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 9: School Camp – Day Two
The next morning…
After a (surprisingly) good night of sleep, dawn came for a new day, to continue the trip by bus, arriving to the destination to begin the school camp proper. Activities included: orienteering and cooking outdoors in the morning, fishing and hiking (both of them optional) in the afternoon, and the courage test at night. On the third day there would also be skiing, and of course the bonfire at night for the finale.
Aboard the bus, the Nakanos and their female friends seemed to talk of that last one. Fuutarou didn't get what the fuss was about it; what proof did they have of a "legend" of that sort being actually true? At some point, he even asked Miku to lend him her headphones so he didn't have to hear that chitchat, although even when the third sister agreed, he took a while to decipher how to tune in on the music he wanted to hear.
Once he did, he reclined on his seat, letting his mind fly, specifically thinking about the conversation he'd eavesdropped on with Kintarou at the hot springs.
Truth be told, the topic had wormed its way into his head since the days before the trip. He knew from the beginning he'd have to help Yotsuba raise her grades not only to pass the year, but also so she could return to her old school and reunite with her sisters. At the time he accepted the job, he hadn't thought much of what that meant, as he simply wanted to do what he was asked to get his pay.
However, he admitted that hanging out with her in the past months had more effect on him than he expected. He wasn't interested in getting to know her or being her friend, neither on socializing with her sisters. But hearing them last night talking about him that way, especially when Yotsuba said how grateful she was to him, moved something inside the boy.
The truth was… he was getting fond of them, and with the truce in hostilities, maybe the others too. Even when Ichika and Yotsuba were the only ones actively trying to get close to him.
'They're a bunch of idiots, every one of them. But I guess they're not bad girls,' he thought.
His relationship with the sisters was changing without him noticing. Despite starting on the wrong foot with Itsuki, after they apologized to each other (if only because Yotsuba forced them to) they were at least capable of talking in a civil manner. Miku, under her quiet and withdrawn exterior, was quite nice once she opened up, and whenever he needed some quiet talk, she'd be a good listener even if she didn't say much, and partly because of that he offered her some help to win in her online game. Even Nino, despite her dislike of him for motives he could only speculate, swallowed her pride to ask for his help on something that interested her (getting closer to Kintarou). He reaped no benefit beyond getting her to owe him a couple favors, but since then she'd toned down on the hostilities.
And then, there were the other two. Ichika made no attempts to hide how interested she was in him, sometimes joining their study sessions only to be close to him, and then dragging him to have what might have or might have not been his first date (and as much as he hated to admit it, he had a good time). As for Yotsuba, while he'd spend more time with her, he wasn't fully sure if the ribbon girl would be interested in him in the same way. If they weren't studying, she'd drag him to do some workout or any similar activity just to spend some time together. Even if it was annoying at first, it wasn't anymore, and to a certain extent, it was getting nice to have her close.
If his goal was to help raise her grades enough, that meant she'd leave his school by the end of the school year. And if she left, would he miss her?
"Uesugi-san…"
He was getting used to the teaching routine, and to be honest, it wasn't too bad to have someone relying on him. In a way, it gave him a sense of responsibility, of feeling important to other people.
"Uesugi-san?"
And lastly, there was the worrying feeling of whether Yotsuba would be able to carry on by herself. He knew how easily distracted she could get at times. He was concerned if she'd be able to keep going on her own once he wasn't there for her.
"Hey, Uesugi-san. You hearing me?"
"Huh?"
"What's the matter, Fuutarou-kun?" asked Ichika this time. Looking around he noticed the five sisters giving him odd looks as Miku idly outstretched a hand in his direction.
"Give them back, we're here."
"Ah, sure." Fuutarou removed the headphones. "Thanks for letting me borrow them."
Miku grabbed them and once she donned them again, she headed out of the bus, followed quickly by Nino and Itsuki. The other two however stood there with him, still looking him oddly.
"You alright?" Ichika asked. "You seemed a little absent."
"It's nothing. I just… was thinking."
"About what?" Yotsuba asked with interests.
Fuutarou was about to say "About you", but he held back when he realized how that could easily be misinterpreted. His mind ran laps looking for proper words as his eyes went side by side while pursing his lips. The two remaining quintuplets made gestures of impatience; he had to say something quick.
"About… what we're gonna do after we return from the camp," he finally said. "I was thinking of a few ideas for our study sessions."
"Ah, it was that?" Ichika pouted. "How boring, even now you're thinking about studying?"
"That's right, Uesugi-san, better leave Planet Study! We're in a camp and we need to have fun!" Yotsuba explained.
"Hey you, are you getting off the bus or what?" the driver called them out.
"You've heard him, Fuutarou-kun," Ichika said grabbing one of his arms. "Yotsuba, how about we show him some real school camp fun?"
"Great idea!" Yotsuba grabbed his other. "Let's go!"
And without further ado, the two quints dragged him, before he could do or say a thing. Fortunately, this time the pull wasn't as violent as the day of the exams, though whether that was because Yotsuba held back, or because he was a little bit tougher, Fuutarou couldn't say for certain.
At the very least, this spared him from uncomfortable questions for the time being, and of things he didn't want to think about.
A bit later…
Outdoor cooking wasn't a particularly exciting activity, but it was a nice change for some, and a way to heat up after yesterday's raging blizzard.
Everyone was assigned a task based on their aptitudes. Yotsuba, who was good at physical work, offered to take the axe and chop the wood, and she was having so much fun she made quite a stack, more than enough for everyone. Ichika was helping with the room cleaning (how could she be so good at that, when she couldn't keep order in her own room?). Itsuki and Miku were helping in the stew pots, and he spotted Itsuki glaring obsessively at her cellphone's clock, counting the seconds for the fifteen minutes, while Miku said something about adding a 'secret ingredient' to her group's pot, prompting the rest to scream something about not letting her near the main pot. Meanwhile, a small group of boys argued with some girls, one of which was Nino, playing the blame game over who burned the rice, and Nino took charge by ordering them to watch the curry while she and the other girls handled the rice.
Fuutarou for his part was watching his own rice as it boiled, along with one of the two guys he and his cousin shared rooms with back at the inn. He wasn't paying much attention to him, even though he was bored out of his minds, just being kneeled as he waited for it to be ready, but then again, he didn't have any conversation topics for him.
"Hey, Uesugi," he suddenly said, but he paid no heed. "Hey, I know you ain't deaf, stop ignoring me."
