Chapter 9 — Autumn Mischief

Warmth of autumn's glow spread across the branches overhead. Gilded leaves strew about the wide campus grounds, brushed and crushed under the passing heels of roaming students. In the disquieting routines that made for a university student's life, it always felt like a shame that one could not always spend the time to loll around the autumn air. To bask in sunlight that was neither too temperate nor too cold, but just rightly so.

Times like this would remind the daydreaming student just how subtly the days had managed to slip by him. Autumn had come before he knew it, and Fuutarou had only a modest reminiscence of the past six months he had spent in this big city. As much as he did not want to admit it, his experiences so far could be summed up to one of these three locations—his apartment, his school, and the nearby bakery where he worked part time. Not as exciting as many his own age would anticipate, but old habits die hard for the young adult. And besides, he did not make it this far to simply goof off, whether it be in grade school or college.

Not like the small huddle of giggling students nearing him, anyway.

"Sorry, I'm actually meeting up with a friend," the voice at the front said. "We can pick this up later, okay?"

"But Takeda!" one of the female students clung on to his arm. "You promised that we'd study together. Finals are soon, and there is so much we could cover."

"I know, I know. And I'm terribly sorry. But I promise you that we'll arrange a study date together, alright?"

"But when?" Another student continued, flattening her palms against each other. "I don't want to be pushy or anything but... physics is brutal! And the professor is known to fail so many people! You're obviously the smartest person in lecture; you just have to help us! Please!"

Takeda brushed aside the comment with a modest laugh. "Well I don't know about that, but... you know what? Let's arrange something right now. How does Thursday, around this time sound to everyone?"

Fuutarou turned away with a slight roll to his eyes. He propped his arm over his crossed leg, leisurely reading his notes as he waited for the nearby conversation to die off. They stood in one of the main campus's plaza, a short couple of steps outside of Tokyo University's Faculty of Science building. Dribbles of the nearby fountain and the brush of scattered leaves surrounded him, as one by one, the closely-following admirers of his friend had made for their separate ways, content in whatever compromise they had made.

"Someone sure is popular," Fuutarou remarked as he nonchalantly turned to the next page of his handwritten notes. "Sure you can spare the time for physics, Takeda? We both know you fall a little short when it comes to biology."

"Oh ho? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were teasing me, Uesugi-kun." Takeda strolled over to Fuutarou's bench, taking a seat. "As expected from my rival, though. You know my weaknesses well."

"Only because you always complain about it. Who were those girls, anyway? Were they from our lecture?"

"Uesugi-kun. It's been an entire semester now and you still don't know the faces of your own classmates? Shame, Uesugi-kun. Shame."

Again, Fuutarou rolled his eyes. "We're not in high school anymore, Takeda. Lecture halls have like what, over a hundred students in there."

"When it comes to you, it wouldn't matter if it were a hundred students or ten students; you still wouldn't pay them any mind. That's just the kind of aloof person you are, Uesugi-kun." A flutter of his eyelashes accompanied his playful wink. "Yeah?"

"Better aloof than obnoxiously dazzling," Fuutarou dryly retorted. "You looked like you were trying your hardest to dodge out of a study session. It'd be a lot easier for you if you just turned them down and be done with it. Though, I suppose it wouldn't look good for the campus pretty boy to disappoint his fans."

Takeda fanned the air over his nose. "More like, they know my family has connections in the medical field. Some hardly bother to be subtle about it anymore. And you're one to talk about popularity, Uesugi-kun. Not many can brag about getting five beautiful, identical quintuplet sisters to fall head over heels for them."

"You know it was not like that, and you definitely know I wouldn't brag about it, even if it were true."

Takeda laughed. "Come now, you know I'm joking, Uesugi. Yeah?"

The two tiredly leaned back on the bench, passing by a moment of silence among the motion of campus. Weight of the last few weeks had slowly fatigued them, and like all students, could only wish it would all be over soon. "Was that your last class for the day, Takeda?"

"Yeah. Same for you?"

Fuutarou nodded. "And so it is; another day closer to final exams."

"Feeling nervous? I'll admit, it's a little scary to think about, but I'm confident enough. Math and physics are in the bag. What are your plans after the semester is finally over?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous. But yeah, I think I got it all pretty much nailed down. And as for after the semester... well, I'm not too sure yet. Maybe go full time for a while at my job, but first I should find some time off to go visit Pops and Raiha. After that, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a head start on some of next semester's classes. I've heard that integrated sciences can really be a—"

He was cut off by a sudden finger appearing in front of his lips, wagging impatiently. "Ah, I've heard enough! Uesugi-kun, must you always talk about studying like that all the time? Tell me something else you'll be up to during our break. You know? Like something fun, yeah?"

"Something fun?"

"Oh come now. Something like... ah!" Takeda snapped his fingers. "Like a date, for example! You mentioned the other day that Itsuka-san was finally going to pay you a visit after finals? The day should be coming up soon, no?"

"Again, Takeda, the one I'm dating is named Ichika. I-chi-ka. None of them have that name."

"Oh come on, I was close enough. There are five of them and they're all nearly identical, but that is besides the point."

"Yeah, I know." Fuutarou leaned back, watching the slowly wavering leaves overhead. "Ichika and I promised we'd have a whole day together with just us. With everything always being so busy and all, we hardly had the time. Now, over two months have passed since we last saw each other, which was when she came here for her interview."

"I remember that! I saw it the night it was airing." Takeda enthusiastically sat upright, clasping his hands together as if he were a hopeless romantic. "Ah, to be young and in love, am I right? To think, Nakano-san would proudly gush about her love for her boyfriend on live TV! The distance between you two... the longing for one another... it's enough to melt your heart, wouldn't you say?"

To Takeda's surprise, Fuutarou had responded with a conflicted sigh. "That's just the thing," Fuutarou said. "I want to make it up to Ichika somehow. Pulling something like that went against what her career advisor had laid out for her. To be honest, I still find the whole thing to be a little crazy. And I can't help but think I'm to blame for her doing something so risky."

"But!" Takeda quickly remarked. "How did hearing all of that make you feel, Uesugi-kun?"

Fuutarou gave a weird look. "How did it make me feel?"

"Mhm. Isn't that what's really important?"

There was a short pause on Fuutarou's face. For something so simple, it almost felt embarrassing for him to realize. "...happy, to be honest. I didn't realize it until I got home that night, but the muscles on face were a little sore." He gingerly touched the edge of his cheekbones, savoring the memory of that evening. "I had the stupidest smile on my face the whole damn night."

"Then you understand why Nakano-san did that, plain and simple! Now then, what's really on your mind, Uesugi-kun? You're looking a little more troubled than usual. Anything I can do to help?"

"Actually, that's the main reason why I asked to meet up." Fuutarou leaned his back against the seat, letting his head hang. "Like I said earlier, I wanted to make it up to Ichika somehow. I got in touch with her sister. Things have been a little... bumpy with her job lately."

"How so?"

It was only a few days ago. Fuutarou stood out on the balcony of his studio apartment, looking over the dimly-lit Tokyo streets. The passing breeze gently let him collect his thoughts.

"...you think so too?" the voice on the phone said. "I don't want to jump to conclusions or anything. Has she said anything to you at all?"

"No, she hasn't," replied Fuutarou. "Everything seems fine when we talk on the phone, but lately, things just feel a little... off with her. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, so I figured I'd ask you for advice. Whether or not I'm just overreacting over nothing."

"I don't blame you, Fuu-kun." Nino sighed over the phone. "She's always been like this. Ichika is the hardest for any of us to read. Even if we're all quintuplets, she tries her hardest to keep up the older sister role. She'll notice right away if something is bothering us, but the same can't be said when it comes to us. It's like she doesn't have any flaws."

"I see... so Ichika doesn't normally disclose that kind of stuff to you guys."

