Shape of the Heart – Four-leaf Clover
By Fox McCloude
Disclaimer: The Quintessential Quintuplets and all related characters belong to Haruba Negi. All rights reserved.
Chapter 8: School Camp – Day One
Uesugi residence…
The four members of the Uesugi family were sitting around the table enjoying dinner. As they did, Fuutarou was multitasking: with one hand he held the chopsticks to eat, while the other held a sheet with a mock exam's results.
"Son, can't you forget about that while we're eating?" Kazane asked.
"Time's money, Mom," he replied, never taking his eyes off the sheet. "Yotsuba's definitely improving, but at this rate her grades won't be enough. Every second counts."
"Fuutarou, resting one day from job wouldn't hurt," Isanari said. "You're home and it's Sunday."
"Hey, who's the one who got me this job in the first place?" he pointed.
"It's not bad to rest and relax a bit," his father continued. "You weren't always an exemplary student, remember?"
"Huh? Is that true, Onii-chan wasn't always a study freak?" an interested Raiha asked.
"He used to be a wild one, just like me," Isanari chuckled. "You still have that photo in your school notebook, right?"
"That's in the past now," he said, looking away.
"I wanna see, I wanna see!" Raiha begged, and Fuutarou instinctively stepped away, seeking to protect the aforementioned notebook inside his pocket. "Mom, tell him to let me see!"
"The answer's no!" Fuutarou exclaimed, but Isanari got behind him and grabbed him by the armpits. – "Hey, knock it off, old man!"
"Honey, do your thing!" Isanari called.
As Fuutarou began kicking around trying to break free, his mother had the chance to snatch the notebook out of his pocket. The eldest son realized this and tried to outstretch his arms to retrieve it, but his father's strength kept him out of reach, while his mother walked away with his notebook in hand to hand it to their daughter, who opened it with curiosity.
"Eeeehh? For real, is this Onii-chan? He looks just like our cousin!" Raiha exclaimed. After leaving him a few more seconds restrained, Isanari finally let go of Fuutarou, who without missing a beat went to take the notebook off her hands. "Hey!"
"You've seen enough," Fuutarou said, giving it a quick glance.
Indeed; anyone who saw that photo and knew them could easily think it was actually Kintarou. Both of them had actually similar faces (varying only in expressions), and since back then he also dyed his hair blond, they could almost pass off as twins. It could work well as evidence for those skeptic about their blood relation (like Nino, for example).
But anyway, he didn't like recalling that look of his. Not with his current image of a model student.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, son," Kazane added. "After all, that look was also part of your father's charm when I first fell for him."
"Oi, oi, why're you saying that in past tense?" Isanari said pretending to feel hurt. "Is it that I've lost said charm?"
Kazane smiled. "Of course not, darling, you still have it."
Fuutarou sighed deeply as his parents continued to laugh, probably remembering their days as students. Both had been a pair of wild rebels during their youth, so he'd tried to emulate them, but things had changed. He had changed.
After a while, the topic of conversation once again deflected back to him.
"It was back then you met that little girl who spurred your change, wasn't it?" Isanari asked. "That's why you became such a nerd."
The mention of those words caused a faint image to flash through Fuutarou's mind. A long hair waving in the wind, and a cheery smile as she greeted him with a V-sign.
"Who was that girl?" Raiha asked. "Was she your first love, Onii-chan?"
"Most likely the second," Kazane intervened. "Back then he used to have a crush on his classmate, Takebayashi."
"Hey!" Fuutarou exclaimed. "Who told you that?"
"Oh come on, do you think a mother doesn't know the pictures her son stacks in his camera?"
Fuutarou looked away and screeched his teeth. The thing about Takebayashi's photos was supposed to be a secret, and he preferred to keep it that way. Though on the other hand, indirectly it was thanks to those photos he met that girl back then, when she saved him from getting into trouble for something he didn't do. Not wanting to be pestered or embarrassed by those memories anymore, the boy finished his dinner as fast as he could.
"Thanks for the meal," he said once he cleaned up his plate. "If you excuse me, I'll finish the rest of this in my room."
"For real, Fuutarou? You can't stop thinking about work or studies for one day?"
"I'm not doing this only for myself," Fuutarou said. "If I want Yotsuba to do her homework, I have to set the example, and she still needs to raise her grades."
"But you said she passed three out of five subjects," Raiha said. "She was in zeroes before, no?"
"Kurobara's standards are much higher than Asahiyama's," the boy explained. "If she wants to go back there her current grades won't be enough."
"But if she goes back, then you won't see her at school anymore," Raiha said. "Does that mean she won't come to visit us?"
Fuutarou was about to ask what it mattered if that was the case, but he suddenly stopped for reasons he didn't know. Come to think of it… he'd never pondered too much about that. But then again, there was no need. After all, he was being paid to teach her so she could go back to the others, right?
"That's not important right now. If you excuse me," he concluded before heading for his room.
Fortunately, there wasn't much left to check on Yotsuba's schoolwork, and since he'd gone ahead on preparing the next session, he had not much else left to do. Having nothing else and not in the mood to watch TV or read books, he turned off the lights and got into his futon.
However, he didn't shut his eyes. He had something spinning in his head after dinner. Concretely, that comment from Raiha, about how once his tutor job was over, Yotsuba would leave his school. Why was he going around it now, since he was being paid to do that in the first place?
Truth be told, in the past few months he'd carried out the tutor job almost by inertia, never thinking beyond fulfilling it and get his pay. Admittedly, he'd almost forgotten that, by the end of the school year and assuming he'd done his job well, Yotsuba would leave Asahiyama to return to Kurobara with her sisters. That would imply no more headaches trying to teach her English words or Math formulas, no more having to put up with physical hellish training when she wanted to take him for jogging or to the gym by force, and no more having to deal with her childish antics or her sisters' making fun of him.
And then he finally realized. After a few months, all those things that were so annoying at the beginning were not so much anymore. Going to the Nakano apartment after class became part of his daily routine, and sometimes he'd even stay the night there. The initial hostilities had gone into recession, with Itsuki after apologizing and with Nino after he introduced her to his cousin. Not so much to call them his friends, but they were coming to a point closer to that.
'Why am I thinking about this now? This is just a job, nothing more.'
He turned over his futon slightly and closed his eyes. Better get that out of his head if he wanted to get some sleep. After all, tomorrow he had a job to do.
Nakano apartment, a few days later…
Another day, another study session. As usual, Fuutarou and Yotsuba were extremely busy, and as it often occurred, someone else had joined them today. This time, the subject of study was English.
"How was this pronounced, Uesugi-san?"
"Debate. The correct pronunciation is 'dee-bait'," Fuutarou explained. "Remember it this way, 'dee-bait'"."
"Hmm, English is so confusing," the ribbon girl said.
"Tell me about it," Nino said, also doing her own homework is said subject. "Okay, Uesugi, I'm done."
Fuutarou grabbed Nino's answer sheet. He only found minor grammar mistakes and typos in three of the questions, but the rest of them were correct. He marked the wrong ones and then handed it back.
"Just three wrong ones. Much better than I expected."
"Hmph, how demanding," she said, flicking her hair with some haughtiness.
"I'm surprised you want to study with us, Nino," Yotsuba said.
"Never mind, I don't care whether Papa is paying him extra for helping us two," Nino said. "I just want my sister back with the rest of us, that's all."
There was that again. That was the reason Fuutarou was helping Yotsuba, so her grades recovered and she could return to Kurobara with the others. And she wasn't the only one who wanted it: Nino, and surely the rest of them, they all wanted it that way. To be all five sisters together once more.
"How about now, Uesugi-san?" Yotsuba asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Hmm… Yotsuba, you're conjugating the verbs all wrong. None of these are regular verbs, you can't write them this way."
