Chapter 202: About That Cohabitation Thing (Part 1)

"Miyahito didn't even rebel?" Picking up a strawberry with a small pick, Yoshikawa Yuki widened her eyes, staring at Kasumigaoka Utaha, who looked completely unfazed. "You made him drink cilantro and bitter melon juice for two days, and today's bento is an all-bitter-melon feast... What on earth did Miyahito do?"

"Well, I can't just waste it. It was really hard to buy so many fresh bitter melons."

"That's not the point I'm asking about."

"..." Utaha stared silently at Yuki, who was happily devouring strawberries. Feeling a bit creeped out by the stare, Yuki's movements stiffened. She then gave a sheepish smile, picked up a new pick, obediently speared a strawberry, and offered it to Utaha's mouth to curry favor.

"Ahh~~"

Meanwhile, resting her chin on her palm with her elbow propped on the table, Hori Kyoko watched the daily interaction of Yuki courting death and Utaha punishing the cheeky girl. Amused, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"By the way, Utaha." After laughing enough, Kyoko turned to Utaha, winking and teasing her with a mischievous grin. "How are things progressing with Miyahito?"

"?" Utaha tilted her head, looking at the clearly ill-intentioned Kyoko, and asked in return, "What progress?"

"You know, that."

"What 'that' or 'this'?"

"It's! It's...."

"It's the things lovers do!" Unable to wait for Kyoko to finish, the impatient Yuki stole the line with a snicker. "Have you kissed? Or have you already crossed that threshold?"

"Yuki!" Blushing furiously at the words, Utaha coquettishly raised her hand, pretending she was going to properly discipline the loose-lipped Yuki.

But Yuki easily dodged it. Well, that was normal. After all, Utaha was the frail, literary girl type.

In terms of athletics, she naturally couldn't compare to the energetic, half-sporty goofball, Yoshikawa Yuki.

"What's the big deal?" Dodging behind "Hori-mama," and taking advantage of the fact that the girls had practically claimed the entire rooftop, Yuki shouted loudly. "Even if it's sex, we had health class! What's there to be shy about!"

"Besides, I know for a fact that you and Miyahito are already cohabiting!"

".....Yuki, get back here and stand still!"

Finally, her defenses completely broken, Utaha went on a rampage. Radiating a dense 'killing intent,' she stood up, spread her arms like a demon, and tried to catch Yuki.

Seeing this, Yuki's first instinct was, of course, to run circles around Kyoko, playing a game of cat-and-mouse with Utaha.

They made a racket for a good while, until "Hori-mama" delivered a soul-striking chop to the back of each of their heads, finally forcing them to quiet down.

However, even after quieting down, Utaha couldn't escape the previous topic.

"....We only ki... ki... kissed." Her cheeks bright red, Utaha's voice grew smaller and smaller until she lowered her head in sheer embarrassment.

Looking at the utterly ashamed Utaha, who looked like she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself, Kyoko and Yuki exchanged a bewildered glance.

Hah? That's it? They're cohabiting, and in the end, it's just kissing?

Sensing her two best friends' silence, her heart full of shyness, Utaha slowly raised her face, which was seven parts blushing and three parts confused. She carefully glanced at Kyoko and Yuki, who were looking at each other in silence.

Then, she saw the expressions on her friends' faces, which practically screamed: 'We thought there would be some explosive answer, but it's just this? Tsk, how boring~'

Utaha's expression instantly collapsed.

Good lord, I'm so embarrassed I can barely speak properly.

And you two, who don't even have boyfriends, are giving me this 'child, your mother is very disappointed in you' attitude?

What kind of attitude is that! Seriously!

However, facing Utaha, who was acting like a bristling cat, Kyoko and Yuki, who were now very familiar with her and not afraid of her at all, did not let her off the hook.

"That's weird. I remember reading in a magazine that guys at this age have, you know, very strong desires." Resting her chin on her hand, Yuki frowned slightly, looking like she was researching a world-class problem.

"Especially since Miyahito is the athletic type, shouldn't he be even more... intense?"

"Yeah." Kyoko nodded in deep agreement. "Like the captain of the soccer club. I heard last week that senior's girlfriend caught him red-handed taking another girl to a hotel...."

"Kyoko, are you talking about the Ogiyama-senpai incident? I heard it caused quite a scene."

"Mm~~ Wait, Yuki, we're getting off-topic."

"Oh, right."

Just as Utaha was about to breathe a sigh of relief that the topic had derailed, Kyoko yanked it right back.

"So, tell us, Utaha-chan~~"

"Yeah, it's impossible that Miyahito has zero interest in you, right? That's too ridiculous. Utaha, you're, um, the most charming girl I know."

"Kyoko, are you joking? Miyahito having no interest in Utaha? That's ridiculous."

With a deadpan, even darkened face, Utaha stared sharply at her two best friends, who were treating her like a non-issue. Finally, under the curious gazes of the two, Utaha's mind suddenly, inadvertently, flashed back to a certain morning scene.

'Could it be that Miyahito has been holding back all this time?'

As that astonishing scene she had witnessed with her own eyes lingered in her mind, Utaha's gaze gradually went blank.

Yeah, it's confirmed. Miyahito is a normal male high school student.

And then, their cohabitation life... they sleep in the same bed, and every night after finishing homework, they cuddle up to watch movies or play games like a normal couple.

That should be normal, right.....?

No, wait! That's not normal!

Watching Utaha's expression shift from thoughtful, to confused, to sudden realization and shock, Kyoko and Yuki were left staring in blank astonishment.

Is she pondering some century-defining mystery?

"What do you guys think..." After taking a deep breath, Utaha bit her lip slightly, her cheeks flushing as she averted her gaze. "What is a normal couple's cohabitation life like?"

"..."

Wait, you, a woman with a boyfriend who is cohabiting with him, are asking two high school girls whose age is directly proportional to their single status this question?

Shocked!

The three girls stared at each other, wide-eyed. After a brief moment of mutual silence.

"Ahem, the weather is quite nice today, isn't it."

"Yes it is, Kyoko. By the way, how much time is left until lunch break ends?"

"....A few minutes."

"Then let's hurry up and pack up, Kyoko, Yuki."

"Ah, yeah." "Okay."