(AN: A little update. Currently I am working on a new horror novel that contains places and stories inspired by the truth, hope you guys can show it the same support as this series, and don't worry, me being a huge Dark gathering fan you guys can look forward to it. Join my Patreon to get early access to chapters and monthly illustrations of "The love they deserve" Link in my profile.)
That Saturday night, I was preparing dinner in an extremely cheerful mood. I couldn't help it. I had spent some quality time with Itsuki earlier, and seeing how adorably flustered she became had left me in an exceptionally good mood.
As I was cooking, my phone suddenly buzzed.
A message from Nino.
I was a little surprised. Ever since she had exchanged numbers with me herself, this was the first time she had actually sent me a message.
"Are you free tomorrow morning?"
I lowered the flame on the stove before typing out my reply.
"I don't really have any plans. I was just thinking about hanging out with Miku."
While waiting for her response, I turned my attention back to dinner.
I was making homemade ramen—or, at least, my own version of it. Technically, it was still instant ramen, but I had upgraded it with a few extra ingredients: shrimp, fish cakes, chili oil, mayonnaise, and whatever else I could find in the kitchen.
At this rate, I was gradually turning into a chef myself...
Just kidding.
Calling myself a chef would be an insult to every real chef in the world.
"If that's the case, come to our house."
I was bewildered by her sudden invitation. It completely caught me off guard.
The first time I had been invited to their house, it was Nino who had dragged me there—back then, she wanted to test how genuine my feelings for Miku were. And now, once again, Nino was the one inviting me over.
Not that I was complaining.
Still, I couldn't help but wonder what had brought this on so suddenly. Had she finally grown comfortable enough with me to invite me over on a Sunday?
Before I could speculate any further, another message arrived.
"I need your help."
"Eh?"
I typed back almost immediately, genuinely surprised.
I never thought the day would come this soon when Nino would actually ask me for help. Though, thinking back, it wasn't an easy road.
Still, I shouldn't get ahead of myself.
"What? You said you'd help me if I ever needed you. Was that a lie?"
I quickly defended myself.
"Of course not. I was just a little surprised. What do you need my help with?"
"I'll tell you after you get here. You remember the address, right?"
"Never forget. I'll be there tomorrow."
I sent the reply with a grin.
There was something undeniably exciting about the thought of visiting the house of the girl you loved.
Especially when there were five girls living under the same roof.
And no parents around to scare you or make things awkward.
...You know what?
Forget that last part.
On the other side of the phone, Nino was nearly finished preparing dinner as well. With the flame turned low, she took the opportunity to text Ren.
"Never forget. I'll be there tomorrow."
Nino stared at his message for a moment.
She covered her mouth with her phone as a faint blush crept across her cheeks and quietly muttered, "Idiot."
"Nino... Is dinner ready? I'm starving...!"
Yotsuba's voice came from outside the kitchen, sounding utterly exhausted. She looked like she was running on nothing but hunger at this point. Studying seemed to have drained every last bit of energy from her.
"Almost done. You can start setting the table," Nino instructed, however, she suddenly noticed something strange.
"Wait... where's Itsuki? Usually, she's the one asking when dinner is ready."
"She went straight to her room when she got back from school," Yotsuba explained.
Nino sighed.
"Always so serious about studying. She should take it easy sometimes."
Yotsuba gave an awkward laugh, "I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing."
Meanwhile, Itsuki wasn't doing quite what her sisters assumed.
Rather than studying, she was curled up on her bed beneath a thin blanket.
It wasn't because she was slacking off, nor was she feeling unwell. She simply couldn't bring herself to concentrate on her studies right now.
"A beautiful word, isn't it?"
Every time she closed her eyes, Ren's face from that afternoon appeared in her mind.
Perhaps this was a kind of sickness too?
"What is wrong with me...?" she muttered in frustration.
She remembered how her heart had started pounding the moment she saw his smile. For that brief moment, she had been completely captivated by it.
She had never experienced anything like this before.
She didn't understand what was happening to her, and that uncertainty only made her more flustered.
Just then, a knock came from the door.
"Itsuki! Dinner is ready!"
It was Yotsuba, who had come to let her know.
Itsuki glanced at the clock and realized that it was already dinnertime.
"You can go ahead. I'll be there shortly," she replied from inside the room.
