The next evening, around 8:00 PM.
The four sisters left Ichika's apartment after their tutoring session. Ichika and Ryo usually didn't get back until 9:00 or 10:00 PM. Even though Ichika wasn't there, they still studied at her place because it felt like home.
Usually, Nanami would head home first, and Rin would see the girls to a taxi before heading home himself. But today, Rin went back to the sisters' luxury apartment with them.
Nino and Miku were blushing the whole way, and Yotsuba and Itsuki were even worse. Only Rin remained perfectly calm. He'd seen plenty of drama in his time.
Neither Nino nor Miku had told Ichika about the "harem plan" yet. Nino wanted to wait—if Rin failed the test, they could just pretend it never happened. Miku, on the other hand, had been researching cuckoldry since Ichika mentioned it. She wanted to surprise her sister. Imagine Ichika coming home early from acting class to find all four of her sisters being filled with her boyfriend's hot cum. Miku didn't quite get the appeal, but she respected her sister's kink.
"Wait here! We need to get ready!"
As soon as they got home, Nino pushed Rin onto the sofa. The four of them bolted upstairs, leaving Rin alone in the living room.
Rin pulled out his phone and opened a stream by "Erotic Manga Sensei G"—not the original, but the rival, Almi. On screen, a figure in a tracksuit and a mask was drawing with incredible skill. This was the showdown between Almi and Sagiri to see who was the true heir to the "Erotic Manga Sensei" title. Almi was more versatile, able to mimic any art style. She had even mentioned wanting to meet the man who "stole her wife," but Rin had been sidetracked by Elf's mother.
After a few minutes, the bedroom door opened upstairs. The four sisters walked down the stairs in a line, looking shy.
They had removed every identifying accessory—ribbons, hairpins, everything. They were all wearing identical, sleeveless white sundresses with a simple ribbon at the waist. Their feet were bare.
They looked exactly the same. They had even coordinated their bras so the silhouettes under the white fabric were identical. They shared a mischievous look and spoke in unison, perfectly mimicking Ichika's voice and mannerisms.
"Rin-kun, it's your turn now."
Rin blinked. Seeing four identical girls in identical clothes using the same voice was disorienting. Kaede and Suzu looked similar, but they had distinct differences. These four? Carbon copies.
"You have ten minutes to observe~"
"You can't touch us~ and you can't talk to us~"
"If you guess all four correctly, you pass~"
"Grandpa says if you have love, you can tell us apart."
They explained the rules one by one, still in Ichika's voice, their blue eyes sparkling with mischief as they smiled at him. Rin stood up and began to circle them.
He had to admit, their acting was superb. But even the best acting has flaws. Physical reactions can't be faked.
Itsuki was the worst actor; she was too stiff. Yotsuba's athletic build gave her away slightly. Miku was the best actor. Once he identified the other three, the last one had to be Nino.
It was a bit of a cheat. He could only tell because they were standing together for comparison. If they approached him one by one in the dark, even he might struggle.
"Miku, Itsuki, Nino, Yotsuba. From left to right. Correct?"
Nino: "Huh? That wasn't even ten minutes."
Yotsuba: "Too fast!"
Itsuki: "How did you do it?"
Miku: "Amazing!"
They went back to their own voices, their faces filled with shock. Rin hadn't even spent that much time with them compared to their school teachers, who still couldn't tell them apart. How did he do it?
Nino was about to declare him the winner when Rin spoke up.
"It doesn't count. I cheated. Yotsuba, your legs are more toned than the others. Itsuki, you were shaking from nerves. Miku's acting was perfect, so by process of elimination, the last one was Nino."
"What do you mean 'the last one'?" Nino pouted. "And what do you mean it doesn't count?"
"It doesn't count," Rin smiled. "You said your Grandpa told you that you need 'love' to tell you apart. I used logic and observation, not love. So it doesn't count."
Nino's blue eyes widened. Miku, Yotsuba, and Itsuki were equally stunned. Most men would have leaped at the chance to claim victory and start their harem. But he was rejecting it?
"Next time, come out one by one. That way I have no comparison and have to rely on my heart. But..." Rin's grin grew wider. "Before the next test, you have to let me spend more time with you. I need to get to know each of you better."
Nino squinted at him, trying to figure out his angle. "Fine. If you're that confident, we'll do it your way next time."
In her mind, even if he used "logic," he had still noticed details that showed he was paying attention. He had passed in her heart, but she wanted to see what he would do next. Is he not just a pig? Does he actually want to love us all fairly?
Miku bit her lip, anxious. A pass is a pass! Why do it again!? What if he fails next time? But she didn't want to speak up and ruin the mood.
"Give me one week. One week from today, we do the test again." Rin's eyes gleamed. "But this week, I need full access to 'study' you. In fact... why don't I move in here for the week?"
Nino blinked. Move in?
In her mind, he was already their boyfriend-elect. If he was joining the family, living there made sense. She took off her wig and shook out her hair.
"I'm too lazy to get the guest room ready. Ichika's room is empty. You can sleep there."
To Nino, Rin wasn't an outsider anymore. He was the one who was going to keep them all together.