Shino: Haa~ I'm so nervous!
After School had ended and everyone went home, Shino had just finished preparing her house for when her friends would come for the sleepover.
And is now currently waiting for all of them in from of the Higanbana residence's gate.
Shino's thoughts*
(I've already hidden all of my photos with Kaneki over the years, from the portraits to my picture books to even my year book)
Shino: Huff~ Haa~ it's alright. Natsuki won't find out... Yet.
(Natsuki... I'm sorry for deceiving you for so long)
As Shino was thinking about Natsuki.
Natsuki: Shinoooo!
A Joyful voice of the very cute girl she was thinking about called out to her, Natsuki.
Natsuki: Haa~! Haa~!
Shino: Oh hey Natsuki you were a got here a lot earlier than I expected.
Natsuki: Hehe~! I was excited! I really want to see your house. After all your house is the 3rd ever house I will visit that belonged to my friend.
Shino: I see, it's an honor then.
Natsuki: The honor is mine! Well then while we wait let's talk, so? Do you have any plans?
Shino: Eh... Not really I didn't really think this through since you all just voted for my house out of nowhere.
Natsuki: Yeah sorry for that, Haha~ well I'm looking forward to the sleepover over.
Shino: Likewise.
Sachi: Hey guys!
Out of nowhere Sachi called out.
Natsuki: It's Sachi!
Chikao: Hey everyone!
Followed by Chikao, and then.
Creak~!
Kaneki: Oh!
Miku: Everyone is here.
Kaneki and Miku came out of their home meeting up with everyone.
Natsuki: We all got here!
Shino: I'm surprised you two took a while to prepare yourselves.
Kaneki: Well I had to talk with Papa and Aiya Mama about Onee-chan's first day of school.
Miku: Yeah sorry for making you wait here alone for so long.
Shino: it's alright I understand why Kaneki had to do that.
Chikao: Shall we get going now?
Natsuki: Yeah! I can't wait!
Yuuka: Let's get going, Natsuki is getting way too excited.
Shino: Okay let's go!
Natsuki: Let's go!
And so they started to walk to Shino's home.
Natsuki: Hehe~ I can't wait!
Natsuki walked forward mindlessly as she thought Shino's home would be decently far away.
Shino: Natsuki we're here!
Natsuki: Wait what?
Shino: Haha~ Well here we are, this house is my home.
Natsuki: EHHHHH?!
After looking back and hearing that the house beside Kaneki's home was belonged to Shino, Natsuki was understandably shocked.
Natsuki: YOU WERE NEXTDOOR NEIGHBORS WITH KANEKI THIS WHOLE TIME?!
Shino: Hehe~
Chikao: Wow I'm very surprised.
Yuuka: Same here.
Sachi: This sure was a surprise.
Sachi, Yuuka and Chikao pretended to not know about Shino's home to not make any suspicions.
Kaneki: Wait all this time you were my nextdoor neighbor? Why haven't I seen you in the morning when we go to school?
Shino: Well I usually wake up and go earlier than everyone else.
Natsuki: To think my two friends are neighbors... I feel jealous!
Shino: Let's go in now, come.
Each one of them started to enter through the gate one by one.
Shino: Mom! Dad! I'm home~
All 6: Sorry for the intrusion~
Shiro: Welcome everyone.
Genta: Makes yourselves right at home.
Shino's parents greeted everyone warmly as they entered the house.
Shino: You guys can put your stuff in my room, just don't make a mess okay?
Kaneki: Okay.
Kaneki immediately headed to Shino's room that was in the second floor.
Natsuki: Wait you know where her room is?
Kaneki going to Shino's room was very suspicious, but luckily.
Kaneki: Our homes looks almost identical, so I assume her room is somewhere around here at the second floor.
Natsuki: Ahh good point.
With the excuse of assuming where Shino's room was and her home being almost identical to Kaneki's.
Any suspicion that Natsuki would sense disappeared.
Shino's thoughts*
(Phew~ that was so close, luckily our homes are very similar both inside and out)
Natsuki: Could you lead us to your room Shino?
Shino: I know... Everyone follow me.
Shino then lead everyone to her room.
Bounce!
