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 13: Farewell to the Past
Pentagon building…
Fuutarou had no clue how long he was in shock after Rena's disappearance. In fact, he was so distracted he almost didn't stop at his destination. Hadn't it been because he already knew the route by heart, and having still the leg in a cast, he might have just wandered aimlessly all over the city in that bus.
He looked up, all the way to the top floor. For some reason today it felt higher than usual. Was it because he felt he'd lost his worth, like he was smaller and more insignificant after his meeting with Rena?
'She said I didn't need of her anymore. But maybe, what she meant to say is that she doesn't need me anymore,' he thought.
Yeah, it surely was that. She just worded it to be nicer so he wouldn't feel any worse, knowing that she would break his heart. At least he could appreciate that, since he already felt devastated.
He walked carefully towards the entrance, and pushed the buttons to call the Nakano household without enthusiasm. A minute later or so, Nino's voice answered:
"Yeah?"
"It's me," he replied in a deadpan tone. "I came to wait for Yotsuba, may I go up?"
"Hold on." A second later the door's lock deactivated, opening for him. "Done, you may come in."
"Thanks."
He wasn't sure whether she heard it or not, but he headed for the elevator and pressed the button for Floor 30. Despite having done it several times, today the trip up was much slower than usual. As if seeing the building bigger wasn't an optical illusion.
He couldn't stop thinking about Rena's words. Did she really show up to see him and say goodbye, breaking his heart? Did the promise they made mean nothing to her, after all this time?
Once he was up, the walk through the hallway felt a lot heavier than usual, even with the leg in a cast. His arm also felt heavier than before when he rang the bell. Fortunately, the door opened almost immediately; Nino was probably awaiting his arrival.
"With your permission," he said as he stepped inside.
"Come in." The second sister closed the door behind him. "Hey, you alright? You look horrible."
"It doesn't matter," he said as he dropped himself on the couch, leaving his crutches to the side.
Aside from Nino, the only other quint who was at the apartment was Miku, who as usual was busy playing with her Tablet, though she did leave it aside when she saw him come in. Just like with Nino, his downhearted expression didn't go unnoticed by the middle sister.
"You don't look well," she said. "Did something happen?"
"Nothing you should worry about," he replied dryly. "It's my business."
"Hey," Nino quipped with a bossy tone. "We're trying to be nice here, get it? Being depressed doesn't go with you, so come on, spill it."
Fuutarou raised his look, and saw Nino with a scowl in her face and her arms crossed, though there was a hint of worry in her face. Miku on the other hand seemed to take a different approach.
"Maybe some tea will help," she suggested. "I'll prepare some."
"You know, that's not a bad idea," Nino said. "It'll go well with the cupcakes I was making."
Fuutarou saw the two sisters walk towards the kitchen. He sincerely didn't understand why they were so attentive with him, but since they offered, he didn't bother to refuse. In any case, it wasn't like he had anything else to kill time as he waited for Yotsuba so they could talk.
With the preparations complete, the sisters brought to the table a tray of cupcakes and a green tea jar with a few cups, Miku offered him one and served. It was a tad bitter, to be honest, but somehow that actually helped him shake off that feeling tormenting him. And the cupcakes, like everything else Nino prepared, were delicious. Sometimes a good snack was enough to alleviate the pain.
"So, you're gonna tell us what happened?" Nino insisted. "Must have been pretty bad to leave you with that face."
"Hey, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, and I appreciate you guys want to cheer me up. But I don't see why you should get involved in my personal issues"
"You're friends with Yotsuba and Ichika," Miku said. "So you're our friend too. You can trust us."
"Well, 'friend' is a bit of a stretch." Nino curled up a strand of her hair around her finger. "But, I'm not so cruel to throw salt on a wound, I mean."
"I really don't get you," Fuutarou said. "Well, if nothing else, it's a rather long story, and you might get bored to death."
"You tell us first and we'll be the judges of that," Nino declared.
The Uesugi boy sighed. They were stubborn alright; they wouldn't stop until they got what they wanted. Probably it was a family thing, but seeing no way out, he figured he should just get it over with.
Thus, he began by recapping the story about the girl he met five years ago, and how after all this time she suddenly reappeared in his life. How she invited him for a ride on a boat, talked a bit to get up to speed, and how she said she'd come to say goodbye to him.
Upon reaching this part, the boy cut off before continuing. He still remembered Rena's sad smile upon telling him she couldn't fulfill their promise, and how he didn't need of her anymore. Both Nakano sisters' expression shifted from interest to a slight surprise, as both widened their eyes for a moment (Nino did so more notably than Miku), and the boy told them how, from what he could deduce, she found her own dream in life and decided to pursue it.
"And she told me she would always treasure the memories we shared, before running off. After that… I could do nothing but stay there, crying like a baby. Go ahead, you can laugh now if you want to."
