Around one in the afternoon, the agreed-upon tutoring session finally began. Even though Itsuki wasn't too enthusiastic about it, she couldn't really excuse herself when she saw the other four sisters settling down in the living room. Even Yotsuba, who usually tried to escape into her room, had stayed.
With a resigned sigh, Nino sat down, pulled out her notebook, and prepared herself for the inevitable.
"Alright, let's start by going over the test from last time. We'll review the questions you got wrong, identify any knowledge gaps, and analyze each mistake step by step."
"Wait, you have to look at our scores?!"
Itsuki, who had been indifferent until now, suddenly sat up straight. She stared at Haruto with a look of pure dread, as if he had just turned into some terrifying monster.
"Ahaha… I just remembered that I left something unfinished in my room. I should go take care of it—"
Yotsuba forced an awkward smile, quickly rising to her feet in an attempt to escape from what was about to be a soul-crushing experience.
"Not so fast."
Before Yotsuba could make her getaway, a firm hand grasped her wrist and pulled her back down.
Startled, she turned to her left, only to meet the gentle but undeniably firm smile of Miku.
"Didn't you tell me earlier that we should all study and improve together? So… where exactly are you trying to run off to?"
"…"
Realizing she had just walked herself into a trap, Yotsuba's forced grin faltered. With a defeated sigh, she slumped back onto the couch.
Meanwhile, Ichika casually pulled out her test paper and placed it in front of her without a hint of hesitation.
Seeing her confidence, the others began to suspect that maybe—just maybe—Ichika had secretly studied and scored higher than the rest of them.
But as soon as their eyes landed on her test paper, Nino went silent, Miku choked on air, Yotsuba turned away as if unwilling to accept reality, and Itsuki—who had been feeling self-conscious—suddenly felt reassured. A true comrade! she thought to herself.
With no more excuses, the others reluctantly dug into their bags, pulled out their own test papers, and laid them out on the table.
As Haruto examined each one, he couldn't help but suspect that some of them had gotten their scores purely by guessing on the multiple-choice questions.
After carefully reviewing their answers, he let out a silent sigh in his heart but maintained a calm expression. He took note of the few questions they had answered correctly before handing the papers back.
"Alright, I have a general idea now. Let's start with the first question."
"Wait a minute!"
"Hmm?"
Just as he was about to begin, Nino suddenly interrupted, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"What now?"
"Since you've already seen all of our test papers, it's only fair that we get to see yours too!"
"That's right! You've already seen the most embarrassing part of us, so you should let us see yours as well!"
Yotsuba stood up, hands on her hips, wearing an expression of exaggerated righteousness. However, the way she worded it made Haruto pause for a moment, as it sounded… oddly suggestive.
Looking around, he saw that all four of them were watching him expectantly. With a small sigh, he picked up his own test paper and held it up for them to see.
Immediately, four pairs of eyes locked onto the page.
Ichika, who already knew his score, simply rested her cheek on one hand, watching her sisters' reactions with amusement.
"Holy—Top scores! That's like, several times higher than ours!"
Yotsuba was the first to react, flinching as if she were blinded by the brilliance of his test paper. She even raised her hands defensively, as if shielding herself from an overwhelming glow.
Nino clicked her tongue in frustration and looked away. Miku fell silent, unsure of how to respond. Meanwhile, Itsuki, though clearly dissatisfied, knew deep down that the gap between them was undeniable. With a small pout, she lowered her head.
"Alright, now that there are no other issues, let's get started."
"No issues at all, Professor Miyamizu~ Please teach us well!"
The others remained quiet, but Ichika playfully chimed in, teasing Haruto with a flirtatious smile.
Her initial goal wasn't to study—she had invited Haruto over in hopes of getting some alone time with him in her room and deepening their relationship.
But now, even though he was here, she had no chance for any one-on-one interaction, which left her feeling a little disappointed.
Still, it wasn't a big deal. As long as I keep trying, I'll definitely close the distance between us!
"Alright then, let's begin."
With no further interruptions, Haruto started the lesson. Even Ichika, who had little interest in studying, couldn't bring herself to disrupt the session when she saw how seriously her sisters were listening.
And so, the living room gradually fell into silence, with only Haruto's voice filling the space.
Every now and then, Haruto would ask, "Any questions?" But the only response was silence. Only Miku occasionally asked something, while Ichika was completely absent-minded. Nino kept her head down, staring at the test questions with a confused frown. Yotsuba, instead of taking notes, was doodling in her notebook, and itsuki was already thinking about what to cook for dinner.
After about an hour of teaching, Ichika's gaze had been fixed on Haruto the entire time. Yotsuba had given up entirely, slumping over the table in a sleepy daze. Itsuki, growing restless, tapped her fingers impatiently on her notebook. Nino had asked one or two questions, but the only one truly engaged was Miku.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Itsuki announced suddenly.
She stood up, her knee-high white stockings hugging her legs as she glanced at the others before walking toward the restroom. The atmosphere in the room was heavy with fatigue. Seizing the moment, Nino set her pen down and declared,
"Break time! We're taking a break!"
