"Hey." Fuutarou called out. "What was that for! I know you're mad, but did you really come all this way to hit m-"
"Catharsis!" Mutsumi stomped back, giving him another hit; a left hook. She steadied herself, taking deep breaths as her tempter cooled down. "Why..."
Fuutarou didn't reply, just standing there rubbing his cheek. The former tutor looked away, turning on his heel and walking towards the door to his home. Mutsumi asked again, still no reply except for a met gaze by the boy. As he turned back and shut the door, Mutsumi could only grit her teeth as she headed home. She walked slowly, her body slowed by the flood of thoughts flowing through her neurons. Her breath fogged in front of her, the adrenaline fading and the cold gripping her once more. Winter air blew her hair to the side as she trudged through the streets, only stopping once she took shelter in a nearby cake shop.
"What the hell is he thinking?" She muttered, taking a seat and looking at the display of desserts at the counter. "Fuutarou-san...is he really serious about leaving?" She ordered as she pondered in silence. "Why does this feel different than the other times that people leave me?"
"At this rate, wouldn't it have been better if you hadn't come to be their tutor? If the youngest of them is smart enough, she could teach them. Couldn't she?" Her words from the lake came to mind. Mutsumi sighed, her face showing a bit of regret and guilt as the memory flashed through.
"I guess he didn't get over it. Taking that to heart...that idiot." She started on her dessert, a slice of cheesecake, mumbling as the anger finally went away fully. Now dealing with her other emotions, she wondered what course of action she should take next. Options, each with their merit and repercussions, were causing her to tap her finger against the tabletop. "I...I can't handle this." She put her hands on her head, running them through her head and messing up her hair. She huffed, unclipping her hair accessories and stuffing them into her pocket. As she slipped her hand inside, she felt the vibrations of her phone at her fingertips.
"Mutsumi-chan? Where are you right now?" Ichika's voice sang from the phone, her tone giddy, joyful, and slightly teasing. Probably lightheaded from answering the exams, her sisters' idle chatter in the background accompanied by the sound of their TV.
"I'm at the cake shop we went to that one time, Revival. Hey, can you come over here. Let's go out for a while, just the two of us." Mutsumi picked up her sister's tone, her voice sounding higher and more energetic. "There's something I wanna tell you."
"So Mutsumi-chan~" Ichika set herself up on the opposite side of the table, still wearing her uniform. She hadn't been home long, perhaps only a minute or two, before Mutsumi's invitation. "What'd you wanna talk about?"
"Well, it's about Fuutarou-san." Mutsumi gave up her charade, the happy tone and smile fading. "He quit."
"What? That's not a funny joke, sis." Ichika sighed, forcing a chuckle that stopped once she got a look at the stoic expression on her sister. "You're kidding, right?"
"Sadly, no." Mutsumi sipped on the straw of a drink she ordered while she waited for her sister. "I don't know what to do. I need your help." She sighed, slouching over; defeated.
"Who's going to teach the rest of us?" Ichika asked, to which Mutsumi pointed at herself. "Ah, right." Ichika put her fingers to her chin. "Do you think dad will let him back. Maybe if you ask..."
"No, hell no. Dad's pissed." Mutsumi rest her head on the table. "So you guys are stuck with me, unless we do something about this."
"Isn't this what you wanted? When you first got back, you were adamant for him leaving." Ichika said, patting her sister's hair down.
"Not...anymore. I...find it nice having him around." Mutsumi let her voice out without moving her head, the message barely coming out loud enough to reach her sister's ears. "So, do you have any idea what we can do?"
"Why not try to teach us. I'm sure you can handle it." Ichika looked out the window, light snowfall that made the buildings look like a frosted or iced cake.
"I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about..." Mutsumi tilted her head up, staring Ichika in the eyes. "...you three." Ichika smiled understandingly, brushing her sister's hair with her hands. She moved her hand down, pinching the youngest's cheek and stretching it to the girl's annoyance.
