177: What Kind of Plot Development Is This?

"Pocket money?" Upon hearing Hakuto's words, Nino scoffed. "The salary you receive for tutoring us five sisters can hardly be called pocket money..."

Indeed, Nino wasn't wrong—Nakano Maruo paid Hakuto a very generous salary! Extremely generous!

If that amount of money counted as mere pocket money, then Hakuto couldn't begin to imagine how rich he was!

Originally, Nino hadn't planned to bring up the topic of salary. She just didn't like that Hakuto had explained it to Ginko so readily.

"That's not important..." Hakuto shook his head. "Today should be Friday, right? What are you all doing here?"

"Also, how did you even find out where I live?"

"I know! I know! Sensei wrote his home address on the contract!"

"Huh? Shouldn't that contract be in your dad's hands?"

"That kind of thing? We just have to ask Dad casually, and he'll tell us..."

"...Whatever." Hakuto hadn't expected his home address to be exposed so easily.

Wait, now that he thought about it, how did Nao know his home address in the first place!?

Oh... right, she had stalked him before. Never mind then.

"Isn't the big exam on Monday? That's why we came to find you."

"So, you gave up studying at school just to come study at my place?"

"We can't understand anything taught at school anyway, so we might as well come here..."

Hakuto felt a little helpless, but he really hadn't expected that one day he'd surpass Fumizuki Academy in teaching.

They were overestimating him...

"And Ginko, why are you here?"

"To play shogi with you..." Ginko toyed with the folding fan in her hand. "But you should take care of your business first."

Hakuto's explanation put Ginko at ease. Since it was work, then it was strictly work.

Ginko wasn't the type to be unreasonable.

"Have any of you considered that today is Friday? You're skipping school, or maybe you got permission, but I'm not the same as you..."

Hakuto lied without batting an eye, completely forgetting that just ten minutes ago, he had boldly declared that he wasn't going to school today!

"Shouldn't the top student be able to take a day off without issue?"

"Hakuto, didn't you say you have some special privileges?"

Hakuto started sweating. So they all just assumed it was easy for him to take a leave of absence?!

"Actually, taking a day off involves a lot of procedures for me..."

Just as he finished speaking, his tightly shut room door suddenly made a loud thud, prompting him to hastily change his tune.

"Actually, it's not that complicated... I just need to report to a kind, beautiful lady, and that's it..."

Damn you, Tomori Nao! I'll settle the score with you later!

"Shiratori..." Miku pointed at his room door. "I think your door just moved."

"Huh? Really? Miku, you must've imagined it..."

"...Maybe."

Miku nodded, seeming convinced by Hakuto's words. However, her gaze remained fixed on the door.

Ginko had come to play shogi with Hakuto, while the Nakano sisters were here for tutoring.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Nao was waiting to talk to Hakuto about Otosaka Shunsuke.

Looking at it this way... if he had to prioritize, Nao's issue seemed the most urgent...

Damn, Hakuto really regretted that supercomputer-like brain of his didn't come with a cloning function! 

If only he had one, he wouldn't have to struggle like this!

But just then, Miku, who was sitting beside him, suddenly noticed something about his left ear.

"Hakuto... did you get your ear pierced?"

"Oh, this?" Hakuto lightly touched his left ear with his finger. "Yeah, I got it done yesterday."

Because of the awkward sleeping position he had with Nao last night, Hakuto's ear was still slightly red. Although it didn't seem like it would get infected, it still hurt a little.

"What? Miku, you just noticed?"

Yotsuba scratched her head. "I only just saw it too..."

"By the way, Sensei, why did you suddenly decide to get your ear pierced? Are you trying to lean into the delinquent aesthetic?"

Hakuto shook his head. He was never a delinquent in the first place. He just got an earring to enhance his looks.

"An aesthetic doesn't need something specific to define it..." Hakuto shook his head again. 

"A friend gave me an earring as a gift, so I didn't want to waste their kind gesture. That's why I got my ear pierced."

He wasn't lying—after all, none of the six girls here knew Nao, or had even seen her before!

Ginko stared at the small silver stud on Hakuto's left ear without saying anything.

She had seen him wear clip-on earrings before, and in her opinion, he did look better with them.

Nino, on the other hand, was completely losing it!

Hakuto's delinquent aesthetic, paired with his tattoo, had already driven her crazy.

And now he had a piercing too!? She had always felt like something was missing from his look before.

But now, all the pieces had come together—he was complete!!

Just imagining how she could admire his tattoo anytime after they started dating made Nino incredibly excited!

Ahahaha!

But just as she was getting lost in her fantasy, Itsuki patted her on the shoulder.

"Hey, hey, Nino, you're drooling."

"Huh? I am?"

Nino quickly wiped the corner of her mouth and straightened her posture.

She made up her mind—tonight, she was going to pick out a few stylish earrings for Hakuto.

After all, it would be a treat for herself too.

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