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Chapter 28

Becoming Sisters Again

Yotsuba was surprised to see Chihori there when she arrived at Izumi's place, even more surprised when she learned that Chihori was a tennis player herself. Izumi had asked her to come so that Yotsuba could have a hitting partner. She was aware that Yotsuba had been practicing by herself so she wanted to see how much she'd improved.

For today's lesson they started off with Yotsuba practicing the basics again. Forehand, backhand, serve, and then volley. Izumi then had her and Chihori hit balls back and forth as a way to teach about rallying in tennis. It was the most fun Yotsuba had had so far.

Next she learned how to do a real serve, followed by learning how to return an opponent's serve. Chihori served first and Yotsuba was able to get the hang of it. Then she got cocky and she foolishly challenged Izumi to show her her serve. She would soon learned why Izumi was a professional tennis player. Unlike Chihori her serve was so powerful and so fast Yotsuba was unable to return it.

Chihori got a kick out watching her struggle. Izumi then called for a break and Yotsuba made her way over to the bench. She took a sip from her water and saw Chihori approaching her, a serious and uneasy expression on her face. Yotusba knew right away they were in a long conversation.

"Hey... um..." Chihori twisted her hands nervously before taking a breath, "I just... I just want to say that... that I'm sorry. For striking you when I did. I don't usually go around slapping people like that. It's just that... what you said at that moment made me so angry I just-"

Yotsuba reached and grasped her hands. Chihori looked at her in surprise and she smiled.

"Please, don't apologize," she said, "I was hoping to have a chance to thank you. For everything you've done. My sisters and I owe you a great deal. Our lives actually. If you hadn't told us about Fuutarou, and Hatsuka, we could've made the biggest mistake of our lives. I could've made the biggest mistake of my life. I nearly threw it away for a guy I didn't really know or fully understand, and we as whole trusted Fuutarou far too easily for the same reasons. If it wasn't for you this whole thing could've ended in tragedy. Someone needed to slap some sense into me a long time ago, and I'm glad someone finally did," she smiled at her again, "So please, don't apologize for what you did. You went through something horrible and you didn't want to see the same thing happen to us. If I had been in your shoes I would've done the same. You did nothing wrong, Chiori-san. You saved us, and in a way you saved Fuutarou as well. We're all very grateful to you."

Chihori stared at her for a long while before she let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks. I was afraid that I had made things worse with you being kicked out and your sister having a total breakdown, but I'm glad everything worked out in the end," she sat down next to Yotsuba, "So... what are you going to do now that everything's changed?"

Izumi came to join as Yotsuba thought about it.

"I'm not really sure. A lot has happened, but I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. About that scholarship I got and..." she grinned as she twirled her tennis racket, "Maybe I can pursue a tennis career."

"As a pro? Or just as a player?"

"As a pro, if possible."

"Well..." Chihori, "I don't mean to put a damper on you, but that's going to be-"

"Extremely difficult, I know," she admitted, "I did some research. Someone at my age, who's just starting tennis, wanting to go pro? I know that's virtually impossible. But... I still would like to try."

"Maybe you can."

Both them looked at Izumi.

"You don't need to get my hopes up," Yotsuba laughed, "I mean, the majority of tennis players who went pro were still in their teens."

"Yes, but you're not like most tennis players, Yotsuba."

She frowned, "What do you mean?"

Izumi's lips lifted as though she were proud of her, "It's been four days since I gave you your first tennis lesson and already you've developed a great deal. You learned how to do a proper forehand while you were at school and you've been practicing on the wall since then. The whole reason why I asked Chi-chan to come here was to get a second opinion. You've improved a lot more than I anticipated, Yotsuba."

"Yeah, you have," Chihori grinned, "Even I was surprised. You weren't playing like a beginner. You were playing like you've done it before and are just picking up where you left off. I guess that's due to you playing badminton previously. If I didn't know any better I say you have a natural talent for tennis."

Yotsuba gaped at them both, "You're exaggerating."

"No, she's serious," said Izumi, "And so am I. You got the talent and the technique, it's experience that you lack."

"Okay, maybe I do have the talent, but how would I be able to start playing for real if I wanted to go pro? How would I gain the experience I need?"

"You could go to college for tennis," stated Izumi.

"Yeah!" Chihori bobbed her head, "That would work. You got that scholarship after all."

"But it was for basketball, not tennis," Yotsuba reminded them.

"That wouldn't be an issue," said Izumi, "All we have to do is speak with a counselor and the school can have changed," she then eyed Yotsuba, "Have you been thinking about that scholarship?"

"I have."

"And?"

"I'm not sure just yet. There's a lot of things going on right now with us."

