Chapter 2

Just A Little Effort Now

"During the last year of Junior High, before he transferred to your school, there was a girl who had a big crush on him. She was very popular, but she had already turned down a number of boys. However, she was infatuated with Fuutarou. Why? Now one knew. She would tease him, constantly flirt with him, and always give him a hard time. The thing she failed to realize was by that point Fuutarou had already turned into that academic nerd you all know him as. I'm sure you and your sisters have seen it yourselves. Always looking at his note cards, oblivious to everything else."

"Yeah," Yotsuba confirmed, "We have."

"On one hand it was great to see him take his studies seriously, but over time he grew more and more distant, less sociable, even turning cold toward others. When he was child he would get involved with everything, now he didn't want to do anything except study. His thirst for knowledge consumed his every though, the desire for being the number one student became his obsession. He virtually cut himself off from the rest of the world and treated everything and everyone like they were just a nuisance. I didn't see it it myself until the day that girl confessed to him."

Yotsuba had difficulty believe it. It was true that Fuutarou had been hard on them as their tutor but he had never been cold. Had he been hiding it the whole time?

"Of course," Chihori went on, "the girl took it as his way of teasing her back. She believed that her charms was enough to make Fuutarou fall in love with her. So one day she takes him to the roof and confesses to him, with me and a few others watching behind the door. You know what his response was?"

Yotsuba shook her head. She was afraid of the answer but she forced herself to stay put.

"He laughed. Right in her face."

She felt her heart skip a beat, and not in a good way.

"But that wasn't all," Chihori now sounded angry, "After he finished he went on to say that no sensible guy would date a girl like her. She was too wild, too headstrong, too everything. And the worst part of all this was that he was saying so casually like he was giving a classroom lecture."

Yotsuba shook her head, wanting to cover her ears, "That... that couldn't have been Uesugi-san."

"Oh, trust me, it was," Chihori's eyes turned deadly, "I was there. I heard every word he said. In anger the girl demanded to know who his type was. He gave her three separate answers," she held up his fingers and counted, "Someone who was always cheerful, could cook well, and cared for him like his sister. In other words, he wanted someone who was exactly like his sister. He didn't want a girlfriend or a a wife. He wanted his own personal servant, a slave, a doormat, whatever you like to call it. He even told her that she should be more like that because according to him, guys prefer those kind of girls."

Yotsuba opened her mouth to protest... then stopped when she remembered that one time when Miku had asked that very same question.

"You guys asked him yourselves, didn't you?" Chihori seemed to have read her mind, "You asked him who was his type and he gave you those very same responses."

"Yeah," she forced herself to admit, "Yeah, he did. What happened after that?"

"The girl slapped him hard enough to knock him on the ground. Then she told him he was cold heartless bastard who only cared about himself. After she ran away crying I came out and glared at him. He just looked at me with this confused blank stare and asked me what her problem was. It was only then I realized who he had become. An emotionless robot, incapable of human feeling, no respect for people's feelings. I had no pity for him."

She paused to breath deeply, slowly releasing her anger.

"The next day the girl's older brother came to our school and sought him out. He marched straight into our classroom and shoved Fuutarou against the wall, demanding to know why he spoke to his sister like that. Again, Fuutarou was indifferent. He just couldn't grasp the fact that what he did was wrong. When he said that he was only telling the truth, the guy punched him. I'm sure he would have beaten him to death if he really wanted to, but he decided that Fuutarou wasn't worth it. He instead told him that he was nothing but trash and he felt sorry for the girl dumb enough to date him."

Yotusba flinched, feeling as though those words were directed at her.

"Did he ever apologize?" she asked, her voice nearly as silent as a mouse.

"He did, once the parents and the principal got involved. He was very shaken up by the event. Actually, traumatized would be a better word for it. Afterwards he distanced himself even more, trying to forget about the whole event. The problem with Fuutarou is that he has no feelings, no concept of love," Chihori then glared at Yotsuba with such an intensity it made her cringe, "And now he's been placed in the same exact situation as before, by you girls forcing him into a corner because you grew impatient, without knowing anything about him."

Yotsuba couldn't find a response to counter that because she now realized it was true.

"And he choose you for the exact same reasons as before," Chihori nearly spat in disgust, "It wasn't because you changed his life. It was because you were the only one who never gave him any trouble, disagreed with him on anything while he's tutored you and your sisters."

"Y-You're wrong!" she desperately tried to say, "Uesugi-san has changed!"

"Changed?" Chihori didn't look the least bit convinced, "In what way? Name one thing that's different about Fuutarou that I don't know about."

"He forgave me for my past mistakes!"

