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Chapter 13
The Fairy Tale That Never Existed
Yotsuba silently waited as Chihori approached. It only took one look for her to know that something happened. She looked concerned, but also genuinely curious. She must have been eager to hear what had transpired. She stood in front of Yotsuba and waited for her to speak.
Finally she said, "You were right. Everything you said about Fuutarou... it was all true. I also told my sisters the whole truth about me. I've been kicked out as a result."
Chihori didn't say anything. She sat down on the bench and gestured for Yotsuba to do the same.
"How did you find out what school I went to?" she asked.
"I ran into some of your classmates. I told them I was an old friend of yours and that I wanted to pay a visit. They gave me directions."
Chihori nodded and took a deep breath.
"What happened?"
Yotsuba sighed, "I did what you suggested. I went on a date with Fuutarou and I watched his behavior," she shook her head, "He never paid any attention to me. He just kept looking at his flash notes instead. Then, when it was all over, he asked me to marry him."
"He what?" Chihori was thoroughly stunned, "Wow, I didn't expect that."
"I then asked him why he couldn't have dated any of my sisters."
"And?"
"He said that it would have been too hard."
Chihori snorted, "Yeah, I figured as much."
Yotsuba's clenched her fists as she remembered that moment, "The things he said about my sisters, the way he said it, and why he chose me, it made me so angry that I..."
"Punched him in the face, I know."
Yotsuba looked at her, startled, "How?"
"My boyfriend and I were also on a date that day. We were on our way back when we ran into Fuutarou. He was holding an ice pack to his cheek," Chihori tapped the very spot, "You must have hit him pretty damn hard. His whole cheek was swollen."
"You talked with him then?"
"I did. It turns out that there was one thing I was wrong about."
Yotsuba's brows lifted, "What's that?"
"About him having no concept of love. I was wrong. It's not that he doesn't understand it. It's the other way around. He's terrified of love."
"Terrified?" Yotsuba hadn't expected that, "Why?"
Chihori sighed, "It all has to do with his mother."
"His mother?"
Chihori explained Fuutarou's relationship with his mother and how much it changed him after she died.
"Oh, my God. I didn't know that. No wonder he never talked about her," she remembered how little Fuutarou thought of love and romance. She even remembered when Miku asked who type was. The three answers he gave were more centered around the memory of his mother, not necessarily towards his sister, "And you're saying that was the real reason why he chose me?"
"More or less," said Chihori, "He basically wanted a life where he was in control of everything. Your feelings, his feelings, your sisters' feelings, didn't matter. He just wanted that loyal, unconditional support again like he did when his mom was alive."
Yotsuba shook her head, "How did none of us realize that there was something wrong with him?"
"Because you blindly believed he was a good guy because he wasn't like the rest. You never tried to get to know him on a more personal level. Another reason was that he hid it so well, just as you did."
She couldn't argue with that.
"So what happened next? What happened after you left Fuutarou behind?"
She told about how she came across her stepdad, how she told him everything that had happened from the time Fuutarou first became their tutor, and about Maruo's and Isanari's confrontation with them the next day.
"How did your sisters take it?" Chihori asked the inevitable question, "How did they react when they saw that Fuutarou wasn't the person they thought he was?"
Yotsuba shivered and held her arms.
"They... they took it really hard. Especially..."
"Especially?"
She sobbed before forcing out, "Nino, the one who competed for Fuutarou the hardest... she took it badly. So badly that she..."
"That she?"
She sobbed again, "She had a nervous breakdown."
She didn't see Chihori stiffen all of a sudden.
"It was so awful. It happened right in front of me. The way she cried... I can't get it out of my head. I can't go to sleep because of it."
For a while Chihori didn't say anything. She seemed to be lost in thought.
Then she asked, "She broke down just because of Fuutarou?"
Yotsuba shook her head, "It wasn't just him. A lot of things happened to her before he came into our lives, some of which I didn't even know about until now."
Chihori suddenly touched her arm, "What things?"
Yotsuba looked at her and saw she that she was deeply concerned.
"Tell me," Chihori begged, "Please. I need to know."
