Burning The Midnight Oil

Chapter 33

A Fresh Start

~Nino~

Nino was looking forward to the first day of the school week. Her sisters couldn't understand why. She wasn't keeping secrets, everyone knew what was going to happen today. Futaro told her last night after work and she shared it with her sisters seconds after she shut the front door. But none of them could comprehend the gravitas of what was coming. Nino had four reasons for excitement, each building on the others like building blocks.

First, she had her hair and nails done professionally for the first time in ages. In fact it was the first time anyone with a beautician certificate in the background touched her hair since Miku chopped it off. Her hair was even and layered like feathers on a songbird and her nails glimmered in sparkling purples and pinks. She felt like an art piece with the final touches and she was ready for the world. Futaro had his hair done as well, at her demand. She thought he looked dashing. Apparently no one else in his family, or hers for that matter, could tell the difference. Fine taste was her burden to bear.

Second, Futaro was coming back to class. His stomach ulcer was on the mend, and if not completely healed he wasn't showing signs of pain. With him plus her sisters reunited she has five at her back instead of two. Strength in numbers!

Third, the girls Ichika confessed to the other day had already spread the news. It wasn't echoing far and wide across the campus, but far enough that it'd be common knowledge by the end of the week. Perhaps her reputation could be salvaged. Her old friends had already reached out and asked to hang out in person at lunch. She expected a deluge of apologies coming shortly.

Fourth, and most important, Futaro was stepping down as class representative. Nino was happy Futaro was ridding himself of all responsibility to a class that shamed and humiliated her. But that was only part of the fun. Futaro planned to resign his post in public and their teacher would certainly want an explanation. Futaro was not one to filter his words. This will be glorious.

She felt safe arriving in class because Ichika and Yotsuba volunteered to arrive early. If anyone planted anything unbecoming towards her, she had plenty of warning. But Ichika sent her an all-clear well before she arrived. If anyone had another cunning prank in mind, they were saving them there for another day. But today the walls were covered in the same boring announcements and her seat was as unadorned as a tomboy.

Now she waited. It wouldn't be long.

Their balding teacher entered the classroom. Mister Onizuka waited for the call to attention. He waited a moment longer than seemed natural. He turned to Futaro and asked, "Mister Uesugi, you left your tongue in the nurse's station?"

Futaro stood and said, "No, teacher."

"Well, get on with it."

"Sir, I'm resigning as class representative."

Their teacher coughed, "Just like that? This is rather unorthodox, Mister Uesugi. We can discuss this in private."

"That won't be necessary, teacher. I've made up my mind."

Nino mused that Futaro was probably the only student who could speak like this to a teacher and not risk bearing the whipping cane, school rules be damned. It helped being the smartest in the room, teacher included.

"I see. Will you tell me what brought you to this decision so suddenly?"

"Yes sir."

Nino rested her chin on her cupped palms and tried to keep a straight face. Here it comes, ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy the blowback because we're all in the splash zone!

"I'm not wasting another minute of my time representing a group of self-centered degenerates who will contribute less to society than a broken toilet."

The room was silent as stone, either because people were too busy working out the meaning of his insult or flabbergasted at hearing Futaro speak for so long. Nino collapsed into a fit of spiteful giggles.

Mister Onizuka said, "That's a rather harsh assessment of your classmates, Uesugi."

"They hurt someone I care about. They can all flunk out and go break their backs on the railroad for all I care."

"I used to work on the railroad, Mister Uesugi, and I better not hear you bad-mouth our country's hard-working men and women again."

"Sorry, sir. They can go break their backs however they see fit. I recommend-"

"That will be all, Mister Uesugi."

What? Over already? Encore! Encore!

"One more thing, teacher."

"Yes, Uesugi?"

"The one who defaced Nakano's desk was Tsuga."

A girl in the back of the room screamed, "What!?"

"Uesugi?" their teacher said carefully.

"There might be more, but Tsuga's handwriting on her notes matches some of the graffiti. Perhaps she can tell you more. Here is the proof." He held out a small folder of papers.

Tsuga exclaimed, "Uesugi, you-"

"That's enough, miss Tsuga," their teacher said as he took the papers and looked them over. "Tsuga, to the staff office."

"But he-"

"Now, miss Tsuga. I'll be there shortly after first period. If this is true, remember that I did warn you to confess before."

The intensity of Nino's glare at Tsuga as she walked past her to the door could've turned coal into diamonds. The girl couldn't even meet her eye. Coward. She hoped she tripped on her shoelaces at the top of the stairs.

Futaro sat at his desk and studied his notes. He either ignored the glares thrown his way or didn't bother to notice them in the first place. Futaro was never keen on making friends with the rest of the class, so he didn't care how many bridges he burned. Nino enjoyed the fireworks.

Mister Onizuka sniffed and shouted, "Nakano!"

Five girls shot to attention, "Teacher?" they said in unison.

He sighed, "Class representative Nakano! The rest of you keep your seats!"

