"Phew..."
After dropping Hatsune off at home, it was already late at night by the time Rin Ito returned to his own place.
He didn't turn on the lights.
He didn't even go back to his room; he just flopped onto the sofa.
This week, Rita was in charge of looking after Mashiro, meaning Nanami was sleeping in his room.
At this hour, Nanami was definitely asleep, so he decided not to disturb her. Having already showered at the hotel, he grabbed a throw pillow, adjusted his position, and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, it was Mashiro's cool voice that woke him from his dreams. Blinking his eyes open groggily, the first thing he saw was her dazzling blonde hair.
"Breakfast is ready."
"Mmh... yeah, hah..."
Rin Ito sat up and stretched lazily. Glancing around to confirm Rita wasn't there, he pulled Mashiro into his arms and kissed her cheek.
Mashiro naturally sat down beside him. Ever since Rita arrived, Mashiro no longer wore just an oversized dress shirt or cute animal pajamas around the house.
Whether it was Nanami or Rita taking care of her, they both made sure she wore proper clothes. Perhaps because she hadn't bought autumn clothes yet, today she was wearing a long-sleeved blazer uniform.
Beneath her skirt, her usual ankle socks had been replaced by white pantyhose... Rin Ito didn't have much else, but he kept a large stock of consumables like white and black pantyhose.
When it gets a bit colder, if she still wants to wear skirts, she'll have to switch to fleece-lined tights.
"Are you busy?" Mashiro asked.
"The troublesome stuff is taken care of. Why?"
The issues with Sakiko and the other problem girls had temporarily come to an end... These days, you can't even form a band without some kind of psychological trauma!
However... they weren't the only problem girls.
"Rita is still not drawing."
Rin Ito rubbed his temples.
The problem girls outside were dealt with, but there was still one at home.
When Rita first arrived, she convinced Mashiro to try drawing manga and doujinshi. But it had been almost a month, and Rita hadn't even picked up a pen!
She didn't go to school, she didn't do anything else; she just lay on the sofa or in bed reading manga all day!
Honestly, whether Rita drew or not, or whether she overcame her trauma regarding Mashiro, had nothing to do with Rin Ito. Given that her grandfather's art studio could attract a genius like Mashiro, her family background was definitely not simple.
But more than her family background, Mashiro cared about Rita herself. Despite her airhead exterior, Mashiro was actually incredibly perceptive.
Staring at Rin Ito, Mashiro said, "She loves drawing, but she hasn't drawn for a very long time."
"Mmh..." Rin Ito pondered.
He had experienced feelings similar to Rita's. The difference was that he was more mature; life had beaten him down until he was resilient. Rita, on the other hand, had her confidence shattered by Mashiro when she was still a child.
If possible, he also hoped she could overcome her trauma...
"Well... how about this: on a weekday, I'll take her out for a walk. Did you say breakfast is ready? Hold on... don't pull me, let me go wash my face first."
"I'll help you," Mashiro said, staring at his face.
"...?"
"I'll help you," Mashiro repeated.
"...Fine."
Maybe after being taken care of so much, she wanted to play a game of taking care of someone else.
Rin Ito didn't ruin her mood, letting Mashiro pull him into the bathroom to wash his face.
Having her messily rub his face was one thing... but why the hell did she insist on 'helping to aim' while he used the toilet!?
...
After a quick wash, Rin Ito and Mashiro went next door. As soon as they opened the door, Rita's energetic figure bounded out of the kitchen.
Her dazzling blonde hair, identical to Mashiro's, cascaded down her back. The beige autumn top slightly clashed with the pleated uniform skirt she had clearly borrowed from Mashiro. Yet, on her voluptuous figure, even mismatched clothes looked perfect.
On top of that, she wore a cute apron... It would be perfect if the apron was all she was wearing. What a pity.
Come to think of it... he'd seen plenty of tender, youthful bodies, but he hadn't seen the 'naked apron' look yet.
Wearing her apron, Rita winked at the two of them.
"Kaede and Suzu taught me how to make breakfast. I made it today~"
"Looking forward to it." Although Mashiro appeared slightly indifferent, Rita knew she was genuinely excited.
However, meeting Mashiro's gaze, Rita guiltily looked away. Ever since she stopped drawing, Rita seemed interested in many things, but only superficially.
In Mashiro's eyes, drawing was Rita's life; a Rita who didn't draw was just an empty shell.
The breakfast was simple: vegetable and meat porridge, a recipe Rin Ito had taught the others before. Kaede probably taught it to Rita because it was easy to pick up.
As long as you don't overcook it and burn the pot, it's hard to mess up.
Rin Ito helped dish out the porridge. Mashiro eagerly picked up her spoon to taste it, but just as she lifted a spoonful to her lips, Rita stopped her.
"You have to blow on it to cool it down, or you'll burn your tongue." As she spoke, Rita gently blew on the spoon a few times. Then, holding Mashiro's wrist, she brought the spoon to her own lips.
Only after gently testing the temperature with her lips did Rita let go.
"You're so gentle." Rin Ito smiled helplessly... This is taking care of Mashiro a bit too far. It's like treating her as a toddler.
While Mashiro's personality was childlike, she wasn't so helpless that she didn't know to blow on hot food.
"Of course~" Rita raised her eyebrows smugly. "Shouldn't I get an extra point?"
"Mmh. Extra point."
The nearly month-long 'showdown' between Rita and Nanami was still ongoing. Next week was the final week to decide the winner. Currently, thanks to Mashiro's behind-the-scenes manipulation, their scores were neck-and-neck; the outcome wouldn't be decided until the very end.
Rita watched with a gentle gaze as Mashiro blew softly on the spoonful of porridge.
Mashiro has grown a lot during her time here...
I'm not an idiot either. I can tell Mashiro wants to stay here.
Even though losing my nearly ten years of companionship to them makes me extremely frustrated. Very, very frustrated.
But ten years is enough to understand Mashiro's stubbornness perfectly.
If she wants to stay here, I definitely can't take her away. I'm just playing along with her game.
This is the final game.
Although I know Mashiro wants to keep me here, too... just as she won't leave, once this final game is over, I'll leave on my own.
Maybe spending a long time away from Mashiro will make me forget, and I'll be able to pick up a brush again.
As for right now...
Hehe, I definitely won't lose to Nanami when it comes to taking care of Mashiro!