"You mean with Fuutarou?" said Chihori.

"That, and other things."

"Such as?"

"What his true feelings are," Yotsuba paused to take a breath, "At my suggestion we had him take Nino out for a date to help bring her out of depression, which was all she really wanted. It also gave them a chance to talk to each other. It worked out better than we hoped, and we've noticed a definite change between them. Especially Fuutarou. The way he looks at Nino is different from all the rest of us. Other times he can't seem to take his eyes off her. I think he intends to have a private talk with each of us, which is what he should've done in the first place. I got a feeling that he's saving me for last."

"You think he's in love with Nino?" said Chihori.

She nodded, "I do. I think he's slowly beginning to realize it. I think that's what he'll be talking about when he finally speaks with me."

"And you're okay with that?" asked Izumi.

She looked at her and shrugged, "It's just like you said when you told me about your past. You couldn't make your childhood friend accept your feelings. You had to think of his own. It's the same with me. I do love Fuutarou, but I can't make him accept my feelings. Until now I only cared about my own happiness, but now that I'm really thinking about the others and their happiness... I just want them to be happy. Especially Fuutarou. And Nino. Both of them have suffered so much throughout their lives. Fuutarou with the death of his mother, and Nino with all the heartbreaks and disappointments. I think they could really help each other out," she sighed, "I guess what I'm really saying is that, I already know. I'm just waiting for Fuutarou to say it himself."

Izumi smiled at her, "You've really matured, Yotsuba. I'm happy to hear that being much more considerate of others and not thinking about yourself all the time. Have you talk to anyone about your scholarship?"

"Just Itsuki. She's not against it, but she's worried. She's afraid that I'll be all by myself if I go to America for college."

"Hmm," Izumi nodded, "I can understand that. However, you wouldn't be going there alone. I'll be there, and so will Chiori. She's going to UNC as well."

Yotsuba looked at Chihori in surprise, "You are? You're not going to go pro?"

She shook her head, "I'm not planning on it. I'm mainly going there to play for the tennis team Izu-chan's involved with. My boyfriend also got a scholarship from the same college. He's going there to study philosophy. He wants to teach at a university as a philosophy professor someday."

"Oh, that's cool. What about you? What are you studying for?"

"A business degree. We plan to come back to Japan and get married after we graduate. Izu-chan's family will help us get good jobs, which will make things a lot easier."

"Oh, well good luck with that."

"Thanks."

Izumi then said, "You know, Yotsuba, if you're serious about pursuing a tennis career I can help you get there, but a great deal is going to depend on you. Since you didn't start playing as a junior going to college for tennis is the only option you have. It would be a great way to gain the experience you need. Our team is one of the Top 5 in the nation, and both the coaches and the players are really good. You can learn a great deal from them."

"And another thing," Chihori clapped Yotsuba on the shoulder, "If you go to college we can be roommates. We can share the same dorm together."

Yotsuba thought about it and realized, "Yeah. I could do that. It would make Itsuki and the others feel much better if I had someone with me, but it would kind of pointless if I don't know what to study for."

"You'll figure something out," Izumi assured her, "The most important thing is to not rush into it. Take as much time as you need. Once you and Fuutarou figure out where your relationship stands you'll be able to decide."

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'll do that. Oh! And speaking of Fuutarou, do you think help him and his family? Especially on getting a new place and maybe getting a better paying job for his dad?"

Yotsuba had told them about the fire yesterday when she arrived.

"I'll have a talk with his dad the next time I see him," Izumi picked up her racket, "In the meantime, let's continue your lesson."

Fuutarou, Ichika, and Itsuki returned to the apartment after dropping Raiha off at Maruo's place. She and Isanari would be joining them for dinner later, but no one was really sure if Maruo himself would show.

They decided to do a quick study session. Yotsuba wouldn't return until later so Fuutarou drew up a test sheet for her to complete once she got back.

At five they ended their session. Nino went into the kitchen to start making dinner while the rest went to their rooms. Ichika had to talk with her agent over the phone while Itsuki chose to do some more studying on her own. As for Miku, she and Yusuke decided to play some games together online. She went to her room while Yusuke remained downstairs, saying that it would be more interesting.

Fuutarou found himself having nothing to do. He'd done enough studying for the day and Nino didn't need any help in the kitchen even after he asked so he decided to sit next to Yusuke and watch as he and Miku had their gaming session.

It was amusing to see two devoted gamers go at it. Plenty of exciting moments happened between them. Miku would win one game easily before Yusuke would make a dramatic comeback in the next. Soon it was back and forth between them as it went on and on.