The girl laughed, "Of course he did, because he doesn't want to lose his best friend."

"He gets along with of all of us! He's never treated us badly."

"Has he spoken to any of your sisters since the night he chose you?"

Yotsuba hesitated, "Yes... he did speak to one, but it didn't seem to go well. He hasn't spoken with anyone else since then."

"Yeah, that's what I thought, because he has no idea how to deal with personal problems. After what you've told me it's clear he never learned his lesson."

"How can you be so certain?!" Yotsuba screamed.

Chihori looked at her, "Because I've known him since we were five, Yotsuba-san. How long have you? I may not have seen him in a while but based on what I've seen and heard I know enough to see he hasn't changed one bit. He may be more mellow now but he hasn't learned anything in the last three years. And you are partly to blame for it."

Her jaw dropped in disbelief, "So you blame me for what happened to Uesugi-san?"

"Well, the two of you made a promise that he took far too seriously. However, if I thought this was all your fault I would have said so the moment I knew who you were. But I'm curious. Why exactly do you like Fuutarou? Why do you need him so much in your life?"

It was Yotsuba's turn to glare at Takebayashi.

"What business is that of yours?" she snapped.

"You wanted to know about Fuutarou, that makes it my business. To be honest I'm more concerned about your sisters."

"I told you, they're doing fine," she insisted, although she knew that wasn't true.

"And I told you I don't believe that," Chihori was growing impatient, "Did you ever tell your sisters the full story about you and Fuutarou?"

"Yes, I did," she answered right away, "After Fuutarou confessed to me."

Chihori's eyes narrowed, "How come you never told them before?"

Yotsuba struggled to compose herself, remembering how Nino had lectured on the very same subject.

"Because it wouldn't had been a good idea," she answered.

"Why?"

"Because I'm the reason why we got transferred! If I had told them it was because of that promise we made, they would have hated him for it!"

"And you thought by not telling them would make it easier?"

"They didn't know him as much as I did!"

"That's not an excuse, and you only knew him for a day whereas I've known for him for years. After he came into your life again instead of coming straight with him you decided to keep your distance. Not once did you try to get closer to him again, get to know him more, or even tell him who your were. You must have been enjoying yourself, hanging in the background watching your sisters make fools of themselves."

Yotsuba blanched, "No! That's not true!"

"Then how come you couldn't be straight with them? Why all the secrecy? Just what did you hope to accomplish with all this?"

"I... I... I..." Yotsuba could feel herself coming apart and her head lowered, "You don't understand."

"About what? Please, enlighten me."

"You don't understand all the pain I went through," Yostuba clenched his fists, "I was too scared to do anything. I didn't believe I was worthy of Fuutarou. I've spent this whole time helping others so I wouldn't have to face my guilt. I did think about telling him the truth and pursuing him myself, but once I realized that my sisters like him I backed out. I wanted to give them a fair chance of winning him."

She took that moment to force herself to look at Chihori, hoping that the girl's expression would soften once she started hearing her story. Instead the girl's gaze hardened even more, and she was certain she could see sparks flying.

"So what you're saying is that you did nothing but run away," she said "So what did you do after he chose you? How did they react after you finally told them?"

"Well..." Yotsuba, "They were surprised, but... they understood. I then asked them permission to date Fuutarou so that-"

"You did what?!"

The sudden outburst made Yotsuba jump. Chihori face was now red with anger and her features were contorted. Her lips turned white and she all but foaming at the mouth.

"I-I-I," Yotsuba stuttered, "I had to ask them because-"

Chihori slapped her, not hard but enough to make her feel it.

"What the hell is the matter with you? Asking for permission to date Fuutarou?" her eyes were spitting fire, "That's literally pouring salt in the wound! Just how insensitive can you be? Next you're going to tell me that you kissed him in his sleep and that you did behind your sisters' back!"

When she saw Yotsuba pale her jaw dropped.

"Oh, my God! You actually did that, didn't you?" she gave an insane laugh and threw up her arms while while walking around in a circle, "I can't believe this! I seriously can't believe this! What is wrong with you, girl?! You are so messed up I can't even feel sorry for you! Have you no shame at all? Do you not have any kind of respect for your sisters? What the hell were you thinking? You're not just as bad as Fuutarou, you're actually worse! How could you do such a thing when you knew your sisters were in love with him? Was this all just a game to you?"

"N-No... i-it wasn't!" Yotsuba cried, "I just... I just couldn't help myself at the time."

"That's not an excuse and you know it!" Chihori shook her head and coldly declared, "You're not in love with Fuutarou. You're obsessed with him."