-----------
The next morning, I woke up a little earlier than usual.
Lately, I had started incorporating some morning exercise into my routine. On weekdays, though, I could only manage a few simple bodyweight exercises at home. I didn't want to sacrifice my sleep for the sake of exercising—proper rest was important too.
But today was Sunday.
No school meant I finally had enough time to go for a run.
I wasn't sure whether it was because it was Sunday or if every early morning was like this, but the atmosphere was incredible.
The roads were quiet and almost completely empty. Birds chirped from the trees, filling the otherwise peaceful surroundings with their songs. The sun hadn't fully risen yet, but the sky was already bright, bathing everything in the soft light of dawn.
And then there was the breeze.
A slightly cold, soothing morning breeze brushed against my skin as I ran.
The quiet streets, the birdsong, the cool air, and the gentle morning light...
Everything came together perfectly.
It felt amazing.
I returned home about an hour later and did a few more bodyweight exercises in the living room before finally calling it a morning.
After working up another sweat, I took a cold shower. The water washed away the lingering sweat and left me feeling completely refreshed. The exercise had done wonders for my mind as well, leaving me feeling much more relaxed and clear-headed.
Of course, I wasn't going to stop there.
I took a proper shower, making sure to wash thoroughly with shampoo and body wash. I definitely couldn't afford to smell like sweat today.
Besides, summer was already beginning to set in. More and more students had started showing up to school wearing nothing but their shirts, so the weather was warm enough that I didn't really need hot water anymore.
Next came breakfast.
Since I was already sick of eating eggs for the time being, I decided to switch things up. I had picked up some fresh bread from the bakery on my way home, so I spread some peanut butter over it and added a whole banana in the plate, a sausage, a few strips of crispy bacon, and a couple of steamed broccoli florets for some greens.
If I had to say so myself, it was a pretty satisfying breakfast.
It was also considerably heavy in the morning, enough that I had to sit there for a few minutes afterward before feeling ready to move again.
Eventually, I got up and washed the dishes.
Then came the laundry that had been piling up, followed by the rest of the usual household chores. By the time I finally finished, it was already past nine in the morning.
And yet, somehow, it still felt like there was so much left to do.
Housework really never ends.
"It's time," I muttered as I glanced at the clock.
I headed to my room and changed into something presentable. There was no need to overdress and make it look like I was trying too hard, so I settled for a simple outfit: comfortable jeans and a T-shirt.
On the way, I grabbed a whole strawberry cake for the girls. Showing up at someone's house empty-handed didn't feel right, and I was sure they would love it.
And now, here I was.
Standing in front of their door.
I hesitated for a brief moment, taking a breath before finally reaching out and pressing the doorbell.
Inside the apartment, the sudden ringing of the doorbell caught everyone's attention.
"Huh? Who could it be?" Itsuki asked, looking slightly surprised.
"Were we expecting someone?" Miku asked, equally confused.
Nino was the first to get up.
"I'll get it."
She hurried toward the door, leaving Miku and Itsuki to exchange a confused glance.
Nino opened the door and found exactly the person she had been expecting.
"Come inside."
"Pardon my intrusion."
Ren stepped inside after taking off his shoes and slipping into a pair of indoor slippers.
The moment they heard his voice, both Miku and Itsuki flinched.
"Eh?! Ren?! What are you doing here?"
Miku's voice came out louder than usual, clearly betraying just how surprised she was.
Ren smiled and gave her a small playful wave.
"Surprise..."
"I called him. I have some business with him," Nino explained vaguely.
"You?" Miku asked suspiciously. "What kind of business could you possibly have with him?"
She glanced toward Ren as well, silently asking him to explain.
Ren could only shrug with a clueless smile, he had no idea either.
Nino noticed Miku's suspicion and decided to have a little fun.
"That's something I can only tell him."
Miku's eyes narrowed immediately.
She was clearly about to question Nino further, perhaps even assert her rights as his girlfriend, but Ren intervened.
"Oh, I almost forgot. I brought a cake for you guys."
He placed the whole packed strawberry cake he had brought on the table.
"I figured you'd like it."
As he did so, Ren quietly glanced toward itsuki, she had fall silent ever since he entered.
He had expected her to brighten up at the sight of the cake, but instead, she immediately turned her face away, seemingly unwilling to even look at him.
