After school that afternoon, Ichin and Utaha didn't leave the campus. Instead, they made their way to the sports field.
They weren't the only ones there—Yukino had also come, and finally, Eriri showed up dressed in sportswear, accompanied by one of her female classmates. The two of them would be participating in the three-legged race together.
Yukino had never actually played the three-legged race before, but after spending a few minutes researching it on her phone, she fully understood the mechanics. It wasn't particularly difficult—the only real requirement was coordination between the two partners.
With her arms crossed, Yukino looked at the two girls who had just tied their legs together and said, "Alright then, give it a try. Let me see how well you two work together. Start!"
Eriri and her partner exchanged a glance, and then Eriri began to chant a marching rhythm.
"One-two-one, one-two—ah!"
They didn't even make it a few steps before their timing was completely off. Their legs got tangled, and the two of them toppled over onto the ground.
Fortunately, they were on the grassy area beside the soccer field. If they'd fallen like that anywhere else, they could've been injured—even with the sportswear on.
Watching the two of them struggle to get back on their feet, Yukino rubbed her forehead with a sigh and said, "I know you told me it was difficult, Eriri, but I didn't think you'd fail to even walk five meters."
Pouting, Eriri replied, "What do you want me to do? It really is hard!"
Her partner nodded vigorously. "Yeah, and that's just with the two of us alone. Once the real competition starts, the pressure is going to be even worse!"
"Stage fright can be overcome. This kind of simple activity can be mastered with a few practice runs. Even idiots can do it if they actually try," Yukino said flatly. "You two just haven't made the effort to improve."
After her blunt assessment, Yukino turned her gaze toward Ichin and Utaha, who had been casually watching the whole thing unfold.
"Senpai, could I trouble you two to give it a try?"
"Us?" Ichin looked over at Utaha. She smiled and nodded. "Sure, Ichin. Let's show Eriri what real coordination looks like."
"Alright then, let's give it a shot."
Ichin took the band from Eriri and tied their left and right legs together. Standing up, he wrapped his arm around Utaha's shoulders and said, "I'll call the rhythm. I'll match my pace to yours. We'll start with the tied leg—sound good?"
"Sounds perfect," Utaha replied confidently. "Let's go."
"Okay, here we go! One-two-one!"
With Ichin's steady rhythm leading the way, the two of them began walking forward smoothly. Utaha was completely relaxed, moving as if it were just a casual stroll. The foot that was tied to Ichin's moved in sync without any awkwardness or hesitation.
They quickly passed ten meters… then twenty… and finally stopped when they reached the edge of the grassy area.
"That should do," Ichin said, stopping the count.
He bent down to untie the strap and, together with Utaha, walked back to Eriri and her partner.
Returning the strap, Ichin smiled and said, "Not bad at all. It's really not that hard—as long as you stay in sync, it's pretty much the same as regular walking."
Eriri looked at Ichin and Utaha suspiciously and asked, "You two didn't secretly practice this, did you?"
"Why would we bother practicing something like this?"
Ichin shot back with a rhetorical question and added, "I'm only signed up for the 100-meter sprint, and Utaha is just attending as a spectator. You should know—we're together all the time. Our level of coordination isn't something others can compare to. For a simple game like this, we don't need any extra practice."
"Tch. What's so great about that..."
Hearing Ichin's smug response and seeing the smug look on Utaha's face as well, Eriri puffed up her cheeks in frustration. She re-tied the strap connecting her and her classmate's legs and turned to Yukino.
"Yukino, please train us!"
Her partner looked surprised by her determination. "Eh? Sawamura-san, are you really going to keep going?"
"Of course!" Eriri replied with a determined look. "I'm not about to make a fool of myself on the day of the sports festival! I'm not expecting to win a medal, but I am going to make sure we can at least finish the race!"
And so, under Yukino's guidance, the two began formal training.
Ichin and Utaha didn't stick around to watch the rest. After saying their goodbyes, they left the school.
Back at home, Utaha's mother had gradually gotten used to taking care of the cats, which meant Utaha now had more free time after school to accompany Ichin to the studio.
By the time they arrived, everyone's focus had already shifted away from the playable prologue. The team had returned to full-on development mode.
Ichin poured two cups of coffee and returned to the office, where Utaha had already opened her laptop and was getting to work.
Placing the coffee down beside her, Ichin sat next to Utaha and wrapped an arm around her slender waist. "So, the novel—can I finally hear about it now?"
"Looks like someone's really been dying of curiosity, huh?"
Utaha gave him a teasing glance, leaned into his arms, and took a sip of coffee before saying, "I guess I can give you a little teaser. The new novel is a lighthearted romance, same tone as The Metronome in Love. Still a single female lead, and the characters are, again, loosely based on the two of us—but with some modifications."
"Eh? Us again?"
Hearing that, Ichin couldn't help but think back to the male protagonist in _The Metronome in Love, who had been modeled after him… and turned out to be gay. That had definitely left a mark.
Thankfully, readers never found out who the characters were based on. If they ever learned that Kasumi-sensei had turned her own boyfriend into a gay character, the internet would've exploded.
"You're not doing some weird character setting again, are you?"
Seeing how nervous Ichin looked, Utaha giggled and gave him a quick kiss. "Relax. This time, you're the proper male lead. Nothing like last time. He's a skilled programmer—very capable, but quiet and reserved."
"What about the female lead?"
Utaha smiled, eyes narrowing in amusement. "She's the new manager transferred from the head office. It's got a mix of workplace and everyday life themes."
Oh boy, Ichin thought. Is this going to be one of those "cold CEO falls for her subordinate" stories?
Then again, Chinese web novels had been ten years ahead of light novels when it came to tropes. And while that might sound like a meme, there were definitely some old-school clichés in those novels. Still, with Utaha's skill as a writer, even an overused premise might turn out really well.
Plus, considering the advice he'd given her during their creative discussions, he was confident Utaha wouldn't write something overly generic.
And with Machida Sonoko also looking forward to her new book, Ichin couldn't help but feel a little excited himself.
While holding Utaha close, one of his hands slowly slid down and gently squeezed her thigh through her black stockings. "So… when can I read Volume 1?"
"It's still a long way off."
Utaha blushed but didn't stop him. Leaning comfortably into his embrace, she continued, "The final volume of The Metronome in Love isn't even out until the end of the month. The new book still needs time."
Even though Utaha had already submitted the entire manuscript, the publishing schedule on the publisher's side couldn't be rushed.
Releasing one volume every two months was already considered fast.
...
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