harleyscars Page 153
Page 153
Kato Megumi also added a line of text: "Itsuka-kun seems to be having a lot of fun."
Shiyu stared at the photo in silence for a long time.
She had to admit that the scene was beautiful, so beautiful that she felt no jealousy whatsoever, but rather a strange sense of emotion.
Her junior classmate was indeed a man full of contradictions and surprises.
……
On the other side, Eriri was lying on the floor of her room, scratching her head in front of the drawing.
But her mind wasn't on the painting at all; her phone was right next to her, the screen lit up, on Yuto's social media page, which he almost never updated.
"Damn it! This guy, he doesn't even post anything when he goes out to play!" She angrily tapped the screen, feeling a mix of emotions.
Jealousy was certainly present, but more than that, there was a sense of powerlessness.
Her talent for drawing seemed to serve only to "make her happy" in front of that girl named Shoko.
"Ding dong."
My phone rang; it was a private message from Megumi Kato.
Clicking on it reveals the photo of the aquarium from behind.
"..." Eriri stared at the photo for a long time, and finally buried her face in her arms in despair, letting out a sob of resentment.
……
Meanwhile, Kato Megumi, a core member of the "surveillance network," was wearing a beige sun hat and sitting on a bench not far from Yuto and the others, holding a glass of juice in her hand, looking like an ordinary passerby resting in the park.
She calmly watched Yuto and Shoko play a guessing game in sign language on the lawn, watched Shoko laugh so hard she almost fell over, and watched Yuzuru happily take pictures on the side.
Her face was expressionless, but if you looked closely, you would see a very faint smile on the corner of her mouth.
She felt that this kind of classmate, Wuhe, was also very good.
The day passed quickly, and the setting sun painted the sky a warm orange-red.
Yuto escorted the Nishimiya sisters to their doorstep.
As they parted, Shoko stood under the streetlight, looked at Yuto solemnly, and then raised her hand, gesturing earnestly.
Today is the happiest day of my life. Thank you so much, Yuto-kun.
After gesturing, she bowed deeply to Yuto.
Seeing the light in her eyes and her sincere gratitude, Yuto's heart was filled with warmth.
He felt he had done something very meaningful.
This pure sense of satisfaction made him temporarily forget the "three-way interrogation" he might face when he got home.
He smiled and waved to Shoko, indicating that she didn't need to be polite, and then watched the two sisters walk into the apartment building.
Turn around and embark on the road home.
……
The day after returning from Kasai Rinkai Park, Yuto Itsuka made a major decision—to move.
This idea had actually been lingering in his mind for a long time.
Since Yuzuriha Inori moved in, the once spacious apartment has become somewhat cramped.
Furthermore, Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri practically consider this place their second home, and the daily chaotic scenes bring the dual pressure on both the space and their minds to a peak.
The kitchen fire caused by Yuzuriha Inori a few days ago completely destroyed the entire cooking area, becoming the last straw that broke the camel's back.
Just then, the animated series "Farming King" became a huge success, and the first substantial royalties and dividends had already been deposited into his account.
He is no longer the poor student who had to carefully budget his rent.
His financial security gave him the confidence to improve the living conditions of everyone.
Through an agent, he quickly rented a brand new apartment in an upscale apartment complex not far from the school.
It has three bedrooms, one living room, a separate study, a spacious open kitchen, and two bathrooms.
Both the size and layout are sufficient to accommodate this diverse "family".
On the day of the move, as expected, all the "family members" showed up under the pretext of helping out.
"Itsuka-kun, this box is for the study, right? I see it's labeled 'Manuscript'." Kato Megumi remained calm as always, methodically sorting the packed boxes and directing the movers.
"Hey! Yuto! I personally wrapped all your limited edition figurines one by one, so be careful when you move them!" Eriri stood with her hands on her hips, like a foreman, yelling at the movers, as if she was afraid that her and Yuto's shared property would be damaged.
"Sawamura-kun, you're disturbing my thinking." Kasumigaoka Utaha sat leisurely on the sofa in the new living room, holding a book in her hands, as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with her.
Yuzuriha Inori, like a frightened little animal, clung to one of Yuto's pillows and followed closely behind him.
