At the dawn of a new day, the sun shined down on the hot springs on top of the mountain. The ones sleeping woke up and stretched after a good night's rest. The relaxation from last night really helping with any stress in their bodies. Raiha was one such person. She got up and saw Isanari's contorted body.

Raiha:[He needs to find a better sleeping position.]

She opened the blinds, letting the sun in. As she took it all in, she was ready for a new day here. But she noticed something, the third futon was empty. She wondered if her brother had woken up early, but then she realized she never saw him sleep at all. As she got out of the room, she looked around and noticed a room, still drenched in darkness with the blinds closed. Normally, she wouldn't think much of it, but she could hear sounds inside. Metallic sounds. This triggered her memory, she had seen Fuutarou work on something before. As she walked in, the sound was still permeating.

Raiha:[I should open the windows.]

Raiha went over and did just that, the light enveloped the room and showed its secrets.

Fuutarou:"Hisss!"

Raiha:"Who hisses at sunlight!? And...uh…"

Raiha looked at her brother, clearly having pulled an all-nighter. Bags under his eyes, swollen fingers, bad posture. This was a man on the verger of death.

Raiha:"Uh, brother? You know you're supposed to relax while we're here, right?"

As Fuutarou's eyes got used to the light, he slowly developed a smile.

Fuutarou:"Maybe so, but...Hehe...I finished!"

In a triumphant manner, he held up an object high in the sky. It reflected the light coming from the window and almost blinded Raiha. Looking through the shine, she could finally see what it was.

Raiha:"That's...Ahhhh~"

She was speechless. She clasped her hands together and squealed.

Raiha:"Big brother! You're-"

Raiha would not finish the sentence as Fuutaoru fell face first onto the floor, his exhaustion having caught up with him.

Raiha:"Ehh. Well, let's get you to bed."

…

The day proceeded. Raiha told the quints Fuutarou needed more sleep, leading to suspicions of poison in his food, to which Grandpa Ren refuted.

Ren:"I haven't actually done anything with the boy."

Miku:"...He did say he was working on something. Maybe that took up all night."

Yotsuba:"You think it was homework?"

Nino:"If it was, then he really hasn't changed."

Raiha:"..."

Itsuki:"We can always visit him in his room."

Ren:"Hm!?"

Ichika:"Or! When he wakes up!"

Ren:"Hm…"

Miku:[Just how did Itsuki convey our relationship for him to get like that?]

Breakfast and later lunch would pass by without much going on. The girls told stories about their time being apart, some funny, some stressful. Once dinner was ready, Raiha would come to check on Fuutarou and see that his futon was now empty. At the same time, Ren and the five girls would come to the dining hall and see a letter on the table.

Ren:"What is this?"

Miku:"That format...It's a challenge letter!"

As Ren opened the letter, the five sisters received messages each. Giving them a read led all of them to leave in unison.

Nino:"Hold the dinner!"

Ichika:"We'll be back!"

Ren:"...I see."

A few minutes later, the grandpa stood at the top of the mountain, overlooking the small town below.

Ren:[The boy is late…]

Fuutarou:"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Ren turned to see Fuutarou and the identically dressed quintuplets.

Ren:"Here I thought you turned tail."

Fuutarou:"I wouldn't do that."

Ren:"So, do you want to fight with this old man?"

Fuutarou:"Nah, I tried fighting with another old man, wasn't my thing."

Nino:"Huh?"

Yotsuba:"You had a fight?"

Miku:"Haha…"

Fuutarou:"You know, we never did settle our spat from 3 years ago."

Ren:"Hm?"

Fuutarou:"Don't you remember? You were teaching me how to tell the girls apart."

Ren:"Yes. I should have turned you down had I known you were going after them."

Fuutarou:"Heh, well, I want to challenge you on who is who."

Ren:"...I beg your pardon?"

The grandpa was taken aback by the request.

Ren:"Do you honestly believe I would lose this?"

Fuutarou:"You'd be surprised."

Ren:"Truly, you're more foolish than expected."

Ren raised his finger but Fuutarou stopped it.

Fuutarou:"Ah, but not like this. Why don't we have them take off their wigs?"

Ren:"Huh!?"

Nino:"..." [Is this really going to…?]

Miku:[Trust in Fuutarou.]

Itsuki:[This has to work…]

Ren:"I have to say I'm disappointed in you. Even after all this time, you still can't reliably tell them apart? And you believe you can date them? By making them give you hints?"

Fuutarou:[Them?] "The hell are you going on about? That's not hard."

Fuutarou pointed at the girls one at a time.

Fuutarou:"Itsuki, Miku, Ichika, Yotsuba, Nino."

Ren:"Hm!?"

The grandpa couldn't believe it, he had gotten all of them right.

Ren:"Then why?"

