"It's normal to be surprised. After all, I was so against him being the private tutor just a while ago," Nakano Nino said, sitting on the bed, her slender, fair calves swinging playfully. Her tone was cheerful, like a lark on a branch. "But I hadn't met him then. It's different now that I've met him today."
Nino, please don't say any more.
"Now I feel like he's exactly the type of person I like." Nakano Nino cupped her face with her hands, a look of anticipation reflected in her flushed cheeks. "How should I go about pursuing him~"
Don't look like that, Nino.
Nakano Yotsuba's mind was blank. She looked at the hopeful expression on Nino's face, the look of a future full of fantasy, and it felt somewhat familiar.
"But since I just met him, I feel a little too shy to approach him directly…"
"So…" Nakano Nino's voice suddenly entered Yotsuba's ear. "Can you help me, Yotsuba?"
"…Huh?" Yotsuba snapped out of her daze, her heart tightly clenched. "What did you say, Nino?"
"I said, can you help me get Hayakawa-kun's LINE ID?" Nakano Nino looked at Yotsuba strangely. Her reactions had been somewhat bizarre since earlier.
"Wh-why me?" Yotsuba felt dizzy and panicked instinctively.
"Because you and Itsuki are the first two of us five sisters to know Hayakawa. I feel like you're more familiar with him," Nakano Nino whispered. "And Itsuki won't work. She was there for the whole thing tonight. If she knew I had a crush because of tonight, she'd definitely laugh at me. So, not her."
"I…" Nakano Yotsuba stammered, holding out her hand, a tearing pain in her heart.
LINE… asking me to get Hayakawa-kun's LINE ID for Nino…
I can't do this…
Nakano Yotsuba's eyes were filled with confusion. Her heart felt as lost as a small dog huddled in the rain, its fur completely soaked.
If I help her get the LINE ID, what happens next…? What will happen after that? Will they get together?
Nino and Hayakawa-kun together… They hold hands on the street, hug, and then Hayakawa-kun puts his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. Their lips slowly move closer, within inches of each other.
Stop! Immediately stop the fantasy, just like the director of a tragedy shouts "Cut!" The filming ends here for today. The main actors worked hard, go take a rest. The extras can collect their boxed lunches. And she, feeling utterly relieved, bowed her head and ate her lunch in the corner.
Just thinking about it was unbearable.
Nakano Yotsuba unconsciously reached out and covered her chest. A dull ache had persisted since earlier, making it hard to breathe.
She could hear the voice in her heart, as if a tiny Yotsuba inside was screaming.
"Don't!"
I won't help you get his LINE ID! You stay away from him!
Don't act so familiar after meeting him just once! I've known him since we were kids, we're childhood friends!
But…
The tiny Yotsuba turned around and found herself in her middle school principal's office. The principal looked at her sternly, and behind him stood four girls.
"If Yotsuba has to transfer, we'll transfer with her."
Thud!
Nakano Yotsuba's mind felt like it had been struck by a heavy hammer. The intense dizziness made her feel nauseous. The world in front of her blurred, and everything around her turned gray. She could only see Nino's lips moving, her voice clearly entering her ears.
"Yotsuba…"
"Are you unwilling?"
"Of-of course not!" Nakano Yotsuba jolted awake as if punched while sleeping. She strongly patted her chest and promised, "I will definitely try my best to help Nino get Hayakawa-kun's LINE ID!"
"I knew it~" Nakano Nino happily hugged her sister, smugly rubbing her cheek against Yotsuba's. "I knew telling you first was the right choice. We'll always be the best sisters."
"Mhm, I'll work hard to help you." Yotsuba managed a weak smile, whispering, "I wish you luck, Nino. I hope your romance goes smoothly."
"Of course! My first love won't work without you, Yotsuba," Nakano Nino pursed her lips, a smile she couldn't hide blooming on her face. She stood up. "Ah~ I feel so much better after telling you everything. Thank you, Yotsuba. I'm going back now."
"Okay, I'll see you out, Nino." Yotsuba stood up and walked Nino to the door.
"It's quite late now; you should go to bed early too." Nakano Nino stood at the doorway, turning to point at Yotsuba's pajamas. She covered her mouth and smirked playfully. "But you really should think about changing your style of dress. If you wore something a little more sexy and mature, maybe you could find a boy you like too~"
Nakano Yotsuba paused, then said, "You might be right…"
"Good night, Yotsuba."
"Good night, Nino."
Bang.
The door closed, and silence returned to the room. Yotsuba stood at the door for a moment, then reached out to turn off the light and lay down on the bed.
Gently closing her eyes, the girl's body and mind were flooded by a rushing sense of exhaustion.
She was so tired now. She just wanted to sleep.
Good night, Hayakawa-kun.
Back in Hayakawa's Dorm Room
"No sleeping!" Hayakawa reached out and tapped Furuhashi Fumino on the head again. She had been drifting off and nodding off for a while.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Furuhashi Fumino apologized profusely. "Seeing numbers makes me drowsy. Someone with the brain capacity of an oceanic sunfish like me really can't…"
"That's enough." Hayakawa Haku cut off her self-deprecating speech. He reached for a bottle of coffee. "Drink this."
"..." Furuhashi Fumino carefully took it, looked at the bottle, and said weakly, "Um, I don't drink high-concentration coffee…"
"Your studies aren't going well, but you sure have a lot of demands." Hayakawa scoffed twice, then took the coffee back.
"It looks like there won't be any dorm checks tonight," Ogata Rizu murmured softly while reading her book. "That's great. I don't have to see Kirisu-sensei."
"Those teachers are probably either playing cards or drinking by now." Hayakawa shook his head. He had no expectations for the integrity of the faculty at this school, which would hand over two of its top students to another student for tutoring.
"How can you say that?" Furuhashi Fumino chuckled. "They wouldn't be drinking, no matter what. That's a bit too much, Hayakawa-kun."
Hayakawa said expressionlessly, "I saw Aoyama-sensei's bag filled with beer this morning."
Furuhashi Fumino: "..."
"Forget it. It's a good thing no one is checking the dorms." Hayakawa skipped the topic and lowered his head to look at the practice questions again.
"Knock, knock, knock~"
The sudden knocking startled all three, who simultaneously looked at the door.
"Who is it?" Hayakawa asked out loud.
"Open up," a cold female voice came from outside the door. "Dorm check."
Hayakawa: "..."