Chapter 208 - 208: As Expected of You

Words : 1409 Updated : Oct 16th, 2025

Haru ultimately failed to pry the truth from either of the two girls. He could tell that Utaha was extremely flustered, but since she clearly didn't want to talk about it, he wasn't about to pressure her. Likewise, it was obvious that Megumi knew something—but she wasn't being fully honest either. Still, he had other methods. After plugging in the rice cooker, he tied on an apron and headed to the kitchen. Before entering, he quietly shut the door behind him. That small gesture was deliberate—he wanted to give the girls in the living room some privacy to talk. After all, if he wasn't around, the odds that they'd open up to each other were much higher. Sure enough, the moment he extended his [Perception] skill across the apartment, the living room stirred to life—just as he predicted. "Megumi… there's something I want to discuss with you." Utaha's hands were folded neatly on her lap, but her voice had lost its usual confident steadiness. Though the room was warm with central heating, she had curled up inside the kotatsu. Because like this, she could be closer to Megumi—close enough for a heart-to-heart, face-to-face conversation. Megumi, who had just let go of the chubby orange cat, looked at her with a curious, slightly wary gaze. "You don't want me to tell Yukinoshita, do you, Utaha-senpai?" Utaha's expression shifted instantly. She tried her best to stay composed. "Yes," she replied. Megumi didn't respond right away. The two of them, sitting across from each other at the kotatsu, locked eyes in silence. One visibly tense.The other—calm, unreadable, almost indifferent. After a few long seconds, Megumi finally spoke. "If Yukinoshita doesn't ask, I won't bring it up." Utaha quietly let out a breath of relief. That answer wasn't exactly reassuring—but at the very least, it was some form of insurance. She had known Yukino long enough to understand her personality. Under normal circumstances, Yukino wouldn't touch upon any ambiguous or suggestive topics—especially if they weren't explicitly brought up. "Thanks," Utaha offered with a faint smile. But Megumi shook her head. "No need to thank me, Senpai. I still have some questions. If you don't mind, I'd like you to answer them." There it is. Utaha took a deep breath. She had expected this from the start. Even before she sat down, she had mentally played out several possible scenarios. She had at least come somewhat prepared. Her voice regained a bit of steadiness. "Ask away." Megumi didn't waste time. "About your outfit just now… What was that supposed to be?" Utaha hesitated."If I say it was cosplay, how believable does that sound to you?" "Zero points," Megumi replied without missing a beat. Utaha slowly recovered her usual calm and even threw in a teasing tone. "Well, in a way… you could say it was a type of cosplay." Megumi looked genuinely confused."That counts?" "Of course it does," Utaha replied with a smooth, practiced smile. It was the same smile she'd honed over countless verbal sparring matches with Yukino. Whenever she wore that smile, Yukino would instinctively go on guard—and that would buy Utaha enough time to think of a counterattack or way out. "Ah, I see. Now it all makes sense," Megumi said with a nod, as though she'd really figured something out. Utaha narrowed her eyes."…What makes sense?" Megumi tilted her head slightly. Her tone was almost too even. "I had a feeling earlier. Senpai must've dressed up like that to surprise Amamiya-kun when he got home…" She paused, then locked eyes with Utaha. "And now, I'm sure I was right." Utaha didn't respond. She had anticipated this conclusion but hadn't figured out a good way to deflect it. Megumi lowered her head again and gently stroked the orange cat's fluffy head. "Senpai has always wanted to 'win' against Yukinoshita, hasn't she? So today, with Yukinoshita not home and everything prepared perfectly—does this count as a win for you?" Utaha choked on her tea, caught completely off guard. She took a sip, trying to hide her unease. It was a curveball. She hadn't expected Megumi to bring up the past like that. Still, she tried to play it off with a chuckle. "Maybe… this counts as a small win?" The subtext was clear: I'm playing along—please drop the topic. But Megumi wasn't done. "In that case, you've won once, and Yukinoshita's lost once. That's a one-nil lead." She continued in a quiet voice, almost like a student reciting a math problem. "You're up one-zero. Then you win again, and Yukinoshita's still at zero. That's two wins. Win a third time, she's still at zero… and you've basically won three times in one." Utaha's jaw almost dropped. Isn't her aggression level unusually high today?! She gripped her teacup tightly. This was getting harder than she expected. —Meanwhile, in the kitchen— Haru had been silently listening the entire time, his [Perception] skill catching every word. So… Utaha-senpai changed into that outfit after I left? Judging from Megumi's tone, that outfit must've been… seriously bold. And the mention of those bunny ears earlier… Haru felt like he could picture it now. Just then, Yukino messaged him—she'd be home in about ten minutes. He replied, then finished chopping the ingredients, deciding to wait until she arrived to start cooking. Returning to the living room, he immediately sensed the tension. To help ease Utaha's awkwardness, he decided to act like he hadn't heard anything. "Yukino's almost home. You two hungry? Want something to nibble on?" Oddly enough, both girls refused in perfect sync. "I'd rather save my appetite for your cooking than waste it on snacks," Megumi said plainly. Utaha nodded in agreement. The more she visited Haru's place, the more spoiled her taste buds became. Even though her own mother's cooking wasn't bad, it didn't quite compare. She'd often find herself craving his food while eating at home. Megumi, keeping her word, didn't bring up the earlier incident again. Instead, she asked Utaha about the finalized script, confirming she'd be handing it over tonight. Then she turned to Haru."I've saved some references on my phone. Mind if I use your computer to go over them?" "Of course. Use it as much as you want." Megumi made her way into the bedroom. Utaha visibly relaxed, slouching slightly back against the kotatsu. Haru chuckled. "Looks like your talk was pretty intense, huh?" Utaha's cheeks reddened slightly. She was about to brush it off when Haru suddenly froze. "Crap—I forgot something!" She turned in confusion just in time to see Haru bolt toward the bedroom. Inside, Megumi was standing at his desk, hand still on the mouse. She was frozen. The computer screen had just come back to life. Displayed in vivid color was a blushing anime girl in a nun outfit—from a very questionable game. More importantly, the dialogue on screen read: "As a nun, prayer isn't the only reason I kneel." Megumi slowly turned around, her gaze unreadable. "So this is the kind of outfit you're actually into?" Haru: "…" What was he supposed to say in a situation like this? No, wait—explaining would only make things worse! He awkwardly cleared his throat. "To be honest, this is my first time even trying this game." Megumi narrowed her eyes. "If you didn't like it, why buy it in the first place?" Haru: "…You make a compelling point. I have no defense." Just then, Utaha peeked through the door. She immediately sensed the weird atmosphere, then glanced at the screen. The moment she read the line of dialogue, her beautiful face twisted into a look of pure amusement. So Haru also did it. Or rather—he did something incredibly dumb. As for the game? That didn't bother her one bit. After spending so much time around Haru, she already knew he was a hopeless pervert deep down. A measly little eroge? Please. That's nothing. So Utaha crossed her arms, leaned against the doorframe, and smirked. With a teasing glint in her eye, she murmured: "Cute nun outfits, huh? Truly… as expected of you."

Chapter 208 - 208: As Expected of You

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