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. Monday, October 16th, 2017. Asahiyama High School
Midterms week has finally begun. Which doesn't mean much, since they only take place on one day: Wednesday, and it's still only Monday. But it's one of those things that enables some to 'see light at the end of the tunnel', finally. That is the case for Inejiro. For some students, the day of the exams getting closer and closer is nerve wracking. For others, they just wanna get it over with. Our boy here is firmly in the second category. Not that he doesn't have more than enough reason to be nervous, but…he's just too tired. These last few days of studying have been absolutely exhausting. So much so, that he literally slept through most of homeroom and ALL of his morning classes.
"Inejiro!", yells Itsuki, his seatmate, as she shakes her friend's apparently dead body.
"E-Eh? Itsuki? Wha…?", the sleepyhead responded, very unaware of his surroundings.
"It's lunch break", said Itsuki, with a pronounced frown on her face.
"Eh?", Inejiro said, before sitting upright and scratching his eyes. "Oh damn, I'm in school".
"You seriously slept through the whole morning? All of it?"
"I mean…if you're asking it's probably true".
"Inejiro! The midterms are in two days!"
"With all of the studying we've been doing I could probably miss class for the rest of the year and it wouldn't matter".
"I'm tired too. At least try to pay attention, all teachers are talking about topics that are gonna be on the test".
"And wouldn't you know…no break for me! I have to go help Nino and her posse now".
"Are you even listening?"
"No", Inejiro responded nonchalantly, which earned an even sterner look from Itsuki.
"I know I said before that I'd trust you, so I will not say anything further. But have you been studying anything on your own time?"
"That's saying something further. And don't ask questions when you know the answer already".
"I just…", started saying a growingly frustrated Itsuki, before being interrupted by Inejiro's phone beeping. He just got a text from Nino.
"'Come on you asshole, where the hell are you? Get down here already!'", said Inejiro, reading the message out loud to Itsuki. "See? Got work to do", he said as he got up from his desk and left.
"At least…ugh, why do I even bother?", a frustrated Itsuki muttered to herself as Inejiro left.
Inejiro very leisurely headed down to the cafeteria, still clearly not fully recovered from having just woken up from an admittedly long nap. He eventually made it there, and walked around without much of a sense of direction until by chance he found the group of three friends (Nino, Yamada, and Otori) sat in a particular table, already having lunch.
"Oh, look who's here. What the hell took you so long?", said Nino sarcastically, as she saw him arriving.
"I was asleep. I'm here at all thanks to your sister", Inejiro replied as he sat down.
"You seriously slept through all morning classes…?", asked Otori.
"Hi to you all by the way", Inejiro responded. Only Yamada waved slightly at him with a smile. "I might have, yes".
"Oh we're so screwed", Nino replied.
"Nino, you know better than anyone else in this table what this last week has been like for me. So cut it out".
"Not like I forced you to teach me or anything".
"Oh don't push me", Inejiro replied angrily.
"Hey hey guys! Calm down!", Yamada said. "Inejiro, do you have no lunch at all?", she asked curiously, looking at the empty section of the table in front of the man.
"Eh? Ah…must have forgotten. Someone kinda rushed me".
"You forget to buy yourself lunch and it's my fault!?", Nino replied.
"Stop fighting, seriously. Here, just have some of mine", Otori said, pushing her tray towards Inejiro. It has a couple of dumplings on it.
"...You sure?", Inejiro asked.
"Not hungry anymore. And if you two keep fighting I'm gonna have a stroke".
"Well thank you. Very kind of you", Inejiro said as he started digging in.
"Well now that's taken care of. What should we do today?", Yamada asked.
"Does this guy look like he's in any state to teach us anything?", Nino asked in reply.
"I've seen teachers in our morning classes be in a worse state than him", Otori replied.
"Yeah…but do they actually teach anything though?", Yamada asked.
"Fair".
"I mean…I can ramble about some topic or another if you all so wish", Inejiro replied with his mouth half full.
"Inejiro…have you been studying by yourself at all?", Yamada asked him.
"You too? I haven't had time".
"Sigh…you're not gonna do well like this, y'know?"
"It is what it is. I am already beat as is".
"Wait, Otori. Maybe we could help them this time. We like science, don't we?"
"You like science, Yamada. I just do well".
"Ugh, doesn't matter! You get my point! He hasn't been studying at all, and since Nino is being tutored by him, she's only been studying like half the curriculum! We could help them out a little, don't you think?"
"I mean…I don't know anything about tutoring. But we can study together, I guess".
"Girls, don't worry, you don't need to do this for my sake. Just help Nino out", Inejiro replied.
"I'm doing fine too, by the way", Nino replied.
"None of you are doing fine! C'mon, don't be so stubborn!", Yamada yelled as she stood up from her chair.
"Shit if you feel about it so strongly, fine. Don't know how much time we've got left though", Inejiro said.
