The next day...
Shinomiya Residence
"Hayasaka! Is everything ready?" asked a very nervous Kaguya, checking her uniform's neatness for the tenth time.
"Affirmative... All preparations have been completed. Potential enemies have been neutralized, your alibi is in place, I've gathered all necessary information, we know the Young Master's location, and I've mapped out the fastest route to meet him. Additionally, I've prepared an alternate outing route for each of the plans you've devised, Kaguya-sama," reported Hayasaka in her usual calm tone.
Kaguya nodded in satisfaction and patted Hayasaka gently on the head. She had prepared extensively for this day, coming up with no fewer than three plans to deepen her relationship with Tadano.
Otori Residence
Otori Ushio's phone had been ringing non-stop for over an hour.
Frustrated and unable to delay it any longer, she finally picked up.
Before she could say anything, a phrase left her stunned.
"Ma'am! She's disappeared!"
Otori Ushio couldn't recover until she heard the phone hit the floor.
Quickly picking it up, she started issuing orders.
"What was the last reading of her emotions?!" she nearly shouted.
"Highly unstable," replied the voice on the other end.
"Damn it! Sound the alarm and raise the danger level to Dragon! I want every officer in the country patrolling; I need to know where she is yesterday! Did you hear me? Yesterday!" ordered Otori Ushio.
Her expression was grim, and she felt the white streak in her hair advance slightly.
Anxiously tapping her foot, she muttered, "Momoyo... you little brat, where the hell have you gone? Please don't cause trouble for this old woman."
Otori Ushio glanced regretfully at the sophisticated surveillance cameras she had gathered and the trio of espionage specialists she had brought in especially for today.
"I guess this year I won't get to record my adorable granddaughter..." she lamented.
...
Komi Residence
"Akira-chan ∼ Shousuke-kun ∼ Darling ∼ hurry up, or we'll be late!" called Shuuko.
"Fufu ∼ Akira probably stayed up late playing with Shouko-chan and might still be asleep. Sorry for the trouble, Shuuko-chan," said Ryouko.
"It's no trouble at all, Ryouko-chan. This will always be your home; feel as comfortable as you like… If anything, I should apologize—those two, father and son, can be quite stubborn at times," Shuuko said kindly.
"Jeje, I guess they're a lot alike..." Ryouko said sadly.
"Ryouko..." Shuuko looked at her sympathetically and secretly clenched her fist in frustration. If she saw that man, she was sure she'd beat him into a pulp.
"No... no... Shuuko, you're not young anymore... You have to remember you're a mother now, and you've moved past that. There's something more important to focus on." After calming her negative thoughts, Shuuko quickly approached Ryouko to comfort her.
...
Nakano Residence
Open
"Hey, Miku! Have you seen Ichika and Yotsuba? I haven't seen them today," asked a woman who closely resembled the mentioned girls. Her most notable difference, aside from her temperament, was the slightly darker pink tone of her hair, giving her a unique look closer to dark red. Her long hair was loose, except for a pair of small ponytails secured with butterfly-shaped clips.
"Eh? Nino? What time is it? Is it time for supplementary classes already?" said a sleepy woman with long, loose hair and bangs that sometimes covered one of her eyes. Her pink hair leaned more towards a brownish hue, shorter than the other woman's, reaching only to her shoulders.
.
"Hey, Miku! Were you up late reading again? God, girl, be a little more responsible! Look at those bags under your eyes—you'll ruin your skin like that! Come on, let's wash your face and put on a mask to reduce those bags. And you better control those late nights, or I'll tell Dad!" scolded Nino, ending her lecture with a threat that woke her sister up.
"You wouldn't dare!" Miku replied, a little frightened.
"Oh, wouldn't I?" Nino retorted, raising her phone with an arrogant smile.
This angered Miku.
"If you do, I'll... I'll tell him about the posters and figures in your room! And about that pervy pillow you're hiding in your closet!" Miku threatened fiercely.
"You! How do you know about that?! I only told... Damn it, Ichika! Traitor!" Nino growled, annoyed.
"Anyway, one way or another, you're going to deal with those bags under your eyes. Remember, Dad's coming tonight, and if he sees you like this, not even I'll be able to defend you..." Nino said, dragging her twin to the bathroom.
"No! I don't want to! It's cold!" Miku protested in a last-ditch effort.
A while later...
A shivering Miku sat on the couch, pouting with puffed-out cheeks.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the living room, seated next to the glass table, a woman very similar to the other two twins was happily humming while watching a replay of Ai-chan's concert on the flat-screen TV.
Crunch
The woman was pulling out one cookie after another from a jar featuring a cartoonish Ai-chan waving. She happily munched on the star- and bunny-shaped cookies while watching the concert.
Among the five sisters, this woman was the most different. Her long hair reached her back, and its pink hue was almost 80% closer to a bright red. She also had a distinctive ahoge that bounced animatedly, reflecting her mood. Her only hair accessory was a pair of star-shaped clips.
Her figure was slightly fuller than her sisters', a clear reflection of her love for food.
