AN: The last two animes that I've watched were Re:Zero and Quintessential Quintuplets, and after reading fanfiction for both, I decided the harem world of QQ needed a bit more... angst, to say the least. This story was inspired by two others: Return By Failure by Breloom Writer and Five Equal Angels by Hieda no Akyuu. Return By Failure is a fantastic spin on Return by Death that takes it in a much more appropriate manner for the QQ universe, and it is much more fluffy than this gorefest, so make sure to check it out! Five Equal Angels puts Fuutarou and the quintuplets in a world of magic, and it made me realize that writing a QQ fic with mystical elements is actually possible. It is a behemoth of a fic that I still haven't finished, but the sheer amount of content is perfect for anyone greedy for more QQ fics, so check it out as well!

Anyways, trigger warning for blood, violence, murder, gore, depression, suicide, and similarly dark themes. This fic is based on the Re:Zero universe, and if you've seen any of that show, you'll get an idea of the type of fic this is going to be. I don't plan on putting trigger warnings on every chapter, because if I'm going to be honest, violent themes are going to show up like every other chapter. Don't read if you are affected by these themes.

Enjoy the story!

WARNING: Re:Zero Web Novel Arc 5 and 6 Spoilers ahead!

Chapter 1: A Peculiar First Encounter

"What would you like?"

"Barbecue beef combo, without beef."

"Sure thing."

Fuutarou smirked to himself. What a steal. Just by uttering those five words, Fuutarou was able to secure himself a full meal for the price of rice. No respectable business would ever let this deal run, but the school cafeteria was nowhere near managed well enough to be called a respectable business. A deal this good, Fuutarou just had to take advantage of it.

Taking his meal, he sauntered back to his usual seat. It was a table for two in the corner, not that there was ever a second person to occupy it. Not that he particularly cared. Sure, he heard the snickers from his classmates about how often Fuutarou ate by himself, but Fuutarou didn't need their validation. Solitude was the perfect opportunity to study, after all.

His thoughts were preoccupied with the test he had just gotten back, so his trek was fueled mainly by muscle memory. Going over the concepts in his head, he set his lunch plate down- only to be snapped out of his concentration at the sight of a second plate next to his.

Huh? He glanced over to see a girl looking back at him with the same stupified glare. A new student, as evident by her distinctly black and unfamiliar uniform. She had bright red hair, with small yellow star clips holding back her long bangs. And despite Fuutarou's tendency to ignore anything about girls- and most people in general- he had to admit that she was abnormally cute.

But that wasn't what caught his attention. No, there was something else much more apparent.

It was the fact that time had crawled to a stop.

The surrounding chatter faded out until there was nothing but eerie silence. Not even the usual ambiance of traffic outside interrupted the quiet- it was something out of a dystopian novel. The students around them were statues, even the slightest motion or twitch absent from their bodies. He could see people in the middle of a bite, friends stuck in conversation, even a piece of food floating in freefall. Not a single ounce of life was present.

Fuutarou tried to move, but his limbs wouldn't budge. He couldn't even so much as blink. He had no control over his body, his mind trapped within a useless cage. All he could do was stare at the girl frozen in time, along with the rest of the world.

Time stayed like this for a few prolonged seconds, until he started to feel something trail across his back. He instinctively tried to flinch, but could only stand there helplessly. The feeling felt like… a hand, sliding across his back, up and up, caressing his skin, it was inside of him, how was it inside of him, the hand reaching in his chest, grasping his heart, and squeez-

And just as suddenly as it had happened, time started again.

He buckled, letting go of his tray and falling to his knees, grasping his chest as coughs wracked his body. What the hell was that? He had heard of the phenomenon of people's perception of time slowing down as they got into dangerous situations, but this was nothing like that. For one, nothing was putting him in danger at the moment. He was just in school, like he had been almost every day of his life. And the feeling was way too real to be simply his perception. He could still feel how his body froze, cold and unmoving, refusing to listen to even the simplest of directions, privy to whatever that force was. For a student whose worst concern was how to make as much money as possible, that was the first time Fuutarou had truly feared for his life. And it had all started when he looked at-

"Are you okay?"

He looked up, meeting the gaze of the girl who now stood over him. Her slightly annoyed expression was now replaced with one of concern, and she held out a hand to help him up.

"What happened?" she continued. "You fell down just as you looked at me. Did I do anything wrong?…"

Her voice trailed off in guilt as she nervously looped her hair around her finger. Fuutarou waved her off in an attempt to dissuade her guilt.

