Chapter 16 —Somewhere You Are Finally Free

Stillness of an idle storefront. Walls and windows left predominantly untouched against the slow-moving years, tucked peacefully within a bustling street. A shop that stood quietly alone while everything around it slowly began to change. Owners and shopkeepers came and went; signs switched and rearranged; new architecture and remodels painted it all in the colors of modern-day commerce. Now, almost two decades later, the world outside these dusty walls and dull brown rosin paper was hardly familiar to that old memory.

However, even a place as lonesome as this would sometimes come across a surprise or two, every now and then. A surprise basked in long-overdue sunlight, as sheets of rosin paper tore off its old windows. A welcoming breath of the outside air that stirred the layers of dust. Occupying the interiors of the Uesugi Bakery were its usual visitors. The three family members that never failed to miss a day of routine maintenance. Just as they always had, although on this day, the old bakery's walls housed a few more curious eyes.

"Like I said, it's nothing fancy," Fuutarou said, pulling down his face mask. He moved aside his broom and dustpan as he welcomed in the three Nakano sisters. The wide emptiness of the store pronounced each of their curious footsteps into short-lived echoes. "Be careful moving anything. There's still a bit of dust lying around."

Their eyes scattered to different corners of the bakery. The first to step further past Fuutarou was Yotsuba, eagerly fixated on every drab and dull sight as if it somehow shone brightly, breathing out a wondrous, "Whoa…!" as she continued along. "This all really used to be your own place, Uesugi-san?"

"Technically, it still is," Fuutarou called back. He cleared some of the floorspace by moving a couple of old chairs and tables. "Though, we haven't been running for a long time. Miku, can you help me get this cloth off of the table?"

Yotsuba eventually found herself staring down her own dusty reflection, peeking into the rounded glass case at the front of the bakery. Though it was nothing like the ones she frequented with her sisters, the various furniture and apparatuses was undoubtedly all a part of a bakery. A small and humble bakery, but a bakery nonetheless. As she stared at the empty bread racks, Yotsuba could not help but wonder what this place would have looked like in its prime. What array of delectable, warmly-scented breads, pastries, and cakes would have displayed here, tempting her to press her nose against the glass.

Instead, all she could find was the striped fabric of a t-shirt, rounding the corner of the display, accompanied with a plume-like bundle of hair above the person's head. "Welcome in, everyone!" Raiha cheerfully called out. "Thank you so much for coming to help us out! We've been here since early morning, but we've still got a ton to do!"

"Alright, good…" Fuutarou muttered to himself. "Do you think you could handle the rest of the chairs, Miku? Just stack them over there."

Miku nodded. "Sure, no problem."

Fuutarou looked past his shoulder. "Now, Nino, do you think you can help with the—"

Before Fuutarou could finish, the second daughter had quickly left his side, making her way across the bakery. "Oh my god, Raiha-chan!" said Nino excitedly. "Is this him?!"

Held carefully in the cradle of Raiha's arms was a light-coated, medium-sized cat. It had cream-colored fur that merged to dark-colored fur at the ends of its snout, paws, and tail, and its widening eyes were a dull, icy blue as the curious quintuplet drew closer. "Is this the cat Fuu-kun was talking about?!"

"Yup!" Raiha widely grinned, gently petting its fur. "This is Tappi! Do you want to pet him?"

"Can I? Is that alright? I mean…will he let me…?"

Raiha nodded. "He's super friendly! Go ahead, try petting him. My Big Bro taught him really well!"

"I mean… if you say it's alright, Raiha-chan…" Nino cautiously lifted her palm, halting whenever the cat's gaze turned suspicious. It was not long until her fingers happily stroked through the length of Tappi's fur, turning the look in Nino's eyes as bright as stars as she excitedly squealed over it. "Y-Yotsuba! You have got to see him. He's, like, the cutest thing ever!"

"I'm coming!" The fourth sister darted over, lowering to a squat as she neared them. A similar glint shone in her eye as she excitedly said, "Aww! Uesugi-san's kitty is so cute!"

"His fur is so soft! It's like a pancake!"

"Really? Let me try! Here, Tappi, Tappi…" Yotsuba gently waved her fingers. "That's a good kitty…"

"He really likes it when you pet over here," Raiha said. "Right behind his ears. See?"

They happily watched as the look on the cat's face melted to a pleasured smirk, rolling his neck and shoulders with every gentle pat and scratch, accompanied with a quiet purr. Attention, as it seemed, was something the little feline had quickly gotten used to, so as long as the rest of the girls were careful not to smother him too much.

From the other side of the bakery, Fuutarou grabbed one of the spare cleaning rags. A small grimace formed on his face as he muttered to himself, "Fine, I'll just do it myself then…"

"I saw a couple more of Ichika-neesan's movies recently," Raiha said as she handed Tappi over to Nino. "I never knew that she did so many movies while she was still in high school. Did your school even allow her to do that?"

"She shot a couple of them in secret," Yotsuba said with a slightly guilty laugh. "Which ones did you see?"

"Let's see…" Raiha thought for a moment. "Last weekend I saw one called Letters to the Preacher, which was kind of confusing. Ichika-neesan didn't have that many parts there, so I kind of tuned out near the end. But last night, I watched Crazy Zombie Themepark. Both Parts 1 and 2—Return of the Zombie Carnival. I really liked those ones a lot! And I'm going to continue one of the morning dramas she was in, Yearning to Hold You, after I finish homework tonight. I'm on the last episode."

"I remember that one!" said Nino. "That was when we were all still second years. I cried so much when she rejected that one hot guy because the one she wanted to be with was her best friend."

"I cried too! It was just so sweet. Oh! That reminds me, I also saw a really good one the other day. I think it was called Blood-filled Chocolate."

"No way!" Yotsuba exclaimed loudly, almost making Tappi leap out of Nino's arms. "That's one of Ichika's movies that she filmed in America! She told us it was super popular. How were you able to watch it?!"

Raiha blissfully smiled. "Dad hooked up this new thingy to our new TV. Now, we can stream a bunch of shows and movies, all for free! Isn't that cool?"

Is that even legal? Nino thought to herself, but she did not bother too much with the thought. "I can't believe it, Raiha-chan. I'm so jealous! I've been dying to see that one ever since Ichika showed us her costume, but it hasn't even been released outside of America!"

"What was that about again?" Yotsuba asked.

"'A woman finds herself woken up as a vampire,'" Nino quoted the synopsis that she read multiple times already. "'She seeks to retain her humanity as she craves blood to live. She then meets a mysterious stranger who could be the key to what had changed her destiny!' Doesn't that sound like such a thrilling and romantic story?"

