Back at home, changing into slippers, Sasaki, in response to Otome's gentle inquiries resembling those of a housewife, skillfully wrapped his arm around her slim, soft, willow-like waist.
Seeing her shy and expectant expression as she handed him a small pink and white cherry blossom cake, he smiled and took a bite.
The cherry blossom cake, though small, was packed with various elements.
As its name suggested, the outer layer was a thin pinkish-white, resembling the color of cherry blossoms, with a texture that was thin and soft, carrying a hint of sweetness like real cherry petals.
Its filling was a layer of white chocolate, not too thick nor too thin, resembling pearls.
Encased within was a small sweet, gummy-like center.
...
"Mm~?"
Greedily finishing off the cherry blossom cake that Otome made, Sasaki knew that if he ate any more, he wouldn't be satisfied with just the cake.
He looked up and started to straighten the girl's somewhat disheveled clothes from making the desserts.
Adjusting the special Y-shaped apron that was unique to their household, Sasaki pulled down her white shirt, which had become a tank top for comfort.
Having grown accustomed to Sasaki's touch and with Rinka still watching TV in the living room, Otome, not able to say much, took his bag, gave him a coquettish eye-roll, and walked towards the living room.
Watching Otome's increasingly alluring gaze and aura, Sasaki suddenly felt that all his hard work these past days was paying off.
Reflecting on this, he unbuttoned his uniform and headed into the living room.
The warm lighting in the living room spilled down, illuminating the little figure sprawled on the couch, kicking her feet in the air.
Because Rinka came home much earlier than Sasaki and didn't need to help with cooking, the short, twin-tailed, chestnut-haired girl was dressed in loose, comfortable clothes.
A brown sleeveless tank top covered her soft upper body.
Since she was lying on the couch, supporting her head with her left hand, and being somewhat restless, Sasaki could clearly see a small section of her tender, white waist exposed beneath the brown tank top.
The arch of her upper body made his eyes particularly drawn to the smooth curve of her spine and the soft skin on either side of her waist.
Hmm... it looks really tempting...
While Rinkq's feminine assets weren't as ample as Otome's, it didn't mean that, aside from her cute face, she had nothing to offer in terms of body.
Big has its own kind of sexiness, while small has its own kind of cuteness.
At least to Sasaki, Rinka's petite stature exuded a delicate, lovable charm that was very enticing, making him want to hold her in his arms and play with her.
With an unquenchable desire, he walked over to the couch.
Hearing the rustling of her slender legs kicking in the air and the soft sounds of her small, white feet rubbing against each other, he couldn't resist giving a playful slap to the roundness of her black shorts.
"Ah!"
Feeling the burning pain on her backside, Okino Rinka let out a cry, then half-turned, rubbing her growing little buns with teary eyes as she looked at Sasaki, who had done the same thing last night.
"It hurts~"
Instead of spoiling the mood by saying he didn't use much force, Sasaki sat on the couch and tenderly helped ease her pain.
"Does it still hurt?"
Pursing her lips, feeling like her heart was being scratched by a kitten, Okino Rinka sat up and leaned her soft, cloud-like body into the boy's embrace.
Using a voice that was unusually coquettish compared to her usual clear tone, she softly said:
"It still hurts~"
Hurts? Or is it that you're wearing too little and catching a cold?
Sasaki found it odd that Rinka was being overly coquettish.
While she was more forward than Otome, she had never displayed such behavior akin to a little cat in heat.
Thinking she might have been influenced by something, he withdrew his hand from her little buns and cupped her small, tender face, sniffing her scent.
"Didn't you just drink papaya milk?"
"Uh..."
Hearing this, Rinka's rosy, coquettish face stiffened slightly, then she reacted like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, baring her little fangs and waving her claws:
"You're the one who's small, you're small~ That's too mean."
Allowing her playful little paws to smack him, Sasaki blinked in confusion:
"Isn't that why you were acting like that?"
"That... don't you like it? Don't all you boys like those types of girls?"
Ignoring her deflection, he said:
"I still need to know the reason."
Casting him a resentful glance, Rin pulled at her loose clothes:
"I didn't notice before, but today, when I went to have dessert with Tsukimi-san, I realized that she..."
Understanding what Rinka was getting at, Sasaki still smiled and asked:
"She what?"
Making a large round shape with her hands, the girl's said with a mournful face:
"She's even bigger than Otome-nee."
"I see."
Sasaki had noticed that since Rin started practicing yoga, she had been trying to emulate Otome.
Realizing that she couldn't compete in hardware, she sought to make up for it with software.
Sasaki, finding this both amusing and endearing, patted her head:
"Just take your time, you don't need to change yourself for me. It's exhausting, and I don't dislike anything."
Afraid that he might, like her brother Kazuki, be distracted by others and neglect her, Rinka anxiously scratched her head:
"That's true, but I just want you to like me a bit more."
"Don't worry, I like all of you the same."
