The atmosphere in the kitchen turned icy. Shioriko didn't look at Agung; she simply reached into her pocket, pulled out her smartphone, and tapped the screen to activate the speakerphone.
The call had been active the entire time.
"Five of you... you heard that clearly, right?" Shioriko asked, her voice calm and professional, like a judge delivering a final verdict.
For a heartbeat, there was only the crackle of digital static. Then, the speakers erupted with a chaotic blend of voices that made Agung's "infinite stamina" feel like it was draining out of his toes.
"Excluded?! Who said we were excluded?!" Setsuna's voice boomed through the speaker, sounding like she was moments away from a literal fire-based transformation. **"I was just packing my specialized stage equipment! Moving an entire setup to Numazu takes logistical planning, not just a snap of the fingers!"
"Agung-san... that's mean,"** Rina's synthesized voice followed, though the "Rina-chan Board" emotion behind it sounded suspiciously like *'Deeply Hurt/Initiating Cyber-Retaliation.'* "I was building a GPS tracker to find you. I didn't walk away. I was optimizing."
"Wait, wait!" Emma's voice was breathless, as if she had been running. **"I had to coordinate with my family in Switzerland to tell them I was moving to a seaside village! You can't just leave without us, Agung! Who is going to make sure the children eat their vegetables if I'm not there?"
"He's scared of the knife," Karin's smooth, sultry voice cut through the noise, dripping with a dangerous amount of amusement. "Don't worry, Darling. If we come to Numazu, we'll protect you from Ayumu. But don't think for a second that a little 'Marshmallow' transformation is going to let you off the hook for three years of absence."
"I already have the moving truck booked,"Shizuku added, her tone remarkably serene despite the chaos. **"I've been practicing my 'Daughter of a Returning Hero' monologue all morning. It would be a shame to waste it because you felt 'excluded'."
Agung stood frozen, the ladle still clutched in his hand like a useless shield. He slowly turned his head to look at Shioriko, his eyes wide with betrayal.
"Shioriko-chan..." Agung whispered, his voice cracking. "Why would you do this to me? I was finally safe. I had a roster! I had a map!"
"I am the head of the student council, Agung," Shioriko replied coolly, tucking her phone back into her pocket without hanging up. "I value completeness and proper documentation. If you are going to take responsibility for your children, you cannot leave five of them 'pending' simply because you are afraid of a fruit knife."
Umi and Dia (who had paused at the doorway with her bento bundles) exchanged a look of pure, terrifying solidarity.
"So," Umi said, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous register. "It isn't fourteen. It is *nineteen* mothers. And how many more children, Agung?"
Agung backed away until his round back hit the stove. "I... I don't know! The notebook! I need to update the notebook!"
Just then, the phone speaker chirped one last time before Shioriko cut the line. It was Setsuna again, sounding more determined than ever.
"WE ARE ON THE SHINKANSEN NOW, AGUNG! SEE YOU IN AN HOUR! DON'T FINISH THE PORRIDGE!"
Agung looked at the pot of *Bubur Ayam*. Then he looked at the door. Then he looked at his "infinite stamina" buff.
"I'm going to need a bigger pot," Agung whimpered. "And a much, *much* larger house."