Shiho Suzui's ponytail swayed gently as she explained to the stunned Ann Takamaki:
"Honestly, I should've done this a long time ago. Before, I couldn't gather the courage to quit the volleyball team—I was afraid of Kamoshida-sensei's retaliation."
"But after I met Rinto-kun, just before the school year started, I realized it wasn't as scary as I imagined. If I really wanted to, I didn't have to listen to what the adults told me."
Shiho quietly glanced toward Rinto sitting beside her. When she saw he was watching her attentively, their eyes briefly met, and she bashfully lowered her gaze, hurriedly adjusting her ponytail to hide her embarrassment. But the smile on her face was undoubtedly genuine:
"Since school began, Kamoshida-sensei hasn't come back, right? The volleyball team has just been practicing independently, and honestly, I haven't joined in much."
"And now, with something so major happening today—Kamoshida-sensei even got arrested, and several other members also want to quit—I thought, 'This is my perfect chance.' So, I've decided to leave the club for good."
"—But…! B-but, but, but!"
Ann wrapped her arms around Shiho, so anxious her eyes nearly spun in their sockets:
"But Shiho, you've practiced volleyball for so many years! You even won nationals last year! This year, you'd finally become a starter! Kamoshida's gone, and your future could've been bright—why quit at a time like this…?!"
"Thank you, Ann. I know you really care about me, and you're thinking about what's best for me."
Shiho tenderly embraced her best friend, gently patting Ann's back as if to comfort her. Unlike her previously timid and passive self, Shiho now appeared quietly firm within her gentle demeanor:
"I'm truly grateful for your constant support and encouragement. Because you were always there for me, I was able to continue playing volleyball. I even stopped feeling ashamed of my height... That's enough for me now—I'm no longer the person I was."
"Right now, there are other people and things I care about more than volleyball. Like you, Rinto-kun… and the Yoshizawa twins, too. I'll always support you two as well—you'll definitely become legendary gymnasts someday!"
"Uwah~!"
Suddenly praised, the Yoshizawa twins instinctively sat up straighter. They carefully set down their oversized lunchboxes, politely thanking their senpai from another sport.
Shiho continued holding Ann, who was still sniffing, her smile remaining sweet and radiant:
"Today's a happy day… Even though something huge happened at school, I'm not sure if we can really call it a good thing, but please don't be sad because of me. I'm truly happy."
"Thanks for inviting me to lunch. Come on, Ann, stop crying already. Let's eat together—I've been dying to taste Rinto-kun's cooking."
Rinto interjected naturally, "If you like it, I could make one for you every day from now on."
He met Shiho's gaze seriously, even though she was too shy to look directly back. Observing this brave girl who'd made her own decision, he sincerely admired her courage:
"No matter what troubles you face in the future, feel free to talk to me anytime. I'll do everything I can to help—even if you decide to never play volleyball again."
"…Thank you, Rinto-kun. You're really wonderful."
Shiho's smile brightened, no longer shadowed by any hidden concerns, revealing an even greater beauty than ever before.
After school that day, Rinto walked the Yoshizawa twins home as usual.
Ann had remained depressed the whole afternoon, resting silently with her head on her desk. When it was finally time to go home, Rinto himself had gone to find Shiho to pick Ann up.
Throughout the whole process, Ann clung to Shiho like a child, as if terrified her best friend might suddenly leave her behind.
"Ann-senpai really cares deeply about Shiho-senpai. She must've wanted her to continue with volleyball," Kasumi remarked, sounding unusually sentimental about the day's events.
Sumire nodded slightly as well, saying softly:
"To willingly step away from a sport you've devoted yourself to since childhood—especially right when success seems so close—that takes genuine bravery. I think I really admire Shiho-senpai now."
Morgana popped his head out from Rinto's schoolbag, finally able to talk freely among trusted companions:
"I don't quite understand. Did Suzui Shiho quit because she dislikes volleyball now?"
Rinto gently placed a hand atop Morgana's head, comfortably scratching behind his ears as he answered:
"It's probably multiple reasons. Kamoshida's oppressive treatment damaged her confidence over the past year, making the volleyball club a toxic environment. With Kamoshida suddenly disappearing, Shiho realized she didn't need to stick with volleyball forever."
"By temporarily distancing herself from her previous routine, she probably gained clarity about her true feelings. Like she said, she's now discovered other things that matter more to her. That's not a bad thing at all."
