a sly smile. "So... are you saying I was right about you?" "As far as I know, Senpai's instincts tend to be off. Especially when it comes to Yukinoshita," Megumi answered coolly, neither confirming nor denying. That shut Utaha up for a moment. She couldn't argue with that. In the past, nearly every verbal clash with Yukino had ended in her loss. Only recently had she started clawing her way back into the game. Of course, she knew the only reason she had started to turn things around was because she had found a "loophole in the system." Yukino hated dirty jokes. She disliked anything remotely risqué. And yet, Utaha had noticed—they were the same in one regard: Neither of them could fully satisfy Haru. That unspoken frustration haunted both of them. And that's why Utaha had begun entertaining a ridiculous idea— A sisterly alliance. It embarrassed her just thinking about it, but seeing Yukino squirm even more than she did made it oddly satisfying. This "mechanism," as she called it, was how she'd finally begun scoring points in their ongoing rivalry. Eventually, Haru and Yukino returned from the kitchen, drawing both girls' attention back to the present. Dinner, naturally, was excellent—Yukino's cooking skills left nothing to be desired. She held the orange cat in her arms, feeding it bite-sized portions with a blissful smile on her face. Haru sat beside her, a little disappointed. All he'd done was chop vegetables—he hadn't actually cooked anything himself. Would the cat have entered its own little post-meal "sage time" if I had cooked? A cat sage? He couldn't quite imagine it, but the thought amused him. Then, all of a sudden, he felt it. A small foot slid across the floor under the table—slowly, deliberately brushing against his pant leg. It didn't stop there. It began inching upward. Haru instantly knew who the culprit was: Utaha. But she didn't even glance his way. She kept her gaze fixed on the orange cat in Yukino's arms, smiling casually. "Jelly's so cute," she said sweetly. Meanwhile, under the table, that wandering foot drew dangerously close to forbidden territory. What the hell is this? Flirting under fire? Damn it, Utaha!

Chapter 178 - 178: Damn You, Utaha

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