Burning The Midnight Oil
Chapter 32
The Great Divide
~Nino~
Tonight they belonged to the cake shop. Tomorrow they belonged to class. But while the sun still shined the day belonged to them.
Nino skipped through the falling flowers and spun, the hem of her sky blue dress twirling like a flag unfurling in the wind. She called, "Keep up, Fuu!"
Futaro followed through the swarm of people covering every walk of life in the country and said, "How about you stop running off? You're so short I'm going to lose you in the crowd."
"Who're you calling short-"
Futaro walked up to her and without stretching planted his chin on top of her head. "Lost you again. Where'd you go?"
Nino stuttered, ducked and backed away, fuming, "Ha ha, very funny."
He grinned and took her hand, "No more running away now."
Nino sniffed like a bull ready to charge, but returned his grip. She enjoyed leading him on through the path and hearing his footsteps close behind. She liked knowing he'd follow her wherever she went. But holding his hand, going together, was another of many nice things Nino enjoyed with her boyfriend.
The cobbled footpath was long and old. It survived the rising of the great towers and the paving of the meshed roadways in its walled garden. It was at one with the green grass growing between its stones and within their cracks. It told a story of ten million busy feet over a hundred years past and was ready to invite as many again for a hundred years more. It was beautiful. But its simple elegance was forgotten for the brief glory of the cherry blossoms.
Everything beautiful in the world was sidelined beneath a sakura tree in full bloom. And on this path there were hundreds shading the walkers from the sky. Their soft pink petals rustled in the easy wind too weak to shake them free, as if the air itself wanted to preserve their beauty just a moment longer. But their time was nearing its end. The leaves fell freely and the dark stones of the path were lost beneath fallen petals. Most of what still clung to their trees wouldn't survive the night and the coming rain. Here was their last chance to view these trees in their full bloom. Nino wouldn't let this perfect opportunity escape her.
Spring was here! The air tasted of a world awakening from long hibernation. The soft, subtle sweetness of the flowers coated the wind like icing on a wedding cake. The harsh winter was in the past. Here's to a fresh new world for her and her boyfriend!
She gripped his hand and skipped, "Come on!"
"A bit crowded for that, don't you think?"
What did he expect? This was the last chance to see cherry blossoms in full bloom for a year! It was on the news! Of course it was going to be as packed as sushi rice. What was he expecting? You had to make your own space in this crowd. She took his hand and pulled, "No excuses, Fuu. Keep up."
She gave him credit, at least he tried. But his skipping was like watching a three-legged race at a primary school festival. When was the last time he skipped? He must've done it as a kid. Skipping was like riding a bike, you don't forget. She'd just have to teach him.
Their hands rocked as they skipped as easily as a child on a swing and Futaro finally caught her rhythm. He even smiled. She loved how she could make him smile when so little in the world could.
And then she saw it. The perfect tree. It towered over its neighbors like a big brother. Its branches spread higher and wider as if reaching for walls and finding only freedom. This was their place.
"This is the spot, Fuu."
He stopped, "A spot for what?"
She took out her phone, "The perfect selfie spot."
"Oh. Does it need to be here?"
"Non-negotiable. Why?"
"There's a line."
"It's only four couples."
"Four more than that tree over there."
"Fuu, why do you think only this tree has a line? The best is worth the wait."
Futaro rolled his eyes. Maybe he had some wry comment ready to argue. No, he definitely did. But he learned better. Good boyfriend. She could've patted his head.
He followed her to the end of the line. It cut through the path so they had to wait while dozens of people flowed through them like river around rocks. Nino bounced patiently for their turn. She saw Futaro pull something out of his pocket. She asked, "What's that?"
"Japan driver's guide."
"You brought that to study?"
"It's a busy week, Nino."
"Aren't they always?"
"I need to make time somewhere."
"It's a step up from flashcards," she said teasingly. She hummed happily as the last couple ahead of them finished their shots and they took position while Futaro pocketed his guide.
She gave her phone to him, "Here."
"Why me?"
"Long arms."
He took the phone and held it out, then pulled it back because he forgot to flip the camera. "Uh, which button does what again?"
She pointed, "Left to flip, middle to shoot, right for filters."
"I don't...I don't need to learn about filters again, right?"
"Some causes aren't worth the struggle, Fuu. I know a lost cause when I see it. I'll do that myself afterwards."
"You can do that after?"
"You wanna learn?"
"...Maybe later."
He held out her phone and put his arm around Nino's shoulders. She leaned into his chest and smiled, striking a peace sign by her eye. Futaro took the picture and leaned back. Nino said, "Stay there. Do it again."
"We got it."
"Do it again! Gotta have options to pick the best one."
Futaro rolled his eyes and brought back his smile as they took three more pictures. Nino tried a new pose each time. On the last one, she kissed his cheek. That livened his mood.
Futaro returned her phone, "Ready to go?"
"Hold on," Nino said, then asked the couple in front, "Excuse me, could you please take a few for us?"
Futaro sighed, "Nino."
"Shut up and smile and get it over with," she commanded. He'd understand one day. Oh the pains of womanhood! Training an ordinary boyfriend was difficult enough, but Futaro was hard mode. Luckily Nino Nakano was up for the challenge!
She admired their photos afterwards as they continued down the path. She decided two of the seven were the ones she wanted to post. After finding the right filters she posted them on her Instagram. She scrolled down her photos, her history was a collage of memories and her most recent were all of her and Futaro. She smiled and thought how she could post pictures of her family again, too.
Futaro groaned, Nino watched him recover after someone bumped his shoulder. "Don't people have better things to do?"
"They do, that's why it's so empty."
"This is empty!?"
"Yeah, it's Sunday. All the Jesus folk are busy worshiping. And everyone else is lazy."
"So you're saying...this is gonna get worse?"
"Yup! Sometime after lunch this path will be like the line through customs at the airport. I know you're never seen it yourself, but that's bad. Very, very bad."
"We...we aren't gonna be here then, are we?"
"What if I wanna?"
He deflated like a whoopie cushion. So cute, she thought. "Well, if you wanna..."
"Nah! I got plans!"
"And why haven't I been made privy to these plans?"
"Because you're cute when you're surprised. Follow me!"
She led him through the next park exit and returned to the street. From there, the department store was five leisurely blocks down. She was happy she beat the lunch rush. Not that she minded it, but it saved her from listening to more of Futaro's complaints and hopefully earned her some admiration.
"Ah, this place again."
"Yup! It's my favorite department store."
"And what are we doing here?"
"Lunch, Fuu."
"Lunch?"
"Lunch."
And what a fine lunch she planned.
They entered at ground level and rode the escalators up seven floors. Futaro turned to ride the eighth when Nino grabbed his arm. "This is us."