"It was beautiful!" Raiha squealed. "I want to say so much about it, but I can't spoil it! You just have to watch it."

"Can you believe that Ichika is doing so well in America?" Yotsuba said with stars glistening in her eyes. "Her account has so many followers since the last time I checked. It's crazy!"

"A little too well…" Nino muttered, not bothering to hide the dissatisfied look on her face. "After making such a big fuss about leaving home, you would think that Ichika would at least struggle just a little bit. Honestly, she is doing better than ever…"

Yotsuba and Raiha laughed. Continuing the thought, Raiha brought up another movie. "Oh! And there was also another one that I liked, but Dad had to turn it off before we finished because he said it was too scary. It was about a ghost that haunted people's text messages…"

"I remember that one," Nino remarked. "I think the name was 'Are you there?' All of us saw it together when it was in the local theatres. Ichika's character died really early though. She was like the second victim after she got a text in the hospital bathroom and—"

Yotsuba made an abruptly loud noise, as if it could stop the words from entering her head. "Stop, stop! I just forgot about that one! Why did you have to go and remind me? Now I have to find my night-light again…"

"You're too old to still have that around."

"Am not! What's wrong with having one, anyway?" Yotsuba pouted. She looked down to Nino's lap, where a pair of blue feline eyes had curiously tilted between. "And quit hogging Uesugi-san's kitty! Let me have a turn holding him too, Nino!"

"We were busy talking about Ichika's movies the whole time, I hardly got any time."

Back at the front end of the bakery, Miku giggled to herself as she moved the last of the chairs. "Looks like Tappi is quite popular with them, isn't he?"

"As an excuse to not help out, maybe," Fuutarou scoffed as he wiped the windows. "Makes me question if they just came to play around or something."

Again, Miku laughed. "Come now, it's still pretty early. But, you know, we all were really surprised when you told us you were adopting a cat. Some of us even thought you were joking."

"Is it that odd? Don't think I've ever said I had anything against them."

"We just had a little trouble picturing it." The third sister shrugged. "You're just in the fostering program for him now, right? How long has it been?"

"Probably… a bit over a month now. Month and a half at most."

"And? You two been getting along?"

Fuutarou crossed his arms, thinking. "Hmm…. Yeah. Yeah, you could say that. It isn't half bad actually. Tappi doesn't really get in the way all that much and we kind of keep to ourselves for the most part. He was actually really well behaved—well, minus the first week we were getting used to each other."

"Oh?" Miku looked attentively. "Now I'm curious."

He took his time to remember the details, letting the various expressions already give Miku an idea of what to expect. "At first, the two of us were pretty standoffish," Fuutarou began. "He kept on hiding underneath my bed for the first two nights, and I had to try everything to get him out. Food on a plate… a few of the toys the shelter provided… It was a real hassle. I guess it was a bit my fault though; I didn't know that staring them down was considered an aggressive gesture to cats."

"You didn't? Come on, Fuutarou. We've never had a cat, but even I know that. Have you ever come across a stray cat on the way to school and tried to say hello to them?"

"I never came across many," he obliviously replied. "For some reason, they tended to avoid me."

Miku gave a half-amused look, as if silently communicating that she should not have been too surprised to have learned that about him. After all, if first impressions were anything like the day they had all met Fuutarou, then Miku could only express her sympathy for his new feline companion. Sympathy, and a little bit of laughter.

Without thinking too much about it, Fuutarou continued, "Also, I had to look up all these weird things about how to make my furniture scratch-proof and stuff. Once I got Tappi away from under the bed, he started going everywhere. On top of the bookshelves, on top of the cupboards, and of course, his favorite spot has to be in the middle of my bed during the night and my desk during the day." He let out a troubled sigh.

"Sounds like you had it pretty rough." Miku gently laughed. "But you know… I think it would be really good for you to consider fully adopting him. It seems weird to think about but… you seemed to have been in a better mood lately."

Fuutarou curiously raised a brow. "Did it seem like I was in a bad mood before?"

"Not exactly that, I don't think. I guess you could say it was a bit of a feeling." She slowly shook her head. With a feeling of courtesy, Miku picked up one of the spare rags besides Fuutarou, gently twisting it in her hand. It never really felt like her place to say things like this so confidently, but at times, Miku would get the feeling of saying just what was on her mind. She only had to face away a little, twiddling with the cloth in her hands.

"I did say it was a weird thought," Miku continued, "But… you just seem a little bit more like yourself lately, Fuutarou. If having Tappi around helps that, then I can't see that as anything else but a good thing."

It was easy to trust her. Whenever it came to Miku, Fuutarou had realized that the third sister hardly buried anything between her words. For someone who had a hard time completely getting rid of that old, cynical self of his, genuine kindness like that would always catch him by surprise. "R-right." He abruptly cleared his throat. "Well, it hasn't been all that bad. After the first week or so, I think I've gotten used to having the little guy around."

He thought fondly of their short time together. "Tappi's gotten used to my schedule. He knows when I go in and out of my apartment. Lately, he's started to lie down next to me while I'm studying, and he's been bringing more toys for me so that I can play with him. It's very comforting."

"That's really good for you then!"

"Yeah." Fuutarou nodded. "I need to remember to thank Takebayashi again for all the advice she's given me. It ended up being a lot harder than I thought."

Miku gave a curious look. "Who?"

"An old friend of mine. We knew each other for most of elementary and middle school, and we happen to be classmates this semester—"

"I thought that name sounded familiar!" a voice interrupted. They both turned just in time to find Nino marching over towards them. She placed both of her hands firmly on her hips. "Just what are you trying to pull here, huh?"

"Umm… excuse me?" Fuutarou tilted his head as if there were anyone else she could have been speaking to but him. "Pulling what?"

Nino's glared at him. "That's that one girl, right? The one you were with from the festival?"

"Oh." Miku's expression soured. "That girl."

Now, two bitter glares had turned his way. "Is there something I'm not getting here?" Fuutarou questioned. "What's the problem with Takebayashi?"

"I don't like her," Nino bluntly stated.

"Wait, why?"

"Don't tell me you already forgot. That girl had an awful lot of nerve pretending that she was closer to you than any of us. Ugh… I can just remember that look on her face. Really pisses me off thinking about it…"

Fuutarou sighed, shaking his head. "That's just the way Takebayashi is. She was just teasing you a little bit. Don't let it get to you."

