Megumi nodded as she listened to Utaha's words and greeted Shizuka.
"Hello there! It's great that you've been helping and taking care of Homura-chan!" Shizuka said warmly.
"Where? Where? It's always Homura-kun who's been taking care of us." Utaha replied "modestly".
'Wasn't that the truth? But why did it sound like a modest statement when you said it?' Eriri thought suspiciously.
"You're being too modest!"
'See? Shizuka-nee also thinks you're being too modest! Is this your intention, Kasumigaoka Utaha?!'
Eriri suddenly felt uneasy.
'This sly woman was definitely doing it on purpose! Using her language art to make Shizuka-nee impressed, and then Shizuka-nee would definitely tell Uncle Minamiya about it, right? But I couldn't point out the mistake in her words at all!'
Eriri frantically thought of a way to not let this woman succeed!
She gritted her teeth and spoke up, "Yes, Kasumigaoka Utaha is right. After all, we can't even cook properly and can only rely on Minamiya."
Utaha's mouth twitched in disbelief as she looked at Eriri, and the two of them seemed to have communicated telepathically in that instant.
Utaha: "What are you saying?!"
Eriri: "I'm just telling the truth!"
Utaha: "Why are you doing this?!"
Eriri: "How could I let you mislead Shizuka-nee?!"
Utaha: "So?! You're just going to let us both suffer? Show her that we are two unreliable girls?"
Eriri: "...Anyway, I won't let you have your way!"
Utaha: "...What have I done wrong?"
Actually, Eriri regretted it too. After all, this impression she gave to Shizuka wasn't very good, as if she wasn't suitable to be a wife. But her mind was heated up, and she didn't want to let Utaha be in the limelight! Even if she had to sacrifice herself!
"Huh?" Shizuka was confused. Wasn't that just being modest before?
'So, all these people let Homura-chan take care of them alone?'
Thinking so, she turned to Homura, who seemed to understand what she meant and said, "Megumi and Nanami are also helping me. I'm not alone."
"Oh." Shizuka understood. So that's how it is. She looked satisfied at Megumi and nodded.
Utaha and Eriri continued to exchange glances.
Utaha: "So, in the end, Megumi ended up benefiting?"
Eriri: "..."
Utaha: "Sigh, I guess I brought this on myself."
Eriri: "..."
"Wait a minute!" Shizuka felt that something was wrong and looked incredulously at Homura, "Who is Nanami?"
Has the Minamiya Family been completely taken over by girls?
"Nanami is also a member, but she's a voice actor, so she needs to wait until the project's post-production stage for her to do her part," Homura said matter-of-factly.
His matter-of-fact tone also infected Shizuka, who asked curiously, "And where is this girl named Nanami?"
Homura gave Shizuka a detailed description of Nanami's information and finally said, "Now, I finally managed to get her to sleep."
That sentence seems off, yet it seems like nothing's wrong...
Shizuka wiped away a tear and urged Homura, "Homura-chan, Nanami has suffered so much. You must take good care of her!"
Homura: "..."
The girls: "..."
Why does it seem like there are more and more things that aren't right?
Utaha self-deprecatingly thought to herself, 'Did Megumi and Nanami end up being the biggest winners? I didn't expect that the power of a homely girl could be so great. Should I also undergo some bride training?'
Similarly, Eriri had to swallow the bitter fruit of her own making and thought to herself, 'Perhaps I should ask my mom for advice...'
"Don't worry, I will take care of everyone here. They are all members of my club, my friends, and important and indispensable people to me, so..."
"I will definitely protect them!"
Homura said loudly, his words echoing in the hearts of the girls...
After being moved, they felt a little shy. They never thought that Homura would say such words confidently!
Eriri and Utaha both thought at the same time, 'So, do I still need to change myself to be like Megumi or Nanami?'
Shizuka smiled and said, "Let's talk about it later!"
Only Mashiro was on the side, holding her phone and playing with it.
"Homura-chan has really grown up." Shizuka smiled with relief this time, but when Homura looked at her smile, she felt a hint of... playfulness?
Homura felt like he hadn't seen it wrong, could it be... Shizuka is a black-belly person too?!
Homura said calmly, "Speaking of which, Shizuka, you have come back so rarely. Why don't you go see Sagiri?"
Shizuka stiffened and said somewhat unnaturally, "I also want to give Sagiri-chan a surprise!"
"... Did you know that Sagiri can already leave the room?"
"Eh? Can Sagiri-chan leave the room? That's great! Um..." She became more and more awkward.
"Oh? So you didn't know! That's right! Last time on the phone, I said that Sagiri was about to leave the room, but you didn't expect it to be so soon, right?" Homura smiled.
Shizuka could only give up resistance, "I haven't seen Sagiri-chan for a long time! I was a little uneasy for a while, so I haven't decided how to see her or what to say to her after I see her..."
Homura jokingly said, "You are really a foolish mother! Just go see her! Does a mother need to prepare to meet her daughter?"
"And you guys always meet online, why can't you be straightforward?"
Shizuka retorted, "How can the internet and reality be the same?"
"Why not go see her then?"
Shizuka: "..."
"Alright! Let's go!" Homura grabbed her and took her upstairs, shouting for Eriri and the little one Haru to come up together.
"Wait, Homura-chan, let me get prepared first..."
Homura ignored her and went straight to the door of Sagiri's room and knocked on it.
Shizuka: "!!!"
"Nii-san?" Sagiri's voice came from inside the room.
"It's me. Sagiri, open the door."
As soon as the door opened, Homura pushed Shizuka inside, he then gave a signal, and Haru also followed them in.
"Wait..."
"Sagiri, you two talk it out!" Homura closed the door for them and said to Eriri, "Eriri, can you keep watch for a bit and make sure she doesn't run away?"
Eriri felt amused. She didn't expect to witness such a scene. "Don't worry, I got this!"
Then she asked him, "So where are you going?"
"Me? I'm going to prepare dinner. It's already almost evening without us noticing it. First, it was Ayano, then it was Shizuka. The time for club activities has already passed."
"Let's prepare a sumptuous meal today!"