"No, I just… had a little headache. It surprised me, but you were not at fault." He chose not to tell her the truth, as he doubted any sane person would believe his story. Time wasn't normally supposed to stop, after all.

Fuutarou glanced at the two trays, then back up at the girl, finally having the mental stability to connect the second lunch on the table with her. "You wanted to sit here?" he asked, receiving a small nod from the girl. "This is my usual seat, and normally I would sit alone and study, but if you would like to join me you may. It's the least I can do to thank you for helping me up."

The girl's eyes widened, and she clapped her hands together in front of her chest in excitement. "Really?" she half-shouted, drawing attention from the other students around her. She blushed a little at her brashness, quickly taking her seat in embarrassment as Fuutarou joined her.

"Thank you," she continued meekly. "I'm new to this school, so I don't really know anyone…" She held out a hand. "My name is Nakano Itsuki."

Fuutarou shook it. "Uesugi Fuutarou. And I figured, as you don't seem to have the uniform yet. When did you get into town?"

"Ah, we've always lived here, but we transferred schools very suddenly. Our uniform comes in today, so tomorrow we'll be full-fledged students here."

"We…?" Fuutarou asked, noticing the plurality.

"Yes, my sisters have also transferred here. They decided not to come today, as we aren't officially part of the school yet, but I wanted to see everything for myself before I started, so I'm alone today. Normally I would have lunch with them, so I'm grateful you let me sit here instead."

She picked up her chopsticks and stared hungrily at her food. "Anyways… let's eat!" she practically salivated, prompting Fuutarou to pick up his own chopsticks as well.

"Itadakimasu!"

Fuutarou pulled out his test and flashcards, quietly flipping through the pages as he tried to review his perfect test. However, he didn't get very far before he noticed the sight in front of him, putting down his cards. After all, it was hard to not notice such a gigantic meal when you penny-pinched even school lunch.

"You must be very hungry," he remarked. He held back his usual sarcasm, considering it would be impolite to insult someone who just met and helped you.

Itsuki froze, then rubbed her head sheepishly as she slowed her pace. "I like food… a lot," she admitted. However, before she could continue, she noticed the test and cards on Fuutarou's tray, and she looked at him with curious eyes.

"Studying even during lunch, you must be very diligent!"

Fuutarou shrugged off the compliment, picking his cards back up. "I have to keep up with my studies no matter what, and I received a test back today, which makes it a perfect time to review."

"What did you get on the test, if I may?" Itsuki inquired.

He waved the test in her direction, prompting her to examine the paper herself. Upon looking at it, her eyes widened in incredulity. "One hundred?" she screeched, albeit quietly to prevent another embarrassing scene from happening.

Fuutarou kept his gaze on his cards, trying to maintain his aloof persona without giving in to his ego. Itsuki put the test back down, bowing her head to stare at her lap in nervousness. "T-to tell you the truth, me and my sisters transferred here because we failed our tests at our previous school. I'm not the best at studying, so if you wouldn't mind…"

She clasped her hands in front of her in a pleading gesture. "Please tutor me!"

He stared at her for a few seconds, enough time for Itsuki to start turning red out of awkwardness, although she held her pose. Finally, Fuutarou spoke, setting down his cards.

"I would be happy to help you out today, in order to get you situated with the curriculum. However, I do have other responsibilities, and I cannot permanently tutor you for free," he explained.

Itsuki blinked, sitting back up straight. "That's it?" she asked in a nonchalant tone. "That's no problem at all, I'll make sure you're well compensated for your efforts. How does five thousand yen a day sound?"

"F- Five thousand?!" Fuutarou cried, jaw dropping in shock. Most jobs he worked paid only minimum wage, about a thousand yen an hour, and they were all much more grueling than tutoring. To earn that much, when he would only have to spend an hour or two a day, especially considering his academic ability…

He recollected himself, averting his gaze in embarrassment. "That… that is more than enough, I would be happy to work as your tutor. However, that is a lot, especially over time. Are you sure about it?"

"Of course!" Itsuki nodded. "Don't worry, I won't run out of money for you. Besides…" she gave a slight chuckle, "it might be more difficult than you think..."

"Wh-" Before he could ask what she meant, his phone buzzed, prompting him to pull it out of his pocket. The screen displayed a message from his sister, one of two people he had contacts for in his phone. It read, Found a new job opportunity for you! Call me.

"Do you mind if I take this?" he asked Itsuki. "It's my sister, it shouldn't be too long."

"Of course."

