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Preface

This story will...

- Extend the original story and give it a proper ending.

- Expand and go even deeper on certain characters, from the main ones to the side characters such as Takebayashi, Takeda, Maruo, and even the Bio-Dad.

- RE-introduce an old character from an old anime.

- Give the main characters actual goals, dreams, and a purpose in life.

- Expand on certain things Negi had left unexplored.

- And most importantly, give Yotsuba the character arc she never received in the original manga.

FAIR WARNING: This fanfic WILL BE drama heavy for the first ten chapters. When it comes to my stories, expect the unexpected and expect the worst to happen. If that doesn't sit well with you then you don't have to read it. However, you'll be missing out on a good story if you do. If you're expecting fluff you're going to have to wait a while. In my opinion fluff/fanservice should be earned, not given. There are a great many problems with the original manga that I feel needs to be addressed and this story does just that. Whether you agree and disagree is entirely up to you. I am simply writing the story that no one else wants to write. Please understand that.

Other than that, enjoy my story and please don't hesitate to leave a review.

THE QUINTESSENTIAL QUINTUPLETS

Wings Into The Sky

by StarCatTibalt

O

Wings into the sky

You leaving it all behind

Look at the world now

So innocent and wild

Wings into the sky

No one can tell you why

You have to go now

And take your chance to fly

O

Chapter 1

The Last Festival Finale

Yotsuba Nakano looked into the bonfire in silence. This was the last night of the school festival.

Soon it would be over. Soon her torment would finally come to an end.

Uesugi-san will finally make his choice on which quint he would date, and it would not be her.

For the last three years Yotsuba had been a great deal of guilt. She and Uesugi-san had met as children and they had quickly become friends. She had instantly taken a liking to him and together they had made a promise. A promise she had failed to keep.

It was by chance that she and her sisters had transferred to his school. Even though he was no longer a delinquent, Yotsuba had recognized him instantly. She honestly could not believe her luck when she saw him that day. Sitting alone at his table during lunch, eyes closed, deep in thought. Meanwhile, Yotsuba had placed herself right in front of his face and had stared at him in an adoring matter.

At the time she thought that things wouldn't be so bad after. Now she could be with the boy she liked for so long. Then her sisters started to become interested in him and from there things became... complicated. Him becoming their new tutor was only one of those complications

For the last two years Yotsuba had wanted to tell Uesugi-san who she really was, but had never found the courage. She was afraid he would reject her for not keeping her promise, and she didn't want him to see just how weak she'd really become. She was the girl who had changed his life, made him a better person. She didn't want to destroy that image. That memory from so long ago.

All this time she had kept her feelings hidden deep within and it had been nothing but torture. She loved Uesugi-san, wanted to be with him, but deep down she knew it could not be. He would want someone who was smart, dependable, and would be able to take care of him. Yotsuba was not that person. She had the poorest grades, could not be relied on, and was a total klutz. Why would Uesugi-san choose someone like her?

Her sisters deserved him more than she did. That's why she wasn't in her designated room like she was supposed to be. She didn't want to go through the pain of not being chosen, as her sisters undoubtedly would once Uesugi-san made his choice.

It was a stupid plan, she had to admit. She really didn't know what Itsuki was thinking, coming up with an ultimatum like this. She felt that they were being very rude and disrespectful to force him to make a choice when he clearly wasn't ready to. However, her sisters were not going to take no for an answer so she simply went along with it without objection. She had already decided not to participate anyway, so there was no point in dwelling on it now.

Yotsuba looked up at the sky. By now Uesugi-san would have made his choice and that would be the end of it. They had all agreed to respect whatever decision he made.

But what if, despite what happened before, he still chooses...

Yotsuba rapidly shook her head. If he still chose her despite what she had done she would simply have to accept it no matter what. It would be a bitter pill to swallow, but that's just how it was.

She reached for her phone, to help take her mind off things...

It wasn't there.

Confused, Yotsuba frantically searched her pocket, then the rest of her clothes. Her phone wasn't where it should be. How did she lose it? Where could it-

She suddenly gasped in horror. She had left it on the bed! In the infirmary! Her designated room!