"None that I can remember, and believe me, I've tried." Hints of her frustration came with the last words. "I mean, it took us months to find out she was even working as an actress! We even knew Ichika had been disappearing in and out of the house, and none of us could even guess it. How could you even hide something like that for so long?"

"Hmm... you're right. She really is private, huh?" Fuutarou looked far off into the distance. "So, what's it like with her back at home? Since you're answering the way you are, I'm guessing you're picking up on it as well?"

There was a short pause before Nino replied, "...yeah. We all are starting to get the idea that something is up with her. This is the longest Ichika has been home. Don't get me wrong, I wish she was home all the time, but not like this..."

Fuutarou clicked his teeth. It was just like he had feared.

With Nino's help, the two of them had dove into extensive research across the internet. Social media, news articles, blogs. To the public, the aspiring actress, Nakano Ichika had steadily grown following the appearance of her first acting roles in film. From the lowest budget indie films, to minuscule roles, to minor side characters. Slowly, but steadily, Nakano Ichika had been building a name for herself.

A once-in-a-lifetime-shot, as Oda, Ichika's manager, had excessively—more so worriedly—stressed. Ichika had mentioned before, that on the days leading up to the interview, Oda had left no stone unturned. With the correct moves, and a little bit of luck, Ichika could make a tremendous leap in her acting career. More followers, more fans, more acting gigs. Her big break.

At least, that was the plan. From their extensive research across the web, Nino and Fuutarou had found out a few things. Firstly, and not surprisingly, were the anonymous fans that were... less than thrilled to discover that a new favorite already had a special someone in their lives. As her public relations advisor had previously admonished, some dedicated fans tend to idolize their favorite celebrities. The line between admiration and possessiveness sometimes gets blurry, and the overall appeal of the actress could suffer as a result.

Next was growth of popularity. As someone who had garnered the most respect for their performance, Nakano Ichika had earned a few more discussion topics across forums and posts. Talent was nothing the young actress was short of, and credit was where credit was due. Though, as The Vermilion Riddle's popularity would eventually taper as the months went on, and new film releases would take their own turn in the spotlight, all topics about her performance would have already been exhausted.

"...she's been sleeping in a lot more these days," Nino continued. "And she seems a lot more distracted, a lot more private about her work. More than what we've come to expect, anyways. We've tried asking her about it, but she insists everything is just fine."

"She hasn't mentioned anything about it to me either," Fuutarou replied. "She brushes it off whenever I ask her. But you could already tell. Her last couple of roles have been... minor. Like the ones she took back in high school."

"I just don't understand... if that's what's bothering her, then why won't she tell us? Doesn't she trust us?"

"She's just... too proud, if I were to guess. Especially with how good things were looking before. More time at home... a slower work schedule... not even Ichika could hide it, and it's starting to wear her down."

Stagnation.

Slowness in her professional growth. Crawling popularity—still growing, but nowhere near its full potential. Compared to her co-stars, Ichika had fallen a bit short when it came to follow up acting jobs. Morioka Misako, who had played the lead of Natalia Rustfield, had landed another lead in a drama. Both Nagisa Tarou and Yuuma Misao had been invited to audition for a handful of male leads and supporting characters, with Nagisa having a few larger name studios thrown into the mix.

Popularity admittedly had its place when it came to casting roles. An actress as young as Nakano Ichika would in turn attract a younger audience, and young people had their ways of gathering information quickly. Between casting two actresses, it made more sense to go with the more popular choice. With only one major success of a film on her resume, it might have been too soon for Ichika to pursue the larger roles that her manager had anticipated.

"Oda-san had thought that they could use the interview to propel her to larger studios," Fuutarou continued. "If everything went well, then her popularity should have skyrocketed by now. Ichika should have overtaken her colleagues. All things considered, that's the way it should have been. Oda-san is a good manager; he wasn't wrong in his calculations. The problem is..."

"Fuu-kun, are you thinking that..."

"Yeah. It's because of what Ichika had said. About me. About us." He leaned on the railings of the balcony. The back of his knuckle tapped repeatedly against his forehead. "Damn... I don't know what I should do. I feel like it's all my fault."

There was another short silence in their conversation. Enough for the contemplative breeze to pass his lonely balcony, as Fuutarou slowly shook his head. "To an actress, a move like that wouldn't be far off from career suicide. I wouldn't blame her if she regrets doing any of—"

"Snap out of it, you idiot!" The sudden tone from the other end of the phone had almost made him drop his phone off the balcony. "What do you think you're saying? No way Ichika would regret doing something like that. And if you think so, then you're a lot more cowardly than I thought. What happened to that cool, smooth guy who snatched me away on a motorcycle, right in front of my own father, huh?"

"That... that was..."

"Ugh! That's not the point." Nino quickly shook her head, shooing away the over-welcoming memory that had caught her by surprise. Why was she thinking of that now? "Point is, these things happen. It's nobody's fault. Rather than moping around and blaming yourself, shouldn't you think about preparing the perfect date for Ichika? She's coming there soon for work, right?"

"A perfect date? Like what?"

"How should I know?! Think of something! Something to help take her mind off of things. Let her relax a bit. If you start wavering, then she's sure to pick up on it too. Promise me, got it?"

"I... I, uhm..."

"Coming, Yotsuba! Hold on a sec!" Nino quickly turned back to the phone. "Look, you better promise me, got it?"

"Ah, I see." Takeda pinched his chin, quickly nodding with every bit of digested information. "So, you want to make this date something memorable? To help Ichika-san take her mind off of work?"

"More or less. Figured that since you have no problems shamelessly dazzling women, you might know a thing or two about taking them out on a good date."

"For your sake, I'll take that as a compliment. Since you're opening up to me more." Takeda smiled. "I might know some spots in Tokyo that could work for you. Or perhaps the two of us can go exploring a little on our own. Like a practice date! That is, if Ichika-san doesn't mind me borrowing you for a bit." He playfully winked. "Interested?"

A light chuckle slipped from Fuutarou's mouth. "I really appreciate you going out of your way for me, Takeda."

"Nonsense! Isn't that what friends are for?" His jubilant friend quickly stood from his seat. "But first, we got something else on our hands, don't we? Finals are only a couple of days away."

"Right." Fuutarou nodded. "We got a lot of stuff to cover. Want to start with biology? It's one of the first ones we have. How are you feeling about it?"

"Biology isn't exactly... well, it's good but I'll admit it could always be better." Takeda shook his head. "At least, it's expected to be better when your mother is a well-renowned doctor. But what can I say?" Takeda looked high above to the fall leaves, shielding the small rays of the sun with hand over his eyes. "I have my sights set elsewhere."

"That reminds me. You ever confronted your father about the whole 'wanting to become an astronaut' deal? That ever work out?"

"It's a... work in progress." Takeda nervously chuckled.

"You'll have to do it sometime, you know. You're already enrolled in the program."

"I know, I know..." He scratched the back of his head as the two continued down the campus.

As much as Fuutarou had anticipated the day of their date to come, he shamefully could admit that the few extra days had worked out in his favor. Between the sheer brutality that was his first semester's final exams, and the painstaking trips he took with Takeda exploring the hot spots of Tokyo city, Fuutarou had never felt more exhausted in his entire life. Though, that would only be true if he had forgotten the national mock exams he had taken back in high school. He would do better than to make a habit out of anything like that again.

"Fuutarou-kun!"

One look to that wide, spirited smile on Ichika's face felt enough to make him forget his fatigue entirely. Like missing pieces that encompassed everything that made him a man, the dark-haired city boy felt as if he had suddenly been recharged the moment they embraced. And again, that light, whimsical air that trailed from her perfume. And once more, that familiar peachy gloss to her lips, leaving its mark on his cheek.

Her arms were still wrapped around his neck as the gentle look in her eyes met his. "I've missed you a lot, Fuutarou-kun."

"Missed you too, Ichika." Fuutarou returned a smile and they let go.

"Hey! You're looking pretty stylish there. Did you go through all that trouble just for me?"

