Isanari and Fuutarou had made it back home in the dead of night. Expecting to see only Raiha, they were surprised to see that she had company from a repeating guest.

Fuutarou:"...Why're you in my house?"

Itsuki:"Ah."

Itsuki puts something behind her back as she sees Fuutarou. Fuutarou notices this.

Raiha:"Big bro, dad, welcome back. You guys are really late."

Isanari:"We were just having some boy's talk. Nice to see you visit, Itsuki-chan."

Itsuki:"I apologize for the intrusion, Father."

Fuutarou:"Don't apologize. Just leave."

Raiha:"Don't be so rude!"

Fuutarou:"So, what are you here for?"

Itsuki:"For this."

Itsuki pulls out an envelope.

Itsuki:"Yotsuba said she couldn't recall giving one to Uesugi-kun. This is an invitation to the school festival. Coupons for free or discounted services are included, so it's very handy to have."

Isanari:"Oh, now that's helpful, thanks!"

Raiha:"How could you forget something so important, big bro? Say thanks to Itsuki-chan."

Fuutarou:"...Thanks…"

Isanari:"We're looking forward to the school festival as well...By the way, Itsuki-chan, nothing weird happened?"

Itsuki:"Huh? Um...I can't think of anything…"

Fuutarou:"What are you going on about, pops?"

Isanari:"It's already dark out. A girl walking home alone would be worrisome. Hey, make sure you walk her back properly, Fuutarou."

Raiha:"Curry's ready!"

Itsuki:"I-I'll gladly have some!"

…

Fuutarou:"...Did we make you wait for a long time?"

itsuki:"Haha, it wasn't too bad...It was nice talking to Raiha-chan. Were you busy?"

Fuutarou:"Hm, I was just talking to my dad after I came back from…"

Itsuki:"Huh?"

Fuutarou:"After I came back from the aquarium."

Itsuki:"...I see, so Miku did ask you out."

Fuutarou:"H-How do you know that!?"

Itsuki:"Ah. Well, I asked Miku a couple days ago about her dream. She said that she was going to tell you what her choice was."

Fuutarou:"Her choice…"

Itsuki:"I just need to check the rest…"

Fuutarou:"Eh? Oh, that's right. Did you also want some help with homework or something?"

Itsuki:"What do you mean?"

Fuutarou:"You had a piece of paper with you. I assumed it was an assignment."

Itsuki:"Eh...Right...I guess I should be honest too."

Itsuki stops and takes out a piece of paper.

Itsuki:"...Well, I got my university exam prospect score…"

Fuutarou:"Oh, that's good. Nino's and...Miku's scores were great…"

Itsuki:"...Yeah. Well, I…"

Itsuki shows hers, in which Fuutarou sees the grade is a "D"."

Itsuki:"I-I'm sorry! I wanted to tell you before, but I was too scared!"

Fuutarou didn't respond. When Itsuki saw his face, it wasn't one of disappointment, rather one of someone whose mind was somewhere else.

Itsuki:"E-Even so, I will not be giving up on my target university! I'm determined to forgo the school festival to do my best! I will become like my mother!"

Fuutarou:"...I'm counting on you...It'll be a problem if you didn't get in, I suppose...I wonder if I failed you girls in some cases. A part of me believes what I've done is meaningless..."

Itsuki:"That's not true."

Fuutarou:"..."

Itsuki:"Would you consider the time you spent with Ichika, who wants to be an actress, or Miku, who wants to be a chef, to be meaningless?"

Fuutarou:"No, of course not."

Itsuki:"We're not simply teachers and students anymore. Ichika, Miku...We all think the same. Uesugi-kun, even if failure is what awaits us, none of us will have any regrets about our school and especially about meeting you."

...

Fuutarou:[None of this was meaningless...Just because we won't be together forever...These days were important. I suppose...Next is my turn, whether I like it or not…]

Itsuki:[I need to give everyone my support…]

Itsuki looks at Fuutarou.

Itsuki:[But I can't let that stand by without a conclusion…]

…

…

The day before the festival

Itsuki:"I gave Uesugi-kun the invitations."

Yotsuba:"Thanks! I guess I was too busy, ahaha!"

Itsuki:"Just don't overwork yourself."

Yotsuba:"I'll keep it in mind."

Itsuki:"...Yotsuba…"

Yotsuba:"What's up?"

Itsuki:"We need to talk."

...

Fuutarou:"You seem out of it, Nino."

Nino:"Huh!? No, I'm just worrying about the food stall, duh!"