While Ann had been preoccupied with Kamoshida's Palace, Shiho had also distanced herself from volleyball, breaking free from her old rhythm of life. This chance gave her the clarity she needed, and Kamoshida's public exposure provided the perfect excuse to step away—Rinto understood that much clearly.
Shiho was only a second-year, healthy, beautiful, with decent grades. She could still achieve anything she wanted, already far ahead of most people her age.
Moving from the excitement of Kamoshida's defeat to Shiho's grounded choice brought Rinto and the twins back to reality.
Sumire sighed softly:
"Shiho-senpai even encouraged us to keep working hard… I wonder how many gymnasts have quit the sport because of me and my sister's presence."
Kasumi teased playfully, "Wow, my sister's starting to humble-brag. Rinto-senpai, did you hear that? She thinks she's too amazing—so talented that other people just give up when they see her!"
"N-no! That's not what I meant!" Sumire hurriedly protested, blushing brightly as she clung to Rinto's arm for support:
"I meant that if I didn't have my promise with Onee-chan and your encouragement, Senpai, I probably would've quit by now."
"Back when I was really stressed out, causing trouble for everyone… I seriously considered giving up gymnastics since I couldn't catch up to Onee-chan. But unlike Shiho-senpai's refreshing liberation, my feelings were bitter and resentful—I even thought dark things like, 'I wish I could just be Kasumi Yoshizawa instead.'"
Both Rinto and Kasumi understood very well, having seen Sumire's Palace. It was a darkness that existed in everyone's heart.
Yet even knowing this darker side, Rinto sincerely cherished the kindhearted girl beside him.
Sumire smiled gratefully up at him:
"If I didn't have you and Onee-chan's love, I'd have broken apart completely. I'm so glad I met you, Senpai, and I'm truly happy to be Kasumi's sister. I love both of you♡."
"My little sister is just too adorable! (ﾉ >∀<)ﾉ♡"
Kasumi immediately tackled Sumire into an affectionate embrace. The sweet laughter of these nearly identical twins echoed joyfully, turning the simple walk home into a paradise.
Rinto watched them happily, feeling utterly content as a gentle smile settled on his face.
"..."
"..."
The twins suddenly exchanged secretive glances, their thoughts aligning instantly.
Without warning, they tugged Rinto into a secluded corner, quickly wrapping their arms around his neck. Before he could react, they eagerly captured his lips, competing fiercely for his attention.
Dancing together as three might be complicated, but kissing was nothing but pure bliss. Rinto embraced their slender waists, responding passionately to these increasingly daring underclassmen.
At this rate, Rinto genuinely worried they might drag him into the infirmary to join the suspicious stains on the ceiling.
"…Shiho-senpai's really pretty too, isn't she?" Sumire suddenly murmured between kisses.
Kasumi immediately chimed in, licking her lips mischievously:
"Totally! She seems plain at first glance, especially next to someone flashy like Ann-senpai. But she's tall, has a great figure—definitely model-level. If she dressed up more fashionably, men's eyes would pop out of their heads, wouldn't they?"
Sumire continued softly, "Shiho-senpai's personality is so gentle, a perfect Yamato Nadeshiko. She'd probably devote herself completely to her lover, fulfilling any request… maybe even wearing a bunny costume?"
Kasumi giggled excitedly, "Exactly! She'd look amazing in something like that! Imagine grabbing Shiho-senpai's ponytail like a handle—it'd feel great, wouldn't it~?"
The twins bombarded Rinto with increasingly dangerous words, taking turns stealing kisses as they relentlessly cornered him. Finally, Rinto couldn't take it anymore:
"Wait—what exactly are you two suggesting? Why suddenly target Shiho?"
Kasumi/Sumire replied bluntly in unison:
"Because she likes you."
The twins' combined bluntness left Rinto staggering.
They each held tightly to one of Rinto's legs, firmly gripping his shoulders, giving him absolutely no chance to escape. Yet despite cornering him completely, they relentlessly pressed forward.
Kasumi spoke first: "Come on, Rinto-nii, don't pretend you haven't noticed. Clueless protagonists aren't in fashion anymore, you know? Shiho-senpai's feelings are so obvious, if you really try to act oblivious, I might have to personally strangle you for the good of humanity."
Sumire joined in, gentle yet merciless: "You've spent almost all your time recently with us or cooking bentos for Ann-senpai—practically the whole school thinks you're building a harem. If I were Shiho-senpai, I'd feel terribly anxious, believing my best friend and my secret crush had both left me behind."
