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Chapter 5
Yusuke Takeda
Fuutarou sat alone in the library, waiting for his pupils to arrive for today's session.
He should have been going over his lesson for the day or looking at his notes, but ever since that night at the festival he hadn't been able to concentrate and it was really starting to annoy him.
Things were suppose to have gone back to normal now that the whole thing was over, so why hadn't it? Furthermore, what was going on with Nino? Why was he still bothered by what she said that night? Why was he even thinking about it?
The urge to slam his fist down in frustration was becoming more difficult to resist. All he wanted was to get the whole damn thing over with so they could get back to studying. The final exams were three weeks away and they needed to be ready for it. They didn't have time to waste on this romance business. He was losing patience by the minute. He had done what they'd asked, so what was the big deal?
Heaving a frustrated sigh he tried to go over his notes again.
"Wow, this is the first time I've seen you like that."
Fuutarou's gaze snapped up to see Yusuke Takeda standing there.
Oh, great. Just what he needed. Another distraction.
"What's the matter? Are the Quints still giving you trouble?"
"Something like that," he replied with a shrug.
He expected him to go away after that. Instead the blonde teen sat down across from him.
"Are some of them still upset over who you chose?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
Fuutarou looked up at him again and scowled, "How do you know about that?"
Takeda frowned, "What are you talking about? The whole school knows about it. Ever since you came to that one girl's defense last week, everyone's been curious."
At first he didn't know what Takeda was talking about, then he remembered that moment when those two other girls were pestering him about who Nino liked.
"I just said that so they would leave me alone," he stated.
Takeda's frown deepened, "Uesugi, you shouldn't say something like that so carelessly. People, especially girls, take that very seriously."
"So? Why should I care?"
"It starts rumors, buddy. Maeda and I knew you liked one of the Quints and everyone else suspected it seeing how much time you've spent with them. It was clear that you'd be going out with one of them at some point. Everyone was eager to see who you would choose."
Fuutarou was dumbfounded, "Everyone?"
"Yeah, everyone. Why are you so surprised?"
"Why is everyone so damn curious?" he shot back, "What business is it of theirs?"
"What are you getting so worked up for?" Takeda now looked confused, "That's what high schoolers do. They notice things and they gossip about."
"Don't they realize that the finals are coming up? Shouldn't they be more focused on that?"
"Not everyone is a smart guy like you, Uesugi. And or course they know, but they also want to enjoy their last days of high school."
"You study as much as I do," Fuutarou reminded him.
"Yeah, but I also like to take a break from time to time and have some fun. When was the last time you did that?"
Fuutarou scoffed, "I don't have time for those kinds of things."
"Really, man?" Takeda raised a brow, "Not even with the Quints?"
"Only because I was forced to."
Takeda sighed and shook his head, "Uesugi, let me give you some advice. Studying's good and all, but if you keep treating everyone as though they're nothing but a distraction you're going to find yourself very much alone one day. You'll then will be left wondering what was the point of all."
Unable to come up with a decent counterargument, Fuutarou remained silent. He was well aware that he didn't have any close friends to speak of aside from the Quints themselves. There was also Takeda and Maeda, but he rarely hanged out with them. Still...
"That won't happen," he said.
"Oh?" Takeda didn't look convinced, "What do you plan to do once high school is over?"
The question caught him off guard. He hadn't really thought about it until recently. He had filled out those sheets asking him what he jobs he would seek after school, from a teacher to a doctor, but had never given it any serious thought.
"Well... I will be going to college," he declared.
"And after that?"
He shrugged, "I'll figure something out."
"Well, I hope you can put that knowledge of yours to good use," there was a long pause before Takeda suddenly, "Since we're on topic I might as well ask the question that everyone's been wondering about lately. Why do you like Yotsuba?"
"What?" Fuutarou blinked at him.
"Why do you like Yotsuba? I'm just asking out of curiosity. You asked her out so obviously you must like her. I don't get why you're so confused."
It took Fuutarou a minute to say something, "Well... I like her because she helped motivate me to study and become a better student. I used to a bad kid when I was younger, the total opposite of what I am now."
"What?"
For the first time since Fuutarou had known him, Takeda looked genuinely stunned.
"Hold on," the guy looked like he was having a hard time believing what Fuutarou had just told him, "You were actually a delinquent?"