She felt her knees tremble. The word obsessed was like a blow.

"Wha-What? What do you mean?" her struggled to breath.

"Was there ever a time that you had a fallout with Fuutarou? Argued with him? Disagreed about something?"

Her silence provided the answer.

"So you've done nothing but support him in everything he says and does. That's what I mean about you being obsessed with him. You've built your whole life around Fuutarou. You practically worship him. You can't live without him, you can't do anything without him, and you can never go against him because that's how devoted you are," she stepped closer until they were face to face, her gaze so sharp that Yotsuba was certain she was being cut to pieces, "Who are you Yotsuba-san? Do you even know? Have you ever looked in the mirror? I'll tell you what I see. I see a coward, a liar, and a backstabber. I see nothing but a sick-minded individual who wants to be Fuutarou's slave for life."

She felt her legs growing weak and her knees wobbled, "No! That's not true!"

"Is it? Tell me something then. What were you plans for the future if Fuutarou didn't choose you? Would you have move on without him?" when no answer came, Chihori snorted, "I didn't think so."

"I did get an offer for an athletic scholarship earlier this week!"

"Were you going to accept it?"

Again no answer.

"Of course you weren't. You can't stand the thought of being away from him, just as you can't stand the thought of him being with one of your sisters. So you made it your mission to support him in every way possible without second though, and in the end you won. All while breaking your sisters' hearts in the process."

"No! It wasn't like that! I was trying to give my sisters a fair chance to win him."

"The hell you were! That may have been your intention but what you really did was manipulate things to work in your favor."

Her knees finally gave out, the truth finally hitting her. Her eyes burned and she tried to cover her ears.

"Please stop!" she begged, "Don't say anymore!"

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" there was no mercy in Chihori's voice, "Deep down you've always wanted him to yourself. You stand there and say that you supported your sisters, that you wanted to give them a fair chance, but that was a big fat lie. You took away their chances without even trying. You never cared about their feelings. Hell, you don't even see Fuutarou as a human being. You only see him as a way to escape your problems. If you really cared about either of them you would have come straight with them a long time ago. Instead you did nothing but run away. Every. Single. Time. You disgust me. Just looking at you makes me want to vomit."

"I tried!" Yotsuba wailed, "I really tried!"

"Like hell you did! You didn't try hard enough! You've spent all this time feeling sorry for yourself, punishing yourself, all because you were too scared to face yourself. Not once did you ever try to seek help or find a new goal in life. You were always fixated on Fuutarou, hoping to be by his side forever. And when it did happen you did nothing but spit in the faces of your sisters, crushing their hopes and dreams like they were nothing. You say they're all fine with it, well I don't believe it! Call it girl's intuition but your sisters probably hate you right now. They're just hiding it because they love you and Fuutarou too much."

Head down, Yotsuba wiped her eyes and sniffed, "You're right. One of them does hate me. I'm sure of it. She was the one who tried the hardest to win Ueusgi-san's heart, not by showing off but by trying to show that she could be a good person after all the trouble she gave him in the beginning. When I went and apologized to her-"

Chihori snorted again, "Go on."

"She got really angry with me."

"I can hardly blame her," she shook her head again, "Unbelievable. When I first met you I thought your were just some troubled girl who needed a little push. Now I know otherwise. You are the most pathetic excuse of a human being I have ever met. I have no symphony for you. If you're content with being Fuutarou's personal servant then by all means go to him. Perhaps you two deserve each other after all, for your sister definitely doesn't and I don't think she'll want to have anything to do with you anymore. You and Fuutarou will go live happily ever after while your sister picks up the pieces of her broken heart, all while having a deep seeded hatred towards you for the cruel joke you played on her."

"No!" Yotsuba snapped her head up and reached out in desperation, "No! I don't want that! I don't want her to hate me! I could never live with that! I never wanted to hurt any of them!"

Chihori swatted her hand away, "You already have. Now you have to live with it."

She shifted the strap of her school bag and turned to walk away.

"No! Wait! Please!" Yotsuba crawled on her knees, "Tell what I need to do! How can I make things right? Please, tell me it's not too late!"

The girl stopped but she didn't answer.

"Please," Yotsuba begged, more terrified than ever, "I love my sisters, I truly do. I never wanted any of this! I know I'm a coward. I know that I've made nothing but excuses, but I wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for them. I owe them so much! Please! Tell me what I can do!"

It was a while before Chihori finally looked over her shoulder.