Her sisters sat and only Yotsuba remained standing. The entire room waited. Mister Onizuka said, "Well?"

Yotsuba said, "Well what, teacher?"

"Oh sweet sardines on sourdough, call them!"

"Oh! Right! Stand! Bow!" she called her commands so quickly some students were still bowing when Yotsuba ordered them to take seats.

Mister Onizuka nodded, "Well, it seems we have a male class officer position open. Any nominations?"

"Takeda."

"Takeda."

"Takeda."

Nino mused that everyone was desperate to get it right this time.

The teacher nodded, "So be it. Mister Takeda, do you accept?"

The boy stood and his grin sparkled like his mouth was glitter, "I do with pleasure, teacher."

"Fan-fragging-tastic. Now we can get on with our day."

For once Nino was excited to do so. Never had a school day started so magnificently.

~Futaro~

Takeda said, "So we're down to three options. Option one: joint study material prep and lectures, basically working together in all parts, staging and presenting. Option two: split responsibilities, one of us does the study material prep while the other handles the actual lectures, and we swap roles each session. Basically divide the work evenly, though we will need to coordinate on what materials to use so they match the lecture. Option three: split lecture and study material prep by subject, person one takes two subject and person two takes three. When we start including miscellaneous materials for the exam, the person prepping two subjects takes on that material as well. We rotate days so we both cover all subjects in turn."

Futaro chewed on his egg roll and nodded, "Yup, that about covers it. Any preference?"

"They all work well, I'm not leaning on any one over the others."

"We could try all three."

Takeda shook his head, "No, that'll crash and burn. If we keep changing the routine they won't adapt. Best to pick one and stick with it."

"Any research into which method is most effective?"

"Well, options two and three would allow whoever isn't instructing to drift around the five and help whoever's behind. That's a plus."

"But option one provides both our perspectives on a given subject at once."

Takeda said, "Well, sure, I suppose. But that's a dangerous road."

"No worse than the others."

"Yes, it is. The second we're teaching about classic war literature or specifics of English nuance, we're gonna go down that rabbit hole and get lost for hours."

"Hmm, fair point. We do tend to get sidetracked."

"So option one is dangerous."

"So we're agreed: option three it is."

"What about option two?"

"That still has us coordinating prep materials and lecture plans. Option three gives each of us a wide berth."

Takeda shrugged, "Good point. In that case, how about we keep the language subjects together as our group of two and throw social studies together with math and science?"

"Good idea. Only let's switch subjects once per week instead of every other session, then we can build more complex plans."

"Works for me."

Futaro finished his egg roll and started his side salad. This was all from the same bento Nino prepared for him. Even though her sisters were happy to buy their daily lunches again, Nino insisted on preparing his lunch. She said something about proper nutrition and skin and bones. It seemed a lot of work for her to prepare one just for him, but he was wise enough not to complain and accept it with gratitude. Maybe his submission was part of the boyfriend training Nino brought up before. He noted it did tasted better than what he could afford in the cafeteria.

Takeda leaned back in his chair and stretched. They ate together in the classroom and it was almost empty during lunch time. The rain had stopped early in the day and the sun was shining through, most of the student body made for the open air as soon as the lunch bell hit. This was perfect for the pair to discuss their lesson plan in relative quiet.

Futaro said, "You still need me to help prep materials?"

"Nah, should be fine. But mind if I start with languages first? You're more used to the rest."

"Good for me. Tell me if you need me to look over them. Their test scores need a lot of work if we're serious about them having college options."

He stretched and checked his watch. He was surprised how quickly time passed, there were only fifteen minutes left for lunch. Wasn't Nino supposed to be back from meeting her friends? They must've reconciled if they were spending this much time together.

Takeda tapped his pencil over his notes and mulled his thoughts like a huntsman trying to decide if the wild berries he found were poisonous. He asked, "On the subject of tests, when are you going to make up the mock exam?"

Futaro wondered why he brought that up. "Why would I do that?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"A logical one."

"You need to take it."

"Why?"

"How else are you going to know how prepared you are for college?"

Futaro leaned back and said, "Aren't you also one of the top students in the country?"

"I am."

"And don't you also have offers of conditional acceptance from a few universities?"

"How would you-oh, of course. Which ones contacted you?"

"Couple of the big ones. Tokyo, Keio. What about you?"

"Same. But you still need-"

"No, I don't. It's only a mock exam. I have plenty on my schedule as is, no need to miss a day of class just for that. Why are you looking at me so strangely?"

"Since when do you not care about a test?"

"Let's list the reasons: first, it's a mock exam, the scores mean nothing and aren't counted anywhere. Two, I already have offers for college. I just need to decide what to study. Three, and this is the big one, I only cared about the exam because of my bet with Doctor Nakano. That's all moot now, so what do I care about a fake test?"

It was funny how free he felt inside not caring about some inconsequential exam. He'd spent over a month grinding in every free moment not dedicated towards Nino or her sisters prepping. Was it all for nothing? Not really, he'd retain a lot to help him in the actual exam come winter. But for now he need not care.