"Not a day of rest…sick of this shit", Nino said.
"And we've got shit to do after school too".
"Ohhhh no, no, no. Leave Nino to us. Go deal with the other set of Nakanos in peace", Yamada replied.
"And I'll go along with this too, I suppose", Otori said.
"It's not that necessary that I be there. Itsuki should be joining the main group now. It's only this one that keeps being rebellious at this point", Inejiro said.
"Oh shut the fuck up", Nino said.
"I mean…if you're so 'not needed' you can join us too I guess", Yamada said.
"Sigh…actually…I can't risk anything going amiss with two days to go. Even if I'm just there to keep the peace as per usual", Inejiro said.
"When he says 'keep the peace' he means 'do nothing'", Nino said.
"I doubt that's true", Otori said.
"Guys, guys! C'mon, we'll talk about this later. How about we get started?", Yamada said. "Let's start with biology, shall we?"
"You're good at this. As you say sensei", Inejiro said, which made Yamada blush. Which in turn earned a chuckle from Otori and a very pronounced frown from Nino.
They spent about half an hour going through some very basic concepts of the biology curriculum, which Inejiro seemed to grasp reasonably quickly while Nino…not so much. But they didn't have much time for anything else, so they dispensed with their trays and each went back to their classes. At first at least. As Inejiro was walking back to his class, Otori ran towards him and stopped him.
"Nakamura!", she yelled, gasping.
"Otori? What is it? Are you alright?", Inejiro asked as he turned around and stared at the exhausted girl.
"I just…managed to track you down somehow".
"Where else could I be going? That's my classroom right there", Inejiro said as he pointed at his classroom, which was only a few meters away.
"Never…mind. Yamada wanted me to ask…"
"Yamada? Why didn't she ask me?"
"If she split from the group it would have made Nino suspicious. If I did, she wouldn't be the wiser. I hope".
Inejiro shook his head in disbelief. "What ridiculous nonsense".
"I know, it's stupid, but what can you do? Anyways, she wanted to ask if you'd like to study with us later today…or I guess it could be tomorrow too".
"I have a tutoring session today, I already told you that".
"I know. That's why I came up with…tomorrow".
"I don't know about studying…studying the night before is not the best idea".
"Nakamura, don't pretend to be a studying guru, you're 20".
"Yeah yeah. I mean…still, we can hang out if you like. If I'm judging this correctly Yamada will agree no matter what I propose".
"...You're right on that one. I mean…it's your funeral. We're doing fine. Just wanted to help".
"It's fine. If I don't pass I'll make up for it in the finals. It ain't my results that worry me".
"So…I'll go tell Yamada then".
"Tell her to go to my place after school tomorrow. And BY THE WAY. You WILL be there too".
"Eh? Why the emphasis?"
"I'm 20, as you said. Still young, still a 'kid' by some measurements, but old enough to know what you're trying to pull. You're a good friend. But ain't getting past me".
"Eh…dumb boys are easier, somehow".
"Give me your number and I'll text you the address later…nah scratch that, we're heading there together after school".
"Damn, you're taking this seriously, aren't you?"
"I don't wanna give her any wrong ideas, Otori, surely you can understand that".
"Yeah, I get it, I get it. Hand me your phone, I'll give you my number anyways".
"Yeah, here you go", said Inejiro as he handed his phone to Otori.
"Okay then", the girl said as she stopped typing and gave the phone back. "I'll go back to my class. See you tomorrow then".
"Yeah, see ya", Inejiro said as Otori walked off. But, as per usual, immediately afterwards, a CIA agent approached him.
"Well Jiro, you're popular all of a sudden", said the spy, revealing herself to be Ichika Nakano.
"I'm not even gonna complain anymore", replied Inejiro as he sighed.
"When were you gonna tell big sis about you inviting girls over to your place?"
"Never, really. Not like I'd need to given…well…this".
"Boring. Who is she?"
"Name's Otori. Nothing weird going on so save it".
"Didn't seem like it, for once. I can tell when a girl likes you".
"I know. Don't tell Nino though".
"Oh? Why her specifically?"
"So you didn't actually hear the conversation. Good".
"Jiroooo…what have you gotten yourself into?"
Inejiro signaled Ichika to get closer so he could whisper in her ear, to which she obliged.
"She and another girl are Nino's friends, that's how I know them. She wouldn't like it if she knew that this is happening".
"Oh my".
"So there you go. Keep your mouth shut".
"You truly are getting popular. Girl troubles in school already".
"You five being here constitutes 'girl troubles' from the get go"
"So it's like that now. Interesting", said Ichika with a smirk.
"Shut it. Also, don't act like you're not popular".
"I must be, yeah. Why wouldn't a beautiful girl like me be popular?"
"Very humble too. Just curious, has any guy…tried to confess to you or something?"
"Worried?"
"Answer the damn question".
