Chapter Six: Our Priorities

~Futaro~

The sounds of loud cicadas pierced through the large, tinted window panels of a sleek modern high-rise apartment. It was the kind of apartment where the table was mahogany, the carpets were Persian, and the kitchen bar was real marble inlaid with silver. Futaro understood from the moment that he stepped into the complex situated at the top of the hill in Aoyama ward, just west of world-famous Shibuya central, that this family was loaded. He marveled at all the exquisite decorations that lined their walls and living room. When Takebayashi had introduced Futaro to his new employer, the Koda family, they were polite enough and nothing like the Nakano's father. They asked dozens of questions and wanted proof of his success as a teacher—the one time where he could freely gloat that he practically dragged five stubborn sisters to graduation. And even so…

All this money still can't silence the damn cicadas outside.

Futaro pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed quietly, "Okay, let's review this one more time, Azuha." He said to a young girl who, despite being fifteen, appeared about two years younger with her thick glasses and long braided black hair. He hovered over the young girl guiding her through her personally curated study sheet.

It had been nearly a month since he had started working with Takebayashi as a private teacher for the Koda Family. Their father was some fancy, big shot board member of one of Japan's largest phone service providers, and their mother had strong ties to some minister of something or other at Japan's National Diet; a detail Takebayashi had neglected to mention.

"How come they don't just hire actual certified teachers?" Futaro remembered asking Takebayashi.

"It's because it's all supposed to be real hush-hush," she told him. "You know how these rich types are! It's all about keeping up appearances. If they hire official teachers, someone from their social circle is bound to notice. Trust me, Futaro, what they're paying is very generous."

How do all these wealthy families with frustrating kids keep finding me? Futaro wondered.

"Uesugi-sensei, are these better?" Azuha showed him her results. They were better, but Futaro could tell that she was mostly guessing her algebra work.

"Can you show me how you got this answer here?" He asked.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes," He said. "Part of understanding the problem is understanding the process."

"But it's right. Right?"

"If you aren't sure of that, then you need to double-check," He handed the paper back to her and pulled out his textbook. Azuha craned her head over the back of her chair, groaning in protest.

The material wasn't what was holding her back. She had a problem with her confidence. She kind of reminded him of Miku in that way.

"Hey, Uesugi-sensei," Takebayashi called out from across the table. "Can you check Kotaro's work here? You're way better at Sengoku era history than I am, so I defer to you." She said, overlooking the shoulder of a young boy with a neat, military-style buzzcut.

Futaro walked over, scanning the boy's work.

"Well," Futaro started. "Two and three are wrong. Also, you might want to check number one too."

The boy sucked his teeth. "This blows, man," he grumbled, rubbing the sleepy from his eyes. "Can't we take a break, Bashi-neesan?" The young boy said with a slight crack in his voice.

"No," Futaro jabbed the textbook in front of Kotaro. "You have to get these three done before we finish."

"You're not my tutor, Uesugi… san. You're Azuhas," Kotaro's nostrils flared.

Takebayashi slammed her hands on the table, towering over Kotaro.

"First of all, it's 'Takebayashi-sensei' to you," she said with a cold stare. "And you will listen to Uesugi-sensei. We are both your tutors, and you will respect us. Your dad is paying us good money to make sure you pass."

The boy shrank into his seat.

Kotaro glared at Futaro with an icy stare, "I can do this without him."

"Maybe you could," Takebayashi said pensively. "Azuha! Would you like Uesugi-sensei to be your private teacher?" she asked.

Azuhas cheeks flushed, turning her attention to her study sheet as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"See, even my sister hates him. He's mean."

"Hmm, I don't think that's why she's ignoring my question," she said with a wink in Azuha's direction. Azuha sunk deeper into her seat, trying to hide the redness of her cheeks.

Takabayashi turned to Futaro, "But Kotaro-kun is right," she said. "For all your teaching experience, you are still so unlikeable."

"I think I'm pretty well-liked these days."

"Is that so?" She laughed.

"Stop," He gritted his teeth.

"I'm only teasing you. Teaching is so much more fun with you around. And I agree. You are well-liked," Takebayashi jabbed his arm. Futaro glanced at the two students, who seemed engrossed by their little exchange. Feeling the room grow uncomfortably warm, he took a sip from his water bottle.

"We should get back to work," he said.

Takebayashi nodded, possibly understanding that she had taken it too far. "Kotaro-kun, Uesugi-sensei made five worksheets for you, right? He will finish them all today."