"Eeeeehhh?! Aw, no fair!" The ribbon girl puffed her cheeks and pouted.
"You're helpless. Listen, I'm gonna write you a… hmm?" Fuutarou began patting his rear. Then on his breast pockets and stood up. "Where is it?"
"What's wrong?" Nino asked.
"My notebook. I'd swear I had it five minutes ago," he added as he looked all over for it.
"Need help to find it?" Yotsuba offered.
"No," he said with finality. "I must have dropped it around here somewhere, so it can't be lost."
Just in case, he wouldn't risk for them to see that photo. Better look for it alone; after all, he'd probably dropped it somewhere in the living room. With that in mind, he began searching every nook and cranny before they found it.
"Isn't it this one?" Nino asked.
And there his hopes died; the second sister had already found it and held it at the tip of her fingers. Good, she hadn't opened it yet at least, so now he had to take it back.
"Thanks," the boy said, reaching out to take it, but Nino pulled it away. "Hey, give that back."
"You seem unusually worried. Do you have something here you don't want us to see?"
"That's none of your business. Now give it back."
Unfortunately, that seemed to give Nino all the answer she needed, and as she tried to keep the notebook away from his reach, she suddenly smirked wickedly.
"Yotsuba, catch!"
And without warning, she threw the notebook above his head, landing on Yotsuba's hands, who laughed loudly. She seemed to have understood the game her sister wanted to play, and after cackling with a "shishishi" mocking him as she showed a toothy grin, she ran across the living room holding the notebook like an American football.
"Give it back!" Fuutarou exclaimed.
"Haha, you'll have to catch me, Uesugi-san!" Yotsuba shouted back. "Nino, long pass!"
Like before, she threw the notebook at her sister, who caught it and pulling his eyelid as she stuck her tongue, she taunted him into coming to get it. Both continued with the same game, making him run in circles all over the room. He even tried to climb over the couch to catch it, but it didn't work, those two outsmarted him.
"I'm home," a voice called out as the entrance door opened, and he barely caught a glimpse of Ichika. "Hey, what game are you playing without inviting me?"
"This is no game, Ichika!" he exclaimed, trying to catch the ribbon girl.
"Ichika, think fast!" Yotsuba shouted before tossing the notebook at her.
Fuutarou ran to try and catch it, but Nino made him trip with her foot. However, the prank backfired when, right in the moment she did, Ichika had come closer to catch the notebook, and he crashed into her, sending them both to the floor.
Immediately, the screams, laughs and runs ceased. Fuutarou himself was left stiff, and he didn't know when he was able to process what just happened. He had his eyes fixated on Ichika, whose face was shocked and blushing, thought maybe not as much as he probably had his, judging by the burn he felt in his face at the time.
"Oh… so Fuutarou-kun likes to play this way," the eldest sister smiled provocatively.
"It's not what you're thinking," he immediately said. "Sorry, this is all those two's fault."
"No worries," the pinkette replied still smiling. "But really, what were you doing?"
"They were playing catch with my note…"
And then he saw it. It'd been left open, exposing that photo he desperately wanted to hide, and by then Nino had already grabbed hold of it and was looking at it up close. Too late.
"Hey," the second sister said, "why do you have a photo of Kintarou-kun in your notebook?"
"Eh?" Fuutarou exclaimed.
"Who?" Ichika asked.
"Hey, that's right!" Yotsuba exclaimed. "How old is he here, eleven, twelve?"
"Enough." He snatched it from her hand and put it back safely in his pocket. "You discovered my little secret, alright?"
"Hey, no fair! Why do you have it, why don't you instead give it to me?" Nino exclaimed.
"Ask him yourself," he suggested, relieved they had assumed it was his cousin. Better leave them think that.
"But I don't have his number!" the second sister protested. "I forgot to ask him the other day!"
"Tough luck for ya," he laconically said, causing Nino to pout.
"There, there, let's not start a fight now," Ichika intervened, trying to defuse the tension. "Are we having dinner all together today?"
"Yeah, we were waiting for you," Nino said. "Yotsuba, go find Miku and Itsuki. And you," she added addressing Fuutarou, "better eat fast so you can walk home ASAP."
The second sister flicked her hair once more as Fuutarou held back the urge to sigh in relief. That had been too close for comfort. Better let them think it was his cousin; he didn't need to know it was actually him. Just for once, that physical resemblance between them came in handy.
…
The five Nakano sisters and Fuutarou sat around the table to eat. Despite Nino's threat, Fuutarou took his time to taste the food, since while Nino didn't have the best attitude, her cooking was a different story, and he'd acknowledge that.
"By the way, school camp's coming up soon, isn't it?" Ichika suddenly asked. "We're lucky to be going to the same place."
"Haha, yeah, it's gonna be fun," Yotsuba said. "Don't get too scared with us in the courage test."
"I'd rather pass that," Itsuki said with an edge. "I don't get what's so fun about being horribly scared."
"Itsuki-chan, are you really that scared?" Ichika asked. "You know everything's just make believe, don't you?"
"I hate ghosts, monsters or anything else like that, no matter if it's make believe," the redhead asked angrily.
"Well, I'll try to hold back myself so you don't get too scared," Fuutarou said, causing the youngest sister to pout at his remark.
"But the courage test seems something a bit too social for someone like you, isn't it, Fuutarou-kun?" Ichika commented.
"You know I didn't accept because I want to. But since things turned out that way, I'll be sure to scare everyone like they've never seen before. That's gonna be by sweet and cold revenge."
Fuutarou intentionally said the last part in a low and chilly voice. The quintuplets all had a different reaction each: Ichika seemed to giggle nervously, Nino gave an annoyance scowl, Miku was still as quiet as ever, Yotsuba gave a toothy grin as she giggled "shishishi", and lastly Itsuki trembled so much she seemed to want to run for the hills out of there.
The fourth sister seemed to take notice of this, so she immediately decided to deflect the conversation's topic.
"Well, if you're so scared, how about we talk about something nicer?" said Yotsuba. "A friend told me there's a legend about the bonfire at the place we're going to."
"Legend?" asked Fuutarou. He hadn't heard a thing about it.
"Yeah. It says that couples who dance together around the bonfire at the end of the camp are destined to be together forever," Yotsuba brought her hands together, smiling with a wistful expression.
"Tch, that sounds ridiculous," Fuutarou said as he rolled his eyes.
"Like a child's story," Miku agreed.
"Ahhh, why do you have to be so rational?" Yotsuba exclaimed as she pouted. "Don't you think it's romantic? A legend about love and fate!"
"Well, if it were true, and it's not like I think it is, I know who I'd like to dance with." Nino rested her chin on her hand, thoughtfully.
Giving her an aside glance, Fuutarou caught on the second sister's eyes that she was more interested in the legend than she let on. He wasn't sure why, but something inside pushed him to say something that, he knew well, would make her very happy.
"Ahem, well, not that I care, but my stupid cousin called me the other day. Said his class will go to the same camp as us."
"For real?!" Nino lunged at him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "You're not messing with me, are you? Because if you're lying I swear…"
"Nino, calm down!" Ichika pushed her away gently. "Fuutarou-kun had no reasons to lie to you, does he?"
"Of course not." He fixed the wrinkles on his clothes. "Though he only said his class is going. I can't guarantee he won't skip out on the camp. Which, knowing him, is highly likely."
"Drat, can't you call him to confirm?"
"If I do that, you'll owe me another favor." He smirked.
The second sister groaned between her teeth. Once again, Fuutarou could almost hear the inner conflict gearing inside her head: he already had a favor over her head by convincing Kintarou to visit the bakery during her shift, so they had a casual meeting. He stayed behind a shelf listening in, and he had a few laughs seeing and hearing Nino stutter and stumble on her words trying to impress him.