But wasn't it funny how invested Takeda was? He looked very concerned whether Futaro finished this one specific test. Was this about the bet? Was Takeda upset that he could've been their only tutor and not have had his pay cut by twenty percent? No, he'd looked on the brink of something drastic every time he talked about his solo tutoring experience. And wasn't his family well off like the Nakanos? He hardly needed the money.

He asked, "What's with you? Why do you care if I take this one test or not? Even Doctor Nakano doesn't care anymore."

Takeda blinked and snapped out of his train of thought. He grinned like a very expensive doll behind museum glass and said, "You're right, I suppose it isn't important. Forget I said anything."

There was something underneath all that plastic like a seal over a sinkhole. But Futaro didn't care. If Takeda wanted to fret over something pointless, let him waste his brain power. He wasn't being paid to tutor him.

He felt his pocket vibrate and an ear-splitting jingle as cheery as a mountain of gumdrops and ice cream rang proudly through the classroom. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and glared at it. He still didn't know how to change these stupid alerts.

Takeda laughed, "New phone?"

"Very new," he said, noticing Takeda take out his own. He checked his screen and asked, "Did Itsuki text you?"

He glanced at his screen and said, "Looks like it."

"What's this about?" Futaro asked and unlocked his phone after a brief struggle with the fingerprint scanner.

~Nino~

"So yeah, I guess we got suckered into the rumors like everyone else," Yumi said.

Nino shrugged, "I told you two already, I get it. Sometimes there are so many rumors flying around the hallways it's impossible to tell what's real and what's not. I've been there, our last school was notorious for the nasty stories people made up."

Kari said, "Even so, it wasn't right to assume they were true without asking you directly."

Nino nodded. It was even worse to spread rumors of their own. She knew what these two had said about her. She knew they were responsible for misconstruing her early confrontation with Futaro into something out of a trashy love novel. Ichika told her that along with the rest. These two would never admit it, but she knew, and she suspected they knew she was aware as well. That was enough. It could remain unsaid. She let the bandage fall off on its own, but there was still a scar.

Yumi said, "I'm glad your doing so well. Maybe things can start going back to normal now."

"I hope so," Nino said. It was an empty wish.

She had to give these two some credit, it was proper to invite her to lunch and apologize. They proved they weren't complete scoundrels. But they'd still happily laughed behind her back and partaken in all the insidious fun at her expense. She wouldn't forget that. Most friendship didn't survive that betrayal, and they weren't so special. Perhaps they'd go on saying hello in the halls and sharing the occasional gossip, but not as friends. Acquaintances was a more fitting title.

And Nino was fine with that. Friends were fickle things. She cycled through them like logs on a fire. How many of her peers was she on a first-name basis at her last school? Dozens. How many did she still talk with a month after transferring? Zero. Friends came in and out of her life like leaves on a river, and that was fine. She had her permanent support in her sisters, and now in Futaro. That little world was all she ever wanted.

She finished her meal and said goodbye. The two said they should meet up again at the mall sometime. Nino said she hoped they could soon. None of them would ever mention it again. They knew this was an ending.

Lunch period was only half over and Nino had time to kill. She made her way through the hallway towards the classroom where Futaro was working with Takeda. She hoped they were finished, she wanted some time for herself. The sun was coming out and it'd be nice to have a little break and feel the warmth. She wondered if she could drag him up to the roof. Maybe that spot behind the stairs would be open and they could reminisce about nothing before the bell rang.

"Hey Nakano, wait up!"

She turned and saw two boys approaching her. She recognized them by their look, two classmates from her second year homeroom. She didn't remember their names though. Some men couldn't make an impression on wet cement.

"What is it?"

"Got a minute?" the taller of the two asked.

"What for? Who are you?"

"You don't remember? I'm Fukuda, and he's Kaneko."

"From last year, right. What is it?"

The two glanced at each other, then smiled at her and Kaneko said, "It's been a while since we were all in the same class, wondering if you had time to catch up."

Nino huffed and said, "Why would we catch up, it's not like we spoke much in class. Besides, I'm busy."

"Alright, we get it. How about some other time? You doing anything after class?"

Nino felt something swelling in the bottom of her stomach, a signal from her gut that something was off. Something telling her to get away.

She said, "No thanks, I have plans with my boyfriend."

She turned to leave, but Fukuda placed his arm against the locker blocking her way. He smiled, "Alright, alright, I get it. But, maybe sometime after. Now that things are settling down around here, we figure you could use some people to talk to, am I right?"

Nino glanced at the arm. It was so much thicker than hers. "I have people." She looked to her side, but Kaneko was there. He just stood there, but it was enough.

"You mean Uesugi?" Kaneko said. "Hey, whatever floats your boat, but, come on. The guy's so below your level you strain your neck looking down."

"He's a better man than you," Nino growled, "I don't need this," she tried to duck under Fukuda's arm. Suddenly he grabbed her shoulder and gently pushed her back against the wall. He smiled so warmly, but her insides twisted and flexed like they were trying to slither out of her body.