Natsuki: Your bed is so soft Shino, can I sleep in it tonight?
Miku: No fair! I wanted to sleep in Shino-Oneechan's bed
Shino: Now now you two, why don't you both sleep in my bed? It can fit both of you.
Kaneki: Are you sure though Shino?
Shino: Yeah I'm fine with it.
Chikao: This is my first time being in your home, Shino and I have to admit your room is umm.... Interesting.
Natsuki: Agreed. Just like in Miku's case, for a girl I didn't expect you to have this time of room.
Shino's room was just like Miku's as both their rooms weren't designed as normal rooms for girls.
Her walla were painted a dark purple with many spiders painted on them as well as most of her furniture being colored black besides her bed.
Natsuki: Are you what others call a "Goth" girl?
Blush!
Shino was flustered by Natsuki's sudden question.
Shino: Of course not! I just like purple and spiders.
Kaneki: I'm not going to lie, I probably would have a hard time sleeping in here with all the spiders painted across the walls. Seriously all those red eyes makes me feel like I'm being watched.
Shino: you guys don't need to worry about it. When the lights are out you won't notice anything.
Kaneki: I just hope non of you girls gets any nightmares tonight.
Natsuki: Don't worry this is not- wait I just noticed something, where's Sachi?
Shino: Now that you mentioned it, where did she go? She was just here.
Sachi suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Slam!
As everyone in the room was about to go search for her, Sachi came back in the room.
Sachi: Hey guys sorry if I had worried you.
Shino: How did you get out of the room without any of us noticing?
Kaneki: Yeah seriously? Even I didn't noticed you leave.
Sachi: That's a secret.
Rustle~
Sachi sat beside Shino after returning.
Sachi: Say everyone why don't we look around the house? We have nothing else to do yet anyways.
Natsuki: Sounds good!
Shino: Wait-
Chikao: I'm in!
Kaneki: Let's go!
Swoosh!
Kaneki, Chikao and Natsuki them quickly exited the room and started looking around Shino's home.
Leaving the original 4 friends behind.
Sachi: Seriously Shino you are so careless.
Shino: What?
Miku: Why what did Shino-Oneechan do?
Sachi: You did hid every photo and anything showing Kaneki with you right?
Shino: Yes?
Sachi: Then why did you hid everything underneath your parents bed?
Yuuka: Wait Shino hid them where?!
Shino: How did you-
Sachi: You always hidden many of your things underneath their bed, plus one of the portraits you had with Kaneki was visible.
Shino: But-
Sachi: before you say no one would think to go there, what if Natsuki goes in? Then you're screwed. She has definitely seen pictures of Kaneki with us when we're kids. Not only that Ai-chan's hypnosis would have been undone if they see them which make us double screwed.
Shino: Yeah... Good point. But where did you hidden them?
Sachi: I've called in Kamakura to hide them for the time being, Don't worry they're safe and sound.
Shino: Phew~ good.
Yuuka: Since we have nothing else better to do, should we help out your Mom out with dinner?
Miku: Yeah Aunty will definitely need our help with dinner.
Shino: Okay then let's go.
The four then went out of Shino's room and went downstairs to help Shino's Mom with cooking dinner.
Genta: So both of you were secretly having lunch with the others at Mato High's rooftop? Hehe~ it almost sounds like you kids are secretly dating.
Natsuki: Hehe~ really?
At the living room, Natsuki was chatting with Shino's father Genta. Talking about her relationship with Shino and everyone else.
Genta: Yeah and I'm quite surprised you seem very accepting of them, wouldn't you normally think of them as rivals?
Natsuki: I mean if we all like him then what's wrong with sharing him?
Genta: Hehe~ what an interesting girl.
Shino arrived at the living room and immediately heard the conversation her father and Natsuki was having and was instantly embarrassed.
Shino: Dad!
Genta: Sorry couldn't help it.
Shino: Don't talk about that stuff with Kaneki nearby!
Genta: It's alright, beside look over there.
Genta pointed to the kitchen where Kaneki was at.
Chop! Chop! Chop!
Kaneki: Done.
Shiro: Thanks for the help Kaneki, I really appreciate it.
Kaneki: No problem, happy to help.
He was already helping Shino's mother with the cooking.