D: So, you probably thought that it was the end of the story, right?
F: You're wrong!
Ic: But hey, at least we did it!
N: Yeah, I kind of felt like you wouldn't leave us hanging without brining us our happy end.
M: I feel bad for the readers though.
Y: It wasn't nice to fool around though, D-san!
It: Where's the food? I don't need a happy ending. I need food.
D: Yeah, don't worry, I won't leave any of the quintuplets feeling movie-style emotions. I'm not that dude. But yeah, for the last time, at least for this story, I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE QUINTUPLETS!
"Was everything just an illusion?"
Fuutarou Uesugi tried to rack his brain for answers. Why did it feel like everything was so real? So real that even he can't distinguish dreams from reality anymore?
'I can't accept this.' He laid down on his bed, trying to think of anything as to why the dream was so real that he thought it was too good to be true? 'Well, I guess there's no point in dwelling over it.'
It felt so real though. But, nevertheless, he can't just muck on what he dreamt, so he just slept again, and asked Raiha and Isanari to give him some privacy.
"Hey, Raiha? Dad?" the Uesugi male said as both the individuals in question looked at his direction, curious to why he called the both of them. "Could you leave me alone for a while?"
Raiha was worried that something was happening to her only brother. "Are you sure? You're not going to leave us and go to mom, are you?" she was teary-eyed at the bedridden Fuutarou's request.
He saw that she was about to cry, so he urged Raiha to come closer. As the younger sibling approached the older sibling, he hugged her, which in turn, hugged him back. The grip of the younger sibling was so strong as if the one she was hugging was about to lose from their grasp.
Fuutarou looked at Raiha and gave her a sincere smile. "I won't be leaving you guys all alone. I want to get some rest, since I've just woken up." He explained.
Raiha, although reluctant to do what he asked for, ultimately agreed to her brother's request. "I understand." She nodded, and gave him a smile. "Let's go Dad."
Raiha went outside first, followed by Isanari. But before Fuutarou could even lie down, Isanari hugged him. He was concerned for his health, of course, being his father. He already lost his wife, and he doesn't want to lose his only son as well. "Get well soon Fuutarou, alright?"
"I will, dad. Don't worry about me." He waved at the retreating father figure, before noticing about his appearance. He still had his bowlhead-cut, and black hair. 'I really need to do something about this appearance of mine.'
He sat down successfully, and tried to stand up, but failed. He was still tired from recovering all day long, but he doesn't want to see his old self anymore. The quintuplets gave him a reason to turn into a new leaf, even if they never existed in the first place. Though, that begs the question.
'Am I really sure that they never existed? Are they just playing dumb? Or is there something much deeper to what I've dreamt of in the first place?' his mind was full of questions that he wanted answers to, but of course, he's the only one that can answer all of them. What's more, he doesn't want to look crazy in front of people, especially if it would make them think that he was just a delusional individual.
Just as he was contemplating, a doctor had seen him struggling to stand up. "What's the matter? Did you need something?"
Fuutarou turned his head towards the voice and saw a doctor that was looking at him in concern. Of course, being a doctor, or a nurse meant that you have to give the patients care and attention. "Ah. I-I'm alright."
The doctor then placed his hands onto the teenager's shoulder. "Don't stand up just yet. Your body is still acclimating and recovering after the recent accident that just happened to you."
Not wanting to risk his health even further, Fuutarou heeded the doctor's instruction and sat down.
The doctor is known for going all around the hospital, making sure that each of his patients, including him, are monitored by him. In the instance that he can't do his work properly, he'll ask another person to monitor them for him. "How are you feeling right now?"
Fuutarou thought about the question long and hard. He needs to make sure that everything was just screwing him over, and that the quintuplets were safe and sound, if, they do even exist.
He scratched his head awkwardly while looking at the doctor that inquired about his health. "I-I'm fine, I think?"
The doctor nodded. "So, I heard from your father that you were looking for someone?"
"Yes. Do you know anything about it?" he asked the doctor who was listening to him.
"So, Fuutarou-san," he started, causing the raven to sit-up straight, just in case something important was to be announced. "What are these quintuplets have you been talking about? If anything, I want you to explain from the very beginning as to why you think someone like a quintuplet would be even real in the first place."
Fuutarou nodded. It was the time to explain what happened, and exactly why it happened. "The thing is…"
He explained the things he thought had gone through to the doctor, whilst the doctor keeps nodding at his explanation. He knows that having a quintuplet would mean that it either fails, or successes. After all, having a quintuplet born, and surviving infancy was higher than you and whoever you like or love being an item.
The explaining individual went through every nook and cranny, such as being dared to receive a letter, making every girl happy with their love life, going on a date, and even spending time as if they were already husband and wife. Or rather, husband and wives.