"Too late; it already did." Nino crossed her arms. Fuutarou knew a little too well how firmly Nino stood her ground whenever she made up her mind about somebody. Convincing her beyond this point was a useless endeavor. Eyes further fixated, Nino continued, "So? What's your angle here, Fuu-kun? Why are you hanging out around her again?"

"You say that like it's supposed to be a bad thing. I told you, she's an old friend of mine. Why wouldn't I hang out with her?"

"Ugh. Is this something I really have to explain to you?" She jabbed a finger against his chest. "You have a girlfriend. And she is all the way across the world right now. Now, you're getting all comfy with a girl from your childhood?" She paused for a short moment. "Putting it all together or do I have to do that for you too?"

"You don't seriously think that I…" Fuutarou winced a little at the thought—even more so as both Nino and Miku looked at him with speculative eyes. Never had he thought that he would be in this type of situation. "Oh, come on. You really think that I would do anything with Takebayashi, just because she's a girl? That's ridiculous! She's just a friend."

"Hey, I'm just making sure." Nino shrugged, rushing her hair to the side. "Ichika told us to watch over you while she was away. If it were all up to me, I'd move to Tokyo myself and keep an eye on you and any other man-stealing vixens out there."

"I doubt Ichika asked you to do that for those reasons though…" Fuutarou muttered. "And besides, I already told her about running into Takebayashi a while ago. She never expressed anything wrong with it."

"Tch. As if a girl would tell you when she's jealous." Nino rolled her eyes. "If I had known who Ichika was talking about when she mentioned,'Fuutarou's friend', I would have told her to fly back and keep her man on a leash. That girl is trouble."

"Look, you're probably over-thinking th—"

"Are we…" Miku—who had been fairly quiet during their whole argument—finally spoke up, "I mean, I know Ichika is already a given, Fuutarou…" Her eyes looked around the room and the floor, working the courage to look at him directly in the eye. "But… you do consider the rest of us to be closer to you, right? At least more than Takebayashi-san…?"

Their glares grew sharper. For the first time in their conversation, Fuutarou truly felt trapped out of all options. Even the slow-trickling seconds between silence and his next words worked against him. What could he even say that would convince these two that he—

"Hey, come on, you guys!" Yotsuba suddenly appeared beside them, holding a mop and bucket. She pushed out her arm, forcing both of her sisters to take up either one of the cleaning tools. With a proud smile, she continued, "We came here to help Uesugi-san clean the place up! Let's cut the chit-chat and get to work!"

"I like your attitude!" a timely voice reverberated over the room. A tall man's silhouette stood at the doorway, and with a wide grin, lifted his sunglasses above his brow. "Sorry I'm a little late," said Isanari. "I had to take care of a few things."

"There you are." Fuutarou let out a relieved sigh. "Looks like we can finally get to it. We took care of a few of the smaller things already."

"Great." Isanari stepped in, taking a long look at the volunteering sisters. "Well then… thank you so much for your time, girls. I'm sure these two have already given you the rundown of what we do here?"

They nodded synchronously, and Isanari appeared a little too easily amused at how alike quintuplets could be. "Forgive me, I'm still getting used to telling you all apart. Fuutarou mentioned that one of you is pretty good with a bit of heavy lifting. Let me try and guess…" He brought a knuckle to his chin, quickly marking up the character of each of the girls. He pointed at Nino. "You got a tough look to you, young lady! That must mean you are…. Yoshida!"

"Actually it's Yotsuba…" Nino answered, pointing to the girl with a green ribbon tied over her head. At the same time, Yotsuba rolled up one of her sleeves, playfully flexing her muscles. "And that would be her."

"That it would!" Yotsuba enthusiastically followed up. "Just point me where you need me!"

"Ah, shoot." Isanari snapped his fingers. "Sorry about that. One of these days I'm going to nail it down. Alright, so…"

After another quick rundown, the six of them dispersed to their own tasks. It would be a cleaning day just like any other they had done. Twice a year for as long as those of the Uesugi family could remember, and this was perhaps the first time they had any outside help. Twice as many as hands. Many times more efficient. There was a plethora of things they could now include outside of basic maintenance and cleaning.

Isanari, Fuutarou, and Yotsuba handled matters regarding the heavier side of labor. Their bakery had plenty of old boxes and equipment that needed to be moved around. Store a few of those things over here, take a few things out from over there. Isanari had also brought in some things that would help the place look a little more new. Small tins of paint and some brushes and rollers—nothing too extravagant beyond repairing a few worn-out walls and corners. Yotsuba would need to remind Fuutarou from time to time how to properly handle lifting heavy objects, mindful not to cause any injuries.

Raiha, Nino, Miku, and Tappi did their best to stay out of their way as they paced in and out of the bakery. Boxes, bigger boxes, tables and chairs all passed through and they politely cheered them on as they passed. As they got more serious with their tasks, Raiha eventually had to coax the curious cat to return back to the carrier cage. For both Nino and Miku, exploring the equipment and layout of the old kitchen was a fascinating experience. There were tools and unfamiliar apparatuses that may as well be considered archaic. Years of tender love and care showed through every last corner as Miku and Nino discovered lingering bits of the Uesugi family's past. Some scribbled notes and recipes inside a book. A pair of names carved far into the walls of a wooden cupboard—Isanari and Naoko—with little hearts and smiles beside them.

"Hmm? You're asking about the bakery?" Raiha glanced behind her. She offered a polite smile as she apologized, "Sorry, but I actually don't know all that much. Our mother passed away when I was really young, you see, so I never knew what this place was like. Though… I do wonder about it a lot."

"Oh…" Miku said as she scrubbed the kitchen surface. "Sorry. I didn't mean to ask anything that would make you feel uncomfortable."

Raiha shook her head. "No, don't worry about it Miku-san. I'm still happy coming here and helping out. I can see it in Dad and Big Brother's face—they really do love this place. My mother too. That's more than enough for me to love it too, and I want to protect it with them. Even if this is all I can do for now."

"You're a good girl, Raiha-chan," said Nino as she closed one of the overhead cupboards. "Agh! Can I just make you my own little sister already? Fuu-kun doesn't spoil you enough!"

"Well…" Miku said, "it's possible if Fuutarou ends up proposing to Ichika, you know."

"P-p-proposing?!" Nino quickly turned. Truthfully, she sometimes felt that she still needed a bit of time getting used to the fact that those two were dating. Much less marriage. "Isn't it a little too soon for them? Ichka's got her career and Fuu-kun is still in school."

"Didn't Sakurako-san from our class get engaged a few months after we graduated? I remember her posting a few weeks ago that she was already pregnant."

