Draconis slouched on the living room sofa, chin propped on the table, absently flicking a pencil back and forth. He'd been waiting for nearly half an hour.
He'd expected the girls to burst out, excited and ready to go, but he'd clearly miscalculated. Changing clothes took forever.
So there he sat, bored out of his mind, flicking the pencil away only to retrieve it again, like a kid with nothing else to do.
Ten more minutes crawled by before the sisters finally trickled out of their rooms.
"Looking good!" Ichika beamed, admiring her four sisters. "But, Yotsuba, your obi's crooked."
She stepped forward, fussing over Yotsuba's yukata.
"Ah… thanks."
"There, much better." Ichika smiled, descending the stairs in her own warm orange-yellow yukata. She waved at Draconis, then spun in front of him, arms wide. "Well? How do I look?"
"Beautiful. Suits you perfectly," Draconis replied, sitting up and taking in the scene. Each girl had chosen a yukata in her favorite color.
"Ready to head out?" he asked.
"Yep! I already had Mr. Ebata prep the car. We'll be there in no time," Itsuki said, absentmindedly rubbing her stomach, which gave a hungry rumble.
"Hungry already?" Draconis teased, a hint of concern in his voice.
"Uh… yeah, a little," Itsuki admitted, sheepish.
"She purposely ate less at dinner so she could hit the food stalls," Ichika explained, half exasperated.
Nino snickered. "Are you sure she ate less? I remember her bowl of rice was stacked like a mountain."
"That's a normal portion!" Itsuki protested, cheeks flushed.
Draconis chuckled to himself. Itsuki was definitely a champion eater.
They headed downstairs together. Mr. Ebata, the family's longtime chauffeur, was waiting by the car. He'd watched the quintuplets grow up—practically family at this point.
Ebata blinked at Draconis, clearly surprised. He'd never met this boy before.
"Mr. Ebata, this is Draconis. He's been helping us with our studies," Ichika explained.
"Ah, so that's why you told your father not to hire a tutor last time. You already had someone in mind." Ebata chuckled, giving Draconis a once-over—more out of habit than suspicion.
Draconis met the scrutiny with a calm nod. Ebata was seasoned; he recognized composure when he saw it. Draconis looked their age but carried himself with a quiet maturity.
"Alright, hop in! Draconis, you take shotgun," Itsuki said, a bit impatient. "Mr. Ebata, let's go!"
"Of course." Ebata smiled and started the engine.
As they pulled away, Ichika exchanged glances with her sisters. Their father would find out about Draconis soon enough… though he'd never guess the truth about his demonic side.
At the festival grounds, Draconis stuck close to the group, content to play chaperone. He'd have liked to bring Mai or Rias along, but everyone had their own plans tonight. So he chalked it up as part of his commission work.
The quintuplets, meanwhile, were buzzing with excitement.
"Fireworks festival, here we come!"
"Show starts at seven—we've got time to explore!"
"Let's go scoop goldfish!"
Their chatter filled the air as Draconis surveyed the scene. The place was packed—more people than he'd ever seen in one spot.
Truth be told, since coming to this world, this was his first time at a purely fun event. Even in his previous life, he'd avoided big crowds.
The festive chaos was strangely unfamiliar, almost fascinating.
"Draconis, you've never been to a fireworks festival before, have you? You look like you've never celebrated anything," Itsuki said, perceptive as ever.
"Never," he admitted easily. Apart from fighting fallen angels, his life had been short on memorable occasions.
He glanced at Itsuki—her hands full of snacks, cheeks bulging as she chewed. She was a true foodie.
Catching his gaze, Itsuki blushed. "Quit staring at me while I eat…"
So she knew.
"What's there to be embarrassed about? You even changed your hairstyle—it looks great," Draconis remarked, reaching over to snag a piece of hot tofu from her bowl with a toothpick.
"Haha, Draconis is really observant!" Ichika sidled up, grinning. "So, are you curious about the fact that we're not wearing bras under our yukata?"
Draconis didn't miss a beat. "Now that you mention it, I am kind of curious."
"Oh? Want a peek?" Ichika teased, tugging her neckline just enough to show a hint of cleavage.
Her boldness stunned Miku and Itsuki.
"Ichika!?"
Ichika just laughed. "Kidding!"
Draconis stayed cool—he'd long since figured out Ichika's playful streak. He wasn't about to get flustered.
"I'm not interested in seeing," he replied dryly. "I was just wondering—doesn't it chafe in the front if you don't wear anything?"
Ichika: "…??"
Everyone: "…"
He'd turned the tables on them in an instant.
Nino shot him a look. "Seriously? What goes through your head?"
Draconis shrugged and kept stealing snacks from Itsuki's bowl, earning a squawk of protest and a demand to buy his own.
From a short distance away, Mr. Ebata watched the group, quietly surprised at how naturally the boy fit in.
These kids and that young man… they really did get along.
—
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