Chapter 4 — Season of Farewells

And so, these days of mellowing would soon come to its end.

The blossom of the cherry trees. Petals of white and pink meandered across air and earth. Spring. A season of both beginnings and ends, welcomes and farewells. On this month of March, the third year students of Asahiyama High School gathered with their loved ones on the meticulously decorated school grounds to conclude these adolescent days. For them, it was the season of their own graduation, and their own farewells.

It was one last chance to feel everything again. To hear the sound of your own footsteps in the long hallways. To gaze out and see the familiar sight from homeroom. To sit in the courtyard where hundreds of peers strolled aimlessly about their youthful days, knowing that one day this would all be a memory.

"One last time," Fuutarou quietly said to himself. For as long as he knew that this day would come, there was an odd feeling weighing down his chest. Like it all had come a little too soon, or rather, a part of him would come to miss this piece of his life. In these past couple of weeks and months since the Sunrise Festival, Fuutarou has had quite a bit of trouble closing this chapter of his life quietly.

Firstly, but not surprising, was the gossip. God did he hate the gossip. Even more so when it was his name that slipped from the mouths of those nosy classmates of his. He had wished those that had dismissed the rumor—on account of how ridiculous it sounded—had kept that same attitude until long after graduation, but those same meddlesome classmates were quick to crowd him with questions as those rumors became far too frequent. Yes, he did in fact confess to Nakano Ichika on the final night of the festival. No, he was not joking. Yes, it sounded even crazier that she had said 'yes' to him. Him. Uesugi Fuutarou of class 3-1.

Just the thought of it again made him grit his teeth. Of course he could not keep a straight face when asked like that! Of course he could not help but make a nasty face to those who laughed or gave him that awkward look like he was crazy or something.

But, what made things far more embarrassing than any of that was when Ichika herself faced those rumors. No matter how many times she was asked, Ichika would not hesitate to flash a smile, boasting the most confident "Why yes, we are dating!" any young person in love could say. Guess that was a talented actress for you. She had no trouble saying things like that out loud.

Now that he thought of awkward situations, there was that little squabble he had with Maeda shortly after those rumors came out. As someone who has never really had a falling out with a friend, Fuutarou only anticipated the worst when it came to confronting Maeda. It was no secret between them that Maeda has had his eye on Ichika for some time. It was enough to make him feel a little queasy in his stomach. Even if they had not been friends for too long, what kind of friend would Fuutarou be for confessing to the same girl?

To his own surprise, that conversation he feared to have had amounted to nothing more than a nominal exchange. "Huh? Why would I be upset?" Maeda had said as he, Fuutarou, and Takeda shared lunch together on the rooftop the school day after the festival. "I had a hunch already. I mean, Nakano-san had already rejected me once before. I didn't think I stood much of a chance after that anyway."

"Really?" Fuutarou asked. "When did that happen?"

"Second year, before our trip. I asked her to dance with me during the bonfire on the last day, but she said she had already promised to dance with someone. You seriously don't remember?"

"Remember what?" Fuutarou raised a brow. He remembered falling ill during the last day of their second-year trip, but he had no recollection of Ichika dancing with anybody during that bonfire. "She danced with someone?"

"She said she already promised to dance with you, duh!"

Oh, he actually had forgotten. That was not Ichika he had asked, but Miku disguised as her during the time. It was not like they had promised any sort of dance; he was only there to just help both Miku and Ichika out of a situation, but of course, there was no point bringing that up now. Besides, it was not as if Ichika would have really wanted to dance with him during that time...

Right?

"Right..." Fuutarou had responded. "But I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you were a little upset with me. You even asked me about those girls during the festival, and I didn't give you a straight answer . I don't want to make things awkward between us."

"Well... I don't know, Uesugi." Maeda leaned back. "I mean, yeah, I've admired her for a while. I thought there was something special because I can sort of see her more clearly than the other quintuplets, but other than that, I don't think I really knew anything about her. Not like you, at least. If it's anything else, I just want Nakano-san to be happy, and as your friend, I want you to be happy as well. Don't sweat the small stuff; I'm rooting for you the two of you."

