Night fell. Uchiha Ryo, who had just been lying down waiting for his Sharingan to evolve, had actually fallen asleep.
And the three girls playing the board game also became quieter and quieter. Even the usually noisy Fujiwara Chika quietly took out her weekend homework and started doing it.
A knock suddenly sounded on the door. Yukinoshita stood up and pushed it open, only to see Hinatsuru Ai standing there with a tray.
Since the last time she had walked in without knocking and seen the big sisters stepping on the big brother, Hinatsuru Ai had followed her mother's teaching: always knock!
"Dinner is ready. Mom asked me to serve rice for the big sisters."
Yukino bent down and took the tray from Ai-chan, and Chitanda also helped Yukino move the four bowls of rice from the tray to the table.
"Ai-chan is so good. Let's go see the fireflies together tonight~"
Hinatsuru Ai held her head high. "Okay~ But I've been helping my mom entertain guests since I was very young, so serving rice is a piece of cake."
"Yukino-oneechan, where's big brother?"
Yukino turned her head and glanced at the still-sleeping Uchiha Ryo. Hinatsuru Ai followed Yukino-oneechan's gaze and nodded as if she understood.
At the door, Hinatsuru Akina walked in with several servers carrying the remaining dishes.
"Shh— Mom, keep it down. Big brother is already asleep."
Hinatsuru Akina looked at Uchiha Ryo lying behind the three girls. "Oh my, you three have quite the fighting power."
Yukinoshita, Chitanda, Fujiwara Chika: "???"
Hinatsuru Akina smiled. "I understand. Back then, Ai-chan's father was laid flat by me several times in a row. Honestly.... he couldn't even last five rounds."
Hinatsuru Ai blinked. "Mom, what are you talking about? What rounds? Then how many rounds can big brother last?"
"You should ask the big sisters about that."
Hinatsuru Ai turned her head, her innocent eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Yukino-oneechan, how many rounds did big brother last? And what exactly is a round?"
Yukinoshita Yukino felt dizzy. What was Ai-chan asking, and what exactly was the proprietress saying?
Chitanda Eru frowned. "Um... I don't quite understand what a round means either."
Fujiwara Chika sat there quietly, then suddenly thought of something, and her whole face turned red.
"Auntie Hinatsuru, you really are overthinking it! We were just playing a game."
At the same time, Uchiha Ryo opened his eyes. This surge of ocular power is really.....
"Awesome!"
Sitting up, Uchiha Ryo saw the food already on the table. Without a word, he picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. He felt like he was starving to death.
Rising from my deathbed in shock, sweeping away hunger to be myself!
He hadn't expected the Sharingan evolution to consume so much of his stamina. He needed to replenish it properly.
After taking two bites, Uchiha Ryo realized that everyone in the room was looking at him, so he put down his bowl and chopsticks.
"What are you looking at me for? Eat together. Do Auntie Hinatsuru and Ai-chan want some?"
Hinatsuru Ai suddenly ran up to Uchiha Ryo. "Ryo-oniichan, how many rounds can you last?"
Huh? What rounds? What is Ai-chan talking about? Oh! Could it be that she saw how I was eating just now and thought I was hungry, so she wanted to ask about my appetite?
I didn't expect this inn to be so considerate. If the food isn't enough, I can add more. If this bowl of rice in my hand counts as one round....
→
"Ten more rounds is no problem!"
Uchiha Ryo said confidently. Although he wasn't a rubber man or a Saiyan and didn't have an appetite that defied common sense, the evolution of the Eternal Mangekyo had indeed consumed a lot of Uchiha Ryo's stamina.
But this was normal. When Sasuke transplanted eyes and prepared to advance, he had to undergo a fusion period of one or two months. Uchiha Ryo had completed the evolution of the Eternal Mangekyo in half a day.
Hinatsuru Akina looked at Uchiha Ryo seriously, then smiled at Yukinoshita and the others.
"Thank you for your hard work. Ai-chan, let's go back. Don't disturb the big brother and big sisters' meal."
Ai-chan pouted. "But big brother hasn't told me what a round is yet?"
Hinatsuru Akina pulled Ai-chan out. Uchiha Ryo looked up in confusion. What does a round mean? Isn't it asking about appetite? Can't I ask for more rice?!
Uchiha Ryo turned to look at Yukinoshita and the other two girls, but Yukinoshita and the others all turned their heads away, avoiding his gaze.
Fujiwara Chika: "So.... amazing."
Uchiha Ryo didn't understand what she was saying. Get out of here, riddle-speaker! But forget it, eating is more important right now.
After dinner, the group set off together for the firefly pond in the forest.
Hinatsuru Akina still brought that yukata, but just like always, she couldn't see Hotaru at all. And Hotaru had already made her decision.
Just as she said, humans and youkai should not form bonds. Hotaru would silently protect the Hinatsuru Inn, and Hinatsuru Akina would always remember the Hotaru-oneechan of the past.
They ultimately didn't meet. Although Uchiha Ryo could use genjutsu to let them meet once, it was meaningless.
A youkai willing to accompany a human who couldn't see her was both fleeting and lonely.
Fleeting because Hinatsuru was human, she would inevitably experience birth, aging, sickness, and death. Compared to a youkai's life, a human's life was truly short and fragile.
Lonely because she couldn't see her. Unilateral silent companionship might be a spiritual sustenance for humans, but for youkai, how cruel it was.
Tonight was the last night at the hot spring inn, and they had school tomorrow.
Although Fujiwara Chika was very evasive, it was undeniable that..... midterms were less than a month away.
...
If you don't study hard, you might as well sell sweet potatoes.
It's bad enough that Shuchiin has monthly exams, but why are there weekly quizzes on Mondays too?!
Fujiwara Chika complained helplessly. Although she could sometimes be called an honor student, after all, she could rank in the top three... hundred in the prestigious Shuchiin exams!
But in the last exam, Fujiwara Chika accidentally fell out of the top hundred, which caused her family to restrict her board games.
If her midterm grades didn't improve, even her allowance would be controlled!
Class 1-A classroom showed the diversity of life. Some were dying of thirst, others were drowning. Yukinoshita Yukino had finished answering long ago and was rechecking her paper.
And Shinomiya Kaguya had already finished checking and handed her paper to Hiratsuka Shizuka in advance.
Fujiwara Chika was helpless, then looked at Hayasaka Ai sitting next to her, this good friend who ranked a little behind her.
Hayasaka Ai: Don't look at me. I have to control my score too.