"The time for this to end smoothly is already long gone," she slowly stated, "The only way this will end at this point is that all of you will have to get hurt. What happens afterwards will be entirely up to you guys. You wanted me to tell you the truth about Fuutarou and I have told you nothing but the truth. If you truly love your sisters as you say then you're going to have to make the right decision at the risk of losing everything. That's something I can't help you with. However, if you still doubt what I've said about Fuutarou then I'll give you this suggestion."

She half turned and looked at Yotsuba one last time.

"Go on a date with Fuutarou. Take the time to enjoy being with him. Then, once you two are alone, ask him this question. Ask him why he couldn't have dated any of your other sisters. Ask him that. I guarantee you that his response will exactly coincide with what I've told you about him. Hopefully by then you will finally come to your senses and make the right decision. If you want to make things right, that's where you need to begin. Otherwise, you'll be living with far more regrets then you had before, and it will eventually destroy both you and everything dear to you."

With that, Takebayashi Chihori left Nakano Yotsuba behind. From here, it was all up to her.


She was the last quint to return to the apartment. This was actually the last place she wanted to be but she had no where else to go. Gathering her courage, she walked through the door.

Miku and Itsuki were both at the table. Miku reading a brand new book while Itsuki was studying as usual. Ichika was lying on the couch listening to music and scrolling through her cell phone while Nino was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner.

Ichika was the first one to notice her.

"Hey! What took you so long? We thought you'd be home already before any of us got back. We were starting to get worried."

"Y-Yeah, sorry!" Yotsuba said in her cheerful voice, trying not to feel sick. She really did feel like a fraud, "I forgot to text you guys."

"So what happened?" when Ichika looked at her closely she frowned and stood from the couch, "Hey, are you okay? Your skirt is damp and you look pale."

Itsuki had also noticed, "You look like you've been crying too. Did something happen?"

Yotsuba forced herself to stay calm and keep her face cheerful. Miku was also looking at her and from the corner her eye while Nino gave a very brief glance at her before focusing on her cooking again without saying a word. The little motion was enough to convince Yotsuba that Nino really did resent for what she'd done. She quickly shifted her attention back to her other sisters. If there was a time where she had to be a good liar it was now.

"I ran into one of my basketball buddies on the way back," she said, trying to keep her face straight and to sound as natural as possible, "We hadn't spoken to each other for a while so we hung out for a bit having ice cream and then we played some indoor basketball. We got so into it we lost track of time. As for my skirt... that was just me being clumsy trying to sprint all the way back here."

She kept her gaze focused on them and waited. If she had turned away they would know in an instant that she was lying, and she knew how much she sucked at lying. Internally she wanted to screw her eyes shut, preparing herself for the questions and berating that was sure to come, but she kept herself composed. She couldn't tell them about her deep conversation with Takebayashi just yet.

"Oh, I see," came Itsuki's reply, "That makes sense."

Yotsuba kept herself from blinking in surprise. It actually worked? Aside from Fuutarou Itsuki was the only quint who knew how bad of a liar she was. Did she actually managed to lie or was Itsuki simply faking it?

"Why don't you take a quick shower before we eat?" Ichika looked over at Nino's back, "How long before dinner?"

"Thirty minutes," she curtly replied without even turning.

"Plenty of time," Ichika grinned at Yotsuba.

She grinned back before glancing at Itsuki, but she had gone back to her studying. Whoa! I actually did manage to lie without sounding like an idiot! Either she got very lucky or Itsuki was keeping quiet about it. She wasn't about to stay to find out so giving Ichika her thanks she made her way to her room and got a new set of clothes.


Fifteen minutes later she felt a great deal better, the hot shower having washed away the coldness from both her body and her heart. She didn't want to think what Takebayashi had said to her earlier. All she wanted to do right now was to have dinner, go to bed, and then think about it in the morning.

Wrapped in a fresh towel Yotsuba pulled up a stool and sat down. She hummed softly, brushing her hair once it was dry. But when she looked at the mirror she suddenly froze.

Who are you, Yotsuba-san? Do you even know? You've spent all this time feeling sorry for yourself, punishing yourself, all because you're too scared to face the truth.

Takabayashi's words echoed in her mind and it was at that moment she remembered the old saying. When one looks into the mirror they see their true self. She didn't recognize the person staring back at her. In fact, she didn't know who it was staring back at her. All she saw was an empty shell, one that was severely cracked and falling apart piece by piece.

Who is Nakano Yotsuba?

Even though she was in a warm and steamy bathroom her body turned hellishly cold, as though the room itself had turned into a freezer. She looked at her reflection again and paled. She now knew who she was. A coward, a liar, and a backstabber. Everything that Takebayashi had said about was true. This whole thing had turned into one huge mess because of her and she had refused to see until now. When it was too late.