Without thinking she sprinted back towards the main building.

Meanwhile, the second quint stood in her silent empty classroom, fighting to keep herself calm. Her hands were sweaty, her heart was thundering, and her breathing was almost ragged. Her entire body trembled with excitement... and dread. Irritated with herself she squeezed her clammy hands together.

Calm down, you fool! This is what we all agreed to! Fuu-kun will make his choice and we will accept it no matter what.

In the many months since Fuutarou became their tutor Nino and her sisters had grown closer to him, had developed feelings for him. Well, at least she and two others had. She wasn't sure about the other two. However, it was unclear how he felt about them individually. He stated earlier that he was not going to choose anyone at this time, but none of them were going to accept that. After talking it over Itsuki came up with a plan and Ichika had gone out to convince him to make his choice. Each of them would be in a separate room and he would choose by going in one. They would wait for him after sundown, when the school festival finally reached its end.

That time had now come.

Nino dealt with her nervousness by trying to calm down and remember all the things that had happened between her and Fuutarou.

It was funny. When they first met their new tutor they originally wanted nothing to do with him, her most of all. She had outright resented him from the start. She saw Fuutarou as threat to her world. During their childhood Nino's sisters had begun to change and she was afraid of losing them. Her greatest fear in life was that she would one day be alone. Left behind and forgotten. As a result so when Fuutarou had entered their lives she had made it her mission to get rid of him as quickly as possible.

However, she eventually went too far and it had nearly broken the sisters' bond. She had moved out as a result. Then, thanks to Fuutarou's unrelenting determination and Miku's help she was able to make things up with her sisters and accept him as both her tutor and a friend.

Then she fell in love with him and it led to her being the first girl to ever confess to him. The first of the quints to do it.

Nino grinned as she thought back to that night. Fuutarou had said before that no girl would ever fall for someone like him. It must had been a real shock when she suddenly came forward and said those three fatal words, the last girl he would ever expect to do so. From that moment on she had done everything she could do to show her affection.

Looking back on it now made her blush. She'd been like a stream train going full speed ahead without ever stopping. She hoped she hadn't scared him with her aggressiveness. She'd given him enough trouble in the beginning. All of them had, except Yotsuba, but she had been the worst of them all.

She cringed as she remembered those times. It was the biggest reason why this night was so important to her. She hoped and prayed her would choose her. It wasn't just because she wanted him all to herself. She wanted to have the chance to make up for all her mistakes, to show Fuutarou how much she had changed thanks to him. She wanted to prove that she could be his girlfriend... and perhaps one day be... his wife. She loved him, wanted more than anything to be with him. She had been-

The sound of footsteps snapped her from her thoughts. Her gaze locked on the door, heart pounding furiously again as the steps came closer and closer. They came to her door... and carried on. There was a sound of a door sliding open and closing, then silence once again.

Nino blew out breath she'd held and frowned. Had that him? There wasn't suppose to be anyone else in the building. Maybe it was just someone passing by? Looking for something they forgot? She blew her breath again and leaned back against the whiteboard.

So much for getting excited, she thought irritably.

She relaxed a little, some of the tension having left after the false alarm. Time quietly passed before she heard footsteps again.

This time they were smaller, and they running... no, sprinting.

She frowned again. Who would be running down the hall at this time? It couldn't be Yotsuba, she was in her room waiting like the rest of them.

The footsteps passed her door... and there was the sound of another door sliding open again. It sounded like the same door from before.

Then she heard his voice.

"Hey, sorry for the wait."

No...

No.

Surely she was hearing things? Right? Surely her mind was playing tricks with her?

She heard another voice, this one a girl's, but she couldn't make out the words. The she heard his voice again.

"I came to see you, Yotsuba."

And she felt the world coming apart as her heart broke. She didn't want to believe it, didn't want to accept it, but the voice was unmistakable. Fuutarou had made his choice. This was how it would end for four of them. She should be happy. So why did she feel so sad?

She stood frozen in place as the hot tears came and her vision became a blur. She didn't even notice when her door opened and from it came Miku's voice.

"Nino, it's over."