"Ergh…" Nino shivered at the thought. "She's the same age as us, and she's already married and having a kid? That's too much for me! No thank you!"

A little later into their conversation, and a few more scrubs down the kitchen counter, Miku was surprised to find Fuutarou stepping into the kitchen. She pulled back her cleaning rag, finding a bit of difficulty in looking him in the eye. "O-oh, Fuutarou. I didn't see you there. Did you need something?"

"Just a small toolbox," Fuutarou replied, not quite making eye contact with her. Instead, Fuutarou appeared to be fixated across the interiors of their kitchen.

"A toolbox? I think we saw it somewhere over there." Miku pointed to a drawer by the sink.

"Huh? Oh, uh… yeah. Thanks."

He passed by Nino, who greeted him with a light wave. "Hey, Fuu-kun. How are things outside?"

Fuutarou did not reply as he passed by her.

"Uhh… hello? Fuu-kun?"

"Yeah? Did you say something, Nino?"

"I was just saying 'hey', and was asking how things were going outside."

"Sorry. They're… alright, I guess. I just need to… grab something…" Again, Fuutarou's eyes wandered—fixated on the various parts of Nino's corner of the kitchen. The second sister could not help but give him an odd look as he opened cupboard after empty cupboard; drawer after empty drawer, muttering something under his breath. He quickly retrieved what he needed and made his way back out.

"Hey…" Miku said. "Umm… listen, Fuutarou. About earlier…" Again, she tried to catch Fuutarou's attention, but would never find the look in his golden eyes pointed her way. Perhaps it was her imagination, but it looked as if Fuutarou was a little inattentive. Distracted. As if her words hardly drew anywhere close to his ears. Fuutarou continued past her, saying nothing.

"What was his problem?" Nino placed a hand on her hip. "Talk about rude."

"Is something wrong with Big Bro?" Raiha asked. "He wasn't saying much."

Miku twisted her lip, then looked at Nino. "Hey, Nino. Do you think that we were a little too hard on Fuutarou earlier?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I just felt like we were a little too harsh on him when we were, you know… 'interrogating' him. About Takebayashi-san. Maybe it might have upset him?"

"What's there to be upset about?" said Nino with a shrug. "I was just making sure he wasn't up to any funny business. If he had nothing to hide, then he shouldn't feel guilty about anything."

Miku hummed her thoughts quietly, seemingly unconvinced. "Hmm… I mean, do you really think Fuutarou would ever do something like that? Is that really the kind of person we think he is?"

"I mean—" Nino stopped herself., then quietly mumbled. "…No. No, not entirely…" She was never one to easily admit it as a fault, but the second sister had always carried herself with one finger over the trigger. A handful of caution and an abundance of skepticism over anyone who strayed too close over her and her sisters. Fuutarou was an exception. One exception. Even if Nino now acknowledged that she had misjudged him at first, it was not like she had changed to the point where she could readily accept another person in good faith. She may not be entirely fair, but the way she saw it, Fuutarou was also someone she needed to protect. Another person she felt compelled to watch over, even if it meant that she would not always be in the right.

Seeing the lifting tolerance in her sister's expression, Miku nodded. "Exactly. I'd understand if Fuutarou felt a little upset and disappointed at us for that. I know how you feel Nino; I wasn't happy either when I overheard her saying that. Maybe I was a little… jealous, thinking back. But if Fuutarou says she's a good person, then the least I can do is trust him."

"I guess…" Nino continued to mutter, "but still. I don't like her."

"I think that's fine too." Miku laughed. "I think… I'm gonna go look for Fuutarou. I want to apologize to him."

Nino grumbled to herself as she set aside her cleaning supplies. "And just how would that make me look when I'm the most guilty of accusing him?" She crossed her arms. "I'm coming too."

Pleasantly, Miku smiled. As they started to leave, another person came poking their head into the room, signaled by a bright green ribbon peeking from the entryway. "Woo!" Yotsuba exhaled, tugging the collar of her shirt. Drips of sweat fell from her brow as she stepped in, undoubtedly marking the minutes to hours of tough labor. "Boy, it's been getting warmer by the day! So much cooler in here. Is there any water around?"

"Good work, Yotsuba," said Nino. "They're right over here. Let me get it for you."

"Oh," Miku said, "Yotsuba, do you know where Fuutarou is?"

"Uesugi-san?" Yotsuba mumbled past the spout of her water bottle. She finished one hearty gulp before saying, "I think I saw him heading upstairs."

"Great. Thanks."

"Mhm!" She then called across the room. "Raiha-chan! We're taking a break right now."

"Thank you for your hard work, Yotsuba-san!" Raiha replied. "Did you need me to get you anything? A towel maybe?"

She motioned her fingers outward, as if ready to snatch the first thing she neared. "Where is Tappi?! I wanna play with him! Bring him out!"

They left the two of them in the kitchen, making their way to the other side of the bakery. After all the time they had spent cleaning the other interiors, neither Miku nor Nino had the chance to take a peek at some of the changes that had been made to the shop's main area. Paint-splattered newspapers scrunched where the floors met with the walls; the floorspace suddenly appeared much bigger with the removal of some chairs and tables; and short-lived echoes of their footsteps sounded just a tad livelier.

Again, the curious thoughts would come as they slowly paced through the old bakery. Though they had never found the right mindset to find the answers to such personal questions, they knew from the looks on all of the Uesugi family members' faces that this place was surely loved. Cherished, down to every last little bit.

"Hey, Nino…" Miku slowly began as they continued through.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think… that we'd ever be successful enough one day to run a place like this all on our own?"

"Huh? What kind of questions is that?" Nino scoffed, placing one hand on her sister's shoulder. "Of course we are. Between the both of us, I don't have a single doubt in mind that we can pull it off. The last thing I need is for you—my partner—to start having her doubts now."

Miku welcomely smiled. "It's nothing like that, Nino. I was just… thinking." Past the counter and a few subsections later, they made their way up the stairs. Miku peeked her head around a corner. No signs of Fuutarou yet, and they continued onward. At some point, Nino figured it would have been easier to just shout out his name, but Miku had pointed out that she heard a voice from the room further down. The office, if they would have surmised. The door was also left slightly ajar.

"Fuutarou? Are you in h—"

"...we seem to be doing a lot more renovating around the place," Fuutarou's voice came from behind the door. Something about the tone of his voice caused Miku to remain still. It was a bit like that uneasy feeling she had some moments earlier, when Fuutarou had stepped past her.