"The hell I d—" Kotaro-kun started.

"Because he is a good little boy and will respect his teachers, or Takebayashi-sensei be forced to tell his mother all about his recent Google searches," Takebayashi's smile punctuated her thinly veiled threat.

Kotaro's posture straightened up, the color draining from his face, "Yes, ma'am."

He stuck his nose back to his practice sheet. Even his sister avoided Takebayashi's harsh stare.

What is this tension?! Futaro thought.

An hour later, Takebayashi and Futaro excused themselves and exited the lavish high-rise apartment when their study session ended. The sun had long since sank, but the sticky heat of summer remained.

"Why did I agree to teach those Koda kids!" Futaro groaned over a cup of steaming coffee.

It had become a habit for Takebayashi and Futaro to seek refuge from the muggy summer nights at the neighborhood cafe near Futaro's apartment. It had become a favorite of Takebayashi's for their cheap and mostly decent drinks. Still, Futaro suspected that she just enjoyed watching the Barista forcing himself to be polite to him.

"They're not that bad," Takebayashi shrugged, taking a sip of her milky white latte. "It's only been a month. You have to give them a chance to grow on you. Did the quintuplets cooperate with you when you first started?"

"I suppose it did take a little convincing," Futaro said, "It could be a lot worse."

"Exactly," she smiled. "So, want to check their work together?"

"No. I'd rather go home."

"You should spend more time with your coworkers," she said. "It builds morale."

Futaro glanced at his watch. He fidgeted in his seat.

"Okay, but only for an hour."

Together, Futaro and Takebayashi worked on Azuha's and Kotaro's worksheets. Futaro noticed how tidy and precise Kotaro's handwriting was. He was deliberate with his strokes and even knew some kanji he shouldn't know yet. Futaro didn't expect that from a loudmouth boy like him. Azuha, on the other hand, wrote lightly, just barely applying pressure to her pencil. Sometimes her markings were so light that Futaro would have to squint to make out parts of her writing.

"You've sure come a long way from struggling with algebra," Takebayashi said, breaking Futaro's concentration. "As your former teacher, I can't help but be proud."

"You never gave me enough credit. I was never dumb—okay, I take that back, but I tried hard to fix it," he frowned, trying to return to his work.

"You're right. I should have believed in you more. But—ah—I think you got number five wrong."

"What!? Impossible!" He said, going back to review the worksheet he had just finished grading.

"Here, let me check," Takebayashi pulled out her laptop that she often used during their lessons. She tapped the keyboard and turned the computer so that the screen was facing Futaro.

"See? You mixed up your formulas here," She pointed to his sheet and then back to the laptop, noting the stray computational error that threw off Futaro's answer.

He exhaled in frustration and scratched out his answer.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

Takebayashi smiled, "no problem, you know, you should get yourself a computer. They're convenient, you know."

"Not necessary," Futaro said. "I think that good old-fashioned pencil and paper work just fine."

"You must be the only student in our year without a computer. It's weird! Look, why don't you take this one?" She slid the laptop closer to Futaro. "You can use it while you figure out what kind of computer you want. Honestly, if you want, you can just keep it."

Futaro raised his eyebrows, "I can't keep something like this."

"No, no, It's fine," Takebayashi insisted. "I got a new one when I first moved here, and I was just using this one for teaching. I was scared that the students would be awful and they'd break my things," she laughed. "I was going to take it to a secondhand shop anyways. But it seems like you might get more use out of it. Go on, take it."

"No, it's fine" Futaro leaned away, his tone decidedly less confident.

"Oh?" Takebayashi giggled, "could it be that… you don't know how to use a laptop, Futaro?" her lips curled into a mischievous grin.

Futaro's cheeks flushed, "that's not it."

"Then prove it," she said. "Turn the computer off. Oh, and you can't just close it. That's cheating."

"Fine," he huffed, pulling the laptop in front of him. Futaro hesitated, fearing he'd ruin Takebayashi's computer. In high school, he had taken basic computer science as everyone else did, but his family never had enough money to get him a laptop for school. And he never brought it up because the last thing he wanted was to give his dad more work. So, he quickly forgot those skills. Futaro doubted that those classes would have even helped. This laptop was nothing like the bulky laptops he had used in class. This laptop was sleek, thin, and elegant. It was a single piece of aluminum with sharp corners, a silvery gray finish, and a bright screen. A simple yet distinguished apple logo accented the front of the laptop. He knew it was expensive. Futaro touched the trackpad, guiding the cursor to the red button on the corner of the window. Clicking it revealed an uncharacteristically plain blue wallpaper with only two icons on the screen.

