College has been taxing on me lately, and I can't focus on my big stories as a result. Second semester began for me, and our next break won't happen until May. They require my complete free time and attention, so I apologize if I'm not able to release updates anytime soon. However, stories like these are a pastime, and I can accomplish these while also keeping consistent with my studies. That's all I want to say, so we can get started with this fanfic right away!
The idea of the story was inspired from the "100 Girlfriends who really, really, really, really, really love you" manga series, which is a really funny and wholesome harem story in my opinion. If you are a fan of harem genre, I recommend you to check it out. Regardless of that, I will be sticking with the canon events of the Gotoubun story, while also changing some parts to fit the story. This is not intended to be an alternative to the manga, because it's way different in terms of events and characterization. I will be focusing on doing fluff and showing wholesome moments between Fuutarou and the quintuplets, so I apologize if I don't touch on the canon events that much.
Discord link: [discord . gg / 4y5QVPj]
Disclaimer: I don't own the Quintessential Quintuplets, or any of its characters...
Within the Uesugi household, everything was quiet. It was still in the dead of night, and there was no one within a kilometer of distance who was awake. Fuutarou Uesugi was sleeping in peace inside his room, until he felt the urge to drink some water. It would be understandable, since he had been focused on studying in advance to maintain his consistent grades, and therefore had forgotten to have a glass of water before sleeping.
Opening his eyes with no difficulty at all, Fuutarou got up from his futon and walked towards the door, just to see that there wasn't anything to go to.
"That's strange. I don't recall having the door repaired recently," he said to himself and continued on walking, only to realize that he was going nowhere because there was nothing around him. "What the…"
Frowning slightly, he looked around himself to observe his surroundings and take in what he's seeing. There was… literally nothing around him, and his futon even disappeared. Raiha wasn't there either, same for Isanari. He was just there… standing in the middle of nowhere, and everything was nearly dark. While other people would surely freak out by now, he wouldn't be fooled so easily.
"Am I still dreaming?" he asked himself, before nodding his head as if he was agreeing with himself. "I think that would be the most acceptable explanation, yes… and I certainly wouldn't have been suffering from sleepwalking when there is no one around —"
"Uesugi Fuutarou."
The teen's attention was quickly brought towards the source of the voice, which was in front of him, as a cloud of smoke suddenly spawned out of nowhere. He tilted his head to the side in confusion, but before he could get closer to investigate, the smoke had dissipated giving way for the presence that was within it.
"This is… an unusual dream I'm having so far." Fuutarou comments, having a good look of the person who was standing in front of him. He was an elderly man wearing a traditional kimono, and held a big staff in his right hand. He had a long, white beard and a tuft of hair on his head that only spurted into his bangs. His most notable features were perhaps his really thick eyebrows as well as his huge, pointy nose.
"Uesugi Fuutarou. I have come to speak with—"
The man was cut off short when Fuutarou simply raised a hand, a neutral expression on his face. "I'm sure you must have something interesting to tell me, but I'm afraid I have not the time to be dealing with this. I will now wake up, drink water, then go right back to sleep."
With that, Fuutarou turned around and attempted to walk away, only for the old man to continue speaking as if nothing happened.
"You can try, but I am in control of the surroundings here. Until I say that you are permitted to leave, you will remain here and have no choice but to listen to my words." From his voice alone, it was clear that he wasn't messing around.
It didn't stop Fuutarou at all, as he then pinched his arm and expected to be brought back to the real world, but nothing happened. He pinched himself harder, but the results were the same. He then tried using both hands and dug his nails into his own skin to the point that he himself was gritting his teeth in pain, but his actions were still futile. He was clearly feeling something, but it wasn't enough for him to wake up.
"I must be having a deep sleep… perhaps I could try resorting to more physical measures?" Fuutarou mused, raising his hand and forming it into a fist, preparing to punch himself in the face in order to wake up.