"Something the matter?" Nino followed behind, but Miku beckoned for her sister to do the same as her.

"I think he's talking to someone…" Miku said. "Maybe we should come back later—"

"…I was just in the kitchen too," Fuutarou continued, "The cupboards and shelves were a lot emptier than usual, and most of the equipment was all packed up. We've never bothered repainting before, either. I thought that something wasn't adding up right."

A deep, tiresome sigh responded to Fuutarou. "You've always been a sharp kid, Fuutarou," the other voice replied. It was Isanari's. "I guess I should have expected you to get the idea, but I didn't want to say anything until a decision was made."

There was a short pause. An anxiously long lull where Nino and Miku tried their very best to turn their heels and leave, before Fuutarou bluntly said, "You're planning on selling Mom's bakery, aren't you, Dad?"

Like the world moved in a stagger, the four voices again fell to another silence. Nino and Miku quickly shot looks to the other, careful that neither of them would make any sudden noises. Had they both heard that correctly?

They were going to sell Uesugi Bakery?!

With another deep sigh, Isanari leaned his back against the desk behind him. There was no use keeping anything from Fuutarou—not while he had that look in his eyes. "I received an offer."

"I see…" Fuutarou calmly replied. "So I was right."

"You're a lot more rational over this than I thought, Fuutarou," said Isanari. "Figured I'd let you yell at me first before I had my say over things. Figured you'd at least put up more of a fight."

"I… had a feeling. Every time we came here, I always had a feeling. Maybe I always pushed it away, but deep down, things were always headed this way."

Isanari nodded. With slow footsteps, he ran his hand over the old desk, through the stacked boxes, and finally to the windowsill that they had yet to fully dust. From this window, he watched as the busy shuffle of street-shoppers and patrons made their ways across different ends and corners of the street. Once in his memories, he remembered this place as something quieter. Something more temperate, but the thought would always make him chuckle. As if he was still a few years too early to reminisce over things like that.

"You probably already know," Isanari began, "after they opened up the new station and the new shopping center nearby, this area has seen a huge rise in popularity. Most of those shops that were here when your mother and I opened this place are already gone." Passed the dull reflection of Isanari's face on the window, he fixed his gaze to the bright, easily distinguished branding of a fast-food burger joint. He could not help but feel a little old, remembering the kind, old couple that ran the flower shop that used to be there. There were times when they would walk over and give them freshly baked bread.

"Oh, what a lovely boy!" the old woman had then told his wife, Naoko, many years ago. The old couple waved as the shy, young boy hid behind the leg of his mother. "He's got the same look as your husband."

"Then he'll grow up to be just as handsome!" Naoko replied, smiling as she turned back to Isanari. "Isn't that right, Dear?"

"Of course," Isanari continued to explain to Fuutarou, "that also means our lease increases. Faster than it has ever been. Businesses get pushier. Debt collectors keep hounding. After a while, it just becomes exhausting."

There was a short silence, but to Fuutarou, the thoughts that ran through his head had robbed him of any sense of time. He could only picture the calluses and blisters that marked his father's hands, juxtaposed by how feeble his own looked in comparison. "Then…" he finally said. "Will you be honest with me about something, Dad?"

Isanari narrowed his gaze, already knowing what his son would ask. "You're still hung up over that, aren't you, Fuutarou? I already told you. It was not—"

"I want to believe you," Fuutarou interrupted. "I really want to. But let's face reality here. I am your oldest son. You and Mom had me when you both were around my age! The more I think about it, the more impossible it all seems. If I were in your shoes, how could I handle a kid, a bakery, and all of the medical bills—all by myself?" Fuutarou straightened himself. "Let me help. I'll work even more shifts back in Tokyo. I will take a break from school and find work—"

"Do not say that, Fuutarou," Isanari sternly replied. "You of all people should know how important a good education is. Or have you been feeding lies to those girls when you were their tutor?

"That's—" Fuutarou hesitated for a moment. "That's besides the point! Do you expect me to just wake up and go to class, knowing that while I'm all the way in Tokyo, you are struggling just to get by? How can I go to sleep at night and not feel guilty?"

"You're mistaken about one thing, Fuutarou—you don't owe me or your mother anything."

"But—"

"But nothing!" Isanari interrupted. "It's always been my decision to keep this place going. It was my stubbornness and my stubbornness alone that wanted to keep your mother's dreams alive. But I already knew. Your mother would not have wanted to see us arguing like this." Isanari slowly shook his head. "But you, Fuutarou—you're different. You're smart. You have a bright future ahead of you. And you worked your damn hardest to get into that school." He spoke with as much conviction as any father could have, sharpened down to a razor's edge by the look in his eyes. "Do not throw it away."

All at once, the bitterness that always lingered in the back of his mind had forced its way out of Fuutarou's mouth. "Well then what have I been working so hard for?! What was the point? You act as if I don't care about this place too! Or Mom! She was the reason why I wanted to study medicine in the first place. Do you have any idea the number of years that will take?! What else are we going to give up between now and then?! Didn't you—no, didn't we make a promise to Mom?!"

Fuutarou bit his teeth. Now was not the time to be getting angry, even if it was warranted. His father had always shouldered their burden all on his own, refusing any help from his kids. That was stubborn, alright, Fuutarou thought.

"Dad," Futuarou said, after taking a moment to calm himself down. "There are still ways I can help. I still work part-time, and I have a lot saved up, even from when I tutored. My scholarship will pay for the rest, so I can be comfortable. And if that's not enough, I can even…" He hesitated a moment, but quickly forced the thought into words, "I can even return Tappi back to Takebayashi's shelter, since I haven't adopted him yet. However more it is they're asking from us, I can make up the diff—"

"Raiha got accepted into Kurobara, Fuutarou."

And so compliantly had Fuutarou shut his mouth. All of the conviction he had gathered in these past moments—every bit of boldness and bravado—had suddenly fallen apart. No; rather, it was always brittle to begin with. Take a break from university? Terminate his own hard-fought scholarship? Idiocy in every sense of the word, and Fuutarou could only stand in shameful silence as his looked at him.

"You know, your mother must have had some incredible genes or something." Isanari chuckled, but the sound came off hollow. Distant, if only to force something between this silence they shared. "Because your old man here isn't the smartest guy around. Who would have guessed that an idiot like me could somehow end up with two brilliant kids? Honestly…" He slowly shook his head. "You two are such brilliant kids. You should know already, Kurobara is the same school those girls went to. It isn't the easiest school to get into. Nor is it the cheapest."

