Undercurrents Swirl in the Nakano Household

Miku Nakano lay comfortably in the bathtub, her eyes half-closed, her gaze almost entirely fixed on her older sister beneath the showerhead.

To outsiders, all five of them look exactly alike.

But under Miku Nakano's gaze, she felt that wasn't the case at all.

At least in terms of physique alone, Ichika, who has strict body management, and Nino, who has always practiced yoga, have better figures than the other three girls.

The differences are even more pronounced when you observe them closely, especially in the subtlest details.

Miku Nakano's eyes pierced through the steam, vaguely revealing Ichika's perfect figure.

Although she couldn't see it very clearly, she was certain that Ichika's figure was better than hers.

Everyone had a figure far beyond that of their peers, and a slender waist that would make countless girls envious. Under the layers of water vapor, Ichika's fair skin radiated a soft glow. As the water droplets flowed down quickly, they added a jade-like, warm, fragrant, and tempting luster to her skin.

What caught Miku's attention most were Ichika's plump, fair thighs, which were round and long, while her calves, which connected to them, were slender and well-proportioned, possessing a very standard aesthetic.

Miku stared at Ichika for a long time before finally realizing why she was so concerned about her older sister's waist, hips, and legs.

"It seems... even more attractive than before?"

Miku Nakano frowned and pondered for a while before finally finding an accurate adjective: femininity.

Yes, that's femininity!

Standing under the showerhead, Ichika womanly charm that belied her age.

Although Ichika was quite mature before, Miku could tell that her older sister's temperament had changed significantly from before.

Is it because you have someone you like?

No, that's not right either. I also have a boy I like.

Is it because Ichika and Makoto had a close relationship?

But I also often ask Makoto to explain scientific knowledge to me.

"So, where exactly did things go wrong?"

The more Miku Nakano thought about it, the clearer the feeling in her mind became.

This gave her a chilling feeling when she thought about it more closely.

We see each other every day, and sometimes even take a bath together, so why did I only realize this today?

"What did you just say?" Nakano Ichika's voice rang out amidst the steam.

"Ichika, you seem to have changed a lot." Miku Nakano didn't hide anything.

"Huh? Which place do you mean?"

Nakano Ichika is now very concerned about her body shape. She stands on the electronic scale two or three times a day to accurately control her weight.

Hearing Miku suddenly say such a thing, she quickly wiped the water off her face, looked down to check her waist, hips, and then her legs, and found that her figure was still very good, with no excess fat in these areas.

She looked at her chest again; everything was still perfect.

It's still quite heavy.

"I was referring to your aura," Miku Nakano replied.

Nakano Ichika paused for a moment, then continued rinsing herself, smiling seemingly casually, "So that's what you're talking about? This is normal, Miku."

"Normal?"

"Well, the two places you four spend the most time in every day are school and home. But it's different for me; I need to film, and I often sit on set for long periods of time."

"So what?"

"So, I'll use my breaks to get to know the seniors. I know I'm just a nobody right now, and they probably won't help me. But as long as I interact with them more, I'll benefit from it."

Nakano Ichika calmly concluded, "In other words, I've already stepped into society with one foot in the door. Because I have more experience than the four of you, that's why you feel my demeanor has changed."

Miku Nakano seemed lost in thought.

This claim is highly credible.

After all, she had seen Hiratsuka Shizuka and others at school, and their demeanor was indeed completely different from that of the students.

So it's normal for Ichika to undergo changes.

However, Miku didn't notice that Ichika wasn't pressing the issue further.

When Miku suddenly asked that question, Ichika's heart skipped a beat.

Only she knew how guilty she felt at that moment.

She almost thought that Miku knew her and Nino's secret.

Fortunately, thanks to her strong mental fortitude and the experience she gained outside of school, she successfully shut Miku up.

Is it a change in temperament?

Nakano Ichika touched her face, a smile involuntarily spreading across her lips.

What Miku was talking about was femininity.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, followed by Nino's voice. "Makoto Ichika, remember to put on some clothes when you come out later, don't just come out wrapped in a towel like you usually do."

"Understood." Nakano Ichika wasn't surprised at all, after all, she was the one who summoned Fushimi Makoto.

But Miku Nakano's expression changed quite a bit.

Will Makoto be called here in Itsuki?

Given the previous incident where Itsuki impersonated Nino, Miku naturally pinned the blame on Itsuki.

"If you keep my secret, I'll help you too."

Itsuki's words echoed in my mind once again.

Miku Nakano simply buried her face in the water, her feelings a mix of emotions.

Outside the house.

Relieved to receive Ichika, Nino returned to her room.