"Uesugi Fuutarou, the only thing you'll be doing is giving yourself pain if you continue. Like I said, as long as I am here, you cannot return to the real world for I am in control of the surroundings here. Now, will you continue punishing yourself for nothing, or will you lend an ear to listen?" The old man stated in a serious voice once again, while his thoughts were conveying something else. "Why was this mortal chosen once again? Sometimes I want to change the way I draw names…"
That stopped Fuutarou in his attempted action, looking like he was considering what the old man said in his mind. "Should I listen to him? It's my dream and by extension, my thoughts. There is no possible way for him to do such a thing, but this might be worth hearing out. I have never seen this man in my life, but I could be having a premonition of sorts and this might happen in the future…" he said in his thoughts, weighing his options.
Finally, Fuutarou turned around with his arms folded across his chest, looking towards the old man with his neutral expression from earlier.
"Very well, I shall hear you out. What do you want from me?"
The elderly man narrowed his eyes for a moment, before slamming his staff once against the ground. "Uesugi Fuutarou, many know me by many names, but I am simply known as the God of Love and Fertility. I have come here personally to tell you of something important."
"A god, huh?" Fuutarou raised an eyebrow, before shaking his head in disappointment. "I deeply apologize, but I have not much interest in religion. Whatever you wished to tell me, there is no need as it will only be irrelevant to me." He turned around again, preparing to leave this place since there was nothing for him to do around here. "I suppose this will be the end of our conversation, oji-san."
Before he could attempt to pinch himself in an attempt to wake up, he heard the sound of the old man's staff banging down on the ground and before he knew it, his whole body went rigid like a corpse.
"-!" he exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise before he was forced to turn back around against his will, where the old man was within a few inches away from him and had a menacing look on his face.
"I am not just some old man, Uesugi Fuutarou. I am a god and you are a mere mortal, do you understand? I can bring you great pain and sorrow just by lifting a finger, and you wouldn't even be fast enough to realize it. Are we clear?"
Realizing that he had no choice at the moment, Fuutarou could only nod in response. "Y-Yes, I understand."
"Now, as I was saying earlier, I am known as the God of Love and Fertility. I watch over every relationship there is, and sometimes influence a mortal regarding what he feels inside. I personally came into your mind right now to tell you about something important."
Feeling that he was finally able to move freely again, he stretched some of his limbs to make sure they were functional. "Which is?"
The elderly god slammed his staff into the ground, causing a burst of wind to go out in all directions, which was enough to nearly take the young teen off balance. "Uesugi Fuutarou, you are to encounter your 'soulmate' in high school tomorrow."
Fuutarou's eyes narrowed for a moment, before they suddenly widened once his mind had registered the god's words.
"S-Soulmate…? Me?" While he was definitely not into romance and anything else surrounding it, Fuutarou was, by no means, uneducated about the different terms related to the subject. He knew about a date, a boyfriend/girlfriend, marriage, as well as the term 'soulmate'. He was tempted to fire back and tell the old man that this was just nonsense, but he didn't want to risk anything. "T-There has to be some sort of mistake here… I am not interested in this kind of thing right now," he spoke, with all signs of his composure being thrown out the window.
"True. Any person wouldn't know what's going on when a god suddenly appears in his dreams for something important. Therefore, I shall elaborate further." The god nodded his head in understanding, before continuing. "A soulmate is a companion who is set to be the 'ultimate love partner' for all individuals, the moment they are born into this world."
"I know what a soulmate is!" Fuutarou interjected, his cheeks turning red from the thought of gaining a soulmate of his own.
"Is that so? That is good to know then, Fuutarou." The god only nodded, causing the teen himself to sweat-drop. "It will help you when you meet your soulmate tomorrow. The very moment that your eyes will meet, it'll feel like a shock just ran through your whole body. In that instant, the both of you will fall in love so hard that it hurts. To put it simply in your language, it is 'love at first sight'."
"You can't be serious… there isn't anyone in this world who would like someone like me," Fuutarou stubbornly denied.