Isanari closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. Remembrance of the long years that made up these parts of his life slowly pieced together. A miscellany of bitter happiness and past regrets that followed him to the very spot he stood in, and the anger he so rightfully deserved. "Forgive me, Fuutarou. I haven't been the best father. Not to you and not to Raiha-chan. Because of my selfishness—because I was too stubborn to let go of this place—the two of you grew up with debt as a normal part of your lives. We've moved between smaller and smaller places; we skimp on every purchase we can get away with. Things like shopping or eating out together happen so rarely..."

Isanari looked Fuutarou up and down. "And now look at you. You'll soon be twenty years old, Fuutarou. My own son is already this grown up, and it won't be long until Raiha-chan catches up too. One day, you'll want to buy your own house and start your own family. You can't do that if things keep going the way they are. I know that I made a promise to your mother, but more than anything else, I promised her that I would do what's best for you kids. That is why…"

He took a few steps forward, stopping in front of Fuutarou. For a moment, Isanari wondered just how quickly the years had gone to see that his son stood just about as tall as he was, and that the look in both of their eyes belonged to adults. Isanari placed one hand on his son's shoulder.

"That's why I want you to be free, Fuutarou. Both you, and Raiha."

And finally, Fuutarou spoke. Nothing quite befitting the long moments of contemplative silence. Only a hesitant, "…I understand, Dad," as he slowly nodded. "I understand."

"Forgive me again, Fuutarou," said Isanari. "It's the last thing I've ever wanted to do. I'll… think of a way of telling Raiha-chan, so for now could you keep it between—"

"I'll go along with your plan for now," Fuutarou interrupted. Though his sentiments had been every part compliant, there was something else burning deep within those golden eyes, formed to a piercing glare as he stared down his father. "I am going to keep studying. I'll work myself down to the bone to become a doctor. I'll become successful and make even more money than what any of these pathetic businessmen will ever see in their lives.

He pointed to the floor beneath his feet.

"And I will come back here. Right back here, and to whoever owns this place, with an offer they can't refuse. No matter how long it takes."

"Fuutarou…" Isanari said, and for a moment, it looked as if he were ready to lose his temper next. "Weren't you listening to a single thing I said?! I told you, I want you to be free of all of this! All you're saying is that you're willing to burn yourself out completely. If you do that, you'll end up regretting it!"

"If I'm free, then I have the right to make my own decisions, don't I?" Fuutarou replied sternly. "I know it, Dad. I have what it takes to succeed. I'm smart. I work harder than anybody else. I can—"

Without any warning, Fuutarou felt himself being pulled forward—the collar above his buttons crumpled between Isanari's fingers, as if he were seconds from tearing it completely. "Don't you start getting cocky on me, Fuutarou," Isanari said. "You think just because you're a little smart and can say a few big words that you can do anything? Anything you want?"

Fuutarou clenched his teeth, staring into the eyes of his father. He did not need to have it said to him—he already knew it. And that was just how it had always been. Like his own place in the world was always to stand aside. To remain powerless against everything around him, biding his time for opportunities that only grow further and further away from him. The world ran on money. Flesh burned faster than paper bills, and coins left a heavier dent in the world than he ever could. If he were to find his own place in that world, then those were the truths he needed to accept. The kind of person he needed to become.

He opened his mouth to speak.

"W-wait, wait!" a muffled voice came from behind the door. "We can't just barge—"

"Your dad is right, Fuutarou!" Stepping through the doorway was Miku, clenching both of her fists as she stared him down. "What you're thinking about doing is too reckless!"

"M-Miku?!" Fuutarou exclaimed. 'What are you doing—wait, Nino too?! What are you two doing here?"

"Oh my…" Isanari looked down at his hand, slowly letting go of Fuutarou's collar. He exchanged quick glances between the two sisters. With a halfhearted chuckle, he said, "You girls… heard all of that, huh…? Well, that's a bit embarrassing, to say the very least."

"Ugh…" Nino clicked her teeth, then carefully stepped in. This isn't what we agreed on, Miku! Nino thought as she glared at the back of her sister's head. We were supposed to quietly slip away and think this over! What good is barging in now?!

"Sorry!" Miku quickly bowed to both of them. "We… we didn't mean to eavesdrop. We were only looking for Fuutarou because we wanted to apologize to him, and we ended up..."

"Apologize…?" Fuutarou asked. "Apologize for what?"

But Miku pressed on. Her thoughts were fixated on one thing and one thing only. At first, it was only a pleasant thought. A tiny little daydream she entertained within the confines of her own mind. Though, as she realized a little late in her life, boldness was a beast unwelcoming of any reins, and hesitation only led to temptation. And Miku had spent too much of her life hesitating. "Will you… will you sell this place to us?"

They heard the words loud and clear, but it was not before a prolonged silence before Fuutarou and Isanari let out a simultaneous, "What?"

"We're here to talk business." Nino reaffirmed. She stood right beside her sister. The way things were right now, it seemed as if rationality was not a common factor of those in this room. So, Nino carried on, claiming her own stake in this circus of bravado and brass. "Will you hear us out?"

"You want to…" Fuutarou said.

"…buy this place?" Isanari finished.

"That's right." Miku nodded. She looked to her sister, as if wanting to apologize for going through with this so suddenly, but the look that Nino gave back shared every part of her sentiments. Miku continued, "We understand where you are coming from. Our mother once told us that it was her dream to open a cafe. Her own little place where she could spend the rest of her life serving coffee and cake. We always thought that if she didn't have to take care of the five of us, she could have done it. That she would have been happier, even if she said the five of us were all that she ever needed. She said all of that, but..."

Miku took another deep breath, placing one hand over her chest. "But even so, that thought made our mother happy. And now, it's our dream too. Nino and I told each other that we are going to one day open our place, and we want it to be here! So please, sell this place to us. And we… we can..." For some reason, Miku felt as if she needed to keep going and going. At what point in her life had she become the kind of girl who went from being told she said too little, to a girl who said too much? But still, Miku continued. "We can look after this place for you!"

"Mi… Miku…" Fuutarou began, but could not find the right words. "Isn't that… I mean, what you're saying is a bit… crazy, right? You're only just—"

"You are the last person here to talk about anyone being crazy," Nino retaliated with a glare. She turned her attention to Isanari, clearing her throat. Professional. She had to be professional. "Our apologies. Simply put, the two of us want you to consider selling us this place. I know we might be coming off as a bunch of kids asking for too much, but Miku is graduating culinary school soon. And I am on my way to taking my business certifications—sooner, if I have to. We can get the qualifications."

