I sat on the kitchen floor like a man who'd just returned from a war zone.
Bruised. Beaten. Mentally unwell.
All I wanted to do was deliver a few paintbrushes. Instead, I had been:
Emotionally manipulated by Arisa. Assaulted by a hairdryer. Then traumatized again by Reina's scream that could shatter glass.
Yuki might've promised to call the cops. Reina might never look me in the eye again. And Arisa? She was humming in the living room like she didn't just end my bloodline.
"Why am I here?" I muttered, crawling to the fridge like a wounded soldier dragging himself to safety.
"I used to be a normal guy. I watched anime. I ate cup noodles. I had dreams…"
I opened the fridge.
A bottle of milk fell and hit me in the face.
Perfect.
Just as I was about to start debating whether this life was worth living, Nao popped her head into the kitchen.
"Souuutaaa~ are we having food tonight? I'm hungryyy~!"
I looked at her. She had blue paint on her cheek, glitter in her hair, and no idea that I had just walked in on two of her sisters changing and barely survived.
I slapped the counter and stood up with the fire of a shonen protagonist.
"Yes. You will be fed. Even if it kills me."
She giggled and gave me a thumbs-up like I'd just announced the next Season of The Attack On Titan.
I took a deep breath, a very necessary one, before opening the fridge like I was about to defuse a bomb.
"Eggs, check. Oil, check. Some seasoning... yeah, this'll do the trick."
I turned to the counter, where a frilly pink apron lay waiting like it was mocking me. It screamed, "You're the maid now, pretty boy." I sighed. Beggars can't be choosers.
So, I put it on, dignity be damned, and started prepping.
At first, it went surprisingly smoothly. Oil in the pan, heat just right, no chaos.
...until Nao.
Of course, her soul couldn't physically exist without interfering, so she hopped over to "help."
"Hey, Nao, cut the onions," I said, trying to stay calm.
"OKI SOUTA!" she saluted with sparkles in her eyes.
She skipped to the counter, spotted the chopping board… and immediately ignored it. She placed the onion right on the bare countertop and started hacking at it like a maniac.
"NAO! What's the chopping board for?!"
She looked at me, tilted her head with a thoughtful look, then grinned.
"Dunno."
...God help me.
After a short crash course in Kitchen 101, she was back at it, this time on the actual board.
Then came Arisa. The Liar. The Menace. The Problem with Curves.
She walked in from the living room where she'd been pretending to study, catching wind of our chaos.
"Heyy~ Souta. Mind if I get in on the action?" she said, already halfway into my space.
I narrowed my eyes. "If you're anything like your sister, who didn't know what a chopping board was, I'd rather not."
She pouted. "Please. I was the one cooking when we were kids. You can trust me~"
I didn't, but I turned back to the pan and gave her the benefit of the doubt.
Then she disappeared for a second.
And came back… in an apron.
Only an apron.
"SOOOOUUUUTAAAA~" she sang, stepping toward me like it was a dating sim CG event.
I short-circuited.
"W-W-What are you doing, Arisa?!"
She smiled, walking over everything was nearly on full display, but the right bits were hidden, with a spoon in hand likeit was a seduction prop.
"I just want to prove I can cook~ Let me serve you… anything you want."
I backed up so hard I hit Nao.
"WOW NO! Clothes first! Please, Arisa!"
Nao chimed in from below. "YEAH! Stop being NAKED! That's cheating!"
Arisa rolled her eyes like we were the crazy ones, and begrudgingly threw on some oversized lounge clothes. Thank the gods above.
So, with Nao "chopping" onions and Arisa cracking eggs (more shells than yolk, by the way), I was in full disaster management mode.
And then, of course, Nao cut her finger.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
You'd think she lost an arm. She ran in circles, flapping her hands, while I tried not to drop the frying pan that was now very close to catching fire.
That's when she showed up.
Yuki.
She walked down the stairs like a final boss.
We made eye contact.
I froze.
"Y-Yuki, about earlier—listen, that was Arisa's fault, I swear, I just-"
She cut me off with a glare sharp enough to slice onions herself.
"Move. I'm starving, and watching you idiots 'cook' is more dangerous than me doing it myself."
She shoved me aside and marched up to the stove, sleeves rolled, eyes focused.
And that's when I remembered something.
Yuki...
Cannot cook.
"Wait, WAIT! Don't put the!"
BOOM!
Flames shot up from the pan like it was part of a summer festival show.
"FIRE!" Nao screamed, hiding under the table.
Arisa dropped the whisk and screamed. "MY APRON'S GONNA SMELL LIKE BURNT SOY SAUCE!"
I grabbed the towel, trying to fan the flames. Yuki was waving a spatula like it was a sword, and then-
Reina entered.
Calm. Silent. Unbothered. Like the eye of the storm.