Fukuda said, "Nakano, come on. You give a guy like Uesugi all this attention and you can't give us five minutes?"

That was five minutes she'd rather spend anywhere else. She felt his arm pinning her to the locker. Fukuda wasn't anyone special, he wasn't on any sports team and he never broke out on the field. Even so, his arm was like concrete against her. She felt itchy where his hand touched her clothes.

Fukuda said, "Nakano, come on, what do you say to ditching Uesugi and hanging with us today?"

And then Fukuda raised his other hand to stroke her cheek and her body stiffened. His touch was something vile like a disease. She tried to move and he pushed her closer.

Nino said nothing. She was afraid if she spoke her voice would come out a whisper. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears like it was trying to fight off his touch. She saw a group of girls pass behind the boys. One of them made brief eye contact, then turned away. She said something to the girls. Then they kept walking.

Kaneko grinned, "Hey, that isn't a no."

Nino saw it in the way they looked at her. Behind the easygoing joy she saw her reflection in the blacks of their eyes. She was an amusement. Like she belonged to them. Like they waited their turn and were ready to board the ride.

The arm on her shoulder felt like a spear pinning her in place. She would have chewed it off to escape. Instead she raised her foot and smashed her heel into Fukuda's toe as hard as she could. Fukuda screamed and let go of her to cradle his crushed toe. Nino took her opening and ran.

"Fuck! You bitch!" Fukuda screamed.

Nino didn't look back. She didn't think. She ran.

~Ichika~

It was her first lunch with family in weeks. There was no motive, no objective, no waiting for a target phrase to aim and pull a trigger. There was no idol or starlet surrounded by orbiting bodies absorbing her warmth. All these glamorous things were one small but significant part of Ichika, but a part they remained. The rest only came out with her family. Here she was just a sister. Just Ichika. And living in the present was much more pleasant than the past.

They sat in the garden, just her with Itsuki, Miku and Yotsuba. They talked about everything and they talked about nothing. Ichika laughed genuinely for the first time in what felt like forever. And when she suddenly remembered the past, she wondered how she could ever risk these moments for anything, let alone something as silly as a boy.

Maybe someday if she made it big, she would play the part of a scorned lover seeking vengeance. She would accept if it fit her career goals, but she would feel odd about acting a part she once lived. Yet her performance would feel all the more real because of it. And she thought of all the times she sat on set waiting for her call, watching the older actors bring forth such pathos and drama. How much could they only bring forth because they lived their lives? Some of them might even pursue a life filled with drama to feel those deep emotions and learn how to bring them out. She wouldn't live like that. Not if it meant sacrificing what mattered most.

Or maybe it was too late. She wondered this as all four of their phones buzzed at once. The thought it might be a group text from Uesugi or Takeda with their study plan, but no. It was Nino. She hoped she was just telling them she was heading back to the classroom after talking with her old friends, but something deeper in her gut prodded that maybe something had gone wrong.

Need help. 2nd floor bathroom past construction.

"We gotta go now," Ichika said hurriedly. They left their lunches on the grass with their blanket as they ran towards the school.

The west wing of the second floor was undergoing renovation. The hallway leading to the last four classrooms was roped off with yellow construction tape and a warning for students to stay out. There was no one there, the school wouldn't allow ongoing construction during class hours. They worked at night. That meant that the area was completely deserted and the bathroom behind the yellow signs off limits. It was a great place for something to happen you didn't want anyone to see. Ichika thought these things as she ducked under the tape and followed Yotsuba through the bathroom door.

"Nino! Are you in here?" Yotsuba cried from inside. She was, but she didn't reply. She couldn't. Ichika heard sobbing from the handicapped stall at the end. It was the kind of sobbing you tried to hold back, but it sputtered like a blocked faucet under pressure.

Itsuki gently pressed the door, but it was locked. She called, "Nino, is that you?"

Her moan might have been an affirmative, or just a moan.

"It's us, can you let us in?"

Ichika heard ruffling behind the door, then footsteps, then a click and the door swung open. Nino covered her eyes, but Ichika saw the stained makeup drooling down her cheeks like melted ice cream. This was not crying, this was a disease, her body was trying to expel all its sadness as fast as possible no matter how ugly it came out.

Itsuki said, "Oh no," and tried to hold her. Nino back away and hugged herself. She didn't want to be touched as if skin were exposed wire shocking to the touch. She shuddered like a building during a quake and Ichika wondered if she would collapse. She bowed her head and walked back into the stall. Ichika and her sisters followed Itsuki into the stall slowly. When everyone was inside Nino closed the door and locked it with a hitch in her voice, then she collapsed on the toilet seat and hid her face.

None of her sisters knew what to do. No one does. What do you do to help someone who doesn't want to be touched and is crying too hard to hear? Maybe you leave them alone. If you love them, you stay. You just be there so they know they aren't alone. The minutes ticked by and Ichika stood there with her sisters while Nino sobbed.

