(AN: Make sure to check the comment section.)
On the back of the note left by Nino, she had scribbled an additional message, informing him that she had extended the booking, meaning Ren was free to stay at the love hotel for the entire night if he wanted.
Unfortunately, the rain had already stopped. Remaining there until morning would only increase the chances of someone from school spotting him leaving the hotel, so he chose to slip out quietly in the middle of the night instead.
On the way back, he even returned to the playground to retrieve the eggs he had abandoned earlier. Miraculously, they were still there. Though most had cracked, the plastic wrapping had kept them from getting dirty or soaked by the rain. They could still be turned into scrambled eggs at the very least—crunchy shell fragments included as an unfortunate bonus.
Still, that was hardly a good enough reason to waste perfectly usable food. Saving money came first.
The same, unfortunately, could no longer be said for his phone. It was in far worse condition—cracked beyond repair, soaked to the core, and caked in dirt.
Ren let out a regretful sigh. If only he had not lost his temper and thrown it away, it might have still been salvageable. But now, there was no saving it.
Having returned home late and gone to bed even later, exhaustion claimed him almost instantly. To make matters worse, without his phone, he had no way of asking Miku whether she wanted to walk to school together again, nor could he check if she had sent him any messages.
As a result, he ended up waking later than usual, his body still feeling sluggish and unwell. The cold rain from the previous night had truly done a number on him.
Still feeling drained, he prepared a large portion of scrambled eggs and rice for both breakfast and lunch, seasoning it lightly with soy sauce. For the time being, he had no intention of wasting money at the cafeteria, especially when he still needed to use up the cracked eggs before they spoiled.
Yesterday alone, a considerable portion of his savings had vanished—most of it spent on medicine, some going toward the love hotel. At this rate, he would have to start looking for a part-time job far sooner than he had originally planned.
After sluggishly changing into his school uniform, Ren left the house with a long yawn, following the same route he always took. However, his steps came to an abrupt halt when he noticed a familiar figure waiting at the very same spot where they had met yesterday.
It was Miku.
She noticed him approaching, yet said nothing, her silence carrying an unmistakable hint of displeasure.
"Were you waiting for me?" Ren asked with an awkward smile, a faint sense of guilt creeping into his chest.
"Mmm… because someone was ignoring my texts."
Miku turned her face away in protest, clearly upset. The small pout on her lips only made the display of annoyance even more obvious.
Ren smiled guiltily as he scratched the back of his head.
"Sorry. I wasn't ignoring your texts. My phone broke, so it's not working anymore."
Miku stiffened.
"B-Broke? Then… does that mean I can't contact you?" she asked softly, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice. Truthfully, she had grown far more attached to their late-night conversations than she had expected.
"Yeah, for the time being."
The answer struck Miku like a blow to the head. Without hesitation, she grabbed his hand tightly.
"That won't do. Let's buy you a new phone."
She urged, there was no doubt she could easily afford it, and Ren genuinely did need a replacement right now. Even so, he gently placed his free hand over hers and spoke in a reassuring tone.
"Don't worry. I'll get it fixed soon."
The realization that she wanted to stay connected with him even after returning home stirred something warm inside him. Almost instinctively, Ren lifted her hand and pressed a soft kiss against her fingers before giving her a gentle smile.
"Besides… I'm right here beside you."
The gesture instantly made Miku's heart skip a beat, her face flushing bright red in response.
"T-Then… I want to go to school like this," Miku muttered shyly, glancing at their intertwined hands.
And who was Ren to disobey his queen?
"That would be my pleasure."
At this moment, he truly could not ask for anything more.
As they walked hand in hand, Miku found the experience far more comforting than she had expected. A strange flutter stirred inside her chest, as though countless butterflies were dancing within her stomach. What exactly was this feeling?
Seed of Love?
Without a doubt.
Yet she also felt that it has more to offer—something deeper that she had yet to fully understand. And she was determined to uncover the rest of it someday. For now, though, this alone was enough.
Without even realizing it, she drifted a little closer to him, secretly stealing glances at Ren from the corner of her eye. Everyone had their own standards when it came to attractiveness, but in her opinion, Ren was undeniably handsome. Not that appearances mattered much to her… yet, for some reason, she found him growing more attractive with each passing day. Even his sme—
Miku's thoughts suddenly came to a screeching halt as her eyes opened abruptly.
It was different....
