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Back in the classroom.
Kitahara Makoto had just sat down to read when his phone suddenly vibrated.
"Kitahara-kun, I saw that evil spirit again."
Tsundere Young Miss sent a message:
"It was actually hiding behind the Toilet door!"
"My heart almost jumped out when I opened the door and saw that evil spirit!!!"
It was clear that Tsundere Young Miss was truly terrified.
Kitahara Makoto: "Stay calm, don't panic. It's just a very ordinary jump scare."
Nagasaki Soyo: "…A jump scare is ordinary?"
Kitahara Makoto: "Because there are even worse ways to get scared, ones that will definitely leave you with a lifelong, indelible trauma."
Nagasaki Soyo: "What is that?"
Kitahara Makoto: "When you're in the Toilet, you suddenly feel something in the Toilet bowl. You look down and…"
Nagasaki Soyo: "T-That's enough! Kitahara-kun, you don't need to say any more!"
"…"
Tsundere Young Miss composed herself and sent another message:
"That evil spirit is truly hateful. If this continues, I feel like I'm going to fall apart… Kitahara-kun, are you free this afternoon?"
"Should I come to your house after school this afternoon?"
"Kitahara-kun said last night that if the evil spirit dares to appear at your house, you'll definitely be able to catch it."
"…"
Looking at the message on his phone, Kitahara Makoto felt inexplicably guilty.
Nijika-senpai is coming over to feed Hana-chan this afternoon, and now Tsundere Young Miss wants to come over… Will they happen to run into each other?
Wait a minute!
He hadn't done anything wrong, so why should he feel guilty?
There's no need to feel guilty at all!
Kitahara Makoto took a deep breath: "Okay, I'll send you the address. Come directly after school this afternoon."
"Thank you, Kitahara-kun."
Nagasaki Soyo naturally expressed her gratitude. After a pause, she sent another message:
"There's one more thing…"
Kitahara Makoto: "What is it?"
Tsundere Young Miss seemed to find it difficult to speak:
"That… Let's talk about it when we meet this afternoon."
"…"
3:20 PM.
The dismissal bell rang on time.
Kitahara Makoto grabbed his backpack, ready to go home. Before leaving, he didn't forget to greet Togawa Sakiko:
"Togawa Sakiko, I won't be coming over today."
"I understand." Togawa Sakiko slightly pursed her pink lips and said softly, "Kitahara-kun, if there's anything you need help with, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Help?"
Kitahara Makoto's gaze shifted downwards, landing on Togawa Sakiko's legs.
Today, Togawa-chan was wearing standard black over-the-knee socks. The stockings shimmered slightly in the sunlight, and there was even a faint sock mark around her thighs… It must feel very comfortable to use as a pillow, right?
"…Togawa Sakiko, I want your lap pillow. Please let me use it for ten minutes!"
If he actually said that, he definitely wouldn't get a lap pillow, and instead, he'd probably be called a pervert, right?
"Never mind." Kitahara Makoto waved his hand and bid farewell. "It's just my personal matter."
The lap pillow mission is difficult to complete, but he still had to try.
Trying gives you a chance; not trying definitely won't complete it.
"So… who should I ask to complete the lap pillow mission?"
Kitahara Makoto pondered.
"There are age and gender restrictions, so there aren't many options. Unless absolutely necessary, I should try to avoid places like 'Fuzokuten' (brothels)…"
A girl's figure quickly appeared in Kitahara Makoto's mind.
"Kita, it's you!"
Kitahara Makoto took out his phone and sent a message to Kita.
"Kita-san, I want to use a universal exchange coupon!"
Kita Ikuyo: "Kitahara-kun, first tell me what you want to exchange for?"
Kitahara Makoto: "I want Kita-san's lap pillow."
Kita Ikuyo: "Huh?"
Kitahara Makoto: "My back and knees have been sore lately, and I'm mentally and physically exhausted. I urgently need a lap pillow to recover my energy."
Kita Ikuyo: "I'm sorry, I refuse. I won't agree to a lap pillow or anything like that!"
"…"
"As expected, I was rejected."
Kitahara Makoto clicked his tongue softly.
If it weren't for yesterday's unexpected incident, even if Kita refused him, she would surely hesitate, not be so direct.
"What about Bocchi-chan?"
Kitahara Makoto's mind conjured the image of Little Miss Anxiety.
Impossible.
Given Bocchi-chan's shy personality, she definitely wouldn't agree.
"What about Tomori-chan?"
Kitahara Makoto had a strange feeling that if he pulled out the universal exchange coupon and made a sincere request, Takamatsu Tomori would very likely agree.
However…
"Never mind."
Bullying Tomori-chan would bring an incredibly strong sense of guilt.
