A guy who wedges himself into yuri should just die.

I never thought those words I’d been spouting all this time would end up stabbing right back at me.

“I wonder when Naruse-kun will get here……”

“Right? I’ve got so much I wanna talk to him aboutー.”

On the way to school. I peeked out from the hallway, secretly watching Renka and Shiori. It seemed they were talking about me even when I wasn’t around.

Ahh…… up until recently, around this time of day, I’d be happily enjoying their precious flirting without a care. So why did they end up liking me……!?

“Oi. What’re you doing?”

“Uwah!?”

I was suddenly spoken to and ended up shouting. When I turned around, Minoru was standing behind me.

“Hurry up and get into the classroom. You’re in the way.”

“W-wait, wait!”

I hurriedly pulled away from Minoru, who was pushing me from behind.

“If I go in, those three will spot me!”

My seat is right next to them. The moment I walk in, they’ll start fussing over me.

My plan to make them dislike me had failed—in fact, it only raised their favorability. The only thing I can do now is avoid getting close to them as much as possible.

“I don’t want to get involved with them anymore……! For the sake of protecting everyone’s yuri too……!”

“So you finally understand the situation. But, isn’t it a bit late now?”

Minoru said that as he pointed toward the two girls in the classroom.

“Hey, Shiorin. After school today, wanna go to that crepe shop near the station with Souma-kun? I got a discount coupon.”

“Rather than that, I want him to come to the literature club. Reading with Naruse-kun is fun.”

The two girls were already making plans to sandwich me between them.

Give me a break! I don’t want this kind of harem development! I just want to watch yuri, that’s all!

Whether it’s food-hopping or reading, do it with Toa instead of me!

“Huh? Come to think of it, Toa isn’t here.”

I hadn’t seen her yet today. Wondering where she was, I looked around the classroom.

“Souma-kun. Good morning……”

“Wah!?”

I was startled again by a voice from behind. This time, it was Toa.

“G-good morning. Did you just get here?”

“Yeah. I ended up being a little late……”

It’s rare for her to come alone. Usually, she arrives at the classroom together with Renka and Shiori.

And somehow, something seemed off. She didn’t have her usual energy.

“Toa, are you okay? Did you catch a cold?”

“No, I’m fine. It’s not a cold. It’s just──”

“Just?”

“Ah…… never mind. It’s nothing.”

She swallowed her words and went into the classroom, her steps heavier than usual.

“Ah! Toa-chin! Morning! You’re late!”

“Are you okay? I saw your message saying you overslept.”

The two noticed Toa and called out to her.

But Toa’s response was faint.

“Yeah…… sorry. I’m just a little tired……”

She set her bag down and sat in her chair, letting out a weary sigh.

She was clearly not herself.

“Toa-chin…… are you okay?”

“You seem low. Did something happen?”

Shiori and Renka seemed to notice the strange mood too, their expressions turning worried.

But Toa only weakly shook her head.

And then──

“Sorry…… I’m gonna rest until class starts.”

“Eh……”

She said that and immediately slumped over her desk. It looked like she fell asleep right away.

W-what……? I’ve never seen Toa, who’s always smiling, look this drained before.

And she barely spoke with Renka and Shiori. This situation was strange. Even if she was tired, being that distant with those two was completely unlike her.

“Renka…… did you maybe do something to Toa?”

“Why me!? I didn’t do anything! Probably……”

It didn’t seem like Renka and Shiori had any idea either.

Still, I could understand why they felt uneasy. The way she acted earlier almost felt like she’d had a fight with someone.

A fight……? Ah! Don’t tell me……!

“Did those three get into a fight over me……!?”

“Nah, that’s not it. Saotome-san and Hoshimiya-san seem normal, don’t they?”

Minoru, who had been watching the whole time, chimed in at my muttering.

“She’s clearly just tired. She didn’t look angry.”

Well, yeah…… that’s true.

Just like Minoru said, she probably really was exhausted.

But that still worried me. Maybe something serious had happened.

“If you’re curious, just talk to her later.”

“Eh? Me?”

“Yeah. Souma, Usami-san likes you. You could probably help.”

Saying that, Minoru headed into the classroom first.

If I listened to her worries, Toa might feel better. It sounds conceited, but just having the person you like listen to you can ease your mind a little.

But I still couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I’d already gotten too close to them. Because of that, I became the target of their affection and nearly caused cracks in their relationship—just like that time with the homemade bento.

If I meddled again like this, they might not be able to get along like before anymore.

“Yeah…… I shouldn’t get involved anymore.”

To protect their bond.

Like a man who watches over yuri, I decided to stay quiet and observe for now.

 

※

 

In the end, that day, Toa looked out of energy the entire time during class. Even during breaks, she’d immediately slump over her desk and fall asleep. Seeing her like that, neither I nor Renka and Shiori could bring ourselves to speak to her. When it was time to go home, Toa left for home right away.

 

And then, the next day.

Toa didn’t come to school.

“I wonder if Toa’s okay… Missing school and all……”

“And the teacher said earlier there hasn’t been any contact from her.”

After homeroom. From the seat behind me, Shiori and Renka were talking about Toa.

According to our homeroom teacher, Toa was absent without notice. That only made the two of them worry even more.

I listened to their conversation while preparing for first period.

“Shiorin, did you try contacting Toa-chin?”

“I sent a message on Ｌ○ＮＥ asking 『Are you okay?』 at least……”

“Same here. I told her I’d help if anything happened. But she hasn’t even read it……”

Staring at Toa’s empty seat, the two let out deep sighs.

It seemed they hadn’t been able to reach her.

“What should we do…… I might try calling her. Maybe she’s staying home because something serious happened.”

“Calling her? I don’t think we should……”

“Eh? Why?”

“If Toa really had something troubling her, I think she’d have talked to us about it. The fact that she hasn’t… maybe she doesn’t want us prying.”

“Something she wouldn’t want us prying into?”

“I don’t really know……”

The two began thinking over possible reasons for Toa’s absence.