He wasn't keen on beginning a conversation, but it seemed this guy was. He turned to answer:
"What's up…?" He was left with his mouth wide open, upon realizing he'd forgotten the guy's name, making him frown.
"Maeda, the name's Maeda! How could you forget from yesterday?"
"Sorry. But what do you want?" Fuutarou insisted. Better go straight to the point and down to business, whatever it was.
"You knew about Nakano, I mean, Yotsuba-san?" Maeda asked, making him raise an eyebrow. "I mean, if you knew she had four identical sisters."
"Ah, that," he replied without paying much mind to it. "Yeah, I've known her for a few months. That's why I call her by her name, to prevent confusions."
"Man, I'm so envious," the brown-haired teen said. "They're really beautiful, all of them."
Fuutarou gave him an inquisitive look, thinking that, if he knew them a tad closer, he probably wouldn't be so envious. Besides, he wasn't that close to all of them. But he didn't say it out loud, so he focused back on the boiling rice over the fire.
"So, do you know if they're available?" he asked again.
"Available?" he asked, still uninterested, making Maeda facepalm.
"Oh, come on, you get what I mean. If they have boyfriends." Upon saying these words, he turned over his shoulder. "Though if I had to pick one…"
Fuutarou looked in the same direction, realizing he was glancing where Ichika was chatting with one of her friends.
"The oldest one, her name's Ichika, isn't it?" Maeda asked. "I'd love it if she danced with me at the bonfire."
As Maeda continued to stare at Ichika, Fuutarou took another glance around the perimeter. Nino was with a couple of friends herself, while Miku was being dragged away from the pot. He couldn't see Itsuki from where he was, but he still heard the axe chops on the wood, so Yotsuba wasn't probably too far.
Fuutarou didn't want to tell him he knew that Ichika was interested in him, on the simple reason that he didn't want to 'claim' that spot, since he didn't reciprocate. For a moment, he considered the possibility of telling him he could go after one of the others, but in terms of 'availability', Nino was quickly ruled out because Kintarou had already 'booked' her (or maybe she did him, it was the same on a practical level). As for Miku and Itsuki, he had no idea whether they'd be interested in someone he didn't know (even more considering they were in an all-female school). And as for Yotsuba… she was just Yotsuba.
"Hey, I hate to ask you this, but think you could talk to Ichika-san and introduce me to her?" Maeda insisted. "I didn't find someone for the bonfire dance, and I don't wanna end up alone."
Even talking about quintuplets (genetically) identical, each one was distinct enough to be their own person. Physically they were practically the same, barring hair length and style, accessories and hair dyes to be able to tell themselves apart, but their personalities were completely different. Ichika's coquettish and sociable personality had earned her more than one admirer among the guys of his school, and she was probably the second most popular after Yotsuba (whose only edge was that everyone already knew her).
"I'd like to invite her to the bonfire, but I never find her alone to ask her out," the brunet continued. "You know her; couldn't you give me a hand?"
Fuutarou was about to say that didn't depend on him, but right then his cousin showed up, announcing himself so loudly it almost seemed he had a megaphone in hand.
"Hey, folks! Those who're gonna make the courage test, Takigawa-sensei says it's time to get ready! We need to take the stuff to the place!"
"Sorry, that includes me," Fuutarou said as he stood up and looked down to Maeda. "Keep an eye on my rice, will you?"
Despite Maeda protesting from not being given an answer, Fuutarou headed in the same direction where Kintarou was gathering the ones who'd take part in the courage test, including Yotsuba who finally stopped chopping wood. As they exited, however, Yotsuba grabbed him by the arm and took him aside, behind one of the shelter's walls.
"Hey! What're you doing?"
"This won't take long, just wanted to ask you for help with something," the ribbon girl asked.
"Didn't you say you didn't want to study?"
"Not that!" Yotsuba whispered. "And well, it's not for me, it's for a friend. It's just that Matsui from Class 2-4 has someone she likes, but he doesn't pay her attention. So I offered to help them get close."
"And what do I have to do with that?" a confused Fuutarou asked.
"Well, turns out it's the same guy you were talking to before, Maeda-san," Yotsuba explained, and Fuutarou glanced at the cooking place. He was still there in the same spot he left him. "Since you're in charge of the courage test, I thought, how about you pull some strings so they do it together?"
Fuutarou tilted his head momentarily, taking a while to get what Yotsuba meant by 'pulling strings'. Among his duties in the courage test committee he'd been assigned to sort the pairs who'd take, so in a way he could, by being thorough, put them both together and make it look like a coincidence.
"Think about it; if they take the test together, he could protect her when we scare them, wouldn't that be romantic?" Yotsuba continued in a dreamy tone, before placing the hands in begging position. "Please, it's to help a friend. Give me a hand, will you, yes?"
"Alright, you win. I'll do it, no need for begging."
"Yay, thanks, Uesugi-san!" Yotsuba immediately jumped, giving him one of her back-breaking hugs, and he had no time to dodge. "Matsui will appreciate it!"
"Yeah, yeah, that's great, now let go!" he complained, trying to endure the pain.
After she let him go, they were ready to leave, although they stopped when they heard someone scream "Takeda-kun, don't eat that one!". Both of them looked with curiosity to find out what happened, and a small crowd had gathered around the pot where Miku's group was cooking.
"Takeda-kun, that stew has miso, don't touch it!"
"Why?" the aforementioned replied, paying no heed to the warnings. "It's not that bad."
Everyone around gasped in shock at how the pretty boy grabbed a ladle to serve himself of that mysterious stew, looking at him like he was mad. The blue-haired boy and the ribbon girl looked at Miku, and despite the distance they caught that she seemed to smile pleasantly.
Both of them exchanged glances. Fuutarou had not yet experienced Miku's culinary gifts, although he did see her trying to make some dishes that didn't look too good in the outside. Was it that they tasted better than they looked?
"Hey!" Kintarou called them. "You two coming or what?"
"Yeah, yeah! We're going!" Yotsuba replied. "Let's hurry, Uesugi-san!"
A bit weird that she'd talk about hurry, when she was the one who stopped him to ask for that favor, but for now, he had work to do.
It seemed like the place was exerting some sort of influence in them, if they were going crazy over pairing up with someone. Kintarou, Nino, Maeda and Yotsuba's friend… maybe there was a sliver of truth in that legend.
And that thought was a little bit creepy. It made him think the place was haunted or something.
