(AN: Join my Patreon to get early access to chapters and monthly illustrations, link in my profile.)
I knocked on Nino's door.
Just like Ichika, there was no response.
"I'm coming in."
I announced my entry before opening the door and switching on the light.
Click.
Nino's room was exactly as clean and feminine as I remembered.
Inside, Nino was sprawled across her bed, surrounded by a couple of plushies. Her pajamas had ridden up slightly as she slept, revealing a small portion of her midriff.
She was completely unaware of her surroundings, peacefully drooling as she slept.
If Ichika had simply been too lazy to respond to my knocking, Nino was simply a deep sleeper.
A very deep sleeper.
I stared at her for a moment.
Then an idea suddenly crossed my mind.
A mischievous smile slowly crept onto my face.
I glanced around her room.
There.
I spotted exactly what I was looking for.
An impulse took over.
I reached for it and quietly approached the sleeping Nino.
I nervously took a step back and looked over my handiwork, silently marveling at what I had done.
Then I quickly composed myself.
Right. Act normal.
Touching her while she was asleep would be rude, wouldn't it?
Besides, I wasn't about to risk provoking this girl any further.
I cleared my throat.
"Wake up!"
I wasn't exactly shouting at the top of my lungs, but it did the job.
Nino's eyes snapped open.
She blinked several times in rapid succession, her mouth slightly open as she stared at me, a tiny trail of drool still visible at the corner of her lips.
Right now she looked completely goofy.
Nothing like the elegant, sharp-tongued Nino I was used to.
Her sleepy gaze settled on me, but she clearly hadn't recognized me yet.
Then, as though some instinct had taken over—
Whoosh!
Her hand swung toward me in self-defense.
I had already anticipated it.
Now I have two options, and I wasn't about to take the hit.
I leaned backward just in time, narrowly avoiding her hand.
But the sudden movement caused Nino to lose her balance.
"Whoa—!"
She tipped forward, and I immediately reached out to catch her before she could fall off the bed.
"Easy there, lady."
I whispered softly, holding her steady.
"N-No… we can't… This is wrong…"
Nino muttered a few broken words that went completely over my head.
I stared at her in confusion.
"Are you still dreaming or something?"
That seemed to snap her back to reality.
Her eyes widened.
She immediately pushed me away and stared at me suspiciously.
"What are you doing in my room?"
I sighed.
"Sorry. I let myself in since you weren't answering. I just came to wake you up so you wouldn't be late for school. You know we have our exam today, right?"
Nino seemed to process my words for a moment before the situation finally clicked.
"I see…"
She muttered weakly, but it seemed she understood.
"That's right. Also, I'm sorry for using your kitchen without permission. I made some simple breakfast, so come downstairs when you're ready."
I turned toward the door.
"I'm going to wake the other two now."
I reached for the doorknob without looking back.
Behind me, Nino remained sitting on her bed, silently staring at my back.
A faint blush colored her cheeks.
Next was Miku.
I knocked loudly on her door.
"Miku, are you up?"
For the first time that morning, I actually received a response from the other side.
"Ren…? Is that you?"
Her voice was slow and drowsy, the unmistakable tone of someone who had only just woken up.
"Yeah. I came to wake you up for breakfast."
I answered, though I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
She was already awake.
Which meant I no longer had any reason to go inside.
I just wanted to see her sleeping face.
But…
Did I really need a reason?
"Um… can I come inside for a moment?"
At the very least, let me see her in her pajamas.
"W-Wait! Don't come inside right now!"
The moment I asked, I heard hurried movements from inside.
There was something frantic about her voice.
Rustle! Rustle!
Then—
CRASH!
"Ahh!"
My heart jumped.
Without thinking, I immediately opened the door.
"I'm coming in!"
I swear, I was only worried about her.
And as it turned out, my concern wasn't misplaced.
Miku had apparently stumbled on her own feet and fallen.
I guess not everyone is capable of moving properly first thing in the morning.
I hurried to her side and crouched down.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-Yes…"
She sounded embarrassed.
