"Ya-ho~"

"What are you doing here?" The next morning, on his way to school, Fuutarou meets Ichika who was standing at a coffee shop that he always walked by while making the journey. She was holding a milkshake in her right hand and her schoolbag was hanging loosely from her left.

Ichika chuckles after hearing his rather annoyed greeting. She walks over to him and tilts her head slightly. "I thought I could talk to you for a bit until school starts."

Fuutarou sighs. "Couldn't you wait for me at school? You didn't have to walk this far from your home just to talk to me."

"I want to talk to you in private, without anybody interfering with us or hearing what we talk about. The school wouldn't be an optimal place to do this."

Fuutarou nods in agreement but it's obvious that he still would have preferred it if she would have just spoken to him later that day, after school. "In that case, you are right. The other students would most likely cause some problems when they see you voluntarily talking to me. Also, rumors would start surfacing again and I don't want Nino to yell at me in the middle of the cafeteria. Again. But tell me, how did you know where to find me?" He continues on his normal route to school, and for the first time, with someone by his side.

"Well, I asked Itsuki where you lived and just looked up the shortest possible route to school online."

"I see...now, what did you want to talk with me about?" Fuutarou turns his head to Ichika as he walks so they could properly talk to each other while still making progress. Ichika looks up to him too and a wide, happy grin begins to form on her face.

"Well, I wanted to thank you for what you did at the festival. I was being selfish and didn't know what to do. I don't know why I chose to leave my sisters behind but I now know that it was the wrong decision. Without you searching for me and telling me how Itsuki felt, I would have probably never considered spending time with my sister. Probably would've just continued on with my job and caused a rift to form between us.

I want to thank you. So if there is anything I can do for you, go ahead and tell me."

Fuutarou politely shakes his head. "You don't have to apologize. To me, it was the right thing to do. If I hadn't done anything about it, I would have definitely felt guilty afterward for not stepping in despite being able to do so." He then looks at her suspiciously. Even if it was to thank him, why would she offer something like this? "Anything?"

"Anything." Obviously, Ichika thought Fuutarou would ask for love advice or if he could get a lap pillow or something naughty like that…but he wasn't that type of person.

It didn't take him long until he had something in mind that would work in his favor. "Alright, I know how important that modeling career is to you but I don't want you to miss any tutoring sessions because of photoshoots or something like that. And also, I don't wanna see you sleeping in the middle of our lesson ever again. I get being tired, but there's a time and place for napping."

Ichika starts to laugh at his rather silly request. Surprisingly, her cheeks begin to flush pink even as she does so." Why would you ask for something like that? You could have asked me to do anything and you choose this?"

"Yes, I choose this. I promised Itsuki that I would help all five of you. So as your tutor, I want you to study properly and pass your exams. And this is true for the rest of your sisters as well. Even Nino and Miku who didn't once think about joining our study session. Even if they've never hesitated to show their dislike of me, I want them to pass too. "

Suddenly, Ichika stops after hearing those words while the light tint of pink rapidly turns into a deep crimson.

'Fuutarou-kun...why is he doing all of this? He cares about us getting better in school. He cares that the five of us are happy together. And all that without any ulterior motives...

Why would he do something like that? He only knows us for about a week!'

Ichika's thoughts get interrupted by the teenager in question, who had realized that she was currently several meters behind him. "Is everything alright, Ichika? Why'd you stop walking all of a sudden?"

She gets snapped out of her thoughts by the question, hurriedly shaking her head in response. "Oh, it's nothing. I just saw something interesting in this shop!" Ichika explains while pointing to a building on her right. Fuutarou looks confused at the building. It wasn't even a shop…it was an apartment block. "What shop are you talking about?" He turns his head slightly to scan the surroundings, wondering if her eyesight was better than his or something.

As soon as Ichika saw that she wasn't pointing at a shop, she resumes her walk in the direction the school was located. It would not take long for them until they would arrive at their destination. "Ah uh, let's not talk about that shop, let's talk about you and Itsuki-chan." Ichika hid her face so Fuutarou wouldn't notice that her cheeks were blushing like never before.

Fuutarou startles at the statement and matches Ichika's pace as they walk off. "What about us?"

"Tell me, did something already spark between the two of you?" Her flushed face had returned to normal, and now she could finally look up to him again with a smug smile, pretending nothing had happened.

"What? Obviously not. I already told you that nothing is going on between the two of us. We are just friends and it will stay this way."

"I was just joking." She deflates slightly at his deadpan response, muttering about him being no fun at all.

Eventually, the two arrive at their school gates, with hordes of students already streaming through them. Once the two of them walked into the school building to change their shoes, all the other students were focusing on them. Fuutarou was starting to wonder if he was cursed. Or was this considered his popular phase?

"There he is again..."

"Why is Nakano-san always with him?"

"A cute girl like her shouldn't be hanging out with a creepy guy like him."

Fuutarou was quite confused. Normally, he wasn't even remotely close to Ichika in school, and they were still questioning why she was around him? Suddenly, he realized what was going on here. They were thinking that he was with Itsuki because they looked so similar! That was bad!

