After lecturing the quintuplets for the entire morning, even Ryuichi couldn't help feeling parched. His throat was dry, and his voice was hoarse from all the explaining.
The five sisters looked completely drained. The "Common Sense Alteration" spell he'd been using to enhance their comprehension also sapped some of their stamina, so once Ryuichi decided they'd had enough, he finally called it.
"That's all for now. Let's grab some lunch."
"Good idea. It's already late—let's just order delivery. Ryuichi, wanna join us?" Ichika said, pulling out her phone.
"Sure. I'd appreciate it," he replied. It wasn't as if he had anywhere else to be, so he accepted easily enough.
The food arrived quickly. By then, the sisters were sprawled across the sofa in a variety of lazy poses, clearly too tired to move. Ryuichi sighed, stood, and went to the door to pick up the order himself.
They eventually gathered around the dining table. Glancing over the containers, Ryuichi couldn't help noticing how expensive the meal looked.
Figures, he thought. Their family's well-off. Their parents run a hospital, if I remember right—makes sense they'd be loaded.
The house itself and the high-end car in the driveway were proof enough.
Lunch passed pleasantly. Afterward, as everyone relaxed, Ichika's phone suddenly buzzed. She'd been lounging half-asleep on the couch, but the moment she saw the caller ID, she perked up, answered quickly, and hurried upstairs.
The others exchanged looks but didn't comment.
Ten minutes later, Ichika came back down—no longer dressed in her casual home clothes but in a stylish, mature outfit, a small handbag in hand.
"Sorry, but I'll have to cut class short today," she said apologetically to Ryuichi. "Something urgent just came up."
"That's fine. Safe travels," Ryuichi replied.
He didn't mind; they'd covered most of what he'd planned anyway, and the rest wasn't all that critical.
Once Ichika left and her taxi disappeared down the street, the remaining sisters immediately started chattering about their plans for the afternoon.
Ryuichi couldn't help raising an eyebrow. Weren't they just complaining they were exhausted?
Sure enough, the moment class ended, they were suddenly full of life again.
So this is what happiness looks like for underachievers, he thought. Miraculous recovery the moment school's over.
Before long, Nino and Itsuki decided to go shopping together. Yotsuba ran off to meet her friends for basketball practice—her energy seemed absolutely endless.
That left only Miku in the house.
She didn't linger in the living room for long. Clutching her study materials to her chest, she walked upstairs, the sound of her round-toed shoes echoing softly against the steps. She didn't even glance back at Ryuichi, the "guest" still sitting quietly in her home.
Ryuichi tilted his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Do I really look that harmless? he wondered. Come on—I'm a Devil. You could at least act a little cautious.
As he packed away the teaching materials he'd brought, something on the couch caught his eye—a book someone had left behind.
Typical. The quintuplets were notorious for being scatterbrained.
He picked it up, expecting another textbook… only to find it was a historical volume titled Records of Great Generals.
Huh?
Just as he was puzzling over whose it might be, quick footsteps pattered down the stairs. Miku appeared, slightly breathless.
"Um—that's mine."
Seeing Ryuichi holding the book, she looked flustered for once, her usual calm expression giving way to embarrassment.
"Here," Ryuichi said simply, handing it back. "So you're into military history, huh, Miku?"
The casual question made her stiffen as though he'd just uncovered her deepest secret.
"Y-yeah…" she admitted softly.
"No wonder you got so excited when I mentioned duels earlier," he remarked, returning to his packing.
Miku's cheeks reddened. She shifted awkwardly, then murmured in a tiny voice:
"D-don't tell the others I like that kind of thing, okay…?"
"What's there to hide?" Ryuichi asked, genuinely curious.
"Of course it's weird! Everyone else in our grade likes magical-girl shows or romance dramas, and here I am reading about middle-aged bearded generals. It's strange, right?"
"If anything," Ryuichi said dryly, "liking magical-girl shows sounds weirder."
He paused, realizing that might've come off too blunt, then added more gently:
"But really—there's nothing wrong with having your own interests. As long as you enjoy it, who cares what others think?"
Miku looked up in surprise, and for the first time that day, she smiled.
It was small and shy—but warm.
Ryuichi found himself blinking. Huh. That's the first time I've seen her smile.
Usually she was the quiet one, sitting there with that distant, blank expression. Even when she spoke, it was in the briefest replies possible.
After a moment, a question occurred to him.
"Miku, that book—Records of Great Generals—does it cover the Three Kingdoms period?"
"Yeah," she said, nodding lightly. "It's based on real historical texts from ancient China. The setting is authentic, but the narrative focuses more on the generals' personal stories."
As she spoke about her favorite topic, her words came easier, her tone brightening with enthusiasm.
Ryuichi listened thoughtfully. Ever since coming to this world, he'd noticed too many similarities with the world he'd originally come from.
Angels and Devils existed here too. Nations, cultures, even the names of historical periods often mirrored his old reality.
He still couldn't tell what connection these worlds shared—but it was clearly more than coincidence. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up here in the first place.
Miku didn't notice his drifting thoughts. Finding someone willing to listen, she leaned forward slightly and asked with interest:
"Have you ever read it yourself, Ryuichi?"
"Only a little," he admitted with a smile. "Nowhere near your level of expertise, though. You really are passionate about it."
"Mm… maybe too passionate," she murmured. "That's probably why I've fallen behind in class…"
Her voice turned a little regretful. "Out of the five of us, I'm the slowest."
"Not really," Ryuichi said. "Didn't Yotsuba score zero on one of the tests recently?"
"But Yotsuba's great at sports," Miku countered quickly. "That's a big plus for her."
"You can't look at it that way," Ryuichi said, shaking his head. "Everyone has their own strengths. You shouldn't compare your weaknesses to someone else's strengths. That's just exhausting."
"You think so…?"
"I know so," he replied. "Honestly, if a person masters even one skill in life, that's already enough. The rest is just refining it to perfection."
Miku laughed softly.
"But most people say we should be well-rounded—good at everything: academics, athletics, art, you name it."
"And that," Ryuichi said dryly, "is exactly why everyone's stressed out."
He gave her a perfectly straight face and added:
"Those who try to master everything… end up losing their hair."
"..."
Miku blinked, speechless. Then, unable to stop herself, she covered her mouth and laughed.