"Let's see. Uesugi-san… Uesugi-san…"
It was lunch time and Yotsuba was frantically searching the hallways for Fuutarou. The groups for the class trip to Kyoto were to be decided by the end of the day. Yotsuba had been supporting Miku's efforts in getting closer to their tutor, particularly Miku's efforts to bake bread that she could offer to Fuutarou during the trip and use that as a means to confess her feelings. Yotsuba had promised Miku that she would get Fuutarou to form a group together in order to set up the perfect situation to get Miku a moment alone with him. At last, she spotted Fuutarou by the staircase talking with several other boys from their class.
"Hey! Uesugi-san!" Yotusba called out.
Fuutarou, Maeda, and Takeda all turned their attention to Yotsuba.
"Oh, Yotsuba. What's up?" Fuutarou asked.
"So, you know how we have to form groups for the class trip, right?" Yotsuba queried.
"I'm the class rep. We just went over all this yesterday. Of course I know," Fuutarou shot back, wondering what Yotsuba's angle was.
"Miku wanted to know if you wanted to form a group with her and I," Yotsuba further queried.
Fuutarou was caught off guard by Yotsuba's request, but he had other intentions for the class trip. He collected himself and gave his response.
"I'm sorry, Yotsuba, but I've already formed a group with Takeda and Maeda here," Fuutarou explained. A look of shock formed on Yotsuba's face.
"Eh?! Uesugi-san made friends?!" Yotsuba exclaimed.
"Of course I did, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to form a group with them," a peeved Fuutarou retorted.
"But wait. There's just three of you," Yotsuba argued. "Miku and I could still join your group!"
Fuutarou lost his patience and grabbed Yotsuba's ribbon.
"Look Yotsuba. 'No' means 'no'. Sorry," Fuutarou lashed out.
"Hora, Uesugi, you dumbass! Two of the class cuties wanna join our group and you're just gonna say no?! Are you kidding me?" Maeda rebuked Fuutarou.
"I'm in agreement with Maeda-san. You know what they say, 'the more, the merrier.' I don't see why Nakano-san can't participate in our group. How about we let them join, yeah?" Meada concurred.
Fuutarou lowered his head and clenched his face with his hand in frustration. He had wanted to use the opportunity of the class trip to compile a photo album as a gift in return for the birthday presents the Nakano sisters gave him, and to do that he needed the sisters to form a group of five to make it possible. Letting Yotsuba and Miku into the group compromised his plans. Suddenly, his thoughts wandered off to his memory during the camping trip last autumn when he and Yotsuba ran the test of courage. The idea of Yotsuba in his group was suddenly alluring; having been cornered by Yotsuba, Maeda, and Takeda, he also had no way out of the situation. Fuutarou raised his head, looking away from Yotsuba whilst covering his mouth with the hand that had been clenching his face, and meekly responded.
"Can't help it now, can I? I guess you're right Takeda. Sure. I guess Yotsuba and Miku can join our group."
Yotsuba's face beemed.
"All right! I gotta go tell Miku. She'll be excited that we're in the same group together!"
Yotsuba ran off back to the classroom having accomplished her mission, with Fuutarou staring in bewilderment at the sudden turn of events.
As Yotsuba gleefully strolled back to the classroom, Ichika intercepted her.
"Hey Yotsuba, come here for a second."
"What is it, Ichika?" Yotsuba asked as she followed her older sister into the nearby classroom. Ichika turned to face Yotsuba; her countenance was normal, yet Yotsuba couldn't help but feel uneasy about the smile on Ichika's face.
"I can't wait for the field trip, can you? Will this be our first time in Kyoto?" Ichika asked.
"We went in elementary school. Don't you remember?" Yotsuba responded.
"Oh, that's right," Ichika recalled "Is there anywhere you'd like to visit, Yotsuba?" she further pressed.
Yotsuba pondered for a second. "Everyone says it, but the temple, I guess?" she replied.
Ichika suddenly jumped topics. "I think the rest of our class is having trouble making groups of five, but that's perfect for us isn't it?" she observed.