"Yeah," he said nothing else.
Takeda sat there gaping at him for several seconds before he started laughing quietly.
"I don't believe it," he shook his head in disbelief.
"What's so funny?"
"You, I, all of this!" Takeda continued laughing, "I've spent my whole life trying to be the best student in school, had some of the tutors in the country, studied like madman to accomplish that goal, only to discover that my rival was once a punk who become the next Einstein in a short period of time," he shook his head, "I can't decide whether I should be insulted or impressed."
"Think whatever you like," Fuutarou rolled his eyes, "I don't really care."
"Well, whatever. So you like Yotsuba because she helped you out, okay. What else?"
"Huh?"
"Don't give me 'huh?'. What else about her do you like?"
"Um..." Fuutarou struggled to find words, "Well... she's... always been by my side."
"Uesugi, I'm not talking about what she did or didn't do for you. I'm asking about her personally. What is it about her that you like? What do you love about her?"
"Love?" the word seemed foreign to him.
Takeda stared in disbelief, "Good God, Uesugi. What's wrong with you? How can you be this naive? Alright, let me make this simple. What is it about Yotsuba that makes you like her so much? Is it her smile? Her laugh? The way she acts around you? How does she make you feel?"
Fuutarou found that he couldn't answer, because he simply didn't know.
"You really don't know?" by this point Takeda was incredulous.
"Ugh..." Fuutarou rubbed his temples, "Look, this whole thing happened because they forced me choose one of them. I've made my choice and that's the end of it. I don't want to hear about it anymore."
Takeda's frowned returned, "You make it sound as though they're nothing a bunch a nuisances."
"Well... honestly, they are," he admitted, "All of them gave me a lot of trouble in the beginning. Yotsuba was the only one who didn't, even though she's the dumbest of them all."
Takeda's frown turned dark, "So you chose her because she's dumb?"
"No," Fuutarou was now becoming very irritated, "I chose her because she never gave me any problems like the others did."
Now Takeda was scowling at him, "What's wrong with the others?"
"It would have never worked out."
"How would you know?"
"Because I do," Fuutarou was losing his patience, "Based on what I know about them and from I've read when it comes to love-"
"Oh, please," Takeda scoffed, "Reading about something isn't the same as experiencing it. You have to find out for yourself, not just go off what you read in some stupid book."
"If I'm going to be a relationship I don't want to have any problems. I don't want one pointless argument after another. I want things to stay simple and straightforward, not a whole bunch of stupid drama."
Takeda's eyes narrowed at him. He didn't look pleased,
"Uesugi, I don't mean to sound like an asshole but that is very rude and unfair, especially to the girls you rejected. Have you ever given any thought on how the others feel?"
"Of course I have, but like I said they were the ones who set this up. If they don't like my decision that's their problem, not mine."
There was a tense pause before Takeda said, "I think you're being really disrespectful toward them. I've heard nothing but great things about them."
"Yes, I know they're decent people. I like them all, but you don't know them like I do. The ones I didn't choose have problems-"
"So? Everyone has problems. Good, strong relationships are built on people understanding one another and helping them sort out their problems. Together. What you're suggesting is no different from an arranged marriage!"
Fuutarou went red in the face, "How I deal with the them is none of your damn business, Takeda."
The two were caught in an intense stare down. As it did, an animal-like scream was heard outside.
Finally Takeda stood up, still glaring at Fuutarou, "You're right, it isn't any of my business. I just hope this doesn't blow up in your face, Uesugi. In my mind you're walking a very dangerous tight rope here."
More screams were heard. As Takeda started to move away a girl behind him suddenly yelled, "Hey! What's going on down there?"
Fuutarou went back to his notes, shutting his mind off from Takeda-
"Uesugi!"
The alarm in Takeda's voice jerked his gaze back up. The blond boy was staring out the window with a look of horror on his face.
"What is it?" he quickly stood.
"Down there! Look!"
He looked over to where Takeda was pointing and saw the reason for the commotion. A fight had broken out in the school's courtyard. As he observed the scene he suddenly saw that two of his students were right among middle of it!
"What the hell?!"
"We need to get down there!" Takeda grabbed his arm, "Come on!"
While Fuutarou and Takeda were having their conversation Miku was just leaving the faculty office.
