Chapter 6 —The Ones We Watch Over

Life moved a lot differently in the city. Compared to the quiet, temperate living in Tokai, the cadence of everyday life in the city was like a streamlined cycle. Everything and everyone was in a constant state of motion. Crowds would turn to hordes within the busy street intersections, walking in purposeful strides along hundreds—no, thousands of others. Buildings stretched far into the skies, eclipsing sunlight. It was a place that effortlessly dwarfed their humble city by almost a hundred times over, and that simply was no exaggeration. Here, these two were nothing more than two drops in an ocean. Two identical faces among a mass of others. One look at their aimless footsteps and gawking eyes gave away the fact that they were obviously not from here.

"Yo. Miku, Yotsuba." Fuutarou approached the two, one hand raised in a tall wave. They stood in a small plaza, past the thicket of the busier streets of Tokyo. "It's been a while. You two wait long?"

"Uesugi-san!" Yotsuba hopped to her feet. Her arms were lifted high above her head, welcoming him with open arms. "It's been so long! Look at you! You've really grown up!"

"It's only been about two months, Yotsuba." Fuutarou chuckled. "How have—"

He was quickly met with two arms wrapped tightly around his torso. Brownish hair pushed against his chest before he was met with dark blue eyes looking upward to him. "We've missed you a lot, Fuutarou." Miku smiled before letting go. "You really do seem a little bit different, though. A lot more... mature, I think."

"Like a real city boy!" Yotsuba exclaimed. "Look at you—Uesugi Fuutarou. A full-fledged Tokyo University student! Kind of has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Like I said, it's only been two months." He looked to both of them. "But, I've really missed seeing you guys too. Nice to see you two are doing well. "

"You really ought to do better to stay in touch!" Yotsuba exclaimed. She held the bright screen of her phone over Fuutarou's nose. "Look, you hardly keep up with us in our group chat. You respond like, only once every few days."

"Oh, that? I had to turn that off."

"What?! Why?"

"Because it would keep going off during lecture. You girls just talk, talk, and talk, and as I recall, you were the one who kept calling me when I was in class."

"Then come visit us back home! That way, there won't be any problems!"

"You think tickets from Tokyo to Tokai are cheap? I mean, of course I do plan on visiting sometime soon, but there's still a lot I got to get used to, living in the city and all of that. I'll probably see everyone during the next big holiday."

"Then," said Miku, "do you at least know anywhere you can show us around? Maybe somewhere we all can sit and chat? After all, we have a lot of time before the premiere tonight."

"Good idea," said Fuutarou. He took a look around. "Looks like it's starting to get a little crowded around here. This area isn't too far away from my campus, so I've heard of a few places students go to. What was it that you girls liked again? Parfaits?"

After a couple of streets and turns, Fuutarou, Miku, and Yotsuba found themselves seated by the outdoor tables of a passing ice cream parlor. A bright umbrella hoisted over their heads, striking the fine balance between the growing summer heat and the cool passing breeze. Three tall glasses stuffed with ice cream, drizzle, and toppings were present on the ends of the table. Plain vanilla with no toppings for Fuutarou, matcha chocolate with whip cream, a chocolate wafer, chopped nuts, and a cherry for Miku, and some sugar-clogged abomination of mixed colors and overloaded toppings for Yotsuba.

"You two really didn't need to go through all the trouble to come all the way to Tokyo," said Fuutarou. "I feel kind of bad. Are you sure Ebata-san doesn't mind driving you all the way out here?"

"Not at all," Miku replied. "Ebata-san's sister lives here in Tokyo. He's been saying that he wanted to pay a visit to her and his nephews, so he was more than happy to make the trip. Besides, there was no way we could miss this. I'm just lucky that my culinary school program doesn't start for another few weeks."

"If it's anyone you should feel bad for," Yotsuba added, "feel bad for Nino and Itsuki! They've been bummed out for days now, since they couldn't make it. They're just so tied up with all of their college classes. Why does Ichika's movie have to only premiere in Tokyo? That's so weird."

"Well, the director is an alumni of an Arts school here in Tokyo," Fuutarou explained. "The director is still new and making her debut, so she isn't quite large enough to be premiering in theaters all across Japan. That's why it's kept to some screenings at some of the local theaters. Apparently, Ichika's manager, Oda-san, went to the same school with her. He was her senior."

"Oh right, that. What was it that Ichika kept calling it...? Limit... something? Low limit movie? Limited time..."

