Pffft…!
From the living room, Rinto clearly heard the distinct sound of Judge Yoshizawa choking on his coffee.
He could sympathize completely, silently apologizing to him from the bottom of his heart.
I'm really sorry, Ojisan.
Both of your precious daughters gave me their first kisses yesterday. Thank you so much!
After politely declining Mrs. Yoshizawa's enthusiastic invitation to come inside, Rinto patiently waited at the front door for the sisters.
…And soon enough…
The twins rushed out, hastily dressed:
"Rinto-senpai! Why didn't you tell us you were coming this early? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Sumire said breathlessly.
"That's right, Rinto-senpai! And even if you came, you could've just used the Metaverse to enter our room directly—you didn't need to ring the bell… Ah!"
Realizing she nearly slipped up, Sumire hastily covered her mouth, relieved that her parents inside didn't hear.
They had a point, and Rinto knew his actions were unusual.
But right now, he didn't care.
Standing firmly at the Yoshizawas' doorstep, bracing himself for whatever might happen, he spoke plainly:
"Kasumi, Sumire—I like both of you. Please, go out with me together."
"…?!" x2
The sisters froze, their minds blank from the sheer shock of his sudden confession.
But strangely, Rinto didn't look expectant or excited. Rather, his expression was grim, resembling someone prepared for punishment:
"I spent all night thinking about it, but I still couldn't decide who I like more. It would be selfish of me to pick and choose between two amazing girls like you, so the more I thought, the more I felt there must be something wrong with me—I might have misunderstood everything."
"But I refuse to make another mistake. You're both precious to me, and since I'm the one who introduced you to the Metaverse, it's my responsibility to be clear. If I must choose, then I can only honestly say I like you both. So please, be my wings—both of you—and date me together."
"...Ah~( -ω-`)"
Exchanging glances, the sisters quickly understood his line of thinking upon seeing his solemn expression.
This realization filled them simultaneously with delight and mild exasperation.
Delighted, because this clueless heart-stealer actually took the initiative, making their hearts race first thing in the morning.
But also exasperated, because he truly had no idea about how human emotions worked… he seemed utterly inexperienced in matters of the heart.
They even wondered briefly if he was actually some angel disguised as a human, sent down to learn human feelings.
Still, that innocence had its own charm. Smiles surfaced on both of their faces.
Taking hold of each of his arms, the sisters leaned into him:
"Come this way, Rinto-senpai. A confession at someone's doorstep is so unromantic. Next time, at least bring a marriage proposal, otherwise, it's embarrassing."
"We have plenty of time this morning. Including the subway, we should have about thirty minutes… that's enough, right?"
Confusion spread across Rinto's face. "Huh? What are you planning? Where are you taking me? Kasumi? Sumire? Say something, please!"
These adorable younger girls were terrifying when determined. Once again, Rinto felt completely helpless.
…Thus.
This was Rinto's third time in a love hotel over the past few days.
Three high school students, dressed in uniform, easily scanned the QR code to book a room first thing in the morning. Even worse—the sisters paid for it!
Rinto was practically shoved onto the edge of the bed, completely at their mercy.
"Look here, Rinto-senpai."
Kasumi took the lead, tossing her schoolbag aside and folding her arms unhappily.
"I'm genuinely glad you took the initiative to confess. Honestly, we thought you'd keep playing dumb forever, so that's already great progress."
"But seriously, what's with that grim look on your face? Admit it—you only confessed expecting rejection. You didn't believe we'd accept at all, right?"
"…Well, truthfully, I didn't think there was much chance. I knew this request sounded outrageous. I even thought you'd see me as a jerk."
Scratching his cheek awkwardly, Rinto admitted his thoughts.
He'd never expected the sisters to accept him at all, fully prepared to get slapped instead.
After all, confessing to two sisters at once—this was ridiculously beyond absurd.