Her mind had been occupied for most of the day and the reason for it was... Takeda.
He had really taken her by surprise yesterday. Buying the book that she wanted and giving it to her as a gift was completely unexpected, but it made her very happy. She had spent the entire evening reading the opening chapters and she even had the urge to discuss it with him, to see if the things she was reading were actually true.
The fact that he was also an actual descendant of the Takeda Clan had been the last thing she expected and for some reason it excited her. Speaking of which she kept forgetting to ask any of the teachers if his heritage really was true. It would have to wait for another time since Fuutarou was waiting for her and the rest for their daily study session.
She made her way outside and went through the passageway leading to the study hall, but as she did a group of girls suddenly blocked her path. Startled, she stopped to look at them and saw that they were wearing the school uniforms of Kurobara Girls Academy. Their neckerchiefs identify them all as seniors but she didn't recognize any of them. Then the leader of the group stepped forward.
She was a tall and beautiful girl, but her eyes were cold and vicious. She crossed her arms very tightly and stared at Miku with a gaze that was openly hateful. So hateful that Miku felt a chill go down her spine. She couldn't understand why the girl was staring at her like that.
"Um... Can I help you?" she asked, trying not to sound nervous, "Are you lost?"
The girl took one step closer and Miku had to fight the urge to step back.
"What is your relationship with Takeda Yusuke?"
Miku blinked. The question was so unexpected she didn't know how to respond.
"Excuse me?"
"Don't play dumb with me, girl!" the girl gestured to one of the others standing behind her, "One of my friends saw you talking with him at the bookstore. He even gave you a book. I want to know what it was all about."
Having recovered from her initial reaction, Miku's eyes hardened and looked directly back at the rude teenager, "I'm sorry, but what business is that of yours?"
The girl seemed surprised by her sudden fortitude but only for an instant, then her eyes then turned into narrow shards.
"My name is Kuba Kayoko, and as of yesterday I am engaged to Takeda. That means we are to be married as soon as he graduates."
Miku felt her jaw drop. Takeda was engaged? He had never mentioned that before. Before it could sink into her mind the girl named Kayoko leaned even closer.
"So I will give you this warning," she threatened, "If you value your life, stay away from Takeda. He's mine now and I won't have a daughter of a slut interacting with him. Why he would even speak to someone like you is beyond me."
Miku froze. What did she just say?
But Kayako wasn't finished, "Go back to that dirty commoner you always hang out with and don't even think about approaching Takeda again."
At that moment Miku did something she had never done before. She lost her temper.
"Excuse me! I don't know who you think are but my tutor isn't some dirty commoner! He may be poor, but he's the best tutor my family and I ever had. And how dare you insult my mother like that! You know nothing about her! As for Takeda-san, him and I are classmates. Nothing more. We ran into each other at the bookstore and had a friendly conversation. He gave me a book that he bought with his own money out of kindness and generosity. And he's free to talk to whoever he wishes! You have no right to-"
The girl slapped her. Hard.
The unexpected blow knocked Miku off balanced and her shoulder collided painfully with a pillar in the passageway. Two students standing nearby stared in shock at the scene developing before them before running off to inform the teachers. Shaking away the dizziness Miku stared in shock at Kayoko, who's eyes were blazing and filled with murderous intent.
"Insolent brat. You will not address me in such a way," she paused, as if contemplating what to do, then a cruel smile came to her lips, "It seems to me you need to learn your place."
Without warning she grabbed Miku's sweater and with surprising strength she threw her right through the opening of the passageway. Having no chance to defend herself Miku fell face first into the hard ground. Stunned by what was happening, she twisted her body around and looked up to see Kayoko bearing down on her. Her face showed no mercy or pity. Even the girls behind her seemed to be enjoying this.
Miku was now scared for her life. She fully believed this girl intended to kill her!
"What is wrong with you?!" she gasped, "We're in school!"
"That's irrelevant," was Kayoko's only response.
"You're insane! Completely insane! This is going too far!"
"Not far enough, little girl."
With those cold frightening words, Kayoko her raised her foot to deliver the next strike. Miku raised her arms and close her eyes.
"Hey! What are you doing to my sister?!"
She nearly fainted with relief as she recognized the angry voice. She opened her eyes just in time to see Nino slide in front of her, holding her arms out protectively and with her two friends Yamada and Otori coming to her sides. Kayoko herself had stepped back, obviously not expecting to deal with reinforcements.