"But do you have any idea how much a place like this would cost?" Fuutarou said. "Opening a business isn't going to be easy. Especially if Miku is just coming out of school and you're still in school, Nino."

"He's right," Isanari added. "I respect the determination, girls, but there are a lot of things to consider. Maruo has helped me out too many times already, I couldn't possibly ask him to help here too."

"We have been working," Miku quickly followed up. "Ever since our third year in high school, Nino and I have been working. It's only been part-time, but we've saved every bit of it we could."

"That's right." Nino said. "We both decided that we wanted to make our dream come true with our own hard work—not with help from our dad. Everything we offer is what we've worked towards these past three years."

And so simply after, Isanari realized that all eyes were now pointed his way. If it were anything he could be convinced of, it would be that neither of the looks in their eyes had any reason to lie. Slowly, Isanari made his way back to the desk and tore off a single piece of paper. "You girls got a lot of heart, I'll give you that," Isanari said with a bit of a laugh. With a pen, he scribbled something onto the paper and brought it back . "Here."

"What's this…?"

"This is the offer I received."

Fuutarou did not need to look at the paper himself to know what could have been written there. He saw how quickly the look on their faces dissipated, leaving only blank stares as they read the number over and over. "Nino…" Miku slowly began. "This… this is…"

Nino crumpled the paper in her hand, cursing under her breath.

"I'm sure you already heard," Isanari explained, "but a lot of places have had their eye on this place. For years, I've fended them off, but they just keep on coming. A dusty old place like this doesn't look good when the street is getting more popular." He deeply sighed. "They've drastically increased the lease. I get multiple calls every day. All of the other stores around here were bought-out years ago. Running a place here isn't going to be an easy thing, you girls. It's almost impossible."

"Damn it…" Nino muttered to herself. She could hardly contain the embarrassment. "And just when we sounded so sure of ourselves…"

Miku looked down onto the floor, clutching the muffs of her earphones.

"If it were you two…" Isanari spoke up. "If I were you to give this place to you two... could I entrust you both to watch after my wife's dream, along with your mother's?"

The silence was instantaneous. A deafened moment in time where Nino, Miku, and Fuutarou had to play the words over and over in their head, as if they could have possibly misheard the man in front of the room. For every wild curve and turn that ran through their mind, it all gathered to three simultaneous, "Huh?!" as if the thought recoiled in their minds.

"You aren't being serious…" said Nino

"Why would you…" said Miku.

With as much heart as he could put into his voice, Isanari laughed. "Doesn't sound like a bad offer, no? What do you two say?"

"Hold on, hold on!' Fuutarou stepped in. "Dad, what are you saying?"

"Whoa, you're going to be the one against the idea? What's the matter? You don't want your friends looking over the place now?"

"That isn't what I mean, and you know that! I would… I would be thrilled if Miku and Nino were to take this place. They would be perfect, but…" His sudden excitement over the idea had sent an unexpected shock through the two sisters. "…but, isn't that a little much? Just handing it over to them like that?"

Isanari grinned at his son. "Maybe. But like I told you, Fuutarou, I was never the smartest guy. Not even close." His eyes turned to the girls across from him, and with his thumb pressed against his chest, Isanari declared, "I'm the kind of guy who goes with his gut."

Isanari looked all across the office. "When my late wife and I started this place, we took out a bunch of loans as starting capital. Things were alright for a while, until she fell sick and we had to close the place down. Between those loans and all of the hospital bills, the three of us have lived in poverty for almost the entirety of my kids' lives. I ended up needing to take out more and more loans just to keep everything here together."

He turned back to Miku and Nino. "That will be your girls' price for taking up this place. Because it is all signed to this bakery—all of the debt and interest that still remain—they will be transferred to you two. That's the best offer I can possibly give right now."

Nino and Miku exchanged glances at one another. By all means, it was not a bad deal. It was a great deal, even if there were some fine details that still needed to be finalized. However, right now, they only had one thing they wanted to clear up. "We don't know what to say…" said Nino. "It sounds so surreal. Like I'm dreaming right now…"

"But why us?" Miku asked. "Even if you could transfer the debt, you'd be able to do all of that and get a lot of money if you accepted the offer instead. It could pay for Raiha's school and Fuutarou's college. Throwing all of that away just to give it to us… I can't help but think that we don't deserve something so generous. Why… why us?"

"Because you're good girls," Isanari simply stated, and loudly, he patted Fuutarou's back. "You two, Itsuki-chan, Ichika-chan, and Yotsuba-chan, who hauled over three times the boxes as this son of mine!"

"Dad!" Fuutarou shot Isanari a glare.

Isanari ignored his flustering look. "My son here has never been the best at showing gratitude. So, if he's never said it to you directly, then let me be the one to tell you that the five of you girls really helped this guy out. I always thought that if I weren't always around to watch over him, he'd grow up to be all bitter and lonely."

Fuutarou mumbled something under his breath, but did not bother to push it any further. At this point, he was simply tired. Completely and utterly exhausted. Though, past all of the jabs and jeers that always found their way to him, he knew that it had always come from a sincere place. That was why, when no one was looking, he would hide a slight smile on his face.

"That's why, I can place all of my faith in you girls," Isanari stated. "You're all wonderful girls, and there aren't many more that I could trust to look after this place. I'll take that over some heartless corporation any day."

"But, aren't you worried that we might mess up?" Miku asked. "That we might not be good enough? We hardly know the first thing about running a shop, and yet…"

To her surprise, the first thing Isanari did was laugh. "That wouldn't be the first time I heard someone say that."

"What do you mean?"

He pointed beside him. To Fuutarou. "His mother said the exact same thing. From the day we first signed those papers, all the way to the night before we opened, she would say the exact same thing. All day and all night, no matter how many times I had to reassure her. Man, do I miss that woman. But, unlike my wife, the two of you won't be stuck with a lousy business partner."

The two sisters gave him a befuddled look—and as if wanting to confirm something mutual— Nino and Miku both looked to the other. The realization came slowly. There was no one else Isanari could have been talking to other than themselves, and the sister they had known so dearly across their entire lives. For a moment, it almost looked as if they saw different versions of themselves, reflected within the eyes of the other.

A sister. A partner.

"What do you think, Miku..?" Nino asked, still unsure of whether or not any of this was really happening.

"If it's the two of us…" Miku muttered. "I think… I think we could pull it off, don't you think? We will be partners, after all. We might just—no, we will succeed!"

"Then…"

As they quietly let the detail sink in, Isanari propped himself against Fuutarou's shoulder, grinning widely. "You seem pretty proud of yourself, Pops," Fuutarou said.