He thumbed through his phone, putting it up to his ear as he dialed Raiha. The phone rang once, twice, thrice… and he held it a distance away from his ear as he prepared for what came next.

"ONII-CHAN!"

Fuutarou winced at the volume, which had caused Itsuki and a few others to glance at him, but put the phone back at his ear, knowing the worst was over.

"Hey, Raiha. What's up?"

"Dad found a really good part-time for you! It could be enough to even clear our debt."

"Really?" Fuutarou raised his eyebrows at that, as their debt was pretty substantial. It would have to be a special job to pay that much.

"A rich family just moved in, and they're paying five times the market price for a tutor. They said it's a fun and friendly workplace, although it is a little time-consuming."

"A tutor… the time commitment is to be expected, considering the pay. Sounds a little sketchy, though, doesn't it?"

"Well, I hear kidneys are in demand right now!"

Fuutarou blanched at the innocent tone Raiha had said that. "M- my kidney?!"

Raiha let out a giggle, causing Fuutarou to relax. "Just kidding. Although," her voice sobered, "it'll let you finally fill your belly, so I think it's a good idea."

His stomach grumbled at that, and he looked down at his lunch tray, which was almost bare compared to Itsuki's. Speaking of Itsuki…

He turned his gaze to the red-haired girl, who was back to inhumanly devouring her lunch. He had already promised to tutor her, so wouldn't this be conflicting with that? Fuutarou shook his head. Tutoring wouldn't take that long, he could do this and help Itsuki. Studying was his specialty, after all.

"Tell me more."

"Well, you're going to be tutoring the daughters. They're in high school, your high school, actually. Their names… let me see… the Nakano family!"

Fuutarou's eyes widened, but Raiha wasn't finished. "The salary is… 25,000 yen per day!"

He tried to respond, but he was still in shock. Raiha giggled once more, recognizing that her brother would be stunned and continuing. "Anyways, I won't bother you any longer. See you later, onii-chan!"

The phone beeped, but his hand stayed still. He stared at Itsuki, who was finishing up her meal. Noticing his gaze, she raised her eyes to meet it. "What's wrong?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Uh... " He set his phone down, taking in a deep breath. "About our tutoring, things have changed."

"What?!" Itsuki exclaimed. She leaned back, placing a hand on her forehead in worry. "Oh no, what am I going to do now? What changed?"

"Well, it seems I got a better deal. I just got hired to tutor the Nakano family for five times your price."

"The Nakano family… Oh, thank goodness!" Itsuki let out a sigh of relief, wiping her brow. However, she froze again, Fuutarou's last sentence processing in her mind. "Wait… did you say five times my price?"

Fuutarou looked at her in confusion. "Yeah, why?"

Itsuki suddenly stood up, pushing her tray back. Fuutarou tensed, fearing that he had somehow offended the girl. However, his fears were quickly dissuaded as Itsuki deeply bowed, clasping her hands together.

"Uesugi-kun, I'm so sorry!"

After lunch, Fuutarou and Itsuki walked down the halls to their next class. They had shared their schedules and found that the two had the same class, so Fuutarou decided to show her the way. He also wanted to pry more information out of the girl, who happened to be his new employer, after her sudden and strange apology at lunch.

As they walked, Fuutarou noticed his classmates staring at them. He could hear whispers of surprise, that the harsh Uesugi Fuutarou was not only walking with another person, but a girl, a cute girl! He wasn't bothered by it, it was no different from the rumors before of him being a loner, but Itsuki seemed to mind. There was a visible flush on her face, and she kept her head down. However, the rumors didn't seem to affect her too drastically, as she hadn't run away from Fuutarou yet.

"So… your family's a handful, huh?" Fuutarou asked.

Itsuki nodded, trying and failing to get rid of her blush. "Most of us hate studying. Yotsuba and I are probably the only ones who will actually come to tutoring, and the rest might actively antagonize you. You'll have to deal with a lot."

"You're telling me. I've worked a lot of jobs, but this is the first time I've ever heard of something like quintuplets."

Fuutarou winced at his own statement. That was a lie, but it wasn't completely wrong. He hadn't come across quintuplets at work before…

Never mind. Probably best not to spring that on Itsuki before she paid him.

"Yes, but while we may share the same physical appearance, the rest aren't like me at all. Nino, in particular, might pose trouble for you, and Ichika will probably just sleep through your lessons…" Itsuki replied.

"Whatever the case, I'll do my best to tutor them. Academics may be my only strong suit, but it's a very strong suit for me, so I'm confident I can whip them up into shape," he reassured her.