Given how cantankerous she could normally be, it was cathartic to see her act like a docile and nervous girl, he admitted it. Though from what he learned later, Kintarou found her charming. No accounting for taste, but he'd see later whether he'd like her or not after seeing her true colors.
"You're despicable, but it's a deal," she finally conceded. Fuutarou smiled with satisfaction; negotiation was always easy when you held all the leverage.
"I don't see what you like of him, with that thug face," Miku said in her typical monotone voice.
"What do you know? You've always liked dull-looking ones," Nino snapped back. "Though then again, you don't care much for your own image."
"Better than waste time in manicures," the third sister replied, even though she had a tinge of feeling hurt at the last remark.
"There, there, girls, no fighting here," Ichika said. "The school camp is to have fun, all of us together. And that of course includes Fuutarou-kun too."
The rest of the meal went by with no eventualities. Having already finished dinner, Fuutarou left Yotsuba her last homework before leaving, telling her to make sure to finish it now so they wouldn't have any worries during the camp. The ribbon girl promised she'd do it, and with that, the boy left the apartment.
…
A couple hours later, when everyone else went to sleep, Yotsuba and Ichika decided to take a bath together, and talk to each other for a bit. After all, seeing the photo in Fuutarou's notebook brought memories for both of them.
"Say, Ichika," Yotsuba said as she poured water on her sister's head. "That photo…"
"So you remember too?" the eldest asked. "From back then, wasn't it? Five years ago in Kyoto."
"Of course," the fourth sister nodded. "Nino thinks that's his cousin, but… I know it's actually him."
Nino hadn't noticed something when she looked at the photo; it was folded in half. And in the hidden part… was one of them at age twelve. Fuutarou took a photo with her, as a souvenir of that fateful trip to Kyoto.
That meant he'd kept it with him all this time. Yotsuba wasn't sure how to feel about it. On the one hand, she was moved that he still had it. On the other hand…
"Are you sure you don't want to tell him?" Ichika asked, interrupting her inner monologue. "He might be happy to know it was you."
"He'd better not," Yotsuba said. "He didn't recognize me as that girl, and that's good. I don't want him to see me as her."
While their first encounter was a very special memory, one she treasured with all her heart, Yotsuba was not proud in the least of that stage of her life. She'd been working hard to change and leave it behind, to be someone different from who she was then.
Even if she knew he'd never fall for the kind of person she was now.
"Ichika… how about you tell him that you're the girl from the photo? We were identical, he won't notice the difference."
"Are you kidding?" the eldest sister snapped indignantly. "True, I do like him, but I don't want him to fall for me on a lie. I mean, I did get to know him back then, but you're the one he took the picture with."
"So what? You'd be much better for him. He had fun in the date you two had."
"He doesn't see it that way," Ichika said. "I mean, yes, we did have fun, but he does not consider that a date. In fact, he seems to enjoy working out with you."
Yotsuba laughed. As far as she'd seen, Fuutarou frequently complained when she put him to do physical work, even if he finished it to avoid looking bad and took much longer than her. She wasn't trying to get him to enjoy it, just a pretext to spend time together.
Even if it was just as friends, that was good for her. It was good enough.
"Maybe… I should ask him out to be my partner during the bonfire," Ichika said. "Fuutarou-kun doesn't seem the type who'd ask someone out, so we have to take the initiative."
"Great idea, you should do it." Yotsuba smiled. Finally, she could relieve herself of that weight.
"But… I'll only do it after you do. It's not fair for me to cut the line that way. If you invite him and he rejects you, then I'll try myself. It's only fair you have your chance."
"He wouldn't dance with me anyway."
"How can you be so sure, if you've never asked him? We both know you like him too, and you do want to dance with him, don't you?"
The fourth sister lowered her gaze. She didn't want to answer, or rather, couldn't. She was fully certain Fuutarou would never agree to dance with someone like her at the bonfire. But as for what she wanted… of course yes, she did want to dance with him, and if that legend was true, maybe stay together forever.
Ichika stood up to switch positions, and Yotsuba sat on the stool to get her back washed. Neither of them said anything for a while, until the eldest sister whispered at her:
"If you don't ask him out… I'm gonna tell him you still wear your bear panties from middle school."
"Eeehhh?! No, anything but that, please! You promised me you'd never tell anyone!"
"You have till the last day of the camp to think about it, little sis. You decide, whether you want to suffer that embarrassment, or take a chance with Fuutarou-kun the right way."
Yotsuba puffed her cheeks. That was a low blow. She knew that with Fuutarou the blackmail thing was an empty threat, except he had no way to know that. But between them, when Ichika threatened to do something, she was fully capable of going through with it.
"Why'd you do this to me?"
"Because you're my dear little sister," Ichika said with a smile. "If it were Nino, Miku, or Itsuki-chan, I'd do the same in a heartbeat. I'd do it for any of you."
Yotsuba stared at her sister, who simply smirked. She didn't understand why; with her out of the way, then Ichika would have free way to pursue Fuutarou. Why potentially ruin her own chances dragging her when she didn't want to compete? Especially because she didn't deserve it.
Ichika had previously ceded her the rocket during the fireworks night. Now Yotsuba didn't mind stepping aside and giving her a chance. As much as she liked him, he'd made it clear many times that she wasn't his type. Maybe someone like Ichika, more mature, responsible and open, would be better for a guy like him. Instead of a brawny, stupid overgrown child like her.
The night before the school camp…
Having finished his homework, and having no study session at the Nakano apartment today, Fuutarou had spent his afternoon reading the pamphlet about the program for the school camp. Maybe he wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was actually very excited about it. He hadn't gone on a trip like this in quite a while.
He was about to cancel when he learned that Raiha had caught a fever, but his mother told him not to worry, as she'd stay home to watch over her, even if she had to find someone to take care of the bakery in the meantime. Even still in bed, Raiha asked Fuutarou to tell her good stories about what he did when he came back, and even gave him a good luck charm to protect him. He gladly accepted it; along with his little sister's good wishes watching over him, everything would be alright.
Or so he wanted to think. Actually, before the departure he had a lot of things to think about. What Raiha said about Yotsuba was true: once he'd fulfilled his duty, she'd return to her former school. And that was what she and her sisters wanted.
But at this point… did he really wanted her to leave?
'Well, I can always visit her at home,' he thought. 'I know where they live, after all.'
Yeah, that was a possibility. But it wouldn't be the same as seeing her every day in class. Truth was, he'd gotten used to her presence more than he expected, and he didn't miss his days of peace and quiet before she showed up.
'She can be childish and annoying, but… she's not someone you can hate.'
No, she wasn't. Yotsuba was cheery and full of energy, a girl who was always nice and kind to everyone, and willing to help anyone whomever asked her. He thought he didn't need friends, but not needing friends didn't mean he didn't appreciate having them. Despite him wanting to keep their relationship strictly as teacher and student, Yotsuba did her hardest to treat him as a friend, and before he realized she'd gotten into him. Even if she wasn't as upfront about it like Ichika, who said directly she wanted to be friends, she allowed her actions to speak for her.
On the other hand, there was something else about the eldest Nakano sisters. While she too did her best to be nice to him, she'd also throw in the occasional flirting here and there, which at first he didn't know whether they were serious or not. When his parents learned about their little escapade together, no matter how much he denied it being a date, they insisted that it was. He for his part countered that the pinkette was only messing with and teasing him, but after some time, he began questioning if it was just a game, or she was genuinely interested in him.
