"Uh, this is mine!"
Kaguya quickly snatched the black lace panties from Touka's hand and hid them behind her back, forcing an awkward laugh.
"Is that so?"
Touka Kirishima blinked, then reached into the pile again and pulled out another piece of fabric. Spreading it out, she examined it with a puzzled expression. "Then what about this?"
Oh no.
The moment Kaguya saw what Touka was holding, her heart sank.
It was a delicate bra—white with soft pink accents, embroidered with elegant floral patterns. The edges were adorned with intricate lace and frills, giving it a refined and graceful look. And the most critical part?
It belonged to Nashiro Yasuhisa.
This was not something she could easily brush off.
There was absolutely no way this bra could belong to her. Not only would it not fit, but the size difference was far too obvious.
As for how Kaguya knew all this… well, let's just say some things were better left unsaid.
But that wasn't the real problem here.
The real problem was how she was going to explain this to Touka.
If this little jealous firecracker found out about the twin sisters living here, things would get very, very bad.
Even though Kaguya had never done anything inappropriate with them, living under the same roof was already enough to raise suspicion. And once a misunderstanding took root, there was no telling how much of a mess it would create.
Thankfully, those two troublemakers weren't home.
Otherwise, there would be no way out of this situation.
Instead of answering Touka's question, Kaguya stepped forward, smoothly slipping an arm around her slender waist and pulling her into an embrace. Gazing directly into her eyes, she murmured in a low voice—
"I missed you."
"Ah?"
Touka froze. She hadn't expected Kaguya to say something like that so suddenly. Looking into those burning eyes, she felt an unexplainable panic rise within her.
Before she could react, Kaguya leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss, silencing any words before they could leave her mouth.
"Mmm! What are you—mmph!"
Touka instinctively pushed against Kaguya's chest, trying to resist. But she was held tightly, unable to break free. And under Kaguya's assertive movements, her strength gradually faded. Her once clear and sharp eyes slowly became misty, softening like water, as if a thin layer of fog had settled over them.
Kaguya let out a long, relieved sigh.
Crisis averted.
Trying to explain the situation would only make it worse. The more she talked, the deeper the hole she'd dig for herself. Sometimes, a bold distraction was the best way to handle things.
But as things progressed, the air between them heated up. Kaguya's thoughts started to wander, her body reacting instinctively. Just as she was about to take things further—
Touka suddenly pushed her away.
Her face was slightly flushed. Seeing Kaguya's surprised expression, she turned her head to the side, voice barely above a whisper—
"Go… take a bath first."
Kaguya blinked.
Then, realization dawned.
Her eyes lit up with joy.
"Alright! I'll go heat up the water!" she said eagerly, practically rushing toward the bathroom.
Did that mean…?!
Seeing Kaguya's overly enthusiastic reaction, Touka's face turned even redder.
This idiot…
Everything about her was fine—except for this part.
She was way too obsessed with this kind of thing. Her enthusiasm was honestly a bit much. Especially at night—Touka could barely keep up with all the new things Kaguya kept trying.
But—
The moment Kaguya stepped into the bathroom—
Two wet heads suddenly popped out from the bubble-filled bathtub.
Kaguya froze in shock.
The two heads that emerged from the water were none other than Kurona Yasuhisa and Nashiro Yasuhisa—the very twins Kaguya had assumed weren't home.
They didn't seem entirely lucid, their eyes hazy and unfocused, with a faint flush on their cheeks as if slightly intoxicated. Perhaps it was due to the steam from the bath. They lay weakly in the bathtub, arms wrapped around each other in a way that definitely looked a little… suspicious.
However, Kaguya was far too shocked to notice these small details.
The moment the twins spotted Kaguya, their eyes widened in horror.
Scrambling, they immediately tried to climb out of the bathtub.
Bad! This is bad!
Realizing the impending disaster, Kaguya moved like a whirlwind, lunging forward and pressing a hand over each of their mouths.
