Chapter 17: Chapter 17 - Study Session Disaster

Kuro Kurogane learned too late that agreeing to just a "Small Study Session" was essentially guaranteeing his own downfall.

It started off normally enough.

Akari walked into his room after they had both eaten breakfast and told Kuro.

"Kuro-kun, everyone is coming over today!"

"...Why?"

"Exams."

"...That still doesn’t tell me anything."

Aoi, who was calmly drinking tea, added, "...Mina said you have a lot of great snacks at your house."

"Betrayers! You both are!"

There was no way to say no now because already in the afternoon...

His living room was full.

Akari, of course, sat right next to Kuro on the couch like it was no big deal, no need to ask for permission or anything, it was just natural for her by now.

Then Aoi sat down next to him on the opposite side, and after she arranged her books neatly, sat quietly and started reading.

Mina was sitting across from the three of them and just stared at the twins.

"You two seriously look like you’re married already."

Kuro immediately grabbed his forehead and groaned.

"We’re not having this conversation."

Rika calmly adjusted her glasses and said, "Objectively speaking, you guys have a high degree of domestic synchronization."

"Just stop analyzing it!"

Akari gleefully leaned up to Kuro’s shoulder and said, "We’ve basically lived together for months now~"

Mina dramatically narrowed her eyes at Akari.

"And that’s exactly why this is bad news..."

True.

Very true.The beginning of the study time looked good.

For about 6 minutes.

Then Mina lost interest.

"Kuro-kun."

"....What."

"I can’t figure out this math problem."

"You haven’t even opened the book."

"That’s because I am having an emotional crisis."

"That is so fake."

Mina lounged on the couch and sometimes stretched too far and her shirt would show off some skin.

Kuro did his very best to stay focused on her eyes.

Sadly—

She noticed that he didn’t.

"....Ara-"

"....don’t start."

"Your eyes were wandering."

"Absolutely not."

Mina leaned forward and teased him.

"Then how come you’re sweating so much?"

"I live in agony."

Akari, feeling possessive, moved towards Kuro.

"You’re teasing him too much."

"Awww, are you jealous?"

"Yes."

Simple answer.

Mina blinked.

"....You don’t even try to hide it any more."

Akari crossed her arms in pride.

"Correct."

Meanwhile, Aoi gave Kuro iced tea without saying a word.

"....Stay hydrated during stressful times."

"Thanks," Kuro said quietly.

Finally, someone normal.

Then, Aoi placed her head on Kuro’s shoulder, continued to read, and was simply not normal.

As Rika slowly looked up from her notebook.

"....How are you not dead?"

"Trust me, I ask myself that question too."

One hour later: zero progress.

Kuro’s pencils were continuously stolen by Akari. As a distraction, Mina purposefully bothered him. Without any forewarning, Aoi was providing him with snacks in silence. Only Rika had any intention of studying in this predicament.

"This is a hostile atmosphere to study in." Rika said.

"That is correct."

Then it happened.

Akari leaned across Kuro’s body in order to grab her notebook from the table.

At the same instant , Kuro turned toward Akari.

Gentle.Warm.Contact occurred immediately.

Silence fell upon the room.Akari’s body was now pressed into Kuro’s face.

The room froze in time.

Akari stopped doing anything.Kuro had ceased breathing.Mina’s mouth dropped open in shock.

Rika quickly turned away as she rushed to adjust her glasses.

Aoi lowered her cup of tea , very, very slowly.

All of Akari’s skin went bright red.

"K-KURO-KUN!?"

"I DIDN’T MEAN TO!"

"YOU PERVERT!"

"YOU FELL ON ME!"

"THAT DOESN’T MATTER!"

Akari threw her arms over her chest as she backed away from Kuro’s desk with her back still facing him.

Kuro was still in a state of shock.

Mina exploded with laughter.

"THESE PEOPLE HAVE A STRONG CHANCE OF MAKING A ROMANTIC COMEDY WITH THIS HOUSE."

"I WISH I COULD MOVE TO ANOTHER DIMENSION."

Even Rika’s ears were flushed a brighter red than usual.

"...We cannot continue with our study session now."

Very accurate.

After that incident, things managed to get worse.

Akari avoided making any eye-contact with Kuro at this point.

Every time Kuro spoke it made Akari jump out of her skin.

"Hey Kuro-kun....can I have that book?"

"Here."

"Thanks for that!"

"Why are you yelling at me?"

"No reason!?"

Mina smiled and said,

"Oh somebody feels guilty now!"

Akari buried her head into a pillow.

"Shut up!"

Kuro also started to feel strange.

Now that he was aware of how close Akari was to him, how warm her body was, and how nice her hair smelled, he felt mentally violated and damaged.

Meanwhile, Aoi quietly watched.Then asked Kuro,

"Kuro?"

"Yeah?" Kuro replied.

"Was she softer than you expected?"

"Aoi!"

"I was just being curious."

Akari screamed into the pillow.

Rika began to almost choke on her tea.Mina was rolling on the couch in laughter.

"This family is crazy!"

Night was finally falling.

Textbooks were completely forgotten.

Everyone was now relaxing and just talking.

Kuro was realizing that he did not hate this environment.

It was loud, tiring, busy.But it was warm too.

Mina, still sprawled on the couch, said, "Kuro-kun, I’m hungry."

"Didn’t you just eat three times?!"

"I am also a growing boy!"

"You were a grown boy years ago!"

Akari’s face lit up with a mischievous grin.

Her face flushed away.

"Kuro-kun should be making us food."

"Why do I have to be the one to do that?"

"Because you’re practically our house husband."

Kuro had a dazed expression on his face.

While Rika was sipping her tea calmly.

"Actually that’s not an inaccurate way to describe you."

Aoi gave him a straightforward nod.

"You take care of us quite a bit."

And then Mina smirked like a creepy predator.

"Oh?"

Kuro shot to his feet and left the table voicing "I will go cook dinner from this stupid topic of conversation."

But as he was leaving he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

Everyone had a amile on their face.

They had a calm, comfortable, happy demeanor about them all.

And somehow - Kuro was experiencing that same reaction to people for the first time in a long while.