And the last part made him wonder: how should he respond? In truth, since he could remember no females ever showed any interest in him, except that one girl whose name he didn't even ask. He wasn't sure how he should act, and whenever he ran into something he had no answer for, either he ignored it, or tried to distract himself from it and forget it by focusing on something else.
'Try and get some sleep, what else there's to do now?' he told himself, before turning over his futon and shutting his eyes.
…
Suddenly, he'd been flung back to that day, that fateful day when he was on a school trip along with his friends. He was barely twelve years old, and wanting to imitate his father's wild look, he dyed his hair blond, and also wore a couple of earrings (pressure ones, to avoid having to pierce his ears). He was happily playing cards with his friends, Sanada, Takebayashi, Kaitani and Kanae, aboard the train that would take them to Kyoto for this little school trip.
"Haha, I win again!" he exclaimed, tossing his remaining cards up in the air. "And now your punishment!"
"Please, anything but that!" Kaitani begged. "I couldn't eat fish again after you forced me to do that!"
"Oi, oi, what did you force him to do?" Kanae asked.
"Stop it," Takebayashi intervened, coming from the front seat. "Fuutarou, stop bullying Kaitani."
"Haha, don't be such a party-crasher, Takebayashi, join us!" he said as he caught Kaitani in a headlock and ruffled his hair.
Kanae got angry and tried to force him to let go, but Takebayashi couldn't help but laugh, saying that it didn't matter. Fuutarou suggested she joined them in the game, and she agreed only on the condition they taught Sanada too, who was too busy studying Math. Fuutarou thought it was kinda stupid to study on vacation, but who was he to argue? Everyone did whatever they wanted.
And speaking of.
"Hey, check this out!" he exclaimed as he pulled out a camera from his backpack. "How'd you like this? Finally got my dad to buy me one of my own."
"Cool! Take us a photo, Kanae and me!" Kaitani pulled the aforementioned into a hug.
"Hey!" The pigtailed girl tried to protest, surprised and embarrassed.
"Hahaha, wait for your turn. Hey, Takebayashi, do you want me to…?"
The dark-haired girl wasn't listening; she was too busy studying with Sanada as the two read the geometrics book together.
And their closeness to each other, left Fuutarou completely in shock…
"What the…"
"Oh, didn't you know?" Kanae asked. "Those two are childhood friends. They're neighbors next door, and their families often go on vacation together."
Come to think of it, he'd never noticed. Takebayashi and Sanada were always together, whenever they weren't doing something with the rest of them. They studied together, they ate lunch together, and they walked home the same way. He was so infatuated with her he'd never even thought she'd like someone else.
By the time the train reached its destination, Fuutarou noted how the other four walked in front of him, Kanae with Kaitani, and Takebayashi with Sanada. Like two pairs, and he was the odd card out.
And he didn't like that sensation one bit.
"Fuutarou? Something wrong?" Takebayashi asked.
"Huh?" The girl's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. After looking at them and noticing their worried looks, he decided to invent an excuse to get out of there. "Ugh, my stomach… hurts!"
"You okay?"
"Go ahead… go on without me…" he said trying to sound as convincing as possible.
"Hey, hey, don't talk like you're dying or something," Kaitani said with his hands on the hips.
"Sorry… I'll go find the bathroom, I'll catch up later!"
And he turned around, running away from them. He obviously had nothing, he just didn't feel in the mood to see them. And he knew well the address of the hotel they'd be staying at, so he wouldn't get lost anyway.
All he needed was a little time alone.
…
Sitting on the stairway, he could do nothing but snap photos here and there. But sincerely, without Takebayashi close by, there was nothing worth keeping pictures of for souvenirs.
'Tch, why did I convince my old man to buy me this anyway?' he thought.
"Hey you!"
A voice he didn't recognize shouted at him. When he turned around, he saw a woman with a fat face and red cheeks, with an outfit that made her look like a life-sized doll, albeit a horribly old-fashioned one, with all those bows and laces, and sleeves so long they hid her hands.
Said woman was now glaring at him, and he had no idea why.
"You were taking pictures of me, weren't you?"
"Eh? What're you talking about, old hag? Of course not!"
"Don't lie, you brat! Help, this kid was taking photos of me without my permission!"
"Hey, I'm telling you I didn't…!"
"What's going on here?"
In less than a few seconds, the woman saw a couple police officers walking by, and without missing a beat ran at them, to accuse him of "not resisting her charms" to take photos without her permission.
That was ridiculous; why would he take photos of a horrible life-sized doll like her?
"Alright, kid," said one of the officers approaching, with the clear intent of interrogation. "Are you an elementary-schooler, are you lost?"
"Eh? No, I'm…" For a moment, he thought of saying he was a high-schooler, but that would be pointless; they wouldn't be as stupid so as to swallow that tale.
"I'm telling you to do your job! Arrest this brat!" the woman insisted.
"Calm down, Miss," the other officer said. "There's only one way to solve this. Kid, may I have your camera for a moment?"
Fuutarou was about to hand it over reluctantly, until he remembered: the photos he took from Takebayashi were still in there. If they saw that… and if she was close by…
No, he couldn't let them see that. Right before the officer grabbed the camera, he pulled it away on reflex, chuckling nervously as he tried to figure out a way to get out of there quickly.
"That boy didn't do it," another female voice spoke. "I saw everything."
Fuutarou turned around to the source; specifically, to above the stairs he'd been sitting on all that while.
It was a girl close to his age, but her hair was so long it reached behind her knees, or so it seemed from where he was. For a moment, the boy wondered if he was seeing an angel sent from heaven to save him, since that immaculate white dress she wore made her look like one, lack of wings notwithstanding. And those eyes, and that smile she gave him made him question his own beliefs about love at first sight.
Still smiling, the pretty girl walked down the stairs and after telling the cops what she saw, they left him alone, much to the woman's anger as she clearly wanted to see him punished.
"Hey, thanks. You saved me right there."
"No problem," the girl replied. "In exchange, think you could help me with something?"
"Help you?"
"Yeah. You see, I think you're just the kind of person I'm looking for..."
Fuutarou couldn't do anything but tilt his head in confusion. What could a girl like her want from him? He didn't even know her, but since he was in her debt for getting him out of that pinch, he had no reason to refuse,
Little did he know, that decision would change the course of his life forever…
…
"Uesugi-san… Uesugi-san… UESUGI-SAAAAAAAAAAN!"
"Ah! What, who, when…?! Ah, it's you again…"
It seemed his parents had allowed Yotsuba to get in his room to wake him up, yet again, and there she was with her typical silly smile. The girl was dressed in white overalls and a green-brown sweater, and her ever-present head ribbon now sported a checkered design.
"Morning, Uesugi-san! Ready for the school camp?"
"I'll be as soon as I get dressed and have breakfast," he said, pushing away his futon cover. "What are you going here?"
"Isn't it obvious? So we can walk to the bus station together! Thought it'd be sad for you to show up alone." The girl then puffed her cheeks.
Fuutarou rolled his eyes, but got up immediately and asked the girl to vacate his room so he could get dressed. He'd already packed on his backpack the changes of clothes and personal objects he'd need, and he had some folded clothes on his desk's chair to wear in the morning.
These included the same winter jacket Ichika bought him during their little escapade. It'd be stupid to waste it after she paid it, and he didn't want to seem ungrateful.
Yotsuba joined them for breakfast, and pouted when she was informed that Raiha was sick, as she wanted to get in the room and hold her hand to help her get better (said her mom usually did that with her and her sisters). As much as they appreciated it, the Uesugis didn't let her in, out of feat of her catching it too, so she left a few paper cranes with a "Get well soon" note before leaving. Kazane and Isanari knew their younger daughter would appreciate it, and so did Fuutarou.
