[This feeling. There are times when I think about the importance of what's happening and my heart skips a beat yet again. It's one of the many things that I thought I would never come to understand. It's crazy how much has changed in a few short years...Who am I kidding? Those years were long as hell. But, being with you made those painful days, those sad days, those days when I would doubt myself more bearable. Not to mention the countless happy days when it was just you and I.]

12:55 PM

Maruo could see the church in his sights.

Maruo:"We're almost there."

[Looking back, it's a little funny how you'd say you were the doubtful one, that you couldn't do anything right. When, in reality, I was far more lost than anyone. You say I was the one who found you past your disguise, to see you for who you truly are. Well, I say you were the one who found me in the end. Through my very own mask.]

Fuutarou grabbed Miku's hand. Without saying anything, she tightened their grip.

[Considering how much has happened, there's no doubt the remainder of our lives will be chock full of new trials and tribulations. The future's scary when you're constantly stuck in the past. It gives you doubts, who knows how much will change in 20 years if 5 years had this big of an effect on us...The future isn't set in stone. It's what you do with your life and what your own choices are that determine the outcome. That's why...I want to go through that path with you. Waking up next to you, hearing about your stories, your likes, your wants. Seeing you happy, being there for you when you falter. Seeing you succeed, helping you improve when you fail. I want to see it all. I want to be with you forever, Miku.]

Maruo:"You two will have to jump out. I can't waste anymore time slowing down."

Fuutarou, who had closed his eyes for a bit to think, finally opened them.

Fuutarou:"I'm more than ready."

Miku:"Let's do it."

Miku saw four figures standing side by side as the car approached the back of the church.

Miku:"Are those my sisters?"

Fuutarou:'The hell they making a wall for?"

Miku:"A hug, maybe?"

Fuutarou:"We won't have time. We'll have to run past."

With the car fast approaching, the four sisters, waiting for Miku and Fuutarou could hear the roaring of the engine coming closer.

Itsuki:"My apologies."

Ichika:"That was too loud to be a stomach, not to mention Itsuki's on our right and the sound is on our left."

Yotsuba:"What's with that car?"

Nino:"That's Papa's car!"

The sisters' faces lit up once they realized who would be inside.

Itsuki:"That means they're finally here."

Nino put her hand in her pocket.

Nino:"Here they come."

Ichika:"...Is it just me or is the car not stopping?"

The car continued at the same speed despite only being seconds away.

Yotsuba:"The brakes did fail, did they?"

Suddenly, the door swung open, shocking the sisters. Right before the car was parallel to the girls, a man's leg came out. Soon, at fast speeds, Fuutarou jumped out, but he wasn't alone. Holding hands with her, Miku soon came out just as quickly. As if flying through the air, Fuutarou and Miku were out of the car.

Fuutarou:[We're out, but…]

Miku:[Our momentum won't just stop like that!]

The sisters watched as the couple flew towards them. In an instant, all four of them held their arms in unison and caught the two. Itsuki, Ichika and Nino caught Fuutarou while Yotsuba caught Miku. Despite the less than graceful landing, they were ready to keep running.

Miku:"Thank you for catching us!"

Nino:"H-Hey! What the hell was that!? That was way too dangerous!"

Fuutarou:"We don't have time!"

Nino:"Tch. Hey, Yotsuba!"

Yotsuba:"Yeah?"

Nino tossed something to her.

Nino:"Pitch it to Fuu-kun. Hard."

Yotsuba nodded without even looking at the item.

Nino:"Hey, Fuu-kun! Catch!"

Fuutarou:"Huh!?"

The second Fuutarou turned, his chest had been hit by an object that almost broke the sound barrier.

Itsuki:"A-A whip?"

Ichika:"That was one heck of a throw."

With it being lodged in his chest, Fuutarou didn't even need to catch it. As he saw what it was, he smiled. It was the bracelet Raiha had made for him.

Nino:"Wear it as punishment for being late!"

Ichika:"Is that the real reason?"

Nino:"Of course not! But I want to sound composed, dammit!"

Nino pointed to her chest with her thumb. She had tears in her eyes..

Nino:"Keep it! That way, no matter how far you and Miku go, we'll be close to your heart!"