Yes, she knew that, but she still couldn't move as Miku came over and embraced her. The tears now came down freely, but she couldn't make a single sound. She wasn't even aware that she was hugging her sister back.

What happened? What went wrong? Why did it hurt so much?

Yotsuba was in a state of shock.

She had entered her chosen room and saw her phone lying on the bed. But when she bent over to get it she suddenly sensed that she wasn't alone. Her body froze and her mind was screaming that she was imagining things, but when she turned her head she saw him standing there.

He leaned against another bed with his arms crossed and looking very smug.

"Hey," he said, "Sorry for the wait."

"Huh?" she blinked several times as she fought to keep her emotions under control, "Why are you here, Uesugi-san? Ah! Could it be that you're injured? That must be it. Guess I was jumping to the wrong conclusion. Since this is an infirmary, that much should be a given..."

She tried to play it off, but she could see in his eyes that he was serious.

"I've come to see you, Yotsuba," he simply declared.

She didn't believe her ears, "You're kidding right?"

When he didn't answer she almost went crazy.

"Y-You've gotta be kidding! There's no way this could happen!"

He grinned, "Had a feeling this would be your reaction. As for how it turned out this way... actually, I was the one who waited for a while! Why weren't you here?"

Yotsuba stepped back, "I mean... there wasn't even the slightest chance you'd..."

When she said nothing else Fuutarou pulled out a bulging plastic bag, "I even got these when they were freshly made too."

She stared as he pulled out a piece of karaage.

"You gave me a voucher, remember?" he handed her one, "Here, eat up."

She stared at the tasty treat before her eyes, "You kept it the whole time?"

"Yeah," as she placed it in her mouth he added, "It was so I could eat with you here."

Her heart stuttered and her body began to tremble. Thankfully no further words were exchanged and they sat there quietly eating.

Yotsuba's mind was in whirl. Uesugi-san had come to her, her and no one else. She should have been jumping with joy, but she knew it wasn't meant to be. He had to understand that. She had to convince him that she was not the right one for him.

"Now then..." he rubbed his hands when they finished eating, "Errm... just so we're clear, there's something I want to ask now that you know my answer," he paused and took a breath, "Do you-"

"I'm sorry!" she suddenly yelled.

She bowed when she said it and her eyes closed. She waited for a burst of anger, a demand for answers, but instead she was greeted with silence. Eventually she forced herself to open her eyes and look up. When she did, she blinked. Instead of looking angry he had gone grey, eyes gazing unseeingly into the distance. For a moment she believed he had literally gone into shock.

"Uesugi-san?" she waved a hand in front of him, but he didn't even flinch, "Heeey! Uesugi-saaan?"

An eternity seemed to pass before he finally spoke, sounding as though someone else had taken his place.

"I had to muster the courage to come here, you know... I can't believe that I'd be instantly shot down..."

Yotsuba gaped at him and almost burst out laughing. The boy she loved was still with her. Then her cheeks warmed and she turned away.

"Um..." she struggled to find words, "the fact that Uesugi-san feels... that way about me is a great honor, but..." taking a breath, she forced a smile on her face and looked up at him, flinging her arms wide, "There has to be a much better option for you, Uesugi-san! It'd be such a waste for you to settle on someone like me!"

He finally came out of his trance and glared at her, "What do you mean?"

Yotsuba placed her shaking fingers behind her, "S-See, instead of me... everyone's..."

"Everyone?" he seemed to have finally lost his patience, for he stepped closer and looked directly into her eyes, his face a mere inch from her's, "I'm asking you right now. Tell me how you feel."

It was the one question she was afraid of. The one question she didn't want to hear. The one question she didn't want to answer. Panic finally seized her and in a blink of an eye she was gone.

Fuutarou let out a vicious curse. He knew Yotsuba would try to make a run for it but she still managed to catch him by surprise.

"Damn her! I'm not letting you get away!" He ran right out the door. When he reached the point of the stairway connected floors he stopped and looked around, but the girl was nowhere in sight. Damn, that girl could run! By now she could be halfway to the front gate!

"Damn it!" he stamped his foot, "Even at a time like this!"

Soft footsteps caught his attention.

