Yomogi

Cherie-san... do you want this omelet? I'm not really big on seafood...

Chieri

Yomogi, you were also avoiding the vegetables earlier, weren't you? You can't be picky about food!

Yomogi

Uh... I'm not in a position to be picky, but yet I am, I'm sorry~!

Raika

You're one to talk, Cherie, even though you hate konjac~

Chieri

What...!? Why do you know that?

Raika

Ahaha, gotcha~! The other day, I got some Chikuzenni, and only konjac was left!

Chieri

I-I don't hate it. I just don't eat it because it's all squishy and looks weak!

Shizuku

Raika, you're amazing. You can even tell what people like and dislike.

Raika

That's because we're family! I've gotta know what you like and what you don't.

Shizuku

Is that so... I don't know what food my family likes or dislikes.

Raika

I see... Well, from now on, try figuring out what we like and dislike! Let's practice together!

Shizuku

Yeah...

Miku

("From now on," "together"... She's really...)

Miku

Raika-chan, can we talk for a bit, just the two of us?

Raika

? Yeah... Then shall we go to the dining room door?

Raika

So, what's this about...?

Miku

It's about Shizuku-chan. And this morning.

Raika

This morning... Oh!

Raika

Miku, wake up, wake up!

Miku

Hm... Huh, Raika-chan...!?

Raika

Ms. Nanny is here. Come say hello with me, Miku.

Miku

Ms. Nanny... you mean Shizuku-chan's...? Huh, why me?

Raika

It was you who helped Shizuku so quickly yesterday, Miku! Come on, hurry up!

Miku

Hey... could you not drag me...!

Shizuku's Nanny

It's a pleasure to meet you. I am the one in charge of looking after young lady Shizuku.

Miku

(A classical maid outfit... In a normal residential street, it really stands out...)

Raika

Let me introduce ourselves. I am Raika, and this is my family member Miku.

Miku

Um... You came to pick up Shizuku-chan, right?

Shizuku's Nanny

No, I just came here to express my gratitude.

Miku

What?

Shizuku's Nanny

After parting with young lady yesterday, I have been quietly watching over her from the shadows.

Shizuku's Nanny

When we parted, I gave her a map with a temporary shelter marked on it. But young lady got distracted by a kitten she saw, and ended up losing the map...

Shizuku's Nanny

I gave her all kinds of hints from the shadows, but young lady didn't seem to notice any of them. I was at a loss.

Miku

(Then why not just help her directly?)

Shizuku's Nanny

When young lady began to doze off near a trash can, I was thinking I might have to step in myself, then you came and saved her.

Raika

Yeah...? No, no, it wasn't a big deal!

Miku

Raika-chan, is it really okay to say yes when you don't actually understand?

Shizuku's Nanny

I can entrust young lady to you with peace of mind. Please take good care of her from now on.

Raika

Yeah, it's our plea—

Miku

Please wait a moment! Are you really thinking about Shizuku-chan?

Miku

She got kicked out because of family circumstances, and now you're leaving her with a household of strangers... She's being pushed around by her family.

Miku

We were actually about to call the police yesterday. But do you know what Shizuku-chan said then?

Miku

Ms. Nanny, she pleaded for us to not call the police, so that you wouldn't lose your job.

Shizuku's Nanny

Young lady...

Miku

Oh, sorry. I didn't need to tell you that, did I? I mean, you've been taking care of Shizuku-chan all along♪

Raika

Miku...?

Shizuku's Nanny

You have only just met young lady, and yet you have thought this much for her.

Miku

...!

Shizuku's Nanny

You are absolutely right. It has been painful for us too. But this is a "trial that young lady must overcome."

Miku

Um, that sounds nice, but—

Shizuku's Nanny

Young lady needs to leave her "family." Right now.

Raika・Miku

...!

Shizuku's Nanny

With you, young lady will be fine. That's what my 70-year maid intuition is telling me loud and clear!

Shizuku's Nanny

Besides, I have looked into all four of your backgrounds and histories. And I have already received approval from Raika-sama's grandmother.

