"Yu, what did you go to do? By the way, when did you go out?"
At the doorway, Yotsuba, who was returning from shopping with Nino, asked when she saw Nakano Yu and Yotsuba coming back home together.
Carrying a small bag of vegetables, Nino's gaze fell on the intertwined hands of Yotsuba and Nakano Yu, and she couldn't help but click her tongue. That Yu, secretly taking Yotsuba out, it was actually for this kind of thing.
She and Ichika had been frequently looking for Yu lately. This kid… forget it, it was bound to happen sooner or later anyway.
Thinking of this, Nino pushed the vegetables she was carrying into Nakano Yu's hands and said:
"Hurry up, we've already bought the ingredients. Yu is cooking tonight!"
"Alright, alright, alright. Hmm, make a bit more tonight. Father is coming home for dinner."
Nakano Yu smiled and nodded, putting the vegetables into his system space. He paused, then said.
"Him? Why is he coming back?"
Hearing that, Nino looked somewhat dissatisfied.
Since Nakano Maruo rarely came home, and even more rarely communicated with the Five sisters, Nino often almost forgot that she even had a Father. Now that Nakano Maruo was suddenly coming home for dinner, Nino still felt a bit unaccustomed.
"Well… maybe he just suddenly felt like coming back."
Yotsuba, who was standing cheerfully beside him, almost blurted out the story about Reina, but fortunately, she reacted in time before the words came out, and her sentence turned, misleading them.
"Is that so? Yotsuba seems a bit strange today. You're not lying to us, are you?"
Nino rubbed her chin, looking at Yotsuba with a suspicious expression, and as she spoke, she circled around Yotsuba.
"Of course not, ah… ah ha ha ha…"
Yotsuba scratched her head, laughing unnaturally, trying to cover it up.
However, although Yotsuba appears somewhat simple on the surface, she is actually the one among the Five sisters who understands the others best. Just as she was about to continue questioning, Nakano Yu quickly cut in:
"Don't stand at the door. Hurry upstairs, otherwise we won't have time to cook."
"Alright! Let's go, let's go!"
Yotsuba responded, and saying that, she ran into the building first.
"Yotsuba! Don't swing the bag, it'll fall out!"
Seeing that, Nino quickly followed after her.
"Phew~ That was close, I almost said it."
Letting out a deep breath, after Nino and Yotsuba left, Yotsuba completely relaxed.
"It's fine, it's not a problem if they find out."
Patting Yotsuba on the head, this time Yotsuba did not say things like being the older sister and avoiding the young man's touch like at the beginning. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, without any resistance.
"This is a surprise that Yu and Mother prepared, and it must not be ruined because of me."
Yotsuba said righteously, clearly taking the surprise Nakano Yu mentioned earlier very seriously.
Seeing that, Nakano Yu smiled softly and, while talking, led Yotsuba into the building.
After taking the elevator, the two of them soon returned home.
As soon as they entered the house, Ichika jumped out from the entrance.
"Yu! I was wondering why you weren't in your room. I didn't expect you were out on a secret meeting with Yotsuba."
Hugging Nakano Yu's arm, Ichika acted spoiled, her acting was quite obvious. Not to mention Nakano Yu, even the guilty Yotsuba could see that Ichika was teasing her.
"Your acting is getting more and more exaggerated."
Pinching Ichika's cheek, Nakano Yu said.
"Oh come on, people always have to improve! In a few days I'm going to practice lines with Kana. I heard I'll be acting in a stage play, an adaptation of a popular light novel. Yu, you have to come too!"
Ichika smiled and let go of him, explaining.
"A stage play? Ichika, you're acting in this too?"
Yotsuba was clearly surprised when she heard that Ichika would act in a stage play. Ichika's desire to become a big star was no longer a secret in the Nakano family, nor was it a secret in the entire Sobu High School.
After all, the previous promotional short film for current love was too successful, it even became popular across Japan. Even now, people on the internet often discuss that short film.
However, if those fans who ship pairs knew that Nakano Yu was actually not nearly as innocent as he appeared in that short film, their illusion would probably collapse, wouldn't it?
"Actually, the key isn't the play, but that popular light novel."
"It's just an adaptation of the climax of the latest volume of that light novel. Since the third volume hasn't been released yet, we can be considered to have taken the initiative. When the third volume of the light novel is released and we start performing the play, it can be considered a commercial mutual promotion."
Seeing Yotsuba's curiosity, Ichika explained. Originally, she didn't want to accept this play, but their shared agent, hers and Kana's, said that if she participated, it could attract a large amount of audience from the light novel fans. Moreover, Ichika took a look. The script of the play wasn't too difficult, so she decided to try. When it comes to her dreams, she is very serious.
"A popular light novel? I don't really pay attention to that. Anyway, I'm hungry, Yu~"
After hearing the explanation, she, who wasn't very interested in light novels, didn't really understand. In any case, it would help Ichika's dream. The most important thing was to quickly finish cooking, because Mother and the others might arrive soon.
"Alright, alright, I'll go cook now."
Saying that, Nakano Yu put on house slippers, waved his hand to take out the vegetables that Nino bought from his system space, and headed toward the kitchen.