With a splash, she shoved them back into the water, muffling their incoming screams before they could escape her grasp.
The sound of splashing seemed to startle Touka, who was standing outside the bathroom.
"What's going on? Did something happen?" she called curiously from the other side of the door.
Crap!
Kaguya forced a casual tone, desperately keeping her voice steady.
"Ah, no! Nothing! I just… accidentally knocked over a bucket of water!"
Touka let out an annoyed sigh. "Seriously? Even something that small, and you're already being clumsy? You're really hopeless."
"...Yeah, yeah…" Kaguya muttered, still holding the twins underwater as they struggled beneath her grip.
"Do you need help?" Touka asked.
Hell no!
"No need! I've got it under control!" Kaguya quickly replied. "Just… just go get the towels ready!"
"...Fine. But don't make the water too hot—it's bad for your health."
"Got it!"
Hearing Touka had no intention of coming in, Kaguya finally exhaled in relief.
She turned back to face the twins, still holding them down, and the three of them exchanged silent, intense stares—big eyes meeting bigger eyes.
"You—"
Before either twin could speak, Kaguya pressed a finger against her lips, signaling for silence.
"Shhh!" she hissed. "Don't say anything. Just hide."
The twins exchanged confused glances.
"Hide where?" Nashiro Yasuhisa whispered.
"Doesn't matter," Kaguya muttered urgently. "Just stay out of sight until I tell you it's safe to come out!"
"But there's nowhere to hide in here!" Kurona Yasuhisa grumbled in frustration. "What do you expect us to do—hide in the water?!"
Kaguya scanned the bathroom.
It was big, yes, but it was true—there weren't many actual hiding spots.
Looks like she had no choice—she'd have to use Yomotsu Hirasaka.
Just as Kaguya was about to activate her ability…
Touka's voice rang out again—louder this time.
"Are you done yet? If you're ready, I'm coming in!"
Touka stepped into the bathroom, wrapped in a towel with another in her hand. Seeing Kaguya already soaking in the bathtub, she paused for a moment before saying, "You sure got in fast. The water was ready, and you didn't even say a word."
"Ah, I was just testing the temperature," Kaguya replied with a forced smile.
"Yeah, right. You just wanted to enjoy yourself first." Touka rolled her eyes, but as she took a few steps closer, she sniffed the air and frowned slightly. "There's a weird smell in here."
Oh no.
Kaguya's heart skipped a beat. Quickly forcing a laugh, she said, "That's impossible. You must be imagining it."
Internally, she groaned. Why do all the girls I know have such ridiculously sensitive noses?!
"No, I'm sure of it," Touka muttered, leaning down and sniffing around Kaguya. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Huh? Now it's gone…"
"See? I told you! There's nothing weird!" Kaguya grinned, all the while shoving Kurona Yasuhisa's head deeper underwater with her hand, making sure not a single sound escaped. "It's probably just my shampoo."
"You sure?" Touka still seemed skeptical but eventually sighed. "Forget it. Let's just shower already. Ugh, I'm so exhausted. I don't know what's going on, but the cafe's business has been crazy lately. It's like something's happening."
"The cafe's doing better?" Kaguya blinked in surprise. "Since when? How come I didn't know about this?"
"Well, of course you wouldn't know. You never show up!" Touka gave her an pointed look, then suddenly winked at her meaningfully.
Kaguya pretended not to understand, grinning mischievously. "Why are you giving me that look? You trying to invite me to shower with you?"
"Shut up."
Touka's face turned red as she scoffed. "I meant get out of the tub."
"Oh? So you really do want to shower together?" Kaguya's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Ugh, no!" Touka huffed, cheeks still flushed. "You talk too much. Just finish washing up."
With that, she huffed again, turned on her heel, and walked out without looking back.
As soon as Touka left, Kaguya let out a huge sigh of relief.
If Touka had actually insisted on taking a bath together, things would have gotten way too complicated. Thankfully, she was the shy type. If she had been more brazen, there would've been no way to hide the twins.
