Mutsumi wakes, laying beside her sister. She got up, looking at the wasteland that was Ichika's room with a smile. "Hey." She gently pushes the body beside her. Ichika groans, burying her head in a pillow. "Hey. We're going to miss breakfast. Wake up." She mutters as she shakes her sister.

"Mmmmmm...it's morning already?" She slowly sits up, wrapping herself in the blanket. "My body's so stiff." Arcing her back, the two of them could hear her vertebrae pop. The two of them get up, Mutsumi helping Ichika get dressed. She opens the door to find half of her sisters outside, turning with shocked faces. "Are we interrupting something?"

"No, not really." Miku says as Ichika and Mutsumi head down the stairs. "It's true then. Mutsumi seems to already be making a move. I wonder what's her plan for Ichika." She turns to her sisters.

"I don't know. But we can't let her do it alone this time." Nino says. "We're going to do this together, this time." She heads downstairs, towards the kitchen to make breakfast.

"By the way, has anyone seen Yotsuba?" Itsuki asks as they all sit at the table. "She said she was going out last night, but she still hasn't come back."

"Well, Yotsuba would've definitely used Mutsumi's gadget, and she's more than capable of running away." Nino says, pulling out a carton of eggs. "Is scrambled eggs alright?"

"Actually, I kinda want a fried one today." Ichika says, pulling out some cold cuts and bread.

"Morning everyone!" Yotsuba yells as she swings the door open. "What's for breakfast?"

"Eggs and sausages. Nino and Miku are making some waffles." Mutsumi says, pulling out the chair beside her. "More importantly, where've you been? You didn't even answer our calls."

"Sorry, my phone was off in the library. Guess I forgot to turn it back on. Shi Shi Shi!" She laughs as she sets down her bag and pulls out an advanced logarithms book.

"You studied? I'm pleasantly surprised. Is it because of the video?" Itsuki asks, cutting up a sausage. Yotsuba nods, to which Mutsumi turns.

"After I heard it, I decided to put double my all into my studies. We're almost about to graduate, so I want to get the best grades I can." She smiles, meeting Mutsumi's gaze.

"Better late than never I guess. What do you even want to go for in uni?" Mutsumi asks, playing with her ribbon with one hand while eating with the other.

"I'm aiming for a culinary school." Miku says as she and Nino return with plates full of waffles. Everyone turns their attention to her, in stunned silence.

"Are you sure Miku?" Yotsuba asks. "You got the best grades out of all of us? You'd definitely get in to one you want."

"I know that, but..."

"Well, I, for one, am glad that she's choosing to follow her dreams." Ichika says, taking a bite of her sandwich. "I'll support you all the way, so you can always come to me if you need anything." She flashes a smile as they all continue eating.

"Mutsumi-kun." Maruo turns around in his chair. "This concluded our routine inspection. Now, if I may be blunt." He rests his elbows on his desk, his hands covering his mouth. "You were out late the other day, were you not?"

"Dad, I..."

"You're forbidden from leaving the house." He says, arranging some papers on his desk absentmindedly.

"I was..."

"I do not care for the reason, your actions that night were inexcusa-"

"Would you just listen to me!" She yells. Maruo stands up, looming over her.

"Then explain. Explain why you were out so late."

"I was on my way home."

"I find that hard to believe, I was told Itsuki-kun brought you to a diner that was 30 minutes away. That does not explain why you returned at midnight." He takes a step towards her, but steps forward to confront him.

"I was kidnapped. You've heard the news. I was ten minutes away from home when they got me." Mutsumi clenches her fists.

"You're spouting nonsense Mutsumi-kun. You failed to convince me and your curfew will continue. I will enforce it myself if I have to." He leans back, a look of arrogance was on his face for a short moment.

"Can you even do that? You're never home unless it's for business with us. I doubt you'll be able to." Mutsumi's arms begin to shake as she digs her nails into her palms.

"Do not underestimate me. I am your father, I've given you everything you have."

"You've given us money, a home, and our material things; you're no father, just a glorified ATM. Mom wouldn't let this slide. She would've believed in me, comforted me when I got home that night, because she actually thought of me as her daughter unlike you! WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU THEN!" She snaps at him, taking her things. "If you keep thinking of yourself as our father, act like one tomorrow. I'm leaving, Maruo-san."

She meets up with Nino and Fuutarou in the lobby of the hospital. "How'd it go with papa?" Nino asks as he leaves a bouquet of flowers with the two sisters. Mutsumi holds out her palm, bloodstained by the shallow cuts from her nails. "Well..." Nino rambles.

