"By the way, President, you said you ran into Miku? Can you tell me exactly what happened?"
As they headed toward the sports equipment shed, carrying their respective baskets, Yotsuba asked with the unfiltered curiosity of a child.
Her questioning didn't feel intrusive, though. On the contrary, it seemed to bridge the distance between them. The topic didn't pry into deep secrets; instead, it focused on a shared interest.
It was a topic Izuru himself had dangled earlier regarding his run-in with Miku. Since it didn't cross any privacy boundaries and they were both genuinely interested, the conversation didn't ruin the mood—it actually made things feel more comfortable.
{Yotsuba really does look out for her sisters. The second she hears a strange guy has been near them, she goes straight into investigative mode? Truly cute and innocent...}
The thought brought a smirk to Izuru's face. In a tone that carried a hint of amusement, he said:
"It wasn't just Nakano Miku; I met Nakano Itsuki, too. How about I tell you about both of them?"
"Yes, please! Tell me everything, President!" Yotsuba looked incredibly enthusiastic. If her hands hadn't been occupied with the ball basket, she probably would have been hopping around like a hyperactive rabbit.
"To be honest, after the five of us finished the transfer paperwork today, we all went our separate ways. I have no idea what they've been up to or what happened to them. Thanks to your kind explanation, President, I'll finally be in the loop!"
{Yep, no doubt about it—those five are thick as thieves. She cares so much about her sisters she doesn't want to miss a single detail...}
Izuru mused to himself, his smile widening. Without overthinking it, he began the tale.
"Well, I wouldn't call myself 'kind,' but since you're so eager to hear it, I'll tell you everything..."
"First, it started at the cafeteria during lunch. Just as I was grabbing a tray, your sister, Nakano Itsuki, happened to order the exact same meal as me. Maybe because she felt we shared the same taste, she took the initiative to say hello. We introduced ourselves and ended up having lunch together..."
"But, I have a bit of a habit of running my mouth. I accidentally referred to her as the 'Meat Bun Monster.' I was horrified the moment it slipped out, thinking I'd just nuked a brand-new friendship. But surprisingly, your sister's heart is as big as her... well, she wasn't mad at all. She actually complimented my sense of humor."
"Next was the thing with Miku. That happened after I parted ways with Itsuki. I was heading to the Student Council room and decided to grab a drink from the vending machine like I always do. But the machine was acting up—unless you give it a 'Grandma's Death Kick,' nothing comes out. Miku happened to be there trying to buy a drink, and she suffered that embarrassing tragedy where the machine eats your money and refuses to give up the goods..."
"Luckily, I ran into her while she was struggling and helped her fix the problem. She was even kind enough to treat me to a bottle of matcha soda..."
"And then, well, there was meeting you, Yotsuba. I don't need to go into detail there; you were there for that part."
"But thinking back, it really is an incredible string of coincidences. Meeting three out of five sisters in a row? It's almost making me hallucinate—like you guys already knew my schedule for the day."
Having emptied his tank of stories, Izuru let out a long breath of relief. There weren't many people willing to listen to long-winded rambles and gossip, especially for a solitary otaku like him.
Because Yotsuba was such a beautiful, innocent, and seemingly discreet listener, he had subconsciously poured everything out. His fondness for her continued to climb with every step of the conversation.
"..."
However, after hearing the story, Yotsuba looked a little uneasy.
Confusion flickered across Izuru's face. "What's wrong? Was there something off about my story?"
"No, your story was great, President..." Yotsuba shook her head, maintaining her signature bright smile. "I'm just a little confused. The thing that feels weird to me is... Itsuki wasn't mad when you called her the 'Meat Bun Monster'!"
"You have to understand, back when the five of us used to joke around and call her that, she'd get incredibly angry and give us the silent treatment for ages. If a total stranger said that to her, it'd be perfectly normal for her to flip the table and never speak to them again. Why wasn't she mad when you said it? It's so strange..."
"Ah! I'm not saying you're lying, President! I'm just sharing my thoughts. If I said something offensive, I'm so sorry!"
Realizing her words might have sounded improper, Yotsuba quickly apologized.
"It's fine. Honestly, I've been wondering the exact same thing..."
Instantly, Izuru found himself liking this blunt yet polite girl even more. He didn't mind at all that she'd briefly doubted his story. At the same time, he thought...
{So, Yotsuba's thinking the same thing I am, and it matches Miku's impression, too. It seems Itsuki really is the outlier here.}
Right then, the two of them pushed open the doors to the equipment shed and stepped inside to return the baskets to their proper spots.
"Phew!"
Even if he wasn't physically drained, the tediousness of the manual labor made Izuru let out a weary sigh. At the same instant, a bad omen flashed through his mind...
{If I recall correctly, one of the classic clichés in rom-coms is... when a guy and a girl go into a sports shed together, the door gets locked by a janitor who doesn't check if anyone is inside...}
{There's no way it's that coincidental, right...}
*SLAM!*
The shed door shut with a heavy thud, followed by the distinct sound of a key turning in the lock.
"..."
Izuru stood frozen. His mind was a chaotic mess of disbelief.
"Eh?! Why is the shed door locked? President, come here and look, quick!"
Yotsuba's energetic, panicked voice rang in Izuru's ears, prompting him to facepalm in resignation while muttering to himself...
{Okay, nice cliché. It seems the Goddess of Fortune and the Goddess of Love are teaming up to mess with me today. This streak of coincidences is officially ridiculous.}