"Good morning!!!"
At eight-thirty the next morning, Nene stood at Ichin's front door, dragging her suitcase behind her.
Ichin, hair still messy from sleep, blinked at her in disbelief and let out a deep sigh.
"Didn't we agree on ten o'clock? Why are you here so early?"
"Because I couldn't sleep!"
She even said it with a look of absolute righteousness.
Shaking his head helplessly, Ichin still let her inside.
"Sit down. If you want a drink, there's some in the fridge. Help yourself. I haven't even washed up yet, so don't expect me to play host."
"No worries, no worries!"
Nene had been over countless times already and knew the place well. She immediately turned to play with Peppa and George.
A little later, Utaha came out, freshly washed and dressed. Seeing Nene cuddling both cats in her arms, she laughed.
"Nene, you're really early. That excited, huh?"
Nene beamed at her.
"Of course!"
The anticipation practically overflowed from her eyes—it was impossible to miss.
Utaha smiled and shook her head, then went into the kitchen to brew some coffee.
By the time she finished, Ichin had also washed up and changed.
The two of them solved breakfast with just some biscuits and coffee—no need for more since lunch was coming soon.
The three chatted in the living room while teasing the cats. At exactly ten, the Yukinoshita sisters finally arrived.
When she heard that Nene had shown up at eight-thirty, Haruno looked surprised.
"So eager, huh? That's wonderful. Is this what youth feels like?"
Ichin, on his way to the kitchen to prep lunch, shot her a glance.
"Haruno-nee, that doesn't sound right coming from you. You're not Hiratsuka-sensei."
"…Fair point."
Haruno nodded with mock seriousness, then picked up a cat teaser toy and started playing with the cats.
Turning to Yukino, Ichin asked,
"You dropped the cats off at Eriri's?"
Yukino nodded.
"Yes. After that, I came with my sister."
"Good."
Since lunch was meant to be simple—no elaborate feast—Ichin didn't ask Utaha or Yukino to help in the kitchen. He handled it himself.
Four people, three dishes and a soup—just enough to use up all the leftover ingredients at home.
After happily finishing lunch, sipping her soup from a small bowl, Nene asked,
"So, everyone from the company is heading out for the trip tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, they're going to Izu."
Draining his bowl, Ichin exhaled.
"I'm not worried. With Hazuki keeping an eye on things, she'll manage just fine."
"The seaside, huh…"
Haruno pictured it and shook her head.
"Still not my kind of thing. Yukino, how about you?"
"Pretty much the same," Yukino replied.
The main reason, of course, was the crowds—too many people watching, approaching, or trying to strike up conversations.
Even if they rented a private beach, swimsuits, sunscreen, spending all day under the blazing sun—none of that suited Yukino's style.
If she really went to the beach, Yukino would probably just stay under a parasol with a book in hand, reading quietly by herself.
After pausing, she said,
"Compared to the seaside, I'd rather go to a hot spring."
"Hot springs are indeed nice," Utaha agreed wholeheartedly. Last time they all went together, it had been a lot of fun.
"But it's summer now, so there's no need to soak in hot springs."
After a short rest, they went next door to inform Utaha's mother, then Ichin and the others set out by car.
Security check, boarding—the whole process went smoothly, and soon they were seated in first class.
Stretching out comfortably in the luxurious seats, Nene sighed with satisfaction.
"No wonder it's first class. So comfy… definitely worth the money."
Stowing his bag and sitting down, Ichin glanced across the aisle at her and asked with a smile,
"By the way, when we get to Shanghai, are you staying at Umiko's place?"
"Of course! We already agreed on it!" Nene replied happily. "And tomorrow's Saturday, so we can go out together!"
Rubbing his chin, Ichin mused,
"Actually, Umiko should still have quite a few unused vacation days… probably hasn't taken them, right?"
"Vacation days? How many?"
"Fifteen."
"So many?!" Nene's eyes widened. "I only get seven—that's a whole eight days less!"
"Well, Umiko is one of the company's main pillars. If this were a normal large company, her role would be at least a director-level position. Of course she gets the best benefits."
Handing a pair of earphones to Utaha, Ichin added,
"As for you, Nene—keep working hard. In another couple of years, when the company expands further, your position, along with Aoba's and the others', will all be promoted upward."
Since he had said it, it wasn't an empty promise—it was something that would definitely happen.
Nene instantly broke into a radiant smile, clenching her small fists with determination.
"Hehe! Then I've really got to work hard, so one day I can lead a team of my own!"
With her talent, that was almost certain to happen in the future.
But with her petite frame and slightly baby-faced cheeks, she hardly looked like someone who could be a leader.
Still, so what? In a way, wasn't that the company's charm?
Other game developers' livestreams featured middle-aged men and women, while theirs was full of unique, beautiful women.
Sure, it might not fit the "correct image" abroad, but… who cared? As long as they looked good, it worked.
Soon, the plane took off. Some slept, some listened to music, and the cabin grew quiet.
Two hours of flight passed in a flash. When Ichin opened his eyes again, the plane was already preparing to land.
He raised his wrist to check his watch—right on time.
Utaha was still asleep, leaning against his shoulder.
"Dear passengers—" the in-flight announcement began as Ichin gently nudged her awake.
"Utaha, we're about to land."
"Mmm, we're here already?"
Yawning, Utaha rubbed her eyes, then peered out the window. Sure enough, they'd arrived.
Looking across Ichin toward the opposite seat, Nene was still sound asleep with her eye mask on, completely unaware.
Utaha pointed at her and said,
"Better wake her too."
Ichin nodded, leaned over, and carefully tugged the mask upward—then suddenly let go.
Snap!
"Ahhh! My eyes!!!" Nene shrieked.
*
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