Yotsuba finally returned at the bottom of the hour. She went straight to her room to put her gear away and then came back down with a change of clothes to take a quick bath. Afterwards she went back upstairs, saying that she wanted to talk with Miku. Yusuke decided to end the gaming session there and passed the time by telling Fuutarou about his feelings towards Miku and how he cheered her up after the fallout between the quints. Fuutarou was grateful to see that someone was looking out for her.

He decided that he needed to talk to Miku himself and went upstairs to her room. He knocked on the door and was told to come in. He found both her and Yotsuba smiling, apparently very happy about something.

"Hey, Yotsuba," he greeted, "I need to talk to Miku for a bit. Is that okay?"

"Sure! We just got done talking to each other," she went to the door and said, "I'll make sure no one interrupts you."

"Thanks, Yotsuba."

She quietly closed the door and Fuutarou turned to Miku. The third quint watched him curiously as he sat down on her bed.

"What do you two talk about?" he asked.

"She came to apologize to me for the things she did and I forgave her," she smiled, "I'm glad she's taking responsibility."

"So am I," he took a breath, "How about you, Miku? How have you been doing so far?"

"I'm doing fine. It hasn't been as difficult for me as it was for the others."

"Thanks to Takeda?"

She blushed a little, "Yes, that is part of it. Are you... upset?"

He blinked, "Upset?"

"Me and Yusuke, I mean, it just happened all of a sudden."

He almost snorted.

"Why would I get upset about that? I'm glad he stepped in to help you when he did. You were actually very fortunate that someone like him was around after everything fell apart. So don't go thinking that you betrayed me or something because you didn't. It makes me happy to see that you're in a happy mood thanks to him."

Her blush deepened a little but she smiled.

"You're right, I don't know why I thought that way," she then sighed heavily, "Still, I'm ashamed at the way I've acted towards you going into the last festival at school. That night, when I was waiting for you to make your decision, I started thinking about everything that's happened between us since the day we met. Then I realized... I already lost. I lost the moment I put you over myself. You remember when you told us who your type was after I asked you? Well, I didn't have any of those things. I decided that I was going to become exactly that. I wanted to become the perfect girlfriend for you."

"Is that why you suddenly decided to go to culinary school?"

"Yes, among other things, but in the end it was all just an excuse to get closer to you."

"I see," Fuutarou understood.

Miku sighed again, "When I first met you I really didn't think much of you, but the more time I spent with you I started to change. I became open and confident about myself. I was able to come out of my shell because of you. You showed that I didn't have to hide anymore, that I could be myself without having any fears. You came to mean a great deal to me, Fuutarou. And for that I thank you," then her head lowered in shame, "However, like everyone else, I got selfish. I threw away everything you did for me and let my inner desires take control. I then started constantly competing with Nino for your affections. Then there was that time when I tackled you to the floor and kissed you during the festival. I'm so ashamed of myself for behaving that way. That was my lust running wild. I almost took it to the next level. I must've scared you half to death."

"Well, I won't lie. I was really shocked when you did that. I mean, that was something I imagine Nino would do, not a nice girl like you."

Her lips lifted a little, "Me? A nice girl?"

"Yusuke seems to think so. And so I. What happened during the festival won't change that."

She paused for a moment, then shrugged, "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. The fact is instead of being my own person I wanted, just as you said, to become someone I simply couldn't be."

Fuutarou grimaced, "I still feel really bad about saying those things. They may have been true but it was still wrong for me to say them."

"I'm actually glad you did."

He looked at Miku, surprised to hear her say that.

"It sent a very clear message that it was time for me to move on," she explained, "I realized it that night. When you made your choice... I was more relieved than disappointed. I didn't have anything to worry about anymore. I wasn't as upset as Nino was."

"How did you know that she would be?"

"I went straight to her room after you went into Yotsuba's," her face fell, "I still haven't forgotten how devastated she looked. When I hugged her, she didn't say anything. She just stood there and cried silently in my arms, not making a single noise. I could almost hear what was going through her mind. What had she done wrong? Why couldn't it be her? Why was it always me?"

Fuutarou's lips twisted, "Yeah, I can imagine that. It was like that too when I went to see her. I never thought she could look so defeated even after I explained everything to her."

"It was how much she loved you."

"Yeah, I know that now."

"That's the big difference between her and us and Nino. It's how we saw you. Nino loves you for who you are while we idolized you in different ways. Ichika sees you as a loyal friend, Yotsuba treasures you as her childhood friend, and Itsuki admires you as a fellow student. We all saw you as a special person, someone who made a huge impact in our lives. We just didn't respect you as a person."

