Ch 142. Utaha, Long Time No See

"Utaha, long time no see. I hope you've been well."

When Hoshimi appeared, Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression instantly turned cold. She crossed her arms over her chest, slightly tilted her delicate neck, and said with a mix of indifference and pride, "Who are you? I don't know you, so don't try to get close."

Hoshimi tilted his head slightly. "Utaha, you just called my name earlier. Why are you pretending not to know me now?"

"Oh? Is that so?" Kasumigaoka Utaha, still with her arms crossed, said more coldly, "I just randomly called out a name to lure out the owner of this dream. Since you appeared, it only means my strategy worked, not that I know you."

Hoshimi raised an eyebrow and maintained a warm smile. "Utaha, I can explain what happened before."

As he spoke, Hoshimi took a step forward, preparing to get closer to Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"Stop. Do you not understand the principle of propriety between men and women? Don't come any closer," Kasumigaoka Utaha said, quickly retreating with a hint of panic in her eyes.

Her posture suggested that something terrifying might happen if she took one more step back.

"Alright, I'll explain first." Hoshimi maintained his smile and continued, "Utaha, at that time, my control over the dream wasn't perfect. I only had a partial understanding of many functions, such as the crucial ability to pull people into the dream and to expel them from it. Only recently have I fully mastered it."

Hoshimi spread his hands. "Utaha, look, after I mastered the dream-pulling ability, didn't I come to find you right away?"

"Ha~" Kasumigaoka Utaha scoffed and said, "Right away? Hoshimi, are you sure you didn't use me as a test subject for your initial experiment?"

Hoshimi's smile remained unchanged. "How could that be? I was sure the pulling ability was working before I found you, so how could I use you as a test subject?"

"Oh? After confirming it was working?" Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips curled into a smile as she tilted her slender neck. "So you did experiments before me, meaning you didn't come to find me right away."

"Hmph!" Kasumigaoka Utaha snorted coldly. "Men!"

"..." Hoshimi's smile remained, but his tone took on a deeper meaning. "Utaha, a reunion after such a long time should be a joyous occasion. Why play word games? Don't you think I should hold your hand to prove my longing?"

With that, Hoshimi took a step forward.

Seeing this, Kasumigaoka Utaha hurriedly backed away, saying with embarrassment and annoyance, "Hoshimi, don't be so reckless. Let's clear up the past issues before talking about our reunion."

"Clearing things up first? Alright, let's change the place."

Hoshimi waved his hand, and they were transported to a viewing platform. Hoshimi leaned against the railing, looking out at the majestic cityscape in the daylight.

He thought for a moment, feeling that the atmosphere was somewhat lacking, and with a thought, he changed the time to sunset.

At sunset, the dimming light covered the city with a layer of rose-colored mist, making everything look dreamlike and poetic.

Through the gaps between the buildings, the half-hidden sunset added a touch of broken beauty.

"Do you like it?" Hoshimi, leaning against the railing and looking at the scenery, asked Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was standing a meter away.

"Hmm..." Kasumigaoka Utaha leaned forward, resting her arms on the railing, and gazed at the beautiful scene that was rarely seen in the real world.

"Now, Utaha, what do you want to ask or say?" Hoshimi turned his head to look at Kasumigaoka Utaha, examining this beautiful woman he hadn't seen in a long time.

There's no denying that Kasumigaoka Utaha is beautiful, with a different kind of beauty from Yukino or Kotoko.

The moment you see her, you're immediately captivated by her perfect curves, which a high school girl shouldn't have. No matter where she goes, she becomes the absolute center of attention.

Moreover, Kasumigaoka Utaha's beautiful legs, wrapped in glossy, seductive black stockings, add layers to her allure.

She knows her advantages well, and her legs are always covered in glossy, alluring black tights. This unique charm always draws men's eyes.

After the visual impact, as a man, it's hard not to develop some ambiguous thoughts about Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Next, when you look at Kasumigaoka Utaha, you'll find her demeanor is not as seductive as her figure suggests but rather carries a sense of aloofness.

But this does not detract from Kasumigaoka Utaha's beauty. On the contrary, her cold and proud demeanor, combined with her enticing figure, creates a unique, chilly beauty.

Very beautiful and very cold, which only stimulates a man's desire to conquer.

One can't help but want to break through her icy exterior and carefully explore the shyness and heat within her.

"Hoshimi, after half a year, your eyes are still as unconventional as ever," Kasumigaoka Utaha said, lightly mocking Hoshimi.

"Hmm? I've said before, this is admiration with a touch of primal desire," Hoshimi's crimson eyes glimmered with an unusual light.

"Ha~ Cunning honesty," Kasumigaoka Utaha met Hoshimi's gaze. Her wine-red eyes held an intoxicating beauty.

Unfortunately, Kasumigaoka Utaha seemed unwilling to maintain eye contact for long, and their gazes almost immediately parted.

She turned back, continuing to gaze at the rare sunset scenery.

"Hoshimi, why didn't you pull me into the dream anymore without any prior notice six months ago?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked coldly.

"Utaha, to be precise, it hasn't been six months but five months." After correcting the time, Hoshimi continued, "I've already answered this question. At that time, my control over the dream was too weak to manage your presence."

In reality, after being reminded by Iwanaga Kotoko, he realized that the departure of the girls from the dream was likely closely related to his own will.

When he believed he had 'conquered' successfully or began to desire new faces, the originally 'conquered' girls would be expelled from the dream and replaced by new ones for his entertainment.

Thinking like this, it was purely male instinct at play and had nothing to do with his subjective consciousness!

Yes! Nothing at all!

Uh... maybe just a little?

Hoshimi began to recall what had led him to the idea of replacing Kasumigaoka Utaha with a new girl...

Upon closer reflection, Hoshimi's eyes twitched slightly.

It turned out that, due to a certain experiment, his progress in conquering Kasumigaoka Utaha was astonishingly fast, and almost completely through an unorthodox method.

To use a galgame analogy, it was like using a cheat to modify the settings, achieving full favorability through repeated intimate contact, bypassing the plot entirely.

So, once the conquest was initially completed, it had already reached the stage of complete CG collection.

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