At the same time Yotsuba was speaking with Chihori, Fuutarou was busy cleaning the restaurant. He had been allowed to keep his job but his Dad wouldn't allow him to return to school until the day of the final exam. He was also not allowed to see the quints again until he finally realized his mistakes and apologized.
Fuutarou already knew what his mistakes were. He wasn't ready to face it just yet. His cold, unfeeling behavior had hurt everyone around him, from his family to the quints. Their hurt faces had kept him up at night, but it was Nino's cry of despair that made him afraid to go to sleep.
The boss had been told about Nino's illness but was given no further detail. This left him rather shorthanded. Nino had become his prized cook and baker. He had to call in a couple friends to take her place. Since Fuutarou couldn't cook worth a damn he was regulated to working as both a waiter and a cleaner.
It was incredibly lonely and quiet without Nino around. Even the boss looked depressed. Fuutarou often found himself glancing at the kitchen entrance and remembering that night when she confessed her love to him. For the second time, he recalled.
He remembered it like it was yesterday. She just came right up and said those three fateful words without hesitation. At first he had thought she was just playing a game with him like she always did, but when he saw that she was being dead serious he had gone into shock. He had just told the quints earlier that no girl would ever confess to someone like him. Yet Nino, the very last person he ever expected to do it, did it. While she had undoubtedly been embarrassed she didn't back down. She had said it and she meant it. He had to admire her courage and determination. However...
He thought back to what Chihori had told him about how Nino's confession had scared him and he knew that it was true. It had scared him to death. The aftermath of Hatsuka's confession had left him traumatized and he was determined to never approach the subject of love ever again. Nino's confession did make him consider it again and he tried to avoid making the same mistake by... well, studying about it. A lot of good it did. He ended doing the exact same thing as before but only worse.
Everyone had every right to be angry with him. He fully deserved it. Even Raiha...
The instant they returned home Isanari sent Fuutarou straight to his room and told him not to come out until he learned his lesson before heading back to work.
Later that evening Raiha came into his room with a tray of green tea yet looking more furious than she'd ever been.
"Dad just told me everything," she said, eyes cold.
"Raiha..." he groaned as he sat up, "Please. I'm not in the mood for another lecture."
But that made her even more irritated.
"Well, too bad. I think I deserve to have my say in the matter."
She placed the tray on the little table and sat down, gesturing impatiently for him to take a cup.
"Take it," she ordered, "before I end up tossing it in your face."
Fuutarou flinched. He'd never seen his little sister this angry before. He had the feeling she would really do what she threatened and so he took his cup.
"Why did you choose Yotsuba?" Raiha suddenly asked a minute later.
He blinked in surprise, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Why did you choose Yotsuba? I honestly thought you would go out with Itsuki."
He gaped at her. Whatever caused he to think that? Just because Itsuki had visited their home and spent time with them?
"I thought you liked Yotsuba," he said
"I do. I got along with all of them, but it was Itsuki I like the most. I thought it would be the same for you."
Now he was confused, "Why do you think that?"
"Yotsuba is a good friend, but not reliable as a person."
He blinked again. He always suspected that Raiha was intelligent beyond her years, but he didn't expect her to be this sharp.
"Itsuki is the complete opposite," she went on, "She cares about the people around her. She honestly reminds me a great deal of Mom. I really believed that you would have seen the same thing too given all the time you two spent together, like when she was staying with us."
Fuutarou recalled that brief period of when Itsuki had stayed at his place after her fight with Nino. He remembered when they took a late night stroll together on a moonlit night. He also remembered how she had used the phrase, "The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" multiple times. Did she have feelings for him as early as that? Had she been trying to express them without actually saying it out loud?
"So I'll ask again," Raiha's voice brought him back to the present, "Why did you choose Yotsuba and not Itsuki?"
He really didn't want to answer but he knew Raiha wouldn't let up until she got an answer.
"Because..." he sighed, "I chose Yotsuba because she always supported me."
She stared at him, unimpressed.
"That's it?"
Fuutaoru just shrugged, "Yeah."
Raiha snorted and sipped her tea, "Why am I not surprised? In what way did she support you?"
"Well..." he hesitated, "She... she always supported me from the start."
