Disclaimer: The Quintessential Quintuplets (Goutoubun no Hanayome) and all its characters are the intellectual property of Mr. Negi Haruba. All rights reserved.
Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. September 30th, 2017. Nakamura residence.
It is now Saturday morning. Late Saturday morning actually, it's almost midday. This is a pretty important day for the local community in all of Aichi: it's the day of the Fireworks Festival down in Higashi Ward, in Nagoya. Other than the fireworks themselves, it's a typical Japanese festival of the types you often see in various forms of media, particularly present in anime. You have a bunch of food stalls, you can try your luck at catching koi fish, some men and women take the chance to wear traditional clothing in public. You know, that sort of thing.
But it would appear that not everyone shares that enthusiasm. To be fair, there's little enthusiasm you can have when you're asleep. Mr. Inejiro Nakamura is currently fast asleep. He's currently laying on the floor of his apartment next to the table, with an almost empty bottle of vodka laying next to his head and the leftovers of some snacks right on the table. It doesn't matter how late it might be, Inejiro is snoring loudly and shows no sign of waking up.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
There's someone knocking on the front door of his apartment, quite loudly in fact. But Mr. Nakamura is not budging.
*Knock* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
The knocks are growing in intensity, but still…nothing.
"Is he not here? Well, let's call him…", a masculine voice spoke from outside. That voice belongs to Sanzo Nakamura, the sleeping beauty's father. He proceeded to reach into his pocket, grab his phone and call his son. He could hear his cell phone ringing inside. So he either forgot his phone, which is very unlikely, or he's inside, and can't hear him knock for some reason. In fact…listening more closely, he can hear Inejiro's snores.
"Sorry Inejiro but I'm coming in", Sanzo said as he grabbed the spare keys to Inejiro's apartment that Inejiro entrusted him with, unlocked the door, and went in. When he got inside, he noticed that his son was not only sleeping in at almost 12:00 PM. He's lying on the ground, with his clothes on, and…well, the scene that was previously described, he now witnesses.
"INEJIRO! WAKE UP!", he yells as he kneels down and shakes his son's body wildly. Still no response.
"Goddamit", Sanzo said as he grabbed one of the glasses that he found on the table, filled it with water and threw it straight at Inejiro's face. That seemed to do the trick somewhat, as Inejiro started mumbling incoherently.
"Inejiro, it's your father. Get up, it's late".
Inejiro half opened one of his eyes, and noticed a figure standing next to him that he couldn't recognize quite yet.
"Ehhhhhh…who the hell are you? Get the fuck out".
"I'm. Your. Father!"
He noticed the word 'father' being spoken, which means it's probably his dad…although it could have been 'grandfather', not 'father'. But he doesn't care too much either way, he cares about being left alone to continue sleeping.
"I don't give a damn. Get out".
"Oh for fuck's sake", Sanzo cursed as he once again grabbed the empty glass, filled it with water and once more emptied it on his helpless son's face.
"God you asshole stop that!"
"No. You're probably hung over as hell, I'm gonna make you some coffee and we'll talk".
Inejiro just made unintelligible sounds, which however did sound like he approved of his father's suggestion. Sanzo didn't need his approval though, he was already on his way to make some coffee. Thankfully, he found a jar half full of coffee inside Inejiro's fridge, so he just filled a cup, and put it inside the microwave for a minute and a half. After it was done, he returned to the table, cup in hand, and shook his son again.
"Inejiro, do I have to do the water thing again? If you don't drink this coffee then that's what I'm throwing at you next".
"Ughhhh fine FINE! Give me that", Inejiro said as he struggled to sit down. Luckily for him he was sleeping right next to his small table so he didn't need to walk at all. He took a sip from the coffee, which he noticed was still too hot.
"Ah, damn, it's hot. What time is it?"
"12:00 PM. What were you up to last night?"
"Ehhhh…I kinda remember Ichika being here…not much else".
"Ichika? You were drinking with one of the quints? Inejiro, you know they're minors!"
"No, you moron, I wasn't drinking with her. And hey, when I was their age I-"
"I don't care. And I'm your father, show some respect".
"Ah, you're dad…I thought you were Uesugi".
"Eh? Your tutor? What?"
"I don't know, dad…I'm barely alive right now".
"I can see that…did you drink this whole bottle last night?", Sanzo said as he grabbed the almost empty bottle that was lying on the floor.
"Eh. I don't see anyone else around. So, probably. Unless someone broke in".
"Inejiro! You're lucky you're not in a coma!"
"Wait actually…is Natsumi still here?"
Sanzo opened his eyes wide.
"Natsumi? What?"
"I just remembered. Ichika and Natsumi were here".
"She's not here Inejiro. If I could bet, I'd say she wasn't here last night either".
"W-What?", Inejiro said, shocked, as he looked frantically around his apartment, noticing that unless his ex-girlfriend is hiding in the bathroom, there's only him and his father currently inside it.
"But no…I remember clearly…she said she was sorry for having blamed the quintuplets for our break up…"
"You must have dreamed it, Inejiro".
"No! I didn't. Go on, call Ichika and ask her. Grab my phone and call her".
"I won't do that".
"Let me think, let me think…", Inejiro tries to think about last night's events. He slowly starts recollecting most of it.
"Let me start from the beginning…so I met Ichika at school, right, and we came here after that. But something happened on the way here…it had to do with Natsumi, I just know it! I swear I'm not making it up!"
"Natsumi is living in Tokyo, Inejiro! You did not run into her and I am pretty damn sure you did not invite her over!"
"Wait, you're right…of course you're bloody right. It was Ichika…we talked about Natsumi, that's it".
"You talked about her? About what?"
"Well…it's all coming back now. Ichika had been talking to Natsumi for…reasons. And…Natsumi told Ichika that she was sorry for saying the quintuplets were to blame for…well, I already told you that. And Ichika told me. Aaaaand…there was something else…what day is it?"
"Saturday. The day of the festival".
"Oh dammit right! Ichika is gonna skip the festival…or get out in the middle of it, that part I don't remember. So she said that…some time after that she left…and that's when I must have started digging into that bottle".
"I don't know if I should be proud that my own son has such a skill in getting blackout drunk that he gets nothing more than a hangover for his trouble, or I should consider myself a failure as a father for raising such a miserable drunk".
"Grandpa raised me as a miserable drunk".
"Oh do I ever regret leaving you in the care of the old man for so long…but whatever. I came here to invite you to go together to the festival later but I doubt you'll be in any sort of shape to do that".