Dressed on the college student was an off-white slim button-down long sleeve with a gray overcoat and a dark gray cashmere scarf. He wore slim, dark tan jeans that trailed down to dark brown shoes. Now, Ichika wondered, was it simply just an update to his wardrobe that made him look that much more desirable, or was Fuutarou looking a lot more physically fit?

"You beat me to it; I was just about to compliment you." He did not shy his gaze, lovingly observing the woman in front of him until the look in her eyes turned bashful. On the young actress's person was a mauve blouse that split at the neckline, revealing her bare shoulders which she tucked into her gray fitted tartan midi skirt. Slipping off her shoulders was a grayish-blueish trench coat. Around the woman's neck, she wore a ruffled wine-colored choker. "You look wonderful, Ichika."

She widely grinned, the rose of her cheeks ever so slightly glowing brighter. "I know I do, but I wouldn't turn down a compliment. Miku and Yotsuba were right though—your new look fits you well"

"Thanks." Fuutarou chuckled. "You've been doing alright?"

"Just fine, and even better now, knowing that you're all mine for the entire day, Fuutarou-kun." The last of her words followed a playful cadence, as the pink-haired girl confidently winked. "You won't be getting rid of me that easily."

"You keep taking the words right out of my mouth," he replied without hesitation, and reached for Ichika's hand. His fingers laced their way between hers as he pulled her along. "Now come on. If your job only lets me have you for today, then I wouldn't want to waste it standing around here."

"Oh? You've got something exciting planned for us? You're looking pretty eager there." The smirk on her face grew even wider as she followed his lead. Her eyes narrowed to the hands that held onto her thin wrists, as she blithely continued, "And you've learned to be a little more forceful with me too, Fuutarou-kun. How scary."

Fuutarou looked away, not wanting to acknowledge her little tease, but he knew that sort of reaction was exactly what Ichika wanted.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Ichika as they now walked side by side. "My father says that he extends his regards to you. What does he mean by that? Did you two have a talk or something?"

Something of an abrupt cough and a sputter slipped from Fuutarou's lips. "W-w-who knows? Sounds like a normal greeting to me, haha. You can tell him that I said... likewise."

Ichika raised a brow, but to Fuutarou's relief, did not question it any further. There were not much more words that Fuutarou had recalled after the initial conversation with Nakano Maruo during Ichika's interview. In a way, silence from the dead-eyed father could be seen as more of a good thing, but that may as well be wishful thinking on Fuutarou's part.

Regardless, after a bit of a walk from their station, the two found themselves facing the first point of interest Fuutarou had planned. A large, block-like building that seemingly further extended underground. When they first passed through the wide corridor that signaled the building's entrance, the sudden brush of air colder than the autumn breeze welcomed them. The walls transitioned to darker hues, illuminated by fluorescent lights and the shimmer of a water's surface reflected in the atmosphere. Structures of sea creatures, ocean environments, and nautical subjects decorated the spacious chambers.

First stop of their day together in Tokyo—an aquarium.

Dawdling her footsteps, Ichika spared every moment in wonder, taking in the sights and sounds of the marine utopia. Pathways, stairways, and tunnels split into all directions, each more curious than the last. "Whoa... Not bad, not bad. You picked a nice spot."

"Found this place with Takeda's help," replied Fuutarou. "First time inside though. It's a whole lot bigger than I thought; just take a look at the directory here. Where did you want to go first?"

"Let's see... ah! How about here?"

Aimless in their amusement, the two lovers loosely made their way from one marine exhibit to the next. There were interactive exhibits that allowed visitors to touch and hold various types of aquatic life and plants. There were educational displays—which Fuutarou took a keen interest in—that illustrated the different anatomies and habitats of ocean creatures. They stepped across illusionary underwater tunnels, encompassed by swimming fish and wavy waters, that lead to darkened rooms.

Iridescent baubles adorned the overhead space of the darkened room they now stood in, as Ichika and Fuutarou stood on opposite sides of one of the clear, cylindrical exhibits. Slow shifts of colored lights dimly illuminated their faces as they orbited the free-flowing jellyfish between them. Chrysaora fuscescens, as named on the nearby plaque. Their tentacles trailed like loose strands of hair, slowly swaying back and forth with every beat of its umbrella-shaped bell.

Lost and somewhat absent-minded amidst the allure of the tiny creatures, both Fuutarou and Ichika had coincidentally found themselves looking into the eyes of the other, as a cluster of jellyfish parted to reveal the other's face at the opposite end.

"Oh!" The initially surprised look on Ichika's face had soon turned to a cheery laugh. "Hi there, Fuutarou-kun!"

That smile was worth any trouble he had to go through to get her here, and the dark-haired boy returned a light wave from behind the glass.

Before their trip to the aquarium became too long of a stay, Fuutarou had one last section he wanted the two of them to visit. "I'll be holding onto this, though," he said, swiping the print-out map from her hands.

"Where are we going?" Ichika asked.

"You'll see. Now, no more questions."

Undoubtedly, a few hours was nowhere near enough to explore the expansive interiors of the large aquarium and its exhibits. A bit of aimless wandering made for enough of a fulfilling time that the average visitor would want to return again someday, but luckily for Fuutarou, he had done a small bit of research beforehand. The large upward stairway they had past earlier in the main lobby had led to an entirely different sector of the aquarium. A building separated by a bridge that looked as if it had been constructed some years later when compared to the main building. If one would guess, it would have to be to accommodate to more special types of animals.

There, gently meandering along the surface of the water and flopped on the artificial rocky landscapes were large, bulky creatures with muddy-brown skin that trailed to palish-pink towards their bellies. One long yawn boasted the magnitude of their enormous muzzle and jaw, as the tonne-sized beasts lumbered around on their stubby legs.

"A hippo!" Ichika tightly held onto the rails that overlooked the enclosure. If her fascination from the earlier exhibits were of her being awestruck, then the look on her face now was that of child-like wonder, severely contrasting the cool and mature older sister one would expect from her. Never had Fuutarou seen Ichika hold a face like that for so long with her eyes glistening wide and mouth held agape.

"They're your favorite, right?" Fuutarou caught up beside her.

"You knew?"

"I might have gotten a tip from someone we know. Won't spill who, though." Fuutarou leaned across the railing, taking a long look at the barrel-shaped, tubby creatures wading through the water. Vacant of any form of grace or charm, the hippopotamus did not exactly strike him as the most lovable of creatures. "I'll admit I was surprised when I found out. Out of all animals, these are your favorite? Really?"

"Don't say that!" Like a protective mother to her young children, Ichika had returned a strict scowl. "How could you not think they're the cutest thing ever? Just look at them!"

Fuutarou chuckled. "Right. Sorry, sorry. Now come on, stand right over there. We'll get a nice picture that you can show to your sisters back home."

"Oh?" Almost as if it were instinct, the camera-ready actress had assumed a fetching pose following the quick brush and tuck of her hair. Poise that stretched from the tilt of her shoulders, to the turn of her elbows, and then to the slight bend to her hips. Another smile that Fuutarou could never get enough of, as that playful wink had found its way straight through the lens of his camera and into his heart. "How do I look?"

"I thought you already knew the answer to that," he teased, then clicked her picture onto his phone.

"Let's take one with you and me next. Come on, don't be shy!"

After they had left the aquarium, the two had boarded public transport from a nearby bus stop. It was about midday, and Ichika was pleasantly surprised to know that Fuutarou had taken such consideration and thorough planning into the activities of their day. Though, if he were to ask her, simply being with him was more than what she could ever ask for.

Several minutes later, both of their necks tilted upward to spot the tip of the tall building in front of them. A lattice tower, stretching over three-hundred meters in height, and bearing striking resemblance to that of the Eiffel tower in Paris. A four-story building laid directly underneath the building, accommodating to the expected museum, restaurants, and gift shops. For any date between two young lovers though, the main attraction was the elevator that ascended to the observation decks high into the sky.

Second stop of their day together in Tokyo—the famous Tokyo Tower.

