"Um… it's kind of hard to explain all at once…"
Hayakawa Shiro looked straight at Furuhashi Fumino and spoke softly."But… would you and Ogata be willing to stay at my place for a few days?"
"…"
Furuhashi blinked at him.
What kind of serious nonsense is this guy suddenly spouting?!
After a short silence, she forced a sweet smile."Eh? What do you mean by that? I don't really get it."
It's him. This guy right here.
He told me that kind of thing at lunch… and now, just a few hours later, he's inviting me to live with him?!
And—wait a second—did I hear that right? He said "you and Ogata"…
S? As in… plural?!
The more she thought about it, the gentler her smile became.
Ah, I see, I see. So those words earlier today weren't a confession at all—they were just an invitation to join his harem, huh? Hahaha… well played.
Who would've thought… a shameless two-timing scumbag would appear right in front of me.
The "literature girl's" eyes gradually lost focus, filling with an ominous void, as though some kind of dark matter was leaking out from her soul.
A cosmic-level corruption… utterly terrifying.
"Fumino,"
Ogata Rizu tilted her head slightly, giving Furuhashi a puzzled look."I've already agreed. It's just up to you now."
"Huh???"
Furuhashi's brain was yanked back from the cold depths of the cosmos. She stared at Rizu, eyes wide."Rizu-chan, what did you just say?"
Rizu-chan actually agreed?! No way… has she already been tainted by Hayakawa the Filth?No! My pure, innocent Rizu-chan!
This is all your fault!
Furuhashi shot Shiro a glare sharp enough to kill.
"Uh…"
Shiro looked bewildered. "Why are you giving me that look? I'm being serious here—I just wanted to discuss it with you."
Discuss it?! This is the kind of thing you 'discuss'?!
"That's right, Fumino," Rizu chimed in, calm as ever. "You should think it over carefully."
Don't you start encouraging me too!
"Wait… my brain's kind of scrambled."
Furuhashi slumped onto the desk, sounding half-dead."Give me a minute to sort things out."
"Yeah… it's definitely troublesome," Shiro admitted with a nod."Between heavier study loads and my family situation, it's only natural you'd need to think carefully."
"…Study?"
Furuhashi raised her head, dazed. "What do you mean by that?"
"Eh? You didn't hear what we were just talking about?"
"No…"
Her cheeks flushed faintly. "I was… focusing on studying just now."
(A blatant lie. In reality, my head was completely filled with romance nonsense. Sorry!)
"Ah, I see. My bad—I thought you heard."
Scratching his head, Shiro grew serious again."Furuhashi… the truth is, my position as your tutor is in danger."
…
He explained what Kirisu-sensei had told him that morning: if both girls didn't pass the next monthly exams, his role as their study coach would be revoked.
"That's awful!"
Furuhashi's face darkened."That teacher hasn't changed one bit… still as strict and heartless as ever."
"Exactly," Shiro said with a solemn nod."To be blunt, looking at your current progress, there's no way you'll both pass by the next exam. You two know your own level better than anyone—so you know I'm not exaggerating."
At that, both Fumino and Rizu looked away, their eyes shifty. Clearly, they knew he was right.
"If the pace isn't enough, then the only option is to increase the hours. But school and after-school time are already packed."
Shiro's tone was steady."The only time left to add… is at home. That's my plan. If we use those hours well, there's still hope."
Yes—this was his strategy. If study time was lacking, he'd just create more of it.
Originally, he had already resigned himself to failure, even considering transferring to another school to start fresh. But Fumino's "confession" at lunch made him realize his bond with the two of them might be stronger than he'd thought.
Maybe… if he was honest, things could turn around.
So, he explained it to Rizu first.
To his surprise, she agreed almost instantly.
"I couldn't think of any better way," Rizu admitted."Video calls would be troublesome, and studying alone doesn't work for me. Shiro-kun's idea makes the most sense, so of course I don't object."
Shiro's eyes lit up. "And your family won't mind?"
"No problem," she replied calmly. "As long as there's a valid reason, no one at home can stop me."
"That's a relief."
Shiro nodded with satisfaction. Then, he and Rizu both turned to look at Fumino.
Neither of them, from start to finish, had mentioned anything about "a boy and girl living together" or "propriety." It was as if such things had never even crossed their minds.
…
"I'm not trying to force you," Shiro said gently."If you have a better idea, we'll use yours. And if you're uncomfortable, that's fine too—I can still tutor you over video calls, even if it's a hassle."
Video calls… yeah, that would be way too inconvenient. Just sharing one problem would mean snapping dozens of photos back and forth. Totally inefficient.
As for a "better method"…
Fumino thought for a moment, but naturally abandoned the idea.
If she had a way to improve her grades, she wouldn't have gone through so many tutors already.
"Please think it over," Shiro said firmly, locking eyes with her."I promise I'll do everything I can to teach you both. I'll make sure you pass the next exam. Please, believe in me."
Ugh… the problem isn't your teaching effort—I can see that clearly from the mountain of notebooks you've filled for us.
The problem is the… boy-girl aspect of this whole thing!
Her cheeks flushed pink. She peeked at Shiro's eyes, hoping to catch even a trace of lustful intent.
From his words earlier today, inviting her home now could only mean one thing: a hidden, impure motive.
But…
She couldn't find it.
Not a single trace.
Why?! Why does this "hentai" have such pure, innocent eyes? It's infuriating!
Her heart felt like it was about to burst. Because all she could see in those shining eyes… was a thirst for knowledge.
No way. He's definitely hiding something. There has to be at least a tiny bit of ulterior motive! Inviting two girls to live with him—especially one he likes—there's no way he's 100% pure. He must be scheming something perverted. I can see right through you!
