Zongman: I sign in at the second dimension

After wrapping up their showdown with Katou Megumi in the cafeteria, Nakano Nino and Nakano Miku said goodbye to Nakano Ichika, Nakano Yotsuba, and Nakano Itsuki before heading back to the classroom.

Once inside, Nino slid back into her seat and even pulled an empty chair over for Miku. Miku neatly adjusted her skirt and sat down on the chair Nino had dragged over. Then, in a hushed tone, she asked, "Nino, what are we going to do? How can we get Tatsuki to become our family tutor?"

With a resigned sigh, Nino brushed a stray lock of her long, soft hair aside and rested her chin in her hands. "I don't know… Even though we're in the same class as Tatsuki, given the current circumstances, he's not likely to agree to be our tutor anytime soon. Sigh…"

Miku exhaled a deep, frustrated breath. "You might be right, Nino, but since he's our deskmate, I'm sure we'll get to know him soon enough!"

She added excitedly, "Besides, I have a feeling Tatsuki might end up knowing more girls than just us and that one girl from earlier!"

Nino nodded vigorously. "Exactly—so it's all in our hands now!"

"Right!" Miku exclaimed before stretching and yawning. "I'm off to catch some sleep, Nino."

Seeing that Miku was tired, Nino smiled softly. "Alright then, it's only a little past one. Go take a nap."

Miku returned the chair to its original spot and went back to her seat. She folded her hands on the desk, and, like Tatsuki, she closed her eyes to sleep.

Soon, Nino, feeling drowsy herself, stretched languidly—showing off her graceful form—and then rested her head on her folded arms as she drifted off.

In his dream, Tatsuki found himself standing before the five girls with pink-themed accessories. As he waved his hands, he noticed a bright red brick clinging to his left hand. Startled, he quickly tossed it away. One of the pink-clad girls gasped, "Wow! You're amazing—you even chased after all four of them by yourself!"

Another, with excitement lighting her eyes, added, "Yes! Nino was right: you're incredible. They're all a grade above you, yet you're not even scared!"

Tatsuki grinned proudly, crossing his arms. "Hah! As if those few could ever take me on!" he boasted with a hearty laugh.

"Wait… what's your name again?" one of the girls asked.

"Me? I'm Tatsuki. And what about all five of you?" he inquired.

They chorused, "We're… we're…"

Before he could hear a full introduction, the sound of the school bell snapped him awake.

Ding—ring—ring…

Rubbing his eyes and stretching with a loud yawn, Tatsuki sat up. "Ahhhh, that feels so good…" he murmured.

Across the desk, his deskmate, Nakano Miku, also woke up. She brushed her bangs back and flashed a small smile at him. Sensing her glance, Tatsuki couldn't help but ask, "Hey, Miku, what happened in the cafeteria with you and Katou Megumi? I don't really understand… Aren't you guys not very close?"

Miku hesitated for a moment, then softly replied, "It's nothing… It's just that our five Nakano sisters and that Megumi have a bit of a clash—yes, a real clash!"

Tatsuki's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really?!" he murmured, clearly skeptical.

Before he could press further, the classroom door swung open.

"Alright, you little rascals, it's time for class! Grab your language textbooks and settle down—if not, you'll be feeling my iron fist!" boomed Hiratsuka Shizuka.

Immediately, the whole class obeyed, pulling out their books and preparing to listen intently.

After Hiratsuka Shizuka's language lesson ended, Tatsuki was left feeling numb. Two consecutive classes where the teacher seemed to single him out for questioning had taken their toll.

Chiane and Kevin sidled up to Tatsuki. Chiane burst out laughing, "Hahaha, Tatsuki, did you go and get on Shizuka-sensei's bad side today? How come she kept making you answer questions?"

Kevin joined in, "Yeah, seriously—did you do something to ruffle her feathers, Tatsuki?"

Tatsuki could only shake his head in exasperation. "Damn it, you two—right off the bat, you're laughing at me. I'm not that funny!"

Chiane and Kevin grinned mischievously. "Then why else would Shizuka-sensei call only you out in class? And it was two lessons in a row, Tatsuki!" they teased.

"Honestly, I have no idea…" Tatsuki spread his arms helplessly.

Chiane continued laughing, "Maybe Shizuka-sensei just wants to test our top student's limits, huh?"

At that moment, Kevin's laughter turned into a scowl. Tatsuki's frustration boiled over—he suddenly smacked Kevin on the head with a sharp slap.

"Smack!"

Tatsuki scolded, "Damn it, Kevin—do you have it out for me or what?"

Kevin, rubbing his aching head, protested, "Hey, I wouldn't dare hold a grudge against you, Tatsuki! Right, Chiane?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Chiane agreed.

Later that day in the cafeteria, as class ended, Tatsuki prepared to leave with Chiane and Kevin when a familiar, gentle voice called out from the back of the room.

"Hey, Tatsuki, are you in this classroom?" the voice asked.

Immediately, both Nakano Nino and Nakano Miku turned their heads, scanning for the source of the sound. Tatsuki, now standing, asked, "Who's calling me?"

Before long, the stunning voice of Katou Megumi rang out again: "Tatsuki, it's lunchtime—why don't you come have a meal with me?"

Seeing her, Tatsuki's heart skipped a beat. "Oh, it's Megumi," he said with a warm smile, stepping forward. "Shall we go eat?"

Before he could say more, Megumi gently grabbed his arm and led him out toward the cafeteria.

Chiane and Kevin were left dumbfounded. Kevin mumbled, "Alright, let's head over too, Chiane."

"Yeah…" Chiane replied as they trudged off in a daze.

Meanwhile, Nakano Nino's eyes narrowed in anger at the sight of Tatsuki being whisked away by this charming stranger. Quickly, Nino grabbed Miku's hand, and together they dashed after him.

Transition…

Inside the cafeteria, Tatsuki and Megumi accepted their bowls from the friendly cafeteria lady and found a quiet table. Sitting face-to-face, Tatsuki set his bowl down and asked, "Megumi, how did you even find me?"

Megumi flashed a playful smile. "How? It's really simple!"

Tatsuki tilted his head in curiosity. "What, did you look me up?"

"Nope," she giggled, "I just checked the school's grade website and found out which class you're in! Teehee!"

Tatsuki laughed, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "Wow, so you tracked me down through our grades—I'm impressed!"

At that moment, a cheerful voice called out from behind: "We meet again, classmate!" Tatsuki turned to see Nakano Ichika, and he responded, "Does that count...?"