"This sign says the food court is on level nine."
"We're not going to the food court."
"But...lunch?"
Nino grinned, "Different lunch."
She dragged him into one of the luxury outlets, the same one she picked the dress with Ichika and her sisters before her relationship was outed over Twitter.
As they passed the racks of clothes, Futaro asked, "Are clothes lunch?"
"Use your brain, Fuu."
"I am. Wondering if you're using yours."
"Behold!" Nino spread her arms in glory before the restaurant doors, "Lunch!"
Futaro eyed the place like it challenged him to a spelling bee. "Why is there a restaurant in the middle of a clothing store?"
"Because...because these kinds of restaurants are nicer than food courts."
"And they're all next to discount shoe racks?"
Nino sighed. Training boyfriend. Hard mode. She signed up for this and she had a long way to go!
The hostess greeted them, "Welcome to Oshi's! Do you have a reservation?"
Nino said, "Yes, under Nakano."
The hostess checked her computer and said, "Ah, we have you for two, is that correct? Excellent, we'll seat you in just a moment."
The hostess left to check their table. Nino gleaned, "See, Futaro? We call this a reservation. I can make it with one phone call, or, even better, the push of a button on my smart phone, like this," she demonstrated to really drive her point home.
He huffed, "Don't gotta rub it in."
Oh but she did. Boyfriend training, Fuu!
The hostess returned and guided them to their table. It was Nino's favorite, a secluded booth by the window with a view of the city beyond. She could even see a few cherry blossoms from her seat! She sighed and marveled at how great it was to be back in her routine.
Futaro almost opened a menu. Nino had none of it. She snatched his and said, "I think I will order for us today."
"Why? What kind of restaurant is this."
"Really good sushi."
"Oh. Sushi. I couldn't tell in the name."
"Here's a lesson for you, Fuu, so listen up. Most restaurants worthy of five stars on the Nakano scale of excellence don't need a fancy tag-line, the chef's name tells you everything you need to know."
"Well sushi is sushi, I guess."
"You know fine sushi?"
"I know of sushi. And sashimi, I guess"
"Nigiri? Maki? Uramaki?"
"...Tempura?"
"Thank you for helping my case. You're in for a treat today, Fuu. This is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in the whole city. They get their catch daily from the harbor. Can't get fresher than that without eating on the boat itself."
Their waitress arrived. Nino frowned. Another woman. Another good-looking woman. What happened to all the men in the service industry? Help a girl out here! Wait, of course, this was a sushi place! All the men were behind the counter! Stupid sexist traditions keeping her competition front and center. Whether Futaro had the male instincts of a roaring lion or a kitty cat she wanted him as far away from anyone of the opposite sex as possible. Maybe she should invest in blinders. No, nothing that extreme. She should buy him some new flash cards. Really big ones.
She pointed to the menu, "Two chef platters, please. And two teas." Their server bowed slowly, the kind of graceful bow servers at lower-tier restaurants weren't paid enough to provide. Here was her greeting to the life she left behind, one she was happy to step into once more like a starlet beginning her revival tour.
She rested her chin on her laced fingers and said, "Well, don't hold back. What do you think?"
"I think I stepped into a Meiji-era art museum."
"I know! They really nail the tone. You saw the artist's name on the door."
"So this is basically an art museum."
"Welcome to your first taste of the finer things in life."
Futaro shrugged, "It's not really my first."
"Oh, you've been before?"
"Not here, but last year Yotsuba took me to-"
"You went out with Yotsuba!?"
Futaro blinked, "Ah, I never told you about that?"
"No! Details. Now."
She waited patiently as Futaro explained how he tried to do something nice for Yotsuba over a holiday and how she flipped that idea on its head. Nino glowered, "Are you sure you're really 'just friends'?"
"We've been over this."
"Not thoroughly enough, it turns out. You went to that restaurant? That's basically a date."
"Well she did tease me that it was-wait!" he yelled when Nino pulled out her phone. She was halfway to putting Yotsuba on blast. "She wasn't serious. We're just friends. You gotta know that."
Nino fanned herself with her phone and said, "I gotta be wary with you. You're more of a Nakano-magnet than anyone expected-"
"Please never call me that again-"
"-and I gotta be careful. You were our tutor a whole six months before we started dating. It almost sounds like you two were this close to becoming a thing when I wasn't looking."
"You mean when you were trying to kick me out?"
"Convince me, Fuu."
He sighed, "I really never saw her that way, and I'm pretty sure she didn't think of me as anything more than a friend either."
Nino nodded, "Good, because you belong with me now and there better be no chance you end up with one of my sisters, Yotsuba or otherwise. Even in an alternate reality. I expect loyalty."
Futaro stared, "I knew you were the jealous type, but wow."
She grinned, "You knew what you were getting into. Besides, that 'date' sounds pretty suspicious however tamely you describe it, you know?"
"I really don't."
Nino sighed. Hard mode, remember? Hard mode.
The server arrived with their first platter, two pairs of nigiri resting beautifully on a wooden block. The server bowed and left them to their meal.
Futaro stared, "This is the chef's platter?"
"Yup. Looks great, doesn't it?"
"Looks tiny. Is this one of those places where the size of the menu price is inverse with the size of the food? Or are you on a diet?"
"Are you saying I should be? Do I look fat?" Futaro was smart enough to avoid the question. She continued, "Patience, Fuu. Patience. This is part one. The chef's platter is the sushi master taking us on a journey through the Pacific one perfect bite at a time. This first bite is just dipping our toes into the water."
"Ah, and how long is this swim?"
Nino grinned, "You'll see."
They prepared their bites with soy sauce and wasabi. When Futaro took a chunk the size of his thumb, Nino grabbed his hand over the table.
"Hold it, Fuu. A word of warning: that's real wasabi, not the imitation stuff that comes in packs like ketchup. It has real kick."
He rolled his eyes at her, it was getting annoying, "I can handle spicy."
"Who's still recovering from a stomach ulcer?" Futaro grumbled about feeling fine now, but put most of it back.
They enjoyed their first dish together, and no sooner were they chewing their second pieces did the server bring forth another. Tuna and white fish sashimi with a fresh side of wasabi. She watched Futaro slowly chew his fish, he must be savoring these new flavors. He finished and asked, "So, how many courses are we expecting?"
She shrugged, "You don't interrupt a captain asking when you hit port, you enjoy your cruise. It ends when the chef says so."
A third platter arrived, and then a fourth with no end in sight. It was heaven! Tuna, swordfish, sea urchin, everything under the sea had its place at the table. The wonders of the sea graced her palette and she welcomed their forgotten presence like a college student returning from a diet of ramen and rice to mother's cooking.
