Then Let Me Ask You This

"No."

"Really?"

Nakano Itsuki breathed a sigh of relief.

Rubbing her temples, she said softly, "Nino wanted to corner Ichika and question her yesterday, but Ichika's quick-witted, and she knows the four of us so well that she managed to bluff her way through it easily."

Fushimi Makoto rarely sounded so serious. "You can rest assured. She won't cause trouble, and she won't be in any danger. Besides, I have a feeling she'll tell you all on her own eventually."

Itsuki pouted. "I hope so. She's the eldest, but she's always so careless at home. She can't even be bothered to clean her room..."

Then she murmured, "Oh, right. Ichika seemed to have taken the wrong medicine that night. She got up in the middle of the night and started cleaning her room. Only Yotsuba happily went to help her. The rest of us spent all night trying to figure out what was going on."

Makoto found it hard to keep a straight face.

Clearly, that was his fault.

Miss Ichika, living in a garbage dump.jpg

Then he remembered something. "By the way, Itsuki, are you free after school today? I'm planning to start a club, and I thought I'd invite Ichika too."

Itsuki blinked, her pretty face full of astonishment. "Why are you suddenly starting a club? Ichika never mentioned it to me."

"I was going to tell her today."

"Then she'll definitely join."

Itsuki remembered her conversation with Ichika that night. Her sister had practically written "I might be in love" across her face.

Makoto asked, "What about you?"

Itsuki looked as if she hadn't quite understood. "Me? What do you mean?"

Makoto was straightforward. "Would you be willing to join the club?"

They were five sisters, quintuplets.

Girls who had grown up together from childhood were more likely to influence one another's likes and dislikes when it came to certain people and things.

So he could draw one conclusion: Ichika and Itsuki had joined. The others couldn't be far behind.

Makoto thought very cunningly.

Chapter 21: Then Let Me Ask You This

"What about you?"

It was such a simple question, yet for some reason, when it reached Itsuki's ears, it made the girl feel shy.

He hasn't even told Ichika, but he came to tell me first. Does that mean something special?

Or am I actually an important female friend to him?

Yes, the girl's embarrassment came purely from thinking of friendship.

Itsuki was such a serious, proper girl that when Makoto asked her so directly, she didn't even consider the possibility of romance.

Her mind raced. Meeting Makoto's sincere gaze, she hesitated before saying, "I haven't really thought about joining a club."

"I can tell." Makoto nodded.

"Eh? You can?"

"I've had some time on my hands, so I've observed you before. It seems that other than Yotsuba, who's always helping out at different clubs, the four of you have a lot more free time."

"So you'd already noticed Yotsuba."

Itsuki's smile softened as she mentioned her sister.

Makoto made a strategic retreat. "If you don't want to join, I definitely won't force you. It's something you should decide for yourself."

Itsuki hurriedly waved her hands. "That's not what I meant. It's not that I don't want to. It's just..."

She sounded uncertain and spoke quietly. "I just don't know what kind of club you're starting, and I'm worried I won't be capable enough to help you."

After all, Makoto, who stood before her, was the top student in their year.

Even Yukinoshita Yukino, who came up frequently in conversations among the girls, ranked below Makoto.

When a struggling student heard that a top student was starting a club and personally inviting her to join, it was only natural to hesitate.

"The club I'm starting is pretty simple, and the things we'll do won't be difficult. Besides, if there's anything you don't understand, you can always ask me."

Makoto had expected Itsuki to be conflicted.

After hearing him say all that, Itsuki gave a serious nod. "I understand. I'll join."

"Thanks." Makoto smiled and thanked her.

Itsuki smiled too. "You don't have to be so polite. We're friends."

Since I'm the first person you told about starting the club, I'll do my best to help you.

If Makoto had known what she was thinking at that moment, he definitely would've said, Itsuki's so cute.

The morning passed, and Makoto ate lunch alone.

He didn't mind that Yukino hadn't come to seek out her big brother.

He'd only gone to see her family over the weekend, and so much had happened. With her proud, reserved personality, she was probably still thinking about being called "big brother."

Makoto had invited Itsuki to join the club for reasons beyond simply wanting to bring all five sisters aboard.

He had another target: Nakano Maruo.

He'd already completed two of the beginner missions, and the remaining one wasn't all that difficult.

Maruo cared deeply about his daughters, so Makoto figured he'd probably already heard some rumors about his relationship with Itsuki.

If Makoto grew even closer to Itsuki, he believed Maruo wouldn't be able to sit still.

