The Heroines Want to Confess

Chapter 442 442: Yotsuba: Why did you all throw a party without calling me?

"All the obstacles are gone."

Nino took a bite of watermelon, watching Yotsuba and Itsuki leave, her tone filled with implication.

"Saki-kun… other than Nino, no one will bother us anymore," Miku also spoke in a soft yet chilly voice.

"Huh? You're trying to exclude me? Miku, let me tell you, no way!"

Nino glared at Miku.

"Baka Nino."

"Baka Miku!"

After saying that, both snorted and turned away.

Sakurai Saki really wanted to say: 'What about my opinion?'

But in a situation like this, a boy should avoid seeking death by stepping in.

Does he think the battlefield isn't intense enough already? Or that the nearly 40-degree heat outside isn't hot enough?

A few minutes later.

"It's so hot, I want to go swimming."

Nino looked at the little yard outside the living room — even the weeds had wilted.

"Is there some small stream nearby?"

"It's scorching outside. Even if we go to a stream… we'll be roasted by the sun on the way back."

Nino cared deeply about her soft white skin. There was no way she would expose herself to such harsh sunlight. Besides, she hadn't brought sunscreen when returning to the countryside this time, and in a rural area like this, there were no proper cosmetic stores or convenience shops to buy one.

"Nino is really troublesome," Miku muttered softly.

"Hehe, what's wrong with playing in the water during summer? People like Miku — who stay cooped up inside all day without getting bored — are the unusual ones, okay?"

Nino was absolutely the outdoor-activity type.

Conversely, Miku was the type who could stay indoors until… until the end of the world.

"We can play with water at home too."

Miku spoke with a somewhat stubborn tone, like she was guarding some kind of dignity.

Even an otaku had their pride!

"You're just saying you don't want to go outside, right? … But honestly, with this heat, I don't want to go outside either."

Nino suddenly realized she had no idea what she and Miku were arguing about anymore.

The entire conversation felt meaningless.

"So what exactly does Nino want to do?"

Sakurai Saki still had no clue what she was getting at.

"Play in the water! Our house has a pool."

"A pool? Even out here in the countryside?"

Sakurai Saki was genuinely impressed.

"That idiot Nino means the inflatable plastic pool, the kind you pump air into."

As someone living in the house, Miku obviously knew.

Last year when they came home for a few days, the sisters had played with it. But after sitting unused for a whole year, who knew if it still worked?

"I remember it's in the storage room, super big. Ichika was the one who paid for it. That girl always buys weird stuff."

Nino tossed the watermelon rind into the trash as she spoke.

One benefit of being in the countryside — no need to sort trash like in Tokyo or Kyoto.

Today burnable garbage, tomorrow non-burnable, the next day oversized items…

Such a pain!

"Let's go, we're heading to the storage room to pump up the pool."

Nino stood up with fiery momentum and headed toward the storage shed.

Miku and Sakurai Saki exchanged a look, then helplessly got up to follow.

...

"Cough cough, so much dust!"

Nakano Nino waved away the cloud of dust, then scanned the cluttered shed.

Good thing the inflatable pool was much bigger than she remembered — big enough to spot instantly.

"Didn't expect it to be tucked this deep inside…"

Like an explorer in a jungle, Nino slipped nimbly into the depths of the storage room.

Sakurai Saki followed and told Miku, "Don't come in, I can help her."

"Umu."

Miku smiled softly and nodded.

"Alright, alright, stop flirting over there. Come help me already."

Nino said with pretend irritation.

She grabbed one corner of the pool and yanked it outward.

Sakurai Saki saw her acting like that, feeling that the thing hadn't even come out of the storage yet but was already about to be damaged by some sharp object coming out of nowhere…

He hurriedly said: "Let me do it, Nino, you go out quickly."

"Okay."

Nino's voice was very gentle, as if she had always been waiting for this line.

...

Taking the inflatable pool in its deflated state out, the three of them began washing it.

In the backyard there was a garden hose, installed by the grandfather of the five sisters to water the potted plants. Its pressure wasn't small, more than enough for washing.

"So dirty, even the outside looks a bit yellowish, can it really still be used?"

"As long as it's not leaking air, it should be fine, right?" Sakurai Saki held the air pump in his hand, answering Nino's question.

"Saki-kun, where will we use it later?" Miku cared about this more.

If they used it in the backyard, they would definitely be cooked alive.

"Isn't there a shady spot on the side of the house? We'll inflate it there…"

"Alright, stop talking, help me wash it."

After that, it took them more than ten minutes for the three of them to finally clean the pool.

Carrying it to the shady spot also took quite some time.

While waiting for the pool to be filled with water, the three of them went to change into swimsuits first.

When Sakurai Saki came here, he guessed they might end up going somewhere with water, so he brought a set just in case, not expecting it to actually be used.

But a boy's swimsuit was simple—just a pair of beach shorts. But wearing only shorts in a place like this felt a bit like a pervert, so he still put on a light jacket over it.

"Nino… don't push me." Miku's shy voice echoed in the backyard.

Sakurai Saki heard the voice and looked over, immediately noticing that the two girls were completely indistinguishable to a normal person at this moment.

…Their hair was the same, even the length was similar. If he hadn't known them for so long, Sakurai Saki wouldn't be able to tell either.

"The swimsuits look nice."

Sakurai Saki glanced at the two of them. Both were wearing bikinis—Miku's was white, while Nino's was black, giving off a more mature vibe.

"But… isn't it a bit too revealing?"

Nino pushed Miku forward. "Isn't it pretty? Besides, only you will see it, it's fine. The walls around our house are really tall."

"If another man saw it… I might consider killing him." The corner of Sakurai Saki's mouth curved into a faint smile.

"..." Nino felt he wasn't joking.

That possessiveness was truly frightening.

But she felt a little happy because of it.

"I… maybe…" Miku covered her chest, face turning red: "should go change into something else?"

She originally didn't intend to wear this, but Nino forcefully made her change.

"It's really pretty, don't be shy." Nino grabbed her hand, stopping her from bending down and turning into a mushroom-girl. Doing that would completely defeat the purpose of wearing a swimsuit!

"Nino is right."

After Sakurai Saki coaxed her with a few lines, Miku finally calmed down from her embarrassment.

...

At the same time.

Outside the house.

Yotsuba and Itsuki had returned after buying popsicles.

"There, I went with you already. Seriously, buying ice pop and you still had to drag me along." Yotsuba was still holding a grudge about earlier.

"Sorry…" Itsuki carried the bag, her face full of guilt.

"Forget it."

Yotsuba was the first to step into the house.

Then—

"Oi oi oi!! Miku, Nino, Sakurai-san, you guys are having a party without calling me?!!"

At the doorway.

Itsuki's face was full of question marks.

Party? What party?