With nothing else to do, both began their walk to the bus station, the meeting point for everyone who was taking the trip.
"Hmm, this is really exciting! It's been a while since my last school trip!" Yotsuba exclaimed.
"Really?" he said, actually uninterested.
"Yep. Well, barring training camps for sports clubs, but this is different," she continued. "Besides, I'd often miss them out due to my bad grades, since I had to stay for remedial classes."
"That's what you get for getting into too many clubs at once," he said seriously. "Don't bite more than you can chew."
Yotsuba giggled as she stuck her tongue and tapped the top of her head. Really; it was quite surprising that he managed to take five sports clubs to the nationals simultaneously, but it'd obviously take a toll on her academics. There was no way to handle everything; too many compromises would overwhelm anyone.
The girl's phone beeped, and after pulling it out she sent a message before tucking it away again. Before he said anything, she answered his unspoken question:
"It was Ichika, told her we're on our way to the station."
"So they're all waiting for you?" he said. "You know, there was no need to come looking for me. I could have gone on my own easily."
"Why? Don't you like my company?"
"I didn't say that," he replied, before catching what he'd just said.
He glanced at the ribbon girl, whose grin suddenly widened. Like she was up to something.
"Oi, oi, what are you thinking?"
"No, nothing. By the way, could you confirm with your cousin, on whether he's coming or not?"
"I called him last night, and he said yes," Fuutarou said. "He was pretty eager about meeting the five of you together, I must say."
"Hehe, Nino will be very happy to see him."
That was pretty obvious. Both of them had struck rather nicely with each other from what he saw and heard, and later Kintarou couldn't stop nagging him about not telling him before about Yotsuba's sisters, even more after he found out they were quintuplets. After that, though, he started joking about "this way there's one for each", obviously meaning Yotsuba. As for his interest about meeting the others even after talking to Nino, he said something that "just because he'd chosen the dish it didn't mean he couldn't check the rest of the menu". Should Nino hear him say that… he could imagine him getting a great slap for such comment.
That'd be fun to see; he didn't want to miss it.
"You think we'll meet him at the station?" Yotsuba asked, bringing him back to earth.
"Don't think so, he said he'll depart from another station. We'll probably see him when we get to the inn," Fuutarou replied.
"Hmm, that's too bad. Can't be helped, we'll have to wait." And without further words, she grabbed him by the wrist before running off. "Come on, hurry!"
"Hey!" he protested, but it did nothing to help him.
And once again, he found himself dragged against his will in a marathon, comparable maybe to the one she gave him during the midterm exams. Was she going to make a habit of this?
…
By the time they got to the station, Yotsuba's sister were already gathered waiting for them. Fuutarou didn't get why she dragged him that way: the bus would depart at 8:30 am, and the station was twenty minutes away on foot when they left his home at 7:20 am. There was plenty of time to spare and no need to hurry. They quickly got into the bus to take their seats, so that way the five of them (and Fuutarou) could sit next to one another.
The Uesugi boy had sat next to a window, with Ichika next to him. Nino and Itsuki were on the corridor's opposite side, while Yotsuba and Miku sat behind them. These two (or more specifically, Yotsuba) were making a little noise, since it seemed Miku had brought her tablet to play the game she borrowed from Yotsuba, and still didn't return it.
"Hmm, Miku, when are you gonna give me back my game?" the ribbon girl asked, a little pouty.
"Don't bother me," Miku said. "I need to beat this guy first."
"The one who's always beating you?" Yotsuba asked, and Fuutarou could have sworn he saw Miku giving an icy stare compared to Nino's when she was in a bad mood, though only briefly.
"He's in the local area," the middle sister said. "I recognized his username, it has to be him."
This caught Fuutarou's interest. If Miku's online rival was in the local area, did that mean he'd attend his school? That seemed the most plausible scenario, and he couldn't help but take a peek over his seat to see Miku focused on her game. And despite her inexpressive face, he could see she was losing and wasn't happy about it.
"Hey, Yotsuba, wanna change seats?" he asked.
"Eh? I don't mind, but for what?"
"Let's see if I can give your sister a hand with her rival," he said.
"Oh, this I have to see." Ichika smiled with interest, standing up so he could get out.
After switching seats with the fourth sister, he sat next to Miku and watched her as the game was ongoing. The way things went it was clear she couldn't win; her troops were being massacred by her rival's all around, and her buildings were on fire about to crumble down. After her main castle was seized, the "You Lose" jingle went off.
"He beat me again. How frustrating," Miku complained.
"Don't worry, I've got an idea. Accept the rematch, and choose this stage." Fuutarou pointed at it on the select screen. "With the strategy I'm gonna give you, you'll gain an early lead."
Miku just gave him a cursory glance, but she did as he said. As soon as the match began, Fuutarou told her to pause momentarily, before he proceeded to explain what she had to do.
"Check your starting resources. Rather than using them to create troops, destroy your base and build a new one here, in the center of your map," he said as he pointed to the area. "It's pretty far off, so you'll have enough time to get there, but you need to be fast in building a wall, to halt the enemy advance."
Miku gave him an odd look, but she nonetheless complied. Grouping all her units together, she self-destructed her buildings, and left the base to head for the center of the map. Indeed, the aforementioned area was full of gold mines and stone quarries, and surrounded by a thick forest ready for chopping with a large amount of animals to hunt for food. He had Miku build walls defended by watchtowers to block the access routes, and to alert them of possible attacks, and rather than building troops, he suggested she created more village workers to gather supplies and rebuild her base.
"Many players in this map prefer going for the corners to find resources, since there's technically more there, but the center is the only place you can find them all simultaneously," Fuutarou explained. "Your starting resources are enough to build the essential buildings; all you have to do is work fast and set up defenses before anyone else can take it."
"Hmm, I never thought that before," Miku said.
"Wow, so Fuutarou-kun is not only a genius for studying?" Ichika commented. "Also for strategy games?"
"It's not that hard, if you know the basic of economics," Fuutarou said. "Optimal use of resources and how to invest them is vital for any task you pursue, and it applies here too."
"Oh, I get it! It's like splitting your time to study different subjects and attend different activities, right?" Yotsuba exclaimed.
"Yeah, more or less," he said. Took her long enough to catch it.
Miku kept following Fuutarou's instructions: she built the essential buildings and after creating a small army with infantry soldiers, cavalry and some siege weapons (mostly catapults and onagers to attack from a distance), she sent some units to scout the map and find the enemy base. She took a while due to the map's size, but when she finally found it, she was about to send her whole army to charge and massacre them.
"Wait, wait!" Fuutarou stopped her. "Better use divide and conquer. Split some groups of soldiers to get his attention, and attack through both flanks. If he has to split his attention, it'll be much harder to coordinate a counterattack. Meanwhile, leave the villagers collecting resources, just in case you end up with many casualties and need more troops."
Miku pouted; she clearly disliked being ordered around, but Ichika and Yotsuba gave her looks that said "trust him, he knows what he's doing" and convinced her. The silence reigned as the eldest and fourth sister watcher, in wait for the carnage to begin.
And indeed, as Fuutarou predicted, the two-pronged attack caught Miku's rival off-guard, allowing her to trap his soldiers and cut their escape, forcing them to pull back into the center of their base. From behind, the catapults threw the projectiles at the buildings, and since the troops engaging in combat were surrounded by Miku's cavalry soldiers, they could do nothing to protect them. To top it off, when he tried to send his villagers away, the only available escape route led them to a forest full of hungry wolves, much to their misfortune.
"Haha, that's what you get for being cowards! Don't run, fight!" Yotsuba exclaimed, making Itsuki and Nino rise from their seats.
"Will you knock it off, please?" Nino said. "We're trying to do other things here, you know?"
