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V5 Chapter 6: Oh No, We've Been Caught
🕑 Added 2025-06-10 09:14:19 +0000 UTCUika-san, the super idol of Sumimi, just asked him if he wanted to have dinner together?
Haru couldn't believe it. They had just exchanged Line IDs and suddenly things were progressing this fast? Straight to dinner?
Even if they were bandmates now, this was moving a bit too quickly.
But more importantly, there was another issue.
If he and Uika were seen dining together in a public place, her golden silk-like hair alone would be enough to attract attention. And if she was wearing sunglasses while eating?
She'd stand out even more!
All it would take was one passerby with a camera, and within ten minutes, the internet would be flooded with headlines like:
"SHOCKING: Popular Idol Misumi Uika Caught in Secret Date!"
"Sumimi Idol Spotted Dining Late-Night With Mystery Man!"
If things spiraled, her agency might cut ties with her just to avoid the fallout. One careless dinner could ruin her career and future.
Especially if they went to Shiba Seki Ramen and the boss saw them walk in together—
Too risky. He had to shut this down politely.
"...I mean, we could eat together, but I already bought groceries to cook at home."
As he spoke, Haru lifted the shopping bag in his hand, a simple gesture but it said a lot.
He'd literally just said he was going home to eat. Someone as sharp as Uika would definitely pick up on that.
And she did. Uika realized the risks involved in dining out with Haru.
As an idol, she should avoid this kind of exposure.
But this opportunity was too rare to pass up.
For Togawa Sakiko's sake, Uika wanted to gather more clues, more evidence. She needed to get closer to Haru, to understand what kind of person he really was.
Deep breath...
Uika exhaled, adjusting her mood. After a brief hesitation, she smiled gently beneath her sunglasses.
"How surprising. Haru-kun can cook?"
"A little. Just a little."
Embarrassed, Haru waved a hand. In truth, he hadn't used his "husband-tier cooking skills" ever since unlocking them, mostly because his fridge only had half an onion in it.
"I actually wrote some lyrics for Ave Mujica's debut. I thought dinner might be a good chance to go over them with you."
"I'm also curious about your cooking, if you don't mind..."
Haru: ?
Hearing that made his brain short-circuit like a Saiyan getting grabbed by the tail.
Uika's meaning was clear, she didn't mind going to his house for dinner.
Wait, wait, hold on—
She's a top idol. Even if they're in the same band now, going to a guy's place at night for dinner?!
Just moments ago, he thought dinner was too fast after a Line exchange. Now she was skipping straight to his house?
"..."
Even with her sunglasses, the blush on Uika's lovely face was obvious.
Her violet eyes sparkled subtly beneath the lenses.
Truthfully, she'd steeled herself just to say that.
She thought Haru was a decent person, sure but as an idol, she'd seen too many people wearing fake masks. She wasn't going to drop her guard so easily.
To truly see Haru's real self, she was ready to take a risk.
All for Sakiko's sake, so her kind-hearted friend wouldn't be misled.
"My place is pretty small... Hope that's okay."
Haru had a good guess what Uika was thinking.
He didn't believe a sharp, composed idol like her would fall for his charm so easily. Her willingness to visit his place likely had some ulterior motive.
No way it was just about his food.
Or maybe… she just wanted to meet his cat?
His cat could play Haruhikage, after all...
...
By the time they left the quiet supermarket, Haru's arms were full of bags: groceries, seasonings, and even some items Uika had picked out: daily essentials and snacks.
Walking beside him, Uika's pale, flawless skin glowed under the dim streetlight. She furrowed her brows slightly, clearly feeling guilty.
For the third time, she asked,
"Haru-kun, are you sure I can't help carry something?"
A man can't just say no.
"It's fine. But that bottle of cooking wine, please don't drop it."
Haru answered calmly.
While his physical strength wasn't amazing, he'd upgraded his Enhanced Physical Health skill to Level 4, which gave him excellent endurance.
The street was nearly empty now, lit only by flickering moth-infested streetlamps. As long as they didn't run into someone they knew, everything would be fine...
"...Haru?"
A calm, elegant voice rang out. Like fate mocking him.
A black-haired girl carrying a bass case turned the corner, rocking a black-and-red punk jacket, her chin-length hair curled slightly outward.
Yahata Umiri's sharp sea-green eyes glinted as she stared at Haru's suddenly frozen expression, then naturally shifted to Uika beside him.
...Huh?
Neither Haru nor Uika expected to run into her, of all people.
And definitely not while they were walking together, carrying bags.
There was no way to explain this. None.
"Umm..."
Yahata Umiri's eyes shimmered with a knowing light, her sharply arched brows rising ever so slightly.
Unluckily for them, she recognized Uika immediately.
After all, Yahata Umiri and Misumi Uika sat front and back in class. Besides Shiina Taki, the classmate she spoke with most often was Uika. With that trademark silky golden hair of hers, it was impossible not to recognize her.
Still, Umiri hadn't expected to run into both Haru and Uika together.
"Haru, what a surprise. I see you're just back from the supermarket?"
"Yeah, I had to stock up. The only thing left in my fridge was half an onion."
Trying to stay calm, Haru gave a casual reply, desperately hoping she wouldn't ask anything troublesome.
Thankfully, Umiri only gave Uika a quick glance before pulling her gaze away. Her sea-green eyes, sharp enough to see through anything, remained perfectly composed, as if the situation didn't faze her at all.
"Well, since your hands are full, I won't hold you up."
"But I might need your help with something soon. I'll be in touch."
Cool as ever, Umiri slung her bass case over her shoulder and walked off without another word.
She never once asked what was going on between Haru and Uika, perhaps because she knew the timing of her appearance was way too awkward. She deliberately chose to ignore it.
