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After packing my things—my books, some study materials, and a comfortable change of clothes, because surely we'd have to sleep at some point—I made my way back to their room.
Knock, knock.
Before I could knock again, the door opened.
This time, it was Miku standing on the other side.
"We were waiting for you," she said, a bright, excited smile spreading across her face.
She stepped aside and let me in.
Everyone was already gathered inside, casually relaxing as they waited for me to arrive.
"Welcome," Ichika greeted with a smile, giving me a small wave.
Nino, meanwhile, let out a tired sigh.
"Sigh…"
She reluctantly rose from the sofa, looking as though she already knew exactly what was coming.
"Let's get started," Itsuki declared calmly, standing up as well.
I waited while the others went upstairs, gathering their books, notebooks, and whatever other study materials they have.
One by one, they descended the stairs.
Naturally, Miku took the seat beside me.
"Excuse me…"
For some reason, Itsuki chose the other side.
She tried to play it cool, maintaining a composed expression, but upon closer inspection, I could catch a faint hint of shyness in her movements.
I couldn't help but raise the corner of my lips.
Cute.
"I'm last, huh?"
Ichika's voice came from the stairs as she finally made her way down.
"Sorry for the wait," she apologized with a smile before taking a seat at one end of the table.
Nino glanced around at everyone before her eyes narrowed.
"Why are you three sticking so close? There's plenty of space."
She pointed toward Miku and Itsuki, who were practically sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with me.
Miku leaned slightly forward, peeking past me to look at Itsuki.
Under everyone's gaze, Itsuki began to fidget.
"I… I just wanted to ask for his help if I needed it…"
"...You can still do that without sitting so close," Nino said with a frown.
Itsuki fell silent.
She looked as though she hadn't really thought about it herself—or perhaps she simply didn't know why she had chosen to sit so close in the first place.
"I'm not having any problem with it, so I don't mind," I intervened.
Nino's eyes immediately shifted toward Miku.
"What's your excuse?"
"I wasn't making excuses!" Itsuki immediately retorted.
Miku, however, didn't answer right away.
She simply stared for a moment—
"Come on, she just wants to stay close to her boyfriend, isn't that right?"
Ichika answered for her, laughing.
With a playful grin, she lightly pushed Miku toward me.
Thump!
Miku's body leaned against mine, and the unexpected movement caught me off guard as well.
My shoulder bumped against Itsuki's.
"Sorry…"
I quickly apologized to Itsuki with a nervous smile, a faint blush creeping onto my face.
But inwardly, I was already saluting Ichika.
Nice assist!
Miku didn't complain about the push either. She simply remained meekly against my chest, seemingly in no hurry to move away.
"Stop it."
Nino's voice cut through the moment, her expression practically screaming annoyance at our display.
I quickly cleared my throat.
"Ahem… Nino's right. Let's get started."
And with that, we finally settled down to study.
We worked through each subject together, helping one another whenever someone stumbled upon a difficult topic. Their strengths and weaknesses naturally balanced each other out, and whenever they found themselves stuck despite their combined efforts, I was there to lend a hand.
Before long, dinner came and went, and we returned to our studies once again.
As the night deepened, however, the long hours of studying began to take their toll.
To be honest, studying wasn't exactly the most exciting way to spend an evening.
One by one, our eyelids grew heavier, and even our concentration began to waver.
Seeing this, Nino finally pushed herself to her feet.
"I'm going to make some coffee."
"Make it weak," I suggested.
Coffee this late at night was already far from ideal, but there were moments when we needed a little help staying awake. Still, we had an exam tomorrow. There was no point sacrificing the sleep we needed for a clear mind, so a weak cup should be enough to keep us going without ruining our chances of getting some rest.
I didn't know how much of help I was to them.
I didn't even know whether all this studying would be enough for them to achieve the results they desire.
But one thing was certain.
They were putting in the effort.
And regardless of what happened tomorrow, that was something they should be proud of.
Of course, failing to reach their goal might still leave them feeling discouraged.
If that happened, I would make sure I was there.
I would do whatever I could to lift their spirits, remind them of how far they had come, and make sure they didn't give up.
I glanced at the clock.
It was almost midnight.
"Should we stop here? We need to get some sleep too."
As if they had all been waiting for someone to say those exact words, everyone immediately closed their books.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Mmmgh.."
