"Seriously, why is Yu suddenly getting engaged? I really haven't heard anything about it."
In the room, Yotsuba was packing her things. Since they were flying to Sweden tomorrow, they had to pack today.
"Alright, we should congratulate Yu."
Ichika was lying on the bed, listening to Yotsuba's chatter, and waved her hand with a smile.
"It seems like Ichika doesn't care about this at all."
Seeing Ichika behaving as usual, completely unconcerned about Nakano Yu's engagement, Yotsuba frowned and said.
"Well... no matter what, Yu belongs to all of us."
Hearing that, Ichika smiled. She had learned about Yu's engagement earlier than Yotsuba and the others, although at first she thought Yu was just joking.
"Hm, you're right..."
After thinking for a moment, Yotsuba nodded and lowered her head to continue packing.
Silence filled the room for a while. After an uncertain amount of time, after choosing and packing her clothes into the suitcase, Yotsuba asked:
"Hey, Ichika, are you and Yu really together?"
"…Why are you asking that, Yotsuba?"
Ichika did not immediately wave it off and dismiss the question, but instead glanced at Yotsuba for a moment and asked in return.
In Ichika's impression, Yotsuba never paid too much attention to such matters. The fact that she mentioned her relationship with Nakano Yu again today meant that something was wrong.
"I just feel like the relationship between Ichika and Yu has gotten closer. Of course, I'm not saying that Ichika and Yu didn't have a good relationship before, it's just… now it's a little too good."
Standing up, Yotsuba said that, and then realizing she had expressed herself poorly, quickly added another sentence, then carefully glanced at Ichika, quietly waiting for an answer.
"I can't directly answer that question, Yotsuba, but if Yotsuba wants to know, it's not impossible. First, you have to answer one question for me."
Rolling over, Ichika lay on the bed, her expression lazy, but her eyes flickered, showing that she was preparing some mischief.
"Ichika, just ask, I will definitely answer!"
Hearing that, Yotsuba swallowed, her expression resolute. As soon as Ichika finished her sentence, Yotsuba agreed.
"I want to know, how do you, Yotsuba, see Yu, or rather, do you, Yotsuba, love Yu?"
Sitting up, Ichika looked at Yotsuba and asked.
"Of course I love him! Yu treats me so well! He makes delicious food for me, bandages me when I'm hurt, and… and…"
Faced with Ichika's question, Yotsuba answered almost without thinking.
However, as she spoke, Yotsuba noticed that Ichika's expression was not quite normal.
"Yotsuba, you can't avoid the question. I'm asking you, do you, Yotsuba, love Yu?"
Looking at Yotsuba, Ichika once again emphasized her question, but at that moment Ichika already had the answer in her heart.
After all, when faced with such a question, a normal person's first reaction is to think the other person is joking. Only those who have something to hide begin to seriously consider the question, and Yotsuba was in that situation.
Although Yotsuba only paused briefly after the question was asked, that moment was not fleeting for Ichika, and of course it did not escape her notice.
"I… I… Ichika, why are you asking that? If it's because I misunderstood Ichika and Yu this morning, then that really is my fault, after all, I didn't check properly, hehe~"
Yotsuba was still trying to dodge, but she did not expect Ichika's next words to leave her speechless:
"Yu and I are together."
"Eh?"
Looking at Ichika, Yotsuba was somewhat confused about what Ichika was doing. Why did she suddenly mention this? And wasn't what happened this morning just a joke?
"Nino, Miku and I are all with Yu. This is the truth."
This time, however, Ichika's expression was serious, not the slightest bit like a joke.
Those words fell into Yotsuba's ears like a bolt from the blue, leaving her quite stunned for a moment.
"But, but Yu is going to marry someone else, so what about you, Ichika…"
After some time, Yotsuba finally recovered, looking at Ichika with an expression of enormous concern.
Seeing that Yotsuba was still worrying about her at this moment, Ichika was somewhat surprised. After a long sigh, she comforted Yotsuba:
"Yotsuba, you don't need to worry about that. Yu is not an ordinary person, it will be fine. The current question is: do you, Yotsuba, love Yu?"
"I…"
Hearing this, Yotsuba still hesitated. She wasn't sure how to answer. Ichika had just said that Nino and the others were already with Yu, and in addition there was the girl Yu was going to marry. If she continued to be stubborn…
"Yotsuba just needs to follow her heart. If Yotsuba loves Yu, I can also allow Yotsuba to be with Yu. Yu is not an ordinary person."
Knowing what was troubling Yotsuba, Ichika said sincerely.
She did not want the Five Sisters to drift apart, nor did she want Nakano Yu to be sad because the Five Sisters were competing. If she wanted to maintain the current situation where all six of them were together, Ichika had to say it that way. Moreover, Ichika had seen how her sisters felt.
