"What if you just ate a little less, Itsuki?" Ichika suggested out of the blue.
Itsuki's mental fortess crumbled instantly.
"No! I'd die!" She cried, waving her hands frantically and shaking her head in desperate refusal.
Nino planted her hands on her hips. "Then what are we supposed to do? If you don't cut back, the four of us are going to starve right along with you."
Itsuki finally wilted. "Fine... from now on, I'll eat less. Just a little bit."
She pinched her thumb and forefinger together to show a tiny gap—though for Itsuki, "a little bit" was roughly the size of a fingernail.
Nino let out a dry, exasperated laugh, but she began thinking hard about how to keep Itsuki fed. Despite her sharp tongue, her anger was just a flash in the pan; she would never actually let her sister go hungry. But if they weren't allowed to work, how were they supposed to support Itsuki's appetite?
Miku, who had been silent until then, suddenly looked up with a glimmer in her eyes. Whether intentional or not, she reminded the others: "We could go to the Student Council... ask Ryunosuke for help. If it's him, he might be able to find jobs for all five of us within the school."
Every eye in the room snapped toward Miku. Yotsuba's face lit up in agreement, but they had momentarily forgotten that Nino harbored a very intense personal grudge against Ryunosuke.
Nino immediately crossed her arms. Propping a long leg clad in a white silkhose up on a chair, she said haughtily, "You want to beg that bastard? In your dreams! I absolutely refuse!"
"Hmph!"
She turned her head away, granting no quarter.
Yotsuba, who had been buzzing with excitement, deflated instantly; the green ribbon on her head drooped sadly. Her moods were always so easy to read.
Just then, Ichika chimed in, "But you can't exactly let Itsuki starve, can you?"
That single sentence shattered the last of Nino's defenses. She finally caved. The eldest sister knew exactly where to strike; Nino loved her siblings too much, making her easy prey for Ichika's manipulation.
Ichika shot a quick wink at Yotsuba.
As sisters who had been together for years, Yotsuba caught the signal instantly: Big sis can only help you this far~
The previously moping Yotsuba sprang back to life, thrusting her hand high into the air. "Yes, yes, yes! I totally agree with Ichika's idea!"
Nino glared at her, knowing exactly what was going through Yotsuba's head, and could only let out a resigned sigh.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
The five of them headed to the Student Council office to confront Ryunosuke. Nino slammed her hand on the desk in front of the "bastard" and said without preamble, "Find us some work."
Ryunosuke propped his chin on the back of his hand, looking bewildered. "Is this how people act when they're asking for a favor?"
"Hmph!" Nino couldn't care less. She crossed her arms and leaned back against his desk, her back to him. "None of your business. Are you helping or not?"
Ryunosuke sighed. "One job, or five?"
Nino replied, "Five." With a heavy heart, Ryunosuke began scanning the documents for available openings.
Why was he helping them? Quite simply, he felt guilty for neglecting their old promise and wanted to make amends.
Nino knew this, but she refused to acknowledge it.
(Nice try! You think you can just leave us behind and expect us to forgive you this easily? Not a chance.)
Once Ryunosuke found part-time positions for all five of them, he took the Student Council seal, gave it a quick puff of breath, and pressed it firmly onto the documents.
It was the official stamp of approval. In this school, students were forbidden from working without Council permission to ensure it didn't interfere with their studies.
Nino snatched the papers without a word of thanks and moved to lead her sisters out. This triggered Suzune's temper.
Suzune narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Leaving just like that? You didn't even say thank you. You really have no manners." She remarked sharply, clearly unwilling to let her man be treated so dismissively.
Nino's footsteps stopped. She turned back, annoyed. "What's it to you?! Stay out of it!"
Suzune puffed out her chest defiantly. "Of course it's my business. He's my man."
The room fell deathly silent.
Hachiman and Asuna opted to become "transparent humans" again, not daring to make a sound.
Nino was so shocked her jaw dropped. Finally, with a wounded expression, she turned her fury back on Ryunosuke. She glared at him, hissed the word "Bastard!" twice, and stormed out with her sisters in tow.
*SLAM!*
The door was kicked shut so hard it nearly cracked.
Ryunosuke could only sit there in defeat. Suzune was watching him with a hawk-like gaze, so he didn't dare chase after the Nakano sisters. To make matters worse, Kushida was smiling sweetly while massaging his shoulders—though in reality, it was a tactile warning for him to stay put. Then there was Hiyori, who was pretending to read a book but was clearly ready to sulk if he so much as twitched toward the door.
Ryunosuke was trapped. Logically, five people were more than three, so he should have chased them. But the context was different: the three were officially his girlfriends, while the five were "exes" with an uncertain future. Which to prioritize? Obviously, the sure thing. So, he didn't give chase... or rather, he didn't dare to.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Once the Student Council's working hours ended, Kushida immediately linked her arm with Ryunosuke's to head back to the dorms together. However, Suzune, who made a habit of cooking for Ryunosuke, wasn't about to back down and promptly shouldered Kushida aside.
An annoyed Kushida shouldered her right back. The two of them walked ahead, trading elbows and ignoring Ryunosuke, who trailed behind. Whenever Ryunosuke tried to slip away, both of them would snag his collar and yank him back.
The walk was silent. Their relationship had never truly been harmonious. Once they reached the dorms, Kushida and Suzune began fighting over the right to cook. Inevitably, a "battle" erupted in the kitchen—the rhythmic clatter of knives and the sizzle of pans filling the air. It wasn't a physical brawl, but a high-stakes culinary duel to see whose cooking could best captivate Ryunosuke's palate.
Ryunosuke sat on the tatami, clutching his tea cup with both hands. He didn't dare utter a syllable. Before long, the meal was ready. Both of them thrust a plate in front of him and demanded to know which was better.
Ryunosuke knew this was a lethal trap. Choosing one meant death at the hands of the other. So, he gave the only answer he could: "They're both delicious."
The result was fatal. Both of them immediately snatched their plates back, leaving him to starve.
Ryunosuke: "😐"
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