Chapter 234: This is My, Kasumi Utako's, "Masterpiece"

Ding-dong—!

“Coming, please wait a moment.”

Hearing the doorbell ring, Utaha, who was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, quickly put down what she was doing, turned off the stove, wiped her hands on her apron, and hurried to the entryway.

Opening the door.

“Sorry to intrude, Utaha-chan.”

Outside the door, Machida Sonoko, dressed in a professional skirt suit and wearing a gentle, quiet smile, waved her hand.

Looking at Utaha inside, wearing a dark red apron over her school uniform, Sonoko couldn’t help but flash a curious look, as it was her first time seeing her in this outfit.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. It hasn’t been long since we last met, but the ‘married woman’ vibe on Utaha-chan is getting stronger and stronger.

Shooting an exasperated glance at her editor, whose face was full of novelty and curiosity, Utaha pushed the door open a bit wider and stepped aside.

“How many times do I have to tell you, don’t call me Utaha-chan.”

“Sorry, sorry, it’s just a habit by now.”

Stepping into the space Utaha made for her, Sonoko, visiting Miyahito’s house for the first time, curiously examined the entryway’s decor.

A lush, vibrant lucky bamboo with a few water droplets on its emerald green leaves, various pairs of shoes neatly and symmetrically arranged by the steps, both women’s and men’s.

A pegboard on the wall casually held various small items for going out, and a few transparent umbrellas rested quietly inside the open storage cabinet in the entryway.

The soft lighting, combined with the afterglow of the setting sun shining through the glass of the front door, gave the simple yet thoughtfully arranged entryway an indescribable sense of warmth and comfort, which Sonoko could faintly feel.

Yeah, perhaps this is the atmosphere known as ‘home’.

“Thank you.” Thanking Utaha for handing her a pair of women’s guest slippers, Sonoko changed her shoes and followed Utaha into the house, her steps soft in the plush slippers.

After the two sat down on the sofa, Sonoko glanced around the slightly messy living room, then turned to Utaha, whose face showed a hint of embarrassment, and blinked with a slight upward curve of her lips.

“So, are you two living together now?”

Looking at the manuscripts and sheet music carelessly left on the sofa cushions, the laptop on the coffee table showing a half-written document, and the guitar casually leaning against the TV stand…

All these details were probably proof that they hadn’t just started living together, but had been cohabiting for a while.

“Yeah, do you have a problem with that?” Facing Sonoko’s playful, mischievous smirk, Utaha replied somewhat stubbornly.

“No, no.”

The ill-intent in her smile growing richer, Sonoko crossed her legs, resting her right hand, which was supporting her cheek, lightly on her thigh, while her left hand rested casually on her leg, her eyes curving as she spoke.

“I’m just a little curious, so, how far have those things~ progressed?”

“Please don’t be so nosy.” Rolling her eyes at Sonoko, who instantly turned into a seasoned veteran at the slightest provocation, Utaha stood up and walked toward the open kitchen connected to the living room.

“You’re getting on in years, yet you still act like a gossiping high schooler all day. Grow up a bit, Editor-san.”

“Excellent guys don’t like nosy women.”

“I….” Stung by the barrage of sarcasm, Sonoko looked at Utaha in the kitchen with wide, disbelieving eyes. Pouting like a wronged sixteen-year-old girl, she said in a pitiful tone.

“Utaha-chan, you broke my heart! I’m in so much pain!”

“Oh?” Staring intently at the coffee pot while busy brewing coffee, Utaha said ruthlessly without looking up, “Sorry, I thought you were used to it by now. My bad.”

“After all, you were already single when I met you. I didn’t expect that even after Miyahito and I have been together for almost a year, you’re still single.”

“…. (Pwah!)”

A bitter taste welled up in her heart. Feeling her HP bar hitting zero, Sonoko’s entire mood visibly deflated.

Yeah, even before Utaha became the novel author she was in charge of, Sonoko was already a famously single leftover woman in the publishing house.

Now, the young girl was already living with her boyfriend, experiencing her future married life in advance… But she, but she….

But she, Machida Sonoko, was still single.

“Don’t lose heart, Wako-nee.”

These comforting words from Utaha were like a ray of warm winter sunshine, shining into Sonoko’s gradually freezing heart.

Looking at the rich, fragrant coffee placed in front of her, Sonoko slowly raised her head, her eyes, which seemed to have lost their highlight, looking at Utaha, who was sitting elegantly beside her, her exquisite, pretty face radiating a warm and reassuring faint smile.

However, just as she was expecting Utaha’s next comforting words.

Suddenly, the tone shifted.

“Anyway, you’ve been healthy and fine all by yourself for so many years, so you probably don’t mind waiting a few more years, right? Yeah, I don’t think it matters much.”

“Being single is nice too. At least, you don’t have to wait for someone to come home for dinner every day, no one fights you for the TV to watch movies, and you don’t have to constantly worry about whether someone is doing okay at home when you go out…..”

Listening to Utaha speak with a troubled expression, seemingly envying her single life, Sonoko felt as if she saw many flying blades stabbing into her heart, one after another.

It hurts, it hurts too much! Utaha, why! Why do you have to hurt someone as cute as me! Waaah….

“…..”

Looking at her editor, who had started wiping away tears with a sorrowful face because of her words, the corners of Utaha’s mouth twitched unconsciously.

It seemed she might have gone a little too far.

“Oh, right!” Hurrying to find a way to remedy the mess she had made by going too far, Utaha stood up again, walked to the kitchen, took out a baked cheesecake from the refrigerator that had been chilled overnight and was now at its peak tasting time, and returned to the living room.

“Here, Wako, try this. It’s the cake Miyahito taught me how to make last night.”

“Let’s see how it tastes.”

Yeah, it’s sweet, and it’s a dish taught hand-in-hand by her boyfriend.

Why was it that, while eating the sweet, soft, and lingeringly fragrant cake in her hands, Sonoko felt even more bitter in her heart?

Ahh! The cake is poisoned! The PDA is poisoned!

I don’t want to eat anymore!

…..

As expected, one should eat sweets when feeling down.

Watching Sonoko’s expression gradually shift from depressed to carrying a hint of a smile, Utaha silently sighed in her heart.

‘So easy to coax.’

She had just spoken so heartlessly, practically driving Sonoko into a state of depression.

Yet, just a simple and easy-to-make cheesecake was enough to make her beam with joy. Mhm, mhm, it seemed she needed to raise her assessment of Sonoko’s psychological resilience.

“Mhm, mhm, it’s a delicious cake, Utaha-chan. Your skills have improved again.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

After a reserved smile at the corners of her mouth, Utaha put down her coffee and reached for the manuscript that had been prepared and placed on the coffee table.

“Do you want to read the manuscript?”

“Yeah! I do.”

Having looked forward to the new book for a long time, Sonoko’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the manuscript in Utaha’s hands.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time!”

Especially after reading the outline of the new book, Sonoko had been spending these days counting on her fingers, calculating how many days were left until she could see the first draft of Your Name.

“It definitely won’t disappoint you.”

Feeling Sonoko’s eagerness, Utaha’s lips curled into a confident and flamboyant arc.

“This is my, Kasumi Utako’s, ‘masterpiece’, you know.”

“Please look forward to it.”

Early Chapter and Support Me