"Well, to be fair, I didn't respect all of you either. You must have been really disappointed when you saw that I wasn't who you thought I was. Especially you, seeing that you held me in such high regard."

"I'd be lying if I wasn't, but..." a blush came to her cheeks again and she smiled, "I had Yusuke to cheer me up."

"Yeah," he grinned, "He's really quite a character, isn't he?"

"He is, and since we're on the subject, I wanted to talk to you about him."

Fuutarou waited as she made hersefl more comfortable.

She took a deep breath and said, "Is it... all right? Is it too soon? For me to be interested in another guy? Especially when you're so important in my life?"

Fuutarou straightened himself as he thought about what he should say.

"Well, I'm happy that you feel that way about me, but I would much rather have you find your own happiness than still be stuck on me several years from now. You're going to have to move on at some point."

She looked at him in surprise, then gave a soft laugh.

"Ichika said the same thing to," she paused again, "What do you think of Yusuke as a whole?"

"I think the more important question is how do you feel about him? How do you feel whenever you're around him compared to when you're around me?"

A minute passed as she thought it over.

"With you, I'm always comfortable. You're easy to talk to and even fun to hang out with sometimes. I enjoy being around you and I like having you with me because of how kind and supportive you can be. With Takeda..." she suddenly placed a hand over her heart, "It's different. Very different. When we discovered that we shared many of the same interests I got very excited. Ever since then..." her smile deepened, "Whenever I'm around Yusuke my heart starts beating rapidly. That had never happened before, even when I was around you. You made me blush, smile, and even feel embarrassed, but I never felt... connected with you as I do with Yusuke. Does that sound strange?"

He shook his head, "Not at all. I think that makes perfect sense. When I was little my Dad said something very interesting. Best friends will always make you laugh, but the ones you truly love will always make you smile. Having thought it over, it's true. You get along with me because I'm someone you could relate to. The same goes for me, and that's what makes us friends. With Yusuke you smile a lot more, and that's a huge difference. Honestly, the two of you hit it off so well it feels so natural. Everyone can see it. I mean, look at Yusuke. He comes from a rich and famous family, yet he doesn't brag about it. More importantly he has a dream that he wants to pursue. He's popular with all the girls, he could've chosen any one of them, yet it's you that he fell in love with. A shy, timid girl no one else looked at but him. That says quite a lot. He also cares very deeply about you and is willing to risk his life to protect you. That also says quite a lot. So the point is, if a guy like him could fall in love with a girl like you, then I see no reason why you can't do the same. Someone once said to me that there's only one girl in the world who could love a guy like me, and that person was right. I think it's the same for you."

"You really think so?" Miku looked amazed.

"Well, I can only tell you from my perspective. In the end it all depends on how you feel. He confessed his feelings to you. If you really feel that way about him then I say... go for it. We as a whole may not have known him for long, but I think we can all agree on one thing. He's a good man. A far better man than I can ever hope to be. He was there when you needed someone to talk and he hasn't left your side. That's more than I could say for myself. Above all, he makes you happy. Something I can never do."

"That's not true. You made me much happier since you became our tutor."

He smiled, "I know, but in terms of true happiness... I don't think I can give you that, Miku. No matter how many times I see you I will always think of you as a good friend. You're a good girl with a pure heart. Any guy would be lucky to have you as his girlfriend. Yusuke has a long road ahead of him. Between the troubles he's having with his dad and him hoping to accomplish his dream without sacrificing who he is, he's going to need all the support he can get. I think you being by his side would mean a great deal to him, even if it's at a distance. So to answer your question, Miku, whether it's okay or not is entirely up to you. But if you want an honest answer from me, then yes. It's okay. Like I said, I want you to be happy. I want you to find your own happiness. That's all that matter to me."

He watched as Miku slowly took in all of his words before she closed her eyes. She let out a great breath, as though she was finally freed from something that had been holding her back for a long time. Then she opened her eyes and smiled at Fuutarou. Getting to her feet she bowed.

"Thank you Fuutarou. I know what I need to do now. I'm very glad that you came into my life, both through the good and the bad. I too will always cherish you as a friend."

Standing up, Fuutarou went over and hugged her. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek as she hugged him back. She didn't cry, for they weren't saying goodbye. They were celebrating her first big step into the outside world.

"I'm really proud of you, Miku," he whispered, "I mean that."

A moment later he asked, "I never did ask you this but... what do you want with your life? Do you still want to go to culinary school?"

Releasing him she shook her head.

"No, I don't that's necessary anymore. I still want to improve my cooking, but I don't need to go to culinary school for that. I have gotten into something else. My two friends-"

"Friends?" Fuutarou couldn't recall her ever having friends.

