Chương 180: 180: I Only Care About Chisato
After receiving reassurance, Eriri and Utaha seemed to relax, their expressions no longer as tense as they had been a moment ago.
"Alright, just say it directly. No need to hold back—I won't be upset even if you start criticizing me," Chisato joked lightly, easing the atmosphere once more.
"Understood. I'll get straight to the point, then."
Utaha glanced at Eriri, who gave a small, resolute nod, and then turned to face Chisato.
"Chisato, Eriri and I mentioned before that, though we're students, we're also pursuing our dreams in our spare time."
"Yes, I know. Utaha, you're a popular light novel author, and Eriri is a well-known artist online. Oh, by the way, I've actually read your novels, Utaha."
Chisato stood up, pulled a few light novels from his desk drawer, and showed them to Utaha.
"Love Metronome."
"I even bought the latest volume. It's a wonderful story; I like to read a few pages when I'm feeling tired—it has a healing effect. Your writing is as beautiful and moving as you are."
"You actually bought it?" Utaha looked genuinely surprised.
"Of course! It's your work, after all," Chisato answered naturally.
Utaha took a small, satisfied breath and patted her stocking-covered thigh.
"Come here."
"Huh?"
"I think I like you a little more now. I suddenly feel like hugging you."
Smack!
The response wasn't from Chisato but from Eriri, whose hand landed sharply on Utaha's thigh, producing a crisp sound.
If Utaha took off her stockings now, her skin would undoubtedly be red from the impact.
"Please, stick to the main point."
Eriri, undeterred by Utaha's intense gaze, calmly maintained her distance. Her expression remained composed.
Indeed, they were here for a reason. It concerned their relationship with Chisato and the convenience of various things in the future.
Utaha suppressed her irritation and got back on track.
"…As I was saying, besides being students, Eriri and I are also working on building careers."
"We've both been lucky enough to have some recognition in our respective fields, with a few fans of our work. We've even started to earn a small income."
"Yes, I see."
Chisato understood this much already, but he was still puzzled as to why they had come to discuss it with him so late at night.
To show off? That didn't seem like them at all—neither Utaha nor Eriri were the type to flaunt their achievements.
"But Eriri and I both still live with our parents, so we don't really have many expenses. Over time, most of our income has just sat in our bank accounts, barely touched."
At this point, Utaha paused, glancing at Chisato, who was beginning to raise his eyebrows, as if he'd started to catch on. Utaha cleared her throat and, instead of continuing, turned to Eriri, signaling for her to take over.
Eriri was a bit annoyed but knew she couldn't leave the conversation hanging here.
Besides, she was the one who'd first suggested the idea of "doing this for Chisato's sake," so it didn't feel right to make Utaha carry the whole conversation.
"Alright, I'll say it," she sighed.
"So, um… well, considering that Utaha and I don't really need to spend much, the money we earn doesn't hold much use for us."
"With that in mind, we thought that instead of just leaving it sitting around, we'd rather give it to you, Chisato."
Watching Chisato's expression closely and being mindful of his pride, Eriri nervously continued.
"We really don't mean anything by it! We just think that you'd manage the money better than we would."
"Neither of us has a clue about finances, so maybe you could even make the money grow or… something like that."
"But there's no pressure! Even if it doesn't earn anything, it doesn't matter."
"We're only doing this because we decided to, and even if it's all lost, we don't mind… So, um, yeah… that's why we're here…"
After stumbling through her explanation, Eriri fell silent, while Utaha sighed and covered her face with her hand in exasperation.
She hadn't expected Eriri to explain things so poorly. No matter how many life experiences one has, some things never change.
Looking back, Utaha wished she had just handled it herself.
"Let you 'manage the money'? 'It's fine if it's all lost'?"
This was practically the same as throwing money at Chisato and saying, 'I'm here to support you—use this however you want.'
Chisato understood their intentions, and honestly, he was moved. The "achievement" of having a wealthy woman take care of him… he never thought he'd hit that milestone so soon.
Knowing that he'd been working after school and living in such a cramped apartment, they had come up with this way to ease his stress and improve his living conditions.
But really, their excuse was just too clumsy.
So, as expected, Chisato gave Eriri a reassuring smile in response to her nervous and hopeful gaze.
He then stood up, sat between them, and gently took both of their hands.
"Thank you. I'm genuinely touched, but I'll have to respectfully decline."
Utaha sighed, clearly disappointed but not surprised; she'd known this would be more challenging than it sounded.
Eriri looked a bit panicked, worried that her clumsy phrasing had upset him, and scrambled to think of something to say to make up for it.
Then, at that moment, from the wall behind them, came a loud, unmistakable female voice: "Oh yeah~ Oh nice~??..." along with an odd, rhythmic slapping sound.
Their neighbor was home early today and apparently in the mood for Western content this time.
The awkward atmosphere had the two girls reacting in opposite ways.
Eriri slowly turned her head to the side, hiding her flushed face from Chisato, while Utaha listened intently to the sounds, a few intriguing thoughts beginning to emerge in her mind.
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