"No…I mean…I barely talk to anyone. Many must want to".
"Hm. Chicken".
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Well, class will start any moment, I'm out. See you later today", Inejiro said as he got inside his class, and Ichika headed towards hers. When Inejiro went inside the classroom, he noticed Itsuki was still sitting in her desk, reading a textbook. Not something uncommon, nor surprising, mind you.
"Hey. What'cha reading?", he asked her as he sat beside her.
"Brushing up on physics", she replied. "Everything went well?"
"We actually studied a bit of biology. I'll have you know I already knew most of it".
"If you say so. I only want the best for you".
"Chill. How about you?"
"Sigh…I don't know. Sometimes I feel confident about what I have learned, and sometimes…it all crumbles. I am at a loss".
"Well no one worked harder than you. Whatever happens, you did your best".
"I just don't want…", Itsuki began to say as she looked towards Fuutarou, who was also diligently studying in his own desk. "...you know".
"We'll figure something out. I know some people, I can help Uesugi get another job if it comes to that. Won't pay as well as this, but still".
"What do you mean?
"I mean, he could be a delivery guy, as long as he can ride a bike. Do you figure he can ride a bike?"
"I have no idea".
Just then, the teacher entered the classroom, which meant that break was over. What happened after class, you might ask? As always, the usual gang, now including Itsuki, met up in the library after school for their tutoring session, after which they all went to their respective homes. Fuutarou, of course, thinks that more studying should be done, but he's powerless to change anything. Inejiro's quint-supported coup is clearly well established. After returning to his apartment, Inejiro talked with Nino on the phone and helped her out a little from a distance, but other than that, nothing else of note occurred.
Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Tuesday, October 17th, 2017. Asahiyama High School
Come lunchtime, Inejiro did his by now common mini tutoring session with Nino, Yamada and Otori, all the while trying to stay very hush-hush around Nino when it comes to his later meeting with her two friends (his friends as well now, to be fair). After a while, the two non-quintuplets left to return to their class, but Nino, strangely enough, stayed behind.
"Weird of you not to go with them", said Inejiro as he also got up and turned to leave.
"Not the only weird thing around here", Nino replied, as she followed behind him.
"Do tell".
"You seem on VERY good terms with them".
"We hang out daily, Nino".
"And I know Yamada likes you".
"Would never have imagined that a girl of your skills wasn't aware of that".
"Yeah, yeah. Watch it".
"Maybe it's time for you to start accepting that they're not only 'your friends' anymore. They're my friends too".
"No, I don't have to accept shit. You better not be giving Yamada wrong ideas about nothing".
"I try my hardest not to".
"Yeah, well try harder".
"Nino, honest question, not trying to be 'gotcha' or anything. But say, do you think that two people can be friends if one of them likes the other?"
"You could ask my sisters about that. They'll know. If not because of you, because of that other dumbass".
"It's impossible to ask you a serious question".
"I said what I wanted to say. I said 'watch it'. And given your track record, watch it even more".
"Well then you should know. I told 'em to come hang out at my place after school".
"Behind my back".
"My ass behind your back, I'm telling you right now!"
"You didn't think of telling me, and they didn't either. Great. Fuck you, Inejiro".
"NINO. I am telling you RIGHT NOW. Now, do you want to join us or not?"
"No, fuck off. I have to study anyways. And I'm not happy about this, one bit".
"You could join Uesugi".
"Don't push it. Oh for fuck's sake speak of the devil", Nino said with annoyance as Fuutarou appeared in front of them.
"A pleasure as always, Nino", Fuutarou responded, greeting her, in his own way. "So, Nakamura, how's she doing?"
"I was just telling her that she should join you. Though we have made progress".
"Well, that's good to hear, Nino y-"
"No", she responded sternly.
"Jiiiiiiiirooooo", Yotsuba yelled as she ran towards them. "Oh, Uesugi-san and Nino too, cool!"
"Noticed the coolest one first, eh?", Inejiro said smugly.
"Well you're the big bald one!"
"And cool!"
"God I can feel the collective IQ of this hallway dropping by the second", Fuutarou said.
"Oh, everyone's here!", said Ichika who just walked by with Miku and Itsuki on tow.
"And how fortuitous that is!", Fuutarou said loudly with one of his creepy grins adorning his face. "The midterms are tomorrow. I intend to have you all study from the moment we leave the school until you drop!"
"I would normally not agree to this, but it is true that the midterms are tomorrow", Itsuki said.
"Yeah, I agree", Miku replied in kind.
"Ohhhh so another sleepover! Yay!", Yotsuba yelled happily.
"You really enjoy staying over at our place, don't you, Fuutarou-kun?", Ichika asked slyly. Her form of agreeing.
"It does not matter if I enjoy it or not, it's the final stretch and we have to go all out if you're supposed to pass", Fuutarou replied.