He wasn't joking when he said they could laugh; in fact, he fully expected them to do so at any second. But to his surprise, neither of the sisters was laughing. Miku, despite remaining stoic, had his gaze more downhearted than usual, evidencing that she really felt bad for him, but Nino, even more surprisingly, was crying waterfalls.
"That's so sad!" the second sister sobbed. "I can't believe your first love broke your heart that way!"
"Oi, don't go overboard!" he said. "Calling her my first love is too much. I just… admired her, that's all."
"Who're you kidding?!" Nino exclaimed. "She obviously means something much more special to you. Especially after you told us the story of how you met."
"But if what she says is true… maybe you should forget about her," Miku suggested.
"Forget? How can you say that, Miku?!" Nino exclaimed, sounding insulted. "He can't leave things this way! He should go find her and tell her how he feels!"
"But she said they would never meet again."
"All the more reason! Of course, she took advantage of you not being able to chase her with that broken leg, so she escaped."
"Even if he could go search for her, what good would it do? Seeing her would only hurt him more."
"Well, she can't just up and leave him that way," Nino declared, standing up. "That's it, I'll go find her myself! Tell me where you saw her the last time!"
"At this point she must have left the city," Miku pointed out.
"We can't be sure of that!"
"Hey…" Fuutarou tried to get the sisters' attention, not very successfully as the argument seemed to escalate.
"We have to find her, so they can talk things out!"
"And how are you gonna do that? The city is huge; she could be anywhere."
"Hey…"
"I he doesn't do it fast, he'll lose his only chance!"
"Face it; he must have lost it."
"HEY!" he yelled, already fed up with their argument. "Look, I appreciate your concern, I really do; but I don't think you should be fighting over this. I'll think about what I'll do later. For now, I have more pressing things to worry about."
"For example?" Nino asked.
"The way to get Yotsuba out of the track club," Fuutarou replied. "If you really want to help me, maybe one of you can call her and see if she answers. I'd do it myself, but with everything that's happened, I really don't have the mood for that."
Nino and Miku exchanged glances, and finally both grabbed their cellphones and tried to call. After getting no response, they chose to send her text messages, with the hope that she'd read them later.
Fuutarou for his part leaned on the couch, deep in thought. His encounter with Rena left him a deep wound in the heart, one that wouldn't easily heal, but he couldn't get distracted. And moping and crying over it wouldn't make the pain go away.
At the same time, Asahiyama High…
After that long tour across the entire city to get familiar with the route, the track club and Yotsuba finally returned to school. The group had made some stops for lunch and drink some water every once in a while, and by the time they returned, they were all sweating and gasping for air.
Well, all but Captain Eba, and Yotsuba, since she was able to run similar distances without getting too tired. Nonetheless, she was happy it finally was over.
"Good work everyone," Eba said. "Now we know the route, all we have to do is get ready for the training camp next week."
"Eba-san, you sure we should really go?" Yotsuba asked. "Don't you think it'd be better…?"
"You were saying, Nakano-san?"
Yotsuba for some reason gulped, seeing the smile and creepy stare in the captain's eyes. She sent a stealth look at the other members as if begging for backup, but none of them seemed willing to help her. When Eba gave them one of those looks there was no way to change her mind.
"Well, if you don't have anything else to say, we're done for today," Eba said. "You may go the club's room and go home."
There was a collective sigh of relief among the girls. It seemed they'd waited forever to hear those words. Yotsuba, for her part, should have felt that relief, but she was still in the middle of a problem she needed to get out of, and she wasn't sure how.
While they entered the room to change clothes, the fourth Nakano sister was distracted thinking. Truth be told, she thought it'd been a cheap move of Eba, coming to recruit her that way. While she wasn't lying when she said they did need help for the marathon (they had only four active members in the track club, and they needed five to participate), the truth was that Yotsuba wanted to go back to her studies.
'Uesugi-san…'
She knew it was wrong to hope for Fuutarou to shield her from those duties, but she really didn't have a good chance to tell Eba that she couldn't stay full time in the club, neither did she want to. Outside her obsession with competitions, she wasn't a bad person, and the rest of the girl's clubs were nice enough.
However, she knew she couldn't stay much longer. The deal was to help them with the marathon, which would take place two weeks after the final exams, but she wanted to use that time to study. In fact, she was worried that, every time she tried to explain it, Eba tried to deflect the topic, like it wasn't important.
As Yotsuba was tying her shoelaces, she suddenly noticed something on the floor: there was a folded paper under the lockers she hadn't spotted before. Curious, the ribbon girl grabbed it unfolded it.
"Hmm? What's this?" she whispered. "From the Principal's Office, a notification of…"
The girl's eyes widened, and quickly read what it said. It was a notice signed by the principal in person, for the track club's advisor. Apparently, Eba's grade report didn't exactly look good, and if the captain didn't pass the exams at the end of the tem, she was at risk of being suspended from the track club. Worst of all, she could also get her current achievements in competitions revoked, which also meant…
"Ah? Nakano-san? What are you reading there?" Eba asked.