Their final dish arrived, fresh-made mochi for dessert. Nino acted quickly before Futaro could blunder her chance and offered him the first piece. He took it delicately. Nino let him chew, then closed her eyes and opened her mouth expectantly. Hurry up, Fuu. This wasn't rocket science. Everyone knows dessert tastes better when served by your partner. Ah, there it was, mochi served with love! She chewed happily and winked at Futaro. Pass!
She flagged the server and asked for the bill. Futaro took it as soon as it touched the table. How sweet. He really thought he was going to pay, didn't he? She watched him scan the bill, then scan it again. He looked up through his veil of dread as bad as any time he saw their test scores and said, "Er, I think they made a mistake."
She chuckled, "No, I'm sure it's right."
"Did...did you order anything for your sisters? Like, meals for a month?"
"Let me see."
She took the bill and set it on the table without checking. Then she took out her secret weapon: a black metal card with her name proudly imprinted in fine gold letters. She set it on the receipt for the server.
She grinned, "Nah, everything looks right to me. You get what you pay for here, Fuu."
Futaro stared at the bill and said, "Ah. You have your father's card back."
"Of course, everything's gone back to the way it was. And you know what that means?"
Futaro didn't answer. He was cute when he was stumped. That's okay, she'd show him. Today was a whirlwind of change and she was master of the breeze.
What was better than a marvelous bath in a tub large enough to really sink inside? An overnight reunion with a mattress that remembered your body, that's what! She missed her firm bed and soft, fluffy duvet. A futon just couldn't compare. She fell into her bed like she fell into her old life: readily and with a perfect fit. She had the reigns of the family riches in hand in the form of a black metal rectangle and she wouldn't forget it. Today Futaro was going to live in her world. She called it a boyfriend benefit.
Nino dragged Futaro out of the restaurant and back to the store proper. Name-brand designers gathered from across the globe, behold! Nino Nakano has returned! And she is not alone! Shopkeeps, retail associates, break out the tape and fire up those registers, she was not leaving empty-handed today!
Nino combed through the displays for her favorite designers. She couldn't spend forever on the hunt, their time was precious and she wanted to make the most of it. Plus this was a trial run, she didn't expect Futaro to have endurance for a full shopping spree. Not yet, but she'd get him there someday. She picked two new dresses, a skirt and a pair of stylish red heels as shiny as her lip gloss. She paid using her father's card and gave Futaro the bags.
"Hold these for me," she said.
Futaro said, "Ah, is this why I'm here?"
"No, but I always wanted a boyfriend who carried my shopping."
Futaro hefted the bags and asked, "So what now?"
Nino smiled, "Now its on to the next one."
"...We're not done?"
"No, and don't start. You're gonna love this."
She took him down two levels and into another wing of the store. Bless Futaro, he was trying, but she could tell every store looked the same to him. But even he recognized the store they approached wasn't like the others.
"Nino, what is this?"
"Just another clothing shop."
"All the mannequins are men."
"Good eye, Fuu. You deserve a prize for that."
"Nino, what are you planning?"
"That outfit on the right would look great on you, don't you think?"
"No."
"Come on! At least step inside before you make up your mind."
"Nino, all these stores have one too many zeros on their price tag. I'm not buying my clothes here."
"You're right. I am." She motioned to her purse, "It's my treat, Fuu."
His mood darkened, he said, "Definitely not gonna happen."
"Fuu, look at me. Don't I look gorgeous?"
He scanned her like a copy machine, saying, "Of course."
"Did I put effort into myself today? To look good next to you?"
"Yes. And are you saying I don't?"
"Fuu, what are you wearing?"
Futaro didn't answer.
"Is it your school uniform?"
Silence.
"The same uniform you wear everywhere outside of class?"
"So what?"
"So it suits you, but now that I have the means, I want us both looking fabulous when we go out, and that involves you having more than one outfit that doesn't involve borrowing from your dad."
Futaro took a moment like a rat pondering his next move out of the maze, then said, "I'm not getting out of this, am I?"
"You can try. You'll lose. Consider it partial payback for all your unpaid tutoring."
He sighed, "Fine, but nothing much, okay? I'm not comfortable with this."
"Hurray! Onward!" Nino cheered and marched through the doors.
Nothing much, she could work with that. She'd buy him the bare essentials for any young gentleman's wardrobe. She picked out seven polos, six button-ups, three sweaters, five pairs of jeans and two pairs of slacks, three belts, six pairs of socks, one pair of shoes and seventeen ties. She might have gone a bit overboard on the ties, but she really liked him in a tie.
Halfway through her hunt Futaro complained, "This is way too much, Nino."
"Oh stop your wining, we're not getting all this and I didn't even look at sports jackets. Not this time, at least."
"What do you mean by this time?"
"You heard me. Now get in the dressing room and start changing."
For the next thirty minutes Futaro was her supermodel. He modeled each outfit to her satisfaction and she responded with either a thumbs up or a thumbs down, and half the time with something new she found while he changed. She gave up waiting for him to properly tie the ties, she settled on him holding them up one at a time. She'd make him practice later.
She settled on less than half of the clothes and only six ties. Futaro argued that he'd never wear them, but Nino insisted she'd find a way. Futaro looked embarrassed at the register while she merrily paid for his new wardrobe.
"Ah, it's a good day!" Nino chirped as they left the store loaded with booty. She took him to a cafe for a short break. There was so much left to do and so little daylight to burn! She wondered if they could call in sick, claim Futaro passed the flu to her or something. No, the manager might ask for a doctor's note from her dad, way too much effort to pull off. And he was already adjusting her schedule this week for her to move out, he was generous enough. Better make the best of what time they had left.
She sipped her latte and said, "I have this place in mind to take you next week, it's even nicer than Oshi's. Now that we have your clothes, I'll text you with what to wear when we go out so it'll match me."
Futaro muttered, "Sure, I can do that."
"I picked those clothes for two reasons: first, because I think you look suave in some decent clothes and some nice restaurants expect a tie at minimum, and two, because they'll all match something I have so we can have couple outfits. You know, like those 'I'm with him or her' shirts' you see some people wearing, but without looking like tourists in mid-life crisis mode. They're just so tacky, I'd never wear something like that. But matching outfits is totally styling."
"I'll leave it to you then."
Nino frowned, "Fuu, what's up? I know this is all new to you, but you sound down in the dumps. This is supposed to be fun."
"I'm not. Just..."
"Just what, Fuu?"
He finally looked away from his americano and said, "I feel good with what I have. I don't see why I need all these new clothes."
"You just had to dress up last night, there's always going to be a reason to tidy yourself up."