Old man Nakano, I've got five mopeds parked outside your building. Can you rest easy?

During afternoon PE, Makoto played volleyball with a few male classmates he knew and worked up quite a sweat.

He did have some regrets when it came to his physical fitness.

His body wasn't in bad shape, but it annoyed him that he couldn't improve his physical condition through the Time Loop.

Every time the Time Loop refreshed, his body returned to its original state. There was no way to build up his fitness over time.

"FW System, can't you give me a little special treatment?" Makoto asked in his mind.

[Host, in what way?]

"Then let me ask you this: I want to improve my physical fitness during the Time Loop. Think of something."

[Host, have you forgotten? The Time Loop resets your physical condition with every refresh to ensure your safety.]

"I know. Use your all-powerful privileges and think of something."

[Host, you're making this difficult for me.]

"Then let me ask you this: you don't want me to fail my internship, do you? I want to improve, and you want to improve. Wouldn't it be better for us to make progress together and take advantage of the system?"

After Makoto's patient persuasion, the system fell silent for a full two minutes before replying.

[Host, you're right. I really want to improve.]

"So?"

[Once you complete all the beginner missions, the system will gain a little more authority. At worst, I'll find a way to give you special treatment.]

"Good! That's the spirit!"

Makoto sprang to his feet.

Hayato Hayama, who was walking toward him, jumped. "What's wrong?"

Makoto said, "Nothing. Just stretching my legs."

Hayama was still with the same group of friends, and Yumiko hadn't gone to class with the other girls. Instead, she'd come over.

The friendly guy generously handed Makoto a bottle of water and smiled. "I saw you playing volleyball earlier. You're pretty athletic."

Makoto thanked him.

High school was generally the "peak" of a person's life.

Before he'd crossed over, he'd often heard people in their thirties and forties say, "If I were still in high school, I could last all night!"

"Did you come here specifically to chat with me?" Makoto took a sip of water.

Hayama stopped beside him. "I heard a few things at school, and I thought you should know sooner rather than later."

"What did you hear?" Yumiko asked this time.

Hayama smiled at her but didn't answer. Instead, he raised a hand and motioned for Makoto to come closer.

Clearly, he didn't want anyone else to hear.

Curious, Makoto leaned in. Just as Hayama was about to speak, Yumiko asked in an annoyed tone, "Hayato, are you about to confess to him? Why are you being so secretive?"

Makoto almost lost it.

Hayama said helplessly, "Don't say things that'll make this awkward."

Yumiko pouted. "You're making sure we can't hear. It definitely looks like you're about to confess."

Holding back a laugh, Makoto teased her. "You've got it backward. I'm the one confessing to Hayama."

Hayama blinked, then grinned. "That's right."

Yumiko's expression went blank. "You two really are in sync. Should I congratulate you?"

In the end, Hayama still moved away from Yumiko.

He told Makoto that there had been quite a few rumors about him going around school lately.

For example, people were saying he might be dating Yukino, or Nakano Ichika, or Kasumigaoka Utaha.

The rumors were still only spreading among a small circle. If Hayama hadn't been so popular at school, he might not have heard them either.

"I thought it was private, so I didn't tell anyone else."

Hayama lowered his voice and specifically warned him, "I'd recommend not letting these rumors spread any further. Otherwise, they could affect both you and the Nakano sisters."

Makoto nodded. "I don't mind rumors myself, but you're right. I have to consider their feelings."

Hayama asked without thinking, "Do you have a way to deal with it?"

"I do. It's not hard to handle this kind of thing. You just need to start a more interesting rumor. Most people who love gossip have short memories."

"Fair point. Like what?"

"For example, the rumor that you have a crush on me. That one seems perfect."

"???"

After chatting for a while, Hayama couldn't help asking quietly before he left, "I'm a little curious, too. Who are you dating right now?"

Then he added, "Of course, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'm just asking."

Makoto replied calmly, "I'm pursuing all three of them."

Hayama laughed. "No one's going to believe that."

"If you were a girl, do you think I wouldn't pursue you too?"

"You must really be desperate."

"..."

After school, Makoto waited for Itsuki to pack her things, and the two of them left the classroom together.

"I told Ichika at lunchtime. She'll be waiting for us at the school gate."

Itsuki seemed unusually energetic.

She was looking forward to club life, too.

When they reached the school grounds, Makoto indeed saw Nakano Ichika waiting by the gate.

But there was also a tall, curvy girl in black stockings on the left side of the gate.

She was standing close to Ichika, but the two of them weren't talking.