After a long time of explaining the facts or things that he thinks was true, he decided to ask the doctor about a curious thing. "Are my family paying for the time I'm here?"
Speaking of which, the doctor knew that the family of the boy was dirt poor, but in this extremely rare case, it was rare for him to be in a dream considering that he had gone through an accident that could've injured or permanently scarred him for life. "In that instance," the doctor started. "this is a hospital that treats their patients for free. Just think of it as your insurance by the government."
Fuutarou sighed at the revelation. It was a good thing that he wasn't going to be using their hard-earned money, right?
The doctor then looked at the time, and it was scheduled for another patient. "Well then, I'll have to get going. I'll give you a notification about your condition when we know what it is, alright?"
He nodded, and gave thanks to the doctor that was leaving his room. Fuutarou then lied down on his bed, trying to grasp whether the dream that he had, was in fact, a dream, or just his innermost desire.
Remembering that he wanted to dye cut his hair, he saw on his table a scissors that was conveniently placed by someone. Though, it was the perfect time to make sure that he would change into a new leaf.
At Asahiyama High
Fuutarou went to school after he was dismissed and that he had no problems in his health anymore. Though, some good things have been happening since he started to go back to highschool.
First, the family had finally paid their debt in full, which, in return, gave the family a huge space to sigh and celebrate, now that they aren't bound by any contracts, debts, lease, or even loans to pay for.
Second, he wanted to change a new leaf, so he cut his hair so that he'd look exactly like those years ago, which he forgot to see. 'Wait, where's my handbook?' he tried to search for his handbook, but then, he realized that he was about to be late if he did a searching for his items, so instead of searching for the handbook, he just went straight to his classroom.
Though, he never realized that the handbook never contained the picture of the girl in Kyoto and him as a blonde guy.
He was almost late, but good thing he was fast enough to speed through the corridor and reach the classroom. "Sorry, I'm almost late!"
The teacher and his classmates were shell-shocked to see how much he changed during the last few weeks. At first, he had his bowl-head cut, along with bangs that could cover his entire eyes, and a face that looked like they were about to pounce on someone if they were to approach him without any careful steps around him.
Now? He looks exactly like his father: A messy blonde hair, shining golden eyes, and even his facial expression has change, which led his classmates, including the teacher in front of them, what happened to him?
Snapping of their trance, they signaled Fuutarou to come inside so that they can start their session. "Come on in, Uesugi."
"Thank you." He said as he retreated to his chair. The individual that he knew that had a star-clipped hair and an ahoge was replaced by a girl with a blonde hair, and a figure that brings women to shame, and brings men to heat.
"Welcome back, Fuutarou-kun!" the girl known as Hikari winked at him, and in turn he smiled at the girl in secret while the teacher was starting to explain something unnecessary to the readers.
"Um, thanks…?" the blonde boy forgot her name. You couldn't really blame the boy on this one considering that he spent a good amount of time in the hospital, probably sleeping, or dreaming about certain individuals that changed his life all those years ago in THAT dream.
Hikari pouted at the forgetfulness of the male blonde. "Hikari! You know, your childhood friend?" she said while trying to listen to the teacher that was discussing.
"Ah yeah, sorry about that Hikari-chan." He surrendered to his brain. 'I know she's my childhood friend, but, why do I feel like I'm forgetting someone?' he discreetly clenched his aching heart, trying to figure out why his heart was aching.
It remained unnoticed to Hikari though, who was concern about her childhood friend and crush.
They just hope that there'd be no problem that would arise.
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After school has ended, Fuutarou decided to retrieve his shoes and went home. Though, the pain from his heart reminded him of something that he was yearning for. Though, he doesn't know about it.
'This is such a pain.' He silently cursed at the heartache that he was currently experiencing. While getting his shoes, Fuutarou looked down to his feet to see a letter coming from an anonymous sender.
"Meet me at the rooftop. – "
He felt strangely happy about how this was going. This was how Miku Nakano, and Fuutarou Uesugi met after all. After the confrontation during that time, they were albeit closer and closer until they would be mistaken as boyfriend and girlfriend. Though, that still begs the question.
'Did I really meet Miku?' was the one thing Fuutarou had in mind, considering that they don't actually exist in this world. Thanks to the said accident that he had before, he can't distinguish virtual to real life, and dreams to reality. Shaking his head, he rushed to the rooftop to meet the one that wanted to meet him. 'Let's just see what they want from me.'
He arrived at the rooftop, only to be met by silence, and no one apparently. He was sure that this was the rooftop that they had met, considering it look too awfully similar. It's as if that the dream had manage to creep in into reality. "Anyone here?" he asked, looking around to see if there was a human around.
