Chapter 6

Let Me Try To Understand

Resting her chin on her knees Yotsuba tried to make herself more comfortable on the couch of her stepdad's apartment. A blanket covered her shoulders and she still had the hiccups for having cried so much. Maruo had sent Ebata home early and was now the kitchen making something for her. She sat there quietly, trying hard not to think about Fuutarou.

Despite everything that had happened today, she did not believe that he was a bad person. He was just...

Sniffing, she forced her mind away from him and focused on something else.

She'd always imagined her stepdad living in some fancy mansion, surrounded by servants and such. Tom learn that he actually lived in an apartment that was roughly no bigger than the one she and her sisters shared was surprising. Despite that, it still reflected the success of his career as a practitioner of medicine. All the furniture looked expensive and there was even see a rack containing excellent wine. A large screen TV was at the center of the living room and she wondered what shows he liked to watch.

She'd always thought that he virtually lived in the hospital. Obviously that was very naive of her.

Maruo stepped out of the kitchen. He stern expression had not returned since he'd found her earlier and he gave a little smile before handing her a steaming hot mug.

"Here. This will warm you up."

Yotsuba took it into her hands, relishing its warmth.

"Sorry for ruining your shirt and tie," she said.

"Oh, that? Don't worry about it. It's going in the laundry anyway. I got plenty more."

She looked at the cup's contents and was surprised to see what it was.

"Milk?"

"Warm milk. Your mother once told me she used to make that for you girls whenever you felt sad."

She smiled warmly, blinking back tears, touched that he had remembered something from her childhood. Lifting the cup to her lips she took a few slow sips.

"Let me see you hand," Maruo suddenly reached over to take it hand in his, "Your knuckles are skinned. Did you hit someone?" his gaze hardened, "Uesugi?"

Swallowing she bobbed her head. She still wasn't ready to talk about Fuutarou just yet. Maruo seemed to understand and stood.

"Let's put some disinfectant on that," he went back into the kitchen and a moment later he returned with a First Aid kit.

Yotsuba continued sipping her drink as dabbed a swap over her skinned knuckles, hissing softly as the disinfect settled in.

"Papa... can I ask you something?" she waited until he lifted his eyes to her, "When you found out that I was failing at our previous school, and that I would have to transfer, how did you feel? How did you feel about me?"

He looked at her for a moment, then put the swab down on the glass coffee table and slowly straightened. She could see his mind going into a whirl and for the first time since she'd known him he looked completely baffled.

"Is that what's been bothering you this whole time?" he asked, "Is that why you went to such great lengths to avoid me? Did you think I was mad at you?"

She looked away, unable to answer.

"Why didn't you ever talk to me, Yotsuba?"

"I..." she sniffed, "I was too scared to. When you looked at me that day in the principal's office, I was sure you hated me. You were always talking about being involved with the elite circles and that our actions would reflect on you if we weren't careful. After what happened I was sure you resented me for the embarrassment I'd caused for you."

He sat there quietly for a moment, then he blew out a breath. He looked as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Yotsuba..." he pulled his chair closer as she finished her drink before taking her hands, "Before your mother died I promised her that I would look after all of you. That I would keep you together just as you girls promised her. You're mistakes nearly forced me to break that promise. I'll admit that I was both upset and disappointed with you, but I never hated you. I never hated any of you. To be perfectly honest, on that day I was extremely worried."

"Worried?" Yotsuba couldn't have been more surprised.

"Yes," he sighed again, "because I honestly didn't know what I was going to do, being forced to separate you from your sisters. Then they stepped in and solved the problem for me."

She thought back to that day, "Did you know that they had cheated?"

"I knew they were lying about it," he corrected.

Her eyes widened, "Then how come you never said anything? Why did you treat us like you didn't care?"

Maruo released and leaned back on his chair, looking very tired.

"When I met your mother again several yeas after high school and saw what she was going through, I was compelled to help her because of how much I'd admired her bravery. Trying to raise all five of you by herself was no easy task."

"It wasn't because you loved her?"

"No, that was one reason, but it mainly because the life she lived was far greater than mine."

Yotsuba frowned, "How? We were dirt poor. You came from a rich family. You had all the money in the world! You could have anything you wanted."

"Being rich doesn't mean happiness, Yotsuba," she a flash of pain in his face, "You and you mother's simple way of life was like paradise compared to mine, but that's a different story for another time."

She could see in his eyes that there was some kind of story in them and she realized, just like Fuutarou, she and her sisters knew very little of their stepdad.