Fuutarou:"This isn't about me, it's about you. What the hell happened to what you told me? About you wanting them to be themselves!?"

Ren:"..."

Fuutarou:"All I see is a senile old man forcing his graddaughters to dress the same way because you can't imagine them abandoning you!"

Itsuki:"Uesugi-kun…"

Nino:"..."

Fuutarou:"This is still a challenge on how to recognize them, but not from finding the subtle differences in their personalities. All I see are five completely different women, who all have been living their own lives for the last two years! When they take off their wigs, when they show their true individuality, when they don't look the same, can you truly say you'll be able to recognize them!? Not just their looks, but their efforts too!?"

Ren's heart skipped a beat. He remembered Rena.

Ren:[If I hadn't let her go...If I had been a better parent…]

Fuutarou:"I understand where you're coming from. But there comes a point where you have to take off the training wheels and let them ride off on their own!"

Ren:"..."

Itsuki:"Grandfather...Uesugi-kun, if you'll let us…"

Fuutarou:"He's all yours."

Itsuki:"I did say I was aiming to become a teacher, but not just because of mom. Not just because I want to continue her legacy, I'm doing it because I want to. And there's no deeper meaning besides that I enjoy doing it!"

Miku:"I didn't have much to myself besides a hobby I used to hide from the view of others. But when I began cooking, I felt like my calling had finally found me. Something I was most invested in. Something I wanted to improve on, I want people to enjoy my cooking."

Nino:"Even when I was driven away, I still ultimately came back to medicine, because that's what inspired me. It's what drove me to continue a healthy living for both myself and everyone I care about. I want to save people."

Ichika:"It's not easy finding your own path. There were times where I thought there was no place for me in this world. That I would only survive by following the trends set up for me. But, there's never only one path. And in that path, I want others to listen to my singing."

Yotsuba:"The past hurts. It can keep you up at night. It can cause you to lie. It makes you feel worthless. But, you can't move on if you let yourself be haunted like that. Despite playing a character, the feelings I put behind them are real. I want people to look at me beyond the mask."

All five girls grabbed their hair.

…

{Miku:"And this will work?"

{Fuutarou:"It has to. We've already tried the slow way and he's made it clear he doesn't want to listen. So screw that, we're ripping it off like a fresh bandage."

Itsuki:"...Alright, we'll follow your lead."

Fuutarou:"What we have to do...is to hit him with reality all at once."

…

As the grandpa looked up, the sky became full with five flowing wigs.

Fuutarou:"These are your granddaughters."

Ren followed the wigs until they hit the floor. He continued motionless for a while.

Ichika:"...Wait, why are there five wigs?"

Nino:"Huh, you're right. That would mean…"

The girls turned to see Itsuki, who still looked the same.

Itsuki:"Haha...I just wanted to be part of the big moment."

Miku:"So you were wearing a wig of your own hair?"

Itsuki:"Yep!"

Nino:[W-Why was I expecting her to be bald?]

Despite the playfulness, Ren wouldn't move.

Itsuki:"Um, grandfather?"

Yotsuba:"Why isn't he moving?"

Nino:"You don't think he…"

Fuutarou:"Hey!"

As he approached the old man, he noticed something. A tear had left a trail across his smile.

Ren:"So this is what Maruo-kun meant...Hehe, what a nosy boy."

Fuutarou:"Hey, I'm turning 21 real soon!"

Ren wiped away his tears.

Ren:"It's clear that you've put a lot of thought into your feelings towards my granddaughters. I can see that you fell in love with all of them for separate reasons. Although I can't say that I approve of a polyamorous relationship."

Fuutarou:"Well, it's all about...I'm sorry?"

Ren:"Yes?"

Fuutarou:"I'm in a polyamorous relationship?"

Ren:"You are dating all five of them, are you not?"

Fuutarou:"..."

Ichika:"Eh?"

Nino:"Huh!?"

Miku:"Ehh…"

Yotsuba:"Um…"

Almost like gears, everyone's heads turned in the freakiest and most robotic way possible to see the fifth sister attempting to whistle.

Fuutarou:"Um, if I may ask. What did Itsuki tell you?"

Ren:"Hmm, all she said was that you loved all of them and that you confessed when you were still in high school."

Fuutarou:"...Get her."

At that moment, Itsuki was swarmed in a pile up of tickling and groping.

Nino:"What kind of misunderstanding…!?"

Ichika:"Punishment is overdue!"

Yotsuba:"How embarrassing!"

Miku:"Making Fuutarou out to be a cheater!"

Itsuki:"I-I'm so sorry!"

Fuutarou:"Uh, while I do love all of them, it's as friends. The only one I see in a romantic way is Miku. She's the only one I've been dating for two years."

Ren:"...Oh."

As the sun continued to set, the awkwardness of the situation would permeate in the air, only broken up by Itsuki's unwilling laughter.

End of Chapter 174