"Let's get those flowers home before we go shopping. I need to take my mind off of it." Mutsumi says, walking out of the building as the elevator opens with Maruo inside.

"Papa..." Nino says as she turns away and catches up with Mutsumi. The two of them head home, placing the flowers in a vase and bandaging up the small scratches on Mutsumi's palm.

"Hey Mutsumi. Why'd you want to go shopping now? We just went the other day for the swimsuits." Nino asks, watching as Mutsumi puts on a pair of fingerless gloves to cover up the bandages.

"A change of pace. I could use some new clothes. You're the best one for the job." Mutsumi pulls down the sleeves of her plaid button up and readjusts her beret. Nino's face lights up as the two head out.

"So, what exactly are you looking for? Are you looking for more jeans or something?" Nino asks as the two look around the store. Mutsumi tugs her arm gently as they turn away from the pants section and into one filled with dresses.

"Something like this." She pulls out a plaid dress that flares out towards the bottom, red and white with a white collar and some frills around the buttons in the chest area. It has cuffs at the end of the sleeves around her wrists. It would be tight around the waist if she wore it, but it flares out after that point "I'll be in the changing rooms, I'll leave this to the expert." She heads off, leaving Nino to look around and pick for her.

"Alright, this one will be for summer outings. Casual or not, this one is flexible." Nino says as Mutsumi pulls aside the curtains. She emerges wearing a maxi dress, loose and flowing. It was white, small hexagonal patterns in a dark shade of orangish gold started at the bottom that gradually fades as it climbs. "What do you think?"

"It's nice, simple and sweet. No pun intended." Mutsumi says before going to change into something else. This time she appears in a much tighter dress, a pencil dress that hugs her figure. It was black, with white bands around the hem and the ends of the long forearm length sleeves. The collar was flexible, much like a turtleneck. "How do I look?"

"Like a woman." Nino framed her by putting her fingers to her eyes. "White gloves to meet with the sleeves, a pair of heels, maybe a necklace too. You'll practically be a model." Mutsumi extends her arm, waiting for Nino's next choice, a white princess silhouette dress that would go well with elbow length gloves and her beret This one was simpler than the others, just plain white with little to no patterns.

"Wait, is this just an oversized shirt?" Mutsumi asks as Nino hands over a T-shirt dress. It was black, with the letters "VI" on it. It bottoms out just above her knee, lending itself well to boots and high length socks. She tries it on nonetheless and gets an approving smile from her sister.

"Bell sleeved and off shoulder." Nino watches as her sister spins around in a deep blue dress that ends above the knee. It has an ocean theme, with small waves lining the holes around her neck and all over the titular bell shaped ends of the sleeve. It was asymmetrical, only the right having a sleeve. The fabric covers up her chest, lending itself to a V-neck around the top. "I like it, this is our last dress."

"Last dress? What's next?"

"Tops, skirts, then shoes. If I have any left over, then we'll get some accessories." Mutsumi smiles. Pulling Nino out of one store and into another.

"Where do you even get this money?" Nino asks, checking her phone. She looks up to see Mutsumi excitedly looking at an off shoulder top that caught her eye.

"Have you seen those news reports of Ichika?"

"Yeah, the pictures were always so strange. It was supposed to be paparazzi, but it happens so often that I think she might have a stalker."

"Ouch, calling me a stalker. That's harsh." She jokes. The two of them continue shopping for another two, maybe three hours, carrying bags inside of bags. They have to have Miku meet up with them after her shift to help carry everything home.

"Yotsuba's at the library again?" Nino asks as they find Itsuki eating dinner. "I guess that vid got to her."

"At least she's taking it well. She could've broken down or gone overboard again, like at Kurobara." Mutsumi says, pulling up a chair beside Itsuki and taking a slice of pizza from the box on the table. "Sshe hash comtrul." She stuffs her mouth, making a goofy face. They all gather at the table, taking slices.

"Where's Ichika?" Miku asks, looking around their home. "I'm worried about her." She stares at the eldest's room.

"Is she talking about the video?" Mutsumi ponders to herself. "Don't worry, I have it covered. You can relax." Flashing a smile and drowning her next bite in hot sauce, she gives her sisters a thumb up. They all sigh in relief.

In her room, Mutsumi pulls out her phone and scrolls down her contacts, finding one person. "Hey, can we meet up tomorrow?" She sends a text, looking at the screen for a reply.