"Yeah, Uesugi-kun." Takeda joined in. "We're all buddies here. Our friendship doesn't amount to something so little, you know?"

"But, Uesugi. I want you to at least tell Nakano-san that..." Maeda sniffled between his words, almost as if he would break down into a sob if he had any less willpower. "Tell her... that no matter what I... I will always... I will always support her, and that I will always be her number one fan!"

"There, there, Maeda-kun." Takeda laughed.

Fuutarou closed his eyes. There was still a lot to learn about what it meant to be friends. And here he thought he had learned everything he needed.

In this wide, empty room, Fuutarou had finally heard the sound of an opened door echoing past the rows of tables. He crossed his arms, facing forward. "Took you all long enough."

A single walkway was all that separated Fuutarou from the quintuplets. An empty school lunchroom, void of the crowded voices that normalized their everyday school life.

"There you are," Nino was the first to speak as they all entered.

"What's going on?" said Yotsuba as she peered into the empty room.

"We all got your text, Fuutarou," Ichika said with a bit of a yawn. "Why did we have to meet so early in the cafeteria? Graduation ceremony isn't for another two hours."

Fuutarou lifted a hand. "Hold your questions, please. I'll get to that. For now, can the five of you step forward, please?"

"I think we've done a lot already," Itsuki said. "You told us to come here out of nowhere, the least you can do is tell us the reason."

He sighed. "Just step forward, please? Doing something like this isn't easy for me, and having to call from across the room isn't making it any easier."

"Come on, Itsuki." Miku nudged. "Let's hear him out."

They all met at the center of the lunchroom, close enough so that they can see the look on each other's faces. Fuutarou's face especially. Through that tall posture with his arms crossed over his chest was a slightly doubtful expression, something not quite embarrassed, but not quite resolute either.

Fuutarou took a deep breath.

"Before I say anything else," Fuutarou begun, "I want to first express one thing to all of you. Ichika. Nino. Miku. Yotsuba. Itsuki. As your tutor, I am proud of each and every one of you."

They all looked taken aback. It was almost a shame to Fuutarou that he expected any nice gesture from him to be met with a mixed bag of confusion, defense, and a little bit of astonishment. Before any could question him, he continued, "you've all had your own share of struggles in the past, but you've all made it here through your own hard work. You've finally made it to graduation."

He placed a hand over to the table beside him, where five stacked frames lay beside him, along with five metal pins.

"And I don't think I've made that clear enough, so I will say it again: I am proud of each and every one of you. Your grades might not be anything special, but nobody else in this school knows about the hard work you five have shown to make it this far. That's why..." He picked up the first frame that laid beside him. There was no use stuttering over his words. Not now. "That's why I believe you five deserve a ceremony of your own. Before our official graduation ceremony. It isn't much, but... as your tutor I wanted to express just how proud I am of your accomplishments."

At first there was a bit of silence. A lull. Like his words seemed unfitting for the mouth it came out of, yet undoubtedly genuine that they did not need to hear it repeated to understand. The girls turned to each other, offering a smile to themselves and then to Fuutarou.

"What? Was that all you were worried about?" Ichika winked. "Of course we accept, Uesugi-sensei."

"If anything, we should be thanking you," Nino continued. "You've done a lot for us."

"Having our own graduation ceremony..." Miku said. "It doesn't sound bad at all. It actually sounds like a lot of fun."

"I'm in! I'm in!" Yotsuba rose her hand. "Please, continue speaking, Uesugi-sensei!"

"You didn't have to be so vague about it..." Itsuki mumbled. "What reason would we have to decline? You even went through all the trouble of setting this up."

Fuutarou stopped himself from looking a little too overjoyed. From the beginning, he was their tutor and they were his students. Now, when that piece of their relationship was minutes away from its end, a tutor must still face his pupils with equanimity. "Then..." He proudly held up the first frame. "Nakano Yotsuba, will you please step forward."