"So if it wasn't about us then why did you devote so much time to your work instead of getting to know us better?" she asked.

"Because I don't know how to be a father," he looked ashamed of himself, "I wasn't ready to be a father. Your mother's death was unexpected and untimely. I simply wasn't ready for the responsibility, especially when my career was really starting to move forward."

"So it was just a case a bad timing?"

"That, but the biggest reason was that I'm not good at expressing my emotions. The way I was raised... wasn't exactly pleasant. Besides, you girls were already looking out for each other, so I felt it was best not to interfere. However, that doesn't change the fact that I spoiled all of you to the point where you girls became lazy and irresponsible," he sighed once again and looked at her apologetically, "I haven't been an ideal father, I know."

Yotsuba's heart suddenly went out to him, "Papa-"

He raised a hand, "I'm not trying to make excuses, I'm simply telling the truth."

"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you," she stated, "and you did help us whenever we needed it. It's just that now..."

"You girls wanted to be able to stand on your own without having to depend on me so much," he smiled proudly, "I truly admired that so that's why I started hiring tutors after you girls transferred."

"So you weren't trying to control us," Yotsuba finally realized, "You've always been looking out for us."

"Like I said, I promised I would keep you together until you finished high school, and I've done that to the best of my ability."

"I'm so sorry," she shook her head, ashamed with herself, "All this time I thought you didn't care, but in truth I didn't know anything at all. Now that I know the real reason why we transferred I done nothing but screw eveything up! I've ruined their relationship with Uesugi all because of my selfishness!"

"You didn't know?" Maruo frowned, "They didn't tell you?"

"No, not until the other night," her face fell into her hands, "I don't how I can face them now, especially Nino. When she learns that Uesugi isn't who we thought he was, I'm scared to think of how she will take it."

"Yes, about Uesugi," Maruo shifted closer, "Can you tell me what happened between you and him?"

Lowering her hand she hesitated again.

"Yotsuba," he said more gently, "Please tell me. I promise I won't get mad. At you or him. Just tell me what happened."

"You know," she chuckled a little, "You kept telling us that if we kept him as our tutor we would be making a big mistake in the end. Turns out you were right after all."

"What happened?" he asked again.

Heaving a sigh, Yotsuba told him the events of the entire date, not leaving out a single detail. Maruo listened to every word without interruption. When she finished she expected him to look very angry. Instead what she was a look a severe disappointment and frustration, as if this wasn't the first time he'd heard this before.

"This has gone far enough," slapping his hands on his knees he stood from his chair.

"Wait, Papa!" she grabbed his sleeved, "Please, don't do anything to him. What Uesugi did tonight was bad, but I know he's not a bad person. It's just that..."

"He doesn't know any better, I know," he finished, "but he's gone too far this time. He needs to learn that he can't say things like that and expect to get away with it. Tomorrow I'm going to have him brought over to your sisters apartment and all of us, including his dad, are going to have a talk with him. You girls are also in trouble, for you cause much of this happen."

She couldn't argue because it was very much true. Suddenly she looked at the clock and saw that it was well past ten. She grabbed her smartphone and saw that her sisters had all left messages. She had turned the sound off earlier and had forgotten about the time she was suppose to be back.

"Um..." she blushed in embarrassment, "Speaking of my sisters, did you ever call them to let them know I'm here?"

He looked at the same clock before he burst out laughing, "No, I haven't. I guess I should."


Back at the apartment everyone was still wide awake. Ichika was pacing around impatiently, Miku was still lying on the couch trying to distract herself, and Itsuki was at the table trying to study but kept staring at her cell phone instead. Even Nino was growing concerned

Yotsuba was supposed to have returned at eight, just as Fuutarou had promised, but it had been two hours now and there was still no word despite trying to get a hold of her numerous times. They were growing increasingly anxious when Itsuki's phone went off. Everyone held their breath as she picked it up and blinked in surprise when she saw who was calling.

"It's Papa," she announced before answering, "Hey, Papa! Have you... Oh, she's there? Oh, okay... What? Is she alright?... I see. Okay... You want us to... okay...We'll... We'll be here then. Okay, tell Yotsuba we said Hi. Right, good night."

She ended the call and sat there in silence, looking bewildered.

"What is it?" asked Miku.

"What happened?" Ichika came over.

"Is Yotsuba okay?" Nino was right behind her.