“But… realistically, I think it’s probably a cold. Maybe she went to the hospital and forgot to contact the school.”

“Ah, true. Then how about we just go check on her, like a get-well visit?”

Renka voiced a brilliant suggestion.

A get-well visit. That’s a great idea! I don’t know what happened to Toa, but if those two went, she’d definitely be happy.

They should know where her house is too. I really want them to go see her.

“But… wouldn’t it be a bother if we went?”

“Eh? Why? Isn’t it fine?”

“If it’s just a cold, there’s nothing we can do. Going to visit won’t make her fever go down.”

“That’s not true! When you’re sick, your heart feels weak too! Just having someone visit would make you happy!”

“But if her fever hasn’t gone down, we’d just be in the way. When you’re suffering, it’s best to quietly leave them alone.”

“No way, Shiorin, that’s cold! Leaving her alone is just sad! We should definitely go visit!”

Bang, bang—Renka pounded on the desk like a sulking child.

“You’re worried about Toa-chin too, aren’t you!?”

“Of course I am. But bothering her just so we can feel relieved ourselves isn’t right.”

“We wouldn’t be bothering her! And Toa-chin might be crying all alone because she’s lonely, you know!? Why can’t you imagine that!?”

“If she has a cold, going itself would be a bother. And before crying, she’d probably just be sleeping and resting.”

“That’s not true! Visiting when someone’s sick is totally normal!”

Somehow, their argument was gradually heating up. The two were clashing head-on.

“Come to think of it, Shiorin, you didn’t come visit me when I had a cold before, right!? That was mean! Why!? Hey, why!?”

“Because if I went and made a fuss, it’d be a problem. If your condition got worse, it might’ve been my fault.”

“Geez! There you go saying cold things again! I thought you’d come! I even prepared manga and waited for you!”

Renka protested with teary eyes. Just how much had she wanted Shiori to come…

“Shiorin, you idiot! You really are cold!”

“I-I’m not cold! If anything, Renka’s the insensitive one!”

“Haa!? What part of me is insensitive!?”

“Back in elementary school, you spoiled the book I was reading, remember? You’d watched the drama version first and said, 『That heroine dies at the end!』 Why would you say that!? Unbelievable! I was looking forward to reading it……”

“That’s because I thought it was the kind of story you’d hate! You’re bad with stories where people die! You don’t like sad stories!”

“That’s exactly what I mean by insensitive! It was a story I thought you’d like, so I saved up my allowance to buy it……!”

As they argued, tears began to well up in both their eyes.

It was obvious that they clearly cared deeply about each other. But right now, they were completely missing each other.

“Renka, you idiot! Why are you always like this……!”

“Muu…! Shiorin, you’re the stubborn one!”

With teary eyes, the two kept bickering loudly.

Seeing them like that, I──

“You two are misunderstanding each other too much.”

──couldn’t help but step in.

“Souma-kun……?”

Damn. I’d just decided to stay out of things, but I couldn’t let this conversation slide. I didn’t want their relationship to worsen over something like this.

“First, Renka isn’t insensitive. She’s just straightforward with her feelings. The reason she wants to go visit so badly is because she truly cares about Toa. I think she’s a really warm and loving person.”

“Souma-kun……!”

“And Shiori isn’t cold either. She’s not good with words and she’s calm, so she just comes off a bit distant. But there’s always kindness behind that. Even with the visit, she’s avoiding it because she’s thinking about the other person’s condition. She always thinks things through and acts for others. She’s an amazing person.”

“…………！”

The two stared straight at me.

“Even in the parts you think are flaws, there can actually be good qualities hidden there. So I don’t want you to get that wrong.”

Their good qualities were things I’d already told them during our weekend outing.

 

『I think your honesty and straightforwardness are really charming.』

『Because you're just bad with words. Deep down, you're kinder than anyone』

 

I wanted them to know those wonderful things about each other.

Maybe my feelings got through, because the two looked at one another.

“S-sorry… Shiorin… I should’ve known you’re actually kind……”

“I’m sorry too… Even though we’ve been childhood friends, I forgot what makes Renka wonderful.”

Good. It seems they understood.

“Well, when you’re always together and close, it’s easy to lose sight of things. When you get too close, it can actually become harder to see.”

“Yeah. Thanks to you, Souma-kun, I remembered something important!”

“Naruse-kun, you’re amazing. You understand both me and Renka this well.”

“That’s because I’m a third party watching from a distance.”

I’ve always watched them from one step away. That’s why I can see the three of them objectively—how close they are, and what each of their good qualities are.

And then,

At that moment, I suddenly remembered my conversation with Toa.

 

『If you're always worrying about others, even you must get tired sometimes.』

『Maybe……? Ahaha. Yeah, maybe you're right.』

   

『I tend to think about other people more than myself…… I'm better at being relied on than relying on others. So yeah, sometimes it can be a little tough.』

 

The struggles Toa carried because of her good qualities—the things she told me at the arcade. It might be connected to what’s happening now.

But have they noticed it?

Maybe because they’re always so close to her, they’ve overlooked it—just like what happened earlier.

Maybe I should be the one to tell them. As someone who’s been watching over them all this time.

“Hey… maybe there’s something about Toa that I might understand.”

“Eh? About Toa-chin? You know something?”

Renka leaned in closer to me.

“I don’t know why she’s absent. But at the very least… Toa isn’t the type who can come to others for help on her own, even if something’s wrong.”

『Eh……?』

Renka and Shiori’s voices overlapped.

“Even if something painful happens, Toa isn’t the kind of person who can rely on others first—who can be spoiled like that.”

She’s always worrying about those around her, but she’s actually bad at leaning on others herself.

The two should understand that too.

“Now that you mention it, that might be true!”

“I get it too… Even when she couldn’t reach the meal ticket button, Toa didn’t ask for help.”

The two nodded at my words.

“Maybe Toa caught a cold and is suffering. Or maybe she’s troubled by something. I don’t know which… but she’s not good at consulting others herself. So if possible, it’d be good if you two reached out to her first.”

After all, you two are closer to Toa than anyone.

