Yuma was immersed in analyzing the novel's plot and was just about to close the book and head to the cashier when
suddenly, a faint, sweet fragrance invaded his nostrils without warning.
Immediately afterward, a shadow fell over him.
He instinctively looked up—
A face as exquisite as a doll's was almost pressed right up against his!
Long, glossy black hair cascaded from her shoulders; a few strands were nearly brushing against his book. A pair of bright eyes—carrying a hint of languor and curiosity—were staring straight at him without blinking.
It was none other than the girl from earlier, the one dressed in the black bunny girl outfit: Sakurajima Mai.
At some point, she had silently appeared right beside him—and come extremely close.
"!"
Yuma's heart jolted. His body instinctively leaned back a little, putting some distance between them.
This sudden proximity had genuinely caught him off guard.
He steadied himself and quickly scanned her extremely bold outfit. Especially at such close range, the deep V-neckline accentuating her full, proud curves was overwhelmingly striking.
"Um… is there something you need?" Yuma asked, maintaining basic politeness, his tone calm.
But a trace of puzzlement—being disturbed—still lingered in his eyes.
[Name: Sakurajima Mai]
[Favorability: 30 (Somewhat surprised that you can actually see her)]
Sakurajima Mai didn't answer right away.
She tilted her head slightly, carefully studying Yuma's face as if trying to find something in his expression.
A very faint flicker of surprise passed through her lively eyes.
"Really surprising. You can still see me?"
"Huh?"
(What do you mean, "you can still see me"?)
Yuma was momentarily stunned by the abrupt, nonsensical question.
"See you?" he repeated instinctively, brows furrowing slightly. "Of course I can see you. You're… right in front of me, aren't you?"
What kind of weird question was that? Did she think she was invisible or something?
"I see…" she murmured softly to herself. "Goodbye."
With that, she turned around decisively and walked toward the bookstore entrance with elegant, unhurried steps.
Her long legs—encased in black stockings—alternated gracefully; the high heels clicked crisply and rhythmically against the floor, gradually fading into the distance.
Watching her figure disappear through the bookstore doors, Yuma found the whole encounter rather baffling but didn't dwell on it.
(People in the entertainment industry probably have pretty unique ways of thinking.)
Shaking his head, he temporarily set aside the odd little interlude.
He took the first and second volumes of "Love Metronome" to the cashier, paid, and carefully placed the two books into his bag before leaving the store and heading home.
Along the way, his mind continued to scheme: how to exploit Kasumigaoka Utaha's weakness, and how to more effectively raise her favorability.
When he reached the familiar residential area, a cozy two-story house came into view. This was the Tsubakihara household—his current home.
He had just pulled out his key when the door opened from the inside.
"Welcome home, Yuma."
A gentle voice greeted him.
It was Tsubakihara Yuna who opened the door.
She wore a cute cartoon apron; her orange hair was loosely tied back with a red ribbon.
Her emerald-green eyes carried a soft smile. When her gaze fell on Yuma, it was noticeably warmer and brighter than when she looked at anyone else at school.
"I'm home, Yuna."
Yuma smiled back. His eyes unintentionally swept over the gentle swell of her chest—already quite developed—even beneath the apron.
He stepped into the entryway, changed into slippers, and a tempting aroma of food wafted out from inside.
"Smells amazing. Did Yuna cook today?"
"Mhm," Tsubakihara Yuna nodded lightly, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "I made your favorite—hamburger steak."
Her voice was soft, carrying a subtle trace of anticipation.
[Name: Tsubakihara Yuna]
[Favorability: 85 (Hoping you'll like the food she made)]
At that moment, another figure emerged from the direction of the kitchen.
"Oh, you're back."
It was his younger sister, Tsubakihara Nina.
She too wore an apron; her orange hair was neatly tied back, and a pair of thin-framed glasses rested on her nose. Her indigo-purple eyes calmly regarded Yuma through the lenses.
She was still holding a soup ladle—clearly she had been helping in the kitchen.
"Mhm, just got back. Nina helped with cooking too?"
"Just assisted a little." Tsubakihara Nina pushed her glasses up, tone flat, but her gaze lingered on Yuma's face for a moment.
"How was the welcome ceremony? As the freshman representative, you didn't get nervous, right?"
[Name: Tsubakihara Nina]
[Favorability: 86 (A little curious about how you looked on your first day at the new school)]
"It was fine. I memorized the speech beforehand." Yuma smiled and set his bag down on the entryway cabinet. "There were just… quite a lot of people in the audience."
"You'd be fine, Yuma," the older sister said softly, her tone filled with complete, unwavering trust.
The younger sister gave a small nod as well. "With your abilities, you should have handled that kind of situation easily."
The three of them chatted as they walked toward the dining room.
The table was already set with several beautifully presented, fragrant dishes. In the center sat the hamburger steak Yuna had specially mentioned—rich sauce glistening, looking incredibly appetizing.