His words didn't do much for her worry, however, as apparent by her wrought hands. "I wouldn't be so sure about that…"

They approached the classroom, standing in front of the door. "I have to go talk to the teacher first, so I'll join you in a bit," Itsuki said.

Fuutarou nodded. "It was nice meeting you, Nakano-san."

"Call me Itsuki." When Fuutarou looked at her in surprise, Itsuki started to turn red at what she had implied. "N- Not because- It'll be easier to call us by our first names when you talk to all of us, that's why!"

"Oh, of course. See you in a moment, Itsuki." He waved her off with a small smile, taking his seat in the classroom.

He pulled out a sheet of paper and started to write, trying to make up for the studying that he missed during lunch. However, it quickly turned out to be a futile effort, as there was too much on his mind from the day to concentrate on anything else. Sighing, he put down his pencil and leaned back on his chair, arms behind his head.

Today had been… a strange day, to say the least. For the first time in who knows how long, he had actually spent lunch with someone instead of studying. And instead of being pissed off about the time he had wasted, which would be expected given his personality, he actually felt content- even happy. No one else had ever managed to make him feel this way aside from Raiha, so what made Itsuki special?

There was an instinctual feeling of satisfaction when he spent time with Itsuki, compared to his usual reaction of irritation at any possible social situation. Was it her looks? No, there were plenty of objectively good-looking girls at the high school, and their attractiveness had done nothing to spur Fuutarou to talk to them, and honestly, he didn't really notice Itsuki's either. He wasn't the type of guy to suck up to someone solely because of a pretty face. It definitely wasn't her attractiveness, then, that made him like her.

Personality, then? While he admired Itsuki's willingness to study as a fellow academic himself, he couldn't say that was the reason either. He had never opened up to other people at the top of his class, despite their efforts to hold a conversation with him. Logically, having other smart friends increased your capacity for intelligence, yet Fuutarou still shunned them away. No, it had to be something… more.

Fuutarou just felt right knowing her. It definitely wasn't love or anything- Fuutarou had no time for romantic shenanigans in his situation. It was more of a gut feeling that Itsuki was a good person, that she was worth his time. He actually felt like they could be friends, a feeling he couldn't say the same of anyone else. He was glad that she was the person he was tutoring, even if what awaited him was, from her description, hell on earth.

Besides, there was the fact that she was a quintuplet. Maybe, even those quintuplets… well, there wasn't much he could do about it now. He shoved the thought away, resolving to ask about it later- if they truly were who he thought they were, he had to bring it up to all of them.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing on his mind. While Itsuki had been a large part of his day, there was one thing that stood out more. He couldn't forget about how time froze.

Thinking back on it, he was certain that was real- there was no imaginable reason to hallucinate in the middle of the cafeteria. No, something more had happened. Fuutarou didn't want to believe it, considering his affinity for and trust in math and science, but there really was no other explanation. It had to be magic.

Magic… what in the world was happening to him? Sure, he had read many a novel at the library every once in a while, he knew about the fantasy of magic, but in real life? Happening to him? Fuutarou's lifestyle was frugal and simple, so to be thrust into a world of magic was way beyond his imagination. And yet, here he was now.

There was that strange feeling to account for as well. If time stopped, nothing should've been able to move, but he distinctly remembered the feeling of a hand on his back, in his back. Something… or someone had been able to touch him. But who was targeting him? And more importantly, what did they want from him?

Honestly, he should have been more surprised at the appearance of magic. If it were anyone else, they probably would've freaked out and ran home immediately to figure themselves out. But, then again, it wasn't Fuutarou's first time that something otherworldly had seemed to happen to him. After all, what happened five years ago…

"-Nakano Itsuki. Pleased to meet you."

His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Itsuki in the front of the class, introducing herself. Looking around, he saw the rest of the class had already filtered in and taken their seats. His thoughts distracted him enough that class was able to start under his nose. Oh well, he would be able to review some other time.

Itsuki gave a bow and started to walk to her desk. She noticed Fuutarou on her way, giving him a bright smile as she passed him. He returned the smile with one of his own, albeit smaller due to his preoccupied thoughts. She didn't notice, though, and continued to her seat.

"Did the new girl just smile at Uesugi-kun?"

"Holy shit, Uesugi-san has a friend."

"No way, are they dating?"

"Damn, Uesugi's a player!"

Fuutarou rolled his eyes at the whispering, turning back to the front of the room. It had been a long day, and he was sure it wasn't about to get any easier. He might as well pay attention now, as there would be no time to review later.