And then, after what felt like so long, Nino wiped her face and looked up. Her tears still flowed and her breathing hitched like painful hiccups, but she was there.

Yotsuba tepidly asked, "Nino, are you okay?"

She shook her head.

Itsuki asked, "What happened? Do you need something? Should I get a teacher, or Futaro?"

Nino shook her head harder.

"Not hurt," she said hoarsely.

Ichika got on one knee beside Itsuki and asked, "Nino, what happened? Was it your friends?"

"No," she choked, and that one word was like the crumbling of the damn and her tears flowed more freely as she confessed about the boys in the hall and them holding her back and brushing her face and treating her like she was something to use. There was no empathy, only desire and expectation, like they thought they deserved this and she was good for nothing else.

And Ichika knew she failed. Her lies were out of her control, the narratives were as common goods with lives of its own. Even at her most vindictive she never wanted her sister to truly suffer, she wanted to teach her a lesson about bad choices and their consequences. It seemed she needed that lesson herself.

She had never faced the damage Nino endured. Not directly. Itsuki told her some, and Nino told her more. They told her how she cried after their confrontation in the grounds. She heard about her violence and screams in the rooftop after seeing her desk covered in slurs. But she never saw it. Here at last she witnessed the culmination of what she started.

And now she knew they couldn't go back. Life would never look the same for them. Nino's final year of school was ruined. As hard as she tried to make things right, the facts wouldn't matter when their peers decided the meaning of truth. Every day a hundred eyes would see her as something less than a person, some would only see the community bicycle, and some, like those boys, would approach her for their ride.

Ichika tenderly took her sister's hand and cried with her. She cried her own regrets and shame. Her sisters would never say it, but she could feel it floating in the air like miasma. Everyone knew she was responsible for this. It would haunt her forever. What more could Ichika do but stand by her wounded sister and cry?

Yotsuba broke down beside Nino and hugged her, and this time Nino didn't push her sister away. Itsuki gently took her other hand and stroked it while Miku tenderly rested hers on Nino's head. They surrounded Nino as if to shield her from the unfairness of the world.

Nino sniffed and looked up, her face moist with rivers of running tears. She said, "I'm glad you came."

Itsuki said, "Nino, what do you want to do? We can get Futaro and-"

"No! Don't tell him, I'll tell him myself later. If you tell him now, he's just gonna do something stupid like last time."

Like when he came for her, Ichika thought. He'd sprained that one boy's wrist when he threw him to the ground. She wondered what he'd do to those two boys if, or when, he found out. He was scary when enraged, but he was still one boy. It might end just the same. Maybe worse. Nino didn't want to risk that.

Yotsuba said, "But we gotta tell someone! We can't just sit here, or maybe they'll try again!"

"They won't." Miku said.

Everyone turned to her, "What are you saying?"

She showed them her phone, "I texted dad. He knows. He just texted me back."

Ichika blinked, battling confusion. When had Miku done all that? It must be why she stood in the back where no one was watching.

"What did he say?" Yotsuba asked.

"Remember how dad's friend is one of this school's chairs? He gave her a call. He says he's handling things."

Nino swallowed hard, "Oh. I see. Thank you Miku." Miku leaned in and hugged Nino. She barely had energy to return it, but she tried.

"I don't think we'll need to worry about those two again," Miku said.

"What's it matter?" Nino said, "As if it were only them."

Itsuki sighed, "That is a problem. And I was worried something like this might happen. So, I might have prepared."

They turned to her. Yotsuba asked, "With what?"

Itsuki said nothing. Instead she reached into her purse and pulled out five hair bands, makeup remover, an assortment of plain barrettes and sets of false nails. She even had Nino's contacts.

"We can't change the school, but we can change ourselves. It'll only work if we're all in this together."

Ichika swallowed. She would give anything to fix this. But if she couldn't do that, she'd do whatever it took to protect her sister from this mess she started. Even if it meant throwing everything else in this school away. No more adoration, no more recognition. She didn't need it anyways. She took a band and some barrettes and got to work. The rest of her sisters followed.

~Yusuke~

Skipping. Uesugi was skipping the mock exams. He was skipping his chance to show up half a million students across the country. How could Uesugi willingly miss a chance to prove he was number one? With a shrug and on a whim, apparently.

Yusuke hid it as well as he could, but he was freaking out. His father was waiting for those results, he had insiders waiting for their exams to pop in the system to compare. He had to beat him here. He couldn't do that if Uesugi wasn't even going to participate! What would his father say? Was this his fault somehow? Was he supposed to make Uesugi compete? How? What was he supposed to do?

There had to be a way to convince Uesugi that this exam was in his interests. But how? No, calm down. Slow down or you'll miss something. Think. This was a logic puzzle. He had his end state in mind: Uesugi taking the makeup mock exam. All he had to do was figure out how to get him there. What incentive could he offer, or convince someone important to offer, that would sway his mind? Nothing is impossible, and Yusuke had the right motivation. Just think. Think. Think!

"Takeda, check your phone?"