“I understand how Shiori feels, but I think it’s okay to step in a bit more. If you’re worried, don’t hold back—go be by her side. I’m sure Toa would be happy.”

“…Yeah. Naruse-kun might be right. I was overthinking things a bit.”

Shiori nodded at my words.

“Then! Let’s go today after school! A get-well visit!”

“Yeah. If it really is a cold, we can just leave right away.”

“Alright, it’s decided! Souma-kun, you’re coming too!”

“Eh, me too?”

“Yeah. Toa will definitely be happy.”

If possible, I didn’t want to interfere with their relationship anymore……

“Besides, depending on Toa-chin’s situation, we might need your help too. Is that okay?”

Well, it’s true there might be situations where a guy’s help is needed.

Thinking about them going forward, I wanted to avoid directly helping Toa myself… but when I really thought about it, the fact that she looked that exhausted was pretty abnormal. Whether it was a physical illness or mental stress from worries, this might not be the time to just focus on protecting yuri.

“Alright. I’m worried about Toa too.”

 

※

 

About twenty minutes after leaving the school.

The two of them led me all the way to the front of Toa’s house.

Her home was a two-story detached house. It was surrounded by a brick wall, and though small, it seemed to have a garden too. Compared to the neighboring houses, it looked neat and stylish.

“Alright… for now, should I try ringing the doorbell?”

Standing before the chime installed on the brick wall in front of the entrance, Renka took several deep breaths.

Even when you’re just visiting a friend’s house, ringing the bell can make you nervous. In a situation like this, where we were worried about Toa, it was even more so.

So I spoke to her.

“Renka, it’s okay. I’m sure Toa is fine.”

“Y-Yeah… you’re right. Alright! Hang on, Toa—!”

After one last deep breath, Renka reached for the chime.

And then, she put strength into her finger—

Just before she pressed it, the front door suddenly swung open.

“Alright! Escape successful—!”

“Let’s go straight to the arcade like this—!”

『Eh?』

Two girls burst out from inside the house. They looked like slightly smaller versions of Toa—middle schoolers, maybe.

Startled, the three of us froze in place.

“Huh? Guests? Are they Rua’s friends?”

“Nope. Maybe they’re onee-chan’s friends?”

The girls and the three of us standing in front of the house locked eyes.

Onee-chan…? Which means these girls are…

“Ria, Rua! Wait right there—!”

The next moment, a familiar voice rang out.

Toa came out of the entrance and grabbed the two girls.

“Geez! I told you you’re not allowed to go out today—!”

“Ah—! We got caught—!”

“Onee-chan is scary—! She’s gonna kill us—!”

The girls struggled wildly as Toa grabbed them by the scruff of their necks.

Toa raised her voice at them.

“Don’t say things that make me sound bad! Honestly, you two really are—”

She stopped mid-sentence. Toa suddenly turned her face toward us.

And her eyes met ours as we stood there, dumbfounded.

“H-Hey… Toa-chin…”

“Huh!? Everyone, why are you here!?”

Toa’s eyes widened in surprise.

“We… came to check on how you were doing…”

“You seem more energetic than we expected, Toa-chin…”

“More importantly, what’s going on here?”

“Ah! Um, well…”

At our questions, Toa’s eyes darted around. She looked flustered.

“Take your time. If you can, I’d like you to tell us what’s going on.”

Though confused, I spoke gently to her.

Toa seemed much livelier than we had expected, and there were two girls caught in her grip. Honestly, I had no idea what was happening anymore.

Seeing us standing there in a daze, Toa let out a resigned sigh.

“O-Okay… come on in for now?”

 

※

 

After being shown into the living room of the house, we listened as Toa explained why she had been absent today. Apparently, the cause was her younger sisters.

Ria-chan and Rua-chan. Twin second-year middle schoolers, and Toa’s little sisters. Right now, they were dealing with a serious problem at the middle school they attended.

That problem was just how catastrophically bad their grades were. On the midterm exams in May, both of them managed the incredible feat of failing every single subject, which earned them the teachers’ full attention. And now, with the final exams in early July approaching, their homeroom teacher had told them, 『If you get the same kind of results again, you’ll be coming in for remedial classes all through summer vacation.』

A looming crisis where the twins’ summer vacation could vanish. On top of that, the Usami family already had plans for an overseas trip during summer break, turning the twins’ problem into a family-wide issue. That was why Toa had started supporting them, hoping they could get even slightly better grades.

“Today is their middle school’s founding anniversary, so they’re off. I figured I had to really drill the studying into them all day…”

“So that’s why you skipped school…”

The twins hated studying, and if left alone, they would absolutely slack off nonstop. Toa had to be there as both their teacher and their watchdog. As for notifying the school, she had simply forgotten.

“So earlier, that was them trying to escape from studying, huh?”

“Yeah. If I take my eyes off them for even a second, they run away, so it’s a real pain…”

I see. So that was the reason behind her absence.

“Then the reason you looked so tired yesterday was because you were teaching them too?”

“Yeah. In my house, my parents work late, so I handle the housework… and on top of that, I was helping my sisters study and doing my own homework too, so I barely had any time to sleep~”

As expected of the dependable Toa. Her devoted nature had clearly been shaped by her home environment.

“I see… then you should’ve just told us yesterday. We were all worried, you know?”

“I didn’t want to if I could help it~! Family embarrassments are things you’d rather keep hidden, right…?”

“Don’t sweat it, onee-chan!”

“Yeah! Cheer up! Something good will happen!”

“Who do you think is to blame here—!?”

An annoyed Toa grabbed the twins’ cheeks and stretched them out with a “munii〜”. Even while being punished by their sister, the two of them laughed cheerfully.

…Somehow, this scene is kind of nice too. Sister yuri is truly precious.

“Hey! Toa-chin, you idiot! Knock it off already!”

Suddenly, Renka raised her voice.

Startled, Toa let go of the twins.

“If things were this tough, why didn’t you tell us!?”

“T-That’s because… I didn’t really want to talk about something so pathetic involving my family…”

“But because of that, Toa-chin was having such a hard time, right!? I hate that!”

