She exited the bathroom with a dramatic stumble, one hand clutching her stomach. The bathroom door clicked shut behind her, leaving Yoichi alone with the sound of dripping water and his thundering heartbeat.
In the living room, Yotsuba paced near the windows, her green ribbon bobbing with each anxious step. Nino lounged on the sectional, scrolling through her phone .
"Maybe we should call the school?" Yotsuba suggested, her voice rising with worry. "What if he got lost? Tokyo is so big compared to Osaka!"
Nino rolled her eyes. "He's not five, Yotsuba. And we're not his babysitters."
"But—"
A pained groan interrupted their conversation. Both sisters turned to see Ichika staggering into the living room, hunched over and pale.
"Ugh... I feel... awful..." Ichika pressed a hand to her forehead, swaying slightly. "My stomach... it's like someone's tied it in knots..."
Yotsuba immediately abandoned her pacing to rush to Ichika's side. "Ichika! Are you okay? Do you need something? Water? A pillow?"
Nino looked up from her phone, scrutinizing her sister with narrowed eyes. "You were fine last night."
Ichika clutched her stomach harder, her face a masterclass in pitiful suffering. "It came on so suddenly... I think... I think I need ginger ale." She glanced at Nino, allowing her lower lip to tremble slightly. "And maybe... some of that special herbal tea you make, Nino? The one that's good for... you know... cramps."
Nino sighed heavily, but she was already standing up. "Fine. But if you're faking it, I'm putting hot sauce in it."
"I'll get the ginger ale!" Yotsuba bounced up. "And a blanket! And a thermometer! And maybe some magazines?"
"Thanks, Yotsuba," Ichika murmured weakly, sinking onto the couch with theatrical slowness.
As both sisters disappeared into the kitchen, their backs to the living room, Ichika's fingers flew across her phone screen. In the bathroom, Yoichi's phone lit up with a message: GO GO GO!
He cracked the door open, peering into the empty hallway. The cool air hit his skin, a sharp contrast to the steam-filled bathroom. Clutching his towel around his waist with one hand and his bundle of clothes in the other, he crept forward. The marble floor felt cold beneath his bare feet as he moved with a predator's stealth.
He reached the living room and spotted Ichika on the couch. She gave him an urgent nod toward the staircase. Yoichi took a deep breath and dashed across the open space, staying low behind the furniture.
He was halfway across when disaster struck.
Yotsuba, in her enthusiastic rush to help, knocked over a metal tin of coasters from the coffee table.
CLANG-A-LANG-A-LANG!
The metallic symphony echoed through the penthouse. Yoichi froze behind the massive sectional.
"Yotsuba! Can you not be a walking disaster for five minutes?"
"Sorry!" Yotsuba apologized, her voice bright despite the scolding. "They just jumped right off the table!"
"Coasters don't jump, Yotsuba."
Their bickering created the perfect cover. Yoichi seized the moment, sprinting silently for the floating glass staircase. He took the steps two at a time, a half-naked blur ascending to the second floor.
He slipped into his room and closed the door without a sound, pressing his back against it. For a moment, he simply breathed, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Then he glanced down at his state of undress and jumped into action.
Boxers. Pants. T-shirt. Socks. He ran fingers through his damp hair, trying to make it look presentable rather than freshly showered.
A thought struck him as he grabbed his wallet from the nightstand. He needed a reason for his return. His phone—the perfect excuse. He snatched it up and typed out a message to Ichika: In position. Ready for re-entry.
Back in the living room, Ichika lay sprawled dramatically across the couch, a blanket tucked around her legs and a cold compress on her forehead. Yotsuba hovered nearby, a parade of remedies spread across the coffee table.
"Here, try this ginger ale. It might help settle your stomach," Yotsuba offered a glass with a bendy straw, her blue eyes wide with concern.
"You're too good to me, Yotsuba," Ichika murmured, taking a small sip.
Nino appeared from the kitchen with a steaming mug. "Here. My special blend. It's got chamomile, ginger, and peppermint."
"Oh, Nino, you're a lifesaver," Ichika said, gratefully accepting the mug. "I feel a little better already."
The sound of the front door opening and closing echoed through the penthouse. All three sisters turned toward the entrance.
Yoichi strolled into the living room, phone in hand, looking slightly winded but otherwise completely normal. His t-shirt hung loose over his jeans, and his hair was artfully tousled—as if from the wind rather than a hasty towel-dry.
"Yoichi-san!" Yotsuba spotted him first, her face lighting up with relief. She bounded over like an excited puppy. "You're okay! We were so worried! We came back to check on you when you didn't show up at school!"
"Where have you been?" Nino turned from the kitchen, arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowing with suspicion. "You're an hour late for school."
Yoichi held up his phone with a casual shrug. "Forgot this. I was almost at the station before I realized. Had to come all the way back."
"You came back for your phone?" Nino's voice dripped with skepticism.