She walked right up, grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall like it was routine.
HISSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
In one sweep, she smothered the flames. Silence followed.
We all stood there, soaked in foam, blinking.
Reina calmly adjusted her sleeves.
"I heard screaming," she said flatly. "Figured someone would be dying."
I looked at her, stunned. She looked at me.
And then down.
Because in all the chaos, my apron had shifted… and yeah.
My pants may or may not have slipped slightly.
I adjusted. She didn't blink.
Yuki muttered under her breath, "Perv."
Arisa smirked. "Guess someone's 'eggs' really got scrambled."
Nao peeked up from under the table and said, "Souta, are you trying to flash us for dessert?"
"I AM GOING TO MY ROOM!"
I stormed out. The girls all burst into laughter behind me.
Eventually, after regaining some level of composure, I stepped out of the guest room and made my way downstairs. The girls were already gathered around the dinner table, everyone except Reina, who was outside on the balcony watering the plants… still. It's a bit of a weird time, but honestly? One less distraction.
As I came into view, I could feel their eyes lock onto me. They tried to hide it, tried to play it cool, but the subtle smirks gave them away. They knew they broke me earlier.
"I swear," I pointed at them with a dramatic flourish, "anyone laughs, and I'm slipping laxatives in your food."
With that noble warning, I made my way into the kitchen.
And finally, finally!. I managed to cook in peace. Omelette rice. Simple, divine, perfect. And yes, it looked as amazing as it tasted.
Once the plates were down, the girls dug in like they'd just walked across the desert.
"WOOOOAH! SOUTA THIS IS GOOOOOOD!" Nao practically screamed mid-bite, eyes sparkling.
"Yes, yes~ Souta," Arisa purred dramatically, "truly husband material~"
Yuki didn't look up. "It's fine. I guess."
I rolled my eyes. In a house like this, even decent food gets treated like manna from the heavens. I'll take the W.
Except… one person hadn't joined yet.
Reina.
Still out on the balcony, single-handedly drowning the plants in what had to be their third watering of the evening. I looked at the girls, Nao was humming while chewing, Arisa was twirling her spoon like a princess, and even Yuki was silently focused on her food. None of them were getting up.
"Well, I guess I'll be the thoughtful one here," I said proudly, puffing my chest. "Allow me to retrieve our missing fourth while you enjoy my delicious meal."
Yuki scowled as I passed, but I ignored her. Victory was mine tonight.
I slid open the glass door and stepped outside. Reina turned her head slightly as I approached, the watering can still tilting over the poor soil.
"Hey… Souta," she said softly, glancing at me before returning her eyes to the horizon.
"Yo. Uh… about earlier, sorry. That was Arisa's fault, by the way. She told me Nao's room was yours, and after the whole Yuki disaster… yeah. It was a setup. Again. I swear I'm not trying to start a collection."
She blinked, then turned and held something out toward me. A small bandage with a flower drawn on it. It was simple. Cute. Something that didn't quite fit the Reina I thought I knew.
"It's fine. I'm sorry for hitting you. So… here."
I took it slowly, a bit stunned. "Thanks. That… means a lot."
She gave a tiny smile, barely there. "Also… I'm hungry. Is the food ready?"
I nodded. "Oh, it's ready. Even Yuki couldn't stop eating."
We both laughed at that, and just like that, the awkwardness faded. Together, we stepped back inside to join the others at the table.
Mission success.
…Well, for now.
After dinner, just as I finished washing up, a knock echoed from the front door. We all froze for a second. Nobody moved.
Naturally, being the 'big strong man' and with some "encouraging" sweet talk from Arisa, I went to open it.
And standing there like a perfectly timed omen was none other than Wilhelm.
He wasn't empty-handed either. In fact, he looked way too happy.
"Ah, Souta sir! I'm glad you're still here. Please accept this form for the upcoming school trip the girls will be participating in."
"…Why now?" I groaned, squinting at the paper like it was a cursed scroll.
"I must insist," Wilhelm said with a small bow. "Since you are employed as the housemaid, you will also be expected to accompany them and fulfill your duties during the trip."
I muttered a curse under my breath. Damn, he's right.
I turned around slowly, holding up the form. Four sets of eyes locked onto me, one excited, one practically sparkling, one smiling calmly, and the last staring at me like I just stepped in dog poop.
"…Guess I'm coming with you," I said, flashing a smile more fake than Arisa's innocence.
Nao and Arisa cheered in unison. Reina gave a soft smile.
Yuki stood, carried her plate to the sink, washed it in silence, and walked upstairs without a word.
Wilhelm, still standing at the door, chuckled.
"It seems, Souta sir, that you're becoming quite popular."
I sighed.
"Yeah… guess I am."
And just like that…
The countdown to the trip began.
Little did I know, it would change everything.