As the school bell rang, and his classmates trickled out of the classroom, Fuutarou heard a voice calling to him.

"Uesugi-kun!"

Turning, he saw Itsuki waving him over. He followed suit, walking over to stand at her table. "Hello, Itsuki. How was your first class?"

"Very good. All the people here are so nice and welcoming. Although I couldn't really follow the teacher, but I suppose that's why I have you as a tutor, isn't it?" She gave a half-hearted chuckle.

"Itsuki, I am more than happy to help, but make sure you pay attention to class as well. Ignoring the teacher just because I will be there will only be to your detriment," Fuutarou admonished.

"Of course. Don't worry, I will try my best to get my grades up," Itsuki said, a determined look in her eye. She stood from her desk. "Would you mind coming over to start today? I can't promise payment for today, but I would very much appreciate it if we went over the curriculum before we start, and it could be a good opportunity to meet everyone."

"Sure. I did say that I could help you out today, free of charge. Employing me didn't change that."

"Thanks!" She shot him a grateful smile before heading out of the door, Fuutarou following close behind.

As they walked, Fuutarou's attention shifted to Itsuki, and he stared at her red mop of hair. He was still trying to figure out the connection between the time stop and the girl in front of him. It hadn't escaped his notice that time froze when their eyes met. Sure, it could be a coincidence, but combined with his strange acceptance of Itsuki as a friend, he was starting to suspect it was something more.

Maybe he should ask her about it. She hadn't seemed to been affected by the stopping, but if they were correlating, she could know something about it. Taking a deep breath, he started, "Hey, Itsuki-"

Before he could finish his sentence, however, he heard a brazen voice shout, "ITSUKI!"

Blinking hard at the sudden sound, Fuutarou looked forwards to the source. They had left the building at this point, and were in the front yard of the school, on the steps leading down. Students were scattered about the campus, some leaving, some staying to chat. And in front of them stood one girl who was noticeably not a student, and drawing a lot of attention.

She was wearing a bright green tracksuit and running shoes, and had clearly been on a run, based on the sweat on her brow and her fast breathing. There was a ribbon around her hair matching the color of her tracksuit, flittering in the wind with her pinkish-red hair. The strangest part about it, however, was that her face was the spitting image of Itsuki.

The girl was enthusiastically waving Itsuki over, who complied, Fuutarou following suit. "Yotsuba!" Itsuki exclaimed, returning the wave. "I can see you, you know, you didn't need to scream that loudly."

Yotsuba giggled, scratching her head in embarrassment. "Sorry, I just got excited," she replied. "How was school? Tell me all about it! Also-" she looked at Fuutarou, "who's this?"

Fuutarou stepped forwards to introduce himself. "My name is Uesugi Fuutarou, and as of today, I am you and your sisters' tutor."

"F- Fuutarou?" For a moment, Fuutarou could swear Yotsuba's smile strained, but it was gone too fast to tell, replaced by her normal grin. "Well, Uesugi-san, I wish you luck! I'll definitely need your help, so I'm counting on you to get our grades up."

"Of course."

"I was taking Uesugi-kun to our house so I could get caught up with the new class material," Itsuki said. "Do you know who else is home?"

"Ah, Nino went out to buy new clothes for school, but Miku and Ichika should be home," Yotsuba replied energetically.

Itsuki nodded in contemplation. "I see. That might be for the best, as while neither of them will want to study, they shouldn't be too hostile towards Uesugi-kun. Will you be joining us, Yotsuba?"

The girl in question started to jog in place, letting her excess energy burn. "Once I finish my run and freshen up, I'll join you guys, don't worry!" She looked over at Fuutarou. "It was nice meeting you, Uesugi-san."

"Likewise, Yotsuba."

Yotsuba's cheeks heated up a little at that. "W- Wow, you sure close the distance fast, Uesugi-san."

"Oh, Itsuki informed me of your quintuplet situation already, and advised me to use your first names to avoid confusion."

"I- I see…" Turning away, she jogged briskly away. "See you guys later!" she called out with a wave.

The two waved back until Yotsuba had vanished from sight. Yotsuba, huh? Usually, Fuutarou got annoyed by a bright, naive attitude like hers, but once again, that familiar and comfortable feeling stayed with him as he conversed with her. He would have to see whether or not it was the same with the rest of the quintuplets.

Itsuki and Fuutarou started down the street, but didn't get very far before Fuutarou's stomach started to grumble loudly. "Are you hungry, Uesugi-kun?" Itsuki queried. "Why don't we stop by a cafe on the way? My treat."