They leaned back, stretching their stiff bodies after sitting for hours or yawned, finally allowing the exhaustion they had been ignoring all evening to show.
"I've never been this tired before…" Yotsuba groaned, her eyes squeezed shut as she slumped forward onto the table.
"Studying this much is so stupid…" Nino complained, sounding just as exhausted.
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"If you actually keep up with your studies throughout the semester, you won't have to go through this."
I said it in a joking tone, earning a few tired looks in return.
"Where is Ren going to sleep?" Yotsuba asked.
"He can sleep in my room," Miku suggested.
"In that case, you can sleep with me," Nino offered Miku.
I immediately raised a hand.
"Actually, just give me a blanket. I'll sleep on the couch."
"What? No!"
Miku immediately rejected the idea.
"She's right. You don't have to," Itsuki added.
"You're our guest," the others supported Miku's words.
This was becoming troublesome.
"You guys don't understand. I'll be more comfortable here," I insisted.
"Why?" Miku pressed, tilting her head. "Are you implying my bed isn't good enough for you?"
The others looked at me with equal confusion.
I couldn't blame them.
Who in their right mind would choose a couch over a comfortable bed?
"Ugh…"
I suppressed a groan as heat began creeping into my face.
I really didn't want to say it.
But with everyone staring at me, I had no choice.
"Your bed's smell…"
I muttered the words so quietly they were barely audible.
"What are you talking about?!" Miku shouted, her face turning bright red. "My bed is clean!"
She had completely misunderstood me.
"That's not it!"
I finally blurted out, my own face burning with embarrassment.
"If your bed smells like you, it'll keep me awake all night!"
Admitting something like that was mortifying, which was exactly why I had tried so hard to avoid saying it.
And honestly, it wasn't just Miku.
Sleeping in any of their beds would probably have the same effect on me.
After all, there was no need to underestimate teenage hormones… Or maybe that was just a me problem.
"Whaaat?!"
All of them shouted in unison, their faces carrying varying degrees of disbelief and embarrassment as the meaning behind my words finally sank in.
Yeah…
I had basically admitted that Miku's scent was enough to get a reaction out of me.
"Oh my…" Ichika muttered, wearing an embarrassed smile.
"This guy is a huge pervert!" Nino declared, looking at me with a hint of disgust.
"E-Eh? What do you mean?"
Itsuki looked genuinely confused.
Apparently, she still hadn't quite managed to understand what I was implying.
Meanwhile, Yotsuba stood completely still, wearing an oblivious smile as she rested a finger against her chin.
She was clearly entirely disconnected from the rest of us.
And then there was Miku.
She had taken the biggest hit of all.
Her face had turned completely crimson.
I closed my eyes, wearing a troubled expression as I braced myself for whatever hatred was coming my way.
But instead—
"I'm going to grab you a blanket!"
Miku suddenly turned around and hurried upstairs.
"Huh?"
I blinked.
That wasn't exactly the reaction I had expected.
The others soon began making their way upstairs as well, their exhaustion finally catching up with them.
Before Nino left, however, she stopped in front of me and poked me firmly in the chest with her index finger.
"You better not get any funny ideas later."
I raised both hands in surrender and offered her a defeated smile.
---------
Later that night, Miku woke up.
Still half-asleep, she shuffled quietly to the toilet before making her way to the kitchen for a glass of cold water.
On her way back, however, her eyes instinctively fall upon the sofa.
Ren was still sleeping there.
Her footsteps gradually came to a halt.
For a moment, Miku simply stood there, staring at him as though contemplating something.
Then, after a brief hesitation, she made up her mind.
Step… step…
She approached the sofa with light footsteps, careful not to make enough noise to wake him.
Once she reached him, she stood there silently, gazing down at his sleeping figure.
His face looked completely peaceful.
Earlier tonight, he had indirectly admitted that he liked her scent.
Strangely enough, instead of feeling creeped out by the confession, Miku had felt happy.
Was that weird?
She honestly wasn't sure.
They were already in a relationship, after all.
She loved him.
And she liked the little touches they shared, even if their relationship still had plenty of steps left to take.
There was no need to rush anything.
Still…
Knowing that Ren was attracted to her—not just emotionally, but physically as well—made her heart feel strangely warm.
'Does that make me indecent?'
