Who Can Resist Nakano Nino? [199]

While Shirase chatted with Nakano Nino, things were far less peaceful over where Yukinoshita Yukino stood.

Because Nakano Ichika had finally played her trump card—she unleashed Yotsuba.

The sudden twist drew curious looks from Isshiki Iroha and Itsuki, who had been splashing in the water moments before. Only Miku stayed near the snack stand, leisurely buying drinks and clearly uninterested in the commotion.

“What’s going on over there?” Nino noticed the crowd forming and sat up on her lounge chair.

Shirase shook his head. “No idea. But judging from Yukinoshita and Ichika’s faces, maybe they’re negotiating… some kind of deal?”

“Deal?”

Nino’s curiosity only deepened. Before long, she was tugging Shirase along to go check.

As they got closer, Yukinoshita Yukino’s calm, cool voice drifted toward them. “You’re really challenging me?”

A challenge?

Shirase and Nino exchanged surprised glances.

While Nino wondered what kind of contest this was, Shirase’s inner voice was practically gleeful: I, Lü Ziqiao, live for watching girls fight.

“It’s not like I personally want to,” Ichika said quickly with a smile. “I was just curious whether you’re really as perfect as people say, so I suggested a friendly match.”

Yukinoshita gave a short, amused laugh. “Fine, I’ll assume you mean that sincerely.”

Then, tilting her head slightly, she glanced toward Shirase and Nino approaching from behind. “What exactly do you plan to compete in? The seaside park doesn’t offer many activities suited for that. Perhaps swimming…”

She paused deliberately.

Right on cue, Ichika replied, “Yep, swimming sounds perfect.”

Yukinoshita looked toward the pool, her tone turning crisp and analytical. “A standard pool like this is about fifty meters long and twenty-one meters wide. If lanes are divided properly, that makes eight, though the outer lanes need an extra half meter each. Since this isn’t a private pool and the right side’s already crowded, the left should fit four lanes comfortably. If you’re serious about competing, you can pick two more participants—your family has no shortage, after all.”

Ichika swallowed hard. Why does this suddenly feel like an exam?

Isshiki Iroha stared in admiration at the composed genius before her. Yukinoshita-san is amazing… so professional.

Then, sneaking a glance at Shirase and Nino, she felt a faint pang of jealousy before remembering Hayama Hayato’s advice. With effort, she took a deep breath and smothered it down.

“Is she always this serious?” Nino whispered, half impressed, half daunted.

“Technically, yeah. Yukinoshita’s knowledge covers almost anything,” Shirase said lightly. “But theory alone can’t solve everything—you need real experience too.”

His comment reached Yukino’s ears. She turned, smiling faintly. “Don’t forget—you still owe me a ‘Thinker.’”

Shirase straightened instantly. “Of course. Knowledge is important, after all. As they say, knowledge is power… knowledge is the snow leopard. Clearly, knowledge is priceless.”

Yukino smiled quietly, saying nothing more.

Nino frowned, poking his arm. “Why are you suddenly taking her side? And what’s this ‘Thinker’ thing?”

Shirase sighed. “It’s Ichika’s fault. She offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse. I agreed to be her ‘Thinker’—basically, her sketch model.”

“I don’t approve,” Nino huffed, cheeks puffing up.

“But she promised that, in exchange, you’d wear a maid outfit with garter stockings for me,” Shirase whispered into her ear.

What?!

Her face went crimson. How indecent!

Then the realization hit. Wait—Ichika used me as a bargaining chip?!

If you like that pervy outfit so much, Ichika, wear it yourself!

Nino clenched her fists, silently vowing to give her sister a piece of her mind later.

Yukinoshita’s earlier “professional lecture” had sounded calm and academic, but it was really a form of psychological pressure.

Even before sending Yotsuba to the field, Ichika was already sweating.

Just then, Miku walked up quietly with a bottle of matcha drink. Seeing the two sides squaring off, she slipped behind Shirase and Nino and asked softly, “What’s going on?”

“A competition,” Shirase said.

