Come on, it's already the 21st century—2022 is right around the corner. There's no need to be so hung up on gender roles anymore.
If Yagami Kō hasn't realized what's going on yet, then someone should hurry up and make her realize it. Just go for it already! This kind of thing is _so_ frustrating to watch.
Yes, both Ichin and Utaha were practically dying of secondhand anxiety watching Rin Toyama hesitate so much.
And poor Rin, who was being teased nonstop by the two of them, couldn't even pull herself together by the time everyone was up and eating breakfast. It was clear as day that she was collapsing inside after realizing her feelings had long since been seen through.
While chewing on a steamed bun, Eriri, who was sitting next to Utaha, leaned over and whispered,
"What's wrong with Rin-senpai?"
Utaha took a sip of milk, then whispered back with a smile,
"Kids don't need to know."
"Eh…?"
After breakfast, everyone quickly got ready and headed out together for Disneyland.
It was Christmas Day. Though it had snowed the night before, the streets outside were still bustling with crowds—it was packed from the moment they stepped outside.
Walking beside Ichin, Utaha noticed that he was wearing the scarf she had knitted for him, and her face lit up with a happy smile.
Ichin turned his head just in time to catch her expression. Seeing that she wasn't wearing a scarf herself, he glanced down at the one around his neck, then without a word, unwrapped it, adjusted the length, and wrapped part of it around her as well.
Ichin stood at 180cm, and Utaha was close to 170cm. With their heights so well-matched, the scarf still looked perfectly fine even when shared between the two.
But the moment he did that, everyone else instinctively pulled away from them, leaving a noticeable gap.
With one arm casually draped around Utaha's shoulder, Ichin glanced at the rest of them and said without a hint of shame,
"What? Don't tell me you've _never_ seen couples like this on the street before."
"We've _seen_ it," Hiratsuka Shizuka replied, nodding with a slightly annoyed tone.
"But those are strangers—I don't know them. You two, on the other hand, are _my students_! And yet somehow even my _students_ are more successful than I am! How can this be?! Unforgivable!!!"
Ichin gave her a sidelong glance and said,
"Hiratsuka-sensei, once this year ends, you'll be turning twen—"
"Don't say it!!"
Hiratsuka quickly shouted him down and waved everyone forward.
"Let's go, let's go! Move it! Disneyland's definitely going to be crowded today!"
And with that, she marched off on her own.
Watching her retreating figure, Momiji Mochizuki leaned over and whispered to Tsubame Narumi,
"Tsubame, wait… Hiratsuka-sensei isn't even thirty yet?"
"Uh…" Tsubame's mouth twitched.
"Did we _ever_ say she _was_ thirty?"
"But when she drinks… she really gives off that late-30s single woman vibe."
"Peach, stop it. If she hears that, she _will_ cry."
The younger girls might joke around freely, but for Hiratsuka—the oldest among them—it really was kind of tragic to be spending Christmas Eve with a bunch of students, without a boyfriend or even a singles mixer to go to.
They hadn't thought much of it before, but after seeing her last night, everyone more or less understood now why Hiratsuka Shizuka still didn't have a boyfriend.
After Christmas came the countdown to the New Year.
On New Year's Day, Ichin didn't go back home. Instead, he accompanied Utaha to meet several of her relatives.
At this point, Ichin and Utaha's relationship was already acknowledged by both of their families, which came as quite a surprise to her extended relatives.
Even though he was technically a foreign son-in-law, once Utaha's parents explained Ichin's academic achievements and the current growth of his studio, every relative with a daughter couldn't help but envy their family for finding such an ideal match.
As for those with sons, they instinctively began comparing Ichin to their own boys—only to quickly realize there was simply no comparison.
A son-in-law like this was truly rare. Utaha's taste was exceptional.
But what really shut everyone up was when they learned that Utaha was now writing light novels, had already published several, and was enjoying excellent sales—even to the point that an anime adaptation was already in the works.
Was this what people meant by a "perfect match"?
Looks, academics, career—they complemented each other in every way. No one could find a single flaw.
That evening, after returning from the family dinner, Ichin collapsed onto the sofa.
"Phew! That's one hurdle cleared, right?"
Utaha took off her coat, hung it up, turned on the heater, then walked over and sat down on Ichin's lap. Cupping his cheeks with both hands, she gave him a big kiss.
"Mwah! Great job. Here's your reward!"
Caught up in her infectious smile, Ichin smiled back. "That's all the reward I get?"
Blushing slightly, Utaha squished his cheeks in her hands and said,
"The rest of the reward comes later—we _just_ got back!"
"As long as you promise that, I'm satisfied."
Ichin grinned, clearly thinking about the bunny girl cosplay costume he knew was hanging in Utaha's closet. He'd been waiting for the right time to see it in action—and tonight might just be the night.
It hadn't just been a long day for Ichin; Utaha was exhausted too. After squeezing his cheeks for a bit longer, she leaned into him and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his embrace.
Ichin gently wrapped his arms around her, and the two shared a peaceful, quiet moment together.
After giving everyone a week off, the studio resumed operations—even though school hadn't started back up yet.
At 10 a.m., Ichin arrived at the studio, greeted everyone, and took his seat before booting up his computer.
"Hazuki, I called Aunt Sayuri yesterday. Let's go over there this afternoon. Kō, you're coming with us."
"Huh? Me too?"
Yagami Kō, who hadn't even put on her headphones yet, pointed at herself in surprise. "Do I have to? I've still got a ton of work to get through."
"It's just half a day—we won't dock your pay."
Rin Toyama, who was sitting beside her, chimed in. "Go on, Kō. If Ichin-kun's asking, he probably needs your help. Besides, you already worked ahead on a lot of your tasks. You won't fall behind."
"Even you're siding with him now…"
Kō scratched her head in frustration. "Fine, I'll go."
Yagami Kō was the type who liked staying in the office and focusing on work. Meeting people and handling business talks really wasn't her thing, and she knew it.
But today, her presence was genuinely needed. As the lead artist on the project, she had to be involved in coordinating with the outsourced team—they needed her input.
As Kō reluctantly put on her headphones and got to work for the morning, Ichin glanced past her and caught Rin Toyama's eye. He gave her a subtle look, then mouthed a question:
"How's it going?"
Rin immediately flushed red, shaking her head repeatedly before locking her gaze on the screen and refusing to acknowledge him.
No doubt about it—she hadn't made a single move. Zero progress. No courage whatsoever.
...
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