- Welcome to my first ever Quintessential Quintuplets fanfic. In this story I will be attempting to fix the many problems the canon ending had by extending it, altering it, and adding new things to help flesh it out and give it the satisfying ending I feel it deserves. In addition I will also be addressing all of the different problems individually at the end of early chapters to help give readers a better understanding of what I'm trying to do.
- Before reading I should warn you that I intend to have a different quint win at the end of this story. I'm sure you've already figured out who it is by now through the cover art. So if you're a Yotsuba fan who thinks the ending was perfect I highly advise you not to read any further. In addition, I will also be further expanding a certain side character while also shipping him with another quint. Some of you will probably guess who what that will be. You'll probably won't like it either in which I say" Tough. Deal with it. I did it because I wanted to give that certain quint a happy ending too instead of not giving her one at all. She deserves one even if it's with a different guy. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Other than that, enjoy this fanfic!
Prelude
Nino Nakano stood there quietly in the empty and dark classroom. She was desperately trying to keep herself composed. Her palms were sweating, her heart was thundering, and her breathing was almost ragged. Her entire body trembled with excitement... and dread. Irritated with herself she squeezed her clammy hands together.
Calm down, you fool! This is what we all agreed to! Fuu-kun will make his choice and we will accept it no matter what.
A few days before the school's cultural festival the five quints had gotten together to privately discuss what to do about their to tutor and classmate, Uesugi Fuutarou. In the many months since he became their tutor the quintuplets had grown closer with Fuutarou, all developing some kind of feelings for him. However, it was unclear how he felt about them since he had stated earlier in the festival that he was not going to choose anyone at this time.
But none of them would have any of that, so after talking it over Itsuki had gone out and convinced him to make his choice by choosing one of five separate rooms, each of which would hold a single quint. They would wait for him after sundown, when the festival finally reached its end.
That time had now come. It was dark outside and the building was empty. It was so quiet it was almost creepy.
Again, Nino tried to calm down by remembering everything that had happened between her and Fuutarou over the months.
It was funny. When they first met their new tutor they originally wanted nothing to do with him, her most of all.
She had outright resented him from the start. It wasn't because she didn't care about her grades, but because she feared that things would change and she didn't want that, especially since she now new that two of her sisters had first met Fuutarou back when they were children. Everyone had started to changed after that.
All except her. She had always feared of losing her sisters so she had made it her mission to get rid of Fuutarou as quickly as possible.
However, she eventually went too far and it had nearly broken the sisters' bond. She had moved out and for a time she was living by herself in her own fancy apartment. Fortunately, thanks to Fuutarou's unrelenting determination she was able to make things up with her sisters and accept him as her tutor.
And then she suddenly fell in love, going as far as being the first girl to ever confess to him.
She found herself grinning as she thought back to that night. Fuutarou had mentioned shortly before that no girl would ever fall for someone like him because he was too dense and boring. He received a real shock when she suddenly came forward and said those three fatal words to him, the last girl he would ever expect to do so. From that moment on she had done everything she could do to get his attention.
Looking back on it now made her blush. She had acted like a stream train going full speed ahead with no signs of ever stopping. Over time she recognized that she had gone too far in certain places and had tried to back down a little. The last thing she'd wanted to do was to scare Fuutarou. She had given him enough of trouble in the beginning. All of them did, except maybe Yotsuba, but she had been the worst of them all. In her attempts to get rid of him she went from being completely rude to actually drugging him to sleep.
She felt really bad about it now, and it was the biggest reason why this night was so important to her. It would all come down to who Fuutarou would chose, but she hoped and prayed it would be her. It wasn't just because she wanted him all to herself. She wanted to have the chance to make up for all her mistakes, to show Fuutarou how much she had changed thanks to him. She wanted to prove that she could be his girlfriend... and perhaps one day be... his wife. She loved Fuutarou, wanted more than anything to have a future with him. She wanted to-
The sound of footsteps disrupted her her thoughts. Her gaze locked on the door, heart pounding furiously again as the steps came closer and closer. They came to her door... and carried on. There was a sound of a door sliding open and closing, then silence once again.
Nino blew out breath she'd held and frowned. Was that him? There wasn't suppose to be anyone else in the building. Maybe it was just someone passing by? Looking for something they forgot? She blew her breath again and leaned back against the whiteboard.