"So I did, I had what I needed already. You didn't need to go shopping for me."
Nino huffed, "What's with you? You were fine with it before."
He leered, "You wouldn't take no for an answer."
"That's besides the point."
He shrugged, "I just never saw shopping for expensive clothes as something worth any attention. Seems like a waste to me. Clothes I get at the thrift store fit just as well and suit me fine."
It stung her right in her chest. Did he know that? Here she was trying to share such an important part of her world with him, to bring him closer into her life, and he insults her all at once with as casually as wiping dust from the mantelpiece.
A waste. Of all things, he called this a waste. She spent all day trying to spend quality time with him for once without worry about bills and paychecks and sisters and parents and he says it's a waste. Well she wouldn't trouble him any more if that's all this was to him. Ungrateful man.
Nino stood suddenly, "Fine then. Stay here."
Futaro blinked, "What?"
"You're not interested, right? Stay here and study then, since this isn't worth your attention."
"Nino, I-"
She stormed off before he could finish, leaving him with her bags. Honestly, were all men born with the sensitivity of cement? How was she supposed to train that? She wondered why she even tried.
~Ichika~
The truth will set you free. At least that's what they said. Ichika would like to meet whoever started this canned phrase infecting society to give them a powerful lesson in absolutes. Or perhaps they were right, the truth would set you free. You alone. But if you wanted to free someone else, sometimes the truth was an ankle shackle thick as an old redwood tree and a lie was the only key that fit.
She waited for her opening like all those times before. It didn't feel that different, really. She felt the same tepid awareness as she bantered with her group of girls, still more fans than friends. She waited for her opening, and when it came the excitement rushed like a hound freed from the leash. Only it didn't come with vindictive delight as before, instead it pushed through a cloud of shame and uncertainty. She plastered a weary smile on her face as one of the girls gave her something to latch on to.
"I just don't get why Uesugi hasn't dumped your sister yet. Like, he knows he's getting used goods, right? Or maybe that's their thing, you know? I hear some guys get off to a girl who's getting with lots of other dudes."
Ichika wore her smile well and said, "Ah, yes, well I have something to say about that."
"About Uesugi?" the girl to her right grinned.
Ichika swallowed her french onion soup along with her pride, each burning on their way down, and said, "Ah, well it's less to do with him and more to do with my sister."
"Oh, something juicy?" They sensed another story coming just like before, something to further paint her sister in derelict colors.
"Not in the way you're expecting. More a correction." Ichika drew a deep breath, mirrored by the girls hanging on her every word, but for very different reasons. She continued, "You're all familiar with the stories I told about my younger sister Nino. I know the impression you must have taken from them, but after what happened last week it's gone too far and I need to set the story straight. I may have stretched the truth in places, like when I told you about her taking Uesugi up to her room. Nothing happened, I'm sure of it, and I should've made that clear. They weren't even friendly back then. And the other bits, the really damning ones, those never happened. Like her walking in on him in the hot springs, or the drugs, or the kissing practice. I made it all up."
Let no one question Ichika's credentials as an aspiring actress. She spoke evenly through her humiliating confession as easily as reading ingredients on a bottle of mayonnaise. She rehearsed earlier that day to make sure she came off as casual as relaying a weather report.
The girl across from her said, "Er, okay. But why? I mean, why waste your time on those two?"
Ichika smiled sadly, "Well, that's the embarrassing part," and it was. All the acting practice of a lifetime couldn't mask it. Some words were impossible to say without betraying feelings inside, not for someone with a shred of empathy, and words of love and hate bore natural color she couldn't remove. Only the truly heartless could leave all that behind. Falsifying them for performance was one thing, but she couldn't hide her own. Nor would she if she could. This was part of her penance, she decided.
"You see, the truth is when I found out Nino was dating Uesugi, I was jealous. I was jealous because I had feelings for him too."
There it was. Not so much a weight off her shoulders as a boulder lifted from a rock slide with many more to go. But progress was progress and one day maybe she'd see the sunlight again.
"Nakano, you? Like Uesugi? That, that's...come on now! Be serious!"
"Oh I am. He's different that you expect, once you get to know him. He has been our tutor since Autumn, so I had plenty of time for that."
"This is the same Uesugi, right? Tall, lanky, social skills of a cat in a water park?"
"The very same."
One girl chuckled, "Him? Seriously? He's more a-"
"A robot than a man, yes, everyone says that. I think we can lay that to rest." Ichika sighed and recovered her poise, continuing, "I was bitter and said some regretful things. And I never meant for my little stories to be taken this far by anyone, but they were. And a lot of hurt has gone their way because of it. So I need to be clear that none of what I said was true and that people need to let them be. My sister Nino isn't that type of girl. She never was."
The girls glanced at each other awkwardly as if confirming their ears were still working. Finally one said, "Um, sure thing, Nakano. It's none of our business anyways."
Ichika nodded happily. There. It was done. She hoped. The girls would spread this as readily as her other tidbits and soon everyone would know. She only hoped the fruits came sooner than later. And everyone would know that she liked her sister's boyfriend. She wondered how she would go on with that in the open. But if Nino found the strength to keep moving, surely she could do the same. They were quintuplets after all.
She finished lunch with the group and took leave as soon as the bill was paid, stating she had to meet her agent about some future part. That story wasn't a complete lie, she did have a meeting scheduled next week to discuss possible gigs. Another white lie to escape their attention. She never left the department store. She only went down a few levels and found Itsuki waiting for her at their cafe.
Could she have gone through with this if Itsuki hadn't been waiting for her? If no one was watching over her shoulder, would she still do the right thing this time? She thought so. These fair-weather friends flocked to her moment of fame when before they'd seen her as little more than a curiosity along with her sisters. But her shame in admitting her vindictiveness to her family and asking forgiveness was hard enough. Now she declared it to the entire school. That made it feel more real. She wondered what the new week would bring once she returned to class. Not just for her, but for all of them.
Itsuki had a cappuccino waiting for her. Ichika took it gratefully. Itsuki asked, "It's done then?"
"As done as it can be. Those girls are some of the worst gossips in school. It'll get around."
"I hope they don't make a game of telephone with it."
"Oh they will, but the core message will get through."
"Will it make any difference?"
Ichika sighed, "It has to. What else can I do at this point? Thank you for helping me practice this morning, it went a little differently than we rehearsed though."
"And what did they say?"
Ichika replayed her talk with her admirers. Itsuki said, "I see."
Ichika cooed, "Oh, 'I see', is it? Well, better than a 'that's not good' or an 'oh, you said that', I suppose."
"It doesn't mean I'm thinking something bad."
"From Miku or Yotsuba, probably not. But from Nino or you, absolutely it does."