Suddenly Nino stared at her, "You..."
Kayako recognized her too and her smirk returned.
"Well, well..." the smirk turned into a cruel smile, "Hello there, Nino. I almost didn't recognize you. You cut your hair. Not much of an improvement though seeing that you're still wearing those ridiculous ribbons. Still trying to steal someone's boyfriend? Hmph. Most run in the family, seeing that your sister was trying to do the same thing."
Nino ignored her and glanced back at Miku. When she saw the reddening hand print on Miku's cheek and the smudges of dirt on her face her head snapped back to Kayoko with fury in her eyes.
"Did you hit her?!" she screamed.
Kayako snorted as though it was no big deal, "I was merely reminding her where her place was."
"Her place? What the hell are you talking about?"
"Since you're her sister you should remind her to stay with her own kind. She is not to-"
"I don't know what you're getting at, bitch," Nino's coldly warned, "but you better get out of here before I start beating you to a pulp, which is what I should've done back in Kurobara."
Kayako's eyes flashed, "You so much as touch me and I'll-"
Nino took one step forward, cocked her arm, and delivered a devastating blow to Kayoko's jaw.
It happened so quickly the girl wasn't prepared for it. She stumbled backwards and would have fallen had her friends not caught her. She placed a hand to her face and when she moved it away there blood on her fingers, caused by the deep cut on her lip. Her eyes snapped back to Nino, who stood there with her fists raised and eyes locked right on her.
"You gonna do what, bitch?" she challenged, "You're not at Kurobara right now, bitch."
Kayoko's features contorted and with a scream of inhuman rage she launched herself at Nino. From there all hell broke loose.
The incident quickly turned into a brawl. Kayoko was on the ground wrestling with Nino while Nino's friends took on the rest of her group. Miku herself was caught right in the middle of it. Twice she tried to stand up and both times she was knocked back down. Then something came down hard on her ankle and she cried out in pain. She lay flat on the ground and covered her head with her arms while her eyes burned. There was a great deal of yelling, screaming, and cursing followed by the sounds of blows being delivered. Then she heard several angry male voices and the sounds of a struggle before everything went quiet.
"Miku-san?"
On a gasp, her body stopped shaking. The soothing voice of Takeda-san instantly calmed her down. Slowly she moved her arms away and she opened her eyes to see him kneeling by her side, his eyes scared and face filled with concern. She was so glad to him she almost threw herself into his chest.
"You okay, Miku-san?" he leaned closer and looked at her. When he saw the mark on her cheek his gaze hardened and he spun around. Miku lifted her head and saw that the fight had been broken up.
Some of the male teachers and several male students were holding back Kayoko and her group. Their hair was a mess and their uniforms were torn, some even holding speckles of blood. Kayoko herself was struggling to free herself from the heavily muscled PE teacher while cursing and threatening him. To her right Miku saw Fuutarou with Nino, who was holding her arm and grimacing in pain while Fuutarou looked at it. Behind Nino were here friends, both catching their breath but showing no signs of serious injuries.
"Did you do this, Kuba-san?" Takeda was furious, "Did you hit her?"
Kuba didn't look the least bit bothered by what she had just done, "You ought to pick who you associate more carefully, Takeda. It could reflect badly on your family's prestige."
"Who I choose to interact with and who I choose as my friends is none of your damn business! What the hell were you trying to do here?"
"I came here to remind that girl she doesn't belong to our circle," she pointed to Miku and Nino, "Did you know that their mother once went to my school? Did you know that she got pregnant while she was there?"
The very air went still as everyone looked at her in shock
Kayoko smiled cruelly, "That's right. Their mother was nothing but a dirty-"
Fuutarou was yanked forward as Nino tried to charge at her. It took him and both of Nino's friends to restrain her.
"Why you piece of-" she tried to free herself, "How dare you!"
"Nino! Stop!" Fuutarou cried, "Control yourself!"
"That's right. You should listen to him, Nino, for it is the truth," Kayoko smirked before turning her attention back to Takeda, "So you see, Takeda, I came here to warn that girl to stay away from you. Did you forget that you're now engaged to me?"
Everyone looked at Takeda in surprise, who was looking at Kayoko with cold eyes.