"Congratulations, you closed the browser," she teased. "Now turn off the computer."

Finding precious few options, Futaro clicked a folder, hoping for the best.

The folder opened to a gallery of photos. The first one on the list enlarged automatically, revealing Takebayashi and a bespectacled boy with wild hair sharing an intimate embrace. It appeared as if the photo was taken seconds before they kissed.

"Pretty rude to open a girl's photos without permission," she faked a pout. Her expression felt different somehow. Her jaw clenched, and her shoulders dropped.

"Sorry, was that-"

"Sanada-kun. You remember him?" Takebayashi confirmed his suspicion. "We dated for a few years in high school."

Futaro didn't miss her use of past tense. "I guess you two—"

"He wasn't too happy with me when I told him I wanted to go to Tokyo, but you know, I have a dream. He couldn't really understand that," she said with finality.

Futaro felt stunned by her words. It had been a whole month since they began working together, and it had just dawned on him how little he knew about her. Perhaps it was subconscious, but they still treated each other like strangers despite being friendly.

"Here," she touched a combination of keys on the keyboard, and it immediately started the shutdown sequence. "What do you know? Looks like there are some things I can still teach you after all."

She picked up the computer and inserted it into a thick protective case. "Take it with you, and play around with it. Get familiar with what the buttons do. I don't think you have internet in your apartment. So you shouldn't be able to do much damage."

"Don't you need it?" Futaro asked, confused about Takebayashi's overwhelming generosity.

"Nope, all my important files are on my new computer."

Suddenly giant grandfather clock in the cafe chimed, interrupting their conversation; Futaro glanced at his watch.

Oh no! I'm late!

"Sorry, I have to go," He stuffed everything in his backpack, dropped money on the table, and bolted off.

"Hey, don't forget the computer!" She called after him.

He slid to a stop and turned back around to retrieve the computer. "Thanks!" He said and shot out from the store as fast as his legs could carry him.

~Yotsuba~

Yotsuba paced back and forth in the bedroom of her objectively small Osakan apartment. She made a game out of trying to slide to a perfect stop between two sections of her room's highly polished wooden floor. She nervously glanced at the clock, exhaled, and tossed herself onto the bed.

He's late.

Her lips form into a pout. Had he forgotten about their video date? Who's late to their own date! Wasn't this his idea?

"Ah, that's not fair to him," Futaro worked nearly every evening, and his work was far from where he lived. She was sure that the train commute in Tokyo was often worse than Osaka's.

Her laptop on her desk chimed softly.

She rushed over, stubbing her toe against her chair.

"Futaro!?" She said, wincing slightly from the pain.

"Hi," he appeared on her screen, gasping for air. His phone slipped from his hand before he could say another word. The sound of the impact made Yotsuba wince. The only thing remaining on her screen was Futaro's yellowing apartment ceiling.

"Sorry," He cursed. His clothes were sticky and wet from sweat, and his hair was standing at odd ends. He propped himself up against the wall of his apartment, still taking large gulps of air.

"You okay? Please take it easy."

"I didn't…I didn't m-mean to be late."

"You should have just told me that you were rushing to get home, Futaro," she chided playfully. He likely ran all the way home to make their date. She ignored the wave of guilt that critiqued her for getting upset earlier.

"Nope. There's no way I would make you wait even longer for me," He forced a smile, still clutching at his sides.

She rolled her eyes. This guy was impossible, always pushing himself too far for others.

"You should get at least some water," she said. "And raise your hands above your head. It'll help with the cramps. She added, coaching the struggling boy who looked like he was seconds away from keeling over.

A few moments later, he seemed to regain the color in his face." I swear, how do you do run for fun?" He coughed.

"You know that burn you're feeling right now? It's crazy, but you learn to like it at some point," she said. "Maybe when I see you next, I can train you."

"That won't be necessary," he held out his hand in a 'stop' gesture.

They both laughed. Futaro's damp hair rustled casually over his eyes, accenting his already sharp, masculine features. It reminded her of a villain from her favorite manga.

Yotsuba's cheeks flushed, "I—Your hair's gotten longer."