Now I understood why she hadn't wanted me to come inside.
Her appearance was far from presentable. Her hair was messy from sleep, and her pajamas were loose, with one or two buttons undone from all the hurried movement.
And you know what? I found it kinda alluring.
Before Miku had never been particularly conscious of her appearance.
But lately…
It seemed that was starting to change.
With embarrassment written all over her face, Miku placed one hand on my shoulder for support and deliberately looked away, avoiding my gaze.
Meanwhile, from where I was crouching, my eyes wandered for just a moment around her collarbone... Sigh.. Who am i fooling? I was looking inside her cleavage.
Gulp.
I quickly looked away.
Calm down.
The last thing I needed was another nosebleed, first thing in the morning no less.
I lightly shook my head and forced myself to focus.
"I told you not to come in, so why did you still enter?" Miku asked with a small, angry pout.
Her words sounded irritated, while her arms were gradually wrapping around my neck.
Of course… They were only there for support.
Just support... Yeah.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to see you in your pajamas at first, but when you fell, I got worried."
I explained myself honestly.
Miku looked directly into my eyes.
Her arms, still wrapped around my neck, tightened ever so slightly.
"S-So… what do you think?"
Her face had turned as red as an apple in early winter.
I held her gaze without looking away.
The hand supporting her back grew bold, shifting slightly to her side, while my other hand joined the other side, gently holding her in place.
"Nnng…"
Miku briefly closed her eyes, her body squirming slightly at the unexpected touch.
Perhaps she was ticklish.
"Absolutely stunning."
The words escaped me almost absentmindedly, my eyes lingering on her with genuine admiration.
From the air between us, I had expected something more to happen.
Instead, Miku suddenly pulled away and stood up, quickly fixing her clothes.
"Alright, you can leave first. I'll follow right after."
Before I could say anything, she gently pushed me out of her room.
Click.
The door closed behind me.
I scratched my head in confusion.
I always claim to understood the five of them pretty well, but every now and then, they still managed to leave me completely clueless.
I guess no one could truly understand a girl's heart.
Meanwhile, inside her room, Miku sat down on the edge of her bed and covered her flushed cheeks with both hands.
She always felt happy whenever Ren called her beautiful.
But that wasn't the only reason her face was burning.
She could still feel the warmth of his hands against her side.
The moment his hand had moved over her pajamas, she had felt a small tickle.
But more than that…
A strange sensation, close to electricity had coursed through her entire body.
"What's wrong with me…?"
She whispered shyly, hiding her face behind her hands.
Just now, judging by where things had been heading, something more might have happened if she hadn't stopped him.
It wasn't as though she hated the thought.
Miku knew Ren is a guy, and he had always been transparent about his feelings and desires.
But everything had its proper time.
Her heart simply wasn't ready yet.
And, more importantly…
"I haven't brushed yet…"
She murmured, her face turning even redder.
Meanwhile, Nino made her way downstairs, where Itsuki was already waiting.
The moment Itsuki looked at her, a laugh escaped her lips.
Pfft.
Then another.
Soon, she was giggling softly, unable to contain herself.
Nino stared at her in confusion.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Y-You… your… face…"
Itsuki struggled to get the words out between laughs, one hand clutching her stomach.
Still clueless, Nino quickly headed toward the bathroom.
Ichika was already there, brushing her teeth.
Nino lightly pushed her aside and immediately took the spot in front of the sink.
"Hey!"
Ichika complained about being shoved, but the moment she caught sight of Nino's reflection in the mirror, her expression froze.
Then—
Pfft…
She burst out laughing too.
Nino's eye twitched.
She stared at her reflection in disbelief.
A ridiculous, swirling French mustache had been drawn across her upper lip with a black marker, turning her normally beautiful face into something straight out of a comedy sketch.
"…"
For a moment, Nino simply stood there, trembling with rage.
Then she understood.
That dog.
So that's what he was doing in my room…
"He'll pay for this!"
She declared through gritted teeth.