"Limited Theatrical Release," Miku corrected. "It's also a thing some major studios do. They release films in only a few places to make them seem more exclusive and appealing. It's going to be the first major role where Ichika stars in. Up until now, most of her roles were kind of short, like a minor side character, or the girl who dies early in the film to introduce the monster."

"Yeah, she sure dies a lot, huh?" Yotsuba gave a nervous laugh. "I get so nervous whenever I watch those parts. I mean, who wants to watch their own sister die?! I almost panicked and called Ichika after the last time."

"It's obviously not real. Horror films nowadays are so low budget and cheaply made, you can't be convinced enough to get scared."

"That's easy for you to say, Miku! I had to sleep with the lights on for weeks after the last one. She acts in those kinds of movies way too much!"

"Ichika did mention once that she had to take up as many roles as she could get her hands on," Fuutarou said. "Said she could not afford to get too picky. Not anytime soon, at least. She couldn't even make this premiere because she's is all the way in Shiga with another shoot."

Yotsuba spoke with a spoonful of cream and candy scooped into her mouth, "Sounds like a lot of work. Hope she isn't pushing herself too hard."

"All the more reason we had to come and support her," said Miku. She scrolled through her phone, pulling up the poster to the film. It was a simple, yet tasteful design. Blown-up images and silhouettes of the main cast behind fancy, bold text and a vintage, grayscale noir-style filter with the only accented color being a deep red. "Even if it's a local film, Ichika's name is listed under 'Starring'. You can tell she's really been giving it her all. Back at home, she tries to not make it sound like a big deal, but we all know she's just trying to stay humble."

"That's what makes her so cool!" Yotsuba grinned.

Fuutarou leaned his face to his knuckles. "I'm sure Ichika is feeling really lucky to have sisters like you two supporting her."

"Don't exclude yourself, Uesugi-san!" Yotsuba pointed at him. Her face turned to a wide, cat-like grin as she pulled the spoon from her mouth. "She's also got you too! College life has got to be tough too, right? Nino and Itsuki have been stuck home studying for weeks now. They're even studying more than when you were our tutor!"

"Right." Miku nodded. "I'm sure Tokyo University is no different. You even told us you started a new part-time job near your campus, right? You must be busier than you've ever been. Ichika must be thrilled to know that you're watching over her, too, Fuutarou."

Fuutarou smiled. He helped himself to a cool taste of his simple parfait. It was a simple, yet pleasant taste. "Right," he agreed. "And the same goes for the rest of you as well. We're all close friends, after all."

Miku and Yotsuba exchanged a glance at each other, then smiled. They continued eating their parfaits, which had slowly begun to melt along the tall serving glasses, especially Yotsuba's toppling creation. After a while, Miku's eyes narrowed across the table as she cupped her chin. "By the way..." she said. She continued to look down across the table, to where Fuutarou sat with the long spoon clasped in his lips. His golden eyes formed to a puzzled look, as one brow lifted higher than the other.

"Is there something on my face or something?" he asked, rubbing the back of his hand against his lips.

"No, no... I'm just wondering..." Miku paused a moment, thinking. "Have you been dressing a lot better, Fuutarou?"

"I was thinking the same thing!" Yotsuba quickly said. "I knew something seemed off about the way Uesugi-san looked! That was it!"

"Off...?" Fuutaoru stared blankly. "What do you mean 'off'?"

"Yeah! The Uesugi-san I remember always wore the same two cardigans and pants every time. I almost didn't recognize you before, because I'm so used to you being in your uniform for the past two years. You're... you're..." Yotsuba squeezed his face, though, Fuutarou was unsure if it was from large amounts of ice cream, or if she actually was thinking that hard. She loudly snapped her fingers. "Ah! You're fashionable! That's it!"

Fuutarou gave a mixed reaction—unsure whether or not to be embarrassed or offended by that blunt remark. True, his wardrobe had gone through a bit of an upgrade from the past. He could thank the monthly stipends and his part-time job for that. Clothes that properly fit his frame did him a lot of favors, he realized. A light gray cotton polo shirt, with a camel bomber jacket he had recently taken off and draped over the chair behind him. Slim-fitted dark jeans buckled with a belt, and a new pair of black and white sneakers. "Well, I... I have been spending my days off from classes doing a bit of shopping..." he said in somewhat of a mumble. "Is it that weird if I did?"

"Of course not," said Miku. "If anything, it's a nice surprise. What you're wearing looks really good on you."

"Mhm!" Yotsuba nodded. "You actually should have done it sooner! Why the sudden interest in your appearance now, Uesugi-san?"