Itsuki:"Nino…"

Fuutarou quickly put it on his left hand and then gave a thumbs up. By this point, the couple was almost at the door.

Yotsuba:"One more thing!"

Ichika:"Quickly, come on!"

The sisters held hands.

Itsuki:"Ready…"

The four of them held up their arms.

Itsuki:[Uesugi-kun...I know you can do it.]

Yotsuba:[Fuutarou-kun...I wish you happiness.]

Nino:[Fuu-kun...Don't mess this up.]

Ichika:[Fuutarou-kun...Please take care of her.]

With a breath, the four then swung their arms down in unison and gave a hefty yell.

"CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WEDDING!"

Miku and Fuutarou shined a smile before going inside. With that over, the sisters looked at their hands.

Nino:"Did we really need to hold hands?"

Ichika:"That was Itsuki's idea."

Itsuki:"It's a good way to go in sync."

Yotsuba:"Itsuki said she wanted to try that with her class one day."

Nino:"You're not teaching toddlers."

Itsuki:"Aha…In any case...We should go inside."

Nino:"Wait, what about Papa?"

Maruo:"Right here."

The sisters jumped in surprise as Maruo seemed to have come out of nowhere.

Maruo:"My face isn't that scary."

Yotsuba:"Yes, it is."

Maruo:"Huh!?"

Maruo looked on in shock.

Ichika:"You're not helping your case."

Itsuki:"Come on, he can't help it."

As Maruo realized his fate of forever being teased, Nino grabbed his arm.

Nino:"We're glad you're here. Let's go, your precious daughter is getting married."

Maruo:"...Heh."

The five followed the couple indoors, ready to enjoy the rest of the day.

…

Meanwhile, Raiha had found herself lost in the massive castle-like church. As this was her first time ever stepping foot in such a place, the knowledge from television shows and movies could only get her so far. She was able to take in a lot of the places in her little trip. The dining room where they would have their meals, the place where the post-wedding ceremonies would be, multiple floors where staff could be seen finishing up the preparations, it felt like the stairs were endless.

Raiha:"This really feels like a castle."

This lack of direction led to Raiha wondering about just long enough for Fuutarou and Miku to make it without her knowing.

"This way, sir!"

Fuutarou looked at an attendant waving towards him. He was still holding Miku's hand, but he knew he had to let go for a bit. The two looked at each other, with Miku's attendant also waving towards her.

Fuutarou:"I'll see you on the other side, then?"

Miku:"You'll see me again before you know it."

Fuutarou:"Like a shadow?"

Miku:"Nah, those hide from others. I'll show up, as your wife."

Fuutarou:"...Heh, you're right. Shadows couldn't shine as brightly as you do now."

Miku:"Fufu~"

The two unlocked their hands and let go before going to their respective rooms.

1:00 PM

"Sir, we should be starting the vows now, but we can still get about 10 minutes of wiggle room."

Fuutarou:"Right."

Fuutarou quickly put on his suit.

Fuutarou:"Thanks, Raiha...Wait, where are the rings?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, sir."

Fuutarou:"Knowing her, she probably tried bringing them herself. Can you try and find my sister? Short, same hair color, ponytail."

"Certainly."

As the attendant left, Fuutarou sat down and gave a massive sigh of relief.

Fuutarou:"We finally made it...Hm?"

Fuutarou went to put his hand over his chest, but stopped before it reached.

Fuutarou:"I don't need to check...My heart isn't racing fast anymore…"

He then looked at the mirror.

Fuutarou:"...My body is finally accepting this moment...Not to say I'm not excited, but I feel more relaxed than ever...Maybe a little...too relaxed..."

Fuutarou's eyelids began to feel heavy.

Fuutarou:"I did...stay up pretty late...with the rings before putting them in my…"

Before he knew it, he found himself taking a nap.

Nearby, Raiha was still going around, coming across two attendants worrying about the festivities.

"I thought we were supposed to start already. How did things get like this?"

"Right? Maybe someone messed up during the preparation?"

Right next to them were the assortment of dresses that Miku had to wear.

Raiha:"Wooow...That's a lot of dresses to wear in one day...Wait, why are there so many to begin with?"

But as she looked over the different styles, Raiha couldn't help but blush.