"Huh? Me?" Yotsuba pointed at herself.

"I didn't mispronounce your name, did I?" he said in an obviously sarcastic tone. "Where'd all that enthusiasm go?"

"I didn't think you'd call me first..." Yotsuba gave a nervous laugh. "And... well, I never thought I'd be called up for anything, actually."

Fuutarou shook his head. "Today is your day too, Yotsuba. Now, please step forward."

He handed Yostuba the frame he held in his hand, offering a warm smile. "Congratulations, Yotsuba."

It was a simple, yet intricately designed, piece of paper, placed neatly in a black plastic frame. A certificate. A handmade diploma. One with the words completely handwritten with the utmost care and precision. Large letters that made up her own name, bold and centered. In smaller writing was a dedication to its recipient, detailing their accomplishments.

"'Greatest Improvement'...?" Yotsuba read the words out loud. "Is this...?"

"Don't laugh," said Fuutarou to all of them. "I know awards like this is something kids do in elementary school. I got the idea from Raiha. She insisted that would be a good idea and offered to help. It might seem silly, but—"

"No!" Yotsuba loudly interrupted. Fuutarou was not able to notice it at first, but tears had quickly filled Yotsuba eyes. "I will treasure this always! Not because it's my first award I've ever got from school, but it came from you, Uesugi-san! No, Uesugi-sensei!" She looked down at the piece of paper. Over and over again, she read the lines. "I'll cherish this, always. I'll hang it up on my room... I'll make a copy for my desk... I'll put it on my resume..."

"Don't do that. It doesn't hold that kind of value."

"But still..." Yotsuba sniffled. "Thank you so much, Uesugi-sensei... I didn't think much about it last night, but now I realize that I finally made it here." She rested the frame over her face, leaning closer to it so that it may touch her nose and brow. "Mom... I finally did it..."

Fuutarou, and the rest of the quintuplets, smiled warmly.

Yotsuba stood straight, turning to face her sisters. "You know... when I was younger I made a promise. I wanted to do good in school, and get a good job. For mother... I wanted it because I saw how hard mom was struggling. But now that I'm a little older, I realized mom would have wanted us to follow our dreams more than anything. Just like how Ichika is becoming an actress. When I was little—even if it was a little cliché—I always dreamed of being... a bride."

She smiled, looking to Fuutarou's face. For a moment, she could see that troubled-looking boy in Kyoto, then back to the face of Uesugi Fuutarou. "But now, I realize—dreams aren't always set in stone. Dreams can start from anywhere, and sometimes, a new dream can take place. Something different, someplace new to find happiness. My dream now is... is to find one! Something I can accomplish all on my own. Just like how Miku found her own dream, I don't know what it will be, but I feel like now I can do it. I can set my mind to anything, and I can do it! And it's all thanks to you, Uesugi-sensei!"

"Well said." Fuutarou placed a hand over Yotsuba's head. It was a warm, benevolent touch. Praise long-sought after, and Yotsuba would savor every bit of it.

Every last—shortly-lived—bit of it, as Fuutarou gave a quick tug at Yotsuba's ribbon.

"But don't start getting too ahead of yourself, Yotsuba." Fuutarou scolded. "Don't forget that you had straight zeroes when this all started, and it took everything we had to just barely stop you from failing. You cut it close this time, but just because high school is over, doesn't mean you should slack off."

"Ow, ow!" Yotsuba placed her hands over her head. "That hurts, Uesugi-sensei! Don't pull it!"

"Is this ribbon attached to your head or something? How can this hurt?"

The lunchroom grew lively with the sound of banter and laughter. When the time had come, Yotsuba had rejoined the rest of her sisters, facing forward.

"But... that isn't a bad idea, Yotsuba." Fuutarou said. "It's actually a pretty great idea."

"What is?" Miku asked.

"Announcing your dreams for the future. Right here. Right now. Like Yotsuba said, it doesn't have to be something set in stone, but, a next step forward. Our contract says that I was to help you graduate high school, but as your mentor, it would all be a waste if I can't see a bright future ahead of all my students. That's why, when you all step forward, I want you to share your dreams."

