Chapter 193: Miyahito's Big Haul and Utaha's Chores

"Boss, please cut this salmon in half for me!"

"Is this top-grade Ise lobster? Please give me the two biggest ones, and yes, two smaller ones too."

"Mhm, mhm, yes, Auntie. Actually, you just need to cut the lobster in half, add some minced garlic, and steam it. It's delicious! Keeps the original flavor."

"Oh my, stop flattering me. Uncle, give me that sea bream head! Mhm, I want it with a bit of the neck meat attached."

"Oh, oh, you even have sakura shrimp? I want them, I want them! Please give me twenty! Don't worry, don't worry, there are a lot of people eating at my house tonight."

"I need twelve scallops!"

"..."

Even though it was his first time at the seafood market, for some inexplicable reason, Miyahito quickly hit it off with the surrounding stall owners and the customers who came to buy things.

But, thinking about it seriously.

After all, this guy Miyahito had been dragged everywhere by his father, Aragaki Seiichiro, since he was a child.

Not to mention various banquets, large and small public events, and all sorts of international corporate exhibitions, even the twice-a-year Tokyo Comic Market, Miyahito had been dragged to help more than once by Akane, or by a certain blonde, twin-tailed tsundere (mainly listening to his mom and helping Auntie Sayuri as a mascot for a few days).

Plus, Miyahito wasn't an introverted guy to begin with. Loving sports and music, he naturally hadn't forgotten to level up his social skills.

"Woohoo~ Big haul, big haul!"

With both hands full of bags, Miyahito happily lifted the brimming fresh seafood.

Especially those few highly energetic Ise lobsters that were constantly struggling inside the thick black plastic bags, making Miyahito grin from ear to ear.

"I finally bought the big lobsters Utaha loves the most. My hard work of getting up before dawn wasn't in vain!"

Completely unbothered by the fact that he had spent nearly over 300,000 yen in a single morning, Miyahito hummed a tune, walking with a swaggering, carefree stride as he happily returned to the parking lot.

"Grilled lobster, garlic lobster, and gotta add some sweet, rich little cheese~" Casually singing the newly composed "Lobster Song," Miyahito currently looked exactly like a housewife who had just finished grocery shopping (he was completely unaware of this himself), cheerfully stowing the goods into the storage box on the back of his motorcycle.

Mounting the seat and starting the engine, Miyahito didn't waste a second before heading to his next destination.

That's right. He wasn't just preparing seafood for tonight's grand feast. After all, nutritional balance was key.

Seafood was a must! But so were beef and chicken!

Huh? What? Vegetables? What even is that.

....

"Hmm...." After finishing the loving breakfast her boyfriend had prepared early in the morning, Utaha, with her hair tied in a high ponytail, stood in the center of the living room with her hands on her hips, looking around.

"Even though we're hosting Kei and Miyuki-senpai tonight, having the house this messy would be completely embarrassing no matter how you look at it."

Crossing one arm over her chest, she raised the index finger of her other hand, occasionally tapping her chin with the tip.

"So, time to start cleaning." Glancing at the clock, Utaha rolled up her sleeves and skillfully walked over to the storage cabinet under the stairs.

Opening the cabinet, she took out the vacuum cleaner, mop, and bucket.

Then, she turned around and began tidying up the house.

"Hmm? Isn't this the sheet music for Miyahito's new song? Good grief, just leaving it lying around again."

"Let's see, Nier is an action game, right? And Ghost Sniper... seriously, wasn't this one right here before? He lied to me again and bought a new one..."

"....."

As she cleaned the living room, Utaha couldn't help but mutter complaints about her boyfriend.

Sheet music for new songs thrown everywhere, guitars and basses left all over the place—she could let those slide.

But open manga volumes left unfinished, empty CD cases, data cables with no matching ports, and wireless earbuds with only one piece remaining...

That was just weird.

If it were the old Utaha, one could say she was just lazy, preferring to sleep rather than do chores when she had the time.

But ever since she started dating Miyahito and began their pseudo-cohabitation, the current Utaha, while not exactly a neat freak, at least cleaned the house regularly.

Besides, Miyahito wasn't the type of young master who expected to be served hand and foot.

Even though they were a couple who weren't particularly diligent but still cleaned often, whenever Utaha tidied up now, she could clearly feel that the entire house was a mess.

.....After a bout of hard work.

"Phew...." With one hand on her hip, she used the back of her other hand to wipe the faint sweat from her forehead. Looking at the living room that now looked completely refreshed, Utaha nodded with deep satisfaction.

Not only was she a universal genius in studying and maxed out in writing talent, but her housekeeping skills were also flawless.

As expected of me, the genius beautiful girl! Utaha!

"Oh, Ayase-chan is still sleeping." Just as her hand was about to reach for the vacuum cleaner, Utaha remembered a certain little cutie still sleeping upstairs. With a helpless yet slightly doting smile, she shook her head, turned around, and picked up the mop and bucket on the other side, heading into the washroom.

Although her dear Mr. Miyahito had once said it was best to vacuum the floor before mopping.

But right now their little angel was still sleeping, so~

Just then.

Ding-dong—!

The moment the doorbell rang, Utaha turned off the faucet and poked her head out to call toward the front door.

"Just a moment, please."

After saying that, she quickly shook her hands to fling off some water droplets, gave them a quick wipe with a towel, and hurried toward the front door.

Hurriedly taking off her indoor slippers and slipping into the casual shoes placed in the sunken entryway, Utaha quickly opened the door.

"May I ask who it is?"

"Good morning, Utaha-nee."

With a gentle and sunny smile on her pretty face, like the morning dawn, Shirogane Kei spoke cheerfully to Utaha inside the door.

"Sorry to bother you, Utaha-nee. I came over to see if Miyahito-nii needed any help with anything."

"Good morning, Kei." Seeing that it was Kei ringing the bell, a trace of pleasant surprise still lingering on her face, Utaha waved her hand to indicate she didn't need to be so formal, then fully opened the door and reached out to welcome Kei inside.

"Come on in. Ayase, that little lazybug, is still sleeping. By the way, Kei, have you had breakfast? If not, I can prepare something for you?"

"No need, no need." Hearing this, Kei quickly waved her hands in a slight panic. "I've already had breakfast."

"Because he has to get off work early tonight, my brother swapped shifts with his senior at the convenience store last night and went to work there early this morning."

"Eh, I see. But it feels like Miyuki-senpai is working really hard."

"Yeah, I told him that before, but he just wouldn't listen to me."

"Mhm, mhm, Kei really cares about Miyuki-senpai."

"Eh... eh! I-I don't! I just want my idiot brother to get a little smarter, that's all!"

"Mhm, mhm, I know."

".....Utaha-nee, you're bullying me!"