Disclaimer: I don't own The Quintessential Quintuplets.
"You're such a precious cinnamon bun..."
Yotsuba lifted her gaze up from her studying book. The ribbon on top of her head twitched in surprise over what she had just heard. Her blue eyes widened as she fixed them onto the person who she had just heard speak.
"Wha ... What you say, Uesugi?"
Futaro was sitting nearby at a table. He was the only one in the school library besides Yotsuba. It took no time at all for the ditzy airheaded girl to realise that her had to be talking to her.
"I'm really glad you came into my life. The day we met changed everything for me - for the better."
Yotsuba's mouth hung open. She was astonished by the way her grumpy tutor was speaking of her. It was true that things had changed drastically since the day he had become the private tutor of her and her siblings - yet she couldn't believe she had solely affected him.
"R-Really?" she stammered.
"I thank the heavens every day we found each other. Never have I known anyone so like you. You've made me become a better person. I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for you."
The athletic girl's heart raced rapidly inside her chest. She had to place a hand over it to steady her emotions. Yotsuba beamed over what her teacher was telling her. Very rarely was she ever told that she had made a positive difference to someone's life. The fact it was coming from her hard-to-please tutor made what she was hearing about herself all the more unbelievable.
"Th..." Yotsuba paused, still trying to keep her emotions under control as she smiled brightly towards her mentor. "Thank you, Uesugi."
"Thank you!" Futaro smiled broadly. "I hope we meet again someday!"
"Huh?"
Yotsuba's smile disappeared. She was completely thrown off by Futaro's last remark. He hoped to meet again? What was her tutor trying to say to her? She was standing right there before him - and their next meeting was when he would arrive at the Nakano apartment that very evening to tutor her and her siblings.
It was at that moment when Futaro raised something up to his smiling lips. Yotsuba's eyes widened as she could sight of it, realising at once that this was what he had to be talking to and not her.
"A cinnomen bun?!"
Futaro jumped, startled by the aghast screeching voice that had yelled from nearby. He dropped the pastry which he had bought that morning from the bakery where he worked. He averted his aghast gaze to the girl who had yelled out loudly, his amber eyes widening at the sight of her.
"Yotsuba!" he cried. "What are you doing, causing a racket? You've got studying to get on with!"
"Fine! I'll go do my studying elsewhere! You just stay here, Uesugi, and talk to your precious cinnamon bun!"
Pouting irritably, Yotsuba stormed off with her book clutched firmly in her hand. She left her tutor by himself at the table. She couldn't believe she had let herself believe Futaro was heartily praising her - when all that time, he hadn't been talking about her.
Yotsuba had just fumed out through the door of the library - when she ran into her four sisters. All of them were taken by surprise to find their sibling who was usually the most cheerful of the five in such a foul mood.
"Whoa!" Ichika exclaimed. "What's bitten you, sis?"
"You okay, Yotsuba?" Miku asked in a soft, concerned tone.
"What's the matter?" Itsuki added.
"I just heard Uesugi going off about how something is very special an precious to him!" Yotsuba huffed. "He led me to believe he was talking about me, but-"
"Was he talking about his little sister?" Nino guessed.
"No, he wasn't even talking about Raiha! He was saying all those heartfelt things - to a cinnamon bun!"
"A cinnamon bun?" Miku repeated, her stoic expression replaced by a stunned one.
"Why would Futaro be talking to a cinnamon bun?" Ichika asked, equally baffled. "That's pretty weird, even for him."
"Ooh, a cinnamon bun!" Itsuki's face lit up at the mention of baked goods. "Now I want one!"
Nino rolled her eyes at her youngest sibling's constant desire for food before comfortingly putting an arm around Yotsuba.
"Well don't let that jerk get to you, sis. Telling someone how precious there are; there's no way that would ever happen - coming from him!"
"I can't believe Yotsuba heard me mumbling away! I never expected her to be in here, studying!"
Futaro wiped some sweat off his brow. He was still shaking over how Yotsuba had seen him at the table - and heard every word he had been saying. It was super embarrassing for the young tutor for one of his five crazy students to catch him in such a way.
"Well, at least she didn't see you!"
The blue-haired young man managed to smile again as his amber eyes gazed down dreamily at what was before him.
In front of him on the table, next to the cinnamon bun he had been munching on - was the photograph he kept in his student hand book.
Standing next to his younger self in the picture, smiling in her usual bright, warm way which he'd never forgotten - was the mysterious girl he had met and befriended during his class trip to Kyoto.
Futaro gazed at her longingly. He wished he could fall into the photograph to be reunited with the girl. It had been five years since the picture had been taken - and to this day, he longed to be by her side once again.
"Like I said," Futaro murmured as he ran a finger over where the girl stood in the photograph. "I hope we meet again someday."
How little he knew that the very person in the picture who he wanted to see - had just been in the room a few moments ago, listening to the touching words he had to say about her - and due to meet him that evening for another studying session with her sisters.
The end.