Raiha:"I wonder if I'll get to wear that one day too~"

"I'll be putting up your hair now."

Miku:"Please, go ahead."

Raiha's attention was moved to the bride's voice as the attendant put her hair in a bun. She could see that she was already wearing her dress of choice. Raiha got closer to get a better look.

Raiha:"Wow…" [So they made it after all. That means big bro...]

To her right, she would then notice an opened door. On the other side was her brother laying face down.

Raiha:"Ah... There you are. What are you doing…"

Fuutarou:"Zzz."

Raiha sighed.

Raiha:"Haah...Do you even know how special today is? You're about to get married, y'know? But I guess you were always more of a pragmatist. So this kind of stuff doesn't bothe-"

Her eyes widened at the sight of the bracelet on Fuutarou's wrist.

Raiha:"This brings me back...When did I make that? I can't believe you still have it."

Raiha gave a soft smile.

Raiha:"Congrats on getting married, big bro."

…

{Miku:"Do you usually stare at high school girls?"}

{Miku:"Sue Harukata!"}

{Miku:"Take responsibility, okay?"}

{Miku:"Isn't it the job of the tutor to figure that out?"}

{Miku:"You're guilty! Commit seppuku."}

{Miku:"I'm fine."}

{Miku:"What type of girl do you like?"}

{Miku:"Why do people get into relationships with people they like?"}

{Miku:"Fuutarou is...cool…"}

{Miku:"Yeah...Let's play fair…"}

{Miku:"I guess it's okay if it's you, Fuutarou."}

{Miku:"Go out with me."}

{Miku:"I'm going to do my best, so watch me, Fuutarou."}

{Miku:"So even you think about this stuff. It's like you're a normal guy."}

{Miku:"You got it!"}

{Miku:"Love."}

{Miku:"This is kind of like a date."}

{Miku:"Don't give up!"}

{Miku:"Can you put sunscreen on me?"}

{Miku:"Come on, you get in the picture too!"}

{Miku:"I want to study cooking."}

{Miku:"Let's work together so that after everything is over, even after we graduate, we can look back fondly and say, 'That was a nice school festival we had!'"}

{Miku:"I...want to kiss you."}

{Miku:"I won't hesitate anymore."}

{Miku:"We'll become each other's support."}

{Miku:"I found you."}

{Miku:"I love you."}

...

"Please wake up. The bride has finished her preparations."

The groom, upon hearing that, awoke from his nap. He was a little shocked.

Fuutarou:[I was having a dream of that dream-like day in the second year of high school when I met you.] "Thank you, I'll be right out."

Once the attendant left Fuutarou, he wondered about the dream.

Fuutarou:[It's been a while since I've dreamt like that. I wonder what it means…]

Fuutarou glanced at the ring box in his desk. He immediately thanked Raiha in his mind.

Fuutarou:[Well, that's for another time. Maybe I can bring it up with Miku...I wonder if she dreams of me sometimes, what an embarrassing thought.]

The groom went and picked up the box.

Fuutarou:"In any case, glad these are he-huh?"

He opened the box to see nothing was inside.

Fuutarou:"..."

The groom's cheeks puffed up as he stared blankly at the missing contents in the box. Assuming he was delirious from the nap, he rubbed his eyes and widened them with his fingers to get a good look at the inside of the box.

Fuutarou:"..."

He didn't want to scream as it would bring attention, but his mind certainly didn't hold back.

Fuutarou:[WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY!?]

…

Standing right outside the front door was Miku. She had just finished her preparations and was waiting for Fuutarou. Feverishly, she kept looking at parts of the dress hoping that she looked good in it.

Miku:"It should be good."

Miku's attention would soon change to that of the man approaching her. Looking at his suit first, she blushed.

Miku:[Whoa. Hm?]

She would later look up to see his face, which was full of mixed emotions.

Miku:[Is he still nervous? He couldn't be regretting today, could he?]

She would watch on as he awkwardly handed over the ring box to an attendant. Continuing to walk like a plank, he made his way to his position on the left hand side of the front doors.