"Where's Mira-san?" Yuma asked casually.
"Mom said she has to work overtime tonight and will be back late. She told us to go ahead and eat," Tsubakihara Nina replied while bringing over more dishes. "Just save some for her."
Tsubakihara Yuna carefully set out bowls and chopsticks for everyone, her movements gentle and thoughtful.
Watching the twin sisters busily moving about, a warm current flowed through Yuma's heart.
Yuna's gentle attentiveness, Nina's outwardly cool but inwardly caring nature, and their open, unhidden concern for him—all of it made him truly feel the warmth of "home."
It stood in stark contrast to the honor-student mask he wore at school, and especially to what he had done to Kasumigaoka Utaha earlier today.
(This place… is the only one where I don't have to pretend.)
He sat down, picked up a piece of Yuna's hamburger steak, and put it in his mouth.
"It's really good," he said sincerely.
Tsubakihara Yuna's face instantly bloomed into a delighted smile; her emerald eyes curved into crescents.
[Name: Tsubakihara Yuna]
[Favorability: 85 (Very happy to hear your praise)]
Though Tsubakihara Nina said nothing, the corners of her mouth lifted in a barely noticeable arc as she quietly placed a perfectly portioned bowl of rice in front of Yuma.
[Name: Tsubakihara Nina]
[Favorability: 86 (In a pretty good mood)]
The warm family dinner passed amid light, casual conversation.
The sisters asked about his experiences at the new school; he shared only harmless details—how big the campus was, how friendly the classmates seemed, and so on.
Of course, he said not a single word about Kasumigaoka Utaha or Yukino Mifuyu.
.
.
.
After dinner, Yuma stood up and volunteered to help clean up.
"I'll wash the dishes," he said, rolling up his sleeves to the two sisters who were about to start tidying.
"Eh? No need, Yuma—you just started school today and came home so late. You must be tired…" Tsubakihara Yuna hurriedly waved her hands, concern written all over her emerald eyes.
"Yeah, leave it to us," Tsubakihara Nina added, pushing up her glasses. "Go rest."
[Name: Tsubakihara Yuna]
[Favorability: 85 (Thinks you must be tired today)]
[Name: Tsubakihara Nina]
[Favorability: 86 (Wants you to rest more)]
Seeing the favorability notes floating above their heads, warmth bloomed in Yuma's chest, but he still insisted:
"It's just washing dishes—it's not tiring. Yuna cooked dinner today, and Nina helped too. Let me handle the cleanup."
The sisters exchanged a glance. Eventually, Tsubakihara Yuna gave a small nod.
"…Okay then. We'll leave it to you this time, Qianxia."
"Thank you for your help," Tsubakihara Nina said quietly.
[Name: Tsubakihara Yuna]
[Favorability: 85 → 86]
[Name: Tsubakihara Nina]
[Favorability: 86 → 87]
Such small increases were just normal, minor fluctuations—nothing major. They could easily drop back down if their mood soured later.
Yuma carried the dishes into the kitchen, turned on the faucet, and let warm water flow over the plates.
He washed them carefully, unhurried.
From outside the kitchen came the soft murmur of the sisters talking and the faint sounds of them tidying the living room—an atmosphere of peaceful, cozy domesticity.
He really liked this feeling.
After finishing the dishes, Yuma dried his hands with a towel and stepped out of the kitchen.
In the living room, Tsubakihara Yuna was kneeling on the carpet, meticulously wiping the coffee table.
She was leaning forward slightly; the apron strings outlined her slender waist. From this angle, Yuma could faintly make out the soft swell beneath her collar and the deep valley between.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Yuna looked up, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
"Yuma, are you done?"
"Yeah, all cleaned up." Yuma naturally averted his eyes and answered.
"Thanks for your hard work." She stood, hands clasped modestly in front of her. "Then… I'll go take a bath first?"
"Sure."
Yuma watched Yuna's back as she carried her change of clothes toward the bathroom, then sat down on the sofa.
Tsubakihara Nina was sitting at the other end, reading a book. The light reflected off her glasses.
She wore casual home shorts; her legs were casually crossed, skin fair and smooth.
When she sensed Yuma sit down, she glanced up at him through her lenses, then lowered her head to continue reading—but the tips of her ears seemed to flush faintly.
[Name: Tsubakihara Nina]
[Favorability: 87 (Heart beating a little faster because you sat close)]
Yuma didn't disturb her. He shifted slightly to give her more space, then took out the first volume of "Love Metronome" he had just bought.
He began reading again, continuing to analyze Kasapoetry's writing style and story structure.
About half an hour later, feeling a bit thirsty, Yuma got up to get a glass of water from the kitchen.
When he returned, he noticed Tsubakihara Nina was no longer on the sofa—she had probably gone back to her room.