"Tokyo tower!" Ichika exclaimed. "Wow, it looks so much bigger than on TV. I'm impressed. You picked quite a romantic spot, didn't you?"

"Thought it'd be something you'd like," replied Fuutarou. "You aren't afraid of heights, are you?"

"Would you like it if I answered 'yes', so that I can have an excuse to cling onto you the whole time?" Without waiting for a reply, Ichika had slipped her arms between his, pressing his arm firmly against her chest. Her eyes looked up into his, admiring the unsuspected, flustered look on his face. Try as he might, there was no avoiding making that kind of reaction as Ichika happily giggled. "Joking! As if I needed an excuse."

After paying their admission and ascending the elevator of the observation tower, the two of them strolled into the main observatory deck. A circular building at one-hundred and fifty meters above ground, composed of guided walkways and large windows that curved around the arc of the building. From this tall perch, they could view the breath of a living city, as cars and citizens moved underneath. They could see the defined shapes of the freshly cut grass to parks, the idyllic cluster of treetops, the sun-reflected waters water of the distant canals, the licorice-like bend of the highway, and the staggered rise of skyscrapers, as both of their noses neared the glass.

"Whoa..." they both exhaled, wide-eyed and breath-taken. It was a whole new perspective of the grand scale of Tokyo city, and how little they seemed in comparison.

"Things really do look a lot different all the way up here," Fuutarou commented.

"Notice any place familiar?" Ichika asked. "Think you can see your place from here?

Fuutarou thought a moment. "Hmm... no, nothing. Don't think I've been to this side of the city all that much, maybe if we were to look from this angle..." he squinted against the window. "Oh! Right over there. I think that is... yeah, I think that's the part of the city where Tokyo U is. I recognize some of the buildings, and if that one is there, then that means campus shouldn't be too far... there!" He pointed to the arbitrary point on the window and Ichika did her best to pinpoint just where he was looking.

"Where?"

"See that white square building over there? Next to that park over there, that's the entrance to campus. And if you follow the road to the left, my apartment shouldn't be too far. Oh, then that means the bakery I work at should be—"

"Fuutarou-kun." Ichika laughed. "I wouldn't know where, even if you told me. Everything looks so tiny from up here and I can't recognize places I haven't been to, you know? I've only seen the outside of your apartment, and that was brief."

"Ha, you're right." Fuutarou leaned against the railing.

"Hey, what's your campus like? I'm curious."

"Tokyo U? It's... nice there, I would say. Campus is pretty huge and I got lost around a lot during my first couple of weeks. And there's a ton of students there. It almost feels like another city inside of the city, if that makes sense."

"Oh, I get it." Ichika leaned her elbow against the window stool, guiding her gaze to the random direction he had loosely pointed toward. "You've been having a lot of fun there, haven't you? Tokyo life treating you well, hmm?"

"You could say that. It's probably a little too late now to say everything is all a brand new experience. But... yeah, it's been a lot of fun. Really fun."

"I see." She smiled. To his surprise, Ichika had reached above him and patted him lovingly on the head, letting her fingers loosely slip between the strands of his hair. "Fuutarou-kun is all grown up now, huh? All mature and independent, look at you."

"I'm older than you, Ichika." He gave a quizzical look. "And what's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"Nothing, nothing. It just really made me think how so much has changed in only half a year." She leaned against the railings, letting her head slowly rest on Fuutarou's broad shoulders. "Hard to believe it's only been six months since we graduated high school, huh? I can't help but feel a little sentimental. Things just keep moving so fast." She peacefully closed her eyes. "I can tell. You're going to accomplish great things, Fuutarou-kun. That's just the kind of determined person you are."

"Ichika...?"

There was a delicate touch to her sentimental words, and Fuutarou could only be reminded of his earlier doubts. That was right. Besides this being a highly anticipated date with the one he cherished most, there was also that sense of worriment biting the back of his mind. What exactly troubled the mind of someone who was as put-together as Ichika? If he had never had the suspicion to begin with, would he still think that the woman in front of him had some things she kept bottled up inside?

"Hey, I want to see it." Ichika's words had interrupted his thoughts before he had the chance to speak further. The sound of her slow footsteps trailed behind her as she walked down the aisle, carrying a daydreaming voice. "Nino, Miku, and Itsuki seem to be having a lot of fun when they talk about school too. It makes me a little envious that I'm not able to attend and experience one."

With a light twirl of her heels and her arms held behind her back, Ichika turned to face him. "So... I think I'd like a chance to get to see your university campus. I want to see the place Fuutarou-kun studies, where he walks on the way to class, where he sits down when he's tired. All the little things that make me feel a little more familiar with where you are, in this chapter of your life."

She tilted her head curiously at him, forming a coveted look with the slight tilt to her brows. The calmed look in her eyes, inconsistent from the soft smile on her lips. "Can I?"

Third stop of their day together in Tokyo—the early autumn evening of Tokyo University's campus.

There was something strangely enigmatic about the fall campus. Familiar sights of gilded leaves adorned the pathways, the freshly cut grass that finely shaped its perimeter, and the rhythmic wave of the pole-hosted flags drifted along the passing breeze. However, as someone who had since become acquainted with these academic grounds, Fuutarou could not help but be met with an unfamiliar sensation.

It was quiet. Empty. Barely were there the constant motion of walking students and passing bikes. Doors that always seemed to be open were now shut and locked, the chairs inside neatly stacked above their tables. Posters that plastered the boards and windows were of events that were well past their appointed date.

Cold flavors of fall season coffee ran their way through a plastic straw, as Ichika observed yet another new sight. "I see, I see. So this is what a university is like... all of this? Wow, it's so huge."

"It's actually a whole lot bigger than that." Fuutarou added. Warmth of his pumpkin spice latte lingered on the brim of his cup as he took a long glance around him. "Weird seeing the place so empty, now that the semester is over. I'm used to seeing a lot more people around."

"Are we trespassing or something?"

"No, not really. There's no rules that say we can't be here, and Tokyo U still hosts fall quarter classes. Though, I don't know if any classes are in session at this time..."

"I'm surprised you're not enrolled, knowing you."

"I thought about it, but decided against it." Fuutarou pointed to a nearby building. "Over there is the Student Commons. It has an overpriced bookstore and an overpriced dining area that serves all kinds of overpriced food."

"Ha, I see that part of you hasn't changed at all. And that building over there?"

"That one? That's Administrations. Only went in there a couple of times to receive my student badge and go over some details about my scholarship, but there isn't anything else interesting to say besides that. Actually, I had my Film Studies class in the building behind it. You could see all the way to the pond from outside of the window."

"There's a whole pond on campus? No way. Just how big is this place?"

"Enough to easily get lost multiple times in a single day. I know that because I was that lost freshman who kept asking for directions."

Ichika took another sip of her coffee frappe. Lingering cold numbed her fingers and she switched sides with Fuutarou, locking her fingers in between his. "Hey, hey, let's go explore over there!"

"Ow! Your hands are like ice!" He tried to wriggle free but Ichika had already begun to pull him along. "Why'd you get an iced drink when it's so cold out?!"

For the next several minutes, the two lovers traversed the spacious and empty grounds of Tokyo University. As the university student had previously mentioned, getting lost in the large campus was not exactly a hard thing to accomplish. Buildings closed in together to form walled lanes, and paths diverged into more paths. All the while, Fuutarou had given his best recollection over the personal significance of each building and monument, as if he were some poorly trained tour guide. Whether it be the plaza that hosted special performances, the row that tabled clubs and societies on the first weeks of the semester, the general library that was practically the second home to students, or the particular spots he and Takeda would frequently meet up.

Through some twists and turns, the two lovers had found themselves standing in front of one building Fuutarou was quite familiar with. A blocky building painted white, with tall windows that reached across several floors. Tokyo University's Faculty of Science Building.