Itsuki laughed a little, warming Ichika just as much. She said, "It doesn't surprise me that you have us down so well. Even after we stopped being the same, you still had fun imitating us. You'd even fool us sometimes when we weren't paying attention. Weren't we surprised to learn it was practice to become an actress."
"It wasn't at first, back then it was all in good fun."
"Well it paid off. And I guess it helps you work out how we think."
"It's a helpful trait in a big sister, no?"
Itsuki smiled, but didn't answer.
Ichika continued, "Come on, tell me what you're thinking. I think I know what you're going to say."
Itsuki said, "I was going to say that I think what you did was brave. It isn't easy stepping up and admitting everything. You were very strong."
Ichika nodded mechanically, "But..."
Itsuki sighed, "But, I'm not sure it was right to lie to them about it. I know you asked me not to judge when you practiced, and I respected that because you were trying to do the right thing. But still, mom always told us-"
"I know, Itsuki." Ichika said quickly. She didn't want to hear it, but she knew she wasn't getting away from Itsuki until someone pulled mother's words out of the past. So it would be her if only to prove she remembered, "Lying was one of the worst sins in the bible of mom, punished with thunder and wrath. But I didn't have another choice, Itsuki."
"We always have a choice."
"Do we? What is the truth, Itsuki? Most of those rumors, they aren't completely wrong, were they?"
"I know. The hot springs, the drugs, I was there for that. And you told me how she floated practicing kissing with you."
"Exactly. So what can I say to make them back off Nino? I can't tell them 'hey guys, it was all true, but nothing dirty actually happened, so let's just drop it'. The only thing I can say that'll make it stop is calling everything a lie. Then it's all on me, not her."
Itsuki nodded, then said, "But it's still a lie."
"I know-"
"And if anyone finds out any of it is true, they'll believe everything else. Then it won't matter what you say."
Ichika smiled sadly and said, "Itsuki, did anyone ever tell you that you and Uesugi have a lot in common?"
"Very rarely and I never welcome it."
"Would you humor me? You're both insufferable when you have a problem to solve. And worse, you're both usually right. But it's done, nothing to do now but hope the truth stays buried until we graduate. Then who cares what anyone thinks?"
"It's a big risk, Ichika."
"What else can I do? Really, Itsuki, if you knew another way you'd have said so earlier. But if you do know another way and just haven't told me yet, I'm all ears. This, what I did today, is all I could think of."
Itsuki paused just long enough for Ichika to hope that she might. But she said, "No, I get it. We just need to hope no one else cares to find out. This is the best we can do for now. It's just a shame that this is the only fix we have."
Ichika said, "Only because I was dumb enough to dig us into this hole. If it were any of you, we wouldn't have to fib our way out of it."
"Well we're beyond that point now. All that's left is to move on."
"You act like it is so easy. You've never messed up so bad as to deserve it. If you did, you'd understand."
"I understand that if you keep wallowing in self-pity you aren't helping Nino or anyone."
She sighed, "Yeah, you're right, Itsuki. As usual." She paused, then said, "There's so much I can't take back, well, I guess that none of us can take back. All we can do is keep going. And so I want to say something to you too, Itsuki."
She nodded as if she knew this was coming. She probably did, Ichika mused.
"That day two weeks ago, when we found out about Uesugi and Nino and we ran back home, I said a lot of nasty things to you when you left us to go back."
"I remember, I said a lot too."
"Not about me, though. You told me to come to my senses, sure, but you never called me any names. I did, though. I said a lot of terrible things to you, some things worse than what I said about Nino. I'd take it back if I could."
"So take it back then, and let's forget about it."
Was it that easy? Just like with Nino? It felt like it shouldn't be. Is this what the sinner felt when they struck Jesus in the cheek only to be offered the other with forgiveness? It made her feel unequal. She wanted others to fall to her level and instead they held their heads high. To see them now, she had to look up from the abyss.
"I can't just do that. I felt like you were betraying us for her. But you weren't, you never were. You tried keeping us together more than anyone. And I hated you for it. So I need to say I'm sorry. If I don't, it will never stop eating me up."
"Ichika, it's okay." And she took Ichika's hand to prove it. Ichika pitied Itsuki in a way. She worked so hard to bring her family together again and move on like before. But Ichika knew it wouldn't be the same. Even if all was forgiven, the scars were still fresh and tender. What their lives were, what their sisterhood was from now until its end, was changed. Because of her.
Ichika could tell this to Itsuki more readily than to any other sister. Itsuki didn't judge her, she accepted her apology with grace and held her hand. She more than any of her sisters had wells of empathy deeper than the darkest mine. Ichika may be able to imitate her sisters, but Itsuki truly understood them. That also made her jealous.
Itsuki's hand rose to her face. "How's the bruise?"
She shook her head and the hand away, "Recovering, I hardly need any makeup. They didn't notice a thing."
"Does it still hurt?"
"A little," she admitted. "But it's hardly the worst feeling right now."
"It'll pass. Everything does. I don't know what our new normal will be, but what matters is we're a family again."
"You sound just like mom," Ichika teased. Itsuki pouted, but Ichika knew it flattered her. She'd carried herself with her mom's authority since she died until it finally fit her. Gifted forgiveness felt different from each of her sisiters, but only Itsuki's felt like it came with their mother's. It felt special, complete in a way she couldn't describe, only feel.
Ichika said, "But it won't be the same."
"Maybe not."
"And I feel, oh, it feels weird to say this. Like, oh, never mind. It's weird."
"You don't have to say it if you don't want to."
No, she didn't. But she would. Itsuki could draw it out of them, another power earned by imitating their mother until she made it her own. "I think I have to. With you at least, if you won't tell anyone." And she wouldn't, secrets stayed with Itsuki as secure as deeds in a vault five stories underground.
Itsuki said calmly, "Okay, it won't tell the others if you want it that way."
"Sometimes, and I feel weird saying this, but I think it would've gone differently if I weren't the oldest. Like, if I never had to be everyone's big sister I'd have been able to express myself earlier. Don't get me wrong, I like being the older sister. I like supporting everyone and being the one everyone comes to for advice. When I found out Miku liked Uesugi, I did the same. I tried to get them closer. I did well for Miku at first. Even after I started having feelings for him myself, I still supported her."
She smiled at her youngest sister with a dull sadness that echoed back in time. "And then I started wanting something for myself. I thought, I wasn't being unfair. I competed. When I found out Miku wanted to confess after our finals if she got the top score, I wanted that chance for myself. So I pushed myself harder than anyone, even with all my acting work. I earned the top marks. And then Nino comes out of nowhere and I feel like, like everything starts spiraling out of control. So I wanted his attention more, because even though I could still support Miku, I couldn't stomach Nino. I thought she was being so selfish pushing herself forward like that. In the end, I guess we were both the selfish ones, weren't we?" She laughed emptily at the end.