“A fight,” Nino corrected at the same time.

Nino shot him an amused glance.

Completely unfazed, Shirase amended smoothly, “They’re competing in fighting.”

Miku blinked, her cute face full of confusion.

“Nakano Ichika-san, you can begin warming up now,” Yukino called coolly.

She had clearly overheard their banter but ignored it, keeping her focus on Ichika.

“Oh, I already said I’m not the one competing…”

Ichika’s grin widened as she turned and placed her hands on Yotsuba’s shoulders, pushing the confused girl forward.

Under Yotsuba’s bewildered gaze, Ichika announced brightly, “I choose Yotsuba—she’s our ace.”

Yukino’s lips curved. “Her athletic ability is quite good, isn’t it?”

Caught off guard, Ichika dropped the act. “Yeah, Yotsuba’s really athletic. If our school had a girls’ soccer team, she’d shine on the field like Shirase.”

“No wonder you suddenly suggested swimming,” Yukino said lightly. “You’ve been planning this all along.”

Ichika coughed, trying to recover. Does she really have to be this sharp?

“Wait—what’s going on? Why am I suddenly competing against Yukinoshita-san?” Yotsuba, who’d been lost the whole time, finally realized something was wrong.

Ichika flashed a pleading smile. “Please, Yotsuba! You’re our only hope. If you beat the genius girl, you’ll become the new genius!”

Yotsuba blinked. The logic didn’t quite make sense, but it sounded flattering enough to hesitate.

Beside them, Nino covered her face, muttering, “Just because Yotsuba’s an airhead doesn’t mean you can lie to her like that.”

Her words hit hard—Ichika and Yotsuba both turned to stare at her.

At that moment, Yukino tossed aside her towel and began stretching. “Enough talk. Let’s get this over with. I hate waiting—and I hate wasting time.”

Ichika let the jab slide and went back to pleading with her sister.

Yotsuba sighed. “You could’ve just told me earlier. I wouldn’t have refused. But suddenly throwing me into this feels so unfair.”

Ichika clasped her hands dramatically around Yotsuba’s. “The fate of the entire Nakano family rests on your shoulders.”

Shirase burst out laughing. “You haven’t even started and you’re already pressuring your own teammate? That’s cold.”

“Yeah,” Miku added, sipping her drink. “Totally unfair.”

Ichika ignored them. Yukino’s calm, confident tone earlier had rattled her, but remembering how both Yukino and Haruno had toyed with her before, Ichika’s pride wouldn’t let her back down.

And Yotsuba—who was never good at saying no to her sisters—naturally agreed.

Once she finished her warm-up, Yukino turned and asked, “Who’s judging the match?”

“I’ll do it,” Ichika said quickly. “I’ve got nothing else to do.”

“No,” Yukino said flatly. “You’d clearly favor Nakano Yotsuba-san.”

“Huh? I’m not shameless enough to be biased in front of everyone!”

“That’s not guaranteed,” Yukino replied evenly. “You’re kind enough to go easy on family or friends without realizing it.”

“Eh…” Ichika faltered.

Her words stung, yet somehow sounded like a compliment, leaving Ichika unable to refute them.

At that moment, Nino spoke up clearly. “Then how about I do it?”

Nino was actually pretty interested in this so-called competition—and of course, she was firmly rooting for Yotsuba to win.

“You won’t do either,” Yukinoshita Yukino rejected her flatly.

Her gaze swept over the group. It lingered briefly on Isshiki Iroha before moving past her and stopping squarely on Shirase. “You.”

All eyes turned to him at once.

“If you say so.” Shirase shrugged and stepped forward.

Seeing he didn’t refuse, Yukino gave a small, satisfied nod.

By now, Yotsuba had finished warming up. Standing tall, her bright green eyes burned with determination.

If it were phrased in classic chuunibyou style, it would be something like:
I’ll stake the pride of the Nakano family—I absolutely can’t lose!

Since the slides and tunnels were busier on the other side, Shirase led everyone to the open left section of the pool.