Itsuki finally came out of her daze, "She's fine... mostly. She's at Papa's place right now, he found her wondering by herself right after he left. He's going to have her spend the night at his place. She's very upset. Apparently she and Uesugi-kun got into a argument and... she hit him."

"Hit him?" Ichika jaw dropped.

"Yotsuba?" Miku was shocked.

"Yeah," Itsuki nodded, looking thoroughly stunned herself, "Papa said her knuckles were skinned too."

It was a moment before anyone said anything again.

"Whoa," Ichika leaned on the table.

"Yeah," Itsuki agreed.

"I didn't know she was capable of that," said Miku.

"I don't understand," Nino was confused, "Why would Yotsuba hit Fuu-kun?"

"That's not all," Itsuki's voice turned serious, "Papa say that we are not to go anymore tomorrow. He was very adamant about it. He's going to bring Yotsuba over, along with Uesugi-kun and his dad. He wants to have a talk with all of us."

Everyone froze.

"Uh-oh," said Ichika, "That can't be good."

"He must be in real big trouble for Papa to get involved," Miku shivered, "I'm very much afraid to hear what Yotsuba has to say."

"Guys?" Nino sounded scared as everyone turned to her, "What's going on? What are you not telling me?"

Her sisters looked at each for a moment before all of them sighed.

"Nino, come sit for a moment," Miku gestured to the place beside and waited until Nino sat, "Do you remember the girl who came to the festival to see Fuutarou?"

She thought back, "The one with the hair clip? Yeah, I remember."

"Yotsuba ran into her the other day and she told her something about Fuutarou's past."

Miku told Nino the same story Yotsuba had told them. When she was finished, Nino looked as though her worst nightmare had come true.

"No," she shook her head denial, "That can't be Fuu-kun. That isn't like him! She has to be lying!"

"I'm afraid it might actually be true, Nino," Ichika sighed heavily, "Tomorrow we'll know for sure."


Fuutarou wished that Saturday was a school day. It would give him something to keep himself occupied and not think about the events of last night.

Then again it was probably a good thing there wasn't school today for everyone would notice the bruise on his jaw, especially Takeda. He remembered what the blonde boy had said to him before and he could just see him shaking his head and saying "I told you so."

When he returned home last night he was relieved to see that his dad hadn't returned yet. Raiha, however had stayed up for him and had seen the bruise on his cheek. He simply told her that he had an accident on the way home and went to his room before she could say anything. To his surprise he went right to sleep, apparently exhausted after everything he'd went through.

The next morning he woke up much later than usual and learned from Raiha that dad had left early. Thankfully she never asked about the bruise again. After eating a quick breakfast he announced that he was going to study and shut himself in his room, where he had remained ever since.

In the beginning he tried to study, but soon the events of last night consumed his mind and eventually he found himself lying on his back staring straight up at the ceiling. What was he going to do now? By now the quints will have learned of how the date went and they wouldn't happy with him. He honestly didn't know what he was going to do when he face them, let alone say to them. He was surprised that none of them had shown up at his door yet since Itsuki knew where he lived.

That was exactly what he thought when he heard the front door being shoved opened.

"Hey, Dad," he heard a surprised Raiha say.

"Where's you brother?"

Fuutarou froze. He knew. His dad's angry voice gave little doubt.

"In his room, studying-" Raiha started to say, but the older man was already heading for Fuutarou's door.

He quickly sat up. The sound of his dad's footsteps was like the sound of approaching doom. When his door was yanked opened and he saw his father standing there, any doubt that may have remained was completely eradicated. If he knew then it was most likely that the quints' stepdad did too.

Isanari stood there with a furious look on his face and steam was coming out of his ears. Fuutarou felt himself gulp. The last time he had seen his dad this angry was when he was nine years-old and had just stolen a fancy bicycle.

"H-Hey, Dad," he said nervously, "What's up?"

"Get dressed and follow me. Now."

The last word was a bark and it made him jump. It wasn't a request. It was an order. And Isanari made it very clear that he was not to be argued with.

"Dad?" a wide eyed Raiha fidgeted, "Is something wrong?"

"Your big idiot of a brother is in deep trouble. That's what's wrong. Get dressed, Fuutarou. I'm already losing my patience."

"Yes, sir," Fuutarou quickly complied.

He was fully dressed in thirty seconds, a record time on his part.

"Guard the fort, Raiha. We won't be gone for long," he took Fuutarou's arm in a vice grip, "Come on!"