"Uesugi-kun?"

He looked up to see the youngest quint standing on top of the stairs.

"Itsuki..." he suddenly remembered the others. By now they would all know, "How's everyone-"

"Uesugi-kun," Itsuki pointed down the hall, "If you're looking for Yotsuba, I saw her running that way. There's only one place you should be heading toward. Unnecessary consideration will only add insult to injury."

She said this last sentence with a look that said that she was not to be argued with.

"You're right," Fuutarou turned in the direction she pointed, "My bad."

He took off running again, leaving the Itsuki and the others. He would talk to them later. Right now he had to find Yotsuba before she escaped.

In moments he was out of the building and in the schoolyard, dodging students who were gathered around the bond fire. His lungs were on fire but he kept running. Yotsuba was athletic and he was the complete opposite, but he wasn't going to give up! He would chase her all over the world if he had to!

He ran passed a storage building before he finally spotted her. She was standing near the tennis courts, having stopped to look behind her. When she saw him she took off running again.

"W-Wait!"

He tried to shorten the distance by cutting the corner, but then his foot caught the top of a hedge stone and he fell flat on his face into the soft grass. He heard Yotsuba yelp and an idea struck him. He lay perfectly still, hoping to bait her by pretending he was unconscious and that she would come to his side like she always did. At first there was silence, then he sensed her shift cautiously toward him.

"Are... Are you okay?"

He didn't answer and she shifted closer. When he felt her shoe brush his fingers his hand shot out and he grabbed her ankle. She let out a shriek, but he only tightened his grip. Now that he got her he wasn't going to her go. He forced air into his lungs and began to speak.

"Your sisters are all nice, amazing people. I truly love them. And I'm proud to have been their tutor. But if you weren't there, I would have faltered somewhere along the way long ago."

He heard her gasp.

"Wait... What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

He finally lifted his head and looked into her confused face.

"You were the girl I met in Kyoto, weren't you?"

Her jaw dropped, "You... You remembered?"

"I did," he finally let go of her ankle and rolled onto his back, staring up at the sky, "I figured it out a while ago. I just didn't bring it up until now."

He looked up at her again and saw tears fill her eyes. He feared that she would run away again and that he would have to chase after her. Instead she fell to her knees and leaned against her hands as the tears began to flow.

"Why didn't you say anything to me back then when we met in the cafeteria?" he asked.

"...B-Because.." she sobbed, "I was afraid you would never forgive me."

He frowned, "Forgive you? For what?"

"For breaking our promise," she sniffed several times before looking at him, "Do you remember? We promised that when we met again we would be model students. You fulfilled that promise while I failed. The reason why we came to your school was because of me. I wanted to be the best of everything, but in doing so I ignored my grades. When I was told that I was to be expelled for failing the make-up tests the second time and that I had to transfer schools, I fell apart. I thought it was over, but then my sisters came in and took the fall with me. I'm now indebted to them with no way to pay them back. So you see, we're here because of my stupidity. I couldn't tell you because I feared you would reject me. That you would laugh at how pathetic I've become."

Fuutarou gaped at her as he repeated her words in his head. Then he burst out laughing, causing Yotsuba to blink in confusion.

"You idiot!" he gasped, "You really think I would have gotten upset over a stupid promise like that?"

Yotsuba gaped at him, "H-Huh?"

He chuckled and shook his head, "Honestly, Yotsuba. You really do worry too much sometimes. So you broke your promise, so what? Things just didn't go the way you expected. That's not something you should beat yourself over again and again. As for your sisters, they made the decision to take the fall with you. You had nothing to do with it. It shows just how much they love you, and I have not heard a single one complain about it. You don't owe them anything, Yotsuba. You don't."

He watched as she took in his words, then she slumped forward.

"Why... are you saying something like this?" she started crying again, "I'm a weak person, so I'm sure that I'll keep stumbling over obstacles from now on as well."

Fuutarou sighed, "This is a selfish request coming from a pathetic man. During those times, Yotsuba... it'd make me really happy to have you by my side."

She looked at him, tears flowing freely now.