Itsuki smiled, "I don't think there's anything wrong with being a little selfish. Everyone is, we can't help what we want. Even moreso in love, I suppose."
"Well I tried. I tried being the good, supporting older sister. But I let myself dream, and I let myself want him to be mine. Like, after everything I did to support us, I wanted this one thing. Just this. And my career, I suppose. But I worked hard for both, and Nino, I didn't think she did. So when he went for her, I felt like I didn't even have my chance."
And then came the part she was building towards, the part that ate her inside. "And the thing is, I wonder if things would be different if I wasn't the oldest. If I was say, the second, third, even fourth, I could be more selfish. Then maybe I'd have taken my chance without feeling guilty about Miku. Like Nino did to us, you know? Then, even if he rejected me for Nino, I had my shot. I know I'm still thinking selfishly. I had so many chances to tell him if I wanted to. I really like being the oldest, Itsuki. But I think I'm not suited for it."
Itsuki actually laughed, startling Ichika. She said, "Suited for it? Ichika, what makes anyone suited for being an older sister?"
"Aside from the right gender? Between Nino and I, seven minutes. Between you and me, twenty-six minutes. That all it takes. It could've been you by a lucky chance."
Itsuki said, "But would that have changed who we are?"
"Maybe. I wonder how much of us came from the order we were born. Like, if we all started the same on equal footing, our only differences were our names and our number. If you were first and I were last, would we make all the same choices? We'd still be Ichika and Itsuki, just switched." She paused, then said, "Or, we'd still be the same as we are now, just with you as the oldest. If I'm honest, I think we'd be better off that way."
Itsuki waved her off, "You don't mean that, you love being our older sister. You always have."
"True, but that doesn't mean I'm best at it. Look at us now. Who would someone looking in think is the oldest?"
"You're going too far. You made on mistake. A big one, but just the one. Someday we might do something even worse and we'll come to you. Maybe it'll be me."
"I doubt it," Ichika said confidently. "Not with any of you, and you least of all, little Itsuki. You're too mature for that. I envy you, I may already have my career in the works, but that's because I'm good at playing pretend. You know who you are better than any of us. That's why I think this, Itsuki."
To be a younger sister, anyone's sister. To look up for once instead of always down. Only now she didn't feel high or worthy of the title. Yet they still believed in her. She didn't know how to accept their faith with their apologies. Not Yotsuba's, not Itsuki's, and certainly not Nino's. But if they still believed in her, she would do the best she could to live her place as the firstborn. She wanted to make her sisters proud again.
Itsuki blushed, saying shyly, "You're giving me too much credit. I'm still figuring a lot out myself."
"Well you're ahead of the rest of us, I'm sure of that. It's funny. You were always the one in the back making sure we didn't stray too far from the path."
"And you were always up front deciding which path that was. So really it was the two of us herding three sheep."
They both laughed, and Ichika said, "I think those days are behind us. But we still need to play our roles, don't we?"
And then Itsuki looked somewhere close and far away at once. She said, "I guess we do."
Ichika finished her coffee and said, "Come on, you ate already? How about we go join Yotsuba and Miku moving you out."
Itsuki said, "I guess so, thanks for helping. Speaking of those two, I haven't seen them together like this in a while. I think it did their relationship good when Miku chased after her."
Ichika smiled lamely, "I'm glad that something good came out of this mess."
~Futaro~
Nino has done the impossible. She finally peaked and surpassed all prior accomplishments, she broke all records and shattered that glass ceiling, she went the extra mile and then took a one-way ferry across the ocean and claimed some far-off untouched land. She gave Futaro a problem that he couldn't solve, but that wasn't strange. That happened twice a day. Only this time Futaro really, really wanted to give up.
Nino was upset. Logically there must be a reason. But what? Hadn't he done everything she wanted today? Hadn't they braved those ridiculous crowds and waited in line for a photo of all things because one tree was a little bigger than the rest? Hadn't he indulged her in a meal that not only wasn't to his taste, but came with a price tag that would feed his family meat for a week? And then, on top of all that, hadn't he willfully been her chaperone on her overdue shopping spree? He even followed her when she insisted on buying new clothes for him, something he never asked for and was obviously uncomfortable accepting. Was he not sufficiently grateful? Did she expect a thank you a minute for all these unnecessary clothes? Was he supposed to offer to buy all that himself? His wallet had never held that much cash in its cumulative existence.
Dating a former rich girl was one thing. Pauper Nino he got along with just fine. But Princess Nino proved that dating a girl on the opposite end of the economic scale was a whole different experience, and all in less than a day. Were they even speaking the same language anymore?
Oh look, here she comes. Was she about to explain why she got so upset? She better, otherwise she would-there she goes! Right past him! She didn't even look his way!
Fine. Let her be. Futaro took out his driving guide and studied. Might as well make some use of this wasted afternoon. She left him at a cafe of all places. Who leaves a guy like him at a cafe? What business does he have with overpriced coffee? He didn't even drink coffee, but if he did he would make it at home with off-brand beans because that's pennies per cup, not a full-priced barbecue combo! Then again it probably wasn't much different for a girl who could buy a dress worth more than his lunches for a year with the swipe of a card and less thought than a vegetable.
He wasn't jealous. He envied the quintuplets their financial freedom, not their extravagance. It was all so wasteful. What was the point of having fifty dresses? Queen Victoria of England was professed to wear a new dress every day. Was she Nino's role model? How much better would those resources be used spent on the needy? Not even people like him, the kind without four walls and a roof over their heads. He had a few practical outfits that fit every occasion. So what if he shared them with his dad? Why need more? Why did she think he needed more? Did she not like him as he was? Was there a problem with his simple style that she grit her teeth on until now?
There she goes again. What is she so busy looking for? Is she going to look his way this time? Maybe just a glance? No? Well go on then, whatever. Great, now he felt the fool for staring when he wasn't even worth eye contact anymore.
Nino, Nino, Nino! Her very name rose and fell like an emergency siren in all of two syllables! She was a warning every time someone called her name!
Futaro focused on the driver's guide and tried to study. He tried. He did. He failed. Why was Nino always the bane of his focus? He couldn't study if she was anywhere on his mind. What was he studying this for again? To appease her father. What was he appeasing her father for? The quintuplets and tutoring? Sure. But not really. This was for Nino, who apparently decided he messed up something bad enough to warrant the silence of the graves. Futaro's teeth ground like glaciers as he tried to focus and forgot his reason.