Fuutarou stumbled as he tried to keep pace. In seconds they were out the front door and he was led down the stairs to where a car was parked. The driver opened the door as they approached and he recognized him as the driver of the quints' stepdad. Isanari all but threw him inside before climbing in himself. By the time he gathered himself the vehicle was already moving.

"Where are we going?" he asked automatically, even though he could already guess.

"You'll know soon enough," his father pointed a finger at him, "I warned you long ago that studying over everything else was going to get you into trouble one day if you didn't prioritize it properly. Now you're going to face the consequences."

Fuutarou paled but said nothing. He felt like a prisoner being taken to trial. In a few minutes the car came to a stop and the driver opened the door again.

"Come on," Isanari gestured impatiently.

He followed him out and saw that they had indeed arrived at the quints apartment complex. Isanari grabbed his arm again and dragged him along while the driver went over to the intercom and pushed the call button.

"Is that you, Ebata?" came a male voice instead of one of the quints.

"Yes, sir. I have them with me."

"Good. Send them up and wait outside."

His heart started beating rapidly when he recognized the voice on the intercom. It really was the quints' stepfather and it was now clear that he knew everything. He start to feel sick as the sliding doors opened. Ebata motioned them in before returning to his vehicle. Still dragged along Fuutarou and his dad soon reached the quints apartment. The door was already open and they went inside.

Maruo stood by the dinner table, hands together and an equally displeased look on his face. The quints all sat in chairs around him. Itsuki was in the center at one end of the table with Ichika and Yotsuba to her left and Miku and Nino at her right. All of them looked nervous, their eyes widening when they saw the bruise on his jaw. All, that is, except Yotsuba.

She had glanced over her shoulder when Fuutarou was pulled into the room but was now turned away. She was still dressed in the clothes she had worn for their date.

Fuutarou was stunned at her disinterested behavior, and for a moment he was convinced that it was actually Nino in disguise. The seriousness of the situation, however, immediately pushed the thought away and he he knew that the person who sat there was indeed Yotsuba. The cheerfulness she always had was, without a doubt, gone for good. She was now dead serious.

Isanari shoved his son roughly into the center chair at the other end of the table, away from the quints.

"Stay there and keep quiet," he warned, "You will not speak unless spoken to. Understand?"

Fuutarou gulped again, "Yes, sir."

Still glaring at him, Isanari stepped away and leaned against the back of the nearby couch, placing himself between his son and the quints.

A long moment of uneasy silence passed before Maruo finally spoke.

"So... now we are all here, and we are going to settle things right here and now whether you want to or not."

He paused to see if anyone wished to protest. None did.

"Well, then. Let's begin," he started pacing back and forth, "Last night I came here with the intention of speaking to all of you about what you would do after graduation, only to discover that Yotsuba had gone on a date with Fuutarou-san without seeking my permission first. As I said before, I have put up with your defiance over these past two years but this time you went too far. However, that date turned out to be fruitful for it finally exposed your tutor's true character, as I tried to warn you girls many times before. Yotsuba explained the whole thing to me last night after I took her to my place. She will now explain the rest to you. Yotsuba, if you please?"

Without hesitation Yotsuba stood, surprising them all. Everyone knew how intimated she was whenever she was around Maruo. Now she stood tall, completely composed and confident. She looked as though had completely matured in the last twenty-four hours.

"After Uesugi-san and I left the date went downhill almost immediately," she began, "The entire time he showed very little interest in our date, or even me. He was constantly looking at his flash notes and going on and on about how important the final exam was, not just for us but especially for him. He was completely obsessed over it. When I asked him to put his notes away he refused. When I took them away, even in a playful matter, he got extremely upset. So much that I was forced to give them back after he nearly assaulted me."

The other quints stared at him, their stunned expressions making him lower his head. He felt the flash notes in his pocket, having subconsciously put them there before leaving the house. Ever since he started studying seriously he had made it a habit of carrying them wherever he went. Now they felt like razors digging into his thigh.

"It like that for the rest of the date," Yotsuba went on, "Not once did he pay attention to me no matter what I said or did. Then, when it was over, he took over to a nearby park... and he asked me to marry him."

"What?"

Her sisters couldn't have been more surprised. Had the situation not been so serious they would have burst out laughing for it sounded like a bad joke, only it wasn't. Fuutarou just kept his head lowered, confirming her words.

"When I asked him why he wanted to marry me, he couldn't give me a straight or honest answer," she finally glanced at him with a look of disdain, "The truth was that he simply didn't want to waste anymore time on this romance business as he called it. He just wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible so we could get back to studying for the final. That was all that mattered to him. In response I asked him why he couldn't have dated any of you and why exactly he chose me. This is what he said about each of us."