He blinked, "What? Oh, right." He checked the message on screen from Itsuki.

Are you two still in the classroom? Can you please shuffle our stuff between our seats? No time to explain.

"That's a strange request. Any idea what this is about?" Yusuke asked.

Uesugi didn't respond. Yusuke saw a menace cloaking his rival like a funeral shroud. It was a look Yusuke would like to see on him someday after comparing scores and Yusuke coming out the better. But here it must mean something else. Something about the girls. Something bad, perhaps? Maybe something dealing with the second daughter?

"You think something happened?" he asked.

"What else," Uesugi said. He stood up, "Hurry up and help me."

Yusuke protested, "We're really doing this? What for?"

"Hurry up before everyone gets back."

Yusuke frowned and re-read the message. He hated pointless work as much as he hated disappointment. What was the purpose in switching their bags? Were they planning to switch seats all of a sudden? For what reason? It didn't make sense. What would swapping desks do for them?

Uesugi picked up Miku's backpack and turned, glaring, "Takeda, now. Consider this part of your responsibilities as their tutor."

"This has nothing to do with it."

"Yes it does. You're about to find out just what it means to hold this job," he said lowly as he moved the bag to Yotsuba's seat before returning to switch her books. Takeda rolled his eyes, but begrudgingly got to his feet and shuffled a few bags. Then Uesugi shuffled the bags again for some reason, forcing him to help a second time. It all seemed a waste of effort to Takeda.

When they finished they settled at his desk.. He noticed Uesugi prepping a message to the class rep sister. He looked away. He didn't want to know what was going on anymore and he didn't care. He idly sorting through tomorrow's lesson plan and waited for class to resume as students trickled in from lunch. He thought nothing more of those girls and everything about how to convince Uesugi to take that stupid test. Until that is, they returned.

He noticed her walk through the door. What he also noticed was an unusual plainness about her. No stars, no ribbons, no headphones to speak of. She wore nothing extra over her standard spring uniform and her face was makeup-free and natural as an Amazon. Her bangs were held apart by tiny clips and her hair was drawn behind her head in a tight bun.

And then the same girl followed behind her.

Then another.

Then another.

And another.

The five took their seats without a word. They all wore the same bored expression as if cloning was commonplace or they'd grown up in a carnival mirror maze.

"What the hell," Yusuke muttered. "They're..."

"Quintuplets," Uesugi finished.

"Can you tell them apart?"

"I can," he said without hesitating.

Yusuke looked at Uesugi in amazement. How? They looked exactly the same! He checked their hands and their nails were identical, hadn't one of them had coloring before? Even their hair looked the same. How was that possible? Two of them had sixty percent of their total hair volume and one had less than five! How did they get their buns looking identical? It defied the laws of physics!

He wasn't alone noticing this new phenomenon. Heads swiveled throughout the classroom between the sisters. A pair of girls approached Ichika's desk and asked the sister sitting there, "Um, Ichika? What's going on?"

The girl smiled, "Oh, sorry, you must have mistaken me."

"But, isn't this your desk?"

"Hmm, I guess it is now."

"Ah, and which one are you?"

"Nakano."

"Nakano?"

"Yes, just Nakano."

The same played out at all five desks.

"Just Nakano."

It was like a scene out of those paranormal dramas his father never let him watch, so he sneaked over to Maeda's house and watched them there. Everyone except for Uesugi felt like reality folded in on itself around these five identical girls.

"Just Nakano, please."

The door slammed shut, "Alright everyone, settle down. Hope you all enjoyed your lunch because play time is over and we have books to hit. Not literally of course," Mister Onizuka said. He strode to his desk and collected his papers. He looked up, paused, and scanned the room. Then he shrugged and was back on business.

Yusuke should have focused on their next lesson on the monetary crisis of the late nineties, their teacher insisted that although this wouldn't be on the exams but was imperative to understand as a citizen of the nation and the world. But he had all these clues to play with in his head and he couldn't resist piecing them together like a half-finished jigsaw puzzle on a rainy day.

Something happened. Something to put Uesugi in a rage when getting that man to express anything but apathy was an accomplishment. That probably meant it had something to do with his girlfriend. The same girl who was recently outed as a slut, although Uesugi said all that was a ploy. He believed him, he'd have heard something before if it were actually true. He kept up with all the latest gossip like following current events, a skill his father insisted was a vital to master in politics. But even if a little critical thinking dispelled the illusion, most of the school was still carrying on with it.

So Uesugi was mad because of something that probably happened to his girlfriend. This something also made these sisters discard their accessories and change their hair and appearance to look completely identical. Why would they do that? And why wouldn't they tell anyone else?

And it struck him that what happened must have hurt one of them, most likely Uesugi's girlfriend. And they thought it might happen again. So they were doing this to protect her, even if it meant sacrificing their friendships and relationships with the rest of the school. It was one of the bravest, most loving things Yusuke had ever seen.