A bit later…
The preparations for the courage test were less tedious than Fuutarou imagined. First, they just had to set up the path and put signs all over it, so that the participants wouldn't get lost, or worse, give a false step and fall off a cliff. It was pretty handy to have Yotsuba as extra muscle to hammer the signs into the ground.
Fuutarou only had to take the costume he'd wear for the aforementioned test: the clown suit and mask which Yotsuba became "scared" of when they visited the theater club. During the meeting she decided to play dumb pretending that she was scared whenever he put on the mask and wig, and while he thought it silly, everyone else found it amusing, and scolded him for being "so grumpy and boorish".
'It was fun the first ten times, but after that, obviously the joke loses its effect,' he thought. 'She truly acts like an overgrown child.'
But well, he wasn't one to talk, as he planned on enjoying the courage test scaring as many as possible. That'd be his revenge for dumping the work on him without asking.
"C'mon, Ichika-san, why can't you give me an answer now?"
The voice caught Fuutarou's attention, and then he saw Ichika a few meters from the path he was walking across. He knew it was her immediately: that bright pink hair was unmistakable. Meanwhile, the voice he'd heard belonged to Maeda, who had her back turned at the time and hadn't noticed his presence.
"Listen, I'm really flattered, Maeda-kun, but I can't accept your invitation," Ichika said.
"Why not? Have you already picked someone for the dance or what?"
Ichika seemed to be getting nervous to answer. She evidently was trying to be nice as she rejected the invite. A second later she looked sideways in his direction and her eyes brightened as she smiled.
And that gave him a little chill.
"Ah, Fuutarou-kun!" she exclaimed as she ran at him, and without a single word she grabbed his arm rather suggestively.
"Hey, what…" He cut himself up when Ichika gave him a little pinch from behind and gave him a look that clearly said "Play along or else". He wasn't sure why, but he knew it was better to keep quiet.
"Hey, what's going on here?" Maeda asked. "What're you doing with this guy?"
"Isn't it obvious?" said Ichika, in a tone that made the insinuation rather obvious. Fuutarou had to hold back the urge to groan, but understanding she came to him in order to get out of an awkward situation, he felt the obligation to play along to avoid major consequences.
"No, you're trying to tell me that you and this guy…?" Maeda said, pointing out at each with his finger.
"If you mean that Fuutarou-kun and I are close, then yes, we are," Ichika answered. "Isn't it true, Fuutarou-kun?"
"Eh? Yeah, sure we are," he replied. That was a bit of a stretch; they'd known each other for a few months, but she insisted in becoming friends with him, and evidently wanted to go beyond. So at least on her side, it was true.
"Oi, oi, but that doesn't make any sense. You walk home with Yotsuba-san after school every day," Maeda protested before frowning. "Wait, are you two-timing with her and Ichika-san?"
"Say what?" Fuutarou felt his indignation rising. What did this guy have in his head, to think something like that?
"Maeda-kun!" Ichika intervened. "Excuse me, but Fuutarou-kun would never do duch a thing. He doesn't have that kind of relationship with Yotsuba; he's just a good friend who helps her study."
"They pay me for doing that," he added, earning him a playful jab from Ichika.
"Please don't spoil the moment, will you?"
However, that seemed enough to convince Maeda to back off from his courting attempts, as his expression softened. Nevertheless, he still glanced at them with a bit of skepticism, alternating looks between him and her. Fuutarou did nothing but internally beg for him to buy the story so he'd leave them alone and get out of that awkward situation.
"Then… you like this guy?"
"Yes, I like Fuutarou-kun a lot. Is there any problem with that?" Ichika said.
"Well… if that's the case, then I can't do anything." Maeda scratched the back of his head, resigned. "Sorry for the bother, guess I'll have to find someone else for the bonfire."
Next, he turned around and walked away. Fuutarou looked at him until he disappeared from sight, and once he was at safe, Ichika finally let go of his arm and sighed in relief.
"Oof, he finally left. You had great timing, thanks for rescuing me."
"Rescuing me?" he asked confused. "I didn't do anything; you were the one who dragged me to play along."
"Don't be so modest," the pinkette said, still smiling. "You came just in time to get me out of an uncomfortable situation. I didn't know what to say to not to break his heart too much, refusing to dance with him in the bonfire."
"Don't tell me you believe that legend thing," he laconically said.
"Geez, do you have to see everything that way?" Ichika protested, puffing her cheeks. "Though if I really believed it, then I would ask the person I like to dance myself."
Fuutarou looked at her sideways. Ichika didn't seem too subtle about her being interested in him, and thus he couldn't help but feel a little alluded to. It reminded her a lot of what happened in the fireworks festival, while Ichika here technically didn't lie to Maeda by saying they were a couple, she did insinuate it enough for him to interpret it that way. The intention was clear.
"By the way, you and Yotsuba have talked about it?"
"About what?" a confused Fuutarou asked. Ichika was left momentarily speechless, but a few seconds later adopted a solemn expression.
"I see, so she hasn't done it yet. Well don't worry, I'll have to talk to her later. See you!"
And without any more words, she turned around and walked away, leaving him even more confused. Did Yotsuba have something to talk about with him? And from what he caught, did it have to do with the bonfire?
'Ichika… you're not insinuating that Yotsuba wanted to invite me to the bonfire?'
No, that'd be too weird. Besides, for all excited she seemed about it, Yotsuba didn't seem the type to take that kind of relationship seriously. If she really wanted to dance with him, maybe she'd already had gone up front and ask him the same day she told everyone about the legend.
Better go occupy his mind in something else. Something he could use to relax and deflect his attention from that legend, which was giving him nothing but headaches.
Halfway through the afternoon…
Some would think fishing was a boring activity, fit only for old people. For Fuutarou, though, it was a good change of pace, as the idea of just sitting and waiting seemed more attractive than doing exaggerated physical effort. Not to mention he could eat for dinner the fish he caught if he wanted. And among other things, it did give him some peace and quiet, to think and reflect.
"No way. One of the Nakano quints?"
"What can I say, buddy? I think that's part of my charm."
Barring one little detail. He wasn't the only one to pick that specific fishing spot. His roommates back at the inn, that is, his cousin, Maeda and Takeda were also there. While he and Takeda were fishing, Kintarou conversed with Maeda, or rather, he was rubbing in his face the fact that he managed to score some points with one of the Nakano sisters.