"And Itsuki didn't?" Raiha set her cup down in frustration, "Let's try this again. Did Yotsuba support you the same way Itsuki did?"
"Raiha... I don't know what you're trying to get at."
"Oh, you don't, huh?" his sister actually growled, "Let me explain it to you then. Yotsuba only supported you from behind. As far as I can tell she never did anything to really help you when you needed it. Itsuki did. Not only did she try to help you but she supported us as well. Don't believe me? Let me list just some of the things she did. She always made sure you, me, and Dad were doing well, came by to visit us whenever she could, tried to help you get along with her sisters so your job would be easier, gave you helpful advice, and she treated you with respect whenever it was earned. Now what did Yotsuba do in comparison? Go on, tell me."
Fuutarou couldn't answer because he couldn't think of a single time that Yotsuba had supported in anything beyond saying that she always would.
"Judging by your silence I'm going to say practically nothing," Raiha went on, "Itsuki did more to support you than she did, probably more than all the others combined. So if your choice was based on who supported you the most, then how is it that Itsuki is not your girlfriend? I'll tell you why. Because you're convinced that it wouldn't have worked out. It would have been too hard, too much trouble, too many problems, and you hate problems," she suddenly turned away and sniffed, "I feel so bad for Itsuki. She did so much for you and you weren't even nice enough to thank her!"
She's right, he realized. Itsuki had gone above and beyond to support him and his family because that was how much she cared. No matter how many times they argued she never hesitated to help him in any way she could. Not once had Yotsuba supported him in that way. Why hadn't she since she was always by his side?
"Why do you say that Yotsuba was unreliable?" he asked.
"Because she's too much like me," Raiha's answer surprised him, "If you were to get married one day I don't want you to have someone it will just be my replacement once you start living on your own. I want someone who will actually take good care of you and will always love you. Itsuki is more mature and level-headed while Yotsuba..." she shook her head, "As much as I like her she's too much like a child. She's not responsible. Plus... I don't trust her. Especially when she's alone with you."
That statement took him off guard and he frowned.
"Why?"
She sat there for a while, gazing into the distance as though she was remembering something.
"Do you remember that time..." she ran her little fingers nervously around her cup, "when you got cream on your face and Yotsuba just leaned in and licked it right off? Remember how she did it in front of her sisters? In front of me?"
He thought back and remembered. Yeah, that had been strange and unexpected.
"What of it?" he asked.
Raiha hesitated before saying, "Right after she it, and this could've been my imagine, but I could've sworn I saw her smirking. And there was this look in her eye that scared me. Ever since then I've always had this uneasy feeling whenever I'm around her."
His frowned deepened, "What didn't you mention it to me before?"
"Because I wasn't sure what I saw. That said, if I were to choose which of the two I like you to be with, it would be Itsuki. Even with all the fights you got into I know she would have taken good care of you if you had given her the chance, but that wasn't what you wanted."
He almost groaned, "I just didn't want a difficult relationship, Raiha."
"No, you just wanted someone who would do nothing but adore you so you wouldn't have to pay too much attention to her. That way, if it didn't work out in the end, you can blame it all on her and walk away without a second thought."
His jaw dropped, "I wouldn't do that!"
"Yes, you would," Raiha's gaze hardened, "I've watched closely over the years. Whenever you're faced with something you can't handle you walk away. Every. Single. Time. You never try to push on through and make the best of it. You always give up when it becomes too difficult."
"I kept my job as their tutor!" he argued.
"Only because you were forced to! You only stuck with it because we desperately needed the money. You were ready to walk away the first chance you got. The only reason why you stayed was because they wouldn't let you leave. You just went along with it because it was easier than trying to argue with them. Face it. You're lazy, Big Brother. Always have been."
He gaped at her again. Did his sister really see through him that easily?
"Dad was right," she finished her tea, "You never did get over Mom's death."
He stiffened, "Raiha... don't."
"Why?" her gaze hardened again, "Has it gotten to the point where you can't stand the very mention of her?"
He swallowed, "Raiha, Mom's gone. She's not coming back. There's nothing more to say-"
Raiha slammed her cup on the table, "Fuutarou!"