"Hmm hmm Hmm hmm hmm"
Glancing at Ichika, Itsuki thought about how Ichika and the other three sisters would later be shocked to the point of doubting reality, and a secret satisfaction appeared in her heart. Thinking about it, she hummed a tune and walked toward the living room.
"This girl Itsuki, she seems very happy today?"
Looking at Itsuki's back as she walked away, Ichika scratched her head, muttering to herself.
Shrugging, Ichika stopped thinking about it. Making Itsuki happy is simple; delicious food and the like would be enough. She probably thinks Yu took Itsuki out to eat her favorite curry today.
Returning to the living room, Ichika and the other four sisters watched TV together. In the kitchen, Nakano Yu controlled the knife and wok with Wind, occasionally glancing at the microwave beside him.
At the same time, in front of the Nakano building, an extended Lincoln slowly stopped.
After the car stopped, a man in a suit quickly ran out from the driver's seat. He hurried to the other side of the car door, opened it, and helped a beautiful woman in a dress out.
"Is this where Yu and the others live? It looks so big."
After getting out of the car, Nakano Reina looked at the luxurious apartment building in front of her, her eyes curved into a smile.
She did not expect that in just ten years after her death, Maruo had accumulated such wealth. But… such a big house, if not for Yu, wouldn't it feel too empty for just the Five sisters to live here?
After all, those five girls, although they seem harmonious, in reality… they still occasionally quarrel.
Thinking of this, a wave of nostalgia rose in Nakano Reina's heart.
She remembered how the Five sisters would always gather around her when they were little, calling her "Mama, Mama." That little Yu, with his prematurely mature behavior, would always just look at her when she called him, then slowly walk over.
Now that she thought about it, Yu was very cute back then, only… sometimes he would get into fights in kindergarten, although most of the time it was to protect some girls.
Hmm… it seems the way he grew up is indeed a result of his childhood. If only I had raised him better back then.
"Reina, let's go upstairs now. Edo, you can go back and rest… I'll give you a day off tomorrow, and I'll personally take Yu and the others to school."
Supporting the "weak" Nakano Reina, Nakano Maruo said considerately, then turned to instruct Edo, who was in the passenger seat.
Hearing that, Edo twitched his lips, but still agreed. After parking the car in the building's garage, he took a taxi home.
Meanwhile, at the elevator, Reina was a bit nervous.
She hadn't seen Ichika and the others for more than ten years. Although those ten years were just a dream for her, a very, very long dream, for Ichika and the others, it was an entire decade!
And… in those ten years, Reina worried that she wouldn't recognize her children. Although she recognized Itsuki and Yu as soon as she woke up, Reina was still not sure about the other four sisters. If she called them by the wrong name, she would owe her children even more.
She had been absent from the lives of the Five sisters for a long time, and Nakano Reina wanted to make up for it.
"Don't worry, Reina, Ichika and the others miss you very much. Let's go upstairs quickly."
Noticing the worry of his beloved beside him, Nakano Maruo squeezed Reina's hand and said.
"Mm!"
Nodding strongly, Reina took a deep breath. At the same time, the elevator doors opened with a "ding," and the two of them entered holding hands.
Soon, the elevator reached the Nakano apartment. Since it was a direct-to-door elevator system, every time the elevator stopped in front of their door, a "ding" sound would be heard.
The Five sisters, who were watching TV in the living room, naturally heard it.
"Someone seems to be coming?"
Miku put down her phone, looked toward the entrance, and murmured.
"Oh, oh! Yu said Father is coming home for dinner tonight!"
At that moment, Yotsuba suddenly remembered, raising her hand and saying.
"Oh, is that so? A bit early. He'll probably leave after dinner."
Hearing that, Ichika replied, lying on the sofa, with no intention of getting up to greet them.
"Um… aren't you going to open the door and greet them?"
Itsuki, the only one present who knew the truth, looked at the relaxed expressions of the Five sisters, clenched her hands, and asked.
It was true that the Nakano apartment had elevator access, but there was also a door outside the elevator, as a precaution.
Usually, that door was open, but Itsuki had closed it when she entered, intending that whoever later went to open the door would see Reina.
Sitting up, Ichika picked up an orange from the table, began peeling it, and said indifferently:
"No need to go. He'll leave soon anyway."
"Why don't we go take a look? Maybe there's a surprise?"
Seeing that none of the four sisters intended to greet them, Itsuki became nervous, almost blurting out the news of Nakano Reina's revival.
"Hmm... Father's personality isn't the type to joke. He rarely smiled after Mother died. No, we actually rarely even see Father!"
Yotsuba also nodded in agreement, chiming in. Even she thought Nakano Maruo was a bit irresponsible, although she wouldn't say it out loud.
"Exactly, and Father has a key, right?"
Ichika agreed, and as she spoke, she casually threw the orange peel behind her. The peel gracefully flew through the air, landing exactly next to the trash can not far behind the sofa.
Ichika ate the orange, preparing to stretch comfortably, when a strange yet incredibly familiar female voice sounded:
"Ichika! How many times have I told you, don't throw orange peels on the floor after eating them!"
At those words, Ichika's hand movement toward her mouth stopped.
Confused, she turned her head, only to see the figure she had longed to see again so much.
"Everyone, I'm back."
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