"Eba-san, this is a notification from the Principal, for Makino-sensei. Why is it here?"
"Eh? Ah, give me that, I'll hand it to her!"
Yotsuba was famous for being naïve and stupid, and maybe she actively cultivated that image herself. However, a feeling told her something weird was going on there, and on a reflex she pulled the paper out of Eba's reach. The captain tried to insist, chasing after her, but two of the club members immediately tried to hold her by the arms, while the third approached Yotsuba to read the letter's contents.
It goes without saying that the ribbon girl was stunned: the letter said that, due to being at risk of failing her subjects, Eba could be suspended and her seat as the track club's captain could be revoked. According to the school's rules, every club that was left without a leader to run it would be inevitably shut down, in the case that a new leader wasn't designated in time. Furthermore, any student who failed in the exams would also lose their right to extracurricular activities.
"Eba-san, were you trying to hide this?" Yotsuba asked. "You're doing bad in your classes, aren't you? Why didn't you tell us?"
"What happens in the classrooms stays in the classroom," the ponytailed girl said. As the only third-year who was part of the club, none of the others was aware of how she was doing in her classes. "It's nothing you girls should worry about."
"You sure?" Yotsuba asked. "If you got this letter, then it must be pretty serious."
"I assure you, it's nothing you should be concerned about, Nakano-san," Eba said, trying to shrug it off, even though her smile was now a lot more nervous and shaky. Like a little girl caught in the middle of doing mischief.
"I don't think it's a good idea that we go on a training camp, with the finals so close," Yotsuba said. "We should use that time to study, don't you think?"
"That can wait, the marathon is more important for us. For you too."
"Don't you mean… for you, Captain?" the member who read alongside Yotsuba asked. "In fact, you said this camp was also so we could recruit Nakano-san full time."
"Eh? Is that true, Eba-san?" asked Yotsuba. Eba began giggling nervously as she sweated.
"But come to think about it, wouldn't it have a dual purpose?" one of the two holding her back added. "Were you planning on using this camp to escape from studying?"
"No! I assure you, I didn't mean to…! What I'm trying to say is…!"
The club members were glaring daggers at their captain, and it seemed like they would jump her at any second. Yotsuba, however, decided to have mercy on her before things got to that extreme, even though she still had to make a few points clear.
"Eba-san… I really don't think you should go on a camp now. In fact… I don't want to go, neither I can. I need to study, and you should know that."
"Nakano-san, there's no problem, and if something goes wrong, we always have the extraordinary," the black-haired girl, looking for a way out. "Please, I'm begging you, don't blow the whistle on me, I'll do anything! I don't wanna get suspended as the club's leader, it's very important for me!"
"No, I'm not gonna tell. It's not mine to say it," Yotsuba assured. "But… the teachers will find out sooner or letter, so it'd be better to go and say it. You could get in trouble for hiding this. And if you get suspended… the whole club will be affected."
She wasn't speaking in a threatening tone or anything. She was just saying things the way they were. The rest of the club seemed to agree, as they immediately got behind Yotsuba and said a few things to their captain. It was the first time she'd seen them talk back that way.
"Captain, Nakano-san is right," one of them said. "You better study while you still have time. We're already short in club members and we can't afford our leader getting into trouble."
"Plus, what's gonna happen if we win the marathon, but we lose the victory because you flunked out the exams?" the second added. "We'd get the prize rescinded and that would look bad for our records."
The support from the other three members gave Yotsuba more strength to face Eba, who was still giggling nervously and sweating, as if trying to find a way out of that pinch. Yotsuba, for her part, decided it was better to hammer the last nail on the coffin and put that mess to rest once and for all. For her own sake and for the track club's sake.
"Eba-san, I know I promised to help you guys with the marathon, and I'll keep my word," she said. "But I really need to study; I'll get into trouble if I don't pass my exams, especially with my dad. Don't get me wrong, you've all been really nice to me and I appreciate it." Next, she kneeled down and lowered her head, in a pose of supplication. "I'm really sorry, I can't stay full time!"
All done, she finally said it. She felt like a huge weight pressing on her chest had finally been lifted off. Even so, she was a bit afraid to raise his look, until a few seconds later when nobody said a word. Once she did, she met Eba's shocked face, who seemed to want to refuse, but she finally sighed in resignation.
"If you must. Okay, then the camp's cancelled. I'm gonna have to study myself; I don't want the whole club to crumble down."
"Does that mean I can go home?" Yotsuba asked.
"Of course."
"Thank you, really! And sorry I caused you so many inconveniences!"
Without wasting any more seconds, she finished changing her clothes, and picked up her stuff in a rush. She couldn't wait to go back and tell Fuutarou they'd have the rest of the week free to study at their leisure before the finals.
Before leaving, she turned on her cellphone (she'd kept it off the entire day), and realized there were a lot of unread messages, from Fuutarou and her sisters, and even one from Matsui (which turned out to be telling her about Eba's problem with her grades). However, the most recent one, sent by Miku about one hour before, was the one that caught her attention.