"You act as if I didn't care about it in the first place." He glared at her, then sighed. "But... you might laugh if I tell you this. Ichika is surrounded by a lot of good-looking actors all the time. When all of us were in high school she had a lot of admirers, so it's inevitable she'll get a lot of fans when she starts getting big. I looked at that Instagram-thing you girls are always on, and she's actually a lot more popular than I thought. It made me think I should look a bit more... presentable when I'm around her. Just so I won't embarrass her when people find out I'm the one she's dating."

Even if he had said it, he was surprised to find that they actually were laughing. "Ichika doesn't care about that kind of stuff, Fuutarou." Yotsuba giggled.

"Right," Miku said. "Looks like you still have that over-thinking problem of yours, don't you? She's happy being with you because you're you, Fuutarou."

Yotsuba leaned far across the table, pressing both her palms against her cheeks. The look in her eyes spoke endlessly of her amusement. "Is Uesugi-san actually feeling a bit jealous because of how popular Ichika is?! That's so cute! Hey, does that mean you made your own Instagram account too?! Let me follow you, let me follow you! I want to see!"

"I'm curious to see too." Miku laughed. "Fuutarou doesn't take a lot of pictures normally."

Fuutarou turned away, sighing. "So nosy all the time... fine, I'll tell you later." He helped himself to another spoonful of his parfait. These things melt quick, or maybe it was the outside heat that reminded him that summer was near. "But enough about me. What has been going on with you two back home?"

"Us?" they both asked.

"Yeah. You two, and Nino, and Itsuki, too. Miku, you mentioned earlier you were starting culinary school soon, right? I forgot to congratulate you."

"Oh, no it's really no big deal." Miku looked away. "It wasn't exactly difficult to get accepted. Not like it is getting admitted to college, anyway."

"Who says it needs to be difficult for me to congratulate you? Big deal or not, it's something worth being proud of. I'm a bit curious, actually. We got a lot of time, so why don't you tell me all about it?"

There was a brief flicker of delight on Miku's face. Her fingers were pressed together over his lips, covering what she thought to be an overly enthusiastic smile. "Well, actually..." She continued on and on about culinary school. After all, cooking had become her newfound dream. Her passion. She spoke highly of the school's state-of-the-art kitchenware and appliances. The pristine look of the kitchen countertops and refrigerators. How confident and empowered she felt donning on the white double-breasted chef's uniform. The sense of fear and intimidation that came with imagining her future cooking instructors, and whether or not they would be as harsh as Fuutarou. Her smile grew wider with every mentioned detail.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Miku covered her mouth, embarrassed. "I rambled for a bit too long, didn't I?"

"Aw, you're done already?" Yotsuba laughed. "It's the most I've heard you talk in a while. Look! Almost all of the ice cream melted."

"Ah!" Miku fumbled with her spoon. "Now look what I've done."

Fuutarou joined in, chuckling. "Sounds to me like you've got a lot to look forward to. As your old instructor, I can't help but wish the best for you."

"Mine and Nino's goal is to one day open up a cafe after all," Miku said before scooping a mouthful of melted ice cream. "Of course we got to work hard for it. Though, I don't know the first thing about working in one. I only had that part-time job at a bakery."

"A cafe, huh..." Fuutarou crossed his arms, leaning back into his chair. A cafe; a bakery. When he thought about it, the two shared a lot more in common than he had let on. A small, comfortable joint filled with a fresh, warm scent. The few cafes he had visited had also served their own assortment of goodies, like cake, sandwiches, and shortbread. The same could be said with bakeries pouring their own coffee drinks to go with their baked goods. There was no reason the two would not work together.

And from there, Fuutarou could only picture that empty cafe. The dusty tablecloths, the darkly lit wallpaper, the empty shelves behind an empty counter. That cherished bakery that his mother had always wanted—that special place that he, his father, and Raiha could never see to let go. Maybe... no, would that even work? It was not impossible, but—

"Uesugi-san?" Yotsuba waved her hand over his face. "Everything okay? You spacing out there?"

"It's nothing." Fuutarou shook his head. "Just a stray thought, since you brought up your guys' plan. Speaking of which, how has Nino been doing since she started college? Itsuki too. It's disappointing that they couldn't make it, but it looks like they're really taking their studies seriously. Good on them."

"Yup." Miku nodded. "Both Nino and Itsuki attend the same college. It's a local college, and from what I've seen, the two of them have been working real hard ever since they got in. They're always so focused, studying in their rooms or going out together to do homework at cafes."

