First of all, thank you so much for your work, this was a short wait.
Second: Uta, my poor girl, when someone is going to teach her what is really to love somebody in a healthy way, I’m tired of seen her being hurt.
1. Uta moves on (maybe finds news love) and Kaoru and Reichii relationship improves by Kaoru being honest and whatever and Reichii opening up too
2. Reichii did cheat or is still in love with his ex OR maybe just plainly doesn’t love Kaoru as a husband should; so they drift apart (yeah I know, slow process) and Kaoru falls for Uta (and get together by the time Uta is more of an adult)
Tbh I see 1 actually happening but I’m hoping for 2
Reiichi never loved Kaoru, he was obvious from some time that he marry her out of pity. I don't know what you want out of Kaoru, it's already a big step that she cal Utah on her own will.
Ok, just gonne exprim myself better. First, we know for some time that Reiichi didn't really love Kaoru but more like feel guilty after Kaoru's mom death and marry her out of pity more than out of love. He marry her so she can have a sister in Uta. I really think Kaoru just need to realise that. I don't forsee a Kaoru/Reiichi ending because it's obvious their marriage is based on pity. For the Uta/Kaoru ending, that also depend on Kaoru. Uta already state that she still love Kaoru so it's up to her to know if she want more out of Uta than just emotional support.
Contrary to your opinion I think that on the contrary this meeting between them is not negative... already wait to see their discussion the next morning and when uta will have to go back home and kaoru's reaction.
We can still see kaoru's dependence on uta and it seems to me in the medium term irreversible, kaoru needs uta!
This will be even more accentuated when uta will have to go back to her parents, kaoru will realize that she risks losing uta if she stays so far away, and so she will take the courage to talk definitively at reichi about the future of their relationship.
From this discussion there is a good chance that both of them will understand that they don't really love each other and reicchi will confess that he felt a little pity for kaoru. From uta , will change the perspective of kaoru married to kaoru divorced ^^
The worst case would be that in the end reicchi is not cheated and that he wants to make the effort to be more attentive to kaoru but I frankly doubt it.