73: A Subtle Shift in Their Relationship

Their heated argument passed through the door, word for word, into Mrs. Sawamura's ears, who had been about to knock.

She slowly withdrew her hand, covering her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide with shock.

A masochistic pig? Was that Eriri?

Pregnancy? Excess hormones? Was that about Utaha?

Handcuffs and blindfolds, insatiable desires, forced interruptions… and who is the "he" they're talking about?

These two kids haven't even graduated high school! What on earth are they talking about!?

Mrs. Sawamura always prided herself on being young at heart, but now, she truly felt her age for the first time. 

She was overwhelmed by the feeling that she couldn't keep up with her own child's thoughts.

She slowly backed away, the sounds of scuffling and shouting from the room unable to snap her out of her daze. She left the doorway to her daughter's room in a daze.

Inside, Utaha and Eriri were panting, lying on the bed. After counting down together, they simultaneously released their hold on each other.

"Ah! You awful woman, you pulled out so much of my hair!" Eriri fumed, glaring at the few golden strands on the white sheets.

"You think that's bad? Do you know how much these tights cost? You've ruined them!" Utaha shot back, not one to back down.

And so, another round of exaggerated slapping and punching ensued.

A little while later, Utaha curled up, rubbing her chest, while Eriri rolled around on the bed, clutching her unnaturally red cheeks.

These two, considered the epitome of beauty at Toyosaki Academy, were now in such an unkempt state that anyone who knew them would be shocked.

"Let's stop doing pointless things…"

"Only if you don't provoke me first…"

Eriri sat up, watching Utaha remove the torn tights. Her eyes silently drifted away.

"How much? I'll pay you back."

"No need."

"At least borrow mine."

"Your legs are too short. They won't fit."

"Don't push it! Why don't you say it's because your legs are too thick!"

"Fine~ Give them to me."

Utaha laughed lightly at Eriri's sudden outburst, extending her hand.

"What? Don't think my legs are too short now?"

Eriri raised an eyebrow.

"It's the best I can do. Better than going out bare-legged."

"Hmph!"

Eriri rummaged through her closet and handed her a new pair of over-the-knee socks.

She watched as Utaha put them on, noticing the red marks on her thighs from the earlier scuffle.

"Hey... does your leg still hurt? I have some medicated oil at home. If you need it, I can go get it for you."

After hesitating for a moment, Eriri couldn't hold back her concern any longer, though she still tried to sound a bit tsundere. Even though she acted tough, she ended up saying it anyway.

In the dream, they spent a lifetime together because of someone. 

Even though they seemed at odds until the very end, people aren't made of stone. After spending so much time together, even plants would develop feelings.

Utaha's usually cold expression softened a bit after hearing Eriri's offer. 

She got up and walked over to the full-length mirror, pretending to check how her over-the-knee socks looked. 

In reality, she was turning her back to Eriri to hide the blush that had crept onto her face.

"No, it's fine. It doesn't hurt much. It'll be better soon. I don't need the oil."

"Oh."

"By the way, I think I might have accidentally scratched your face with my nails earlier."

"I dodged it. You didn't scratch me at all."

"Is that so? That's good."

"Yeah..."

Just moments ago, they had been at each other's throats. But now, in this enclosed room, after that brief exchange, the atmosphere between them suddenly felt a bit different.

"I'm going to brush my teeth."

"Oh, do you know where the bathroom is? Right, the disposable toothbrushes are in the third drawer below the sink. Just open... Never mind, I'll come with you."

Eriri led the way as they both headed to the bathroom.

She handed Utaha a set of disposable toothbrushes.

After taking one, Utaha stood on the left side of the sink to brush her teeth. Noticing that Eriri seemed lost in thought, she intentionally patted the empty space on her right.

Eriri got the hint, grabbed her own toothbrush, and the two of them began brushing their teeth side by side.

The sink in the Sawamura house wasn't particularly large, so it felt a bit cramped with both of them using it shoulder to shoulder. 

Despite the tight space, they didn't seem uncomfortable at all; instead, they moved in sync, as if it was the most natural thing.

In the dream, this had been a common scene in their daily lives with Chisato after marriage—they often got up together and brushed their teeth side by side.

They didn't like having anyone else in the house, so they had no servants. 

After brushing their teeth, one of them would usually prepare breakfast while the other woke up the kids and helped them get dressed and make their beds.

Many similar experiences were vividly etched in their minds, subtly changing the relationship between the two of them.

"Mom seems to be still sleeping; she didn't wake us up today."

"Let's not bother her. She needs the rest. We'll just grab a quick breakfast and head to school."

"Okay... You or me?"

"You go ahead. I'm not familiar with your kitchen. I'll help you out."

"Alright."

The two headed to the kitchen and divided the tasks efficiently.

Eriri took out a frying pan to make tamagoyaki. Meanwhile, Utaha heated the milk and placed buttered toast into the toaster.

By the time Mrs. Sawamura had calmed down and realized she hadn't made breakfast yet, she rushed to the living room only to find steaming hot milk and sandwiches already on the table.

There was a note on the table from her beloved daughter, saying that they had gone to school and reminding her to reheat the breakfast in the microwave if it got cold.

"My daughter, who's never lifted a finger in the kitchen, actually made breakfast? And it tastes quite good?!"

For the second time that day, Mrs. Sawamura found herself questioning her understanding of the world.

On the way to school, Eriri and Utaha walked side by side.

Eriri gently nudged Utaha with her elbow.

"What is it?"

"It's about Chisato..."

"Yeah."

Utaha nodded, signaling she was listening.

Trying to appear indifferent, Eriri asked, "What do you plan to do?"

"What else? I'm going to see him, of course. Whether he's had the same experience as us or not, I need to see him." 

"There's no point in worrying about everything else right now. We can figure things out after we meet him."

"Exactly, I was thinking the same thing."

"But…"

"But?"

"But there's no rush."

"Why not?"

"I haven't been sleeping well these past few days. When I looked in the mirror this morning, I noticed my face looked a bit off. Plus, I need to go on a diet, slim down a bit, and then meet him."

Eriri glanced at Utaha's flat sKazusach, then touched her own.

She hadn't thought of this at all, and didn't see it as necessary, but after hearing Utaha mention it, she immediately decided to do the same. 

For lunch today, she'd just have some yogurt to keep it light.

"There's one more thing I want to say."

Eriri looked at Utaha with a hint of caution in her eyes.

Utaha smiled slightly, "I know what you're thinking. I won't do anything behind your back."

"Promise."

"That's so childish. I don't need to make a promise. Have I ever gone back on my word?"

"You better not."

Eriri felt reassured.

Although the person beside her often had a rather nasty personality, one good thing was that she never broke a promise.

However, after making this promise, Utaha frowned slightly.

She had the nagging feeling that she had forgotten something important.

She couldn't remember... It must have been just her imagination.

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