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[Game] Chapter 216: Setting Off, Going Home
🕑 Added 2025-05-05 02:54:11 +0000 UTCIn the remaining week or so, Ichin followed his usual routine of attending classes and working. Then, a few days before departure, he began packing together with Utaha.
As she folded clothes and placed them into the suitcase, Utaha couldn’t help but ask, “Ichin, are you really not bringing any gifts back?”
Ichin smiled and gently pinched her cheek. “No need. My family has everything. Just having you come back with me is better than any gift.”
“That may be true, but still, going back empty-handed feels a little inappropriate, doesn’t it?”
Utaha frowned as she sat on the carpet, trying to think of what gifts she could bring.
But after racking her brain for quite a while, she still couldn’t come up with a good idea.
Ichin’s family was well-off—they likely didn’t lack anything. Plus, with the New Year approaching, they had probably already bought everything they needed.
Unlike Utaha, Ichin was simply returning home, so he didn’t need to pack many clothes. He just brought a few books, some electronic devices, and the scarf Utaha had knitted for him. He didn’t even need a separate suitcase—he could just tuck everything into Utaha’s.
Sliding over and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Ichin looked at her and said, “See? I wasn’t wrong. We really don’t need to prepare any gifts. What my parents care about most is seeing their future daughter-in-law in person.”
Utaha’s face turned slightly red, and she bumped her forehead gently against Ichin’s chin. In the end, she gave up on the gift idea and focused on packing properly.
The day of departure arrived quickly. But before they could leave, they still had to finish their classes for the day—they wouldn't be heading out until the afternoon.
After breakfast, the two of them left for school.
While they could have brought their suitcases along, since they were in school uniforms, they decided instead to return home after classes, change clothes, and then take a taxi directly to the airport.
Besides, coming back in the afternoon also gave them a chance to say goodbye to everyone at the studio.
When they arrived at school, their classmates already knew that Ichin and Utaha were taking a week off.
It wouldn’t have been a big deal if it were just a normal leave of absence—but the key point was that Ichin was going back to his home country for the New Year, and Utaha was going with him… to meet his parents.
As soon as that news got out, it was impossible for the class not to gossip.
Meeting the parents—this was serious. For most of their classmates who hadn’t even had a relationship yet, this felt like something very far off.
Plus, Ichin’s mother had already visited before and met both Utaha and her parents. Things between the two families were essentially already settled. This trip home with Ichin just cemented everything.
So young, and already in a committed relationship.
They say marriage is the graveyard of love—did this mean the two of them already had one foot in the grave?
“Grave or not, I’m seriously jealous!”
The boys in the class voiced their true feelings—finding a girlfriend felt like an impossible task.
Seeing how lively the class was, Ichin smiled at Utaha and said, “So, how does it feel to be the one everyone’s jealous of?”
“Not bad,” Utaha replied with a faint smirk. “But it’s even more fun when it’s people we know personally.”
“Like who?”
“A certain golden retriever.”
“Eriri’s gonna flip when she hears that.”
“She’ll survive.” Utaha smiled and shook her head. “As long as she doesn’t bite, it’s all negotiable.”
At that moment, a few girls came over, curious to ask Utaha about her upcoming trip to China with Ichin. She didn’t mind at all and started chatting with them since there was still some time before class started.
With one hand propping up his chin, Ichin watched as Utaha chatted with the girls. He truly noticed how much she had changed.
Does love really change people?
Probably. After all, even he had changed a lot since the beginning—in many different ways.
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At lunchtime, Ichin and Utaha went to the Service Club.
As they opened their lunch boxes and started eating, Eriri looked at Utaha and asked, “You two are leaving this afternoon, right? Are you sure you don’t want us to see you off?”
“No need.”
Utaha shook her head after taking a bite of rice. “It’s just going back home with Ichin for New Year—no need to make a big deal out of it. At most, you can just come pick us up when we get back.”
“Well, if you say so.”
Eriri didn’t push it. If they didn’t want a send-off, then so be it—she’d just stay at the studio.
“But with you two gone for a week… I can already imagine the chaos in the studio.”
Catching Eriri’s glance, Ichin casually shrugged. “I’ve already mentally prepared myself. As long as everyone finishes their assigned tasks, I don’t care about the rest. Besides, in any company, when the boss isn’t around, employees are bound to let loose a little. Still, our studio’s members are pretty disciplined. No matter what, they won’t forget their actual responsibilities.”
Utaha added with a small smirk, “On that note, I think you, Eriri, could stand to learn a thing or two from everyone else. After all, Eri Kashiwagi-sensei is pretty infamous in the industry for missing deadlines—always rushing to submit at the very last second.”
Her words made Eriri’s face twitch. She wanted to argue back, but she couldn’t—because it was true.
Back when she was still a doujinshi artist—especially during the summer Comiket—it was vacation time, so of course she’d relax. She’d spend most of her time catching up on anime and playing games, constantly procrastinating on her books. She’d come up with all kinds of excuses to delay things, and by the time she really had no choice, she’d stay up all night rushing to finish the manuscript.
Even though she was naturally talented at drawing, there were still multiple occasions when she failed to make the deadline. Some of her doujin books didn’t even show up until the second or third day of the event at her circle’s booth.
Blushing, Eriri declared, righteously, “That kind of thing won’t happen anymore! I’ve already left the doujin scene! Now I’m just a part-time artist for a game development studio—deadlines are no longer my concern! Besides, you’re not a real doujin artist if you haven’t experienced the panic of a looming deadline—did you know that?”
But now that she thought about it, quitting the doujin world really was the right decision.
Watching her go on about her past without a shred of self-reflection—and even with a bit of misplaced pride—the three others at the table could only look at her with deadpan expressions.
Forget it. Time to eat in peace.
---
After the afternoon class ended, everyone welcomed the weekend. For Ichin and Utaha, it was time to depart.
Yukino and Eriri accompanied them to the studio.
The couple returned home, changed clothes, grabbed their luggage, and came downstairs.
Though no one was going to the airport with them, everyone still chose to gather downstairs to see them off.
Once the taxi they had booked arrived, Ichin turned to everyone at the studio and said, “Alright, we’re heading out now. I’m leaving the next week’s work in your hands. See you all in ten days.”
“Bye bye~~ Ichin-kun~~!”
“Utaha, do your best too!”
With everyone’s cheerful send-off, the two of them got into the taxi and set off for the airport.
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