The moment Takashi grabbed her, Nino instinctively frowned.
Miku was familiar with the man in front of her, but this was the first time Nino had met him.
For Nino, who had a strong temper, if he hadn't been slapped right away, it would have been a sign of her restraint.
However, from this, Nino concluded an important piece of information.
'It seems Miku and he have a really close relationship.'
With Miku's social anxiety, if they weren't really close, the man's mere proximity would probably make her start trembling.
But Nino was also very curious—what was it about this man that Miku liked?
'I need to observe him carefully.'
Worried that her sister might be tricked, Nino decided to play the bait and dive into the situation herself.
She deliberately coughed twice and imitated Miku's voice: "It's just a slight fever, I'm fine."
"By the way, what are you doing here?"
[Ding, target detected.]
[Target: Nakano Nino]
[Physical Strength: 3]
[From: The Quintessential Quintuplets]
[Secret Crush: Uesugi Fuutarou]
[No boyfriend, available for dating.]
The delayed system prompt made Takashi aware of her identity.
Actually, even without this system, Takashi could have guessed who she was.
He had already met Ichika and Miku, leaving only Nino and Itsuki.
In his usual conversations with Yotsuba, Takashi had long figured out the personalities of the five sisters.
Nino had a strong personality and pursued fashion, a characteristic that could easily be judged from her appearance and attire.
At the same time, Nino was also a typical "motherly" type of person.
Such individuals naturally enjoy taking care of others, especially paying close attention to the emotions of those around them.
This was also why Takashi, knowing he had mistaken the person, decided to go along with it and intentionally acted familiar with her.
With Nino's personality, if she found out that her sister was getting close to another boy, she wouldn't be indifferent.
Once she took an interest in him, sorry, but from then on, it would be his turn.
"My sister got into an argument with the family yesterday, refused to eat, and her stomach issues flared up again. I brought her to the hospital to see the doctor."
Takashi waved the medical form in his hand and casually fabricated an identity for Eriri, telling a lie.
But to Takashi, he didn't think he was lying.
A "sister" could be a biological sister, a cousin, or even a metaphorical sister with a touch of allure.
Why wouldn't a lover's sister be considered a sister?
"This girl never lets me relax. Having a sister like her is really troublesome."
Takashi shook his head helplessly, but his expression was filled with affection.
Upon hearing this, Nino's gaze softened, and her expression showed a hint of tenderness.
Since Nakano Maruo was often away from home, the burden of taking care of the sisters fell more on her, so she was the one who could empathize the most.
Takashi kept his eyes fixed on Nino.
Subtle changes in a person's facial expression could sometimes convey a lot of information.
And women, in particular, had strong empathic abilities.
"Is your sister okay?"
"Don't worry, she's fine. By the way, would you like to meet her?"
"Ah, that might be a bit too soon, right?"
"What's wrong with that? If she sees you, she'll be so happy. She's been nagging in my ear every day, wanting to meet you, her future sister-in-law."
Takashi was just being playful.
He certainly wouldn't dare to let Nino meet Eriri.
If those two met, it would probably end in a fight.
Though, he did want to see the two girls fight.
"Future... sister-in-law? What are you talking about?!"
Nino's fair face flushed with a rosy hue as she mimicked Miku's angry expression, puffing out her cheeks.
'She really learned it well.'
You wouldn't believe it, but when Nino puffed out her cheeks, it was almost a perfect replica of Miku.
If Takashi hadn't already known that she was Nino, he might have thought he was standing in front of Miku right now.
'Whoever marries any one of these five sisters will be so happy.'
Takashi suddenly recalled a question he had casually mentioned while drinking with friends.
The question was: "If you marry the younger twin, how do you tell the difference between her and her sister?"
Takashi vaguely remembered his own response: "Why should I tell the difference?"
Sometimes, isn't it better to be a little confused?
Why does it have to be so clear?
"Hey, you promised me something. Are you backing out now?"
Miku, how much did you hide from us?!
The false information Takashi had deliberately spread made Nino's heart feel like it was being scratched by a cat.
Right now, she wished she could rush back and grab Miku, interrogating her until she revealed everything she had been hiding from Nino.
At that moment, Miku, who was in her room playing a strategy game, suddenly shivered.
"I told you, it's too late to back out now!"
Takashi took a step forward.
Nino instinctively stepped back, only to have her back hit the cold wall.
Takashi pressed his hand against the wall with a "thud," trapping Nino in his arms.
Nino nervously swallowed, her pale face turning pink, and her ears slightly reddened.
Unlike before, this time, Nino wasn't pretending—she was genuinely nervous and shy.
'So she really does fall for this.'
Takashi watched Nino's expression closely, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Takashi had done his homework on the personality of each client.
To say that Takashi understood them better than anyone else was not an exaggeration.
He knew exactly what type Nino liked, didn't he?
Takashi cupped Nino's face in his hands, his gaze obsessive and wild: "Miku, you're mine, and you'll never escape."
Nino genuinely didn't expect that this boy, who looked refined and scholarly on the outside, would have this side to him.
Suddenly, Nino thought of a phrase: "A gentleman by appearance, a scoundrel by nature."
If a normal girl had been in her position, her first reaction would have been: "Wow, this guy is so extreme. I need to stay away from him."
But Nino wasn't a normal girl.
She wasn't scared at all. In fact, her face was turning redder and her heart was racing faster.
Now, she had completely forgotten about her original purpose.
Just as everything was developing according to Takashi's expectations, a sudden female scream broke the perfect atmosphere.
Takashi turned to look.
He saw a group of people gathered nearby, with a man beating up a doctor dressed in a white coat.
'A medical dispute? Never mind, better stay away to avoid getting hurt.'
Takashi's first instinct was to move away, after all, why should this concern him?
The doctor being beaten wasn't anyone he knew.
Takashi wanted to grab Nino and leave, but when Nino saw who the doctor was, her expression changed dramatically.
The one getting beaten up is my father-in-law?
Now, he had no choice but to step in!
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