"Eh?" Itsuki said, a little embarrassed in her tone. "Why that all of a sudden? It's a lot to ask for on the spot."

"I think it's a great idea!" Yotsuba said.

"That's because it was your idea," replied Nino. "Now he's saying we should all do it."

"Come on, it's the least we could do!" Ichika nudged. "He's still our teacher, after all. Let's honor this last request."

"Good, because you are next," Fuutarou interrupted. "Nakano Ichika, will you please step forward?"

"Ah, me?" Ichika stretched her arms, then straightened herself, before stepping forward. They met formally in front of each other, teacher and student, as Fuutarou handed her the certificate.

"Congratulations, Ichika."

"Thank you, Sensei." She looked to the paper in her hands, repeating the words. "'Academic Achievement...'"

"For scoring the highest on the final exam," Fuutarou explained. "For diligently keeping up with your studies while also prioritizing your career and supporting your sisters. As a student, and as an older sister, you've gone above and beyond. We all are watching you, knowing that you will keep shining brightly. This award belongs to no one else but you, Ichika. Good work."

Ichika smiled widely. "Yes, Uesugi-sensei! I will make you, and everyone proud!" She turned to face her sisters. "My name is Nakano Ichika. As for my dream... well, it might sound a bit like a selfish dream, but I always dreamed of one day becoming an actress of an era. I loved watching movies ever since I was little, and I'll never forget the first time I saw my favorite actress in two different films. It was like she was a completely different person, and ever since, I wanted to be like her. Not because she was rich, or that she had fans everywhere, or that you could find her face wherever you go, but... but because in an interview, she said that acting was all about learning how to lie. Learning how deep and complex human emotions can be, and what it means to have them. I want to learn it all. I want to experience and express everything—all of the different kinds of happiness, sadness, love, and anger that belongs to a beating heart."

Ichika looked to the floor, then forward, to where her sisters stood. "I thought staying in school would get in the way of my career. That I would be better off going ahead by myself. But now, standing here with all of you... it tells me for sure that I made the right choice. Thank you, Uesugi-sensei, for letting me be your student. Thank you all for letting me stand here with you all today. I won't let any of you down."

She bowed, and much like an actress's ovation, her sisters welcomed her back to the stands with a round of applause.

"We're rooting for you, Ichika!" Yotsuba shouted.

"Don't forget us little people when you make it big, alright?" Nino grinned.

"That's our number one actress, for you. Now then..." Fuutarou cleared his through. "Nakano Miku, will you please step forward."

"Right..." Miku nodded, slowly making her way forward. She traced the thin lines that separated the tiles of the lunchroom floor as it crossed her shoes. To the ends of the legs of the metal chairs that surrounded them. To the bound of her footsteps that echoed in the large room that held otherwise held silence.

"Head up, Miku." Fuutarou placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her certificate with his other. "You have no reason to keep your eyes on the floor. You've earned this,. Congratulations."

"'Scholarly...Excellence...'" Miku read.

"For being the most consistent student from beginning to end," said Fuutarou. "Ichika might have scored the highest on the final exam, but you, Miku, have demonstrated nothing but excellence from the start. The highest average grade across all assignments, tests, and quizzes. You always had it in you, and with a little bit more confidence, you wouldn't have even needed me at all. Don't keep yourself down for too long, Miku. You've earned this. I know it, and your sisters know it too."

"For me..." Miku held the frame tightly. There was a short pause before turning to face her sisters. "My name..." She paused again, this time to take a long, deep breath, then repeated. "My name is Nakano Miku. I... I want to study cooking! I know it isn't a traditional college like what most high-schoolers go to after graduating, but I've decided I want to do it. You all already know this, but I was never that good with cooking, and I still have a long way to go. My cookies aren't always cooked through, my meat is sometimes over and undercooked at the same time, and everything always falls apart, but even so, the more I struggled with it, the more I have learned to love it. I learned how to be stubborn, how to never call it quits, and what it means to have a dream you can pour all of your heart and soul into."