"I'm here." The voice said aloud, making Fuutarou look behind him and saw…
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"Hikari?" he tried to clarify, and in turn she nodded. "Did you need something?"
The girl in question was fidgeting so much that it would look like she was going to say something embarrassing. Though, it felt too real for him.
"Hey, Fuutarou-kun…" she said. "I-I'm thankful for the thing you've done for me. It felt like you were the only one supporting me after I lost my mother."
He inwardly cringed at how awfully similar she acted to Ichika, though in a shy way.
"At first, I've come to hate you since you've been bullying me all the time."
'Now, Nino? What is going on exactly?' he tried to rack his brain for anything that could give him solutions to, but to no avail.
"It was at first, heartwrecking to see that you were famous back then, and even now."
He nodded, considering that she was telling the truth. Many of the students have seen how much he changed throughout. It was understandable to be fair.
"I've even changed thanks to the years we've spent."
'Yotsuba…'
"But, I hope you'd still be able to stay by my side." She finished.
'Here it comes.'
"With that being said," she managed to compose herself in order to release out what she wanted to say in the first place.
"Yes?" his expectations raised, knowing where this would go.
"C-can…" Hikari said, causing Fuutarou to raise his ears.
"What is it?" he patiently waited for the girl to completely compose herself. She was going to admit that she likes him of course. It was too cliché at this point to not expect a confession with how she worded what she said.
"C-can you introduce me to your seatmate?!"
"Of course! I would love to!" he said, happy that he got admitted to. Even if the quintuplets never existed, he wanted to move on by treating someone the same way he treated the sisters that he dearly loved.
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"Wait, what?" Fuutarou sweat-dropped, awkwardly stupid at the fact that she sounded like she was going to confess.
Not hearing Fuutarou's reclarification, the blonde girl known as Hikari jumped and down, knowing that she was going to be supported by her childhood friend.
"Thanks! You're the best childhood friend I ever had!" she hugged him.
"Y-yeah… I'll be supporting y-you!" he said, as the girl that hugged him already waved goodbye at him, trying to not squeal that she would be finally able to talk to his seatmate.
Some time after Hikari left, Fuutarou looked beyond the horizon that can be seen on the rooftop. He was contemplating if he was really happy with this life.
At the riverside
Fuutarou was sitting on the bench that was near the water. He was tired from going from the rooftop to the main floor, considering that he had to make up for what he just experienced in.
'I'm happy that we're already out of debt, but how come I'm still missing some parts?' he looked at the floor, looking down as he tried to remember what happened during his dream. He went to a flashback to the days that he dated each of the quintuplets.
Flashback
"Goodnight Ki-kun."
'Thank you for appearing back in my life, Futaro.'
'What?! She can still go on?!'
"It was fun being with you, Kintaro-kun."
"I… I lo… ve you…"
Back to the present
'Eh? Why is the floor wet?' Fuutarou thought to himself, being alone at the moment. He looked at the sky, wondering if it was raining. Sure enough, it wasn't. In reality, it was his tears. Tears?
'Why am I crying?' he innocently asked to himself. Time has gone, and he finally had the reason why he was crying in the first place.
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He missed the company of the quintuplets. They were the ones tthat mold him to become a better individual, the one that molded his childhood to be the one that helps others, and that made his life complete. Without them, he'll be a broken vessel; a vessel so empty that puts all blackholes combined to shame. 'I need you guys!'
He started to tear up even harder when he remembers the good time that he felt when he was with the quintuplets. Of course, it would be difficult if someone that you knew was real slapped you with the fact that it never happened in the first place. It was as if the moment was only good for only a limited time, with no chances of returning.
Dreams are meant to be dreamt, and reality on the other hand hits hard, especially if you got attached to someone in a dream.
'Please, someone… wake me up!' he cried even harder, still trying to take in the fact that they were never real. He wanted them to come back to his life so badly that he'll do anything to make sure that what he wants will what he gets, even if he does everything that fate asks him, just so he can feel complete once again.
After years have passed, with Fuutarou seemingly grown older, as well as Raiha, were on the same bench that he cried years ago. Fuutarou already has a job, Raiha is now in highschool, and Isanari is now a rich individual that provides for his family whatever they need.
"Time flies, huh, Onii-chan?" Raiha, who was already in highschool, said as she was looking and glancing around the vicinity.
"Yeah. It feels like everything was so real." Fuutarou said as they went to rest on the bench. Even though it was hard, he still had to face the fact that they were never real, and that all it took was time, dedication, and perseverance to face the challenge he had went through.
"Well then, shall we go?" Raiha stood up and looked at her brother who was staring at the water.