"Ugh…would be the first time I don't join the girls too…wait if that's what you wanted why didn't you just call?"
"I did! Ten times over the space of 3 hours!"
"Eh. Well, as you can see, I wasn't available"
"Doesn't matter at this point anyways. Now, go on and have a cold shower, you stink. Can you walk?"
"Who knows I haven't tried to stand yet…", Inejiro said, before trying to stand up, feeling quite dizzy in the process. "Whoa, I…don't know…hold on", Inejiro said matter-of-factly before running very quickly towards the toilet, after which his father could hear a very loud growling noise coming from the bathroom. No need to explain that one. A couple of minutes later Inejiro came back out of the bathroom.
"Well…I'm feeling a bit better now".
"Nonsense. Give it 10 minutes and you'll be feeling like crap again. Just…sit close to the bathroom for a good while until you're truly done".
"Ugh…fine".
Sanzo grabbed one of Inejiro's folding chairs and set it up next to the bathroom for ease of use, and Inejiro sat there.
"Dad, can you pass me my phone? Who the hell knows what's been going on while I was asleep".
"Fine, where is it?"
"Somewhere close to where I was sleeping I imagine".
Sanzo looked near the table and indeed found his son's mobile phone laying on the floor, next to a small pool of vodka. Luckily the phone didn't get wet with alcohol.
"Here you go. You almost have to buy yourself a new phone for being such a careless dumbass", the older man said as he handed the phone to its owner.
"Yeah, yeah, gimme that", Inejiro said, as he turned on the mobile phone, which he noticed was pretty low on batteries…has 10 missed phone calls (no surprises there), and several unread text messages. One of them is from Itsuki. About an hour ago she texted Inejiro saying that she was gonna deliver Fuutarou's payment to his house. Inejiro's payment is usually delivered by Ebata-san, so he thought it was weird that it was Itsuki doing it for Fuutarou. But he figured Ebata-san must be busy or something.
He has a text from Ichika, asking if he spent the night alright. Well…that question answers itself. Whether to tell Ichika the truth or not is another matter entirely. He decides to do so, it's no use lying. The likelihood of the girls finding out that he's sick on the day of the fireworks festival is quite high anyways. He spares her the details on the heavy drinking, but he does tell her that he just woke up, and he's feeling quite sick and dizzy. It's not gonna be hard to fill in the blanks, but still. He does tell her not to worry, that he's with his father.
There's another text from Yotsuba, asking about the festival. 'Could have reminded me a few days earlier', Inejiro thinks, not without reason. He tells her an even shorter version of what he told Ichika, that he's feeling quite sick, and doesn't know if he's gonna end up going to the festival or not. But he's with his father, so don't worry.
Well…not one full minute passed since he texted Yotsuba and his phone started ringing. Of course, it's her.
"Hey, Yotsuba".
"Jiro! You're sick? What happened? Should I go?"
"I told you, my dad's here".
"Nonsense, I can't just leave you. I'm going. In fact, Miku is coming too".
"Yotsuba, just PLEASE promise you'll be quiet".
"Of course dummy. Like it's the first time I've taken care of you while you're…eh…'sick'".
"I know…just…", Inejiro could suddenly feel something welling up inside him, "gotta go", Inejiro said before running off again. Meanwhile, Sanzo is cleaning up the apartment a little, since it's…well…not in a particularly good state.
"See? Told you", he said to his son when he walked back out of the bathroom. "Are your friends coming?"
"Just Miku and Yotsuba".
"Good thing I cleaned this pigsty up a little then".
"I doubt they'll be scared, dad. It's not usually you that hangs around here in these sorts of occasions".
"What? You're telling me you make these poor girls take care of your sorry drunk ass?"
"I don't make anyone do anything. Am I forcing you to clean this place up?"
"No, Inejiro, but I'm your father…", Sanzo said before letting out a sigh, "...now that you've come to your senses a little…is it really true that Natsumi blamed the quints for your break up?"
"'Blame' is not really the right word, but…yes".
"Inejiro…don't you think she had…a point? Not in blaming them, of course, but…have you ever thought about how you would have felt if it was Natsumi that had a group of very handsome male friends who had that sort of relationship with her? You know that, 'more than friends but not dating and there's nothing physical going on but it's still suspicious', kind of relationship. Be real, face reality".
"What? You think I don't think about this? But what people don't get is that I don't understand what the hell you all want me to do about it!"
"You wanna know what I think? And believe me, I'm not alone in thinking this. If they weren't quintuplets, and they were just somehow one girl. You two would have been dating years ago. That's what I think".
"Are you out of your bloody mind!? Who pictures those stupid scenarios in their heads?"
"People with a brain. I'm tired of not saying anything for fear of hurting your feelings. You're clearly hurting yourself. You haven't gotten yourself into a coma yet because your body digests alcohol like a freak of nature. And it's an absolute miracle you didn't hurt those girls enough to drive them away".
"Thanks, dad. This is what a man needs when he's sick".
"I don't care! Inejiro, I've spent most of your life working my ass off to feed you and your grandparents. I should have given you more tough love, but I couldn't. And your grandparents couldn't have done it. Mom is too much of a sweetheart and dad is…living in another dimension. So if I have to drill a couple of things into your thick skull now, I'll do it".
"You're so lucky I'm feeling like shit and don't even wanna argue. Just…give me a cigarette and a lighter, will you".
"Fine…you better hope neither your lungs nor your liver collapse before you get your head straight", Sanzo said as he did as his son asked. Just a few seconds later, there was knocking on the door. It seems Miku and Yotsuba have arrived.
"It's the girls, open up", Inejiro said.
His father obliged and opened up the door. Indeed, he found the two Nakanos standing outside.
"Hi, Jiro's dad", Yotsuba said before running past him and inside the apartment. Miku just said a timid 'hi', before following suit.
"Jiro, what happened?", Yotsuba asked Inejiro.
"Hi, Yotsuba, how're you doing? Oh, I've been better, you know…"
"Cut it! You were drinking again!"
"Inejiro, how many times must we go through the same thing?", Miku asked.
"You don't have to go through anything", Inejiro said, very seriously.
"Sanzo-san…your son seems even grumpier than usual".
"Well, he should be", Sanzo responded while he continued cleaning up the apartment.
"Miku I don't know if you noticed but I'm not feeling great here".
"Even grumpier than every other time we've found you almost comatose here".