Fuutarou:"Ichika will be here, don't worry."

Nino:"Geh! Don't assume things, Fuu-kun!"

Fuutarou:[I suppose she would be the best person to ask…] "Say, Nino. Why do you want your sisters to stay together forever?"

Nino:"...Are you giving up on Ichika?"

Fuutarou:"Not yet...Rather, I wondered about that yesterday after some things happened."

Nino:"I'll tell you if you tell me what you thought of."

Fuutarou:"...I'm not sure I know the full answer to that yet...But, I believe it has something to do with how comfortable I've gotten with this lifestyle...Sure, there are a bunch of painful and annoying parts. But, as we get closer to graduation…"

Fuutarou stopped talking. He was trying to find the words, but he couldn't force them out.

Fuutarou:"I don't know how to explain it."

Nino:"...That's okay, I didn't actually think you'd answer so sincerely."

Fuutarou:"Huh!?"

Nino:"But, since you did do that...I don't know how to explain it either...I've always been with them...We've been together all this time...As much as I love them, and as much as they've improved, I don't know how to move forward without them…Obviously, I don't think we should share everything…"

Nino gave a look to Fuutarou, who decided to ignore it.

Nino:"Our mom left us when we were kids, our dad is always busy...It's always been up to us to comfort each other..."

Fuutarou:"...That reminds me, did you send him an invitation?"

Nino:"Yeah, but...will he really come?"

Fuutarou:"He better."

Nino:"Well...If he doesn't come, I wouldn't blame him...I mean, he has to deal with a lot, especially right now…"

Fuutarou:"That man's work sure is a pain."

Nino:"Well, it's more that he...Never mind, he'll just handle it."

Fuutarou:"?"

Before Fuutarou could make any conclusions, Miku came into the room where Fuutarou and Nino were at.

Miku:"Oh, Fuutarou."

Fuutarou:"Miku...Sorry for not taking you home."

Miku:"It's fine, it looked like you were worrying about something."

Fuutarou:[So it was noticeable.]

Nino:"Take her home?"

Miku:"Oh, we just hung out a little."

Nino:"Hmmm. Well, whatever. I'll just wait till Fuu-kun asks me out."

Fuutarou:"Why would I ever do that?"

Nino:"Excuse you!?"

Miku:"Oh, um...Could you give this to Yotsuba? It's our final plans for the stall."

Fuutarou:"Oh, right. Thanks. You guys sure cut it close. The festival starts tomorrow, you know.

Miku:"Sorry."

Fuutarou:"Well, I guess I should go tell Yotsuba."

As Fuutarou walked away, Nino looked at Miku.

Nino:"So, you gonna tell me any details?"

Miku:"Why would I ever do that?"

Nino:"Don't think you can use his words to get out of this!"

…

Fuutarou was walking towards the place he saw Yotsuba last. She seemed busy, so he assumed she still had to be there. He began to think about the sisters.

Fuutarou:[My answer...I'm scared to say it, aren't I? But I have to do it, or they'll be waiting for my slow ass. But it's not like they haven't made me wait, like how Rena is…]

Fuutarou stopped walking.

Fuutarou:[Rena...The supposed name of the girl who I met all those years ago...I had given up looking for her...Why? Was I scared to try and find the answer? Even though I had tried so hard before? But the story my pops told me put that name back in my head...It's not like it should be that hard, dammit! There's only five choices. In a test setting, that's a 20% chance of getting it right! It's not great, but it doesn't help that the person who did it refuses to tell me!]

At the thought of this, Fuutarou got a little mad.

Fuutarou:[That's dumb, that's really dumb! What's so hard about just telling me it was you!?...Unless…]

Fuutarou thought back to how Miku acted before she told him her dream.

Fuutarou:[Yeah, it must be similar to that...That same face...those same movements, I've seen something like that...It wasn't until I saw Miku do those things that they became clear...If that's the case, then whoever it was certainly has a reason to hide it...But there's a part of that that bothers me…]

…

Fuutarou:"Even if she won't tell me, I have to figure it out…]

He then began to ponder.

Fuutarou:[It's almost as if it's easier to pinpoint it...let's start with Ichika...Normally, she would seem like the obvious pick. She straight up said that it was her, however, her testimonies, how she was acting at the time and how she's acted since don't feel right. That girl...she did want to become an actor, but Ichika did become that with flying colors and Rena still wouldn't say anything...These past few months, Ichika has been in a rot. She's clearly regretted what she's done, to an unnatural degree...There's a part of me that believes her when she says we've met before, but everything else contradicts it.]