"I feel so bad they had to stay behind!" Yotsuba said. "I didn't want to go and watch the premiere all the way in Tokyo without them, but if I wait too long to see it, then I'll get too anxious and end up looking up all the spoilers online! But there's nowhere back at home that screens it! But I can't just sit around and wait. Ugh... it's a lose-lose situation either way."

"Sounds like one of those problems is pretty avoidable," Fuutarou said. "Oh, I forgot to ask you too, Yotsuba. Was there anything new with y—"

"All done!" Yotsuba interrupted, dropping her spoon into the tall glass of her finished parfait. Swiftly, Yotsuba reached over to their nearly finished desserts, gathering the glasses in a loose cradle over her breast. "The rest of you are done too, right? Allow me to clean up!"

"Oh, uhm... sure. Thanks, Yotsuba. What was I saying again? Oh, yeah. What exactly have you been—"

"You got some ice cream on your cheek, Uesugi-san!" Yotsuba leaned over, pressing a napkin to his lips. She turned to Miku. "M-M-Miku! Don't you want to explore Tokyo more before we go to see Ichika's movie? I know I do! We won't have enough time if we all just stay here!"

"Uhm..." Miku tripped a bit over her words. As much as she was used to Yotsuba's quick and spontaneous nature, there would be times where even Miku could not keep up. "I-I suppose... but wher—"

"Great! Then it's settled!" Swiftly, Yotsuba pointed her finger over Fuutarou's nose. "Uesugi-san! You know the area around here, right? Let's do some shopping."

"A place to shop?" Fuutarou asked. "Like for what?"

"Anything! Like... like... ah! How about some gifts? For Nino, Itsuki, and Ichika! The last time we all went to Tokyo together as five was when we were little, so they're really missing out. The least we can do is bring them a souvenir."

"Gifts, huh... Actually, I think I might know a place. There's this one store a little close to my school. I've seen a few things that look like they'll make good gifts to bring back home. Should we go there?"

"Lead the way, Uesugi-san!"

"Maybe I should think of something for Raiha and Dad..." Fuutarou thought a moment, then came to a small realization. "Oh, and maybe something for Ichika too. She's been so busy with work that she couldn't even come here for her own screening. Plus, it should almost be her birthday."

"Her birthday?" Miku cocked a brow. "Ichika's?"

"Yeah, it should be sometime in early May, I'm pretty sure." He stood, picking up his jacket. "And I could use a bit of help picking something she might really like. You guys don't mind, right?"

"Good idea!" Yotsuba exclaimed.

"I see..." Miku slowly nodded. A slight smirk formed on her lips as she dryly asked the next question. "Then, do you also need some help picking out Nino's, Yotsuba's, and Itsuki's, too?"

"Hm? What about them—" The realization dawned on him as he now looked to Miku's blithe, innocent smile. That patient and satisfied look on her face that knew she had caught an amusing little slip-up, just waiting to hear what he will say next. "I uhm..."

"Hm? What's up, guys?" Yotsuba stuck her head between both of them, blissfully unaware. "Are we going?"

"Nothing." Miku chuckled, picking up her bag.

After a few hours spent indulging in the endless opportunities Tokyo's little hole-in-the-walls could offer, Fuutarou, Miku, and Yotsuba found themselves stood outside a local theater. They were a handful of minutes earlier than they had expected. Despite that, they were surprised to find out that there was a much larger turnout of people in the lobby. Many of them were about college-aged moviegoers, but that was to be expected when they were this close to Tokyo University. What was unexpected, however, was the formed line that stretched out the door and into the sidewalk.

"Online order pickup...?" Fuutarou squinted at the sign. "What does that mean...?"

Yotsuba was a little further ahead of them, talking to one of the people in the line. First, the look on her face seemed a little perplexed, then worrisome as she politely bowed to the person. "No good." Yotsuba frowned, shaking her head. "This line is only for people picking up tickets who ordered online. The rest of the screening is sold out."

"Sold out?! What do you mean sold out? We're not even that late!"

"It says here that the director has really been getting a lot of hits." Miku scrolled through the article on her phone, showing it to them. "There was a post earlier this week on a popular movie blog. It's been trending locally on social media, so that probably explains all of these people are here."

"Should we try looking for another theater?" Yotsuba proposed. "Can we make it in time?"

Fuutarou furrowed his brow. "This is the only place screening it that's near. We'd have to take a car or train to get to another theater, and the trains are busy around this time..."

"Then, should we ask Ebata-san? Wait for the next one?"

"I'd hate to bother him when he's with his family..." Miku scratched her head. "But the next screening won't be for another few hours. We wouldn't want him to stay up too late to drive us back to our hotel..."

