Next Day
Tadano: "…"
Ai: "…"
Stare
"I can bathe by myself, you know?" Tadano said irritably to the small shadow tailing him.
"Ehhhh? But I want to watch!" Ai replied in a playful tone.
Black lines formed on Tadano's face, and without saying another word, he grabbed the girl by the back of her neck and lifted her into the air.
Ai struggled but couldn't break free, ending up dangling like a helpless little animal. Tadano proceeded to carry her out of the bathroom and lock the door behind him.
Ai pouted and banged on the door, but after a while and no response, she gave up.
Defeated, and with a large pout on her face, Ai wandered into the living room to find something to entertain herself with.
On the couch, Shouko was watching a new episode of her favorite drama with great interest. Nearby, Yamai was preparing breakfast.
With nothing better to do, Ai decided to join Shouko and watch TV together.
Not long after, Tadano returned in his female form. He felt helpless under the gazes of the two older girls.
From Yamai's expression, he could sense curiosity and a hint of teasing, which hurt his small ego.
Shouko's gaze was even more dangerous—less curious and more… desirous. Tadano couldn't help but recall Shouko's usual reactions whenever Najimi would cross-dress him in his original form.
He shuddered at the thought of what Shouko might do if that became a reality in this world.
Ai, meanwhile, bore her usual teasing smirk.
Trying to push aside those strange thoughts, Tadano spoke.
"This place is certainly more spacious and comfortable than the last one…" Tadano said, appreciating the roomy apartment.
"Hehe, with what I make from work plus the allowance my parents give me for helping manage their company's budget, it's easy to afford a place like this…" Yamai said while setting plates on the table.
"Besides, for our sake and Ai-chan's, we always needed a bigger space…" Yamai added, subtly placing a hand on her abdomen.
"Ha… I guess you're right. But are you sure it's okay to keep both jobs? Won't it be too much for you?" Tadano asked, concerned about Yamai overworking herself.
Yamai smiled at Tadano's concern and gave him a warm hug.
Then, pulling him toward the table, she said, "It's no problem. With the advanced calculation program Nakanaka developed, it's easy to handle the tasks my parents assign me… Now, why don't we have breakfast? In a few hours, we have to go apologize to the executives of the brand Ai couldn't do the commercial for…"
Yamai seated Tadano and placed a plate with toast and a couple of fried eggs in front of him.
"Ugh…" Ai groaned uncomfortably at the mention of the commercial incident.
Shouko felt a little left out, unable to join the conversation, which made her a bit sad.
Noticing this, Tadano spoke up.
"We don't need to be back at school for the festival preparations until midday. Why don't we go out for a walk, Shouko?"
Shouko perked up at being included and nodded enthusiastically.
"Eh? Just with Shouko-nee? Tadano-nii, that's so unfair! While I get scolded and probably forced to shoot the commercial, you'll be out having fun…" Ai complained with a pout.
Tadano frowned, enduring Ai's barrage of complaints and pouts until he finally pacified her with the promise of a limited-edition bubble tea.
...
Later…
After accompanying Ai to apologize and being reminded of his bubble tea promise again, Tadano continued on his way.
Yamai stayed behind to take care of Ai. For safety, Tadano left a clone under Nagisa's control and headed off.
Not long after, Shouko suggested visiting a cat café, which Tadano agreed to.
Tadano and Shouko had a lovely time surrounded by adorable, fluffy cats.
Tadano couldn't help but smile as a chubby, black-furred cat lay next to Shouko.
"So that's the famous Chocolate, huh?" Tadano thought with amusement as Shouko buried her face against the cat's soft belly.
"…I guess she really loves black cats."
Author's Note: "Here's a short chapter, but tomorrow there will be a longer one. Apologies for the delay over the past couple of weeks—this author had a minor bout of fever and didn't have time to write. That said, remember to drink plenty of water, and know that I love you all very much. Sincerely, your favorite depressed author."
------ nwnr