[TSSIM] Chapter 385: Nine

However, as Utaha thought about it carefully, she realized something.

She wasn't in charge of those, right?

"Of course, I'll definitely keep an eye on you..." Eriri remarked as she gazed intensely at Utaha. "If anything goes wrong, it's all on you, okay?"

"..." Utaha was speechless for a while before protesting. "That's nonsense!"

"Hmph, same to you!" Eriri shot back, crossing her arms over her chest.

In the end, these two girls were just not willing to see the other getting ahead.

As for the others?

Eriri glanced at Nayuta and Mashiro and wondered if they could discuss things with Nanami.

Afterward, she glanced at Elf, who shook her head.

"I don't want to go outside in the middle of the night... even if it's just across the street."

"..." Eriri fell silent for a moment before sighing. 'Whatever, let's deal with the rest later... for now, it's time to get to work!'

===

Temporary Classroom.

"You've really stirred up quite a fuss, haven't you..." Nozomi looked at Megumi and Nanami with a complex expression on her face.

"I didn't! I haven't!" Nanami protested with a heavy blush on her face.

"Fufu... Well, your actions speak louder than words, Nanami-chan..." Nozomi exclaimed with surprise. "Your body is unexpectedly nice, though!"

"Kyaaa!!!" Nanami screamed as her chest got molested by Nozomi.

"Nozomi's demonic claws are reaching beyond you now..." Homura, with a deadpan expression, glanced at Eli.

Eli covered her face, feeling a bit unable to bear witnessing the scene.

The other girls also involuntarily recalled the fear of being dominated by Nozomi's demonic claws.

"Hey, Homura-kun~ I'm not some demon, you know!" Nozomi protested, but her hands still continued their mischief.

"...If you stop, then maybe I'll believe you..." Homura's mouth twitched.

After a moment of thought, Nozomi suggested.

"How about we ask Homura-kun to do it?"

"Eh?!" Nanami was shocked to the core.

"Ahem... This just shows that we all get along well, right? Nozomi wouldn't do that to just anyone!" Homura turned to Honoka and the others, hastily explaining some nonsense.

"Oh? Changing the subject won't get you anywhere, you know~" Nozomi grinned.

"Well then... let's start the class! One warning, one vegetable juice!" Homura declared.

"Huh?" Nozomi raised her eyebrows and then protested. "Homura-kun, while I can reluctantly accept your vegetable juice, suddenly using that as an excuse is just too sneaky!"

Watching their interaction, Umi pondered for a while before muttering, "Isn't it getting more frequent for Homura-kun and Nozomi to bicker?"

"It does seem that way..." Kotori thought for a moment, then nodded.

"When did it start?" Honoka asked.

"Probably after Homura-kun came home with everyone before..." Eli answered.

"But it seems like Nozomi-nee and Minamiya-senpai enjoy their bickering..." Alisa observed as she watched the two still bantering.

"It's simple, really..." Maki played with her hair. "Nozomi got conquered..."

"Oh, I see..." Yukiho nodded subconsciously, then suddenly realized that something she heard seemed off!

""Ehh?!""

Several girls exclaimed in surprise.

"Are you saying that evil Nozomi, who always acts mysterious and seems to know everything, got conquered by him?!" Nico exclaimed loudly.

"Heh~?" Nozomi turned around. "Looks like I stumbled upon an interesting topic?"

"It wasn't me who said it! It was her!" Nico immediately hid behind Maki.

Maki: "..."

"Maki-chan..." Nozomi grinned mischievously, reaching out her hands as if to grab something.

Watching those hands with wriggling fingers, Maki couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.

"So what if I said it? Are you denying it?" Maki quickly asked as she looked at the approaching Nozomi.

"I'm not denying anything~ fufufu~!" Nozomi chuckled before gripping Maki's chest.

Upon hearing that, the girls were dumbfounded. Not denying anything? Didn't that mean she admitted it?

"Kyaaa! Then why won't you let me go?!" Maki screamed, embarrassed.

"What's the connection between me admitting and letting you go?" Nozomi looked puzzled.

Maki paused, and then her face twisted with frustration.

Nozomi was doing it on purpose!

"But how did you figure it out, Maki-chan?" Nozomi asked with a smile.

"Everyone else noticed too, they just didn't think about it in that way... Isn't your change too obvious?" Maki responded in a low voice.

"...Oh, so you're like 'the pot calling the kettle black'?" Nozomi murmured. "Maki-chan, did you think you're just a bystander?" {T/N: It means a situation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault that the accuser shares.}

"Could it be..." Hanayo speculated. "Because of the cheer last night?"

"Cheer?" Kotori looked confused. "What's that?"

"Nozomi-chan suddenly cheered for Homura-kun, but none of us understood what it meant. Did Maki-chan catch on from that moment?"

Finally breaking free from Nozomi's clutches, Maki rolled her eyes and explained impatiently to everyone.

After a while—

"Nine... together?!" Umi's eyes were about to pop out. "Maki! This is just your speculation, right?!"

"Nine... nine..." Kotori's eyes started to spin.

"That seems amazing..." Honoka muttered to herself, probably not even sure what she was saying.

Yukiho and Alisa glanced at each other, both swallowing nervously. Was it really okay for them to listen to this topic?

Rin was actually a bit surprised too. She only wanted to avoid getting ahead of everyone, so why did it turn into all nine of them going together when it came to Nozomi?!

"N-N-N-N-N-Nine... Like this?!"

Hanayo stuttered, her emotions seeming a bit off as she held out her two fingers and tangled them together, forming a somewhat 'indecent' gesture before quickly shaking her head.

"No, this is right!"

After saying that, all her fingers tangled together!

"Pffft!"

Seeing Hanayo's action, Homura burst out laughing first, and the others weren't far behind.

"Kayo-chin..." Rin blushed and tugged at her clothes.

"Eh?"

Hanayo looked up, seeing everyone staring at her hands. Realizing what she had done, she slowly let go and then hid behind Rin.

"Kya! So embarrassing! I want to die!"

"It's okay~! Even if Kayo-chin is like this, Rin still likes you!" Rin smiled brightly.

"Rin-chan..." Hanayo felt touched.

The whole scene was truly chaotic.

Eli stayed silent and watched Nozomi with a complicated expression. She probably had guessed Nozomi's thoughts a long time ago.

"Hmm? Eli-chi, you've also said that you don't have any idea of getting ahead of the game like Rin-chan, right?" Nozomi smiled at Eli, who was looking at her. "Then it's mutual~"

"Hahh..." Eli sighed.

Suddenly, Homura felt a bit dizzy.

They weren't really going to all go together, right? Could his body handle them?

Subconsciously glancing at the System, Homura suddenly noticed something that left him dumbfounded.

[Taoist Sexual Practice LV4]

'So my System isn't a serious system after all...' Homura remarked inwardly, his brow twitched.

Moreover, it started at Level 4 right away.

In reality, Homura was actually delighted because this meant there was more room for improvement!

For the sake of his future happy life, he didn't hesitate to max out this skill!

Feeling various new information flooding his mind, combined with his own body, Homura could only say one word.

Solid!