"Phew~ That was incredibly satisfying. A week without sex, huh… To win Umi's heart, I made such a huge sacrifice. I don't want to go through that again in the future."
Standing by the open window, Ren stretched his body, letting the gentle Tokyo breeze caress his skin. His inner thoughts felt fulfilled, and he was brimming with energy after the long 'session.'
"There's still two weeks left of summer break. What should I do with the time…"
Ren pondered how to spend the remaining days of his short summer vacation. Thoughts of Umi crossed his mind, how the innocent girl was now completely his.
"We're coming in!"
"Nino, it's rude to enter without knocking first."
Ren's musings about the rest of his summer break were interrupted by the sudden arrival of two visitors. He turned and saw none other than two of the Nakano quintuplets: Nino and Miku.
"You look fine, Rokuhara. You nearly made Itsuki a widow." Nino said, one hand on her hip, glaring sharply at Ren. "Your life isn't just yours alone. Think about the feelings of those who care about you. In short, don't do dangerous things."
Nino spoke earnestly. She admitted she didn't like the man before her, who had gotten her younger sister pregnant. But she couldn't bear the thought of Itsuki raising a child alone.
"Nino's words may sound harsh, but she doesn't mean any harm." Miku added, trying to act casual to avoid raising suspicion from Nino. "We were all worried about you when we heard about your accident."
In truth, Miku desperately wanted to express the anxiety and concern she had been suppressing for Ren. Though she knew he was the man her younger sister loved, she couldn't give up on him so easily, unlike back in high school.
"It was an accident. No one could've known the bus crash would happen. The important thing is, I came back safe, right?" Ren said casually, walking to the bed and sitting down.
He was used to Nino's openly unfriendly attitude and was also aware of Miku's hidden feelings for him, which she tried to conceal.
(Thank goodness they came after Yotsuba and I were done. Otherwise, I'd have to erase their memories if they found out about my affair with Yotsuba.)
(No matter how much Itsuki tolerates my womanizing, there's no way she wouldn't be furious if she knew I slept with her married sister, right?)
Ren felt immense relief that the worst-case scenario didn't happen. Truthfully, he was reluctant to manipulate Itsuki's feelings for him with magic.
After all, Itsuki was the first woman Ren had won through his own hard work, without any supernatural elements involved. She was an exception he cherished.
Nino and Miku entered the ward, carrying a basket of fresh fruit and approaching Ren's bed.
"Let me cut an apple for you." Miku offered softly, quickly taking a small knife and skillfully peeling the fruit.
Meanwhile, Nino sat on a chair across from Ren, crossing her legs and watching him closely.
"How's your condition? Internal injuries are more dangerous than external ones."
Her tone was softer than before, though her gaze remained sharp and attentive.
"Oh, I'm fine. I bet you all imagined the worst, but trust me, I'm not hurt at all."
"I guess I'm just really lucky. Maybe during the crash, I was thrown in the right direction, or maybe my seat on the bus was in a good spot. Who knows? All I know is I woke up without any serious scratches. It was more like I fell asleep and suddenly woke up in a different place, a bit dirty with dust and mud, but that's it."
Among the Nakano quintuplets, only Nino didn't know that Ren was a Campione, so he made up an excuse to fool her, while Miku had known since the incident involving Itsuki's kidnapping.
"You're really lucky." Nino nodded, not pressing further.
Only extreme luck could explain why Ren emerged unscathed from such a severe bus crash.
Miku finished peeling the apple, shaping it into a cute rabbit-like form. She pierced a piece with a toothpick and held it toward Ren's mouth.
"Can you eat on your own, Ren-kun? Or do you need me to feed you?"
"Miku, you're spoiling him too much. Didn't you hear Rokuhara say he's fine? Let him eat by himself!" Nino scolded, completely unaware of Miku's excessive attention toward Ren.
"Ren-kun is a patient. I want to help him." Miku replied.
"Well then, I'll take you up on that offer." Ren said.
How could he refuse kindness from a beautiful woman like Miku?
Carefully, Miku fed the rabbit-shaped apple piece to Ren's mouth.
Ren accepted it casually, chewing slowly, savoring Miku's attention.
"…"
Nino only huffed at their interaction but didn't comment further.
*CLICK!*
Suddenly, the bathroom door opened. A woman with a face identical to Nino and Miku stepped out, her hair slightly disheveled, though she tried to tidy it quickly. It was Yotsuba.
"Yotsuba? You're here too?" Nino asked, surprised.
"Haha… Yup, I got here before you two." Yotsuba said with a small laugh, rubbing the back of her head.
It was a lie she tried to cover up, but Nino and Miku might not have noticed since Yotsuba had never been good at lying since childhood.
"I see…" Nino nodded, not suspecting that Yotsuba and Ren had just done something improper moments ago. The thought never even crossed her mind. "By the way, how's your married life with Fuu-kun?"
"Everything's fine. Fuutarou and I have a harmonious marriage." Yotsuba replied with a wide smile.
Since starting her secret affair with Ren, she no longer felt sexual frustration. This made her life with Fuutarou feel much 'happier' overall. Technically, she wasn't lying.
"That's good. It seems Fuu-kun is keeping his promise to make you happy."
There was a slight bitterness in Nino's heart. After all, she had once liked Fuutarou and even competed fiercely with her sisters for him. But she lost in that sibling rivalry.
"Oh, by the way, I have good news. Take a look at this." Yotsuba said, as if suddenly remembering something, handing a small object to Nino.
"What's this—"
Before Nino could finish, she gasped at the object in her hand. It was a pregnancy test with two clear red lines.
"Yotsuba, y-you're pregnant?"
Hearing this, Miku, who no longer had feelings for Fuutarou, couldn't help but look. Her eyes widened at the pregnancy test in Nino's hand.
"Hehe… Looks like it." Yotsuba said, smiling happily, not mentioning who the father of her child was. To her, everyone would naturally assume it was her husband, Fuutarou.
"Oh my gosh, Yotsuba! Congratulations! I can't believe it! This is amazing news!" Nino was the first to react after her shock subsided, immediately hugging Yotsuba tightly.
"Congratulations, Yotsuba! I'm so happy for you! Fuutarou must be thrilled too." Miku said with sincere congratulations.
"…"
Ren watched the heartwarming scene with a faint smile. He knew full well who the father of Yotsuba's child was.
"Congratulations, Yotsuba-san. Make sure you raise this child well. He's a strong seed, the fruit of… very special moments. Treat him with all the love and care, because he's proof of an… extraordinary bond. He'll bring you great happiness, I'm sure of it."
There was a subtle emphasis on 'special' and 'extraordinary bond,' a hidden message only the two of them understood.
Yotsuba got it. Her smile widened, and she gently rubbed her belly.
"Of course, Ren-sama. I'll definitely raise this child well, together with Fuutarou. We'll give him our best. Thank you for your prayers, Rokuhara-san."
Nino and Miku didn't notice the hidden meaning in Ren and Yotsuba's conversation. To them, it was just a normal congratulatory message from a brother-in-law, a sincere show of support for the unexpected pregnancy. They were too caught up in the joy of the news to suspect anything.