The way she snapped his name made him jump and suddenly he felt like a six year-old again. He stared at Raiha with wide eyes and he realized he wasn't seeing his sister anymore. He was seeing his mother. It never occurred to him until now just how much she resembled her.
"Do you even remember our mom?" Raiha asked him point blank.
He blinked several times, "Of-Of course I do!"
"Do you cherish her memory?"
"Y-Yeah."
"I don't believe you. You wanna know why? You hesitated. Twice. That tells me everything. You don't sound like someone who lost their mom. You sound like someone who believes he was abandoned by her and you still can't understand why. I still remember to this day how much you begged her not to die, to not to leave you."
Fuutarou shuddered as he remembered. It was exactly what Chihori had told him last night.
"Raiha..." he swallowed, "You don't know how much Mom meant to me."
"She meant a great deal to me too, and I barely got to know her!" tears started to form in Raiha's eyes, "I cherish those few moments I had with her. It was worth going into debt and living in this rundown apartment. You think you have it bad? What about Dad? He lost the love of his life because of something he had no control over! He had to watch as she slowly died before his eyes. Every night he cried in his bed. He was helpless! He couldn't do anything for her! And yet you sit there and act like you're the only one who suffered!"
Fuutarou could only sit there as she started sobbing.
"Why are you like this, Fuutarou? Don't you ever think about anything besides yourself? I can't take this anymore! It's bad enough that I have to take care of the house when you and Dad are gone, but it's even worse that I have to constantly look after you as well. It shouldn't be like that! Younger siblings should look up to their older ones, but every time I look at you I see nothing but disappointment. You've never been there to support me."
His heart stopped, "Th-That's not true, Raiha! I've been doing everything I can to support you and Dad. To help pay off our debt-"
"I'm not talking about that! I can care less about the debt! I'm talking about you supporting me as a brother!" her tears were flowing freely now, "Where is my brother? Where has he been all these years?"
The question shook his very soul and he remembered what Yotsuba had said.
What happened to you Fuutarou? Where the guy I met six years ago?
"When Mom died I promised her that I would look after you, but after all this time I feel like I've been looking after a stranger who happens to be living with us. Other times I feel like you're just using me as a replacement for Mom. I'm not Mom, Big Brother. I'm your sister! Why can't you treat me as such? We've never done anything together, and whenever Dad takes us somewhere you're never there. You're always off somewhere else! You don't even come with us whenever we visit Mom's grave! You just lock yourself in your room and study your stupid notes all the time! I can't remember the last time we had fun together. Don't you know how sad that makes me feel? I can't even enjoy being a kid because I always have to be here. I can never be with my friends, talk about the things they know, or go to the places they do. I'm stuck here forever!"
Fuutarou stared at her, a tidal wave of newfound guilt washed over him. Raiha had worked so hard to keep her family together at the cost of her happiness. It was unfair that she wasn't able to enjoy her own life.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't know you felt that way."
"Of course you didn't," she said bitterly as she collected their cups, "You never pay attention to what's going on around you. You're always thinking about yourself. Why do you think Itsuki always got so irritated with you whenever she tried to explain something that's so easy for anyone else to understand?"
"Why didn't you just tell me?"
"What difference would it make? Half the money we make anyway goes straight to the bills and the rest goes to paying off our debt. We only have enough to get by until the next check comes in," she wiped tears from her eyes, "I was so happy when I was with the quints. I felt like I was part of a real family. When I was with Itsuki I felt like I was with Mom again. Now they're gone, because you pushed them away! Just like you've done with everyone else! You just won't let anyone into your heart! Not even me! We can't go on like this! You can't go on like this! You're about to graduate and you'll soon be leaving this place. When that happens... I'll be all alone!"
Those last words crushed him as he finally realized just how much pain he had caused in his own home. In his desperation to escape his pain not only had he hurt his sister but he had completely let her down as a brother. He had no one to blame but himself.
"I'm sorry, Raiha," he said again, "I never meant to hurt you."
"So you say, but that's all you've done ever since Mom died."
Raiha picked up the tray and left, leaving him alone once again.
