Chapter 7
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Wait, does anyone
Pay attention to this part
Of every chapter?
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Yes?
Okay I'll try again.
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A dark, empty world
One that's without your presence
Please come back to us
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Nakano Yotsuba watched over Fuutarou as he lay on the sofa, clutching a three-leaf clover in her hand. He was twitching and writhing around, but he refused to open his eyes, as if he was caught in a nightmare.
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"Uesugi-san...he looks like he's in a lot of pain."
Miku stood in the corner. "He said he heard...voices."
"Voices? What kind of voices?"
"I have no idea... he couldn't stop screaming."
"Oh no... poor Uesugi-san. That sounds scary."
Miku angrily bit her lip. "I'm going to get some air." She made her way towards the patio.
Yotsuba fiddled with the clover in her hand. "Could this be...?"
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The patio is nice
For feeling any light breeze
But I feel only -
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"Dammit, I'm over the syllable count again." Miku said, frustrated.
She had been standing out on the patio for quite an extended period of time, attempting to get her mind away from visions of Fuutarou in excruciating pain. As per usual, she grabbed her notebook to jot down some Haikus as well, but not only was the practice ineffective at relaxing her nerves, she was unable to think clearly enough to write a proper one.
"Fuutarou..."
Miku put her notebook down on the patio floor and pulled her headphones back from her neck up to her ears. She thought listening to music would be another way to quell her anxiety.
She clicked "Shuffle."
Miku bounced genres: from classical to pop music to lo-fi. It helped but whenever the song transitioned to the next, that momentary lapse of silence was enough to jerk her thoughts back to the boy she loves.
AHHHHHhhHhHhhhhHHhHhhhhhHhHh
She couldn't hold back anymore. She pulled her headphones back down.
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Nakano Miku started bawling on her apartment's patio.
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"MIKU!"
The voice of her sister rushed to her aide and pulled her into a tight, but comforting hug. "Miku, I'm here. It's okay."
"Y-Y-Yotsuba!" Miku managed to say despite her exasperated sobs. "Fuutarou...he was in so much pain."
"It must've hurt seeing him like that, huh?"
"Yeah... it did. A lot."
A brief moment of silence occurred between the two as Yotsuba allowed her sister to continue crying.
"I know where Uesugi-san is coming from..."
Miku looked up and wiped her eyes, visibly confused. "Yotsuba?"
"I've... been hearing voices lately too."
Miku stepped back slightly. Yotsuba's face was uncharacteristically serious. It reminded her of Yotsuba in the bath.
"They're very faint, but I always hear three distinct voices. I swear I've heard the voices before...but I just can't tell."
Miku's breathing intensified.
"I wonder if Uesugi-san hears those same voices..."
"I guess," Miku composed herself enough to speak. "I guess we'll have to ask him when he wakes up."
Another breeze made its way through the patio as the two stared each other down.
"Miku... it's always been just us two, right?"
Miku feigned surprise at Yotsuba's words. "Of course."
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Nakano Miku has a secret.
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Nakano Miku is one out of a set of quintuplet sisters.
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A few months ago, she had made a wish on a four-leaf clover.
Everything around her had changed. The world shifted and before she realized it, she and Yotsuba were twins.
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Uesugi Fuutarou, who had once been hired to be the tutor of the quintuplets, could only ever recall two sisters- presumably as a result of the wish.
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Miku had wished for a world in which she and Yotsuba were twins.
She had wished for a way for both of them to be happy- and this was how.
Without the presence of their three other sisters, Miku and Yotsuba could reach a true happy ending.
The new world looked favorably upon the twins. Everyone had forgotten about her three other sisters.
Everyone except for Miku.
Miku remembers her sisters every day, as well as the previous life that she had wished away.
She remembered everything.
She remembered the laughs shared.
She remembered all of the fights.
She remembered growing up with them.
She remembered how they had promised their mother that they would always stand by each other.
They were five fifths of one whole.
With one wish, Miku disregarded all of that.
"Yotsuba, let's go back inside."
"Aye aye ma'am." Yotsuba tried to reply with her usual amount of energy, but failed to do so.
A few more hours had passed. Fuutarou was still laid out on the couch, while Miku and Yotsuba had been by his side the entire time, each holding a different finger on his hand. It reminded Yotsuba of something.
"Do you remember the twin game?" Yotsuba asked.
