"Kazusa hasn't been practicing the piano as much lately, has she?"
"…That's right. I'm sorry."
"Hahaha, what are you apologizing for? This is entirely Kazusa's own lack of discipline."
Youko chuckled, but then her tone shifted.
"But seeing this, I suppose you understand now why, when Kazusa decided to return to the path of music, my advice was to go to Vienna instead of staying in Japan."
"…Yeah, I get it now."
Chisato picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth.
"As the City of Music, Vienna undoubtedly offers a superior artistic atmosphere and more outstanding talent.
More importantly, without my interference, Kazusa should be able to focus entirely on her piano studies."
"As expected of Chisato-kun. It's good that you understand."
Between intelligent people, there was no need to spell everything out.
A brief mention was enough for the other person to grasp the meaning instantly, making such conversations smooth and comfortable.
Youko found herself appreciating Chisato even more.
"So, for Kazusa's sake, you should know what to do next, right?"
"…"
This time, Chisato remained silent for a long while.
"I'll think about it."
That was his final answer.
…
After breakfast, Chisato took a taxi to Eriri's neighborhood. Instead of heading directly to her house, he strolled along the commercial street.
As planned, he first bought some cakes from a dessert shop, then picked up some bananas and grapes from a fruit store before making his way to Eriri's house.
Nestled in a residential area of custom-built homes, Eriri's house stood among them.
Although it was a Sunday, the streets were not particularly crowded at this hour.
Following the address, Chisato found Eriri's house and rang the doorbell.
He was about to meet Eriri's parents.
Though this wasn't his first time in such a situation—having already met Kazusa's mother and Hitori's parents—it was still a little nerve-wracking.
Hopefully, he could leave a good impression.
With that thought in mind, the door opened.
Unexpectedly, it was Eriri who answered.
Since it was a day off, she wasn't wearing her usual twin tails; instead, her hair was casually draped over her shoulders, making her appear more approachable than usual.
Given how Eriri often lounged in his arms in this manner at her apartment, Chisato wasn't particularly surprised.
"Chisato, come in!"
At Eriri's enthusiastic welcome, Chisato replied with a quick "Sorry for intruding" before following her inside.
The moment he stepped into the living room, he was struck by how spacious Eriri's house was.
He had visited her house once before through simulations, but reality was never an exact copy of those experiences.
While the general layout remained the same, there were still noticeable differences in the details.
"Eriri, what a rare sight. You actually invited a friend over."
A mature and composed voice drifted over from the kitchen.
A woman, apron-clad and holding a spatula, emerged.
She had beautiful purple hair, stood about the same height as Eriri, and bore a youthful, doll-like face.
When she smiled, her expression carried a resemblance to Eriri's, making them seem more like sisters than mother and daughter.
Come to think of it, this sense of déjà vu also applied to the mothers of his other girlfriends.
Perhaps attractive girls were destined to have mothers untouched by the passage of time.
"Mom, just keep cooking. We'll head upstairs."
Eriri had no intention of making introductions. She set down the items Chisato had brought, grabbed his wrist, and dashed upstairs.
Chisato watched as Eriri shut the door, then sat down on a soft floor cushion.
Since they had messaged each other in advance about his visit, the small round table in the center of the room was already set with two cold drinks and slices of melon.
"Isn't this a little rude? I didn't even properly greet your mom after coming in."
Chisato voiced his concern.
Eriri waved it off nonchalantly.
"Don't worry about it. If you start talking to her, she'll never stop. As long as she knows someone like you exists, that's enough."
"This really helps you?"
"Yeah, this is enough."
Since Eriri herself said so, Chisato didn't dwell on it further and instead took the opportunity to survey her room.
The shelves were lined with various anime-themed figurines, the top of her bookshelf neatly stacked with manga and light novels, while the lower shelves housed art-related instructional books.
A quick glance confirmed that her room perfectly reflected her identity as an otaku illustrator.
Aside from that, the room was impeccably tidy. The floor was spotless, the bed neatly made, and the desk free of clutter.
A faint, pleasant fragrance lingered in the air, making it the quintessential refined lady's room.
"What's wrong?"
Eriri asked suddenly, a bright smile on her face.
Chisato snapped out of his thoughts.
"What?"
"Your first time seeing my room—what do you think?"
"It's nice. Just as I imagined it would be."
"I see. So the reason I spent all morning tidying up was to get some praise, huh?"
Without so much as a knock, the door suddenly opened.
Eriri's mother entered, carrying a steaming plate.
"Mom!"
Eriri sprang up instantly.
"Normally, I wouldn't mind, but I have a guest today! Don't just barge in!"
Ignoring her daughter's protest, Mrs. Sawamura casually sat down at the small round table with an unconcerned smile.
Chisato faced her and gave a slight bow. Only then did he notice what she had brought in.
"I was making tempura shrimp. It's been a while since I last tried, so I wanted you two to taste-test it."
"Alright, I get it. Just leave the tempura here and go back downstairs."
Eriri bent down, trying to pull her mother away.
"But I want to get to know Eriri's friend, too."
"You're in the middle of cooking!"
"That doesn't really matter."
Even as she fended off her daughter's resistance, Mrs. Sawamura turned to Chisato with a warm smile.
"So, what's your name?"
"Nice to meet you. I'm Suzumiya Chisato."
"Suzumiya… Chisato."
For some reason, the polite smile on Mrs. Sawamura's face deepened slightly upon hearing his name.
"That's a wonderful name."
She said, before turning to her daughter and ruffling her hair vigorously.
"Make sure you properly introduce your friend to me at dinner later, okay?"
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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