King of White Rice

10 p.m.

The night is getting darker.

The pencil slipped from Yotsuba's hand, rolled under the table, and fell to the ground.

Little by little, Yotsuba suddenly woke up, looked up and saw Naoki looking at her, and quickly apologized:

"I'm sorry, I was a little sleepy earlier..."

You're not the least bit sleepy, obviously you can't even keep your eyes open!

Naoki sighed: "What time did you sleep yesterday?"

Yotsuba hesitated, "As usual, I sleep at 11pm..."

Naoki took the cup and took a sip of tea, and said unhurriedly:

"Honest."

Yotsuba lowered her head and muttered, "I can't remember clearly, last night I was writing exam papers for a bit, and I didn't sleep until after 12 at night."

Sleeping late, getting up early, and practicing hard during the day. It's no wonder that at 10 o'clock in the evening, the eyes are already sleepy.

Naoki said lightly: "We stop here today, go to sleep."

"Eh?" Yotsuba hurriedly looked up, "I can still continue studying, it's only 10 pm, still too early to sleep."

"If you are sleepy, you should sleep, don't push yourself, studying by force is too inefficient, and you will only get double the result with half the effort."

Naoki made a reasonable suggestion, "There is a test tomorrow, and being in good mental shape is much more important than memorizing one more question now."

The Yotsuba found out that Naoki was right.

She had fallen asleep several times, and quietly pinching herself under the table had no effect, but tomorrow's test...

"Ah, yes." Yotsuba's eyes suddenly lit up, and looked forward to Asakawa, "We can enter the dream world to continue studying!"

Naoki paused while drinking tea, then put down his teacup, looked at the Yotsuba, and sighed softly, "I have something to confess to you."

"...What is the problem?"

The Yotsuba subconsciously sat up straight and stared at him in confusion.

"Remember the dream we had first?" Naoki asked.

"Of course I remember." The Yotsuba tilted her head, "The first dream was supposed to be a runaway at school?"

"Many of my classmates turned into zombies. I don't know why, I raced against the zombies in the field, and then everyone climbed over the wall and ran away from the school… Even though it was a long time ago, I still remember it clearly."

Naoki said softly, "Dreams at that time were absurd, strange, and devoid of logic. Later, I discovered that in order to stabilize the dream world, apart from holding hands, I need to do one more thing."

"What?"

For some unknown reason, the Yotsuba suddenly became a little nervous.

Naoki sat straight across from the Yotsuba, explaining the conditions necessary for the ability to activate.

"Kissing... That kind of thing..." The Yotsuba blushed slightly, then her eyes suddenly widened, "Itsuki?!"

"Whenever Asakawa-san stays over, Itsuki sleeps beside you." The Yotsuba suddenly reacted, her fingers pinching the hem of her clothes tightly, "You and Itsuki…"

Naoki nodded and admitted: "Yes, exactly as you think."

Yotsuba's brain was spinning fast, remembering the strange atmosphere at home recently, and said:

"Miku knows too?"

Naoki nodded: "I confessed to Miku."

"Ichika..."

"Ichika knows everything."

Yotsuba covered his forehead, only feeling his nose slightly sour: "So I'm the only one who doesn't know?"

"Nino doesn't know either."

"Why didn't you tell Nino?"

Naoki told the truth: "I don't dare to say it for the time being, I will be dropped by Nino with black tea, and then sink into Tokyo Bay."

"Nino wouldn't do such a terrible thing." The Yotsuba said angrily, "At most, Nino will beat you."

Naoki looked into Yotsuba's eyes and said seriously, "I like Yotsuba."

"What---..." Yotsuba's body trembled, and she quickly turned her head away, "Suddenly saying that you like me... You're only saying this now..."

Yotsuba quickly puffed out her cheeks: "Have you told everyone this sentence?"

Naoki's eyes are firm: "So I want everything."

Is Naoki willing to give up the others and just choose one?

Don't want to.

Naoki knows exactly what's in his heart.

If that's the case, let's face it, he wants them all, and he's not going to let them go.

The Yotsuba opened her mouth: "…Shameless!"

Just now you said you like me, but in the twinkling of an eye you said you wanted everything, that wasn't greed anymore, it was clearly shameless and indecent.

Naoki didn't change his expression: "I have given up my qualifications as a human."

Want to have a harem, thin-skinned has long been full of guilt and apologize.

"This is all... This is too greedy!" Yotsuba clenched her fist and wanted to punch someone, "Even if I promise, everyone won't..."

"Wait a moment." Yotsuba suddenly widened her eyes, an unbelievable expression on her face, "Ichika agrees?"

Naoki didn't need to admit it at all, Yotsuba had already confirmed what Ichika was doing recently in his mind.

Ichika not only promises 'Naoki wants everything', but also helps secretly.

Yotsuba said in disbelief "It's still possible for Miku to promise, why did Ichika promise?"