"Even Itsuki agrees with him now. Eh, who cares. It's whatever", Nino said dismissively.
"Nakamura, what do you think?", Fuutarou asked his coworker.
"I don't really agree with this approach, I think that the last night before the test should be used to rest. But if you all support the idea, I defer to the masses".
"Yay! So, you're coming too right?", Yotsuba asked.
"Actually…no. I'll leave you in Uesugi's hands".
"No? C'mon!", Yotsuba said as she pouted.
"I have full confidence in Uesugi. And full confidence in you four. In you FIVE", Inejiro said, looking at Nino specifically by the end, who just turned her head away.
"Hard to believe", Miku said dismissively. "You can't seriously think…"
"I think you've all been doing your best and that you'll do so come the day of the test. That's all that matters. I'm really proud of you all. And Uesugi, though we disagree on a few things and admittedly what I'm about to say is not a high bar to clear, but you're the best tutor these girls have had".
"Thank you, Nakamura", Fuutarou said as he nodded to Inejiro, who replied in kind "If that's settled then, that's what we shall do today after class", he continued as he headed towards his classroom. The rest of the girls did the same, except for Yotsuba, who stayed behind.
"Jiiiiiiro, c'mon tell me! What was up with that speech?", she asked as she tugged at Inejiro's shirt
"What speech?"
"That one you just gave, like you were, like, a general in a period drama sending his troops to certain death!"
"That's your interpretation".
"Ughhhhh you're never gonna tell me, are you? You know, just because I'm dumb doesn't mean you can't trust me with stuff".
"Yotsuba, you don't notice it but you've made incredible progress. Back when I helped you with your Kurobara exams, you were FAR behind from where you are now, after Uesugi took over. Stop bringing yourself down, you've not peaked yet, not by far. What that means for this particular test, we'll see".
"Wow Jiro, you should be a coach. Like a soccer, or basketball coach. Now that you can't play…"
"I CAN play, mind you. Maybe one day. Take heed of what I said. You're not dumb, and you're getting better", Inejiro said as he patted her head, and walked off.
"Jiro! You messed up my ribbon, silly…", Yotsuba said as she tried to fixed it, while she watched her childhood friend leave.
During afternoon classes, Inejiro got a text from Otori and Yamada each. Yamada told him that she'd head to her house first before going to Inejiro's by herself, and asked him to text her his address, which he did. And he arranged to meet Otori at the school gates so they'd walk together to his place. Yeah, texting in class. Not good.
After school was over, Inejiro said goodbye to Itsuki and wished her good luck (he tried to do the same with Fuutarou but he left with roadrunner speed as per usual), went to the bathroom, to his locker, and then headed out to the front gate, where Otori was already waiting for him.
"Hey there", Inejiro said as he waved at her.
"Hi Nakamura", she replied in kind, as they got going.
"So, how are you feeling about tomorrow?"
"I've had pretty good grades all along, I'm not worried. What about you?"
"I'm confident enough. I can do very well in some subjects and I'm pretty sure I can crack 30 on the others".
"If you want to go over some stuff when we're at your place, I'm fine with it by the way".
"Nah. Anything I've not learned at this point, I'm not gonna learn before tomorrow".
"I mocked you the other day for it, but really, if you put it like that, you're not that wrong".
"Yeah. Better to go well rested to an important test than to try to cram every last bit of information at the last minute".
"I mean…you must get this question all the time. But how exactly did you get held back so many times? You seem like a smart guy, you know your stuff…I don't get it".
"I got held back two times by the way, I dropped out for a year".
"Two times is two times too many Nakamura!"
"Eh, fair. It's personal stuff. But I had some rough years and I made some dumb decisions".
"98,8% of Japanese students finish high school, Nakamura. If we lived in some other country I can take that 'had some rough times, made some stupid decisions' speech, but you're an absolutely extraordinary phenomenon, I hope you know that".
"Hey, don't count me out of that 98,8% yet. I could be graduating next year".
"It's fine, you can avoid my questions. We've not known each other for that long".
"I mean, what can I say? It's a hard topic to avoid when I'm three years older than all my classmates and two years older than all my upperclassmen. So I don't even attempt to hide it, but I'm not exactly proud of it".
"Yeah, you should have graduated by the time we left middle school".
"My point".
"And…what's your deal with the Nakanos?"
"My God you sure like to ask questions".
"You don't have to answer them if you don't want to".
"I've been friends with the girls since before they were 'the Nakanos'. Since they were 8 years old".
"How does an 11 year old boy befriend 8 year old girls?"
"Defending them from bullies, walking them home and then hitting it off with their mom, long story short".
"Defending them? Like, physically?"
"Didn't usually have to come to that. I've been taller and bigger than my peers since I have use of reason, I've always been somewhat intimidating. Some other times, yes".
"Oh wow so it wasn't just that one time".
