Ch 165. The Prelude to a Date with Kasumigaoka Utaha

"Hoshimi, let me leave the dream now. I'll wake up and carefully think about where we should meet tomorrow. Pull me back into the dream during the last class this afternoon, and I'll tell you where we'll meet."

It's confirmed!

Hearing this, Hoshimi was 100% sure that Kasumigaoka must be planning something.

Given Kasumigaoka's level of attachment to him, the fact that she wanted to maintain distance after meeting and even suggested leaving the dream—there had to be a catch!

If it wasn't for a more significant plan, he wouldn't believe that Kasumigaoka could resist not getting closer to him.

Although he was certain that Kasumigaoka had ulterior motives, Hoshimi didn't expose her schemes. Instead, he played along, pretending to be oblivious.

"Alright, I'll send you out first, and then I'll pull you back in during the last class this afternoon."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hoshimi focused his thoughts and immediately expelled Kasumigaoka from the dream.

Honestly, he was quite curious about what Kasumigaoka was planning and was also looking forward to the fun she might bring him tomorrow.

So he didn't reveal her intentions and went along with her plan, sending her out of the dream. This way, the surprise would remain intact, making tomorrow's meeting even more interesting.

Moreover, what he was most excited about was the possibility of Kasumigaoka doing something outrageous to him tomorrow.

Ahem—just to clarify, he wasn't a masochist. It was just that the more outrageous Kasumigaoka's actions were, the faster his guilt would be absolved. Once his guilt was fully cleared, he could go back to teasing Kasumigaoka as he used to, without any reservations.

No more holding back or restraining himself from pranking Kasumigaoka just because he felt guilty.

"Utaha, don't disappoint me~"

Hoshimi smiled as he lay back, the skyscrapers beneath him and the steel jungle around him rapidly transforming into an endless, lush prairie in the brief moment he reclined.

By the time Hoshimi was lying flat on the ground, the surface beneath him had already turned into soft grass.

He crossed his fingers behind his head, propped up his legs, and leisurely enjoyed the grassland, the sunlight, and the breeze.

Speaking of which, Kasumigaoka wouldn't do anything illegal, would she?

For instance, drugging him, taking him back to her home, and locking him in the basement?

Hoshimi thought about it and concluded that the likelihood was low. Worrying about that was less of a concern than fearing she might trap him by some other means and become entirely dependent on him.

"..."

Hoshimi's eyelids twitched, and he became slightly more cautious.

He should be careful tomorrow. Knowing Kasumigaoka's personality, she might really do something unexpected. If he got caught off guard, that would be quite amusing.

Meanwhile, in Class 3-C at the Toyogasaki Academy, Kasumigaoka Utaha woke up with a hint of joy in her eyes.

The first step of the plan had succeeded!

As long as Hoshimi showed up tomorrow, five parts of her plan would be complete. If everything else went smoothly, she was 95% confident that she could turn Hoshimi into her real-life boyfriend—and even get them to live together!

That's right!

Her plan was to become Hoshimi's live-in girlfriend!

Then, through long-term companionship and deepening feelings, she would eventually become Hoshimi's legal wife. That way, she could bind Hoshimi, her source of happiness, to herself forever!

While meeting Hoshimi in a dream was nice, dreams always end eventually. What would she do when she woke up and couldn't find Hoshimi?

So, while Hoshimi still felt guilty toward her, she had to work hard to find out where he lived in reality.

As for why she didn't use the one favor Hoshimi had promised to achieve this?

That's because the favor was too valuable to waste on something she could accomplish on her own.

She had to save that favor for a time when she really needed it and would never use it unless absolutely necessary.

For now, let's not talk about this trump card and focus on her plan.

In fact, when she finalized her plan last night, she had already decided on the location for their meeting.

It would be in Shinjuku, one of the five central wards of Tokyo!

Among Tokyo's central five wards, Chiyoda, Chūō, and Minato weren't suitable places for high school students to meet and date due to their social functions.

Shibuya was a good option for young people to meet, but it was a bit too far west and didn't fit the requirements of her plan, so she had to exclude it.

That left only Shinjuku as the best choice for her plan.

First, Shinjuku has many malls and plenty of places to eat, drink, and have fun, making it a perfect place for a young couple to meet without seeming out of place.

Second, Shinjuku is close to the center of Tokyo, meeting the criteria of her plan.

Tomorrow, she planned to reverse-engineer the general area where Hoshimi lived based on the time it took him to reach Shinjuku.

Once she identified the general area, she would continue to meet with Hoshimi every now and then, each time choosing a location near the area she identified.

Then, by timing Hoshimi's arrival at each meeting, she would determine the exact city where he lived.

Once the city was confirmed, it would be simple. She could post on all the high school forums in that city, searching for a white-haired, red-eyed handsome high schooler.

No, she could tweak this step. Instead of posting directly, she could create a thread ranking the most attractive boys in the city's high schools, starting a debate. That might be even more effective!

After all, bored high school students love gossip and stirring up trouble, don't they? Perfect for her to use them as tools.

As for whether Hoshimi would rank on those lists? That's a no-brainer! If Hoshimi didn't rank, there wouldn't be many high school guys in Japan who could!

After that, it would be simple: track down Hoshimi's school from the posts and give him a big surprise by showing up there!!

Then, becoming a real couple, living together, and even getting married would just be a matter of time.

"Perfect~"

Kasumigaoka couldn't help but praise her perfect plan as she fantasized about their future happy life together.

For the sake of future happiness, today's small sacrifices were worth it.

She knew Hoshimi had probably already figured out that she was planning something, but so what?

Hoshimi was a carefree and confident man who liked to have fun. Even if he realized her intentions, he would likely sit back and let things play out.

This was her opportunity. She had to make full use of Hoshimi's guilt, his arrogance, and his playful nature to complete her plan.

Moreover, she was well aware that if she got too close to Hoshimi, she might reveal her intentions, and the plan could be seen through by Hoshimi.

So, for the sake of the plan, she had to give up today's small happiness. She even had to be mindful of her actions and words during tomorrow's date, to avoid letting Hoshimi see through her plan completely.

Everything was ready. All that was left was to execute the plan.

Kasumigaoka propped her chin with one hand, gazing out the window, continuing to refine the details of her plan.

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