He lifted a hand and said, "Don't worry. Just like how you supported me, I want to support you too. That's why... even if you hate that, I'm fine with it. Please tell me how you feel."

"Uesugi-san... I..."

He saw the conflict in her eyes and waited. He could almost hear her wanting to say, I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!

"I love you," she finally admitted, "I... can't lie to you, Uesugi-san. I've always loved you."

Once Fuutarou finally recovered the new couple made their way back, having now accepted each other's feelings. Yotsuba's cheeks were red but she was happy. Fuutarou meanwhile remained expressionless as always.

They found the others waiting for just outside the main building. Having accepted the outcome, they welcomed them with open arms and gave their congratulations. Then Fuutarou noticed that one was missing.

"Where's Nino?" he looked around but she was nowhere in sight.

"She went over to the bonfire," Miku pointed, "She wanted to be alone."

"Ah," yeah, that made sense. Of them all Nino would be the one taking it the hardest, "I'll go talk to her."

"Uesugi-kun-" Itsuki started to protest but he held up a hand.

"I know what you're going to say and I agree with you, but that was then. This is now," he firmly stated, "Nino is part of the reason why I was able to make this decision. I owe her that much at least."

Itsuki wanted to argue, but she decided against it and said, "Just be careful with what you say. You know how impulsive she can get."

"I know," he glanced at Yotsuba, "Stay here, I'll be right back."

Nino stood before the bond fire, its warmth doing little to push away the emptiness in her heart. In her hands was Fuutarou's bracelet.

This charm held quite a bit of history between them. The first time he wore it when they went on the winter camping trip. During the Test of Courage challenge he and Yotsuba had been posing as ghosts in order to scare everyone who past by. Itsuki, being the scaredy-cat that she was, ran off at the instant she saw them, leaving Nino all alone in the forest. Fuutarou then found her, but she had mistaken him as the guy of her dreams because of that blonde wig he was wearing as part of his costume. He went along with it to hide his identity by introducing himself as Kintarou.

She had opened up completely to him that night. Fuutarou must have been surprised. Instead of the self-centered girl with a bad attitude he had been greeted by someone who was kind, gentle, and beautiful. She had been nothing like the girl he had first met.

The bracelet had later saved their lives. Afterwards he'd allowed her to keep as a thank you gift, one that she deeply cherished.

Some time later, when she was living alone after the fallout with her sisters, Fuutarou offered to bring his "Cousin" Kintarou to meet her. What he didn't know was that she had already figured out that it was Fuutarou in disguise. She tricked him into meeting her in the hotel lobby and exposed his identity by lifting the sleeve of his sweater, revealing the bracelet. Having caught him flatfooted she called him a liar before he went to sleep, thanks to the sleeping pill she had put in his drink.

Nino fidgeted. That was the second time she'd done that. It always mystified her why neither he or her sisters never called her out for doing those things. After he was asleep she'd taken the bracelet back and had kept it since. Despite the rockiness between them, she never truly hated Fuutarou. He was only trying to do his job and she did nothing but treat him badly for it. Over time she changed, tried to be a nicer girl, and it was all thanks to him. She wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for him.

But... like Miku said, it was now over. None of it mattered anymore. Fuu-kun had made his choice and she had to live with it. She knew that, so why was it so difficult? The others were perfectly content. Why couldn't she do the same? She didn't want to be selfish. She had told Yotsuba she would be happy for her if she were chosen.

And yet... it just wasn't fair.

Why was that every time she had an opportunity to find true love it never worked out the way she hoped? Why was she always getting the short end of the stick?

Did it have to end like this? Had there been no point at all? Had she changed for nothing? Did she regret falling in love with him?

Of course not. Thinking it over though, perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised. She was impulsive, emotional, and even rebellious. Fuu-kun knew this and that's why he didn't choose her. Why would a guy like him want to be with a girl like her? He was practical, stern, and intelligent. She was the complete opposite. It was only natural he wanted someone who he could easily get along with and she simply wasn't that.

He didn't like dealing with problems either. He preferred to keep things simple and straightforward. Yotsuba was exactly what he wanted, for she had never given him any trouble. Nino was nothing but trouble and everyone knew it.