Miku turned to Fuutarou. "Fuutarou—no, Uesugi-sensei. You were the first person I wanted to cook for. The first person who gave me the courage to try and try again. Once upon a time, you were my dream, Uesugi-sensei, and all of your happiness with it. Now, it's only changed a little. For you, for my sisters, for dad, and for mom—I want that same happiness of cooking for those close to my heart, over and over again."

"Very good, Miku..." Fuutarou shied away a flustered look with a quick shuffle to his gaze. No good. There was no denying that look for admiration and respect from this student of his. That was just the kind of person Miku was.

"Aw look, she made Sensei blush!" Ichika laughed.

"No fair, Miku!" Nino called out. "We're supposed to just be his students today."

Miku chuckled to herself, joining back with her sisters. "Sorry. For some reason, I am feeling a little more bold today."

"Ahem. Resuming." Fuutarou called their attention. "Nakano Nino, will you please step forward?"

"Guess it's my turn." Nino walked up. It was funny; at one time, Nino could not help but envision this day. To be rid of the scolding, the bickering, the long hours wasted in study. Now that she faced him with both hands wrapped over the certificate, she could only wish they had a little more time in their ignorant youth.

"Congratulations, Nino."

"Thank you, Uesugi-sensei." She nodded. "An award for "Encouraging Leadership," huh?"

"For always being there for your sisters. All of you were in this together from the beginning, and together you all finished strong. You all might be a little rough around the edges, but it takes someone as honest and good-willed as you, Nino, to bring out the best in all of us."

"Well then, I have no choice but to accept. Now, that just leaves..." Nino held the frame behind her back as she faced her sisters. Her fingers gripped tightly over the thin plastic. Though she would not outwardly admit it, there was immeasurable pride that came with this gesture—one that not even their own official high school diploma would earn from her.

Nino crossed her arms over her chest. "Nakano Nino. Four-year university. Bachelor of Science in Business Management."

There was a short pause.

"What? Not enough for you? Okay, I'll admit that I wanted to follow Fuu-kun, err, Uesugi-sensei to wherever it was that he went, but even I have to get a little real here. My grades won't get me to the best college in Japan, hell, it won't even get me into the top 100, but we all got to start somewhere, right? Now that high school is just about over, it's given me a lot of time to think about how much I've tried to live in the past. How I wish we all could stay in the same place forever, in that house we made our own. The five—no, the six of us. But, I'm done wishing that I could live in the past. I'm done trying to keep everything the same. I'm only looking ahead now, just try and stop me!"

She turned to Fuutarou. "Our mother once said that if she weren't a teacher, she would have one day liked to have opened a cafe. Miku and I were talking, and since she has already decided to go to culinary school, there needs to be somebody around to keep things from falling apart. And that someone is going to be me. I did my homework, so I know it's not going to be easy. I'll have to get better at math, I'll learn how to manage a business, and I got to keep myself sharp to stay ahead of the competition. That means the studying won't be stopping any time soon, I suppose. Just as long as we all—eh? Fuu-kun, are you... crying?"

"No... No I'm not..." Fuutarou held his sleeve against his nose. "I'm just... so moved to hear that one of you is actually going to college..."

"Be serious, Fuu-kun!" She placed her hands on her hips. "I'm one-hundred percent real here!"

"I know you are," Fuutarou said. "Sorry, I was just a little surprised. College or not, hearing all of your dreams is more than I can ask for as your mentor. We wish you the best of luck, Nino."

"This is the first time I've heard about you picking up after Mom," said Itsuki. "She always said it was 'just a little daydream' she had when she was young."

"Well..." Nino looked to Miku. "Miku and I only thought about this a few days ago."

Miku nodded. "At first, we thought about asking Dad for help starting up, but in the end, we decided it would be best for us to take out a loan. Work our way up from nothing, so that we earn every bit of our keep. I'm sure it would make Mom proud. It might sound a bit ambitious, but we might have a chance at pulling this off."