Fuutarou shooked his head. "Huh? Oh right, let's go." He stood up as well, and went on their merry way to their home. They were living in a dilapidated home, but thanks to fate guiding them, and with attitude to never give up, they were now having a convenient time.
They were walking along the road peacefully.
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A vehicle that had a sleepy driver suddenly were in Fuutarou's and Raiha's way. An innocent bystander was aware and decided to alert the duo walking along the sidewalk. "Look out!"
They looked behid them and they were late to react as the time they went to look at the vehicle, the said car was already behind them a mere meter away.
?
Fuutarou suddenly woke up. "Huh? Where am I?!" he suddenly shouted, alarming the five individuals that looked like they were already past their teen years.
"Oh my? What's wrong Fuutaro?" a certain pinkette actress asked her husband. "Did you have a nightmare?"
He looked at them in disbelief as to what he was seeing.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" a certain baker also inquired about her husband that seemingly had a nightmare, considering how fast he was inhaling and exhaling.
"Do you need bread?" Another baker with a ring on her ring finger asked. She had the look of a mature adult with such asset that would make women jealous.
He shook his head. "Ah, I'm alright. I just…" he hesitated to continue, but did so anyway. "had a nightmare."
The carrothead-wife was looking at him in curiosity. "What nightmare, darling?"
The ahoge-professor on the other hand was eating near him, while concerned for his wellbeing. "Why worry when you can have food?" she said. She was munching down some expensive looking food.
Fuutarou looked at where he was. It was a rich apartment where they were, except it was much bigger, and some children were ru-
'Wait, children?' his eyes twitched when he saw five identical children looking like their mothers.
"Come on Tamako, let's get a move on!" the girl known as Mikan tried to tug Tamako Nakano, Ichika's child. Mikan belonged to Yotsuba, named after the quintuplet's favorite food.
"I'm… sleepy…" she brushed her eyes, trying to stay awake, but to no avail.
"Oh right! We have to get ready for dinner!" Nino and Miku simultaneously blurted and rushed to the kitchen to prepare for dinner.
"Don't be so slow, Matsuri!" the girl known as Kotori. She had her mother's violent streak to certain individuals.
"Right back at you." The headphone wearing child was wearing a small version of Miku's blue pajamas.
The redheaded-girl known as Niku, was just straight in reading some books. She was silent. 'I'm pretty hungry right now.' The girl silently thought as she read the book.
"Dinner's ready!" Nino announced to the girls, which in turn rushed to the kitchen to eat, especially Niku.
Nino and Miku went out of the kitchen to sit beside Kintaro, who was still looking sad and gloomy.
"What's wrong, love?" Miku asked to which the quintuplets were worried for their husband.
"It… it's nothing… I felt like… I lost you guys…" Fuutarou confessed, to which gave the husband a smile that supported him all throughout.
Fuutarou was still tearing up, until someone had blurted out. "Have you forgotten?" he looked up at Ichika.
Ichika held his thumb. "No matter where we are,"
Nino on the other hand, continued and held his index. "our happiness,"
Miku held his middle finger. "our sadness."
Yotsuba held the ring. "even you."
Itsuki held the pinky. "are equally split in fifths."
They simultaneously asked. "Together?"
Fuutarou smiled at them, and returned at him with a smile that showed solidarity and love for their family. "We will never, be separated."
As if on cue, the daughters were calling them already.
"Come on! Let's get eating already!" Niku said, exasperated that they can't eat just yet because their parents aren't even with them.
"You're going to waste the food mother made!" a reply was heard from Kotori.
"I want to sleep… so let's eat…" the sleepy Tamako said.
"I want to continue my story." Matsuri said, as she was playing a visual novel featuring warlords.
"I want to watch anime with mom!" Mikan said.
The quintuplets, along with their husband, looked at each other and simultaneously shouted one thing.
"Coming!"
And thus, Fuutarou, and the Quintuplets enjoyed the rest of their lives, along with their loved ones.
"Was Everything an Illusion?"
No. Reality was within two overlapping illusions. An illusion over a dream, a reality, in an illusion.
D: So, that marks the actual end of the story!
F: D-san had to type two hours, and now his fingers are aching.
Ic: So, Fuutarou-kun… Want me to make you happy?
N: What do you mean? He's already happy with me by his side!
M: Yeah, right.
Y: Now, now, no need to be fighting! We all get to be Fuutaro's wife, right?
D: Not me, obviously.
It: Food please.
D: Really? Even after in the end?
It: Can't help it, alright?! I get very hungry easily.
D: So much for that. Anyway!
F: We thank you…
Ic: For being with us…
N: For the past two years…
M: Following the story…
Y: and we hope to…
It: See food again!
D: It's SEE YOU AGAIN! But yeah, stay tuned for any updates from me.
All: Bye Everyone!