After giving the studio team a three-day break, Ichin decided to take some time off himself and spend it with Utaha.
The past few days had been exhausting—Ichin was busy debugging, while Utaha was buried in her writing. But now that they were both free, they could finally go out and enjoy themselves.
"Taking a break is nice and all, but isn't the weather way too hot? It's only the beginning of August."
Stepping out of the taxi, Utaha glanced up at the blazing sun with a slight frown. Without hesitation, she pulled a sun umbrella from her bag and opened it.
Their plan for the day was simple—visit the aquarium, then enjoy a candlelit dinner before heading home.
Fortunately, the aquarium wasn't crowded, so they barely had to wait in line before purchasing their tickets and entering.
Ichin had only been to an aquarium once as a kid with his parents, and he hadn't gone back since. The closest thing was a couple of trips to the zoo in middle school, but even that was three or four years ago.
Walking hand in hand, he and Utaha strolled leisurely through the exhibits, watching the various fish glide effortlessly through the water. Every now and then, they'd stop to read the information plaques, learning about the species they didn't recognize.
Soon, they arrived at a massive glass panel showcasing a large tank. Inside, an aquarium staff member in a diving suit was performing routine cleaning.
Around the diver, fish of all sizes swam freely, unbothered by the human presence.
Utaha smiled as she watched. "Ichin, do you know how to dive? When we go to Izu, do you think we'll get to see something like this if we try it?"
"Hmm… I can swim, but I've never learned how to dive."
Ichin shook his head. "But places like that usually have diving instructors, right? We could probably go with a guide and experience it firsthand. If you're interested, we can check it out when we get there."
"That sounds fun! I'd love to try it."
After watching the exhibit for a while, they moved on to the next section.
As they walked, Utaha suddenly thought of something. "Oh, right! If we're going to Izu, I need to buy a swimsuit. I haven't been to the beach since I started high school, so I don't have anything that fits anymore."
"Good point. I don't have swim trunks either."
Ichin realized he had completely overlooked that detail. "How about we go shopping after dinner?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Utaha clung to Ichin's arm, smiling playfully. "So, Ichin… what kind of swimsuit would you like to see? A one-piece? A bikini? I'm fine with either~"
"Let's check the store first. I can't really decide without seeing them in person. You should pick something that suits you best."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Utaha suddenly stopped and stepped in front of him, gazing into his eyes. "Tell me the truth. You want to see, don't you? You're just pretending to be all calm and composed."
"…Do you really have to say it out loud?"
Ichin awkwardly turned his head, scratching his cheek. "Fine, I admit it. Of course, I want to see. You have an amazing figure—you'd look good in anything. But how about we get more than one?"
Utaha narrowed her eyes mischievously. "Sure! I'll buy a few extra… and model them for you tonight~"
Ichin had to admit—he was now looking forward to the evening.
However, just as they entered the next exhibit, they unexpectedly ran into two familiar figures.
Eriri and Yukino.
Eriri was holding a cup of fruit juice. After taking a sip, she noticed the two approaching figures and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? You guys are here too?"
Utaha smiled. "Yep! The trial version of the game is finished, so Ichin gave the studio a three-day break. We decided to go out and relax today."
"Huh? The trial version is done?!"
Eriri froze for a moment, her eyes widening. "Why didn't I know about this?!"
Ichin and Utaha exchanged glances before Ichin rubbed his chin and said, "If I remember correctly, didn't you invite Yukino to stay over at your place a few days ago? You didn't come to the studio, so we didn't inform you."
"Oh… right, that did happen."
Eriri nodded absentmindedly, recalling her reason for taking time off. Over the past few days, she had been staying with Yukino, and their relationship had grown much closer compared to when they first joined the club.
Although Eriri was happy about becoming good friends with Yukino, at this moment, she was more concerned about the game. She immediately asked, "Can I play the trial version now?"
"Of course."
Ichin smiled. "You can try it out when you come to the studio after the break. But you can't take it home—we have to wait until after Gamescom."
Eriri nodded excitedly. "No problem! I'll be there first thing tomorrow!"
She then turned to Yukino beside her. "Yukino, Yukino, let's go to the studio on Monday! You weren't there when Ichin-kun's mom visited—what a shame!"
Yukino had already heard from Eriri about Ichin's mother's visit.
"I couldn't help it. There were a lot of things to take care of at home, so I was lucky to even get out at all."
If she were living alone, things wouldn't be as restrictive, but since it was summer vacation, she had no choice but to stay at home. If it weren't for Eriri using her family's name to extend an invitation, Yukino wouldn't have gotten her mother's permission to come to Tokyo.
At first, she had considered declining—after all, the studio had her to deal with: Hazuki, someone she wasn't particularly good at handling.
But then she remembered… there was a cat at the studio.
If she went, she could spend time petting the cat.
That thought alone was enough to make her agree.
"Alright, I'll be intruding on Monday."
After chatting a bit more, Eriri and Yukino left the aquarium while Ichin and Utaha continued exploring.
That evening, after strolling through the mall for a while, the two returned home.
What happened afterward needs no further elaboration—let's just say Ichin realized he really needed to increase his workout routine.
Swimsuits and black stockings… truly lethal.
---
The three-day break passed in a flash.
On Monday morning, feeling well-rested, Aoba arrived at the studio first, just as she always did.
Taking out her keys, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, cheerfully calling out, "Good morning!"
However, the studio was pitch dark.
No one responded.
"Huh?"
She looked down at the entrance and noticed that Yagami's shoes were missing.
"Where did Kō go? She wasn't supposed to go home over the weekend…"
Shaking her head in confusion, Aoba stepped further inside and opened the windows to let in some fresh air.
...
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