"Aw c'mon, why don't you come and see too?" Ichika said. "This turns out to be a good show."
"No thanks very much," Itsuki said, her attention focused on a book.
In matter of minutes, Miku had completely ravaged the enemy base, and his opponent surrendered before she could kill off the last of his units. Even though the third sister also suffered casualties during the skirmish, Fuutarou's strategy helped her minimize them and gave her a crushing victory.
"I beat him… I really beat him…"
"Didn't I tell you?" Fuutarou said. "They always fall into the same trap in this map."
"Thanks… I could finally give a beating to that showoff." Miku smiled slightly. He didn't recall having seen her do it since they met.
"Yay!" Yotsuba celebrated. "Victory for Miku and Uesugi-san!"
"Good work you two," Ichika added. "Oh, and you did it just in time, the bus is about to depart."
And as if on cue, Fuutarou saw how the game gave the notice of Miku's rival logging off. Right then he saw briefly that his username was "Shingen90" and something else he didn't read as Miku also closed the game before opening the music player. He and Yotsuba exchanged seats once more right when the vehicle started engines.
As he looked through the window, he saw snow beginning to fall, and after a while, Ichika tapped his shoulder.
"Hey, that was very sweet, to do that for Miku."
"Ah, it was just a simple game to kill some time." He shrugged.
"I'm serious. You should be proud; it's not easy to make Miku smile, you know?" the eldest sister said. "Anyone who can do that is very special in my book."
She said the last part almost whispering, like she didn't want anyone else to hear it. And once more, that look she gave him made him nervous. Really, he didn't get how a girl like him could take an interest in him.
"Hmm, well, I think I'm gonna take a nap," she said as she stretched her arms. "Wake me up when we get to the inn, will you?"
Without further words, the eldest Nakano reclined on the back of her seat and shut her eyes, still keeping a big smile. Fuutarou couldn't help but get a little nervous; with the nights he spent in the apartment, he ended up learning in the least appropriate way that Ichika liked to sleep in the nude, and even when she fell asleep clothed, she would strip in her sleep.
"H-hey… does any of you want to change seats?" Nino and Itsuki ignored him, turning around haughtily, and Miku had donned her headphones to listen to her music, so Yotsuba was the one to answer him.
"Relax, Uesugi-san. She only does that at home," the ribbon girl assured. "Never happens when we're out."
"Well, if you say so," he replied, hoping that she would be right. Last thing he wanted was to be caught with a naked girl sleeping next to him.
And no matter how much he wanted, getting that image out of his head now was pretty hard. He wondered again, why did they have to be so damn attractive?
At the inn…
The rest of the bus trip went on without much fanfare. By the time they arrived a snowfall had begun, and Fuutarou was even more grateful to Ichika for buying him the jacket he wore now.
"It's getting chilly," the boy whispered, rubbing his hands together quickly.
"How delicate, can't you stand the a little cold?" Nino mocked, making Fuutarou glare at her. Ichika went ahead and decided to intervene before hostilities began.
"There, there, you guys. We've just gotten here, it's too soon to start a fight. Let's wait at least until tomorrow morning, shall we?"
"Hmph, whatever," Nino said. "All I want to know if he came. I'm so anxious to see him again!"
"You really like your delinquents, don't you?" Miku mumbled. "I don't get it."
"Ha! At least I have someone I'm hoping to see. Better than you and your little online games. Or are you planning on seeking out your rival to ask him out?"
"… take that back." The third sister spoke in an icy voice. It seemed like sparks would fly between two.
This time, it was Fuutarou who decided to intervene. "I wouldn't worry about it. If I know him well, that idiot must be…"
"Hey, cous', hahahaha!" a thundering voice interrupted him, before a shoulder tackle to his back knocked him face first into the snow, which fortunately cushioned his fall somewhat.
"… right behind me," he muttered under his breath, as he got up and wiped the snow off himself, as his blond, wild-haired cousin laughed at him.
"Dude, I was looking for ya," Kintarou said. "I was getting worried you chickened out and didn't come."
"Kintarou-san!" Yotsuba hopped forward to greet him.
"Hey, Yotsuba, good to see you!" the blond said. "You're Yotsuba, right? You're not doing the switching-places thing to confuse people, are you?"
"Haha, we do it sometimes, but not today," the girl assured, scratching the back of her neck.
"Heh, okay then," Kintarou said, standing in front of the five sisters. "Wow, despite the obvious differences, now that I see the five of you together, the resemblance is clear." He immediately caught Fuutarou in a headlock as he started ruffling his hair. "You sneaky dog; keeping them all five to yourself, weren't you!"
"Shut up, don't give them wrong ideas!" Fuutarou exclaimed trying to break free.
The quintuplets, for their part, all reacted in different ways to the remark: Yotsuba and Ichika laughed, Miku remained indifferent, and both Nino and Itsuki evidenced some uncomfortableness. Once he was finally done tormenting him, Ichika decided to step up.
"Well, I think introductions are in order, right? You've already met Nino and Yotsuba, so for future meetings, these are Miku and Itsuki-chan. And I'm Ichika, pleased to meet you."
"Hmm, am I detecting a pattern in your names?" the blond asked. "Let me guess, you're the oldest, and then you go in this order of birth, Nino, Miku, Yotsuba and Itsuki?"
"Haha, you're a smart guy!" Nino said. "And I love that, you're so unlike others around here."
Fuutarou managed to catch her staring at him when she said that, though she didn't have to do that for him to get the message. He knew she'd do or say anything for the sake of getting into the blond's good graces, and he wouldn't interfere with that.
"Alright, we better get in, or we'll be stuck with the worst rooms!" Yotsuba exclaimed. "Let's go, hurry!"
And without further ado, Yotsuba ran off towards the inn. Nino followed quickly, dragging Kintarou by the arm while Itsuki and Miku walked behind them calmly. That left Ichika and Fuutarou alone, staring at them as they entered the inn in the middle of the crowd.
The eldest sister stood next to the Uesugi boy, and smiled the same way she did when she wanted to talk. "Your cousin seems quite nice."
"Sometimes he drives me nuts," Fuutarou replied, shrugging. "Everyone says he inherited the family's personality."
"You have nothing to be jealous of," the pinkette said. "Though appearance-wise, you'd look just like him if you bleached your hair blond. You'd almost look like twins."
"Don't even suggest it. I'm not like him, nor do I want to be."
Heaven forbid; he didn't want to go back to that stage of his life, especially when his cousin was a living reminder of it. He was him, and he wanted to be such, no matter what others thought.
"Just kidding. I like Fuutarou-kun just the way he is perfectly," she said. "Well, shall we go in or what?"
Fuutarou shrugged again, and they immediately went into the inn. They better hurry before all good rooms were occupied.
Inside the inn, a couple hours later…
Due to the amount of people who entered the place, it was a given that rooms would have to be split. That implied they had to share between friends and acquaintances, or sometimes even strangers if you were late or ended up left out. And since most rooms had a maximum limit of four, some had to take a few extras in.
The Nakanos obviously had a room all for themselves. Despite Ichika not-so-subtly suggesting she wouldn't mind sharing a room with Fuutarou, this time the votes beat her four to one, as not even Yotsuba seemed keen on such idea. Before leaving her alone with him they preferred to stay all five bundled in the same room, if only to ensure she wouldn't try anything funny, much to the eldest sister's chagrin.
However, Fuutarou wasn't sure whether that was positive or not. He had to share room with other three guys: his cousin Kintarou, the pretty boy who self-proclaimed his rival (Takeda, if he recalled correctly that was his name), and another one he didn't know, though he recalled seeing him at school once or twice. Kintarou decided to converse and strike a friendship with both, and during the introductions he heard the last one's name was Maeda, but he wasn't interested in socializing with them.
