The moonlight was dim, and the long road was quiet.
The figures of the two gradually disappeared under the streetlight.
The night wind carried a slight chill, and since it was still April, the temperature would drop significantly at night.
Normally, Miku would feel very cold walking on the road, her fingers retreating into her sleeves.
But right now, she didn't feel cold at all. Instead, her entire body felt warm. Even the chilly night wind seemed to have transformed into a gentle and refreshing breeze.
'It's so warm. Is this the warmth of a guy's body? Or is Kuromori special?'
Miku lay quietly on Haruto's shoulder, feeling conflicted.
Since childhood, she had always been the most isolated one. She had a bit of social anxiety, didn't like socializing, and had no friends.
Even though the five of them were quintuplets and looked exactly alike, Miku knew she wasn't as sweet as Ichika or as popular as them.
If one of the five was likely to get a boyfriend, Ichika had the highest chance.
Then there was Nino.
Then Yotsuba and Itsuki.
As for herself...
Miku was an introverted, quiet, and socially awkward girl. She was often described as gloomy, cold, and hard to get along with.
Someone like her... Logically, no one would like her.
Miku was lost in her thoughts, unconsciously tightening her grip.
Haruto's strained voice sounded, "Miku, if you don't let go, I'll be strangled to death by you."
Even though the soft sensation from behind was pleasant, and Miku's fragrance was intoxicating, he still didn't want to die by suffocation!
Miku: "😐"
All in all, he escorted Miku to her apartment. After watching her walk into the elevator, Haruto turned and headed back home.
The night was quiet.
❀❀❀
The next morning, Miku yawned and walked downstairs.
Suddenly, Nino said, "Miku, are you alright?"
"Huh?" Miku blinked blankly.
Nino put down her phone with a suspicious look: "You've been acting strange since you got back last night…"
After saying this, she gritted her teeth and added, "Were you bullied yesterday?"
Miku had been acting weird the night before, always zoning out, holding her phone but not using it.
She didn't even eat much of her favorite dishes.
This morning, her face was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Plus, Miku had come home really late last night, and her posture wasn't quite right.
Sure enough, someone bullied Miku!?
Nino suddenly stood up, "Miku, tell me quickly, who was it?"
"Huh?"
Itsuki's ahoge suddenly stood up as she looked shocked, "Miku, were you bullied?"
"I wasn't bullied."
Miku averted her gaze. Nothing was wrong with her. She was just a bit confused because someone had suddenly confessed to her.
It's all Haruto's fault!
He suddenly said he liked her... They had only met recently, so she couldn't just agree to be in a relationship!
Reckless! Guilty!
Miku changed the topic, "Where's Yotsuba?"
Usually, Yotsuba and Nino were the earliest to wake up every day, followed by Itsuki, then Miku, and finally their eldest sister, Ichika.
It was because Ichika always stayed in bed that they often ended up being late for class.
Did Miku really just change the topic?
Nino sighed, holding her phone tightly, "It seems Yotsuba was asked to help out with the athletic club, so she left really early."
Meanwhile, Itsuki had already taken out a meat bun, closing her eyes as she ate with a blissful expression.
Miku slightly nodded and headed to the bathroom.
She looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes widening as she noticed dark circles under her eyes.
No wonder Nino had suddenly asked her.
It was normal for something like that to happen and cause sleeplessness.
Miku lowered her gaze, her cheeks suddenly turning pink, feeling a small spark of hope in her heart.
❀❀❀
"Good morning, Kuromori-san."
Haruto turned to see a girl wearing a silly green bunny ear headband running toward him in the sunrise.
"Good morning, Yotsuba."
She stopped, caught her breath, and smiled brightly, "Kuromori-san, you're here early today too."
The two chatted as they walked to Sobu High together.
"Kuromori-san, I went to visit Rikka today, but unfortunately, I couldn't see her. But I did see Rikka's mother. She looked much better today."
"Mm."
Time is the best healer. All sorrow gets buried deep inside over time. Only when people think about it occasionally does it feel uncomfortable.
"And Nino didn't want to make breakfast today, but it's hard to make breakfast for five people every day. Even though Nino has a bad temper, she's really kind."
Haruto was slightly surprised, "Nino really makes your breakfast?"
"Mm."
Yotsuba lifted her chin proudly, "Nino's cooking skills are the best among us."
Haruto and Nino didn't have much interaction, except for the time the quintuplets played "Find the Mistake." Other than that, they barely talked.
But even so, Haruto could tell that Nino seemed like a pretty strong-willed girl. She already had a few friends at Sobu High, unlike Miku... who, even now, might not be recognized by her classmates.
"Itsuki was in a really good mood yesterday. She said she made great progress. It's all thanks to Kuromori-san."
Yotsuba gave him a thumbs-up, "Kuromori-san, you're amazing."
In truth, Haruto had helped Itsuki cheat.
"And Miku came back really late last night. We almost called the police. Luckily, Miku made it home safely."
Yotsuba added with a puzzled look, "I just don't know why, Miku was acting strange yesterday, always walking around in a daze."
"Nino almost thought Miku was being bullied."
"..."
When they arrived at Sobu High, Yotsuba waved goodbye and ran off. After a while, her running figure could be seen on the playground.
Haruto was reading for a bit when Itsuki walked into the classroom.
"Phew, I almost came late again."
After sitting down, Itsuki patted her chest and showed a relieved expression.
Haruto remained silent and asked, "Can't you come earlier?"
Itsuki answered sadly, "I want to, but it's impossible. It's all because…"
At that moment, her voice stopped.
Though she was angry, she couldn't just tell others about Ichika like that.
Ichika still wanted to save face!
In the end, Itsuki hesitated, looking conflicted.
The first class of the day was Japanese.
The sharp sound of high heels on the floor became clearer. A moment later, a dignified and beautiful female teacher walked through the door.
She held a textbook in her hand and wore the classic professional attire of a teacher, with a white jacket draped over her shoulders. As she walked, her jacket flared slightly, giving off a boss-like aura.
"Class is starting now."
Hiratsuka tapped the podium and glanced at Haruto with a dangerous smile on her face, "Before we start, sensei would like to say something: some people, please don't act on impulse. Regrets can last a lifetime..."
"Recently, there's been news about a young man who acted impulsively and ended up on many different boats. In the end, he fell into a pool of blood on a rooftop, leading to a bloody conclusion."
The corners of Haruto's mouth twitched.
'Just say what you want, but why are you always keeping an eye on what I'm doing?!'