Fuutarou:[Man, what a screw up. Why am I such a massive idi...ot…]

All of Fuutarou's thoughts stopped in their tracks upon seeing the bride wearing her dress in front of him. In just that instant, nothing mattered other than what was in his sight. All of his worries left him as his heart gave a hearty thump, causing his body to vibrate. Having to catch his breath, he quickly put a hand over his chest. Fuutarou's eyes widened upon touching his chest.

Fuutarou:[This is…]

Fuutarou's mouth was held open for a while.

Fuutarou:[So that's what it was…]

Miku:"Fuutarou? Did you shut down?"

Suddenly, Fuutarou began to laugh. Miku was more confused than anything, but assumed this was his new way to cope with his anxiety. To not make him feel lonely, she did her best to laugh along with him. Soon, Fuutarou stopped.

Fuutarou:"Why're you laughing?"

Miku:"That's my line, you weirdo."

Fuutarou:"Yeah, I guess I am pretty weird. Sorry, I just realized a couple of things back to back."

Miku:"What were they? Do they have to do with the dress?"

She quickly glanced around.

Fuutarou:"Nah. I always knew that my mind was going to be blown and I was right. You look perfect in that. Just looking at you, I feel like the happiest man in the world."

Miku blushed a bit.

Miku:"Really laying it on thick...but that's the same for me. You look incredible in your suit."

Fuutarou:"Oh, that's good. I don't have a lot of fashion sense, but I wanted to be the one and only one to pick out what I was going to wear for today."

Miku:"I'm surprised you bought it."

Fuutarou:"I had the option to rent it, but no way in hell was I going to do that. I want to keep it. Every time I see it in the future, it'll bring me right back to this day. The best day of my life."

Miku:"Fuutarou…I wish I could hug you right now."

Fuutarou:"We'll have our chance. In just a few moments, we'll have our first hug as husband and wife."

Miku:"I can't wait!"

Inside, despite starting a little later than planned, the priest was officially introduced to all the guests. Fuutarou and Miku could hear it, ready for their cue. At the last minute, Fuutarou remembered something.

Fuutarou:"By the way, do you dream of me?"

Miku:"All the time, why do you ask?"

Fuutarou:"I got a little too relaxed and fell into a nap a few minutes ago."

Miku:"Oh?"

Fuutarou:"And I thought back to the first of many dream-like days I had with you."

Miku:"Dream-like day? Fufu~ I bet you're talking about the day you met us. Ichika, Nino, Miku, Yotsuba, Itsuki. That's when you found out we're quintuplets, right? I don't see how that's dream-like."

Fuutarou:"I guess."

Miku:"What do you mean 'you guess'? I almost called the cops on you."

Fuutarou:"Haha. I wonder how differently things would have gone if you did."

Miku put both of her hands together near her hip.

Fuutarou:[Even after becoming an adult, to think that moment still appears in my dreams. I used to think that very moment was a nightmare, but I can't help but smile when it pops back up.] "I realized why I had that dream."

Miku:"Why's that?"

Fuutarou:[I think it will be a while before I have that dream again. That's because…]

He gave Miku a big smile.

Fuutarou:"Because it led right into my dream-like future with you."

Miku:"Fuutarou."

…

The doors opened right as the priest allowed the first of the couple to come in.

"May the groom enter."

The guests turned their heads in unison to see Fuutarou bowing with the light of the sun behind him. Soon, he lifted himself up and began to take his steps towards the altar. The first people he saw were Shimoda, Takebayashi, Rito, Yae and Sanada right at the very back.

Fuutarou:[Glad they could make it. I'm sure the girls would like to catch up with them.]

Next he saw Ebata at the other side of the back.

Fuutarou:[Hope he's been enjoying his retirement…Next to him, is that…?]

As Fuutarou continued to walk, he would see Producer Oda, Kiku and the Crossbells.

Fuutarou:[Good to see them again. And also those guys that are with Ichika, I guess.]

Before even getting there, he noticed Miku's owner taking pictures feverishly while Fuutarou's waved awkwardly.

Fuutarou:[Haha, someone's excited.]

He would then pass Irigaku and his wife.

Fuutarou:[I'm surprised they made it considering they just finished the trial. I should ask them about it later.]

"Oi, 'ey."

"Uesugi-kuun~"

Fuutarou turned to see Maeda, Matsui, Tsubaki and Takeda all sitting together. Takeda and Tsubaki gave a thumbs up, while Maeda made devil horns with his left hand.