A few minutes later, once they finished settling down and choosing their corners, the door slid quickly, and a familiar high-pitched voice announced loudly:
"Hey, hey! Is Uesugi-san here?"
"Yotsuba!" Fuutarou chided her. "Call before entering, will you?"
"But I'm outside, am I?" the girl pointed, and Fuutarou stared down to see that, indeed, the girl's feet were out of the room.
"Fine, but don't open the door like that. What if we were getting dressed or something?"
"What are you worried about?" Kintarou mocked. "It's not like you have anything worth checking out anyway."
Fuutarou glared at his cousin, as Takeda and Maeda seemed to snicker at the remark. He turned to the ribbon girl, who tapped her head and stuck out her tongue, nervously chuckling at the awkward situation she created. Now he was getting used to see that gesture.
"Hehe, sorry. But I've been looking all over for you; I wanted to tell you Takigawa-sensei was passing list on those who are on the courage test committee. And we're two members short."
"What? Aw, great," the boy groaned. "Now do we have to sort everything again?"
"Er, excuse me, is it just to put on a costume and scare?" Kintarou intervened, and Yotsuba nodded. "If it's just that, then count me in."
"But you're not in our school," Fuutarou protested.
"So?" the blond shrugged. "If everyone's gonna take part anyway, someone has to do the scares, right? It'll be fun."
"If you need extra hands, I offer myself to," Takeda added, bowing curtly.
"Really?!" Yotsuba exclaimed. "Thanks a lot, both of you! In that case, come with me to sign you up, quickly! And you, Uesugi-san, I'll take care of everything so you don't have to worry anymore."
"Okay, I'm counting on you. And… thanks, I guess."
The fourth Nakano sister took Kintarou and Takeda with her, and Fuutarou couldn't do anything but watch how they ran across the hallway. He couldn't care less, but since they offered as volunteers, who was he to stop them? That'd save him the trouble of reorganizing everything for the ones who decided to no-show. He'd have to go anyway when they called him to sort out the details, but he'd do that after he finished unpacking, in a few minutes.
Having stayed alone with the other occupant in the room, who seemed to have picked his corner, Fuutarou didn't pay him much heed. Unlike Takeda or Kintarou he didn't seem too talkative, let alone with that face of a thug, and his hair slicked back with gel and a perpetually frowned expression. And it wasn't like he had any topic of conversation to star.
That meant Fuutarou was quite surprised when after a few minutes, he decided to break the silence.
"So it was true. You and Nakano-san are close friends."
Fuutarou raised his look. The other boy's tone sounded genuinely interested. Yotsuba had become quite popular at school in a short time, especially after the basketball team's match, and with how easy she had it to make friends, there would be few who didn't know who she was.
"I wouldn't call us close friends," Fuutarou replied.
"No?" Maeda asked. "From the way she talks to you, it seems you're rather close. I heard you even walk home together almost daily."
Fuutarou simply shrugged. That part was true, and it wasn't like he tried to keep it hidden. But he didn't want others to think they were closer than they actually were, let alone having wrong ideas about them, like them dating or something.
"If I had to use an adjective, I'd say we are good friends, at most," he said once he found the correct words. "Aside from that, she's my student. I'm being paid for being her tutor, so that's why I go daily to her home."
"Hmm… I see." Maeda nodded. "Thought it was weird someone like her would hang out so often with… you know, a guy like you."
The Uesugi boy held back the urge to roll his eyes, albeit he did catch the indirect perfectly. Then again, he knew that, since Yotsuba was friendly to everyone equally, he wasn't getting any special treatment.
On the other hand, if he mentioned her specifically, maybe he was interested in her? Maybe he wanted to ask her out or something? Would it be worth asking?
"Why the interest?"
"No, it's nothing," Maeda shrugged again. "Just curious."
Maeda went back to his own stuff, and Fuutarou didn't press any further. While he didn't buy his excuse, he saw no reason to keep asking questions. For now, he had other things to attend, especially if he wanted to enjoy this camp once he fulfilled his duties with the activity he was in charge of.
/-/
After dinner…
It was the first time Fuutarou visited an in with hot springs. After one big and delicious meal, there was nothing left to do but take a hot bath to relieve himself of the stress, after that long and shaky bus trip. Besides, with the cold outside, it was too tempting to pass it over.
How quiet, no better way to end that first day of the school camp…
"CANNONBAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!"
Until someone had to come and spoil his peace. The scream quickly gave away who it was, but it gave him no time to dodge the splash. Groaning, he opened his eyes to find the smiling and mocking face of his cousin.
"Ah, Fuutarou, already here? Thought I'd be the first to come."
"This isn't a pool, you idiot; don't do that again," Fuutarou said.
"Oh c'mon, it's okay to relax, but it's too soon to act like a grumpy old man," the blond replied. "Ah, this feels awesome!"
Fuutarou decided to ignore him, and tried to retreat to a faraway corner to keep his distance with him. If he wanted to relax a bit, having Kintarou close would make it hard.
"Say, cous', you still doing Yotsuba's workout? You still look a bit skinny, don't you?"
"Everyone improves at their own pace," the bluenette laconically said. "Some develop their muscles faster than their brains, obviously."
"Haha, you're just jealous of these, aren't you?" Kintarou flexed his biceps to emphasize his point. "Wanna compare sizes, and see how long you still have to go?"
"No, thanks very much," Fuutarou said.
Kintarou was not exaggeratedly muscular, but his physique was definitely the one expected from someone who worked out on a regular basis, and clearly his arms and torso were slightly broader and thicker than his, enough to fill shirts that would look baggy on Fuutarou.
Despite his negative, though, the blond still came over, reached out with his fingers and pinched one of his arms.
"Hey!" Fuutarou shouted as he pulled away said arm.
"You're not as flabby as you thought." Kintarou looked at him with squinted eyes and a half-smirk. "So you have been following Yotsuba's training, huh?"
Fuutarou simply snorted. Fortunately, she hadn't pressured him into going back to the gym, but did lend him a pair of small dumbbells he could use for light arm strength training while he studied home. No big deal, but they weren't too hard to use either.
Once more he stepped away from his cousin, and the blond, seeing he'd pay him no heed, went to his own corner. All the better; if he stayed quiet, Fuutarou could relax.
"Ah… this feels so nice."
"Too bad I misread the pamphlet. It'd be much funnier if these were mixed baths, hehehe."
"We haven't bathed all together in a long time, have we?"
The blue-haired teen heard some noise, a group entering at the same time on the other side of the wall, aka the women's bath. The voices he heard sounded curiously familiar. Pretty similar, but subtly different each.
"Hey Miku, has your chest gotten bigger?" asked a high-pitched voice, which he instantly recognized.
"We all have the same size," another, more subdued, replied.
Those last two made him dispel any doubts. Yotsuba's high-pitched tone was unmistakable, and she even mentioned Miku's name. Besides, he had full certainty that the one mentioning mixed baths and laughed was Ichika.
He took a while to realize that Kintarou had gotten out of the water and stuck the ear next to the wall.
"Hey, what are you…?"
"Shhhh!" The blond shut him up. "Keep it down, I wanna hear them!"
Fuutarou wanted to protest, and decided to relax again. He noted Kintarou beckoned him to come over to the wall, but he refused. He didn't have intentions to peep on anyone, tempting as it sounded for some.
Himself included, but he didn't have to say it out loud.
"So then, what's the plan for tomorrow?" You and Fuutarou-kun will be on the courage test, right, Yotsuba?" Ichika asked.
"Hehehe, try not to get too scared from us," Yotsuba said.
"Geez, do we really have to do it?" Itsuki complained. "Isn't there any way to skip it?"