She told her sisters one by one the responses he had given and why he had chosen her in the end. When she was finished, the room had gone dead silent and yet he still couldn't lift his head.

"Well, Fuutarou-san," it was Maruo who spoke, "What do you have to say for yourself? Do you deny it?"

Taking an unsteady breath he forced himself to look up. Yotsuba had sat back down and was looking away again. The rest of the quints, however, all had the same expressions. The hurt of their faces was immeasurable.

Swallowing, he lifted his gaze to Maruo.

"Sir... I have no excuses. I said all those things."

He might as well had plead guilty, for the quints looked at him with disgust, heartbreak, and betrayal.

"Why, Fuutarou?" Miku said first, "After all we did and shared together?"

"How can you do this to us?" Itsuki cried, "After everything we did for you? After everything I did to help you get along with my sisters?! This is how you repay us?!"

"I can't believe you," Ichika shook her head, "You despicable prick."

Nino was the only one who didn't respond. She just stared at Fuutarou out of pure anger. She raised her fist and her lips twisted like she wanted to say something. Instead she just turned away and pounded her fist into the table.

"It seems to me, Fuutarou-san, that you were more interested in making sure they graduated together instead of actually trying to to help them," Maruo raised his brows, "In fact, didn't you tell me one time that you wanted to help them accomplish their dreams? Was that also a lie? Did you just say that to insure that you kept your job?"

He couldn't answer. Instead, in a last desperate attempt, Fuutarou tried to explain himself one last time.

"Please... you need to understand-"

"Understand what?!" Nino whirled back around and screeched at him, "That we meant nothing to you?! That nothing you said meant anything to us and you only said those things just to be nice?! You never gave a damn about our feelings! You just stood there like an idiot while we made fools of ourselves! You just wanted to make sure all five of us graduated so you could pat yourself on the back for a job well done! Well, congratulations, Fuu-kun! You succeeded! I hope you're happy you... you..."

Unable to look at him any longer she turned away again, her entire body trembling.

"I am so glad Yotsuba hit you," she said between gasps, "If it were me I would have killed you right there for saying those things."

Her whole body trembled as she sobbed.

"You wanted me to make a choice," he said, "I just wanted to avoid trouble."

Isanari scoffed and moved to the table, "Trouble, my ass! You just took the easy way out like you always do!"

"I didn't know-"

"You didn't think!" his father slammed his fist on the table, causing everyone except Maruo to jump, "You don't think about what you're doing before you do it! You never think about what you're doing when you do it. Based on what you read you think that you're some kind of genius who always assumes that everything will work in your favor because that's how it should be. Then you try to make sure that it does in the lowliest manner possible! You lie, you cheat, you beg, you bribe, anything to make sure things exactly as planned! And when it doesn't you panic and start running around like some headless chicken hoping someone will bail you out! You treated this whole damn thing exactly the way you did with that girl back in junior high!"

"Dad... please," Fuutarou's voice shook, "They don't need to know-"

"We already do, Fuutarou," Ichika bluntly stated, "Yotsuba told us after your friend told her."

His body sagged. The very secret he had tried to keep for so long was now known by all, except they still didn't know the second half of the story.

"Fuutarou-san is not the only one at fault here," Maruo turned his attention to the quints, "You girls are equally responsible for this mess."

Except for Yotsuba the quints all looked at him, startled and confused once more.

"I had Yotsuba tell me everything that's happened since the day he became your tutor. And I have to say, I'm disappointed in more ways than one with each and every one of you."

Except for Yotsuba again, the quints shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.

"Let's start with the oldest and move to the youngest. First we have Ichika who posed as one of her sisters in a selfish attempt to get closer with her tutor. As an aspiring actress, I would have thought you knew the script well enough to know that playing dirty never works in your favor. Then we have Nino, who tried to get rid of said tutor by spiking his drink, got into a fight with Itsuki, and then left to live by herself. I always knew that attitude of yours was going to get into trouble one day. Miku is the only one who came out of this unscathed, but I really have to question your reasons of wanting to go to culinary school. Did you really wish to improve your cooking skills? Or were you just hoping to turn the tide in your favor? Then, of course, there's Yotsuba. In truth she's the one who started this whole mess by keeping everything a secret. However, why you girls never told her the real reason of why you came to her rescue that day in the principal's office until now is beyond me."

The quints began to sink in their chairs. Then he turned his attention to Itsuki.