"Then, maybe..." Yotsuba ruffled her hair, keeping a puzzled face. "Maybe we could... no, no... unless—no, that won't work, I think..."

Fuutarou clicked his teeth. "Damn it... Nobody told me about all of this online nonsense. Hold on right here, guys." He stepped toward the line.

"Uesugi-san! Where are you going?"

"Excuse me." He tapped the shoulder of a random stranger. "Would you be okay selling me your ticket?"

"Huh?"

"Your ticket. It's really important to us that we see this movie. A friend of ours is in it."

"Err..." The stranger away from Fuutarou with a discomforted shift in his eyes. "Sorry, but that's probably not—"

"How much would you like for it? If you have three tickets then I can pay you as much as you would—"

"I..."

"Then how about you?" Fuutarou turned to a curious observer near them in the line. "How much would you like for your—"

He was interrupted by Yotsuba quickly grabbing onto his arm. "Pardon us," she said. "Pay no attention to him. Enjoy the movie!"

"Who was that?" The stranger's friend said as Fuutarou and Yotsuba left. "You know them?"

"No..." He cupped his chin, squinting past the point where Fuutarou and Yotsuba dodged into the crowd. He then turned to the nearby movie poster, looking to the faces of the featured actors and actresses, stopping at Ichika's picture. "I just thought that one girl looked a little... familiar? Can't put my finger on it."

Despite his protests, Yotsuba was finally able to drag the overly ambitious boy back to the outside of the theater, a little further away from the line. "Is that really your plan, Uesugi-san? To just harass strangers for their tickets?"

"What do you mean? Harass? I could've bought it from him if you just let me talk to him."

"Yotsuba's right," Miku said. "I'm pretty sure bothering people in line is going to get us kicked out. Calm down a bit first, okay?"

Fuutarou tapped his forehead against his knuckles. He took a deep breath. "Sorry. I feel like this is all my fault. Because of me, we won't be able to see the movie."

"Don't feel bad." Yotsuba lightly patted him on the shoulder. "It's not the end of the world if we don't get to see it. We still got to spend the whole day with you, Uesugi-san."

"And besides," added Miku, "it's bound to become available somewhere, sometime. Ichika would understand, and maybe, she could try and get her hands on a copy for us."

"Still..." Fuutarou sighed. "I just—"

"Fear not, my friends!" A voice had snuck into their conversation, carrying his tone in a jovial and somewhat posh manner. "Why so glum tonight? Aren't we all here to enjoy ourselves?"

"Ah!" Yotsuba pointed. "You!"

"You're..." Miku cocked her head. "Oh, Takeda-san, wasn't it?"

"Correct, correct! It's good to see you both doing well, Nakano-san and Nakano-san." Takeda smiled in such a bright way, some would think there was always a tiny spotlight following him around. "Sorry, we came a little late. The parking lot was a lot more full than we thought."

"Yo." A second, boy with an unbuttoned jacket and long, slicked-back brown hair trailed behind Takeda. He lifted his hands from his pockets to offer a wave. "It's been a while."

"Oh, right." Fuutarou cleared his throat. "Miku, Yotsuba. You remember Takeda and Maeda from high school, right? I mentioned earlier that they would be joining us tonight."

"Eh? Maeda-san, too?" Yotsuba said. "You go to Tokyo U with them too?!"

Maeda squinted his brow. "The way you said that makes it sound like you heard something really unbelievable just now." He sighed. "And no, of course I don't. I'm not huge nerds like these guys."

"Then... you came all the from Tokai? Really?"

"Of course!" Takeda butted in. "He is Ichika's number one fan, after al—ow!"

"Shut up, man." Maeda leered at him. He looked away, hiding the red flush on his face. "And yeah, so what? I couldn't miss a premiere. Not if it's a film Nakano-san is starring in."

Fuutarou sighed heavily. "Well, sorry to drop it to you guys, but I messed up. I couldn't get the three of us any tickets, so it will just have to be—"

He felt the light fan of paper flutter over his mouth. "I said 'fear not', didn't I?" Takeda winked. He held up his phone, showing a text conversation. "You never replied to me when I asked you what seats you bought. I wanted all of us to sit together, so I went ahead and ordered five tickets this morning. For all of us! I had a hunch there might be a chance—since you don't keep up with trends—that you probably were thinking of just showing up and buying it here. Looks like I was correct!"

"That's..." Fuutarou's eyes widened. "That's... I don't know what to say, Takeda. Wow, you really—"

"You're a lifesaver, Takeda-san!" Yotsuba dashed over to him, clasping her hand over the tickets. "Is it really okay that you're just giving it to us?"