He realized these girls were not hopeless and they were certainly not helpless. They were courageous, and strong, and resilient enough to share each other's burdens. Yusuke would never do that if he had siblings of his own. He grew up in a world where siblings were competition, and he had enough of that in his life already with peers and parental expectation. It made him thankful we was an only child. Yet here was family throwing away so much to protect their most vulnerable member. So Yusuke respected them, even if he couldn't completely understand why.

But over many months working with Uesugi as their tutor, he would learn.

~Futaro~

He was going to get them for this. It didn't matter that he was in a park six blocks away from school an hour after the last bell, he was going to find those boys and do to them what he'd planned to do to Ichika. He would have if Nino wasn't gripping his wrist like an iron manacle clasped to a streetlamp.

"Fuu, stop it now!"

"I'm going. Let go."

"No you're not!"

"They need to-"

"Dammit Futaro don't leave me alone!"

It was hard to sit still while Nino detailed her assault. It would have been harder for Futaro to ignore her cry and leave her in the park to go pick a fight. His blood surged demanding to see red, but the hand holding his wrist reminded him who all this rage was for. He couldn't temper it, but he could restrain it. For now. For her.

He allowed Nino to guide him back to the bench. She chided, "You promised me you wouldn't do anything dumb. You promised."

"Then don't make me promise something I won't keep."

"Futaro!"

"What, Nino?"

She looked at him with her big, pretty eyes he loved looking into and he knew he was weak. She said, "I don't want to see you hurt again."

Men went to war for a women as often as they avoided it. Futaro would do both for Nino, but because she asked he did the latter. But he so wanted to feel those bastards' faces with his fist. He didn't even know how to make a proper fist before, he had to look it up. He hadn't know to tuck his thumb under his fingers, he thought he left it on the side. Turns out that was a great way to break it while breaking someone's nose. He really wanted to test out his proper form on these two meatbags.

But Nino wanted him here. Which was more important? He looked down at her hands gripping him. It was the first time she touched him since before lunch.

He slumped beside her and said, "So what, then?"

Nino sighed and let go of him, saying, "You already know the rest. My sisters came for me and we agreed to change our look. We're basically the same girl now, at least to everyone in school. We'll just have to keep it up until people stop, or until we graduate and never see these people again."

Futaro nodded, "If you're trying to blend in, that means I should keep my distance during class, right?"

"Maybe a bit. But, don't ignore me, Fuu. Most of these idiots can't tell us apart. We just had to layer our buns, or for Miku and Itsuki, compress them, and we all look the same. Even Ichika can pull it off with what little hair she has. Just, be careful about who's around. It'd be awkward if someone caught us kissing in the halls. That'll probably just start rumors that you're taking all five of us as if we're you're harem or something."

"I think that's gonna happen now no matter what we do. Look what they've run with so far."

"Well no need to fuel their idiot imaginations. You can hold my hand, and kiss me when we're alone. Just be careful, okay? With the others too."

He nodded, "I will." He tried to take her hand, but she pulled away again. "Nino."

"Fuu, I'm alright."

So she said. He wasn't sure how much of it was a front, but she was telling this to herself as much as him. He asked, "What happens when you run into those guys in the halls again?"

"We already decided on that. First, none of us are going anywhere by ourselves. We're either going together or in groups, no one goes anywhere alone."

Futaro nodded, "I was going to say the same. I'll look after you, too."

"You better. Miku says we can trust Takeda as well, but I'm not sure."

He shrugged, "Maybe. He did help me with your bags. But as a last resort. If your sisters aren't available, call me. I'll come."

She continued, "Second, those two won't be going to our school anymore."

"What happened, they get expelled?"

"Not exactly. Papa worked something out with one of the chairs and a judge he's worked with before. I have a restraining order on both of them now. Papa agreed that we wouldn't press charges if we received written apologies and they agreed not to contest the restraining orders. But now that I have those, they can't come on campus without violating it. So they need to transfer."

For the best, he thought. If he saw them, he didn't know what he'd do. The thought scared him as much as it excited them. Why couldn't he control his feelings anymore? His block was gone and they all just flared up like a wildfire burning through an overgrown forest.

Nino continued, "Plus one of them is still in the hospital. I broke his foot when I stomped on it."

Futaro burst out laughing, his anger breaking into warm mirth. He turned, expecting to see Nino mirror him. She didn't even notice him. She was staring ahead contemplating the grass. Futaro realized he did not understand how deeply today affected her. Something important changed inside her.

"Futaro."

"Yes?"

"I need you to promise me something."

"Okay."

"Even if you think you can't keep it, you have to."

"I will."

"If I ever tell you to stop something, anything, whatever it is, you have to stop. Immediately."

"I promise."

"I mean it."

"I promise, Nino."

"If you break this one, I won't forgive you. I really won't." Her eyes glistened at the edge and she looked up trying to keep them in.

"I promise. I do."

Nino nodded. An off-putting silence followed. Seeing Nino quiet for so long was a sign that the world was spinning past the point of his control. It was like watching the last fire die and the city falling into endless night devoid of even starlight. Futaro remembered the life he witnessed in the concert, the dancing girl of flame he loved so dearly. What he wouldn't do to see her dance with such life again.

