Back in the kitchen, after her chat with Makoto, Nino had planned to find a private moment with him and use a beginner-level massage to express her feelings.
She wanted to prove one thing: I'm really not inferior to Ichika.
Especially since she might've even confessed first—it made it all the more unbearable to be outdone by her older sister.
When she went to check Ichika's room, those moist lips of hers hit her like a shockwave.
And when Ichika spoke to her in that gentle, composed tone, Nino's frustration hit its peak.
You think acting like a calm victor will crush me for good?
So Nino changed her plan on the spot.
She wanted to show Makoto that Ichika wasn't the only bold one in this house—she could be just as daring.
This sudden change also perfectly confirmed something Makoto had theorized long ago: a tsundere needs to be pushed hard to snap out of it.
Of course, Makoto didn't know about the prior exchange between the sisters, so right now he was just shocked that Nino was suddenly going full force.
"Makoto-kun, please turn around and lean against the left side of the tub—that'll give me enough space to massage you and relieve your stress,"
Nino said, her face flushed with embarrassment but her words unusually bold.
Makoto didn't move and tested her, "If I recall, our massage agreement never mentioned the bathroom as the location, did it?"
He was trying to figure out what had triggered her.
But the girl didn't answer. She bent forward, still wrapped in her towel, and met his gaze from above.
In that position, both the top and bottom of the towel were stretched tightly over her well-developed body, highlighting some dangerously seductive curves.
"Right now, I'm the masseuse, and you need to listen to me," she said.
Just as Makoto was about to speak, she added, "Just like when you massaged me to relieve stress—I always listened to you."
Oh, so this is how you wanna play?
Using magic to fight magic, huh?
Makoto couldn't help but laugh, and finally shifted over to the left side of the tub, turning his back to her.
Nino instantly let out a silent sigh of relief.
She had been seriously worried he might reject her.
From the moment she walked in, her nerves had been stretched tight. She feared that if he saw her as not measuring up to Ichika, she'd be turned down.
And if that really happened, she wasn't sure she could take the hit without breaking down.
But thankfully, that didn't happen.
Nino stepped into the tub, both feet soaking in, and sat down.
Her towel was immediately soaked through.
If Makoto turned around now, the most beautiful sight in the entire bathroom would no longer be hidden.
"So why haven't you started yet?" Makoto asked from the edge of the tub.
He wasn't nervous. In fact, he was curious how far Nino would go.
"I need to warm up a little."
Nino's answer was obviously a bad excuse.
Makoto couldn't help but laugh. "If you're nervous, we can do this somewhere else."
"No!" she shot back immediately.
She even emphasized, "Makoto-kun, you've got it wrong. I'm not nervous."
"Then why haven't you started after all this time?"
"Because I'm trying to recall the exact technique you used to massage me."
That answer was actually pretty solid.
Makoto didn't call her out again and nodded. "Then take your time recalling. If anything's unclear, you can ask me directly."
Nino didn't respond.
She could tell he was teasing her.
Ugh! I already took the hardest step—why am I hesitating now?
I'm strong as hell right now!
She gave herself a mental pep talk, finally reached for the towel hanging on the wall, and gently placed her soft hands on Makoto's back.
He felt the fabric and asked, "You call this a massage? Isn't this just a back rub?"
"Don't worry about it!" Nino shot back, cheeks still red.
Makoto teased, "Is this how a professional masseuse treats her clients? I'm giving you a bad review."
Nino could tell he was trying to help her relax. She laughed, eyes curved into crescents.
"Go ahead. I'm not a pro, after all. I'm just an amateur—so if you complain, I just won't do it next time."
"You're really confident, huh?"
"Hmph hmph."
Nino let out a couple of cute hums.
Being interrupted by Makoto helped ease her nervousness, and she started carefully and seriously wiping his back.
As she worked, she thought tsundere-like to herself: Even my sister never got this kind of service from me. You're lucky today.
Makoto wasn't thinking about whether he was lucky or not—he was completely relaxed, enjoying Nino's first-time back-rubbing service.
Surrounded by the pleasant scent of the girl wafting around him in waves, constantly tickling his nose, it felt like his heartstrings were gently being plucked.
Combined with the warm towel on his back, Nino's soft hands, and her careful movements, the atmosphere in the bathroom gradually turned tender and hazy, as though a layer of pink ambiguity had settled over the space.
