On the way to the mall to buy stockings, Makoto replayed his moves in his head.
He knew Utaha's proud, competitive nature well. That's why he had pretended to be the one being hunted—to lure in the real prey.
Yukino knew him just as well. The moment she got the message, she came right over.
The unexpected arrival of the Yukinoshita duo had thrown Utaha off her rhythm.
In that moment, Makoto had taken the first step toward securing his mission reward.
Sure, he was very attracted to Utaha. He also really wanted the reward.
But today, Utaha wasn't the only one he was angling for.
Yukino was also part of his plan.
Even if Yukino pretended not to care about him going home with Utaha, deep down she definitely did.
Makoto planned to claim his reward, then "plead for forgiveness" at Yukino's place that night.
What kind of forgiveness he'd be begging for… only time would tell.
"Let's go with these," he said at the mall. "They're the kind you usually wear."
Utaha didn't refuse. She simply gave him a strange look.
"You actually brought me here to buy stockings. I thought you were just teasing back there."
"Senpai, I think you're underestimating your own charm," said Makoto.
Utaha blinked in surprise, then couldn't help laughing.
"Even if you picked the perfect moment to compliment me, I still think you're a weird leg-obsessed boy."
"I'm just stating facts. Just like how you compliment my photography skills—ultimately, it's because you're good-looking."
"Thanks."
Utaha's smile showed no sign of fading.
She could tell that Makoto was deliberately complimenting her.
But those photos in her phone really were beautiful.
Well taken, beautifully composed—and the subject herself even more so.
That was simply the truth.
The two of them chatted casually on the way back, and Makoto felt confident that he had today's mission reward in the bag.
However, what he didn't expect was that just as they arrived at his front door, they saw a slim figure waiting there.
Blonde twin-tails, school uniform skirt, shapely legs wrapped in knee-high socks.
And yet, the socks weren't long enough to reach under the skirt, leaving a small stretch of smooth, fair thigh exposed—drawing all the eye's attention in the hallway light.
"...Sawamura-san?"
Makoto was genuinely surprised this time.
He never expected the "Defeated Dog Sage" to be standing at his front door.
Utaha was equally surprised. "Eriri? What are you doing here?"
"Eh? So you weren't home, Fushimi-kun? I was wondering why no one answered the door after I rang the bell for ages… But since Senpai's here too, I guess that's fine."
Eriri mumbled, her cheeks suddenly turning red as she pulled two gift boxes from a bag.
Under the puzzled gazes of Makoto and Utaha, she said a little bashfully, "My mom always told me—when someone helps you, you should show your gratitude sincerely."
"Oh, so you came to give us gifts," Makoto said in realization.
Utaha chuckled. "If I recall correctly, that brand of pastries isn't cheap."
"Anyway, my mom picked them, and she insisted I bring them over. It's not like I had a choice," Eriri muttered.
Though her words made it sound like it was all her mother's doing, the nervous glint in her eyes gave away the truth.
While it was true that Sayuri picked the gifts, the one who suggested giving them in the first place was Eriri herself.
She wanted to show gratitude—not just because Makoto and Utaha had helped her, but also because the time she spent with them had been genuinely enjoyable.
And after witnessing the short film's success, her interest in Makoto had grown.
The fact that she chose to visit his house first, rather than Utaha's, revealed her personal motives.
"That thing last time was nothing, really," said Makoto, smiling gently while mentally groaning at how perfect her timing was.
Eriri grew flustered. "I told you already, my mom picked them! It's not like I bought them! Why won't you just take them?!"
Makoto and Utaha exchanged a glance—both having seen through her little act.
Utaha didn't expose her and simply accepted one of the gift boxes with a smile of thanks.
Makoto took the other with a grin. "Well, thank you for picking out these pastries for us yourself, Sawamura-san."
"Eh? I just said I didn't pick them!"
"Alright, alright, let's go inside and talk."
"…Fushimi-kun, geez. Why don't you ever believe me?" Eriri muttered, face red, as she followed him inside to change shoes.
Utaha walked behind them, her mood becoming increasingly complicated.
Is today just not my day?
First, Yukino and her mother completely threw her rhythm off. She had only just managed to reset her mood—then Eriri showed up out of nowhere.
Utaha sighed softly. She was starting to think she should've stayed home today.
Since both girls were wearing skirts, Makoto naturally didn't linger near the entrance while they changed shoes.
As soon as Eriri slipped on her house slippers, she saw Utaha pressing down on her long skirt and crouching in front of her.
She froze on the spot.
Holy… that's a war drum!
What Utaha did was perfectly normal—pressing down on a skirt while crouching was standard behavior.
But her skirt was long and cinched at the waist, emphasizing her figure.
That crouch let Eriri see everything from behind.
The visual impact of that mature figure hit the blonde twin-tailed girl like a truck.
She couldn't help comparing, and was shocked to find that Utaha's exaggerated waist-to-hip ratio was even more impressive than her own mother's!
And it's not just boys who are drawn to well-shaped girls—some girls are just as obsessed.
After that close-range experience of Utaha's proportions, Eriri's mind was overwhelmed by the "war drum effect"—those visuals wouldn't stop playing in her head.
Her fingers itched with inspiration.
She had carefully chosen the gift, and later that evening, feeling bored, she remembered Makoto and Utaha helping her—and ended up drawing them both in great detail using her elite-level art skills.
Now her creative desire was surging again.
"Eriri," Utaha's voice suddenly broke through her thoughts.
Eriri snapped back to reality. When she looked up, Utaha was already standing and eyeing her curiously.
"Let's go in too."
Eriri quickly lowered her head and mumbled a reply, her waist twisting quickly as she walked, avoiding Utaha's gaze.
Utaha found the reaction a bit odd, but since her own thoughts were scattered, she didn't think too much of it.
The two beautiful girls sat in the living room while Makoto prepared some fruit in the kitchen, internally stressing over how to fix the situation.
There's no way he could take private photos of "Kasumigaoka's Thighs" right in front of Eriri.
Not only would Utaha disapprove, but Eriri might have a reactive episode.
Things had gotten complicated. He needed a new plan.
While Makoto and Utaha were wracking their brains, Eriri was still consumed by the "war drum" image.
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