While Fuutarou realized this, Ichika also connected the dots in her head. She turns her head to her tutor, wanting to gauge how uncomfortable he was with this situation. Seeing his panic, Ichika quickly changed her shoes and waves at him whilst walking off into one of the hallways. "See you later in class."

Fuutarou looks in the direction Ichika was heading, away from the classrooms, and shakes his head. Why did she just run away for no reason?

As soon as Ichika was out of sight, the students around Fuutarou stopped paying attention to him and just went on with their day. Her plan to help him out of this situation had worked.

Thankful that he was no longer being stared at, Fuutarou thought no longer about it and therefore just went on with his normal school day.

"Uesugi-kun, wait for me!" Itsuki calls out once school was over. Fuutarou, who had already stood up with his stuff, ready to walk out of their classroom, turns to his classmate. She frantically packs the rest of her belongings, stands up, and walks towards him. "Where are you going?"

"I was planning on going to the library to study alone again. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the tutoring session later today." Together, the two of them walk into the hallway, instantly catching everyone's attention as they head for the library.

"Look there, there they are again."

"Fuutarou really got himself a hot chick, huh?"

"She should be with someone like me instead of him!"

Fuutarou tries to calm himself down by ignoring what those guys were talking about but he just couldn't help the mounting anger inside him. Them talking about Itsuki like that, spreading rumors about her, he didn't want that to happen.

"Uesugi-kun, I know you don't like it if they talk about us like that. You don't have to spend time with me in school if it bothers you..." Itsuki whispers while lowering her head in defeat. Maybe it was for the best if the two of them go separate ways in school so Fuutarou didn't have to worry about anyone starting rumors about her. On the very first day she met him, he had told her that he didn't want rumors like that to spread but it still happened nonetheless. There was no way he was not worried about more of them starting up and continuing to spread...

But Fuutarou wasn't listening to her, not because he didn't care about what she said but rather because something caught his attention...

Miku was currently standing near a bookshelf. In her hands, she held two books about Japanese history. At this moment, it hit him like a shot. The one day he met her in front of their apartment building's entrance door, she was holding onto another book on the Sengoku era. He had forgotten but now it was crystal-clear to him: Miku likes Japanese history.

"Sorry Itsuki, talk to you later, alright?" Fuutarou says as he runs into the library, leaving Itsuki behind.

"Yeah...see you later..." Itsuki was shocked, he hadn't even hesitated…

...He really didn't want to spend time with her in school...

"Which one should I take...?" Miku whispers to herself as her focus switches back and forth between the two books she had in her hands.

Out of nowhere, Fuutarou interrupts her thoughts with a confident smile on his face. "I see you are interested in Japanese history. If you want, I can recommend you a few books. I'm quite well-read when it comes to the subject, you know?"

"Where did you come from, Uesugi?" Miku asks him with an annoyed look on her face while turning to him. Fuutarou was surprised. For one time, Miku didn't call him 'Stalker' or 'Future Criminal' but instead called him by his name. Miracles did happen.

"Well, I saw you when I walked to the library just now so I could study a bit before I go to your place to study with Itsuki, Yotsuba, and Ichika. Speaking of which, don't you wanna join our study lessons any time soon? I am sure I can teach you some things about History you might not even know yet.

"No can do. I won't join your stupid tutoring sessions. I can study on my own. Also, there is nobody who is as knowledgeable as me when it comes to the Sengoku era. I don't think you could teach me anything that I have not learned about yet!" Miku pushes one of the books back into the bookshelf and walks towards one of the many tables spread around the library where she would sit down and start to read the one she had selected. Fuutarou quickly follows her while thinking about a way to catch her interest in the subject.

"Oh, you really think that you know more than me? You are talking to the student with the best mark in all subjects, including History. I think I can keep up with you easily." Fuutarou places himself next to where Miku was sitting and looks down at her with an arrogant smile, hoping that she would take the bait.

"You really think that you know more about Japanese History than me?" Miku turns to Fuutarou while closing the book she was reading. Success!

"Absolutely."

"Then prove it." Miku's face showed all of her determination which made Fuutarou a little bit nervous. She really took this seriously. He couldn't let his guard down just because she didn't get good grades. "There is a story that Oda Nobunaga addressed Toyotomi Hideyoshi as 'monkey' but that wasn't the case. You surely know how Nobunaga used to call Hideyoshi instead, right?"

Fuutarou was a little bit baffled. Normally, Miku would stay relatively quiet and not say anything to him but the occasional insult, but right now she was very talkative. This really seemed to be what she was best at. He'd have to save that for future reference.

He had to think about her question for a few seconds but fortunately, he knew the right answer to it. "Nobunaga called Hideyoshi by the name 'bald mouse'."

Miku grumbles as she begins to pout in defeat. "Exactly...but one question won't prove anything!"

Fuutarou, not knowing what to do, puts on his arrogant smile once more and chuckles. "Really? Then how about we have a little contest on whoever knows more about Japanese History?"

'That was a bad idea. Why did I suggest this? Why did this idea even cross my mind? And why did I have to say it out loud?! Hopefully, she just declines and-'

"Alright, I accept your challenge."