She had always found Ren's scent strangely calming. Though she had never admitted it aloud out of embarrassment, it was something she had unconsciously grown accustomed to. But today, his scent was different.
And yet… strangely familiar.
She was certain she had smelled this fragrance somewhere recently. It was pleasant enough that it had lingered in her memory without her realizing it.
But where?
-------
After her argument with Miku the previous night, Nino had stormed out of the apartment, they realized she had left both her phone and purse behind.
Then the heavy rain began.
Despite their growing worry, there was little the others could do. They had no way of contacting her, nor could they realistically go out searching through the downpour. Unable to rest, the sisters remained in the living room, anxiously waiting for Nino to return. Even after dinner time had long passed, none of them felt hungry enough to eat.
Miku, who had initially been angry, gradually began to feel more guilty than upset. By the time the hours dragged on, she had already decided to apologize once Nino came home safely.
Several more hours passed before the front door finally opened close to ten at night.
"Nino!"
The moment she stepped inside, Yotsuba rushed forward and hugged her tightly.
"Where did you run off to? We were so worried!"
"Sorry," Nino replied quietly. "I just needed some time alone to cool my head."
Oddly enough, despite the fierce rain outside, Nino was completely dry. She must have found somewhere proper to take shelter from the storm. Realizing that, Itsuki quietly let out a relieved sigh at her safe return.
Miku was the last to approach her. Guilt weighed on her as she stopped in front of Nino with her head lowered.
"Nino… I'm sorry."
Nino casually placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's fine. I'm sorry too. I didn't really consider your feelings either."
She brushed the matter aside as though everything that had happened earlier was already water under the bridge. Seeing the tension between the two finally disappear, the others smiled in relief.
"I'm guessing none of you have dinner yet. Let me make something quickly."
Now that everything had settled down, Nino let out a small sigh, sounding almost exasperated at what her sisters would do without her, before walking past Miku toward the kitchen.
That was when Miku noticed something different.
'Did she change her shampoo…?'
The thought surfaced in her mind almost unconsciously.
--------
Now she remembered.
It was the exact same fragrance as the shampoo Nino used, is this some new popular shapoo or something that people are switching into?
She did not pay much attention to trends like that, so she had no way of knowing. Surely, it was nothing more than a coincidence.
And yet… no matter how many times she tried to convince herself of that, an uneasy feeling continued to linger in the back of her mind.
Her instincts were telling her that something was off.
------------
"Where do you want to go for lunch today?"
Miku took the initiative, walking over to my desk as soon as the lunch bell rang.
Around us, the other students began filing out of the classroom. When Miku and I had first started getting close, our classmates had been endlessly curious, paying close attention to every interaction between us. But as time passed, the novelty gradually wore off. They became accustomed to seeing us together and eventually lost interest.
At this point, our entire class had probably already know that we were dating.
From my desk, I looked up at Miku with an apologetic expression.
"S-Sorry, I have something I need to take care of. Could you have lunch with your sisters today?"
It was a lie.
The truth was. Tempted to, but I didn't want her to be with me all the time. I want the Nakano sisters to spend time together as well. Their bond was something precious—something that made them special. It was a strength unique to them, and I want to protect it.
A faint look of disappointment crossed Miku's face, but I forced myself to ignore the pang in my chest. This was necessary.
"It can't be helped then," she murmured.
The way she looked at me was almost unfair. Like a sad little puppy trying not to show how disappointed it was, complete with a tiny pout tugging at her cheeks.
For a brief moment, I had the overwhelming urge to reach out and squeeze her face so bad. Somehow, I managed to restrain myself.
"Sorry," I said again, offering her a regretful smile.
Miku gave a small nod.
"Nn. It's fine."
I watched her leave the classroom before leaning back in my chair.
Now then, what was I supposed to do?
Oh, I know.
A few moments later, I grabbed the lunch I had lazily thrown together in the morning and headed toward the back of the school.
The area behind the school was surprisingly beautiful. Neatly trimmed grass stretched across the ground, while rows of tall trees provided the perfect shade from the sun. It was the kind of place where one could simply lie down, relax, and watch the clouds drift lazily across the endless blue sky.
Far removed from the noise and bustle of the campus, it felt like a small sanctuary hidden within the school grounds.
When I arrived, I found that a few couples had already claimed spots beneath the trees. Needless to say, the area was just as popular for spending time with friends or lovers as it was for enjoying a quiet moment alone.