When Nino saw the jar of cookies, she asked suspiciously, "Itsuki, where did you get the money to buy that jar of cookies? It doesn't look cheap! I hope you're not borrowing from the emergency fund again, or I'll tell Dad, and I won't cook your favorite treats anymore!" Nino threatened.
Itsuki immediately paled and stood up to defend herself.
"No! No! You've got it all wrong! You're accusing me unfairly! These were a gift from Ichika this morning!" Itsuki defended herself, clutching the cookie jar protectively.
"This morning? But she didn't even come down for breakfast..." Nino countered.
"Ichika and Yotsuba left early this morning for work. I told them Dad was coming tonight, so they had to be back early, and they rewarded me with this jar of cookies!" Itsuki said proudly, showing off her jar to her sisters.
Nino tried to grab one, but Itsuki, with feline reflexes, quickly moved the jar away and hid it behind her.
"Hey, I just wanted to try one—you don't have to be so stingy... Have you forgotten who makes your favorite sweets at home?" Nino said, annoyed.
"But... but... there aren't that many left," Itsuki said reluctantly.
Nino and Miku looked at the jar, still 75% full, and rolled their eyes at their gluttonous sister.
"Forget it. At least now I know where those two are. Anyway, there's still time before that pest who calls himself a tutor comes, and it's too early to start lunch. I'm going to take a nap, and you should too. Got it, Miku?" Nino said, yawning and heading to her room.
"Yeah, yeah... I was about to anyway," Miku said, putting her headphones on and pulling a blue blanket from under the couch.
With practiced movements, she lay down and quickly fell asleep.
Itsuki didn't change much and returned her attention to the charming Ai-chan on the screen.
...
Yamai Residence
In the apartment, there were three women.
In the kitchen, Nagisa was preparing bentos with a cheerful face.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Yamai was helping a cheerful Ai with her hair.
"Hmmm∼ ★ Hmmf∼ ★ Day off∼ Day off∼ What a great day to go out and play∼ ★" Hoshino Ai sang happily as Yamai styled her hair. Her small, delicate feet, wrapped in long pink stockings, swung joyfully in the chair.
"Someone's very happy..." Yamai teased as she put the finishing touches on Ai's hair.
"Of course∼ ★ Do you know how hard Ai has been working these days? Ai is so tired! Ai will be drained of all her energy at this rate! So, a day off is more than welcome ∼ ★ Besides, Tadano-nii promised to buy Ai lots of delicious things!" Ai said, initially complaining but ending her sentence with high expectations for the day. Her twin ponytails, freshly styled, swayed happily, reflecting her mood.
"You really like your big brother, huh?" Yamai teased.
Ai reacted as if someone had stepped on her tail, quickly defending herself.
"Me?! Of course not! Ai is a proper lady! Ai is a big star and doesn't have time for such things! Don't slander Ai! Ai will complain to Uncle Ichigo if you keep slandering her!" Ai retorted, her words firing off like a machine gun, though her red cheeks and poorly disguised nervous expression made the truth all too obvious.
"Yeah, yeah... Little Ai is a big star. Now, Miss Big Star, go get changed; we'll need to leave for the festival soon," Yamai said pragmatically, letting Ai go.
Ai quickly escaped to her room.
Chuckle
Nagisa couldn't help but let out a small laugh at Ai's adorable behavior.
Sigh
"God, kids these days... Oh, crap, now I sound like one of those old market aunties..." Yamai lamented.
"HAHAHA... What are you talking about? You're barely approaching 20, acting all mature. Haha, you're definitely growing up fast, Ren-chan," Nagisa said affectionately. She had a soft spot for the girl in front of her. Despite her excessive behavior when she first reached out to Tadano, Nagisa much preferred this new Yamai—kind, gentle, and with a demeanor that gave her nostalgic memories.
Nagisa couldn't help but see a shadow of her past in this girl.
"Haha, maybe you're right. And my changes are definitely because of this little one... I want to improve for this child... Even if it's risky and problematic, you know? I don't care! I'll do my best for this child, for little Ai... and for that man," Yamai declared bravely.
"Yeah, yeah... You looked very cool and all... but shouldn't you go take a bath? Even though you're not fully participating in the maid café, didn't you promise to bring Ai's friends too? If I'm not mistaken, Pochi-chan and Kita-chan are also at Tadano's school, so you can skip them, but you still have two others..." Nagisa teased with a big, aunt-like grin.
"Damn, you're right!" Yamai cursed before rushing to the bathroom.
"Jeje, deep down, she still keeps some bad habits. Well, it's something the host will have to deal with... Now, let's finish these bentos quickly," Nagisa said, rolling up her sleeves and putting her all into the kitchen.
Author's Note:
"Alright, a bit of perspective and world-building... I'll try to continue with the Hololive idea. I've got four so far, but let me know in the comments which other waifu I could turn into a Hololive member. That said, remember to drink plenty of water, and know that I love you all very much. Sincerely, your favorite depressed author."
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