Magnanimous

"Minamiya-san, you should also know. His behavior is really unbearable for me, no matter how many times I've said it!"

Homura was taken aback.

'I also know? Could it be about answering the phone? But isn't it aimed at me?'

As they looked over at him, Homura shrugged and didn't say anything.

Fumino nodded, understanding his unspoken message. This is a matter concerning Rizu's family. Although she herself said it was okay, it shouldn't be spoken by someone else.

Just now, Homura said a few things, mainly to reassure them that Rizu's father genuinely cares about his daughter and not to misunderstand that Rizu is not being cared for by her father. Otherwise, Homura wouldn't bother saying those things.

However, what Homura didn't expect was that Rizu herself was about to explode.

"My dad keeps an eye on my phone all the time. It's fine when it's Fumino, but when it's an unfamiliar number, my dad will answer it! If it's a girl, he hands it over to me as if nothing happened, but if it's a boy, he threatens them! Every time... countless times, no matter how many times I've said it, it's completely useless!"

"That scary?!" exclaimed Uruka, astonished.

Miyako and Fumino weren't any better off either. Although this matter could be considered big or small, for the person involved, this behavior was quite excessive! Even though there wasn't anything to hide from their parents, the feeling of not being trusted and not having privacy was still very uncomfortable!

Homura had nothing to say. He initially thought it was only directed at him, but he didn't expect it was about all unfamiliar numbers. Perhaps Rizu's father had memorized every phone number on her phone?

"Really..." Fumino felt her stomach ache even more! But Rizu herself couldn't do anything about it, so what could they do?

There was a moment of silence. Homura thought for a moment and said, "Regarding this behavior... it's definitely not right from the start. Since merely saying it won't work, we'll have to find another way to solve it."

He shifted the topic slightly, to avoid it turning into a denouncement of Rizu's father.

"Is there really no other way?" Uruka spoke up to Rizu. "How about carrying your phones with you all the time? As long as your dad has no chance of touching your phone."

After careful consideration, they realized that was the only solution. Preventing Rizu's father from having access to his daughter's phone, leaving him with no choice even if he wanted to answer it.

"You're right, I'll do that from now on, not giving my dad any chance." Rizu nodded firmly.

Homura silently mourned for her father. There was truly no one else who could be so vigilant against their own daughter.

"Okay, I've reached home." Rizu stopped and looked at the others. "You guys don't have to come over, or else my dad will start again."

Everyone was speechless. They knew it mainly referred to Homura.

"It's better to communicate more with your dad. Right now, he's protecting you as if you were still a baby. Once he realizes you've grown up, maybe he'll change?" Homura wanted to make another effort. It would be great if they could understand each other better as father and daughter.

Not only Rizu, but the other three girls were also pondering over his words. The more they thought about it, the more they realized how reasonable his words were.

Rizu's father's behavior was just like that of a foolish dad who had just welcomed a daughter. He treated her like a little baby, afraid of her getting hurt. Whenever she cried, her dad's heart ached. He wished he could be with her all the time, preventing any danger from coming near!

Fumino felt a sense of admiration. Despite being treated like that, Homura still wanted to bring Rizu and her father closer. It wasn't just about being generous; he even objectively analyzed the reasons behind this situation. Although it was only a possibility, the probability was quite high.

Moreover, this was something she hadn't thought of herself. Even though she had known Rizu for a long time and had interacted with her father several times, she hadn't realized this. Perhaps Homura had a better understanding of human psychology than she did.

"Ri-chan! I also think Minamiya-kun's words make a lot of sense. Uncle's protection for you right now is similar to protecting a baby. If you can make him realize that you've grown up and can protect yourself, maybe he will change." Fumino helped explain, fearing that Rizu might not understand his words.

"But... how exactly can I make my dad realize that I've grown up?" Rizu frowned.

Homura chuckled and clapped his hands. "You can think about that slowly. Maybe discuss it with Furuhashi-san and the others when you have time. Let them help you come up with ideas."

"Okay, Ogata-san, you should go home now." He continued, "I'm afraid that your dad is already waiting at the door with tears in his eyes."

The group of women had perplexed expressions, and their faces darkened. Had he really been tearfully waiting for his daughter like that before? It seemed like an extreme case of being obsessed with their daughters.

Now, all of them felt that what Homura had just said was likely the truth!

Rizu seemed to have imagined this scene as well. Immediately, a sense of helplessness washed over her. It seemed that making her own father realize that she had grown up was an arduous task indeed.

"Alright then, I'll go back. See you all later." Rizu bid them farewell.

"Goodbye. Just call me if you need anything." Homura said to her.

"Ri-chan, consult with us if you have any problems!" Fumino waved goodbye to Rizu.

Uruka and Miyako also said their goodbyes to Rizu.

"Haru, it's time for Ogata-san to go home." Homura reminded Haru, after all, she was still in Rizu's arms.

As soon as he finished speaking, Haru agilely jumped into Uruka's embrace.

"Oh~" Uruka caught her and smiled. "What a surprise, she came straight to me!"

Homura always felt that Haru jumped to people according to their 'weight class'.

===

"To be honest, I really admire you, Minamiya-kun." Fumino suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Homura asked curiously, "In what way? Manga? Circle activities?"

"Well, that's one aspect!" Fumino waved her hand, "But you're really not humble. You didn't even say—what's there to admire about me?"

"Saying that would be the biggest lack of humility, right?" Homura chuckled. "Clearly, I've already achieved this level. Being more humble would feel fake, you know?"

Fumino smiled and said, "That's true... what I admire about you is your magnanimity and understanding of people."

Uruka also became interested and asked, "Fuminocchi, please explain!"

"Minamiya-kun has also called Ri-chan through phone, right? So he must have received that kind of treatment from her dad. Yet, he didn't seem to care. Isn't that magnanimous?" Fumino explained.

Homura also laughed and said, "Let me give you an example. Suppose you find a litter of kittens on the street, and you feel fond of them and want to approach them. Suddenly, the mother cat jumps out, glaring fiercely at you and baring her teeth and claws. Would you hold a grudge against the mother cat for her actions?"

The three girls pondered...

It really was the same thing! Rizu and that example were quite similar.