Miku laughed, "That's right. That's the other thing Yusuke did for me. Because of him I was able to make friends for the first time. Out of all of us I'm the only quint who's never had friends."

"That's right," he grinned, "I'm happy for you. So what were you talking about?"

Miku went over to her desk and opened a drawer. From it she pulled out a notebook.

"It's not complete," she said shyly, "I still need to work on it a bit, but I'm planning to show this to my friends the next time I see them."

While Fuutarou was talking with Miku, Yotsuba went over to Ichika's room.

She took a deep breath before she raised her hand and knocked.

The oldest quint was surprised to see her when she opened her door.

"Hey," she said with wide eyes.

"Hey," Yotsuba smiled nervously, "Do you have a moment? Or are you still busy?"

"No, come on in," Ichika held the door wider, "I just got done talking with my agent."

Yotsuba came into the room and sat down on Ichika's bed. Right away she immediately noticed something was different.

"I didn't really look last time but you really did clean your room," she said.

Since they first moved into this penthouse Ichika had never made any attempt to keep her room clean. It had always been a pigsty. There would be clothes and trash spewed all over the place. One couldn't make their way through the room without stepping or slipping on something. To see so clean and spotless was shocking to say the least.

"Yeah," Ichika responded, "After we... after we kicked you out I had to do something to keep myself occupied. I started picking up one thing, throwing away another, cleaning every surface there was, washing any dirty clothes I had, and the next thing I knew my room was all clean," she grinned, "I'm actually quite proud of myself. I don't even sleep naked under the covers anymore."

Yotsuba chuckled, remembering that time when Fuutarou had entered this room for the first time and, after having to wade through all the junk, nearly flinging the covers off a sleeping Ichika without realizing that she didn't have any clothes on.

Ichika sat in her cheer and looked into Yotsuba's eyes.

"So what did you want to talk about?" she asked.

All of a sudden Yotsuba wanted to cry, but she held them back.

"I know I already said it through my letter, but I want to say it to you in person. I'm really sorry, Ichika. For everything I did to you. It was nothing but petty revenge and it tore our family apart," her eyes lowered and she swallowed, "I was always jealous of you. You had everything. You were our leader and the most mature of us. You got all the boys, all the attention, and had a talent none of us have. You were a star. How could I, how could we, even compete? You always had it easy and I hated you for it. I wanted to be just like you."

Ichika said nothing. She just sat there and quietly listened without interruption.

"Then Fuutarou came into our lives and it only got worse from there," Yotsuba went on, "It's true that I kept my relationship with him a secret. Part of it was that I didn't want him to find out who I was, but the real reason was because I didn't want you to find who he was. The fact that you were always taking things from already made me resent you, but if you and him got together I would've hated you even more for it. I wouldn't be able to stomach it. I would've found a way to tear you two apart. To keep you away from him forever. That's what I did when I spoke to you that night at Granpa's inn. You know what happened next."

Her tears finally came but she kept going.

"I deeply regretted it when it happened. Seeing Miku get hurt like that, watching Nino yell at you, Itsuki looking shocked beyond belief, and Fuutarou being utterly confused. I virtually destroyed our bond right there. What I did that day was cruel and unfair to you. You didn't deserve it. You deserved as much of a chance to be with Fuutarou as the rest of us did. I'm really sorry, Ichika."

She dried her and watched as Ichika sat there in silence. Then her sister gave a small smile.

"You really think it's been easy for me over the years?" she said, "Having to balance school, my career, and taking care of all of you? I didn't have a choice. After Mama died I had to step up to take care of the rest of you. I wasn't ready for that responsibility but I had to because nobody else would."

"I know," Yotsuba sighed, "I don't think I could've done half the things you've done. That's why I've always been envious of you."

"Well, truth be told, I don't think you would've enjoyed being me if you were in my shoes. Even before Fuutarou-kun became our tutor I was already struggling to balance my life and my career. So far it hasn't been glamorous. All the work I had to do, all the demands I had to meet, the image I had to constantly portray for the public. I can't tell you how many times I felt like quitting. Then we moved into that rundown apartment and things became even harder."

"I know," Yotsuba bit her lips, "You were always dead tired whenever you came back from work. You couldn't even keep your eyes open during study sessions. We should've stepped in and helped lighten the load for you, but by that time we were too infatuated with..."

"Fuutarou-kun," Ichika sighed, "I never should've allowed us to move into that place. If something had happened to any of you I never would've been able to forgive myself. I failed in my responsibility to you all because I also got selfish with Fuutarou-kun."

"It was a dumb idea from the start," Yotsuba agreed, "But at least nothing bad happened in the end."

