In truth—
Utaha knew more about her elusive senior than most people.
Or rather—
She thought she did.
Because despite his legendary status in the industry, there was one strange detail—
He was actually younger than her.
That was the only concrete fact she had about him.
Within the literary world, Unknown's identity remained a mystery.
He rarely showed himself.
Rarely spoke publicly.
And yet, his influence loomed over everything.
Utaha had always wanted to meet him.
To thank him in person for everything he had done for her.
But more than that—
She wanted to understand him.
"Hmmm…"
She ran her fingers over the cover of a well-worn book.
"The Name of the Flower We Still Didn't Know That Day."
The debut work of Unknown-senpai.
A book that had captivated an entire generation.
Utaha's lips curled into a small smile.
"Senpai, you really are… interesting."
Because—
In every one of his works, the male protagonist shared the same name.
Nanashi.
And in every manga adaptation, the male lead had the same face—
A boy with golden eyes.
This kind of thing was almost unheard of in the industry.
Was the protagonist truly nameless?
Or was it some hidden meaning tied to the author's pen name?
People had speculated endlessly.
Even Utaha herself had wondered about it.
Who exactly was this senior of hers—
The one who was supposedly one grade younger than her?
BANG!
Utaha flinched.
"Huh?"
A loud clank echoed from the iron fence beside her.
She turned her head—
But there was nothing there.
Just empty space.
"Was that… the wind?"
Maybe she was overthinking things.
Maybe she was just too focused on her thoughts.
But—
Something still felt strange.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly—
A warm droplet splashed onto her cheek.
She blinked.
Her fingers brushed against the moisture.
"Rain?"
She glanced up—
Only to see a clear blue sky without a single cloud.
Her brows furrowed.
"Strange… Wait—pfft!"
Just as she opened her mouth, another droplet landed—
Right inside.
"Ugh! What the hell?!"
Utaha quickly stood up, her expression twisting in annoyance.
She wasn't about to let her precious books get wet.
She glanced down—
And sure enough, a small puddle had formed where she had been sitting.
"Was this here before…?"
She shook her head.
Either way, it was best not to stay here any longer.
Closing her book, she headed toward the exit—
Her thoughts still linger on her senpai.
Meanwhile…
The moment Utaha left—
A petite blonde girl was leaning against the very same iron fence.
Her arms wrapped tightly around Nanashi, her small frame clinging to him like a koala.
Nanashi had one arm firmly supporting her, the other wrapped around her waist.
"You pervert!"
They finally separated—
Only for Eriri to immediately bite his ear in frustration.
Her cheeks were flushed, her breath hot against his skin.
"Idiot! What if we got caught?!"
Nanashi chuckled, his grip tightening slightly.
His hands gently kneaded her soft soft ass cheek as he reassured her—
"Relax. Our presence is completely undetectable."
"Even satellites wouldn't be able to see us."
His wicked smirk only deepened.
"Besides… you seemed pretty excited just now."
Nanashi had done it on purpose.
Because he knew that girl.
Utaha.
Or, as she was known in the literary world—
Utako Kasumi.
They had communicated online before.
They had shared ideas, exchanged critiques, and debated literature.
And now—
Here he was, with one heroine of "Saekano"—
Right in front of the other.
It was a thrilling thought.
At least, for Nanashi.
Even if Eriri had spent the last few minutes scolding him—
Her body had been incredibly honest.
"Mmm…"
She buried her face into his chest, her ears red hot.
Nanashi leaned in, his breath brushing against her skin.
His lips grazed her ear, and he whispered—
"Do you want to do this again next time?"
Eriri trembled slightly.
Then, in a barely audible voice—
"Mmm… uh-huh…"
Her response was no louder than a mosquito's buzz.
But it was enough.
Eriri, it seemed, had developed a taste for danger.
Back in class—
Two people sat in complete silence.
Not speaking.
Not moving.
Just staring blankly into space.
Even in the Paranormal Research Club, where conversations were usually lively—
Only Nanashi and Megumi exchanged words.
Eriri was busy with her art club.
And the other two?
One was Yukino.
The other was Yui.
Neither of them spoke.
Neither of them interacted.
And no one knew—
Exactly what they were thinking.
After School
Nanashi returned home with Yukino and Eriri.
Without saying a word, Yukino went straight upstairs, her expression unreadable.
"Nanashi, Eri, you're back," a soft voice greeted them.
As Nanashi and Eriri stepped into the house, they were met with Sayuri's warm smile and rosy cheeks.
For some reason, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over Nanashi—it felt as if she were a wife eagerly awaiting her husband's return.