"I've had a lot of my classes in this building last semester." Fuutarou slowly walked up the familiar steps that lead to the entrance. "Takeda was in a couple of them too. We sat next to each other in lecture."

Ichika followed behind him, tucking her cold fingers into the pockets of her coat. "So they have whole buildings dedicated to different subjects? It's so tall; I don't even think my old elementary school was this big. And it's all just for lectures?"

"Yeah. That reminds me, you haven't seen what a lecture hall looks like, huh? It's a whole lot different from the traditional classroom..." Just as he finished his sentence, Fuutarou noticed a peculiar detail. "Hmm? The doors are still open. At this time?"

"Oh?" Ichika peered from behind his shoulder. "The lights are all on. Does that mean we can go inside?"

"It's probably the last of the lectures finishing up. I don't think it would hurt if we just went in. The worst they could do is ask us to leave."

"Well, that's all you had to say!" Ichika nudged him up the last couple of steps. "Come on, I'm not ready to finish up with this tour! Show me more."

They continued through the building, expecting to come across some sign of prohibition sooner or later, but both were surprised to have made it to the top floors of the building. Just as Fuutarou had suspected, indoor lights and faint murmurs had slipped through the cracks of the doors, indicating some form of occupancy within the lecture halls they had passed by. As they curiously continued upward, the sights and sounds grew dimmer, until the sudden flicker of the motion-sensor lights greeted them.

It was only the two of them past this point. Strolling past the large windows, the first illuminations of the streetlights below could be seen as the approaching dusk signaled the end of a long day. Though it was not part of his original plan, Fuutarou welcomed the idea of this private time between them. There would not be many occasions he could introduce Ichika to the setting that all of his hard work so far had led him to. It was hard to imagine a better place they would rather be.

Tumbles of two plastic bottles followed the press of a button. They had taken a short pause in front of a vending machine. "Here." Fuutarou tossed a bottle of green tea to the young actress who sat on a nearby chair. "Are your legs tired at all?"

"Thanks," Ichika said as she caught it. "And only a little, but it shouldn't be a problem. Good thing I decided not to wear heels today." She took a look around the empty corridors and closed doors as she slowly took a sip of her tea. "It's almost like we're sneaking around, huh? Imagine if they closed the doors and locked us in here. Wouldn't that be kind of exciting?"

"I don't need to imagine it," Fuutarou said. "Have you already forgotten what happened during second year camp? No thank you. Getting chewed out once was enough."

"Are you saying you wouldn't want to be locked in somewhere with a cute girl again? Hmm?" Ichika leaned over her knees, narrowing her eyes to a mischievous leer. "Especially now that you and I are this much closer? I'm really curious to find out if you were holding anything back when we were alone that time, Fuutarou-kun."

"You know what—why not?"

Without waiting for the response that accompanied the bewildered look on her face, Fuutarou had quickly seized her by the hand, pulling her to her feet, before marching her further down the empty halls.

"Wa-wa-wait a second!" Ichika said, almost spilling her bottled tea. It was difficult for her to keep up with his pace, clumsily tripping over her own steps. "Eh...EH?! I mean, I-I was joking, but if you're seriously considering it, don't you think we should—"

He ignored her rambling, instead taking note of the door plaques that they had passed. "I think I remember that it was somewhere over..."

Through a heavy door—somewhat hidden past a couple of hallways and turns—the rush of the outside air had blown past their hair. A flight of stairs twisted along the walls of a narrow corridor, and when they reached the top, Ichika and Fuutarou were met with a wide, empty floor underneath the evening sky. Metal fences bordered the brim, separating themselves from the bright city lights in the distance that gleamed like grounded stars.

"I overheard some students saying there was an unlocked door that led to the roof." Fuutarou cupped his hands over the warmth of his breaths. "It's nothing like the view from Tokyo Tower, but what do you think? The view up here isn't too bad either, right?"

Ichika placed a hand on the tall fence. "It's... pretty," she said, letting the sight snatch the rest of her breath from her lips. Short seconds had passed as they slowly admired the lifeblood of the nightly cityscape, and Ichika looked to Fuutarou. "You know... I wouldn't mind moving to Tokyo one day. It's... nice here. Would you ever want to stay here?"

"Stay here, huh..." Fuutarou tucked his hands into the coats of his pocket. For the short time he had already spent here, he had never given it much thought about what would happen after his time in college had come to an end. "I'm not sure. I always wanted to get my dad and Raiha out of that tiny apartment. But as for me..." He paused, looking far into the distance, then to the pink-haired girl that stood in front of it all. "Well, I don't think I'd ever get tired of this sight. I wouldn't mind calling this place home."

Ichika smiled at him. "I'd love it, actually. Especially if it were with you." She took another long glance at the city. "I think... it wouldn't be that bad. If the two of us got our own little place here. Maybe it could be a small apartment at first. We'd wake up to each other every morning, have breakfast and dinner together, cuddle and watch movies together. Of course I'd have to learn to tidy up a bit." She gave an empty laugh. "When things get a little... better."

"Better?" He raised a brow.

"Better with work." She turned around, leaning her back against the cold metal of the fence. It was difficult to see any stars overhead, as the heavy, dazzling lights of the city shrouded even the brightest of stars. "Maybe, if I can make a big enough name for myself, take on some bigger roles, and make enough money all on my own. Just like the other celebrities that live here. But who knows how long that will take, huh? It could take five, maybe ten, twenty years before I reach anywhere near that level. Who knows if I have the will in me to make it that far?"

"Ichika..." Fuutarou said. "What are you saying? You're an amazing actress. Sure, it will take time, but you're really giving it your all, aren't you? It's only been half a year, and you're already filming in Tokyo. Surely, that's progress. That's why we had this whole day together. Your schedule has been so busy that we only could—"

"Actually, today... isn't really a day off for me." Ichika halfheartedly chuckled. "Did you know? I already finished shooting. Yesterday was my last day on set."

"Wait... yesterday?" Fuutarou was taken aback. "That doesn't make any sense. You only started filming—"

"Last week?" Ichika finished, still carrying an empty laugh. "Yeah... I did. Turns out, the role was a lot smaller than what Oda-san and I thought. The scriptwriters thought my character needed a revision and scrapped a couple of lines. A lot, actually. Honestly, any random person could have done just fine. That's just how minor my part was."

She sighed, taking a long sip of her tea. "Passing stranger A. Ten seconds in a commercial. Naive girl who dies to the curse in the first fifteen minutes. And now, some groupie high schooler that follows around the main antagonist. Can't even be bothered to give her a full name either."

"It's... just a minor hiccup, Ichika. It's bound to happen sometimes, right? People were even raving about you during The Vermilion Riddle, weren't they?"

"And that was over two months ago," she added with a sigh. "It's old news now. I can't keep relying on one instance of good luck to keep moving forward. It took three months to shoot that movie pre-production. During that time, I was bouncing between two other acting roles, and it was probably some fluke that The Vermilion Riddle was the one that got so popular out of nowhere. Actresses need to keep themselves busy, you know? We need to keep moving on to bigger and better things to stay relevant. How else are they going to prove to people that they're worth something?"

"It couldn't have just been some fluke, Ichika," Fuutarou reassured. "It's not like you to say things like that."

"'Not like me', huh?" Ichika looked high above her. "I wonder what that really means. What is 'like me' to you? To my sisters, to my father, to Oda-san... and to me? What exactly have I been doing to end up right back where I started?"

"Hey, you're stepping over the line," Fuutarou sternly replied. "A lull shouldn't mean anything to you, Ichika. The 'you' that I know is someone who knows far better than that. It must be hard, and I might not know the first thing about what it takes to be an actor or actress, but the way you've always held your head high was what made you, 'you', Ichika. That's why it hurts to see you like this. Pretending like everything is okay, telling your sisters that nothing is wrong, and keeping your feelings all—"

"That's funny. I never told you anything about my sisters worrying about me."