"No, I couldn't impose-"

"Nonsense," she interrupted. "I saw how barren your lunch was. Can't have my tutor weak from hunger, can I? Besides, I wouldn't mind eating some more, either."

Itsuki licked her lips in anticipation of her next meal, causing Fuutarou to sigh in defeat. "Very well. I'll pay you back when I get my salary."

"Oh, don't worry, there's no need-"

"I insist."

Itsuki puffed out her cheeks in a pout. "You're more stubborn than I thought, Uesugi-kun."

"Stubbornness is an ideal quality when you are aiming for the top of the class. Not being able to accept bad grades proves a useful motivator." Fuutarou started walking, gesturing for Itsuki to follow. "Let's go, I can't stay out forever."

She nodded, and the two set out for a coffee shop nearby.

Bells jingled as the door to the coffee shop opened, letting two high school students out. The dark orange hues of the setting sun traced lines throughout the skyscraper-lined downtown, and the soft breeze of the evening whistled past them as the girl patted her stomach, the boy looking on in exasperation.

"Wow, I'm stuffed!" Itsuki said with a satisfied smile, walking down the busy street.

Fuutarou followed her, a slightly irritated look adorning his face. "You ate so much it's turning night," he grumbled, hands in his pocket.

Itsuki giggled. "Don't worry, we still have time. I won't keep you for too long, meeting my sisters should only take a moment."

"How are you even capable of eating that much? I've never seen that much food in my life."

Itsuki swiveled around to face Fuutarou, hands on her hips as she gave him a majestic pout. "If I hadn't already met you, Uesugi-kun, that would be a very rude thing to say to a girl!" she admonished. "For your information, I exercise often too, although not as much as Yotsuba."

Fuutarou smirked, waving her down. "Okay, okay, I won't mention it again." He paused for a moment, then added, "...until lunch tomorrow."

"Uesugi-kun!"

Laughing, Fuutarou continued to walk behind Itsuki to the quintuplets apartment, bickering with her all the while. It had been a while since Fuutaro had anyone to bring out this sarcastic side of his, aside from his father. He hadn't talked to someone as a friend in years, after all.

Friend… did he already consider Itsuki a friend? The feeling was so alien to him that he actually had to ponder it. His experience with having friends was quite limited, as his social skills had dwindled during middle school, and completely disappeared by high school. Yet, here he was, casually teasing Itsuki like they had known each other for years. Maybe it was the result of that strange familiarity he felt with her and her sister, maybe he desired to become closer with an employer, maybe Itsuki was just ridiculously easy to make fun of, as he had found out over their bout at the coffee shop. Whatever it was, he wanted to explore it more, if not for the sole reason of curiosity.

They finally reached the building housing the sisters, and it was absolutely massive. Fuutarou looked up, and up, and up, and up, until he finally saw the top of the building. It was thirty stories of apartment after apartment, blatantly standing out as the tallest building across the horizon. The receding sun reflected blindingly off of the windows, sending beams of orange and red everywhere, splashing the ground with color.

"I guess I don't have to worry about my salary after all if you guys live here at the Pentagon. You said you live on the penthouse?"

Itsuki blushed. "W-Well, our father is very generous to us, and he works as the top doctor in the hospital nearby, so he has a lot of money."

She walked inside, swiping a card on a receiver, and stepped through the sliding door. Fuutarou glanced at a moment on the receiver, unfamiliar with the advanced technology, before resigning himself to figuring it out later and following Itsuki inside.

They stepped into the elevator, Itsuki pressing a button to the 30th floor. As calm elevator music filtered throughout the small room, the two stood in silence, Fuutarou using this opportunity to reflect on his situation.

He was about to tutor five people at once. The day hadn't given him much time to think through that predicament, but now that he was almost face-to-face with it, he mulled it over. It was going to be a formidable challenge, but he was ready to accept it. After all, the pay was incredible, and if the rest of the sisters were anything like Itsuki and Yotsuba, there was no reason he couldn't help them.

His thoughts shifted to more supernatural subjects. He never did get to ask Itsuki about time stopping, did he? The appearance of Yotsuba had distracted him enough to forget about it. He thought about asking her now, but figured it could wait until tomorrow. No need to rush everything in one day. All he had to do was meet the rest of the sisters, give Itsuki some pointers, and he would be back at home to taste more of Raiha's delicious curry. Of course, from his cafe visit with Itsuki, he didn't know if he had room for anything more, but it was still something to look forwards to nonetheless.