"The twin game...?" Miku looked confused
"The game where one of us assigns a finger with our names and the other has to guess which finger they're holding up?"
"Oh...right the twin game."
Miku thought to herself. I only know the quintuplet game- also it doesn't sound like much fun if there's only two of us going back and forth.
"Well, do you wanna play?" The short-haired girl asked, her ribbon bobbing in tow.
"I think I'll pass..."
"Boo, you're no fun."
There's no way Yotsuba would remember our other sisters right? Ichika, Nino, Itsuki...those three voices she heard. They couldn't be-
Miku blocked out the remainder of her thoughts. "Yotsuba, do you think you can watch over Fuutarou for now? I need to go outside."
"Are you going to cry again? Are you sure you don't want me there?"
"No, no... I'm not going out on the patio. I'm going somewhere else."
Yotsuba frowned. "Can you at least tell me where you're going?"
"I...I can't do that. I'm sorry."
"...I see... well, I guess it can't be helped. Just make sure you bring your phone with you and I'll text you once Uesugi-san wakes up."
Miku quickly hugged Yotsuba and sprinted out the door.
She was only able to sprint for about 10 seconds.
Yup, that seems about right. I need to work on my stamina- like a true samurai.
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Nakano Yotsuba was spending alone time with her boyfriend, who remained suffering on the sofa.
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Even now, she's not sure why she agreed to this relationship with Fuutarou and her own sister. To her, the concept sounded interesting and, like the "yes girl" that she is, she happily joined in on the fun.
She does truly love Fuutarou, but she was more than willing to give him up for Miku's sake.
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Nakano Yotsuba knows that her sister has been in love with Uesugi Fuutarou.
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Yotsuba could see why.
Fuutarou may have been egotistical and antisocial, but he was also surprisingly kind and really cared about those closest to him.
He had a warmth unlike any other, and as much as he liked to push people away, he had a certain magnetism that still drew them towards him.
They had only ever gotten a few moments alone together, but those moments were enough to jump-start Yotsuba's love for the boy.
She smiled her most genuine smiles around him. Yotsuba knew that everyone saw her as the happy-go-lucky type, but the truth was:
She was never truly happy.
She hid a certain loneliness behind a mask of smiles.
Maybe it was because she realized that she was a pushover.
She realized that people took advantage of her good nature.
She accepted all of this, refusing to say no to anyone who asked for her help.
Yotsuba felt like she was just getting dragged around, with no control over her own self.
She felt powerless.
But when Fuutarou became their tutor, that had all changed.
In one instance after he started tutoring, the track team had guilted Yotsuba into attending their training camp, despite knowing that she had exams to study for.
Along came Fuutarou, who told her to assert herself around them.
(There was one other girl...Yotsuba could barely make out the memory but she vaguely recalled a girl who dressed up as her in order to refuse the track and field team's invite. Oh, duh. That had to have been Miku...right?)
Fuutarou taught her that it was okay to say no.
Fuutarou taught her to stand up for herself and for her own desires.
She gripped onto Fuutarou's hand tighter.
"I love you, Uesugi-san. Please hang in there."
Fuutarou groaned, which caused Yotsuba to let out an elated gasp.
"Uesug-
"aah….aHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Fuutarou screamed out in his delirious state, clutching his head from the sheer pain.
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And just as quickly as it had occurred, Uesugi Fuutarou's hand fell back, his breathing halted, and he lay absolutely still.
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"Uesugi-san?!"
She brought her ear up to his chest.
I…can't hear anything.
The girl began to panic and desperately sought something- anything- to cling onto.
She placed her hand into her pocket, hoping to find the clover that she had put away.
"It's not there…wait, what's this?
In the clover's place, she instead pulled out a ripped piece of paper with the words:
Please don't forget five.
Suddenly, everything went dark around Yotsuba.
'What? What's going on here? Is this the Shadow Realm?!"
In the darkness, there was a flickering light. Yotsuba moved closer and closer towards it.
What could that light possibly be? It's really…shiny!
The light started to move closer to her as well. Yotsuba, in her curiosity, reached her hand out to try and touch it.
Is there something there?
Yotsuba squinted her eyes and looked closer. She barely make it out, but in that light, she was able to see a face that looked very similar to her own.
You... you're -
Miku was smack-dab in the middle of the clover field a few blocks away from their apartment.