So much for getting excited, she thought.
She relaxed a little, some of the tension having leaving her after the false alarm. Time quietly passed before she heard footsteps again.
This time they were smaller, and they running... no, sprinting.
She frowned again. Who was running down the hall at this time? It couldn't be Yotsuba, she should in her room waiting like the rest of them.
The footsteps passed her door... and there was the sound of another door sliding open again. It sounded like the same door from before. And then she heard a voice.
"Hey, sorry for the wait."
No... it couldn't be. Surely she was hearing things? Surely her mind was playing tricks with her?
She heard another voice, this one a girl's, but she couldn't make out the words. The she heard Fuu-kun's voice again.
"I came to see you, Yotsuba."
And she felt the world coming apart as her heart broke. She didn't want to believe it, didn't want to accept it, but the voice was unmistakable. Fuutarou had made his choice. This was how it would end for four of them, they all did. She should be happy. So why did she feel so sad?
She stood frozen in place as the hot tears came and her vision became a blur. She didn't even notice when her door opened and from it came Miku's voice.
"Nino, it's over."
Yes, she knew that, but she still couldn't move as Miku came over and embraced her. The tears now came down freely, but she couldn't make a single sound. She wasn't even aware that she was hugging her sister back.
What happened? What had she done wrong? Why did it hurt so much?
Yotsuba was in a state of shock.
Of all the quints she was the only one who decided not to go along with this plan. After everyone had went to their rooms she waited for a few minutes before sneaking away. She had quietly left the building and went down to the school's courtyard to watch the bond fire. Some time later, however, she realized she had somehow left her cell phone in her chosen room and decided to run back to get it. By then Fuutarou would have made his choice and it would finally be over.
She didn't believe she would ever be chosen and she didn't believe she was worthy of Fuutarou's love. Even though she would always loved him she was perfectly content for them to remain friends forever. Things had changed too much between them over the years. Whatever chances they had of being together had ended long ago. She would continue to live with her regrets, the most important being that she'd broke their childhood promise, but it was something she could live with.
She entered her chosen room, the infirmary, and saw her phone lying on the bed. However, when she bent to pick it up she suddenly sensed that she wasn't alone. Her body froze and her mind was screaming that she was imagining things, but when she turned her head she saw him standing there.
Uesugi-san, leaning against another bed with his arms crossed and looking very amused.
"Huh?" she blinked several times as she fought to keep her emotions under control, "Why are you here, Uesugi-san? Ah! Could it be that you're injured? That must be it. Guess I was jumping to the wrong conclusion. Since this is an infirmary, that much should be a given..."
She tried to play it off, but she could see in Fuutarou's eyes that he was serious.
"I've come to see you, Yotsuba," he simply replied.
For a few heartbeats she couldn't speak and when she did her voice shook, "You're kidding right?"
When he didn't answer she almost went crazy.
"Y-You've gotta be kidding! There's no way this could happen!"
Fuutarou grinned, "Had a feeling this would be your reaction. As for how it turned out this way... actually, I was the one who waited for a while! Why weren't you here?"
Yotsuba stepped back, "I mean... there wasn't even the slightest chance you'd..."
When she said nothing else Fuutarou pulled out a bulging plastic bag, "I even got these when they were freshly made too."
She stared as he pulled out a piece of karaage.
"You gave me a voucher, remember?" he handed one to her, "Here, eat up."
She stared at the tasty treat before her eyes, "You kept it the whole time?"
"Yeah," as she placed it in her mouth he added, "It was so I could eat with you here."
Her heart stuttered and her body began to tremble. Thankfully no further words were exchanged and they sat there quietly eating.
Yotsuba's mind was in whirl. Uesugi-san had come to her, her and no one else. She should have been jumping with joy, but she knew it wasn't meant to be. Uesugi-san had to understand that. She had to convince him that she was not the right one for him.
"Now then..." he rubbed his hands when they finished eating, "Errm... just so we're clear, there's something I want to ask now that you know my answer," he paused and took a breath, "Do you-"
"I'm sorry!" she suddenly yelled.