"So you came here to scare her off by assaulting her?"
She blinked, then her eyes blazed, "Did you not hear what I said? Her mother-"
"I don't care who or what her mother was," he firmly declared, "Miku-san is her very own person. The circumstances of her birth doesn't change that."
Miku's breath caught, and both Fuutarou and Nino looked at him in surprise.
Kayoko became even angrier, "I am doing this to protect you!"
"Bullshit," Takeda shot back, "You're jealous just because I spoke to another girl."
"You know nothing about her!"
"You're right. I don't know much, but I do know this. She's a far better person than you will ever hope to be. That's all I need to know," he shook his head at her, "I knew there was something wrong with you the moment we met. The engagement is now off! For good! You hear me? Don't ever show your face to me again! If you ever lay a finger on her or anyone else I know, I will see to it personally that you spend the rest of your life in jail."
Kayoko went red with fury, "Oh. So that's how it is. Instead of marrying one of your own kind, your prefer a low life-"
"Don't insult her," Takeda's voice turned deadly, "I won't warn you again," he turned to the PE teacher, "Get her out of my sight!"
Neither the teacher or the students argued and they dragged Kayoko and her group away.
"You'll regret this, Takeda!" she screamed.
The blonde boy ignored her and turned his entire attention to Miku.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked.
"Someone stepped on my ankle and my face stings, but I'm okay for the most," she replied, still visibly shaken as she turned to her sister, "Are you okay, Nino?"
"Yeah," she heard her sister hiss, "Crazy bitch tried to pull my arm off!"
"We better get you to the nurse's office," said Fuutarou.
"Yeah, we better," Takeda agreed, "Can you stand, Miku-san?"
Miku brushed back a few strands of loose hair from her face. As she did she realized that something was missing.
"My headphones."
"What's that?" Takeda leaned closer.
"My headphones," Miku looked around, "Where are my... headphones..."
Her voice died at the last word and when everyone followed her gaze they saw why.
Miku's blue headphones, her most prized possession, laid on the ground beside her. During the brawl it had been knocked off of her shoulders. Now it lay in several pieces, broken beyond repair. With a trembling hand she reached over and picked up a crushed earmuff.
"My headphones," her voice was so quiet it was barely audible. She looked like someone who just lost their best friend, "My headphones."
Gently, Takeda took the broken piece from her, "Not to sound mean, but be grateful that wasn't how you ended up."
She gave a silent nod but she couldn't look away from what was left of her precious headphones.
"We need to get to the nurse so she can look at that ankle," he reminded her, "Now, can you stand up?"
Miku took his hand and he started to pull her up, but as he did white hot pain shot through her left leg. She cried out and Takeda gently set her back down. Moving his hands to her leg he carefully place his fingers on the place where it hurt most.
"I'm gonna take off your shoe, okay?"
She gave a quick nod and he slowly removed it, hissing several times before he finally got it off. He gently lifted her foot and carefully examined it. It was already swelling around the ankle.
"Can't tell through the pantyhose," his said a moment later, "but I definitely think it's sprained."
Fuutarou and Nino moved closer.
"Can we carry her by having her arms around our shoulders?" Fuutarou suggested.
Takeda shook his head, "It would take too long, and she shouldn't put any weight on that foot."
He set Miku's foot down and leaned back, as if trying to see what to do instead, before heaving a sigh.
"Guess I got no choice. Here, hold onto this," he handed the shoe to Fuutarou, "I'll carry her while you two follow," he turned back to Miku, "Put your arms around my neck."
Still in a daze, she did what he asked. It was only when he placed one arm around her back and the other under her knees that she realized what he intended to do.
"Wait, Takeda-san! What are you-"
"Pardon me, Miku-san."
She gasped as Takeda effortlessly lifted her up in his arms. Her entire body went still and her face burned, extending all the way down to her neck. In that one instant she forgot about everything. Her mind was overwhelmed by the fact that she was now being carried like a princess! Never in her entire life did she imagine being in situation like this!
"Just relax and don't squirm. It's only a short trip there," Takeda looked over at Nino's friends, "What about you girls?"
"We're okay! We're not hurt," Otori assured, "Take it easy, Nino-chan!"
"Yeah," Nino replied back, "Thanks for helping me out, you guys. I'll see you later!"