As she stared at her reflection a childhood memory came to her. It was back when she eight and her family were still living together in the rundown apartment. Every night before they went to bed they would take turns brushing their teeth in order of the oldest to youngest.

When her turn came her mother had joined her in the bathroom. As she was brushing her teeth she'd noticed that her mother had been leaning on the sink, staring at her reflection with a look that was mixed with sadness, regret, and even disgust. When Yotsuba had finished and washed her mouth she had asked her mother why she was looking like that.

"I lean over the sink, closer to my reflection, and stare hard at myself. I don't know what I see. I don't even know what I want to see."

That had been her response. Being only a child back then Yotsuba hadn't understand what those words meant, but now she did.

Ever since the day she and her sisters had been transferred Yotsuba had built a life around helping others without protest, pushing herself to do everything without ever stopping to rest, and even after she collapsed from exhaustion she still wanted to do more. She'd thought that living such a selfless life would be the best way for her to cope with her mistake. She wanted to be a cheerful, easy to get along type person that was always willing to help others and put smiles on people's faces, but in the end that life was built on nothing but a lie.

Through all of those selfless acts she had accomplished nothing. It had all just been an excuse to make herself feel better, a way for her to not face her past, but now she couldn't run anymore. Her past had finally caught with her.

She had so many chances to make things right, to come clean with her sisters, and she had ignored them all. Even Itsuki had given up on her after all she tried to do to help her. Worse, she had taken advantage of Itsuki's kindness. She had made her pose as that girl from Fuutarou's past while she stood hidden in the background and watched. It had been the act of a coward, for she should have been the one to confront Fuutarou at that very moment. Instead, like she had done so many times before, she ran away.

Who was she? She was nothing. Nothing but a pathetic loser who kept making one excuse after another. She had done nothing to help herself, improve herself, and she just found ways to make the ends justify the means.

She had no life. She was just living.

Now that Fuutarou had chosen her how would their relationship go from here? How would it effect her sisters? No, things had already changed. Ichika, Miku, and Itsuki all seemed to be doing fine but Nino was a different story all together. Unlike the rest, Nino's love for Fuutarou was genuine.

Not to mention... Nino's previous romance hadn't gone so well. She didn't know the full details but she was aware of it at the time.

A thought suddenly struck her as she remembered what Nino had said earlier. You weren't the only reason why we transferred. Had Nino been talking about her previous boyfriend? Didn't that happened months before they actually transferred? Was there something else that she hadn't been aware of?

She felt her gut clench. It was true. She hadn't been paying any attention to what was going around her, including her sisters, and she was still doing it now. A deep sigh left her as her face fell into her hands. She really had made a huge mess of things.

Lifting her face she looked at the mirror once again. She recalled that conversation she had with Fuutarou during the trip to Kyoto a while ago. She had told him that she wanted to make everyone happy only for him to say that was impossible and it was naive of her to think that way.

"Realistically speaking, often times, one's happiness comes at the expense of someone else's," he had told her, "Competing against each other, taking from each other, happiness attained through victory certainly exists too. If it's as you said, then there's really nothing you can do. There are limits. When you choose something, it means not choosing something else. The time will come when a decision will have to be made. There's no avoiding it."

Looking back on it now she should have listen to him. Takebayashi's words about her keeping everything a secret when she had no good reason to rang true. She had taken away her sisters' chance for happiness for the sake of her own. She chose her own selfish desires instead of letting the past go.

She began to wonder what their relationship would be like ten years from now? Twenty years from now? Would things remain the same between her, Fuutarou, and her sisters? What would Fuutarou himself be like twenty years from now? What kind of man would he be?

The shocking story Takebayashi had told her about Fuutarou's past came back to her. He had given the girl who had a crush the cold shoulder and he had done it believing that he had done nothing wrong. She thought back to this whole time he had been their tutor and realized that while Fuutarou had indeed helped her sisters overcome their personal issues over time he had never shown any kind of romantic interests towards them, not even her.

A cold chill went down her spine as she realized something. When Fuutarou confessed to her last week he had never actually said that he loved her. All he asked was how she felt about him. Wasn't it natural, required even, for a guy to say that he loved her even if it sounded awkward? Granted, it could be hard because of how nervous that guy could feel but Fuutarou was far from nervous that night. He had gotten straight to point. So why couldn't he have said that he loved her?

"Oh, God," she breathed, realizing just how blind she'd been.

Had Takebayashi been telling the truth after all? Was Fuutarou's choice not based on love at all? Did he really just want her as loyal friend instead of a lover? Had he really chosen her because she was the easy choice?