Maeda:"Yo."

Matsui:"Congratulations~"

Fuutarou:[They made it. Huh, her stomach…] "..."

Maeda:"W-What? It's me, man! Me! You better not say that you've forgotten me."

Fuutarou:"Of course not...Maeda, right?"

Fuutarou gave a smug smirk.

Maeda:"Oh, don't be a smartass."

Fuutarou:"Maeda...Well, the both of you now, that is."

Fuutarou pointed out Maeda's and Matsui's rings.

Fuutarou:"...Wait, when did you get married?"

Maeda:"Now you ask? We tried getting ahold of you, but you and this idiot were too busy with your Tokyo's Wits or whatever."

Fuutarou:"Ah...Sorry."

Takeda:"Sorry."

Tsubaki:"Haha…"

Maeda grinned.

Maeda:"You'll make it up to us once you get your own ring."

Fuutarou:"Heh."

Fuutarou continued to walk.

Maeda:"This sure reminds me of our own wedding ceremony."

Matsui:"Such an amazing ceremony reminded you of ours?"

Maeda:"Ugh…"

Matsui:"I'm kidding. I thought ours was amazing as well."

Maeda:"R-Really…? Another reason I thought about our wedding is because he's the cupid who got us together in the first place. It's thanks to Uesugi that we ended up dancing on that day."

Matsui:"The field trip's legend, right? That brings me back~"

Maeda:"Oh, yeah. Did you know? At that time, Uesugi was also…"

Fuutarou passed his grandparents.

Fuutarou:[I don't know either side of the family too well apart from what pops has said, but it's good to see them. And those guys…]

He then passed Miku's grandparents.

Fuutarou:[Why isn't he sitting with them?]

Now that he was near the front, he passed the last row of seats where he waved to Raiha and Isanari. But upon reaching the altar, he wondered about something. He didn't see the other sisters nor Maruo.

Fuutarou:[Where the hell are they?]

Unbeknownst to him, the four sisters were taken by Maruo to stand on a small balcony above everyone else in the back of the church right above Ebata's seat. The four sisters watched as Fuutarou looked around a bit before stepping on the altar.

Nino:"Look up, idiot."

Yotsuba:"He's kinda cute when he panics."

Itsuki:"What a nice view."

Ichika:"Why did you take us up here, dad?"

Maruo:"That's because…"

The four sisters turned to see Maruo with a sincere smile on his face.

Maruo:"I'm not going to give him nor his dad the satisfaction of seeing me like this."

Yotsuba:"So childish!"

Nino:"Quiet or he'll hear us!"

Itsuki:"Father…"

Ichika:"If this is how he is with just one of us, imagine if we got married too."

Maruo:"I'm too young for heart attacks."

Nino:"Oh, now it's her turn."

"May the bride enter."

The doors opened once again to show an attendant putting on the veil on the bride's head with flower petals fluttering past.. With a confident smile, she walked towards the same place her future husband was waiting, passing all the same people, while also wondering where her sisters were.

Yotsuba:"Woah."

Ichika:"She looks beautiful."

Nino:"That dress makes me irrationally jealous."

Itsuki:"I'm blushing just looking at them."

Maruo:"I've seen the pictures, but seeing it in person...is too overwhelming."

Maruo gripped his arm before Nino went and grabbed it.

Nino:"But she looks great, right?"

Maruo:"Without question."

Miku reached the altar and turned to see Fuutarou. Now the two were staring at each other's eyes. With this ready, the priest continued with the proceedings.

"We gather here to unite these two people in marriage. Today they publicly declare their private devotion to each other. The essence of this commitment is the acceptance of each other in entirety, as lover, companion, and friend. A good and balanced relationship is one in which neither person is overpowered nor absorbed by the other, one in which neither person is possessive of the other, one in which both give their love freely and without jealousy."

The couple puffed up their chests.

"Marriage is a sharing of responsibilities, hopes, and dreams. It takes a special effort to grow together, survive hard times, and be loving and unselfish."

The priest spread out his arms.

"Do you both pledge to share your lives openly with one another, and to speak the truth in love? Do you promise to honor and tenderly care for one another, cherish and encourage each other, stand together, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your lives?"

