For the first time, Utaha was visiting Haru's home. As the host, it was only natural for him to go downstairs and meet her.
Just as he checked his phone and saw Utaha's message—"I'm almost there"—he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him.
At this time of day, hearing people going up and down the stairs wasn't unusual. The streets were bustling, after all.
But what surprised Haru was that his ears picked up on the details hidden in the footsteps.
They were unsteady, slightly rushed, and completely uncoordinated—definitely not an adult's stride.
By the time he processed this, his mind had already reached a conclusion.
The footsteps belonged to Sakura, the little girl from the neighbor's house.
Turning around, he found that his deduction was spot on.
So this is what [Steel Body Lv2] does… Haru mused. It's not just about enhancing my strength and speed—it's sharpening my senses and thought process, too.
While he pondered this, he casually greeted the elementary schooler.
"Haru Oni-chan, are you waiting for someone?" Sakura beamed up at him, her tiny face full of energy. She fished a brightly wrapped candy out of her pocket and handed it to him. "Here, this is really good!"
Haru accepted it with a smile, glancing at the wrapper. "Lemon-flavored? You sure this is good?"
"Yep! It's sour and sweet—really delicious!"
"Alright, I'll take your word for it."
As they chatted, Haru learned that she was waiting for her dad to get off work.
Then, all of a sudden, Sakura let out a surprised exclamation.
"Wow! That big sister is so pretty! She's just as gorgeous as Yukino-nee!"
Haru didn't turn around immediately. Instead, he focused, using his sense of smell to pick up on the familiar fragrance in the air.
Sure enough, he caught a trace of Utaha's scent.
I swear, my abilities are getting ridiculous… Even martial arts masters wouldn't be able to do this.
Finally, he turned and saw her approaching.
Utaha had clearly dressed up for the occasion. Her usual school uniform already did a great job of highlighting her figure, but in private, her fashion choices were even more striking.
Tonight, she wore a deep-colored silk dress that elegantly draped over her body. The delicate folds at the neckline were stretched by the fullness of her chest, creating soft layers of fabric. A slender scarf cinched around her waist accentuated her already impressive curves. The hem of the dress barely covered her knees, leaving her smooth, pale calves exposed to the evening air. A pair of black Mary Jane heels completed the look, making her figure appear even more alluring.
"You actually came downstairs to pick me up?"
Utaha smiled, her expression warm and delighted.
"Well, it's your first time visiting," Haru replied.
Hearing that, her smile deepened.
Utaha lowered her gaze to the little girl staring at her in awe, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Hello," she greeted gently.
"Huh? Oh—hello, pretty big sister!" Sakura finally snapped out of her daze.
Being complimented by a child—especially one who clearly knew Haru—made Utaha even happier.
"You're really beautiful," Sakura said earnestly. "Other than Yukino-nee, you're the second prettiest girl I've ever seen."
Utaha smiled and thanked her before casting a questioning look at Haru. Who is this child?
"You can just call her Sakura," Haru explained. "She's my neighbor's kid—an elementary schooler with boundless energy."
"Are you complimenting me, Haru-nii?"
"Yes, I'm saying you have way too much energy and love causing trouble everywhere."
"I do not!"
"Don't bother denying it. If I say you do, then you do."
Watching the two of them bicker, Utaha's smile faded slightly as a thought crossed her mind: Did I fall for the wrong person?
In some ways, she and Yukino actually had a lot in common.
For example, they both had to deal with Haru, who had no problem arguing with an elementary schooler.
Just watching them gave her a headache.
Haru wasn't about to leave a kid alone outside waiting, so as he led Utaha upstairs, he decided to bring Sakura along as well.
At the door to his apartment, just as they were about to part ways, Sakura blinked up at him with curiosity.
"Haru-nii, so Kasumigaoka-neesan is your girlfriend?"
Waving her off, Haru replied, "Go home already, or I won't buy you any more figurines."
Sakura immediately scrambled inside but not before sticking her tongue out at him.
Utaha chuckled. "She must be close to Yukinoshita."
Unlocking the door and pulling out some slippers for her, Haru smirked. "You figured that out? Yukino met her early on—because of me."
"I see."
As Utaha bent down to slip on the slippers, she couldn't help but recall what the little girl had said earlier.
'So Kasumigaoka-neesan is your girlfriend?'
She wouldn't admit it out loud, but deep down… the thought delighted her.
Entering the living room, Utaha instinctively began surveying the space.
So this is his home…
She took in every detail, mentally committing it to memory.
"That's the cat Yukinoshita mentioned before?"
She had noticed the orange tabby sprawled lazily on the floor.
"Yeah. His name is Jelly. When I first adopted him, he was really scrawny."
Haru walked in with a tray of fruit and tea.
Jelly remained where he was, though his ears twitched at the presence of a stranger.
But unlike a stray cat, he had long grown accustomed to humans.
So when Utaha walked over and crouched down in front of him—carefully holding down the hem of her dress—the cat didn't bolt.
"…He's really fat."
She pressed her hand against the cat's body.
After returning to her seat, Haru finally voiced his question.
"So why exactly did you decide to come study with me at this hour?"