The elevator beeped, and the two of them stepped out into the hallway. As they walked to the door, Itsuki started to explain more about her family.

"Ichika is pretty friendly, so she should welcome you as a tutor, although I can't say the same about her effort into studying. Miku is a little shy, but she gets the best grades out of all of us, so maybe she can ease into your tutoring a little easier. Nino probably isn't home yet, which could be good, considering she doesn't like strangers in the house. I'm sure she'll warm up to you eventually, though, she's very kind deep down. And you've already met Yotsuba."

They reached the door. Itsuki knocked, waiting for someone to answer the door. She frowned, however, as no one seemed to respond. "They must be in their rooms," she thought out loud, pulling out a key. "I'll let us in."

She turned the key, causing the door to swivel open. Inside was a massive modern family room, bigger than Fuutarou's entire house. He didn't marvel at it, as his jobs have shown him his fair share of expensive places, but quietly appreciated the charm. They walked inside the seemingly empty household.

"Mikuuuu? Yotsubaaaa? Ichikaaaaa?" Itsuki called out, drawling out the last part of their names to try and get her sisters' attention.

Fuutarou walked ahead, setting down his bag in the living room. He figured he could get set up while Itsuki searched for them. Before he could finish, however, a strange scent wafted up to his nose, causing him to stop.

He took in a deep sniff, trying to identify the smell. It was… strangely metallic, and definitely unfamiliar. However, it was pungent, the scent only growing stronger with time. He swiveled his head around, trying to detect the source of the scent- and paled, frozen at the sight in front of him.

"I- Itsuki?" he called out, voice trembling with terror for the first time in a long time.

Itsuki turned in his direction, following his gaze to see the issue, and blanched, holding a hand to her mouth as she tried not to vomit. For there, on the floor, was a puddle of deep red blood, growing wider and wider as it dripped from above. Fuutarou looked up at the dripping, trying to figure out what possibly could have happened.

However, at the sight, he fell to his knees, holding his mouth and stomach just like Itsuki, the contents of his stomach threatening to escape. "Oh- oh god."

It was a person, a girl almost identical to Itsuki. The only difference was her shortened hair, and lack of star clips binding it. The horrifying part, however, was the fact that her body was slumped over the railing, balancing precariously on her stomach, head facing the floor below. And- and-

her entire mouth was covered

in

blood.

The girl's open, lifeless eyes stared down at him as he looked at the crushed jaw dripping blood onto the floor. It was broken beyond repair, the skin colored a deep red that would surely stain, not that it mattered. He could see bits of bone strutting out of the skin, small slices revealing the insides of her mouth.

What the actual fuck. Fuutarou wasn't one to get queasy at gore- the few times he had gone to a zombie movie, he didn't have any extreme reaction to it. This, though, this was disgustingly unnatural. It had looked as though the girl had been brutally beaten, struck with the force of a truck directly to the jawbone. What kind of cruel, sick monster would think of that?

"ICHIKA!"

The guttural screech of Itsuki brought his attention back to her. She had failed to prevent her stomach from turning inside out, a puddle of vomit at her feet. She hadn't shied away from it, though- she was completely frozen, unable to do anything but look at what had become of her sister. Fuutarou could hear sobs building up in her throat, but they hadn't been released yet as Itsuki's brain tried to process the reality she was looking at.

He started towards her, trying to comfort her, talk to her, anything, but before he could do so, he saw a glint of silver sparkle in the bathroom behind her. Eyes widening, he broke out into a sprint directly at Itsuki, literally throwing himself at her to push her aside.

"Itsuki, WATCH OUT!"

The broken girl snapped out of her trance to look at Fuutarou, a look of confusion breaking through her ruined expression before she was shoved to the ground by his leap. He was just in time, as well, as a sharp blade whizzed mere centimeters above his back.

Panting hard, he glanced towards the bathroom door. It was too dark to make out the intruder's face, but he could hear her lilted chuckle as if it was the only sound in the world.

"You managed to dodge that, huh?" the voice drawled. It was a woman's voice, with a provocative edge, although Fuutarou was anything but aroused at the sound of it.

"I was only ordered to kill the five, but now that you're a witness, you'll have to die too," she continued. "Hmm, I wonder how your bowels will taste?"

She laughed maniacally as Fuutarou's breathing labored, unable to contain the fear coursing throughout his body. He could feel Itsuki's body under him trembling as well, her chest pressed tightly to his. Normally, he might be embarrassed at the situation, but now Fuutarou was trying to keep Itsuki as close as possible, trying to shield her from danger, and maybe just to keep him grounded through his fear.

