At the Nakano Residence,
The sound of the TV filled the room, its flickering screen casting a soft glow across the living room. The four Nakano sisters—Ichika, Miku, Yotsuba, and Itsuki—sat side by side on the sofa.
But their attention wasn't on the cheesy drama playing. Instead, their eyes were firmly locked on one person.
Nakano Nino.
Or rather—Nino, who was currently at the kitchen counter, sleeves rolled up, calmly washing dishes as though the world had nothing to do with her.
Only… she looked distracted.
Ichika leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm, her expression uncharacteristically serious.
"Say… doesn't Nino seem… off? Ever since she came back last night, she looks like she has something on her mind."
Miku, who had been quietly hugging a cushion, nodded slightly.
"…I noticed too. She said she fell into a ditch, but… I don't believe it. The way she looked… something must've happened."
Itsuki frowned, her usual appetite forgotten as she replayed the memory of last night.
"When she came home… I swear I saw tears in her eyes. And she was covered in dirt and ash. Even her arms and legs had scrapes. That's not something you get from just tripping into a ditch…"
Yotsuba suddenly raised her hand nervously.
"Um, actually… I heard something too. Last night, when I got up to go to the bathroom… I heard Nino crying. She was trying to be quiet, but I definitely heard it. She said something like… 'I'm glad I could come back and see you all.'"
Her words fell into the room like a stone into a still pond.
The air grew heavy.
"Crying… saying stuff like that…" Ichika muttered, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound like just falling into a ditch."
Miku hugged her cushion tighter. "…It sounds more like she went through something dangerous."
The sisters exchanged uneasy glances. None of them wanted to say it out loud, but the thought lingered in their minds—had Nino… run away from something?
"Should we… just ask her directly?" Itsuki suggested softly.
"No."
Ichika, as the eldest, shook her head firmly.
"If Nino said she just fell into a ditch, then that means she doesn't want to talk about it. Forcing her won't help. We should just… let it go."
Her voice was decisive, leaving no room for argument.
The other three hesitated, but eventually nodded in agreement.
And just like that, silence fell again—until the doorbell rang.
Ding-dong.
"Delivery for the Nakano household!"
The sudden call from the entrance made Nino perk up instantly.
Her previously absent-minded face lit up with relief as she quickly dried her hands and hurried toward the door.
On the sofa, her sisters exchanged knowing looks.
"The package… must be her new phone," Miku murmured.
"Yeah," Itsuki agreed, lowering her voice. "She said her old one was too slow, but it was brand new last month. Something definitely happened last night."
Still, they didn't say anything more.
For now, they would respect Ichika's words.
.....
Meanwhile, at the Gojo Residence,
Gojo Satoru lounged on his bed, a laptop resting comfortably across his lap. His blindfold hung loosely around his neck as he scrolled lazily through websites.
"Hmm… which café in the area has the best parfait reviews…"
His stomach already grumbled at the thought of sugar, but before he could decide, the phone beside him lit up with a cheerful ding.
Gojo reached for it absentmindedly, only to pause when he saw the sender.
A LINE message.
From… a certain girl.
"Oh? Isn't this… the one I pulled out of trouble last night?"
Curious, he tapped it open and read the message.
"Although it's a little late to introduce myself now, you disappeared so fast yesterday I didn't even get to thank you properly. My name is Nakano Nino. Thank you so much for saving me last night!"
Gojo blinked.
"…Wait. Nakano Nino?"
He froze for a moment, then broke into a grin.
"Ehhh? That gloomy, ash-covered girl last night… was actually Nino Nakano?!"
Of course, he said, he was surprised to see that the girl he saved was actually one of the main leads from his favorite anime — The Quintessential Quintuplets (Go-Tōbun no Hanayome)
Still, he chuckled, scratching his cheek.
"Man… can't believe I didn't recognize her. What a failure on my part."
But instead of panicking or getting flustered, he typed his reply without missing a beat.
"It's fine. By the way, my name's Gojo Satoru—the one and only, ridiculously handsome guy."
He smirked, hitting send.
Gojo Satoru. Handsome. Absolutely factual.
As for the "pure" part? Well… cough.
.....
Back at the Nakano Residence,
In her room, Nino sat cross-legged on her bed, her new phone glowing in her hands.
When she read his reply, she let out a small laugh despite herself.
"Haha…Calling yourself handsome in your introduction? What kind of narcissist does that?"
Normally, she would have rolled her eyes and dismissed such arrogance.
But because it was Gojo… somehow, she didn't hate it. In fact… it felt kind of funny. Endearing, even.
Nino Nakano was, without a doubt, a double-standard queen.
Still, her heart thumped nervously as she began typing again.
"Um… would it be alright if I treated you to a meal this Saturday or Sunday? Don't misunderstand, it's just to thank you for saving me, okay?"
Her finger hovered over the screen.
Too forward? Will he think I'm weird?
She frowned, biting her lip. After a moment's hesitation, she deleted the last sentence and rephrased.
"Um… would it be alright if I treated you to a meal this weekend? To thank you for saving me."
Satisfied, she quickly hit send—then buried her face in her pillow, cheeks burning red.
Ughhh! This is so embarrassing! I've never invited a guy out before…
Her pride as a beautiful girl told her to act aloof, but deep down, there was a fluttering warmth she couldn't deny.
She didn't like him. Not yet. But there was something about Gojo that pulled her in.
...
Gojo's Room,
Gojo's phone buzzed again. He glanced down, read the invitation, and smirked.
"Fufufu… Nino-chan asking me out, huh? As expected, I am Irresistible."
Without hesitation, he replied:
"Yes. I accepts your invitation."
And because he couldn't resist:
"Though shouldn't I be calling you Nakano-sama?"
...
Nino's Room,
Her phone buzzed almost immediately. She peeked at the reply—and the corners of her lips curved upward.
"…Honestly, this guy…"
But she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face.
Her heart beat faster. The embarrassment lingered, but…
This feeling… it's not bad at all.
...
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