"Come quick, Fuutarou's not okay?" she read out loud. "Oh no! Something happened to him?!"
She frantically stuffed the cellphone into her bag and left the club room, as well as the school's annexed building.
However, after a few minutes of running off, she recalled something else.
'Could it be… is it that he…?'
She quickly shook her head. Whatever it was that caused him pain, what mattered was to be there for him.
Nakano apartment, a bit later…
The wait for Yotsuba was not as long as he thought it'd be. In fact, after conversing with Nino and Miku, he remained seated on the couch, deep in his thoughts, and somehow that made time flow faster without him noticing.
"I'm home!" the fourth sister announced as soon as she stepped in.
"Welcome back," Miku greeted her. Nino was at the kitchen at the time, making some more snacks, while Fuutarou simply waved at her before standing up to face her.
"Good, you're finally here," he said in a stern tone. "We need to talk seriously, the track club…"
"Ah, about that," she interrupted him with e nervous giggle, "I've already talked to Eba-san. We agreed that I'll help them on the marathon as promised, but I won't go to any camp."
Fuutarou raised an eyebrow. So Yotsuba could confront them on her own? He didn't have to intervene after all? A pity, since he was eager to drop a lecture about responsibility as a way to vent for what happened today's afternoon.
On the other hand, this already took a worry off of his hands.
"Well, that means we can go back to study for the finals, right?" he asked. "That's gine with me; in that case we'll start tomorrow after class."
"Tomorrow? Can't we do it today?" Yotsuba asked. "I don't mind, if only a little bit."
"Hey, hey, don't go pushing him," Nino intervened. "After today I don't think you should press him into studying. Let him recover first."
"Today?" Yotsuba asked.
Before Fuutarou could answer, Miku beat him to the punch. "He suffered a heartbreak."
The ribbon girl's widened, and she stared at the second sister, who nodded, and then to Fuutarou himself, who just shrugged, neither denying nor confirming it, but that seemed to be enough of an answer.
"No… who was it? Who did something so cruel to you?" Yotsuba clenched her fists. "Tell me, tell me everything!"
"I don't feel like repeating that story again."
"Don't be rude," Nino said. "You told us, it's only fair Yotsuba knows it too."
Fuutarou wanted to groan something, but Nino's glare made him back off. Miku, despite remaining inexpressive, made it clear she agreed, and Yotsuba's expression completed the three versus one needed to force him to spill the beans.
Come to think of it, if he considered Yotsuba his closest friend among the quintuplets, she probably was the one who deserved the most to be told.
"*Sigh*, alright. You better sit down, this'll be long," he said with resignation.
Thus, he began recounting his meeting with Rena. Unsure as to why, now that he told it for the second time it wasn't as hard as the first. Was it because he already vented before? In fact, he could add some details he skipped the first time around, catching the interest of Miku and Nino as much as Yotsuba's. None of the sisters interrupted at any moment, limiting themselves to hear attentively, and he greatly appreciated it.
After he ended, and having already seen Nino and Miku's reactions, he focused only on Yotsuba's this time. While he wasn't surprised in the least to see the ribbon girl adopting a solemn expression, he still didn't like seeing her that way. At least he was grateful she didn't break into tears like Nino did; that would have made him feel even worse.
"I'm so sorry," she said, clearly saddened. "You worked so hard to fulfill that promise, and she dropped it just like that."
"Hey, don't judge her so seriously," he snapped. "I mean, you don't know what happened to her, what could have made her…"
"People who don't keep their promises are the worst," Yotsuba firmly said. "If it really was as important as she said, she would have never dropped it. And you even offered to help her and she refused, that was cowardly of her."
The girl grabbed his hands tightly, to the point it actually hurt a little, but after his encounter with Rena, that was nothing. At the time, he felt like he could take one of her bone-crushing hugs.
"Uesugi-san, it really pains me that you got your heart broken like that. I know I can't do much, but… you can always count on me. I'll be there for you whenever you need me, no matter what."
"Yotsuba…"
"That's true!" Nino intervened. "Surely there must be a girl in the world who falls for a tactless, insufferable genius like you! So chin up! Don't suffer for someone who won't appreciate what you do!"
"Nino…"
"And if she doesn't need you, we do," Miku added. "After all, Yotsuba is on her way to come back with us, and it's all thanks to you."
"Miku… ah, geez, what am I gonna do with you?"
The boy couldn't believe they were trying to lift his spirits. Each one in her particular way, to the point even Nino's remark about him being a 'tactless, insufferable genius' didn't sound as insulting after all. And while he didn't want to judge Rena without knowing everything, Yotsuba probably was upset that someone caused him pain, and cared for him as a friend.
Lastly, Miku's reminder made him realize something else. Sometimes, the best way to cope with pain was to focus on other things. Looking at the clock on the wall, he saw he still had a couple hours before nightfall, so maybe he could do something.