She crouched down in front of the sofa, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"This is all new to me…"
Her eyes returned to Ren's sleeping face.
She was still trying to understand these unfamiliar feelings.
Maybe that was why she found herself wanting to stay here just a little longer.
Her gaze lingered on him.
Then, as if giving in to a sudden intrusive thought, Miku slowly raised her hand.
Her hesitant finger gently poked his cheek.
Poke.
Ren didn't wake up.
Instead, his eyebrows knitted together slightly, his peaceful expression turning into a small frown.
Miku froze.
Then she smiled.
A soft, beautiful smile appeared across her face.
"Is he dreaming?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"I wonder what it's about…"
For several more minutes, Miku simply watched him sleep.
But the longer she stayed, the more she felt that if she remained there any longer, she might end up spending a long time beside him.
Reluctantly, she stood up.
"Good night, Ren…"
With one final glance at him, Miku quietly returned to her room.
------------
I've always had a habit of waking up early.
Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that I simply couldn't bring myself to sleep in today.
No matter how much sleep I had gotten, I was wide awake.
Today was important, after all.
The last thing I wanted was for any of us to be late.
I glanced toward the staircase.
They were all still asleep.
That was perfectly fine. They didn't need to wake up this early.
Since I had already spent the night here, I decided to make myself a little more comfortable and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
Hopefully, they wouldn't mind me making myself at home for a little while.
Since this wasn't my house, I couldn't exactly go through my full morning exercise routine either.
Instead, I settled for a few push-ups to get my body moving.
One… two… three…
After working up a little sweat, I took a quick shower and washed it away.
I wanted them to take their exams feeling as relaxed as possible, so I had no intention of waking them up anytime soon.
Instead, I decided to get a few things ready myself.
Without asking for permission, I opened their refrigerator and began looking through the ingredients.
I wasn't exactly Nino when it came to cooking, but I could at least whip something simple together.
Then I noticed something.
No milk.
"Seriously?"
I quickly headed outside to pick some up.
On the way, however, a familiar and irresistible aroma caught my attention.
The fragrance of freshly baked bread drifted through the morning air from a nearby bakery.
I glanced toward the shop.
There wasn't even a line.
Well…
Since I was already there, there was no reason not to.
I stepped inside and picked up a freshly baked Multi grain boule bread before continuing on my way.
Back in their kitchen, I sliced the bread into even pieces and placed them into the toaster.
Click.
While they toasted, I cracked a few eggs into a pan and started making sunny-side-up eggs.
After eating eggs for what felt like an eternity, I could confidently say I had become fairly proficient at handling them.
Crack. Sizzle.
While I was busy in the kitchen, Itsuki woke up on her own.
Being the serious and diligent type, she followed a fairly strict daily routine, including waking up early enough to ensure she was never late for school.
Today, however, she was yawning more than usual.
The result of staying up so late the previous night.
For some reason, the first thing she did after leaving her room was peek downstairs.
Her eyes immediately landed on the neatly folded blanket resting on the sofa.
Ren was nowhere to be seen.
Curious, Itsuki made her way downstairs.
As she approached the stairs, the sounds coming from the kitchen caught her attention.
She followed them and soon found me standing at the stove.
"What are you doing?"
Her surprised voice made me glance over my shoulder.
"Ah."
I turned around.
"Sorry for using your kitchen without permission. I just thought I'd make breakfast as a way of showing my gratitude for the hospitality you've given me."
I explained myself as politely as I could.
"Ah—no, it's fine. You actually didn't have to."
"I don't mind. I actually feel happy taking care of you guys."
"That's… very nice of you. Thank you."
Itsuki gave me a small smile, accompanied by a faint blush.
Oh, this innocent girl…
If it had been Nino, she probably would have immediately questioned why I was including all of them in my little list of people to take care of instead of just Miku.
But Itsuki, being as inexperienced as she was when it came to romantic knowledge, didn't seem to read anything into my words.
She hadn't even realized that I was subtly flirting with her.
Or perhaps… My flirting is just terrible.
"Go freshen yourself up. Breakfast is ready. In the meantime, I'll wake the others."
Itsuki nodded.
"Okay."
With another faint blush on her cheeks, she turned around and headed off to freshen up.
I started with the room closest to the stairs.
Ichika's room.
I knocked once.
No response.
"I'm coming in."