With that, she flopped onto the plush carpet, lying on her back.
Haruto glanced at her absentmindedly—and in that brief moment, he caught sight of… a rather bouncy spectacle.
Shocked, he quickly averted his gaze.
Intentional or not, the fact remained that he had just stared at something he definitely shouldn't have. If the others had noticed, it would certainly leave a bad impression. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, trying to shake the image from his mind.
That was when Ichika suddenly leaned in close, her breath warm against his ear.
"That wasn't much," she whispered with a teasing smile. "I have just as much, you know~"
"…"
Haruto stiffened, turning his head slightly—only to find Ichika just inches away, smiling knowingly. She had clearly seen everything.
Which meant… she saw him see Nino's… cough.
"You don't have to be so cautious," Ichika continued playfully. "Nino and I have the same size, after all. But from now on, you can only look at me—not Nino, okay~?"
Despite himself, Haruto's gaze briefly flickered downward.
Compared to what he had just witnessed with Nino, Ichika's… reaction didn't quite have the same impact. The bounce, the movement—he had never seen anything like it before.
"Nino, there's a guy in the house. Be mindful."
Miku's voice cut through the moment, snapping Haruto back to reality.
Nino, still sprawled out on the carpet, lazily opened her eyes. Her gaze shifted toward Haruto —only to notice how close he and Ichika were sitting together. A flicker of confusion crossed her face as she slowly sat up.
Miku, now looking down again, didn't say another word. Meanwhile, Ichika continued to smile at Haruto.
It wasn't just her—Miku must have noticed too. That's probably why she spoke up in the first place, reminding Nino that there was a guy in the room.
Haruto realized this as well. He sighed, deciding not to meet Miku's eyes, and instead focused on his notebook. He picked up Ichika's and compared them.
Even though he was technically the one teaching, he had occasional moments of distraction. Fortunately, thanks to Nozaki Umetaro's tutoring, his notes were still perfectly organized.
Ichika, on the other hand…
Looking at her notebook, Haruto doubted she had written anything of substance. It seemed more like a prop, something she used to pretend she was taking notes.
"Copy down everything from my notes first," he instructed, handing them over. "Write down what you missed, and review them when you have time."
Ichika took the notebook reluctantly, flipping through its pages. Though it wasn't completely filled—after all, the school term had only just begun—there was still quite a bit to go through. She wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it, but since Haruto was offering them so earnestly, she accepted with a small smile.
"Alright, thanks~"
"Can I borrow them too?"
Miku, who had been keeping her head down, suddenly looked up. Her serious gaze met Haruto's, surprising him slightly.
"Of course," he nodded.
"Thank you."
The normally reserved girl nodded and turned to Ichika. Ichika, still smiling, handed the notebook over without hesitation.
"I barely wrote anything useful," Ichika admitted. "Your notes are way better than mine, Miku. You can copy these first, and then I'll borrow yours later."
As for when that would happen… well, she'd think about it later.
Taking the notebook, Miku glanced at Ichika, then nodded in agreement. Without another word, she started copying.
Meanwhile, Nino, who had been watching the three of them in silence, suddenly stood up.
"I'll go make some tea."
She grabbed the teapot from the table and left the living room.
Yotsuba, who had been dozing off, groggily opened her eyes. She blinked at the scene around her—Miku copying notes, Ichika watching quietly, and Haruto sitting in silence.
"…Huh? Is it morning already?"
"Congratulations, the operation was a success. You've been turned into a boy."
"Eh?! I turned into a boy?!"
Panicking, Yotsuba quickly looked down, hands reaching for her skirt—
Only to get smacked on the hand by Miku.
Smack!
"Ow! That hurt! What was that for, Miku?!"
Miku didn't reply. She simply stared at Yotsuba, making the latter shrink back nervously. Yotsuba sighed, rubbing the back of her hand as she grumbled under her breath.
Seeing her finally settle down, Miku turned her attention back to Haruto.
Haruto, meanwhile, simply raised his hands in surrender, acknowledging his own mistake in playing along with the joke. In the end, it was harmless fun—Yotsuba was just a little… simple-minded.
Miku gave him a brief glance before returning to her notes.
Thirty minutes later, Itsuki finally returned to the living room.
The moment she stepped in, Yotsuba immediately blurted out,
"So? Was it big?"
"…"
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Itsuki's face turned bright red. She stared at Yotsuba in horror, utterly mortified.
"Yotsuba!!"
When it was just the five of them at home, casual teasing like this was normal. But with a guy present, it was beyond embarrassing.
May couldn't hold back and shouted in frustration.
What followed was pure chaos. After Yotsuba's repeated apologies, itsuki finally managed to calm down. But before she sat down, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Haruto.
To her relief, he was calmly reading his book, seemingly unfazed.
Of course, she knew there was no way he hadn't noticed. But at least he was being considerate enough to pretend otherwise.
From what she had gathered about his personality, he didn't seem like the type to gossip. If he were, she'd have to worry about getting a ridiculous nickname at school—something like Big O-girl or worse…
At that thought, Itsuki shuddered slightly.
For now, she could only hope Haruto would continue to keep his mouth shut.