Ever since that conversation Fuutarou had been wondering what he could do to make it up to his sister. He had hurt her worse than he had with the quints simply because she was family. When he first began to study seriously his goal was to make sure she would always have a smile on her face, but all he had done instead was make her miserable. He really wondered what he could do to have her smile again and up for all the time they lost.
His thoughts returned to the quints. For the past few days he'd been wondering why Nino had pursued him so much compared to the others. At first he assumed she had the biggest infatuation with him. But after that breakdown she had, it was clear it had been much deeper than that. The more he thought about it the more he convinced he was that there was more to Nino than what she let on.
Today was a short day so they would be closing early. As he finished cleaning the floor he heard the front entrance open.
"I'm sorry, miss," he heard the boss say, "We'll be closing early today."
"That's all right, sir. I'm not here to eat."
His head snapped around and he saw Ichika standing there.
She was in her uniform and a quick glance at the clock told him that school had just ended. Even though he was at the other side of the restaurant he could see her face clearly. She seemed reluctant to be here.
"I need to speak with him," Ichika pointed, "It's an urgent matter and it can't wait."
He saw the boss nod before looking over in his direction, "Uesugi? You about finished?"
"Yes, sir," he called back, "I just got this corner to do."
"Finish up then and put your stuff away while I lock up."
"Yes, sir!"
The manager, Wakamura Toshiyuki, leaned over and whispered to Ichika, "Is it about Nino? If so I like to listen in. I'm equally concerned about her."
Ichika looked at him for a moment before nodding in agreement. She accepted his offer of a free coffee and sat down on a bar stool while Toshiyuki went to the back to inform his other employers to go on home before locking up his restaurant. After putting his cleaning tools away Fuutarou took off his apron and joined her.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
He paused for a second before lifting his shoulders.
"Okay, I guess," he took the stool beside her, "It's been really quiet without you guys around. I don't know if I should be happy or sad."
"Hmm," Ichika took a sip.
Toshiyuki joined them on the counter. She quickly explained his presence before her face turned serious.
"I'll get straight to the point. Nino is in really bad shape right now."
He expected as much, but her tone made it clear that it really was serious.
"How bad?" he had to ask.
"You heard her cry the moment you left, right?"
"How could I not? I can still hear it even now. She really took it that badly?"
"It's much worse than that, Fuutarou. She's had a nervous breakdown."
His head snapped to her, eyes wide with shock, "A what? Please tell me you're joking."
"I really wish I was, but it's true. She's gone into a really deep depression and we don't know if she'll ever come out of it," with a sigh her face fell into her hands, "It's been awful, seeing her like this. She barely says a word, hardly interacts with us, doesn't finish her meals, and she spends most of her time locked in her room. Because of her condition Papa has made her stay home."
"My God..." Fuutarou couldn't believe it.
"How did it happen?" Toshiyuki asked.
He explained it all to him.
"Uesugi...you are an absolute idiot."
"I know," he agreed without hesitation, then he asked Ichika, "Speaking of which, how is Yotsuba? How is she doing?"
He didn't receive an answer. From the corner of his eye he saw Ichika suddenly clench her first very tightly. To the point where her knuckles turn white and her whole arm trembled. Blinking, he turned his head to her... and nearly leaped back when he saw the rage on her face.
"I-Ichika?"
She shook herself and unclenched her fist, "Sorry. I just..." she made herself calm down, "I knew you were going to ask about her, but I really wished you hadn't. Right now... just hearing that name makes me want to smash something."
Whoa.
"Ichika..." Fuutarou suddenly had a bad feeling, "What's going on? What happened to Yotsuba?"
She took a deep breath, "We're not on speaking terms with her right now. In fact, she's no longer staying at our place. She's over at Papa's right now."
Fuutarou was certain he misheard her.
"Wait... what are you talking about? What do you mean she's no longer living with you?"
It was a while before she answered.
"Tell me something, Fuutarou. Do you know what's worse than rejection?" she looked at him with hard eyes, "Betrayal."
He blinked, "Betrayal? You're saying that... Yotsuba betrayed you?"
"Not just me. All of us," she almost grinned at his disbelief, "Can't believe it? Well, neither could we. Right after Nino broke down, Yotsuba left the apartment and went to her place of solitude. You know the one I mean? The little park with the swings?"
