"Hi, Renji!" She lit up once she heard his voice. "Uhm, I hope I'm not too early," she said stepping inside after Reina welcomed her.

"No. No. You're right on time actually."

She was too early by the way.

"Oh! Great!" Her voice was bubbly, but she took in the apartment with quick, adjusting glances: the cluttered shelves, the faint aroma of breakfast lingering, the overall humility of the space.

"Wow, this really is my first time in a normal apartment. Thanks for having me over."

Renji stood, waving her in with a casual grin. "Such a spoiled girl. Come on, the canvas is this way."

Hitomi giggled and followed him.

Reina stood there, blinking, her cheeks red. 'Is she? Is she the young girl that will take him away from me? Is she his… girlfriend?'

He led her to his bedroom. Reina hovered in the doorway, her expression neutral but eyes narrowing slightly.

She tried her best to hide her jealousy, to hide her curiosity but it was difficult. All she kept doing was sizing up the younger girl and she could easily see the difference in their bodies.

Her breasts were perkier, her ass was firmer, she had an hourglass figure, slender, youthful and extremely pretty. She was the perfect girl for someone like Renji.

Certainly this was his girlfriend.

To hide her jealousy, she quickly busied herself clearing the tray, but her ears perked for clues.

Hitomi set her bag down, peering at the setup with enthusiasm. "Okay, show me this final sketch! I've been dying to see what you settled on."

Renji pulled out his sketchbook from the table, flipping to the marked page with a flourish.

"Here it is!"

It was a drawing he labelled - A Samurai Lost In Time.

The drawing was a haunting, evocative composition that pointed to Japan's technological advancement through a surreal, emotional lens—a lone samurai lost in time.

His figure was rendered in stark, shadowy inks against a swirling backdrop of temporal distortion.

The warrior knelt on one knee, head bowed low in a pose of humbled reverence, his traditional armor cracked and frayed as if eroded by invisible forces.

Before him erupted a massive explosion, one that was clearly caused by machinery. Out of this explosion were gears, circuits, and shattered robotic limbs symbolizing the violent birth of innovation from the ashes of tradition.

Technological "stuffs" flew from the core: fragmented smartphones morphing into ethereal data streams, bullet train shards twisting into holographic code, all scattering like shrapnel across the canvas.

Renji's aim was to evoke the inexorable march of progress: tradition kneeling before the machine's relentless surge, a poignant "feeling" of evolution's thrill and loss, where the past submits to the future's explosive ascent.

It was only a rough sketch, but the painting was going to be even better.

Hitomi's eyes widened, her hands clasping together as she leaned in. "Oh my god, Renji. This… this is incredible!"

He looked down at the sketch. "It is?"

"Of course!" She exclaimed. "The samurai lost in time, kneeling before that mechanical explosion? Genius! It points to how tech has exploded into our lives, overwhelming tradition but in this emotional, reverent way."

"This is genius. Many of the contestants are going to focus on technology in a positive way, but you're pointing to how eruptive and even destructive it was to tradition, forcing it to adapt. Like they did to the samurai when guns came to Japan."

Renji smiled. Mrs Haruka thought then that he wasn't listening to her about Meiji Feuds and the war against guns in Japan, but he was. Especially after their first private "tutoring."

"I'm glad you like it," he said to Hitomi.

"Like it? I love it! The judges are gonna feel that pull of advancement. You're definitely winning with that! I can say that for sure!"

Renji chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck modestly. "Thanks a lot, Hito."

She smiled softly at him, sitting back. "You're… welcome."

They gazed at each other for a while, the silence thrumming with sexual tension. Then Renji cleared his throat. "Better start…"

"Oh, yeah." Hitomi adjusted her bag.

He picked up a pencil, starting the early stages: light outlines on the canvas, sketching the tree's trunk with broad, confident strokes.

Hitomi pulled up a stool, watching intently. As he painted, she tried to keep him entertained while watching him do his thing, leaving her astonished.

They bantered back and forth—sharing favorite artists (her: Studio Ghibli influences; him: street muralists like Banksy), joking about school drama, the time stretching into a fun, relaxed afternoon.

Laughter filled the room more than air.

Reina, meanwhile, felt a pang of jealousy twist in her gut. Watching from the kitchen as she prepared snacks, she kept wondering if this bubbly girl was Renji's girlfriend, someone younger and vibrant to replace her.

Would he leave her soon, discard his milf toy for fresh excitement?

She eavesdropped on their chatter consistently, and when she came to give them the snacks, Renji introduced them properly. "Reina's my mom's friend. She comes by to help out sometimes. Keeps me from starving."

Hitomi waved cheerfully. "Nice to meet you! Thanks for letting me invade."

Reina forced a smile, serving them a plate of sliced apples, cheese crackers, and tea. "No trouble at all. Enjoy."

But as she retreated, her mind continued to race. "I'm too old for him. I knew this day would come eventually," she thought, a wave of insecurity crashing over her programmed devotion.

As evening approached, the canvas bore the faint skeleton of the masterpiece. Nothing crazy just firm outlines, and the colors merely beginning to dab on.

When Renji told her he was done for the day, Hitomi stood, stretching with a satisfied sigh. "This was awesome, Renji. I had so much fun."

"I did too," Renji said, wiping paint from his hands.

Hitomi gazed at him for a while. She had hoped he'd be the one to ask, but since it was what she wanted, she knew it was best for her to say it rather than wait on him.

"We should hang out more at school tomorrow? Maybe grab lunch together again and maybe come up with ways to sabotage the other contestants?"

Renji chuckled, lowering his face to hide the laugh. "Yeah, sounds good. We can hang around tomorrow, Hito."

She beamed, her body thrumming with joy. "Great!" Then, she slung her bag over her shoulder. "Good bye, Mrs Reina. Thank you again!"

With a final wave, she slipped out, the door clicking shut behind her.

Renji leaned on the door, surveying his housemilf with a grin. The day had been unexpectedly fun—no schemes, just creation and company.

But as Reina approached, he could see that the Hitomi part of the day wasn't very fun of her.

He walked to her and pulled her close. "Don't look so tense. Hitomi's not my girlfriend if that's what you're worried about. She's just a partner for this art thing."

Reina shyly looked away. "Okay, Master. I'm sorry for acting that way."

Renji chuckled. "It's fine. Just don't get too jealous so I don't feel stressed, okay?"

She nodded.

Satisfied, Renji headed to his laptop, opening it up to do some homework. As he sat, he saw a notification on his email.

"Intern Application for Vanguard Global Industries: You have been selected."

Renji shot a brow up.

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