"Actually, I have something to show you once we get home. Let's go." She stood, extending her hand to the youngest sister. They routed themselves to the eldest's room, as disorganized and chaotic as the horror stories say. "Do you think this will work? Will the others be okay with this?" Ichika asked as she handed over a set of papers that, unlike the rest of the quarters, were organized neatly and nearly filled out.
"I have a way to find out."
"This is terrible." Itsuki cries, looking at their results. The week had gone by in a blur, their everyday lives returning after the exams. The sisters, sans Mutsumi, all crowded around a table to compare results.
"We did all that studying and this is what we get?" Ichika groaned, a disappointed exhale exited her mouth as she shot a short glance at the younger sister who watching from the stairs. Mutsumi stood, her arms crossed and supporting her head while her bangs hid her sea blue eyes.
"Once again, I'm realizing that we're idiots." Miku sat down, leaving her paper with the rest. Yotsuba and Nino sat to her side, the elder of the two gritting her teeth together just barely loud enough for the sensory adept girl to hear it.
"Cheer up Nino." Yotsuba, ever the ball of energy, tried to raise her sister's spirits. Nino, however, wasn't too keen on it.
"You should worry about your own matters." Nino snapped back, somewhat restraining herself due to who she was talking to, before their attention turned to Ichika.
"Well, it just so happens that there's a tutoring session today. Guess we'll be focusing on reviewing the final exam results." Ichika again stared at the youngest of them, a cheeky and perceptive grin curled on her face as Mutsumi stepped down. Itsuki curiously glanced at the hallway with the entrance, her ahoge flopping side to side as she tapped her toe against the floor.
"He's not coming, Itsuki." Mutsumi got everyone's attention.
"What?" Miku responded first, tilting her head to peer into her sister's face. Her brows furrowed, a mix of confusion, hopelessness, and anger all swirling within her as the light of the Saturday sun cast a shadow on part of her face.
"He's not coming back here. Let's get started." Mutsumi continued walking towards them, her voice cold and emotionless. Her body moved slowly, but with purpose, towards them. Her aura more distant than ever, she glided with an air of superiority and loneliness; a princess sheltered and finally allowed to see the masses.
"You're joking right, Mutsumi?" Yotsuba asked. Mutsumi, seeming to not hear it, went over to the TV; opened a drawer to pull out a set of problems she hid. Her eyes quickly skimmed through the first page, simple problems that they surely could answer. They've already answered them, so she handed them out indifferently.
"Answer these, I'll be here." Mutsumi sat in the kitchen. "If you have any questions, ask them now."
"Where is he? Why is he not coming? Is he playing hooky?" Nino asked, surprise gripping her face as all the sisters looked over.
"No. He has no reason to be here anymore." Mutsumi responded robotically, brushing her hair to hide her face. "He's not your tutor anymore." The words were followed by silence, then a soft murmur.
"I knew it, the fail condition was still in pla-"
"No." Mutsumi interrupted the second sister. Nino looked up at her, a myriad of emotions on her face; guilt prominent among them. "He called using Itsuki's phone during the exams. He quit on his own."
"On his own?" Yotsuba looked concerned. Her eyes froze, unmoving from Mutsumi's figure.
"Fuutarou...why?" Miku shrunk, her hair now falling in front of her face. Cold, that was what the third sister felt like. Frigid as the air outside, her words losing life; losing hope.
"I can't accept this. I'll call him over and have him explain it to us." Itsuki reached for her phone. Her hair stood up, seemingly angry, as she rifled through her pockets hastily.
"Don't bother. Dad gave me this." Mutsumi revealed a small envelope from her pocket. "He's banned from the building, security was informed as well." She clenched her fist, pulling out a few items from her pockets.
"I get it." Miku stood up. "I'll go to him." She dashed towards the door, hair trailing behind her.
"Give me a chance. And we'll talk about this once you guys the work I prepared." Mutsumi raised her voice from the kitchen, accompanied by a slam of her hand against the counter. "Do you...not trust me?" Her head was down, her hands trembled as her body buckled and rested on the surface of the counter.
Miku withdrew, a shocked look on her face accompanied her message. "I didn't mean it like that..."