Renka’s eyes filled slightly with tears.

“Toa. I feel the same way. If it’s that hard, I don’t want you pushing yourself alone.”

“B-But…”

“There might be things we can help with, even just a little. When you’re in trouble, rely on us more, okay?”

“Shiori-chan…”

Renka and Shiori stood close to Toa, clearly worried about her.

Thank goodness. The three of them still genuinely cared about each other. I had been worried that, because of me, their bond might have been damaged—but it looks like that fear was unfounded.

I want to keep watching this precious sight of them for as long as I can.

“Renka, Shiori. I’ve got a suggestion.”

I deliberately spoke up to the two who were creating such a warm atmosphere around Toa.

“Why don’t we help Toa out today? So she can take it easy for a bit.”

“Eh!?”

The first one to react was Toa.

“T-That’s not fair to you! This has nothing to do with you guys…”

“Don’t worry about that. Middle school subjects are something I can help with, and I want to be useful, even just a little. And Renka, Shiori—I’d like you two to help her with the housework. Of course, only if Toa doesn’t mind.”

“I wouldn’t mind at all… I’d be grateful, actually…”

Toa looked deeply apologetic. And then, the pressure piled on.

“That sounds great! Let’s do it! I’m actually pretty confident when it comes to cleaning!”

“I think I can help with cooking and laundry too.”

“E-Even both of you…! Is that really okay…?”

“Of course it is! I’d be happy if we can help you, Toa-chin!”

The two of them smiled warmly at Toa. And finally, Toa smiled back.

“Thank you… then I’ll take you up on that!”

 

※

 

After we decided to help Toa.

I immediately started teaching the twins in the living room.

I started teaching them, but…

“I see. This is… worse than I expected…”

I finished grading the workbook problems I had them solve.

In Japanese, their kanji were almost completely wiped out. In math, they made mistakes even on simple calculation problems. As for English vocabulary, it was an absolute disaster.

“Hey, hey, onii-chan. I’m already bored of studying.”

“Wanna sneak out together, just the three of us?”

On top of that, their motivation to study was completely dead. They really do hate studying…

“Hey now. You have to take this seriously. Toa’s working hard for your sake, you know.”

“But we hate studying.”

“Besides, we’d rather go play with you, onii-chanー♪”

Were they trying to win me over and escape from studying? The two of them scooted closer to me.

At this rate, I’ll need to start by drawing out their motivation first. This is going to be tougher than I thought. I knew Toa had younger sisters, but I didn’t expect them to be this mischievous.

Still, there was a reason I volunteered to help.

The reason I offered to tutor the twins wasn’t just because I wanted to help Toa. There was another, much bigger reason.

And that was──

“Toa, the tamagoyaki’s done. Taste it.”

“Yay! Shiori-chan, feed meー♪”

“Honestly… you’re so hopeless, Toa.”

Toa opened her mouth like a baby bird, and Shiori fed her a piece of tamagoyaki.

“Ahh… this is so precious…!”

The kitchen was right next to the living room.

Watching the three of them cook together, my cheeks couldn’t help but loosen into a grin.

The reason I volunteered to teach the twins alone was because I wanted to see this exact scene.

Lately, I’d been stuck sandwiched between them and hadn’t been able to witness their yuri moments. Seeing it again after so long filled me with an indescribable sense of reverence.

“How is it? Is it good?”

“Yeah! It’s amazing! Shiori-chan, you’re so good at cooking~!”

“Hey! That’s not fair! Shiorin, me too! Feed me!”

Renka, who had been cutting ingredients beside them, opened her mouth cutely as well.

“Alright, alright. Here.”

“Ohhh! This seasoning is totally my taste!”

“I know. That’s why I added a little extra sugar.”

I know? So Shiori knows Renka’s taste preferences that well? Just seeing the depth of their relationship made me grin even wider.

“Shiorin… you’re seriously so sweet…! I love you!”

“Don’t come closer while holding a knife. More importantly, are you done cutting the vegetables?”

“I’m doing it! I’ll finish soon!”

Renka continued chopping carrots with a steady rhythm. Watching her, Shiori suddenly raised her voice.

“Wait, Renka. You’ll cut your fingers like that.”

“Huh?”

Apparently, she’d been holding the knife wrong.

“Renka-chan, you’re not very used to cooking, are you? Even the bento you made for Naruse-kun was karaage and potato salad…”

“Maybe it was a mistake leaving it to Renka… Oh well.”

To teach her how to handle the knife properly, Shiori stepped behind Renka.

She wrapped her arms around her from behind, almost like a hug, placing her hands over Renka’s.

“Curl your fingers like this, into a cat’s paw. That way you can cut safely.”

“A cat’s paw? Nyaaー nyaa─!”

“Stop fooling around. And the knife goes here.”

Shiori literally guided her hands, patiently teaching her. The two of them were pressed so close together.

“Hey! You two are flirting—so unfair~. Shiori-chan, next it’s my turn, okay?”

“W-We’re not flirting…! I’m just making sure Renka doesn’t get hurt…”

“For my sake!? Shiorin, you totally love me!”

“I said…… that’s not it!”

Shiori shouted, her face bright red.

Ahh… thank goodness. Truly, thank goodness.

They’re still properly, beautifully yuri with each other. In this moment, I’m sure the three of them don’t even have me in their thoughts. Through this mission of helping Toa, their love has been revived.

From the harem route back to the yuri route!

“Hey, onii-chan. Why are you grinning like that?”

“It’s kinda creepy. If we’re studying, then teach us.”

The twins tugged at my clothes from both sides.

“Ah, sorry. I just…”

“You were looking at our onee-chan just now, right? Do you like her?”

“Want us to give you some advice?”

“No, that’s not it. Really.”

I may support their precious yuri, but that doesn’t mean I want romance for myself. I’m perfectly satisfied just being able to watch this scene.

“Waaah, the onions sting! Toa-chin, help~!”

“There, there. I’ll do it, so it’s okay~”

“Toa. Don’t spoil her. She’ll get carried away.”