"T-this doesn't seem right…"
Fumino awkwardly raised her hand, pressing it to her chest."Wouldn't your parents mind, Shiro-kun? Suddenly having two extra people at home must be a burden, right?"
"Not at all."
Shiro smiled confidently."My parents both work out of town. I live alone."
"…"
Fumino froze.
Not a burden? That's a total OUT. That's basically the death sentence of lines!
"See, Fumino?"
Rizu nodded approvingly."This way our study environment will be even better than the library. Efficiency will skyrocket."
You clueless little robot-loli—shut up!
"I…"
Fumino had run out of excuses. Turning her head away, cheeks blazing, she muttered,"Let me… think about it."
Which, of course, was just a polite way of refusing.
After all, suddenly living with a boy—no matter if Rizu was there or not—was still too much.
"…I see."
Shiro fell quiet, looking slightly lost.
Since Rizu had agreed so easily, he thought Fumino would too. But no—she rejected him. It seemed inevitable now that his role as tutor would be stripped away.
And yet…
He still didn't want to give up.
"Fumino."
Suddenly, Shiro reached out and grabbed her wrist, looking straight into her eyes."Please think carefully… and say yes."
"Eeeek!"
Fumino's heart raced. His hand on her wrist burned like a branding iron.
Say yes? To what?! To living together? Or to dating?! Either way—there's no way I can agree!
"I…"
Shiro hesitated, then lowered his head. His voice softened into a plea."I just… want to keep teaching you."
"I want to stay your tutor…"
(I don't want to be stuck as second place forever.)
"I don't want to give up yet…"
(I want to win against you two! )
"I want to see you get into the universities you dream of."
(Because winning in the end—at the college entrance exams—that's the only victory that counts.)
"Please believe me. I'll bring you happiness."
Lifting his head, Shiro looked at her with earnest eyes."So… please study with me."
"…"
It was classic Hayakawa Shiro—once fired up, his passion overflowed and he spouted embarrassing lines without hesitation. But this time, his words carried a dangerous ambiguity.
It sounded like he was confessing… to both of them at once.
Fumino's face went blank. Forget it… I think I'm getting used to this kind of thing.
Even Rizu seemed to notice.
"…Shiro-kun, that phrasing was a little strange."
But Shiro, oblivious, continued staring at Fumino, waiting for her answer.
She turned her head away in silence.
"Just to be clear," Rizu added from the side, "even if you don't go, Fumino, I will. I really want to pass the next exam."
"…"
What the heck am I supposed to do now?! Let Rizu-chan live alone with him? That's basically sending her into the Demon King's castle with no way back!
Ughhh! Ever since this started, Rizu-chan's been acting like a traitor—always siding with Shiro-kun. Since when did the two of you get so close?!
Damn it!
"…"
Fumino's face turned scarlet. Summoning all the courage in her soul, she whispered in a voice barely audible.
"…You have… a lot of rooms, right?"
"…"
Shiro blinked, then nodded."Yeah. Three bedrooms."
…
Oh no no no no! Did I just… agree?!
Living under the same roof as the boy who likes me?! Calm down—this is basically walking into the tiger's den!
I'm such an idiot… uuuu…
Maybe if I rummage around in my desk drawer, I'll find a time machine—ahhh, but library desks don't even have drawers!
Collapsing onto the table, Fumino pressed her burning cheeks against the cool wooden surface as though it could save her.
Stealing a glance, she saw Shiro tutoring Rizu, both completely focused, their expressions calm. Not a hint of awkwardness despite their looming "cohabitation."
Am I really the only one thinking about all this boy-girl stuff?
I feel like such an idiot…
She buried her face deeper into the desk, sulking.
I'm not the idiot! Shiro-kun definitely is thinking those things too—he's just better at hiding it. I know he likes me. There's no way he's acting this calm. Inside, he must be grinning like crazy.
As she muttered in her head, she glanced again at his serious profile.
See? That kind of guy—the ones who look all proper and studious—they're the worst perverts inside. To calmly invite two girls to live with him… that's practically elite-level scumbaggery.
So the hentai isn't me for overthinking. The hentai… is Shiro-kun for pushing me to think these things!
That thought restored her balance a little, and she lifted her head again, sneaking a look at Rizu-chan beside her.
Rizu was poring over a reading comprehension passage, posture neat, eyes steady.
Too defenseless. Way too defenseless about boy-girl stuff. That won't do. She's cute, and her figure is…
Fumino's eyes narrowed with resolve.As her best friend, it's my duty to warn her—before some "gentleman" takes advantage of her innocence.
"Rizu-chan~"
Fumino leaned close to her.
"…What is it, Fumino?"
"I just wanted to ask…" Fumino lowered her voice, glancing at Shiro."Aren't you worried?"
"Worried? About what?"
"Well… about staying at Shiro-kun's house in a couple of days," she whispered."He is a boy, after all, so…"
She trailed off, waiting expectantly for Rizu's reaction.
"…It's fine."
Rizu gave her a strange look, then said seriously,"I trust him."
Fumino turned to stone.
R-Rizu-chan, you sly green-tea b***! That makes me sound like I don't trust my friend! But this guy is totally untrustworthy! He practically confessed to me at lunch, then asked two girls to live with him by evening! Just now he basically confessed to both of us at once! He's scum on a molecular level!!*
Trust him?
Shiro blinked, then suddenly understood.
"Worried about what?"
"I trust him."
Ah! She must mean… trusting my teaching ability!
Shiro's chest swelled with pride.So my beginner-friendly notes and careful prep really did win over these geniuses, huh?
And, of course, my top-tier tutoring skills.
As the saying goes: "A great teacher's reputation spreads on its own." Heheh.
"Don't worry," he said with a pure smile."My tutoring skills are top-notch."
Not your teaching! We're talking about your libido!!