When Ichin arrived at the station, he sent Yukino a message. Seeing that her train would arrive in just a few minutes, he got out of the car and waited at the station exit.
It was already March, and the weather was gradually warming up. Since it was the weekend, the girls on the street were also starting to dress more lightly—short skirts and stockings were everywhere.
Well, there had been some even in winter, but it was nothing compared to now.
Still—
"They're all a bit short."
That was the truth. In the five minutes he stood there, fewer than five women taller than 160 centimeters passed by in front of him.
They were all dressed nicely, but because of their height, Ichin really had no urge to take a second look.
Even with short skirts on, the more they wore, the shorter their legs seemed to look.
Although it wasn't very appropriate to say this about his own employees, whenever Ichin saw Aoba or Nene, no matter the occasion, he couldn't help but think of them as children.
Of course, their youthful-looking faces were also a major factor.
After scrolling on his phone for a bit, Ichin noticed someone stop beside him out of the corner of his eye.
Looking up, he saw Yukino smiling as she looked at him. Ichin put his phone away with a smile and said, "You're back? Tired?"
Yukino shook her head. "Not really. I had a seat on the train, and it didn't take long either."
"That's good. Let's go—do you want to head to the company or go home?"
"I'll go back first. I haven't seen the cats in days."
Ichin nodded, took Yukino's hand, and led her toward the car.
These past couple of days when Yukino went back to Chiba, she hadn't brought anything with her—just a small bag—and it was the same now.
After getting into the car and setting off, Ichin held the steering wheel and said, "As for the villa, once Haruno-nee comes back tomorrow, I'll ask her to arrange the renovations. We should be able to move in after a few months. Your room—when the time comes, think about how you want to decorate it. Utaha and I will go furniture shopping with you."
Yukino nodded, a hint of anticipation in her voice. "I didn't expect that Eriri and I would end up being neighbors just like that."
"It's pretty nice, isn't it?" Ichin said with a smile. "That villa complex has a great environment. It's a bit out of the way, but we have a car, so getting around is still convenient. And the house is spacious—gatherings will be much more comfortable, and the cats will have more room to run around too."
Ichin only had two cats, but Yukino had four. As the two kittens grew up, the space was still sufficient for now, but having an even more spacious environment would be even better.
And if, like these past few days, Yukino and Haruno went back to Chiba and all the cats were left at Ichin's place, things would get extremely lively.
Especially at mealtimes. Dry cat food was fine, but if it was chicken breast or fish, before it even reached the table, a whole group of cats would surround him, meowing nonstop—it really gave him a headache.
There were ingredients at home, so there was no need to stop by the supermarket on the way back. The two of them didn't pause anywhere and went straight back to the apartment building.
Going upstairs and opening the door, the cats lounging in the living room immediately looked over.
When they saw Yukino come in, the four cats led by Mochi immediately ran over happily, welcoming their owner home.
As for Peppa and George—
Those two were lying on the cat tower. They only lifted their heads briefly when they heard the door open, and after seeing it was Ichin and Yukino, they immediately lay back down again, completely unmoved.
Ichin naturally noticed their behavior and walked over to angrily rub both of their heads.
After hugging each cat one by one, Yukino finally went to sit down on the sofa, thoroughly satisfied.
Ichin asked, "I'll make something to drink. Yukino, what would you like?"
Yukino thought for a moment. "Coffee. I'm planning to read at home this afternoon. Or I could make it myself—don't you still need to go to the company?"
"The company stuff isn't urgent," Ichin said, glancing at the time. "I worked properly this morning and got a few things done. It's fine if I go in a bit later this afternoon."
With that, he headed into the kitchen.
Yukino turned on the TV and flipped through channels. After hesitating for two minutes, she stood up and walked over.
The kitchen door was open. Ichin was inside grinding coffee.
Looking at his back, Yukino walked up and hugged him tightly from behind.
"Hm?"
Caught off guard by Yukino's embrace, Ichin smiled and turned his head slightly. "What's wrong?"
Leaning against his back, Yukino hugged him tightly and said softly, "I kind of missed you."
That sudden, straightforward confession genuinely caught Ichin by surprise.
Slowly turning around and letting Yukino lean into his arms, Ichin said gently, "This way is more comfortable."
The two of them didn't say anything else, just holding each other and enjoying a brief moment of quiet.
After making coffee for Yukino and having a cup himself, Ichin left for the company. GARO was in its final stage of development, so he needed to keep a close eye on it, and there were also some AI logic issues on the Berseria side that needed his attention.
When he arrived at the company, Utaha happened to be with the Berseria development team, talking with Hajime about something.
Seeing Ichin return, Utaha waved to him. "Ichin, didn't Yukino come with you?"
"She's staying home this afternoon to read and spend time with the cats. What are you two talking about?"
Hajime laughed cheerfully. "Hehe, just some recent entertainment industry gossip. You're probably not interested in that kind of thing, right, Ichin?"
"Not really," Ichin said, waving his hand. "You two carry on. I'll head over to the programmers. And Hajime, don't forget to finish your tasks just because you're chatting."
"Yes! Task will be completed!" she replied.
After Ichin left, Hajime's serious expression vanished instantly, returning to her original gossip-loving face.
"Utaha, let me tell you—my friend who works as an assistant…"
That afternoon, Ichin stayed busy in the GARO development team's programming group, adjusting various AI behaviors and values, and testing and revising special battle scenarios with everyone. The workload was truly heavy.
As for Utaha, she headed home first at four in the afternoon—she needed to go back and prepare dinner together with Yukino.
Opening the door and stepping inside, Utaha heard sounds coming from the kitchen and immediately knew that Yukino had already started preparing in advance.
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