Fuutarou stiffened his lips. Like two contradictory expressions—one, the smug smile of satisfaction that her intuition was right on the nose, and the other, an empty sort gaze, as if it hardly had any reason to be proud. The brush of her shoes against the concrete floor settled in front of him.

"Ha." She smiled. "Caught you."

He remained silent.

"I had a feeling it was something like that. Did Nino say something weird to you? Maybe Yotsuba? Itsuki or Miku?" Ichika slowly shook her head, not expecting an answer to that question. "Not that that really matters. But hey, tell me something, Fuutarou-kun—did you have fun during our little date?"

"Fun...?"

She slowly nodded. "You looked like... you were trying really hard. Too hard, Fuutarou-kun. Searching all over Tokyo for date spots, planning the perfect date, spending the whole day walking and talking... it did make me happy. Really, really happy." She slowly leaned her body against the tall walls of the rooftop. "It's not everyday we could be together like this, but..."

The apposed look on her face had met his shy gaze. "The whole day, you kept your eyes on me and only me. Not so much the hippos at the aquarium, or all of the sights on the tower despite the fact that you said it was your first time there. It was just... me. At first, I thought it was just you being shy, but the more I thought about it, the more it looked like you were... trying too hard. Like you were trying so hard to make sure I was having fun. Like you were prioritizing me over everything going on around you. Is that really what makes a date fun to you?"

Fuutarou held back. What more could he say? Even if it had not done so deliberately, all of it was true. That was something Ichika had perfected compared to him—perception. A keen eye and a sharp sense over the hearts and minds of those around her. The oldest of five identical sisters and an actress that knew a million words to a thousand faces. That was Nakano Ichika, and he felt himself tangled in that web of hers, the more those eyes narrowed onto him.

"Is the Ichika that you know someone who doesn't let people worry about her?" she continued. "Does she keep everything bottled up inside? Does she pretend to be so put-together in front of her sisters so that they could look up to her?"

Again, Ichika shook her head. "Maybe, you're right. It's all a lull, and maybe, things will get better. Maybe they won't. But the important thing is that big sis keeps going, right? Keep trying her best everyday." A short smile formed at her lips. "That's how I made it this far. And that's how you made it this far too, Fuutarou-kun. We try our hardest for those around us, but more importantly, for ourselves. So... you understand it too, right?"

She reached for the hand at his side, clutching it tightly. "You really do worry a lot, don't you, Fuutarou-kun? But I mean it; I'm fine. These kinds of things happen. I'll get over it."

"Fine," he said flatly, pressing his palm to the side of his neck. His head cocked to a compliant gesture, but the look on his face was far from convinced. "If that's what you say, then, I give up."

"Huh?" Ichika gave a blank stare.

"Trying to cheer you up. Helping you take your mind off of things, even when you didn't ask for it. Things like that. If four identical sisters can't read you, then there's no chance in hell that I'm going to either." He sighed. "Ah well. There's always another plan. Go on. I'll hear you out."

"Hu... huh?"

"I'm not a mind reader. I was never the best with people, so what makes me think I would be good at it now? So..." He faced toward Ichika. "Go on. Tell me everything and I will listen. And don't you hold anything back."

"I... don't quite follow," Ichika replied, perking one eyebrow.

"I'm saying that I'm your boyfriend, Ichika." As many times as Fuutarou had said it, the words still found a bit of trouble shamelessly leaving his mouth. He gently placed a hand over her head. "You can tell me anything and I will hardly judge you. You've always had a good head on your shoulders, Ichika, but even you can't always keep smiling while brushing every little thing that bothers you away. I'm... not the smartest when it comes down to stuff like other people's feelings, and sometimes, I need it spelled out right in front of me before I can understand. I can't understand if you won't tell me, so... just tell me, Ichika. There has to be some things that you shoulder all by yourself, right?"

"I... I don't know exactly what there is to say," Ichika hesitantly replied. "It's like I told you... there isn't—"

"Your career feels like it's hit a wall. Your popularity is stagnating. Your big shot at the interview did not go as well as you thought, and because of that, your last couple of acting gigs have pretty much regressed backed to being substandard and forgettable."

"Woooow." Ichika could only react with a hollow laugh. "You still haven't learned to be gentle with your words, huh?"

"So..." He ignored her as he stubbornly continued. "...while the whole world hardly knows the name 'Nakano Ichika'. While she's still some amateur-nobody-actress whose success so far has 'just been some fluke'—no one here will ever know. Everything you've kept inside—let it all out. Right here." Slowly, Fuutarou walked past her, then wrapped his fingers against the cold bars of the rooftop fences. He turned beckoning her to stand once more before the bright Tokyo lights. "All the frustrations you put up with, everything that hardly seems fair. Kick, scream, vent, shout—whatever it is you need to blow off some steam. Right from the rooftops."

"That's... that's crazy, Fuutarou-kun." Ichika laughed again, this time in complete disbelief. "You're asking way too much from me. People will think we're a couple of delinquents disturbing the peace. It's unbecoming. It's..."

"For once just forget about keeping up appearances!" Fuutarou scolded, not once relenting. "It's not fair, right?! You've done nothing wrong! Forget those other spoiled, spoon-fed actors! They don't know a damn thing they're doing! Forget all those stupid comments online! None of it matters! Be someone else! Get angry! If you won't get upset over any of that—not a single one—then I will for you!"

He sharply drew in his breath, gripping tightly onto the metal bars of the fence.

"Fuutarou-kun!" Ichika reached for him. "Wait, wait! You don't have to—"

"It's all BULLSHIT!"

Those words, and those words alone, resounded onto the brightly lit campus below. Bullshit... Bullshit...

Bullshit!

Even if he was not the one who should be screaming from the rooftops, she felt every lasting bit of frustration, every guilty shred of envy, every raw emotion that mirrored her own perfectly.

In the distance, the evening-scheduled students had looked up from their phones, stopping curiously to glance at the misfit screaming from the rooftops.

"I... I can't... it's not..." Ichika clutched the fabric of her coat. What was this feeling inside of her? Like her head and her heart adhered to separate senses, or threw it all away entirely. It was boiling. Festering.

No, it always had been. She only knew how to just look away. Every little bit she had tucked in a place far away, pretending like it did not matter. Just like how she always had done it. It was easier that way, and every other feelings attached to it was just momentary nonsense. There was no absolutely no reason for Fuutarou to be doing this, but Ichika could not help but wonder—how could Fuutarou make it look so easy? How could he just stand there and make a fool of himself in public, like it was nothing?

The heave of his breath closely followed, as Fuutarou felt the passing breeze cool the sweat that dripped from his brow. Now that the moment had passed him, he was only left with the absurdity of his own thoughts. Just what was he doing? Was he more of an idiot than he thought? Was he some kind of lost, screeching buffoon?

Suddenly he heard the sound of running. He felt the collision of arms wrapped tightly around his waist, holding him for a moment while her nose buried into his back.

"You really are an idiot..." she muttered

Ichika sharply drew in her breath, holding it deep within her chest. Just once. Not for any cameras. Not with any rehearsed lines. Just this one time, she did not want to be herself.

"...and I am too," she muttered again, far too quiet for him to understand.

And suddenly, Ichika let go. She stood before the vast evening sky, gripping one hand tightly around the metal bar and the other cupped to the side of her mouth like a bullhorn, finally letting out those stifled word.

"AHHHHHH!" Bellowing, screaming, shouting, to the point where the words felt as if it came from a different person. "It's all BULLSHIT! FUCK ALL OF IT!"

Beside her, Fuutarou's eyes had grown wide. Even if he was the one who coerced the idea, vocabulary that vulgar and that obscene was perhaps one of the last things he had expected at all from her, that even he cautiously took a step back. When faced with a stubborn actress's fury, there was no place for him or his words, and all he could do was stand aside, quietly waiting for the livid storm to subside.