Ren's smile twitched for the briefest moment, but he managed to maintain it, Inside, however, he was in complete panic.
'What's going on?! Why is she avoiding me?! We were so friendly yesterday! Did I somehow offend her?!' Little did he knew itsuki was just too embarrassed to look at him.
Before he could come up with an explanation, Nino suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Come on. Let's go to my room."
Without waiting for a response, Nino pulled Ren toward her room.
She barely made it a few steps before Miku suddenly grabbed his other wrist and pulled him in the opposite direction.
"W-Why would he go to your room?!"
Miku looked strangely panicked, as though she were afraid of what might happen if Ren went alone with Nino.
"I told you, I have some business with him!" Nino protested, pulling Ren harder.
"That doesn't explain anything! What kind of business you have with him that can't be done here?!"
Miku matched Nino's strength, refusing to let go.
"Come on! Don't you trust your boyfriend even a little?!"
"I trust him but not you!"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"
The argument escalated, with both sisters pulling Ren in opposite directions.
Ren, meanwhile, was caught helplessly in the middle.
"Stop! Stop! You two are going to rip my arms off!"
His desperate plea finally made both girls stop and let go.
"Seriously..."
Ren sighed as he moved his arms around, checking to make sure they were still intact.
He then turned toward Miku.
"I promised Nino that I'd help whenever she needed me. That's all."
"But..."
Miku still looked reluctant to let him go.
"No buts. Let me get this done, and then I'll come back to you."
Ren gave her a reassuring smile and gently squeezed her hand.
Miku's cheeks turned slightly pink. After a moment of hesitation, she meekly nodded.
With that settled, Ren followed Nino toward her room.
"What kind of magic did you use on Miku to handle her that effortlessly?" Nino asked as they walked, her expression twisting slightly as though the whole exchange had been painfully cheesy to watch.
"The magic is called love."
Ren replied with a smug grin.
"Cringe," Nino muttered under her breath.
Ren pretended not to hear her.
Instead, he asked a question he had been meaning to ask for a while.
"By the way, where are your other two sisters?"
"Ichika usually sleeps until late on Sundays," Nino explained casually. "And Yotsuba said she was going out to practice with a club."
They reached Nino's room.
She opened the door and stepped inside first.
"Come in."
Ren followed her inside.
Downstairs, Miku remained where she was, watching them disappear into Nino's room with a worried expression.
A moment later, the door closed.
Nino's room was exactly what Ren would have expected from a typical high school girl.
The walls were painted a soft light pink, and everything was arranged neatly. The room was spotless, with a few cute stuffed animals resting on her bed. A dressing table stood against one wall, covered with cosmetics and various beauty products, while countless cute accessories were arranged around the room.
Judging by what he could see, Ren had no doubt that her wardrobe was probably filled with fashionable clothes as well.
"Quit looking around so much," Nino said, sitting down on her bed with her chin held high and her posture perfectly straight.
"Sorry.... This is my first time inside a girl's room," Ren admitted, wearing a slightly awkward smile. "And... your room is beautiful. It smells nice, too."
He felt a little embarrassed after realizing just how much he had been looking around.
"I-I see... Well, lucky you."
Nino stuttered slightly, but a proud smile quickly appeared on her face as she crossed her arms.
Ren faked a cough.
"So, what do you need my help with?"
As much as he would have loved to simply stand there and chat idly with Nino, he was still curious about this supposed "help" she had called him over for.
Nino quickly reached beneath her pillow and pulled something out.
"I need your help with this."
Ren looked at the object in her hand and immediately recognized it.
"A piercing gun?"
His eyes widened slightly.
"You want me to pierce your ear?"
"Yes."
Nino nodded without hesitation.
"All my other sisters have already gotten their ears pierced. I'm the only one left."
Ren stared at her for a moment.
He didn't buy that explanation for even a bit.
"As far as I know, only Ichika has one of her ears pierced. None of the others do."
Nino froze.
"why did you noticed such small details?!"
She complained, clearly annoyed that her lie had been caught so easily.
"My nature, I guess." He said it shamelessly before narrowing his eyes slightly. "So... what's the real reason?"
Nino fell silent.
Ren had a pretty good idea of what was going on. She was a fashionista, after all. He could easily imagine her wanting to wear some beautiful earrings to complete an outfit.
But he didn't want to act like he was omniscient, from time to time he wanted to hear it from their own mouth.