"No, unless you signed up to do the scares," Yotsuba answered again. "I'd wouldn't be bad; we have some pretty good costumes."
"No way, I don't like scaring or being scared by anyone," the fifth sister retorted.
"Scaredy cat." This time, it was Nino who spoke. "Ah, too bad Kintarou-kun signed up for replacement. I would have loved to take it with him."
"Oi, oi, Nino. Isn't that a betrayal to the sisterhood?" Ichika mockingly said. "Then again, I'm not one to talk. If Fuutarou-kun wasn't in it, then maybe I'd ask him to. You're very lucky, aren't you, Yotsuba?"
Fuutarou caught on that his cousin snickered upon hearing his name. Upon glancing at him, he noticed how the blond continued to beckon him to come over. He saw no point; he could hear them just fine from where he was, unless he wanted to get caught trying to look through a peephole on the wall.
In which case he wouldn't take his chances of getting caught. If someone got punished for being a peeping tom, let it be Kintarou.
"I don't know what you see in that grumpy nerd, you two," Nino spoke again. "Kintarou-kun is better looking, and it's clear who got the family's personality."
"I don't see them that much different," Ichika replied. "What do you think, Miku? Fuutarou-kun isn't that bad once you get to know him."
"No, he's not," the aforementioned replied.
"Humph, you're just defending him because he helped you beat your rival in that online game," said Nino.
"And you like delinquents," Miku countered immediately.
The splashing sound later made him imagine Nino standing up from the water brusquely. "Do you have a problem with that? At least I have someone I like."
"Well, no offense, but I doubt Father would approve him, with that look of his," Itsuki said. "Though that aside, I can't deny he israther nice."
"Don't even dream about it! I saw him first!"
Again, Fuutarou struggling to hold back the giggles. He was probably very proud of himself at hearing two of the quintuplets fighting over him. Typical.
"Nino, I'd say Yotsuba beat you to the punch there, since she met them both first," Ichika giggled, and Fuutarou heard the second sister groaning in response, while the eldest and another (probably Itsuki) laughed.
"Haha, well, you don't need to be worried about me, Nino," Yotsuba spoke. "I like them both, they're very good friends, and besides Uesugi-san is still my tutor."
This time, upon hearing that, Fuutarou did pay attention. He wasn't sure why, but hearing those words from Yotsuba made him perk up his ears.
"Speaking of that, how're your classes going?" Nino asked. "You think you can raise your grades enough to return to Kurobara?"
"We're working hard on it," Yotsuba said, now sounding a little melancholic. "It won't be easy, but he could help me pass three out of five subjects. All I need is to work much harder."
"I have to concede he did his job pretty well," Itsuki acknowledged. "I hate to admit it, but if he could help you, maybe he could teach me as well. I do need some help in Social Studies after all."
"If you ask him, I don't think he'll refuse," Ichika said. "He did not refuse when I asked him nicely after all."
If by 'asking nicely' she meant 'blackmailing with that photo of him asleep', then yes, he definitely had no reasons to refuse. Though it'd only been half the times at first, after a while he did agree to help voluntarily.
"I'm not asking him anything," Itsuki declared in a prideful tone. "I'll accept if he offers it voluntarily and if he behaves himself."
"Geez, how stubborn you can be sometimes, almost as much as him," the eldest spoke again. "Well, we'd still have to pay him the extra hours. It's his job after all, and he won't do it for free."
"Tch, why does it have to be him?" Nino asked. "It'd be much more fun if we had a tutor like Kintarou-kun."
"Well, if she wants that, I'd gladly sign up," the blond mumbled, giving his cousin a roguish look. Fuutarou just rolled his eyes.
Kintarou as a tutor? If he barely avoided failing, he'd be hard-pressed to teach Nino or any of the others something. He wasn't someone with academic inclinations, and Fuutarou knew it well.
"Nino, stop criticizing him. Uesugi-san can be stern, but he knows what he teaches," Yotsuba defended him. "I wouldn't have passed my classes hadn't it been for him. I'm very grateful to him for it."
"Oh, you heard that? Yotsuba's defending you, how cute of her," Kintarou chuckled. He couldn't do anything but look away, hoping that the steam and heat could hide the blush in his cheeks.
"Yotsuba, remember you don't have to do things alone," Ichika said, "You don't have only Fuutarou-kun to rely on, but us too."
"That's right, we can always help you when he's not around," added Itsuki. "He did say we should do that, right?"
"Always together, in good and bad times, like Mom said," Nino continued.
"Five parts of a whole," Miku concluded.
"Girls…"
Next thing he heard was Yotsuba breaking into a childish cry that almost seemed fake. He could imagine her weeping and cuddling her sisters like she did with Raiha when they first met, except now she was breaking into gratitude wails towards her other sisters, for all the support they offered.
A rather ridiculous picture, but to be honest, also adorable to imagine. The Nakano sisters clearly had a very close bond with each other, after all.
At any rate, he felt he'd heard enough, and decided to get out of the water and grab his towel.
"Hey, where ya going?" Kintarou asked.
"I'm going to bed," he laconically replied.
"You crazy? This is starting to get pretty good!"
"Then you can tell me later," he replied, never stopping his advance out of the baths and to the dressing room.
Once he donned the sleeping kimono, he headed for their room. Truth be told, he wasn't sure why he decided to listen in to the quints' conversation. Alright, he didn't start voluntarily; he just happened to be there and the wind brought it to his ears. Kintarou was the one who wanted to listen, not him.
In any case, it was weird to hear them talk about him. Or rather, weird that they talked "nice" of him. At that point, he could say his relationship with Yotsuba and Ichika was that of a good or even close friendship, as they were the ones he usually spent time with when he was at the apartment. Miku seemed to have grown somewhat fond of him (perhaps due to him helping her beat her online rival), and even Itsuki seemed willing to open up somewhat and accept his help for studying. The only one who still didn't have him in high regard was Nino, but since she now had her sights on his cousin, he still had the favors from that little push he fave him, and he could cash in that debt if he ever came to need it.
'Maybe this school trip will be even more interesting than I expected.'
Something was for sure: for better or worse, this trip would be one to remember. Though at the time, he had no idea what kind of memories he'd end up making with the Nakano sisters, with his cousin, and also other people.
To be continued…
Author's notes:
Alright, now we've finally started the School Camp arc. Just like with the fireworks and the midterm exams, this was an event that had to happen or happen, so again the challenge was to decide what had to stay and what had to change. This one was much easier, as it was based on a chain of events from canon: with Ms. Uesugi alive and kicking, Raiha has someone to take care of her when she gets sick, and thus Fuutarou is not late. If he's not late, the quints don't have to give him a ride in their car, thus they're not late to the inn. And by not being late, he gets spared from having to share the last available room with the sisters, and everything else that comes after that.
Which also gives me the chance to get Fuutarou to interact with other characters, specifically those who'd become his future group of male friends (aka the Bros Before Quints club). One of the perks of having Kintarou too is that I add some additional personality, and he's a good middleman with Takeda and Maeda, which to me is a plus, and it's fun to contrast them when they're together. Once the club gets officially formed, it'll have plenty of material for funny situations. And speaking of that, I wanted to give a little spin on the quints' hot springs conversation, by making it from Fuutarou's point of view as he overhears it so as to avoid falling into the fanservice cliché. How did it turn out?
I guess I have nothing left to say, since the camp's first day has no interesting events, but things start to get good from the night of the second day. Maybe this'll be my final chapter for this year, so I hope you've enjoyed it. Thanks for the review to TheMist33, and let's hope 2021 is a better year for all of us, and that the anime's second season doesn't get delayed. Sayonara, and Merry early Christmas for everyone!