Toa hugged Renka and gently patted her head, while Shiori let out an exasperated sigh.

This usual, overwhelmingly happy sight. This is the peaceful world I wished for.

“Hey, onii-chan. Since we’re at it, wanna go out with one of us?”

“Right now, it’s a special deal—date both twins as a setー♪”

“No thanks… I’m done being sandwiched between girls.”

I replied to the twins’ teasing with words straight from the bottom of my heart.

 

※

 

The study session with the twins came to an end after about three hours.

At first, the two of them had no motivation at all, but as we talked, maybe their brains finally started warming up. In the end, they managed to focus decently. They didn’t improve dramatically in just one day, but if they keep this up, avoiding failing grades should be possible.

“If you don’t mind, maybe I’ll come by again and help them study.”

Before heading home. I had borrowed the Usami family’s restroom and muttered to myself.

I was honestly worried about whether those twins could avoid failing. Besides, if I came here again with the two of them, I’d probably get to witness more yuri moments too.

Looking forward to that, I stepped out of the restroom and washed my hands.

“Souma-kun!”

Toa peeked her head out from the hallway.

“Toa. You’re done with the housework already?”

“Yeah! Thanks to those two, it was such a big help! And Souma-kun, thanks for helping my sisters study!”

“It was nothing, really.”

If anything, I should be the one thanking them. I got to fully enjoy some wonderful flirting.

“Um… Souma-kun.”

For some reason, Toa started fidgeting.

“Renka-chan and Shiori-chan came here because of you, right?”

“Eh? Well… I guess…”

Apparently, the two of them had told her. That they decided to come to her house because I gave them that final push.

“Thank you for that too! Today was really fun~! Cooking together with everyone!”

“You don’t have to thank me. It’s not like I did anything big.”

I’d rather not raise my affection points any more than necessary… I really hope she doesn’t think too much about it.

But there was one thing I had to say.

“More importantly… Toa. Instead of thanks, I think I’d prefer an apology.”

“Huh?”

Toa’s expression froze, almost frightened.

“I-I’m sorry…? Is it because I ended up making you help after all…?”

“That’s not it. It’s because you forgot. What I told you the other day.”

I repeated the same words I had told her before.

“If you’re always worrying about others, even you’ll get tired, Toa. Sometimes it’s important to rely on someone from the bottom of your heart.”

“Ah…”

“You were clearly exhausted yesterday. Why didn’t you even try to talk to us about it?”

If she had just said, 『I’m tired from tutoring my sisters and doing housework』, we would’ve helped as much as she needed.

“That’s because… I still have trouble with it. Asking someone for something.”

“Trouble?”

“Because asking someone for help means pushing a burden onto them, right? And if I do that, I’d feel so guilty.”

Toa’s expression fell.

“And when I think about the possibility of them making an annoyed face… it just scares me… If that’s the case, then even if it’s a little hard, it feels better to just handle it by myself…”

“I see. I guess I understand how you feel.”

There are people who would make an annoyed face when asked for a favor. Even I’m careful when I’m the one asking.

“But what about Renka and Shiori today? When they helped you, did they look annoyed?”

“…! Not at all! If anything, they looked like they were having so much fun…!”

“Right? Being relied on by someone you care about can actually make you happy.”

What Toa was saying wasn’t wrong, but it didn’t apply to those two. Because they both care about her so much.

“Do you… think so? Is it really okay for me to rely on them?”

“Of course it is. I’ll come help again too, if you need it. Renka and Shiori will come along as well.”

If it’s those two, they’d absolutely be thrilled to keep helping Toa.

“Souma-kun…! Sniff…”

Suddenly, Toa’s eyes grew moist.

Clear, sparkling drops slid down her cheeks.

“T-Toa…!?”

Her sudden tears made me panic. I made another girl cry again…!

“Geez… why are you so kind…? I can’t give you anything in return.”

“No! It’s not that I’m being kind or anything…!”

I just want to keep enjoying the three of you flirting together.

And besides, I’ve already stepped onto this ship as their tutor. I want to see things through and take care of those twins until the end.

“Okay, Souma-kun… I’ll accept your advice this time.”

Toa wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

Then she turned a radiant smile toward me.

“From now on, I’m going to properly rely on everyone, okay!”

“Yeah. That would make me happy too.”

After saying that much, she probably wouldn’t try to shoulder everything by herself anymore.

And it would make it easier for me to enjoy watching Toa lean on the other two.

“By the way… Souma-kun, can I ask you for one favor?”

“Me?”

It’s not something weird, right…?

“Actually, I invited Renka-chan and Shiori-chan to stay over tonight. As a thank-you, we’re all going to eat dinner together and chat in the futon!”

“Oh. I see. That’s nice.”

A yuri sleepover!? I answered calmly, but inside my head, my imagination exploded.

Three yuri girls having a sleepover together. There’s no way nothing would happen. Maybe they’d even share the same futon and sleep side by side!

“And, Souma-kun. If you don’t mind… would you like to stay over too?”

“Huh?”

Me too? Why?

“I want to thank you today as well! So… would you stay the night? Of course, let’s have dinner together too!”

“Since we didn’t make separate bentos today, you won’t have to struggle choosing which one to eat,” Toa added mischievously.

“No, I can’t do that.”

The three of them are one thing, but I’m a guy. Staying at a girl’s house is just as unthinkable as inserting myself between yuri. Of course, I wouldn’t do anything improper, but still.

“It’s fine! We all trust you, Souma-kun! And besides, both my parents are on business trips tonight!”

“That makes it even more impossible. I can’t just stay over without your parents’ permission…”

Having dinner would already be pushing it, but staying the night was absolutely out of the question.

Honestly, I’d prefer to decline dinner too. If I sat at the same table as them, I’d just end up sandwiched again.

“I guess, from a guy’s perspective, staying at a girl’s house feels awkward?”

“Well… yeah. Something like that.”

“I see… But it’s dangerous to go outside right now, you know?”

“Huh?”

Curious, I looked out the hallway window.