"It's not fair, right?!" Ichika shouted. "The auditions! The scheduling! The traveling! Outtake, retakes, outtakes, RETAKES! How many studios have I worked for that can't even get their damn SCHEDULE in order?! At least HIRE somebody to get your stuff straight, for crying out loud! I've woken up so early and stayed up so late, and for WHAT? ONE AND TWO-STAR MOVIES?! How many cheap horror knockoffs has it been now? And just WHO do you think you are, Director Maekawa?! Asking ME out on a DATE?! You're older than my FATHER! Even if your hairline was twenty years younger, there is NO chance in hell, you lecherous CREEP! And you, Oda-san! For just ONE day, can you just talk about anything else other than Kiku-chan?! ANYTHING?! She's cute and all that, but SERIOUSLY! Get a hobby or something!"

Everything was a fuse, and nothing was too small to escape her ire. Not even the unconditional love and accompanying bits of insanity that came with family. "And DAD! Would it KILL you to come visit more often? You didn't even say anything about my interview! Were you even paying attention?! Do you remember anything? And you, MIKU! I keep helping you taste test your cooking and I gained over two kilos! Two KILOS, so quickly! What are you putting in there?! And YOTSUBA! Can you ever wake up QUIETLY?! I can hear you all the way from my room! NINO! You STILL haven't returned my makeup palette yet! I don't care what you say, it is NOT lost in my room! I know you still have it! And ITSUKI-CHAN! I KNOW you still have that recording of me as Tamako-chan! You can't lie to me! I'm coming after you the MOMENT I get home! Onee-san loves you girls, but oh my GOD!"

"And YOU, Fuutarou-kun!" She pointed a finger directly in front of his nose. Bright red streaks formed from ear to ear and a trickle of sweat dripped from her brow. "You mention ONE word about this after tonight and I won't forgive you. Not now, not ever. I am not myself right now, okay?"

It did not take much thought for the astonished college student to know that there was only one right answer to that question. He need not say another word. A comforting smile gently laid on his lips as he watched the flustered youth settling in front of him.

"Hah..." The pounding in her chest had reached the loudest it had ever been. Right now, all she could think about was air and more air. "Huh...hah..."

"Feels good to get it all out, huh?" Fuutarou stood beside her. Now was not the time to be scared of his own girlfriend, but he would be lying to say that he had not cautiously thought about whether or not to place that arm around her shoulder. "Well? Do you at least—"

"And ANOTHER thing!" shouted Ichika, leaning her body as far as she could against the edge of the rooftop. "Who CARES if I have a boyfriend or not?! Who says an actress can't be in love too?! You hear me?! I'll say his name as many times as I want!"

Fuutarou froze. "Wait, wait, wait! Don't get too carried away! I go to this school—"

"I LOVE UESU—"

"HEY!" The bright shimmer of a flashlight blinded them as they glanced down. Two uniformed men, dressed in blue overalls and a blue cap were looking directly at them. "You two up there! What are you doing?!"

"F... Fuutarou-kun...?" Ichika took a nervous step back. "Are they... are those..."

His laughter came off as a trembling mess, hardly able to keep itself together. "Campus security. Ha... Looks like... they're still around during the fall quarter... Ha... haha..."

"I said," the voice of the campus officer called out to them, "what are you two doing up there?! Get down this instant!"

Fuutarou felt the tight grip of a hand suddenly tug him off the tiny stone step. "Fuutarou-kun." In front of him was a wide, flustered grin that no longer knew herself. "Let's run."

"Wait. Wait, wait w-w-wait! You aren't seriously sugge—"

"RUN!"

Before another thought had crossed his mind, the echoes of their quickened footsteps were bouncing off the walls of the stairwell. Footstep over stumbled footstep, the two delinquents descended down the tall shaft. Quicker. Quicker! Harsh twists and turns within the loop of the stairwell lead to clumsy collisions against the cool concrete walls. The closed door that they were passing marked the number six. A single floor's descent.

When they had reached two floors downward, the sound of heavy metal doors echoed upward. It was from the bottom floor. The uneven scan of an angled flashlight pointed towards them. "There they are!" The security guard called back out the door. "They're in here!"

"We'll run into them!" said Ichika.

"Through here!" Fuutarou shoved the nearby door with his back. Floor five.

"What are we going to do here?" Ichika closed the door behind them, pausing once for breath. "They'll catch up to us soon if we just stand here."

"There's another stairwell on the other side of the building. Let's go there!" He led the way, Ichika closely following behind him. Motion-sensor lights flickered further down the empty hallways as they stepped through. A few quick turns down adjacent corridors. A single moment or two to second-guess which way was correct. A drop of cold sweat as the abrupt sound of an opened door trailed from far behind them.

"They're up here already?!" Ichika looked back. "Are we on the other side yet?"

"It's up ahead! It's that door over th—"

"Ow!" Ichika cupped her nose with her fingertips. She had collided into the college boy's back. Motionless, stiffened. Hardly complying with their situation. "Why did you stop, Fuutarou-kun?"

Closely down the hallway, through the tiny glass window of the door that lead to the other stairwell, was the dim wave of a flashlight. The sound of distant pounds of footsteps climbing up, and the further footsteps that followed behind them. They were surrounded.

Fuutarou grabbed Ichika by her hand. "This way!" he called out. They turned the complete opposite direction.

"That's where we came from," said Ichika. "We'll get caught!"

"Classroom 513! 513!" Fuutarou quickly replied. He darted his eyes passed every wall plaque that was positioned beside every door. As familiar as these walls had been for the past half-year, the sudden fear of being caught had made him start to second-guess his memory. 518... 516... 514... 512...510 Wait! Had they already passed it? The classrooms on this side had counted down by even numbers. Classroom 513 should have been on the other—

"Here! 513" Ichika pulled him back as he nearly missed the turn. It took a good amount of her strength to pull back a man taller than her. She could barely ask the next question between her tired breath. "What...is... in here?"

"Lecture!" Fuutarou gripped the handle. He closed his eyes, pleading that it was not locked.

The two had quickly stepped into the room. It was spacious. Wide. Tall walls stretched past the corner of their vision, sloping further downward like the other side of a hill. Curved desks loomed over a center stage platform, tapering upward like a funnel. At the furthest wall was a wide, dry-erase white board, still scribbled and smudged with leftover formulas and diagrams of previously held classes. This familiar stage felt much like a theatre, capable of sitting dozens—perhaps over a hundred—students. Ichika wondered, was all of this really a classroom?

Of course, the curious woman had no such luxury to simply gawk in awe. Her eyes trailed down the aisle steps that split the desks into a left, middle, and right segment. Just like how it looked in a movie theatre. Due to the sheer size of the lecture theatre, the amount of vertical space it had taken was capable of taking up two whole floors. At the top where they had entered from, door 513. At the bottom, door 413.

"Nice work, Fuutarou-kun!" She quickly followed him down the aisle steps. Perhaps a little too quickly. That short lapse in excitement and judgment had slipped her heel against the edge of the platform steps that trailed down the aisle.

Before she could force anything other than a short yelp, Ichika felt a firm grasp prop her up from at her waist. The rest of her body went briefly limp, as if suspended at that precise moment she felt her most elated. "Careful, you klutz." The tender look in his golden eyes set down upon her.

Uneven throbs concentrated at her chest, but the only response she could make was the broken rhythm of her own breathing. Was he smiling just now? Why now—out of all times—was he making that kind of face?

Like practiced footwork abiding to the beat of a song, the misbehaved couple propped back to their feet. They were not out of this situation yet—not by a long shot. While the distant patters above them searched high and low, Fuutarou and Ichika had slipped their way into the fourth floor. Caution had already been tossed to the wind as Fuutarou and Ichika quickly took to the central stairway down the building.

Third floor.

Second floor.

Ground floor.

The long-desired coolness of an autumn evening received them once again. Finally, they had made it back to the front steps of the university building.

And they had only that short-lived moment to revel in.

"Hey!" Leaning from the side entrance of the building was a peering campus guard, most likely having just arrived and keeping watch of a possible side or back entrance escape. The last possibility on their mind was that the reported troublemakers would have walked right out the front door. "Stop right there! Identify yourselves!"