"No. Small girls by themselves are easy targets for the particularly cowardly kids. And when some of them are loudmouths that like to get into more trouble than they can handle…yeah".
"Nino?"
"Not only Nino, but to a large degree, yeah. She specifically liked picking fights with older kids, and older boys in particular. Most of the time though some thug wannabe just wanted to act tough around them, show off to their idiot friends".
"Sort of like a bodyguard? Is that what you are now as well?"
"I was not and I am especially not one now. We hung out and played and stuff. But sometimes I just went off with them wherever they wanted to go and just stayed around not doing much, let them do their thing. I make it sound more troubled than it actually was, I didn't get into fights for their sake that often".
"Now I understand some things a bit more I think".
"Such as?"
"Why they like you so much. Which girl wouldn't fall for a guy like that?".
"You can split them into the camp that saw me as a big brother, and the camp that well…as you said".
"Citation needed on the 'big brother' stuff, just saying".
"What the hell are you supposed to mean?"
"That's more fluid than you think".
"You a psychology nerd like Yamada too?"
"I just know you're not actually their brother".
"I'm going with what they told me themselves, not with your assumptions, by the way".
"Suit yourself".
"Enough probing me and causing me more confusion, though. What about you?"
"What about me?"
"You met Yamada here in Asahiyama like Nino?"
"I met her here last year, yeah. We didn't go to the same middle school or anything. We hit it off rather quickly".
"You seem kinda different in temperament, though".
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…you're more to the point, to put it some way. Yamada is more talkative, upbeat, that sort of thing".
"Oh yeah, we are. People are different at the end of the day. But we have a lot of the same tastes. In clothes, music, movies, we're almost one of a kind".
"Hm. Okay then".
"In case you were thinking about it, I do not have the same taste in men as her. So don't try anything".
"You did just say 'what girl wouldn't fall for a guy like that'?"
"Yeah, cause you're like their guardian angel or something. You're just a guy from school to me, Nakamura. And big, strong men ain't my thing, sorry".
"Guardian angel might be a bit of a stretch".
"It's a manner of speaking. You're not completely braindead around women too, so that helps".
"Chicken and egg thing there. I've mostly been hanging out with the girls since I met them. So you'd figure I can be normal around girls".
"Do you have any male friends? At all?"
"There's my neighbor".
"Your neighbor?"
"Yeah, he drives a cab. Cool guy. Kinda nosy though, gets on my nerves".
"How old is he?"
"50 something I think".
"Yeah he doesn't count".
"Why wouldn't he count?"
"Do you have any male friends YOUR AGE? I should have been more specific, I see".
"Eh…there's guys I know and used to hang out with for…stuff. I don't know, are they my friends? Acquaintances, more like".
"So your only actual friends are Nino and her sisters?"
"Yeah. Well, wait…should I call Uesugi a friend? He probably wouldn't agree. He'd say we're partners or some stupid nonsense like he does with the girls".
"Okay, let's say that Uesugi, the tutor, I think?"
"Yeah".
"Let's say he's your friend. Your only male friend your age that you've had since you met the Nakanos when you were 11. That's proper weird. And you don't seem particularly unsociable either. Proper weird".
"You have an analysis for that?"
"Gonna keep it to myself for now."
"Sure, whatever…anyways, here we are", Inejiro said as he stood in front of his building.
"Here? You're sure?", Otori asked curiously as she looked at the building and its surrounding area.
"Pretty sure I live here, yeah. Come on, I'll let you in and come back down for a smoke".
"Oh, no need. I smoke too. Not…out here though".
"Yeah, too young. Well…come in then", Inejiro said as he opened the front door and led Otori upstairs, and inside his apartment.
"...You're sure you live here?", Otori asked, still with a curious expression.
"What? What about it?", Inejiro asked as he put his stuff down and lit up a cigarette.
"...Not what I was expecting from a Nakano family friend".
"Maruo pays me well enough. But, first of all, I live by myself, and don't need much more than this. Second of all, I help my family out financially quite a bit. And lastly, what the hell is wrong with my apartment?"
"Small. Not very…glamorous. Reeks of smoke too but that doesn't require much explaining. By the way, are you ever gonna offer me a smoke?"
"I actually wasn't but…eh, can't judge you too harshly. I started smoking when I was 15", Inejiro said as he passed her a cigarette and a lighter.
"15? I only took up smoking last year".
"Drop it while you still can. It's like a reflex to me at this point".
"It's whatever. I only do it when I'm with my boyfriend. Or you, apparently".
"You've got a boyfriend?"
"What? Surprised?"
"No, you just never mentioned it. And I didn't probe you, unlike some girl I know. Is he from school?"
"No. He's in university. Studying Economics at Nihon Fukushi. Fun fact, did you know our school's campus was modeled after theirs?"
"No I did not. Is he about my age?"
"Yeah. Wait, now that you mention it…you said you got held back three years. You must be 20. No, he's 21. So a bit older".
