"Onee-chan..." Mutsumi muttered, meeting with Ichika's eyes as the eldest sextuplet gazed over all of them with an unsure expression. "You can't be serious, right?"
Seemingly ignoring the youngest's question, Ichika continued as she lowered her head. "I've been thinking about it for a long time, it was a few months after the fireworks festival when my manager gave me the idea. I told Fuutarou-kun about it, how I can go full time as an actress. The location for this next role is quite far, so I would never have enough time to attend class, I do plan on commuting home as much as possible, though. My manager brought it to my attention again recently, and I..."
"You're kidding..." Nino muttered, turning her head toward Mutsumi who just looked at Ichika with her mouth hanging open slightly. "Why? There's only half a year left, we're so close to graduating too."
"Was there no other choice?" Mutsumi asked, her voice and her body trembling.
"I want to fully devote myself to my job."
"Why didn't you tell us earlier? Why did you just go and decide something like that on your own?" Nino took a few steps forward, putting herself between Mutsumi and Ichika. It was at that moment when Itsuki intervened, placing her hand on Nino's shoulder.
"Nino, I know it's going to be lonely, but she said we'll still be together at home." The fifth sister said, doing her best to calm Nino down by smiling. "Let us congratulate her on finding something more dear to her than school, for finding something she enjoys doing in life."
But Nino was having none of it. "What a textbook response. I wonder if those words are truly yours. After all, you're just a copy of-"
"Nino!" Miku raised her voice before things could escalate any further. "Ichika, I... no, nevermind." She looked away, taking a few steps toward a tree to shield herself from the sun.
"Onee-chan..." Mutsumi took a deep breath, clenching her fists. "I... is it about..."
"Mutsumi-chan, it's okay," Ichika said, clapping her hands and walking away. "I'm going to go tell dad now. You can go home without me." She said, walking to the street and hailing a cab to bring her to the hospital.
"Mutsumi, how are you feeling?" Yotsuba asked, taking a seat on the sofa as the five of them arrived home. Nino and Itsuki instantly entered their rooms, not wanting to see anyone after their exchange earlier; Miku went over to the kitchen and was currently cooking while listening to music. "About Ichika leaving..."
"She's not leaving..." Mutsumi growled, gripping the rail of the stairs that led to their rooms. "She's not leaving! I'll convince her to stay, somehow!" She said, furrowing her brows as her smile from the past few days faded and her cold and serious exterior returned.
"Mutsumi, why? Can't you just support her?"
"How are you okay with this, Yotsuba?" Mutsumi yelled from the second floor, standing just outside her door. "She's going to leave us! I don't want anyone else to leave us..." She turned, entering her room and shutting the door. "To leave me... not again..." Sliding down the door, the redhead let out a few tears that she'd been holding back, sobbing softly in the solitude of her dim room.
"Hey, let's go out today! There's this movie I want to watch? Maeda-kun, Matsui-chan, you wanna come?"
"I'm kinda free. The takoyaki place isn't getting much traffic lately."
"If Maeda-kun's coming, then I'll go too. That's alright, yeah?"
"No one asked you, Takeda-kun! Btw, I'm free after three."
"It's alright, Matsui-chan. The more the merrier. What about you Mutsumi-chan, Takebayashi-chan?"
"Sanada and I are a bit busy. Sorry."
"I'm busy. Don't talk to me." Mutsumi sent her message, leaving the group and chucking her phone onto her bed.
"Did something happen?"
"I don't know."
"Mutsumi-chan."
Meanwhile, a certain phone call is transpiring at a certain, run-down, restaurant. "And that's how it is." The doctor's voice came through the speakers on Fuutarou's new phone. "You'll tutor everyone aside from Ichika from now on. That is her request. You have no objections, right?"
After a long silence, Fuutarou mumbled under his breath, ending the call with his employer as another phone call quickly came after. "Fuutarou-san! Emergency!"
"Ichika's leaving. I know." He said, leaning against the wall. "You have a plan, don't you? You always do."
"I... I was hoping you did." Mutsumi replied, her words barely comprehensible as if she'd just finished crying. "Help..."
Fuutarou was speechless, sighing deeply. He then looked at his phone, noticing that Mutsumi had hung up on him and leaving him staring at his home screen. A few days passed, Mutsumi trying to repeatedly talk to Ichika, but her words didn't come out how she wanted.
"I understand. I wish you luck." The history teacher spoke to Ichika within the faculty room. "But I still think that you should at least graduate. This is a big step in your life, are you sure that you want to decide on it now?"
"Well, I've kinda had my fill of studying. I'm sure that you know how my grades are like, right, sensei?" Ichika said, nervously scratching the back of her head.
"You have a point."
"Thank you for everything."
"Hold on." He said, getting the young actress' attention. "Can I have an autograph?"
Meanwhile, in the penthouse, Mutsumi paced around the room, pulling her hair in frustration. "Is Ichika around?" A sudden entrance from Fuutarou got her out of the loop as she rushed over to his side. He was drenched in sweat, panting heavily as he supported his weight against the wall.
"She went to school to talk to some of the teachers. I've been trying to talk to her, but..."
"Alright, I'm going!" Fuutarou started stomping out.