"That's right!" Takeda said.

"At least let us pay you back," Miku said, reaching into her purse. "It's the least we could—"

"That won't be necessary, Yotsuba-san."

"I... I'm Miku, actuall—"

"Think nothing of it! There is no price that you can put on a fun-filled night spent with good old friends." He winked again, and Fuutarou could swear that imaginary spotlight that followed him grew a bit brighter. "Come now, the show will be starting soon! Let's make sure we can get into our seats before it starts crowding. Uesugi-kun, Maeda-kun!"

Before Fuutarou could get another word in, Takeda had already made it for the door, holding it open so that Miku and Yotsuba could follow through. The bright, optimistic smile on Takeda's face could not stop glowing, as he starred across the walkway, waiting for the two remainders to walk over.

Maeda sighed. "This is why I can't understand wealthy people. He's got all the carefree attitude in the world." He lightly chuckled. "Come on, Uesugi. We gotta see that girlfriend of yours deliver another great performance, right?"

Fuutarou smiled. Ahead of him were four faces that looked back to him, eagerly waiting for him to step after them. "Well, he's not wrong. You really can't beat good company."

Now, Fuutarou was never one to understand the art of motion pictures. At some point in his life, the thought of burning over a thousand yen for an hour or two of entertainment was something he could never understand. Truth be told, it was still something he did not quite get. Before he had met the quintuplets, Fuutarou had very little memories of any types of visits to the cinemas, save for maybe one or two occasions when his mother and father had taken him. He was young back then, and to him, any kid would be impressed with loud noise, cheerful music, and colorful animated characters and animals dancing on the screen.

As for now, well, Fuutarou could at least say that he had seen a few more films. Not a lot, but enough to form a reasonable opinion—and he still could not get it. After having befriended the quintuplets and going along with them to Ichika's screenings, Fuutarou had mixed feelings with the overall experiences. To put it bluntly, the movies and shows were mediocre at best. The storylines were bland, the characters unreasonable, and the atmosphere and elements were to be expected of low-budget films. Granted, many of Ichika's earliest roles came from indie films. That was one reason he held off any strong opinions—someone of his unrefined taste would hardly know what could be considered good. Was it just bias towards a friend—now lover—that kept his eyes fixated on the screen, or was it something else?

If it was one naive, uncultured opinion Fuutarou could make, it was that the pink-haired woman he watched on that large screen was nothing short of talented. Captivating. Phenomenal. Her words danced off her mouth, pronouncing tones and emotions as if it were her true self. Raw feelings—confusion, hope, frustration, remorse, and relief—were transcribed through every corner of her complexion, drawing sympathy and speculation from those who sat beguiled by her charm. The story that she breathed to life from beyond that screen felt almost personal—like she desperately pleaded to you to believe her as everything narrowed to the final climax. For the next hour and fifty-two minutes, she was not Nakano Ichika, but Charlotte Lilia, freelance nature photographer, college of arts student, and childhood friend of the widowed Natalia Rustfield, who with all of their closest friends, suddenly became suspects of the mysterious death of Natalia's husband that was believed to have been a suicide over four years ago.

What Fuutarou saw, through every unprecedented twist and intense action, was an inevitable star that would shine brightly. One that he could never keep his eyes off of, one that felt so warm and close to his heart.

And all he could think about was how much he wanted to see her again.

"I can't believe it, I can't believe it!" Yotsuba muttered, frustrated. They now stood outside the theater, collecting their thoughts over the finale. "How could Ichika lie to me again?!"

"Lie?" Fuutarou tugged the collar of his shirt. He did not realize it, but the climax during the movie had left him far more excited than he had thought. So much that the dark theater room had grown stuffy. "Lie about what?"

"Her character went and died again! After I kept telling her to warn me if she did, so I could be ready for it!"

"That would have spoiled the whole movie," said Miku.

"Ugh... I know, I know, but... but—"

"Hold on." Miku checked her phone, then looked across the street. "It's Ebata-san. He's already here to take us back to the hotel."

"Already? He sure is fast. The movie just ended!"

"I'd hate to keep him waiting..." Miku looked to Fuutarou. "Guess that means it's time we headed off, huh?"

Fuutarou nodded. "Go on, you two. You leave first thing in the morning, right? It's a long drive back to Tokai."

"And we gotta get going back to my place!" Takeda loudly patted Maeda, who almost looked as if he were slowly tearing up. "Looks like Maeda-kun was a little too starstruck by your sister's performance. I've never seen him so focused on anything before."

