After Makoto finished applying medicine for Nino, he was about to continue cooking when Ichika called.
She didn't chat about anything else, just asked, "Nino and Itsuki probably won't come back for dinner, right?"
Makoto glanced at Itsuki, who was seriously wearing an apron: "I'm making dinner. Unless something unexpected happens, they should both stay."
"Eh, Makoto, have you finally stopped resisting and gone after my sisters?" Ichika said jokingly.
Makoto: "I told you before, I'll go after all five of you. At least, a friendship is a must."
"All right, I know you're joking, but you can't treat my sisters the same way you treat me,"
Ichika said just a few words before switching to a teasing tone: "If you really want to tease someone, then leave my sisters alone and come after me instead."
No fun with you.
Only fun because it's you.
Makoto thought.
Ichika: "Too bad I'm busy with important things today and can't come."
"Is it because of Uncle Nakano?" Makoto played along.
"Eh? Did Itsuki tell you? Dad plans to have dinner with us in a couple of days, and he just pretended not to care while asking about you...
Hehe, looks like you left a deep impression on him last time."
"Do you think it's possible that I might join your Nakano family then?"
"Really?" Ichika's voice got higher.
Makoto took a big breath: "Join your Nakano family dinner."
Ichika was silent for a moment, then smiled bitterly: "Are you trying to fool me with a normal attack to trigger my ultimate move?"
Makoto retorted: "Haven't I already tricked you?"
"No, no, definitely not."
She childishly repeated her denial.
At that moment, Itsuki looked over: "Who are you talking to?"
"Ichika called. She thinks you guys definitely won't go back for dinner," Makoto answered.
Itsuki was a bit embarrassed and quickly went to the kitchen to work.
Ichika didn't ask about Itsuki but suddenly switched topics: "By the way, Makoto, if you like someone, would you chat with her every day?"
Starting to pull the thread, huh?
Makoto wanted to laugh.
Among the five Nakano sisters, Ichika's level was just okay.
But in front of Makoto, her little tricks weren't enough to fool him at all.
So he held back his laugh and said, "You brought up this topic, so you should answer first."
Ichika let out a proud laugh: "I definitely chat with the person I like every day."
Then, she lowered her voice a bit: "Do you think that counts now?"
Damn!
Such a sudden straightforward ultimate move.
This rhythm is off.
Makoto was stunned.
He thought Ichika would keep pulling the thread, but she really threw out the ultimate move.
On the other end of the phone, Ichika was actually very nervous.
Originally, she planned to go to Makoto's house with Nino today, but an unexpected visit from their father forced her, as the eldest daughter, to take care of family matters.
Because she lost the chance to meet as planned, she chatted with Makoto and acted a little capriciously.
In other words, what she just said was a sudden impulse.
After saying it, she regretted it.
No!
The ultimate move shouldn't have been played like that.
It should be saved for the right opportunity, the right night, after meeting him in person.
What a mess, Ichika!
The girl touched her face, which was indeed heating up.
Embarrassment and regret flooded her brain. The sudden silence on the phone nearly made her hang up.
Just as she was about to find an excuse to hang up, Makoto's voice sounded: "Forget it."
Click — quickly, Ichika hung up.
Makoto finally couldn't help laughing aloud: "High offense, low defense."
On the other end, Ichika held her phone, dazed for a moment, then suddenly giggled silly.
Of course, I knew it — he must have been attracted by my charm long ago.
Even if Nino and Itsuki are acting weird, so what?
I've got the advantage!
Ichika turned and looked at Miku and Yotsuba sitting in the living room, waving her little hand: "Nino won't come back to cook today, come on, sister will treat you to a big meal."
Miku tilted her head, worried: "Is Ichika out of her mind?"
Your Miku is really worried about you.jpg
Yotsuba watched Ichika happily go back to her room to change clothes and scratched her head:
"She must have met something good, but is it worth being this happy just because Nino isn't coming back to cook?"
Miku stood up: "At this point, let's eat first."
Yotsuba: "Makes sense."
…
On the other side,
Before Makoto went to the kitchen, Nino asked him: "Can I borrow your computer for a bit?"
"Sure, use it however you want."
Makoto pretended not to notice the embarrassment on Nino's face.
He guessed it was because of the foot-rubbing incident just now—her girl's heart was still feeling shy and she wanted to find a place to hide and adjust her mood.
"Thanks."
Nino went to the bedroom and casually closed the door behind her, then let out a deep sigh.
She really still felt awkward.
But Makoto was only half right.
The real reason she wanted to hide temporarily was because of her underwear...
"Damn, why am I so weak? I should have held on, now I'm embarrassed again."
Nino leaned against the wall, cheeks flushed, eyes closed.
