However, Utaha didn't reach out to take the sheet music Miyahito handed her. She just stared straight at her boyfriend.
Just as Miyahito was wondering why she wasn't taking it.
A pair of hands gently and tenderly cupped his cheeks, then pulled his head down slightly with a bit of force.
The touch of their foreheads lightly pressing together left Miyahito at a loss for how to react.
"What's wrong?"
A gentle word smoothed out his unease. Stunned, he looked into the wine-red pupils reflecting his own eyes, and his lips parted slightly.
However, he couldn't utter a single word.
Utaha didn't urge him. She just gently caressed Miyahito's cheeks, watching him with a faint smile.
"Why are you forcing such a smile? Hey, why don't you tell me if something is bothering you?"
".....No."
Before he could finish his sentence, a warm, moist touch lightly pressed against his lips.
The next instant, the familiar softness left Miyahito's lips.
"Hey." Her wine-red eyes narrowed with a hint of doting affection. Utaha straightened up slightly, half-kneeling as she shifted onto Miyahito's lap and sat down.
"Can't you... tell me?"
Under Utaha's doting gaze, the forced smile on Miyahito's face gradually faded. He pressed his lips tightly together, revealing an expression like a wronged child, but still remained silent.
Just like him, Utaha didn't speak either. She just more gently and doting-ly stroked Miyahito's slightly prickly short hair.
No one knew how long the quiet silence lasted before Miyahito finally spoke.
However, what surprised Utaha somewhat was that the first thing her boyfriend said was.
"If... if... if you found out that I'm not the talented Miyahito you imagine, what would you do?"
"Eh?"
Utaha couldn't help but freeze. She blinked and subconsciously asked back.
"Miyahito, why would you think that?"
"....I don't know either." Miyahito, whose gaze began to dodge again, turned his face away. His tone carried a mix of anxiety and stubbornness. "You answer this question first."
Yeah, what a cute reaction. Just like a child throwing a tantrum.
Ah, no, no, no. I can't be silly right now!
"Sigh..." Coming to her senses, Utaha let out an imperceptible sigh. Then she raised her head, her gaze turning serious as she looked at Miyahito, speaking word by word.
"Nothing would happen, Miyahito."
"Hm?"
"Simply put, nothing would change at all." Taking her index finger away from Miyahito's lips, Utaha then smiled beautifully and lightly pressed the pad of her finger, which had just been on his lips, against her own lips. Her eyes curved as she watched Miyahito's somewhat bewildered expression.
"You forgot, didn't you? We're in a relationship right now."
"But..."
"No 'buts', Miyahito." Putting away the smile on her face, her expression gaining a few more shades of seriousness, Utaha lowered her head to press against her boyfriend's forehead again. After looking seriously into his eyes for a few seconds, a gentle smile bloomed once more on her pretty face.
"I can't deny that what initially attracted me was you, Miyahito, and your talent."
"Because of your music, I was able to feel the beauty of words, and the urge to write about beautiful things was born."
"Because of your musical talent, I, who had never known you, was able to spot your existence in the crowd at first glance."
"Because of the singing you transmitted into my heart, I gathered the courage to say that 'hello' to you on the school rooftop."
"But."
Noticing a flash of gloom and loneliness in Miyahito's eyes, Utaha inexplicably felt a bit amused in her heart.
Honestly, how is my boyfriend so easy to see through?
He says he wants to take over his uncle's position in the future. If he's this easy to read, that won't do, my Miyahito.
"The fact that we can be like this today, embracing each other, our fingers intertwined and holding hands tightly... is all because of your talent?"
Slowly sitting up straight, Utaha slightly tilted her chin up, her tone fully displaying her unique pride.
"Then you're underestimating me, Kasumigaoka Utaha! Aragaki Miyahito."
Being with you isn't because you're so talented.
Being with you isn't because you have so much wealth.
Being with you is certainly not because you're so gentle and refined.
It's simply because I like you.
No reason, no excuse.
I just like you. Simply like you.
Perhaps, when we hadn't truly fallen in love yet, choosing you was because of your talent.
But now, we are in love. We've experienced over a hundred days and nights together.
Aside from that heart that loves you, everything else has long been discarded from our relationship.
Moreover...
"Even if Miyahito is a liar, an idiot, a fool who has nothing at all." Curling her index finger, Utaha lightly flicked Miyahito's forehead, smiling gently.
"How could I, who has already decided to entrust the rest of my life to you, bear to speak the words of leaving to you?"
"You fool."
After listening to Utaha's words, Miyahito was silent for a long time.
Finally.
"It seems." Raising his head again, his gaze looking into the wine-red eyes that reflected his own face, Miyahito smiled.
"I thought too much. Sorry, Utaha... for asking such a stupid question."
Yeah, it's just a song.
Could it be that to satisfy his own selfish desires, to satisfy the self-moving sentimentality in his tragic fantasies, he had to use Utaha's hard work as a sacrifice?
Moreover, more importantly.
'Copying... I've already copied it, and I've already reaped the fame and fortune that copying brought. So what's there to be stubborn about?'
Besides! Who has the guts to say he has no talent?
If you're not convinced, have the ability to copy a song for me to copy?
More importantly, who has the evidence to prove he plagiarized? Over the years, every single song that came out of his hands, which one had ever appeared in this world before?
None, right? You can't even find a single melody that's 70% similar, can you?
Having figured it all out, Miyahito slowly backed out of his mental dead end.
The hands holding Utaha's waist tightened slightly. Then, under his girlfriend's surprised gaze, he suddenly picked her up in his arms.
"Eh... Miyahito!"
"Utaha."
Supporting Utaha's plump, curvy buttocks with both hands, Miyahito, having dispelled the gloomy clouds hiding in his heart, wore the bright, sunny smile that Utaha was so familiar with.
"I love you!"
Shouting his confession loudly, Miyahito spun around in circles while holding his beloved girl.
"I love you! I love you! I love you! I love, love, love you!!"
"Ah! Put me down!"
However, Utaha, who was suddenly picked up and spun around by her boyfriend, didn't react like a heroine in a TV drama. Instead, she shouted in a panic at her increasingly excited boyfriend.
But unfortunately.
"No! I won't let you go!"
"Put me down right now! Miyahito~~"
"No! Unless you say you love me! I absolutely won't let go!"
"Miyahito!"
"Say you love me loudly!"
"...Alright, alright, I'll say it! I love you! Kasumigaoka Utaha loves Aragaki Miyahito! Happy now?!"
"Hehe."