Two hours didn't seem much time to study, but maybe he could use them to review their homework and decide the study plan before the final exams. It'd be a good way to distract himself from his broken heart.
That night, Uesugi residence…
Talking to Yotsuba and the others didn't make the pain go away, but at least it did help mitigate it somewhat. After everything that happened, he couldn't be happier that the day finally ended.
Having so many things spinning in his head, when he came back home he went straight for his room and asked not to be disturbed. He wasn't quite in the mood to talk to anyone, and he guessed that preparing tomorrow's homework would serve to keep his mind occupied.
"Fuutarou, you still awake?" his mother's voice called, along with a few knocks on his room's door. "I know you didn't want distractions, but I wouldn't like it if you go to bed without dinner."
Looking back, maybe skipping dinner wasn't such a good idea. Even though he ate a few snacks at the Nakano household, his stomach seemingly replied to his mom's offer and demanded he accepted it.
"Hmm… ah, whatever," he said as he turned around to stand up, and since his crutches were by the farthest wall, he had to jump on his good leg to open the door for his mom.
"With your permission," the woman said as she entered with a tray in hand. It wasn't the fanciest mea: just a glass of milk with a huge sandwich.
The boy sat next to his futon and his mother followed suit, before handing him the tray, and he thanked her. However, after a couple bites on the sandwich, the boy simply stared at it, taking his time to much it and taste it, despite how hungry he was.
"Do you feel better to talk about today?" his mother asked.
Fuutarou glanced at her. She and his father were rather laidback and cheery most of the time, but today she talked in an unusually serious tone, which she'd only use when she was angry or worried about him.
"You look like someone who suffered a heartbreak," she said after he didn't answer.
The boy arched an eyebrow. "How can you tell?"
"I'm your mother, it's my job to know you better than yourself," she replied with a proud smile, before adding: "That, and… you remind me of myself, a long time ago."
Fuutarou stared at his mom. He'd never asked his parents much about their love life. All he knew was that she they met in middle school, but that was it; he had no clue as to how they fell in love, when they started dating, or any of those details.
"This is one of those When-I-Was-Your-Age lectures, isn't it?" he asked, a little wary.
"Honey, I don't want to lecture you. No mother worth their salt wants to see her son suffering," the woman assured. "But I can't help you if you don't tell me what's troubling you."
For a moment, Fuutarou felt reluctant to tell her. However, after he'd told Miku and Nino, and later Yotsuba, he realized the third time was much easier. It seemed like the first time was the worst, and once he got over it, talking about it turned out to be good therapy. And if what she said was true, maybe his mom would have some advice about getting over a broken heart experience.
"Today… I met that girl again. You know, the one in my photo five years ago."
"Hmm, speaking of fateful encounters," Kazane said, quite interested. "So what happened?"
Fuutarou hesitated for a moment, but once he began telling the story, going forward was much easier. His mother didn't interrupt him at any time, nor did she ask any questions; she just listened attentively. Inside, the boy was really grateful; being heard instead of lectured or judged was just what he needed, even if he didn't realize before.
"Truth is, I don't know what to think," he said as he ended his story. "Despite everything Yotsuba and the others told me, I can't find it in me to hate Rena. She seemed to know she'd be breaking her own heart as much as mine."
"You're a really a kind soul, son," Kazane assured with an empathetic tone. "And I'm glad you don't hate her. Because believe me; when you get full of hatred, you don't leave room for love and you just hurt yourself."
"Sounds like you've experienced it yourself."
Kazane smiled. "I won't pretend I know exactly how you feel right now. From what you tell me, your girl at least had the courage to face you before cutting ties. I… wasn't that lucky.
"I was in my second year of middle school, so I was younger than you're now. There was this sempai who had every girl in my school crazy for him, myself included. I felt like I flew to the moon when he asked me out, and wanted me as his date for the school's Christmas party."
"And what happened?" Fuutarou asked.
Kazane giggled again, this time a with some bitterness. "Well… he apparently had done plans with someone else, and he 'forgot'. He waited until the night before to tell me."
Ouch, that was a low blow. While he didn't voice it out loud, he couldn't help but frown in disgust. He wouldn't wish that upon anyone, ever.
"I was furious and crushed, like you had no idea," Kazane continued. "I wanted to bury myself in a hole and never get out, and I swore to never trust boys again."
Fuutarou arched an eyebrow. The fact that he and Raiha were born and his mother still being married to his father was clear proof she broke that vow.
"So how did you end up with Dad?" he dared to ask. "Didn't you trust him back then?"
Kazane smiled again, the bitterness in her face all but gone, and took a few seconds before answering. It seemed like she was meditating deeply, sorting out her memories.
"Your father… was always a special case. He and I were good friends since our first year of middle school, we hung out together often and we were part of a nice group of friends. I'm not sure, but I guess I did like him a bit back then. But I was too blinded by my sempai, so I didn't realize until much later, and I was in too much pain after I was rejected to think of dating someone else.
