“A dish I’ve never heard of… but it looks like there’s a lot of fatty meat.” Miku pursed her lips slightly. For a girl conscious of her figure, fatty cuts were the ultimate enemy.
Especially for someone who loved wearing black stockings—once she gained even a little weight, the fabric would press against her thighs, ruining the sleek lines she cared so much about.
“Hong shao rou tastes best with a balance of fat and lean,” Shirase explained. “Of course, if you’re worried about your figure, you can just eat less.” He paused, then added, “Actually, I know a bit about exercise too. If any of you ever want to get fit, feel free to ask.”
“You even know how to lose weight?” Miku blinked.
“Not exactly losing weight,” Shirase corrected evenly. “More like maintaining balance between training and diet.”
He’d been working out for a long time, so it was only natural he’d learned a few things.
After all, rushing into workouts without adjusting your diet first was a rookie mistake—one that usually led to exhaustion and soreness instead of results.
Off to the side, Itsuki quietly pinched her stomach—just a tiny bit of softness. Still fine. Still safe.
“Oh, right—yoga might be great for you girls,” Shirase added suddenly. “Kana-nee does it to stay in shape. You could ask her sometime.”
Miku’s eyes brightened, clearly intrigued. “Kana-nee must be really busy, right? Wouldn’t we be bothering her if we just dropped by?”
“Not at all. She’d probably love having someone join her. Exercising alone gets boring fast, but with friends around, the atmosphere picks up—and the results do too.”
As he spoke, Shirase recalled a fitness video he’d seen online—people cycling and moving in sync to loud, upbeat music, the whole gym glowing with neon lights.
Forget anything else; the energy alone was enough to make anyone drop down for fifty push-ups before saying a word.
“Got it,” Miku said softly, mentally noting to contact Kojima Kana later.
Then, noticing Itsuki sneaking another bite of the hong shao rou, Miku said, “Oh right, Shirase… thanks for today.”
“For which thing, specifically?” he asked without turning around, still focused on the stove. “I do good deeds all the time; you’ll have to remind me which one.”
Miku puffed her cheeks, pouting. “You think this is funny?”
“Of course,” Shirase replied, glancing back with a teasing smile. “Your steamed-bun cheeks right now are pretty entertaining.”
Her face flushed. “I really don’t get what those girls see in you. You’ve got such a terrible personality.”
Beside them, Itsuki froze mid-bite.
Miku stayed quiet for a moment. When the next dish came out, she took the chance to ask, “From now on, when you tutor us, could you talk more about Sengoku-period stories?”
Shirase looked mildly surprised. “I already planned to. Anything important for exams—I won’t skip.”
There he goes again.
Miku knew he was feigning innocence on purpose. He definitely knew more about the Sengoku era than she did—probably even trivia she hadn’t found yet.
Realizing he was teasing her again, Miku decided not to rise to the bait.
If she played along, he’d only find another way to mess with her.
She clenched her small fist slightly. She’d seen how Shirase operated in this house.
Nino was completely under his thumb.
Yotsuba, ever since her grades improved, basically worshiped him.
Even Ichika couldn’t beat him in a verbal exchange.
Miku sighed quietly. Thinking about it that way, Shirase really did feel like a final-boss character in a game—impossible difficulty, constant pressure.
And as for Itsuki…
Her eyes flicked toward her youngest sister, who was staring at Shirase with a warm, expectant expression. At first, Miku thought nothing of it.
But as Shirase continued talking and joking casually without even glancing back, Itsuki’s bright, flushed face told another story—one she wasn’t even trying to hide.
Miku’s gaze sharpened.
Now that she thought about it… wasn’t Itsuki being a bit too familiar with him?
Even Ichika didn’t act like that.
She replayed her memories carefully—Ichika and Shirase were close, yes, but still within friendly limits.
But Itsuki’s expression right now…
Miku’s face remained calm, but inside, something tightened. She’d seen that same look before—on Nino’s face. More than once.
When Itsuki began carrying dishes toward the living room, Miku said lightly, “I’ll help too.”
Still unaware of the tension, Itsuki teased, “Don’t tell me you sneaked a bite too? If so, don’t let them catch us—eat here in secret.”
“Mm.” Miku’s reply was simple as she picked up a plate and followed.
As they stepped out of the kitchen, Miku suddenly asked quietly, “Are you hiding something from us?”
Itsuki froze mid-step.
She turned, meeting Miku’s expressionless face, and panicked. “W-why would you ask something like that all of a sudden?”
Miku’s voice stayed calm. “Just curious. You can answer however you like.”
Itsuki’s heartbeat jumped. Nervous and guilty, she forced a shaky smile. “Everyone has their own secrets, right? We’re not kids anymore. Once you’re in middle school, it’s only natural.”
“Yeah… everyone has their own secrets,” Miku echoed softly.
“Exactly! Anyway, let’s hurry before Ichika and the others accuse us of sneaking food.”
Miku watched Itsuki’s retreating back for a moment, her gaze darkening from calm to shadowed.
“Miku, what are you doing over there?” Ichika, now sprawled lazily on the sofa again, noticed first.
“It’s nothing. Just thinking.”
Miku shook her head lightly, her eyes flicking toward the flustered Itsuki.
I really hope I’m overthinking this.
But as she walked past and heard the faint, uneven rhythm of Itsuki’s footsteps, her heart sank.
Unfortunately, I’m not.
…
Shirase’s cooking, as always, didn’t disappoint. He often browsed recipes at home—not just to polish his technique but to learn new dishes too.
Ever since his cooking had been enhanced by the System, what began as mild interest had turned into something refreshing and deeply satisfying.