"Haha, I guess we're lucky that we're quintuplets, huh?" Yotsuba humored Ichika.
"But," Ichika continued, "I wonder what Fuutarou-kun is going to do?"
Yotsuba was caught off guard. She could gather that Ichika had taken interest in forming a group with Fuutarou, but she had already formed a group of five with him.
"He's a third year, but I still don't think he has any friends. Nee-san is worried about him," Ichika further stated.
Yotsuba started panicking. "Ah, well… right… Uesugi-san," she stammered.
"Oh well. I guess we'll have to do something about it."
"Us?!" Yotsuba exlaimed.
Ichika's countenance took an eerie form. "We'll form a group of you, me, and Fuutarou-kun. That's good with you, right?" she asked.
Yotsuba froze. She was caught in an awkward position of holding her silence or breaking the news to Ichika that Fuutarou had already formed a group of five and that she wouldn't be able to join.
"Oh sorry. I've got a phone call. How about you handle it, Yotsuba?"
"Ah! Wait" Yotsuba called out. Yotsuba stood in place, as she started to fully grasp her tenuous situation. "What'm I gonna do?" she said out loud to herself.
That afternoon, as everyone gathered in the library for a study session, Yotsuba could feel the tension rising, and she feared sparks could soon fly.
"This is the first time we've all been here at once since the national mock exam," Itsuki observed as her gaze slowly fell upon Fuutarou.
"What's with the passionate gaze?" Nino quipped, catching Itsuki in the act.
"Whatever do you mean?! Let us hit the books! Quickly" Itsuki exclaimed, quickly trying to change the subject.
"Ah, but before we start," Ichika interjected, "Yotsuba has something to ask. About forming groups the class trip, I mean."
Fuutarou shot darts at Yotsuba.
"What do you mean you have questions about forming groups, Yotsuba?" an annoyed Fuutarou grilled her, having already discussed forming a group with her early.
The reckoning had come for Yotsuba, who had started to sweat bullets trying to find a way out of her predicament without hurting anyone.
"Ah… You see… Forming groups of five… But…" Yotsuba fumbled about.
Nino gathered that Yotsuba wanted to talk about forming groups for the class trip, and moved to cut her off, as she had her own ideas.
"Speaking of groups for the class trip," Nino interrupted, pointing at Fuutarou, "Fuu-kun, form a group with me. Just the two of us." Nino couldn't hide the blush on her face as everyone elses' gaze fell upon her. "I don't know what Yotsuba wanted to say, but this is what I had planned from the beginning. I want to see the sights with the guy I love, and Fuu-kun doesn't get to refuse."
Everyone was taken back by Nino's bold declaration. Itsuki came to realize that what Fuutarou had told her earlier about Nino and Ichika liking him might actually be true. Ichika felt defeated. There was no way she could overcome something so daring as Nino's proposal in order to get close to Fuutarou on the class trip. Miku was confused, as Yotsuba had assured her earlier that they had joined Fuutarou's group already. Yotsuba was horrified at the situation. Nino aggressively patronizing Fuutarou for his attention only made her difficult situation even worse.
"Hey," a shocked Fuutarou exclaimed, "Nino, you can't just decide-"
"You stay out of this, Fuu-kun" Nino asserted, cutting Fuutarou off. Miku, both nervous and confused at the situation leaned over and started to ask Yotsuba if she could reassure her they had actually formed a group with Fuutarou like Yotsuba promised. Nino overheared and turned her attention towards the third sister. "What, do you have something to say, Miku?"
"No." a defensive Miku responded.
"That settles it then." Nino concluded.
"Don't settle it." a clearly frustrated Fuutarou shot back. "Listen to me!" he pleaded
"I told you to stay out of this," Nino snapped back. "You just be grateful for the fact that you get to go on a date with me! Got It?!"
"I already formed a group of five," Fuutarou announced. "Yotsuba asked before anyone else did, so my group is Yotsuba, Miku, and two other guys from our class. Sorry."