She bowed when she said it and her eyes closed. She waited for him to burst out in anger and demand an answer from her. Instead she was greeted with dead silence and eventually she forced herself to open her eyes and look up. When she did, she blinked. Instead of looking angry Uesugi-san had gone grey, his eyes gazing unseeingly into the distance. For a moment she was convinced he had literally gone into shock.
"Uesugi-san?" she waved a hand in front of him, but he didn't so much as flinch, "Heeey, Uesugi-saaan?"
A minute seemed to pass before he finally spoke, sounding as though someone else had taken his place.
"I had to muster the courage to come here, you know... I can't believe that I be instantly shot down..."
Yotsuba gaped at him and almost burst out laughing. Uesugi-san was still with her. Then her cheeks warmed and she turned away.
"Um..." she struggled to find words, "the fact that Ussugi-san feels... that way about me is a great honor, but..." taking a breath, she forced a smile on her face and looked up at him, flinging her arms wide, "There has to be a much better option for you, Uesugi-san! It'd be such a waste for you to settle on someone like me!"
He finally came out of his trance and glared at her, "What do you mean?"
Yotsuba placed her shaking fingers behind her, "S-See, instead of me... everyone's..."
"Everyone?" having finally lost his patience, Fuutarou stepped closer and lowered his head until his face was mere inches from her's, "I'm asking you right now. Tell me how you feel."
It was the one question she was afraid of. The one question she didn't want to hear. The one question she didn't want to answer. Panic finally seized her and in a blink of an eye she was gone.
Fuutarou let out a vicious curse. He knew Yotsuba would try to run away the first chance she got but she still managed to catch him by surprise.
"Damn her! I'm not letting you get away!" He ran right out the door. When he reached the point of the stairway connected floors he stopped and looked around, but the girl was nowhere in sight. Damn, that girl could run! By now she could be halfway to the front gate!
"Damn it!" he stamped his foot, "Even at a time like this!"
Soft footsteps caught his attention.
"Uesugi-kun?"
He looked up to see the youngest of the quints standing at the top of the stairs.
"Itsuki..." he suddenly remembered the others. By now they would all know, "How's everyone-"
"Uesugi-kun," Itsuki pointed down the hall, "If you're looking for Yotsuba, I saw her running that way. There's only one place you should be heading toward. Unnecessary consideration will only add insult to injury."
When she said this last sentence there was a serious look on her face, one that said that she was not to be argued with.
"You're right," Fuutarou turned in the direction she pointed, "My bad."
He took off running again, leaving the Itsuki and the others. He would talk to them later. Right now he had to find Yotsuba before she escaped.
Soon he was out of the building and in the schoolyard, dodging students who were gathered around the bond fire. He huffed and puffed and struggled to breath. Yotsuba was athletic while he was the complete opposite, but he wasn't going to give up! He would chase her around the world three times over if he had to!
As he rounded the corner of a small storage building he finally spotted her. She was standing near the tennis courts, having stopped to look behind her. When she saw him she took off running again.
"W-Wait!"
He tried to shorten the distance by cutting the corner, but then his foot caught the top of a hedge stone and he fell flat on his face on the soft grass. He heard Yotsuba yelp and an idea struck him. He lay perfectly still, hoping to bait her by pretending he was unconscious and that she would come to his side like she always did. At first there was silence, then he sense her shift cautiously toward him.
"Are... Are you okay?"
He didn't answer and she shifted closer. When he felt her shoe brush his fingers his hand shot out and he grabbed her ankle. She let out a shriek, but he only tightened his grip. Now that he got her he wasn't going to her go. He forced air into his lungs and began to speak.
"Your sisters are all nice, amazing people. I truly love them. And I'm proud to have been their tutor. But if you weren't there, I would have faltered somewhere along the way long ago."
He heard her gasp.
"Wait... What do you mean? What are you talking about?"
He finally lifted his head and looked into her confused face.
"You were the girl I met in Kyoto, weren't you?"
Her jaw dropped, "You... You remembered?"
"I did," he finally let go of her ankle and rolled onto his back, still trying to catch his breath, "I figured it out a while ago. I just didn't bring it up until now."
He looked up at her again and saw tears fill her eyes. He feared that she would run away again and that he would have to chase after her. Instead she fell to her knees and leaned against her hands as the tears began to flow.
"Why didn't you say anything to me back then when we met in the cafeteria?" he asked.
