All the Heroines are my Ex-girlfriends

Chapter 7: And So Kasumigaoka Utaha Fled in Panic

Kasumigaoka Utaha groped her way down the staircase in the dark.

Trying her best to tread lightly.

'It would be embarrassing if I woke him up.'

With this thought in mind, she slowly made her way toward the kitchen.

However, just as she reached the middle of the living room...

"Click!"

The sound of a switch being flipped echoed, followed by the sudden illumination of the living room. The fluorescent light made her squint.

After adjusting to the abrupt brightness, Kasumigaoka Utaha turned her gaze toward the switch.

Standing near the kitchen area of the living room was Yukima Azuma.

Seeing this scene, Kasumigaoka Utaha said nothing, hurriedly turned around, and prepared to leave.

But as soon as she turned, she heard hurried footsteps from behind. A hand instantly grasped her wrist.

It was a long, warm hand.

The fingers gripped her wrist firmly, leaving behind a lingering sensation.

The warmth from the point of contact caused Kasumigaoka Utaha's body to stiffen slightly.

She tried to maintain a composed expression as she turned back to look.

"What are you doing?"

She frowned.

Her voice and gaze were as cold as the northern wind, enough to make others shiver.

But no matter how icy her expression appeared,

Anyone who knew Kasumigaoka Utaha well would understand that if she wasn't smirking coldly and delivering sarcastic remarks, then she wasn't actually annoyed or angry.

This seemingly indifferent demeanor was, in fact, panic.

For this reason, Yukima Azuma wasn't fazed. He continued to firmly hold onto Kasumigaoka Utaha's wrist.

After a brief struggle, Kasumigaoka Utaha once again felt the sharp pain in her stomach. Her body involuntarily went limp.

Seizing the moment, Yukima Azuma guided her to sit on a chair in the living room.

Then he turned and walked into the kitchen.

Kasumigaoka Utaha watched Yukima Azuma's retreating figure, her gaze complicated.

It wasn't long before Yukima Azuma returned from the kitchen.

In his hands were a cup of coffee and a small dish.

"Senpai, I tried making hand-brewed coffee. Could you help me taste it?"

He asked gently.

Those seemingly insignificant words felt like a powerful wave crashing against Kasumigaoka Utaha's heart.

The emotions suppressed in her heart suddenly surged forth.

Her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the delivery box by the door.

The box, originally sealed, had now been opened, and its contents had been removed.

Judging by the size and shape of the foam pieces inside, she could easily guess what it was.

Moreover, putting aside the matter of the coffee machine...

How could Kasumigaoka Utaha not know that Yukima Azuma didn't drink coffee?

It was only her—due to writing light novels, losing track of time, and staying up late—who regularly drank coffee.

On the small dish were two sugar cubes.

Kasumigaoka Utaha always added two sugar cubes to her coffee.

Not more, not less.

No matter how many psychological filters she tried to apply, she couldn't view the hand-brewed coffee before her as something Yukima Azuma had made "by chance."

This gesture, no matter how prideful she was, could not be ignored.

She dropped the two sugar cubes into the cup.

Kasumigaoka Utaha cradled the cup with both hands and sipped the coffee in small mouthfuls.

Seeing her begin to drink, Yukima Azuma let out a relieved sigh and turned back toward the kitchen.

Before long, the sounds of a knife chopping vegetables and a lighter clicking echoed from the kitchen.

Kasumigaoka Utaha continued sipping the coffee.

Warmth spread from her hands through her entire body.

'Why is it this good?'

She couldn't help but wonder.

It wasn't her fault; after all, she usually drank canned coffee or instant coffee.

Even if Yukima Azuma wasn't a hand-brew coffee expert,

The flavor of this coffee was clearly a cut above the cheap, industrial types she often consumed.

'Better than the coffee at cafés… When did he learn to do this?'

Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't realize that this impression was merely her own illusion.

Even with the assistance of his cooking skill, the coffee Yukima Azuma brewed was only on par with the average quality of the coffee she'd had at local cafés.

Seemingly after only a few sips,

Yukima Azuma reappeared in front of Kasumigaoka Utaha.

He placed a steaming bowl of noodles on the table before her. In the bowl were slices of grilled meat and a variety of well-prepared vegetables.

He then brought out a few small dishes of side items he had prepared earlier and set them beside the bowl.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was at a loss for words and could only "resign" herself, picking up the chopsticks and eating the noodles in small bites.

The food was unexpectedly delicious.

The side dishes, she couldn't even name them.

But she ate them all.

Her gaze became a bit hazy.

Perhaps it was the steam rising from the bowl of noodles.

Through the mist, the image of the young man sitting across from her resembled the days gone by.

At this moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha felt as though three years had passed, and nothing had changed between them.

However, no matter how slowly she ate, the bowl of noodles eventually emptied.

Kasumigaoka Utaha silently cleared the bowls and chopsticks, taking them to the kitchen.

The sound of running water echoed.

A moment later, the sound of water stopped.

Yukima Azuma stood outside the kitchen, waiting for her.

When Kasumigaoka Utaha finished washing the dishes and stepped out, Yukima Azuma smiled gently and said,

"Good night, senpai!"

"Good night..." Kasumigaoka Utaha replied, before hurriedly leaving.

She couldn't help but run away.

Kasumigaoka Utaha feared that if she didn't leave immediately, she wouldn't be able to control her emotions. She wouldn't be able to stop herself and would end up lowering her pride, apologizing to the young man before her, and begging him to return to her.

...

Watching Kasumigaoka Utaha rush off, Yukima Azuma couldn't help but smile slyly.

Tonight, she had changed from her academy uniform into a dark blue sleepwear set.

Her perfect figure was wonderfully accentuated, her curves mesmerizing.

Her long black hair, silky as ever, was simply styled with a white headband, enhancing her beauty like a work of art.

Her long, slender legs were still covered by black stockings, but the short sleepwear, shorter than her school skirt, easily revealed her "Zettai Ryouiki," drawing everyone's attention.

It was truly a perfect figure; if it were stretched a little longer, it would have been excessive, and if shortened just a little, it would have been lacking. Even if captured by chance in a photograph, it would undoubtedly be stunning, possibly making for a beautiful wallpaper.

Only when Kasumigaoka Utaha changed into her sleepwear did Yukima Azuma have the time to admire her beauty.

But... it wasn't too late!

Watching Kasumigaoka Utaha's figure disappear down the stairs, Yukima Azuma turned around and headed to his room.

Time to sleep!