"Geez, is it a family thing with you or what?" Maeda asked. "I'm so envious, man."
"Well, if I'm honest I used to doubt about our relationship until very little ago." Kintarou gave him a glance, which he returned with a scowl. "I guess he took a while to awaken his DNA. Though I didn't think he'd beat me to it; two for the price of one? He's got my respect for that."
Fuutarou felt tempted to yell at him, for giving him that kind of praise. If he kept doing so, all he'd do was to make Maeda feel even worse with Ichika's rejection, and maybe getting him in hot water if they spread rumors that he was doing double time with two of the Nakanos. Last thing he wanted was to see his image as a model student go awry due to unfounded rumors that he was a skirt chaser or something.
"So you've grown quite close with Nakano-san and her sisters," Takeda said, finally intervening in the conversation.
"They forced me to," Fuutarou said. "They insisted they wanted to be friends with me, even if I wasn't interested."
"You're saying it like it's a bad thing," the pretty boy added, never dropping his smile. He might not be as straightforward as Kintarou, but Fuutarou could see in his face he shared the same line of thought. "Or do you hate them?"
It took him a bit to look him in the eye before responding. The answer was obvious; the hard thing was wording it properly: Ichika and Yotsuba, there was no way he could hate them, annoying as they could be sometimes, they insisted in becoming friends with him and he ended up accepting it. Miku, he didn't dislike her at all, and even being at odds with Nino and Itsuki… saying that he hated them was to stretch beyond the truth.
"No, of course not. They're nice girls, deep down… some of them, at least," he grudgingly admitted.
"Some are way too lucky," Maeda said bitterly. "I'd have invited Ichika-san to do the courage test together. Maybe she'd have noticed me that way."
"Doesn't matter, the pairings for the test have been sorted," Kintarou intervened. "Don't feel bad, Maeda; maybe you'll get the chance with your partner. Isn't that right, cous'?"
Fuutarou had to hold he urge to glare at him, and limited himself to nod. Having already completed the preparations for the courage test, when nobody was watching as he sorted the names of those who were going to take part he did a little trick to get the names of Matsui and Maeda, so they'd do it together just as Yotsuba asked him.
"Hey, why're you so desperate to get a girlfriend?" he asked. "Aren't there any pretty girls in your class?"
"All the ones I know are way too dull," the brunet replied. "Nakano, I mean Yotsuba-san, is the first one who's interesting, but you had her hogged already."
"I'm just her tutor," Fuutarou pointed. "You could have asked her out long ago."
"Nah, even if I were interested, another guy in my class tried once and she rejected him," Maeda answered dryly. "Said she had some responsibilities and couldn't dismiss them."
Fuutarou this time turned to glance at Maeda, with an eyebrow raised. So Yotsuba had skipped on someone asking her out to study with him. There it was again, that weird but admirable sense of responsibility of hers, to apply in her study sessions.
"Though imagine my surprise when I learned she had quintuplet sisters," he continued. "Pity she was the only one to transfer to our school. And you had to take Ichika-san; lucky you."
Then again, he had to hold back on saying that, technically, they weren't together that way. At most, they'd gone out together just once, although it was debatable on whether it was a real date or not, at least for Ichika it definitely was. As for him… he'd rather not think much about the matter.
"By the way, Takeda, did you really eat Miku's stew?" Kintarou asked. "No offense, but that didn't seem fit for human consumption."
"It wasn't too bad," the aforementioned replied as he shrugged.
"If you say so. At any rate, it's too far from the one Nino made, if you ask me," the blond continued.
"I find it hard to believe to they're quintuplets," Maeda asked. "I mean, they have the same face, but they're different in almost everything else."
"Look at the bright side; there's variety to choose from," Kintarou said. "Though I already made my choice, and that won't change, gentlemen. Hahahaha!"
Fortunately, and before the conversation could get even more awkward, Fuutarou's line began shaking, cluing him of a bite. He immediately rolled in and pulled to get him out as Maeda held a bucket to put in there along with the rest of the fish they'd caught. He had difficulties to pull it out, but it seemed the strength training he made with Yotsuba helped him to avoid being pulled by the fish.
The group continued fishing for a bit. While Fuutarou didn't intervene in the conversation as much as the other three, except when they called him specifically, he had to admit he wasn't having such a bad time. After a while, Takeda switched places with Maeda, the former watching the fishes near the fire, while the second grabbed the second fishing rod to catch more.
Neither of them said anything until Maeda decided to reopen the chat:
"Hey, you already been around the Nakanos quite a bit. You must know them pretty well."
"I guess I know them enough," Fuutarou said. "They're all very different from one another… there's something important that keeps them together."
"Oh? And what is that?" Maeda asked with interest. Fuutarou took a moment to answer, once he found the right words.
"Their bond as sisters. They'll always support one another, no matter what."
"Geez, I'm so envious. You're dating one of them, and you know the others pretty well."
Though the part about 'dating' one of them was questionable at best, Maeda's words echoed in Fuutarou's head, as he sincerely doubted there was something to be envious of.
At this point he'd interacted with the Nakano sisters enough to know the quirks of each one, for better or worse. Itsuki was an inveterate glutton who tried to appear more mature than she actually was, and as much as he hated to admit it, it was like seeing his own reflection in female version. Nino took it against him just because he set foot in their apartment, and generally he could only deal with her through negotiation. Miku wasn't so bad once she opened up, if you managed to get through her withdrawn and quiet outer shell. Ichika, aside from being a lazy slob at home, seemed the most mature of the five overall, but he couldn't deny her teasing and flirting sometimes could get uncomfortable, while she seemed sincere in her interest after a certain sometime. And Yotsuba, despite showing a lot of effort and dedication, his first impression of her as a brawny, cheery and stupid girl hadn't changed that much.
The truth was, when it came to romantic relationships, while he lacked real experience, Fuutarou had very clear the image of the woman he'd like to fall in love with. Even though at this point he came to consider the Nakanos as nice (some more than others), he still questioned whether any of them could fit the mold of his ideal woman.
'Someone mature and dedicated to what she does. Someone who has her goals clear and knows where she wants to go, and what she wants to do with her life.'
So it was. Someone like that girl from his memories. Despite her short age, she was very clear about what she wanted to do. She wanted to be a good student to get a good job and get her family out of their poverty. Not so different from himself, as he wanted to go forward and stop being a burden to his parents.