"Wait!" Mutsumi reached out for him but stopped herself. "... Good luck. I'll try to think of something." It was a look that wasn't very common for her. Mutsumi was confused, desperate, and lost. "Please... stop her." She pleaded as Fuutarou stormed off.
"Ichika-chan! What're you doing here?" A student called out to the eldest sister, a tennis racket in her hand. A few others were beside her, carrying boxes in their arms and wearing a similar set of clothes.
"You guys are still here for the club?" Ichika asked, noticing the small beads of sweat running down their faces.
"Yeah, we have a tournament to get ready for. Since it's my last year, I don't want to leave behind any regrets."
"How admirable." The redhead said, looking away at something while fondly admiring her words.
"It's nothing compared to you, Ichika-chan. You're a real celebrity now. I'm proud just being able to go to the same school as you." Ichika bid them farewell, leaving them to continue their practice as she walked around the school one last time.
"She called you a celebrity." Without warning, a voice caught her attention, originating from above her.
"It sure feels strange, huh?" Miku said, looking down at her sister, literally. "You already told the school?"
"Yeah, they said they'd support me." Ichika walked over, leaning against the wall just to the right of Miku's foot. "Now there's no turning back. This is the path I want to take, the only path that is right for me."
"Is that so?" The third sister said, trying to carefully descend from her perch. Ichika reached out her hand to help her down. "I feel that you'd be able to get past any obstacle that comes your way."
"Thanks. But the world isn't going to let me keep juggling both school and acting." Ichika sighed, the two of them walking around some more.
"Is that really true?" The third sister questioned.
"It is. If I take this next role, then I'd only be able to-"
"Is it really true that that's the only reason?" Miku gazed into her sister's mind. "Is it still hard to be around us?"
Ichika took a moment to hesitate, her words getting tangled in the back of her throat for a second or two. "It's not about that..." Ichika said weakly. "I thought that we'd be able to go back to the way things were. But when I'm with Fuutarou-kun, I just can't forgive myself for... everything." She covered her face with her hand. "I want to graduate together too..."
"Then!"
"Just kidding~" Ichika laughed, grinning cheekily as the two of them made their way out of the school, meeting with a certain someone waiting by the doors.
"Yo... what a coincidence..." Fuutarou was breathing heavily, taking his time with those words in order to recoup his energy. "Ichika, I've talked to the teachers about your quitting school. As long as you attend a certain number of days and keep your grades up, you'll still be eligible for graduation." He said, though his voice was only barely coming out due to his exhaustion. "If you have even a smidge of desire to graduate together with your sisters, choose this option."
"How surprising... I thought you'd have supported me." Ichika said, lowering her gaze and hiding her eyes with her hair. "I'd have to keep my grades up, right? I'll be busy with filming and training from now on. It would be impossible for me to study how things are now since I won't be attending classes."
"That would've been the case if you didn't have me around. You just have to hire me again, personally." Fuutarou walked up to Ichika, a strange conviction in his eyes. "I'll match your schedule and teach you one-on-one. Mutsumi can help you whenever you're at home, and I can go to wherever you're filming to tutor you during your free time."
"You're too kind, Fuutarou-kun."
"It's just business..." Fuutarou looked away, hiding his face from the girls. "I lost a student's worth of income. I'll need to make up for it somehow."
"Sorry, then. I've decided to put my all into acting, so I can't go along with that little plan of yours." Ichika walked past him, leaving him in stunned silence as Miku walked up to him.
"So much for the cool guy act. You failed." She said bluntly.
"I wasn't trying to act cool. I was serious. The manager's still undergoing rehab... What am I gonna do?" He started sulking as Miku started to beam at him.
"I have an idea!"
Ichika arrived home, instantly getting pulled aside by Mutsumi as the sixth sister looked at her with a deranged smile. "I've got it! Fuutarou-san just told me that you can stay as long as you keep your grades up! Onee-chan, you don't have to-"
"I already declined his offer, Mutsumi-chan."
"What?" Mutsumi let go, taking steps back in disbelief. "Ichika-nee... is there really nothing that would change your mind?" Her lips started to tremble as she clenched her fists.
"I'm sorry, Mutsumi-chan. But I don't really see a way for me to continue with graduation." Ichika lied, still remembering Fuutarou's words vividly since it happened just a few minutes ago. "Where's Yotsuba?" She asked, finding tears streaming down Mutsumi's face while she glared angrily at her.
"I won't tell you! Ichika-nee, you..." Mutsumi rushed forward, resting her head on Ichika's chest. "Don't leave! Don't leave me too!" All Ichika could do was pat her back until she collected herself enough to return to her room. Ichika looked at her door for a few moments, smiling faintly as she tried to push her guilt to the recesses of her mind. Ichika would leave the house shortly after, going to the swings where Yotsuba normally played during her free time. It was quiet in the apartment for a while, Nino coming out of her room to make herself some food. As she was washing up, a voice came through the intercom, one that she'd heard before.
"Sorry for coming unannounced."
"Why did you come here?"
"We got worried about Mutsumi. She was acting... different."
"That's her room, she usually stays there for hours, sometimes even days at a time. Good luck." Nino said, returning to her room as footsteps approached the sixth door.
"Mutsumi-chan... are you okay?"