Miku

Huh!? You investigated all that in a single night...!?

Raika

Oh~! If you've already talked to Granny, then I'm good with it!

Miku

Raika-chan...!

Shizuku's Nanny

Her luggage has already been arranged to be delivered here, so please just receive it upon arrival.

Raika

Okay~! Leave it to me!

Shizuku's Nanny

How reassuring. Well then, as a small token of gratitude, please allow this nanny to prepare today's breakfast.

Raika

Thank you so much! Please come on in!

Miku

Hey, wait...!!

Miku

(Geez, you idiot!! Don't say yes when you don't even understand!!)

Raika

Why does this have to be kept secret from Shizuku? Ms. Nanny could have seen Shizuku before leaving.

Miku

More importantly, you do understand what this means, right?

Miku

It means we're going to look after some young lady in this house. And you just agreed so casually... Did you really think this through?

Raika

That face again... Miku, are you angry?

Miku

! I'm not angry... I'm just feeling a bit uneasy.

Raika

It's fine. Because Ms. Nanny trusted us enough to leave her with us.

Miku

(That's not what I'm talking about...!)

Miku

(After I leave, what will happen to her? Just left behind in the jungle of rare animals? That would leave such a bad taste in my mouth.)

Raika

I don't know the place where Shizuku grew up, nor the places where you and others grew up. But we're family, so I'm ready to protect you.

Raika

The rest is up to Shizuku.

Miku

(She really doesn't understand anything...!!)

Chieri

Raika, Miku! How long are you going to keep whispering!?

Chieri

This juicy ham, Chieri will take the last slice of it!

Raika

Huh! I haven't even had any yet!

Miku

Chieri-chan, you really eat a lot~

Chieri

Hehe, I could easily put another hundred slices of this ham into my stomach. Chieri's stomach is the strongest too.

Raika

Really~? I don't think that much would fit~

Chieri

It would! Very easily!

Shizuku

Raika, I will join.

Raika

Huh!? Shizuku, you eat that much too!?

Shizuku

? I mean the family.

Yomogi・Chieri

Huh~~~!?!?

Shizuku

There are so many things I don't know. Myself, my family... and this "family."

Shizuku

So I want to know about "family" first. And then, I want to be able to think about myself and my family.

Shizuku

That's what I want to do now.

Raika

Shizuku...!

Shizuku

Even with a reason like this, would you accept me as family?

Miku

*Sigh*...

Raika

Of course!! We're all on your side, and we'll be your number one cheer squad!

Raika

Because that's what "family" is!

Raika

Right? Miku.

Miku

We have to try hard~♪

Miku

(Well, it's you who have to try hard.)

Shizuku

Thank you. Then...

Raika

Shizuku? Why did you stand up?

Shizuku

Everyone, I am Shizuku Shinomiya. Please take good care of me from now on.

Yomogi

Sh-She bowed like a princess...!!

Chieri

Ch-Chieri can bow gracefully too, you know!

Raika

Please take good care of us too, Shizuku!

Miku

Shizuku-chan, you probably shouldn't say that outside~ People could get the wrong idea.

Miku

(Even her nanny didn't mean to marry her off to a place like this, right?)

Shizuku

Is that so...? I see. I'll be more careful from now on.

Chieri

More importantly, Shizuku, please think this through carefully once more. Are you joining the family, or the Chieri Union?

Shizuku

Um... I'm not allowed to belong to both?

Chieri

No, you're not! Now, please make your choice!

Raika

Shizuku has already chosen family, right~?

Shizuku

Maybe I should take more time to think this through...

Miku

Yes, yes... If transferring dorms is difficult, could you recommend a boarding house or something...

Miku

No... there's no problem with the room. It's just... the cohabitants...

Miku

Yes... It's my fault that I made the decision in a hurry.

Miku

Thank you very much. I'm sorry to trouble you, but I'd appreciate your help.

Miku

(Okay, I've contacted the real estate agent. Next is...)

Miku

...

