"..."
Lin felt Kasumigaoka Utaha tighten her arm around his, pressing herself softly against him.
A faint smile touched the corners of his lips.
That was Kasumigaoka Utaha for you.
Once she confirmed her own feelings, she became proactive.
He had dropped hints several times before.
But back then, he lacked the power to provide a stable home for his wives.
It was just like his approach with Yukinoshita Haruno.
He had deflected Kasumigaoka Utaha's nearly-direct advances with jokes, changed the subject, and worked to maintain their ambiguous relationship.
He was laying the groundwork for a future day.
And throughout their time together, he had been slowly boiling the frog, gradually revealing his philandering nature.
He was inoculating Kasumigaoka Utaha against the eventual shock.
Under this subtle influence, when the time came for a showdown, it would be easier for her to accept.
The seeds planted in the past had sprouted and grown, and were now bearing fruit.
The time had come. It was time to reap the harvest.
Lin tilted his head slightly to look at Kasumigaoka Utaha and asked with a smile,
"It's about forty minutes until eleven-thirty. Is there anywhere you'd like to go, Utaha?"
"Hmm… Let's go to Akihabara."
Kasumigaoka Utaha mused for a moment, then suggested with a smile, "We can go see how the new volume is selling for my dear junior."
"Alright, you're the boss."
Lin smiled and nodded in agreement.
And so, the two of them chatted idly as they headed for the holy land of Akihabara.
As they passed a mid-sized bookstore,
a long queue immediately came into view.
If they weren't mistaken,
they were all readers waiting to buy the eleventh volume of Game of the Gods.
Half of the bookstore's entrance was covered in promotional posters for the launch of Volume 11 of Game of the Gods; all other promotions shared the remaining half.
Clearly, the store owner was smart.
The two wandered around Akihabara for a while, and seeing that it was getting late, they headed to the restaurant Kasumigaoka Utaha had booked.
They arrived at eleven-twenty.
After Kasumigaoka Utaha gave her reservation number, a staff member led them to a private room.
At first, she had considered sitting in the main dining area.
But after thinking it over, she decided to book a private booth after all.
It would be more convenient for talking.
Besides, she wanted to be alone with Lin, to have a world of just the two of them.
They ordered their food and drinks.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's gaze then fell upon the mask on Lin's face.
Her eyes flickered, and she smiled slyly.
"Oh my, aren't you going to take off your mask, my dear junior?"
"Could it be that something's happened to your face?"
"Like an allergic reaction or something."
She couldn't help but speculate.
Lin blinked slowly. "Actually, I was hoping you would take it off for me, Utaha."
"Take it off for you..."
Kasumigaoka Utaha paused, slightly taken aback.
Then, she stood up and walked toward Lin, saying with a playful smile,
"Since you've asked so nicely, my dear junior, I suppose I can indulge this little desire of yours."
The private room was about eight square meters.
In the center was a round table with a chair on either side.
She came to stand beside Lin.
Lin tilted his head up slightly.
Kasumigaoka Utaha reached out with her long, slender, and fair hands, placed them by Lin's ears, and gently removed the mask.
"!!!"
The moment the mask came off, Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes trembled and slowly widened. She froze on the spot.
It felt as if her heart had stopped.
She held her breath, staring blankly.
With the mask gone, she was face-to-face with Lin's flawlessly handsome features, meeting his deep, starry eyes.
She couldn't help but be lost in the moment.
Just like all the other girls who had seen Lin after his transformation.
It was one thing if you didn't know him before.
But because she did know him, his previous appearance and aura were already fixed in her mind.
The before-and-after comparison made the impact that much stronger.
It felt as if he had become a completely different person.
Even though Lin had restrained all traces of his divine aura,
his bearing was still extraordinary.
Seeing Kasumigaoka Utaha staring at him, somewhat dazed, Lin raised an eyebrow and teased with a smile,
"Have you fallen in love with me?"
At his words, Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes stirred, and she snapped back to reality.
Seeing Lin looking at her with a grin, her cheeks flushed red.
A hint of shyness flashed in her eyes.
Forcing down her bashfulness, her gaze shimmered like ripples on water.
She crossed her arms in front of her, lifted her chin slightly, and said stubbornly,
"Of course not."
"You're being too narcissistic, my dear junior."
Seeing this, Lin's lips curled up. "Being tsundere isn't really your archetype, Utaha. You might as well just admit it."
"What do you mean, 'tsundere isn't my archetype'? Are you treating me like some kind of heroine from a novel or anime?"
"As if I have a fixed archetype."
Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced down at Lin condescendingly.
Lin chuckled. "So, you really don't like me, Utaha?"
"I..."
Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes flickered.
Before she could say anything else, Lin stood up from his chair.
He reached out, grasped her by the shoulders, and pulled her into his arms, his left hand sliding down to wrap around her waist.
"Ah..."
Startled by Lin's sudden move, Kasumigaoka Utaha's body tensed instantly, and she let out a soft cry.
Feeling the large hand on her waist and Lin's proximity, her eyes widened instinctively.
Her gaze flickered.
Shyness rippled through her eyes.
Two crimson clouds bloomed on her fair, exquisitely made-up face.
"What are you doing?"
Her heart racing, Kasumigaoka Utaha clutched Lin's jacket, looking up at him with a hint of nervousness.
She didn't dislike his actions.
On the contrary, she felt a sense of anticipation.
Despite her shyness and nervousness.
Lowering his head to meet Kasumigaoka Utaha's gaze, Lin smiled faintly and said softly,
"Utaha, you look very beautiful today. That outfit really suits you."
"Thank you, but..."
A sweet feeling bloomed in Kasumigaoka Utaha's heart. On the surface, she just blinked, feigning composure as she retorted teasingly,
"You should have said that when we first met, my dear junior. It feels a little late to be saying it now."
"Alright, alright, I was being dense."
Lin chuckled, then blinked and added, "In that case, let me make it up to you."
"Make it up to me? How?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha blinked her beautiful large eyes, a little curious.
"Like this..."
Before Lin could finish his sentence, he lowered his head.
"Mmph!!!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes flew open.
Her soft red lips were captured by Lin's; her first kiss was gone, just like that.
Under Lin's gentle assault,
her hands, which had been clutching his jacket, unconsciously moved to wrap around his waist.
She closed her eyes, sinking into the moment.
When she felt her teeth being gently parted, she couldn't help but open her eyes again.
The shyness in them seemed to have melted into a watery sheen.
Then she closed them once more.
About three minutes later, Lin released Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips.
Outside the window, the sun was bright, and a sliver of light danced between them.
Lin looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha, whose face was flushed with an alluring blush as she kept her eyes closed, and said with a light smile,
"Are you satisfied with that compensation?"
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