Chapter 479: Kasumigaoka Utaha Chooses to Pay Immediately!
Time flew. It was already approaching evening. During this time, others had wanted to find Ren, like the thirsty Hiratsuka Shizuka or Okudera Miki, but they all tactfully refrained from disturbing them.
Seeing them stop, Nao, who had been prepared, thoughtfully brought them tea. Ren was fine, but Utaha was parched and gulped down a cup. Although the discussion had been intense, she felt a sense of exhilaration.
"Indeed. When you were so reserved before, I thought I had mistaken you for someone else. This is the real Utaha," he teased with a smile.
"…" She was startled. It seemed the barrier between them had unconsciously disappeared during their discussion. Smiling faintly, she understood this was the kind of relationship she desired.
"It's all because your critiques were too sharp. It felt like my hard work was being denied," she gave him a narrow-eyed glare.
"Those are just my personal angles. If we delve into the core, it feels like there's more genuine emotion than before. Are you in love?" his words held a deeper meaning.
"Cough, I'm not," she hurriedly used her water to conceal the change in her expression.
Ren saw it all but was not in a hurry. "Speaking of which, I'm helping you review your manuscript again. Shouldn't you pay the previous balance? And it should include some extra fees."
"Balance…" Utaha almost instantly understood what he meant. It was the "loan" she took for her Angel abilities. Pay now?
"I… I still need to revise! Let's talk about it next time!" With a flushed face, she fled. That loan required a naked display. She really didn't know what to do.
Evening. At Leone and the others' strong insistence, everyone held a barbecue party. Akame and Kurome bought a large amount of high-quality ingredients. Then, the group worked together to skewer the food.
Sayuri and the others also invited Kagayama Kaede and her friends. Seeing that the ingredients were already bought, they didn't want to eat for free, so they brought out a long-unused barbecue grill, and Kaede brought drinks from her store.
Besides eating and drinking, fun was indispensable. Chika brought out her prized board games. They ate and played, some drank, some sang and danced. With Leone and Natsumi as the atmosphere creators, the mood was quite lively. Even Miki was drawn in and sang a few songs.
After the joyful revelry, it was already nine o'clock. Ren instantly cleaned up the mess. Everyone was taking a shower, soaking in the hot spring, and preparing to rest. It was the same for Ren, and he had someone scrubbing his back.
Nao had specially learned massage techniques these past two days. Suddenly, she looked outside the men's hot spring. "Master, someone is here. It seems to be Kasumigaoka-san."
"Hmm, it's fine. Let her be," Ren leaned against the edge, comfortably narrowing his eyes.
"Okay."
What was Utaha doing here? She herself was very anxious. Infected by the joyful atmosphere and after drinking some alcohol, she came over impulsively. "I'm here to pay the reward, that's right." Seeing that she had already entered, she could only comfort herself this way.
Wrapping her bath towel tightly, she stepped barefoot into the misty hot spring. She had thought Ren was the only one there, but Nao-san was there too. What made her unable to look away was how incredibly bold Nao-san was, her hands working skillfully over his hardened lower body as she knelt before him in the water.
"Oh, Utaha. You didn't get drunk and come to the wrong place, did you?" Ren put his arm around Nao and extended his other hand to greet her.
"…" Utaha really wanted to say she had, but she still bit the bullet. "I… I'm here to pay the reward."
"Oh?" He looked at her in surprise. He lightly patted Nao before letting her go, and she very sensibly got up and left. Now only the two of them remained.
"Please." He had an expression that seemed to say, "Show me what you've got."
"Cough, can I enter the hot spring first?"
"As you wish."
Utaha, having entered, still hesitated for a moment before walking up to him. She took a deep breath, and only after truly making up her mind did she untie her towel. It fell into the water with a soft splash.
In the steaming vapor, her cheeks visibly flushed. She spread her arms slightly, lowering her head and trembling. "Is… is this okay?"
"Hmm, very good. Consider it settled," Ren, who had thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful sight, nodded.
After collecting his payment, he casually said, "You can leave now."
"…Cold." Logically, she should have hurried away. But she didn't move, Ren's casual attitude leaving her with an unspeakable feeling of blockage in her chest.
[Inorin Note:
If you wish to support me so I can continue to survive and afford proper food, you can join my membership on Patreon [patreon.com/InorinTL]. Be sure to check out "The Founding Pillars"—a special, limited-time tier that offers all the benefits of "The Plot Uncoverer" at a discounted price! Slots are limited, so grab yours before they run out. Besides membership, you can also donate via Ko-Fi [https://ko-fi.com/inorintl].
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]