She had thought it through clearly: as long as Ichika knew that Fushimi Makoto had come, she wouldn't need to interfere in anything else.

All I need to do is wait in my room for Ichika to send me a message.

Thinking about this, Nakano Nino blushed slightly.

Even after she and Ichika formed an alliance, she still secretly ate alone.

Therefore, Ichika specifically reminded her, "Don't eat alone anymore."

Tonight she decided to behave herself; she wouldn't go out unless Ichika messaged her.

"Take it down!"

Fushimi Makoto and Nakano Yotsuba successfully defeated a boss, and the two gave each other a high five in perfect unison.

"Next, we can challenge an even stronger boss, but we should head back to the main city first. I recall there's a side quest with decent rewards..."

Fushimi Makoto carefully manipulated the controller, muttering his plan to himself.

But when his character returned to the main city, he didn't hear Nakano Yotsuba's usual voice responding to him.

He turned his head and saw Nakano Yotsuba staring at his face.

"Is there something on my face?" he asked, deliberately touching his face.

Nakano Yotsuba shook her head, her gaze returning to the game screen. "I just feel happy."

"I can tell you're happy, and I can also tell you're not telling me the truth."

"Ah?"

"What do you mean 'huh'? We're comrades-in-arms, after all this time we've worked together. If I can't even detect your emotional changes, what kind of bond do we have?"

"... So, all the bonds have come together."

Nakano Yotsuba smiled unconsciously, her eyes sparkling slightly.

"Tell me, what's on your mind?" Fushimi Makoto playing the game.

Nakano Yotsuba was silent for a moment, then her gaze drifted away. "You suddenly came over tonight, it wasn't just to play games with me, was it?"

"We've already taken down the boss, and you're still telling me this?"

"Because I'm not stupid."

Nakano Yotsuba stopped playing the game and turned to face Fushimi Makoto. A bright smile graced her cute face as she said, "I told you before, I'm definitely a noob when it comes to studying, but Fushimi, you can't really treat me like one."

"I didn't do that." Fushimi Makoto her gaze openly.

Nakano Yotsuba blinked. "Then why did you suddenly come over tonight?"

"As your tutor, I have an obligation to participate in your celebration party from start to finish. What do you think of this reason?"

"That's so unbelievable!"

"Then let's change it to: I originally wanted to come and find you, but I was afraid Mr. Nakano would beat me up, so I refused his offer to take me home and secretly came back for a surprise attack."

"Hmm, that's a much more truthful answer."

Nakano Yotsuba nodded her little head, a grin on her face.

"So I passed?" Fushimi Makoto asked, feigning anticipation.

"You failed, you should be punished." Nakano Yotsuba shook her head like a rattle.

"Then I'll have no choice but to unleash my ultimate killing technique."

"Huh? What secret technique?"

Under Nakano Yotsuba's curious gaze, Fushimi Makoto took out his phone, opened the notepad page, and then handed the phone over.

"Nakano Yotsuba's Scientific Exercise Schedule?"

Nakano Yotsuba read the title aloud, her face full of confusion. "What is this? Special training?"

"That's one way to understand it. Because I've always had a habit of exercising, and I really enjoy feeling my physical strength improve through exercise, I thought I could create a plan for you all as well..."

Fushimi Makoto paused deliberately, looking intently at Nakano Yotsuba's face. "I have a general understanding of the physical abilities of the five of you, so I have prepared five different training plans for you."

Nakano Yotsuba suddenly blushed.

She glanced back at her phone screen somewhat awkwardly, then lowered her head, a mixture of shyness and excitement in her voice, barely a whisper, "So, Fushimi, you guessed what I was thinking?"

"That's not hard to guess," Fushimi Makoto didn't deny.

Nakano Yotsuba slowly raised her head, her rosy cheeks appearing more delicate and adorable than usual under the lamplight.

She was actually a little sad just now.

Because she guessed that Fushimi Makoto wasn't coming for her.

But if that happens, wouldn't it just revert to the old situation where I'm excluded?

As a result, Fushimi Makoto took out the training schedule he had been preparing, which reassured Nakano Yotsuba.

"Thanks."

She smiled shyly, then hesitantly raised her face. "Do we still want to play games?"

"Compared to playing video games, I suddenly thought of something more interesting."

"What?"

"Yotsuba, do you want to be the protagonist?" Fushimi Makoto asked.

Nakano Yotsuba was stunned.

Chapter 185 Undercurrents Within the Nakano Family

What does "protagonist" mean?

When Nakano Yotsuba asked that question, the expectation in her eyes was very clear.

Even though she didn't understand what Fushimi Makoto meant, she couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.

She had always noticed Fushimi Makoto's help to everyone.