Knowing that she had always been ignored by Okino Kazuki, Sasaki naturally wouldn't make the same brainless mistake.
Understanding the cause and effect, he held the girl close and spoke reassuring words to her.
However, empty promises without actions are meaningless.
So, tonight, he needed to fill Rinka's anxious heart completely.
---
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The alarm rang out at 7:55 a.m., waking Sasaki from his sleep.
Staring at the familiar ceiling, still regaining his senses, he groggily reached out to turn off the annoying alarm.
And just at this moment, from under the warm blanket, a soft murmur of discontent came.
"Umm~"
Feeling the soft figure nestled in the crook of his arm, Sasaki pulled the blanket down a bit.
The familiar chestnut hair, the petite and endearing body, and the serene face—so different from her usual lively expression—looked like a little princess, peacefully curled up in his embrace.
Normally, he would start his day by dealing with the weakest, Rinka, before spending the night in Otome's room.
However, last night was a bit different.
To soothe her insecurities triggered by Tsukimi and Otome, he made sure to thoroughly overwhelm and exhaust Otome that she couldn't even move before returning to his room to comfort Rinka.
Therefore, waking up to see Rinka's sleeping face was a rare treat.
Smiling silently, Sasaki reached out to turn off the alarm on the nightstand, then turned on his side to quietly watch Rinka's peaceful sleeping face.
Strands of hair fell across her smooth forehead, her delicate brows, and the traces of moisture at the corners of her eyes spoke of her exhaustion.
Brushing the strands away from her face, before he could finish, the girl's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Meeting her misty amber eyes, Sasaki smiled warmly, wrapping his arm around her smooth, slender waist, nestling into her fragrant embrace.
"Fuyumi-nii... you go ahead, I want to sleep a bit longer. Be gentle, okay?"
Yawning, Rinka nudged her lively lover, then turned over, showing him her fair, jade-like back.
"Uh..."
Blinking in surprise, realizing she misunderstood his intentions, Sasaki chuckled softly and sat up.
Although he was tempted to rouse her for some mischief, today he had to visit the Miyajima family, so he decided to let Rinka off the hook.
Yawning, he sat at the edge of the bed, picked up his phone, and read the messages.
**[Message from Nojomi: Boss, we're already at the cafe opposite the Clover Convenience Store. The target hasn't arrived yet.]** 7:30 "Read"
Since today was Saturday, he didn't need his newly recruited underlings to protect Shinomiya.
So he had instructed Nojomi and the others to monitor idiot Chifuyu and Takagi all day to prevent any sudden moves from Takagi.
However, it was only surveillance.
As long as Takagi didn't have any bad intentions, Sasaki didn't want to disrupt their tutoring and give that boy an excuse for poor performance.
With everything explained the night before, he didn't reiterate but responded briefly.
**[Wait. If they haven't arrived by 9, contact me again.]** 8:00 "Read"
**[Got it, boss! (fist emoji)]** 8:00 "Read"
Putting down his phone, Sasaki tucked Rinka in and then walked over to the wardrobe to select his outfit.
Since he was meeting elders from a renowned kendo family, he chose a simple yet respectful black and white ensemble: a black hooded jacket over a white shirt, loose black trousers, and white sneakers.
Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, he adjusted his attire.
He then made a simple breakfast of egg and ham sandwiches and drank some hot milk.
As for leaving food for Otome and Rinka, considering what he had done to both, he figured they wouldn't wake up until the afternoon.
After a seven to eight-minute walk, Sasaki arrived at the train station.
Following the location sent by Tsubaki Miyajima earlier, he boarded the train.
The train left the platform, gently swaying.
As it moved farther, the cherry blossom trees lining the railway became increasingly vibrant.
Watching the cherry blossoms outside the train window, mingling with the bright morning sunlight to create a beautiful scene, Sasaki, with his earphones in, admired the sight of the pink and white petals brushing against the train windows.
At 8:45 a.m., he exited the train station and, following the location, walked along a path covered in cherry blossom petals, arriving at an elegant, traditional mansion.
The distinctive mansion, surrounded by high walls, stood out from the other houses in the area.
Next to the main gate was a plaque with four bold characters: "Miyajima Dojo."
Since the Miyajima Dojo was a famous kendo dojo in the area, the mansion was quite large, with a yard in front where bicycles were parked, mostly used by young people practicing kendo.
Being his first time seeing such a large traditional dojo, Sasaki couldn't help but be fascinated.
After taking a moment to admire the place, he straightened his clothes, picked up the gifts he had bought on the way, and walked through the open gates of the Miyajima Dojo.
Following the gravel path in the yard towards the training area, he saw a beautiful woman standing at the entrance from the distance, looking in his direction.
Unlike the casual clothes she wore the last time they met, Tsubaki Miyajima was now dressed in a black and white kendo outfit, her once elegantly braided hair now tied up in a neat high ponytail.
Beside Tsubaki stood a blue-haired girl who bore a striking resemblance to her.