"I just want to wear some earrings."
So Ren had guessed correctly. Still, hearing the reason directly from Nino herself felt good.
"I understand." Ren nodded. "But why me?"
"I noticed you have a piercing too, so I thought you could help me." Nino explained it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Hearing that, a mischievous grin spread across Ren's face.
"Hmm?" He leaned forward slightly. "What's this? Were you paying attention to me?"
"Haha, just ki—"
Ren stopped mid-sentence.
Nino had suddenly gone silent, her face was noticeably red, and she looked away from him.
Ren blinked, "Wait... really?" For once, genuine disbelief replaced his teasing expression.
"O-O-Of course not!" Nino immediately protested, her face turning even redder. "You must be delusional! It was just a coincidence!"
She insisted far too vehemently for someone who supposedly hadn't been paying attention to him.
"C-Calm down. I was joking anyway."
Ren smiled nervously and gestured for her to sit down.
"So, you can't do it yourself, and you don't want to ask your other sisters for help?"
Nino groaned in embarrassment, she clearly didn't want to admit the reason, but after a moment of hesitation, she finally muttered it under her breath.
"I'm afraid of needles."
Her voice was so quiet that Ren barely caught it.
She immediately looked away, as though embarrassed that she had revealed such a weakness.
Ren blinked, that was something he hadn't known about her.
But now that he thought about it... It actually made perfect sense.
"So, you're afraid of needles, but you don't want your sisters to find out because it would ruin the tough and protective older-sister image you've worked so hard to maintain."
Ren pieced everything together.
"So instead, you decided to ask an outsider for help."
Nino's expression twitched, "I hate how sharp you are sometimes." She muttered bitterly, glaring hatefully at him.
Ren simply smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment."
He reached out and took the piercing gun from Nino's hand, examining it closely.
"I don't mind helping you with this."
Nino let out a small sigh of relief.
"Thank you."
She hesitated for a moment before asking nervously, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.
"Did it hurt when you got yours?"
Ren nodded casually.
"It hurt so much I felt like I was going to pass out."
"Eh?!"
Nino's eyes widened, fear immediately flashing across her face.
"You're joking, right?"
Ren burst out laughing.
"Yeah."
Nino's face immediately turned red with anger and embarrassment.
"You...!"
She clenched her fists, glaring at him as Ren struggled to suppress another laugh.
Downstairs, Miku carefully stored the cake in the refrigerator so everyone could enjoy it once they were all together.
She glanced toward the stairs, then toward Nino's closed bedroom door.
"What are they doing in there? It's taking them so long..."
Miku frowned slightly.
For some reason, Itsuki had also returned to her room.
Could she be uncomfortable around Ren?
Or... did something happen?
Miku couldn't help but wonder.
Just then, she noticed the door to ichika's toom open.
She finally appeared, yawning as she made her way down the stairs.
She looked completely relaxed, clearly having just woken up. Her hair was messy, and she was dressed in loose, comfortable pajamas that hung casually from her shoulders. From the gaps of her buttons it's clear she wasn't wearing any bra fot absolute comfort, and that made her chest giggle when she descent the stairs. As for the bottom.. Let's just hope she is atleast wearing her panties.
She looked like someone who had absolutely no intention of leaving the house today.
Miku stared at her for a moment.
"Good morning."
Ichika said lazily before immediately dropping onto the sofa in the living room.
She curled up comfortably, looking remarkably like a cat that had found the perfect place for a nap.
"You're going to sleep here? Like this?"
Miku stared at her in disbelief.
"Yeah? What could be the problem?"
Ichika answered lazily without even opening her eyes, completely oblivious to Miku's concern.
"No! This is a problem! Ren is here!"
Miku scolded her, her face turning slightly red.
She really didn't want Ren seeing Ichika wandering around the house looking this... Tempting?
"Eh... Is he?"
Ichika finally opened one eye.
"But I don't want to go upstairs again..."
She whined like a child, making it perfectly clear that she had absolutely no intention of moving.
Miku sighed.
Then, without giving her any room to argue, she grabbed Ichika by the arm and pulled her off the sofa.
"Hey, wait..."
"No. Come on."
Miku pushed her all the way upstairs and pushed her inside her room.
"Then put on some proper clothes first."
After shoving Ichika into her room, Miku let out a tired sigh.