"Y'know, I wouldn't have to make such a vile scene if that sister had just stayed put. I killed that girl silently, but the other one just had to investigate. Whatever, I'm not being paid for cleanliness. If I was, maybe I would've waited for the girl in the bath to be done before I killed her."

Both Fuutarou and Itsuki tensed at that. A girl in the bath… Yotsuba had been jogging, and she would have had to take a bath afterward. Before they could continue that train of thought, however, the woman continued.

"Well, that makes four of you here. I guess I'll just have to wait here for the fifth. But first…"

A purple blur whizzed out of the bathroom, faster than he could track. Fuutarou's breath hitched as he tried to turn around and fight the woman, but before he could move a muscle-

Squelch.

Something sliced through his stomach, setting his entire body on fire. Every breath sent sharp pains throughout his veins, and his limbs, supporting himself above Itsuki, started to tremble in agony. His head throbbed from a myriad of emotions; terror, panic, worry, hurt. The worst part, however, was that the knife that had passed through him was shoved into Itsuki as well, the girl beneath him let out an agonizing scream.

His limbs finally gave out as he rolled off of Itsuki. His back was on the ground, the sensation of a warm liquid replacing the feeling of the ground around him. Gently touching his stomach, he saw that his hand was covered in blood. His own blood.

The intruder had disappeared, leaving them to die in a pool of their insides. Fuutarou grunted as he twisted his head to look at Itsuki, ignoring the jolt of his insides as he did so. She was in a similar situation, blood gushing out of her stomach, staining her clothes and dripping onto the floor. Her face was scrunched in immense pain as she tried to withstand the sensation of her stomach being sliced into.

Was this how his story ended? One day he was a regular top student at a mediocre school in a mediocre city, living a normal life, struggling to make ends, and the next he made a friend, got frozen in time, was manhandled by magic, and executed by someone he even couldn't get a look at. Fuutarou had considered his life mundane, by all standards, but was content to live through it, his academic achievement enough satisfaction to keep him going. Yet, now that he had made a friend, something within him cried out, begging to go further, to break his norm and pursue living.

I will be useful!

A promise. For years, he had thought studying was the best and only way to fulfill it. Now, after meeting Itsuki and Yotsuba, there was a glimmer of opportunity in a different path. He could be useful. He could start improving lives. He could become someone who mattered. For so long, he had felt that his true story wouldn't begin for a while, that he had to push through his teenage years into adulthood, setting himself up well for his story to start. But now, his story was over.

And yet, something deep inside of him felt- no, needed for his story to have only just begun.

He reached out, straining his hand inches to the right, to where Itsuki was dying out. Every movement was hell, but he fought back, ordering his muscles to move. After a bit, he found what he was looking for. His hand touched her almost lifeless one, the tip of his pinky finger pressing against her thumb. A meager touch, but it was all he could manage.

"W- ait-"

A futile promise, of course. Why was he wasting his energy trying to talk? There was no moment after, there was no action to do, no word to keep.

"I will… definitely…"

Or was there?

"Save you."

Uesugi Fuutarou died on September 9, 6:33 pm.

"What would you like?"

Fuutarou opened his bleary eyes, rubbing them into focus. He felt like he had just woken up from a nap, but after a few seconds, he noticed something that eradicated that theory.

He seemed to be standing up.

Hazily, he instinctually patted his stomach, as if he was searching for something. As he collected his thoughts and realized exactly why he was patting his stomach, Fuutarou's senses snapped back into reality, adrenaline shooting through his veins.

Blood- he had to get rid of the blood- why wasn't there any blood? In his brief moment of panic, Fuutarou realized that his shirt was completely clean, as white as if it had been freshly washed. Looking past his shirt, he saw not the tiling of the Nakano household, but the messy floor of a cafeteria.

"Hey, kid, what do you want?"

Fuutarou's gaze snapped up to the cafeteria lady, who was now glaring at him. Cafeteria lady? He quickly looked around to get a sense of his surroundings, his already confused brain muddled further by the truth around him. He was standing in his school's cafeteria, a tray in his hands, in front of the kitchen counter he had grown so familiar with. It was bustling with activity and noise, ignorant of his peril, aside from a few people behind him in line who were starting to get annoyed at the long wait.

He had just died. He was sure of that. He could still feel the throbbing pain of his stomach convulsing from the hole the knife left in his stomach.

So what the hell was he doing standing here?