"Just hold off on it for a while. I know you all want him back here, but let's focus on the things in front of us." Mutsumi audibly exhaled, showing her sisters her exhaustion and frustration, as well as her weariness.
"Alright. Let's get started." Ichika clapped her hands, putting on a fake face that gave Mutsumi a slight chuckle. They worked on the worksheets in silence, occasionally muttering about how relatively easy the questions were. "Are you going easy on us?"
"From my experience, you five are near braindead so..." Mutsumi teased, looking at a piece of paper in her hand. Her composure having recovered, she swirled a glass of water in her hand, clinking the ice floating within.
"That's mean!" Yotsuba yelled, shaking her fist jokingly in the air. The mood having been lifted slightly, the sisters smiled a somewhat nostalgic smile.
"Prove me wrong then!" Mutsumi countered, putting away the paper and retrieving another slip of paper; Fuutarou's cheat sheet.
"Why would he give me one?" She thought silently, running her finger up the rolled slip. She sighed after eyeing it for the better part of the session, curiosity getting the better of her she unfurled it.
"Enjoy your stay in hell, I know I did." She read it aloud, confused and discombobulated.
"What..." Yotsuba turned to face the youngest. Her ribbon straightened as she tilted her head.
"It's nothing." Mutsumi looked back to them, finding them all looking at their cheat sheets. She squinted her eyes, taking a few steps towards them to read what they said. A wry smile constituted itself on her face. "Well, I think it's time."
"Time for what?" Itsuki asked, trying to hide her sheet. The sisters pulled themselves back to reality, their thoughts seemingly in a different place.
"Who do you want to teach you?" The air became heavy as tension filled the room. "Fuutarou-san, or your sister?"
"Is this...really the only way that things can go?" Yotsuba gripped her papers. "I don't want to have to choose." Her hands shook as she took steps towards Mutsumi.
"I want Fuutarou back, but..." Miku hid her face. "Mutsumi, it's not like that." Mutsumi looked at her sisters, a betrayed face greeting them as she bit her lips and her fists trembled.
"So that's how it is...you guys..." She said, angry and looking at the ground while her hair obscured her face. Ichika struggled to conceal a chuckle as she put her hand on Mutsumi's shoulder.
"Come on Mutsumi-chan, aren't you having a bit too much fun?" Ichika said loudly, causing Mutsumi to freeze.
"Kill joy nee-chan!" Mutsumi chuckled, brushing her hair back. "So you guys want Fuutarou-san back." She smiled as her sisters hesitantly nodded. "I'll get Ebata-san. Ichika, fill them in." She waved, pulling out her phone and stepping on the balcony.
"Young miss Mutsumi. Is this about what you and miss Ichika brought to my attention" The aged voice on the other side of the call said, somewhat proud and somber.
"Yes. We're moving forward with this plan." She responded, her mouth an open smile. She glanced back inside, agreeing with Ebata's next statement.
"You have all grown so much." Mutsumi couldn't see it, but she was sure that a smile formed on Ebata's face. And with that the call ended. She returned to her siblings, all smiling with excitement.
"Anyway, let's get to work." She smirked, cracking her knuckles and gathering the papers. "Ichika and I will handle everything from now on, so trust us with this." She rolled her sleeves, standing to the eldest's side. "Just a few days, maybe a week. Have patience with us." She bowed.
Days, weeks, much like she said, they passed as if nothing had happened. Fuutarou hadn't returned to them, he hadn't even talked to Mutsumi and Itsuki who were in the same class. Yotsuba, as promised, assisted the track team; winning first place. Ichika flung herself into her work, getting as much money as possible for what's to come. Mutsumi took over the paperwork, meeting with Ebata every once in a while to make sure everything is in order. Itsuki spent her time with Nino, exploring the restaurants in the area; surprisingly glued to her phone. Miku accompanied them rarely, usually before or after a visit to a local bookstore for recipe books.
Fuutarou stood one night, one cold Christmas night, in a generic Santa costume sans beard. He held a sign for a cake shop. "Merry Christmas! How about a cake?" He called out. People, seemingly used to this schtick, ignored him save for an occasional chuckle. He was cold, shivering and panting for air.