"I see..." said Itsuki.

"Sorry. We probably should have mentioned something to you guys first," said Nino. "Especially you, Itsuki. You were the one who said that if Mom ever opened a cafe, you would have wanted to work there every day for the rest of your life. You should join us, Itsuki. The three of us can definitely make this work."

"No, it's fine." Itsuki shook her head, smiling. "It's true, I have always held closely to Mom. I wanted to do everything she did, and go everwhere she went. I thought that was enough. She is gone now, but I'm sure wherever she is, she is happy that part of her dreams and wishes lives on with you two, and besides..."

Itsuki looked forward. "Mom would have wanted me to follow my own dream too, right?"

Fuutarou met eyes with her, then smiled. He beckoned her forward. "Last, but not least—Nakano Itsuki, may you please step forward?"

"Of course." Itsuki took her place in front of him, looking up to Fuutarou as any student would to their most respected instructor.

"It was here, wasn't it, Itsuki?" He placed a hand over the lunchroom table. "The place where all of our troubles began. Right here on this lunchroom table, on that particular day, I sat down with an ill-mannered girl with a one-person meal, fit for a feast."

"So you did pick this spot for this occasion, didn't you? I thought it looked peculiar." Itsuki puffed her cheeks. "And as I recall, you were the one with the poor manners, Uesugi-kun. You even called me—"

"Oi, Itsuki!" Yotsuba called from behind her. "He's Uesugi-sensei today, remember?"

"Uesugi...sen..." Itsuki paused, struggling to find the will to say the words. Her face grew red like the strands of her hair as she clicked her teeth one last time. "Ugh! Uesugi-sensei! There, you happy?"

The flat surface of the certificate's frame tapped lightly over her forehead. Fuutarou stood in front of her, one hand placed over his hip. "I'm only joking, Itsuki. You can be a bit of a problem student, I've never doubted that you were always a serious student. Congratulations, Itsuki."

Itsuki held the frame in her hands. "'Outstanding...Effort...'"

"For always giving it your all, no matter how small or trivial things may be. For never giving up, no matter what comes your way. As both students, we could hardly stay on each other's good side. As your mentor, I have nothing but praise and recognition for all of your hard work."

"I..." Itsuki took a deep breath. Through the thick reddish-orange of her hair was the fixated gleam of her eyes. "My apologies, Uesugi-sensei. I cannot accept this."

The response came almost all in unison. "Huh?"

"What do you mean, Itsuki?" Fuutarou asked.

Again, Itsuki took another breath. "My dream is to one day become a teacher. Not because Mom was a teacher and that I want to become just like her, but because Mom was a teacher that inspired me. Uesugi-sensei, you are a wonderful teacher, but to me, Mom was the most ideal teacher. Mom is gone now, and there are still so many questions I want to ask her. I want to know how to understand students, how to get them to trust me, and...

Itsuki looked down to the floor. "...and I want to know if she ever did regret her choice of becoming one. You told me that being a teacher means all kinds of things. There will be brilliant students and there will be troublesome students. There will be times where it will be exhausting, and it will hardly seem like it will all be worth it, but even knowing that, I still want to! That's what it means for me to teach . That's why..."

She turned to Fuutarou with the same determined look in her eyes. "That's why I still have a lot to learn. I am going to college, too. The way that I am now has been nothing but a stubborn, self-centered student who only knows how to keep hitting her head over and over again. I know deep down, Mom never regretted her decision, and I won't either. What I am trying to say is... is..."

She bowed her head, returning the certificate back to Fuutarou. "Uesugi-sensei. There is still a lot more that I can learn from you. Compared to being a student, I know little of what it means to be a teacher. That is why I feel that I am not yet ready to graduate as your student, and I am not yet ready to receive this from you. Please, Uesugi-sensei, continue to teach me a little longer."