"But the one I'm most disappointed with... is you, Itsuki."

The youngest quint blinked in confusion, "M-Me?"

"Yes, you. Is it true that you came up with the bright idea to have Fuutarou-san pick one of you when festival was over?"

Itsuki hesitated, "Y-Yeah, I did."

"Why?"

The sharp question made her jumped and she squeezed her hands nervously.

"Well... because..." she gestured to Fuutarou, "Like he said, we wanted him to choose."

"No," Maruo glared at them all, "You girls didn't want to wait. Instead of leaving him alone and letting him figure things out for himself you kept pushing him, and pushing him, until finally you got so impatient you took matters into your own hands."

"He's right," Isanari pointed out, "To put it simply you girls stopped caring about my son's feelings and got selfish. Hell, looking back that's pretty much the reason why you ditched this safe fancy apartment and moved into that dangerous rundown one because you couldn't stand the thought of being away from him. This little ultimatum of yours was nothing more than your girls screaming, 'Oh, my God! We're about to graduate from high school and we still haven't had a boyfriend yet! Fuutarou! Choose one of us right now!'. Pfft! Pathetic. The girls I knew in school would never have been this desperate. If your entire school knew about this I bet you ten to one they'd be laughing their asses off at how silly you've become."

He intimated their voice when he said those words, making them feel worse.

Maruo carried on with, "You knew he wasn't ready, he said so himself, but none of you were willing to accept that. You had to have your little high school romance before you graduated. Instead of respecting his own feelings you insisted that he go along with this ridiculous plan of yours. Yotsuba was the only smart enough to realize the whole thing was stupid and tried to back out. Being the bookworm of the bunch I would have thought you'd realized it too, Itsuki, and would have called the whole thing off. But you didn't, which makes me wonder if you had a more personal motive."

Itsuki went pale, "I... I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, you don't, huh?" Maruo held out his hand, "Your cell phone, Itsuki. Now."

Biting her lips she complied. Maruo snatched it from her, but instead of turning on the screen he simply turned it over.

"Hm-hmm," he handed it over to Isanari, "Take a look at that."

Isanari took it as Itsuki turned away.

"That's a very nice picture," he held to where his son could see, "That must have been when she came to see us."

On the rear corner of Itsuki's phone was a little picture that Fuutarou recognized as the one he, Raiha, and Itsuki had taken together in the photo booth.

"It's... it's not what you think..." she tried to explain, but her voice was weak.

"Is that so?" Isanari raised a brow, "Am I to assume then that this picture is just for Raiha and not Fuutarou?"

Her only response was the lowering of her head, too ashamed to answer.

"I didn't think so," he slid her cell phone across the table but she made no attempt to retrieve it, allowing the others to see what she had kept hidden for so long.

They all looked at her in surprise. So Itsuki did have feelings for Fuutarou after all, but had gone to even greater lengths to hide them.

"Itsuki..." Maruo shook his head, "I am severely disappointed with you. When you told me that you wanted to follow in your mother's footsteps I was secretly overjoyed. I really believed that you wouldn't make the same mistakes as she did, but you went and made an even bigger one. How in God's name could you have even considered doing something so reckless? Just what were you trying to do?"

"I..." Itsuki sniffed, "I was only trying to help. I thought it was something Mama would have done."

Isanari's eyes flashed, "You are not Fuutarou's mother, young lady, and your sisters are not your daughters no matter how much you like to think of them as such. You had no right to decide how Fuutarou should handle things when it came to you five. You played with your sisters' emotions in a reckless attempt to justify your own. You came up with this stupid idea under some false hope that you might be chosen. Some mother you're going to be."

"I know," Itsuki sank further into her chair, "I'm sorry."

She started to cry as Maruo shook his head again and gave an angry sigh.

"Unbelievable. Just... Unbelievable," he glared at the quints again, who were now all hanging their heads, "The only thing I can be grateful for in this situation is that you girls didn't resort to petty revenge. Calling each other names, making baseless accusations, creating lies, spreading nasty rumors, all in the name of jealousy. But what you did leading up till now was bad enough! Let me ask you something ladies. Do you remember the promise your mother had you make before she died? Hmm? Is for you To stay together. No matter what. Well, you certainly did a good job keeping that promise."

All of them flinched as though he had struck them all at once.