Kitahara Makoto sighed and walked directly towards the school gate:
"If I really can't complete it, then I'll just have to give up."
The journey was uneventful.
Kitahara Makoto got off the train and remembered another daily task for a cooking expert. So, he turned and walked into the nearby convenience store and began selecting ingredients.
The lap pillow mission was hard to complete, but the cooking expert one was no problem. Nijika-senpai counted as one, Soyo counted as one, and then he could leave early in the evening, bring the food to Bocchi-chan, and feed Futari at the same time… That should be enough…
After buying the ingredients, Kitahara Makoto returned home.
Thump, thump, thump.
The Beast Eared Girl ran over barefoot, lifted her small face, and said expressionlessly:
"Hungry."
"Wait a moment." Kitahara Makoto rubbed the Beast Eared Girl's small head. "Your mother is on her way."
"Little cake?"
"Let your mother buy it for you."
"…"
Carrying the ingredients into the kitchen, Kitahara Makoto tied on an apron and began to get busy.
Stir-frying dishes wasn't actually difficult; the real trouble was preparing the ingredients. That was the truly troublesome part.
Ding-dong, ding-dong.
Just as Kitahara Makoto was busy, the doorbell rang.
He wiped his hands clean, walked over, and opened the door, surprised to see four girls standing outside.
Nijika-senpai, with her golden side ponytail, was there, and beside her was a stoic Yamada Ryo.
Half a step behind Yamada Ryo was Kita, her small face slightly flushed.
Finally, there was Bocchi-chan, hiding behind Kita as usual.
Kitahara Makoto had thought Nijika would, at most, call over Ryo, but he hadn't expected the whole group to be there.
To feed her daughter, Nijika-senpai was truly going all out!
"Nijika-senpai, good afternoon."
Kitahara Makoto smiled, greeting her as if nothing was amiss.
Seeing Kitahara Makoto's smile, Ijichi Nijika remembered his harem declaration from two days ago. Her cheeks puffed out slightly, but she could only say nonchalantly, "Kitahara-kun, good afternoon."
Kitahara Makoto stepped aside, smiling, "It's hot outside, come in quickly."
"Excuse us."
The four girls entered the genkan one by one.
Hearing the commotion, the Beast Eared Girl ran over with a thud, hugged Nijika-senpai's thigh, and looked up, shouting, "Mama!"
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face quickly flushed red, and she hastily corrected her, "Hana, don't always call me Mama. You can just call me Big Sister."
The Beast Eared Girl looked up with her small face, "No, you're Mama."
Yamada Ryo gave a thumbs up, saying expressionlessly, "Ah, I also want to call Nijika Mama."
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
"Hana looks even cuter after a few days," Kita Ikuyo's eyes sparkled as she opened her arms expectantly, "Let Big Sister give you a hug."
"No."
The Beast Eared Girl took half a step back, avoiding the hug.
"Eh?"
The Beast Eared Girl said expressionlessly, "Bones, poke me."
"..."
As if a bolt of lightning had struck, Kita Ikuyo's smile instantly froze, and she knelt on the ground, her art style even turning grayscale.
Kitahara Makoto said from the side, "You guys go ahead and give Hana some energy. I'll go cook. We'll eat dinner together tonight. I bought too many ingredients in one go, and they'll spoil if we don't eat them."
Hearing Kitahara Makoto inviting everyone to stay for dinner, Ijichi Nijika instinctively moved to refuse:
"We still have things to do tonight..."
Before she could finish, a hand suddenly reached out and covered Nijika's mouth.
Yamada Ryo, who had been expressionless, now had bright light bursting from her eyes:
"Free food?"
Kitahara Makoto nodded, "It's just a gathering between friends, of course it's free."
Yamada Ryo put her hands together, her tone devout, "Finally, I don't have to eat grass... god, thank you for the meal."
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
As expected of Ryo, with free food, even her address changed to god.
Seeing this, Ijichi Nijika could only helplessly cover her forehead and choose to stay.
"What about Kita?"
Kitahara Makoto asked again.
"I'm fine with anything," Kita Ikuyo was quite accommodating, pinching Hana's ear as she spoke, "As long as I'm home before nine o'clock, Mom won't worry."
Kitahara Makoto nodded, then looked at Bocchi-chan and said softly, "Hitori-chan, stay and eat with us."
Gotō Hitori quickly shook her head, stammering softly, "I still need to go home..."
Kitahara Makoto said, "Then you can go home, bring Futari over, and eat together."
"Th-that..."
Bocchi-chan stammered, still wanting to refuse.
"It's decided," Kitahara Makoto declared, "Hana is too lonely by herself. She can play with Futari."
"..."
Gotō Hitori had no choice but to agree.
Kitahara Makoto turned and walked towards the kitchen, "You all play. I'll continue preparing the food."
