We’re back in the house. All of us in the room.

  Akane was bright red. Mai was shocked.

  What is she doing here?! (Akane)

  Kaito, let us know next time! This is bad! (Mai)

  “Now then…why don’t you all explain this whole situation to me?”

  We all sit down and start getting on our knees. In a perfect sync we all say:

  “Kaguya, we beg you, please tell no soul about this!”

  “Hmm…one condition. Everyone, tell me why you moved here.”

  Mizuki starts first: “Well, Mai invited me and I agreed. I didn’t want to live alone in her house.”

  “I can understand that. What about the 2 of you?”

  Mai continues: “It’s an old problem from my childhood and a promise we made a long time ago. Don’t pry into it too much.”

  “That’s not convincing at all but you’re my dear Mai-chan. Akane, you? I thought you hated his guts.”

  She hesitates to respond.

  “So?”

  “I didn’t want to be the only one excluded. And I also couldn’t leave this creep alone with two cute girls in the house.”

  “Not that good of an answer, but I guess…still better than Mai’s.

  Mai pouts.

  “Now then, since I’m finished with my work…I’ll get going. Enjoy your life together.”

  As Kaguya leaves, the house goes silent. The three girls look furious.

  “Kaito…we’re going to have a thorough talk later. Prepare for it.”

  What’s going to happen to me…

  Akane leaves the house, while the other 2 girls are left to guard me and assure I won’t run away (where would I sleep though?).

  I’m still not sure what she went out to get, but….knowing her…she may get medieval torture devices to make me suffer for exposing such an embarrassing inside secret. I’m screwed.

  Mai and Mizuki keep close to me. Eventually, one of them goes to cook dinner, while the other guards me.

  "You're not going anywhere Kaito!"

  I am still trembling, to be honest. Just as Mai was cooking and Mizuki was scrolling through Instagram…there I found the opening to run.

  And just as I open the door…there she was. Akane was back. She greets me with an ironic smile.

  “And just where do you think you are going…?”

  I was speechless. Caught red-handed.

  “Get him!”

  In a flash, Mai and Mizuki grab my hands and in 10 seconds, I find myself tightly bound with a thick rope.

  “Now, you can’t go anywhere,” said Akane while looking menacingly towards me. “Let’s start Operation REGRET.”

  I nod and prepare myself for the worst.

  “How should we deal with him?”

  “Well, let’s each come up with something.”

  Mai comes first with her idea.

  “Well, since we made dinner, let’s spoon-feed him! Like a little baby! You know he gets embarrassed by the slightest things – this will knock him out!”

  Sorry, what? I try to jump out of the couch.

  “What are you 3 even saying the-?!”

  But Akane taped my mouth shut. I could only do small jumps and head nodding.

  “Great Idea Mai! What about you Mizuki?”

  “Let’s wash and style his hair, and then let’s put makeup on him. I've always wanted to put makeup on a boy!”

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  I start nodding my head even harder.

  “Well wouldn’t that imply u-u-undressing him?”

  Mizuki looks teasingly at Akane.

  “Let’s do it with his clothes on then, what’s the big deal?”

  “Ohhh…yeah we can do that haha.”

  “What’s with the flustered reaction though…”

  “Nothing! As for me…I’m going to have him be my personal butler for a week.”

  Eh, not so bad. I though it was going to be something worse. WAIT! IT’S AKANE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE! SHE’S GOING TO PUT ME THROUGH HELLISH TRIALS. There goes my normal life. Goodbye.

  “Let’s start with the spoon-feeding! Akane, take his tape off!”

  “W-wait guys. We can talk this, no need for ridiculous development.”

  “Hold still!”

  I was all red. Akane holds my head in place like a sumo wrestler while Mai holds the spoon.

  “Great! Here comes the train!”

  My heart reached 200bpm. This is exactly a scene depicted out of a rom-com. No way around it. And did I just start one with my childhood friends and a former idol who looks up to me…?!

  “There you go! So yummy, right?”

  I don't like this! I'm being treated like a baby!

  “It’s yummy but I can eat myself-“

  “Oh no need for that! We can feed you tonight as punishment for not telling us Kaguya is coming.”

  “Please make it end- -hup-…dear God…”

  I'm feeling sick...

  The bowl of curry and rice eventually reaches the end, and the girls let go of me.

  “See, that wasn’t so bad? You are now forgiven by me! I always wanted to take care of you, just like you did with us.”

  I let out a sigh of relief but next…Mizuki's turn.

  “Let’s take him to the bathroom! Yaay!”

  “N-NO PLEASE ANYTHING BUT THAT!”

  “Aaand the tape goes back. Don’t make a fuss! Anyone would die to have 3 cute girls do this for him.”

  But I’m not other guys…I can’t get attached to neither of them. I guess I can just let them do their thing for tonight…they just want to have some fun…at the cost of me suffering. I can bear that for tonight, I guess.

