Wait—you told Mutsuki to let go of me… just so you could take his place yourself?
For Sakiko, this was purely an accident.
But from Mutsumi's perspective, what she saw was this: Sakiko and Tomori suddenly bursting out of her fiancé's wardrobe, forcibly separating the two of them—and then Sakiko kissing him.
Since when did you get so close to my fiancé?
Even for Sakiko-sensei, Mutsumi felt that this was a little too much.
Yes, they were childhood friends. Yes, they were two halves of the same soul. They had shared everything since they were little.
But no one said a fiancé was included in that list!
Standing nearby, Tomori blinked as she watched Sakiko "kiss" him.
So Saki-chan started kissing too… does she also want to thank Kamijou Mutsuki?
So this really is the proper way to express gratitude?
Now she was the only one who hadn't kissed him.
That wouldn't do!
Tomori stared eagerly at Sakiko, waiting for her to finish so she could have her turn.
Kamijou Mutsuki himself was slightly stunned by the sudden accident. Instinctively, he pressed his lips tightly together.
After all, if Sakiko-sensei tasted even a hint of cucumber, wouldn't that mean she'd gotten a bargain?
As for Sakiko-sensei, her emotions were an indescribable mess.
Even with Mutsuki cushioning her fall, crashing into him like that was hardly soft or sweet. If anything, it just hurt.
And then, once she processed what had happened, her mind went completely blank.
She… had just kissed Kamijou Mutsuki?
That was her first kiss!
For a conservative former young lady like Sakiko, a first kiss—if not quite equal to a first night—was still something sacred. Something meant only for her future husband.
She had never even planned on romance or marriage in the first place, but losing it like this left her temporarily incapable of coherent thought.
"What's all that noise in there?"
Taki was already on edge after discovering Tomori missing. The lack of response only made her more irritable.
Add to that the strange thump from Sakiko falling onto Mutsuki—
In the end, Rikki pushed the bedroom door open herself.
And there she saw the Tomori she had been desperately searching for.
But…
"Y-you…"
Finding her precious person made Taki happy—but the two people lying on the bed in what looked like an embrace were far more eye-catching.
"…What are you doing?!"
Taki-chan was, aside from Kamijou Mutsuki, a pure girl who had barely interacted with boys her age.
How could she possibly handle such a stimulating scene?
Her face flushed bright red, and even her speech became clumsy.
Sakiko and Kamijou Mutsuki were… that kind of relationship?
But earlier they had seemed so distant!
Wait—wasn't Kamijou Mutsuki Mutsumi's fiancé?
Then if they were like this, wouldn't that mean Mutsumi…?
Thinking that, Rikki suddenly noticed—
Mutsumi was sitting right there beside them, calmly watching the two of them "kiss."
Rikki: !!!
Taki-chan's pupils underwent a full-scale earthquake.
Was this some kind of bizarre play?!
Rikki felt her worldview shatter on the spot.
"…It's not like that!"
Hearing Rikki's voice, Sakiko-sensei's brain—previously frozen—finally rebooted. She hurriedly pushed Kamijou Mutsuki away, desperate to explain.
And then she felt the death stare of a certain cucumber-like doll.
Her body stiffened instantly.
She had forgotten—
Kamijou Mutsuki was Mutsumi's fiancé.
And she had just done that in front of her…
"Mutsumi, it was an accident!"
Sakiko didn't even have the mental space to process losing her first kiss anymore. She only wanted to explain herself to her childhood friend.
Oh? Then appearing inside my fiancé's wardrobe was also an accident?
Mutsumi didn't speak, but her eyes clearly conveyed that exact sentiment.
Sakiko found herself at a loss for words.
"Saki-chan just wanted to thank Mutsuki."
Fortunately—or unfortunately—Tomori suddenly spoke up to defend her.
No, wait. That made it worse!
"You thank people like that?!"
As expected, Rikki's gaze became even stranger.
That's how you express gratitude?
I didn't know you were like this, Sakiko!
For an innocent girl, the idea of thanking someone with a kiss was simply too outrageous.
What kind of bizarre plot development was this?!
"N-no…"
Sakiko felt her soul leaving her body. Yes, she had wanted to thank Mutsuki—but not like that! It had genuinely been an accident!
"Because Mutsumi thanked Mutsuki like that earlier."
Mutsumi's face turned red.
Only now did she realize—
Sakiko and Tomori had apparently been inside the wardrobe the entire time.
Which meant…
They had seen everything.
After hearing Tomori's explanation, the expression on Rikki's face became… indescribable.
Mutsumi kissed him too?
Or more accurately—
Mutsumi kissed him, then Sakiko kissed him, and now they were continuing in shifts?
This was way too wild!
"Saki-chan finished thanking him?"
But Tomori clearly hadn't reached her limit yet.
Seeing Sakiko and Mutsuki separate, she immediately asked:
"Is it my turn now?"
After all, she was the only one who hadn't thanked him yet.
That wouldn't do!
What do you mean your turn?!
Tomori, what exactly are you planning to do?
A very bad premonition surged in Rikki's heart.
And the next second, that premonition became reality.
"Mmm—"
With neither Mutsumi nor Sakiko responding, Tomori simply cupped Kamijou Mutsuki's face and gently kissed him.
This time was different from before.
Having absorbed Mutsumi's "experience," this was a real kiss.
Meanwhile, Mutsumi herself began to feel like perhaps no one in this room was taking her existence very seriously.
Sakiko kissed him. Now Tomori kissed him.
Was Rikki next?
Mutsumi was truly reaching her limit.
"Tomori, you—"
Rikki's eyes instantly lost their light at the sight before her.
Just today she had sworn to protect Tomori from a certain scummy man.
And before even twenty-four hours had passed—
She was watching the two of them kissing.
And Tomori was the one who initiated it!
With the lights on!
Right in front of her!
Rikki felt an overwhelming sourness rise in her chest.
Tomori… don't tell me you really have feelings for this guy—
No. Wait!
Rikki suddenly remembered what Tomori had said earlier.
She was kissing him to show gratitude.
Rikki's eyes regained their light.
Tomori was just being misled!
She needed to protect her!
"Tomori, stop! That's not how you thank someone!"
Rikki rushed forward, just like Sakiko had earlier, trying to pull the two apart.
"Pop—"
There was even a strand of saliva stretching between them.
Tomori, just how seriously were you kissing?!
Rikki nearly broke down again.
No. It's all that scummy man's fault for deceiving her.
My Tomori is pure and spotless!
"Rikki?"
Feeling Rikki's tug, Tomori tilted her head slightly, looking at her with those moist amber eyes.
.....................