"Since you're staying for dinner, there's something I must tell you..." Ijichi Nijika lowered her voice, her expression serious, "You absolutely must not go near that washing machine."
"Eh?" Kita Ikuyo looked over, puzzled, "Why?"
"Because..." Ijichi Nijika bit her lip lightly, a blush of shame rising on her pretty face, "That washing machine will suck people in and get them stuck."
"How is that possible?" Kita Ikuyo expressed complete disbelief, "There's no such strange washing machine in the world."
"I'm not lying," Ijichi Nijika's expression was serious, "If you don't believe me, ask Bocchi-chan."
"Mhm, mhm," Gotō Hitori quickly nodded, saying softly, "It's true, Nijika-senpai got stuck in it."
"Eh?"
Kita Ikuyo's eyes widened, her small face showing curious eagerness:
"So it's a magical washing machine?"
Yamada Ryo rested her chin on her right hand, saying expressionlessly, "I've seen washing machines that trap people in some indescribable manga."
"If it's an indescribable manga, then don't say it out loud!"
Ijichi Nijika couldn't help but retort, then took a deep breath, "Hana is a special existence. She can use her ability to make things weird. In short, that's a weird washing machine, and everyone must not go near it."
"..."
As they spoke, the doorbell rang again.
"I'll get it."
Ijichi Nijika instinctively got up to open the door.
The door opened.
A girl with brown hair and blue eyes, with a gentle demeanor and a cute appearance, stood outside the door.
It was Nagasaki Soyo.
Both girls paused slightly upon seeing each other.
"Hello, excuse me, is this Kitahara-kun's house?"
Nagasaki Soyo's voice was gentle as she broke the silence first.
"That's right..." Ijichi Nijika nodded gently, curiously examining the girl outside the door, "May I ask who you are?"
"I'm Kitahara-kun's friend," Nagasaki Soyo's voice was gentle, "We agreed to come over and play this morning."
"Friend?"
Ijichi Nijika pursed her pink lips slightly.
Girls, these creatures, often have an almost abnormal intuition. At this moment, Ijichi Nijika instinctively sensed that the gentle girl in front of her and Kitahara Makoto were definitely not just friends.
As they spoke, Kitahara Makoto had already walked out of the kitchen:
"Soyo-san, you're here?"
Kita Ikuyo gasped softly, surprised:
"I remember now, it's that Young Miss from Tsukinomori Academy!"
Back at Tsukinomori Academy, Kita and Bocchi-chan had met the Tsundere Young Miss once.
"Nice to meet you for the first time, I am Nagasaki Soyo. Please take good care of me."
Nagasaki Soyo held her school bag with both hands, bowing slightly, her voice gentle. She looked like a gentle and approachable older sister in every way.
Aside from Kitahara Makoto, no one knew her true Tsundere nature.
Kitahara Makoto said from the side, "Soyo-san is my friend. She came over this time for... never mind, it's a long story. We can talk about it later when we have time. I'll go cook first, Soyo-san, feel free to make yourself at home."
"Alright."
The Tsundere Young Miss replied gently.
As Kitahara Makoto entered the kitchen, the five girls in the living room fell into a brief silence.
Ijichi Nijika recalled the scenes from her precognition and suspected that the girl in front of her was the girl Kitahara Makoto would cheat with in the future, her emotions complex at the moment.
Yamada Ryo was as expressionless as ever.
Bocchi-chan never dared to speak to strangers.
Finally, Kita Ikuyo broke the silence, "Soyo-san, are you very familiar with Kitahara-kun?"
The Tsundere Young Miss remembered their intimate contact from last night, her pretty face slightly flushed, "As for our relationship, I suppose we're just ordinary friends."
Kita Ikuyo blinked, "I heard that the Young Misses of Tsukinomori Academy all say 'Good day' when greeting someone?"
"That's true, but I only attend Tsukinomori Academy; I'm not some Young Miss."
"..."
After a brief chat, Nagasaki Soyo quickly said softly, "Kitahara-kun seems to be working hard by himself. I'll go help him."
Watching Nagasaki Soyo enter the kitchen, Kita Ikuyo quickly lowered her voice:
"Soyo-san... is not right!"
"Eh?"
"She's the Young Miss of Tsukinomori Academy, and she's different from us. Suddenly running to a boy's house alone and calling him 'Kitahara-kun' must be strange, right?"
Kita Ikuyo placed her right hand on her hip and her left hand on her forehead, transforming into Detective Kita. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "...I know the truth!"
"Eh?" Bocchi-chan looked up, "What's the truth?"
"Wealthy families have a tradition, which is to recruit capable men to marry into their family..." Kita Ikuyo's expression was serious, "Soyo-san must have taken a liking to Kitahara-kun and wants him to marry into her family!"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter