[TSSIM] Chapter 409: Forceful Kiss

After the chaotic spectacle, Utaha and Megumi didn't speak again, though the silence wasn't awkward for either of them.

At this moment, they had both become very important to each other.

"Shi-chan..."

Eriri suddenly spoke up, her voice still muffled.

Upon hearing her nickname, Utaha's eyebrows twitched, but she just rolled her eyes and replied.

"Spit it out."

"Let's do it together tonight."

Homura: "..."

Utaha: "??!!"

"And Megumi will come too." 

Megumi: "..."

Homura: "!!!"

"Eriri..." Megumi couldn't help but ask. "Is it really okay to say that in front of Homura-kun?"

"Hmph! I said I'm going all out! So what if I said it!" Eriri lifted her head and bared her teeth at Homura.

Utaha and Megumi exchanged a glance, both conveying the same message—'Ahh, Eriri's gone crazy.'

"Anyway, just two people is not his opponent, right? So it's the three of us!" Eriri continued.

"I don't think three is a good idea..." Megumi said quietly.

"Just give it a try!" Eriri insisted.

"Are you running a fever?" Homura reached out to check Eriri's forehead temperature.

"I'm perfectly fine..." Eriri said in a soft tone, shaking her head lightly. "You wondered why I became like this? Now, I've fully realized that if I don't make up my mind and always hesitate, I'll fall behind again..."

Even though she said that, Homura knew there was an element of impulsiveness in her words.

Since there was still some time until evening, if she had really made up her mind, she would definitely take action tonight, right?

Besides, he really couldn't say anything appropriate right now.

Once again, Homura silently held Eriri close.

Eriri obediently buried her face in his chest again, causing the scene to return to calm once more.

===

Nighttime.

While walking Muse's girls home, Homura paused for a moment and asked Nozomi.

"Did you ask both of them?"

Upon hearing that, the girls glanced at Homura subconsciously, their faces blushing slightly before quickly looking away.

"Okay, I get it..." Homura understood immediately that she had definitely asked.

Nozomi: "..."

"But I haven't said anything yet!" Nozomi pouted.

"But I guessed it already, so just forget my question." Homura said calmly.

"We all know very well about Homura-kun's prowess!" Nozomi suddenly smiled.

'Okay, stop there missy, I really don't want to hear that!' Homura thought, his face darkening.

"That's why, for your own happiness, give it your best shot!" Nozomi cheerfully encouraged him, with everyone understanding the deeper meaning behind her words.

'Yeah, I've been moving forward all along, but occasionally unexpected things happen... just like today.' Homura sighed while looking at the sky.

A moment of silence fell, and the girls all thought of Eriri at the same time, but none of them spoke.

They walked in silence until Honoka reached home.

However, much to everyone's surprise, Honoka hugged Homura.

"Goodbye, Homura-kun!" Honoka exclaimed with a smile then disappeared in a flash.

Yukiho, still in a daze, took a while to react before saying goodbye to everyone and chasing her big sister.

"It's a bit unexpected yet not unexpected..." Homura chuckled.

"Indeed..." Nozomi nodded, then smirked. "But I thought Honoka-chan might give you a kiss."

"Didn't you say there shouldn't be sneakiness among us?" Nicole teased.

"Eh? Is a kiss considered sneaky? I don't think so..." Nozomi chuckled playfully.

Girls: "..."

At this moment, Rin's face blushed slightly.

Under a streetlamp, Maki keenly noticed Rin's reaction.

"Rin... could it be?" Maki raised an eyebrow.

"Maki-chan? What's up?" Nozomi asked with a smile.

"N-Nothing..." Maki averted her eyes.

'As expected, every time, something always happens between Homura-kun and them...' Nozomi glanced at the two and smirked.

Later, Kotori followed in Honoka's footsteps closely. Before saying goodbye to everyone, she also hugged Homura.

However, when it was Umi's turn, the situation became a bit more peculiar.

Umi looked conflicted, especially with Nozomi's teasing gaze on her, and the others were somewhat expectant of Umi's next move.

With Umi's face growing redder as she hesitated, Homura was afraid she might faint suddenly.

Finally, Umi gritted her teeth, stamped her foot, and grabbed Homura's hand, placing it on her own head.

Homura was taken aback by her unexpected move but then smiled, gently patting her head.

After several seconds of headpatting, Umi quickly ran away.

'Heh... Although still shy, it seems like she's making an effort to overcome it.' Homura thought amusedly.

As they continued their walk, they eventually reached Nico's house.

"Hey Nico, you coming?" Homura opened his arms, smiling.

"Hmph, don't treat me like a little girl!" Nico shrugged, gave him a big hug, then turned and walked away.

However, after she was out of everyone's sight—

"Oh my god, I was so nervous!"

Nico patted her chest repeatedly, then finally breathed a sigh of relief.

'If I hadn't heard your thumping heartbeat, I might have actually believed you.' Homura's mouth twitched as he saw Nico's disappearing figure.

And so, they walked a bit further until they reached Eli's apartment building.

Unlike Homura's casual demeanor, Eli and Nico feigned calmness but graciously hugged him.

Just as Homura and the remaining girls were about to leave, Eli's little sister, Alisa, spoke up.

"Nee, what about me?"

"..." Eli was speechless for a moment before asking. "What do you mean?"

"I want a hug from Minamiya-senpai too! Clearly, all the senpai got one!" Alisa said with a pout.

Eli shot her little sister a deep look, sensing she wasn't implying anything unusual, reluctantly nodding.

"Ara, what an unexpected catch, Homura-kun!" Nozomi raised an eyebrow teasingly at Homura.

"Please don't use such phrases or people will misunderstand." Homura sighed.

Nozomi blinked but said nothing.

In the end, Homura gently hugged Alisa.

"Umm... it feels a bit strange, but it's actually quite comforting..." Alisa nodded, sharing her post-hug thoughts.

"Why talk about these things..." Eli sighed, grabbing her little sister's hand and pulling her away.

"Wait, Onee-chan! I'm not done yet..."

Seeing this, the rest of the girls exchanged looks, wondering if Alisa's strange behavior was influenced by Yukiho and Honoka.

Meanwhile, Homura glanced at Nozomi, feeling that everyone's behavior now had something to do with her, or perhaps with what Chika and Kaguya had told them before.

'So... what would you do?' Homura thought as he glanced at Nozomi.

Soon enough, he found out the answer.

Why?

Because he was suddenly kissed forcefully by Nozomi.

Surprisingly, in both her previous life and this one, it was Homura's first time to be kissed forcefully, by a girl no less.

Undoubtedly, this unexpected scene caused Rin, Hanayo, and Maki to be completely stunned.

After a long moment, the lips of Homura and Nozomi finally separated.

Nozomi grinned at Rin.

"Well, Rin-chan already did this, right? So I didn't act sneaky."

'Yes, you did it openly...' Homura thought to himself.

Smiling brightly at everyone, Nozomi turned and walked away.