Everyone's gaze now fell on Yotsuba and Miku in astonishment. Yotsuba could tell that certain gazes from her sisters were definitely of hot displeasure. She tried to diffuse the situation.
"Ah, but… What if I dropped from the group, Uesugi-san? Then Nino… Even Ichika if she wanted… but then…"
"That wouldn't make enough room for everyone to join." Fuutarou interrupted.
"Then, if I talked to Takeda-san and Maeda-san… Maybe…" Yotsuba tried to propose.
Fuutarou had caught on that Yotsuba was once again trying to sacrifice herself out of the group, and he wasn't about to let his school trip plans change yet again in the very same day.
"We're not changing the groups again. That's final. Now, let's study." Fuutarou asserted. The sisters realized that Fuutarou had little patience to further discuss the matter and quickly fell in line to quietly study. As they silently jotted down their work in their notebooks, looks were being shot across the table towards various individuals. Some out of suspicion, some out of envy. Fuutarou himself couldn't help but be concerned about how things stood between his friends. He knew Nino would take it hard. She had been aggressive in her advances towards him ever since she confessed to him, and it was a fight to get her to stand down. He wondered about Ichika as well. Yotsuba brought it up about her joining his group as well, and there was the fact of what 'Miku' had told him earlier about the way Ichika felt towards him. Not once though had Ichika every approached him directly about these things, and he was troubled by it. At some point, he ceased to think about these things. Miku was also part of his group too. There was that incident during their vacation at the she try something during the class trip too? How would things change if something did happen?
"No point in worrying about this. Hopefully by the time the trip rolls by, this will all blow over." Fuutarou concluded to himself.
Yotsuba, meanwhile, felt awful throughout the remainder of the day. She knew Ichika and Nino had also wanted to join Fuutarou's group for the class trip to Kyoto. She felt as if she had pulled a fast one over her sisters. Furthermore, she and her sisters were entering strange territory by participating in a group event where they all wouldn't be together. Yotsuba's thoughts started dwelling on her mother's old saying. As the sisters started heading for home, Yotsuba called out to Ichika to apologize. Nino was a different story, but Yotsuba felt directly responsible for betraying Ichika.
"Ichika, I'm sorry." Yotsuba cried out.
Ichika put on the best looking smile and actress of her caliber was capable of and turned to face her sister.
"What are you apologizing, Yotsuba-chan?" she responded.
"I should have told you I formed a group with Uesugi-san. It feels like I pulled a fast one on you, especially since it seemed you really wanted to be in a group with him."
"It's ok. Really." Ichika said as she turned back around. "You should enjoy your class trip with Fuutarou-kun and Miku-chan." she assured Yotsuba. Yotsuba felt uneasy about the smile Ichika wore, and she could not help but notice that Ichika's hand had clenched into a fist as well.
The next day, as the groups split off during home room to determine class leaders, Nino found her gaze falling on Yotsuba.
"Nino. Who do you think should act as our group leader?" Itsuki asked.
With Yotsuba having foiled their preferred plans, Nino, Ichika, and Itsuki had formed a group as a backup plan because their friends had already formed up in groups without them. Nino's gaze would occasionally fall on Yotsuba. Ichika was internally panicking. Miku being in a group together with Fuutarou spelt absolute disaster for her. She had planted a lie in Fuutarou's head that suggested Miku wasn't interested in him, but if Miku attempted anything with Fuutarou (and the odds were certain that she would try something during a class trip), she would be exposed and her standing with Fuutarou would suffer as he wouldn't be able to trust her after discovering her sinister lie. Ichika's mind raced trying to come up with an answer to her seemingly impossible situation.
"Ichika? Nino?" Itsuki called out. Neither Nino nor Ichika had realized how awkwardly silent their group had become. Itsuki herself became troubled by their behavior and began wondering if things would be alright.
Meanwhile, in Fuutarou's group Maeda didn't waste any time getting into the important matter.
"So, Who's gonna be the leader?" he belted out.
"Who else but I?" Takeda vainly declared.