"Tomorrow? Sure. Is something wrong?" They text back rather quickly.

"Nothing, just wanted to meet up. Is that so wrong?"

"Where?"

"I know a good café. How about..." She arranges the meeting, leaving herself some room to get flowers afterwards. She wakes the next day with a smile on her face, she takes a quick shower and puts on one of the clothes she bought yesterday: A white long-sleeved blouse and a skirt with an orange bottom that slowly fades as it reaches her waist. She grabs a black handbag, her beret, and finishes her look with a pair of black boots and knee high black socks. She finds Ichika on the phone with her manager as she leaves, waving her off with a smile, the bracelet on her arm coming to a rest as she leaves the house.

Mutsumi arrives early, ordering a cappuccino and a lemon poppy seed muffin. She waits, five minutes go by. She gets tense and starts tapping her fingers on the table. The sound of footsteps approaching her perks her up as she lets out a smile. "You're late."

"You're early, Mutsumi-san." Matsui arrives, with Maeda behind her.

"So you brought him, perfect!" She claps her hands together.

"How've ya been?" Maeda asks, the three of them sitting at the table after the couple place their order.

"I've been well. Let's get to the point, shall we?" Mutsumi sips her coffee, a smile curling on her face.

"Before that, I'd just like to say...you look great today. It's different from your usual clothes but it's just so pretty." Matsui says, eyeing her up. Her words cause the redhead to blush.

"Thanks...I thought I could use a little change." She manages to mutter out. "I haven't felt like this in a while. It's different when it's not one of my sisters." She thinks as her smile grows wider. "So, I heard you two met on that school trip last year. Care to tell the details?

"Oh. Well it started off strangely. We paired up for the test of courage run by Uesugi-kun." Matsui says, sipping from her iced latte. "It was boring at first. Honestly, he didn't really do a good job at it..."

"I swear, he just tried to raise tension by doing nothing and trying to get in our heads." Maeda chimes in, downing his americano in one go.

"It worked though, he got us when he jumped out in that clown suit. You screamed like a baby!" Matsui teases.

"Me? You were yelling for help like your life depended on it!" Maeda retorts, getting a small smirk from Matsui.

"Well, whatever the case may be, we ran off together. If he didn't do that, then we wouldn't have danced at the bonfire the night after. He was our Cupid, don't you think?" She turns to him, finding a dumbfounded look on his face.

"What...err yeah. Definitely..." He says, pretending to still have liquid in his cup to use it for covering his face. Matsui just laughs at him.

"You don't know who Cupid is? Maeda, I'm just disappointed." Mutsumi sighs, taking a bite of her food. "Anyway, what happened after that?"

"We started eating together at lunch, as friends at first. Slowly but surely, we started meeting up more often. Staying behind for each other after classes, hellos and goodbyes at the entrance to school, until one day, our first day in third year after class."

"We stayed after class, in one of the clubrooms. And I asked her out on a date." Maeda says, reminiscently.

"If only you could see him then. He was all red and nervous. It was cute." She smiles, intertwining her hand with his. "He's usually scary, especially if you don't know him. He's just intimidating. But underneath all that, he's a big softie." She smiles in Mutsumi's direction. "I'm just happy that I got to see it, that he showed it to me."

Mutsumi returns the gesture, getting up and ordering a slice of cake. She sets it down between the two of them, handing each of them a spoon. "As thanks for today. Enjoy the rest of your date."

"Date? We were just here to meet you."

"You two are together now, take it a bit further. Bye guys." She waves as she leaves the two lovebirds in the café.

Mutsumi walks away, stopping at a flower shop before heading to her final destination. She picks up a bouquet of red spider lilies, asters, yellow camellias, and a single primrose, and single sweet pea. "Damn, why did I get so many? I guess Yotsuba can take care of the ones we can't leave at the grave." She mutters to herself.

"You called?" Yotsuba comes up behind her, taking half the flowers from her arms and carrying them herself, the rustling sound breaking through the silence between them. "I went to the library again, where'd you go? I thought you'd be there already."

"Met up with some friends. Decided to get some flowers on my way over." She says as the two of them approach the cemetery. Finding the other sisters talking, they slow down.

Step...Step...step...

"I guess I should let everyone know."

step...step...step...

"Starting the second semester, I'll no longer be going to school."

step...…step...

"I'm quitting school."

Rustle...rustle...step...