After a moment Ichika said, "You said you regretted what happened at Kyoto. Well, I deeply regret how much I bullied you when we were kids."

"Ichika..."

She held up a hand, "Please, let me finish. I've never been a saint, even as your sister. I've always been a bad girl, even when I try not to be. I guess I just couldn't help it at the time, being the oldest and all. I thought I could do whatever I wished and never have to face the consequence. I picked on you more than the others because you were easier to manipulate. I always got you in the deepest of trouble."

"But you were always there to get me out of it," Yotsuba reminded her.

"Yeah, but it doesn't change the fact that I treated you so horribly," she sighed again, "When you told me how much you hated me, I believed you. It made me realize just how much of an awful person I was. When we kicked you out I spent the whole night in this room crying. You may have destroyed our bond, but I planted the seeds for it. I couldn't blame you for hating me so much. I felt ultimately responsible for everything that happened. I'll never forget that moment when Nino completely broke down."

"Neither will I," said Yotsuba, "But it really wasn't your fault, Ichika. It was mine. I should've learned long ago to let it go. Like I said, if Fuutarou hadn't come back into my life I would've taken a turn for the better. It just didn't turn out that way.

Ichika came out of her chair and sat down next to Yotsuba. She took her into her arms and hugged her tightly.

"I love you, Yotsuba," she whispered, "I'm sorry for bullying you so much back then."

Sniffing she hugged her back, "I love you too, Ichika. I'm sorry for all the pain I caused."

After a while they pulled apart and smiled at each other.

"I'm glad we got that out of the way," Ichika grinned.

"Yeah. I feel much better now," then she asked, "Just out of curiosity, could it have worked out between you and Fuutarou? I mean, the two of you got along really well."

Ichika grinned again, "I had the same conversation with Nino a while back. To be perfectly honest, I don't think it would have."

She raised a brow, "How so?"

"Him and I are going in completely different directions in our lives. The only way I think we could've been together is that one of us would have to give up our dream in order to stay with the other. Fuutarou-kun would never allow me to do that and I wouldn't want him to give up his life for me. I think we would've ended up going our separate ways."

"Oh," Yotsuba nodded, "I see you point."

"Since we're talking about our lives will be like after high school I've been wanting to ask you. Are you thinking about pursuing a tennis career?"

Fuutarou's family arrived at six o'clock.

Raiha was wearing one of her new dresses and was much more cheerful. Isanari had a big smile on his face and was looking forward to dinner, making Nino smile with pride.

Fuutarou introduced his dad to Yusuke.

"So you're planning on becoming an astronaut, huh?" Isanari nodded in approval, "I wish you luck, kid."

"Thanks," the blonde boy smiled proudly.

"But if you're going to go into the Air Force, I advise you to get a haircut first. Not to sound rude, but your hair makes you look like you're twelve."

Yusuke ran a hands through his shaggy hair and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. It's been far too long since I last had a haircut," he glanced at Isanari's son, "Hey, Fuutarou? Where did you get your haircut?"

"Dad did it for me," he replied, "Before it was always my sister, and she's terrible at it."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Raiha scowled at him, but he ignored her.

"Could you give me the same haircut?" Yusuke asked his dad.

"Sure, but you'll have to wait. I lost my clippers in the fire."

"That's fine. Just let me know when you can and I'll be there. It'll be cheaper than going to the barber."

The rest of the quints came downstairs. Raiha immediately ran to Itsuki arms and hugged her tightly. She greeted Ichika and Miku with a cheerful smile. But when she saw Yotsuba she turned away, startling Fuutarou. He watched her join Itsuki at the coach and he saw the others looking at her with sad expressions, especially Yotsuba. He made his way over to them.

"Is there something going on between you and Raiha?" he asked her.

"She didn't tell you?" she asked back.

"Tell me what?"

Keeping her voice low Ichika replied, "Before we came to see you at the restaurant Raiha came to see us after school."

"She came to see me," explained Yotsuba, "She wanted to know why I licked the cream off your face that one time."

Fuutarou blinked, remembering their conversation from before.

"What did you say to her?" he asked.

"The truth," Yotsuba shrugged, "As you can imagine she was really upset."

"She then told her that she really wished you had chosen Itsuki and not Yotsuba," said Miku, "and that she couldn't stomach the thought of her being her sister-in-law."

Fuutarou groaned.

"I'm sorry about that Yotsuba-" he started to apologize but the fourth quint waved him off.

"Don't be. I'm used to it now. I expected no less. All I can do is to try and make it up with her. In fact, there might be a way," she motioned Fuutarou closer and whispered, "Does she still want to play tennis?"

