บท 794: Yotsuba the Hard Worker and Nino with Issues

At the end of October, the mid-term exams at Shuchi'in Academy officially concluded. Some were happy, some cried, some were indifferent, and some were dismissive.

Overall, after joining the student council and getting involved in various activities, everyone's academic achievements...

Didn't decline, but rather increased a bit.

When Yotsuba received her exam paper, she sighed in relief.

"My efforts so far haven't been in vain..."

Despite a myriad of responsibilities, she managed to find time to study diligently, both on weekdays and during tutoring sessions, pushing herself to learn various subjects.

It didn't matter if they had dull minds, and it didn't matter if they didn't grasp key points. The quintuplets could teach each other, and the efficiency was several times higher than studying alone. Even if there were questions they didn't know, they could still ask Shinichi during student council breaks.

With everyone's help, Yotsuba achieved good results, ranking 120th in the entire second year.

Surpassing 20% of her classmates, this unprecedented "good result" added a splash of color to her life.

Not only was Nino trailing behind, but Miku and Itsuki were also ahead, not to mention Fumino and Rizu.

(Asada-san said the path to learning is endless, and you shouldn't be complacent with temporary success!)

Yotsuba warned herself in her thoughts, and after being happy for a moment, she quickly forgot about her improved grades.

The mid-term exams ended successfully, but she wasn't relaxed because many things awaited her.

As the person in charge of the physical fitness project in the student council and a member of the sports festival executive committee, Yotsuba was very busy during this period. She still had athletic club training to do on weekdays.

There was a program in the sports festival, a relay race where various clubs or committees competed against each other. She was selected as the representative for the athletic field and had to run with a shot put. Without proper training, she could easily get injured.

But that was okay because...

"What can I do, what can only I do... I have to do my best!"

So, currently, Yotsuba is still working hard on many things.

△

Night in the Nakano family.

"Yotsuba, have you been too busy lately?"

Wiping her hair, Nino opened Yotsuba's door and walked towards her with a pout.

Yotsuba put down her pen, guiltily pushed the papers on the table aside, turned around, and giggled.

"No, I think it's okay... Ahhh!"

Before she could finish speaking, Nino lightly flicked her forehead.

Yotsuba let out a somewhat exaggerated scream, then tilted her head back and covered her forehead, muttering sadly.

"Nino's technique is exactly like Asada-san's..."

"...Don't try to change the subject!" Nino pretended to be lecturing.

"Look at yourself, have you been staying up late recently? Acne is popping up! Isn't it a pity to ruin such a cute face with pimples?"

"But Nino, aren't our faces all the same..." Yotsuba said something funny instead.

She looked at her strangely.

Nino put one hand on her hip and responded calmly to her gaze.

"True, so we're all cute together! What's the problem?"

"No, no..." When she stared at her with such aggression and countered with "Nino is even cuter than me," Yotsuba swallowed it obediently.

A towel was hanging around her neck, and Nino grabbed Yotsuba's hand, dragging her out of the room.

"Seeing pimples on your face is just as unpleasant as seeing them on mine!

"Come, let me whiten and take care of you. Look at the bags under your eyes. You have dark circles... Even if I can't control your work and rest, at least I should make you look beautiful! How old are you? You're not taking care of yourself like a little kid..."

Listening to Nino's thoughts, Yotsuba felt distressed and couldn't express her feelings.

"Oh..."

With her strength, even if an adult man tried to pull her away, she could still pull him back and perform a throw, let alone Nino, who might not be as strong as a goose.

But facing her sisters, Yotsuba's ability to resist would be reduced to zero. Not only was she afraid of hurting them, but she also didn't want to disappoint everyone from the bottom of her heart, let alone reject their kindness.

So, even with a sad face, Yotsuba let Nino drag her out of the room and reluctantly only looked at the unfinished test papers on the table.

"By the way, you must not stay up late from now on."

"I-I'll do my best."

"That's what I said, but you're probably going to quietly wake up when we're all asleep, right?"

Yotsuba didn't answer.

"Well, I... I... Ugh..."

Nino glared at her angrily.

"If you can't lie, don't say anything. I'll take it as your consent."

Yotsuba bowed, "Forgive me..."

"Tsk, there's nothing I can do to you..." Nino clicked her tongue and warned with a serious expression, "You have to take care of yourself. If you feel uncomfortable, just tell me directly; otherwise, I won't be able to spare you!"