"Yeah, I remember. I've been there with her."
"So have I. I followed her right after she left and I arrived just in time to see her taking her anger out on the swing. She actually broke it."
Fuutarou was stunned. He knew Yotsuba was incredibly strong, but he never imagined her lashing out like that.
"Why?" he automatically asked.
"Because she was that angry. With herself," Ichika sighed, "When she finally calmed down we had a very long talk. She made a confession, about what really happened in Kyoto. You want to hear what she said? Here it is."
And so she told him, and when she was finished Fuutarou felt like he just had a nightmare.
"I don't believe it," he didn't want to believe it, "She did that... because she hated you? She did all that because she didn't want you to be with me?"
"Yep. Believe me, I was just as shocked as you were. But looking back, it all makes sense. Until Kyoto I was always supporting my sisters, then Yotsuba found me at my most vulnerable moment and she pushed me into being a selfish person again. You know what happened next. She hated me that much that she was willing to go to that far."
He shook his, still unable to believe it, "All this because... she saw you with me at the inn when we were children?"
"Yep. Back then we all looked the same and dressed the same. There was no way you could've known that it was me you were hanging out with. As soon as she saw that, she was convinced that I was going to take you from her," she sighed again, "It is true that I did pick on her a lot when we were kids, probably more than I should have, so I guess you could say it was partly my fault. However, it doesn't excuse what Yotsuba did. Did she tell you that she knew who you were the moment we came to your school?"
"Yeah, she did."
"Well, she didn't tell us. Not until after you made your choice. That alone was enough to piss Nino off. She may have had her reasons but she didn't have to keep it a secret. The only one who did know was Itsuki, and she hurt her even more."
It was getting to the point where he didn't want to hear anymore, "How?"
She chuckled sarcastically, "How do you think Rena came into existence?"
He stared at her.
"That's right. It was Yotsuba's idea. Not Itsuki's. She knew Itsuki would help her without question and she took full advantage of that. She made her wear that disguise so she would have a way to communicate with you without having to face you, and Itsuki just along with it without knowing better. And if you think that's bad, how about this? Did one of us kiss you under the bell when we were at Grandpa's inn? When we were all disguised as Itsuki?"
He blinked, remembering that very moment, "That was Yotsuba?"
"It was. She even said... that was the moment she betrayed us all. She was going to support us, only to turn around and stab us right in the back. Why? Because she just couldn't resist whenever she was around you. Her personal desires always got the better of her" Ichika shook her head, "I never imagined she could be such a coward. She never had the guts to face you herself. That's why she used Itsuki. In return she promised to keep Yotsuba's secret, but as time went on Itsuki changed her mind. I know you and her had a lot of private conversations together. Was there ever a time when she was going to tell you something important but never got to?"
Fuutarou thought back, "Yeah, there was. It was when you were still living in that old apartment. Itsuki was going to tell me something when..."
"Yotsuba interrupted you," Ichika finished, "You think that was by accident? It wasn't. It was all on purpose. Itsuki wanted to tell you because she felt you had a right to know even if you didn't care. But Yotsuba... she wouldn't let her. Whenever you and Itsuki were alone she was always close by, ready to step in when she had to. She didn't want you to know. She was determined to keep it a secret no matter what it took. She did everything except threatened Itsuki. I really do think that if Yotsuba had been pushed to desperation she would have actually harmed Itsuki in order to protect her secret. You know how strong she is. It would have been very easy for her to overpower one of us."
Fuutarou shook his head. He could never imagine Yotsuba actually harming one of her sisters.
"I just... I don't understand. Why would she go that far?"
"Before I get into that, I should tell you what happened next..."
Ichika watched the others closely as Yotsuba reached the end of her confession. Maruo had gone very still, Miku had turned very pale, and Itsuki's breathing had turned ragged.
"You mean to tell me... that all this time... you've been carrying a grudge against Ichika? All this happened because you didn't want her to take your precious Fuutarou away? That you wanted to be better than us?" her shoulders were now heaving, "You've been lying to us this whole time," then she trembled, "How could you? HOW COULD YOU?!