"You could say that," Isanari replied. "It's not the easiest call for me to make, but judging by the look on your face, I'd say you have no problems with the plan?"

"No…" Fuutarou shook his head, smiling. "None in the slightest. In fact, it might be the best idea I've ever heard from you."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it! Because that means you'll have to put up with your old man for just a while longer."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I actually will take you up on that offer." A devilish smirk formed across Isanari's face, and Fuutarou could only imagine what troublesome thing his father had in mind. "We aren't out of the woods yet. If we hand them the place, that means we won't see a single yen out of those deals the other businesses gave. We'll stop bleeding money over the bakery, but there's still the matter of the loans we took from the medical bills, and most importantly, making sure we send Raiha-chan to a good school. I'll be needing your help there, Fuutarou."

"I see…" Fuutarou sighed, but the air came out a little more spirited than he had expected. "In the end, it's still the same, isn't it?"

"Still got no problems with it?"

"What good is asking me that now?" Fuutarou answered sarcastically. "It looks like those two already made up their mind."

"We…" Nino and Miku both answered. "We'll do it! We accept!"

Dull reflections curved along the metal mixing bowl. Oddly distorted visages, widened and bent at every angle as she curiously circled around it. As these past minutes had grown to handfuls more, Raiha could not help but aimlessly eye and wander across the bakery's kitchen, busying herself with the same old surroundings she had looped over many times already.

"I wonder where is everybody?" Raiha muttered. "Haven't they been gone for a while, Yotsuba-san?"

Beside her, the fourth quintuplet had no trouble letting these idle minutes slip her by. Moving boxes around was tiresome work, and there was no better comfort than the soft, cuddly touch of a friendly feline. Yotsuba stood with her hands underneath Tappi's front legs, lifting him so that he slightly elongated in front of her. "Uesugi-san had better be taking good care of you, Tappi-san!" Yotsuba flashed her teeth. "And I hope you're taking good care of him too!"

"Umm… Yotsuba-san?"

"Hm? Sorry, did you say something, Raiha-chan?"

"I was saying that it's been a while since Nino-san and Miku-san left. I wonder if everything is alright…"

"Has it been that long?" Yotsuba looked around the room. It looked as if she concentrated on several different things at once, before finally settling on the thought. "Ah! You don't suppose they're trying to… skip out on doing chores?"

"Do you think so?" Raiha raised a brow, seemingly unconvinced. "No… I don't think that's the case. Hm…"

"Well, then how about we go look for them! Raiha-chan, you know your way around here. Where should we—"

"Umm… hello?" a voice sounded from beyond the bakery's kitchen. It carried through the vast, empty space of the main entrance, trailed with a slight echo as they continued to call out. "Is anyone in here? He…hello…?"

Raiha and Yotsuba exchanged odd glances to each other. A visitor? Here? "Were we expecting someone else, Raiha-chan?" Yotsuba asked.

"N… no?" Raiha replied. "No, we shouldn't have."

"Then, is it a customer?"

"A customer? Here?! Be serious, Yotsuba-san!"

Yotsuba giggled to herself. "Sorry, I forgot. Come on, let's go see who it is. Maybe they're lost."

They made their way out of the kitchen, poking their heads around the corner as they neared the bakery's main area. From the sound of their footsteps, it was only a single person. From the sound of their voice, they sounded a little familiar. Familiar, and oddly frightened. "Ah!" Yotsuba exclaimed. "Is that y—"

"AHH!" the visitor yelped, hearing the loud voice from behind her. She clutched the fabric of her top, right above her quickly beating heart, as she scolded, "Don't scare me like that, Yotsuba! I could have fainted!"

"Itsuki-oneechan!" Raiha happily called, recognizing the fifth sister. She happily made her way over, tightly wrapping her arms around Itsuki's waist. "You made it!"

"Hello, Raiha-chan," Itsuki said, patting the young girl over her head.

"I thought you said you were busy with classes today."

"I did. I just got back from them, and…" The smile on Itsuki's face slowly faded, remembering the thought. "Are Nino and Miku here? "

"We were just going to look for them," Yotsuba said. "Why? What's going on?"

No response. Yotsuba opened her mouth to ask again, but for some peculiar reason, there was something that held her back from doing so. As if the question was nowhere near as harmless as she may have expected, and Yotsuba hesitated. "Itsuki…?"

"When I got home," Itsuki said, "Dad was there looking for all of us. He… he said he got a call. From Himakajima."

"Himakajima…?" Yotsuba slowly came to the realization. "Wait, that's where—"

Itsuki took a deep breath.

"It's… it's grandpa. Dad said he's gotten sick. He's in the hospital right now."

Author's Note

Big chapters are back in business! Always feels great to make another arbitrary deadline. It's about time to pay a visit over a lot of canon elements for the sake of the story, and boy, was imagining some things to fill in the gaps TOUGH. It's no surprise that we know Isanari hands off their family restaurant to Nino and Miku by the time of the wedding, but something that major doesn't deserve to be played out in the background. While this all took place in one chapter (albeit very large), I thought that the current circumstances would be a very fitting way of handling things.

And speaking of canon, there's one more thing that needs to be covered. It's been a while, but it is the unfortunate truth that the quintuplets' grandfather does not stay alive long enough to make it to any of his granddaughters' wedding. Got to remember that one of them said "I think it was about two years ago" as they reminiscence over an old photograph before the wedding. It just so happens that the timeline of 'Everything' falls right into place there. Funny how that works, right? (ಥ﹏ಥ)

Other than that, looks like with May coming up, we'll be seeing the final adaptation of Quintuplets hitting the big screen soon! The all-conclusive movie, and the final send off to such an amazing series! I'm looking forward to it and all the bittersweet feelings that will be opened and reopened for all fans. Hopefully, a few more eyes will find their way to these 'pages' after all is said and done. I'm happy to place my stake among this wonderful community, and hope that the love I pour into the series and this story gives another layer of peace to those who might have wanted a little more.

Anyways, thanks to those who left reviews on Chapter 14 and any recent chapters—Bob19248, Quintaphract, XXAlter, Fox McCloude, TheMist33, chloetuco, XGoGame (x2!), and Miimbot! Thanks also to the reddit commenters—SyrinxCounterparts1, vonin7, and cassethf03!

_φ(。。) "I can die a proud Ichika fan the moment I see the kiss scene in all of its animated glory. Bury me in that bittersweet grave with a laptop and a word processor so that I can imagine what could have been."