"Oh! I vote Uesugi-san!" Yotsuba shouted out.
"Wait. Why me?!" Fuutarou gasped.
"Then… I vote Fuutarou as well." Miku concurred with Yotsuba.
"Sounds good to me. Guess Uesugi is our leader." Maeda consented.
"Seriously, why does it have to be me?!" Fuutarou demanded.
Yotsuba had occasionally lost herself in the banter with her group as they planned things out for the trip. She wanted to look forward- to the fun time they would have exploring Kyoto and to Miku hopefully confessing her feelings to Fuutarou. Most importantly she was hoping to see Fuutarou himself smile, just like that time before. But she couldn't help but look back and catch glances of her sisters as they planned things out in their group as well. She could not shake the feeling of guilt she felt over the present situation, and the mood at home had become noticeably worse. Itsuki, at one point caught Yotsuba glancing back at him.
Yotsuba had been on Itsuki's mind leading up to the trip. Ever since Yotsuba had told her that she was the girl Fuutarou had met in Kyoto six years ago and forced her to take on the persona of 'Rena,' Itsuki had been paying closer attention to her sister. In spite of the fact that Yotsuba insisted she would not tell Fuutarou, Itsuki could tell that Fuutarou still mattered much to her and that the memory still weighed on her mind in some way. She wanted to help herself, to make Fuutarou remember who the girl was, but she could not figure out a way to do so that would not also be a betrayal of Yotsuba's trust.
Several days later, Itsuki found herself once again contemplating the subject of what to do about Yotsuba as she stared at the bag containing the outfit of 'Rena' in her bag. Without notice, Yotsuba had entered the room.
"Huh? It's just you, Itsuki? Hmm… Did you just put something in your bag?" Yotsuba asked, as she had been wandering the apartment looking for her sisters. Itsuki quickly covered the bag in a panic.
"Yes?! I was just preparing for the trip, that's all" Itsuki hastily responded.
"I see. That is coming up soon." Yotsuba observed as her mood suddenly turned south. "Things have been kind of awkward between us lately." She further added.
"Indeed." Itsuki responded.
"It was a bad idea to join Uesugi-san's group without talking to everyone after all. It really is my fault." Yotsuba lamented.
"Yotsuba, you requested to join Uesugi-kun's group on behalf of Miku, did you not? You're not being fair to her." Itsuki pointed out, trying to reassure Yotsuba. "Everyone had a fair opportunity to join Uesugi-kun's group. You just happened to be the one to seize on your opportunity. You have every right to enjoy your time with Uesugi-kun, Yotsuba." Itsuki further argued.
Yotsuba stared off somewhere else.
"Is that so?" she sullenly mumbled.
Itsuki pondered for more answers, as she felt she was failing to lift Yotsuba's spirits. Suddenly, Itsuki came upon an idea that she felt would be able to please everyone.
"That's it!" she exclaimed. "Yotsuba, what if, as the leader of our group, I coordinated with Uesugi-kun, and both of our groups moved together as a single unit during the class trip? That way we will all be able to be together even if we can't be in the same group."
Yotsuba perked up at the idea.
"I see. I never thought about that! Itsuki, can you make it happen?" Yotsuba excitedly asked.
"Yes. In fact, I'll probably be seeing Uesugi-kun soon and will be able to talk to him about it then. I'm going to do some shopping later for the class trip, and Raiha-chan texted me to say that she would take Uesugi-kun to the same mall I would be shopping at at the same time." Itsuki explained.
"Raiha-chan?!" Yotsuba exclaimed.
"Yotsuba, would you care to join me to go to the mall?" Itsuki asked. Yotsuba nodded in excitement. Any time Raiha, Fuutarou's little sister, was involved, Yotsuba had always perked up.
"I should go see if I need to buy anything for the trip since I'll be going to the mall" Yotsuba beamed as she rushed off elsewhere. Yotsuba was now in much higher spirits than her previous despondent attitude she had been exhibiting earlier. Itsuki couldn't help but crack a smile.
"It's much better when you're like this after all," Itsuki observed.