Without a word of compliance to each other, Fuutarou and Ichika had immediately returned to a sprint. Fuutarou had nudged Ichika to follow him as he took the lead. This was his campus, after all, and he had walked down these paths countless times already. If the flagpoles were over there, then that means where they were going, they were facing north. The soonest exist from campus was a bit of a ways north-west, but perhaps it would be safer to take a longer route.

Though, it was not too long after the first turns that Fuutarou found the back of the pink-haired woman in front of him. "You're slowing down!" Ichika called back. "Come on! It's not like I'm Yotsuba here; at least keep up with me!"

"I am... going..." Fuutarou huffed and huffed. "I am... going... to die..."

"Quit talking and keep running!" She reached for his wrist, forcibly dragging him along. For the meantime, forward was as good of an option as any to the clueless pink-haired woman. Anything that furthered the distance from the pursuing footsteps, which seemingly drew closer. "Which way do we go?"

"Le... left!"

Familiar sights and sounds had dissolved to a messy blur with every hastened step. The draw of the surrounding lights, pulled to brief streaks with each passing street lamp. Heels screeched to a halt, then quickly turned, the moment they caught a sign of a stray campus monitor. Pathways turned to alleys as they ducked in between their pursuers. Abrupt shifts in the wind rustled the trees and lifted the autumn leaves underneath them.

Motion. Constant, perpetual flow of their mischievous adolescence.

They crossed the outside of Tokyo University's campus. Just a little further, and by all accounts, the guards would most likely give up. Why would they bother outside their campus jurisdiction?

"Hah... Hah..."

The pounding in his chest had never felt louder than it did now. The rhythm of his breath had never felt more uneven.

"Ha... Huh... Ha..."

He only needed to concentrate on breathing. Careful strides, if only for a little longer. He had made it this far already.

"Ha... Hah... Ha ha...Ha!" The last sputter of his breath came out like a triumphant shout. "Hahaha! Aha haha!"

Ichika glanced back, but the pink-haired woman could hardly have made the expression on Fuutarou's face before he had overtaken her. He had overtaken her! She could hardly remember a moment they had spent not on their feet, and surely, Fuutarou would be the first to collapse between them. But what was this sudden rush of stamina that had completely overtaken him? What was that joyous, juvenile laughter that trailed behind him?

If she could find the strength to overtake him again, she would have found the widest, most foolish, and overjoyed smile stretched across his face.

They had nearly collapsed leaning against the stone wall and fences of a nearby residential crossroad. The glow of the streetlight from the tall metal fixture fell over them as they cautiously looked around. No signs of any of anyone. Quiet once more, save for the sound of their tired breath.

Ichika still held true to it. All this running, all of this mischief. It was unbecoming. It was the acts of good-for-nothing delinquents. Apologetic. Regretful. It was nothing like her.

And at the same time, it was thrilling. It was restless. It was temperamental. Forgiving. Indulging. All alike to her contradictory, hypocritical self.

The tips of her nails dug into the messy collar of her lover's shirt. Paranoid, exhausted, sore all over—she could not care any less. Let these impassioned desires of a roused mischief-maker snatch away what little breath he had managed to regain. Let him fight for those short gasps of air, and let her fight to not let either of them stray a muscle. Let the sweet peach taste of her lip gloss intoxicate this foolish lover of hers. Let them stay suspended just like this, until they finally gazed directly into the other's blushing face, panting desperately under the streetlight.

"Sorry, Fuutarou-kun..." A thin string of saliva broke apart between their lips, which Ichika messily wiped with the back of her palm. "...I... I'm... still not myself."

And suddenly, she felt her back press against the sides of the stone wall, trapped between Fuutarou's arms, close to her side. Gentle fingers caressed the sides of her face, not letting her look anywhere else. Burning, insatiable desire that reciprocated her own, reflected in that dim, golden glow in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, too, Ichika," Fuutarou said. "I... don't think I'm acting like myself, either."

They shared only a moment to stare lovingly in the other's eyes, not needing another sign before they continued. Again, that rough tug against the collar of his shirt, pulling him back in. Again, the short gasps for air that came with rushed confidence. The curl of her fingers as it dug through and pulled the back of his hair. Every sound that he made in between, and the accompanying, delighted response she muffled back. At any time, Ichika felt as if her tired legs would finally give way and collapse. And when they finally did, she could only close her eyes, letting her body fall into the arms that now tightly wrapped around her waist.

She switched both her grips to now tightly hold onto the front of his shirt like they were handles. Each moment suspended like this beckoned her to sink deeper. Her short yelps were stifled by her desire to not let go of his lips with hers. It was all him now. She wanted to see that overwhelmed face of his when he finally gave up. She wanted that clumsy, graceless fall with her back sliding against the wall, and him stumbling over her with his knees pressed onto the ground, as the gilded leaves crushed under their feet.

And hopefully, he would forgive her. Hopefully, he would take pity on this foolish woman—victim to the autumn mischief.

Author's Note

Remember that person who raved about reaching 10k words a chapter earlier? Me neither.

Okay, jokes aside, I TOLD myself that I shouldn't make a habit of enormous chapters. I did, and here I go again. 13,724 words! That's even bigger than the last chapter! Eat it all up!

Something about this chapter did not make me want to stop typing. Seriously! It might be a bit too much, and honestly, I could have cut this chapter before they got to campus and held it back for a month but I felt like making it a super chapter instead. It just HAD to go together. But hey, we got it all here! Some perspective on Takeda and Fuutarou's college life, a ton of fluff from a multi-layered date, some good old-fashioned post-story character development, and a chase scene because why not? I had to do my fair bit of research too, and maybe a little stretching of some details—but we don't worry about that.

I can't say that I'm dead-set on keeping every chapter 10k+, but it sort of just played out that way. I wanted to do something a liiiiitle out of character for Ichika this time around. Being an actress isn't easy, and despite all of that, Ichika in the original works has always been so dedicated, hard-working, and optimistic. All while making it look so easy. Honestly, even I could admit that she's pretty damn powerful (and that's why I love her). Everyone has their limits and their own ways of dealing with issues, and this humble actress is lucky to have the love and support from friends, family, and of course, lover. Hopefully all of this seemed realistic enough for her character.

Anyways, I want to give a shoutout to fellow author, Fox McCloude! One, for recently leaving such huge wonderful reviews of all my chapters in such a short time, but more importantly, Fox has selflessly offered to translate 'Everything' into Spanish! His work, Shape of the Heart - Four Leaf Clover, has been something that I've recently taken up reading and it's been an absolute joy to read. Along with that, I've recently been exploring more works of fellow authors (admittedly, a little late) and I gotta say that I'm proud to read such passionate works from everyone. Right after this has been posted, I'll be going on a nice reading binge—can't wait! I've since joined the QQ writers discord and have gotten a lot more familiar with fellow writers.

This might also be a good time to publicly address my gratitude to the other consistent reviewers, them being TheMist33, Mayoi Tensei, Blackflame7, Fox McCloude. Of course, that also extends to everyone who had left reviews on Chapter 8 as well! Thanks to TheMist33, nelsonprim02, HundredFacesLov, Gautam Girdhar, and Fox McCloude . Got the idea from reading Fox's author's notes to start thanking the reviews publicly and personally through PMs, so I'll start doing that here too. Thanks also to the commenters on reddit, Faby777, vonin7, OkinaNeko7, No_Travel_2597(SolarHistorian). You guys rock!

And that may be my invitation to you—yes, you, that wonderful reader right over there—to tell me a little more about what you think! The updates will still come as they are, but it's always been a personal pleasure to read and respond to every review so far. Come on, we're all friends here, right…? ԅ(=‿=ԅ)

_φ(。。) "Does dropping an F-bomb still keep the appropriate rating? Oh, it does? Well then, what else can I get away with…?"