Naturally, my loner instincts immediately kicked in, and I made my way toward the most isolated tree I could find.
Settling down in its shade, I quickly finished the lunch I had brought with me in a heartbeat. Which was just scrambled eggs over rice with a splash of soy sauce—but it filled my stomach well enough.
With that taken care of, I decided to spend the remainder of the lunch break taking a nap.
The weather was pleasant, the gentle breeze cool against my skin, and the peaceful atmosphere made the entire place feel incredibly relaxing. Under such perfect conditions, it took no time at all for drowsiness to overtake me.
A few moments later, a shadow fell over his sleeping body.
Perhaps it was because Ren had lived alone from a young age, or perhaps it was the countless fights he had gotten into with no one there to watch his back. Either way, his instincts had become unusually sharp. He rarely allowed himself to fall into a truly deep sleep, remaining subconsciously aware of his surroundings even while resting.
The moment he sensed a presence standing so close to him, his eyes snapped open automatically.
For an instant, his body tensed.
Then he saw who it was.
The girl was crouched beside him, quietly observing his sleeping face.
Ren let out a relieved sigh and rubbed his eyes softly.
"Why didn't you say something if you were here?" he asked. "Instead of just sitting there and watching me sleep."
Nino was so startled by Ren suddenly opening his eyes that she nearly lost her balance and fell backward onto the grass.
She had been careful—extremely careful—to approach him quietly. In fact, she had gone out of her way to be as sneaky as possible for reasons she didn't quite understand herself. So why had he woken up anyway?
She got flustered by his accusation, and she immediately fired back.
"Why would I watch you sleep?!"
Her voice was sharp, as though Ren had just uttered the most ridiculous nonsense imaginable.
"Besides, how dare you not contact me after I gave you my number?" she continued, standing up and crossing her arms. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to find you?"
Nino huffed indignantly before pointing an accusing finger at him.
"And don't get the wrong idea. I still haven't forgiven you."
Nino had already written it clearly in her note. She was grateful that he had helped her, but that did not mean she could easily forgive him for undressing her without permission and seeing her in such a vulnerable state. Until she was satisfied, she intended to make him pay for it.
That was why she had left her phone number behind. Yet despite that, Ren had never reached out to her, and her patience gradually began to wear thin, even though i hasn't been a day. Eventually, she decided to seek him out herself.
There was just one problem—he was always with Miku.
And she absolutely could not allow anyone to find out what had happened that night, not even her sisters. So when Miku joined her sisters for lunch again after several days, Nino immediately saw an opportunity.
After finishing only half of her meal, she left early and began searching for Ren.
Fortunately, she did not have to look for long.
She found him behind the school.
Perhaps because Ren had been jolted awake so abruptly, his brain was still struggling to catch up. Nino's words instantly brought certain memories rushing back.
A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Without hesitation, he sprang to his feet and dropped into a perfect dogeza, as though the act had become second nature to him.
Nino stared for a moment before a smug grin spread across her face. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she lightly touched one of them, clearly taking some satisfaction in seeing him kneeling before her. Fortunately, their secluded spot behind the school was isolated enough that no one was paying attention.
"I'll ask again," Nino said, looking down at him. "Why didn't you contact me?"
"I-I told you before," Ren replied hurriedly. "My phone broke during the rain."
"Just that? Then buy a new one," Nino suggested as though it were the most obvious solution in the world.
Ren slowly looked up at her, disbelief written all over his face. His expression practically screamed, "Is this girl serious?"
Letting out a weary sigh, he answered, "I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because you're rich. I'm not."
Nino fall silent.
She realize how thoughtless her suggestion had sounded. A trace of guilt surfaced within her, but rather than apologizing outright, another idea suddenly came to mind.
Crossing her arms, she huffed proudly. A faint red tint spread across her face as she spoke.
"I-I see."
After a brief pause, she continued in an awkward voice.
"You're lucky I'm so generous. H-How about I buy you a phone as repayment for helping me?"
With the allowance she received, purchasing a phone would hardly be a problem.
"No, thanks for offering."
Ren rejected her proposal without the slightest hesitation.
Nino's eye twitched.
"What now?!" she snapped, stomping her foot in frustration.
She had worked up the courage to make that offer, and he had turned it down with a completely straight face.
Still kneeling, Ren looked up at her and explained sincerely, "I helped you because I care about you, not because I wanted something in return."
Nino flinched.
'He cares about me?'
The words caught her completely off guard.
