…

Fuutarou:[My body burns…]

"Thank you for helping!"

Fuutarou:[Can I really do this…?]

"Can we get some help over here?"

Fuutarou:[Damn all these people asking for help…]

"Oh, what a mess!"

Fuutarou:[I need to drink water, or I'm gonna pass out too…]

"We've been waiting for someone to help us for a long time!"

Fuutarou:[I can't even drink a little before more people ask me…?]

"Aren't the staff taking it a little too easy despite yesterday?"

Fuutarou:[The hell is he doing, just sitting? This is the most crucial time to work…]

"What a line!"

Fuutarou:[It's almost the end of the day, but it feels like there's more people now than ever…]

"Excuse me? Are you deaf!?"

Fuutarou:[Why the hell am I doing this…?]

"Over here!"

Fuutarou:[There was a reason...wasn't there…?]

"We need help carrying this!"

Fuutarou[I wanted to work hard for the sake of someone…]

"Can't you work faster?"

Fuutarou:[No, I was just running away, wasn't I…?]

…

Fuutarou was frustrated. He believed he could handle this. He wasn't naive enough to believe he could do it with no problems, rather, he thought he could at least survive, in the same way he had done the previous day. But, the more he was asked to do something, the more contempt he would feel. Normally, Fuutarou was very stubborn, and while he tried his best to show that stubbornness here, he was still being overwhelmed. The last time Fuutarou felt something similar to this was during the sports festival, and before that, the national exams. But, whereas those came about from pure exhaustion, here, there was something else. Something that was holding Fuutarou down. Deep down, Fuutarou knew what it was, but he wanted to keep lying to himself. He would say that he was doing this for the benefit of others, but there was only one, undeniable truth.

He was full of regret.

…

Fuutarou:[Look at these people immediately calling on me to do work, despite most of them no doubt being wary of what happened yesterday...It's not that I care how I'm perceived, but it pisses me off when they're being blamed like that...I'm doing this for them...but even then, I'm still hurting them.]

Fuutarou begins to stumble, but he catches himself.

Fuutarou:[The moment I fall down, there's a chance I won't be getting up…]

As he's stumbling around, a couple of students notice it.

"Hey, he's from the safety committee, yeah?"

"Looks like he's not feeling well."

"There was a girl that passed out earlier today. The stress must be really getting to them."

The 2 students went over and tried to ask if Fuutarou was okay. Thinking that it was simply more people going over to ask him to do more work, Fuutarou turned towards them slowly, with terrifying eyes that looked like they were ready to kill.

Fuutarou:"What is it?"

The 2 students jumped back, clearly afraid of Fuutarou's glare.

"N-Nothing. We just got our answer."

They quickly got away, concluding that he must be fine.

Fuutarou:"...Crap, did I make a face during that? Even if I don't mean it, I should at least keep up the facade while I'm representing our class."

…

Elsewhere close by, two men were walking together.

Takeda:"The girl's stall finally closed for today. Two full days of nonstop work sure is excruciating."

Maeda:"Excuse you? I recall you posing most of the day yesterday."

Takeda:"I was the...poster boy?"

Maeda:"Sure...Anyway, you still did well, so I'll give you props for today."

Takeda:"You're finally starting to see my worth!"

Maeda:"Don't make me take it back."

Takeda:"R-Right. Well, it's time for me to relax as much as possible!"

As Takeda was about to leave Maeda, they noticed Fuutarou going back and forth, working. However, they could see that his face was far more exhausted and pained than before.

Maeda:"He's still going at it. His schedule must be worse than ours."

Takeda:"Doesn't he look kind of tired?"

Maeda:"Yeah, I want to help, but knowing that guy, there's no doubt he'll just turn us away."

Takeda:"Doing everything himself, huh."

Takeda was reminded of his father's plans. With some hesitation, he turned to Maeda.

Takeda:"Say, Maeda-san. Those quintuplets have been working hard, haven't they?"

Maeda:"Why bring them up?"

Takeda:"Just wondering."

Maeda:"Well, I can't speak perfectly for them, but I've seen the third and fourth sisters really giving it their all. The second and fifth sisters have always had this sense of leadership, haven't they? Hell, I originally wanted to ask out Ichika-san due to the amount of work they had been putting in. You're asking because of Uesugi, aren't you?"

Takeda:"Am I really such an open book?"

Maeda:"I'm flipping through the pages right now."

Takeda:"Oh, that's some high level speech!"

Maeda:"Don't make me sock you."

