Makoto didn't know what the two sisters had discussed in the bath, but based on his earlier "butt-patting" move in the living room, he had already picked up on some signals.
He figured Ichika would probably try a nighttime ambush—but with Nino around, the odds of success were low.
So, he came over himself.
Partly to get a better read on their thoughts, and partly to spare Ichika the effort of sneaking around.
Now, hearing Ichika cheerfully say "Nino's asleep," while also glancing at the "pretending to sleep" Nino, it was obvious what was going on.
Makoto quietly shut the door. When he turned back, Ichika had already lifted the blanket and boldly patted the bed.
Normally, that would've been incredibly seductive.
But not tonight.
Ichika was clearly doing it for Nino to see.
As Makoto carefully slid under the covers, he could feel Nino's arm stiffen immediately beside him.
Ichika dimmed the lamp and curled into Makoto's chest like a cat, whispering softly, "Why'd you suddenly come over?"
Still playing this game, huh?
Makoto was surrounded by their soft, faintly sweet scent.
He rested a hand gently on Ichika's waist and responded in a hushed voice, "I knew you wouldn't be able to sit still tonight. So I came first."
Ichika looked up at him, her delicate face and seductive eyes bathed in the dim light, making her look ethereal.
Her smile was no longer the usual sunny one—it was tinged with flirtatious charm. "You guessed wrong~ I'm not Ichika. I'm Nino."
Nino beside them: "?"
Makoto grinned. "If you're Nino, then who's the girl on my right?"
"She's obviously Ichika. You know, we're all great at impersonating each other." Ichika smiled sweetly.
"So, before I came in, you two planned to switch roles and try to trick me?"
"Yup~ I'm wearing a wig right now. So is she."
Their voices were deliberately soft, but Nino was right there pretending to sleep—unless she'd gone deaf, there was no way she couldn't hear them.
Which was exactly why Nino's thoughts right now were all: I can't believe Ichika went this far?!
She was already mentally overwhelmed by what Ichika had said earlier in the bathroom, and then Makoto suddenly showed up without giving her a moment to calm down.
Now it was even worse—she had no time to sort through her feelings at all.
If you're Nino, then who am I?
Just as Nino was burning with a mix of shame and frustration, Makoto's voice came again.
"So you two had wigs prepared in advance, huh? Well, I actually think that's pretty nice."
"What's nice about it?" asked Ichika.
Nino also focused in, cracking her eyes open slightly to secretly observe the pair snuggling beside her.
Makoto lowered his head and kissed Ichika's smooth hair. "Exactly what it sounds like."
"Huh? Don't tell me… you actually came here tonight for Nino?" Ichika kept up the act.
"Does it matter? Nino's also a cute, beautiful girl. Wearing nothing but a bathrobe in the middle of the night—any guy would lose his head," said Makoto casually.
Nino quickly shut her eyes again. She had to fight to keep the corners of her lips from twitching.
"Makoto, you really are a pervert," Ichika said, sneaking a glance toward Nino.
"If Ichika saw us like this right now, she'd definitely never approve."
"You're really enjoying this whole acting bit, huh?" Makoto wasn't playing along anymore.
Ichika giggled, her cheeks already blazing. "Wanna kiss?"
Geez—barely done with the roleplay and you're already this eager?
Makoto's hand on her waist began to move, and with ease he untied the belt of her bathrobe, slipping his hand around her delicate waist.
Ichika's eyes quivered, gaze growing more and more alluring. "Kiss me now."
Makoto couldn't resist.
Wait a minute… you're actually doing it?!
Nino instantly opened her eyes to check, and sure enough—they were for real.
At that moment, her fists clenched tightly.
This is outrageous!
She sat up abruptly and glared at them, cheeks flushed with fury. "You two, knock it off!"
"Oh no, we've been caught~"
Ichika's face was red as a tomato as she closed her eyes, her long lashes fluttering—pulling off that perfect bashful-girl look.
And apparently that wasn't enough for her, because she buried her face into Makoto's chest as if to add fuel to the fire.
Nino's chest heaved in frustration. "Ichika, that's enough!"
After yelling at her sister, she turned to glare at Makoto.
But before she could speak, Makoto beat her to it. "Not pretending to sleep anymore?"
Nino was caught off guard.
Makoto teased, "I really thought you'd keep up the act. I was considering poking you a few times to check."
Poking me where, exactly?!
Nino's face burned. And she'd clearly seen just now—Makoto's hand was still inside Ichika's bathrobe!
Though she could be aggressive when riled up, she'd never seen a situation like this before.
She ignored Makoto for now and focused on her sister.
"I know you're a professional actress, and I know you're good at acting. But is it really fun to keep pretending right now?"
Ichika shot back skillfully, "You started pretending first. I was just following your lead."
"Hah?!"
Nino flared up again.
Just then, Captain Dragonfly—aka Makoto—stepped in. "Are you two really planning to argue all night?"
Both girls turned to him.
Makoto calmly said, "It's the middle of the night, and you're yelling in the room. What if you wake the other residents?"
Ichika couldn't help but giggle. "Before you say that, could you maybe take your hand out of my bathrobe?"
"Oops, sorry. Auto-targeting was still on," Makoto replied as he withdrew his hand.
Nino rolled her eyes hard.
Makoto, unfazed, pretended to think deeply.
"Seeing as you're both being just as noisy as you were in the living room earlier… I guess I'll have to punish you again."
Ichika stopped laughing. Her gaze turned cautious.
Nino's cheeks were flushed too—but instead of fear, what she felt was… anticipation.
"Living room" and "punishment" in the same sentence… he's talking about that again.
Kickball punishment, of course.
Nino remembered watching them kiss just now and, annoyed, flipped over and lay down on the bed. "Go ahead and do it."
Ichika was stunned. Nino, you're seriously getting the first move at a time like this?!
Nino was still only wearing a bathrobe. The hem barely covered her upper thighs, so her long, pale legs were nearly entirely exposed.
Lying face-down, legs together, the soft curve of her figure stretched under the bedside lamp's glow.
Makoto couldn't help but salute her silently.
The sight made it impossible not to look at the round little "ball."
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