NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Chapter 4: PE Class
"Right! After all, this is something Tatsuki himself promised us—and I have a feeling his words will come true!"—Nakano Ichika
"Exactly, Ichika! Back then, we five sisters were shielded by Tatsuki, never once harmed. Now it's time for him to keep his promise!"—Nakano Miku
"Hehe, so we need to come up with a plan—otherwise, how are we ever going to get a word in with him?"—Nakano Yotsuba
"Hmm… I know just what to do!"—Nakano Itsuki (as she quickly dabs her rosy lips)
"All right, Itsuki, what's your plan?" (echoed by Ichika, Nino, Miku, and Yotsuba in unison, their eyes fixed on her)
With a proud smile, Itsuki teased, "Have you all forgotten something?""What do you mean?" asked Ichika."Oh, Itsuki—don't keep us in suspense!" pleaded Nino."Yeah, spit it out already!" urged Miku and Yotsuba together.
"Okay, okay—I'm saying that Dad promised to get us a private tutor!!!"—Nakano Itsuki
"A tutor?!" they all gasped in surprise.
"Oh! Now I get it—so you want Tatsuki to be our tutor to help us achieve our goal!" declared Miku happily.
"Wow, Itsuki, you're really brilliant!" Yotsuba exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Itsuki in excitement.
"Hehe, now just wait and see how Nino and Miku convince Tatsuki!" Itsuki grinned.
"Leave it to Miku and me, alright? Right, Miku?" Nino said, turning to her.
Miku nodded firmly. "That's right. We'll handle getting Tatsuki on board!"
"Then we need to plan this out carefully…" added Ichika.
And so, the five sisters began hatching their scheme to recruit Tatsuki as their tutor. Of course, Tatsuki had no idea about their secret plan!
Meanwhile, in class after lunch, Tatsuki was chatting with a couple of his male classmates.
"Hey, Tatsuki, PE's coming up soon—how about a quick game of basketball?" a short-haired guy with gray hair asked.
Another classmate with jet-black hair chimed in, "Yeah, let's have a friendly match—just us!"
"Basketball? Count me in!" Tatsuki replied with enthusiasm. "Chiane, Kevin, you're with me, right?"
"Sounds good—let's do a three-on-three!" said Chiane.
"Then I'm gonna head back to my seat for a quick nap. I mean, getting woken up by Mom this early… ugh!" Tatsuki groaned.
"Alright, catch some Z's then," encouraged Chiane.
"Just holler when class starts, Tatsuki," added Kevin.
"Okay…" Tatsuki waved goodbye before returning to the back of the classroom. He collapsed into his seat, folded his hands under his head, and dozed off—thanks in part to staying up late last night writing his novel for some extra pocket money. (After all, his mom only gives him just enough cash for meals, so between his writing earnings and the random goodies his little assistant hands out each day, he's only managed to save up a cool one million Sakura Coins.)
(Side note: If you really want Tatsuki's mom to boost his allowance, it's simple—bring a girlfriend home! She'll fork over the cash so you can have even more fun. Got it, everyone?)
Not long after, Nakano Nino and Nakano Miku returned from the cafeteria, fresh from their secret meeting. As they stepped into the classroom, they spotted Tatsuki sound asleep, head resting on his desk. Both Nino and Miku shared a knowing smile.
While Nino continued chatting with Kitagawa Haimeng, Horikyou, and Shikimori, Miku quietly moved over to her own seat beside Tatsuki. She sat down, folded her hands, and gazed at his sleeping form—eventually drifting off herself. Meanwhile, Chiane and Kevin were busy debating the latest anime series, completely oblivious to the quiet scene unfolding.
Tatsuki, lost in his dreams, wore a slight smile as if he were savoring a wonderful vision.
And now—a flashy transition!
The class bell rang, and before long, Chiane and Kevin shook Tatsuki awake. These two "big bros" were anything but gentle. With a mischievous grin, Chiane smirked, "Hehe, time to get up—cheers!" and slammed his hand on the table with a loud smack.
The force of the blow startled Tatsuki awake; he leaped upright like a spring-loaded bolt. Chiane and Kevin burst into uncontrollable laughter—clutching their stomachs and slapping the table as they chuckled.
"Ahahaha!" they roared in unison.
Irritated and half-awake, Tatsuki shot up from his seat and lunged at Chiane, locking him in a tight chokehold. "Damn it, you two idiots—can't you stop scaring me like that?!" he snapped.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, Tatsuki! Let me go—I'm gonna be toast! It wasn't even my idea; that dumb Kevin was the one who thought of it!" Chiane sputtered, still caught in Tatsuki's grip, and in his frenzy, Tatsuki even ended up tossing Kevin aside.
"Seriously, Chiane? Where's your loyalty?!" Kevin shouted as he scrambled out toward the sports field.
"Tatsuki, wait—Kevin, don't run or I'll give you a punch!" Tatsuki hollered, releasing his hold on Chiane as he dashed after Kevin.