Since the beginning of August, Chisato's life had followed a steady routine. Even though it was a rare summer holiday, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about his activities.
Without the need to go to school every day, he spent his mornings at home, his afternoons at Stellar, and only returned home after ten at night.
It was worth mentioning that the senior musician he had met at the music festival and later collaborated with several times, Mr. Ichiro Suzuki, had recently learned about his current situation.
In response, Suzuki had personally introduced and invited Chisato and the members of Kesshoku Band to perform at a live summer festival event.
The invitation was sincere, and the offered performance fee was generous. After some discussion, Chisato agreed to participate, with the scheduled date set for mid-August.
During this period, he had to carefully select the songs the Kesshoku Band would perform at the event. If they could fit the festival atmosphere, that would be even better.
Ichiro Suzuki had casually mentioned this requirement, but it wasn't a challenge for Chisato.
The wealth of incredible songs from his past life was more than enough to sustain him through his career. And this was just the beginning.
Previously, their performance at the music festival had encountered some minor mishaps.
This time, he was determined to seize the opportunity and ensure that the band had no regrets.
Especially for Ikuyo, this was a chance to regain her confidence and prove herself once again.
Thus, for the next period, Kesshoku Band returned to the intense practice schedule they had maintained before the festival.
Even though it was summer vacation, they still left home at dawn and practiced relentlessly in the Stellar recording studio until late at night.
It was an early taste of the daily life of true professional performers.
Yet, none of them showed any signs of complaint or dissatisfaction—except for Ryo, who occasionally yawned through rehearsals due to late-night gaming sessions.
Surprisingly, despite her drowsiness, her bass playing remained unaffected. Seeing this, Chisato decided to let her be.
Such had been Chisato's external commitments since the beginning of the month.
Meanwhile, after several days of cold war, Eriri and Utaha had finally reconciled, thanks to Chisato's efforts.
Since she had the perfectly legitimate excuse of having a 'boyfriend,' Eriri was able to convince her mother to let her skip the family trip this summer.
With permission to stay behind, she naturally packed her clothes and moved into her boyfriend's apartment the moment her parents left.
As for the ever-diligent and trustworthy Utaha, she had concocted a perfectly reasonable excuse for her family—claiming that she was 'going on a trip to relax and gather inspiration for writing.'
Without raising any suspicions, she too moved in.
Under such circumstances, certain nightly activities were inevitable.
For Chisato, excess was not an issue. In fact, the presence of two beautiful women only made him feel more invigorated and refreshed.
However, for the two involved parties, the passage of time gradually left them struggling to keep up.
They frequently found themselves in a state of exhaustion, sleeping in until nine or ten in the morning.
Occasionally, they would feel a sudden soreness in their waists or experience brief moments of dizziness, akin to low blood sugar episodes.
And so, on this particular day, the moment Chisato stepped into his apartment, he immediately sensed something was off.
The room was dark. Neither Eriri nor Utaha greeted him at the door as they usually did upon hearing him return.
He walked into the living room, intending to call them, but his eyes landed on a note left on the coffee table.
Curious, he picked it up and read:
'I told my mom I'd be going on a trip, and it's about time I head back. I'll stay home for a few days. Eriri also needs to air out her house since it's been shut tight. We'll come back in a few days.'
It was clearly Utaha's handwriting.
Chisato blinked at the note, paused for a moment, then crumpled it up and tossed it into the trash.
Strange. If they were leaving, they could have just told him directly. Why leave a note instead?
And why did they leave together?
Completely unaware of his own role in the matter, Chisato scratched the back of his head and headed to the bathroom.
Having indulged in rich meals for days on end, the sudden shift to a more solitary night felt somewhat unfamiliar.
He tossed and turned in bed for a long time before finally drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, Chisato left his apartment and arrived at the Yukinoshita residence, ringing the doorbell.
This has become a part of his daily routine lately, all thanks to the buff imposed by the Pure Love System.
He could clearly sense that Yukino had been feeling melancholic these past few days, and he had a good idea of what was troubling her.
If her future life was to be spent constantly interacting with him like this, it would undoubtedly be an issue for her.
However, he couldn't tell her that she would soon return to normal by the latter half of the month.
Doing so would reveal that he knew something about the unusual changes she was experiencing, which would, in turn, expose the fact that he possessed a system—something he had no intention of telling anyone.
Although he felt guilty, he could only ask her to endure it for now.
Not long after the doorbell rang, as expected, Yukino opened the door.
She wore her usual casual home attire, her slippers adorned with a panda pattern.
She showed no surprise at Chisato's visit and simply stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter.
However, as soon as Chisato stepped into the entryway, he noticed something unusual.
A pair of women's sneakers, toes facing outward, sat neatly by the entrance.
"If it's inconvenient, I can come back another time…"
Following Chisato's gaze, Yukino glanced down, brushed her hair back, and sighed softly.
"It's fine. Come in first."
For a brief moment, seeing her delicate gesture, Chisato felt a flutter in his heart. Perhaps because her long hair bore a striking resemblance to Kazusa's.
But he didn't linger on the thought. Instead, he politely said, "Excuse me," before slipping into the slippers she had prepared for him and following her into the living room.
Though he had visited numerous times before, each time he entered, he couldn't help but admire how immaculate Yukino kept her home.
From the entryway to the hallway, and finally to the living room—everything was meticulously arranged.
The air carried a faint, elegant floral scent, one that resembled the fragrance of her shampoo or body wash.