"I see. You met him when? Last year?"
"By the end of middle school actually. Friend of a friend of a…well, you catch my drift".
"What a catch he must be. University student dating middle schoolers".
"I was 15 and he was 19. And you shouldn't throw stones from inside glass houses, Nakamura".
"The only girlfriend I've ever had is my exact age".
"Sure. I'm the Queen of England, nice to meet you", Otori said sarcastically.
"They're my friends!"
"Yeah, sure, okay".
"Very much so. And you said he got you into smoking?"
"He didn't 'get me into smoking', I have a brain. And you said you've been smoking since 15, who do you think you can lecture?"
"I've been around. I know what these kinds of guys are like. If I'm misjudging him I am very sorry, but I'd place bets".
"Don't worry about it. I make myself no illusions. He's just a guy I like to hang around with. What should I do? Date some guy from school?"
"Dating is great, but not obligatory either. And what's wrong with the guys from school?"
"Nakamura, do you truly have no social life at all? They're all immature dumbasses".
"We never stop being immature dumbasses".
"Yeah, no. I can have a conversation with you, I can have a conversation with him. I can't have a conversation with those guys".
"Eh…like, Uesugi is your age. He's a smart guy".
"The tutor? You mean the guy who gave that stupid pervy speech to Nino the other day?"
"Yeah…you didn't meet him at his best, that's for sure. And he's still VERY special at his best. But he's not a moron. And there must be other smart guys in school".
"None I met. Anyways, thanks for your concern, but I'm fine".
"Suit yourself. If you ever need advice or something, I can help though".
"Sure you can".
"I hope that wasn't sarcastic. Anyways, do you want something to eat or should we wait for Yamada?"
"She'll be here any moment I imagine".
"Alright then. I'm gonna…open a window, by the way", Inejiro said as he went to let in some air, to clear out some of the smoke. "And I'm gonna go get changed".
"...Where? This is the only room in this house as far as I can see".
"Gonna grab some clothes and change in the bathroom, princess. I swear you're worse than the girls".
"Does that include Nino?"
"Eh…most of 'em, anyways, be right back", Inejiro said as he grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom. He changed quickly and got right back out.
"A'ight I'm done", he said as he got back to the main room.
"Hm? Aren't you cold?", Otori asked as she noticed that Inejiro was only wearing an old Nagoya Grampus t-shirt and some shorts.
"Not in here, no".
"Also…no tattoos. Interesting".
"What? Why would I have any tattoos?"
"I just had a hunch. Oh unless…your back".
"Otori! I'm not gonna strip. I have no tattoos. I thought about getting some back in the day, but no. Don't wanna get confused for…wait a second. You thought I was some yakuza goon didn't you?"
"You need to work on how you talk about some stuff then. High school dropout, who pretty much serves as bodyguard to a group of rich girls, talks about 'guys he used to hang out with for stuff', doesn't have any male friends other than that…"
"That's not a good accusation to be throwing around".
"It just seemed likely, that's all. I have nothing against-"
"I don't care. It's not funny. I'll let it slide, because you don't seem like a bad girl", Inejiro said with an expression as serious as he can possibly make.
"I was going to say, if you were, I wouldn't judge you".
"But I am not. There's nothing to judge".
"Okay then", Otori said softly. A few seconds of awkward silence went by, before there was a knock on the door. Inejiro went to open it up, and as expected, it was Yamada.
"Hiiii!", the girl said happily.
"Hey there. Come on in", Inejiro said, showing her inside.
"So, how do I look?", Yamada asked, showing her outfit to Inejiro. She's wearing a pink hoodie, with light blue skinny jeans, and white sneakers.
"Very nice Yamada, love that look", Inejiro said.
"Heh", Yamada chuckled, a slight blush forming on her face. "Oh hi Otori, I forgot that you'd be here already", she said as she waved at her friend, who only nodded back, with a forced smile. "Is something wrong?", Yamada asked curiously.
"Nothing's w-", Inejiro started to say, before being cut off by Otori. "I'm sorry Nakamura, I had no idea you'd take offense to that".
"I said it's fine, let's leave it there".
"Guyyyyys, what happened?", Yamada asked with a worried expression.
"I implied that I thought he was with the yakuza or something", Otori said.
"Why? Why would you do that? Why would Inejiro be with the yakuza?"
"Fine, look, you know what? No point getting angry if you all don't know why some things bother me. But first…", Inejiro opened up his fridge and revealed some sandwiches that he had bought. "I bought some of these. Help yourselves", he said as he brought them over to the table. "There's coffee too if you want".
"Ohhh I want coffee. And the sandwiches look great, thank you!", Yamada said.
"I'll have coffee too. Thanks", Otori said.
"Coming up", Inejiro said as he went to heat up a couple of cups of coffee in the microwave. After they were done, he placed them on the table as well, and the three of them sat.