Last time with the massage was like this, and this time with the foot rub too!
Since she had zero experience in this area, she blamed herself—thinking she was too weak, too sensitive, and lacked control.
Unconsciously, Nino pressed her legs tightly together, stood there for a moment, then somewhat frustrated, walked to the computer and sat down.
"Could I only be like Ichika, find a chance later to avoid Itsuki, then ask Makoto for a pair of 'safe pants'?"
Nino thought with embarrassment.
Honestly, she really couldn't bring herself to ask.
But if she didn't, she would have to go home wearing wet pants.
That feeling was really awful.
To avoid suspicion, she randomly opened a webpage and sat there dazed.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the wardrobe door wasn't fully closed.
The idea of borrowing "safe pants" from Makoto popped up again in her mind.
She wouldn't be rude enough to directly rummage through his wardrobe, and at this moment her mind was chaotic, so she just stared at the wardrobe door absentmindedly.
Just then, she suddenly noticed something familiar.
White knee-high socks!
Nino froze for a second, quickly steadied herself on the table, and slowly walked to the wardrobe.
The closer she got, the clearer the view through the slightly open door.
On the bottom shelf of the wardrobe lay a familiar pair of white knee-high socks.
Nino swore, those were definitely hers.
Wait!
She looked down at her bare legs and remembered that when she was applying medicine, she had casually placed her socks on the sofa.
"Could it be that Fushimi directly put my socks in the wardrobe?"
A ridiculous guess popped up in her mind.
But such a guess didn't hold up under reasoning—she didn't think Makoto was that perverted.
So she went to the door, opened it, and looked outside.
Her own knee-high socks were still on the sofa.
Then what about the pair in the wardrobe?
Nino's eyes suddenly sharpened.
She returned to the wardrobe, but didn't reach in to "disturb the crime scene." Instead, she took out her phone and took a picture of the socks.
Then she sent the photo to Ichika, along with a message: [Explain this, what's going on?]
In less than three seconds, Ichika replied: [Looks familiar.]
Then came a second message: [That's your knee-high socks, right? Nino, what's going on? Why did you hide your socks in Makoto's wardrobe?]
Nino laughed angrily: [Do you even hear what you're saying?]
Ichika: [Just kidding. Last time I accidentally dirtied my socks, and Makoto, being kind-hearted, just washed them for me.]
Obviously, Ichika was well prepared.
But clever Detective Nino was not so easily fooled.
She sneered holding the phone, even suspecting that Ichika might have left not only the knee-high socks that day but also her underwear behind.
After all, Ichika was wearing his sweatpants that day!
Nino quickly edited her message: [Ichika, you're a young lady, how can you do such things?]
Ichika: [What strange things are you talking about? I don't understand.]
Nino turned to look at the wardrobe; she felt an urge to open the wardrobe door and check.
In the end, she held back.
"I'll judge you when I get home!"
Nino knew she couldn't catch Ichika through online chat, so she simply put away her phone.
Now that it was quiet again, she felt uncomfortable inside her skirt.
"Anyway, they're busy in the kitchen. Maybe I should take it off for a while? At least it won't be so uncomfortable."
Nino quickly came up with an idea.
There were tissues in the bedroom, so she could just quickly deal with it herself.
After she took it off, she indeed felt much more comfortable.
After all, wearing wet clothes is very unpleasant. Just sweating in summer while wearing clothes is bad enough, not to mention it was underwear.
The girl was sitting on a chair, holding tissues in one hand, when suddenly she heard the doorknob turning.
Oh no!
She just had time to turn around when Makoto's voice came through: "Itsuki asked if you want a meat bun; we can make a few more… hmm?"
At the moment their eyes met, the entire bedroom fell completely silent.
From Makoto's perspective at that moment:
Nino sat dazed on the chair, her skirt lifted to her thigh.
Her beautiful legs stretched straight and slightly apart, her small feet in slippers, tissues in hand dropping to her thigh, and a piece of white cloth hanging over the chair back.
For a moment, Nino's face flushed deep red with embarrassment.
The most embarrassing moment of her life had arrived!
Makoto silently backed out and closed the door, leaning against the wall deep in thought.
What just happened?
He replayed the scene in his mind three times but still couldn't figure it out.
But that piece of cloth hanging on the chair reminded him of a modified lyric: "Who says only those standing in the light are heroes? Standing there with your bare butt is also heroic."
Inside the room, Nino pressed her burning face with her hands, her shame peaking.
It's over!
Really over!
Outside, Itsuki peeked her head from the kitchen: "Did you ask Nino? Does she want a meat bun?"
Makoto: "She probably doesn't want to see meat buns right now, or even us."
Itsuki: "???"
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