Takeda:"Right, sorry, sorry. Another question."

Maeda:"Second smartest asking a lot of questions today."

Takeda:"Just asking, if there was someone threatening your friends, what would you do?"

Maeda:"I'd punch them."

Takeda:"What a straight answer."

Maeda:"Why, someone threatening you?"

Takeda:"N-No, that's not it. But I guess...Maeda-san, I want you to punch me."

Maeda:"Why?"

Takeda:"Just do it!"

Maeda:"I don't want to."

Takeda:"Just do it or I'll share your embarrassing Kyoto secrets to everyone!"

Maeda:"Huh!?"

Takeda:"Remember your bathroom adventures? I sure do. I had to carry you!"

Maeda:"...Fine...Just don't regret this."

Takeda:"Don't hold back."

Upon redying himself, Takeda took a blow from Maeda. Takeda almost fell over but was caught by Maeda.

Maeda:"Feel better now?"

Takeda:'Much better."

Maeda:"You sure you didn't get dumber?"

Takeda:"That wouldn't be so bad, would it?"

Maeda:"Huh, why?"

Takeda:"Let's just say...I've decided to enter my rebellious phase. Wait, where did he go!?"

Maeda turned to see that Fuutarou was gone.

Maeda:"How'd you lose him!?"

…

Fuutarou:[I have to stay up...I can't...let them worry about me anymore...I can't worry her…]

As Fuutarou was stumbling, he happened to see a familiar stall, the pancake stall.

Fuutarou:"They should almost be done, I wonder if…not there."

Fuutarou stared at the stall before looking down and walking away.

Fuutarou;[That's normal...I have to...keep working...I can't…be selfish...]

Suddenly, he tripped on a wire and began to fall. He was bracing himself for the worst, but was confused when he seemingly became suspended in midair. He turned around to see two familiar faces.

Maeda:"Yo."

Takeda:"Not your brightest day, huh?"

Fuutarou:"What...do you want? I can't talk right now, I have to keep working."

Takeda:"So are we."

Fuutarou:"But aren't your shifts over?"

Maeda:"Yeah, but we decided to do some overtime."

Fuutarou:"Huh?"

Takeda:"Doing anything is a pain if you're forced to. That's why people need to inject fun into it to bear doing it."

Fuutarou:"I don't follow."

Maeda:"We're helping you, you idiot."

Fuutarou:"...You don't need to do that, I can-"

Takeda smacked Fuutarou on the head.

Fuutarou:"What the hell?"

Takeda:"I don't care what you have to say to us helping you, because I'll always answer in the same way...because we're friends."

Fuutarou:"..."

Maeda:"Don't be getting all sappy."

Takeda:"I know that was a cool line, but we really do want to help, and you're not stopping us."

Fuutarou was staying silent, reminiscing about something.

Fuutarou:[This feeling...it's something similar...Ah...I see]

Fuutarou smiled.

Fuutarou:"Honestly, you guys are such idiots."

Maeda:"Don't ask me to punch you to come to your senses, I've already done that."

Fuutarou:"I'm…"

He checked out Takeda's cheek.

Fuutarou:"...going to ignore that for now." [But there's probably something I can't ignore. Yeah, I've already gotten my wake-up slap yesterday. But me and my endless stubbornness went and tried to suppress my true feelings even more. Even though I was already lost, I pretended as if I knew where I was going. But that's no way to treat myself...nor them...I have to treat them like always...because they're my friends, both them and those girls.]

Fuutarou almost passed out again as Maeda grabbed him.

Maeda:"I don't know what you're going on about, but it sounds like you're making sense of something."

Fuutarou:"In terms of how I should act, maybe. The problem still lies with something else…"

Maeda:"Well, whatever it is, you better find it soon."

Fuutarou:"...Yeah...real soon. Takeda, why are you crying?"

Takeda:"Why, it's because you're opening your heart to us."

Fuutarou:"Surprisingly sensitive…"

Fuutarou cleared his throat.

Fuutarou:"...Takeda, Maeda. Right now, it seems like the amount of work I have applied for has exceeded my body's capacity. As such, since you're so willing, it would be in my best interest for you to join me in my work."

…

Fuutarou:[No response?]

Maeda:"That was the worst way you could have asked for help."

Takeda:"But we'll take it! One step at a time."

Fuutarou:"...Right, one step at a time. It's not good to rush...nor is it good to stop and pretend everything is fine." [Huh? It feels like some of my fatigue is gone?]

With that, the new team of three had been made.

End of Chapter 69