With that warning, I opened the door and let myself inside.
The moment I stepped in, my foot landed on something soft.
I switched on the light.
Click.
As expected, Ichika's room was a complete mess.
Clothes, bags, and various belongings were scattered across the floor and piled on top of the table.
And in the middle of that chaos, Ichika was peacefully sleeping on her bed, a thin bedsheet loosely covering her.
The sudden light disturbed her.
She shifted in her sleep, turning away while squinting against the brightness.
"Mmmh…"
A small sleepy sound escaped her.
I sighed softly and approached the bed.
Placing one hand against its edge for support, I leaned closer to her ear.
"Wake up, sleepyhead."
I whispered gently in an attempt of playfulness.
Ichika shifted again.
And then—Before I could react, her arm suddenly shot up and wrapped around my neck.
"Huh—?"
She pulled me toward her with surprising strength.
My single hand against the bed wasn't enough to keep me balanced.
Or perhaps my body simply refused to react in time.
Either way—
Thump!
My upper body fell on top of her.
Ichika immediately pulled me into an unconscious embrace, holding my head close to her chest as though I were nothing more than a particularly comfortable pillow.
"Five more minutes…"
She mumbled lazily, still completely lost in sleep.
My face immediately began to heat up.
Not good, I just realised she isn't wearing any under garment beneath the sheet.
I tried to pull myself free, but Ichika's sleepy grip refused to loosen.
And being this close made it extremely difficult to think straight, i could feel her soft skin and bare warmth without any real obstruction.
"Mmmh~"
She let out another soft sound as my breath brushed against her chest, seemingly ticklish enough to disturb her sleep.
Stop it… This isn't good for my heart.
I struggled for a moment before finally managing to free enough space to breathe.
Gasp!
As comfortable as the situation might have been, staying there any longer would have been dangerous for several reasons.
"Ichika, wake up."
This time, I raised my voice.
My words finally seemed to register.
Ichika slowly loosened her arms and lazily pushed herself upright, pulling the sheet closer around herself.
"Yaaawn~"
"What are you doing?"
She asked with a sleepy smile, pulling the sheet to cover herself as she sit up, yet that didn't prevented me from taking a peek at her bare shoulder and thigs.
I quickly turned my gaze away.
"I wasn't doing anything! You pulled me into a hug when I came to wake you up."
I hurried to explain myself before I could be mistaken for someone taking advantage of her sleep.
"Ehh? That happened?"
Ichika blinked before giving me a light, teasing smile.
"I'm sorry."
I finally tried to face her again.
Unfortunately, at that exact moment, the sheet slipped slightly from her shoulder.
"Oops."
Ichika barely managed to catch it before it slipped any further.
My face immediately turned red.
I'm really not good with this kind of thing.
Was she doing this on purpose? Either way she wasn't doing a good job keeping herself covered!
…Not that I was complaining.
Still, I definitely shouldn't stay here any longer.
"I-I made breakfast," I stammered. "Don't go back to sleep. Come downstairs. I'm going to wake everyone else."
I hurried toward the door, practically trying to escape.
But just as my hand reached the doorknob, I stopped.
"Don't you think this room could use some cleaning?"
I asked without turning around.
"But that's a lot of work…" Ichika answered lazily.
She stretched her arms and back, the sheet slipping from places, completely unaware—or perhaps completely aware—of how much she was urging me to turn around and etch this heavenly display in my mind..
I fought my impulse.
"I-if you don't mind… N-next time, I'll clean it for you."
The moment the words left my mouth, I bolted out of the room as though running for my life.
Click!
The door shut behind me.
Inside the room, Ichika pulled her knees toward her and rested her cheek on them.
The casual calm aura she had maintained until now slowly faded.
A faint pink blush spread across her cheeks.
"Cute…"
She murmured with dreamy eyes.
Meanwhile, outside her room, I placed a hand over my rapidly beating heart.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.
She was dangerously alluring.
A natural seductress without even seeming to realize it.
I honestly felt like if I'd stayed in there much longer, I wouldn't have been able to keep my impulses in check.
I looked ahead, three rooms remained.
Still, it should be fine.
I doubted the others would pull something like that.
…Or so I thought.
I'd forgotten something important.
No matter how they acted or what they did, when it came to my heart…
They were all simply too lovely to handle.