Kasumi added dramatically, "Right? That'd be so sad—I couldn't stand it. If it were me, I'd probably throw a sack over his head, drag him into the gym storage room, make the relationship a fait accompli, and then send the photos to my traitorous best friend to rub it in!"
"Hold on—what exactly are you two trying to suggest here?!"
Rinto was deeply distressed. Ever since he officially started dating these twins, he somehow felt he understood them less and less. It was like the moment they became his girlfriends, a curse activated, transforming these previously innocent juniors into mischievous witches who twisted his common sense into knots.
He tried his best to clarify:
"Okay, fine—Shiho might like me... I'll admit I sensed something. If you forced me to say if I liked or disliked her, I'd obviously choose 'like.'"
"But that alone doesn't mean anything. It doesn't justify me pursuing every single girl I have some feelings for. If it worked like that, shouldn't I have confessed to Momoka-san or Ann ages ago—"
"Then just confess already! Seduce them! Drag them into bed~! (.•ˇ₃ˇ•｡)"
At last, the twins bared their fangs, fully revealing their dangerously carnivorous nature.
Rinto stared at them, too shocked to respond. But the sisters, utterly unfazed, just kept going.
Kasumi's eyes sparkled playfully. "Aha! You slipped up, Rinto-nii. We never mentioned Momoka-san's name at all—you brought her up first. You must really, really like her. Maybe you've secretly loved her for ages, huh?"
Sumire chimed in, smiling warmly: "I admit, I do feel a bit jealous knowing Momoka-san was special to you even before we were... but I'm happy you finally admitted it honestly, Senpai."
"...Feelings alone don't mean much. I already have you two as my girlfriends; I won't let my heart wander to anyone else."
As the resident pure-love champion, Rinto stubbornly clung to conventional wisdom, assuming the twins were just testing him, and tried his best to comfort them with affectionate hugs.
But that wasn't it at all—these twins weren't nearly so fragile.
Kasumi sighed dramatically, "Rinto-nii, you really have no self-awareness. If you were actually capable of that kind of restraint, you wouldn't have said something so obviously romantic to Shiho-senpai at lunchtime today."
Romantic? What exactly did I say?
Rinto rapidly replayed his words from lunch:
"If you ever have any troubles in the future, Shiho, you can always come talk to me. I'll do everything I possibly can to help, even if you never play volleyball again."
"…That counts as romantic?! I was just worried about a friend and wanted to help her!"
Sumire looked him directly in the eyes, gently countering, "But Senpai, you do like her, don't you? Enough to help her wholeheartedly without asking anything in return—just like you did for us, and for Momoka-san."
The twins' earnest gazes stripped away all Rinto's defenses, leaving him unable to deny or hide anything.
In truth, the Yoshizawa sisters had noticed something crucial long ago:
As a person, Rinto had a fundamental emotional deficiency, something essentially different from ordinary people.
It went far beyond simply being a nice guy; it was something more deeply ingrained, almost pathological.
He was like a wish-granting machine devoid of personal desire. Once he chose someone to care about, he'd help them unconditionally, no matter what they asked.
He'd done it for Momoka, for the twins, and now he was doing it for Ann and Shiho. Even during the past three years as a Phantom Thief, he'd stuck rigidly to his moral principles, never once abusing his powers for personal gain—an almost unimaginable feat.
The twins deeply loved him for this quality, yet at the same time, it frightened them terribly.
They both sensed that if Rinto continued like this, eventually he'd break himself.
Thus, before he could damage himself irreparably, they wanted to anchor this special Phantom Thief securely, preventing him from drifting away.
And those anchors would be themselves, along with all the others who'd developed bonds with Rinto.
To accomplish this selfish desire, they'd made preparations:
"You don't need to overthink it, Rinto-nii. Just do whatever you want. We'll always support you and stay by your side."
"We don't want you to hold yourself back, Senpai. You'll always be our beloved Phantom Thief—the villain who stole our hearts. So...we'll be waiting at the hotel on Sunday, okay?"
The twins rose gracefully on tiptoes, gently placing pure, affectionate kisses on his cheeks. Then, waving cheerfully, they ran off together into the distance.
Rinto watched them disappear, like two scarlet butterflies dancing elegantly back home.
He sincerely thought to himself, All of this is far too luxurious.
"But even after they've said all that… I still can't even begin to imagine myself getting into a relationship with Momoka-san or the others…"
After standing there lost in thought for a while, Rinto finally decided it was time to head home and prepare dinner.
Of course, at that moment, he couldn't possibly realize how explicitly he'd just raised a flag.