"Yeah?" He ran his hand through his hair. "I guess I never noticed. Maybe I should get a haircut."

"No, I like it. Besides, it's not like Raiha is there to cut it for you. I miss her, by the way."

"Me too. I'll tell Raiha you said 'hi,'" Futaro leaned closer to the camera, "So, you have a thing for wild hair?"

Yotsuba shrugged, "I guess it's manly," she grabbed her pillow and buried her face.

So hot!

"Wh—why were you late? Crowded trains?" She stammered, finally emerging from her pillow.

"No, nothing like that. I was working with my coworker and lost track of time."

"Oh," Yotsuba felt a large rock settle into the pit of her stomach. Futaro had told her that his old childhood friend had gone to the same school as him purely through coincidence. Of course, she knew that it wasn't entirely a coincidence. This girl was the one who had taught Futaro, after all. If there was anyone who could stand at his level, it was her. The truth was that Takebayashi's presence had been gnawing at Yotsuba since the moment Futaro mentioned he was working with her. She was intelligent, pretty, and they taught together—worked late together—

No! Stop it, Yotsuba! She scolded herself.

"That's perfectly fine!" Yotsuba strained a thin smile. Sometimes she appreciated that Futaro was as dense as he was.

"Anyways, I also—" he was interrupted by a phone buzz. Yotsuba saw his eyes scan the message before returning to the conversation.

"Sorry about that. It was Itsuki she was wondering about—"

Another buzz; Yotsuba raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously! sorry about that," he apologized. "That was Ichika. We were planning on meeting up—

Yet. Another. Buzz.

"You're pretty popular tonight, aren't you, Futaro?" She asked, feeling the tiny vein on her forehead throb. "Who was it this time?"

Futaro froze, possibly sensing her annoyance. The way he looked at her resembled a puppy who had been caught biting into a sofa. She regretted her tone immediately.

"So, who was it?"

"It…was Nino."

Silence filled the air between them. She didn't want to be upset and ruin their video call, but she couldn't help it. She just wanted a few moments to be with him. Was that so much to ask?

"Sorry, I'll put my phone on silence," he said, not understanding the reason behind Yotsuba's silence.

"Did I tell you about the Koda kids?" Futaro asked, trying to force the conversation along. "They're twins! But they're actually decently smart. And the apartment that they lived in? I think even Nino's jaw would drop."

"You seem to be really enjoying teaching," she said. Yotsuba thought about bringing up Nino but decided it wasn't worth it. She didn't want to fill her time with Futaro with even more distractions. And it's not like he even knew that she and Nino were even arguing. Yotsuba didn't have it in her to explain it to him.

"Maybe, but I probably can't do what Itsuki does. I still have some time before I commit to a career track."

"I think Futaro would be an amazing teacher," Yotsuba said warmly. "You taught an idiot like me after all."

"hmm, I suppose I did."

"You don't have to agree so quickly!" Yotsuba protested. "But I understand why you're not ready to commit. Maenaka-sempai has been pushing me to participate in more heats lately, and I'm not sure I want to."

"Heats?"

Yotsuba tapped her chin, "they're kind of like bouts in boxing?"

Hmm, What's a 'bout'?"

"When did we switch roles!" Yotsuba laughed. She shared her results of the previous track competitions with Futaro, explaining slowly the rules and how points are awarded for every race. He listened intently.

"So yeah, Futaro! Maenaka-senpai said—do you remember I told you about her? She said that if we do well in the Kansai regional track meet in Kyoto, my school will progress to the Olympic qualifiers in Tokyo!" She bumped her chest. "The coaches are very impressed with my times so far. Some people are talking about even having me be the anchor of the relay races in the qualifiers. You should have seen Maenaka-senpai when we recorded 100m sprints! Her jaw was practically on the floor!" Yotsuba laughed. "Still, I'm not sure I want that much pressure on my first year."

"I think you'll be amazing, Yotsuba. I'll make sure to take the day off to support you. Don't forget to let me know the date."

"Oh, there's no way I'll do well enough for the qualifier, but I'll still do my best," Yotsuba nodded. She glanced at her dirty track shoes and smelly running clothes.

"Futaro, can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah," he tilted his head. "What is it?"

"Are you happy in Tokyo?" She asked. "I mean, are you happy at Tokyo University?" She corrected herself.

"Oh," Futaro paused. "I guess I hadn't thought about it as happy," He rested his hand on his chin, "I just know that I want to be here. Coming to Tokyo U was my goal," He said.