That was the word for it—freshness.
The more his skills improved, the easier dishes that once seemed complicated became.
He’d already figured it out: as long as he treated cooking as a hobby rather than work, that sense of freshness would never fade.
In the afternoon, Shirase continued tutoring the quintuplets until half past two before finally wrapping up.
Since days off were rare, he wanted to make the most of it.
Besides, he could always rely on [Immersive Hosting] to tailor his lessons perfectly.
“It’s finally over… I feel like I’m gonna die…” Ichika groaned, collapsing onto the sofa, her lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling.
Yotsuba immediately followed up, “I can keep up with what Shirase teaches, but staying motivated to study is seriously tough…”
Nino rubbed her tired eyes. As the one closest to Shirase, she naturally had to stay fully focused during tutoring.
Whether she absorbed everything or not was secondary—what mattered was maintaining the attitude befitting her position as the “official wife.”
To that end, she’d even taken on the role of class monitor, keeping an eye on everyone else.
After all, she knew her sisters too well. No matter how well Shirase taught, someone would inevitably start slacking off.
Someone like Ichika… Ichika… and, of course, Ichika.
Ichika, staring blankly at the ceiling, suddenly shivered as if someone had just cursed her name.
“Can we go play now?” Itsuki asked hopefully, looking as worn out as the rest.
As Shirase packed up his notes, he nodded. “You’re all free.”
“Yes! Snack time!”
“Itsuki, wait for me!”
“Bring me a bottle of matcha soda!”
“I’m going to nap…”
Voices overlapped one after another until only Nino stayed silent.
She waited until Shirase finished putting away the mini blackboard and chalk, then stood and said quietly, “I need to talk to you. Come with me.”
Curious, Shirase followed her.
The two entered Nino’s room. The faint, familiar scent that always clung to her seemed even stronger here.
Nino didn’t close the door. Facing him, she looked a bit awkward as she said, “Shirase, from now on, you probably don’t need to give Miku any special attention anymore, right?”
Shirase paused, then gave a knowing chuckle. “Jealous?”
“I’m not jealous!” Nino’s face instantly flushed.
His grin widened. “Sure, sure. No need to explain. I get it.”
What exactly do you get?!
Thrown off by his teasing, Nino fumbled for words.
Then Shirase said calmly, “I know what you’re thinking. Miku’s fine now, so there’s no need for extra lessons.”
At that, Nino finally relaxed—but she still shot him an annoyed glare. “You could’ve just said that right away. Did you really have to tease me first?”
“Because your expression was adorable.”
“I—!”
Her cheeks burned even redder. Too flustered to retort, she finally decided to let it go.
Fine. He’s the one who called me adorable. I’ll forgive him just this once.
“Oh right,” Shirase said suddenly, “I’ve been learning how to massage lately.”
Nino blinked. “Massage? Why would you learn that?”
“Because of my stupid mouth…” He didn’t hide anything and briefly recounted what happened with Kirisu Mafuyu.
By the end, Nino was both embarrassed and incredulous. “Just because of… certain movies, she started thinking all massage parlors are shady? Kirisu-sensei really jumps to wild conclusions.”
Shirase rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “To be fair, her concerns aren’t entirely wrong. I’ve seen plenty of stories online about so-called ‘spiritual connections.’ Honestly, this world’s full of perverts. Sometimes I feel completely out of place.”
Spiritual connections…? What kind of ridiculous phrase is that?
But wait—when people do that, isn’t it technically a “connection” too…?
Realizing what he meant, Nino blushed furiously and glared at him.
For the first time, she hated how quickly she understood his implication.
She was supposed to be a pure, innocent teenage girl!
This was all Shirase’s fault!
Trying to steer the conversation away, she asked, “So, what—you’ve already mastered it?”
“Pretty much,” Shirase said, puffing out his chest. “I might not be a grandmaster yet, but calling me the Massage King wouldn’t be wrong.”
“…Massage King? Seriously?” Nino gave him a skeptical look. “You sure love bragging.”
“Want to test it out?”
“Huh?”
She froze. “You mean… you’ll give me a massage?”
“Exactly. Perfect chance for me to get feedback.”
“T-then… I’ll reluctantly help you out. Just this once.”
Her cheeks bright red, Nino gave him a sidelong glance and then darted her eyes toward the open door.
Playing dumb, Shirase asked, “Got something in your eye?”
“You’re the one who’s got something in your eye!” she snapped, mortified.
“Adorable,” Shirase said with a laugh, finally walking over to close the door.
He didn’t bother locking it—after all, it was just a normal massage.
When Nino shyly lay face-down on the bed, Shirase hesitated for a second. He’d expected her to pick the sofa.
But the bed worked fine too.
Nino, however, was nowhere near as calm as he was.
The moment she heard him climb onto the mattress, her whole body tensed.
“Relax,” Shirase said lightly. “I’m not exactly a decent guy anyway.”
“Shut up!”
Looking at her reddened ears, he smiled faintly, lowered his hands, and shifted fully into “Masseur Shirase” mode.
At such close distance, her familiar fragrance surrounded him—soft and sweet. At her age, with no bad habits, her skin was in perfect condition: smooth, delicate, and impossibly soft.
Normally, massages were done without clothes.
But knowing how easily she embarrassed, Shirase simply let her stay in her tracksuit.
Even so, the moment his hands touched her back, a small, breathy sound slipped from her throat.
“Mmn~”
That soft, trembling note—half shyness, half flustered annoyance—almost made Shirase lose his composure.
This little temptress…
—
This is a fan translation of 谁能拒绝中野二乃呢？by 六花吖六花. Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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