"Thank you for the meal!", Yamada said, in the traditional pre-meal ritual. Otori followed in kind.
"Anyways, as I was gonna say. Not gonna go into a long exposition of my whole life story, but…well, see, I used to get into quite a few fights as a kid".
"Because of the Nakanos", Otori said.
"No, actually…as I told you earlier, I sorta overstated how much I had to actively defend them from assholes. Before that. With the gang of kids I used to hang out with".
"Gang? What were you up to?", Yamada asked.
"I used to hang out with a group of kids, more or less around my age, all from either poor or absent families or both, who had little better to do than hang out in the street. And, well…more often than not we ended up fighting some other group of kids either because some of my friends got into some stupid argument over nonsense, or because I saw someone abusing or bullying some weaker kids, and got involved. And since I was by far stronger than other kids my age, I did most of the fighting. After a while it started getting less common since other kids were scared of me, but that's pretty much it. Also related to how I met the quints but that's a story for another day, not gonna spill the beans on that without their permission and/or presence".
"But…why did Otori piss you off so much then?", Yamada asked.
"Of course we had a reputation for delinquency, and I was self-conscious of being accused of something or another for years. And to be honest…I don't know what kind of life I would have led if I hadn't met the girls. Like…maybe sooner or later we'd have ended up getting in trouble with the wrong kind. For a lot of kids, it's easy to end up running with the wrong crowd if you don't know better. I could have been that kid. And as I said to you earlier Otori…I've been around. I know what that world's like. I want nothing to do with it. And yeah, maybe I am a little self-conscious about it".
"But…hold on. Look, first of all, I'm sorry, I truly am. But…why are you self-conscious? Like…you were a kid, you got into fights. That's not…underworld stuff, you know?"
"I don't know why I'm self-conscious. Hell, I don't even know if I am. I just don't like being associated with that. Feels like an accusation. And there's way too many people out there way too quick to point an accusing finger at poor, working-class kids like I was, who maybe are not the best behaved, but they're not hardened criminals, if they're even criminals at all. But they can be, if you push them there".
"Soooo, if I understand, you feel like your life could have very easily turned out the wrong way. And you're afraid that for many boys like you, that's what actually happens. So you take accusations of delinquency or criminality seriously", Yamada said.
"Something like that, yeah. And I know I'm also wrong to get pissed at an innocent and dumb comment, but it's…I wanna fight that quick association of kids of a certain background with criminality. It's actually pretty harmful not only to them…us…but to society as a whole".
"And you say I should hang out with boys from school. Holy shit imagine talking about something like this with some moron from class", Otori said.
"Maybe we could also not associate male adolescence with stupidity…I knooooow I do it tooooo but it's wrong!", Yamada said.
"There's the psychology fan", Inejiro said.
"Yeah! I also like sociology, so I found all you had to say really interesting. Buuuuut…you said something in the middle there that has me curious. You talk as if it was…meeting the Nakanos that kinda like…saved you? Or something?"
"Eh. That's really deeply personal. Maybe some other day. Besides…there's also my grandpa's influence. He's been in my head since I pretty much learned to say gugu gaga as a baby. I'll tell you about him some other time".
"Good family role models are veeeeery important. So, anyways…midterms".
"Oh for fuck's sakes I'm not getting away from this am I?"
"They're tomorrow! Are you sure you're doing fine?"
"He was very explicit about us getting together to 'hang out', not study", Otori said.
"I was. And my point is: I'm not gonna learn now anything I didn't learn already. The die is cast in that sense, and it's better to rest", Inejiro said.
"Hmph, Inejiro! No one said anything about studying, but there's nothing wrong with doing a quick overview of some stuff!", Yamada said as she pouted.
"To think I was about ready to ask if any of you two wanted to play Pokémon Stadium…", Inejiro said with exaggerated dejection.
"I used to like Pokémon when I was little. It's still a thing?", Otori asked.
"Of course it's a thing! This game is from 2000 though. So you were a baby when it came out, probably".
"Oh my little bro is really into Pokémon! He plays competitively and everything. I don't understand a thing about it though. I think I watched the show as a little kid sometimes, but that's it", Yamada said.
"Well you can bring him with you some other day if you like, and he likes. And I'll kick his ass!"
"Yamada's brother is 12, Nakamura. Seriously…", Otori said, in disbelief.
"And he's reaaaaaly good. He does competitions and everything. He'll probably kick yours heh", Yamada said with pride.
"Oh we'll see about that. We'll see how those fancy kids with their 3DS games handle the Gen 2 meta".
"Actually, it doesn't sound that bad! It'll be great! He needs to be out of the house more often anyways…", Yamada said before her phone started ringing. "Oopsie, sorry, it's my dad, have to take this", she said before answering her phone. "Yeah, hi dad…yeah, okay…I'll send you the address…yeah alright see you in a bit", Yamada spoke to her father before hanging up.