However, it didn't seem like the old man was listening at all. "There is something you must pay attention to, Fuutarou. When it comes to falling in love with others, women 'fall in love instantly', while men 'fall in love gradually as time goes by'. Each pair of soulmates are destined to meet each other at their own designated time, and in your case, it will be tomorrow."
Fuutarou narrowed his eyes. "That's impossible. There are people who spend their entire lives alone, and I would rather be one of them."
"Of course. There exists those that don't have a soulmate set to them, but for those who do have one, it makes them exceptionally fortunate. You are one of those fortunate people, Uesugi Fuutarou."
"Why does it have to be me?" Fuutarou gritted his teeth in frustration. "Can't it be someone else instead? Like I said, I'm not interested in this thing because I am focused on something else entirely."
The elderly god shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Well, that's because your name was the one that I got from the box that I use to draw any person's name so I could help with his/her romantic life. It's how I work."
"Using a box to draw names… what kind of god are you…?" The young teen thought to himself incredulously, before snapping out of it. "Can't you just take it away? You're a god, right? Surely you can take away what you gave me. I would rather meet my future girlfriend, if I even have one, when I'm finally ready to pursue a relationship. Not right now when I'm still in high school. I'm sure you are also aware that my family isn't doing well financially, correct? Pursuing a relationship right now will only be dragging us down even further."
"I cannot do such a thing. Once I bestow a person with something or influence him in his actions, I cannot take it back. It is the reason why there are couples who end their relationships everywhere. It also makes the job interesting, you know? If I could take away the love that I give you, then it would be like taking your free will away." The god explained, before pointing his staff at Fuutarou. "Regardless, you will meet your soulmate tomorrow in school, and there is nothing that can be done to prevent it."
"Tsk…!" The teen clicked his tongue in annoyance. So this old man had no way of helping him, or he was restricting himself from doing so. He was almost tempted to say that he didn't really care for his reasons, only for a sudden idea that hit his mind, causing Fuutarou to smile in a smug manner. "Actually, there is. I don't have to accept whoever that soulmate is, and simply move on with my life. I am sure that she'll be able to find someone else better than me, and I'll continue going through school without having to worry about a romantic relationship."
"Ah, about that, there is no way to sever the connection between you and your soulmate. The two of you will continue to be bound by an invisible string of fate no matter what you do. Unless, you are willing to let your soulmate die from various events, shortly after you turn her down." The elderly god stroked his beard and looked away, as though he was nervous of telling such a thing.
Immediately, Fuutarou narrowed his eyes and responded with his best impression of Ivan Drago from that popular movie series, "If she dies, she dies."
The old god deadpanned. "You misunderstand. She'll be hurt greatly from the heartbreak of your rejection."
Fuutarou was unfazed. There was just no way he would accept getting a girlfriend in this period of his life. "Let her see a therapist then."
"She's gonna die, Fuutarou." The god sighed and palmed his face in disappointment. "D-I-E, got it? She will cease to exist in this world, never to be seen again. The girl who's destined to be your soulmate will die if you turn her down. Her death will be on your hands. Now, are you willing to bear that guilt if you let it happen?"
"L-Let her die…" Fuutarou's expression finally switched to one of terror, as he removed any further thought of a polite rejection from his mind. The guilt would be just too much. "Are there no other options left? You're a god, aren't you? I don't want to go through this at all!"
"My time here is nearing its limit, thanks to your stubbornness, so I will not remain here any longer. Remember, Uesugi Fuutarou. You will meet her tomorrow and whatever happens from there, shall be up to you."
With that, the elderly god then disappeared into the wind that blew past, leaving Fuutarou there all alone, while trying to slowly gather his thoughts. No one can blame him, since he just talked with a god in his own dream, who then informed him that he will meet his soulmate tomorrow in school.