Still holding her arm, Fuutarou placed his hands on Nino's shoulders and fell in behind Takeda.
"Make way! Make way!" Takeda shouted ahead, "Hold that door open please! Thank you!"
He carried Miku through the crowd and down the hall, being extra careful not to bang her injured foot against anything. Not once did he notice that she was blushing furiously.
"Um, Takeda-san?" she whispered, "Everyone's watching!"
"So?" Let them watch," he grunted, "You're hurt. That's all I care about."
Miku said nothing more. There was nothing she could do about her predicament she forced herself to relax in Takeda's arms. Soon they reached the infirmary where the head nurse was waiting for them.
"She has an injured ankle," Takeda quickly explained, "most likely sprained."
The nurse nodded pointed to one of the beds, "Place her down right there. What about the other one?"
"Injured arm," said Fuutarou, "but it doesn't look serious."
"Okay, have her sit down there while I take care of the other first."
Takeda set Miku down on the bed as the nurse came over while Nino sat down in a chair with Fuutarou staying by her side.
"We need to remove that," the nurse pointed to Miku's pantyhose.
Takeda took off her other shoe and politely turned away while the nurse helped Miku ease down her pantyhose. Once it was removed, Miku stared in horror at the state of her ankle. It was badly swollen and there was a nasty bruise forming right where she'd been stepped on.
"Oh, yeah," the nurse confirmed with one look, "That's definitely sprained. Hey, Yusuke-kun? There's some ice packs in the mini-freezer over there. Can you grab one?"
"Sure," Takeda went over and retrieved one before coming back to Miku, "This will sting," he warned.
Her sharp gasp filled the entire room as Takeda pressed ice pack against the swelling. Taking several deep breaths, she looked at him.
"Thank you," she said, "For doing this."
He gave her a soft smile, "Don't mention it."
The nurse came back and wrapped both her swollen ankle and the ice pack together.
"Try not to moved too much, okay?" once Miku was comfortable she moved over to Nino, "Alright, let's take a look at that arm."
She started examined Nino's arm when the group heard the sounds of running footsteps before the door was yanked opened to reveal the other three quints.
"Hey!" Yotsuba gasped, "We came as soon as we were told!"
"You guys okays?" said Ichika.
"Oh, my God! Miku!" Itsuki rushed over to her, "What happened to you?"
"Hey, calm down everyone!" ordered Fuutarou, "Miku's still bit shaken."
"No, no. It's fine," Miku waved, "I'm okay now."
Taking her time she explained the entire event, including the fact that she had met Takeda at the bookstore yesterday. When she finished her sisters all had murder in their eyes. Fuutarou then explained how Takeda had seen the event while talking to him.
"You got to be kidding me! She attacked you just because you spoke to Takeda-san?" Yotsuba was incredulous, "Who does she think she is?!"
"It wasn't that," Miku replied, "What really set her off was when I spoke in his defense. That was when she slapped me."
"And that's not all," said Nino, "It was actually Kayako. Remember her?"
Ichika, Miku, ans Itsuki stared at her while Yotsuba was confused.
"Wait..." Itsuki thought back, "You mean the girl who..."
Nino nodded, "The very one."
"She also said that our mother was... was..." Miku couldn't say the word.
"Was a slut," Nino finished for her.
"She what?!"
Right away the other three quints were furious.
"Where is she right now?" Ichika was a raging bull, "I'm gonna beat the living crap out of her!"
"She's already been booted off campus," stated Fuutarou.
"Well, she better hope we never see her again!"
Just then there was a knock at the door and it opened to reveal the principal himself. Takeda immediately stood, his face set. Clearly he was wondering what his father would say to him in the aftermath of this incident.
The principal looked at his son before seeing Miku. He approached the bed and bowed to her, "I would like to offer my sincere apologies for what happened today, Nakano-san. Rest assured that the people who did this are being dealt with as we speak."
"Thank you," she bowed her head in return.
The principal straightened and turned away, not once looking at Takeda.
"I want to speak with you after school, Yusuke," he said over his shoulder.
"Fine, but I want to make it clear that I am not going to marry that girl no matter what you say," Takeda firmly declared.
The principal seemed to stiffen, "Yes, I thought you would say that. That's perfectly fine. Clearly she isn't suited to be a member of the family. Not to worry, I will find you another bride soon."
