Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains into the upscale apartment where the Nakano quintuplets lived.
A figure quietly walked out of her room, careful not to wake her sisters.
From the ribbon that bounced like rabbit ears, it was clear it was Yotsuba emerging.
She really did look like a little rabbit right now. After leaving the room, she looked around to make sure her sisters were still asleep, then quietly went downstairs, ready to go out.
"Yotsuba, where are you going?"
Just as Yotsuba had finished changing her shoes at the entrance and was about to leave, a voice suddenly sounded behind her.
"Waaaaah!!"
Yotsuba was so startled she fell to the ground.
Seeing who it was, Yotsuba patted her chest. "Nino! It's you! You scared me to death!"
"Did you do something wrong? Why are you so scared?"
Nino had just woken up too.
Because she was nearsighted and wasn't wearing her contacts, her eyes squinted unconsciously, making her look somewhat aggressive.
"O, Of course not. I'm just going to exercise."
Yotsuba guiltily averted her eyes.
She was indeed going to exercise, but not to the park like before, but to the Suzuki Manor… where Makoto lived.
When she was invited by Makoto a few days ago, Yotsuba said she needed to discuss it with her sisters. But when it came time to discuss it, she backed out.
She felt that if she told them, her sisters would definitely want to tag along.
Yotsuba didn't want that to happen, even though Makoto already had many companions.
Fortunately, because Nino wasn't wearing her glasses, she didn't notice how evasive her sister's eyes were.
"Um, Nino, do you want to come along?"
Yotsuba asked deliberately.
"No way. I'm going back to sleep. I stayed up too late watching dramas last night."
Nino fanned her pink lips with her hand, yawning as she went back upstairs.
"Oh, I'm planning to exercise for a while, so don't bother making breakfast for me."
Yotsuba breathed a sigh of relief, then remembered something.
Nino made an OK gesture behind her back.
With a 'thud' signaling Nino had returned to her room, Yotsuba regained her usual energetic expression and left cheerfully.
What she didn't know was that Ichika on the second floor had seen the whole thing.
Usually, Ichika was the laziest of the five sisters and woke up the latest.
She was awake now, not because she woke up early, but because she had stayed up all night...
'Yotsuba, you're acting a bit strange.'
The Nakano Family's upscale apartment was originally located in Tokyo's wealthy district, and the Suzuki Manor was also situated there.
Therefore, it didn't take her long to get there.
When she saw Yotsuba, the guards at the entrance stood at attention.
Clearly, this wasn't her first time here.
"Makoto-kun!"
Seeing Makoto on the training ground, Yotsuba ran towards him, waving.
Makoto turned to look at the running rabbit-eared girl, the corners of his mouth lifting as he waved back.
"You're here early, Yotsuba. Airi and the others aren't up yet."
Makoto praised.
Although Makoto's own biological clock was accustomed to it, he didn't force his companions to wake up early with him, nor did he force them to train.
But except for those like Sonoko who clearly had little potential, the others were willing to train, just with different levels of enthusiasm.
For instance, Utaha, though she trained daily, it was more like fitness compared to Ran's hardcore training. She spent more time in the study writing.
"I, I really like exercising."
Yotsuba said with a shy laugh.
There was another reason she didn't voice: if she came early, the training ground would only have her and Makoto.
These were their rare moments alone, reminding Yotsuba of when they first met in middle school and were running partners.
But before Yotsuba could be happy for long...
"Senpai, sorry I'm late!"
"Chainsaw-sama is the best! Chainsaw-sama is the best!"
Watching Yu and Beam hopping and bouncing around Makoto, Yotsuba's expression gradually became complicated.
She suddenly felt that the people she should be wary of weren't women, but men.
Over the following period, Makoto and his group didn't go to school.
After all, for them, going to school was just a form of relaxation.
But during their casual conversations and downtime, they would still talk about attacking the United States. These words were also heard by the Totsuki Ten who came daily to cook for Makoto and the others, and the maids on standby nearby.
One by one, they trembled in fear, 'Was this something we should be hearing?'
And because of the relationship with Erina and Alice, who held the Ninth and Tenth seats of the Ten Elite Council, this matter naturally reached Senzaemon's ears.
"Nishikawa-sama, I heard you're planning to strike against the United States?"
One evening, when the Totsuki Ten Elite Council came to cook for the Nishikawa Family, Senzaemon came along to visit.
"What? You have a problem with that?"
Makoto asked back.
"No, no, no!"
Senzaemon quickly waved his hand in denial, explaining, "I simply wish to hold a farewell party for you and the ladies, wishing Nishikawa-sama and all the ladies a victorious return."
Alice, who currently held the tenth seat, laughed and said, "It just so happens that the Moon Banquet Festival at Totsuki Academy is in a few days. All Totsuki students will set up stalls on campus to entertain tourists from across the country."
"Anyone who operates at a loss faces expulsion. Grandpa wants to use this year's Moon Festival as your farewell banquet."
Hearing Alice's address to Makoto, many members of the Ten Elite Council frowned slightly.
They had also heard rumors about the new tenth seat being involved with Makoto. It seemed to be true.
Many also secretly glanced at Erina. After all, they had often heard before that Erina was the candidate the Nakiri Family planned to use to appease Makoto.
Unfortunately, Erina kept her head down cooking the entire time, making her expression unreadable.
"The insignificant United States hardly warrants a farewell party."
Makoto said nonchalantly. "When I set out with my forces, you can heat a pot of sake. By the time I return, the sake should still be warm."
The Elite Ten, focused on cooking, were all astonished.
'Whoa, could he be any more arrogant?'
Alice's eyes immediately sparkled. "That's my man!"
"Mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah!"
Alice couldn't contain herself and lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting kisses all over his face.
The Elite Ten quickly lowered their heads.
They were genuinely afraid of seeing something they shouldn't, getting silenced by Makoto.
Senzaemon looked helpless. He strongly suspected his granddaughter was doing this deliberately to show her cousin.
He turned to look at Erina, and sure enough, she lowered her head even further.
And Alice's output continued.
"Hey, Makoto, let's stay at the Nakiri House tonight."
Alice whispered in Makoto's ear.
"Why the sudden desire to go back?"
Makoto asked, puzzled.
After that incident, Alice hadn't returned to the Nakiri House, staying at the Suzuki Manor instead.
"Yesterday, my father was buried. My mother is keeping vigil at his grave for three days, so she won't be home. We can use my mother's room..."
Makoto: "..."
'Whoa, your mother being away is so you can do this?'
Faced with such filial daughter behavior, Makoto expressed: 'Which man could resist such temptation?!'