Looking at the bonfire she sighed. There was nothing more to do. What was done was done. Nothing would change it.

She looked at the bracelet again. She had never asked him where he'd got it, but it didn't matter anymore. All of her hopes and dreams were kept inside this little token, now those dreams that would never be fulfilled. She had kept this with her, hoping to one day give it back to him again to show how much she loved him. Now it was nothing but a memory. A very painful memory.

She made ready to throw the bracelet into the flames, finally accepting defeat, when she heard his voice call out her name. Stifling a cry she whirled around, hiding the bracelet behind her.

Fuutarou stood no more than six feet away from Nino. Even though it was dark and she was facing away from the fire he could see that she had been crying. Well, that was expected. Knowing how hard she been in trying to win him it was only natural that she was very heartbroken over the result.

He'd expected her to look upset, even furious, but when she turned around he saw that she was more surprised and confused. He remembered what Itsuki said and wondered if should have waited a few days until Nino had cooled down a little, but now that he was here there was no turning back.

"Fuu-Fuu-kun?" she blink at him, "What are you doing here?"

Gathering his composure, he said, "I wanted to talk to you."

This time she frowned, "But shouldn't you be with Yotsuba?"

He ignored that question and said, "I owe you an explanation for tonight. Right now you're wondering why I didn't choose you. You were the first of your sisters to confess to me, even after I declared that no girl would ever fall for a guy like me. Yet you came to me and said that only one girl could love a guy like me, and that was you. What you said back then was what led me to this."

He spoke in a low tone so that only they could hear each other. The last thing he needed was unwanted attention.

"When the boss was in the hospital you asked me to never leave you. I never said that I wouldn't, but I did lead you to believe I really did care about you. I'm sure it was the same for the others, but the truth is I care for all of you equally. However, I've probably let you down the most with the decision I've made tonight. So... if you have anything to say to me, now is the time. Say whatever you want, I'll listen to every word."

He half turned, indicating that they could take this somewhere privately so they wouldn't cause a scene. No matter how many insults she had thrown at him since they had first met, he had never back down from her even once. But Nino stayed where she was, standing very still. Her lips moved as she tried to say something, then she simply gave up and shrugged.

"What's the point of getting mad now? This was how it was always going to be," she took a deep breath before she met his gaze, "I just want to know one thing, Fuu-kun. Why Yotusba? Why her? You never showed any romantic interests towards any of us. Yotsuba never spent as much time with you as we did. So why her? The two of you seemed nothing more than friends. Can you tell me why? Honestly?"

Fuutarou placed his hands on his hips and thought carefully before replying.

"It's a bit of a long story but... do you remember when I asked you guys if I had met any of you in Kyoto and had you do your hair up in a certain way so I could identify each of you?"

Nino nodded, "I do. I remember how you completely failed at it."

Ignoring that comment he said, "The thing is, I figured out that it was Yotsuba some time ago. Long story short, she was the reason why I am the person today. I was a bad kid back then, the very kind you would have liked. Meeting Yotsuba changed that. Without her I wouldn't be here now. She has been by my side ever since then and I want her to remain by side. That's why I chose her."

He waited for Nino to respond. He wasn't sure what kind of reaction she would give, but he wasn't expected what he saw next. Nino's shoulders suddenly slumped, her head lowered, her eyes closed, and she gave a very long sigh. He found himself looking at someone who had been completely beaten, crushed, defeated. It was the last thing he ever expected to see from Nino, who always stood tall and proud no matter what.

"So that's how it is," she said in a broken voice, "I thought I finally had a chance with you, but it was over before it even begun. You made your choice long before you met the rest of us. We never stood a chance. I never stood a chance. Nothing of what I did mattered in the end. Heheh, I was right. It just isn't fair. That's what I get for get for getting my hopes up."

Every word felt like a blow to his stomach. It was like he was listening to someone who had just given up on life. Damn it! This was not the way he'd imagined it would go! He tried to say something but stopped when she lifted her head. The face he saw rendered him speechless.

He didn't recognize her. Tears flowed down her cheeks... but she was smiling. Yet he knew right away though that smile was forced. Nino looked like someone who was only hanging on by a thread.