"He coming to pick you up?", Inejiro asked.
"Yeah. I promised I'd go home early since…midterms, I'll remind you!"
"I planned to go to bed early too, so, works for me".
"Only thing…like…my dad doesn't know that you live on your own. Sooooo…just stay up here when I leave, alright?"
"Does he know about the whole 'held back twice and dropped out' thing?"
"Yeah…that was bad enough. Let's not add to it, 'kay?"
"Sure, sure. Fat chance he'll let your brother come here".
"Heheh…he might want to come meet you himself if that's the case. If it's alright".
"My home's open to all".
"Cool! So, hey Otori, we can give you a ride if you like".
"Alright, sure".
Just then a loud honk sounded just outside, to which Yamada ran towards the window and saw her dad's car parked outside.
"He still honks instead of calling…I swear", Yamada said with an exasperated tone.
"Well…", Inejiro said as he headed towards the door, and opened it. "I'll be seeing you both around. Good luck tomorrow".
"Thanks! And good luck to you most of all!", said Yamada with a beaming smile, before leaving.
"'I don't wanna give her any wrong ideas, Otori'. Somehow", Otori said while chuckling. "See you, Nakamura".
"See you", Inejiro said before closing the door. Still having the urge to play Pokémon Stadium, he hooked up his Nintendo 64 to his new TV and got started with the Gym Leader Castle. But just twenty minutes later, his phone rang and interrupted his session. It was Nino.
"Hey Nino", he said as he picked up the phone.
"Ugh, we've been studying all afternoon with this guy, and apparently he's gonna stay the night too. So annoying", Nino said with an annoyed voice.
"Hey Nino, I'm doing great, thanks".
"Screw you. How was everything? With, you know, MY friends?"
"Oh, it went great. Otori told me about her boyfriend".
"Don't even tell me about that creep. You didn't hit on her did you?"
"No, I did not".
"Good. Though I'm not sure I believe you".
"Believe what you want. Also, apparently I'll be meeting Yamada's brother and her dad some other day".
"...Say what?"
"I'll be meeting Yamada's brother and her dad some other day".
Silence ensued for a few seconds after that.
"Nino? You there?"
"Inejiro…I…FUCKING…TOLD YOU…TO WATCH IT. AND APPARENTLY WHAT YOU HEARD WAS 'I'M GONNA GET YAMADA TO INTRODUCE ME TO HER FUCKING FAMILY!"
"Well I mean you don't need to put it like that".
"HOW ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO PUT IT? HOW ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO PUT IT?"
"She said her brother liked to play Pokémon so I told her he could come over and we could play!"
"OH I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE A BIGGER ASSHOLE OR A BIGGER IMBECILE!"
"Why must you always interpret everything in the worst possible manner?"
"I can't…I just…I give up. Do what you want. There's Uesugi, and my sisters and…I can't deal with this too. I'm so SO done".
"How's the studying going?"
"Oh go and change the subject just like that why don't you. Fuck you".
"If it bothers you so much you can join us too".
"Oh no. This is your shit show, deal with it yourself. I have talked to Yamada, and she doesn't listen either. It's your funeral, dig your grave and shit yourself in it if you like".
"Can we call a truce? For a few seconds? So you can tell me how the tutoring is going?"
"Shit, they're all studying pretty hard, and they seem in good spirits. Uesugi's working his ass off too. Hate the guy, but I have to be honest. He's working his absolute ass off. Unlike some other guy I know, that decided to take the day off the day before the fucking test so he could arrange dates with my friends".
"Last part notwithstanding. So you understand why I don't want him fired".
"You don't want him fired because you're a bleeding heart dumbass. But yeah fine, I get it. But daddy's gonna do what he wants anyways so it doesn't matter".
"We'll see about that. Good luck tomorrow. Say good luck to your sisters for me later, I don't wanna distract them".
"Fat chance. Talk to them yourself. Bye", Nino said before hanging up.
"...Nino's kinda right isn't she?", Inejiro said to himself after he hung up. "Here I go again…".
After that brief moment of self-awareness, Inejiro continued playing for a little while before heading to bed. Not as early as he planned or as early as he frankly should have, but early enough to have a good night's sleep before the day of the midterms. The time has finally come. The moment of truth. That will determine whether Fuutarou Uesugi will continue to serve as tutor for the Nakano family or not. To be continued…
A/N: Well...guess who's back. Again. Another break. Yeah, I'm gonna stop apologizing for these breaks in uploading, it's gonna get old soon. A month and a half isn't that bad at the end of the day from what I've seen around this site. Regardless, sorry for the relatively short chapter, I wanted to make a shorter one to tie up some loose ends in order to move forward after we FINALLY finish the Midterms Arc. Fun stuff coming after this one. Hopefully soon. Happy Easter to everyone and hope you enjoyed the chapter!