Her eyes then drifted toward the closed door of Nino's room.
She glanced around nervously, making sure no one else was nearby. After hesitating for a moment, curiosity finally won over.
Miku quietly approached the door and pressed her ear against it.
Her eyes immediately widened.
"I-It's... Isn't it kind of big?"
Nino's nervous voice came from inside, trembling with uncertainty.
"That's a normal size."
Ren replied calmly, apparently trying to reassure her.
"I'm scared! It's going to hurt, right?!"
Nino whined like a frightened child.
"I won't give you false reassurance. It'll hurt a little."
"Whaa... Please be gentle with me."
Nino begged, her voice filled with genuine fear.
"Of course I will. Just think about how exciting it'll be once you get through the pain."
"Y-You're right... I'm already excited thinking about all the things I can try afterward."
The fear gradually faded from Nino's voice, replaced by anticipation.
"Exactly. I'm sure your womanly charms will overflow once we're finished."
"Gosh... You and that smooth tongue of yours."
Nino giggled lightly.
"But I'm ready now. You can start."
Miku trembled as her heart throbbed at everything she had overheard.
She couldn't bear to listen any longer.
The more she heard, the more her imagination started filling in the gaps with increasingly questionable scenarios. Unable to take it anymore, Miku suddenly pushed the door open.
"Wait right there! What are you two doing?!"
Her voice echoed through the room.
But the scene before her immediately brought her back to reality.
Ren was simply holding Nino's earlobe between his fingers, carefully positioning a piercing gun against it.
Nino sat obediently at the edge of her bed with her eyes squeezed shut, clearly terrified of what was about to happen.
"Of course you're helping her pierce her ear."
She answer herself, trying desperately to erase all the ridiculous thoughts that had been running through her head.
Both Ren and Nino were startled by Miku suddenly barging into the room.
"M-Miku, why did you barge in like that?!"
Nino asked, embarrassment creeping into her voice as she desperately hoped Miku hadn't overheard their conversation.
"This is what you wanted his help with?"
Miku asked in disbelief, pointing at the piercing gun in Ren's hand.
Nino's face turned bright red.
She averted her eyes and answered meekly.
"Yes..."
"Why?"
Miku exclaimed, genuinely confused.
"You could've just asked me or anyone else for help!"
Ren raised one hand.
"Because she's afraid of needles and wanted to hide it."
"You traitor!"
Nino roared.
She immediately grabbed Ren by the collar, a small tear welling up at the corner of each eye.
To Nino, this was an absolute betrayal.
"How could you expose me like that?!"
She shook him back and forth in frustration.
Ren, meanwhile, simply let himself be dragged around like a lifeless doll, his expression completely flat.
Meanwhile, Miku trembled as she looked down, her face burning with embarrassment.
She felt frustrated.
Just because of those ridiculous words, she had been forced to imagine things she would rather forget. She took a deep breath before looking up, her eyes slightly teary and her cheeks bright red.
"Give me that gun. I'll do it instead."
Why did those two had to talk like that?!
Anyone who overheard them would have misunderstood!
Ren simply obeyed.
He lowered himself onto one knee and held the piercing gun out to her with both hands, presenting it with the solemnity of a knight offering a sacred weapon to his queen.
Miku stared at him for a moment before taking it.
'I'll deal with him later.'
But for now...
Her shadow fell over Nino.
Nino looked up at her, completely terrified.
"...O-On second thought... I-I'll just get it done before my marriage."
Miku smiled.
A dark shadow seemed to fall across her face.
"It's better to get it done sooner than later."
Nino, now on the verge of tears, immediately turned around and tried to flee her room.
"Nope! I'm not doing this!"
"Ren, catch her!"
Miku ordered.
Ren blinked, he couldn't obey that one.
Before he could do anything, Nino dashed past him and out of the room.
"Wait!"
Miku immediately chased after her, piercing gun still in hand.
"Come back here!"
"Absolutely not!"
Their voices echoed through the apartment as Nino desperately tried to escape.
Meanwhile, from the safety of her own room, Ichika listened to the commotion outside with an amused smile, She was still in her comfortable sleepwear, having made no effort to properly dress yet.
"Oh my... How lively."
She chuckled to herself.
And so, that day, Nino barely managed to avoid getting a hole punched through her earlobe.