He was totally unaware of everyone frowning at him. The short exchange made it clear that he didn't care about Takeda's own feelings. Miku looked at the blonde boy and saw that he was struggling to keep his composure.
"Come to my office when school is over," the principal left the room.
The moment the door slid shut, the nurse cursed at him and turned to Takeda, "You really need to stand up to him, Yusuke-kun. Otherwise you're never going to accomplish your dream."
"I know," Takeda sighed deeply, "I know.
"That girl was your fiance?" Itsuki looked at Takeda, "Is that true?"
Takeda sighed, "That's what she believed even though there had been no official announcement yet, not that it matters anymore. I broke it off the moment she did this," he pointed to Miku, "I was introduced to her and her family last week and right away I knew something wasn't right with her, but I never imagine she would go this far."
"I don't get it," said a confused Yotsuba, "Why is your dad-the principal-trying to marry you off? You're not even out of high school yet!"
Takeda hesitated, as though he was debating whether he should say anything or not.
"Maybe you should tell them, Yusuke-kun," the head nurse pointed out, "Like it or not, they're pretty much involved now."
Everyone turned their attention to him. After thinking about it for a moment he bobbed his head.
"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I should," he leaned back against the cabinet behind him, "It's true that my dad and I don't get along too well, to the point that we openly detest each other, but... it wasn't always like that. We used to be one happy family, but that all changed when Mom died."
The others blinked.
"You lost your mother?" Miku asked.
Takeda closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes he said, "She was murdered when I was ten."
The room went dead silent.
"Murdered?"
"You're kidding..."
"Oh, my God."
Takeda sadly nodded, "It was eight years ago, but I remember. My family joined up with another, friends of theirs from high school, for summer vacation down in Okinawa. We used to a have a summer house down there. One night, Dad was upstairs in my room playing a game with me while Mom was outside enjoying the night air. When he came down after I went to bed, he couldn't find her. He thought she was visiting their friends next door but they too hadn't seen her. They looked everywhere but she had completely vanished. Dad soon panicked and called the police."
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply again. Beside him, the head nurse sniffed.
"At dawn the next day they found her body in an empty shack, several miles away," Takeda opened his eyes again and wiped away a tear, "It was obvious that she... suffered horribly before she died."
The other teenagers didn't have to guess what he meant by that.
"I am so sorry," Miku whispered. She couldn't imagine the pain he went through after learning of his mother's death.
"Did they ever catch the guy who did it?" asked Fuutarou.
"Yes, but it did little to ease the pain," he sighed deeply, "Dad was never the same after that. He felt that he had completely failed to protect his wife. He blames himself for her death, but I think he also blames me as well."
"Why?" asked Ichika.
"Because he believes that if he hadn't been in my room that night, he could prevented her death."
"That ridiculous!" exclaimed Nino, "Why should he blame you? Neither of you could have known that was going to happen! Neither of you were at fault!"
"I know. That's what my relatives and I have been trying tell him over the years but he won't listen. He gets mad and even violent sometimes whenever we mention her. He's even struck me a few times whenever I do."
"Oh, my God," Itsuki shook her head, "I don't believe it."
"But what does that have to with you getting married?" asked Yotsuba.
Takeda sighed again, "Originally I thought he just wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible since I am the heir and it's my duty, but over time I've become convinced that he has a more sinister reason. I may be overthinking it but I really do believe that he's become suicidal. Him being the head of the family is the only thing that's kept him going. Once I take over, he'll have nothing left to live for. And from there..."
"You believe he'll take his own life," Miku finished.
"Yeah," he nodded, "I really do."
There was a long moment of silence.
"Man, you really have it rough," said Fuutarou, "I honestly feel sorry for having treated you so poorly."
The others nodded in agreement. When they first met Takeda they had been put off by his overbearing attitude. The boy they saw now was nothing like the guy they knew before. His story really was a sad one. Both Fuutarou and the Quints had lost their mothers due to illness, but Takeda's had died a horrible death. One that not only destroyed his family but left his relationship with his father estranged.
"When we first met you," said Ichika, "was that cocky attitude of yours just a front?"