"...B-Because.." she sobbed, "I was afraid you would never forgive me."
He frowned, "Forgive you? For what?"
"For breaking our promise," she sniffed several times before she looked at him, "Do you remember? We promised each other that when we met again we would be the best students ever. You fulfilled that promise while I failed. The reason why we came to your school was because of me. I wanted to be the best of everything, but in doing so I ended up ignoring my grades and my sisters. When I was told that I was to be expelled for failing the make-up test the second time, I fell apart. Papa then told me I had to transfer to another school. I thought it was over, but then my sisters came in at the last second and took the fall with me by saying that they had cheated on their tests. I'm now indebted to them with no way to pay them back. So you see, we're here because of my stupidity. I couldn't tell you because I feared you would get mad at me, or that you would laugh at how pathetic I'd become."
Fuutarou gaped at her as he repeated her words in his head. Then he burst out laughing, but not in a mean way.
"You idiot!" he gasped, "You really think I would have gotten upset over a stupid promise like that?"
Yotsuba blinked, "H-Huh?"
He chuckled and shook his head, "Honestly, Yotsuba. You really do worry too much sometimes. So you made a big mistake, big deal. So you broke your promise, so what? Kids makes promises like that all the time and they end up forgetting or breaking them because things happened. What you did is not something you should beat yourself over again and again. As for your sisters, they made the decision to take the fall with you. You had nothing to do with it. It shows how much they love you, and I have not heard a single one complain about it. You don't owe them anything, Yotsuba. You don't."
He watched as she took in his words, then she slumped forward.
"Why... are you saying something like this?" she started crying again, "I'm a weak person, so I'm sure that I'll keep stumbling over obstacles from now on as well."
Fuutarou sighed, "This is a selfish request coming from a pathetic man. During those times, Yotsuba... it'd make me really happy to have you by my side."
She looked at him, tears flowing freely now.
He lifted a hand and said, "Don't worry. Just like how you supported me, I want to support you too. That's why... even if you hate that, I'm fine with it. Please tell me how you feel."
"Uesugi-san... I..."
He saw the conflict in her eyes and waited. He could almost hear her wanting to say, I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!
But then she said, "I love you."
And his heart soared.
"I... can't lie to you, Uesugi-san," she finally admitted, "I've always loved you."
Once he finally recovered the new couple made their way back, having now accepted each other's feelings. Both their cheeks were red yet they were both relieved, satisfied that it was finally over. They both individually thought about holding hands but neither was brave enough to even suggest it.
They found the others waiting for just outside the main building. Having already accepted the outcome, they welcomed them with open arms and gave their congratulations. As they did though, Fuutarou noticed that one was missing.
"Where's Nino?" he asked, looking around and suddenly worried.
"She went over to the bond fire," Miku gestured in that direction, "She wanted to be alone."
"Ah," yeah, that made sense. Of all the quints, Nino would be the one who would be the one taking this the hardest, "I'll go talk to her."
"Uesugi-kun-" Itsuki started to protest but he held up a hand.
"I know what you're going to say and I agree with you, but that was then. This is now," he firmly stated, "Nino is part of the reason why I was able to make this decision. I owe her that much at least."
Itsuki wanted to argue, but she deflated and said, "All right, but be careful with what you say. You know how impulsive she can get."
"I know," he glanced at Yotsuba, "Stay here, I'll be right back."
Nino stood before the bond fire, its warmth doing little to push away the emptiness in her heart. In her hands was Fuutarou's bracelet.
This charm held quite some history between the two of them. He had first worn it during the school's winter camping trip. He and Yotsuba had been posing as ghosts for the Test of Courage challenge. Itsuki, being the scaredy-cat that she was, ran off at the first sight, leaving Nino all alone in the forest. Fuutarou then found her, and she had mistaken him as the guy of her dreams because of that blonde wig he was wearing as part of his ghost disguise. He had then introduced himself as Kintarou.
She had opened up completely to him that night, and he must have been completely taken by surprise. Instead of the usual self-centered girl with a bad attitude Fuutarou had been greeted by a girl who was kind, gentle, and beautiful. She had been nothing like the girl he had first met.