Without saying a word, Inejiro went to the bathroom again.
"Jiro's dad, do you need help with anything?", Yotsuba asked Sanzo.
"No sweetheart, don't worry. Don't you girls need to get ready for the festival?"
"Well I don't care about the festival if Jiro's not going!"
"Itsuki still hasn't returned either anyways, and Ichika is still sleeping, like usual", Miku added.
Sanzo notices the sincere concern these girls have for his son, and he almost feels bad for having said all those things he said to him. He's known for years that they have a bond that's thicker than blood. But, to him, his son is easy enough to gauge, he loves them like they were his sisters, that's the way it's always been…but the girls? He has no clue. What do they feel for Inejiro? Is he like a big brother? A friend? Do any of them…love him in a non-platonic way? He has no clue. And there's a whole five of them, there can be any combination among them. He wants to make sure he can offer proper guidance to his son in these matters. Exactly because the bond Inejiro shares with the sisters is so strong, Sanzo doesn't want said bond entangled because of his son's short-sightedness.
"Hey, you haven't mentioned Nino. How is she?", Sanzo asked.
"When Nino heard we were coming here, she said that if we're late to the festival because of Inejiro she would kill him first and make us watch, and then kill us. I don't think she needed to be so graphic to get the point across…but there you go", Miku responded.
"I take it she doesn't get along with Inejiro?"
"Yeah, I don't know…Nino's always frowning when Jiro's around, and she doesn't treat him well at all", Yotsuba said, now her turn to respond.
Sanzo noticed that his son's relationship with one of the girls had already become strained.
"I never knew. She used to be so clingy with him as a child. Wait, that's…nah, never mind. How long has this been going on for?"
"Since Inejiro started dating, pretty much. Not much has changed since then", Miku responded.
It didn't take Sanzo much to connect the dots. He facepalmed.
"I swear to God I can't believe I raised such an absolute dunce".
Miku gave him a knowing look.
"Eh…heh, speaking of which…Jiro! Are you alright in there?", Yotsuba said somewhat nervously, clearly trying to deflect the conversation. It is also true that he's been in there for a while.
"Oh no I'm fine, I'm just having fun listening to you all babble on about me", Inejiro said as he walked out.
"Oh, so you heard. Good", said Miku.
"Now now, come on, there's no need to worry poor Jiro, he's sick!", said Yotsuba. It's not untrue that she's worried about her friend, but that she's using his sickness to stop that conversation is abundantly clear.
"Girls, don't you need to get ready for the festival? I'm fine enough, worst case scenario I'll just go puke a couple more times. Not gonna die", said Inejiro as he sat back on his chair.
"I told you Jiro! If you're not going I'm staying to take care of you!"
At that point, Inejiro's phone made a sound. He had received a new message. He looked at it, and it's from Itsuki.
'Inejiro-kun, you're not gonna believe this. I am at the arcade with Uesugi-kun and his sister. He asked her if she wanted to buy something with the money he earned from tutoring, and she dragged us both here. Don't tell my sisters, though. I just wanted to tell you because you're probably wondering why giving him his pay is taking so long'
Inejiro laughed imagining the whole situation. Itsuki and Fuutarou together at the arcade, with Raiha-chan leading them on. Absolutely ridiculous and hilarious. 'Hopefully this will bring them closer together', Inejiro thought. Not TOO together, though, another quintuplet falling for Fuutarou would make things quite…complicated, to say the least. More complicated, certainly.
"Girls, I'll tell you what. I'll take a nap. My father's here, he'll wake me close enough to the time of the festival. If I'm feeling at least somewhat better, I promise I'll go. But please, go get ready, I'd hate for you to miss the festival because of me".
"Jiro…you promise? It wouldn't be the same without you, you know?", Yotsuba said.
"Yes, I promise. Now please, go".
"Well…if you say so. Let me call a cab…", Miku said.
"Oh wait. Let me call my neighbor, he's a cab driver. He could use the business", Inejiro said, referring to Suzuki-san. He indeed called him, and told him a couple of his friends needed a ride. To the Pentagon, again. Suzuki-san was in a pretty professional mood so he didn't say anything, but surely he'll have something to say about them being two completely different girls to the last one.
He arrived in about 5 minutes, Miku and Yotsuba departing then. Not before saying their goodbyes to Sanzo and sharing their best wishes for Inejiro's health, of course.
"Well it's good you heard us talking. Saves me a lot of hard work. Show don't tell and all that", Sanzo said.
"I'll have you know, that I already knew that Nino is jealous of Natsumi. Yeah, to this day. And she's apparently jealous of Yotsuba too, if you can believe it".
"Oh I'm positively shocked".
"That sarcasm is beneath you, dad".
"No it's not".
"I wonder…she couldn't have been in love with me back then or something, could she?"
"How could I know? As I already said, she was really clingy when she was little, and got angry at you when you started dating. Now, those are facts. They leave some room for interpretation, but not much".
"Pffft. How am I even supposed to talk about this with her?"
"Inejiro I can't figure this stuff out for you!"
Inejiro realized that this conversation is looking quite similar to several conversations he's had with Fuutarou. Only with him in the opposite role.
"Eh…fine, you're right. I'll find a way. Anyways…you're gonna hang around here?"
"You already told your friends I'd wake you, what choice do I have?"
"Wait…one question. You met Yotsuba the other day, but how could you tell the other one was Miku? You haven't seen them in years".
"She's always been the more quiet and reserved one. I could tell that was her".
"You know the theories they have about people being able to recognize them, right?"
"Heh, yeah. Well they ARE your childhood friends. And Rena's kids".
"Speaking of Rena…you said you are not alone in thinking that I would be dating one of the quints if…well they weren't quints. What does that mean? You and who else?"
"Do you expect me to divulge all of my private conversations? Take that for what you will".
"Hmph. You never told me anything back then. I was young, but not stupid. And now I'm 20. You and Rena were close, and don't say 'oh our children were friends and all', that's nonsense".
"...What man wouldn't have fallen for her, Inejiro?"
"Maruo did. You did. Plenty did. There's nothing wrong with that, I'm not trying to give you a hard time or anything. But clearly you talk as much about your love life as I do, so you're in no position to force me to talk about things I don't wanna talk about".
"Inejiro…we're similar in a lot of ways, as you'd expect from father and son. And I don't wish you to drive the people you love, and that love you, away. Just for being blind to what they're feeling".
