Her palm covered her cheek, and her expression turned strange.
Nino gritted her teeth and uttered each word.
"Enough! Okay, what if we catch him in two weeks? It's something easy to do, but I didn't take it seriously before!"
"Tough conversation." Miku sighed.
"Who's talking too loud! Don't just talk about me, what about you? What do you think of Ichika's silly idea?"
"Impossible." Miku tilted her head slightly, her tone calm. "If I were Ichika, it would be very difficult to leave Shinichi for two weeks. I'm worried he'll be taken by another girl, or his feelings for me will fade..."
"But if 'this girl' is my twin sister, maybe I have a good chance to win him back. Besides, if you look up and down, you'll have a better chance than Fumino and Rizu... Even if you can't 'win him back,' with Shinichi's immoral character, when he comes to our house to stay with a certain sister, if I sneak into his bed at night, he might pretend not to know me, so I can hug him."
Watching her speak these words naturally and even anticipate them, Nino almost laughed out of anger.
"Hah. So your conclusion is it's okay even if I win him over?"
"Anyway, I don't think I'll lose to Nino. You're too weak." Miku hugged a pillow and said softly.
"When fighting against foreign forces, you have to settle in the country first. If you don't understand this principle, Nino is definitely the reckless type playing strategic games and directly attacking the enemy's face. If you truly have more moral integrity, you don't stand a chance."
The blood vessels on her forehead, Nino couldn't take it anymore, so she grabbed a pillow and threw it.
"How dare you mock your older sister!"
"You were born just a few seconds before me, don't rely on your status as an older sister to make excuses!"
Miku lifted her legs, pinching Nino's waist like scissors, and resisted without giving in.
The two girls wrestled on the sofa like this, their thin pajamas in disarray.
Ichika didn't stop them, but just smiled. After realizing that the two no longer rejected her suggestion, she finally looked at Yotsuba.
"How about it? Do you still remember what you initially thought?"
Yotsuba stared at her with a complicated look, then slowly lowered her eyes.
Of course, she didn't forget what she said to Ichika and Itsuki after the celebration.
"Because they're quintuplets." So, it doesn't matter if Shinichi likes all five of them. On the contrary, that's the best development.
As a result, it was later known that Shinichi liked more than just the five of them. This idea turned bad unconsciously. She could no longer support Shinichi's playboy behavior. She fought coldly with him, and during the interview war, she adjusted her mood afterward.
Until now, Yotsuba still liked Shinichi.
If she ignored some ambiguous interactions between Shinichi and other girls as if she didn't see them, she would still feel very unsatisfied.
However, even though she didn't support the idea of spreading everywhere, Yotsuba was not willing to hurt or force Shinichi to make a choice.
(As long as he can be happy, as long as he knows that I still like him, then I can continue to watch him until the time comes for me to make a choice)
With this thought, Yotsuba could naturally be by his side as usual and occasionally get a little happiness.
However...
"Only when Asada-san likes all five of us, I won't feel jealous or uncomfortable!"
She raised her head and looked at Ichika with a determined expression.
That idea never changed. It was clearly a path that could lead to family love, but because she didn't want to stand against Shinichi's wishes, she silently chose to give up.
But if she had family and loved ones behind her supporting her, no matter how great her courage, Yotsuba felt she could do it!
"Although I don't know what to do specifically, if 'Asada-san's strategy' can make everyone happy, I will do my best!"
Yotsuba clenched her fists and showed a bright smile to Ichika.
"I'm sure you can do it... but don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Ichika pinched her cheek, looking at her round eyes, and said intentionally, "Has the training volume increased? If you faint on the field, then I'll ask Shinichi-kun to carry you to the health room. When you wake up, you'll find that you have no clothes on and lying next to Shinichi-kun!"
"Wooga!"
As that image flashed in her mind, Yotsuba made a strange cry, hugged her chest, blushed, curled up in fear, and screamed shyly.
"I-Ichika, this is a crime! Asada-san wouldn't approve!"
"Who said that? He often stares at your chest and buttocks, with dirty eyes." To demonstrate, Ichika said loudly, her eyes focused on Yotsuba's pajama-clad figure.
"A-Asada-san is not that perverted... He shouldn't be that perverted..."
"Don't waver!" Itsuki complained, with a helpless expression on her face, "Asada-kun is not that kind of person. Although sometimes his eyes are very dishonest, before others notice it, he will turn away. That's enough for a true man."
The battle with Nino pressed the pause button, and Miku sharply understood the key points: "So, Shinichi will still look?"
"Huh, that guy is just a scoundrel! He has a lustful heart but lacks the courage of a lustful heart." Nino waved her messy long hair, straddling Miku, and said confidently, "There are only five sweet girls. Once I get serious and take the initiative, can't I capture that lecherous guy?"
Yotsuba applauded a little: "Nino, you're so confident!"
"Okay, let's wait until you dare to use honey traps to talk about such big words." Ichika shook her head amusedly. Nino was someone who spoke loudly but acted shyly.
Critiqued for her weaknesses, Nino rarely argued, just snorted coldly.
"In short, just watch. As long as I am an exchange student, first, we will eliminate other love rivals and prevent him from suddenly having new ideas. Then use the charm five times to attract him so that he has no time to care about other girls. Finally, think about how to compete healthily."
Ichika said seriously. As for Satsuki's weak protest beside her, "I really don't care about Asada-kun."
No one noticed.
"Yes." Ichika nodded and laughed again, "Of course, everything must be based on the harmony of osia as the highest standard. If the student council disbands, the first person Shinichi-kun will hate when he finds out will definitely be me."
"Don't worry, I don't want to have problems with Fumino and Rizu!" Yotsuba nodded earnestly. "We want to peacefully win over Asada-san... By the way, wouldn't it be better to inform them beforehand? It's like declaring war. With an announcement like that, whoever loses can't complain!"
"I agree." Miku pushed Nino away, leaned gently on the sofa, and softly said while gathering the scattered bangs in front of her eyes, "It's hard to be known like a shadow and move like thunder... Launching an attack straightforwardly is the right way."
Ichika clasped her hands together and smiled happily. "Alright, let's discuss the details further! Itsuki, can you make us a cup of tea?"
"After all, I'm the only one among everyone who hasn't been informed by Asada-kun... Ah, never mind, I'll go soon."
Under the October moonlight, the lights of the Nakano house shone brightly. Now, they could almost see each other's thoughts clearly; the girls no longer had doubts. When talking about that person, their faces always smiled and became more cheerful, not hiding their feelings towards him.
"It would be nice if he came earlier today..." Ichika murmured. She didn't need to hide her feelings, and she didn't need to lie to the one she loved... Why did this situation only arise now?
If the mentioned happiness had a form, then perhaps the happiness Ichika alone possessed looked like—
"Hoo~"
She blew on the hot tea to disperse the white steam.
Ichika set down her teacup, her vision becoming clear again.
Suddenly, her mother's words echoed in her mind.
"One person fails, five people work together to overcome it.
The happiness of one person is owned by five people.
Regardless of sadness, joy, anger, love... everything will be shared by you five, evenly divided into five parts, and distributed.
"Ahaha..."
Bowing her head, she couldn't hold back her laughter.
"...Happiness like this is indeed better when divided into five equal parts."
"Did you say something?"
Ichika lifted her face and showed a bright smile to Nino.
"It's nothing~"
△
On the weekend, Ichika came to the station with her belongings, and there was someone seeing her off.
Tomorrow was the first day of the student exchange; she specifically asked Shinichi not to inform Fumino and Rizu, so besides her sisters, Shinichi was the only outsider bidding her farewell.