"Thank you."
The driver drove away, disappearing around the corner.
Chisato took the change he had just received and put it into his wallet.
Turning around, he looked at the Sawamura residence, a place he had visited not long ago. He couldn't help but wonder—how did things suddenly escalate to this point?
He glanced sideways at Utaha and Eriri standing beside him.
Their expressions were casual, as if the house in front of them was nothing more than an ordinary convenience store, and what they were about to do was as simple as going inside to shop.
But in reality, things were far from that simple.
The time was a little past 5 PM. Just an hour ago, back at their apartment—
Chisato had been trying to convince Utaha to stop being angry, explaining that what had happened between him and Eriri that day was an accident, something beyond his conscious control.
Then, Eriri walked right in. Perhaps she had been eavesdropping outside the door ever since Chisato entered the room, listening to their conversation.
But thinking back on it now, that wasn't even the main issue.
The real problem was that Eriri, in response to Utaha's dissatisfaction, had made an utterly shocking suggestion—
She proposed that they should confess everything to her parents.
To tell them that, over time, the three of them had crossed a certain line, and after overcoming the initial awkwardness, they were now frequently sharing a bed.
At that moment, cold sweat had broken out on Chisato's back.
But when he looked at Eriri's determined gaze, then turned to see the deep, unreadable look in Utaha's eyes, he let out a quiet sigh.
If this could ease Utaha's discontent and mend the rift between the two girls, then even if this was an extreme solution, he was willing to accept it.
After all, this was something they would have to confess sooner or later. Doing it now would only make the future easier.
As expected, Utaha met Eriri's gaze and nodded in agreement.
After that, there was nothing else to say. They changed their clothes, went downstairs, and hailed a taxi.
Chisato sat in the middle of the back seat, his hands held tightly by both girls on either side.
He felt like a condemned prisoner being escorted to his execution, the atmosphere unbearably heavy. Not a single word was spoken during the ride.
And now, his moment of "judgment" had arrived.
"Let's go."
Eriri didn't hesitate. She was the first to step toward her front door.
Utaha followed without a word, her face expressionless.
Chisato trailed behind them, half a step slower.
As a man, he needed to stay in control of the situation.
Whether Eriri's suggestion had been made in the heat of the moment or not, he had to consider every possible outcome, making sure that whatever happened next wouldn't end up hurting either of them.
However, no matter how carefully he thought it through, he couldn't fool himself into believing that this situation could be resolved with just a few well-planned responses.
Sayuri seemed like a reasonable woman, but there was no way she would accept her daughter sharing a boyfriend with another girl—especially when that girl was also, in a sense, her daughter's close friend.
The issue they were dealing with went beyond simple communication; it directly challenged fundamental human ethics and morals.
The moment Sayuri learned the truth from her daughter's own mouth, her entire worldview might just shatter on the spot.
And when that happened, there was no telling how she would react.
Chisato had already made his calculations—if Sayuri threw tea at him, he would just take it without resistance. But if it was boiling water, at the very least, he had to protect his face.
In short, he had already braced himself for the worst possible outcome. He was mentally prepared for whatever was about to happen.
Eriri inserted her key into the lock and opened the front door. Utaha and Chisato changed into house slippers and followed her into the living room.
After they settled on the sofa, Eriri turned back one last time to confirm Utaha's resolve.
"You're really ready for this?"
Utaha's eyes remained calm and unmoving. She even covered her mouth and yawned, completely unfazed.
"What are we waiting for? Once we're done here, we still have to head to my house and explain things to my mother. Let's not waste time."
According to the plan they had agreed on, this was the process they would follow—first, confess everything to Eriri's family, and then go straight to the Utaha household.
If they were going to do this, they might as well do it all at once and settle everything in one go.
But to Chisato, this plan was entirely unrealistic.
Once the truth was out, there was a high chance that Sayuri would be so furious that she would ground Eriri immediately, making it impossible for her to go to Utaha's house afterward.
In a more extreme scenario, she might even confiscate Eriri's phone, cut off her internet access, and lock her in her room. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility.
Yet, for now, neither of the girls seemed to be considering these consequences.
"Alright."
Eriri glanced around, not seeing any sign of her mother. However, her mother's shoes were at the entrance, which meant she was home. Judging by her usual habits…
"Mom!"
Before calling out, Eriri had already moved all potentially dangerous objects—like the vase, fruit knife, and ashtray—from the coffee table to the kitchen.
Then, she stood at the base of the stairs and shouted toward the second floor.
"Eriri?"
A somewhat drowsy voice responded from upstairs. A moment later, Sayuri peeked her head out from the second floor and spotted her daughter.
"Why are you back? Didn't you say you were eating out tonight? I didn't even make dinner."
"Um… something came up. I wanted to talk to you about it."
"What is it? Can't you just tell me over the phone? If you need more spending money, just use your dad's credit card."
"It's not about that!"
Sayuri assumed Eriri was alone, so she casually walked downstairs wearing a loose, summer nightgown.
She wasn't guarded at all—until she saw the two guests in the living room.
Among them, one was her daughter's boyfriend.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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