"Tomorrow… I'll be seeing her tomorrow… I can't possibly skip my classes because of this, so it would be a futile attempt to try and distance myself from the place where we'd see each other. Perhaps I could simply avoid looking at another girl directly into her eyes? That oji-san did say that we'd have to look at each other's eyes for 'a shock' to happen, but if it doesn't happen, then I wouldn't have to worry about anything at all. As long as I don't look into a girl's eyes, I'll be safe. I won't have a soulmate, no one's gonna die, and I'd be able to get through this without concerning myself about anything romantic of the sort."
With this plan in mind, Fuutarou felt a large weight was off his chest as a result. If that old god wasn't going to help him avoid that soulmate thing from happening, then he'll do it on his own.
Pinching his own arm to wake himself up from this dream, Fuutarou only had one thing in mind: DO NOT look into the eyes of another girl in school from now own, or he'll just be digging his own grave afterwards.
Little did he know that he already did.
~~XoXo~~
"Yakiniku set without the yakiniku, please."
Fuutarou says with a calm look on his face, all while keeping his gaze directed somewhere else. He knew that there was no way the cafeteria lady would be the soulmate that the old deity was talking about (it sounded so wrong), but he was being very precautious about his surroundings today, for obvious reasons. He had no intention of meeting his so-called 'soulmate', simply because he didn't want the luxury of having one.
After filling his tray with a small bowl of rice, miso soup and picked vegetables, the cafeteria lady handed it over towards the teen.
"Here you go."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Bowing his head while keeping his gaze away, Fuutarou walks off in search of a table. Meanwhile, the students that were waiting in line were left staring at him.
"…what kind of lunch is that? It's not even on the menu…"
"Who knows? It's what you would expect from a guy like him."
"He doesn't have enough money to take care of himself? Why is he even here in this place?"
Fuutarou could hear some of them whispering about his eating habits, but he simply ignores them to continue searching for an empty table, while internally smirking at his ingenuity. The cafeteria's cheapest item was the bowl of rice on his tray, priced at 200 yen, although it wasn't available as a single meal. However, after two days' worth of lunches, Fuutarou was able to determine that if he orders the yakiniku meal and asks to remove the meat portion, which is about 200 yen as well, the cafeteria staff will still give him the bowl of rice, but with the miso soup and vegetables as if he's ordering the full set. Essentially, this means that he can take advantage of the cafeteria system by receiving miso soup and veggies while only having to pay for a bowl of rice!
It's like housewives taking advantage of the discount sales in supermarkets, but on a smaller scale.
"Uesugi-kun is sitting alone again, huh…"
"You should expect it at this point."
"There's no one here who would want to sit with him anyway."
Again, Fuutarou could clearly hear their quips about his social skills but he threw them into the back of his mind while filling a cup of water for himself. "These people don't know how peaceful it is to be alone. Well… not like those fools have anything to do with my life…" he thought to himself, before continuing on towards one of the two-seater tables near the far end of the cafeteria.
As soon as he placed his tray down on the table, he was quick to notice that there was another tray beside his. Completely forgetting about his current dilemma at the moment, he turned his head to look at the owner of the other tray, which caused him to lock eyes with a young red-haired girl with star-shaped clips who was frowning at him.
Almost immediately, the pair felt an electric shock travel throughout their whole bodies and caused their eyes to widen, especially Fuutarou who knew what this meant.
"That feeling just now… a shock ran through my entire body… c-could it be… CRAP! Why did I let my guard down for a second?!" After remembering an important piece of information that the god of love had told him, Fuutarou cursed in his mind, feeling the urge to bang his head against the wall for being unaware of his surroundings just now.
Somehow, he was sure that the old god must be laughing at his misfortune right now… yeah, screw that guy.
Resigning himself to his fate, he took another look at the girl, who was now blushing wildly and couldn't bring herself to look at him directly. "Is this what that god told me? This girl… is my soulmate…?"
Not wasting time, eh? Well, like what the god said, Fuutarou did meet his soulmate in school, who is none other than Itsuki! Not a big surprise there. What happens from here? How will this newfound connection between the two affect their relationship? Questions to be answered next time!
Goodbye... and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture*
-Lance