Quintuplets naturally know each other's personalities clearly.

Ichika seems to have nothing to fight against, but in fact, she is very possessive, and people who squint are very scary.

"I can't say for now." Naoki shook his head "You can go back and ask Ichika."

"How is it possible to ask!"

Naoki poured a cup of tea for Yotsuba and said:

"If you want to go home, I will escort you back. It's okay to stay in the room, it's up to you to decide whether to enter the dream world to study, I won't bully you today."

Yotsuba complained: "You must not bully me in the future."

"It doesn't matter if I bluff or not, that's up to me."

Yotsuba:😐"

Nino says that she accidentally fell into the wolf's lair.

"Do you want to go home?"

The Yotsuba hesitated.

"It's 10 pm now, even if I take a taxi home, it's almost 11 pm when I get home, and I have to take a shower, it will definitely disturb everyone... Most importantly, ask me why I came home suddenly, how I have to answer?"

After a moment of hesitation, the Yotsuba made a decision.

"Not coming home."

Yotsuba got up and took the tutorial book, and walked into the bedroom: "Don't come in."

Closing the door, Yotsuba sat down at the table, wanting to read and study, but his head was a mess and she couldn't calm down at all.

For a while it was a confession just now, and for a while it was greedy and shameless. Naoki wants it all. Then the Yotsuba thought about Miku and the others, and guessed the attitude of the others...

Until the fatigue subsided, Yotsuba yawned and picked up the phone to check the time: "Is it already 10:30pm?"

"Study..."

Yotsuba didn't turn the tutorial book page, and she sat for more than half an hour without reading a word.

"What should I do?" Yotsuba bit her lip, "Tomorrow is the midterm…"

After a moment's hesitation, Yotsuba lay down on the table and sent a message to Naoki.

"I'm off to bed."

A few seconds later, Naoki sent a reply.

"Good night."

Yotsuba's cheeks flushed red, and her fingers tapped the screen: "...I fell asleep and didn't know anything."

After sending the message, Yotsuba quickly went to bed, lay down and covered her face with the blanket.

It's not like Naoki hasn't kissed her yet, the midterms are more important.

Moreover, Ichika agrees...

Naoki was already lying on the sofa. After receiving Yotsuba's message, she sat down again, walked to the bedroom door, tried to open the door, and then helplessly took out his cell phone.

The phone vibrates.

Yotsuba reached out from the blanket and took the phone into the blanket.

"The door is locked and I can't get in."

Yotsuba:😐"

Yotsuba unlocked it, then quickly returned to bed, closed her eyes and continued sleeping.

Naoki pushed the door open and walked into the bedroom, approached Yotsuba, pulled the blanket down, showing the girl's red face: "Don't cover your head when you sleep."

The Yotsuba closed her eyes and didn't speak.

Naoki turned off the small table lamp, lay down beside Yotsuba, and saw his eyelashes fluttering and his eyes tightly closed, he couldn't help but laugh softly.

The Yotsuba were angry.

Forcing herself to put on the Miko costume earlier, and then saying that, and now that Naoki was still laughing at her, Yotsuba couldn't help it.

Yotsuba clenched her fists tightly and hit Naoki's chest with one punch.

"Sorry I was wrong." Naoki held his chest and just apologized.

Yotsuba opened her eyes: "What's wrong?"

Naoki thought for a while: "I shouldn't laugh."

"Not this..."

Before she could finish speaking, Naoki lowered his head.

Yotsuba's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she quickly closed her eyes.

....

Next morning.

Naoki and Yotsuba ate bread and headed off to school.

When they arrived at school, the two of them actually met four other girls at the school gate.

"Yotsuba."

Nino waved his hand and shouted.

Yotsuba was surprised: "Why are you so early today?"

"Because today is the midterm exam." Ichika smiled happily "It would be troublesome if you oversleep, so I came early."

As Ichika said, her eyes changed slightly, she looked at Naoki, and said with a smile:

"Asakawa-kun, did the Yotsuba trouble you last night?"

Several girls looked at him one after another.

Naoki had no guilt on his face: "That really caused trouble."

"Eh, what did you say?"

Naoki looked at Yotsuba: "At 10 o'clock in the evening, Yotsuba started to feel sleepy and fell asleep, I had no choice but to take out the finger-biting crocodile."

"That kind of thing is too bluffing." Nino complained "Yotsuba sleeps very early at home, what to do, you can go to the dream world to study."

That one sentence made Miku and Itsuki look at the Yotsuba together.

Itsuki whispered: "Yotsuba, you last night…"

"Not." Yotsuba's expression was dazed, she raised her hand and touched the green hair accessory on top of her head, "Last night, I studied until 11pm and was so sleepy that I couldn't help but lay down on the desk and fall asleep, then woke up and it was already dawn."