"You didn't drive Rena away…there was nothing you could have done, you know that".
"I'm not talking about her Inejiro".
"Mom?"
"Who else? But enough of that. Go to sleep, hopefully you'll be in decent enough shape to join your friends".
"Fine. Oh, use my laptop if you wanna do whatever online. I don't have a TV to keep you entertained while I sleep. Also, if I get a call, answer. 90% odds it's Yotsuba busting my balls about the festival".
"Sure thing. You mind if I listen to music with headphones?"
"No, go ahead".
Inejiro got into his futon and proceeded to take a nap, hoping that he wouldn't have to run off to the bathroom in the middle of it. Luckily enough, it seems his system has calmed down a bit, and was able to rest for a couple of hours. Around 4:30 PM, Inejiro's phone rang, and his father answered it.
"Hello, Sanzo Nakamura here".
"Jiro's dad? So, is he doing okay?"
"He's sleeping. Undisturbed, so I'd say he's fine".
"Can he go?"
"I'll try to wake him in a bit. We'll see".
"Okay! Hey, eh, tell Jiro that Uesugi-san kinda dragged us back to our place to do some homework, heh. So there's no rush".
"Uesugi-san. Sure. I'll tell him. Have fun with your homework".
"Ehhhh I'm not so sure about that heh heh. Bye!".
After hanging up, Sanzo went up to his sleeping son and tried to see if he could wake him.
"Inejiro?", he said as he shook him more gently than earlier in the morning.
"Whaaa?", Inejiro asked with a groan.
"It's about time for the festival. You feel like going after all?"
"No", Inejiro answered as he sat up. "But Yotsuba and Miku will never let me hear the end of it if I don't go. Ahhh dammit. Fine, I'll go".
"Yotsuba called you. She said not to rush it because 'Uesugi-san' dragged them off to do homework".
"Oh, good. Well that's another guy that's gonna get dragged out there".
"The tutor hit it off with the girls then? Well, that's good".
"It's more complicated than that, dad, like everything else. Some hit it off 'too' well, others wanna hang him at The Hague. So. 50/50".
Sanzo laughed. Just to be expected that there would be more of this kind of drama in his son's life.
"Heh, well, if you're gonna go, at least get a shower. You still stink".
"Yeah, of course, I was gonna already", said Inejiro. He did indeed get a shower and a change of clothes. The nights are starting to get chilly so he can no longer walk around lightly dressed like he enjoys doing, so he put on a blue track top and some camo pants.
"Are you with the Russian mob?", his father asked jokingly.
"You're hilarious, really. Are you coming with, or not? That's why you showed up here in the first place".
"Yeah, well, with everything that's happened, I'm kinda tired. I guess I'll just go home and watch the old man yell at the NHK".
Inejiro laughed.
"Actually that sounds like a great plan! I'd go with you if it wasn't for, you know, peer pressure".
"Yeah, 'peer pressure'. Sure. Don't act like it's not important to you, Inejiro. You don't give a shit about peer pressure".
"I wouldn't go if it wasn't important. But okay, I'm going, I'm already gonna be late for the fireworks, I'm sure", Inejiro said as he opened up the front door and led his father outside. When they were outside, they said their goodbyes to each other, and each went their separate ways.
Given that the festival is near Downtown Nagoya, it's about an hour's train ride to get there. And Inejiro, feeling better but not at 100%, walked at quite a leisurely pace, so the odds of him making it to the festival before the fireworks start are quite low.
In fact, soon after he got off the train at the nearest station to the festival, he got a text from…Nino?
'Inejiro, I don't know if you're coming or what the hell you're doing, but if you do, I'm at this address, on the rooftop of this building. I'm with Uesugi.'
Inejiro was quite weirded out by the message. Why would Nino of all people text him all of a sudden? He can't remember when was the last time that she talked to him out of her own initiative. And why is she alone with Fuutarou? Where are her sisters? The station is not far from the festival, so it took him about five minutes to get to the street where it's taking place, but it took him another five to fight through the crowds and make it to the address Nino sent him. When he got to the rooftop, he found Fuutarou about to leave. The view from up there is absolutely spectacular, it's a wonderful vantage point from where to see the fireworks up above.
"Hey, Uesugi, what's up? What's going on?"
"Eh…we lost track of the other girls. But I just saw Ichika down there, I'll try to get her", Fuutarou said as he headed out. Inejiro noticed Nino watching them. She's wearing her purple yukata, adorned with several drawings of bunnies.
"Yo, Nino", Inejiro said as he greeted the girl.
"Oh, hi, what took you so long?"
"Living on the other side of the metro. And oh yeah I feel like shit".
"Oh, right…w-well…are you…feeling better?"
It's like Nino is struggling with not wanting to show kindness of any kind to Inejiro but also being genuinely concerned.
"Not great, but better, thanks".
"I imagine you were out drinking".
"Not out. But yes".
"I was ready to kill you if the other girls were late to the fireworks because of you".
"I did save myself, I hope. But what happened here? Why are you alone up here?"
"I rented this roof-"
"Maruo rented this roof", Inejiro said, cutting off Nino. "It's his money, he rented it".
"Ugh shut up. But I didn't tell the girls where it is. So, when the fireworks started and people started running everywhere, we all got separated. Uesugi found me and we made it up here".
"Did you two manage to get a hold of anyone?"
"Yotsuba called. She said she's with Uesugi's sister by the clock tower. No word from the others".
"Uesugi did tell me that he found Ichika".
"Yeah, I called her but her phone was turned off. That was weird".
Inejiro then remembered something Ichika had told him yesterday. That she wasn't gonna be around for the fireworks. She IS here, but not picking up the phone. Sadly, because of his drinking, he doesn't quite remember what she said afterwards. He doesn't really remember when he started drinking in the first place.
"Hm. That…is suspicious, yeah. Want me to go down to see if I can find anyone?"
"W-well…you should rest for a bit I think. Not because I care or anything…but it's not right to make you run around if you're sick".
"Are you sure you didn't make this whole thing up so we can watch the fireworks together? You know, I'm fine with it".
Nino turned her head away angrily.
"Shut up! I swear! This is what I get for being nice to you?"
"Come on Nino, I was joking! Can't we just…make peace? I'm just…tired of this. The fighting, the yelling. It hurts. A lot. I care for you as much as I do all your sisters, and I'd give anything so we can at least be cordial. I'm not even asking to be friends again. I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much, but I'm truly sorry".