"It has my student ID on it." Yoichi slipped the device into his pocket. "Kind of need that for the first day."
"Did you have breakfast, Yoichi-san?" Yotsuba asked, her forehead creased with concern. "We can't have you starting school on an empty stomach!"
"I grabbed something near the station." His gaze drifted to Ichika, taking in her elaborate sick-person setup. "What's going on here?"
"Ichika isn't feeling well," Yotsuba explained, her voice dropping to a stage whisper. "Woman things."
"Yotsuba!" Ichika groaned, covering her face with her hands.
"Well, that's what you said!"
Nino continued studying Yoichi, her butterfly ribbons quivering slightly as she tilted her head. "Your hair's wet."
Yoichi didn't miss a beat. "It's raining."
"No, it's not."
"It was. Earlier."
"No, it—"
Ichika interrupted with a pitiful moan, drawing attention away from Yoichi. "Ugh, my stomach..."
"Should we call a doctor?" Yotsuba's worry immediately redirected.
"No!" Ichika said too quickly, then softened her voice. "No, I'll be fine. Nino's tea is already helping."
Nino looked between Ichika and Yoichi, her eyes sharp. Something about their exchange struck her as suspicious, but she couldn't quite place what. She opened her mouth to press further, but the chime of the elevator in the hallway made them all turn.
Miku stepped through the door, headphones around her neck. She paused, taking in the tableau before her—Ichika sprawled dramatically on the couch, Nino hovering with narrowed eyes, Yotsuba fussing over an assortment of remedies, and Yoichi standing awkwardly in the middle of it all.
"What did I miss?" she asked quietly.
"Ichika's sick and Yoichi forgot his phone," Yotsuba supplied helpfully. "Why did you come back?"
Miku lifted her backpack slightly. "History textbook."
Her eyes lingered on Yoichi, noting his damp hair and the slight flush on his cheeks. Then she glanced at Ichika, whose "sickly" appearance seemed oddly forced to her observant gaze. Miku's expression remained neutral, but her eyes narrowed a fraction.
"You should both hurry," she said softly. "Second period starts in twenty minutes."
"Right," Yoichi nodded, taking the excuse to head toward the door. "I'll grab my bag."
"I'll walk with you to school, Yoichi-san!" Yotsuba offered brightly.
"Actually," Nino cut in, "you should stay with Ichika. I'll go with him." Her tone made it clear this wasn't a suggestion.
Ichika pushed herself upright. "No need! I'm feeling much better now. The tea worked wonders, Nino!"
"Miraculous recovery," Nino replied flatly.
"I'm sure I can manage on my own," Yoichi said, already backing toward the staircase.
"I insist." Nino smiled. "We barely know each other. This will be a perfect chance to... bond."
The word sounded like a threat in her mouth.
Ichika and Yoichi exchanged a panicked glance. This was not part of the plan.
"I'll just... get my bookbag," Yoichi muttered, escaping up the stairs.
Nino turned to Ichika, who was suddenly very interested in her tea. "Feeling better enough for school too?"
"Maybe?" Ichika attempted a weak smile. "I should probably rest a bit longer..."
"Mm-hmm."
Meanwhile, Miku silently observed the entire exchange, her eyes moving from Ichika to the stairway where Yoichi had disappeared. She noticed the way Ichika's fingers nervously tapped against her mug, the flush that wasn't entirely from "illness," and how her gaze kept darting toward the stairs.
"I'll go get my textbook," Miku said quietly, heading up the staircase.
She passed Yoichi's closed door and paused. A small smile touched her lips before she moved on to her own room.
Ten minutes later, Yoichi descended the stairs in his pristine Kosei Academy uniform. The navy blazer fit his shoulders perfectly. He looked every inch the model student—except for the wariness in his storm-gray eyes as they met Nino's waiting gaze.
"Ready?" Nino asked, twirling a strand of long pink hair around her finger.
"As I'll ever be," he replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
"Have a good first day, Yoichi-san!" Yotsuba waved enthusiastically from beside Ichika on the couch.
As the elevator doors closed on Yoichi and Nino, Ichika released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She sank deeper into the couch cushions, suddenly exhausted from the performance.
"You look better already," Miku commented as she passed through the living room, history textbook in hand. Her blue eyes held Ichika's for a moment longer than necessary.
"Amazing what good tea can do," Ichika replied with a forced smile.
Miku hummed noncommittally. She paused at the door, adjusting her headphones. "The bathroom mirror was completely fogged up," she observed quietly. "And only two people here had wet hair."
With that parting shot, she slipped through the door.
Yotsuba looked between the door and Ichika, her ingenuous face creased with confusion. "What did she mean?"
"Nothing," Ichika lied, her actress's composure cracking slightly. "Absolutely nothing."
But as the elevator descended with her sister and Yoichi inside, Ichika couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.
Her phone buzzed with a text. She glanced down to see a message from Yoichi:
Your sister is terrifying. I think she's planning my murder.