Watching Hayashi Maki clamp a hand over Mashiro's mouth, Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't help curling her lip and muttering under her breath.
"Pervert."
Hayashi Maki let go of Mashiro's lips, shifted his arm, and pulled Yukino's slender waist into his arms.
"Pervert, fine, I'm a pervert. You're still mine."
He announced his ownership of Yukinoshita Heiress with shameless confidence.
Yukino's cheeks flushed, but she didn't struggle.
She was just making her usual snarky comment, snapping back at him out of habit.
In truth, she'd long since gotten used to his personality.
Just thinking about how this jerk had once clung to her every day in school, kissing her at every opportunity, made her feel embarrassed all over again.
Seeing how shy she looked, Hayashi Maki swallowed.
She was wearing his shirt today; from his angle he could clearly see the faint pale curve and hint of cleavage where the collar gaped.
His wife Yukino had grown very impressively under his "care."
Sensing his wandering gaze, Yukino shot him a glare.
"What are you staring at? Don't interrupt my show. Whatever you're thinking, wait until I'm done watching."
Hayashi Maki chuckled, tightened the arm around her waist, and said,
"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you."
Yukino arched a brow, looking satisfied.
She leaned against him and went back to watching TV.
Mashiro, however, was not being so well-behaved.
The adorable, airheaded blonde poked his Adam's apple with one finger, over and over.
Hayashi Maki was speechless.
Did this girl have any idea how provocative that was for a guy?
Both his hands were currently occupied, one around Yukino and one around Mahiru's waist, which meant he couldn't even free one to rein in his mischievous pet.
While his thoughts were drifting into dangerous territory, Mashiro leaned in and parted her pink lips slightly, blowing a warm breath on his neck.
Hayashi Maki's whole body shivered, annoyance and heat spiking at once.
He glared down at her. "If you keep messing around, I'll bite you."
Mashiro stared up at him, blank-eyed, frowning slightly at the mention of biting.
Then, very calmly, she leaned in again—
And gave his neck a tiny bite.
"Bite you."
If he wanted to bite Mashiro, then Mashiro would bite him first.
The tiny, teasing act made Hayashi Maki's temper flare even more.
He really couldn't hold back.
He bent down and captured her lips.
Mashiro didn't resist at all; she slid her pale arms up around his neck and answered his kiss with gentle enthusiasm.
With such a ridiculously cute girl actively clinging to him, Hayashi Maki had no intention of wasting the chance.
He scooped her up and headed straight back to his room to begin "today's lesson."
By the time Yukino finished her TV show, she suddenly felt her body float up as someone's magic pulled her into the room as well.
…
The night passed without further commentary.
Before anyone realized, it was already the next day.
Because everyone had "exercised" a bit too hard, Mahiru, for once, did not get up early.
So Hayashi Maki let his little angel keep sleeping under the covers and got up himself to make breakfast.
He couldn't quite rival Mahiru's almost-glowing level of cooking, but his skills were still solid.
Once Hayashi Maki left the room, Mashiro rolled over into Mahiru's arms, using her as a hug pillow and instinctively nuzzling against her chest.
Mahiru didn't bother to open her eyes; she just shifted around under the covers until she found a comfortable position, wrapped her arms around Mashiro, and went right back to sleep.
Yukino was also curled up next to Mahiru, sleeping deeply.
Thanks to their "study sessions," the three of them had grown even closer, which only made the household that much more harmonious.
A little while later, Yukino and Mahiru opened their eyes at almost the same time.
Their gazes met, both girls' faces flushing pink—then they couldn't help laughing together.
"Yukino was really bold last night," Mahiru teased with a smile.
Yukino shot her a look. "I learned it from you… Besides… that bastard looked very pleased with himself…"
Mahiru just laughed and didn't bother denying it.
"Anyway, time to get up. I'm sure Mu-kun's already made breakfast. It's rare he's the one cooking—I have to taste it properly. It's just… my plan to turn him into a useless kept man seems more and more out of reach."
What kind of "deadbeat" boyfriend gets up early to make food for his girlfriends?
This guy was really making things difficult for her.
Yukino shook her head with a smile. "If he ever actually turned into a useless bum, there's no way he would've gotten us."
What girl doesn't want a man who can shoulder responsibility?
At least in Yukino's mind, she much preferred a reliable Hayashi Maki who made her feel safe.
The two girls got up quickly and in perfect sync dragged Mashiro out of bed as well.
Yukino was now very comfortable around Mashiro; after washing up, she naturally helped Mashiro wash her face and brush her teeth too.
And of course, if she put cat ears on Mashiro's head, Yukino got even more into it.
Yukino had zero resistance to cats.
After eating the breakfast Hayashi Maki had made, it was time to head off to school.
At the gate, Yukino and Hayashi Maki split up to go to their respective classes.
Back in his own homeroom, Hayashi Maki was all bright-eyed and refreshed.
Good things really do put you in a great mood.
Anyone who'd spent a whole night "studying" with such beautiful girlfriends would probably be glowing like that—provided they had the stamina for it.
If not, they wouldn't be glowing—they'd be staggering.
With exams over, the class had returned to its usual noisy state.
Bored, Hayashi Maki reached out and idly played with the hair of the girl in front of him.
Katou Megumi turned around, gave him a blank look, and puffed her cheeks ever so slightly.
This guy always liked to reach out from behind and mess with her.
But she didn't really mind.
During the long break, Hayashi Maki, wearing his usual wicked grin, pulled Nibutani Shinka.
He put his hands on either side of her in a classic kabe-don and pinned her in place.
Shinka's cheeks flushed, her expression a mix of shyness and resignation.
"Hehe, Mori-sama, are you ready to become a magical girl yet?"
Hayashi Maki coaxed, leaning closer.
Shinka rolled her eyes and looped her white arms around his neck.
Refusal was out of the question.
Not only had he once saved her life, but she genuinely wanted to become a magical girl.
As a former hardcore chuunibyou patient, Shinka had absolutely zero resistance to the idea of having real, mysterious powers.
And with how shamelessly persistent he'd been—and the fact that she'd long since carved out a place for him in her heart—she simply couldn't push him away.
Naturally, their lips met and pressed together, sharing feelings without a single extra word.