She wouldn't have expected anything less from him. Futaro was never the kind of man to back away from a challenge. It was one of the many many things that attracted her to him.

"Okay," Yotsuba nodded simply.

"And you?"

"Well, since you were honest… I don't know how I feel about it," Yotsuba knew that Futaro would be upset if he saw her grades in person. "Being on the team is fun and all, but I have no motivation to do my school work. I thought that things would be different once I got here. But I'm still a burden. One of my teammates is even taking time out of her day to teach me English," She giggled despite herself.

"Yotsuba, you are a student-athlete. Emphasis on student first," he warned. "You should have told me ages ago that you were struggling. Is there anything I can help with?" His tone was stern, but his face betrayed his worry.

She smiled, "It's okay. I think that I want to keep accepting my friend's help. She's been really nice to me. You'd like her Futaro. She's nice, and she's smart!"

"Is she patient?" He prodded. "Because that's the most important thing someone needs to be your teacher."

"Ha-ha, You're so funny, Uesugi-sensei," Yotsuba said dryly.

"Are you sure you don't want help?"

"Futaro, you're a paid teacher now. I can't be taking advantage of you just for your services. If we're going to do it, we're going to do it right!"

"Yotsuba, phrasing," Futaro turned away from the camera. His cheeks flushed a soft red.

So then the clueless Uesugi, Futaro, also thinks about that stuff? Yotsuba smiled. "Shi shi shi, I can't wait to see you again."

"Me neither."

She yawned and glanced at the clock. School, training, and extra lessons with Inoue-san wore her down.

"Go to bed, Yotsuba," he urged her quietly.

Yotsuba rubbed her eyes and nodded, "No, weren't we supposed to watch a movie?"

"Yeah, but look at the time," he replied, mid-yawn.

"I guess you're right. Maybe this weekend?" She asked hopefully.

Futaro rested his head on his mattress, flipping his pillow to rest his head on the cooler side, "Of course. It's a date."

Yotsuba grinned, acknowledging the little joke they shared. "Goodnight, Futaro."

"Goodnight, Yotsu—"

"Wait! Before you go!" Yotsuba said, unable to restrain herself. "I'm kind of curious about something."

"What is it?" He said, raising his head from his pillow.

"What did," she hesitated. "What did Nino say?"

Futaro blinked, "What are you talking about?"

"The text from earlier," she urged. The little voice inside her head was screaming to know.

He tapped on his phone for a moment, "it's just a photo of a beef stew that she made. She wrote, 'You should have tasted this stew! Itsuki loved it so much she had thirds! I'm a genius!' She sent it to you, too, right? She's always sending pictures of the food she makes in her program."

Yotsuba pretended to look at her phone, knowing perfectly well that Nino had not sent a message directly to her in months. "Ah, I see! Yeah, it looks good," she lied. "I bet Itsuki is having the time of her life with Nino and Miku in the house."

"Yeah," Futaro said. "Studying together has been good for them. They look good in the kitchen together. Now I miss a good home-cooked meal," he mused. "They sound so happy from what they've shared."

Yotsuba sighed deeply, "me too. But, I should let you go. Goodnight, Futaro. I miss you."

"Miss you too," he waved goodbye and disconnected the call.

She migrated from her desk to the bed, allowing the full weight of her body to collapse on the mattress. She looked up at the admittedly nicer ceiling of her bedroom. She mused on how she probably wouldn't mind the dirty yellowing ceiling of Futaro's apartment if he asked her to move in with him.

She picked up her phone and scrolled down the most recent contacts on her messaging app. Her finger hovered just over the name Nakano, Nino.

[Yotsuba] (sent at 1:16 a.m) "Hi Nino, It's been a while. Can we talk?"

She exhaled. No going back now. She watched the screen for a few moments. Three small dots appeared below Nino's name. Yotsuba's heart drummed loudly in her chest.

[Nino] (sent at 1:18 a.m) "About what?"

[Yotsuba] (sent at 1:19 a.m) "How come you don't won't talk in the family chat anymore?"

[Nino] (sent at 1:22 a.m) "I'm busy."

[Yotsuba] (sent at 1:23 a.m)"Miku is also busy. Clearly, you're not too busy to send photos of your dishes to Futaro."

[Nino] (sent at 1:24 a.m )"You two talk about me? What Fuu-kun and I talk about is none of your business.