Ambiguity—it's the most intoxicating thing for adolescents in love.
It means the two haven't taken that next step, but they're not far from it.
And in such a charged atmosphere, boys and girls tend to act on impulse and do things they'll later call themselves idiots for.
Nino was no exception.
The warm steam rose and surrounded them, slowly filling the spacious bathroom.
She carefully wiped down Makoto's back, and then tossed the towel aside.
The next moment, her hands pressed down on Makoto's shoulders and gently began to massage.
"Is it finally time for the massage?" Makoto, seeing her stay silent for a while, thought she was nervous again and tried to start a conversation to help her relax.
"Are you really looking forward to this part?" Nino asked with a smile.
The two faint blushes on her cheeks made her look especially beautiful and uncharacteristically seductive.
"I've been looking forward to it since dinner."
"Oh?"
Nino responded with a grin, then lowered her voice and said, "I'm going to do my best."
Makoto didn't fully catch her meaning at first.
It wasn't until Nino gently massaged his shoulders and back, then suddenly gripped his shoulders harder, that he realized—
Nino was trying to turn him around!
Before he could say anything, her shy voice came out slowly: "We don't have much time, so Makoto-kun, you can't waste any and you're not allowed to question my arrangements."
"I understand."
Makoto could already feel the heat in her heart.
Still, he remained calm.
After all, he'd been with both large and extra-large types before—he didn't think he'd lose control in this kind of ambiguous atmosphere.
So, he turned around.
And then… he froze.
Because Nino's towel—at some point—had slipped into the tub.
Even though she was still sitting in the water, it didn't diminish her beauty one bit.
Makoto asked instinctively, "Was this part of your plan too?"
Nino didn't answer. Instead, she reached out her pale arms and wrapped them around his neck.
Her flushed face inched closer and closer to his.
"You and Ichika… you already kissed, didn't you?"
Her voice sounded like she had to force it out of her throat.
Which showed just how nervous she really was.
Makoto joked, "Is this still part of the massage session?"
"Of course it is."
Nino's face finally came into contact with his.
Their foreheads touched, their noses pressed together—the most intimate of positions.
Forcing down her embarrassment, she whispered like a dream: "I'm not inferior to Ichika, really."
And as expected, she kissed him.
Makoto thought at that moment: I just got surprise-kissed by my massage therapist.
Nino thought: I got it!
She had said before that they didn't have much time.
So she didn't dare linger too long in the bathroom. With the secret thrill of a secret date, she almost melted in the sweetness of her first kiss.
Luckily, she managed to barely rein herself in.
But just as she was about to leave, she noticed a change in Makoto.
She didn't dare look too closely, keeping her gaze fixed on his face instead, and teasing with a satisfied smile: "Makoto-kun, you do have feelings for me."
Come on, any normal guy would definitely react in this situation!
Makoto gave a helpless smile. He really was trying his best to stay calm.
Otherwise, once the buff triggered, the entire Nakano household would fall into chaos.
Nino had no idea what was going through his head. Shy and happy, she giggled secretly. "Did Ichika help you out too?"
Makoto replied, "That's a pretty personal question."
Nino pouted. "I already know the answer."
Her eyes grew more determined.
And in the next moment, she decided to delay leaving the bathroom a little longer.
...
After stalling for a while, Nino finally left the bathroom.
She closed the glass door first, grabbed the extra towel already hanging on the wall, and said softly, "You wait a bit before coming out."
"Okay," Makoto responded from inside.
His voice sounded quite relaxed.
Nino, however, wasn't feeling relaxed at all.
In fact, she was so shy now that she didn't even have much strength left in her limbs.
She stood in front of the sink, washed her face thoroughly, then dried off and wrapped herself in the towel.
But before she could leave, someone knocked on the bedroom door.
Then Miku's voice came from outside: "Is someone in there?"
Nino's heart skipped a beat. She responded calmly, "It's me."
"Nino? Are you done yet?"
"Miku, didn't you already take a bath?"
"I… I wanted to rinse off again."
Miku's voice was clearly flustered.
Makoto inside the bathroom heard it too.
He couldn't be blamed.
He had been holding back.
But Nino had refused to leave and boldly lit the spark.
Naturally, under the influence of the buff, everyone else's emotions began to heat up too.
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