Nino had decided to make lasagna for dinner. Since there would be nine people tonight, well... ten if Papa showed up, a big dinner was necessary. She had just placed it in the oven. It would be an hour before it was finished. She was just starting on the garlic bread when a little voice reached her.

"Can I help?"

She looked up to see Fuutarou's little sister standing there across the kitchen counter.

"They're about to start playing a game," she pointed to the crowd starting a new game of Mario Party

"I'm not interested. I always make dinner at home and I would feel like I'm being lazy if I didn't. Besides, I haven't taken the time to know you."

Nino looked at her curiously before she smiled.

"Okay," she gestured behind her, "There's an extra apron back there along with a stool."

"Thank you!" Raiha went to retrieve them.

"Since you're Fuu-kun's little sister I'll make a special dessert for you. What would you like?"

"How about cream puffs?" Raiha all but bounced on the stool.

Nino "Cream puffs?"

"Big Brother said you made some for him one time and it was really good!" her eyes sparkled, "I've always wanted to make cream puffs but I don't know how. Maybe you could teach me?"

The little girl's cuteness made Nino want to hug her all of sudden. Why hadn't she associated with Raiha before?

"Alright, if that's what you want," she opened a drawer and pulled a little sketchbook filled with her recipes, "Here's the ingredients. Why don't you go gather them while I finish the garlic bread?"

Raiha nodded and happily went about her task. She had them all on the counter by the time Nino placed the garlic break in the other oven.

"Okay," she rolled up her sleeves, "Cream puffs are very easy to make. First thing we do is..."

Nino showed her the steps and the girl learned very quickly. A strange warmth grew inside her. It was she was teaching her own little.

"I see you're wearing the bracelet I made for you," Raiha pointed to Nino's wrist as they worked.

"Oh, yes," she smiled, "Thank you for making this. It's very beautiful."

"You're welcome," there was a pause before Raiha asked, "You really like my brother, don't you?"

Nino looked at her in surprise.

"Yes, I do," she said, "I like him very much."

"That's good," Raiha beamed, "He likes you very much too, and I'm glad. He's needs someone like you in his life."

This time she was stunned.

"What makes you say that?"

"I've watched him since the day Mom died. When he first became your tutor, you were all he ever talked about. Oh, he would mention your sisters too, but the moment he came through the door your name always came up first. He talked about you more than anyone else."

Nino blinked several times, "Well... of course he would. I mean, I gave your brother a real hard time in the beginning."

"I know, but even after all that he was still talking about you," Raiha chuckled, "It made me and Dad very curious about you."

"Curious?" Nino almost laughed, "You know I did some pretty bad things to your brother, right?"

"Like putting him to sleep?" Raiha grinned, "I'm aware of that, but that was then. You're an entirely different person and that's how I'm seeing you now. I'm talking to you for the first time ever and already I like you. Maybe not as much as I like Itsuki-chan, but I like you just as much."

Nino stared at her, open mouthed.

"You've got me going in circles. You're quite intelligent for a girl."

The little girl smirked, "I've been told that I'm too wise for my age. I pretty much had to be after Mom died."

A long moment of silence passed between them.

"He took her death really badly, didn't he?" Nino whispered.

"He did," Raiha nodded sadly, "I was only four when it happened, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Big Brother couldn't stop crying. He kept begging her not to die, saying, 'Please, don't leave me!' over and over again."

Nino froze, suddenly remembering that time when her boss had been hospitalized after injuring his leg. She and Fuutarou had paid him a visit, and soon afterwards she had clutched his arm and had said the very same words to. She couldn't remember why she had said that all of a sudden, perhaps out of fear that he would, but she vividly remembered his reaction. He had gone completely still and had looked at her with a face that was frightened.

Had she unintentionally brought back that horrible memory of his mother's death?

She shook those thoughts away and changed the subject.

"I still don't understand why you think he needs someone like me in his life."

Raiha gestured to her brother, "Look at him right now. Do you see something? Something that's different about him?"

She looked over at Fuutarou... and realized that there was something different.

"He's smiling," Raiha told her, "He's been smiling a lot more lately. I haven't seen him smile like that since Mom died, and it all started the moment he came out of his room and said that he wanted to change so he could help you. Did you notice how much he was smiling when you went on your date?"

Nino's mind was in a whirl. She honestly couldn't believe what Fuu-kun's little sister was saying.

"That can't be true," she automatically denied, "We see him smile all the..."

Her voice faded away because she realized... that wasn't true. At all. She had never seen him smile like that before either. None of them had. In the time he was their tutor Fuutarou always had a stern and impassive expression. He never smiled. The only time he had so much as cracked a grin was when something ridiculous happened or when he got cocky. But now he had changed, she just didn't fully realize until now.