She'd probably grown into a model student, perhaps even class representative. Someone responsible and focused on her goals, someone who'd never waste her time with typical high school teenager frivolities.
It might sound demanding, and if he said it out loud, people would believe he was going a bit too far, describing who he wanted to marry. But admittedly, was there something bad in it?
"Okay, we have enough!" Kintarou announced. "Let's dig in, gentlemen!"
With that, Fuutarou and Maeda left the rods aside and sat around the grill, grabbing some fishes to start eating, along with Kintarou and Takeda.
"By the way, Kintarou," Fuutarou said. "Don't forget we have to go to the path for the courage test before nightfall."
"I know, I know," the blond said. "Hehe, tonight we're gonna scare plenty."
"You seem rather enthusiastic about that test," Takeda commented. "Hope you guys don't go too overboard with the scares. Some can be a little… fragile for those things, you know."
"Ha, you have to be a crybaby or a little girl to be scared of that," Maeda said. "Bah, I've got nothing else but wait out and enjoy the rest of the camp."
"You said it, bro!" Kintarou exclaimed. "Let's go, gentlemen, the day's young and we have to live the moment!"
Live the moment… Fuutarou didn't recall the last time he did that. After that fateful meeting at Kyoto, he stopped thinking about the present to focus more in his future. That meant to study more, and less fun, and less time for relationships, whether they'd be platonic or romantic.
This school camp was one of those few times he could allow himself a bit of fun, but once it was over, he'd go back to his normal routine, which consisted in studying and earning his money from tutoring Yotsuba. Even if deep down, he knew it was far from being called a 'routine', because since she entered his life, days had stopped being the same.
And once she left back for her old school, those days would end.
'Maybe… it won't be too bad to enjoy this trip a little more,' he thought.
Only two more days, and there was no point in not living them to the fullest. Besides, he'd have more stories to tell Raiha the more things he did, after all.
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
As Fuutarou and the others were busy with fishing, Yotsuba was performing a more physically demanding activity. She'd decided to take the hiking path along with Matsui, and now they were walking up one of the snowy hills, carrying large backpacks.
"Hurry, Matsui, we're almost there!"
"I'm… coming…" The brunette collapsed on her knees, placing her hands on the chest as she tried to breathe. "No more… I can't… can I… rest?"
Yotsuba was about to say there was very little left, but seeing her friend could barely speak, decided to have mercy with her and helped her up, carrying her to a nearby tree so she could lean against it. As the brunette inhaled and exhaled on intervals, Yotsuba took a moment to admire the sight where they had arrived.
"Wow, we're really high up here. I can't believe we made it this far."
"Me neither," Matsui said. "How you're not affected by this altitude? I can barely breathe; you're really incredible, Yotsuba."
"Hehe." Yotsuba sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "Changing the topic, have you talked to Maeda-san?"
"Truthfully, I haven't," Matsui said. "I thought I'd have a chance during this camp, but he seemed way too busy with your sister… what was her name?"
"Ichika. Truth is, she was always pretty popular in my old neighborhood."
"I'm not surprised," Matsui said. "She irradiates confidence, and she seems someone very responsible."
"Hehe, if only you knew," Yotsuba chuckled. On the outside Ichika could give off that impression, but the truth couldn't be further than that.
"I'd never be able to compete with someone like that," Matsui said. "Maeda-kun would never set his sights on someone as dull as me."
"Hey, don't sya that," Yotsuba said. "Cheer up, you might have a chance tonight in the courage trial. We sorted the pairs and you ended up with him. How do you like that?"
"Really?" Matsui seemed to lighten up at that. "I'm so lucky."
Yotsuba had to hold back the urge to laugh, as she knew it wasn't a matter of luck. Fuutarou had assured her he would place them together to do that little favor as a friend, though she was a little worried when Maeda seemed to go after Ichika. Maybe this would get him to notice her.
"So then, you're gonna ask him to dance on the bonfire?" Yotsuba asjed.
"I'd love to, but I'm not sure how I'm going to do it," Matsui replied. "I'll think about something though; I'm tired of waiting for him."
"That's the spirit!" the ribbon girl exclaimed enthusiastically. "You have to take the initiative so your man notices you. But don't wait too long; remember you have only until tomorrow."
"That's true," Matsui nodded. "What about you? Have you already invited someone?"
Yotsuba became paralyzed for a moment at que question, before giggling nervously. This reminded her she still had that pending to do. Things would be much easier if Ichika decided to invite Fuutarou directly, but the eldest sister had made it clear she wasn't going to do it, until Yotsuba had asked him out first. But she hadn't had the chance to do it so far.
"Er… well, if there was someone, and I don't necessarily mean there is, maybe I'd invite him when we were alone," said Yotsuba. "So nobody can see me making a fool of myself, you know, hehehe."
"Hmm… I don't get how you could make a fool of yourself," Matsui said. "Many would surely be happy if you asked them. Though of course, assuming that legend thing were true, we shouldn't take it lightly, right?"
"No, of course not." Yotsuba stood back up. "Okay, shall we continue? There's not much before we reach the top, and they say the view is even better than from here."
"If it can't be helped," Matsui asked. "I wish I had half your energy, though."
Both girls continued their ascent up the hill. This time, Yotsuba let Matsui walked ahead, as she gave one last glance to the shelter.
'Take the initiative so your man notices you… how funny that sounds coming from me.'
Funny and a bit hypocritical at the same time. How easy she had it to support her friend, and push her to chase after the boy she liked, while she wasn't able to do the same for Fuutarou.
Why was it so hard? If she was so certain that Fuutarou would never accept her invitation to dance together at the bonfire, she could simply get it over with, and Ichika would have free way to try it. That way she could get the load off his back, and both he and her eldest sister would be able to have a good time together.
But… what if he accepted? What if she told him, and in the end he said yes, if only out of courtesy, or because he had nothing better to do? If the legend was true, and both ended up together…
'No, don't think about it. That won't happen. It can't happen.'
Better shake off that feeling off her head. It was pointless to imagine scenarios that were but a simple fantasy. No matter that there was a little voice in her head, repeating her nonstop to do it.
At nightfall…
In the middle of the forest's darkness, the students of Asahiyama, Kurobara and the other schools were lining up to begin the courage test. And those who were going to give the scares were already waiting at their hiding places, ready to terrify their innocent victims.