Regardless, he was delighted to see Sayuri openly appearing before him. It meant she had fully accepted their relationship and no longer felt the need to hide.
He gently pulled her into his arms.
She didn't resist.
Without hesitation, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.
Sayuri briefly glanced at Eriri but responded to the kiss without the slightest hesitation.
"Mom! Can you two stop being so gross in front of me?" Eriri huffed, pouting in frustration.
Nanashi licked the corner of his mouth and smirked. "How about you join in, Eriri?"
"Hmph! As if!" she snapped, turning her head away.
Classic tsundere behavior.
Nanashi immediately understood—it was the kind of moment where taking the initiative was key.
Without another word, he pulled Eriri into his embrace as well.
Another deep kiss.
In an instant, her resistance melted away.
Sayuri, watching from the side, covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"Nanashi, I've already prepared dinner. Wash your hands and get ready to eat," she said with a knowing smile.
"No," Nanashi replied, his voice firm. "I don't want to eat right now."
"Huh?" Sayuri blinked in confusion.
Before she could react, he scooped her up into his arms.
Without missing a beat, Nanashi strode towards the bedroom.
"You... aren't you going to take a bath first?" Eriri called after them, her face turning red.
When the two ignored her, she stomped her foot in frustration before quickly following behind.
The door shut behind them.
Meanwhile...
Yukino sat in her room, lost in thought.
She still didn't know how to face it.
It wasn't about how to face Nanashi.
It was about how to face herself.
Her emotions were in turmoil.
Everything she had learned earlier should have shocked her, should have made her angry, should have left her confused.
But instead, all she felt was an overwhelming mix of emotions—something complicated, something bittersweet.
She couldn't understand it.
Or perhaps, she didn't want to.
The only thing she could do now was numb herself by focusing on her duties.
If she had agreed to be a maid, then she should fulfill her role properly.
After calming herself, Yukino stepped out of her room.
Outside the door, she spotted Tamayo tending to the flower pots.
Tamayo looked up and gave her a gentle nod.
Yukino responded with a soft nod of her own.
Without another word, Tamayo returned inside.
Yukino lingered for a moment, watching her retreating figure.
"She's... from another world," Yukino murmured to herself.
They had only recently moved in, so they didn't know each other well.
But through simple observation, Yukino could tell—Tamayo was a kind person. And undeniably beautiful.
A woman with a deep connection to Nanashi.
Yukino turned away and continued walking downstairs.
She stopped in front of Nanashi's room.
Just as she reached out to ring the doorbell, she realized—the door wasn't closed.
"So careless..." she muttered, frowning slightly.
She knocked gently.
No response.
Hesitating for a moment, she slowly pushed the door open, stepped inside, and removed her shoes.
The living room was empty.
She was about to call out when she suddenly heard a rhythmic, pounding sound coming from the bedroom.
She stepped closer.
And then—she heard it.
Her mind went blank.
There was no mistaking it.
"This... this..."
Her body stiffened.
Heat rushed to her face so quickly that she felt as if blood would spill from her cheeks.
Four people.
There were four people in there!
Her thoughts exploded like a bomb inside her head.
She could no longer think rationally.
Run.
She had to get out.
Stumbling backward, she turned and bolted from Nanashi's home, her heart pounding in her chest.
Late Night
Nanashi sat at the dining table, picking at the leftover food.
The others were all completely spent.
Three of them, to be precise.
As for why there were three... well, that was a question for Kanae.
She had lost control due to a shift in her desires.
And, of course, Nanashi had lived up to their expectations and satisfied them all.
As he ate, something caught his attention.
"It seems someone was here earlier," he muttered.
His aura had dominated the entire building, making it impossible for outsiders to enter.
That meant it had to be someone from within.
He had been too preoccupied at the time to notice.
Shaking his head, he brushed the thought aside.
It didn't matter.
They were all family, anyway.
Or so he thought—until realization struck him like lightning.
His eyes widened.
There was one person who wasn't part of their "family."
"Yukino...?"
Could it really have been her?
Nanashi twitched the corner of his mouth.
If it was Yukino who had walked in on them...
Then his image in her mind had definitely crumbled beyond repair.
The Next Day
Yukino deliberately avoided his gaze—whether consciously or unconsciously, Nanashi couldn't tell.
But one thing was certain: she had been the one who entered the room that day.
The disaster had completely shattered his reputation.
Not that it mattered to him.
He had no intention of changing.
In fact, he felt rather pleased and comfortable with the way things were.
There was nothing to explain—he had made things clear from the start.
A Few Days Later
Although Yukino still avoided his eyes from time to time, she was at least able to speak with him as usual.
She had also begun adapting to life in her new home.
