At night, the five sisters gathered around the sofa, looking at Hakuto, who was sound asleep.
"Wow... Shiratori-sensei has been in the same position for five or six hours straight!"
"He looks way too comfortable sleeping like that. Maybe I should tell Dad and have them dock a day's pay from him."
The moment Nino said this, Hakuto on the sofa twitched slightly, as if trying to open his eyes, but they wouldn't budge.
"Hm? Looks like Shiratori is reacting..." Miku poked his cheek with her finger. She thought she had seen his eyelids move just now.
"No way. I called him earlier when we were eating, and he didn't even flinch..."
"Since we don't know when he'll wake up, I'll head to bed first. You guys can keep watch."
"Huh? Ichika, you're going to sleep this early again? You slept for so long in the morning."
"Beauty sleep, you know... Alright, Shiratori is in your hands now."
The four remaining sisters watched Ichika's back as she went upstairs.
No one said a word, but they instinctively glanced at each other, as if trying to find some hidden meaning in one another's faces.
Yotsuba suddenly suggested, "Should we shake Shiratori-sensei awake?"
Hearing this, Itsuki shook her head.
"It's best not to disturb deep sleep, or he'll wake up with a headache... Besides, Yotsuba, are you really sure Shiratori-sensei doesn't have a bad temper when woken up?"
"You've seen what he's capable of. It's terrifying..."
"Yikes!"
At Itsuki's words, Yotsuba flinched like a frightened rabbit and quickly waved her hands in denial.
"Shiratori-sensei... I wasn't actually planning to wake you up, I was just joking..."
"You idiot, Yotsuba! If he heard you, that'd be the real mystery!"
Sometimes, Nino couldn't help but admire her sister's way of thinking. Was this what they called all brawn and no brain?
"Should we carry Shiratori upstairs...?"
"Can you even lift him, Miku?" Nino waved her hand dismissively, pretending to be uninterested, then turned to the others.
"You guys figure it out... I'm heading to my room."
With that, Nino leisurely walked toward the stairs, though her unintentional glance back betrayed her.
Her eyes met the three sisters downstairs.
Even Nino felt a bit awkward under their gaze.
"What are you looking at? Go to bed already!"
With that, she tossed her long hair over her shoulder with a dramatic flourish and returned to her room.
Yotsuba's bunny-ear hairband twitched as she muttered, "Nino's face was so red just now... Was it too hot? Is the AC broken?"
She grabbed the remote control and instinctively pressed the power button.
Seeing the AC turn off, Yotsuba frowned.
"It's not broken..."
Just as she was about to turn it back on, Miku suddenly spoke up.
"I have an extra blanket in my room. We can use it to cover Shiratori."
"Great! Miku, I'll help you carry it!"
And just like that, Yotsuba completely forgot about the air conditioner.
"Well, I'm off to bed too."
Perhaps because Ichika had set the trend, the five of them left Hakuto sleeping on the sofa and returned to their rooms.
About an hour later, the door of the second-to-last room on the upper floor quietly opened.
A slender, fair foot stepped out.
Its owner was none other than Nino. She cautiously looked around, checking Ichika and Miku's rooms beside her.
"Should be fine... I didn't wake them, right?"
Confirming that everything was clear, Nino let out a sly smile.
She clutched a blanket in her arms and tiptoed downstairs toward the sleeping Hakuto.
Her movements were practically those of a thief.
"It's so hot... Who turned off the AC?!"
The moment she descended, Nino felt an overwhelming wave of heat. The temperature difference stung her delicate skin.
By memory, she fumbled around the coffee table for the AC remote and turned it back on.
As the cool air gently flowed through the room, she finally felt some relief.
"Shiratori is still in the living room... Whoever turned off the AC better pray I don't find out!"
She muttered under her breath.
Meanwhile, in her room, Yotsuba suddenly shivered.
With the AC back on, Nino finally had the time to take out her phone and use its dim screen light to check on Hakuto.
Just as she suspected, Hakuto's face was covered in sweat. His hair was drenched, and his collar was soaked through.
"This is... Miku's blanket? So nosy..."
"Does that mean the blanket I brought is useless now...?"
She glanced at the one already covering him and muttered softly.
But the moment she lifted the blanket—
She froze on the spot.
??!
Did... did Shiratori... wet the bed?
From her angle, his clothes were completely soaked, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.
The damp fabric clung tightly to his body, highlighting his well-defined muscles in an unintended display.
"He's still not waking up... Is he a half pig?!"
Nino grumbled, grabbing some tissues to gently wipe the sweat from his forehead.
But as she wiped, her usual habit kicked in.
"He's so handsome! How can someone be this good-looking?!"
Staring at Hakuto's impossibly perfect face, Nino felt utterly defenseless.
And now, with beads of sweat glistening on his skin, he looked... ridiculously alluring. Her heart was practically racing out of control.
Just as she was about to take out her phone and capture this rare moment, a door suddenly opened upstairs.
"Ahh—!" Nino nearly dropped her phone in shock!
"Is someone just going to the bathroom...?"
She crouched low, trying to hide her presence. If someone saw her like this, she wouldn't be able to explain herself—she couldn't exactly say she was sleepwalking!
At this point, she could only pray that whoever was upstairs had simply gotten up to use the bathroom.
But her hopes were dashed the next second when she heard footsteps heading down the stairs.
___
Read 20 Advanced Chapters on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics
Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you!
Don't forget to leave a review too~
Check out the other translations too
___