"It was... it was..." Maeda sniffled. "It was so good... How can Ichika be that talented of an actress?"

Takeda laughed. "Now, now... well, then, it was a pleasure seeing you all! Take care now." He winked, and soon enough, they all had said their goodbyes. The three boys walked together down the street to the nearby station and Miku and Yotsuba to the held-open door of their chauffeured vehicle.

Through their passenger-side window, Miku and Yotsuba watched as the trailing light of Tokyo passed one after the other. As they had already come to know, life moved a lot more different in the big city. Fatigue from such a joyous day almost seemed like nothing to the lively masses of Tokyo, but they themselves could only breath a tired sigh as they fell back into their comfy seats.

"It shouldn't be too long until we get to the hotel," Ebata said. "Are you both comfortable?"

"We're fine. Thank you, Ebata-san." Yotsuba widely stretched her arms. "Man, Ichika really was something, wasn't she?"

Miku nodded. "I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie. She really has gotten a lot better as an actress. We rarely get to see her character have so much screentime, but she really nailed it the whole time."

Yotsuba grinned. "Right? Of course she'd do great! She's our Ichika-nee-san after all, and we know how much she's been working her butt off even before we graduated high school." She returned her eyes to the city panning further from their window. Her large, rounded eyes slowly dipped to a soft, forlorn gaze. With the bright lights now further away, there was little left from the panning view of the window, other than her own dim reflection off the glass. It was features she knew all too well—these eyes, this nose, the same lips that smiled and frowned the same way. "She really has been working hard, huh?"

A short moment of silence fell between them before Miku spoke, "Say, Yotsuba..." Miku looked her way. "Sorry if I'm wrong about this, but have you been feeling alright today? Has something been bothering you?"

Yotsuba gave a blank stare, almost taken aback. "Eh? What do you mean? Bothering me?"

"I don't know... just a feeling. When we were out with Fuutaoru today, you seemed a bit... uneasy about something. Like you were nervous about something"

"Whaaat?" She gave a partial laugh. "Me, nervous about something? Like what? What could I possibly be nervous about? It was just us and Uesugi-san today."

"But am I wrong?"

Yotsuba hesitated. "Ha... am I just that bad at hiding things that I'm starting to not notice it myself?"

"It's weird to say, considering we're quintuplets but... I'm still technically your older sister too." Miku lightly chuckled. "I may not be as perceptive as Ichika, or as straightforward as Nino, but I can get a feeling if something is bothering you. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, of course, but I'm here if you do."

She looked again to the window. Not like she had expected anything different since the last time, but it was still that same face. The same as Ichika, Nino, Miku, and Itsuki. This one was hers—she knew that, and yet, why did this reflection seem so different from the others? Was it just her that was different...

"...or was it just me that stayed the same?"

"Hm?"

Yotsuba sighed quietly. "Seeing you pour your heart out over cooking, Miku. Seeing Uesugi-san, Itsuki, and Nino working so hard in school. Seeing Ichika look so cool on that big screen... everyone is really giving it their all." She looked to her fingers, which now rested on her lap. This bothersome feeling inside worked its way to her fingers as she fidgeted them over each other. "I'm so happy for all of you, and I'm proud too. Really, I am. But sometimes... I just get a little worried. You're all trying your best out there, and here I am, without a clue on what I'm supposed to do. When I faced Uesugi-san, a small part of me thought that maybe, he would be the same as the day we saw him off to Tokyo. But he just looked so... grown up now, and I thought... I thought that I couldn't face him as his former student. After all this time since we graduated, and I have nothing for him to be proud of, even after all those things I said on our graduation day..."

"Yotsuba..."

"Ah, there I go again!" Yotsuba's voice quickly changed to blissful naivety "I'm just saying things without thinking again! Now I've gone ahead and just ruined the mood, huh? Just forget I said anything."

"I don't think any of that is a bad thing at all. You're just a little lost right now, and that's okay. I never once thought I'd go to culinary school either, and now, I can hardly wait until the first day. The day will come when you find what you truly want to do with yourself, I'm sure of it."

"But what if it never comes? What if I never amount to anything and just stay lost forever? "I know Uesugi-san was strict on us, but he was right, too. It took a lot to keep me from failing out of high school, and in the end, I barely made it. I just don't know if I'm even ready for all of this..."

"Worrying about that will do you no good. You're plenty of years too early to start worrying about things like 'never' and 'forever.' While we're still young, I think it's okay to fail a couple of times, wait a little bit, and try again until we find our own legs to stand on. That's something I think we all have to learn at some point. And you're not alone. I'm sure Ichika, Nino, Itsuki, and even Fuutarou stop at some point and worry about the same things."