"Oh, Sugar Honey Iced Tea...here we go..."

"But only under one condition. If I win, you will stop asking me if I want to join your tutoring sessions." Miku exclaims and stands up in front of him, a clear demonstration of how serious she was taking this.

But then, another idea popped up in Fuutarou's mind. But this time, it was an actual good idea. "Alright, I accept. But if I win, you are going to join the tutoring sessions from now on!"

Miku remains quiet for a few seconds before she makes an angry face and nods. "I am not going to lose."

"Funny, considering I was going to say the same thing," Fuutarou retorts, knowing that he probably had to prepare intensively in order to win this battle. "Tomorrow after school, we are going to ask each other questions about the Sengoku Era. The first one to get a question wrong loses."

Miku nods and once again sits down at the table they had been standing at. She opens the book she was about to read. He had already left her mind, it would seem, leading to him walking to the bookshelf containing the books about Japanese History.

'I can't believe it. I just wanted to start studying for the midterm exams coming up and now I have to prepare myself for this mess! But if I am successful, Miku will finally start studying with us too. Then, only Nino would be left. Getting her to study with us should be very difficult but I don't have the time to think about it. That's a problem for future me.'

Fuutarou puts down a big stack of books on the librarian's desk, leaving the young lady shocked as her table shudders briefly under the immense weight. "I would like to borrow all of these books!"

"S-Sure…"

"Raiha…I'm home…"

"Onii-chan, welcome ba-" Raiha looks into the face of a dead man. Fuutarou was sweating like he had been in a sauna for over an hour, his back was curved more than that of an old grandfather and his schoolbag was almost overflowing by the sheer number of books he had crammed in it. "AH! A ZOMBIE!"

"Don't worry….I am just a little bit…exhausted…" Fuutarou puts down his bag and collapses beside it, face first. Many of the books he had lend from the library instantly fall out of his bag, spreading all over the ground.

Raiha looks down at these books and then turns to his brother once again. "What do you need all those books for, Onii-chan?"

"You know that I am tutoring Itsuki and her sisters, right? Two of them just don't want to join our studying sessions for whatever reasons I don't know about. Today, I met Miku in the library and she was holding on to some books about Japanese History. Long story short, I am gonna have a contest with her on who knows more about this subject. And if I win, she will join us." Fuutarou explains while recovering from all the physical stress his body had to endure when he took all those books home.

"But why do the two of you have to settle this with a contest? Don't you two get along with each other?" Raiha sits down next to her brother. Her face clearly showed how worried she was about her brother's situation.

"Well, the two of us are not exactly the best of friends."

"Then why don't you try to be friends with her? I'm sure that would solve your problem!"

Fuutarou sighs desperately. "It's not that I don't want to be friends with her. The problem is her. Since the very first day I met her, she thinks I am someone that she cannot trust. She even calls me 'future criminal' sometimes."

"Then why don't you talk to her about it? I am sure that this is just a big misunderstanding!" Fuutarou grins as he turns to his little sister. He lays his hand on her head and pats her. She was so pure-hearted…

"I will try my best, I promise you." Fuutarou chuckles and then stands up again. "Well, I will be heading off to their place now."

"Whaaat? Can't you stay a little bit longer? You just got home!" Raiha pleads, disheartened.

"I'm sorry, Raiha but I have to hurry if I wanna get to them in time. I just came here to bring home those…" He looks down at the ground where all the books were spread. "…those old…big…heavy books which I only have to look at before my back starts to hurt again…"

"Alright. But don't come back home too late. I am gonna make your favorite dish today." Raiha exclaims happily and jumps up to hug her brother once more.

"Raiha, I really have to go now," Fuutarou chides gently while packing his bag with everything he needed for today's lesson. With Raiha still clinging to him, he slowly walks to the entrance door. "Come on, stop that! I'll be back soon."

Raiha lets go of his brother and smiles at him. "Have lots of fun today, Onii-chan."

Fuutarou walks through town towards the apartment building where the Nakanos were living while trying to remember everything he had to teach the sisters today. They really had to learn so many things in order to pass the midterm exam, which was a hard feat even if he had been the one being taught. How would they be able to make the deadline?

Arriving in their suite, a cooking spoon just barely misses him. He turns to the living room shocked, seeing Nino who throws a whisk at him that he somehow manages to dodge despite his aching bones.

"What is going on here?! What is wrong with you?!" Fuutarou shouts angrily. Nino walks towards him with a look of utter fury, one that startles him via sheer rage. She grabs him by the collar of his shirt and pulls him towards her.

"Why did you make Itsuki cry?"

Author's Note:

Thank you guys, thank you very much.
We surpassed the 100 Followers in the last days and we are still going up. I really can't believe I have accomplished this in such a short amount of time.

Also it's great to see that you still enjoy my story and you know what? I won't stop writing!

Additionally, I have an announcement to make. In a few chapters, something will happen that you can vote for. I won't say what you can vote for now but once it happens, I will inform you about it.

If you want, you can join the discord I and some other QQ Writers usually hang out on: discord . gg / V54pcwA

See ya guys in the next chapter!