"Being cheerful really isn't your thing." Mutsumi said, leaning against Itsuki's shoulder, seemingly tired and sleepy.
"I'd like one please." The star spangled sister said, nursing her sister's head with a hand that ran through her hair. Snow fell down on both of them, blocking out their crimson locks with soft, white, patches as shining as the stars and moon above them. The others joined, smiling and laughing, filled with the spirit of the season. For a moment, just a moment, Fuutarou was taken aback.
"Here's the cake you ordered." He said, approaching the table of six. The group of redheads turned to face him, save for the youngest who was clinging tightly to the fourth.
"Wow, he really is working!" Yotsuba exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table playfully.
"And on Christmas eve, no less. Such a good boy~" Ichika teased, resting her head on her hand.
"Actually, that's kinda sad." Miku chimed in, getting comfortable in her seat. She reached across the table, poking Mutsumi's cheek softly to bring Fuutarou to her attention.
"And the cake took forever." Nino began complaining, her arms crossed as she leaned back. Fuutarou could feel a vein bulge in his forehead, his frustration growing with each passing second. He grimaced, his hold on the cake getting slightly tighter.
"What did you expect? It's busy as heck today."
"Excuses! Is this what you've become." Mutsumi joked, eyeing him head to toe. "Pitiful." She did her best at a disgusted face, but she broke out into a giggle as she leaned her head on Itsuki's shoulder once again.
"Excuse me." Itsuki raised her hand, getting the boy's attention. "Is it possible to have the cake delivered? We really would rather it be sent to our house." She asked cordially, speaking softly in vain to not gather attention.
"Huuh?" Fuutarou stepped back, a quick glance at his former students. "We don't deliver." He managed to get out before five of the six began to make outrageous requests.
"Please! Uesugi-san, please! Mutsumi isn't feeling well, so..." Yotsuba gently touched her sister's arms, Mutsumi looking fairly exhausted.
"Uesugi-kun, it's almost closing time. Go with them." A voice proclaimed from behind Fuutarou.
"But manager..."
"Merry Christmas." Was all the manager said, directed at the Nakano sisters and not the employee that was walking towards him.
"What's wrong with her anyway? Did her illness start acting up?" Fuutarou asked, trailing behind the siblings. Yotsuba was up front, Miku and Ichika behind her, leaving Nino and Itsuki to assist Mutsumi as she stumbles and trudges through the snowfall.
"It's not that, thankfully." Itsuki turned her head back. "She just tired from staying awake all through the night."
"Then why isn't she at home." Fuutarou asked as they reached a bridge over a river.
"Because." Mutsumi pushed herself back on her feet, standing still to let Fuutarou walk beside her. "I wanted to say hi." She whispered, giving the boy a gentle jab.
"You...wait." Fuutarou rubbed the bridge of his forehead. "Isn't your house that wa-" He raised his arm, pointing away from the group of girls.
"They missed you. Let them have this." Mutsumi gave a weak smile, showing the boy a set of eyebags and bloodshot eyes. The two caught up with the others, Mutsumi holding onto the railing to keep her upright.
"You know..." He spoke loudly. "It wasn't right for me to quit without saying a word. But I'm not going back to being your tutor."
"Uesugi-kun. Turn around." Itsuki said softly, causing the group to look at him. He pivoted, seeing Mutsumi leaning heavily against the railing. "Without a doubt, Mutsumi is more than capable of teaching us."
"Then there's no argument." Fuutarou replied.
"You're okay with that? You're abandoning us and leaving us to Mutsumi!?" Nino stomped up to him. "Not only is she unwell, but you're okay with just giving up like this!"
Fuutarou grit his teeth, his brows furrowing. "I wasn't able to produce any results even with a second chance. Even your scores last time were with Mutsumi's help. There's no telling how the next exam's going to turn out either. This is because I caused you all problems as an outsider that we ran out of time. So leaving family matters to family is the best option." Fuutarou vented, panting and catching his breath. "I can't keep dragging you guys down because of my selfishness."