It wasn't as though she was genuinely furious or hurt.
She was simply pissed that he'd pulled such a childish prank on her.
Still…
She'd make sure to return the favor someday.
And when she did, she'd return it with nterest.
The man in question was now standing inside Yotsuba's room.
I stood there with one hand pressed against my forehead, staring at the peculiar sight before me.
Yotsuba's upper half was sprawled across the floor while her legs were still resting on the bed.
Her terrible sleeping habits were on full display.
To make matters worse, gravity had pulled her pajama top down due to her upside-down position, revealing her lightly toned stomach.
I paused for a moment.
Is this really okay?
Deciding not to overthink it, I crouched down and carefully scooped her up in a princess carry.
Then I placed her back onto the bed.
Yotsuba might have been a terrible sleeper, but unlike Nino, she wasn't a deep sleeper.
The movement was enough to wake her.
She opened her eyes and flinched, only to find my face surprisingly close to hers.
It was practically a miniature jump scare.
"What are you doing?"
Her voice was softer than her usual cheerful tone, and there was a faint redness across her cheeks.
"You were sleeping on the floor, so I picked you up and put you back on the bed."
I explained matter-of-factly, trying not to make the situation awkward than it already is.
"I see…"
Yotsuba accepted my explanation without much doubt
She knew her own sleeping habits well enough.
But that wasn't the only thing she had been asking.
"Did you come to wake me up?"
She reached the conclusion herself.
Yotsuba could be incredibly clueless and childish at times, but she wasn't an idiot.
At least, not when it came to things that didn't involve romance.
I nodded.
"That's right. It's already morning. Everyone else is up, and you're the last one."
Yotsuba gave me an awkward smile.
"Alright. We don't want to be late for school."
I smiled back.
That's the spirit.
There was just one problem.
I couldn't exactly move.
"Um…"
I glanced downward.
"Can you let go of me now?"
Yotsuba was still holding onto the front of my T-shirt.
Perhaps she'd grabbed it unconsciously when i lift her up.
"A-Ah, sorry."
Yotsuba quickly apologized and let go of my shirt.
Finally, I could stand up straight again.
"Come downstairs when you're ready, but don't be late."
I gave her a smile, just enough to show a hint of my teeth, before reaching for the doorknob.
"Wait!"
Her voice stopped me.
I glanced back.
Yotsuba looked as though she wanted to ask me something, but she hesitated.
"A-Are you…"
She trailed off.
For a moment, she seemed to struggle with whether she should actually say what was on her mind.
Then—
"Never mind."
She decided against it.
I stared at her for a second before turning back toward the door.
I had no idea what she had been about to ask, and I wasn't going to pry.
It would be a lie to say it hadn't sparked a little curiosity in me, though.
Still…
Whatever it was, I could wait.
If it was something important, I'm sure she'd tell me eventually.
Back at the dining table, everyone was finally present.
I moved around the table, serving each of them breakfast.
It wasn't anything particularly impressive—toast with butter, milk, and sunny-side-up eggs.
That was about the extent of my culinary abilities.
I wasn't proficient enough to prepare a proper Japanese breakfast, so I decided to stick with what I knew.
"You really didn't have to do this," Miku said.
"Don't worry. I just wanted to do something for you guys."
"How sweet of you."
Ichika giggled lightly as she looked over the breakfast.
"They look so good!"
Yotsuba's eyes sparkled as she looked at my rather below-ordinay cooking.
"Thanks for the food."
Itsuki simply but sincerely appreciated the gesture before turning her attention to the meal.
Meanwhile…
Nino was staring at me.
No, just staring.
Glare....
Her eyes were narrowed dangerously, and I had a pretty good idea why.
She was still pissed about my little prank.
"Thanks for the food."
She spoke flatly, maintaining the same narrow-eyed glare.
I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her head.
Was she imagining beating me up?
Or perhaps plotting some other form of revenge?
Honestly…I couldn't tell for sure.
Once breakfast was over, everyone returned to their rooms to change into their school uniforms.
