"Miku, what were you planning to do with my stuff?" Rin teased, looking at the messy suitcase. "Were you going to use it for 'private time'?"
"I was not!" Miku jolted, her pale face turning even deeper crimson. "I... I was just curious..."
Rin chuckled. He was just teasing. He didn't think Miku would actually do that—at least, not yet. He hadn't been in the shower long enough for her to finish anything satisfying anyway. Most likely, she had come to talk to him, saw the suitcase, got curious, and found the condoms. She'd been too flustered to hide them before he walked back in.
"If you want to see them, just ask. Why did you come to find me?"
"Um..." Miku looked down, unable to meet his eyes. Her lips parted and closed, her embarrassment leaving her speechless. After a long moment, she forced herself to stutter out: "I... I want you to... to get to know me... more."
She squeezed her eyes shut, terrified of Rin's reaction. She didn't know why Rin had claimed he failed the "Grandpa Test" when he clearly hadn't, but she assumed he had a reason. To ensure he passed the "real" test next week, she had snuck in while he was bathing.
In reality, they were on the same page. Rin had lied about failing so he would have an excuse to "study" them individually. His main targets weren't Miku, but Nino, Yotsuba, and Itsuki. Aside from stealing their first kisses, he hadn't had much interaction with them outside of tutoring. Jumping straight from "friends" to "lovers" could backfire. He needed to properly seduce them to make the harem stable.
The "test" was the perfect excuse.
Looking at Miku's blushing, shy face, Rin couldn't resist. He leaned in and kissed her, his hand gently stroking her back to help her relax. This was their third kiss. Miku was still tense, her fists clenched, but she soon melted into his gentle touch. Until...
Knock, knock, knock.
A soft tapping at the door startled Miku. She shoved Rin away, her heart hammering against her ribs. Panicking and looking for an escape, her eyes landed on the wardrobe.
Rin watched as she scrambled inside. Are they really going to pull the same 'rotating shift' trick they did at Ichika's place?
After catching a glimpse of Miku's eye through the crack in the wardrobe door, Rin opened the bedroom door. The girl standing there was wearing the same white dress, but her short, energetic hair gave her away.
"Yotsuba? What do you need?"
"Shhh!!!" Yotsuba made a "quiet" gesture and slipped into the room like a thief, carefully closing the door.
"Why are you acting like a burglar?" Rin asked.
"Hehe~" Yotsuba gave him a wink. "It's nothing. I was just surprised you asked for a re-test, Rin-kun. Even if you 'cheated' by using logic, you should have just accepted the win!"
"So Yotsuba really wants me to pass?"
"Ahaha..." She scratched her head awkwardly and then pressed her hands together in a prayer gesture. "Please, Rin-kun! You HAVE to pass again next week!"
Nino might be the one most obsessed with staying together, but Yotsuba was perhaps the one most desperate for Rin to succeed.
"Sit down first." Rin pulled a chair over for her while he sat on the edge of the bed, curious about the shy girl.
Yotsuba hesitated before speaking. "Um... Rin-kun, you know that last semester, I was the one who got expelled because my grades were so bad. The others only left that school because of me..."
"No, no. I suspect the others only passed because they cheated for you."
"Whether they cheated or not, they did it for me..." Yotsuba looked down, a gentle, sad smile on her face. "They transferred schools for me. But... even though I passed one subject this time, I don't think I can pass a second. Just like Ichika, I..."
Rin could guess where she was going. "You want to pursue sports professionally, but you're worried you'll be separated from your sisters if you go down that path alone... So you want me to pass the test and keep the family together, right? And you came here... to let me 'get to know you' better so I won't fail."
"Um... yeah. I'm glad you understand, Rin-kun." Yotsuba let out a long breath. That was the main reason. The secondary reason? The last time he touched her, it had felt so good.
"Sports... Yotsuba, do you know what the path for an athlete looks like? It's not just about being interested."
Yotsuba sat up straight, her hands primly on her knees.
"I've looked into it. I have two friends who graduated this year and got invited to sports universities because of their archery results. But you can't just be good at sports; you still have to pass a minimum academic test to get in. That's for university, not for becoming a pro athlete."
"If you want to use sports to get into college, that's fine. But if you want to be a professional... Yotsuba, I have to be blunt. Real prodigies are already competing at an international level at your age. They don't struggle with the basics."
"Yeah, I know. I'm just talented compared to normal students... compared to pros, I'm nothing." Yotsuba bit her lip.
"If you decide to do it, I'll support you. I'll give you those friends' contact info later so you can ask them questions."
It was unlikely she'd be a pro, but using sports to get into a university was her best shot at a degree. Even if the degree didn't matter much, the experience was better than being a dropout.
"Alright, life consultation over." Rin gently tapped Yotsuba's head and stood up, walking toward the wardrobe. "Now, it's time to 'increase our understanding.'"