"Point is, he was there to support me when my sempai broke my heart. He didn't push me to date someone else, or to get revenge, or anything of the sort. He was just there to listen to me, and offer me a shoulder to cry on and vent. He was the best friend I could ask for."
Again, Fuutarou had to hold back the urge to comment out loud. For starters, the sole fact of his and Raiha's existence was the biggest proof they didn't remain just friends forever. Now she'd probably go to the part where all that changed.
"When we entered high school, the fact he began working out more often definitely made him more attractive. But what matters is that he was always there with me, in good and bad times. Many people came and went in our circle of friends, but he was always there the whole time. And during our final year, I realized that affection I had for him was beyond being my best friend."
It was no secret to Fuutarou that his parents were very much in love with each other. In fact, he would occasionally hear them getting lovey-dovey with each other to the point of looking like schoolkids. Fortunately, they'd never engage on that in public, as they were embarrassing enough as it was to add that on top.
"Mom… when you dated Dad for the first time… did you think of him as that person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?" the boy asked after a moment of silence.
"Why do you ask?" the woman asked. "Are you thinking about that now?"
"No, of course not! It's just… well, it's possible… maybe…"
Having that tongue slip with such a question made him think. Was that the way he saw Rena? As a future wife and mother of his children, as the person he wanted to be with for the rest of his life?
Even though he didn't say it out loud, Kazane's expression made it clear she knew exactly what he was thinking. Fortunately, she didn't pour salt on the wound by ribbing it on him further.
"Son, you're still young to think about that," the woman said. "I guess we all think about that at some point. Sometimes we're right, sometimes we don't."
"I don't know if that's my case. I wasn't even… in a relationship with her, technically speaking."
He never had a girlfriend in his entire life, in the strict sense of the word. In elementary school he only had eyes for Takebayashi until he found out about her and Sanada's closeness as childhood friends, and after that… he didn't think of any girl other than the girl from Kyoto, whose name he didn't even know at the time.
"I'm not sure if this'll be of any use to you. I believe the first love is special for anybody, regardless of whether it ends well or bad. But sooner or later we need to leave it behind, give ourselves another chance with someone else. Sometimes, happiness could be much closer to us than we think."
Fuutarou caught on that she was talking about his father, of how he was always there for her, even if she didn't realize immediately. At the same time, Rena's words came back to his mind: "If that girl really loves you, don't let her go". Truth was, while he couldn't explain the full story behind the cast's signature, he couldn't get that out of his mind.
And now, his mom also told him it was fine to give himself a chance with someone else.
Were they referring to Yotsuba or Ichika? Sincerely, he couldn't imagine himself in a relationship with the ribbon girl; as much as he'd grown fond of her, she didn't give any signs of being interested in him that way, despite what everyone else said.
The eldest sister, on the other hand, had made no attempt to hide her intentions, and he wasn't as blind so as to not to notice it. And while he tried to keep his distance at first, the truth was he did let her get close to him, without realizing.
It wasn't like he disliked any of them, but from there to daring to date one? He still wasn't sure whether he'd want something like that.
"So what are you going to do now?" Kazane finally asked.
"I don't know," Fuutarou said. "Something is for sure; I think I better refrain from… thinking about those relationships, at least for a while. Better focus on my job to keep myself busy."
"I get it," Kazane then stood up. "Feeling better now?"
"Not quite, but I guess talking about it does help," he admitted frankly. "Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate it."
The woman just smiled and left the room, leaving him again alone with his work. With a renewed impulse, he continued preparing the sheets for his next session with Yotsuba. As the final exams were coming around the corner, he was better off focusing on that he could solve, instead of moping over what he couldn't.
One week later…
Day after day, Fuutarou continued his tutoring sessions' routine, never mentioning the matter of Rena to Yotsuba or anybody else. It wasn't like he'd forgotten, but leaving it in the back of his mind definitely served to keep it at bay, and avoid unnecessary distractions. It seemed that venting with the Nakanos and then with his mother was enough.
That afternoon, however, his routine was interrupted by an unexpected factor. As he and Yotsuba were studying math, Ichika arrived an hour later, but she wasn't along.
"I'm home!" she announced herself.
"Ah, welcome back, Ichika! Oh!" The ribbon girl jumped to her feet and ran to greet her eldest sister. "And who's this little adorable girl?!"
Sitting by the table, Fuutarou saw the eldest Nakano had brought in her arms a girl who looked in kindergarten age, probably four or five. She had her hair tied in curved braids over her shoulders, and for some reason looked perpetually angry.
"This is Kiku, my manager's daughter," Ichika explained. "He had to go on a business trip, and asked me to babysit her for today. But I need a few minutes to take a bath, do you think you guys could keep an eye on her in the meantime?"
"Sure, no problem! Uesugi-san?" The fourth sister turned towards him, and he just shrugged.
"So long as she doesn't interrupt us, we're studying right now."