  And here we are, after carrying me like a statue upstairs, I find myself in the bathroom. The girls turn on the water and wash my hair like I’m a kid.

  “Take off that tape. He might suffocate from the water.”

  “How does it feel to have an idol wash your hair, Kaito?”

  Im blushing, but I try to keep my cool.

  “Not pleasant. Get over with your revenge and let me leave.”

  “Not so fast! Mai, give me the conditioner!”

  My clothes were already soaking wet. They get it over with, but next…Mizuki’s face burns with happiness.

  “Come on girls! Time for Makeup! Let’s do it!”

  “Yaaaaay!”

  Akane hesitates.

  “I’d rather stay out of this. I’m not using my brushes on him. You two do it. I have him as a butler for myself for the next 7 days, anyways.”

  “Okay, you’re the one missing out.”

  And so the girls decided to help me achieve the “ultimate beauty” via makeup.

  “Some blush, eyeliner…oh let’s also give him lipstick!”

  “Well isn’t he a cute bunch?”

  I was looking like a cross-dresser.

  Akane lets off a quick ‘pfft’. Then she takes a photo of me.

  If anyone sees that photo I'm as good as dead.

  “NOOO, DELETE THAT!!!!”

  “Not happening. Go change in your pajamas and prepare to be my butler, starting tomorrow.”\

  I was going to be flamed if anyone saw that picture.

  “You damn…ugh, fine. Whatever.”

  Akane looks very happy. Mai and Mizuki are cheerful. Everyone’s happy and they’re laughing. And I was looking like a full-time cosplayer who’s cross-dressing.

  I change into my pajamas and there come the girls, banging on my door.

  “WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!”

  “Just wait for it!”

  I get scared. What are they planning? Make me sleep on the floor without a blanket or futon?!

  They rush towards me. Akane pushes me on my bed. Mai puts the blanket on me. Mizuki closes the lights.

  “Thank you for playing along tonight. We know it wasn’t easy for you to get embarrassed by your friends. Just take it easy for now, okay?” said Mai.

  And just like that I went from a confused state, to a relaxed one. I close my eyes. I knew they wouldn’t put me through any other childish requests.

  “There, there…we know how hard you work, Kaito.” Said Mizuki as she was patting my head. “Start taking some time for yourself and rely on others more. Nothing bad is going to happen. We just played with you to help with detensioning.”

  It put me through a hell of embarrassment!

  It was soothing. And just like that…I fall asleep.

  The girls, all on the side of my bed, start having a somewhat deep conversation. Mizuki starts it up.

  “So? What do we think about the situation?”

  “It’s impressive that he can stand all of our daily shenanigans, which put him through tons of embarrassing and stressful moments. I for one, don’t want to lose him. But I don’t want to lose you guys either. I want to keep him close to me, as he was always there for me when I felt lonely. I love him very much.” starts Mai.

  “I can’t…bring myself to be honest with him. He was always the one who took care of me, every time something went wrong. I don’t understand why I keep being so mean to him. I’m too scared to not become invisible to him. I’ve had a crush on him since we were kids after all…but I never mustered up the courage to tell him that. I guess I can try and limit those cold replies I keep giving him…”

  “I’m new in his life…but I‘ve been watching him for some years now. His voice is so angelic while singing…I want to keep it all for myself. And help him with whatever trauma he went through. I can sense there’s something holding him back from acting genuine with us. He laughs with us and looks cheerful all the time…but there’s something else. And I swear to help him solve that.”

  All of them look at each other…and in their minds, they say: “So this is it…a showdown for Kaito. Let’s see who will be the one to win.”

  The girls leave the room and go to sleep.

  It’s the next day, morning.

  “Huh…yesterday was definitely a ride. But why am I all cozy in the blanket…I don’t recall…oh. The girls did it. Thank you for taking care of me.”

  The girls were all sleeping on the couch in the living room. All of them were smiling.

  “Wake up, everyone.”

  All of them look still a bit tired.

  “Good…morning.” said all three of them at the same time.

  I prepare breakfast for them while they are getting ready.

  “Come on, eat up! Pancakes time!”

  They all looked happy, their eyes sparkling upon seeing the treats on the table.

  “Thank you for the meal!”

  They all eat happily and after they finish, everyone leaves the house.

  Mizuki was fixing her voice, practicing her singing, while Akane and Mai were having a nice chat. I sit behind them and look relieved of any bit of stress.

  The road to school felt different. We were having fun conversations on their way. We laughed. It was…just a perfect change in my life. I am happy with these changes. I’m glad we live together now and have fun all the time. I expected it to be more…troubling. But it’s not.

  We reach the classroom and enter at the same time. We sit down in our benches and continue chatting.

  The class starts.

  “Alright students. As you know, we’re having midterms the next week.”

  We all look at each other. Mai, Akane, Kaguya and I. We all forgot about it, with our new daily life unfolding.

  “We’re…done for.”