Game Developer in the World of Anime

Faced with Kasumigaoka Utaha's blunt question, Ichin's lips twitched.

Why is this topic coming up again?

Just as he was about to refute her, his eyes involuntarily shifted downward. He caught sight of the captivating view exposed by Utaha's dress neckline, and his face reddened instantly.

"Uh... cough... you might want to be a bit more careful," he stammered.

Realizing the problem with her posture, Utaha's face turned pink as well, but she didn't pull back.

"My, my, so you can get embarrassed," she teased. "I was starting to think you were like Tang Sanzang from Journey to the West—completely indifferent to women."

"You're overthinking it," Ichin turned his head, facing away from her. "Even Tang Sanzang was tempted by the Queen of the Women's Kingdom, but his commitment to his journey overpowered those feelings."

"I'm not asking for a literature lesson," Utaha replied firmly as she grabbed his chin and turned his face back toward her. "Ichin-kun, I want you to answer my question seriously—don't try to play dumb."

Ichin scratched his cheek awkwardly and sighed. "Kasumigaoka, do you really like me?"

Ichin had his suspicions for a while now, but he never had concrete proof. Apart from that one day they spent together gathering material for Utaha's novel, there hadn't been any notable developments. However, Utaha's actions and words today brought those suspicions back to the forefront of his mind.

When he saw Utaha's blushing face and the fact that she wasn't denying it after several seconds, Ichin was now a thousand percent sure.

"If I said yes, what then?" Utaha's direct answer left Ichin momentarily speechless.

Watching his dumbfounded reaction, Utaha smiled in satisfaction and finally settled back into her chair. Scooting it a bit closer to Ichin, she continued, "Ichin-kun, have you seriously never dated a girl before?"

Ichin nodded. "Didn't I already tell you? No, I haven't. I barely had enough time to finish my assignments—how could I find time to deal with dating?"

Looking straight into his eyes, Utaha decided that since she had gone this far, there was no point in holding back anymore. Bracing herself against the quickening pace of her heartbeat, she said, "Ichin-kun, now that you know a girl's feelings, you can't just brush it off, okay?"

"Yeah, I understand," Ichin nodded, exhaling deeply, at a loss for what to do next.

Seeing Utaha's wine-colored eyes, Ichin could tell she was nervous. He also realized that if he didn't say something now, this matter wouldn't be resolved anytime soon.

"Okay, alright. Let me share my thoughts too," he said, adjusting his posture and trying to keep his voice steady. "To be honest, I like you too, Kasumigaoka. You're beautiful, you've got a great figure, and I do have a thing for long, straight black hair. Plus, you write novels, which is a huge plus for me."

Hearing his words, Utaha was overjoyed inside, but her nerves were only heightened.

"Ichin-kun, your next words better not be 'but,'" she warned.

Ichin shook his head with a smile, "Don't worry, that's not it. I just wanted to say that I've never been in a relationship before, so I don't really know how to handle this. If we were to start dating right now, I'm not sure I could do a good job, and it might not be the most rational thing to do. What if my lack of maturity ends up hurting you? That's the last thing I'd want to happen."

His honest words helped calm Utaha's emotions. Even though it didn't sound like they were going to start dating right away, she was satisfied with Ichin's response. He wasn't dodging the issue or giving her a vague answer; he was being open about his thoughts.

"So, what happens next?" she asked.

Ichin took a deep breath and looked at her, "We've known each other for about two months now. Strictly speaking, we didn't talk much in the first month, but let's just count it as two months. It's not a long time, but not exactly short either, and I think we can definitely be considered friends. But you suddenly confessed your feelings, and honestly, I don't know if I should accept it right away. It caught me off guard. What I'm trying to say is, let's take some time to cool off. This is about all I can process right now, and if we keep talking, I might not know what to say next."

Utaha wanted to say that her confession wasn't made on a whim, but she guessed Ichin wouldn't believe her. Besides, she could tell that he really had no idea how to handle this kind of situation, and he seemed quite flustered. To be fair, Utaha herself didn't have any experience in romance; she just happened to read a lot of romance novels.

After thinking it through, Utaha nodded, "Okay, Ichin-kun, let's go with your plan. But don't think you can keep dragging this out while staying all calm and composed!"

"Don't worry, that won't happen," Ichin reassured her with a confident nod and a smile. "I just want to take some time to think it over. I'm not trying to avoid or fool you."

For a girl like Utaha to confess to him, Ichin would be lying if he said he wasn't happy, but his rational side held him back from making an impulsive move. Taking some time to calm down and reflect on what was said today seemed necessary. If, after this cooling-off period, nothing changed, Ichin was ready to accept the shift in their relationship.

Utaha's face brightened with a satisfied smile. "Then, I have no objections. I look forward to your answer, Ichin-kun. And just so you know, I won't stop making moves while you're thinking!"

Having grasped Ichin's overly rational personality, Utaha now knew that she couldn't afford to let up.

It's clear he has feelings for me… If I had known this, I should've been even more assertive earlier—just gone all in and saved myself the wait! But this is fine too; maybe I can make Ichin-kun confess to me next time.

"Not stop making moves?" Ichin raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit on edge. "Don't do anything too drastic; I'm not good with surprises."

"Don't worry~~" Utaha replied playfully. She stood up, adjusted her dress, and said, "Ichin-kun, I don't think you'll be able to focus on work now, will you? How about calling it a night?"

"Yeah, let's head back," Ichin agreed. He saved his work, shut down the computer, and closed the windows. Then, together with Utaha, he left the studio.

As they stepped into the elevator, Utaha turned to Ichin, who had fallen silent, and suddenly asked, "Ichin-kun, do you think I look better with stockings or without?"

"Huh?" Ichin instinctively glanced down and saw her bare, smooth legs beneath her dress, ending in a pair of delicate feet in slippers.

"Uh… well… it's up to your personal preference, I guess," he stuttered.

I just said I needed time to cool down, and now she's pushing my limits already? he thought nervously.

Seeing the flustered expression on Ichin's face, Utaha couldn't help but smile and narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.

…

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