He had said that he cared about all of them, but if that was really true how come he had not answered her sisters' feeling aside from Nino? Why did he look so upset this past week? Why had he virtually ignored the rest of them since that night?

Now that she thought about it, he had spoken very little to her aside from going on their first date together. Would Fuutarou continue to be this way? An emotionless robot who did not care about other's feelings and expected everything to go the way he'd planned? Especially many years from now when they were married and started having children together?

What kind of person would Fuutarou become. A good loving husband? Or a dishonest one?

I could see him becoming a politician, said a voice inside her head, And a very dishonest and selfish one at that.

But aren't all politicians like that? she asked herself.

Yes, but there's a difference between those who do it because that's part of their job and those who do it for personal gain. Which one do you think Fuutarou would be if he went into politics? Who's to say he won't turned into someone like that? Who do you think led him down that path in the first place?

Yotsuba suddenly felt faint and she had to catch herself from toppling over.

It all led back to that childhood promise. While she had failed to keep it Fuutarou had succeeded and overly confident, even ruthless. He was convinced that he could accomplish anything through any means necessary. The way he had tried to get all the quints to study had been proof of that. Now that she thought about it, Fuutarou hated to fail, even when he was ready to give in. He expected things to go exactly the way he planned, and when it didn't and he would get really irritated. Was that really a bad thing though? Could Fuutarou really become such a selfish person?

Only if you keep blindly supporting him like this, the voice said again, They say that when you instill delusions of grandeur to a child they eventually come to believe it, and when they they react violently. Well, that's essentially what you've done. Because of that promise he's a really selfish person, and it will only get worse from here. If what that girl said was true, then the only one who stop him is you.

"But what if I don't believe what she said?" Yotsuba asked out loud.

Then nothing will change and you will be left wondering if Fuutarou really is the man you love. Imagine you and him many years from now. He's been very successful in his life and he's constantly praising you for always supporting him over the years. You're married, have nice home, and a few wonderful kids. Fuutarou's famous and you are very proud of him. Things are perfect and it seems that nothing can go wrong. Fuutarou is poised to make it to the top and he believe he's got it in the bag.

"I can see that," she agreed.

However, over time your sisters slowly begin to realize that he's not the person they thought he was. They try to warn you but you don't listen, causing tension between you and sisters. Then things don't go Fuutarou's way, people start seeing him for who he truly is, and everything goes against him including his own children. He can't understand why and he starts blaming everyone and everything besides himself. When he can't get any help from you he decides that you're useless and starts treating you coldly. Then, in desperation, he does something illegal and he ends up going to jail for it. How do you think your life will be then? Your husband can no longer support you, you and your children are humiliated, and your family will no longer acknowledge you because of the shame you've brought to them. Is that what you really want? Is that the kind of life you want to live?

"No," she said without hesitation, "That would cruel and unfair... and it would break the promise we made to our mother."

Then you're going to have to confront him, find out the truth or that's exactly what will happen in the future. Because of you Fuutarou is well on his way to becoming an egotist with a God-complex, and when the worst happens you'll have no one to blame but yourself and you'll be living with far more regrets, just like that girl said. If you love him that much, if your love your sisters that much, then you have to go through to this. There is no other option.

"You're right," she admitted, "There is no other option."

Chihori had been right. She had to find out for herself if what she said about Fuutarou was true or not. She couldn't keeping holding on to this illusion that Fuutarou was this perfect hero she had always fantasized him to be when she knew so little about him. If she chose to ignore Chihori's warning she would regret it forever. It could very well result with losing everything she held dear, but that was the price she had to pay if she wanted to set things right.

A knock on the bathroom made her jump.

"Yotsuba?" came Miku's voice, "Are you okay in there?"

"Y-Yeah!" she answered quickly, "I'm just doing my hair right now."

"Well, make it quick. Dinner's gonna be served in a few minutes."

"Okay! I'll be right there!"

After she heard Miku leave Yotsuba looked at the mirror one last time. With a deep breath and a nod she made her decision.


She sat quietly in her place as the quints ate dinner, observing her sisters around dinner table.

It was strange. Very strange with how things were like now. Before Fuutarou's confession, before he had even entered their lives the quints apartment had always been lively, especially at dinner time. They would go over how their day went, make jokes, tease each other, and then talk about Fuutarou. For the past week it remained quiet. with idle conversation here and there about nothing important. Their apartment felt it had become more of a graveyard than a home.