Umiri understood that lingering any longer would only make things harder for both of them, so she left without another word, pretending not to notice anything.
Uika clutched the bottle of cooking wine nervously.
Running into a classmate like Yahata Umiri in this situation had shaken her, but that calm exit gave her pause. Beneath her sunglasses, her lovely brow furrowed slightly in thought.
"…"
Haru, carrying all their shopping bags, slowly turned to look at Uika. Their eyes met, and in that single glance, they understood each other perfectly.
Then, as if nothing had happened, they continued walking toward his apartment.
Honestly, they were lucky...
If it hadn't been the emotionally intelligent and composed Umiri but someone like Sakiko-san, fresh off work...
He didn't even want to imagine the mess that would've followed.
...
In no time, they arrived at Haru's modest apartment.
As Uika stepped inside, her gaze lingered on the small garden at the entrance. Every potted plant looked well-cared for, reflecting the patience and love of the owner. Her impression of Haru was shifting with every step.
Click—
"Come in. Slippers are in the cabinet by the door."
Haru walked in first, arms loaded with groceries.
Luckily, thanks to that study session he hosted a while back, he had stocked up on brand-new disposable slippers. Otherwise, today's surprise visit would've been a logistical disaster.
Despite her earlier composure, Uika now felt a bit tense.
Holding the wine bottle tightly, she followed him inside. Her heart pounded faster with every step.
Even if she had mentally prepared herself, this was her first time visiting a guy's home alone. No way she could say she wasn't nervous but she was already here. No turning back now.
Uika took a deep breath and clenched her small fists, trying to steady her courage.
"Thank you for having me…"
She slowly opened the shoe cabinet, choosing a pair of unopened white slippers and slipping them on.
Her golden hair shimmered under the warm orange light like finely spun gold thread. When she removed her black leather shoes and revealed her neat white socks, even Haru couldn't help stealing a glance.
Clearly, he'd spent too much time on the internet lately. Almost caught some Arknights player's gooning phase.
"I'll prep dinner. Feel free to sit anywhere you like."
"Alright…"
To stop himself from sneaking more glances, Haru turned and carried the bags into the kitchen. He plugged in the long-unused fridge and began filling it with groceries and frozen goods.
The fridge that once held only half an onion was now overflowing.
Meanwhile, Uika watched from the side, quietly curious.
She had always heard that single guys lived in absolute chaos but this place was different.
Though small, the apartment was tidy and well-kept. Even the often-overlooked shoe cabinet was neatly organized.
"Even with such limited space, he still takes time to grow plants…"
Boys who loved gardening were a rare breed. What kind of mom raised someone like this?
Her violet eyes narrowed slightly as she took in every simple, ordinary detail. Her impression of this quiet black-haired boy kept improving. She was even starting to question her own judgment from before.
There were only two places to sit: the dining table beside the kitchen and Haru's bedroom.
With her hands behind her back, Uika wandered about, even glancing into his room but found no smell, no mess.
Instead, the air was faintly fragrant with flowers.
"No, no… This isn't why I came here."
Realizing she was getting distracted, Uika quickly shook her head.
She came to uncover Haru's true self, not admire his tidy home. For all she knew, this could just be a façade.
This was for Sakiko.
"Uika, you can go wash your hands. Dinner's about ready."
Haru's voice called out from the kitchen, breaking through Uika's wandering thoughts. She quickly came back to her senses.
As she stepped toward the kitchen, a rich, mouthwatering aroma immediately hit her.
Under the warm, amber light, Haru was already bringing out steaming hot dishes. A few simple, homemade meals were laid out on the small wooden table.
There was nothing flashy about them, just everyday soul food, but for some reason, she found them completely irresistible.
"Did... did you make all this yourself, Haru-kun?"
"Who else would've made it? You?"
Haru gave her a look, his tone tinged with dry sarcasm as he glanced at her surprised expression.
This was his first time using his Lv.5 skill: Ultimate Wifey Cuisine, and he had no idea what kind of effect it would have.
Back when it was just Lv.4, he'd already gotten addicted to the flavor himself. Now that it had hit Lv.5 and with the great Uika-san as the "judge", he was curious to see what kind of reaction it would draw.
Gulp...
The sound of Uika swallowing was shockingly loud in the quiet room. Realizing what she'd just done, her cheeks instantly turned crimson.
As an idol, acting so unreservedly was mortifying. She couldn't believe she had such an unfiltered reaction but even with that embarrassment gnawing at her, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the warm, inviting dishes under the soft light.
She kept repeating in her mind, I didn't come here to eat, but her body had a mind of its own, it quietly settled into the seat.
"Thank you for the meal…"
"That's something you say after eating."
Haru looked at her with a strange expression. At this point, even he was starting to think this composed and elegant idol was kind of... cute. Maybe he was beginning to understand why her fans were so obsessed.
Uika, looking a little awkward, locked eyes with him then, unable to hold back, picked up her chopsticks and tried a bite of the braised pork drenched in thick sauce.
The moment it hit her tongue, the tender, fatty meat melted instantly, bursting with rich flavor.
Bliss~
Her mind filled with that single word. Everything else vanished. She couldn't think of anything else.
"Mmm…"
Her beautiful violet eyes widened in awe. The warmth spread from her throat to her stomach, and it was as if a tiny sun lit up inside her, radiating a comforting heat.
Every cell in her body was singing with happiness.
Her gaze turned distant, like she had been transported to a bright and joyful summer—
Drip…
Without realizing it, a sheen of moisture formed in her eyes. A single teardrop escaped down her flushed, breathtakingly beautiful face but her lips curved into a gentle, genuine smile: radiating pure warmth.
Haru: ?
Oh no...
Did he... accidentally put something weird in the food?!