Without warning she sprinted towards Yotsuba and raised her arm.
"You little bitch!"
Yotsuba made no attempt to stop her and she received the full slap of Itsuki's hand. The blow was so strong she was laid flat against the cushions. The others flinched but made no attempt to stop the youngest quint as she unleashed her anger.
"I should have done that to you a long time ago! You certainly deserved it more than Nino did!" tears began to spill from her eyes, "Do you know what you've done?! You put us all through hell just to protect yourself and your little fantasy of living happily ever after with Uesugi-kun! You never gave a damn about us! It was all about you!"
Her initial anger faded a little and she began to sob.
"Nino was right all along. You really are a coward. You're nothing but a liar and a cheat. And to think, I had a hand in it all! All I wanted to do was to help you Yotsuba, like a good sister should, but all you did was take advantage of me! You used me! You made me face Uesugi-kun in disguise because you couldn't do it yourself! I should've just let you drown in your own misery! I gave up my feelings for him so I could help you! So that you could finally be happy! Was that part of your grand scheme all along?! Making me give up my feelings so that you could finally take him for yourself?!"
No, it wasn't, for none of them had known about her feelings. Ichika could see it in Yotsuba's eyes, but she doubted Itsuki would've believed her.
"How could you do this to us, Yotsuba? We believed in you! I believed in you!" she slowly shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness, "It's just never enough for you, is it? Everything we have you want. You just have to be on top of the world You've always got to be number one. It's nothing but greed. I should've known all along. You just wanted us to spoil you just so you could feel special!" she was almost hysterical now, "How could you be so selfish, Yotsuba?! Out of all of us, I never believed you were capable of such things! What would Mama say if she were here right now? I can't believe you would betray us like this you... you... oooh!"
She raised her arms as if to strike Yotsuba again, then she ran to her room in tears. The door slammed shut and the next moment they heard her wails.
Ichika watched as Yotsuba pushed herself back up, holding a hand to her swelling left cheek. She then turned her attention to Miku. The third quint was staring at Yotsuba with absolute disgust. Miku rarely got mad, but this far surpassed anything she'd seen before.
For a while Miku's gaze shifted back and forth, her body constantly moving around. It seemed that she was trying really hard not to lose control like Itsuki.
Finally she said, "Until that day in Kyoto I trusted Ichika more than anyone else. When I saw her with Fuutarou, disguised as me, I was more hurt than ever before. I couldn't understand why she would do such a thing. We all believed that she had simply gotten really selfish, but now it's clear that our anger was misplaced. It was you all along. You planned the whole thing, just as you said, and you used me. Just as you did with Itsuki."
Yotsuba moved her lips, but no words came out. She went silent as Miku shook her head at her.
"Don't even try to deny it," she snapped, "You knew what my feelings were as much as Ichika did. Now I understand why you were so persistent on getting up that hill as quickly as possible, going as far as carrying me up there. You didn't just want to catch Ichika in the act. You wanted me to see it too. And then you try to act all innocent. I was too shocked to notice it before, but I now remember you saying 'Ichika, this wasn't what I meant!' Well, what did you mean, Yotsuba? What did you expect her to do? Just continue flirting with Fuutarou like she had before? No, you knew she was going to do something. You had to have known, because you pushed her into it."
She looked at Ichika, apologizing with her eyes. She returned the gesture by bobbing her head before Miku turned her attention back to Yotsuba.
"Ichika wasn't the one who took advantage of my feelings. You did. She may be shameless and manipulative but at least she knows when to draw the line. But you, there's not a line you won't cross to get what you want."
She was now trying to hold back tears, still trying to keep herself from losing control.
Ichika really had to admire her resilience.
"Even if you are innocent on that part, what you did was just... evil. You have no idea what I went through that day. But you didn't care, did you? Nino and Itsuki both came to comfort me, but where were you? You were hanging out with Fuutarou right after it happened, weren't you? You must have been celebrating, so happy that you finally got back at Ichika," she slowly shook her head, her eyes cold, "You're not our sister. You're a traitor. You got what you wanted, hurt all of us in the process, and you expect us to just accept it and be happy for you simply because we're sisters? How sick can you be, Yotsuba?"