At some point, heavy rain had started pouring down. Large raindrops pounded the ground, and strong winds shook the roadside trees. The weather was raging like a typhoon.

Come to think of it, I’d missed the forecast today. Of all days, it had to be like this…

“And it looks like the trains stopped because of the strong winds… Your house isn’t exactly close, right?”

“Y-yeah…”

I needed to take a train to get home.

“With winds like this, even if we lend you an umbrella, you’d get soaked… You should just stay the night.”

“…………”

Honestly, Toa was right.

There was even thunder rumbling occasionally. It didn’t seem safe to go outside. And asking my family to pick me up in this weather felt wrong.

I guess… I don’t have a choice.

“Sorry. Just for tonight… I’d appreciate it.”

“Yeah! Of course! Thank you!”

I should be the one thanking her… but seeing Toa’s bright smile, I couldn’t help smiling too.

Just then—

“Toa-chiiin! The bath’s ready!”

“It’ll take a bit before the rice finishes cooking, so we should go in first.”

Renka and Shiori came to call her.

“You two! Souma-kun’s staying over too!”

“Seriously? Yes! Let’s do a pillow fight! Pillow fight!”

“Don’t be so loud… But I’m glad Naruse-kun is here.”

The two of them smiled at me.

Well, sleepovers are fun with a big group. And it seemed the three of them had safely returned to being yuri girls.

They’re not… actually after me anymore, right?

“Oh, Souma-kun, wanna use the bath first? We’re fine going later!”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll let the girls go first.”

“Okay then, we’re going in! Let’s go, you two! Let’s bath time!”

Renka declared as the three headed toward the bathroom.

“W-wait a second. Are you three going in together?”

“Yep! That’s rightー. We’re all close like that!”

Renka flashed a cheerful peace sign.

“I’d rather go in alone… but Renka insisted.”

“I’m a little embarrassed too〜. Our bath isn’t that big…”

“It’s fiiine! It’s more fun if we all go together!”

Three of them in the bath… that’s just too precious…!

Hearing that, I couldn’t stop my imagination from running wild. The three of them in their natural state, showering together happily.

Washing each other’s backs, sitting close together in the tub…

“N-no! Stop it, me!”

I can’t have such impure thoughts. I only want to see wholesome yuri.

“……Are you okay, Naruse-kun?”

Shiori approached me with a worried look.

“Maybe… you want to join us too?”

“Wha!?”

“O-of course that’s not allowed, okay…?”

Her cheeks turned red as she scolded me. I didn’t mean that at all…!

“Wow… Shiori-chan just looked really mature〜!”

“More like… kinda sexy, right? Shiorin, are you secretly a perv…?”

“S-shut up, idiot! Let’s go already!”

Shiori dragged Renka and Toa away. Then the door to the changing room closed.

Th-that surprised me… With that expression and those lines… if it were anyone else, they might’ve fallen for her.

Still, taking a bath together like that… they really must be close. Normally, unless it’s a public bath, even girls don’t usually bathe together.

I’m really glad the three of them went back to being yuri.

 

※

 

“So? Renka, what did you want to talk about?”

Inside the bathroom.

Shiori covered her ample chest with one hand as she washed her body under the shower.

“Saying that out of nowhere 『I want to talk with everyone in the bath』…… It’s honestly embarrassing being seen naked.”

“Normally you don’t bathe together at home, after all〜.”

“Sorry. I know. I’m pretty embarrassed too, to be honest…”

Renka lathered her golden hair with shampoo, scrubbing it into thick foam. She was also standing with her back toward the wall, as if to hide her chest and stomach.

“But if we talked anywhere else, there’s a chance Souma-kun might hear, right?”

“Is it something you don’t want Souma-kun to hear?”

Toa, who had already finished washing, asked from inside the bathtub.

“Yeah. Something like that.”

Renka answered, then paused for a moment.

And then she spoke again.

“Souma-kun really is cool, isn’t he?”

“That’s sudden. Why so serious?”

“Well, I mean. He helped us again this time, right? If Souma-kun hadn’t been there, we might not have been able to help Toa-chin today.”

“That’s true. Naruse-kun understands Toa better than even we do. It’s kind of amazing.”

“Right!? Seriously, there’s no one else like him.”

Then she let out a small sigh.

“But we’re basically rivals, aren’t we? We all like Souma-kun.”

“Yeah. I guess that makes sense. But we don’t really need to worry about that, do we?”

“Why not? Isn’t it kind of uncomfortable? What if it causes us to fight? Even when we all made Souma-kun’s bento together, we ended up bickering a little.”

Back then, it had only been light teasing between them. But there was always the possibility that something more serious could happen over Souma in the future.

“Oh… So that’s what you’re worried about, Renka?”

“Yeah… That’s why I thought we should talk about it once.”

After hearing Renka’s answer, Shiori suddenly turned off the shower.

Forgetting to cover her chest, she walked right up to Renka.

“Eh, Shiorin?”

Renka froze as she was suddenly approached.

“W-what…? Um, I’m naked right now, so don’t stare too much—”

“Hey.”

Shiori flicked Renka’s forehead. A sharp snap echoed through the bathroom.

“Ow! Shiorin, what was that for!?”

“Punishment. For worrying about something stupid.”

Turning her back with a huff, Shiori resumed washing herself.

“Don’t make us bathe together just because of something like that. I have no intention of fighting the two of you. And even if we did fight, it wouldn’t mean anything. In the end, who he dates is Naruse-kun’s decision, right?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“Besides, there’s also the possibility that all of us could get rejected.”

“Hey, don’t say something ominous like that, Shiorin!”

“Ahaha. But I feel the same way〜.”

Toa spoke in her usual bright voice.

“Even if we fall for the same person, I still want us to stay close forever!”

“Yeah. We’ll always be friends. There’s no need to overthink it.”

“You two…”

Their bond was deeper than Renka had thought. At the very least, it wasn’t something that would disappear over romance.

“Thanks. I feel a little better now.”

Renka’s usual cheerful smile returned.

