After Nino's initial fluster faded under Shirase's bold teasing, she gradually relaxed in the kitchen.
With the two of them working together, cooking went far faster. After all, a boy-girl team always had a certain rhythm to it—more natural than working solo.
Outside the kitchen, however, the other four sisters were anything but relaxed.
Miku and Yotsuba quietly reviewed their notes from Shirase's earlier lesson, whispering to each other. Their conversation drifted here and there, but the core topic remained the same.
"Shirase really is amazing," Miku murmured, disbelief creeping into her voice.
The more she read, the more astonished she became.
Her thoughts echoed Ichika's from earlier: I didn't even realize I could study like this.
She remembered how different Shirase's teaching style was from their school teachers'.
Even while teaching five students at once, he never gave bland lectures. He constantly watched their reactions, and whenever someone's focus started to slip, he'd effortlessly change the topic to something that drew them right back in.
He really does know us too well, Miku thought, uneasy.
Then she recalled Yotsuba's earlier comment—"Shirase-kun's a top student, of course he has his own methods."
The reminder made her feel oddly small.
Was the gap between a top student and a failing one really that wide?
She couldn't even figure out how he was doing it.
Biting her lip, Miku thought that if she could have lessons like this every day, she might actually break into the top five in her class—maybe even the whole school.
She glanced toward the kitchen. From here, she couldn't smell the food or hear what they were saying.
Honestly, she wanted to go in there too. Even if not to pry, at least to thank Shirase properly. After all, she'd been the one who doubted him most.
And now, she was improving the fastest.
"Maybe I really do have some talent," she whispered, feeling a small spark of pride.
...
"Wait, what? You deliberately focused on helping Miku earlier?"
Nino's voice was incredulous, her hand stopping mid-motion as she sprinkled seasoning.
Still stirring the pan, Shirase smiled. "Yeah. You reminded me yourself—Miku's had the least contact with me, so naturally she'd have the most resistance."
Realization dawned on Nino's face. "So that's why. I thought you were giving her extra attention, and it turns out you planned that from the start."
"There wasn't any other way," Shirase said. "If I didn't do something special, she'd keep resisting—and then her progress would stall."
"…I guess that makes sense."
Nino's gaze flicked toward the closed kitchen door. Miku still has no idea, she thought, her lips twitching. She probably thinks it's all her hidden genius finally awakening.
Just imagining Miku's face when she found out made Nino snicker softly.
"Oh, right—about tomorrow," Shirase said casually, switching topics as he plated a dish. "I'll be coming over again in the morning."
Nino nodded. "So you'll be here every weekend now?"
"Yeah. Weekdays are tough with soccer, but I'll make it work." Shirase thought for a moment. Between practice, studying, and the system's progress bar, he was running on tight time—but with [Immersive Hosting] and Yukinoshita Yukino's detailed opponent data, he could analyze everything efficiently.
"Just don't push yourself too hard," Nino said gently. "Ever since your club won that friendly match, even I've been hearing about it nonstop. Your captain's been grinning in class all week."
She giggled lightly. "The newspaper club's obsessed. With you and Hayama-san in the lineup, they're basically writing celebrity pieces. Pretty much everyone in school knows who you are now."
"So if we wanted to date at school," Shirase said seriously, "that'd be pretty troublesome, huh?"
Nino froze, cheeks instantly flaming. "That's what you're worried about?"
"What else should I worry about?" he asked innocently.
Blushing harder, she avoided his eyes, voice barely a whisper. "If… if you really wanted to date me at school… we could always find a way."
Her words grew so soft that even she could barely hear them.
But Shirase caught every one and smiled faintly. "You're right. Where there's a will, there's a way. Worst case, we'll sneak up to the rooftop."
You sneaky idiot, Nino thought, face burning—but her heart fluttered all the same.
When the dishes were done, she untied his apron and asked, "Oh, didn't you say you were making dessert? What's it going to be?"
"It's a Chinese snack called mahua," Shirase said, glancing at her flushed face with a gentle smile.
"Mahua?"
"Yeah, it's a kind of twisted fried dough. Some people like it crispy, but I prefer it soft and fluffy."
"Sounds interesting. Then I'll look forward to it."
They began carrying the dishes to the table. The moment the aromas filled the room, the four waiting sisters practically sprang to their feet to help.
"Thanks for the food!"
Chopsticks clattered, conversation burst out, and the meal began in full swing.
Ichika, however, wasn't focused on the food. Her gaze slid toward Nino, silently mouthing: Well?
But to her surprise, Nino met her eyes—and promptly looked away, acting as if nothing had happened, calmly chewing her food.
Ichika blinked, dumbfounded. Seriously? You betrayed me that fast?
She'd sent Nino in to gather intel, not… whatever this was.
Ichika narrowed her eyes, instantly suspicious. Something definitely happened in that kitchen.
A kiss, maybe?
Her eyes gleamed with mischief, curiosity sparking to life like a tiny flame.
After dinner, everyone began clearing the table together.
Except Itsuki—who sat on the couch, gently patting her full stomach, looking both content and mortified.
She'd eaten so much she could barely move.
How embarrassing! she groaned internally. It's all Shirase-kun's fault for cooking so well!
Grumbling shyly, she turned her head—only to meet Shirase's gaze.
He was carrying plates, but his eyes landed squarely on her rounded stomach.
Itsuki froze, face going crimson from ear to ear.
---
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