Utaha took a sip of her tea, her expression natural. "In gaming terms, I want to level up."
"Got it. You're too eager to improve."
"That's one way to put it."
"Then here's my question—what was up with that photo you sent earlier?"
"I thought you might like it, so I sent it."
Utaha sipped her tea, her eyes gleaming with playful mischief.
Haru kept a straight face. "Don't send pictures like that again. It could seriously distract us from studying."
"Oh? Really?"
"No."
"I knew it."
Utaha wasn't the least bit surprised.
She set down her cup, straightened her back, and locked eyes with him.
"Amamiya Sensei, please teach me how to write a script."
"That formal, huh?"
Haru chuckled.
But if she was serious about learning, he was more than happy to teach.
Grabbing his laptop, he pulled up the materials he had prepared earlier.
And so, the lesson began.
Utaha learned quickly.
She was focused, absorbing every bit of information at an impressive pace.
Haru's system notifications kept popping up one after another:
[Teaching (Hypnosis) EXP +199]
As more notifications filled his vision, he realized something—
She must have a natural talent for this.
For the next half hour, Haru found himself multitasking—teaching while also marveling at an unexpected truth.
She actually came here just to study?
The timing wasn't great, but it seemed he had misjudged her intentions.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, he suddenly felt something brush against his leg.
He glanced down.
A small foot, clad in a short sock, was pressed against his calf.
Her slipper lay abandoned on the floor.
Haru looked up, exasperated, only to meet Utaha's amused gaze. In the dim evening light, her smile took on a teasing, almost provocative edge.
"No distractions while studying," he said seriously.
"This isn't a distraction. I've been paying attention the whole time," she replied smoothly.
"No messing around either."
Her lips curved. "Messing around? What do you mean?"
Haru opened his mouth to explain, but before he could, she leaned in.
The amusement in her eyes deepened into something warmer—something smoldering.
Then, her arms slid around his neck, her soft lips parting slightly as she whispered, "I've been thinking about you these past few days."
That single sentence unraveled all restraint, laying bare her true feelings.
Haru knew the lesson wasn't going to continue. He kept his hands still, but his voice remained light. "Honestly, I thought you'd come up with an excuse much sooner to visit me again."
"I did consider it."
She didn't bother denying it.
The face she had thought of countless times—both in daylight and in the quiet hours of the night—was now right in front of her.
She inched closer, her breath warm.
"I just didn't want to run into Yukinoshita," she murmured. "If she happened to come over too, that would be quite the dilemma for you, wouldn't it?"
Haru blinked, about to respond, but she cut him off.
"I know what you're going to say, but I don't want to hear it right now. There's only one thing I want to do."
To finally let all these pent-up feelings unfold.
And with that, she kissed him.
It was her second kiss.
But compared to the first, this one burned.
"I love you," she whispered against his lips.
Her arms tightened around his neck, her affection and longing pouring out like flames, as if she wanted nothing more than to melt into his warmth.
Haru held her slender waist, feeling the intensity of her emotions—the way she surrendered completely in this moment.
"You don't have to hold back so much," she murmured.
At some point, she had climbed onto his lap, her eyes hazy yet full of bold mischief.
Then, she smirked, a flush creeping up her cheeks.
"I'm not like Yukinoshita," she whispered. "Not in personality, and definitely not in figure."
So this is how she tests me.
Haru sighed internally.
She really was different.
Brazen. Unapologetic.
Her desire to take the lead was undeniable.
Her actions were just as fearless.
But she was still in control.
She knew the timing wasn't right, that staying overnight wasn't an option.
So even as she clung to him, basking in the warmth of their closeness, she made herself stop.
She didn't even bother fixing her disheveled collar or the undone buttons that had come loose at some point.
Instead, she smiled—flushed, a little reckless, but still composed.
"I've always been a fast learner," she said softly.
Haru raised a brow. "Why the sudden talk about studying?"
And then he understood.
Utaha wasn't just a quick learner academically.
In other things too… she picked things up frighteningly fast.
9 PM.
Utaha arrived home.
Only her mother was in the living room. Her father was in the shower.
The moment she walked in, the woman on the couch gave her a pointed look.
"So, you finally decided to come home?"
Utaha hesitated. "You figured it out?"
She had told her parents she was meeting a classmate to discuss club activities before leaving earlier.
Her mother sighed, exasperated. "You might be able to fool your father, but not me."
She studied her daughter's glowing face, practically radiating happiness, and after a brief hesitation, asked with a hint of concern:
"How far did things go?"
Utaha's cheeks reddened slightly, but her voice remained calm.
"Like good friends."
Her mother snorted.
A dry, skeptical laugh.
Utaha's face burned hotter, but her composure held. She had long since trained herself not to break so easily.
"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll head back to my room... Oh, and—thanks for keeping this a secret."
With that heartfelt expression of gratitude, she turned and retreated to her bedroom.
Left alone in the living room, her mother let out another sigh.
Inside her room, Utaha lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.
The memory of her own bold actions replayed vividly in her mind, making her heart pound.
Then, she recalled the things she had read online—the knowledge she had secretly gathered.
And how, in private, she had even used certain tools to... practice.
A deep flush spread across her beautiful face, turning it burning red.