Chapter 237: The High School Couple Acting Like Newlyweds

Click—!

The second the sound of a key turning in the lock rang out, Sonoko had just turned her gaze toward the entryway.

Utaha, who had just been washing dishes in the kitchen, was already drying the water droplets from her hands with the hem of her apron and trotting over with quick steps.

"Welcome home, Miyahito."

"Yeah, I'm home, Utaha."

"Have you eaten dinner? Give me your jacket and schoolbag."

"Not yet. Didn't you say you made steak tonight? I came back without eating a single thing. I'm practically starving to death."

"Good grief, if you're hungry, eat a little something! Starving yourself is bad for your health."

"Isn't that because I was looking forward to the dinner you prepared for me, Utaha?"

Listening to the conversation at the door, which sounded less like a dating couple and more like a newlywed pair, Sonoko wore a sour expression, glaring resentfully at the couple throwing flashbangs of PDA.

"Hey, can you two pay some attention?"

Facing the synchronized look the two gave her as they turned around, Sonoko felt even more sour, and her tone inevitably became resentful.

"The law states that couples are not allowed to peddle overly sweet PDA to single people. You two are breaking the law."

"I didn't know Japan had such a law." Sensing the atmosphere being ruined, Utaha turned around, her eyes losing all warmth as she stared coldly at her editor, whose face was gradually twisting with envy.

Just as she was about to go all out and teach this tactless editor a lesson about how severe a crime it is to interrupt someone's warm moment.

"Oh, Wako-nee is here."

"Yeah, sorry for the sudden intrusion."

"Not at all." Completely oblivious to the dark aura beginning to radiate from his girlfriend beside him, Miyahito smiled and exchanged pleasantries with Sonoko in the living room.

"Please don't be formal, just relax and make yourself at home."

"Ooooh, that line has total 'master of the house' vibes. Full marks!"

"Really? Thanks for the compliment, haha."

Just then, Utaha, whose face was subtly displeased, raised her hand slightly and gently pushed her boyfriend from behind, urging him with a slightly displeased tone.

"Alright, stop wasting time talking to this woman and go wash your hands."

"Not washing your hands the moment you get home, Miyahito, are you trying to rebel?"

After shooing her bewildered boyfriend off to wash his hands, Utaha turned her gaze back to a certain editor who was full and satisfied but still had no self-awareness to leave. She gave her a faint, ghostly look and said softly.

"May I ask, does Editor Machida have any other business?"

Watching Utaha's expression, which clearly said 'If you have no business, hurry up and go home, don't stay here being an eyesore and a third wheel', a rebellious streak suddenly flared up in Sonoko. The corners of her mouth curled into a defiant smirk.

"Well, we've already finished discussing the main business, but I personally still have a few curious things I'd like to consult Miyahito-kun about."

"....." Staring expressionlessly at the self-satisfied Sonoko, Utaha suddenly realized that inviting this detestable, thick-skinned, and mood-swifting troublesome woman to stay for dinner tonight was a monumental mistake.

Because this wrong decision led to the current standoff.

Even though Utaha really wanted to kick Sonoko out of the house so she could quietly enjoy her time with her boyfriend.

Unfortunately, the 'attack did not pierce the enemy's facial armor'.

This woman's thick skin was truly thicker than reinforced concrete, utterly indestructible.

Staring at each other in a silent standoff for a few seconds.

"Sigh....." Not wanting to waste time on this meaningless standoff, and needing to feed her starving boyfriend, Utaha chose to temporarily sound the retreat.

There was no helping it; in this world, eating is the most important thing.

Besides, the one starving right now was her boyfriend. If it were Sonoko, Utaha could watch her heart stop from "starvation-induced failure" with a straight face.

"While Miyahito is eating later." Before entering the kitchen, Utaha thought for a moment and finally gave Sonoko a warning. "I don't care what you're curious about, please do not disturb my boyfriend while he eats."

"If you have questions or things to say, please wait until Miyahito is full and sits down before you speak slowly."

".....I know." Looking slightly embarrassed, Sonoko waved her hand in a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. "I'm not a three-year-old, I know basic manners!"

"Heh...."

"Hey, hey, hey! Utaha-chan! What do you mean by that 'Heh'!?"

"Hehe....."

"That's even worse! You're blatantly looking down on and despising me, aren't you?"

"Hehe... hehehe....."

"....."

When Miyahito finally finished washing his hands and walked out of the washroom.

Looking at the gritting-teeth, exasperated Sonoko, and his girlfriend, whose eyes were full of disdain and even wore a victor's provocative smirk, Miyahito's expression grew even more bewildered.

Can someone tell me what happened between you two in the one or two minutes I was washing my hands....?

....

After eating and drinking his fill.

"Phew~" Sitting in the single sofa, taking the digestive tea Utaha had just brewed, Miyahito turned his head and asked Sonoko, who was resting her chin on her hand with an indescribably mysterious? Ill-intentioned? Anyway, incomprehensible smile.

"Wako-nee, Utaha just told me you have something you want to ask me?"

"Mhm."

Sonoko nodded, casting a rather meaningful glance at Utaha, who was sitting sideways on the wide sofa armrest, her arm lightly draped over Miyahito's shoulder, practically clinging to her boyfriend. Then, she turned her gaze back to Miyahito and asked.

"I heard from Utaha that the inspiration for the new book Your Name came from Miyahito-kun?"

"Not exactly."

Miyahito smiled and shook his head, turning to look at Utaha, who was leaning on him with a puzzled look that seemed to say 'What are you talking about? It was you!' before speaking.

"The new book was indeed conceived entirely by Utaha herself. I merely helped her refine it a bit at the very beginning, before her concepts had fully taken shape."

"Miyahito." Looking at Miyahito with a mix of complaint and helplessness, Utaha retorted with a slightly displeased tone.

"Didn't I tell you before? It was because of your song that Your Name had the chance to be born."

"And, the title Your Name was your idea too. How can you say I came up with it all by myself?"

"But Utaha." Raising his hand, Miyahito gently patted the back of his girlfriend's hand resting on his shoulder, saying nonchalantly, "Don't forget, I only ever said to you, 'How about the element of body swapping?' The rest—the plot, the character names, the narrative pacing—you came up with all by yourself."

"....But."

"Alright."

Soothing his girlfriend's urge to argue, Miyahito turned to meet Sonoko's gaze, which was now filled with elder-like kindness and gratification, and asked with a slightly proud and expectant tone.

"How about it, Wako-nee? Utaha's new book is pretty great, isn't it?"