Slowly crouching down, Utaha reached out, carefully pinching the corner of the sheet music with her thumb and index finger. Cradling it with her right hand, she gently smoothed the slightly curled page edges with her left.
Staring at the familiar signature and title in the header, she lowered her head in silence for a moment, then suddenly spoke in a slightly haunting tone.
"Seriously. You know Miyani, yet you didn't even tell me."
As she spoke, Utaha calmly continued picking up scattered sheets from the floor—some blank, some with a few random notes, others with just a title and lyrics. She lightly tapped the stack on the desk to align them, then placed them back with a faint smile.
"Honestly, you should really tidy up. It's so messy, it puts me in a bad mood just looking at it."
Saying this, she turned, slowly closed the studio door behind her, and then 'casually' pushed open Miyahito's bedroom door, stepping inside with slightly heavy footsteps.
Standing in the room that seemed to lack much lived-in atmosphere, Utaha took a deep breath, keeping her expression blank. "Mhm!" Forcing her tense lips into a slight upward curve, she picked up the loungewear by the bed, looking cheerful, and headed back downstairs.
"Utaha!" Just as she descended the stairs, she heard Miyahito call her name from the kitchen.
"What's up?" Placing the loungewear lightly on the sofa, Utaha walked briskly into the kitchen, hands behind her back, thumbs loosely hooked together. She narrowed her wine-red eyes, watching her boyfriend busy with dinner.
"Hmm, come taste if the seasoning's right." Still in his uniform, now with a simple apron over it, Miyahito held a spoon with a little broth in his right hand, his left palm hovering underneath for support. Leaning down slightly, he brought the spoon to Utaha's lips, cautioning her carefully. "Careful, it's hot."
"Aah~" Eyes curving into crescents, Utaha parted her lips slightly and took the broth, which Miyahito had already carefully cooled, into her mouth.
"How is it? A bit too spicy?" Watching his girlfriend seriously savor the taste, Miyahito asked softly.
Carefully recalling the savory flavor and faint spicy kick lingering between her teeth, Utaha nodded with a satisfied smile. "Just right. It's delicious."
"Good to hear." Hearing this, Miyahito's mood brightened. Noticing she was standing empty-handed, he asked with a smile. "Aren't you going to shower? Hurry up, dinner will be ready soon."
"Yeah, I know." Giving her boyfriend a slightly coquettish sideways glance, Utaha suddenly changed her tone, asking with deliberate significance as he turned back to the chicken thighs. "Say, Miyahito. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
"What?" Failing to catch her meaning instantly, Miyahito turned his head blankly, looking puzzled at his smiling girlfriend. After a moment's thought, he suddenly had a realization. "Oh! Right! There is something I need to say."
"Hmm?" Her smile unwavering, Utaha narrowed her wine-red eyes slightly, her tone taking on a hint of dizzying, almost intoxicating allure. "And what might that be, dear Mr. Miyahito?"
Whether it was because Miyahito was too dense to notice the shift in her tone, or because lately Utaha often liked to tease her boyfriend and test the limits of his rationality, he missed the trap entirely.
"I just forgot to mention it. Utaha, it was Akane-nee who told me about your novel's anime adaptation." Drying his hands on his apron, Miyahito pulled out his phone and showed Utaha the message Kosaka Akane had sent him that afternoon, adding,
"When you meet Akane-nee tomorrow, um, how should I put it... if anything makes you unhappy." He paused, his tone growing hesitant and halting. "Utaha, please don't hold back. Just say whatever's on your mind."
Remembering Akane-nee's notoriously sharp tongue and her habit of brutally hitting people where it hurts, Miyahito couldn't help but worry about tomorrow. After all, how proud his Utaha was, especially regarding her creative work, where her confidence in her talent was absolute. Yet, Akane-nee, with her vicious personality and talents that arguably surpassed even Utaha's... this sister of his... her favorite hobby was using her own genius to pressure and crush other prodigies.
Not to mention, Akane-nee had personally admitted to him that Utaha's talent was outstanding, and that she was far from reaching her full potential. 'It's not just a slight match, she perfectly fits the type of genius Akane-nee loves to bully, Utaha.'
Already imagining how terrible Utaha's mood would be after meeting Akane-nee tomorrow... possibly getting comprehensively crushed and losing her confidence, Miyahito could already feel a dull ache in his temples.
But then.
"That's it?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Miyahito looked up, staring blankly at his girlfriend, whose expression was deadpan and faintly dissatisfied. His mouth hung open. "Huh?"
"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Utaha repeated, her voice completely flat.
"Ah, yeah... that's it." Nodding slightly, a vague sense of dread creeping into his heart though he didn't understand why, Miyahito nodded blankly, then tentatively added. "Um, Utaha, I've already run the bath water."
"...."
Silently staring into Miyahito's pure, guileless eyes that showed not a single hint of lying or wavering, Utaha felt an inexplicable wave of disappointment wash over her. She let out a soft breath. "Mhm. Then I'll go take a shower."
"Oh, okay."
...
Splash—!
Slowly sinking her shoulders into the steaming hot water, Utaha tilted her head back, resting her neck against the appropriately soft bath pillow, and let out a long sigh. "Haa....."
Feeling the flawless warmth enveloping her entire body, relaxing her mind and body alike, Utaha's wine-red eyes, reflecting the bathroom's soft light, grew slightly hazy.
'Are Miyahito and "Miyani" really unrelated?'
Recalling the blank sheet music she'd seen in the studio, and Miyahito's completely open attitude when faced with her deliberate trap questions, Utaha couldn't help but doubt.
If Miyahito isn't Miyani, how do you explain that sheet music in the studio? But if he is Miyani, why didn't he just admit it honestly just now?
"Could it be that Miyahito is doing this on purpose?" Utaha's lips unconsciously pursed as she thought of the possibility. Looking at her own graceful figure submerged in the clear water, her gaze gradually turned sharp. "Deliberately hiding it from me, just to see what expression I'll make when I find out the truth?"
"Fine! Very fine!" Her fists are clenching! My fists are clenching! Gritting her teeth, Utaha silently tightened her fists.
The next second, she slowly relaxed her clenched fists, her slightly flushed cheeks returning to a calm expression. "Haa...." Exhaling slowly, she whispered to herself internally. Hehe. Want to make a fool of me? That won't do, Miyahito.