“But I’m not going to hold back when it comes to making moves on Souma-kun! And if I lose, don’t hold it against me!”

She turned toward them and puffed out her chest proudly. Shiori narrowed her eyes at her.

“Making moves… can you even do that? You’re surprisingly pure sometimes, Renka.”

“I-I totally can! Don’t underestimate a girl in love! A kiss would be no big deal! Heck, I could even attack Souma-kun while he’s asleep!”

“If you did that, he’d think you were a pervert.”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear that from you! Your bookshelf is full of dirty books!”

“W-what…! Those are just normal shoujo manga…!”

“You two, don’t fight〜. We just said we’d get along, remember?”

Toa laughed as she mediated their usual bickering.

“Oh! Why don’t we wash each other’s backs? Since we’re all bathing together anyway. It’ll feel even more like we’re close!”

“Ah! That sounds good! Really feels like bonding in the bath!”

“Ehh… Isn’t it better to wash yourself slowly on your own…”

“Then maybe I’ll just do it with Toa-chin! Shiorin can sit this one out.”

“……Wait. I don’t think leaving someone out is a good idea.”

And so, the three beautiful girls ended up washing each other’s backs.

 

※

 

After taking a bath and having dinner together.

Once the twins returned to their own room, I ended up heading to the bedroom as well.

To the same bedroom as Toa and the others.

“Ahh! Toa-chin in her pajamas is sooo cute! I’m gonna attack you!”

“H-Hey, come on〜! Dummy〜! I hate you, Renka-chan〜!”

The two of them were rolling around on the futon Toa had laid out. Toa was wearing nightwear with a bunny-ear hoodie, and Renka was clinging to her playfully.

“Seriously, you’re way too cute! Toa-chin with bunny ears?”

“Stop it〜! Renka-chan, you sound like a total pervert〜!”

Even as she said that, Toa laughed and continued play-fighting with Renka, gently patting her shoulders as Renka hugged her. They were way too adorable.

To begin with, Renka in her pajamas was charming too. She was borrowing clothes from Toa’s mother—a white, one-piece nightgown with a cute, deformed cat character printed on it, giving her an extremely lovable look.

“Seriously… can you stop the harassment already?”

Shiori sighed as she watched Renka cling to Toa.

“Ehh? But you think so too, right, Shiorin? Toa-chin is way too cute, isn’t she?”

“That’s true. Toa in her pajamas is the cutest.”

“Mou〜! Not you too, Shiori-chan!”

Embarrassed, Toa lightly smacked Shiori. The bunny ears on her hoodie swayed with her movements—adorable.

“If you’re saying that, Shiori-chan, you’re cute too!”

“Eh? M-Me…!?”

Shiori looked startled. But I agreed.

She was wearing nightwear decorated with frills here and there. Apparently, Toa had bought the wrong size. The nightcap she wore on her head gave her a childish charm, showing a different side from her usual cool demeanor.

Toa, Renka, and Shiori. Why were girls in pajamas this cute? Was it the fluffy clothes? Or the slight sense of defenselessness? Either way, it was way too stimulating.

And watching them get along and play around like this right in front of me—

It was an irresistible sight.

“Alright then, Toa-chin! Let’s team up and attack Shiorin!”

“Okaaay! Shiori-chan, here we come〜!”

“W-Wait! Renka, Toa—kyaa!?”

The two of them pounced on Shiori, tickling her all over.

“Ah—h-hey, stop… ahaha, ahahaha!”

“Hehe. You make such cute noises, Shiorin.”

“Shiori-chan, your skin’s so white and pretty〜. So smooth〜♪”

It had been a while since I’d seen the three of them playing around like this.

Ah… I’m grateful. Being able to watch their pajama party up close—there were no words other than precious.

“By the way, now that I’m touching you, I’ve gotta say—Shiorin, aren’t your boobs kinda too big?”

“Haa!?”

That was the loudest voice I’d ever heard from Shiori.

I was stunned too. Where did that even come from?

“I thought it in the bath too! That size is totally unfair! What did you even eat to grow that much?”

“I-It’s not like I grew on purpose…!”

Hey… this is not a conversation to have in front of me, okay? Why am I being made to listen to this?

And just as I thought that—

“Y-You two! Souma-kun is here too!”

『Ah…』

It seemed they’d gotten so carried away that they completely forgot about me. As someone who’d prefer to be a wall, I appreciated it—but being forgotten this much was also complicated.

“S-Sorry, Souma-kun… That was harassment…”

“I’d prefer if you could forget what you just heard…”

“Y-Yeah. It’s fine. Sorry…”

The two of them blushed.

All I could do was apologize too. This wasn’t even about yuri or anything—this just wasn’t something a guy should be hearing.

“Anyway, I think I’ll head off to bed soon. So, where’s my bedroom?”

Honestly, this whole situation was strange. Why had I been brought into the bedroom they were using?

Watching yuri was one thing, but getting dragged into it was a different story. This was not my interpretation. I should retreat.

“Eh? Your bedroom’s here too, Souma-kun.”

“Huh?”

I blinked at Toa’s words.

“Wait a second… I’m sleeping in the same room as all of you?”

“Yeah. This is the only spare room we have…”

What…!?

“No, no, that’s not good! Guys and girls our age sleeping in the same room… that’s just asking for trouble!”

Watching a pajama party was fine, but sharing the same bedroom? No thanks. From a normal standpoint, that was bad.

“Yeah, yeah! I don’t think it’s good either! Sleeping in the same place is kinda embarrassing!”

Even pure-hearted Renka blushed and agreed with me.

“Right, Shiorin? We should separate the bedrooms!”

“Y-Yeah… But if there aren’t any other rooms, it might not be avoidable…”

“Ugh… Well, I guess that’s true…”

Though hesitant, neither of them outright refused. Since it wasn’t one-on-one, maybe it was still within an acceptable range?

“Sorry, Souma-kun. If you really don’t want to sleep together, we’ll figure something out. I’ll sleep here tonight, so my room will be empty…”

Toa looked troubled as she said that. Maybe for her, it was even more uncomfortable to have me alone in her room. It would be hard to relax knowing a guy was by himself in your personal space. There could be things she wouldn’t want seen.