"You're right." Nino uttered, her tone just shy of anger. "You've always been selfish. Thanks to that, I was forced to study even though I didn't want to, and I had to cram like crazy and memorize formulas." Her hands trembled before calming down. "But when I was able to solve a problem, I was happy." She smiled for a flash before her intense attitude returned.
"The reason I'm where I am now is entirely your fault! Be selfish until the end! You acting humbled is just creepy!"
"Sorry, but I can't go back anymore. I resigned. I'm not even allowed in your home." Fuutarou said calmly, his voice dark and cold much like the night itself.
"No, you're banned from that building because you mouthed off dad!" Mutsumi yelled from behind him. "Is that really your only reason" She asked, stepping up to him.
"Yeah. Let's hurry and go." Fuutarou began walking, when Ichika stepped in his path.
"This is fine." The eldest said, much to the former tutor's confusion. "Good work for your cake delivery."
"But I haven't-"
"It's here." Ichika glanced upwards. "Our new home is here."
"What do you mean?"
"The paperwork was ass, but we rented it out with Ichika's income." Mutsumi walked up to stand with her sisters, all six of them facing him. "We'll be living here from today onward. Now there's nothing else in the way."
"No way...just for that reason...you're giving up on that apartment?" He stood at a loss for words, stunned and stepping back to get a better look at everything. "If you'd just stay in that apartment with Mutsumi guiding you..."
"I told you before, right? What's important isn't where we are, but that the six of us are together!" Yotsuba stepped up, tossing something into the air.
Fuutarou's eyes widened, looking up to catch what they were. "Wha! The keycards to the building!? What have you done!?" He kept tilting his head back, watching as the cards flew through the air...until.
There was a loud splash, his body submerged in the water as the light from the street dissipated through the river. "Fuutarou-san!" Mutsumi yelled, running and diving into the river after the boy. She saw his eyes widen as more ripples formed from the entrance of the rest of the family. Yotsuba, being the most fit, managed to reach him first and help him surface.
"Fuutarou! Are you okay!?" Miku called out as they all swam in the cold. Mutsumi could only smile at the ridiculousness of the situation, smiling until she noticed something slip and float away from Fuutarou's figure.
"What's that?" Mutsumi pondered, swimming silently towards it. "The charm!? He still had it!" Shocked, she reached out, diving for it as a small wave hit her face; water entering her mouth and nose. "Just a bit...more." Her eyes stung from the cold, her fingers numb, and her legs began to lock up. She shut her eyes, desperately willing her body to reach just a bit farther.
"Mutsumi!" Ichika's voice called out to her as she found herself laying on the pavement, everyone else looking down on her, Fuutarou was holding Nino steady while Miku and Yotsuba knelt beside her. She coughed out some water as she felt her hands, empty. She sat up, clearing her orifices of water. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, Fuutarou's slightly longer than the others'.
"This is absurd. Can't you guys think before you act...? This is why idiots are a pain." He got back on his feet. "Somehow, I feel like an idiot too for being considerate to you guys." He smiled, picking up the cake. "I'm just going to do what I want too! I'll have you put up with my selfishness until the very end!" They all took the steps up, Fuutarou assisting Nino and Mutsumi up the stairs and into the apartment.
They dried off, splitting the cake as they settled into the small homely apartment. The festive atmosphere reaching five of the seven heads present. Mutsumi stayed out in the night air, a towel over her head to dry her hair. "Not going to join in?" Fuutarou approached, a towel around his neck.
"I'm sorry." Mutsumi said as she leaned forward on the railing. "I couldn't get the charm. I saw it floating in the water."
"No...it's not...I don't think I need it anymore. Thank you, Mutsumi." Fuutarou leaned with his back to the railing.
"Fuutarou-san...you're a good guy." Mutsumi said, turning to face the boy who matched the gesture. "I think we could've been better friends if I got to talk to you five years ago."
"I...so you weren't the one I met...hey!" Fuutarou thought aloud, interrupted as Mutsumi entered the building to get a slice of cake. The joyful atmosphere spread to the two of them as the night progressed.