"WELCOME TO THE UNDERWORLD!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Their role was quite simple: they just had to wait for the pairs to walk close in the path, and come out screaming something scary. Surprisingly enough, Fuutarou was able to let out a blood-chilling whisper that sent everyone running for the hills, and so far he hadn't failed to scare anybody.
"Raaaaargghhh! I'll eat you alive!
Yotsuba also helped playing her part, but certainly Fuutarou's psycho clown costume was much scarier than her mummy outfit, and while they'd manage to scare plenty so far, it was mostly thanks to him. In any case, both managed to make quite a convincing act, and the blue-haired boy couldn't deny he was having fun big time scaring his classmates.
"This is better than I thought," said Fuutarou, momentarily pulling out his mask to breathe a little bit. "They're all a bunch of scaredy-cats."
As the steps came closer, he could spot two silhouettes approaching, a male and a female. Each one held a lantern, and little by little he could hear pieces of what they talked.
"… not funny if you don't get scared. What good do I have from doing this with you?"
"The only scary thing here is your thug face. If I don't get scared by you, how am I gonna get scared of this?"
"Ah, that's Matsui's voice!" Yotsuba said.
"And the other's definitely Maeda," added Fuutarou. "Well, you ready? On my mark."
Both hid back into the bushes, hearing how the two complained as they came closer. When they were less than three feet away, Fuutarou gave Yotsuba the clue to go out. And for additional effect, both used their own lanterns to illuminate their faces.
"YOU'VE ENTERED MY DOMAIN, YOU PUNY MORTALS!"
"Yaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!" Matsui shouted, jumping behind Maeda.
"Let's get outta here!" Maeda exclaimed, running as he dragged her by the arm.
The two of them ran away, and at the distance Fuutarou and Yotsuba heard one of them tripping and falling. After some more complaints, their voices stopped being heard, and thus the duo returned to their hideout.
"Hope that helps him get close," Yotsuba commented. "Though I think we went a little overboard."
"Hah, If they can't take it, they should have come," Fuutarou added. "Though they didn't seem to get as scared as the previous ones."
"Ah, I got it!" Yotsuba exclaimed, suddenly smirking into a toothy grin. "I've got a great idea, shishishi!"
The ribbon girl beckoned him to get closer and began to whisper to his ear. He listened attentively, and then she helped him climb up the tree they hid behind. Using a rope, she tied his feet to hang upside down and waited for the next group to come.
"Here they come!" Yotsuba whispered, tying the rope behind the tree.
The two that approached turned out to be two girls: one with a lavender-colored long dress and the other with a dark red sweater and a light grey long skirt. Since they walked forward with their cellphones lighting up, the light didn't allow him to see their faces, however, the long magenta hair of one of them seemed curiously familiar.
"My classmates said this forest is haunted by ghosts."
"Ah, c'mon, those are just rumors. Just like that stupid bonfire legend; who's gonna believe those tales?"
"Yaaaaaahhh!"
"How delicate, you get scared with those cheap toys?"
'That's… yeah, that's definitely Nino,' he thought upon recognizing her, and upon coming closer he saw the other coming with her was Itsuki. He smiled evilly behind his clown mask. 'Hehe, I'm gonna get payback for one of the many you owe me tonight.'
Fuutarou waited for Yotsuba's clue to make his move, and dropped himself from the tree, hanging upside down as he stretched his hands. Yotsuba also jumped from behind the tree to assist him.
"BLEAAAAAAAAAAARRRGHHHH!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! NO, I CAN'T STAND THIS ANYMORE!" Itsuki cried, running off in complete fear. Nino for her part just was a little startled, but didn't run.
"Itsuki, wait! Don't you see it's just…?!" Nino stopped calling out upon realizing her sister quickly got out of sight, and probably couldn't hear her with all that screaming. She turned to glare at her fourth sister. "Thanks a lot, Yotsuba, now I have to catch up to her because of you."
"Hehe, sorry, Nino." Yotsuba scratched the back of her head.
"If she can't take the scares, she shouldn't have come," Fuutarou said, pulling out the mask for a moment.
"That voice… yeah, it had to be you," the second sister too. "Well, you can stay hanging up there, for all I care."
And giving him a shove that made him swing upside down for a few seconds, ran as she called for Itsuki. Fortunately, they'd taken the right path, so as long as they stayed there, there would be no problem.
"I changed my mind, better not do this," Fuutarou stated, as Yotsuba held him up as he untied his feet to get back down on the ground.
"Hehe, you're right," the ribbon girl. "Hurry, I think the next ones are coming!"
Fuutarou hurriedly untied the rope and Yotsuba helped him get his feet back on earth. He quickly put the mask back on and they waited for the next pair of victims. These two didn't talk so he didn't recognize them immediately, but they seemed to be another pair of girls.
"YOU'LL GO NO FURTHER!"
"WE'LL EAT YOU ALIVE!"
"Ah, Fuutarou-kun?"
"And Yotsuba…"
The 'victims' turned out to be Ichika and Miku who, to their disappointment, didn't even faze, standing there just looking at them. Fuutarou sighed as Yotsuba simply gave a silly chuckle.
"Ah, it's just you. It's no fun if you already know the trick."
"Whoa, how scary!" Ichika said, raising her arms in a mock scare, and then came closer to get a better look. "Hey, what's with that blond hair? You look identical to your cousin."
"It's just a wig," he said. "The idiot's a bit further ahead, disguised as a vampire. Whatever, be careful and don't stray from the path. There's a dangerous cliff nearby."
"Got it," Ichika nodded. "Ah, by the way, Yotsuba… what happened with that thing we talked about?"
"Huh?" The ribbon girl suddenly got startled, and began giggling nervously, like a girl who'd been caught about to do a prank. "Hehehe, about that…"
"You haven't done it yet?" Ichika folded her arms, giving her an accusing look. "You better hurry. Better yet, right now would be a good time to do it."
"What are you talking about?" Fuutarou asked.
"Oh, nothing you should worry about, Fuutarou-kun. Sister stuff," the eldest Nakano replied. "Okay, let's go, Miku."
"Bye." The middle sister waved them goodbye, and the two Nakanos continued walking their own way.
Fuutarou had forgotten the momentary disappointment of not being able to scare them, since something else occupied his thoughts. Namely, what Ichika said to Yotsuba about "that thing [they] talked about". In fact, after thinking for a bit, he recalled Ichika mentioned something she needed to talk about with her sister, and he suspected it had something to do with the bonfire dance.
"What did you Ichika talk about?" he asked.