"I don't hate you. But don't you dare say you're sorry. You're clueless".
"I am. I understand that now. But…I wanna make things right with you. Whatever it takes. I don't want things to go on like this. But you need to help me out here".
"No, I won't help you. You'll need to figure it out on your own if you care as much as you say you do".
"Fine, fine. But, can we at least make peace?", Inejiro said as he stretched out his hand and smile, expecting Nino to shake it. She didn't, and looked down while blushing lightly.
"I…fine. For now…though…c-can I ask you something?"
"Sure".
"I…don't wanna watch the fireworks alone. I don't know if I trust this Uesugi guy to get everyone".
"I'm sure he'll try his best. Do you want me to go try my luck too?"
Nino suddenly grabbed onto a bit of Inejiro's jacket, which startled him somewhat.
"N-no. Don't…go. Stay here. We don't need to talk if you don't wanna but…please".
Inejiro smiled.
"Of course, Nino. I don't mind at all. I am gonna sit though, my insides are not liking all this standing around", Inejiro said as he sat down at one of the tables that are arranged on this rooftop. It seems like they intended to rent it to more people…how much did 'Nino' pay to get this all to themselves? Inejiro never ceases to be surprised at the sheer wealth of this family. And how quick Nino in particular is when it comes to spending it.
"You don't mind if I smoke, do you?"
"Even when you're sick, somehow. You won't get the best view from there either, you know".
"It's good enough. All I have to do is look up".
"Suit yourself".
This conversation was succeeded by about a minute of awkward silence, with Nino trying to focus on the fireworks but being noticeably tense. Inejiro did mostly relax, but he did notice that Nino wasn't feeling all that great.
"D-d-don't tell my sisters…", she said softly, Inejiro barely being able to hear her because of the sound of the fireworks exploding above.
"You have no idea how often I hear that these days".
"Eh? What are you hid…never mind, I'll find out. Just, keep this quiet. Don't need anyone getting w-weird ideas".
"Is keeping the facade that you hate me that important to you?"
"It's not that…ugh you don't understand anything, such a fucking moron".
"Look, Nino, I don't wanna understand 'too much', if you catch my drift. Some things are better left unsaid. But I'm gonna tell you one thing, and one thing only. But you have to swear you'll believe me".
"Swear? What kind of creepy stuff are you up to?"
Inejiro looked at her very seriously, and she knew he wasn't joking. "Fine. What is it?", she asked Inejiro.
"I once had to make a choice. The hardest choice I have ever made, and not unlikely to be the hardest I will ever have to make. I could build a new life together with the love of my life. Or I could stand by my friends and family when they needed me most. Well, I'm still here".
Nino started getting teary eyed and clenching her fists.
"Bullshit. You're full of shit. Why the hell would you do that? Who would decide that?"
"Apparently, I would. And also, didn't you all decide to go with Yotsuba when she was expelled? Are you really telling me you don't understand?"
"Why are you comparing this? It's…it has…NOTHING to do with it, why WHY?"
"Does it matter? And you know why…you needed me".
"No! We were not and we sure as hell ARE NOT a bunch of scared little girls who need your protection anymore! You should have run off with her!"
"That's what you really think? That I'm just here to protect you like some bodyguard or hired gun? That's why you asked me not to leave just now? You're far from scared little girls. You sure as hell don't need my protection. You could go tell that to your father tomorrow and I'd go with you and nod my head throughout".
Nino then walked straight up to Inejiro, fully crying at these point, and started yelling straight into his face.
"THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STILL HERE?"
"I want to. Simple as that. Nino, what would I do in Tokyo without you five? What? I would be busy as hell, Natsumi would be busy as hell. She IS busy as hell, I imagine. But that's fine, that's what being an adult is like. But…if I watched a basketball game on TV I would remember Yotsuba. If I watched some documentary I would remember Miku. If I watched some Hollywood flick I would remember Ichika. Everytime I'd hear some lady speaking in keigo I would remember Itsuki. And, honestly, everytime I saw someone cursing like a sailor I would remember you", Inejiro said laughing.
"That's all you would remember, huh? Just me talking shit".
"Well I don't want to remind you of how you were as a child since we've established that you don't like me very much anymore, but…hell, remember that Kyoto trip you all took when you were 12? When you heard I wasn't going you had DECIDED to stay. You even tried to make plans with me and were ecstatic about it! Do you want me to carry on? How you asked my grandpa to stay at our place? And the details of the request…he still remembers that and uses it to laugh at me, you know?".
Nino was listening in silence up to this point but now she had to stop him. She got completely red and you can't tell at this point if she's crying, blushing, both, or if it's a completely new facial expression never before classified by mankind.
"N-n-n-n-o STOP that's NOT NECESSARY I GET IT".
"Okay, you get it then. You're special to me Nino, not any less than any of your sisters. And no, not less than Natsumi either. It's just…what she and I had…it was different. You understand that, I hope. But…it's been over for 2 years now. Year and a half more like…but you get the point. If you didn't like her for some reason…well, that's fine, but you don't have to stay angry. She's gone".
"Yeah but you're still not over her ass".
"No".
"Right back at you. 'It's been over for 2 years now'. You're a hypocrite".
"Nino…I don't wanna presume to know what you feel or have felt or whatever. But believe me, if you ever feel something like that…it's not that easy to let go".
"I just…she doesn't deserve it. She left you, she didn't have to leave you".
"She would have been forced to give up on her dreams. She certainly didn't have to break everything off the way she did…but I don't know. She's a great girl, just…I don't know. I would give everything just to talk to her one more time".
"You still want her back. What a pushover".
"I may be. Just…bah, it doesn't matter. One day I'll set my head and my heart on straight hopefully. It's just not today".
"Hmph. Fine. Maybe I can forgive you".
"Forgive me!?", Inejiro said, shocked that she actually believes he did something that deserves her forgiveness.
"Yes, for being such an idiot and a pushover. You're in love, it is what it is. I'm not gonna be all lovey-dovey with you like my sisters are, but we can make peace. But that Uesugi guy can still screw off".
"'Lovey-dovey'?"
"Yeah, it's weird, people in school keep talking about it. Cut it out, act like normal friends".
"Screw 'people in school'. Also, give poor Uesugi a shot…please?"
"No. In fact, has that useless turd managed to get a hold of any of my sisters or what?"
"How could I know?"
"I don't know, just call him or something! He must have YOUR phone at least…dammit, I wanna enjoy the fireworks, you made me miss half of them".