The bracelet then played a crucial role in saving his life that night. When she nearly ran off a cliff he had come forward and pulled her away, but in doing he nearly fell to his own death. In her desperation to catch him her fingers caught the bracelet and thankfully it was strong enough to allow her to pull him away from the edge. Afterwards he'd allowed her to keep as a thank you gift, one that she deeply cherished.
Some time later, when she was living alone in her own apartment after the falling out with her sisters, Fuutarou offered to bring his "Cousin" Kintarou to meet her, claiming that he was guy she met back then. What he didn't know was that she had already figured out that it was Fuu-kun in disguise. When he came to her apartment disguised as Kintarou she had given the bracelet back before going back and forth between talking to Kintarou and Fuutarou. Then she tricked him into meeting her in the hotel lobby and exposing his identity by lifting the sleeve of his sweater, revealing the bracelet. Having caught him flatfooted she called him a liar before he went to sleep, thanks to the sleeping pill she had put in his drink.
Nino suddenly fidgeted. That had been the second time she had done that. It always mystified her that neither he or her sisters never called her out for doing that. After he had gone to sleep she'd taken the bracelet back and since then had kept it by her side. Despite the rockiness between them, she never truly hated Fuutarou. He was only trying to do his job and she did nothing but treat him badly for it. Over time though she began to change, tried to be a nicer girl, and it was all thanks to him. She wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for him.
But... like Miku said, it was now over. None of it mattered anymore. Fuutarou had made his choice and she had to live with it. She knew that, so why was she still having a hard time accepting it? The others were perfectly content, so why couldn't she do the same? She didn't want to be selfish. She had told Yotsuba she would be happy for her if she were chosen.
And yet... it just wasn't fair.
What had been the point of it all? Had she really changed for nothing? Did she regret falling in love with Fuutarou?
Of course she didn't. Thinking it over though, perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised. She was impulsive, emotional, and even rebellious. Fuutarou knew this, and that's why he didn't choose her. Why would a guy like him want to be with a girl like her? Fuutarou was practical, stern, and intelligent. She was the complete opposite. It was only natural he wanted someone who carried those same traits and she simply wasn't that.
In addition, Fuutarou didn't like dealing with problems. He preferred to keep things simple and straightforward. Yotsuba was exactly that. If he had picked anyone else it wouldn't have gone well in the long run.
Nino sighed and looked at the bond fire. There was nothing more to do. What was done was done. Nothing would change it.
She looked at the bracelet again. She had never asked him where he'd got it, but it didn't matter anymore. All of her hopes and dreams were kept inside this little token, now those dreams that would never be fulfilled. She had kept this with her, hoping to one day give it back to him again to show how much she loved him. Now it would only be a memory. A painful memory.
With another sigh she looked at the fire againwhen she heard his voice call out her name. Stifling a cry she whirled around, hiding the bracelet behind her like a child caught reaching for a cookie fresh out of the oven.
Fuutarou stood no more than six feet away from Nino. Even though it was dark and she was facing away from the fire he could see that she had been crying. Well, that was expected. Seeing how devoted she had been in trying to win him it was only natural that she was very torn up about this.
He'd expected her to look upset, even furious, but when she turned around he saw that she was surprised and confused. Well, that wouldn't last for long once he explained everything to her. He remembered what Itsuki said and wondered if should have waited a few days after all when Nino had cooled down a little, but now that he was here there was no turning back.
"Fuu-Fuu-kun?" she blink at him, "What are you doing here?"
Gathering his composure, he replied, "I wanted to talk to you."
This time she frowned, "But shouldn't you be with Yotsuba?"
He ignored her question and said, "I owe you an explanation for tonight. Right now you're wondering why I didn't choose you. Out of all of you, you probably had the highest hopes considering you were the first girl to ever confess to me. What you said back then was what led me to this."
He spoke in a low tone so that only they could hear each other. The last thing he needed was unwanted attention from the gossip mongers.
"When the manager was in the hospital you asked me to never leave you. While I never said that I wouldn't, I led you to believe I really did care about you. I'm sure it was the same for the others, but the truth is I care for all of you equally. However, I've probably let you down the most with the decision I've made tonight. So... if you have anything to say to me, now is the time. Say whatever you want, I'll listen to every word."