…

Fuutarou:[Then there's Nino. There's simply no way it's her. Ever since she...began to fancy me, she's been at the top of her game, trying to entice me the entire time. She truly is like a train that can't stop and won't stop. It's very hard to believe it to be her. There's also something else...Back then, she saw my photo from when I was young, the same photo I took with that girl. It's not like her memory is that horrendous. She mentioned seeing someone like that, but we spent a full week together, you'd think she would remember better. Not to mention, when I asked about it once I got out of the hospital, she said nothing. It's not like she liked me back then, she could have used that against me, teasing me that I was trying so hard to find her. And it's because she knows that it's impossible for it to be her. She would try to use that as a way to get close to me in these times...and even that would be my fault…]

…

Fuutarou:[Miku had always been the hardest to guess. She had her sisters' personas down to a perfect song and dance. It could most certainly be her, and I was convinced it was her at one point. But...that was me trying to give a reason to everything she had done for me...nothing more. Being with her all this time, seeing her highs and lows, it's just clear it can't be her. At the aquarium, those were her true feelings, that was the most honest I'd ever seen her. Her face during that time is something I simply can't get out of my mind...Her face was not the same as the girl's...That I can say with confidence.]

…

Fuutarou:[That leaves Itsuki and Yotsuba. Her using the name Rena is what was most striking. It's clear that Itsuki has tried to become like her mother as much as she can. Her status in the family, the way she tries to assert herself. Even yesterday, she was going on about that. Is it really so out there that she would use her mother's name? There's also the promise of both of us getting better grades...I can't forget that, that was my main motivation to study and study. I could see her not wanting to come clean due to that. Due to her low grades, she would believe she'd be failing both her mother and me. However...It would also make sense that she would try and comfort me in order to give me a push, like perhaps her mother would have done. I was certainly in a weird place back then. I suppose it would make sense...But there's one small thing that bothers me…]

…

Fuutarou:[The charm. Back when she gave it to me, she said I should open that when I could acknowledge myself. But I was never able to do that due to the charm falling to the bottom of the river. But that's just the thing! Why would she give me, what I assume to be a hint to who she is, while not wanting me to figure it out right there? Was she just toying with me? Or...was she doing it for someone else? Was she trying to tell me it was someone else? That she just used her mother's name in an attempt to act like her? But then, that would just leave...Yotsuba...All the sisters have had moments where they've kept something. Ichika during Kyoto, Nino is currently acting that way with something in relation to her father, Miku...back then, Itsuki while she knew about Ichika's status...Yotsuba is no different. She's acted like that as well, despite being this happy go lucky gal who you'd think wouldn't back down, she's also acted just like that. Her worse grades than anyone else, wanting her family to go ahead of her. Despite seemingly not hiding anything, she's the one who's tried to keep something hidden. Even when she told me about her middle school, there was a part that seemed like she was hiding part of the story. If that's the case, would it be possible for Itsuki, dressed like that, to try and give me that push towards her? Although that brings up the question, how would Itsuki come to know if Yotsuba had tried so hard to not tell me?] "Oh, right! The plans for the stall!"

Fuutarou finally began to walk towards the room once again. While he was still a little far, the room he was going to had two people inside.

…

Itsuki:"You need to come clean. I've done everything Icould to clue Uesugi-kun in! I...I can't keep lying to him like this!"

Yotsuba:"And who told you to do that!? Why don't you just leave it alone!?"

Itsuki:"Miku has been open about herself! The shy, introverted Miku. Isn't it time for you to do the same?"

Yotsuba:"I'm not Miku! I can't do the same things she has!"

Itsuki:"If you keep hiding it from him, you'll both regret it."

Yotsuba:"Why do you care so much about this!? but you let Ichika do her thing without much trouble!?"

Itsuki:"That was my fault! I should have told everyone! Are you telling me to let him know it was you?"

Yotsuba:"If you do that, I'll hate you!"

Itsuki:"...I…"

Yotsuba suddenly began to run out of the room with Itsuki following behind. As soon as Yotsuba had opened the door, Fuutarou had turned the hallway to see Itsuki giving chase. Fuutarou didn't go to check what was happening. Even though he wasn't aware of the conversation that took place, the only thing on Fuutarou's mind was that his hypothesis must have been closer than he thought.

Fuutarou:"Could that be…?"

…

…

The next day was the start of the school festival.

End of Chapter 49