Takeda chuckled, "Yeah, pretty much. I'm sorry if the way I behaved back then offended you. Like I told Miku-san yesterday, it is true that I wanted to beat Uesugi, but the whole tutoring thing was Dad's idea, not mine. He's developed this twisted mentality that the Takedas need to be number one in everything and that I needed to present a good image at all times because it's expected of me."
"Oh," Ichika nodded, "That's makes sense."
"It really got under his skin that Uesugi was number one student and not me," Takeda pointed to Fuutarou, "When I couldn't get the job as your new tutor Dad took matters into his own hands by giving me the answer sheets for then upcoming SAT tests."
"What?" all the quints were stunned.
"Yeah," Fuutarou nodded, "It's true. Takeda showed me those very sheets. Then he threw them away."
"I told Uesugi that I was going to beat him using my own strengths," he explained, "Not by using a handicap."
Miku was amazed by his honesty, "You really weren't going to use them?"
"Hell, no," he vehemently replied, "The Takeda-clan is famous for upholding in a strict code of honor. No way in hell I'm going to tarnish that by doing something as trivial as cheating on a stupid test."
"Well, you did beat me after all," Fuutarou gestured to the quints, "but only because I got distracted by them."
"Yeah," Takeda grinned, "I guess I got lucky."
All of them shared a soft laugh before Itsuki stood and bowed respectfully to Takeda.
"I am very sorry for your loss and everything you've been going through over the years," she said, "On behalf of all of us, than you for stepping in to help Miku. We also like to apologize for the way we treated you before."
"It's fine," he waved away the apology, "I don't hold it against you guys. I'm just glad she wasn't seriously injured."
He gave Miku a warm smile and she blushed. She quickly turned her attention to the head nurse.
"Is it true? About Takeda-san's heritage?"
"Oh, yes!" she grinned and looked at Takeda proudly, "If fact, he's gonna history for the clan one day!"
"Ugh," Takeda rolled his eyes, "You don't need to bring that up."
"Why not?" she pouted, "It's a wonderful dream of yours! One you should be very proud of!"
"Your dream?" Miku asked. The other quints were now curious.
"Oh, yeah," said Fuutarou, "I remember you mentioning that you wanted to become an astronaut."
"An astronaut?" Yotsuba's eyes went wide, "That's really cool!"
Takeda glared at the grinning head nurse before turning back to them.
"It's true," he admitted, "My dream is to become an astronaut, but I'm going to join the Air Force first to become a pilot. There's speculation going on right now that Japan's Space Program may be developing it's own version of NASA's famous Space Shuttle. If so, I'm hoping to be among the first to pilot it."
"Wow," Ichika echoed the thoughts of the others, "That really is a wonderful dream. I hope you achieve it, Takeda-san."
"Thanks," he nodded, "I hope so too."
Fuutarou glanced at his watch, "We should get going. We still have a study session to do. How's your arm, Nino?"
"She'll be fine," said the head nurse, "Just rub some pain relief on it when you get home."
"I'll do that," nodded Nino, "Thank you."
"I'll have to keep your sister here for the day. She should get a ride home after school."
"We'll take care of that," said Itsuki,
"Take it easy, Miku!" Yotsuba waved, "We'll see you later."
"Don't the give the nurse a hard time," grinned Ichika.
"I won't," Miku rolled her eyes.
"I'll hand your sisters a test sheet for them to give you later," said Fuutarou.
The four quints and their tutor left the room. Takeda was the last to leave.
"Well, I'll see you later."
"Wait, Yusuke..."
"Hmm?" he turned to face her.
Miku felt her cheeks warm when she realized she had used his first name without thinking.
"Thank you again for... for the coming to my rescue," she blushed even further.
Takeda smiled at her again and said, "You're very welcome... Miku."
After he left the nurse came to her side to help her lie down.
"It's been a long time since I've seen him smile like that," she said, "I think he's smitten with you."
Miku ignored that and said, "You seem to know him rather well."
"I've known since the day he was born. I was close friends with his mom. When she died I made a promise that I would look after him."
When Takeda left the room he walked some distance down the hall before he stopped and reached into his back pocket. Taking out his wallet, he pulled out a picture. Of him, when he five years-old, and his mother. He stood there for several minutes staring at it as the memories came back to him. It had been a long time since he'd talked about her. His fingers then shifted and from behind that picture came the other one that he secretly carried.