"Thanks, both of you are lifesavers. I brought some toys here so she can stay entertained." Ichika put the girl down along with the bag she brought. "Kiku-chan, stay here with my sister and Fuutarou-kun, and I'll be back in a few minutes, 'kay?"
And without further words, the eldest sister went upstairs to her room, as Yotsuba took the girl to the table. After checking out the bag she found some typical things for kids her age: building blocks, dolls and a small table to draw with paper and crayons. Fuutarou paid no attention, and let Yotsuba take over as he checked their notes so as to correct the mistakes in advance.
"This is boring!" the girl suddenly shrieked, her voice even of a higher pitch than Yotsuba's. "Hey you!"
Fuutarou took about a minute before realizing she was referring to him, and since none of the other quintuplets aside from Yotsuba were present (Miku and Nino had gone to buy groceries for dinner, and Itsuki was in her room taking care of her own business), it was superfluous to look both sides just to be sure.
"You talking to me?"
"Yeah, play with me!" It wasn't a request; it was almost a command.
"Huh, sorry, can't you see I'm a little busy here?" he said, trying to keep his composure.
"You're just reading! I wanna play horse!" the girl demanded.
The Uesugi boy felt a vein bulging in his temple. He could see this brat was nothing like Raiha, who was always a sweet and well-behaved girl. Carefully, he raised his injured leg, being careful not to expose the side where Ichika's 'LOVER' signature was.
"Kiku, right? See this?" he asked pointing at the cast. "I had an accident and hurt my leg. Until I recover I can't move it or put heavy strains on it. I'm sorry."
The girl puffed up her cheeks and pouted, but she seemed to catch the message. Fortunately, Yotsuba came to his rescue to take over.
"Don't worry, Kiku-chan. I can be your horse if you want. Come on, hop in!"
The ribbon girl kneeled down so the little brat could ride on her back. Having no 'ropes', she chose to grab onto the ribbon. Despite this, Yotsuba didn't complain end began neighing and walk on all fours across the living room with Kiku on her back, who constantly screamed "Come on, faster!"
After about twenty minutes, Ichika finished bathing and dressing, and was surprised to see her younger sister playing horse with Kiku as her rider, while Fuutarou just watched without much interest.
"Hey, you start playing without me? No fair!" the eldest sister giggled as she approached.
They stared for a bit, until Kiku finally got fed up of the game and demanded to be put down and play something else. Yotsuba sat her on the couch.
"Hahaha, that was fun. What do you want to play now, Kiku-chan?"
The girl glanced at Fuutarou, who shook briefly. For a moment it seemed like she wanted to drag him to play when he really didn't want to. He wouldn't say it out loud, but something in that brat was really off-putting to her.
"I wanna play house, but he says he can't because of his leg," the girl said.
Fuutarou noticed how Ichika and Yotsuba glanced at the cast and giggled. To be honest, he didn't want to play, and he was grateful of still having the cast so he wouldn't have to.
Or so he thought, until Ichika opened her eyes wide and punched her palm.
"Oh, I got it!" she exclaimed. "How about we play doctor? Fuutarou-kun can be the patient, so he would only have to lie down on the couch."
"Eh?" Fuutarou was startled. Was she serious?
"Good idea!" Yotsuba exclaimed. "We haven't played doctor in years! Shishishi!"
"But I wanted to play house," the girl insisted, still pouting. "I wanted him to play my daddy."
'What, do I look like that mustached old man?' Fuutarou thought. 'What's wrong with this brat?'
"Well, we could pretend that your daddy had an accident, and we're visiting him at the hospital," Ichika suggested. "I could play your mommy, if you want."
Briefly, Fuutarou glimpsed a shadow crossing Kiku's face at the word 'mommy'. He was curious about that, but fortunately didn't have to ask questions, as the girl proceeded to talk:
"Mommy… doesn't live with us anymore," she said in a downhearted tone. "She eloped with another man."
The living room was left in a deadly silence. Soon enough, Fuutarou felt the initial dislike of the little girl diminishing just a little bit. He could understand why she seemed perpetually angry, as she was probably hiding the pain of her mom leaving them behind that pouty face.
And if she was like that, how could Ichika's manager be? He was probably still suffering the betrayal and heartbreak, while trying to keep a strong front for his daughter's sake. If that was the case, he'd have his full sympathies. He knew how hard parents would have it for their children's sake, knowing it firsthand from how Isanari and Kazane had it for him and Raiha.
Without sparing a word, he stood up and hopped towards the couch, before lying down carefully leaving his injured leg suspended on the armrest, so it wouldn't move. Next, he addressed Ichika and Yotsuba.
"I just need to lie down, right?" he said. That was his way to say "I'm into the game".
"Oh, that means you're playing with us?" Ichika asked. He simply shrugged. "Okay then, I'll be the doctor who attends your daddy, Kiku-chan. Yotsuba could be..."
"The nurse," the girl interrupted. "Have her be the nurse."