It wasn't particularly luxurious, but it was a scent that brought a sense of comfort and tranquility.
"Ah…"
After entering the living room, Chisato realized who the guest at the Yukinoshita residence was today.
Yui watched as Chisato stood there in a daze, suddenly feeling nervous for some reason.
She didn't know what to say and kept shifting her gaze between Chisato and her friend, looking extremely confused and conflicted.
Chisato, puzzled by her reaction, tilted his head slightly and looked toward Yukino.
"Let's introduce ourselves first. This is Suzumiya Chisato, and this is... my friend, Yuigahama Yui."
Standing between the two, Yukino took on the role of the introducer.
Yui had shown an extremely complicated expression when she first saw Chisato, but as soon as she heard Yukino's introduction—especially when Yukino extended her left hand toward her and used the word "friend"—the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl up. Her mood visibly improved.
It was an unmistakable reaction. What an easy-to-read person.
Chisato thought to himself while offering a friendly greeting to Yui.
Yui responded with a slightly reserved bow.
At first, Chisato thought he had simply come at an unfortunate time, coinciding with a visit from Yukino's friend.
However, since Yukino herself had already said at the entrance that it was no big deal, there was no need for him to overthink it.
He planned to stay for a short while, then find a casual excuse to leave.
That was his plan, but things didn't go as he expected.
Normally, whenever he visited, Yukino would immediately prepare tea or coffee for him.
According to her, this was basic hospitality and should never be neglected.
But today, she seemed to have completely forgotten her own words. She didn't go to prepare tea right away.
After Chisato sat down on the sofa, Yukino and Yui sat across from him. The television was showing a show about adorable cats, but both of them were watching him instead.
Chisato, not understanding why, looked back at them in confusion, but as soon as he did, they both averted their gazes simultaneously.
Their strange behavior made Chisato feel uneasy, as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
He started to wonder if there was something dirty on his face or if he had an inexplicable smell on him.
Clearing his throat slightly, he lowered his head a little and brushed his knuckles lightly over the tip of his nose.
Then, pretending to be casual, he pulled up the collar of his shirt and sniffed it.
Everything was normal. There was only a faint scent of laundry detergent…
After confirming this, he looked up again and caught Yui hastily retracting her gaze, her expression flustered.
At this point, he had no choice but to ask.
"You two are acting strange. Why are you looking at me like that?"
Chisato asked directly.
"Well... um..."
"Never mind, I'll explain."
Just as Yui started stammering, Yukino sighed and decided to reveal the truth.
"It's about Isshiki."
"Isshiki? What about her?"
"Do you remember when we ran into each other at the bookstore near Shimokitazawa a while ago?"
"Yeah."
There was no reason for Chisato to forget. It had only happened a week ago.
During that period, in the final few days before Kazusa left, he had been staying at her place and hadn't returned to his apartment.
However, he couldn't ignore the issue with Yukino, so they had agreed to meet at a mutually convenient location every day.
This routine continued for a short while.
"It was during that time. To put it simply, when we met, Isshiki saw us."
Yukino showed a troubled expression and turned to look at Yui.
"If Yuigahama hadn't told me, I probably would have remained completely unaware of it."
Chisato thought for a moment and quickly understood. Instead of asking Yukino, he turned to Yui.
"Did Isshiki misunderstand something?"
Yui responded by nodding vigorously.
"That day, Isshiki had planned to visit the place where you work, but on the way there, she happened to see you and Yukino…"
Yui glanced at Yukino and didn't continue, but she made sure to clarify her stance.
"But I absolutely believe that nothing happened between you and Yukino.
After all, you two were just sitting together, and there was no physical contact at all. It's just Isshiki… how should I put it? She cares too much, so she got a little worried."
Her last sentence was phrased gently, but Chisato understood her meaning.
Judging from their reactions earlier, the situation didn't seem optimistic.
"So, in other words, Isshiki and Yukinoshita… had a conflict?"
"Yeah."
Yui nodded while watching Yukino, who had closed her eyes and sighed lightly.
"But it's not really a big deal. Don't worry. I'll explain it properly. I'll go get you some tea."
Yukino stood up and left the living room.
After she left, Yui, perhaps having realized that Chisato wasn't as difficult to talk to as she had thought, mustered a bit of courage and moved slightly closer to him.
She lowered her voice and said,
"Um… Suzumiya, things aren't as simple as Yukino said."
"What do you mean?"
"Actually, at first, Isshiki was also confused and asked Yukino about it.
But Yukino just told her 'no comment' and simply stated that you two were meeting for necessary reasons.
Isshiki couldn't accept that answer at all. So right now, their relationship is… well, you get it, right?"
"Yeah, I get the gist of it. Just one more question—when did Yukinoshita find out about this?"
"I told her three days ago."
I see…
No wonder she had been looking so preoccupied lately. Besides the situation with himself, she had another problem weighing on her mind.
"Suzumiya, I know this is a bit presumptuous, but since Yukino has her own reasons for not explaining, I don't want to force her.
However, if it's convenient for you, could you be the one to explain things to Isshiki? Maybe it could help mend their relationship."
After hesitating for a moment, Yui voiced her request.
Ultimately, all of this was a consequence of his actions.
"I understand. I'll take care of it."
Chisato nodded without any hesitation.
"Thank you!"
When Yukino returned to the living room with tea, Yui looked visibly relieved, her expression brightened by a sense of ease.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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