"You started being all 'oh please don't leave me' first", Inejiro said in a mocking voice, before being kicked in the shin by Nino.
"Ow! Man, you could give Yotsuba a run for her money".
"You deserve it", Nino said before checking herself out in the camera of her phone. "Ughhhh now I have to fix my make-up too since you made me cry!"
"I thought we were making peace!. This is like-"
"Noooo no history references, I'm sick and tired of them! Just let me do this in peace".
"That might just be the most hurtful thing you've ever said to me".
"Now even that Uesugi guy makes them too! I'm surrounded by nerds, of the kind that just can't shut up about it too!"
Suddenly Inejiro's phone started ringing. Apparently, Yotsuba is calling him.
"Yo, Nino, Yotsuba is calling me".
"Yotsuba!? Put her on speaker!"
He answered and put the phone on speaker, as Nino requested.
"Hey, Yotsuba".
"Jiro! Are you even here?"
Nino shot him a glare.
"Yeah, um, I'm…looking for you all".
"Oh yeah Uesugi-san told me he ran into you. So…we have a problem".
"I imagine, yeah".
"Yeah but I have the solution! You see…Ichika had to leave, apparently she's an actress? Did you know that?"
Nino tried her hardest not to react loudly to that information.
"...Maybe".
"Jiro, you could have told us!"
"Oh so keeping secrets is bad. Good to know, I'll keep that in mind…"
"Ehhh…maybe not hehe. Anyways, so I'm here with Raiha-chan and Miku. I have these fireworks I bought earlier, so I thought that maybe we could light them later when Ichika is free so we can all enjoy some fireworks together!"
"Wait, why did Ichika leave? I know she's an actress, but…I remember her saying something but I don't think I would have agreed with it".
"She has an audition I think. It doesn't matter right now though, we'll make sure to ask her aaaaall about it later. So, Uesugi-san told us to go to a little square a couple of blocks from here. Want us to go get you, or will you meet us there?"
Inejiro looked at Nino and figured she didn't wanna be seen up here alone with him, so he thought it would be best to head to the square. They can always make up something about having run into each other on the way.
"Ehhh…nah I'll head over there".
"Okay! I'll call Nino and Itsuki now!"
"N-no need, eh…you call Itsuki, I'll call Nino".
"You sure? Shouldn't I call Nino?"
"No, it's fine. Let's just do that. See you later".
"Bye!"
When they hung up the phone, Nino walked right back to Inejiro, being finished with her makeup.
"Ugh now what are we gonna do? We can't show up there together", she said.
"We'll say we ran into each other or something".
"Fine. But. You knew Ichika was an actress!? And you didn't say anything!?"
"That's right".
"Especially you! Supporting her in that!? Why?"
"I keep all your secrets, Nino. And no, it gave me no amount of pleasure to find out she was trying to get involved in the entertainment industry. But…"
"But what?"
"Now…I imagine at least that agent guy is to be trusted".
"Why?"
"A 'friend' of Ichika recommended him. I trust her judgment".
"Why do you trust the judgment of some 'friend' of Ichika you don't even know?"
"I do know her and I don't think she, despite everything that happened, would leave one of the people I hold dearest in the hands of some asshole".
"Nah…NAH…Ichika is friends with that bitch?"
"She told me so last night".
"Oh and THAT'S why you got so drunk and emotional. You're all really a bunch of idiots, every single one of you".
"Still, I'm definitely NOT done talking to Ichika about this. But enough talking, let's meet up with the girls".
"Pfft, so much for renting this place…", Nino fumed as she followed Inejiro downstairs. Rather slowly since he isn't exactly feeling 100% healthy right now.
"Eh…wait a second", Inejiro said as they got off the building. "I had promised Uesugi's sister that I'd treat her to something the other day. This is as good a chance as any".
"Since when are you so buddy-buddy with Uesugi's family? Or do you wanna brainwash another young girl in preparation for when we outgrow you?"
"What the hell are you even talking about Nino?"
"Nothing, I was joking. It's Yotsuba I should be worried about anyways…she said some weird shit".
Inejiro figured Yotsuba's tongue must have slipped somehow. No matter how hard she may try to hide her feelings for Fuutarou…she's as crappy a liar as she's ever been.
"What…what did she say?"
"Eh she had bought Uesugi's sister a bunch of koi fish and those fireworks she talked about. So, his sister thanked Yotsuba in the cutest way imaginable. By the way, I don't understand how THAT GUY'S sister could be so cute and all…anyways, so Yotsuba responded in kind, and said something like 'I want you to be my sister! Wait…if I married Uesugi-san we'd legally be sisters!' I mean…why would she even bring up marrying that guy?"
"It was a joke, Nino. Like you saying that I wanted to brainwash poor Raiha-chan for God knows what reason".
"Hmph. I don't trust you. I know you hide things. And that was just weird".
"Whatever, believe what you will. Do you want anything, Nino?"
"I already ate…thank you".
"Suit yourself…I'm not in the mood for anything either really. In fact…would it be okay if I gave you the money and you went to buy some…six hot dogs?"
"Why do I have to go?"
"The smell of the stalls…not good right now".
"Why six though? We all already ate".
"Itsuki will want some. Yotsuba probably too. Uesugi barely eats. Raiha-chan is a kid, she won't refuse a hot dog. That's four. Ichika might want something after her audition, and Miku, who knows. Either way, Itsuki will pick up the spares".
"You really have it all thought out, huh".
"Nino. You may cook. But I buy the ingredients. You'd all have starved if I wasn't acquainted with your eating habits".
"Hmph. Just give me the money".
Inejiro pulled out a couple thousand yen from his pocket.
"This should cover it I imagine…", he grabbed a couple hundred extra just in case, "...better safe than sorry though".
"Fine. Wait here", Nino said as she went to the nearest hot dog stall. Inejiro may not be feeling very well physically, but he's ecstatic because of how much his relationship with Nino seems to have improved. Who knew? Talking things out does help after all. They're not anywhere near as close as they once were…and God knows there's a lot to unpack in their past yet. But it seems they have reached a mutual understanding of each other. Now she just has to accept Fuutarou…which might be harder. It will take much more than a bit of talking to convince her that Fuutarou is not some foreign invader intent on disrupting the quintuplets' home life.