Miku-chan, time to move~

Miku

Yeah, I'm coming~

Miku

Good work~

Miku

(The soonest I could move would be around summer vacation...)

Miku

(If she knows my current situation, I might get brought back before summer vacation...)

Miku

*Sigh*...

Shizuku

Miku?

Miku

Whoa!? Oh, Shizuku-chan...

Shizuku

You look tired. What happened?

Miku

Nothing. Hey, Shizuku-chan, that T-shirt really suits you~

Shizuku

Thank you. Raika dressed me in it.

Miku

Dressed you in it?

Shizuku

This is my first time wearing this kind of clothes, so I had no idea how to put it on. I tried it once, and then Raika told me I had it on backwards.

Shizuku

I was also taught that changing clothes is something you do alone. The world is vast, isn't it, Miku?

Miku

Yeah~

Miku

(Her nanny even helped her change clothes... Classic princess household...)

Chieri

Newcomer Shizuku, you were here!

Chieri

Come with me! I'll show you how Chieri works!

Shizuku

I'd love to go and see, but Raika told me to wait here.

Miku

Speaking of which, where is Raika-chan?

Shizuku

There was a visitor. She said she'd come back after dealing with—

As I said, let's talk properly one more time!

Raika

We're finished talking~! Now go on, leave!

Shizuku

It seems she's still dealing with that.

Miku

Hey, that person... She was also here the day I moved into this dorm...

Chieri

Hehe, you newcomers wouldn't know. That person is Suzuki-san, and she is Raika's father's subordinate.

Miku

Huh... So Raika-chan's father works for a music company.

Chieri

He is not just any employee. I heard that Raika's father is the company president!

Chieri

How's that for Chieri's knowledge!

Shizuku

Amazing! Cherie, you know everything!

Chieri

Yes, Chieri is amazing! You can respect me more!

Please face reality. No matter how you look at it, this is in the red, red!

Then wouldn't it be safer to entrust it to your father's company?

Raika

Entrust~? You said you would tear down the live house, didn't you!

Y-Yes... We will renovate it into a studio, but the spirit of the live house will be passed on, you know...!

Raika

An idol project studio and a live house, aren't their spirits fundamentally different~?

That... that may be true, but...!

Raika

In the first place, entrusting it to Dad doesn't even make sense!

Raika

This is our "home." And originally, it was Granny's live house!

She is your grandmother on your mother's side, right? I heard that from the president.

And your grandmother also said she would go along with whatever you decide, Raika-san.

Raika

So, I'm saying I won't give up our "home." Isn't that enough?

Raika

If you keep bothering me, I'll call the police! Police~!

P-Please wait! Actually, um... Oh, right.

The president is worried about you, Raika-san. He said his daughter is trapped by a live house in the red.

Raika

Huh?

And he said that if you are in trouble, as the president and as your father, he wants to help you.

Raika

Dad isn't that kind of person.

Huh?

Raika

I don't think he has ever wondered if I'm in trouble. Dad's catchphrase is, "I don't get you at all."

Raika

My voice has never reached Dad, not even once.

Miku・Chieri・Shizuku

...

Miku

(That girl... I guess she's not hopelessly naive about her family after all.)

Raika

So Suzuki-san, what you said just now was a lie! Too bad~ I'm not falling for it!

Seriously... you are really good at making that annoying look...!

Raika

You don't want to see this face anymore, right~? So you'd better not come again, okay~?

Yeah, I don't want to see that... But I will come again! Until I get this live house!

Raika

So persistent...!!

Say whatever you want. A shabby and empty place in the red like this, I know how to use it smarter than you do~

Raika

What'd you say~? You've never even seen a single "Nest" live!

No, I've not. Because it's not necessary.

Raika

It's definitely necessary! You can only understand the charm of a live house in a live show!

Raika

So please come see tomorrow's regular live! Once you see it, you won't be able to say you want to tear this place down!

Huh... I don't think it will make any difference even if I watch it, though.

Raika

You'll change your mind, definitely.

Raika

No, I'll change your mind! With our family's live performance!!

Miku・Chieri

Huh...?