Faced with the curious stares of the Nakano sisters, Shirase calmly explained everything as they walked.
"So it was all just for match intel?"
Both Nino and Itsuki visibly relaxed.
Then Nino pouted. "You could've asked me instead. Even if I'm not as smart as Yukinoshita Yukino, I wouldn't necessarily lose to her when it comes to digging up info."
Shirase gave her a flat look. "Do you really believe that?"
"Why wouldn't I? I'm highly respected in class," Nino said proudly, lifting her chin in typical tsundere fashion.
Itsuki nodded quickly. "That's true. Nino's actually pretty reliable—lots of guys in class trust her advice, especially for serious stuff."
Shirase chuckled, shaking his head. "I meant that gathering this kind of intel's a total pain. Besides, the last batch we got came from Yukinoshita-san's sister."
"You even know her sister?" Nino's focus shifted instantly.
Itsuki frowned thoughtfully. "Shirase… could it be your real goal isn't Yukinoshita-san, but actually her sister?"
"...And this is why I say girls' logic makes no sense," Shirase sighed.
"You dare call us weird? You're the one who switched from talking about 'time travel' to 'metabolism' mid-conversation last week!" Nino snapped.
Itsuki blinked, completely lost.
"That was me keeping the mood lively," Shirase said smoothly. "You both know I'm good at that."
Nino laughed drily. "You're good at killing the mood, maybe. Want to prove it right now?"
"Not interested," Shirase replied instantly.
The sisters exchanged a glance and said in sync, "See? You just killed it again!"
Shirase ignored them and shifted the topic, explaining how Yukinoshita Haruno had handed him the intel last time.
It worked perfectly—their irritation vanished as they dove into wild guesses about why Haruno had approached him in the first place.
By the time they reached the Service Club, the three still hadn't solved the mystery.
As they appeared at the doorway, Yukinoshita Yukino calmly set her book aside. Her doll-like face curved into a faint, polite smile. "As expected of the school's most popular boy—even when discussing official matters, you need two girls by your side."
Nino frowned. She'd heard plenty about how difficult this "genius girl" was to deal with.
Meanwhile, Itsuki was busy exchanging curious looks with Yuigahama Yui.
Only Shirase strode confidently inside. "They're my personal bodyguards. Feeling intimidated yet?"
Yukinoshita laughed softly, her tone cool but amused. "Are you sure you're phrasing that right? You seem much more suited to the role of a bodyguard yourself."
"Me, a bodyguard? With my looks and charisma? Now you're just talking nonsense." Shirase flopped casually into a chair and gestured for the sisters to come in.
Ignoring him, Yukinoshita turned to Nino, who was still sizing her up. "How well do you two know Nakano Ichika-san?"
The question blindsided both sisters.
Nino recovered first. "Obviously—she's our sister."
Yukinoshita nodded slightly. "Then you must know why she asked for my contact information. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me?"
After a brief pause, she added, "She's been seeking me out almost daily. To be honest, it's becoming rather troublesome."
"What? Ichika's been looking for you?" Nino and Itsuki exchanged wide-eyed looks. They clearly had no idea.
Shirase said nothing—he'd already guessed the reason.
Yuigahama Yui quickly backed Yukinoshita up. "She's telling the truth! Ichika-san came by just yesterday. I saw it myself!"
Ah yes, the ever-reliable eyewitness.
Shirase leaned back, ready to enjoy the scene.
After thinking it over, Nino sighed. "I really don't know what she's up to. How about I ask her tonight?"
"No need," Yukinoshita said lightly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Nino shot back, picking up on the faint edge in her tone.
Yukinoshita met her eyes evenly. "If even her own family doesn't know what she's thinking, asking her now would be pointless. I only wanted to spare you the trouble."
"You—!" Nino's hands balled into fists. The words made sense, but the way she said them was infuriating.
Itsuki puffed her cheeks. "Yukinoshita-san, don't you think your tone's kind of… annoying?"
"I'm not concerned about things like that," Yukinoshita replied flatly.
Both sisters fell silent, faces dark. Yep—the rumors were true. She really was hard to deal with.
Sensing tension, Yuigahama tried to smooth things over—only for Nino to suddenly turn to her. "Ah, right! You're Yuigahama-san, aren't you?"
"Eh? Nakano-san, you actually know me?" Yuigahama said, pleasantly surprised.
Nino smiled sweetly before dropping the hammer: "Of course. During our first joint home-ec class, you made those pitch-black cookies, remember? Hiratsuka-sensei thought they were chocolate until she realized they were just… burnt."
Yuigahama's face went crimson. "I-I really did mess those up…"
Nino lifted her chin proudly. "Luckily for you, there just happens to be a cooking expert sitting right here."
"Eh? You mean—?" Yuigahama's eyes widened.
Before Nino could bask in her own bragging, Shirase cut in smoothly, "That would be me, of course."
Yuigahama and Nino: "…"
Itsuki immediately raised her hand, eager to help. "It's true! Shirase's amazing at cooking. His desserts are better than most bakeries'."
That made Yuigahama's eyes go wide. "Really?! Shirase-san, you cook too?"
Pleased by Itsuki's perfect setup, Shirase put on a modest, sage-like smile. "I dabble a little in the culinary arts."
Yuigahama's face lit up with admiration.
Meanwhile, Nino puffed her cheeks again. Damn it, Itsuki! That compliment was supposed to go to me!
Yukinoshita watched the lively group quietly. Inwardly, she confirmed her earlier suspicion—Shirase's connection with the Nakano family was closer than anyone realized.
Only around the Nakano sisters did he ever seem this animated.
---
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