"Nothing, really," the girl assured, but once again, her voice and face gave her away. That only reinforced his suspicions.
"Don't lie to me, you're not good at it," he insisted. "Come on, I'd appreciate if you trusted me a little more."
The boy looked at the ribbon girl through the holes of his clown mask. Yotsuba was smiling in an unusual way, in the sense that she didn't have her usual energetic and cheery demeanor, but instead it was a melancholic smile.
And he wasn't sure why, but he didn't like that expression on the girl. Annoying as she could be at times, a grim and melancholic expression wasn't becoming of her.
Yotsuba sighed and kneeled down, drawing a spiral on the ground with her finger.
"Well, it's just… it's about that. You know, the legend about the bonfire dance. About how the couples who dance together will be bonded to each other for life," she said. "The truth is… I wanted to ask you to dance with me."
The fourth sister looked at him through her only uncovered eye, in a way he couldn't decipher. Despite the darkness, he could see a strange glint in Yotsuba's blue orb, and her smile, still melancholic, made something paralyze inside him.
Was… was Yotsuba insinuating that…? Did she want them to…?
No, that couldn't be. If they were just teacher and student… well, aside from that, they were also classmates… and friends outside study hours no matter how hard it was to admit. But he, and she… Yotsuba was an attractive girl, but she wasn't his…
"Hehe…" The ribbon girl's expression morphed in a heartbeat, showing her toothy grin. "Just kidding, just kidding! Really, you didn't think I'd want something like that, did you?"
"I figured as much," he said, grabbing the coat he had close by to cover himself from the cold wind washing over them.
"And even if I believed in the legend, I know you'd never accept dancing with someone like me," Yotsuba continued. "I won't deny I like you a little, but… I'm happy being just friends, really."
The girl looked up at the night sky, and once more melancholy returned to her face. Why didn't he like to see her that way? Why was he so worried?
And why did he felt disappointed at the fact that she was just joking about dancing at the bonfire? He wasn't one to engage in such activities, and yet… for a moment the idea of her liking him…
"You've helped me so much in these months," she continued. "That's why I wanted to help you with this. That's what friends do, after all. Besides, this is pretty fun, isn't it? Let's do our best to make good memories of this camp, so we can leave without regrets. Ah, the next ones are coming!"
As they prepared to scare the next group, Fuutarou was left thinking about the girl's words. He constantly repeated himself that she wasn't his type; in fact, she couldn't be any more opposite to his ideal girl. Though that didn't mean she didn't have things he liked, like her sincerity and disposition to help whomever asked her. And he wasn't blind to not to notice her physical appeal either.
If he weren't so demanding, or if she was a bit different, Yotsuba wouldn't be girlfriend material. And if she'd asked him seriously to dance… he wasn't sure he'd have refused.
…
Meanwhile, and unbeknownst to Fuutarou and Yotsuba, Ichika had convinced Miku to stay a little more to eavesdrop. She wanted to make sure Yotsuba would do as told. For a moment it seemed she would, only to get disappointed.
Because she knew very well that the "Just kidding" part was a big lie.
'Bad, little sister, very bad. We need to talk very seriously later.'
For now, they needed to finish the courage test, but as soon as she had the chance, she'd seek out Yotsuba to talk in private. Things couldn't stay this way.
A bit later that night…
After the courage test, and once everyone returned to the shelter, they began preparations for the bonfire. The logs had been kept in the storage room to protect them from the blizzard, and now several students, especially those strong enough to carry the weight, were transporting them to put them on the fireplace.
After carrying five trunks, each one helping a different person, Yotsuba began running towards the storage room for the next one, and ran into Fuutarou trying to lift one by himself. Alright, lifting it he did, but barely about twenty centimeters from the ground before his strength failed, and he couldn't move it out of the stack.
"Oof… this is heavier than it looks," he complained.
"Need help?" the ribbon girl offered as she held the log from the other side, so they could take it together out of the stack. "One… two…"
"Three!" he completed and they lifted it together.
"Way to go, Uesugi-san! Hehe, looks like our training bore fruit," Yotsuba said.
"Don't make fun of me," he laconically said.
Yotsuba pouted at the remark. She wasn't mocking him; she was sure the workout they'd done together would have given him a little more strength. She doubted the Fuutarou she met at the start of the term would have been able to raise the log by himself from a side, let alone help her carry it. Of course, the girl put over two thirds of the necessary strength to move the huge wood piece, but it was a progress, she thought.
As they walked down the path towards the place where they stacked the logs for the bonfire tower, several students were placing theirs, so they waited for their turn. A familiar face ran into them as they left his.
"Ah, here you are!" Kintarou greeted them. "Hey, cous', you look tired, too much work for you?"
"Very funny." Fuutarou waved his arms, evidently trying to shake off the pain and making Kintarou laugh again.
"Dude, how humiliating must be, having a girl help you carry one of those logs," the blond added. "But really, I know you've been working out, but you should know your limits or you could get hurt."
"If it's any consolation, it's not as bad as I thought," said Fuutarou, looking at Yotsuba. "Marginally."
"Haha, then you should thank Yotsuba for training you," Kintarou laughed again. "By the way, Yotsuba, one of your sisters was looking for you a while ago… I think it was Ichika, right?"
"Ichika?" the ribbon girl asked, confused. "Why is she looking for me?"
"I don't know, she just asked me to tell you, and to go meet her behind the shelter." He pointed at the aforementioned place.
"Maybe you should go before you forget, it could be something important," Fuutarou said.
"But I need to help with the bonfire logs."
"Ah, rest easy," said Kintarou nonchalantly. "The log tower's halfway done, and we can manage five minutes without you. And if you're worried about my wimpy cousin, I'll make sure to give him a hand so he doesn't get hurt, okay?"
Fuutarou narrowed his eyes at his cousin. For her part, Yotsuba looked at the two Uesugi cousins with a doubtful expression, but since they both insisted that she had to go, and that they could be right about it being important, she nodded and ran off, leaving them to head back for the storage room for the next log.
The girl ran around the shelter, looking all over for her sister, and it wasn't long before she found her. The eldest Nakano was leaning against the wall, arms folded, and with an unusually serious expression.
One that made Yotsuba tremble slightly, as it reminded her of their late mother, of those times she was about to scold or punish her for doing something she shouldn't have.
"Hi, Ichika. You wanted to talk to me?"