He reached out and asked, "Can I hold your hand?" When she hesitated, he added, "If not, that's fine." Let me be here, just like you were the other night, he asked her silently.

Nino's head dipped as if weighing her strength, then slowly moved her hand to take his.

"He held me down." She said quietly. He held her hand lightly, giving her escape if she wanted. She said, "He looked at me like, like dinner. And those people in the hall, they just watched, or walked away."

And then she looked to the sky and screamed, "Well screw them! Screw them all! I don't need them!"

Those few passerbys turned to look at the troubled woman screaming at nothing, then continued on their way in the opposite direction. Nino didn't notice. She didn't care. And she didn't cry, not again. She was done with that, no more tears for them.

Futaro held her hand and rose with her, saying, "Yeah, screw them all."

Nino rubbed her eyes and laughed, as if screaming expelled some of her doubt. "Now I know what it feels like to be you."

Futaro nodded. But he knew he couldn't do the same. Some experiences are too vivid to understand without living them. Books and accounts could only take him so far. He could read a library on the subject and still only see it as an outsider. But he understood Nino had changed, and as strong as she tried to be, she was vulnerable with new cracks for poison to seep inside. The pain of watching someone suffer knowing you could only comfort them so much, it was familiar. He felt it while watching his mother slowly die. He held Nino's hand closely fighting back the comparison. He did not want to see Nino in so much pain. He would do whatever it took to prevent it.

He said, "I'm with you, Nino."

Nino nodded, then asked, "Futaro? I'm going to ask something. I need you to answer me honestly."

"Okay."

"Did you ever believe what they say about me? Even just once?"

"No," he said instantly.

Nino tensed, "Really? Because sometimes I think, the way I acted, I might come off as...that way to you."

"I never believed them."

"How come?"

"Because, you said you love me. That's all I need to know. Whatever you did, it was because you love me. And I love you, so even if it was true I would still be here."

"But it's not true."

"I know. I always knew. And I'm still here. I know you, Nino. Believe that. I'm not leaving your side."

She nodded, then said, "Thank you. If you had, if you thought of me that way, I...I couldn't take it. Thank you." She said it so softly, yet so full of her love and appreciation that Futaro would happily get punched in the gut ten times over to hear it once more. And he would, if that's what it took.

Love truly made idiots of genius. Futaro had no regrets.

A/N

When I was in first grade, there was this girl in class who we all for some reason collectively decided was gross. I can't remember why, that's just what she was. No one wanted to be near her. When I had to sit next to her, I remember expressing disgust and disappointment. But the thing was, she wasn't any different, at least not that I can remember. I remember her smiling and being so nice to everyone. She was just a normal girl. When asked what one thing she would want in class, she asked for more people to like her. Why did we, this group of little kids, decide she was gross? Why did we do something so terrible to someone? I don't know. But looking back, I learned how badly we can treat someone for some reason that isn't really a reason at all.

Someday, the people who did that to Nino will feel the way I do now. There will never be a good excuse for behaving that way. And now Nino will endure that scorn of a diseased reputation she doesn't deserve. Despite how I frame it in the story, there's nothing wrong with a person who enjoys sex, and there's plenty wrong with slut-shaming a person for willingly engaging in consensual sex. But that's not how many see it, the virgin-whore dichotomy is still strong in many places and Nino is suffering from that now.

Which leads me to Nino's sexual assault, and yes, that is what it was. It may not be as severe as rape or any forced penetration (and this is as far as I will ever take sexual assault in this story, I am not prepared to write about such a topic and give it the perspective it warrants), but it is still a degree of sexual assault and one that many women go through. Sometimes men forget just how much bigger they are than women, and how that size has an effect. Women tend to prefer taller, larger men than themselves, but when it's used against them many are reminded of these possibilities. Most women can remember a time when men used their strength and made them feel small when they didn't want it. And Nino is not okay. Something changed in her, and that will be part of her story moving forward, with and without Futaro.

While writing the assault itself, I struggled with how to phrase it best. I settled on keep it simple, almost descriptive. Sometimes a person shuts down during an assault and things just seem to happen, and it seemed the best way to write it from Nino's perspective.

But not all is doom in this chapter, as Nino reaffirms her closest relationships and receives the support she needs from her family and lover. The story of moving on is a core character journey for Nino in this arc and the next, there's a lot left to explore and I look forward to writing.

Other characters also had progression, particularly Ichika and Yusuke. More from both of them will be seen in this arc, with Takeda playing a notably stronger role than he has in the previous two.

The next chapter will probably come with a longer gap than this one did, as I expect to be away from internet for a while longer. But I'll update when I can and hopefully will move to a more regular schedule soon. Best wishes to all, and thank you to everyone who reviews. Those were a joy to read when I got back online after being away for so long, and I look forward to reading the next batch when I return.

Chapter published: June 28th, 2022.