Yotsuba looked at her sisters individually. Miku seemed rather cheerful as of late, Ichika and Itsuki seemed to be fine despite they looking distracted, but it was still uncertain when it came to Nino. She was usually the most lively one at the dinner table. Now she barely spoke a word. She glanced at her almost empty plate before glancing over at Nino's, relieved that it was the same as hers. Nino hadn't lost her appetite, but her cooking wasn't the same. At times it felt like she was forcing herself to do her usual tasks.

The truth of the moment was amplified when Nino finished her dinner before everyone else

"I'm going to turn in early guys," she said, taking her plate over to the sink.

Everyone watched her in silence. She was never the first one to go to bed. She was usually the last.

"Are you... okay?" Itsuki reluctantly asked.

"I'm fine," Nino shrugged as she rinsed her plate, "I'm just... tired."

Yotsuba saw Itsuki and Ichika glance at each other, their face grimacing, and wondered what was going on. Nothing else was said as Nino placed her plate inside the dish washing machine.

"Just rinse your plates and put them in there," she said without looking at them, "I'll see you guys in the morning."

She all but ran upstairs to her room. Her sisters sat there quietly as she went and when he door clicked shut they looked at each and heaved a huge sigh.

"Is it me or does Nino seem like she's trying to avoid us?" asked Miku, keeping her voice low.

"No," Ichika shook her head, "It's not just you. Let's put our dishes away and clean up. Let's do some studying before we have a meeting. It's time we had a serious talk about this."

The big sister side of Ichika had come out and no one argued. They took their time rinsing their plates and putting them in the dishwasher before spending the next hour going through Fuutarou worksheets for the day. After they were finished Miku went upstairs to put her book back in her room while the others put their stuff away and waited for her came back down.

"Her door's locked, but her light isn't on," she whispered, "I think she's asleep, although she could be faking it."

"We'll just have to keep our voices low then," Ichika waited for everyone to settle down before she looked at them all, her eyes all business, "Guys, I'm really starting to worry about Nino. Ever since that night she just hasn't been herself it feels like it's only getting worse," she turned to Itsuki, "Did you speak with Fuutarou today?"

"I did," Itsuki nodded.

"What did he say?"

"He's at a complete loss. He has no idea why Nino is acting like this and he can't seem to figure out why or what he did wrong."

Yotsuba listened carefully, remembering what Takebayashi had told her.

"But that isn't all," Itsuki went on, looking at Yotsuba, "He told me about that time during that winter camping trip when you and him were playing the ghosts for that test of courage thing."

"Hm-hmm," Yotsuba replied.

"After me and Nino ran away he went looking for us."

"I remember. Our time out there had ended and he wanted to make sure you guys were okay."

"He found Nino all alone and when she nearly ran off a cliff he saved her and then she saved him by doing the same."

Yosuba and the others blinked, "Oh, really?"

"The thing is that he was still in disguise at the time and she didn't know who it was until later on when she was living by herself. I can't say for sure but it seems that something happened between."

"It's probably because she was already fallen for him at that point," Ichika went into deep thought while everyone looked at her.

"What about you?" Itsuki asked her, "What did you learn from Nino?"

"Plenty," Ichika took a moment to recount what she had learned today, "Some time after you and Nino had that fallout she found him outside her apartment building, having fallen into the lake and looking completely lost."

Both Yotsuba and Itsuki looked at each other, remembering that time when "Reina" appeared.

"Nino took him to her apartment and as he was cleaning himself up they started talking," Ichika went on to explain, "He told her that he had encountered someone he thought he would never see again see and was now gone forever."

"That was me," Itsuki confessed.

"Pardon?"

"Remember that guy Yotusba met in Kyoto when we were children?" Itsuki explained.

"I know of it now, Nino figured it out."

"She did, huh?" Itsuki sighed, "The thing is, Yotsuba and I created that childhood friend again with me in disguise, using Mama's name. Fuutarou and I went out on the lake together while Yotsuba watched from the trees. When he tried to chase me afterwards he fell into the lake."

"Ah, so that's how it happened. That also explain those clothes I found in the box. Anyway, once Nino figured out who he was she opened up to him and he forgive her without calling her out for what she done and he told her to make up with us. That's when she started to develop feelings for him, so much that she confessed to him right after the mid-term exam."

Miku and Itsuki looked at her, startled.

"Nino..."

"Really confessed..."

"To him?" Miku shook her head in amazement, "I don't believe it. After all the trouble she gave him..."

"She went and did that," Ichika finished for her, "I overheard them talking in the kitchen and even I was stunned. Not once did I think she would ever try again."

"I see," Itsuki went into deep thought, "When you put it all together it all makes sense."