He jumped in first, water splashing lightly around him. “Alright, listen up. Rules are simple—one round trip. Whoever gets back first wins.”

“Yes!” Yotsuba answered with full energy, her expression fierce and focused.

Yukinoshita Yukino quietly brushed back her long black hair and took position at the edge.
Even that small motion, done by her, carried an effortless elegance that drew the eye—following the line of her hair all the way down to her slender waist.

As referee, Shirase naturally had to “observe closely.”

Which, in his case, meant carefully comparing Yukino’s figure to Yotsuba’s.

After roughly three seconds of deep “analysis,” he reached a conclusion: Yotsuba had the edge in energy—and in the chest department—while Yukinoshita Yukino dominated in poise and those flawlessly delicate legs.

In short, Yukinoshita Yukino won.

Because by Shirase’s personal metric, appreciating a beautiful girl’s legs was the only correct way to judge.

Once the lanes were set, he gave the signal—and two lovely figures dove cleanly into the water at the same time.

On shore, the carefree atmosphere evaporated; everyone held their breath.

Both swam freestyle. At first, Yukinoshita Yukino took a slight lead, though not by much.

“Yotsuba’s got better burst power, but Yukinoshita-san’s strokes look more standard,” Ichika said uncertainly.

“They definitely are,” Isshiki Iroha replied with surprising calm. “Freestyle relies on arm pulls and leg kicks for propulsion. The body has to stay tight to reduce drag. Two kicks per breath is the usual rhythm—and Yukinoshita-san’s keeping it perfectly.”

Everyone turned to stare at her.

Nino shot the little Tamamo-no-Mae a skeptical look. “Since when were you this knowledgeable?”

Iroha smiled modestly. “You looked a little confused, Ichika-san, so I just thought I’d explain.”

“Thanks,” Ichika said, smiling back.

Iroha maintained her polite, gentle smile.

In truth, the second Ichika had suggested a swimming contest, Iroha had quietly pulled out her phone and looked up basic swimming theory.
It wasn’t too hard to memorize, and now she could naturally join the sisters’ talk and seem effortlessly competent.

Even if Nino viewed her as a rival, Iroha knew how to make herself look harmless—soft, approachable, and just a bit pitiful.

...

Meanwhile, Shirase, refereeing from the pool, saw the match far more clearly.

Yotsuba’s athleticism was excellent, but swimming involved many fine techniques that made a real difference in speed once mastered—and in that department, Yukinoshita Yukino clearly held the advantage.

The only real question was whether she had the stamina to sustain her lead on the way back.

Following their pace leisurely, Shirase swam nearby, admiring the graceful rhythm of two pairs of pale legs flashing through the water.

When both girls turned for the return lap, Shirase pivoted as well, his inhuman strength propelling him to the wall in a blink.

A slender, snow-white hand touched the pool’s edge right beside him.

Then Yukinoshita Yukino’s face emerged from the water—droplets trailing down her skin, her moist lips curving into a soft, confident smile. “I win.”

A heartbeat later, Yotsuba’s hand hit the wall too. She bit her lip, sighing inwardly. Just a little too slow.

Ichika quickly came forward and helped her sister out of the pool with a comforting smile. “It’s fine—it was just for fun. No need to take it so seriously.”

“It was for fun, sure… but I know you really wanted to win,” Yotsuba murmured, burying her face in Ichika’s chest and letting herself be held.

Ichika chuckled softly. She had wanted Yotsuba to win, but a loss was a loss. With this many people watching, excuses would only make it worse.

Back on the poolside, Yukinoshita Yukino caught her breath, clearly drained.

To her surprise, Nino handed her a bottle of mineral water.

“Thank you,” Yukino said, accepting it with visible surprise.

She wasn’t oblivious—among the quintuplets, Nino was the one who’d shown her the most open hostility.

“I heard you wanted Shirase to model for you?” Nino asked directly the moment Yukino took a sip.

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This is a fan translation of 谁能拒绝中野二乃呢？by 六花吖六花. Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!