She looked back down at Raiha, who was quietly watching her.

"Are you saying that I'm the cause of that?" she asked.

"I am," she replied happily, "You did what my Mom didn't get the chance to do. You changed him. In a positive way. You helped him turn his life around. I was worried that he would spend the rest of his life as a loner. I'm glad to see that he's changed for the better, and you played a big role in that, Nino-chan. For that I thank you, and if Mom was here she would be saying the very same thing to you."

Heart beating rapidly, Nino was unable to find words. Raiha then laid a hand on hers and smiled.

"He really does love you, Nino-chan. He just can't say it right now because he's still trying to sort out his feelings, but don't worry. Once he's ready he'll come to you. All that I ask is that you give him all the love and happiness he deserves."

Dinner was served at seven and as always Nino delivered on creating a fantastic meal. Everything was delicious.

Then came a big surprise.

They had just finished when Maruo suddenly arrived, followed by Ebata.

"Hey, Papa," Nino was just as stunned as the others, "I didn't think you would come. I saved some lasagna for you. I can heat it up for you real quick."

"Thank you," he said, "But not right now."

Everyone sensed it at once. Maruo didn't seem like himself. It was only Isanari who wasn't phased. Fuutarou then noticed that Maruo was looking at Raiha, who seemed very confused.

"Is something wrong Papa?" asked Ichika.

As if shaken from a trance Maruo looked at the rest of them.

"Can you gather around in the living room please?" he pleaded, "There's something I need to tell all of you."

He voice sounded like he was in pain, as though he was scared. Overwhelmed with curiosity, the group went to the couches, bringing a few chairs with them.

Ebata took Maruo's coat as he asked Fuutarou and Raiha to sit down next to each other on the couch facing the TV. Itsuki sat next to Raiha while Nino sat next to Fuutarou. Miku and Yusuke sat on the other couch while the rest sat in the chairs. Isanari and Ebata remained standing where they while the quints' stepfather sat on his knees before them at the other side of the coffee table.

After everyone had settled down Maruo took out a picture frame from his coat. Everyone sat there quietly as he stared at it for several moments. His usual stiffness was gone. He had the look of a man who was very exhausted.

"Fuutarou..." he finally lifted his gaze, "Have you wondered why I hated you so much?"

Taking off guard Fuutarou glanced over at Itsuki, who looked back at him.

"Itsuki and I were just talking about that earlier today. No. I still don't understand why. I don't know what I said or did that caused you to feel that way."

The older man bobbed his head and looked back down at the picture. He took several breaths before he handed it out to Fuutarou.

"Take a very close look at this. You too, Raiha. Tell me what you see."

Reaching out, Fuutarou took the frame and held it to where his sister could also see. The others moved closer so they could look too.

It was a family picture, consisting of a mother and father and their two children. A boy and a girl. It was Raiha who noticed something.

"Hey!" she pointed, "Is that Mom?"

Fuutarou stared, "I think it is."

The girl in the picture was the spitting image of Raiha and looked to be around the same age. The face, the hair, the eyes, and even the bright smile were all unmistakable.

Fuutarou then shifted his gaze over to the boy and saw instantly that it was a young Maruo at around six or so. Unlike the girl his smile looked forced and he seemed frightened.

The mother who stood behind the girl had the look of a broken woman. There was no light in her eyes and there wasn't even a hint of a smile. Her appearance was worn, beaten, and just plain miserable.

But when Fuutarou's gaze fell on the father he suddenly froze and he felt a cold chill go down his spine. He thought he was staring at a perfect mirror of himself twenty years from now. The resemblance that he bore to this man was uncanny. He wore the exact same stern expression Fuutarou once had, but... it was much colder.

There was no love in the man's eyes or warmth in his expression. He also looked impatient, like he would rather be somewhere else instead of standing here, wasting time taking a picture with his family.

The others had looked at the picture in full and were just as confused as Fuutarou and Raiha. As one they turned to look at Maruo, who sat there quietly with his eyes closed.

It was Isanari who spoke, "Fuutarou. Raiha. Throughout your lives I have told you that your mother was an only child. Well, that was a lie. The truth is, your mother had one other sibling," he looked at Maruo, "A younger brother."

It took Fuutarou a minute to realize what he was saying. He looked back and forth between Maruo and the picture and the truth struck him like a truck.

"Wait a minute..." he gasped, "Are you saying that..."

"Yes," Maruo opened his eyes, "Your mother, Fuutarou and Raiha, was my older sister."