"…I'm home."
Returning much later than usual, Rinto pushed open the creaky old door to his home, greeted as always by the sound of his roommate strumming her guitar on the couch.
Momoka lazily raised her head in greeting.
"Welcome back~ You're really late today, I'm starving… Hey, what's up with you? Why are you stumbling around like you've seen a ghost?"
The 20-year-old, chronically single rocker girl eyed her roommate's dazed expression suspiciously, wondering if he'd been tricked into going home with some shady guy he met on the street.
Well, truth be told, the reality wasn't far off—except his companions had been adorable younger schoolmates, and honestly, Rinto still felt like he was the one who'd benefited.
Still feeling dizzy and detached from reality, he didn't reply to Momoka, silently heading to the kitchen to prepare dinner instead.
After swiftly putting together three dishes and a soup, he brought the meal to the counter, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Momoka, who cheered enthusiastically as they began to eat.
"Hey, Momoka…"
The feeling of the steaming rice touching Rinto's lips instantly brought back memories of that unforgettable sensation from earlier.
He really wanted to brag… He desperately wanted to brag to someone!
But unwilling to appear overly smug, he feigned casual curiosity instead.
"Say, if a guy and a girl have kissed, does that automatically make them a couple?"
"Obviously!"
The crude rocker didn't even hesitate to answer, stuffing more food into her mouth as she spoke.
While shamelessly stealing food off Rinto's plate, she continued, mumbling indistinctly:
"If they've kissed, of course they're dating! This isn't some stupid ecchi anime where the dense protagonist accidentally kisses the heroine after tripping and thinks an apology is enough!"
"If you kiss someone, then you better take responsibility! Confess! Date! And ●●! I despise jerks who take advantage without responsibility! If I ever run into one, I'd definitely crush his ●!"
"…"
Rinto quietly pressed his legs together, carefully pushing his ginger pork toward Momoka's bowl.
Surprisingly, Momoka's answer was unexpectedly pure-hearted, reminiscent of an elementary schooler from the last century.
Yet, her words did make sense, leaving Rinto even more conflicted.
After the Yoshizawa sisters had violently stolen Rinto's precious first kiss, they'd promptly fallen asleep.
Rinto hadn't dared move a muscle, surrounded on both sides by peacefully sleeping underclassmen.
Only after wrestling with himself for quite some time did he escape through the Metaverse and return home.
Yet even now, he was utterly confused about what the sisters truly meant.
He was certainly caught off-guard, yet he didn't dislike what happened either.
Moreover, after the incident in the Palace, he knew both sisters were completely serious. They had clearly confessed their feelings—it wasn't merely some childish adrenaline rush.
Rinto genuinely wanted to confront their feelings and respond properly.
…But still, but still…
Even if both sides were willing… who exactly should he date?
Kasumi?
Sumire?
What were the sisters even thinking? Why did they both kiss him one after another?
Did they actually want a real relationship with him?
Rinto couldn't shake the unsettling feeling of being toyed with, completely at a loss as to what to do.
"…You're really annoying, you know? Just spit it out already—what's going on?"
Noticing Rinto's distracted state, Momoka finally got fed up and urged him bluntly.
Since she'd insisted, Rinto decided to come clean.
"Actually, today… both Kasumi and Sumire kissed me."
"Oh, although it wasn't exactly simultaneous—there was an order. But they never said who specifically wanted to date me. I'm worried if I choose one, the other might get upset…"
Rinto's heartfelt distress was palpable as he clung desperately to Momoka—the only lifeline he could find at the moment.
"So, Momoka… What should I do—Momoka? Why are you staring at me like you've seen a ghost?"
Rice grains and soy sauce stuck to her mouth, Momoka stared at her roommate with a profoundly dumbfounded expression, utterly speechless.
Her eye twitched uncontrollably, a thousand profanities galloping through her mind…
But then a sudden realization struck her.
"Wait, you've just kissed them? …Then, that time you went to the love hotel with them…"
"Oh, that was purely accidental."
Rinto casually waved his hand.
"We just needed somewhere private to avoid being seen. We weren't doing anything bad. Besides, that place was ridiculously expensive—I never want to go again."
"…Ehhh~ Hmm~↑↓"
Muttering something incomprehensible, Momoka had an inexplicably relieved look on her face.
She quietly mumbled under her breath.
"So nothing actually happened back then… they've only just taken the first step…"
"But still, a kiss is a kiss… And now this brat's got this stupid grin plastered on his face, looking totally lovestruck… What's the big idea? Isn't he just here to rub it in my face…? Damn you, popular high school brat… Stupid, stupid, stupid…!"
Having just begun to relax, Momoka quickly flared up again, shooting Rinto a furious glare.
With a curt "I'm full," she abruptly put down her chopsticks, grabbed her guitar, and stormed back to her room, apparently inspired to write more lyrics.
She really was incredibly busy, after all.
Having lost his chance to show off, Rinto quietly finished Momoka's leftover scraps, continuing to agonize over the first romantic dilemma of his life.
And thus, a fresh and clear new day arrived.
"…Alright."
Rinto stood up resolutely, looking like a condemned prisoner marching bravely toward his execution.
In truth, he hadn't slept a wink all night, endlessly pondering how he should face the sisters today.
After a long, sleepless night, Rinto finally realized something critical:
He truly didn't understand women at all.
He still couldn't fathom what the sisters were thinking, what kind of relationship they actually wanted after doing something like that.
Yet after experiencing Sumire's intense emotions within the Palace, Rinto didn't want to drag things out or pretend ignorance any longer.
So, he made up his mind: he would simply lay himself bare, sharing everything openly with them.
Rinto finished washing up even earlier than usual, prepared breakfast, and left a portion for Momoka.
Then, after carefully packing lunch for himself and Takamaki Ann, ensuring nothing was overlooked, he finally stepped out the door.
Instead of heading straight to school, his first stop was the Yoshizawa residence.
And for the very first time, he voluntarily pressed the doorbell of the Yoshizawa household.
Immediately, their former gyaru beauty of a mother opened the door.
"Coming, coming~ …Oh my, if it isn't my little Rin-Rin—oops, Rinto-kun? What brings you here so early? Did something happen?"
"Good morning, Obasan. I'm here to pick up Kasumi and Sumire for school."
Carrying the strongest resolve he'd ever felt in his entire life, Rinto decided he was finally going to face himself honestly.