I headed to the bathroom as well.
The weather had already started getting warmer, so I decided to ditch my blazer and wear only the white shirt underneath, rolling the sleeves up to my elbows for what I hoped was a neat and somewhat stylish look.
Sigh…
What do I know about fashion?
Once everyone was ready, we left the penthouse with plenty of time to spare.
We made our way toward school at a calm, steady pace.
Even though we weren't running late, I could tell they were nervous.
So, I did my best to lighten the mood with a few jokes.
Which was happened to involve Nino's mustache.
I knew bringing it up was probably digging my own grave a little deeper, but at least it accomplished its purpose.
Their nervousness gradually faded, replaced by laughter and the anger from Nino.
We even had enough time to stop by a convenience store for some snacks.
That was Itsuki's idea.
Before long, however, we found ourselves sitting inside the exam hall, each of us in our respective classrooms.
I sat down at my desk and stared at the question paper in front of me.
For a moment, my thoughts drifted toward the others.
I couldn't help but worry about them.
But there was no reason to.
I trusted them.
Whether they performed well or not, I would still be proud of them for everything they had put into preparing for this day.
With that thought in mind, I uncapped my pen.
Click.
I took a quiet breath and turned my attention toward my own paper.
.
.
.
.
.
"That was so exhausting!" Nino complained, her voice heavy with fatigue.
"I almost fell asleep multiple times," Ichika added with a strained smile.
"I really prefer using my body rather than my head," Yotsuba groaned, voicing her own complaint.
"Even after all that studying, I still couldn't grasp countless questions," Miku remarked, clearly annoyed by the endless abyss that was education.
"I wonder how I did…" Itsuki muttered, sounding genuinely uncertain about her performance.
Alright… my trust seems to be lacking a little here.
But one thing was for sure—taking five tests in a single day, with barely any breaks in between, could exhaust anyone. Both physically and mentally.
"Ren, how did you do?" Miku suddenly asked.
"Me? Probably better than usual, thanks to you guys."
I replied with a cocky grin. Studying alongside them had actually helped me more than I expected. By teaching them and reviewing the material together, I had ended up studying far more than I would have on my own.
"I shouldn't have asked," Miku immediately regretted her question.
"Ugh! Your face is so annoying," Nino groaned, glaring at me. I could practically feel the urge to punch my face radiating from her.
I laughed.
"Are you guys getting disheartened already? Why? You did everything you could with the limited time you had. So, just wait for the results."
"Ren is right. I believe these results will be our best record yet," Itsuki added, backing me up and encouraging the others.
"Well said, Itsuki!" I praised her. "I saw how much effort you guys put in, and I refuse to let all that effort go unrewarded. So…"
I suddenly raised my fist into the air.
"Let's go to a yakiniku restaurant! It's meat time!"
"Let's go!"
Yotsuba immediately mimicked my enthusiasm, raising her own fist with a bright smile.
"Good idea. I was feeling really hungry anyway. And what could possibly be better than yakiniku?"
Ichika and the others were already completely on board with the idea.
As we started walking, I placed a hand on Itsuki's shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up paired with a wink.
"You get a parfait for dessert."
I knew how much she loved both meat and parfaits. This was my little way of rewarding her for refusing to give up on her dream, even when she had hit a wall and had to keep fighting through it alone.
Of course, the others had no idea what I was thinking.
"Ehh? Why is that?"
"Is this favoritism I'm seeing?"
"But I'm your girlfriend, though?"
I sighed.
"Alright, everyone gets one."
Well, I was always willing to give in if it made them happy.
"But I get a large serving, right?"
Itsuki suddenly made a bold request.
I blinked.
I wasn't sure whether she understood my intentions or had simply become more comfortable around me. Either way, the others knew they couldn't finish a large parfait, so nobody complained.
"Since you're treating us, I'll be sure not to hold back," Nino remarked with a mischievous grin.
That was the face of someone who wanted to bankrupt me.
I sighed.
Throughout heaven and earth, my wallet shall be the empty one.