Forget whether they loved him or not; just Yu's brotherly and attentive care over the past ten years was enough to easily move anyone. Ichika believed that Yotsuba was no exception.
"I, I… love, love Yu…"
Under Ichika's guidance, Yotsuba lowered her head, constantly fidgeting with her fingers, stammering out her true feelings.
Hearing Yotsuba's confession, Ichika finally smiled.
If Yotsuba was on their side, then only Itsuki remained. However, Itsuki was the youngest among them, and her psychological resilience was much weaker than the others, so that matter could not be rushed.
"So, Ichika, what are you going to do? Will Yu agree? And what about Dad?"
Seeing Ichika smiling at her, Yotsuba still felt somewhat uneasy. Thinking of Nakano Maruo, she asked with a bit of worry.
"As for that question, Dad should already know. Uncle Takeda isn't stupid; he can definitely see it. Dad not stopping it means he implicitly approves. And as for Yu… don't worry, Yu loves Yotsuba too!"
Expanding on it, Ichika had already thought everything through. Uncle Takeda, who had been appointed by Nakano Maruo to take care of their daily trips to and from school, was also someone who observed their lives.
It was precisely because of that that Ichika suspected their father knew about these matters. His inaction had already shown his stance.
That was why Ichika dared to come up with such a bold plan and even carry it out.
"Alright…"
Seeing Ichika so confident, Yotsuba nodded. Although she still did not know what Ichika was going to do, in short, she was now firmly on a ship with no turning back.
In any case, no consequences! For Yu! Just go forward, Yotsuba!
"So, Yu, aren't you going to give me an explanation?"
Inside Nakano Yu's room, Nino was sitting on the bed, lowering her head to clean Yu's ears while he lay on her lap, speaking in a tone full of anger.
"Are you angry, Nino, because of the engagement?"
Inhaling the scent of the girl, Nakano Yu smiled as he asked.
"No, although that is a factor, I wasn't really surprised because I already knew the fact that Yu is a playboy. The reason for my anger is Ichika and Miku."
Nino would not get angry over such things. Nakano Yu had told her from the beginning that it was impossible for him to be only with her, and Nino understood that. Although she was a little dissatisfied with Yu's engagement to another woman, it was only a little.
The real reason Nino was dissatisfied was related to Yu's relationship with Ichika and Miku. She was obviously the first to be with Yu, but in just a few days, Ichika and Miku had surpassed her.
Thinking about it, Nino was very dissatisfied.
"Ichika and Miku… didn't they tell Nino anything?"
Hearing that, Nakano Yu raised an eyebrow. He wondered why Nino's gaze had seemed strange when he came home. So it was because of Ichika!
Nakano Yu basically did not need to think much to pinpoint the culprit of this situation — Ichika!
He understood Miku; she would not spread this matter. But… why would Ichika do it?
Ichika was not the type to show off such things in front of Nino. That girl definitely had some little scheme of her own.
"Mm, they told me everything, both what they should have and what they shouldn't have. So, what are you going to do, Yu?"
Nino's face turned slightly red. Such things were somewhat difficult for a girl like her to say, but since Ichika could say it so openly, she could too!
However, as soon as Nino's words fell, Nakano Yu disappeared behind the girl, gently wrapping his arms around her waist, and whispered in her ear:
"Of course, I will fulfill what Nino wants."
After saying that, Nino's cheek turned crimson, and it was as if smoke was quietly rising from her head. Although she was shy, Nino began to secretly look forward to it.
"Clap."
With a sharp sound, the light in the room went out.
The Ogre with sharp tusks had crimson eyes, its hooves burning with green flames gathered strength on the ground, then suddenly pushed off, arched its back and charged toward the mountain peak in front of it.
"Boom!"
With a loud crash, under the Ogre's raw strength the mountain peak was shattered.
Stepping on the shattered peak, the Ogre roared, turned around and left. The green flames burned, turning the mountain peak into dust, as the Ogre slowly withdrew.
"Kotonoha, are you ready?"
In Sweden — Faroe Islands, Katsura Manami came down from the hotel. When she reached the door of Katsura Kotonoha's room and peeked inside, she could not help but smile softly at the scene within.
Inside, Katsura Kotonoha had thrown clothes all over the floor and stood nervously in front of the full-length mirror, holding clothes on hangers, trying to choose what to wear when she later met Nakano Yu.
"How girlish."
Seeing Katsura Kotonoha like this, Katsura Manami, unusually, did not scold her, but only shrugged with a smile and left.
She herself had once been young too, and understood Katsura Kotonoha's current feelings.
After all, they were still young, and it truly was wonderful.
Overnight, the Nakano family headed toward the airport and boarded the plane for Sweden.
This journey was for marriage!