She followed Yuto wherever he went, afraid that she might get lost in this unfamiliar new environment.
After a long day of work, everyone collapsed onto the living room sofa after the last box was moved into the apartment and the movers left.
"Phew... finally done." Yuto breathed a sigh of relief, looking at his new home, which was still messy but full of life, and felt a sense of satisfaction.
To celebrate the housewarming and to reward everyone for their hard work, Yuto decided to cook the first dinner in the new kitchen himself.
After a sumptuous dinner, everyone sat around the brand-new dining table in a rare atmosphere of harmony.
"Hey, Yuto." Eriri took a sip of juice and said casually.
"This new house is so big, with so many rooms. Which room should I put my art supplies box in?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Kasumigaoka Utaha gently put down her teacup, making a crisp "ding" sound.
“I think the south-facing room has the best natural light, making it perfect for reading and writing.” She smiled at Yuto, her tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority. “Junior, don’t you agree?”
Yuto's back stiffened instantly.
It's here, it's finally here.
He knew that this was a problem that couldn't be avoided.
"Um...this..." He was racking his brains to think of the right words.
"Since we'll probably be spending a lot of time here in the future, why don't we set some rules first?"
It was Kato Megumi who spoke.
"Rules?" Eriri and Utaha both looked at her.
"Hmm." Kato Megumi nodded, her expression calm. "For example, the allocation of rooms, the division of household chores, and the time allotted for using common areas, etc."
"Since this place has become like a 'home,' it would be best to have a family meeting to clarify things and avoid unnecessary conflicts in the future."
"Family meeting"?
This word made everyone present pause for a moment.
Eriri and Utaha exchanged a glance, and they saw the same thought in each other's eyes—this was a perfect opportunity to "legalize" and "formalize" their cohabitation relationship!
"I agree!" Eriri was the first to raise her hand, afraid that someone else would beat her to it.
“I think it’s absolutely necessary! First of all, regarding the room, as Yuto’s exclusive illustrator, I need a quiet and independent creative space, so I’m asking for a bedroom!”
“My junior and I need to have inspirational exchanges and philosophical discussions at any time, so an environment that can inspire creative passion is crucial,” Kasumigaoka Utaha said slowly and deliberately, not to be outdone. “Besides, I have much more stuff than Sawamura-kun, so I also need a room to store it.”
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again over the room, Yuto quickly interrupted them.
"Stop! Stop! There are three rooms. Besides my master bedroom, there are two guest rooms. One room for each of you, is that enough?" He pointed to the floor plan. "Yuzuriha Inori... Yuzuriha Inori will stay in the room closest to me."
The distribution plan was fairly fair, and the two exchanged a glance, temporarily ceasing their conflict.
"And what about housework?" Kato Megumi continued, pushing the agenda forward. "Using the kitchen, cleaning the living room, and sorting the trash..."
"I'll take care of cooking!" Yuto immediately took on the most important task.
"Then I'll take care of cleaning!" Eriri immediately interjected. "But! The kitchen's cleanliness is that sharp-tongued woman's responsibility, because she drinks those black teas that require washing so many cups every day!"
"Hehe, it's still easier to clean than some people making a mess of paint everywhere." Shiyu immediately retorted, "I'm in charge of supervising Yuto-kun's diet and health, and I'm responsible for purchasing high-quality ingredients and black tea."
"I...I can wash the dishes," Yuzuriha Inori said softly, wanting to do something for the family as well.
Yuto, Eriri, and Utaha immediately looked at her with horrified eyes.
"No, no, no! Inori, you don't have to do anything! You just need to sing and be cute!" Yuto quickly stopped him.
Just kidding, letting Yuzuriha Inori into the kitchen isn't housework, it's disaster reconstruction.
Ultimately, under the chairmanship of Megumi Kato, the family meeting reached a preliminary consensus, albeit with some difficulties.
The rooms were assigned, the housework was mostly settled, and even a "weekly shared activity day" was established.
When everything settled down and Kato Megumi left with a successful career, Yuto looked at his brand-new home and the three girls who were about to officially begin their "cohabitation" life, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.
