Can't We Skip Dating?

Whether it was unexpected or not, Akira didn't knock on Utaha's door even once that night, not under any excuse.

Still, her troubled mood kept her awake for half the night, and it was only when she hugged the cat that she finally drifted off to sleep.

She had set an alarm since she still had class the next day, but when she woke up to see the cat in her blanket, she couldn't help hugging it in bliss—and the comfort and drowsiness lured her right back to sleep.

In the end, what woke her up was a gentle tap on her forehead. She opened her eyes to see Akira in his pajamas, standing beside her bed.

Stunned for a moment, Utaha quickly wrapped herself tightly in the blanket. "Why did you come in?!"

Akira grinned oddly and waved his phone in front of her, showing the time on the screen. 

"It's already eleven, Kasumigaoka-san. Did you take the day off today?"

Already startled, Utaha instantly snapped awake.

After Akira left the room, she picked up her phone and saw several missed calls from both her teacher and her parents. 

Flustered, she hurriedly returned the calls, got dressed, washed up, and rushed downstairs—only to run into Akira again, fully dressed.

"Let's go. It's already this late—I'll give you a ride."

Utaha hesitated for a second and shook her head. "No need."

"Not to school—just to the station. I doubt you know where it is, and I'm heading out to grab breakfast anyway."

As he spoke, Akira handed her three pieces of yellow paper inscribed with strange patterns, along with a key. 

"Take these before you leave. The key is for this house. I'll send the gate code to your phone later. You're free to come anytime, even if I'm not here."

Utaha took the items and frowned at the yellow paper. "What are these?"

"As you can see—charms. They're also the mysterious little gift for becoming a member. I see darkness gathering between your eyebrows; misfortune may be approaching. 

So I'm giving them to you early. Keep them close, and if anything strange happens, contact me immediately."

Utaha shook her head and tried to return them. She didn't believe in that kind of thing.

But Akira's expression turned serious, and for the first time, he spoke in a firm tone. "Take them."

A bit startled and pressed for time, Utaha reluctantly shoved them into her pocket and followed him out the door.

...

"Mm, your complexion looks a lot better than last night. You know you looked like a ghost back then?" Akira commented as he drove toward the station.

Utaha, sitting in the passenger seat, instinctively covered her face, feeling oddly embarrassed and not wanting Akira to see her. 

Only after checking in the rearview mirror to confirm that she looked normal did she slowly lower her hands.

"Sleeping late should be enough to recover," she said calmly.

"I was mainly talking about your eyes. That's part of your complexion too," Akira said casually.

"Looks like you didn't just spend the whole night indulging in cat therapy—you actually gave life some serious thought. Mind telling me what you were thinking about?"

Utaha was silent for a moment. Then she said, "That transaction last night—I really liked it."

"Oh? You actually understood it. You're smarter than I gave you credit for."

That comment irked Utaha. "What, did you think I was just a big-breasted airhead, Akira-san? Disappointed I'm not?"

"That was my mistake," Akira admitted with a smile. "At most, I thought you were just a woman blinded by love."

Utaha's expression darkened, and she said nothing.

Akira didn't seem to notice, or perhaps didn't care. He smiled as he continued, "So what are you planning to do today?"

Recalling the decision she'd made last night, Utaha replied quietly, "Repay my debt."

"Hmm...?"

Akira tasted those words for a moment, then nodded approvingly. "You're becoming more and more interesting to me, Kasumigaoka-san."

"Sorry, I'm only interested in your cats, Akira-san."

"Oho? So the real you finally comes out!"

Akira's earlier teasing had clearly irritated her a bit. 

The fact that nothing had happened last night helped her lower her guard, and now she could interact with him more casually. 

With both factors combined, her sharp tongue slipped out naturally.

Honestly, she regretted it the moment she said it. But Akira's delighted reaction... made her feel like being cautious around him had been pretty stupid.

Utaha subtly shifted away from him. "So, what's next? Are you going to say 'I'm even more interested in you now' to flaunt your masochistic tendencies?"

"I am more interested in you, but that doesn't make me a masochist," Akira replied cheerfully.

"Do you remember the three reasons I said I was interested in you? 

One of them was an interesting soul. This real version of you is way more fun than the polite flower vase you were pretending to be."

Utaha let out a sigh.

"Fine. I'll just be the polite flower vase."

"What a shame. Think about it a little more?"

"No."

The station wasn't far from Akira's place, so they arrived quickly as they chatted idly. 

But after confirming the station's location, Utaha didn't rush off. She even had enough time to eat breakfast with Akira.

She'd already missed the last class of the morning. There were only a few minutes left anyway, and even lunch break was about to begin. 

Since she was already skipping, she might as well skip thoroughly.

As a novelist, Utaha had no problem accepting that.

Just before parting ways, she suddenly stopped and turned back to ask:

"If I want to ask for your help in repaying the Spencer family, what would it cost me?"

"You should ask first if I'm even willing to accept the deal," Akira corrected. "As long as we maintain our current relationship, I will. 

But the cost depends on what the other party needs. 

The most important factor in repayment is that what you give is actually what the other person needs—not something you force onto them according to your own sense of value."

Utaha nodded thoughtfully and turned to enter the station.

Akira watched her figure and muttered to himself:

"Why does her forehead look even darker after I gave her those charms…"

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