Miku picked up another clover from the soil. "Three leaves... if I could just get another four-leafed one..."
Miku frantically searched for a four-leaf clover. "If I find one, I can wish for Fuutarou's pain to go away."
One after another, she picked up three-leaf clovers.
Darkness loomed in the sky over Miku, indicating the appearance of the night. "I've been out here a long time, haven't I?"
Miku shook her head and looked back down at the ground. "I can't give up now. Just a little longer..."
Her hands were stained with grime and green pigment. She was determined to find another four-leaf clover no matter what.
"Miku, what are you doing?"
She quickly turned around to the sound of Yotsuba's voice.
But no one was there.
"What the..?" Miku questioned. She stood up and looked around her.
There was nobody around whatsoever. She was all alone.
"But that was Yotsuba's voice..."
Miku shivered. She normally wasn't taken aback by any sort of horror element, but this had really creeped her out, much like other recent happenings.
"N-no! I have to find it!"
She shook her head and aggressively started picking out clovers from the field.
"Miku, what are you doing?" The same voice asked.
She quickly turned around again. Still no one. She yelled. "Yotsuba, if you're out there, stop messing with me!"
No response.
She turned attention back to the clovers, more determined to get this over and done with.
"Miku, what are you doing?"
That voice.
No one is there. Just ignore it. Miku thought to herself.
"Miku, what are you doing?"
Ignore it.
"Miku, what are you doing?"
IGNORE IT.
She picked clovers as fast as her delicate hands could pick. She was frightened and her thoughts were running rampant. The adrenaline was pushing her to continue picking faster than she could count the leaves.
"Why don't you recite a Haiku?" The voice sounded different this time. It was still Yotsuba's- only more menacing. It also sounded much closer.
"I'm waiting."
Miku felt tears welling up in her eyes. She was so scared. Miku screamed one out:
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"Please please someone help
I'm so incredibly scared
HELP HELP HELP HELP HELP"
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Miku still couldn't think straight enough to come up with a proper Haiku, so she found herself repeating HELP over and over.
She didn't know what was going on.
What was this voice?
Where was it coming from?
Why was it Yotsuba?
Miku felt her gut clench. Her fear and anxiety had gotten her to the point of wanting to vomit.
Suddenly, the air stood still.
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What's going on?
The clover field was now completely devoid of sound. Miku found herself submersed in the tranquility, which helped slow the pace of her heartbeat. Be that as it may, she was still curious about the situation she found herself in.
She looked up.
Floating in the air were hundreds, if not thousands, of four-leaf clovers, seemingly dancing in front of her. She reached out to try and grab one.
The clovers dispersed and an imprint in the shape of Miku's hand occupied the space. She tried again.
She missed.
Every time she reached towards the clovers, they would all disperse, not allowing themselves to be touched by the frustrated girl in front of them.
Miku stood up and walked forward. She was still in that clover field, but the rest of the surrounding area was shrouded in light. The only thing that was visible was the green of the field and floating clovers.
And one other thing.
One other person.
As she walked closer, she could see someone standing in the middle of the field.
She wore a white dress and had long, dark reddish hair. A large hat sat atop her head.
She looked just like how she and her sisters appeared in their childhood, only older.
The girl looked straight into Miku's eyes and smiled. She recognized that smile immediately.
"You're... Yotsuba..."
She nodded and spoke: "It is very humorous - I could have been any one of your other sisters that shared the same face, but you seemed to have known immediately."
The stoic girl scratched her head as the girl that resembled Yotsuba continued to speak:
"Or perhaps you had guessed correctly because Yotsuba is the last of your sisters to even exist?"
Miku felt a sharp pain rush through her as she stared at the girl.
"Miku... You are half correct: I am Yotsuba, but at the same time, I am not."
"What does that cliched line even mean in this situation?"
She smiled very gently. "I am the Goddess Ceres, but I've been reincarnated into the body of your sister Yotsuba. I am most commonly known as the Goddess of the Harvest, but ever since I have come to Earth, I have taken quite a liking to your sister's love of clovers."
"So that means..."
"You can call me Yotsuba, Goddess of Clovers."
"That's not a very Godlike title."
Ceres laughed. "But it certainly fits your sister quite well, does it not?"
Miku chuckled. "I guess it does."