She finally wiped her eyes and sat there for a while.
Then she said, "All I can say is that I'm really glad that Mama isn't here to see this. You didn't just spit in our faces, you spat in hers as well. She literally gave her life for us and this is how you repay her. You didn't betray Nino. You betrayed us. You broke our bond. And for what? Because no one could have Fuutarou but you? I feel sorry for him as much as I feel sorry for Mama. You're willing to do the one thing she hated the most. Making your living... by lying on your back."
Even Maruo looked shocked by her words. Then the third quint stood and straightened her clothes before giving Yotsuba one last look.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say that I'm ashamed to have you as my sister."
With that final statement she left, but instead of going to her room she went to Itsuki's. The door closed and silence engulfed the room. Maruo no longer looked angry. He looked incredibly sad. Ichika had never seen him that way before, but it was understandable. He felt as though he had let everyone down, their mother most of all. That he should have noticed that there were some serious problems within the family.
However, he wasn't the one to blame. They should have realized a long time ago that there was something seriously wrong with Yotsuba. They just never noticed because she had hidden it so well.
With a heavy sigh Ichika approached her.
"I really have to hand it to you Yotsuba. You really had us fooled. All these years you played the sweet, devoted sister, only to become more selfish than I could ever hope to be. You wanted to be better than me? Well, congratulations. You succeeded. You did what would have taken me years, probably decades, to do. You gave the performance of a lifetime. Job. Well. Done."
She placed something on the table in front of Yotsuba, who recognized it as the award Ichika had won when had participated in a school play back in elementary school.
"There's your Award for Best Actress of the year. You've always liked getting trophies so you can have mine. You certainly earned it more than I did," she looked up at their bedrooms, "What we did with Fuutarou was selfish, but what you did... far surpasses that. What you did to us, what you did to Nino, was nothing short of absolute cruelty. Did you know that she was planning to move out? Somewhere far away? Away from you?"
Yotsuba's eyes snapped to hers.
"That's right. Even though she loved you, even though she said she would support you, she couldn't stand to be around you anymore. Now that we see you for who you truly are I don't think the rest of us can stand to be around you either."
Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked them away.
"I don't hold it against you for having a grudge against me. I probably deserve it, but you went too far. Had you just simply talked to us, told us how you really felt, none of this would've happened. But no, you just couldn't do it. Now you're going to have to learn the hard way," her voice was beginning to crack, but she kept her composure, "I brought you back here because I believed we needed each other more than ever for Nino's sake. But now..." she slowly shook her head, "I have no choice but to take it back. This is all on you Yotsuba. You created this mess. Now it's time for you to fix it. Either you find a way or stay the hell out of our sight, because as of now you are no longer our sister. And don't even think about graduating with us. You caused too much damage for us to even consider it. I'm sure even Grandpa would understand."
She stopped to regain her composure before staring down at her treacherous sister with cold eyes.
"It's time for you to take responsibility, Yotsuba. It's time for you to grow up. If you can't do that then we don't want you here. Go ahead and keep living like a little kid if you think that's the better life for you. In fact, go ahead and move in with Fuutarou if he'll let you. Let him spoil you as much as he wants, since that's all you really want and he doesn't seem to care anyway, but don't come back here expecting any sympathy or support. It's all used up now."
Ichika left her sitting there and marched all the way to her room, where she threw herself into her bed, pounded her pillow in anger, then laid there and cried.
Down below Yotsuba hadn't moved from her spot. She could sense that Maruo was staring at her and shaking his head over and over again.
"I'll let you stay at my place until you decide what to do," he finally told her, "but don't expect any more than that."
She only nodded in silence.
"Thirty minutes. That's how long I'll wait."
He left the apartment and Yotsuba was now all by herself. She rose on wobbly legs and went to her room. She could hear Itsuki still crying in her room, Miku most likely trying to comfort her. Yotsuba herself cried as she packed her suitcase. Five minutes later she came back out. She looked over at Nino's room, wondering if she had overheard the entire exchange. It would've been hard not to.
With a sniff she went down the stairs, then stopped and texted Maruo. There was one last thing she had to do before she left.