"Yeah, I did," Ichika said. Matching her expression, her sister's voice sounded unusually serious. "I need to ask you something, and please answer me sincerely. Did you finally invite Fuutarou-kun to the bonfire dance?"
Just like she feared, it was that. No point in trying to dodge it or run away, better be direct and answer.
"Yeah, of course I did. Right after you and Miku left, in fact," the ribbon girl said.
"Hmm… and what was his answer?" the eldest sister asked once more.
"Hahaha, well, what do you know? He obviously said no, he's not interested in those things. Let alone with an idiot like me, hehehe." Yotsuba scratched the back of her head, trying to appear (that being the key word) that she was taking it to humor.
"Liar," Ichika said with a dry voice.
"Eh?"
Yotsuba looked at her sister, whose expression hadn't changed one bit, still looking scarily a lot like their mother's. The eldest Nakano sighed and solemnly placed a hand over the fourth's shoulder.
"Yotsuba, why are you lying to me?" she asked. Her voice sounded kind, yet stern, once more similar to their mother. "And don't try to pretend, I heard everything during the courage test."
"Say what?" That caught her off-guard, to the point she didn't realize she'd raised her voice. The eldest sister immediately went "shhhh" before someone heard them talking.
"Sorry about that, but when I heard you were about to ask Fuutarou-kun to dance, I wanted to make sure. So Miku and I stayed hidden on the path's side."
"It's rude to peep," Yotsuba said with a pout.
"I'm sorry," Ichika apologized again. "But Yotsuba, do you remember our deal?"
The fourth Nakano looked at her eldest sister. Her expression was now much more relaxed. She didn't look stern, but rather understanding. It was no longer that of their mom, so she felt more at ease before answering.
"You'd only ask him to dance if I did it first, and if he refused me."
"But you didn't let him answer," Ichika pointed. "He hasn't accepted, but didn't refuse either. That's not how things are done, sis."
Yotsuba lowered her gaze in shame. Ichika had hit the bullseye, and she couldn't refute her arguments. An answer she gave herself couldn't count as a refusal. There went her attempt to try and skip out to clear the way.
"Yotsuba, I hate to lecture you for this, but you're the one who always says people should always fulfill their promises," Ichika continued. "Until Fuutarou-kun does not give you a direct answer, you haven't fulfilled your part of the deal. So you have to ask him again, and seriously this time around. If you're so certain that he'll refuse, it shouldn't be so hard."
That was the crux of the matter. Yotsuba was telling herself that she was certain about it, that Fuutarou would reject her because he'd never dance, let alone risk himself to be together with a girl as stupid as her for the rest of their lives. In theory, it should be easy to ask him for a dance, accept his refusal, and step way to give Ichika her chance.
Yeah, in theory it should be easy. Then why did she hesitate so much?
"But Ichika… what if he accepted? Where'd that leave you?"
The eldest Nakano sighed and turned around, her back turned at Yotsuba while she stared at the starry sky and the moon shining over them.
"At this point, he already knows of my feelings for him, but that's I've tried to be upfront. You, on the other hand, you're constantly dodging him, so he doesn't know of yours. I don't want to be happy, if that means my dear sister needs to suffer in silence."
"Ichika…"
"I'll tell you something; I don't fear rejection," the eldest sister continued. "I'd rather be rejected after being honest about my feelings, rather than bottling them that way. That's fine with me, just to know I have these feelings." Ichika then turned back and smiled. "And if he accepts you… then I can be happy for you two."
Yotsuba stared at her sister. Being quintuplets, there were too many things that made them equal, but also many that made them different. She was really ashamed; why couldn't she be honest about her feelings like Ichika? Why couldn't she tell that guy how much she liked him?
No, she couldn't be like Ichika, because she was not Ichika. She was Yotsuba, after all.
"You still have until tomorrow," Ichika said. "You said it before; better leave the camp without regrets. Even if it hurts, I think it's better to confess and be rejected, rather than not to confess and live wondering if your feelings were returned, don't you agree?"
Yotsuba shut her eyes and clenched her firsts, reflecting on her words. As much as she hated to admit it, Ichika was totally right. This uncertainty of know knowing what Fuutarou really felt for her was eating at her inside, and it became more and more intolerable. And while she was sure he'd never look at her that way, there was a part of herself clinging to a little hope that he would, that one she thought long buried, still fighting to come back to the surface.
If he never gave her an answer, those wounds would never heal.
"I will," Yotsuba said, raising her fists firmly along with her chest. "Tomorrow for sure, I'll ask him to dance. And whatever he says, I will accept it."
"That's my little sister," Ichika said, raising her pinky finger. "Let's make this camp memorable for all of us, shall we?"
"Alright." Yotsuba intertwined her finger with her sister's.
The pact between the sisters was sealed. Yotsuba had promised to be honest with herself and Fuutarou, and he planned to do so. She had to overcome that fear, and if she was competing with Ichika, she had to do so fairly. Which meant to do her best rather than letting the other win.
Little did they know, fate had other plans about it.
To be continued…
Author's notes:
Happy 2021, people! Well, here we are again with a new chapter, this time covering the second day of the camp. If anybody asks, at this point I've already written this arc. Once more the chain of events changes drastically since this time around Fuutarou is not locked up in the storage room with Ichika, and thus they won't get sick. So to compensate a little, I decided to show the two activities mentioned in the camp's program but we didn't get to see neither in manga nor anime (hiking and fishing). I enjoyed quite a bit those scenes, since it helps me have the protagonists interact with other characters outside themselves and their families (I especially had fun writing Fuutarou's scene with the other boys).
But well, by not having Fuutarou and Ichika locked up, I needed something else to spice up the romantic plot, so I made another scene between Ichika and Yotsuba. Again to make the competition fair, Ichika cuts Yotsuba's attempt to let her win so she can compete fairly. At the same time, I took advantage of the perspective changes to show a bit of the thoughts of both Fuutarou and Yotsuba in all this matter, something the original story didn't dig too much into at this point in time. I think it gives their second day a good closure, what do you think?
Last but not least, the next chapter won't cover the third day of the camp; it'll be a small extra that takes place during this very one. Remember I told you I'd give the other quintuplets one or two chapters as protagonists? Well, the first of them will be for Nino during the courage test, so you can see what happened to her and Itsuki after they ran away. Maybe at this point you can figure out what's gonna happen, but I still hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for the reviews to TheMist33 and OmegaBox. Let's hope this year will be better for all of us than the previous one.