Fuutarou stood quietly, looking once over the bowed head of one of his most precious pupils, then to other's gaze behind her. It was no use. Quintuplet minds had a way of thinking alike, and he could tell from that subtle shift from an astonished looks, down to their heartfelt smiles, that they all were waiting for the only possible answer.

He sighed, then placed a hand over Itsuki's head. "How can I decline such an earnest pupil? Very well." He placed his hands back on the final certificate, taking it back. "Let me warn you: it's not going to be easy, Itsuki. I'll be stricter on you than ever before. You got a problem with that?"

"None whatsoever." Itsuki smiled, still not ready to show the many shades of red that flushed her face.

"Then, with all of that said and done..." Fuutarou crossed his arms, looking to all of their faces. "Ichika. Nino. Miku. Yotsuba. Itsuki. Once again, congratulations for making it this far. Nobody will ever have had the pleasure of having students like you five. On my pride as a tutor, and from the bottom of my heart, I am proud of each and every one of you."

Fuutarou slowly bowed.

"Now come on... let's get ready for our actual ceremo—"

Five rushed pairs of footsteps clattered his way. He could only gaze up for a second before he felt five individual forces wrap tightly across his body. Arms stretched out wide, caressed in warmth and tender love, all surrounding him in one overwhelming embrace. Boisterous noise that came with the uneven melody of five identical disasters that came crashing into his life.

"Thank you, Sensei!" they all shouted at once.

"We'll miss you so much!"

"You better come back and visit often!"

"It's not going to be the same without you!"

"Good luck in Tokyo U!"

"Don't you dare forget about us!"

"Always keep in touch!"

"Make sure you tell us where you're staying so we can visit you!"

"Bring home lots of gifts from Tokyo!"

Fuutarou fought to keep himself from falling over. "You quintuplets... Tokyo won't be the same without you guys around."

A thick cluster of smothered hair and overlapping cloth. Merged scents of perfume, fresh laundry, conditioner and shampoo. Six voices, each one louder than the other. Clutter so chaotic, it would not be long before Fuutarou found himself falling back onto the floor, dragging them all down with him in a joy-filled collapse. Through that unruly mess, clear as day, were five equally genuine smiles, as they all called his name.

"Fuutarou-kun."

"Fuu-kun!"

"Fuutarou?"

"Uesugi-san!"

"Uesugi-kun."

The sleeve of his cardigan drew over his eyes. "It could have been anyone." Fuutarou said, "but I am… so glad that it was me. I am so glad that I met you all, that I became your teacher Damn it.." There was no hiding the tears that trickled down his face. The heaviness that clogged the back of his throat, weighing down each of his words that swelled like fire.

"Thank you. Thank you so much… all of you."

Author's Note:

Annnnnnd that's a wrap for High School! This chapter ended up taking quite a while to get finished with all of the fuss and emotion that comes from that special moment in all young adults' lives (not to mention how utterly complex it is to juggle five quintuplets on screen—Negi, how on earth do you do it).

With all of that said and done, I can now focus a lot more on the adult lives of all the characters, which is what I envisioned most since beginning. The ending of the manga seemed to brush off a lot of every character's ending, skipping five years to a wedding before finally ending. Perhaps Negi was finally burnt out of writing the story, but if it weren't obvious enough already, the transition from high school to adult lives hits a very sweet spot for me. Sorry to all of those waiting on purely Ichika and Fuutarou moments, I know they're coming out a little slow, haha. ("_ _)人

Also, looks like today marks Episode 9 of Gotoubun's Season 2, AKA, we'll be entering and ending with Sisters' War. If you've made it this far, you know exactly what's in store for our onee-san. I wasn't hoping for it, but it looks like Season 2 watchers will soon write off Ichika as their worst quintuplet, and the wait for a Season 3 might be too long for any hopes of changing that. Still, even if we're the smallest fandom of the sisters, the Ichika Fanclub stays strong! She deserves better!

Until then, this is Bobalon, going back under my rock!

_φ(。。) "Am I overthinking the writing on this part? No, no… it has to be just right…"