"I'm sorry, I zoned out." Sakurajima Mai apologized awkwardly, as she had thought about many things just now when she was thinking, and Mochizuki was still waiting in front of her, which made her feel a bit embarrassed.
"It's okay, Mai-senpai."
"Hmm... you know quite a lot, no wonder you can have three junior girls surrounding you." Sakurajima Mai was still trying to maintain the face she had lost.
"Cough cough, senpai, I still think you have some misunderstanding about me." Sakurajima Mai smiled triumphantly and said nothing more.
This was the first time she had interacted with others in a while, and it didn't feel bad.
After that, Mochizuki left first, and said that he would keep today's matter a secret.
..."So slow!" May said, because it was already meal time, and the three of them were preparing to go eat. May was already impatient, yet she had waited for Mochizuki for so long.
"Mm-hmm!" Miku echoed.
Mochizuki returned to his study spot in the library.
"Slow where? Have you finished your exercises? How are you talking to sensei?" Mochizuki tried to act like a sensei, but what he got in return was laughter from Miku and May.
"Blech... I finished long ago, hurry up and eat!" May even pulled down her eyelids and stuck out her tongue.
Shiina Mahiru, on the other hand, looked in the direction of the restroom, thinking to herself, it couldn't be another unexpected incident like being hit on, right!
However, the restroom was clearly not visible from here, as it was blocked by books.
The few of them quickly packed up their belongings and then headed out to a restaurant to eat.
...The next day, Sunday.
At Mochizuki's house.
"Huh?" "Huh!" Two voices of girls filled with surprise and shock spread out from the balcony of Mochizuki's house.
The early birds on the trees outside were so scared that they all flew away.
Inside the house.
It turned out that these two voices came from Miku and May.
...Tutoring, of course, cannot just last for a short day. Learning is something that requires perseverance, and one must have the spirit of the Foolish Old Man who moved mountains.
So today, Mochizuki and Shiina Mahiru also planned to help May, and Miku with their studies.
However, today the four of them did not agree to meet at the library.
After all, it was quite inconvenient for the few of them to go to the library, and at noon, they couldn't find any satisfactory restaurants nearby.
So today they came to Mochizuki's house, which made Mochizuki feel quite relaxed, saving two trips back and forth on the road.
The four of them were now sitting facing each other.
Coming to Mochizuki's house also fulfilled Miku's wish.
However, now, Miku did not feel happy about coming to Mochizuki's house; instead, her mood was very heavy.
Because, Miku felt that she had already lost at the starting line, falling too far behind!
Miku said with a lost expression, "You're already... living together!"
May, on the other hand, said with a shy expression, "Something like this... is... too early! We're still high school students."
Hearing the two of them speak made Shiina Mahiru's face blush. She hugged the cushion on the sofa, lowered her head, and didn't even open her mouth to explain.
And Mochizuki was made to laugh and cry by the two of them. He gently patted Miku's head, "What are you thinking! You guys! It's not living together, we're neighbors, and we just eat together."
"Don't overthink things. What if Shiina misunderstands?" Mochizuki explained with a helpless expression.
"You agree, right, Shiina?"
"Huh? Yes."
After Miku and May heard that Shiina Mahiru lived next door to Mochizuki.
They misunderstood it as living together, so the surprised scene just now occurred.
After hearing Mochizuki's serious explanation, Miku, who was holding her head, felt a little better.
But, that's still very close, and they eat together every day.
Nozomu, unforgivable! Guilty...
Mochizuki said, "Let's study quickly! Don't waste time."
Shiina Mahiru also nodded.
Study time always flies by quickly, and soon it was time to eat.
And the heavy responsibility of preparing lunch naturally fell on Shiina Mahiru.
Before long, Shiina Mahiru prepared a table of rich dishes for the few of them.
There were pieces of chicken fried until golden and crispy after being coated with flour and starch.
There was Wagyu beef that looked tender, with evenly distributed fat, and excellent texture.
And Komatsuna that was emerald green.
...Of course, drinks were also indispensable.
Because he knew that Miku and May were coming today, Mochizuki also prepared matcha sparkling water for Miku, and cola for himself to drink.
As for May, anything was fine.
"Here you go, Mochizuki-kun." Shiina Mahiru handed the bowl and chopsticks in her hand to Mochizuki.
"Okay, thank you."
Seeing this, May said somewhat strangely, "Why don't you use names? You're neighbors and even eat together every day."
Perhaps because all five of them were called by their first names, May didn't pay much attention to the Sakura Country etiquette of not easily calling people by their first names.
"Names, huh..." Shiina Mahiru lowered her head somewhat shyly, listening to the others call him Nozomu, while she had always called him Mochizuki-kun. It was indeed something that she cared about very much.
"I think either is fine," Mochizuki said. He also didn't pay much attention to the etiquette of not easily calling people by their first names.
Sometimes calling people by their last names all the time felt more troublesome to him.
"Then, then, Nozomu, is that okay?" Shiina Mahiru said very unnaturally.
"Mm, Mahiru." In comparison, Mochizuki was much more natural.
"Mm! Please take care of me."
As for May, she had already started calling Shiina Mahiru by her first name, Mahiru, since yesterday.
And at this moment, Nakano Miku, whose gaze was usually slightly gloomy, completely lost its sparkle and started spinning in circles.
Miku: So May is... an enemy... I call him by his first name, my only advantage is gone...
May: "Time to eat!"
"I'm eating!"
"I'm eating!"
"I'm eating!"
"I'm eating!"
The four of them said in unison.
"Mmm... delicious!" First was May, who took a big bite of a chicken piece.
Usually accustomed to eating Nino's cooking at home, suddenly tasting food made by someone else, and the taste was not bad at all.
It made the gluttonous May's face show an expression of happiness!
And Miku also had to admit that the food in front of her looked very appetizing.
After carefully tasting the food Shiina Mahiru made, Miku had to admire how delicious it was. It should be on par with Nino's cooking, no wonder Nozomu eats with her.
At the same time, Miku also made up her mind that she would learn how to cook!
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