"I like to add one other thing," said Isanari, "You girls could have saved yourself a whole lot of trouble, perhaps even some heartbreak, if you hadn't devoted so much of your time competing for Fuutarou's heart. Did it never occur to you, even once, that there might be other guys out there? Ones that could have treated you just as good or even better? Loved you for who are? Considering how attractive all five of you are it wouldn't have been hard to find at least one, but nooooo. Did you ever look their way? Give them a chance? No, of course you didn't. It had to be Fuutarou. Him and no other would do because apparently every other guy on Earth isn't good enough when compared to the Wonderful Fuutarou. Well, look at him now! Is he the perfect guy you thought he was? Well, he's not. You just assumed so because he was much easier to get along with, easier to control and manipulate, all while ignoring all the rest. What a bunch of nice girls you are. I feel sorry for all the guys whose hearts you broke because of your undying love for Fuutarou. Hell, even I find myself wondering what they even saw in you in the first place."

His words were harsh but undeniably true.

"My God," Maruo breathed, "If you mother had lived long enough to see this day she wouldn't have died of illness. She would have died of grief. She would have been heartbroken to see not one, not two, not even three, but all five of her daughters tear each other apart... over a single... boy!"

The quints all started crying.

"All of you should be ashamed of yourselves!" Maruo turned his furious gaze to Fuutarou and pointed, "And you, young man, should have known better!"

"I agree," Isanari glared at his son, "I don't know what the hell it was that made go along with their demands, but it just goes to show just how weak you are as a man. A wiser man would have seen right away that these girl were trouble and would have told them to leave him alone. You didn't do that because you didn't want to hurt their feelings," he gave a deep sigh, "This all started when your mother died. Ever since she passed you've been trying to live up to her so called expectations instead of being your own man and standing up for yourself. If she were here right now she'd be embarrassed to see how much of an idiot her son has become."

So his dad had figured it out too, not just Chihori.

"Telling your girlfriend that you wanted someone who never argued or disagreed with you," Isanari spat in disgust, "If I had been there when you said that I would have split your damn head wide open!"

"Is that really wrong though?" Fuutarou hesitatingly asked, trying to ignore the looks the quints cast on him, "Isn't being married to someone centered on who you're most comfortable with? The easiest to get along with?"

His dad groaned in frustration, "I don't know how you could be this stupid, Fuutarou. Loving someone, being married to someone, isn't a matter of who you're most comfortable with. It's a matter who you want to spend the rest of your life with, for better or for worse. I didn't marry your mother because I was comfortable with her. I married her because I loved her. Plain and simple. I loved everything about her. I accepted everything about her, both good and bad. I never asked her to change for me and I didn't want her to. I wanted her exactly the way she was. I wanted her to remain as the woman I fell in love with. No more, no less. What you wanted, Fuutarou, was the complete opposite. You wanted a loyal friend, not a loving companion. You didn't want Yotsuba, you just wanted a nice girl who would always coddle you. Just like a mother would. If you still can't understand that then you're a lost cause. You don't deserve to be loved by them or any girl for that matter, for you clearly have no respect for their feelings. Enjoy being single for the rest of your life."

He turned away, not wanting to look at his son while Maruo glanced at his watch.

"I have to return to work," he announced before looking at Isanari, "Can you to finish up here? I'll have my driver stay behind to take you home while I take a taxi."

"Can do."

"Good," his gaze shifted over to his stepdaughters, "I'll leave it up to you girls to decide if you wish to keep Fuutarou-san as your tutor for the remaining days of high school. I'll honestly be amazed if you decide to keep him after what he's done."

He left the apartment without another word. The moment the door closed Isanari went over to the other side of the room, giving Fuutarou and the quints some privacy. Having nothing to defend himself with, he lifted his gaze to his pupils. All of them were trying hard not to look at him. A full minute passed before Ichika broke the silence.

"I think you should leave, Mister," she said coldly, "If you stay here any longer I'm just going to get more and more irritated."

Swallowing, he forced opened his mouth, "I don't mean for this to happen. I was just-"

"Don't even bother," Itsuki snapped through her tears, "This was never about us. It was all about you."

The panic was starting to grow inside as he turned to Miku.

"Miku, surely you understand-"

"Please, Fuutarou," she begged, "Don't make me think any less of you. If I was warlord right now I would have you committing seppuku for this betrayal."

His last hope was Yotsuba, but she still wouldn't look at him.

"Yotsuba, I-"

She only shook her head, "If you couldn't have been honest with me then, what makes you think I can believe anything you say now?"

Being the last quint left Nino stood, placing her hands on the table to contain her undeniable rage. Having no other choice, Fuutarou forced himself to look at her. She was breathing heavily, desperately trying to control herself, and she looked at him with with a face that was more broken than sad.

"I was stupid to think you were different," she said, "Even dumber to have believed in you. I thought you wouldn't be like the others and that I had finally found someone I could truly love, but you are the absolute worst! If I knew this was going to happen I would have made a much bigger effort to get rid of you! I wish you had never come here. I wish I had never fallen in love with you," her breathing became ragged before she screamed, "I wish I had actually poisoned you instead!"

Her sisters all stared at her in shock. They had never seen her this angry before.

"Nino..." Miku gasped.

Nino turned away from him, "Get out. You are no longer welcomed here. You did your job preparing us for the final. We'll do the rest without you."

With that final declaration Fuutarou realized that no one would come to his defense. The quints had given him their love and their trust, and he had betrayed them all. No one would support him now. He was, just like Chihori said, truly alone and forgotten.

Seeing that the conversation was over Isanari came over and grabbed Fuutarou's arm once more, "Let's go."

Having lost everything he had built here, Fuutarou stood on wobbly legs.

"I'm sorry."

It was not enough. Nowhere near enough. The two words were not enough to ease the pain and suffering he caused for these five girls who he had spent the last two years with, but it was all he could say. He let his dad lead him away, once again feeling like a prisoner who was now being led to his execution. He was no longer a part of their world.

Then the worst of it came the moment the door closed behind him. He had only taken one step when-

"AAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhaaaaaahhhaaaaa!"

It was the worst sound he had ever heard in his life. It pierced his back and went through his heart like a cold knife. He didn't have to guess who it was. He couldn't imagine anyone else who would make such a horrifying cry of despair.

"Listen to that, Fuutarou," Isanari pointed at the door as the wailing continued, "Listen to that! That's what you've done. You made that girl, that one girl, cry. All for the wrong reasons," he dragged him away, "When we get home I'm gonna hand you a mirror and I want take a good, long, hard look at it! And then I want you to decide if this is how you want your life to be from now on."


The quints all knew that Nino would take it the hardest once the truth finally came out. What she had just said to Fuutarou had been shocking and they knew it hurt her very deeply to say it, but no one was prepared for what happened next. It was something they would never forget.

Nino had remained standing as Fuutarou was led away, her body shaking so much that she looked like she would completely shatter at any moment. The moment the door closed she let out a scream that not only stopped their hearts but shook their very souls. Then her legs gave out and she collapsed, her head and arms hanging off the edge of the table before they too slid off.

All jumped to their feet, crying out her name as Miku reached over and caught her. She slid down to the floor with her, trying to say some comforting words but in the end she could only hold on tight as Nino clutched her sleeves and cried uncontrollably into her chest.

The others could only stare in shock. Nino looked like someone who had just lost the will to live wanted nothing more than to die. There was simply no strength left in her. Seeing her sister reduced to such a pitiful state made Yotsuba finally realize just how much harm her selfish desires had caused.

"I'm sorry, everyone," she sobbed as her tears began to flow, "This is all my fault! If I hadn't been such a coward this whole time, if I had never made that stupid promise with Uesugi-san, if I had just been honest with you guys instead of keeping everything a secret, none of this would have happened and you wouldn't have gotten hurt like this! I caused all this to happen. I did nothing but spit in your faces and I ruined everything in the end. I don't deserve to be your sister."

Her head lowered to the table and she wept in shame. She could tell Ichika and Itsuki were looking at her but she couldn't bring herself to look at them. Meanwhile, Miku was still trying to calm Nino down.

"If you want yell and scream at me, do so," she offered without hesitation, "If you want to hit me, go ahead. I won't stop you. If you want me to leave, I'll leave. I don't want to cause any more trouble for you guys."

She waited for them to give a answer before someone touched her shoulder. She lifted her head to see Ichika standing before her. Despite all that was happening around her she was still smiling.

"Yell at you? Hit you? Make you leave? That's the last thing we should do," Ichika pulled her closer, "We need each other now more than ever."

Feeling hers sister's love Yotsuba wept into her shoulder. Behind them, Itsuki went over to a drawer and pulled out a picture of their deceased mother.

"Guys," she placed it on the table, "I think we should talk to Mama."

Nino's wails finally eased and Miku helped her back into her chair. Her face was red, her eyes were puffy, and she was an absolute mess.

Taking each others hands the quints looked down at the picture and bowed their heads.

"Mama, we're sorry. We didn't keep our promise and we let you down. Please forgive us."