Besides, it's anyone's guess as to how Nino would react if she found out that a couple of her sisters have fallen for their tutor. She could interpret that as being the result of some manipulation on his part. Even in a best-case scenario, she would see him as even more of a threat: someone who could potentially drive at least one of her sisters away from the 'nest'. One step at a time, though. Yotsuba's feelings for Fuutarou definitely seem very serious to Inejiro, but Miku? It might be a bit of a crush, some mild infatuation. Impossible to know at this point. It's likely Miku herself doesn't know. It's not really wise to concern oneself with issues that might go away by themselves, Inejiro thinks.
His sentiment is not wrong but…while he was up on that rooftop with Nino, a lot of things happened during this festival, which irredeemably changed the nature of Fuutarou's relationship with the quintuplets, for good. However, right now, Inejiro is none the wiser.
"Inejiro! Stop daydreaming you idiot!"
"Eh, what?", Inejiro said, startled, as Nino shook him away from his inner monologue.
"Your hot dogs! Let's go, the girls are probably all there already!".
"Yeah…hang on…Yotsuba was very non-specific about where we're supposed to go…I think I know, though", Inejiro said as he started walking in the direction of the nearest square, hoping that's where Yotsuba intended to rendezvous.
"Not like I told anyone about the location of the building I rented…I can't really complain. But are you sure you know where you're going?"
"I know central Nagoya like the palm of my hand, Nino, chill".
Nino feels somewhat aggravated by Inejiro consistently showing her how dependable he is in these situations. She has hated that fact for years. She's spent a long time trying to convince herself that he's not necessary, that she'd be better off without him. A few days ago she would be barking at him in this exact situation, but right now…she's not happy with it, but she's fine letting him take the lead. At the end of the day, it is objectively true that he knows Nagoya better than her.
"Here's hoping I'm synchronized with Uesugi and Yotsuba's brains though…", Inejiro said as they got closer to their destination.
"Ugh I couldn't even call you useless if you're wrong,this sucks".
"You'd call me useless in much more unfair situations…".
"Jiiiiiiiiiiirooooooooooooo Ninoooooooooooo over heeeeeeeeere!", yelled a ribbon-wearing figure that Inejiro could barely see from about a block away. Nino couldn't see her at all. Inejiro lifted his arms up high so she could know he saw her without making as much of a fuss as her.
"Well, I was right. That's Yotsuba right there", Inejiro said as he led Nino towards the square. Yotsuba and Raiha are of course already there, as well as Miku and Itsuki. All of them, except for Raiha who is clueless about any previous relationships between the quintuplets and Inejiro, were shocked to see him and Nino arrive together.
"Inejiro…and Nino…together…something horrible must have happened", said a wide-eyed Miku.
"I ran into him! Nothing happened!", Nino said as she angrily walked past her. "Yotsuba! How the hell were w-", she was saying before cutting herself short and coughing heavily. "How was I supposed to find this place?"
"It's good you ran into Jiro then! But…you said you just ran into him…but he told me he would call you…weird", said Yotsuba.
"Girls, come on, enough arguing, who cares? We're here. And I came bearing gifts", Inejiro said before handing all of the girls a hot dog.
"Nakamura-san! You remembered!", said the younger Uesugi as her eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Yeah…sorry it ain't much, but I wasn't planning on buying anything today. Some other day I'll get you all something nicer".
"No, it's fine, really! Yotsuba-san told me you were sick".
"...How much did you say, Yotsuba?", Inejiro asked the green yukata-wearing quintuplet.
"Oh…that you had a stomach-ache this morning. It's true after all!", Yotsuba responded confidently. Truth be told, it's one of the best lies she's ever told. Though it's only a half truth.
"Yeah, I still have it. But enough of that, let each have their hot dog. And I'll save one for Uesugi…eh the elder Uesugi I mean, and one for Ichika", Inejiro said as he gave Raiha her hot dog, and each of the quintuplets afterwards (except for Nino, of course). It goes without saying that Itsuki was the most excited one among her sisters to get an extra meal.
"Itsuki…I'm probably not gonna eat all of mine, you can have half", said Miku, handing her younger sister half of her hot dog. Itsuki had already finished hers.
"Oh, Miku, thank you!", said a still hungry, and very excited Itsuki, before happily digging in. "By the way, Inejiro-kun, are you feeling better now?", she asked while her mouth was full, making her struggle to speak.
"Well enough to be here but…not great".
"We went to his apartment today with Yotsuba…he couldn't even stand and threw up every 10 minutes or so. So he's better", said Miku.
"Yeah, hopefully tomorrow you'll be good as new!", said Yotsuba.
"Eh, enough about me anyways. Yotsuba, why did you even buy those fireworks? You couldn't possibly have planned all of this in advance", said Inejiro.
"Heh heh…maybe we did! Right, Raiha-chan?"
"Yotsuba-san…you know it was my big brother's idea. Although…you were very excited about buying those…", Raiha said, before yawning loudly. Inejiro also yawned afterwards. Yawns are contagious, after all.
"Man, I'm beat as hell. But, Raiha-chan, don't you wanna go take a nap in one of those benches over there while we wait for your brother? I promise I'll beat up any approaching ruffians", Inejiro said with a smile.
"Not if I kick their asses first!", Yotsuba exclaimed loudly, raising her fist into the air.
"Maybe I will do that, yeah…", Raiha said while scratching her eyes. The quintuplets then got distracted by the fireworks and started looking into them, each starting to pick their favorites, and talking to each other about the events of the night. Nino wasn't as keen on sharing, though.
"Oh, wait! Nakamura-san! First, you have to see this!", the young girl said, with a fresh burst of energy. She reached into her pocket and grabbed what looked like a picture. She handed it to Inejiro while smiling from side to side.
Inejiro grabbed the picture and looked at it. He couldn't help but chuckle loudly as he saw it. It's the kind of picture you take at one of those photo booths you find in arcades and the like. It shows Raiha happily standing in the middle of Fuutarou and Itsuki, who were holding her left and right hand respectively, each sporting the most awkward-looking smiles a human being could possibly make. Of course, both of them adorned with ridiculous decorations as well.
"Hahaha, it's just like a family photo!", Inejiro said.
"I know right? Isn't it totally cool? I love it!"
"Heh, yeah, it's so like them to make that face and all. Thank you for helping them get along for a bit".
"Yeah, they argue a lot…but they'll get better. You know…my big brother is not as much of a bad guy as he seems".
Inejiro chuckled a bit at her comment. She has a peculiar way of defending her brother.
