"Happy Birthday to us!"

A little over a year after their trip to the hot springs, it was time for the sisters to meet up again. Their destination was the Uesugi household where Fuutarou would greet them. However, due to a delay in flights and last minute work, they met up further away than what was planned, meeting Itsuki as she was working away from home. While they were taking the train there, it wouldn't be until May 6th when they could get to their destination, so they bought a cake and decided to hold their birthday mid trip.

Nino:"It's a pretty awkward way to celebrate, but…"

Yotsuba:"I can't believe we're 22 years old!"

Miku:"Even if it's like this, this is the first time we've been able to celebrate together since high school."

Nino:"And just like then, Fuu-kun isn't here."

Yotsuba:"Now that I think about it, Fuutarou-kun hasn't celebrated any of our birthdays, huh?"

Itsuki:"There was simply too much bad timing."

Ichika:"And that one time he straight up forgot in high school."

Nino:"He was just too focused on work."

Miku:"Some things never change."

Ichika:"Well, from now on, there's no way Fuutarou-kun won't celebrate."

Yotsuba:"Yep, at the very least with Miku!"

Miku:"...Yeah…"

As Miku blushed, Itsuki cut herself a slice but was stopped by Ichika.

Ichika:"Now what do you think you're doing?"

Itsuki:"Oh no, not this again. I've kept my intake at a reasonable level!"

Ichika:"That's not it. This cake is for birthday girls."

Itsuki:"But...It's my birthday."

Ichika:"Is it? I heard something interesting from dad. Apparently, our birth took quite a long time and the fifth sister popped out a few minutes into the 6th."

Itsuki:"...Eh? Then…"

Ichika:"Just kidding! Of course you were born the same day, anything else would be stupi-"

Ichika threw up her hands, but then saw Itsuki tearing up.

Itsuki:"You meanie! I thought I was different!"

Itsuki put her head in her arms, causing Ichika to panic.

Ichika:"A-Ah...S-Sorry…Please don't cry…"

As Ichika was panicking, Itsuki raised her head.

Itsuki:"Just kidding!"

Ichika:"Eh…?"

Itsuki:"How was that, Yotsuba?"

Yotsuba:"Even better than last time!"

Miku:"Wow, you even fooled Ichika."

Itsuki:"When it comes to students, you have to persuade them to follow instructions even if it requires some extra elbow grease. So Yotsuba has been teaching me how to act."

Nino:"I see Yotsuba's corruption has taken hold."

Ichika sulked.

Ichika:"Ah, I walked right into that one. I'm losing my edge."

Itsuki:"This cake is delicious though."

Miku:"Fufu~"

The train ride would continue in haste. Miku would occasionally look out the mirror with a blush.

Yotsuba:"Are you nervous?"

Nino:"How could she not? She's getting married."

Miku:"It might be in a week, but for the past month, the suspense has been killing me."

Itsuki:"I wonder how you'll look in a dress."

Ichika:"She'll look beautiful, I'm sure of it."

Miku:"I'm more wondering how Fuutarou will look in his suit…"

Nino:"Oi, no getting weird thoughts on the train."

Nino bonked Miku with a chop.

Yotsuba:"Speaking of Fuutarou-kun, he's...kind of a monster, isn't he?"

Ichika:"Yeah, to actually be able to finish his entire college career in three years, not even Takeda-san could do that."

Itsuki:"And with Takeda-san, there was that big battle they had over tests."

Yotsuba:"The Battle of Tokyo's Wits! I saw it on television!"

Nino:"How slow was the news that day for that to get reported on?"

Ichika:"Tsubaki-chan reported on it."

Miku:"That would explain it."

Yotsuba:"It was like the whole school was on fire. Could have sworn I saw the gates of hell open in Fuutarou-kun's eyes for a second."

Miku:"Fufu~ Is that what that looked like?"

Nino:"I'd assume you know his cute sides more than any of us."

Miku:"Yep. We Facetime a lot and we always talk in the night in bed. There were a few times he went to sleep while leaving it on. I may have stared at him for a bit before waking him up."

Ichika:"Oh, is that so?"

Miku:"But then when I passed out, he kept it up all night. So he went and got his revenge."

Yotsuba:"How nice. Having a relationship like that must be nice."

Nino:"I'm surprised you haven't gotten anyone with how easily you make friends."

Yotsuba:"It's easy to form a crowd, but it's hard to find that special guy."

Itsuki:"I've had my share of confessions, but I don't see myself in a relationship just yet."

Miku:"I believe in all of you."

Nino:"Yeah, if this idiot can do it, anyone can"

Miku:"Don't ruin the moment!"

Yotsuba:"Hm? You don't have your ring?"

Yotsuba signaled towards Miku's hand.

Miku:"Ah. Well, aside from not being safe while making food, Fuutarou currently has them."

Ichika:"Both of them were made by him, right?"

Nino:"You sure you didn't want one with a big diamond?"

Miku:"Why would I? Those rings show his love more than anything else could. Although Fuutarou might be sick of them already."

Itsuki:"What do you mean?"

Miku:"Haha. Well, the look of death on his face when he realized he would have to make a second one for himself was a good hint. And then he almost cried when he found out engagement rings and wedding rings were different. So, we'll be using the same ones, but he still insisted on making adjustments to them so they'd last forever."

At that moment, the four sisters blushed.

Nino:"Forever…"

Itsuki:"You really are getting married."

Yotsuba:"It's too romantic."

Ichika:"I guess we won't be the Nakano quintuplets anymore."

Miku:"What do you mean?"

Ichika:"You're changing your name, aren't you?"

Miku:"Yeah...Uesugi Miku…"

Miku joined in on the blush.

Ichika:"But, even though your name will change, you'll always be my cute sister."

Miku:"Fufu~"

As the sisters continued to talk amongst themselves, the remaining hours would fly by. The next day, they would make it to an empty bakery.

Nino:"There's no one here?"

Itsuki:"Raiha-chan is in school and Father is at work. We just have to wait for Uesugi-kun."

Ichika:"I suppose we should relax."

Yotsuba:"Say, Itsuki."

Itsuki:"What is it?"

Yotsuba:"Isn't it weird that you're still calling Fuutarou-kun Uesugi-kun?"

Nino:"It's been half a decade since you've met him."

Miku:"I guess Itsuki's formal way of talking stuck with her all these years."

Itsuki put her hand in front of her mouth.

Itsuki:"I never realized that. I suppose I was just used to it."

Ichika:"Why don't you try to call him by his first name?"

Itsuki:"his first name...Isn't that only for marriage?"

Nino:"I wasn't aware the four of us all married him. Come on, you can do it. You've been friends for long enough."

Miku:"Thinking about it, I started calling him Fuutarou pretty quickly."

Yotsuba:"And he was calling us by our first names pretty easily."

Ichika:"Would have been confusing to call all of us Nakano."

Nino:"Yeah, Miku and Fuu-kun had no respect."

Miku:"Hmm, can't say I cared much about it. If anything, calling each other by our last names was more embarrassing."

Itsuki:"..."

Itsuki looked around to see encouragement from all her sisters. She raised both her fists to her chest and pumped herself up.

Itsuki:"Very well!"

After a deep breath, she attempted to say Fuutarou's first name.

Itsuki:"Ue...Fuu...F-F-Fuu...Fuuta...tagi...rou-kun...Fu...Fuu…!"

At that moment, the front door of the bakery opened.

Itsuki:"Fuusugi!"

Fuutarou:"...Hi?"

The five sisters turned to see the man of the hour, confused at the doorway.

Fuutarou:"Am I being rebranded?"

Miku:"Fuutarou!"

End of Chapter 177