Having lived three years without a single friend and desperately craving meaningful relationships, he truly treasured Kasumi and Sumire:
"I genuinely like you both and want to be with you. But I have no idea how a relationship like this could work or what I should even do. Still, since you've shown me your feelings, I wanted to be honest with mine."
"My confession was serious—I honestly can't decide who I like more. Rather than dishonestly picking just one to keep things simple, I chose to be honest—even if you ended up hating me."
What a fool… the sisters thought simultaneously, smiling softly.
They originally planned to tempt Rinto step by step, capturing his heart fully before gently guiding him into accepting a three-way relationship.
But before they even got started, he'd already sprinted ahead and spilled everything himself.
Yes, it demonstrated his sincerity and resolve—but it also revealed something else.
Sumire sat beside him, quietly resting a hand on his thigh.
"Senpai, you're always too harsh on yourself. You don't have to be perfect all the time. Just hearing you confess makes me and my sister incredibly happy."
"Sumire…"
Rinto softly spoke her name, but found himself at a loss for words.
Kasumi sat down on his other side, elegantly crossing her slender, black-stockinged legs and sighing lightly:
"We might have rushed things. You're still at the stage where just making friends, especially the Phantom Thieves, makes you incredibly happy. Jumping straight into romance was probably too sudden for you."
"You confessed this way because you worried Sumire and I would fight again over liking the same guy, right? So you deliberately made yourself the villain to keep us from fighting."
"I really do like both of you—I meant every word," Rinto clarified quickly. "I just wasn't sure you'd accept this kind of relationship."
"Of course—who wouldn't like us?" x2
Their perfect synchronization stunned Rinto into silence again.
The twins, fully aware of their appeal, never doubted they were desirable, exuding complete self-confidence.
But Rinto was another matter.
He was too kindhearted, preferring to risk rejection rather than selfishly enjoying their affection or dishonestly choosing only one.
That sincerity made them feel genuinely cared for, yet also a little annoyed that he underestimated their feelings.
"Senpai, there's one thing you got wrong."
Even Sumire, whose bias toward Rinto was deeper than the ocean, spoke seriously now:
"You shouldn't have confessed expecting us to hate you. Is that really how little you think of us? You believed honesty would make us dislike you?"
Kasumi chimed in, "If you genuinely wanted us both, you should've fought to make us accept this arrangement. Confessing expecting rejection is just self-sabotage. We're not interested in something so pathetic."
Ah… Rinto finally understood his mistake, speechless.
He'd never considered they'd actually agree—he only imagined they'd angrily break off all ties with him.
At least, that would've united them against a common enemy, preserving their sisterly bond. That had been his only goal.
So it wasn't merely self-sabotage, it was arrogant self-sabotage at that.
"I'm sorry." Rinto sincerely bowed his head. "I'm still too immature. I thought I understood people perfectly, but once my own feelings were involved, I made a fool of myself again and again."
"That's perfectly normal," Kasumi chuckled.
Sumire nodded, smiling, "You're just a 17-year-old boy, Rinto-senpai—you can't possibly handle everything flawlessly. Besides, if you'd smoothly won us over, it would've felt strangely empty."
"The legendary Phantom Thief who's actually clueless in romance—that gap is adorable… I like you, Rinto-senpai."
Kasumi cupped his face, repeating yesterday's kiss. Not to be outdone, Sumire followed suit immediately.
The gentle-hearted girl blissfully hugged him, their foreheads touching:
"Senpai, I love you. I want to do countless things with you—things that would shock you if you heard them."
"Even if you don't fully love me yet, that's fine—your affection now is enough. It just means there's room to grow."
Kasumi smiled boldly, eyes sparkling. "Then I'm greedier than Sumire—I want your love to match ours. We'll make sure you adore us so much you'll beg us never to leave you."
Laughing sweetly, they embraced him together, pushing him gently onto the soft bed, determined to teach their beloved thief what it truly meant to love.
…After all, they still had ten minutes before school began.