It must be the author's specialty to write something with a predictable outcome, yet make it satisfying anyway. He has made this work for three volumes in a row, now.
Now that most of the Haruka family members are introduced, and since they're all mischievous to varying degrees, the two main characters (especially Yuuto) are under constant teasing attacks. However, the more troubling thing for Yuuto is that he seems to be making new enemies at an alarming rate. I don't think it's a big deal because he more than makes up for it by making powerful allies, too. It's like making an enemy of a 100,000 men caveman army, but befriending a general who controls the fully equipped high-tech 100 men special force. No offence to the caveman, but it's not a fair game.
The only Haruka family member not introduced until this volume is Haruka's (and therefore Mika's) grandfather (Akiho's father). He makes both a gentle first appearance as well as a thunderous one, depending on which one we're talking about ;)
Most of this volume has something to do with Haruka's birthday party, including Yuuto and Mika shopping for her present at, you guessed it, Akihabara. Party itself happens on a private island. Although I understand it's just a fictional comedy, the extreme richness of Nogizaka family occasionally bothers me. I think it makes perfect sense for people to have different status, based on their worthiness, but the scale is far too wide. Nobody in the world deserves to be that much richer than anybody else. The amount of pollution produced just to have that birthday party has got to be far more than I can produce in a year, just living my normal life.
At least Nogizaka family is full of nice people, if a bit(?) wasteful. Now, the rich AND corrupt, I really can't stand. Unfortunately for me, most rich people ARE corrupt, because that's how they got to be so rich. Talk about a disturbing set up.