He half turned, indicating that they could take this somewhere privately so they wouldn't cause a scene. No matter how many insults she had thrown at him since they had first met, he had never back down from her even once. But Nino stayed where she was, standing very still. Her lips moved as she tried to say something, then she simply gave up and shrugged.
"What's the point of getting mad now? This is how it was always going to be," she took a deep breath before she met his gaze, "I just want to know one thing, Fuu-kun. Why Yotusba? Why her? I know you never showed any romantic interests towards any of us over the years but I don't think we ever expected you to choose Yotsuba. The two of you seemed nothing more than friends. So why her? Can you tell me? Honestly?"
Fuutarou placed his hands on his hips and thought carefully before replying.
"It's a bit of a long story but... do you remember when I asked you guys if I had met any of you in Kyoto and had you do your hair up in a certain way so I could identify who it was?"
Nino nodded, "I do. I remember how you completely failed to identifying any of us."
Ignoring that comment, he said, "The thing is, I figured out that it was Yotsuba some time ago. Long story short, she was the reason why I took my studies seriously. I was a bad kid back then, the very kind you would have liked. Meeting Yotsuba changed that. Without her I wouldn't be here now. She has been by my side ever since then. That's why I chose her."
He waited and watched as Nino took in his words. He wasn't sure what kind of reaction she would give, but what he saw actually startled him. Her shoulders suddenly slumped, her head lowered, her eyes closed, and she gave a very long sigh. He found himself looking at someone who had been completely beaten, crushed, defeated. It was the last thing he ever expected to see from Nino, who always stood tall and proud no matter what.
"I see. So that's how it is," she said in a broken voice, "I thought I finally had a chance with you, but it was over before it even begun. You made your choice long before you met the rest of us. We never stood a chance. I never stood a chance. Nothing of what I did mattered in the end. Heheh, I was right. It just isn't fair. That's what I get for getting my hopes up."
Every word felt like a blow. It was like he was listening to someone who had just given up entirely. Damn it! This was not the way he'd imagined it would go. He tried to say something but stopped when she suddenly lifted her head. The face he saw completely shocked him.
He almost didn't recognize her. Despite the tears flowing down her cheeks she was smiling, but he knew right away though that smile was very much forced.
"I guess you just can't fight against fate, can you?"
Out of all the things she said that one made his heart stop and for a moment he actually felt sick. Then Nino stepped forward, took his hand, and placed something in it.
"Here, you can have this back," she sniffed, "You can give it to Yotsuba if you like."
Fuutarou stared down at his hand in surprise. It was the bracelet Raiha had made him. Come to think of it, he had never told Nino where it had come from.
"You've had this the whole time?" he asked, remembering the last time he saw it. He had completely forgotten about it since then.
"Yeah," Nino gave a little laugh, "Despite what happened before, I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it. It was that special to me. But now that it's over I don't need it anymore. There's no point in me keeping it."
She took his hand in hers and looked at him with eyes that held deep sadness.
"I wish you and Yotsuba the best, Fuu-kun. For what it was worth, I'm very glad you came into my life. I wouldn't have changed into the person I am now if it weren't for you. I'm sorry for all the things I said and did to you in the beginning. Although I wish it was different, I'm glad you were honest with me and that you didn't try to make excuses. I hope we can be friends forever," she paused before simply saying, "I'll see you in class next week."
She released his hand, stepped around him, and was gone.
Fuutarou could only stand there, his feet frozen to the ground. His stared unseeingly into the fire, holding the bracelet in his hand like an idiot. For the first time in his life he was at a complete loss. He had dealt with so many different problems with Nino beforehand, but this time he honestly had no idea what to do. Yotsuba's initial rejection had effected him greatly, but Nino's words about fate had left a far greater impact.
He wanted to chase after her and demand an explanation, but even as he whirled around she was already long gone, nowhere to be seen. Then he realized that even if he had caught up with her, he had no idea what he would say. The face she had given him when she had said those words entered his mind, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get it out of his head.
The hand holding the bracelet closed and his teeth clenched. He had done the right thing, hadn't he? He told Nino the truth so there wouldn't be any hard feelings between them. So why did he feel more guilty than relieved? It didn't make any sense!
"Damn it!" in frustration he began stamping his foot again, oblivious to the curious gazes of those around him, "Why do I feel like I've done something wrong?!"