……
The battle began in the kitchen at dawn.
"Yuto Itsuka! For breakfast, will you choose Western-style fried egg toast infused with the love of childhood friends, or miso soup with rice balls that only old people would like?"
Eriri held a frying pan in one hand and put the other on her hip, her golden twin tails shimmering in the morning light, as if asserting her dominance.
She was wearing an adorable pink apron with a cute capybara print on it, clearly indicating that she had come prepared.
"Sawamura-kun, please don't use your limited imagination to speculate about your junior's taste." Kasumigaoka Utaha's voice came from behind her.
She was wearing a dark blue apron that made her look more mature, and she was slowly and methodically shaping the tamagoyaki with a knife.
"What truly awakens a creator's inspiration in the morning is this exquisite traditional breakfast that embodies Japanese aesthetics and the spirit of craftsmanship."
"Huh? Those overly sweet egg rolls are only for kids!"
"It's better than your toast that's been fried to a crisp."
"You're talking nonsense! This is a symbol of deliciousness!"
With dark circles under his eyes, Yuto looked sleepily at the two people arguing in the brand-new kitchen, and the two breakfasts in front of them that were very different in style but both looked delicious. He felt like he had a splitting headache.
"I...I can have both, is that okay?" he suggested tentatively.
"No!" two voices rang out in unison.
In the end, the breakfast battle ended with Yuto finishing both breakfasts with a toast in his left hand and a miso soup in his right.
The war in the kitchen had just ended when the territorial dispute in the living room began.
In the evening, when Yuto finished writing for the day and wanted to relax by watching TV for a while, he fell into a new predicament.
"My favorite anime movie is being replayed tonight!" Eriri, hugging a giant capybara body pillow, had already taken over the center of the sofa, clutching the remote control tightly in her hand.
"What's so interesting about a children's anime filled with commercial stench and formulaic plots?" Senior Shiyu sat on a single sofa, holding a cup of black tea, and glanced at the TV out of the corner of her eye.
"Tonight's late-night slot features a French art film about existentialist philosophy, which could provide some new ideas for our creative work."
"Go watch that kind of boring movie that makes you want to fall asleep!"
"Hehe, the threshold for art is indeed too high for some people whose aesthetic sense is still at a kindergarten level."
The two of them started talking back and forth, and the atmosphere became tense again.
Yuto, caught in the middle, felt as if his brain was being bombarded simultaneously by two radios on different frequencies.
He began to miss his old small apartment where he lived all by himself.
In this chaos, the biggest variable is always Yuzuriha Inori.
Her extreme lack of common sense about modern life made her a walking troublemaker in the family.
For example, she would treat the lettuce that Yuto had just bought to make salads like a potted plant, planting each leaf in a vase and then carefully watering it.
For example, when she saw Eriri using the washing machine to do laundry, she would curiously throw the hardcover novel of Kasumigaoka Utaha, which she hadn't had time to read yet, into the washing machine to see if the words would be washed away.
That time, if Shiyu hadn't discovered it in time, a bloody incident would have occurred within the family.
The most outrageous time was when she tried to imitate Yuto by heating milk in the microwave, but she mistakenly put in the metal badge that Eriri had just drawn as a reference.
With a loud bang and a burnt smell, the apartment experienced its first short circuit and power outage less than a week after the residents moved in.
However, it is precisely in this chaotic and absurd situation that Yuto occasionally sees a peculiar warmth.
Just like after that microwave incident, although Eriri was so angry that she jumped up and down, cursing, "Idiot Inori! My limited edition badge!" and Utaha also said coldly, "What a walking troublemaker," in the end, it was the two of them who, one holding up a phone flashlight for illumination and the other skillfully finding the power switch box, worked together tacitly to restore the power supply.
When the lights came back on, Eriri saw Yuzuriha Inori huddled in a corner, trembling with fear and self-blame. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to scold her anymore. She just angrily shoved a box of strawberries into her arms and said awkwardly, "Fine, fine! Eat yours! Don't touch anything in the kitchen next time!"
Shiyu just sighed, walked over and patted Yuzuriha Inori's head, and said softly, "Don't be afraid, it's just a power outage."