Chapter 153: Great Discovery
After leaving the supermarket, Kaede took out his phone and searched for something. He showed the screen to the two girls and said with a smile, "If I had known it was her, I feel like I wouldn't have even needed to help."
Seeing the information on the phone, Eriri realized, "Iino... Kaede-kun, are you saying she's the daughter of that Supreme Court Justice?"
"Exactly. The surname Iino isn't very common, and coupled with the fact that she bears some resemblance, it's almost certainly her."
Putting down his phone, Kaede told the two, "When I was chatting with Uncle Spencer before, the topic of judges and lawyers came up, so I briefly looked up some information about that area. After hearing Iino Miko's name, I already had a guess, but it felt awkward to bring it up in front of her, and there was no need to."
Compared to the other two, Utaha seemed less composed. "First the Supreme Court, then the Shinomiya Family—when did you two get to know so many important people?"
"Eh? Haven't I told you?"
Kaede looked at Utaha in astonishment, then realized that he genuinely hadn't mentioned it.
So he explained, "You remember Takasu, who is in my class, right? He works part-time at the same place as the Shuchiin high school Student Council President. After we met, Eriri and I went there to eat one time and met the Vice President and the Secretary of the Student Council who were also there. Oh, the Vice President is the Shinomiya Family's Ojou-sama, and the Secretary is the daughter of a political family."
Hearing this, Utaha felt strangely as if she had missed an entire season of an anime.
Letting out a sigh, she decided not to dwell on these things anymore, as they didn't really concern her.
"Alright, we've finished shopping. Shall we go?"
Indeed, carrying so many things was inconvenient, so Kaede immediately called a taxi and returned to the apartment.
From standing in front of the apartment building to walking inside, taking the elevator, and arriving at Kaede and Eriri's home, Utaha remained silent the entire time.
It wasn't until she sat down inside that she finally spoke, under Eriri's curious gaze. "Just now, I was trying to calculate if the money I earn from my novels is enough to buy a property around here."
"Hmm... and the result?"
Utaha let out a deep sigh and replied, "Although the sales are decent right now, I'd have to maintain this pace and release at least five or six volumes for that to be possible. But sales are bound to fluctuate, and my second volume hasn't even been released yet."
Eriri listened and said with a smile, "You shouldn't worry about that. Houses here are already expensive, and you don't really need to move out, do you?"
"That's true. And even if I were to move out, buying a small apartment for one person would be enough—a two-bedroom at most. A space this large would be wasted on me."
Patting her cheeks, Utaha regained her usual composure and smiled. "However, if I were to rent a place, it wouldn't be difficult at all. Eriri, how about I become your neighbor?"
From the back, Kaede, who was putting away the ingredients not needed for lunch into the refrigerator, heard this and said, "Senpai, are you starting to use unscrupulous methods just for research?"
"Oh dear, you shouldn't say that, Asakura-kun. This is a normal expenditure carried out for the sake of artistic creation."
She really had an excuse for everything.
Of course, she was just talking. Utaha didn't think she could take care of herself if she moved out alone.
There was no rush to make lunch, so Utaha suggested that Eriri give her a tour. Eriri naturally had no objection, as she had already given Usami Mizuki a tour once before.
First, she led Utaha to their studio.
After pushing the door open and stepping inside, Eriri said with a smile, "How is it? Kaede-kun's and my studio. Two computers, and a sofa for resting during breaks. The best part is the amazing natural light!"
Utaha nodded repeatedly. "Although you told me the price of this place, it really seems worth it."
"Hehe, of course! Even though we haven't lived here for many days, it feels great!"
"I think you mean the cohabitation feels great, right?"
"N-no way! Don't talk nonsense!" Eriri quickly turned and walked out. "Let's go, I'll show you the other places."
Utaha was not in a hurry and followed behind, smiling. "Sure, how about we look at your room?"
"Okay."
Eriri agreed, then unconsciously led Utaha to the door of Kaede's bedroom.
Just as she put her hand on the doorknob, Eriri realized her mistake, coughed, her face flushed, and said, "We just moved in, so I'm not used to it yet. My room is over here."
Watching Eriri's movements, Utaha narrowed her eyes, feeling like she had found a hidden clue.
After walking into the "correct" room, Utaha looked at the bedroom, which lacked many personal touches, and said, "As expected, you haven't decorated much yet."
"Right, but there's no rush. Once the serialization is stable, we can take our time decorating when we have free time."
Nodding, Utaha walked around Eriri's bedroom, confirmed her suspicion, and asked with a smile, "Oh dear, Eriri, is there something wrong with your room? How come there isn't even a pillow or blanket on your bed?"
"Eh?"
Eriri looked at her bed, instantly regretting her oversight. Her pillow and blanket were currently in Kaede's room, so of course, they weren't here.
How could she have forgotten about this?
"Ah, th-this, they were taken to be washed! Yes, the pillow and blanket were both taken to be washed!"
Seeing Eriri's flustered explanation, how could Utaha possibly believe her? She took two steps forward and said playfully, "Is that so? But I didn't see anything hanging out to dry on the living room balcony. And even if they were washed, why would the pillow stuffing be washed too? Did some kind of dirt seep into the core?"
Eriri's face grew even redder, and she shouted, "That's not true!!!"
"Oh my, I didn't specify what it was, Eriri, you don't have to be so embarrassed. Or are you saying..."
Utaha lowered her voice and said slowly, "It seems, Eriri, your growth has exceeded my expectations!"
"..."
Eriri was completely sunk, unable to recover.
In the living room, Kaede, who had finished brewing tea, saw the two girls emerge. Seeing Utaha's delighted expression and Eriri's embarrassed look, he asked with a smile, "What happened? Senpai, you didn't bully Eriri again, did you? Be careful, she might 'add ingredients' to your food later when she cooks."
Utaha covered her mouth and chuckled lightly. "You shouldn't say that. We were just discussing some private girl talk."
Ha ha, go fool a ghost.
Eriri, standing nearby, simply rolled her eyes.