Chapter 106 ⟴ Itsuki, I Suspect...

The next morning.

Golden sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the living room.

Yotsuba, with dark circles under her eyes, stared blankly at the floor. The scene of the two "Mikus" fighting kept replaying in her mind. Her face, pale as snow, suddenly flushed crimson as if blood might drip from it.

'Yotsuba! Yotsuba! Calm down! Think carefully! You'll definitely spot the inconsistency.' She took a deep breath, forcing her chaotic thoughts to settle.

Since someone had impersonated Miku, it had to be one of the quintuplets.

First, she eliminated Miku and herself. That left only Ichika, Nino, and Itsuki as possibilities.

After analyzing the timing and presence of the two Mikus, she concluded the most likely suspects were Ichika and Nino!

It wasn't yet bedtime when it happened. If one was Itsuki in disguise, the other had to be either Nino or Ichika.

The key detail was that Nino and Ichika shared a bedroom. If one disappeared, wouldn't the other notice?

There was only one explanation — neither Ichika nor Nino were in their bedroom!

They must have used the separate bedroom arrangement as cover while staying in the same room. Then, when no one was watching, they disguised themselves as Miku and snuck into Daiki's room.

Yotsuba's eyes sparkled as she unraveled the mystery!

'My improved grades really have made me smarter! The old me would never have caught these details!'

No wonder Nino and Ichika had so willingly given up one of the rooms. The evidence was undeniable!

Yotsuba's deduction was perfect!

Now she faced a new challenge: how to handle this delicate situation involving both Nino and Ichika.

"Maybe I should consult Itsuki? She's so smart, she'll know what to do!"

Her mind racing, she thought of her younger yet wise sister.

Though Itsuki was the youngest, she was the most level-headed of them all.

In this predicament, she couldn't turn to Miku. Itsuki was her only confidante.

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Itsuki, who had just opened her eyes in her bedroom, raised her hand to shield against the sunlight.

As her gaze shifted, Yotsuba's face suddenly came into view.

"...KYAAA—!!" Itsuki's startled scream was quickly muffled by her sister's hand.

When she realized it was Yotsuba, she let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, she had feared Miku had discovered everything and come to confront her.

"Yotsuba, what are you doing in my room so early? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Itsuki complained, still catching her breath.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you! But I've discovered something huge, and you're the only one I can tell." Yotsuba apologized with clasped hands, making her sister raise an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

Instead of answering, Yotsuba tiptoed to the door. After checking that the hallway was empty, she closed it and whispered.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone else — especially Miku! Last night I saw two Mikus in Daiki-kun's room!"

The words hit Itsuki like a bolt from the blue, making her heart skip a beat.

"Is... that so?" Her face stiffened; she hadn't expected anyone to witness that.

If this information got out, it would be disastrous.

Next time she'd have to make sure the bedroom door was locked tight... no, there wouldn't be a next time!

"Right? I had the same reaction when I first saw it!"

"Ah haha... indeed... that's quite shocking... but why are you telling me this?" Itsuki asked nervously.

"To be honest, Itsuki, I think it was Nino and Ichika." Yotsuba pressed her hand firmly on the bedding, her tone deadly serious.

Itsuki, still wearing her black stockings, felt her heart leap into her throat.

While watching her sister's eyes, she discreetly tucked a visible earphone under the bedding and nodded emphatically.

Yotsuba, oblivious to these subtle movements, launched into a detailed explanation of her deductive reasoning.

She wasn't entirely wrong — she had actually stumbled upon part of the truth.

Thankfully, Yotsuba hadn't told Miku yet. There was still hope.

"Yotsuba, you did exactly right! This is an extremely delicate matter — we absolutely can't let Miku know! How about this: let me investigate quietly while you stay back for now." Itsuki suggested after a moment's thought, hoping to keep her sister from interfering.

"What? You want to investigate alone? That won't work! Trust me, you need my exceptional deductive abilities!" Having tasted the thrill of intellectual discovery for the first time, Yotsuba refused to step aside.

She wanted to follow this mystery to its conclusion, to experience that triumphant moment when a detective reveals the truth. She wanted everyone, especially Miku, to recognize her newfound wisdom!

Looking at her sister's determination, Itsuki fell silent...

Her priorities were clear: first, ensure Yotsuba's silence, and second, get her out of the room. If she spotted the earphone and stockings, everything would unravel.

"That's fine too! Let's keep this secret for now and proceed carefully! Just make sure you don't give anything away!" Itsuki cautioned repeatedly, and Yotsuba earnestly promised with her hand on her chest.

After shooing her sister out, Itsuki closed the bedroom door.

She swallowed hard and quickly threw the earphone and other accessories into the drawer.

At the sight of the torn clothes, her cheeks flushed red.

'What am I thinking!' She snapped back to reality and hastily cleaned the entire bedroom.

When she went downstairs, however, something felt off about the atmosphere.

"Hey, where's Daiki?" she asked with a forced smile.

"Daiki-kun said he had some matters to handle." Miku replied, her expression gloomy.

Itsuki's eyes flickered — could it be about the Jujutsu Headquarters? Worry crept into her eyes as she wondered how things would turn out.

"Miku, don't worry about Daiki-kun!" She walked into the living room to comfort her sister.

"Hm? Daiki-kun just went back to get something. He told us to study by ourselves for now." Miku said, surprised.

"Ah... I see. When I saw your expression, I thought it was something serious." Itsuki's eyes swept across the room, catching Yotsuba's frantic signals.

What could this mean? Had Yotsuba let something slip?

Her heart pounded violently.

"It is serious — I found this while cleaning Daiki-kun's room!" Miku held up a torn pair of black stockings.

In the corner, Nino's pupils contracted. During her conversation with Miku that morning, she had realized something.

The person she'd met last night hadn't been Miku at all!

The green-haired girl knew nothing about last night's events.

Before Nino could react, the clothes she'd left behind were discovered. She hadn't retrieved them because she'd thought she was dealing with Miku yesterday. She had only wanted to make her presence known, but now everything was ruined.

Would honesty have been so difficult? And who was that Miku from last night?

Since she'd witnessed the blood, meaning the person was virgin, it definitely wasn't Ichika. That left only Itsuki and Yotsuba.

Nino quietly raised her eyes. When their gazes met, Itsuki immediately turned away.

Case solved!

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