Zongman: I sign in at the second dimension

"Does this even count?!" Tatsuki wondered aloud as he glanced at Nakano Ichika sitting beside him. In his mind, he thought, Something's off… Why does Ichika act so familiar with me? I don't even remember knowing her! How strange! This left him utterly baffled.

Not wasting any time, Ichika slid right next to Tatsuki. One by one, Nakano Nino, Nakano Miku, Nakano Yotsuba, and Nakano Itsuki joined in, all crowding around him.

Even Katou Megumi seemed to notice the commotion. She stepped up and greeted Ichika cheerfully, "Hello, classmate!"

Ichika giggled, "Hello, classmate."

Megumi simply nodded in response, and suddenly the two fell silent. Their sudden quiet made Tatsuki's heart race with inexplicable anxiety.

At that moment, Nino—seated right beside Ichika—chimed in, "Alright, Ichika, let's eat. Sorry to interrupt, Tatsuki-kun!"

Tatsuki forced out a laugh, "Ahahaha, it's fine, Nino. No big deal—let's eat!" Yet, as he began his meal, he longed to speak with Megumi. But the tense atmosphere emanating from the five sisters and Megumi made him too nervous to say a word.

As he ate, he couldn't shake the unsettling vibe—the six girls exuded a mysterious, chilly aura that sent shivers down the spines of passing classmates. Sensing something was wrong, Tatsuki attempted to stand and leave with his bowl. Before he could move, Ichika patted his shoulder, gently pushing him back into his seat while still smiling brightly: "Wow, Tatsuki-kun, you finished so quickly!"

Feeling the full force of six beautiful gazes upon him, Tatsuki managed only a strained smile. "N-no… I'm not done yet. You all go on eating—I'll just sit here for a while. Ahahaha…"

Hearing this, Ichika reluctantly withdrew her hand. Realizing escape was impossible, Tatsuki resigned himself to sit right next to her, trying desperately to become as inconspicuous as possible.

Though he couldn't understand why the five Nakano sisters seemed to carry a menacing vibe today—especially since he had no memory of any special bond with them—Tatsuki couldn't help but feel a knot of dread, as if he'd done something terribly wrong. Even the invincible tough guy was now scared!

Seeing that Tatsuki was obediently sitting by her side, Ichika turned to Megumi and remarked, "You seem awfully familiar with Tatsuki-kun, don't you?"

Megumi replied softly, "Ah, why shouldn't I be close to him?"

Stumbling for words, Ichika began, "Eh… I…" but Nino interrupted, "Hmph, how can a girl just whisk a boy away in class like that?"

Megumi quickly interjected with a playful smile, "Well, Tatsuki-kun and I are friends. Taking him out for lunch is no big deal, right?" She then turned her earnest gaze toward the corner where Tatsuki sat.

Under the relentless stares of these six, Tatsuki straightened up, cleared his throat, and said, "Ahem, you all go on chatting. Don't worry about me—ahahaha…"

Seeing no further need to press him, Megumi and the Nakano sisters resumed their banter. Despite feeling trapped and humiliated, Tatsuki couldn't help but find a strange delight deep within his heart.

At that very moment, Chiane and Kevin passed by. Catching sight of Tatsuki completely surrounded by six gorgeous girls, they cringed and, without a word, sprinted back to class—leaving Tatsuki's fantasy of a rescue in shambles.

Realizing that no one was coming to save him, Tatsuki fell silent. He slumped into a corner of the cafeteria, resigned to become nothing more than a bystander.

Of course, several students in the cafeteria couldn't help but remark that Tatsuki was the "winner in life," though the boys wondered if this battle-scarred scene might eventually backfire on him.

Meanwhile, Megumi ended up holding her own in a verbal duel with the five Nakano sisters. After an hour of back-and-forth banter—and only when the cafeteria staff announced it was closing—did Tatsuki finally manage to escape this chaotic "battlefield."

Once Megumi and the Nakano sisters realized Tatsuki had slipped away, they ceased their standoff, exchanged a few huffs, and dispersed back to class.

Back in the classroom, Tatsuki immediately confronted Chiane and Kevin, his voice trembling with exasperation, "Why? Why did you let me suffer like that?"

Chiane snapped back, "Huh? Do you really expect Kevin and me to rescue you? It looks like you were enjoying it!"

Kevin, fists clenched and voice deadpan, added, "Exactly! Six beautiful girls, Tatsuki! You fool—if you wanted saving, you should've been thrilled by this, right? Tatsuki!"

Frustrated, Tatsuki retorted, "Damn it, can't you tell I'm trapped in a battlefield here? You two little brats!"

Both Chiane and Kevin scoffed, "Tch! Tch!"

Finally, Chiane grumbled, "Alright, enough—go to sleep, we're not bothering you anymore."

"Yeah, we're done," Kevin echoed as they returned to their seats and drifted off.

Speechless and utterly dejected, Tatsuki sank into his seat, head resting on the desk, and closed his eyes in defeat.

Meanwhile, after their standoff with Megumi, Nakano Nino and Nakano Miku quietly slipped away…