He set down the guide and sighed. What was he doing? This wasn't getting him anywhere. All he was doing was fuming against his girlfriend. She wasn't that bad. Maybe something had changed now that she was upper-class again, but she hadn't behaved that way. She was having a good time with him until she suddenly wasn't. It must be something he said. What was it? He hadn't said anything wrong, had he? If he asked, would she tell him? Then could he figure this problem out?
Futaro mused on the night four weeks ago to the day when he asked Nino about her late-night attitude change. Asking her reason had only sparked the powder keg of confusion and chaos that was Nino Nakano. Would that happen again if he asked? Did he dare? She couldn't be any madder at him, could she? No, she could. She was that unpredictable. Normally that was part of what made her so endearing. She was a figment of flame dancing in the night, you reached out to grasp her and she danced away and around and everywhere at once.
It was lonely at the cafe. He wasn't the only one without company. Many had books, laptops, other work to be done. He should be like them, comfortable in solitude. But he was the only one solo with two cooling coffees in front of him, and his agitation cooled in turn. He missed her. His anger settled like boiling water denied its flame. This just wouldn't do.
He wondered if she left the store. Would she go without him? He hoped not. But he couldn't know until he saw her again. She wouldn't be mad at him without reason, right? It may not make sense to him, but she had a cause, or thought she did. What did she see that he didn't? And could he learn to understand? If he wanted to try, he needed to make the first step. He pulled out his phone and texted her.
I miss you. Come back please.
He waited for her response. None came. Was her phone on silent? Had she missed it? Or had she read it and ignored him? He couldn't be sure. He held back his desire to text her again and waited.
Then she appeared, crossing one end of the building to the other. If she'd seen his message, he would notice, he thought. But she was ready to stride on by as if he were an empty chair. What was her goal? Ignore him until he figured out his error himself? Well he was throwing in the towel. Come back Nino, Futaro surrenders.
He left his seat and intercepted her before she passed. He called, "Nino?"
She turned and said curtly, "What?"
"Your coffee's gone cold."
"So?"
Futaro sighed, why was she so difficult, "Can you just come back?"
"I'm not done."
"Then, give me a few minutes?"
Nino glared for several moments and Futaro worried this might turn into a repeat of their walk home after work a month past. She said nothing, barely acknowledging him as she walked past him to their table. It was a start, he thought. It was her saying with action 'you have one chance, don't screw it up too'.
Futaro sat across from her and said, "Look: I've been sitting here since you left trying to figure out what I did to make you upset."
"You've been studying," Nino said, pointing to the driver's guide left on the table.
"Tried and failed. It's no good if I can't figure out this problem."
"So I'm a problem now?"
"Not you! This," Futaro seethed. People were looking at them. Nino didn't care. She would normally care. What was going on?
He took a deep breath, and said, "Please. Just tell me what I did wrong. I really don't get it, and I don't want to stay like this with you."
Nino tapped her finger on the table like a timer counting down to the end of...Futaro didn't want to wonder what. Nino was contemplating her words slowly and methodically, something much more common in himself, and it boded ill. Nino normally spoke her mind as quickly as the words reached her lips like fuel igniting with a spark. A deliberate Nino was a sure sign of an oncoming train wreck.
"Did you see my text?" he asked, gasping at straws.
Nino took her phone from her purse and glanced at it, evidently she hadn't. She put her phone away and glanced back down the department store. Futaro thought she might have softened ever so slightly, or maybe that was just hope.
She suddenly looked him through and said, "I know I don't need all these clothes. I've lived with less before. But I like enjoying it while I can. Is that so wrong?"
"I never said-"
"You did," she said, pointing a finger at his chest, "You called it a fruitless hobby. You called it a waste. How could you think that's okay?"
"I didn't mean-"
"You did! Don't deny it. All five of us enjoy shopping, Fuu. Yotsuba likes it too. We used to go together once a month, at least. Are you gonna tell her it's a waste too? Well we have fun, Futaro. We had a lot of fun together. We bought what we use and even when we didn't buy anything it was never a waste because we had fun."
"I get that, but-"
"Wait until I'm finished, Fuu! I'm not done!" Nino huffed, then said, "You just had to go and blow me off. I tried bringing you into what I like because I want to enjoy it with you too. But if you're just so stubborn that you can't enjoy the smallest thing outside your comfort zone, just stay here. I don't need you coming with me if you're going to complain all day."
Oh. Oh. Oh shit. She was serious. This really meant a lot to her, didn't it? More than he expected.
Nino continued, softer than before, like a campfire running out of wood, "I just wanted a fun day out with my boyfriend doing what I enjoy. Was that so much?"
Futaro admitted, "No, not really."
"So why do I feel like I'm dragging a dead dog by the leash? You've been a wet blanket ever since we got here! If you hate shopping that much I won't invite you next time."
"Please don't do that. I'm sorry that I called it a waste, I didn't mean it like that, but I see it hurt you. I want to share, please believe me. I knew you liked shopping, I expected it. But I'm uncomfortable with all this."
"With all what?"
"Shopping for me, for starters."
"What's so wrong with that? I didn't buy much."
Futaro glanced at their bags. His outnumbered hers five-to-one. What exactly was 'much' to this rich girl?
"Nino, that's not really your money. It's your father's."
"Same thing, he said as much."
"Didn't he also say it was only for you and your sisters? Not for anyone outside the home?"
"Well he blew that when he said he'd test you as a 'potential son-in-law', whatever that means. If he wants to treat you like a trial member of the family, he can pay the bills. Plus, he did say 'Nino, pay for it' last night, remember?"
"That was for my driving test."
"He didn't specify that. That's on him."
"He's going to find out someday. When he does, I worry what he'll think."
"So just stop worrying. He's not your dad, that isn't your concern."
"It is, Nino."
She looked at him sharply, saying, "Why? Why should you care?"
Futaro rubbed his face and said, "Maybe, I kind of, care what he thinks. About us. And about me."
Nino deadpanned, "Seriously? Is this about last night?"
"Yeah..."
"Why? I thought we were past this!"
"I still think, I want to prove to him I'm someone you can rely on. I want him to see me that way."
"Why would you care? He doesn't matter, we know he was going to be hard to win over."
"And if he finds out I'm enjoying things with his money? If he meets me and I'm in clothes he bought me, what do you think he'll say? It'll just be more from last night." Futaro wasn't sure if Nino understood that. Maybe she couldn't. Was this one of the differences between men and women and their relationships with their elders? Futaro wasn't sure. "I don't want him to see me as a leech. I want him to respect me, maybe see me as an equal someday. I don't know how to get there if I accept his money. It's not like tutoring, I didn't earn this. And even if you say it's covering part of the debt from when I tutored you for free, it's not the same."