Ceres's face became a bit more serious. "I heavily apologize for frightening you, child. I could not bring you into this realm without going to those lengths. I needed your heartbeat to reach a certain frequency."
"There was probably other ways to do that."
"I would have used the boy, but unfortunately, he is still incapacitated."
Miku blushed. "How-how would you have used him?"
Ceres smiled. "The realm of the Gods is normally accessible to adrenaline-surged heroes or those experiencing bewildering romantic passion- it is achieving Nirvana in the purest sense."
"That last requirement didn't sound too pure."
"My child, the act of making love is the purest act in this world."
"And now I'll forever associate those words with Yotsuba's face."
"And her voice as well." Ceres tacked on.
"Not helping."
The Goddess smiled again. "Still, the reason I was reincarnated in this world was all because of you."
Miku eyed the Goddess curiously. She continued:
"When you wished for this world- a world in which you were born a twin- I was summoned into Yotsuba's body. So this version of Yotsuba, the one with me residing within her, only exists in this new world."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"It doesn't have to. This is only a fan fiction after all."
"Sounds lazy, but okay."
"Nakano Miku, I exist in this world to be the protector of you and oversee any repercussions from the wish you had made."
"What do you mean by "repercussions?""
Ceres's face became more serious. "As much as I would like to continue referring to this world as the "new world," it is really moreso a replication, incorporating aspects of the original world in an alternate reality. A world that I had created to fulfill your wish."
"So my wish... I couldn't change the world after all?"
"My child, if you could do that, you would truly be a Goddess."
"But Yotsuba and I were so happy with Fuutarou. All of that wasn't real?"
"An alternate reality is exactly what it sounds like- another reality, but not any less valid. Those memories with Uesugi Fuutarou and Yotsuba- they are real and they will continue to be real. But an alternate reality can only ever exist because there was once an original as well, hence the word "alternate." Did you ever realize why Uesugi Fuutarou and Yotsuba have been hearing voices?"
Miku shook her head.
Ceres continued, "Just like you may have retained your memories, theirs happened to be "suppressed." The memories of the original reality are desperately trying to pull those two back."
"So the original world I once lived in is making them hear these random voices?"
"They are most certainly not random. Those voices belong to three other girls with whom you share a special familial bond."
Miku sighed. "I think... I might see where this is going."
"For this alternate reality to work, I had to take everything that existed in the original reality, with the exception of your three sisters. I had to restructure a few memories and also had to make sure I stayed close to you, just in case."
"So that's why you're in Yotsuba."
The Goddess nodded. "Yotsuba is very much her original self. I've laid dormant within her and watched as she developed new memories here."
Ceres pulled her hand close to her face and stared at it. It started to flicker.
"Unfortunately, I am no longer as strong as I once was. Before I knew it, I could no longer hold back their memories of Ichika, Nino, and Itsuki. Rather...it is not that I was too weak to do it, but that the wills of Uesugi Fuutarou and Yotsuba were too powerful to suppress."
Ceres put her hand down. "I would hear the voices along with Yotsuba, empathizing with her pain each time they called out. She and I would struggle for possession of her physical being a few times- at one point, she possessed my Godly powers and wrote herself a Haiku on Uesugi Fuutarou's notepad."
"What about in the bath?"
"That was your sister taking over as well."
"You understand that your God powers have only been used to scare me? It's bad and you should feel bad."
The Goddess laughed and bowed apologetically before continuing. "I sympathize with this girl- she really loves all of her sisters. I am certain that you feel the same way."
Miku looked back down to the ground. "But if they were here, I'd never have a chance with Fuutarou..."
"You would give up your sisters for one man? it may be because I am no mortal, but that sounds rather foolish." Ceres asked, seemingly confused
"I just wanted to be happy... I thought Fuutarou could've given me that. But I would never stand out among my sisters... I mean, if they got the chance to make this same wish rather than me, I bet their lives would've been fine without me. They could've been happy with him."
Miku let out a tear. "I'm nothing but a nuisance."
Ceres frowned. She swung her hand and suddenly a flurry of clovers surrounded her. "Let us see...here is what we can do. With my power, I can create three more alternate realities. Would you like to see them?"
"Huh?"
Ceres grinned.
She snapped her fingers and the clovers surrounded Miku, whisking her away to another world.
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Goddesses abound
Curious, seeking knowledge
Reality shifts
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End of Chapter 7