Fuutarou/Miku:"We do."

"Do you pledge to share your love and the joys of your marriage with all those around you, so that they may learn from your love and be encouraged to grow in their own lives?"

Fuutarou/Miku:"We do."

The priest revealed the ring box at the front of the podium. Fuutarou fidgeted a little.

"May your rings be blessed as a symbol of your union. As often as either of you look upon these rings, may you not only be reminded of this moment, but also of the vows you have made and the strength of your commitment to each other."

It was time.

"Now, Uesugi Fuutarou…

Do you take this woman to be your wedded wife? Do you swear to love, respect and cherish her for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health?"

Fuutarou:"Yes, I do."

"Now, Nakano Miku...

Do you take this man to be your wedded husband? Do you swear to love, respect and cherish him for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health?"

Miku:"Yes, I do."

"Then may the bride and groom exchange their rings."

Fuutarou:"Ah."

Raiha:"...?"

Fuutarou:"..."

Miku:"..."

The silence and Fuutarou not moving caused some murmurs in the audience. No one was really sure what was happening.

Nino:"The hell?"

Ichika:"What's wrong?"

Itsuki:"Is he frozen from anxiety?"

Yotsuba:"Fuutarou-kun…"

The priest was becoming worried.

"L-Let's skip ahead to the next part for now."

As soon as he said that, Fuutarou raised his hand.

Fuutarou:"Wait."

Miku:"Fuutarou?"

The same hand that was raised then slowly moved towards his chest. He put his hand in his chest pocket and pulled out two rings.

"HUH!?"

A wave of confusion passed throughout the whole church. The priest opened the box to see nothing there.

Raiha:"HUUH!?"

Miku sighed with a smile.

Miku:"Fuutarouuu, is that the reason you were so fidgety?"

Fuutarou was blushing.

Fuutarou:"Haha...I forgot due to everything that happened. Yesterday, I kept working on them at the last minute. And Right before passing out, to quell my anxiety, I put them there. Because that was the closest place to my heart."

Miku:"Haha."

Itsuki, while bewildered, came to a quick realization.

Itsuki:"I should take a picture of them k-kissing, shouldn't I?"

As she took out her phone, Nino interjected.

Nino:"No need, Miku's owner has that down tenfold."

Itsuki:"Ah."

Itsuki stopped, but not before a picture came out of her phone case.

Yotsuba:"Ah! When was this picture taken?"

Nino:"This was when grandpa was still well, so...a year ago, during that trip."

Ichika:"Makes me think, 'What if this ceremony could've taken place a little earlier?' But look at this."

Itsuki:"Haha."

…

…

{Ren:"Excuse me."}

{Fuutarou:"What's up?"}

{Ren:"I hear you're good at taking pictures."}

{Fuutarou:"That's right."}

{Ren:"...I was wondering if you could take one with me and my granddaughters."}

Fuutarou smiled.

{Fuutarou:"Of course."}

…

...

Itsuki:"Grandpa looks so happy."

Itsuki was holding a picture of the quintuplets surrounding Grandpa Ren.

Down at the altar, the confused priest continued.

"Umm...Moving on…"

Raiha:[But I even brought him the rings...Well, I guess I still did, with them being in the suit…]

Stressed out, Raiha put her hand on her forehead.

Raiha:"Haa~ A wedding ceremony like this is just unheard of…"

"You may now exchange the rings...for real, this time."

Fuutarou grabbed one ring and held it towards Miku.

Fuutarou:"Sorry about the delay."

Miku reached out with her own hand.

Miku:"You sure are silly, but that's what makes you Fuutarou."

Fuutarou put the ring on her finger. Fuutarou then handed her the other one so she could do the same for him. They looked at their newly placed rings with a grin.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Fuutarou lifted the veil from Miku's head and looked directly at her. He put his hands on her shoulders and she put hers on his chest. She could feel his heart beating. Fuutarou then began to move forward. Everyone in the church held their breath. It felt like it took years, but he eventually made it. Just in time for the bell's sound to echo throughout the area.

Fuutarou and Miku kissed, officially becoming husband and wife.

End of Chapter 186

Go-Toubun no Hanayome AE Will End in 2 Chapters