More importantly, she had officially started her job as a maid.
Her primary duty was preparing breakfast every day.
As for dinner, Sayuri usually handled it, sometimes with help from Tamayo, Kie, or the others.
Since Nanashi, Eriri, and Yukino all returned home together after school, she found it easier to simply ask Sayuri to prepare an extra portion rather than making a separate meal.
It was more convenient that way.
Of course, late-night visitors weren't uncommon at Nanashi's house.
Leone, in particular, had a habit of dropping by.
Carefree as always, she would show up in her usual revealing outfits and cling to Nanashi like an affectionate older sister.
Naturally, he welcomed such perks without hesitation.
Unfortunately, every time things started to heat up, Mine—the pink-haired menace—would barge in under the pretense of "supervision," effectively ruining his plans.
Nanashi made a silent vow to himself.
Once he captured her, he would make good use of her pink reins.
Perhaps feeling that she wasn't contributing enough, Yukino began taking on additional tasks of her own accord.
She took charge of cleaning, washing Nanashi's clothes, and even providing occasional massage services.
None of it was forced upon her—it was all her choice.
In her own words, "This is just normal repayment for a life-saving favor."
While fulfilling her maid duties, Yukino often ran into the various visitors who came by the house.
Over time, she grew more familiar with them.
At first, interacting with people from another world had made her nervous and wary.
But as time passed, she realized they weren't so different from ordinary people.
Sayuri quickly became a beloved figure in the building.
Many came to her to learn how to cook.
Akame and Kurome, in particular, made exaggerated claims that the food cooked by Najeshita and the others wasn't even one-thousandth as good as Sayuri's.
While a clear overstatement, their praise motivated Sheele and the others to recognize their shortcomings and seek instruction from a true master.
Sayuri had also taken up permanent residence at Nanashi's house, staying over every night with Eriri instead of returning home.
During a casual conversation between the three of them, Sayuri had admitted that she loved her current life.
She had someone she loved, many new friends, and a sense of belonging.
There was only one slightly embarrassing moment.
One day, as Nanashi was having fun on the sofa with Sayuri, they were unexpectedly caught by her new best friends—Tamayo and Kie.
Nanashi, of course, had no intention of letting them slip away and pulled them into the fun.
Before long, Sayuri, her beloved daughter Eriri, and Kie's daughter Nezuko had all become close friends.
In various senses of the word.
As for Kanae...
Well, she got along with anyone who had ties to Nanashi.
She had a habit of suddenly appearing, often to help "distribute the firepower."
The only regret was that, while Eriri and Sayuri had no trouble teaming up on Nanashi, Nezuko was far too embarrassed to engage in such play with her mother Kie.
School Life
At school, Yui continued to interact with Nanashi as she always had.
She greeted him every day, chatted as usual, and often hung out in the Paranormal Research Club.
Nanashi wasn't entirely sure what she was thinking.
So, for now, he simply waited.
From time to time, he would also spend moments alone with Megumi, but things never progressed too far.
At most, their interactions involved physical and verbal teasing.
As for Eriri...
She had become completely addicted.
They had been together in all sorts of places—the rooftop, the classroom, the art club, and even the Paranormal Research Club.
Not even Shizuka-sensei's beloved desk and office chair had been spared.
Had it not been for careful planning, they would have surely been caught by someone.
Nanashi hadn't been idle, either.
He passed on his knowledge of the Six Styles and Hakis to everyone—including Yukino.
After all, there was no downside to growing stronger.
In fact, strengthening the Night Raids made things even easier.
And using their keen instincts as trained killers, they took it upon themselves to investigate any suspicious anomalies in the city and report back to him.
Aside from that, Nanashi took a more hands-off approach.
When he had nothing pressing to do, he would simply relax and listen to the daily chatter in the group.
Life was fulfilling.
And, above all—he was happy.
Saturday
Yukino wore a long black-and-white maid uniform—one that Nanashi had specially bought for her.
She diligently cleaned the floor, with Sayuri assisting her.
On the sofa, several women were gathered, watching TV.
Eriri, Kie, Tamayo, Kanae, Nezuko, and Sayuri all surrounded Nanashi as they watched together.
By now, Yukino had grown accustomed to being surrounded by women.
Her mental resilience had improved significantly since moving into Nanashi's home.
That being said, there were still times when she would end up in extremely embarrassing situations—especially when cleaning or doing laundry late at night.
The kitchen and bathroom, in particular, were danger zones.
Even just recalling those moments made her brain overheat.
That kind of thing... was really... shameless!
She stole a glance at the group around Nanashi, feeling an indescribable emotion stirring in her chest.