"Guys, there's something I need to ask you about," Yotsuba waited until she had their attention, "I chased after Nino after she stormed out of the apartment last week-"

"Yeah, about that," Ichika gave her a furious look, "You really need to think about what you're doing, Yotsuba."

"I know, I know, but please listen," she waved her hands, "The reason why I chased after her was because I couldn't understand why she was so mad at me. I told her that I felt guilty for causing us to transfer, but then she said that I wasn't the only reason why we transferred. Do you know what she was talking about?"

Her sisters all gaped at her.

"Wait... you didn't know?" Itsuki was exasperated.

"No... she didn't," Miku placed a hand on her head and moaned, "Now that I think about we never did tell Yotsuba the real reason why we transferred."

Yotsuba stared at them, "The real reason?"

Ichika sighed and said, "Two weeks before we came to the pricipal's office, Nino was caught up in something really bad at school. She was literally going through hell."

She told Yotsuba the entire story and when she was finished Yotsuba was horrified by what she had just heard.

"I don't believe it!" she jumped to her feet, "Why didn't you guys say anything to me? I could have put a stop to it!"

"She didn't want us to get involved," said Miku, "She wanted to deal with the matter herself. You know how stubborn she can be."

"She made a tremendous effort but..." Itsuki shook her head, "In the end she just couldn't take it anymore."

Yotsuba sat back down and hung her head, "My God. If only I knew..."

She now understood why Nino was so angry. She had come to her rescue only to feel betrayed in the end because she had kept everything a secret.

"I'm sure you already know this," she heard Ichika say, "but Nino really resents you right now."

"I know," Yotsuba sighed heavily, "I really screwed up."

She really had robbed her sister of what was probably her best chance of finally getting the one thing she wanted. No wonder Nino resented her so much.

"I think you and her really need to have a talk, Yotsuba," said Itsuki, "Otherwise..."

"I know," Yotsuba said again, "And I agree, but there's something I need to do first before I speak to her."

"What's that?"

Yotsuba hesitated, then admitted, "I actually lied to you earlier about why I came home," before they could say anything she quickly added, "The truth is, on my way back to school I ran into Ueusgi-san's old friend. The one who came to see him at the festival."

"The girl with the hair clip?" asked Miku.

"The very one."

"His old friend?" said a confused Ichika.

"You weren't there when she came by. Her name is Takebayashi Chihori. She's known Uesugi-san since they were little," Yotsuba took a breath, "We had ice cream together and I told her that Uesugi-san had asked me out. She was stunned at first, but then she asked me how it happened. I told her the whole story about and when I finished she was both really concerned and upset. Especially with Uesugi-san."

"Concerned and upset? With Fuutarou-kun?" repeated a surprised Itsuki, "Why?"

"Apparently there's a lot more about him that we don't know about according to her. Since I'm now on the subject, have you ever noticed that Uesugi-san had never talked about his past?"

Her sisters blinked.

"No..." Itsuki rubbed her chin, "Now that you mentioned it not has he ever talked about it. He only mentioned that he was a bad kid at one time."

"What exactly did his friend say?" asked Ichika

Taking another deep breath Yotsuba told them everything, not once leaving out any details or trying to changed them, only left out the private conversation between herself and Takebayashi. When she had finished her sisters all had looks of complete shock. It was a while before any of them could speak.

"I... I don't believe it," Itsuki shook her head several times, as though she couldn't accept it, "Uesugi-kun... really did that? That's... that's disgusting!"

"I can't believe it either," said Miku, "There's no way he would do something like that!"

"I find it hard to believe too," Ichika paused for a moment, "Are you sure that girl wasn't lying? It almost sounds like she has a personal grudge against him."

"That's what I though too," Yotsuba admitted, "but no matter how many times I think it over I don't think she was lying. It was hard to doubt her too because... well, think about it. What do we really know about Uesugi-san? His friend has known him far longer than we have. Who would know him better besides his own family? And when you considered how he's reacted towards us this whole time it falls right in line with what she said. Not once have we ever asked him how he feels about us and he's never shared his own feelings. In fact... when he confessed to me that night he never said that he loved me. He just asked how I felt about him and then thanked me for always being by his side."

Everyone thought it over and realized that it true. They really didn't know anything about their tutor.

"Well..." Itsuki hesitated, "If what that girl says is true, then what do we do about it? Do we ask him ourselves?"

"No," Yotsuba said firmly, "I will ask him myself."

Everyone looked at her, surprised by her commitment.

"I'm the reason why Nino is like this now," she explained, "This is my responsibility. I have to find out for myself without any of you interfering. I'll go on a date with Uesugi-san, and then... once we're alone... I'll ask him how he really feels about me. About all of us."