"How can you be so sure? It's hard to think that when everyone looks so confident and determined all the time. How can you be so sure that everyone goes through the same thing?"

"I can't," Miku said with a simple smile on her face. "I don't know the first thing. But, not knowing things has never stopped the five of us before. We all may be lost, clueless idiots in this world trying to find our place in it, but we're never alone. We lift each other up when we need it, and catch each other when we fall. So, don't be afraid to trip and make a few mistakes, Yotsuba. I know I'm not anymore."

There was a long pause on Yotsuba's face.

"Pardon me if I am eavesdropping, girls," Ebata politely said, as he quickly glanced to his rear-view mirror. "That was really well said, Miku-san. If I may, could this old, ordinary driver offer his own advice as well?"

"Oh, Ebata-san." Miku straightened up, a little embarrassed over what she had previously said. "Sorry, I went off a little bit there."

"No, no. Not at all. In fact, it was inspiring to me. It humbles me to know that young people these days—even after everything around us has changed so much since then—still go through the same things. And it lifts my heart to see how much you all have grown."

"You went through the same thing too, Ebata-san?"

"Of course. You have no reason to hear the ramblings of an old man like me, but, if I may...?"

"Please do." Yotsuba nodded.

Ebata looked to the long road. "I've served your father as his secretary for over ten years now. Before that, I chauffeured another man and his family for three years, butlered another for five, and taught grade school for twenty-five. Now, do you think that when I was young, I had imagined myself as a secretary, or a chauffeur, all the way to my current age? If you told me that a couple of decades ago, truthfully, I might have felt a little discouraged. It's normal to be ambitious when you're young that you sometimes forget how fulfilling the simple things are in life. I took up many types of jobs, married my lovely wife, settled somewhere place to where I grew up, took more jobs, and before I knew it the time had already gone. The whole time, I never thought what I was doing wasn't good enough. I thought I had to do something grand to impress others, and especially, myself." He happily chuckled to himself. "But, life was not made to be a trial or a challenge. We can go about it our own way, at our own pace, and where we end up might be somewhere completely different from where we started. We will leave this world as quickly as we came in, and the time we spend is far too short to waste worrying what we do in the middle."

Again, Ebata laughed. "But, that is just the ramblings of an old man who's already had his long stay. If it's one thing I can tell you girls is that at some point in this long life I've had, I learned to stop doubting myself. When you do, you'll look back on these days and realize you had nothing to worry about at all."

"Exactly," said Miku. "Everything sorts itself out, one way or the other. Don't spend too long stressing over it."

"Yeah, I suppose you're both right..." Yotsuba rested against the window. The city lights, the evening sky, the dim reflection of her face—all drew together as she finally rested her eyes. A calm smile formed on her face. "Sorry to be a bother, everyone, but please watch over me for a little longer, okay..?"

Author's Note:

Another long one fresh from the word processor. Goutubun Season 2 feels like it ended a long time ago, but maybe that's just the healing process taking its time. Chapter 6 marks roughly half a year I've been doing my best to keep up with this fic, and it's nice to take a step back and see how everything has started and is going.

For this chapter, I wanted to get the wheels turning with the adult lives of the main cast, and it's definitely a lot easier to control the number of characters present. Outside of the main pairing for this story, the four other quintuplets leave a lot of room to be explored in their characters—Yotsuba, especially. One of the things that did not sit right with me was that Yotsuba's character development had felt a little lackluster if we compare her in the first chapter down to the last. Though, I'm sure there are many others that could strongly argue against me. Regardless, I don't take it as a means of saying she is a bad character, but one that is really open-ended when her ending and ambitions aren't solely tied to becoming The Bride. Fear of uncertainty and feelings of being lost as a young adult is something is something many, if not everyone, goes through in some point in there life, and Yotsuba is definitely a character that can open the door to that part of this maturity-centered story.

Exploring the potential of each and everyone of the quintuplets equally is going to be a tough task, but I'm in it for the long haul (and it might cut into the main pairing every now and then, but rest assured, I am a diehard Ichika fan and will never stop focusing on them)

That aside, May is shaping to be a bit of a busy month for me. So, unfortunately, that would mean there will be a bit of a delay before I can start cranking out Chapter 7, and I don't want to put an exact date or time on it in case I can't meet it. Sorry for the delay, and I hope you readers can understand!

Until then, this is Bobalon, going back under my rock!

_φ(。。) "Okay, okay... looks like the Ichika hate has settled a little bit. Now, back to business..."