[Food and Music Vlogger Winter-sensei Makes Surprise Appearance at Kasumi Utako's Debut Signing Event—!][Special Guest Revealed: The Legendary Winter-sensei!]
That evening, as the last golden light of Golden Week faded, the digital world ignited. News and fan-captured clips of Kasumigaoka Touji's impromptu appearance at his sister's autograph session spread across social media and niche forums like wildfire, sparking a heated frenzy.
Under every related post, countless fans engaged in passionate debate. Some lamented their misfortune, wailing about missing the historic event in person. Others dissected every pixel of uploaded photos, analyzing the stunning visuals of both Touji and Kasumigaoka Utaha—their style, their synergy, their undeniable charm.
A more practical (and wealthy) subset began fervently seeking to purchase signed copies from both the author and the illustrator, driving prices for the event-exclusive merchandise into the stratosphere. The popularity of Love Metronome and its creators was experiencing a visible, meteoric second surge.
Meanwhile, the two subjects of this online storm were far removed from the digital cacophony, ensconced in the tranquil, familiar comfort of their home.
One was practicing yoga. The other was… appreciating her practice of yoga.
Kasumigaoka Utaha hadn't changed into dedicated athletic wear. She was still dressed in the elegant, light blue daytime dress she had worn to the signing, now paired with a pair of sheer, sleek black tights that seemed to melt onto her skin. The casual elegance of the outfit contrasted beautifully with the disciplined stretches of her routine.
She moved with a fluid grace that was mesmerizing to watch. One moment, she was seated on the pale lavender yoga mat, legs extended in a perfect, graceful split that seemed to defy human limitation. The next, she would bend one leg beneath her, extend the other straight back along the floor, raise her arms high overhead, and arch her spine into a breathtaking, elegant crescent.
Then, shifting again, she would stretch her hands far forward, calves and the tops of her feet flat on the mat, thighs perpendicular, before shifting her weight back, lifting her hips skyward, and pressing her shoulders down in a pose that emphasized the incredible length and line of her body.
The variety was dazzling, a silent ballet of strength and flexibility. But the most captivating element, under the warm glow of the room's lighting, was the sight of her two magnificent, endless legs sheathed in those black tights. They gleamed with a subtle, tempting sheen, like dark chocolate, making the observer's mouth water with an almost primal urge to rush over, wrap their arms around them, and maybe even take a playful, affectionate nibble.
"Onii-chan, are you developing an interest in yoga?" Kasumigaoka Utaha's voice broke the focused silence. She was in a pose with her arms and thighs perpendicular to the floor, neck elegantly arched, hips and core engaged.
As she slowly, deliberately straightened and lifted her right leg to a perfect horizontal line, she continued, her tone knowing and playful. "I couldn't help but notice your eyes have been rather… fixated. If you're curious, this Onee-san wouldn't mind giving you a private lesson."
Kasumigaoka Touji's gaze, which had indeed been tracing the lines of her chocolate-sheathed legs, lifted to meet her amused wine-red eyes.
"My interest isn't in yoga itself," he admitted shamelessly. "It's specifically in the Onee-san who's practicing it."
"Is that so?" A sly smile touched her lips. She held the leg-lift pose for another beat before gently lowering it. "Speaking of which… I'd actually love to see Onii-chan try some yoga poses. Will you indulge me?"
Suddenly, she flowed out of her pose, rising from the mat with effortless grace. She turned and walked directly toward where Touji was lounging on the edge of the bed.
Touji blinked, caught off guard, then looked at her with an expression of pure disbelief. "Why on earth would a grown man like me start practicing yoga?"
"Oh, Onii-chan, that's such a narrow-minded stereotype!" she chided, stopping before him and placing her hands on her hips. "Yoga isn't just about grace and flexibility; it's a holistic mind-body discipline. And historically, it was created and perfected by men, you know."
She bent forward, reaching out to grab his hands, intending to pull him up from his comfortable perch.
Instead, Kasumigaoka Touji executed a swift, gentle reversal of the grip, pulling her forward. She let out a soft gasp as she tumbled into his lap. Recovering instantly, she 'fiercely' pinched both of his cheeks, pulling them outward.
"Nani? Is my kept man planning to resist me?" she demanded, her eyes sparkling with mock severity. "Weren't you supposed to be my kept man today? Since when does a kept man get to resist the whims of his sugarmomma? Where is your professional integrity, Onii-chan?"
She fired off the questions rapid-fire. Touji blinked slowly, his voice taking on a tone of deep uncertainty. "Professional integrity…? I'm pretty sure my kept-man contract didn't include that clause."
Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips twitched. She turned her face away with an audible hmph! "Such an unprofessional Onii-chan is simply the dregs of society! A disgrace to kept men everywhere!"
"My fans would vehemently disagree with that assessment!""If your fans knew how lacking in professionalism their beloved Winter-sensei is, they'd probably weep tears of bitter disappointment… How utterly pathetic!""Even if you say that…""And here I was," she sighed dramatically, the picture of feigned regret, "thinking we could try some couple's yoga together. What a shame."
The term acted like a trigger. Touji's posture shifted almost imperceptibly.
"Couple's yoga?" he repeated, his curiosity visibly piqued as he studied her delicate, teasing face.
"Didn't Onii-chan just refuse?" she countered, her rosy lips curling into a victorious little smirk. Amusement danced in her wine-red eyes.
Touji's hands, which were resting on her waist, gave a slight, persuasive squeeze. He adopted an expression of shameless resolve. "A refusal is merely a temporary state of mind, open to reconsideration!"
"Reconsideration? Just like that?""Of course! Flexibility is key." He nodded, the picture of sincerity.
"Never mind," she said, making a show of trying to extricate herself. "I wouldn't want to force Onii-chan into anything."
"'Force'? What a terrible word! 'Force' has no place in a young person's vibrant vocabulary!"
"Is that so? I'm surprised to hear such principled words from someone who lacks professional ethics!"
They bantered back and forth, a familiar, comfortable dance. Knowing precisely when to advance and when to yield, Kasumigaoka Utaha finally relented with a soft laugh. She stood up from his lap and walked over to her desk, picking up her smartphone.
"So, Onii-chan," she said, turning to face him, holding up the phone. "You're absolutely, positively sure you want to do yoga with me now, right?"
"Positively! Definitely! One-hundred-percent absolutely!" he declared, rising from the bed and joining her.
"Yosh! Then let's do some research together first."
In truth, Kasumigaoka Utaha's knowledge of couple's yoga was superficial at best; she was still a novice in her own practice. She had merely stumbled upon some intriguing videos while browsing YouTube previously. Opening the app, she typed 'couple's yoga' into the search bar, and together they leaned in to watch the first recommended tutorial.
The video showcased eight distinct poses. The first was called the 'Partner Cobra.' The man lay prone on the mat, legs straight and together, pushing his upper body up with his arms to form the archetypal cobra hood. The woman positioned herself above him, her hands resting on his lower back for support, her legs together, and the soles of her feet planted firmly on the inner sides of his thighs. Her body was held aloft by the strength in her toes and arms, creating a beautiful, stacked silhouette.
A reverse version of this… The thought flickered through Kasumigaoka Touji's mind with undeniable appeal. I think I've got the gist.
As the video seamlessly transitioned, the second pose appeared: a complex variation combining a leg raise with the cobra. With fingers interlaced for connection, the man lay on his back, using the soles of his feet to support the woman's abdomen, suspending her parallel to the floor. The woman, held aloft, performed a modified cobra, keeping her body in a straight, elegant line.
If I were to suddenly pull my feet away… Another mischievous, entirely impractical thought surfaced. Another fascinating yet useless skill acquired!
The third pose was a stunning combination of 'Downward-Facing Dog' and 'Wheel Pose.' The man formed the classic inverted 'V' of the dog pose, hands and feet on the ground, hips pushed high. The woman then reclined back onto the slope of his body, bending her knees and using the strength of her palms and the soles of her feet to lift her torso and head, arching her back into a perfect wheel, her body forming a bridge against his.
They watched all eight poses in one captivated sitting. Some looked simple and intimate, others like feats of acrobatic trust and strength. Kasumigaoka Touji had to admit, they looked… intriguing.
"They seem alright," he conceded, a new kind of interest lighting his eyes.
"Shall we, then?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked, her own excitement barely contained.
Starting with the first pose, they began their challenge. They attempted the 'textbook' version first, laughing at their initial clumsiness and failed balance. Then, inevitably, they began to improvise, incorporating 'their own unique characteristics' as a pair—a shifted hand here for better stability, a shared glance that turned into giggles, a playful test of balance that ended in a soft, tangled heap on the mat.
It was awkward, silly, and required a degree of physical trust and proximity that was… electrifying. And somehow, against all odds, it was an incredible amount of fun. The quiet living room, far from the noise of the internet, was filled with their shared laughter, whispered instructions, and the silent, joyful language of two people perfectly in sync, exploring a new frontier of playful intimacy together.