"Hah?" Itsuki said in surprise, "Is that so?"

"Just that."

Yotsuba tightened her facial muscles to prevent herself from showing a guilty expression.

Sorry, everyone.

It's a shame, it's still impossible to openly admit it.

...

After entering the classroom, Itsuki took a book, opened it to cover his mouth, turned to look at Naoki, and said:

"You didn't bully the Yotsuba last night?"

"I do not."

Going against other people's wishes is called bullying. Of course, if it was voluntary, it would not be bullying, and the Yotsuba had specifically warned against saying so.

Itsuki's eyes were suspicious: "...When you talk, what are you doing with your eyes closed?"

Because I can't talk shit with my eyes open.

In the second year of high school, there are a total of five subject exams, and the exam time for each subject is one hour.

...

After school in the afternoon.

When the teacher took the exam papers, the class suddenly became noisy.

"Finally finished." Itsuki stretched his body, and looked at Naoki, "I'm not going to the library today."

Naoki looks at Itsuki: "What's wrong?"

"I've been studying intensely recently, and I want to take some time off after the exams." Itsuki whispered, "Calm down."

Naoki ponders: "Are you going to eat today?"

The ahoge hair on top of Itsuki's head trembled slightly and stared in surprise: "How did you know?"

Nino's way of relaxing is by shopping with friends, what else can you do to relax besides enjoying good food!

Naoki said quickly "I'll eat too."

Itsuki: "You don't go to the library anymore?"

Naoki thought for a moment and said, "I've been studying hard recently, and after the exam, I want to..."

"Quick stop." Itsuki said embarrassedly "Don't be a repeater!"

...

Leaving school with Itsuki, searching for food in the streets and alleys, and finally being challenged with a bowl of super ramen, Naoki fails again.

...

A week passed in a hurry.

A blink of an eye for the weekend weekend.

On Sundays, Naoki goes to the Nakano family's apartment to serve as a tutor.

When Naoki was about to leave at night, Nino insisted: "What are you going to do when you come back, let's go to the dream world to have an adventure at night."

Itsuki: "I'm not feeling well today."

Miku: "Don't take the risk."

Yotsuba: "Forget it…"

Miku and Itsuki turned together and looked at the Yotsuba.

Yotsuba suddenly coughed: "I-I mean, let's stay, it's dark, it might rain."

Ichika supported her chin with her right hand, her long eyelashes curled, and a pleasant smile appeared on her face: "Aiya, it seems that this is not what the Yotsuba said just now."

Only Nino looked confused: "What's wrong with you all, this looks really weird... Is there something you're hiding from me?"

"I go first." Naoki said simply, "Goodbye."

...

Fast forward to Monday.

Lunch break.

Naoki came to the corridor, waited for Miku to leave the classroom, then went to the cafeteria with Miku.

Asked to eat a set of tonkatsu, Naoki took a plate, walked over to the Quintuplets and sat down: "How was the exam?"

Ichika: "All pass."

"It feels so simple." Nino clasped his hands against his chest, "It's simpler than the test paper you gave me."

Naoki looked at Yotsuba: "What about Yotsuba?"

"I also passed." The Yotsuba bent down to eat.

Yotsuba had studied in the dream world for a long time, and it was unreasonable to fail.

"Asakawa-kun, eat fried chicken." Ichika came over with a piece of fried chicken, a charming smile on the corner of her mouth, "When we first transferred to another school, we could only get zero marks in exams, and we never thought we would pass everything on this day. ... And please give me more suggestions in the future."

"That really should be commended." Nino nodded lightly, and came over with a small sausage, "This is for you."

"Thanks very much."

Naoki turned to look at Miku, his eyes beckoning.

Miku pointed at the tempura fried prawns: "Take it yourself."

"Cough, cough..." Yotsuba cut off a piece of eel, "The eel in the cafeteria today was really good, Asakawa-san worked hard."

All four girls had given gifts, and only Itsuki remained silent.

Naoki turned to look at Itsuki, and immediately fell silent.

Such a big meal, has been eaten cleanly, worthy of being the king of white rice, and no one else can catch up to this speed!

"I am done." Itsuki raised his face, with a grain of rice stuck to the corner of his mouth, saw everyone looking at her with innocent eyes, "…Do you want me to buy something else?"

The real reason why you want to buy another one is because you're not full!

"No need." Naoki looked right "Come back and give me the meat bun."

"Meat patties..."

Itsuki hesitated: "There is only one bag of meat buns left today, and there is gym class in the afternoon. I'm hungry and can't concentrate... I'll give it to you tomorrow?"

Proportional strength and appetite.

Lunch for two and meat buns in the afternoon, Naoki once again believed that if Itsuki turned to ancient times, Itsuki would definitely become a Valkyrie-level existence on the battlefield!

All in all, the midterms have ended successfully, and the study trip is coming up soon.