[Yotsuba] (sent at 1:25 a.m ) "Don't call him that."

[Yotsuba] (sent at 1:25 a.m ) "I don't like it."

[Nino] (sent at 1:26 a.m ) "You're his girlfriend, but you don't have all rights to Fuu-kun. Last time I checked, he's part of all our lives. Why don't you go bother Ichika? She's going to see him sooner than either of us."

[Yotsuba] (sent at 1:28 a.m ) "Why are you being such a jerk to me? It's been months. Why don't you get over the festival already?"

Yotsuba furiously typed on her phone screen when she was surprised Nino's name appeared on her screen with the option to answer or reject the call. Yotsuba hesitated, it was easier for her to type things out, and she didn't want to hear her sister yell.

Yotsuba answered the phone on the fifth ring.

"Hi, Nino," she said plainly.

"Who do you think you are?" Nino's voice spat through the receiver, hurting Yotsuba's ears. "What gives you the right to tell me to get over it?! What gives you the right to get mad at me for texting Fuu-kun?"

"I think I have every right. He's my boyfriend, Nino!" Yotsuba reacted, trying to match her sister's intensity.

"So? I tried calling him by his name back in Hawaii for your sake, but I can't ignore my feelings. I've been calling him that much longer than you've been calling him your boyfriend."

"That nickname is way too intimate for you to use on him! Stop acting like you're so close!"

"Oh, because you are?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. What are you doing in Osaka, huh!? I've been reading the group chat every day, and I know you hate it there. Are you having fun being the big rising track star? How stupid. You can't be acting all possessive with Fuu-kun when you decided to move across the country from him," Yotsuba could hear her sister breathing heavily. "Any person who was truly in love would have followed him anywhere. I would have followed Fuu-kun to Tokyo, America, and wherever he went. Admit it; you suck at being a girlfriend."

Yotsuba clutched at her chest, unable to control her breathing, "Nino, he's not yours. You need to let it go. I want you to be happ—"

"I don't want anything from you, Yotsuba. Especially your pity. You're only thinking of yourself. You've always only thought of yourself! Ever since we were little kids, even Itsuki agrees!" Now she'd done it. Nino couldn't be stopped now. "Did you even think about how Fuu-kun has felt these past few months? Do you know how he struggled nearly every day to make ends meet? We are all worried sick! Itsuki and I wanted to offer him money, but we knew he'd say no," Yotsuba could hear her sister's voice crack. "Did you know his apartment is a tiny hole in the wall with a rotting ceiling and a disgusting refrigerator? Do you understand how tired he is working and going to school at the same time? Did you know he's working with that bitch, Takebayashi? You would know all of this if you weren't so damn focused on yourself."

Yotsuba stuttered. She had been entirely overwhelmed by Nino. "Nino, I know! I have been—"

"Just leave me alone, Yotsuba," Nino's voice broke on the other end. "It'll be your fault if you lose him, but I'll never forgive you if he leaves us behind because of you."

Yotsuba heard a sharp click, and the beep of a call dropped. The silence of her bedroom was deafening.

"Oh, Nino," Yotsuba whimpered. Desperate to go home.

Authors Notes: Surprise, Everyone! Maybe you've noticed that my fic has gone through a name change. Nothing too dramatic, but since I began this story, I kind of regretted the name I chose. I think I have to admit to myself that I don't like long names. Also! To make my fic feel a little more "official," in celebration of publishing consistently for four months, I designed a cover for the fic! I hope you like it.

Looks like things are finally reaching a boiling point between Yotsuba and Nino. All those tiny little hints I've been dropping since Hawaii are finally starting to come out. I'll admit, I had a bit of a hard time writing this chapter and with experimenting several new ideas. Thank you for being patient with me. To me, it was important to showcase Yotsuba finally confronting her insecurities that were eating away at her during the whole series, but with several new elements coming out from her budding relationship with Futaro. It never sat well with me that all her personal hang-ups were "solved" by becoming the chosen girl, so an important part for me is allowing Yotsuba and others to mess up, grow and face consequences. Things weren't going to be magically fixed when they graduated high school, and before the two protagonists come together, they have to put in the work apart.

Special Thank you to Bobalon, TheMist3, Demontsu, Bazzo and everyone else that left reviews on my chapter. It means a lot that I've managed to retain your attention for the past five chapters! I always appreciate you and your support fuels my desire to keep on going.