I may know more about the Nakano sisters than they know themselves, but I can't afford to act omniscient—otherwise the suspicion that I'm some kind of stalker will only grow stronger. That's why I want her to tell me these things on her own.
"Wow, I didn't see that coming. So your strongest subject is history?"
Of course, I already knew she like the warriors of the Sengoku period. There's nothing strange about it— even I'm drawn to their brilliant strategies and fearless valor. I just don't understand why she's so self-conscious about her interests.
Her eyes widened—clearly, she hadn't expected that answer.
"Y-You… you don't think it's weird for a girl like me?" she asked, her voice trembling with hesitation.
I offered her a puzzled smile. "Why would it be? I think they're cool too."
She fell silent, quickly turning away to finish wiping the board. I assumed our conversation had ended there.
However—
"W-What… what is your hobby?" she asked softly, still refusing to look back.
Well, I can't exactly tell her the truth—that my real hobby is watching her and her sisters and collecting their merchandise. Not that such things even exist in this world.
So instead, I simply replied,
"Watching anime and playing visual novels."
-------
After we finished our work, she looked ready to head straight home, but I stopped her and asked her to wait a moment so I could buy us something to drink. Cleaning the classroom with just the two of us had been more tiring than expected, and I remembered there were a few vending machines somewhere on campus.
I opened my wallet—only to find that the remaining money was pitifully low.
Looks like I'll have to pick up another part-time job soon.
But then another thought struck me.
'Do I even have someone I can call a guardian in this world?'
If the school ever asks to meet them… that's going to be a problem for future me.
I tapped the button for the matcha soda twice—that's her favorite, and I didn't mind drinking the same. With a cold can in each hand, I headed back, to find her sitting quietly on the bench From a distance, completely lost in her thoughts.
A small spark of mischief flickered in my mind.
I hesitated.
'Should I really do it?'
But the temptation… the anticipation of her reaction… it was far too delicious to ignore.
So, just this once—I gave in.
With quiet, sneaky steps, I approached her from behind. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice a thing. Then, without warning, I pressed the cold soda can against her cheek.
"Hieeaa!"
She jolted in surprise, letting out an adorably high-pitched squeal.
I clamped a hand over my mouth, trying—and failing—to stifle my laughter.
It's honestly unfair for someone to be this cute.
My heart felt like it was melting.
She immediately flushed with embarrassment but grabbed the can, and for the first time, she didn't bother hiding her emotions from me.
"W-What was that for?!" she demanded, her face bright red as she attempted to sound angry. But that tiny, instinctive pout of hers—her signature expression—only made her look even cuter.
I couldn't stop myself.
"Cute," I whispered.
It was barely more than a breath, but the quiet surroundings carried the word straight to her ears. Her blush deepened instantly, blooming all the way to the tips of her ears.
"Ah—sorry. You were spacing out, so I… let my intrusive thoughts win."
I scratched my cheek with a single finger, awkwardly avoiding her eyes.
"Sorry if I crossed a line."
Still sulking, she turned her back to me.
"I'm going home."
And just like that, she began to walk away.
"Wait! If you're heading to the station, let's go together!"
Of course I knew she was—but I shouted it anyway as I jogged after her.
------
"It was a long day," Ren muttered as he stepped into his house. "A lot of things happened."
Remembering each moment, he couldn't help but smile. They weren't exactly friends yet, but they were undeniably closer than when they first met.
"Should I clean the house on my next day off?" he wondered aloud, glancing around. It wasn't particularly messy, but dust had started to gather from days of neglect. And he couldn't keep living like someone who never expected visitors.
"Who knows… maybe they'll come over one day?"
He froze, then let out a sigh before laughing at himself.
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
On the other hand, Miku stepped into her apartment and found all her sisters gathered in the living room. They had returned home long before her, and the only reason they were all sitting there—albeit with reluctant expressions—was because of their ever-persistent tutor.
"Oh, Miku! Welcome back!"
A girl with short, pale-orange hair that reached her shoulders and dark blue eyes greeted her with her trademark energetic smile. The green, bunny-ear–shaped ribbon atop her head bounced slightly as she moved.
She was Yotsuba Nakano—her younger sister, and the fourth Youngest of the five.
"You're late today. What took you so long?" Nino asked, her cheek resting on her palm in a posture that screamed boredom and annoyance. As the second eldest, her tone carried its usual sharp bite.
Miku gave a small nod to Yotsuba before turning to her.
"I was on cleaning duty today…"
She trailed off. That pause—barely half a second—was enough to catch Nino's attention. She instantly sensed there was more.
"And?" Nino pressed, her curiosity raising.
"I was… with a friend," Miku muttered, voice soft but clear enough.
For a moment, the entire living room froze. All four sisters' eyes widened.
But Nino was the quickest to react.
"You have friends?" she blurted out, lifting her face from her palm in pure disbelief.
"Nino, that's rude," another voice scolded from the side.
It was Itsuki Nakano—the youngest of the five. Her medium-length, slightly curly reddish-orange hair fall on her back, and her blue eyes held a firm glare of disapproval. The most noticeable part of her appearance was the pair of star-shaped hair clips pinned to the bangs on either side of her face.
"I just made one today," Miku replied calmly, completely unfazed by Nino's words, as if such a remark was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Fufu… now this is interesting."
Ichika Nakano—the eldest—murmured to herself with an amused grin, careful to keep her voice low enough that no one else could hear. She had very short, light-pink hair with a single long strand falling over the right side of her face, and like her sisters, her eyes were the same shade of blue. The accessory that stood out most was the single earring adorning her right ear.
In truth, the five of them were quintuplets—born on the exact same day.
But within the family, they still followed their birth order, and Ichika was officially the first.
"Now that Miku's here too, join us," Uesugi Fuutarou cut in, still clinging to his usual optimism as he tried to convince them to study. He beckoned for her to sit with the others.
But Miku didn't even spare him a glance.
"I'm tired," she muttered, heading straight for the stairs.
Truthfully, even before she arrived, three of the four sisters had zero intention of studying. They were only in the living room because they felt like being there—not because of Fuutarou's efforts.
While he explained a concept, Ichika lazily drifted into a doze, Itsuki focused entirely on her own unrelated studies, and Nino tapped away on her phone without a hint of guilt.
Only Yotsuba actually paid attention.
But now, they didn't felt like staying there any longer.
"I'm going to sleep," Ichika said as she stood up, covering her yawn with the back of her hand.
"I'm going to start dinner," Nino added, rising to her feet as if Fuutarou didn't exist at all.
"I can't focus here. I'll study in my own room," Itsuki declared, snapping her book shut before standing as well.
In fact, all three of them rose at almost the exact same moment, leaving Fuutarou standing there in stunned silence.
"Wait, you three! We're not done here!" Fuutarou called after them—but they ignored him without even slowing down.
In the end, only he and Yotsuba were left in the living room.
"Don't lose hope, Uesugi!" Yotsuba said brightly, trying her best to cheer him up.
"Don't worry—I'm not giving up yet. I'll definitely make them study one day!" he declared with absolute confidence, clenching his fist as if making a vow to the universe.
Yotsuba clapped enthusiastically behind him, her eyes sparkling with encouragement.
Meanwhile, in her room, Miku lay sprawled across her bed, still in her school uniform. She stared up at the ceiling in silence, her forearm draped over her eyes as if trying to block out the world.
"Why did I call him a friend…?" she murmured to herself.
She hadn't truly accepted him as one—not yet. So why had those words slipped out unintentionally?
"And… why did my heart skipped a beat when he called me 'cute'?" she whispered, her cheeks warming at the memory she couldn't chase away.