On the way home from work, Utaha mused aloud:

"Ichin, I have a question."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Her slender finger tapped against her chin.

"Don't you think Kou and Rin act a little too normal around each other at the office? It feels different from when we first started dating."

"That's perfectly normal."

Hands on the steering wheel, Ichin chuckled.

"Everyone has their own way of being in a relationship. Kou may seem carefree most of the time, but she embarrasses easily. Expecting her to show affection openly in front of others? No way. Honestly, even at the company's year-end party, asking her to say two words on stage makes her squirm."

"That's true…"

Utaha nodded in agreement, though her tone carried a hint of regret.

"Sigh, I was hoping to collect some material from them. Looks like that's not going to happen."

"No rush. Give it time—you'll see it eventually."

Instead of heading straight home, the two drove to the supermarket. Yesterday Ichin had only picked up ingredients for pasta, and now they were low on snacks and milk, so they needed to restock properly.

As they pushed their cart into the meat section, they spotted Haruno and Yukino doing the same.

"Haruno-nee, Yukino."

Hearing the voice behind them, the sisters turned. Haruno smiled brightly.

"Oh! You're here too—just got off work?"

"Yeah, just got off."

Ichin pushed the cart closer, lifted a steak for inspection, and asked,

"Haruno-nee, you also just finished work?"

"That's right." Haruno nodded.

"My car's in for maintenance, so Yukino came to pick me up after class. We're having dinner at her place tonight. Oh, Ichin, Utaha—why don't you two come eat with us?"

Ever since Haruno and Yukino had accepted Ichin's mother as their godmother, their relationship had grown even closer. Sharing meals at each other's homes had become normal.

Since they'd run into each other today, there was no reason for Ichin and Utaha to refuse.

Yukino had already chosen enough groceries for the four of them, but Ichin still picked out a few more items to drop off at home first. He also bought snacks and drinks with Utaha, something to enjoy while chatting after dinner.

After shopping, Ichin asked Utaha to head over with the Yukinos while he drove home to put the food in the fridge and bring along their cats.

When Yukino saw Peppa and George arrive, she happily hurried over, opening the carriers herself to let the big cats out.

By now, both cats had grown so much—no longer tiny kittens, but plump, round adults.

Still, even bigger, they were just as adorable.

Once Peppa spotted Yukino's familiar cat tower, he happily ran over—his mate, Sesame, and their two kittens were waiting there.

Though they lived apart and had been neutered after the litter, Peppa and Sesame were still affectionate. The moment they reunited, they cuddled close and started grooming each other.

Meanwhile, Mochi, the senior of the household, lounged lazily at the very top of the tower, eyes half-closed, clearly just waiting for dinner.

After playing with the cats a while, Yukino went back to cooking, and Utaha joined her to help. They didn't let Ichin into the kitchen, so he stayed in the living room, chatting with Haruno instead.

With George sprawled on his lap, Ichin stroked his fur and asked:

"Haruno-nee, you look pretty tired. Lots going on at work?"

"Of course."

Haruno leaned back against the sofa, took a sip of the yogurt drink Ichin had bought, and explained:

"I might be the heir to a family business, but you know how those companies are—plenty of older staff who lean on their age and seniority, resisting proper management. When my mother was still fully involved, it wasn't a problem. But now she's gradually stepping back, leaving things to me unless it's something big. Taking full control of the company requires a lot of energy. It's not the same as starting a company from scratch."

Ichin nodded in agreement. He knew that his own good fortune had been meeting Hazuki and the others just after they'd left their old employer, instantly gaining a highly skilled team.

If he had started completely from zero, it would've been far more difficult. There's no way Hollow Knight would have been completed within half a year of founding the studio.

"Even if it's tough, I don't think it's beyond you, Haruno-nee. It'll just take time."

Everyone knew how capable Haruno was.

Her mother stepping back was also proof of trust—that she believed her daughter could manage the company well.

Haruno bit at the straw, sipping her yogurt.

"Exactly. It's just a matter of time. Besides, I've already found a few veteran employees with some… irregularities in their accounts. I'll need to deal with that properly."

Family businesses always had such headaches.

In that moment, Ichin couldn't help but feel his own company had it easier. No shareholders, no external meddling—just him, Haruno, and Yukino. Everything was in his control.

After talking about Haruno's challenges, the conversation turned to Ichin's current projects. Hearing about his plan to secure GARO's adaptation rights from New Northeastern Pictures and develop it into a game, Haruno looked surprised but didn't oppose.

When it came to management, Haruno might be more confident than him. But in game development? Even if you added her and Yukino together, they couldn't compare to Ichin.

If he wanted to take on a project, it was because he knew he could handle it. Her role was simply to support him and wait to see the results.

About an hour later, the kitchen began to fill with delicious aromas.

Ichin sniffed the air and smiled.

"Mmm, something fried—tempura?"

Haruno grinned and nodded.

"Yukino's great at making tempura. And today we found some really fresh shrimp."

A few minutes later, the kitchen door opened. Yukino walked out with a bowl, heading straight to the cats. She filled their dishes with kibble, then added chopped shrimp and fish, mixing it all together.

The moment the smell hit, all the cats rushed over—including George, leaping off Ichin's lap.

Once she finished feeding them, Yukino turned to Haruno and Ichin.

"Dinner will be ready in just a little bit."

*

RedX43's Note:

➤ Want More? Get up to +70 Extra Chapters on Patreon!

➤ [email protected]/RedX43

➤ +300 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter Drop!

➤ Thanks for the support! 🙌