Nino thought on this for a while, then said, "Is this one of those macho things guys think they gotta do to be manly?"
"I guess so."
Nino nodded and thought about it. Her fury with him lessened now that she heard his side. He wasn't over the line of forgiveness just yet, but it was in sight, he could feel it.
Nino said, "I kinda like it. I still think it's stupid, but it's hot."
"Thank you...I think."
Nino sighed, "Fine, I get it. Maybe I went a bit too fast. But I'm still gonna get you some nicer clothes when I feel like it. I'm doing it because I can and want to, Fuu. You're in my life now. Get used to it."
Futaro sighed, "No choice, then?"
"Not unless you wanna see me walk away again."
"Fine, just...limits, Nino. My house is small and we share a closet."
"Deal. I just gotta figure out how to best use that space. We have a good baseline already. Maybe some accessories here and there, a necklace, some killer earrings-"
"No."
"What? I went through with it. You'd look more dangerous with a good stud in your ear. Oh! Studs for a stud."
"No. Limits, Nino."
"Fine. Whatever. Anything else you wanna say?"
Futaro thought for a moment, then said, "About lunch."
Nino rolled her eyes, "What is it now?"
"I don't like raw fish."
Nino hiccuped, "Oh. You don't?"
"I can still eat it, fish is good brain food after all. But raw is my least favorite way."
"I didn't know that."
"You never asked."
"I wanted to surprise you," she pouted. "Fine, that's on me. Then I have homework for you, Fuu."
"You're kidding."
"No kiddie business. You're going to make a list of all your food preferences, body measurements and a list of everything in your wardrobe including what we bought today."
"For what?"
"So I can plan of course! Next time no mistakes, it'll be a proper extravaganza and nothing will be wasted on your cheap, picky palette."
"Picky? Really?"
"We're on an island and you hate fish."
"Just raw fish."
"It's as close to blasphemy as saying the devil's name three times in the mirror. And speaking of blasphemy," Nino said as she reached into one of her many bags, "I'm not sure if this is gonna make your day or piss you off again, but I already bought it so buckle up and be amazed."
She set down a small cardboard box barely larger than her hand. It was sleek, the kind of paper you questioned was really paper and not some kind of soft plastic, the kind of paper a tree was happy to die for. He read the silver letters embossed with care on the front. He never had one of these, but everyone around him did, so he knew what it was.
"No."
"Come on."
"I'm not taking that."
"Yes you are."
"Are your glasses broken and you picked this by mistake?"
"If you hadn't thrown your hissy fit we could've picked it together, but instead I had to do everything myself."
"I don't even know how to use one of these."
"It's just a phone!"
"A smart phone."
"Raiha has one."
"And one is all we need."
Nino groaned and opened the box herself, shoving the new phone his way. Oh look, she already picked a case. It was purple and had a tiny rabbit in the corner. Adorable.
"Just take it," Nino demanded.
"I can't even use this, my plan doesn't have data."
"I added you to ours."
"What are you thinking!? I just told you what I think about your dad and he's definitely gonna notice a new line on the phone bill!"
"Well he's gonna make you work for free getting his takeout or cleaning his office or whatever else he's got planned for you. If he's gonna make you work like you're his son and undeserving heir, you're entitled to something to help you out."
"Why is this gonna help me?"
"GPS you dumbass!"
"What's GPS?"
"You can't be-oh what am I saying, you are. Driving. Navigation. He's gonna make you drive and you need a map. It's all here. Just take it. And if it so happens that we can video call and you can finally learn what Wikipedia is, all the better."
There were times when Nino was as unstoppable as the inevitable swelling of the sun. Futaro standing in her way would only get run over like a badger on a bike course. So he took what he hesitated to call his new phone and said, "Alright, you win. Just don't tell him, okay?
"Deal," Nino said.
Futaro hesitated, "So are we okay?"
Nino made him sweat for a good ten seconds before she said, "I suppose I forgive you. You're as insensitive as a brick wall sometimes, but you usually try and make it right. I can't stay too mad at you."
"Well, how generous."
"Aren't I?" Nino smiled and sighed happily, "Ah! Our first couple fight! Wasn't it something?"
"Nothing to celebrate."
"I think it is!"
"...Seriously?"
"Definitely, I wanna celebrate all our couple firsts."
It would be easy to stay somewhat mad at Nino. He still didn't feel he was entirely in the wrong, but he felt like he got most of the blame. But her energy and excitement for their time together was infectious. If she wanted to capture every moment of her relationship to him in photographs, memories and celebrations, he wanted to be there. Even during the bad.
Futaro idly weighed his old cellphone with the one from the box. He asked, "So, what? I have two of these now? I only have so many pockets."
"That's the next step, Fuu, and I'm winding it in with our celebration of our first big fight. First we go to the service store and transfer your old number. Then we're going to the salon where I'm getting my hair and nails done professionally for the first time in forever, and you're joining in too. It's about time someone other than your little sister cut your hair. And while we're doing that, you're going to study that phone until you're as familiar with it as someone your age should be." She paused, "Unless you think that's a waste of time too."
Futaro was a wiser man now and said, "No, I get it. You showed me a lot already, and I want to be in your life here too. Just, give me some warning about these things."
She sighed, then took his hand, "I suppose I have to. I wish one of my friends told me how hard training a boyfriend really is."
"Training what now?"
A/N
This chapter begins arc 3 of the story and touches on a couple of the main themes and plot lines it will address. I'm particularly interested in tackling the idea of the quintuplets as interchangeable and exploring their diversion as people, and how they come to accept those differences. Before I developed a solid draft of this arc, I considered it to be the weakest of the four I planned, but after fleshing it out further I suspect this may be the strongest (and longest) one yet.
I enjoy finding titles that have double-meaning within the chapter, in this case "The Great Divide" references both the class and expectation differences between Nino and Futaro and the gap in the sisters brought up with Ichika and Itsuki. The key to any relationship is finding a bridge over those divides to achieve common ground, but as people change over their lives so to do those bridges, and sometimes they break down.
The best stories sometimes come from our own life experience. Futaro and Nino's fight over shopping and lifestyles is based on one I had with my own partner as well as I remember it. In many ways I base this story around my own relationship where I see similarities, which I believe gives my writing some of its strength.
I'm presently in an awkward situation with intermittent internet access, and so while I have time to write I don't always have opportunity to post. I got lucky today, not sure how long my access will hold out. I hope to post something else in June and then more as I can. This should be the case for the next several months, and hopefully won't be the case again for some time.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter as a start to the 3rd arc. Please share your thoughts and questions in a review.
Chapter published: May 26th, 2022.