"I guess you just can't fight against fate, can you?"

Fuutarou suddenly felt sick. Then she stepped forward, took his hand, and placed something in it.

"Here, you can have this back," she sniffed, "You can give it to Yotsuba if you like."

Fuutarou stared down at his hand in surprise. In it was the bracelet Raiha had made for him.

"You've had this the whole time?" he asked, remembering when he last saw it. He had completely forgotten about it since.

"Yeah," Nino tried to smile again, "I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of it. It was that special to me. But now that it's over there's no point in me keeping it."

She took his hand in hers and looked at him with eyes that held no life in them.

"I wish you and Yotsuba the best, Fuu-kun. For what it was worth, I'm very glad you came into my life. I wouldn't have changed into the person I am now if it weren't for you. I'm sorry for all the things I said and did to you in the beginning. Although I wish the outcome was different, I'm glad you were honest with me and that you didn't make excuses. I hope we can remain friends forever."

With that she released his hand, stepped around him, and was gone.

Fuutarou could only stand there, feet frozen to the ground. His stared unseeingly into the fire, holding the bracelet in his hand. For the first time in his life he was at a complete loss. He had dealt with so many different problems with Nino beforehand, but this time he really had no idea what to do. Yotsuba's initial rejection had effected him, but Nino's words felt as though they had carved a deep scar into his body.

He wanted to chase after her and demand an explanation, but even as he whirled around she had already disappeared. Then he realized that even if he had caught up with her he had no idea what to say. The face she had given him when she had said those words entered his mind. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't get the image out of his head.

The hand holding the bracelet closed and his teeth clenched. He had done the right thing, hadn't he? He told Nino the truth so there wouldn't be any hard feelings between them. So why hadn't it gone as he expected? It didn't make sense!

"Damn it!" he began stomping his foot again, oblivious to the startled gazes of those around him, "Why the hell have I done wrong?!"

Author's Note

When I first started writing Moonlight it was originally a Nino fanfic and that it would ultimately end with her and Fuutarou getting together. That goal hasn't changed, but while writing my previous revamp version I suddenly realized that I wasn't really writing a Nino story anymore. I was actually writing a Yotsuba story. I also realized that I wasn't just writing a story about finding true love, but also a story of redemption and finding purpose in life. Simply put, my fanfic is both a love story between Fuutarou and Nino and a redemption story for Yotsuba at the same time.

On that note, I want to say a few things. I understand that I have some very heavy opinions when it comes to the manga's ending and I well aware that they're not the most popular opinions according to some, but they are my opinions and I have a right to express them through my story. And believe it or not, they are the opinions shared by many others. I also want to make it clear that I DO NOT hate Yotsuba. It's HOW SHE'S WRITTEN that I cannot stand.

If you want to understand why Yotsuba never received her own character arc that was expected by so many, try to find a translated version of her character book that Negi Haruba's interviews about her character. Simply put, he had no further plans for her after her flashback was shown. He only had two goals for her. Making her the bride and giving her a tragic backstory in order to justify her being the bride. That was it.

The biggest reason why I first wrote this story is because I simply cannot accept the manga's original ending. Why? Because it's wrong on so many levels. The amount of problems are enough to write an entire essay about and it sends a very poor message both in terms of relationships and of someone's mental state. Another reason is because the manga left behind too many loose ends, too many unanswered questions. Questions that I feel need to be answered.

I wrote my fanfic as a way to deal with these very issues. I'm not this because "my favorite girl didn't win". That is nothing but a lie. I am writing this because that's how much I love The Quintessential Quintuplets. I loved its story and its characters, but I hate how it all ended. The way the manga ended, for me, was quite frankly a crime. An injustice. One that I want to correct, and I know there are many others out there who feel the same way. You may think I'm crazy for getting so worked up over a stupid harem story, but I never saw The Quintessential Quintuplets as a harem story. I saw it as something much more than. I don't why I feel that way, I just do. I can't really explain it any better than that, and I do wish more people would understand my feelings when it comes to the Quints. I hope you do come to understand my feelings one day.

That's all I have to say for now. Thank you for reading and stay tuned!