Yotsuba happily bowed to Nino.

"Understood! Yotsuba promises to fulfill her mission!"

△

Seeing her increasingly bright sweet smile, Nino didn't know what to say, so she could only rub her cheek vigorously to vent her frustration.

After dragging Yotsuba to her room and going through a brief beauty routine, teaching her how to prevent acne and cover dark circles, she let her put on a face mask again.

Seeing the closed door, Nino sat in front of the dressing table, scratched her hair in annoyance, and muttered.

"Troublesome woman... No matter what we say, it's useless. Do we still have to ask that guy to take care of her..."

"By the way, is my hair too long? It's a hassle to shower, and it's an extra burden when running..."

Avoiding someone's conversation topic unconsciously, Nino touched her hair to the waist and frowned with embarrassment.

After all, this was the "bond" left from the past until now, which could be said to be the "string" connecting the past and the present. No matter how troublesome it was, it was difficult for Nino to cut it.

She curled her fingers in her hair, after thinking about it, she finally pulled her hand away as if giving up and stood up.

"Forget it, you've been here for five years, just stay like this!"

Regarding the issue of running, registering for the 100-meter run was a powerless step to comply with school rules. She had no intention of getting good results, and she wasn't expected to perform like Yotsuba.

A ponytail was enough.

Just like before, there was no need to change it.

"Ha~"

Falling onto the bed with a thud, her slightly damp hair stuck to her back and the blanket, Nino didn't care. She picked up her phone from beside the pillow and began to scroll.

She replied to a friend's message and looked at the profile picture of someone in the chat.

She checked the world record for hair length and looked at the profile picture of someone in the chat.

She was searching for a good hairstyle for short hair, and then looked at the profile picture of someone in the chat...

Nino's mouth moved slightly.

"Ahhhhh... I'm so frustrated! I won't attack if I say I won't attack. Why am I so restless here!"

Throwing her phone angrily onto the bed, Nino buried her face in the pillow. A pair of white ankles alternately slapped the bed.

After venting her frustration on the bed, she lifted her face and said to the air with a serious tone:

"I can't waver! This is related to my first kiss. Before I find the right answer, I have to keep a proper distance from him..."

On the contrary, if she continues to be harmonious as usual, it might not just be the first kiss, but something more precious given to him in a spirited state...

Like that day in the health room, if Shinichi really touches her thighs directly... it's just a hypothetical, in reality, such a thing should not happen.

But if it really happens, Nino didn't expect she would refuse seriously; maybe she would even take the initiative to pull him onto the bed to rest...

"Uh※＊&#■㊣○●!"

Thinking about this, Nino slapped her face with the pillow, and while blushing with embarrassment, she used her foot to kick the bed.

After a while, she expelled that weird fantasy from her mind. Nino threw away the pillow, lifted the phone again, and opened the LINE chat interface.

She glanced at Shinichi's profile photo, and her eyes focused on the last sentence in the conversation between them. She quickly slid her finger down and couldn't see it.

The very long list of friends scrolled, with familiar and unfamiliar faces passing by. Some they hadn't been in touch with for a long time, and some deliberately ignored each other's messages... Nino casually flipped through it and pressed her finger on the screen.

The friend list suddenly stopped, and at the top was a contact without an avatar.

Nino muttered the name written next to it.

"Dad..."

After hesitating for a moment, she opened the chat. There were only a few conversation records inside, and no traces of conversation between father and daughter.

The doctor wasn't so indifferent when facing patients, but when facing his daughter, he always kept a strange distance that could only be done by strangers. He handled his business as a father on his own and never approached their circle.

Nino also knew that her father was not their biological father, even after five years together, the cold-faced man couldn't suddenly become an exemplary father.

Nevertheless, the five of them still considered him a crucial family member. Feeling the distance there was his own issue; as daughters, they couldn't just turn a blind eye.

For a family, this is how it should be...

After making a decision, she pressed her green finger on the virtual keyboard and began typing.

"Dad, this weekend is our school sports festival. All the families of our classmates will come to visit. Will you join too?"

After the message was sent, Nino felt her heartbeat slightly accelerate.

However, in less than five seconds, as if there was no time to think about it, a short message appeared at the bottom of the chat box.

"..."

The fingertip holding the phone turned white due to force.