Why?
Ever since they had met face-to-face, she had done little besides give him a hard time. She had been harsh, demanding, and openly antagonistic toward him everytime. Yet despite all that, he was saying he cared about her?
Her thoughts immediately searched for an explanation.
'Is it because I'm the sister of the girl he likes?'
For some reason, that possibility irritated her even more.
Nino fixed him with a cold stare.
"It seems you're misunderstanding something."
Ren immediately straightened up.
"You want to earn my forgiveness for what you did, right?"
He swallowed nervously before nodding.
A satisfied grin spread across Nino's face.
"Then if you want my forgiveness, you'll do as I say until I'm satisfied."
She pointed at him decisively.
"So this is an order. On Sunday, meet me outside X Station by 10am. We're going to buy you a phone."
Ren nodded reluctantly.
Truthfully, he did not want to accept such a gift. But if Nino was framing it as a condition for earning her forgiveness, refusing outright would only make things more complicated. He would simply have to think of another way to repay her later.
As he silently reached that conclusion, Nino suddenly added, looking away from him.
"D-Don't misunderstand."
A faint blush appeared on her face.
"I'm mainly doing this because Miku won't be able to talk to you on weekends if you don't have a phone."
Ren's eyes widened slightly. Something in her last remark had caught his attention.
"Wait…" he said, staring at her in disbelief. "You don't like me being around Miku....So why?"
"Ugh..."
Nino groaned in frustration, as though she doesn't wants to admit it.
"I'm... giving you a chance."
The words seemed to cost her a great deal of effort. She huffed immediately after saying them.
"But don't get ahead of yourself," she quickly added. "I'll still be keeping an eye on you."
For a moment, Ren simply stared at her. Then a smile spread across his face.
He was genuinely happy.
Before he even realized what he was doing, his hand reached out and lightly grabbed her's.
"Thank you," he said sincerely, his voice filled with unmistakable joy.
Nino's expression immediately twisted into one of displeasure, but despite her reaction, she did not pull her hand away.
"Whatever," she muttered. "If you understand, then I'm leaving."
Just as Nino turned to leave, Ren suddenly stopped her.
"Wait. There's something I want to ask."
Nino looked back at him without saying a word, her expression making it clear that she was listening.
"After I lost consciousness, what did you do?"
"I took a shower and left."
'So she had used the shower there as well?' Ren noted. But that was not what he was trying to find out.
"Then who put me on the bed and took off my T-shirt?" he demanded.
The moment the question left his mouth, Nino abruptly looked away. A vivid blush spread across her face as she awkwardly wrapped her arms around herself.
Her reaction alone was enough to tell him that she had no intention of answering.
Getting the confidence, Ren rose to his feet and stepped closer to her.
Now, because of their natural height difference, he was the one looking down at her.
"That was obviously you," he said, refusing to let the matter go.
Then, unexpectedly, his voice softened.
"Thank you."
For a brief moment, genuine gratitude shone in his eyes.
However, the next instant, he returned to his previous accusatory tone, sounding like a man protesting a grave injustice.
"Isn't that hypocritical?" he demanded. "You did the same thing for me, didn't you?"
He pointed at her as if presenting undeniable evidence.
"So why am I the only one who has to earn forgiveness?"
The sheer indignation in his voice made it sound as though he had finally decided to challenge a deeply unfair verdict.
His argument was sound, backed by undeniable logic, and for a moment, Nino found herself cornered. Naturally, she had no intention of admitting that.
"Shut up!" she argued back. "It's completely different! I only took off your shirt. Besides, you did it twice!"
Ren refused to back down either.
"The second time was an accident caused by you."
"I don't care. You still saw my body twice."
"Ugh..."
Ren let out a frustrated groan. Unfortunately, he had no rebuttal for that.
Sensing victory within reach, Nino pressed her advantage. Closing her eyes and crossing her arms, she raised her chin proudly.
"Hmph. If you think this is so unfair, we can go ask Miku who's in the wrong."
Of course, she was bluffing.
Ren let out air through his nose before calmly closing his eyes and smiling.
"I'll obey your orders."
There was no way he was willing to take that risk.
And so, his next action was simple.
He returned to a flawless dogeza at her feet.
Nino's lips curled into a triumphant smirk. A strange thrill surged through her chest—a rush of victory she couldn't quite explain.
"Hmph. Good."
Looking down at him, she folded her arms even tighter.
"As long you know your place."