SPLASH!
Two heads burst out of the water, coughing and gasping for air—Kurona Yasuhisa and Nashiro Yasuhisa.
Just seconds ago, Kaguya had forced them underwater to avoid getting caught. Now, after being submerged for so long, their faces were slightly pale, clearly struggling from holding their breath.
"Haaah… we almost drowned!"
Before they could say another word—
Kaguya immediately shoved them back underwater.
"Hmm?"
Touka, who had just reached the door, suddenly paused and turned back.
"…I think I just heard something."
Shit!
Kaguya quickly forced a smile, struggling to keep her voice steady.
"Ah, nothing! You must've misheard! I was just… scrubbing myself!"
"…Oh, okay. Well, hurry up and finish."
Just as Touka was about to leave, she stopped again, hesitating for a moment.
"Oh, right," she said thoughtfully. "Have you noticed something weird about Sister Irimi lately?"
Whether Irimi was acting strange or not, these two little brats were definitely not normal right now.
Kaguya stole a glance at Kurona Yasuhisa and Nashiro Yasuhisa, still submerged under the water. Their faces were flushed red as they desperately covered their mouths, struggling to hold their breath. They wouldn't be able to last much longer.
"What's wrong?" Kaguya asked as casually as possible. "I haven't noticed anything unusual. Are you sure you're not overthinking it?"
"No way," Touka immediately refuted. "I've known Irimi for years—I can always tell when something's up with her."
Kaguya furrowed her brows slightly. "So what's wrong with her?"
"It's like her mind's somewhere else. She seems… distracted. Today, she even spilled coffee all over a customer," Touka muttered, rubbing her chin. "She's never been this careless before… Hey, are you even listening?"
"A-Ah! Of course I'm listening!" Kaguya blurted out.
If you don't leave soon, this is all going to fall apart!
Underneath the water, Kurona and Naiba's faces were already turning blue. Their wide, beautiful eyes were starting to roll back, and tiny air bubbles were slipping from their mouths.
"Don't you feel like something is off?" Touka asked suspiciously.
Then, she turned her head—and froze.
"…What are you doing?"
Kaguya's entire head was half-submerged in the bathwater, with only her big, clear eyes peeking out above the surface.
What Touka didn't know was that underwater, the two sisters had finally reached their limit and had started grabbing onto Kaguya, about to surface and expose everything.
With no other choice, Kaguya had dove underwater and was now alternating mouth-to-mouth resuscitation between the two, literally feeding them air to keep them hidden.
Kurona and Naiba eagerly sucked in every breath Kaguya provided, their soft lips pressing against hers in desperation.
But Kaguya had no time to appreciate any of it.
Still underwater, she quickly gave them both a slap on the butt, signaling them to stay down, before lifting her head back up.
"I wasn't doing anything! I was listening," Kaguya quickly replied. "Honestly, I think Irimi is fine. If something was really wrong, she'd probably tell us. Maybe she's just been overworked lately."
"Hmm… I guess…"
Touka didn't seem convinced, but she eventually sighed and turned away. "Fine. Just hurry up and finish your bath. Let me know when you're done."
"Got it!"
The moment Touka finally walked away, Kaguya let out the biggest sigh of relief.
After waiting a few moments to make sure she was completely gone, Kaguya reached under the water and gave the twins a signal.
SPLASH!
Water exploded everywhere as Kurona and Naiba burst out of the bathtub, gasping for air.
Their naked bodies trembled from the strain, their chests rising and falling rapidly as they desperately tried to catch their breath. Their faces were bright red—from both lack of oxygen and sheer embarrassment.
They clung to the edge of the bathtub, panting heavily, looking like they had just barely escaped death.
Kaguya frowned, arms crossed.
"You two—why were you in the bathroom? And why didn't you say anything?!"
Kurona and Naiba exchanged glances but remained silent.
Their faces flushed even deeper, making Kaguya even more suspicious.
What the hell were these two up to?!
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