"He's not a bad guy. But he's difficult sometimes, and Itsuki-san is difficult too".
"I know…", Raiha said before yawning loudly again. "I think I do wanna lay down now".
"Got it. Want me to carry you to that bench?"
"Eh…"
"Here, climb on my back", Inejiro said as he kneeled down and pointed at his back.
"...Fine", Raiha said as she climbed on his back. Then Inejiro stood up and started going towards one of the benches. The other girls noticed it and looked at them curiously.
"Whoa, you really are tall! This is almost scary!", Raiha said with shock after Inejiro fully stood up, getting to see a small glimpse of the world from the perspective of a man standing as high as 1,90 meters.
"It's only gonna be a couple of seconds, don't worry", Inejiro said as he walked the small distance and laid her down on the bench. "And there we go".
"Man, that was really cool! I was actually kinda curious what it would be like", Raiha said.
"You get used to it after some 20 years!", Inejiro responded. "But hey, get some sleep now. Your brother won't be long".
"Okay…", Raiha said as she already started getting sleepy.
"And…keep hold of that picture. Those memories with the people we care about…they're really important".
"Yeah…I will…", Raiha muttered as she finally fell asleep. Inejiro smiled and walked back towards the quintuplets.
"What is it with you and children, Inejiro? She already trusts you that much?", asked Miku.
"How long did it take you to trust me? And I didn't even buy you a hot dog back then", Inejiro said.
"You should have!", Itsuki said. "But…I think that was Miku's point. You…make kids feel…safe".
"Not just kids…", Nino whispered.
"What? I couldn't hear you", Inejiro said, to which Nino tensed up, realizing she had said it out loud, and shouted, "Nothing! I was talking to myself!".
Luckily for Nino, no one could actually understand what she said. But the other girls are starting to notice quite a shift in her attitude towards Inejiro. A few days ago she would have probably made some ironic or dismissive comment in that situation.
"Oh! It's Ichika and Uesugi-san!", Yotsuba said, having noticed that the missing quintuplet had arrived, with the family tutor in tow. "Uesugi-san, we're all set! We couldn't wait, so we started without you!", she yelled out, as she waved the sparkler she was holding.
"We really couldn't have done it if you hadn't bought those fireworks. You saved the night, Yotsuba", Fuutarou said, to which Yotsuba smiled proudly.
"HEY, YOU!", Nino yelled at Fuutarou as she walked towards him pointing at him with an accusing finger. "What the hell took you so long!? And I heard you abandoned Itsuki and ran off somewhere! She probably cried for like half an hour because of you!"
"Nino! You don't need to tell him that!", Itsuki replied, confirming that Nino was correct.
"S-Sorry…", Fuutarou said.
"No! I need to give you a piece of my mind or I won't be able to sleep tonight!", Nino said before delivering her judgment on Fuutarou's actions. "Good! Job! Back! There!", she said with gritted teeth, clearly struggling to praise Fuutarou.
"I'm getting mixed signals right here…", Fuutarou said. But it seems she is not judging him in the worst way possible anymore, she's being fair, as hard as it may be. Whether the talk she had with Inejiro is to thank for that or not, is anyone's guess.
"Hey, Ichika. So, how did your audition go?", Inejiro asked.
"Well…I think I'm gonna get the part…", she replied somewhat sheepishly, still feeling guilty for bailing out on the fireworks festival. Everyone including Inejiro congratulated her on that. Except for Fuutarou, who already knew.
"And…just one question…how long have you known that you'd have an audition tonight?", Inejiro asked.
"Jiro! I told you last night! But it wasn't confirmed, my agent called me just when I got to the festival to confirm. Do you not remember at all?"
"Well…I do remember you telling me something about not being around for the fireworks. But not much else".
"Man, you promised me you were fine and that I could just leave you alone and go home. Fat chance I'll ever believe you again!"
"I don't even remember when I started drinking to be honest…anyways, I had hoped you would show up with moustache man, I wanna talk to him".
"Why? Won't you ever accept my job?"
"Eh…I don't think Natsumi would recommend him to you if he was a bad dude. She wouldn't do that. So I'll allow it. For now. But I still need to talk to him".
"...You want to ask about her".
"Of course I do. But that's neither here nor there. Go join your sisters. I'm just gonna go sit there by those benches, I'm done".
"Oh, by the way everyone, thanks for taking care of my sister. Yotsuba most of all", Fuutarou said.
"Well she took more care of me than the other way around heh heh", Yotsuba said while scratching her head. "And Jiro took care of her while we fooled around with the fireworks".
"Inejiro carried her on his back to the bench. You better hope Inejiro is happily married by the time your sister grows older…just in case", Miku said.
"Miku!", Inejiro yelled out, while the quintuplets laughed. It seems the implications of the 'joke' flew over everyone's head, probably even Miku's herself.
"What even…eh, never mind. Thanks, Nakamura".
"No problem, Uesugi. Nice picture, by the way".
"She showed you that? Ugh…"
"It's good to have some fun, Uesugi, nothing to be ashamed of. Well…off I go. Girls, someone wake me up when you wanna leave, 'kay?"
They all agreed to that, and Inejiro went to sit in one of the benches, falling asleep almost instantaneously. It's a sort of miracle, and a testament to his good physical form that he was able to live through most of the night with only minor pains. After he fell asleep, the quintuplets held pretty much a self-criticism session where they each said they were sorry for some reason for all that had happened during the night, after which Fuutarou went to sit next to his sister while the girls enjoyed the fireworks. It didn't take long for Fuutarou to fall asleep either, and the girls had their fun for a while until it was time to leave. Which is a story for another day.
A/N: Hey there! We're back on track with the schedule, and with which will probably be the longest chapter to date. Hope you all enjoyed, this one was pretty packed with stuff. Hope you all enjoy! I have no real way to figure out how many people read this one though, since the site's analytics seem to be down still. But over 100 people read Chapter 7 on the day it came out, which is quite a milestone! Anyways, the reviews. I've settled on responding user reviews privately, and responding guest reviews here, since I have no other way. I'll take care of that, and see you all next time!
August 26th Guest review: This one came out before last chapter, but I wasn't notified, so sorry about that! Well, I won't spoil my own story lol. But nothing is set in stone right now, I would prefer relationships between the characters to evolve naturally with the plot. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
September 12th Guest review: Thanks for reading and reviewing, glad you're enjoying! Hopefully I'll get back on schedule from now on so you all don't have to wait so much!