As someone who had just experienced intimacy for the first time, and given how overly gentle Chisato had been with her last night—sticking only to the most basic, by-the-book missionary position—Kazusa couldn't even begin to imagine what he meant.
"It basically means… never mind, it's a bit difficult to explain. You'll understand eventually. It's only a matter of time."
Early in the morning, still feeling a little sluggish from just waking up, Kazusa looked even more adorable and alluring than usual in her lingerie and long socks.
If they continued this conversation any longer, something was bound to happen, so it was best to end it quickly.
Although she wasn't completely satisfied with his vague response, Kazusa noticed the subtle shift in Chisato's expression and vaguely sensed something.
So, she decided not to press further.
Just like last night, Chisato carried Kazusa in a princess hold to the bathroom. They stood side by side at the sink, brushing their teeth together in the mirror.
Now that they had crossed that final boundary, Kazusa could clearly feel that her relationship with Chisato had deepened.
Even the most ordinary, everyday actions seemed to carry new meaning.
"Mwah."
Out of nowhere, Chisato bent down and sneakily left a kiss on Kazusa's cheek, leaving behind a noticeable trace of toothpaste foam.
Kazusa was momentarily stunned before her lips curled up in a playful smirk. Without backing down, she retaliated immediately.
What should have been a simple morning routine ended up delaying them by nearly twenty minutes.
As evening approached and Chisato temporarily parted ways with Kazusa to return to his apartment, he noticed that after nearly half a month of being frozen, his Pure Love System had finally resumed normal operation.
The store's item list refreshed, his personal attributes were displayed correctly again, and a new feature had appeared—a list of "high-quality women" detected by the system.
The list included the names [Touma Kazusa], [Gotoh Hitori], and [Yukinoshita Yukino].
The first two needed no explanation. A row of five red heart symbols was completely filled, with even an additional plus sign at the end.
This likely meant that Chisato had completely won over their hearts.
Next to [Touma Kazusa] and [Gotoh Hitori], there were also a few seemingly random descriptors.
For instance, beside [Touma Kazusa], it displayed terms like [Attachment], [Physically Exhausted], and [Unprecedented Happiness].
Meanwhile, next to [Gotoh Hitori], the system showed [Absolute Obedience], [Desire for Intimacy], and [Worried About Final Exams].
Chisato rested his chin in his palm.
He guessed that these descriptors likely reflected their current emotional and physical states.
Since he had been with Kazusa last night, her status made perfect sense.
As for Hitori, he realized he had been neglecting her a bit lately. Most of their interactions had been in group settings.
He should find some time to properly make it up to her—and help her with her studies while he was at it.
Then, Chisato's eyes shifted to the entry for [Yukinoshita Yukino].
To his surprise, she had a single heart next to her name.
Was it because of all the help he had given her recently? He could only assume it was some form of friendship points.
There was also an unexpected notification attached to her name.
[I am a cat (29 days, 5 hours, 30 minutes remaining)]
Chisato instinctively clicked on it, revealing a detailed description:
[An unspeakable physical transformation. Only the host can reverse it. Please use the remaining time to get as close to her as possible. This is my final ripple, please accept it!]
What the hell?!
Reading this nonsense, Chisato silently cursed. The latter half of the message even referenced a meme.
However, seeing that the timer was indeed ticking down, he felt somewhat reassured.
If Yukino were to remain in this strange state forever, their lives would be irreversibly entangled. This was, in a way, a relief.
There was still a month left—just hold on until then, and everything would go back to normal.
Calming himself, Chisato checked the store's exchange list one more time.
Since there was nothing he particularly needed, he closed the system interface and stopped paying it any further attention.
After waiting for a while at home, Utaha and Eriri eventually returned together.
"So, what's the important thing you wanted to tell us?"
Hearing Utaha's question, Chisato didn't rush. Instead, he let them sit on the couch and poured them each a glass of water before finally speaking.
"It's about Kazusa."
Eriri and Utaha exchanged glances, then quietly sipped their water and listened attentively.
"Starting today, until the end of the month, I'll be staying over at her place every night."
Chisato stated his decision directly.
He said "will" instead of "want to," making it clear that this was not a discussion but a settled matter.
Despite this, Utaha still asked,
"Why so suddenly? Did something happen?"
Chisato nodded.
"Kazusa's mother found her a piano instructor. For the next three years, she'll be studying in Vienna under that teacher."
Utaha's eyes flickered slightly.
Eriri followed up with another question,
"What about her schooling?"
"She won't be continuing. Once this semester ends, she'll be leaving for Vienna."
"I see… So that's why you said what you did."
"Exactly."
After a brief silence, Utaha and Eriri exchanged another glance, already making up their minds.
"I understand."
"Don't worry about us. Spend these last days with her properly."
Both of them expressed their understanding and showed no signs of discontent.
After all, with Kazusa leaving the country, she wouldn't be able to stay by Chisato's side for a long time.
From a long-term perspective, this was actually beneficial for them.
Compared to that, Chisato spending these last two weeks with her didn't seem like a big deal—it wasn't something they couldn't accept.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank us. Eriri and I aren't that petty."
Utaha smirked,
"Are you heading over tonight?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll pack your clothes for you."
"Thanks."
As Utaha left the living room, Eriri gently grabbed Chisato's hand.
"Chisato, can I ask you for a favor?"
"What is it?"
"It's about my parents. Before summer break, I want you to meet them."
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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