“But… maybe Shiorin’s right… Souma-kun wouldn’t do anything weird, right…?”

“Huh?”

“I’ve decided! I’d rather sleep in the same room as Souma-kun!”

My only ally just betrayed me. Their trust in me was way too strong.

Apparently, none of them saw a problem with me sleeping in the same room. For Toa as well, it seemed more convenient that way.

And since I was the one being allowed to stay over, I couldn’t really complain.

“Alright… Then, excuse me…”

Every time, I end up going along with the flow. I was starting to hate that about myself.

But in the end, I had no choice.

And so, I decided to spend the night sleeping in the same room as the girls.

 

※

 

A little while later, Toa turned off the lights.

We each lay down on our own futons. The arrangement was: Renka on my right, Shiori on my left, and Toa across from me. I was, quite literally, sandwiched between yuri.

No, seriously… why? Shouldn’t the girls be the ones huddling together? And I should be sleeping isolated in the very corner of the room or something.

But for some reason, they placed me in the center and surrounded me. Then, in the darkened room, they began to talk.

“Alright then! From this moment on, the Love Talk Tournament begins!”

“Yaaay!”

“Why are we suddenly doing love talk…?”

At Renka’s suggestion, Toa cheered while Shiori sounded exasperated.

Being physically stuck in the middle, I kept quiet so I wouldn’t get in their way.

“Sleepovers are all about love talk, duh! It’s a classic, like on school trips!”

“Well, I get that… but what exactly are we going to talk about?”

“Hmm. The most straightforward thing would be saying who you like, but…”

Renka trailed off meaningfully, seeming to think.

“Then how about we go around and say what we like about each other?”

“Is that… really love talk?”

“Details don’t matter! It’s just to get the conversation started!”

At Renka’s proposal, I pumped my fist inside my futon.

Girls telling each other what they like about one another—there was no greater reward event than this.

“By the way, I actually like Shiorin a lot, you know? Even the way you’re blunt and always kind of cold!”

“Excuse me?”

“Ahaha! I’m kidding!”

“Then I like Shiori-chan too〜. You’re always kind and you support me all the time.”

“G-Ge honestly… If we’re saying that, the kind one is Toa. Even though I don’t talk much, you always try to spend time with me… I like that about you.”

“Ehehe… This is kind of embarrassing, isn’t it…?”

This was too precious. What was this confession battle? I felt like setting up a wedding venue right here.

“Hey! It’s not fair that you two are getting all sweet! Say what you like about me too!”

“What I like about you…? …………………………”

“Hey! That pause was way too long! Shiorin, that’s mean!”

“I like how you’re always so energetic! And you’re really fashionable too. I kind of admire you as a fellow girl!”

“Really!? Thanks, Toa-chin!”

“Well. You’re always noisy, and kind of silly… but that does make you cute in your own way. You seem carefree and happy.”

“Hey, Shiorin! I’m gonna cry, you know!?”

This was bad. I could watch these girls forever. I’d been grinning nonstop at their yuri interactions. Even though it was pitch dark, I had to be careful not to get caught.

I tried to quietly burrow further into my futon. And then—

“Hey, Souma-kun. You’re still awake, right?”

Suddenly, Renka spoke to me.

I hesitated for a moment before replying.

“Y-Yeah. I’m awake.”

“Then we want to have some love talk with you too. Is that okay?”

“I-I mean… it’s not that it’s not okay…”

Wait. Does this mean I have to say what I like about everyone too? I’d rather avoid that if possible. It’s embarrassing.

“S-So, Souma-kun… do you have someone you like?”

Isn’t that question kind of direct compared to theirs?

“No. Not at the moment.”

“Phew…”

For some reason, I heard relieved sighs coming from three different directions.

“Then, Souma-kun, what kind of girl is your type?”

“My type?”

Honestly, I’d never really thought about it. If I had to say, I liked yuri—but I definitely couldn’t say that.

“Um… I guess… the girl I end up liking becomes my type?”

I dodged the question with a vague answer.

“Wow… Souma-kun, that sounds kind of cool!”

“Not judging by looks? That’s super admirable!”

The girls got excited over my answer.

Did my likability just mysteriously go up again?

“Personally, I like dependable men. For example… someone who would step in smoothly to help if I was being bothered by a guy.”

Shiori began speaking. Hey, isn’t that… me?

Is she talking about when we went to the arcade together the other day?

“Oh! Then I like guys like the ones in shoujo manga! The confident, pushy type who takes the lead! I like chin-lifts and kabedon, after all!”

“I kind of like slightly unreliable people too〜. When they’re tired, I want them to rely on me and let me help with their work. It makes me happy to support someone.”

This was bad. The other two were obviously talking about me too. The kabedon, the committee work—those were real things that happened. This was basically half a confession…

No matter how I looked at it, the three of them still liked me a lot.

“L-Let’s stop! The love talk! I’m getting sleepy anyway!”

I’d finally been able to enjoy some yuri vibes again after a while, but it seemed their focus had never actually left me.

I couldn’t handle being sandwiched in this kind of atmosphere any longer. And honestly, it was just embarrassing. If they kept indirectly praising me like this, I might lose it from sheer awkwardness.

“Ehh? We were just getting started〜.”

“But… I might be getting sleepy too…”

“Toa’s been tired lately. You should sleep.”

“I guess… Okay, let’s sleep then!”

Thank goodness. The chatter wound down, and everyone started drifting off.

For now, I’d survived.

Or so I thought…

“Kukaー kukaー”

“Suu… suu…”

“Suyaa〜…”

The girls—especially Shiori and Renka—apparently had terrible sleeping habits.

After they fell asleep, they both rolled over into my futon.

And then hugged me from both sides.

“Why does this always happen…!?”

Their embraces were firm yet soft. The pleasant scent of their shampoo filled the air, leaving me flustered beyond words.

And in the end, until they finally rolled back into their own futons again, I remained sandwiched between them for several hours.