"Yay! I'll be the nurse!" Yotsuba celebrated. "What do I have to do?"
"Take me to see my daddy in his room, fool!" the brat screamed.
While Yotsuba wasn't bothered, Fuutarou wondered if he was going to regret playing with them. He was doing it out of sympathy for the girl, but if she was going to get bratty again…
"Good afternoon, sir! You have a visit from your daughter!" Yotsuba said, pretending to open a door and holding the girl's hand. "If you need something, just push the button to call me!"
Next, she ran off to hide at the kitchen, while Kiku approached. The boy, trying to get in his role, gave his best forced smile and spoke up:
"Hey, Kiku, thanks for visiting," he said, patting her head. "How was your day at kindergarten?"
"Just like always, boring," she spat, before glancing at his casted leg.
"Boring? Haven't you made any friends?"
"Impossible," the girl snapped. "They're all a bunch of withdrawn brats."
'If you act this way in front of them, I'm not surprised,' Fuutarou thought, fighting back the urge to say it out loud as he reminded himself that the girl was having a hard time.
Fortunately, the girl softened her expression and came over near his cast.
"So what's this?" she asked. "Who signed this on your cast? Someone's in love with you?"
"That's…" Fuutarou once again felt the color coming back to his face and his ears almost blew steam, before giving Ichika a "You're gonna pay for this" glare. She for her part just smiled amused. "Why don't you ask Daddy when he gets the cast removed?"
"Hmph… fine. When do you get the cast removed, Daddy?"
"One or two weeks," he said, happy to deflect the conversation to a different topic. It helped that it was the same estimated time in real life, so he didn't have to make it up. "When I get out of the hospital, we could go to the park or something, would you like that?"
The girl nodded. The game was turning a bit annoying, but it wasn't too bad, even if he had to do it himself. He tried to make a gesture to Ichika as if trying to say "Come into scene and give me a hand" so she would intervene. The pinkette caught the message and pretended to 'open the room's door'.
"With your permission," Ichika intervened, adopting a voice that sounded way more serious and mature than normal. It didn't sound at all like her. "Oh, am I interrupting? I'm Doctor Nakano, and I'm here for the patient's checkup."
She grabbed one of the notebooks, talking in a bunch of medical terms that Fuutarou paid no heed, and later called the "nurse" so she could come and help with the "checkup" (an excuse to have Yotsuba touch him and check him everywhere, something that made him uncomfortable). The girl seemed to be entertained with his for a moment, until at least…
"Ah, this is getting boring!" she shouted. "Do something else, like being in love with my daddy!"
The shout made both Fuutarou and Yotsuba get rigid for a moment. In fact, they were in a rather compromising pose, as Yotsuba was "checking his pulse", but was holding his hand with both of his in a way that suggested something else.
"Er… Kiku-chan? I'm pretty sure that's illegal in hospitals?" Yotsuba giggled nervously.
Ichika, despite blushing slightly, didn't say anything, but the way she covered her lips suggested she was trying to hold back the giggles and keep composed, like a doctor in real life would. However, after a few seconds, she brought the chair closer to the couch, and crossed her legs in a way that Fuutarou could easily tell was to show off her thighs, as she leaned forward.
"Tell me, Mr. Uesugi, when you've been released, would you like to have dinner with me?" she asked.
Fuutarou swallowed slightly, and when he glanced at Yotsuba, the ribbon girl was scratching the back of her head. Was she really playing or did she actually mean it? However, when he saw Kiku's frown, he suddenly decided to play along.
"Hey, Doctor Nakano, no fair! I wanted to ask him for dinner first!" Yotsuba exclaimed.
"Oh, is that so, Miss Nurse? Well, excuse me, I had no idea of that. Would you like me to book a reservation in a good restaurant?"
'Okay, I think these two have gotten a little too much in their roles.' Fuutarou thought.
"Hey, Doctor," Kiku interrupted. "Tell me, what do you like of my daddy?"
Again, there was a deadly silence. Ichika seemed to meditate for a few seconds, before smirking at him. Again, as he realized, it wasn't her usual flirty smile, but the 'other' one.
"Well… he's someone very responsible, and he works hard to avoid being a load to others," the pinkette said. "Also, he has a strong sense of family. It's clear he loves them very much."
Fuutarou raised his eyebrows. Did she still remember what he told back in that pseudo-date?
"Hmmm… and you, Nurse?" she said, pointing at Yotsuba. "What do you like of him?"
"Eh, me? Hum, well… hehehe." Suddenly, the ribbon girl became a bunch of nerves, and Fuutarou could almost swear she was sweating bullets for a moment. However, she shook her head and smiled too. "I guess the same reasons as the doctor. And also… he has a lot of patience for me, despite how much of a klutz I am, and he never scolds me too much."
The boy turned his glance towards the fourth sister. To say he 'scolded' her, in his opinion, was a bit of a stretch. After all, he never yelled at or lectured her more than a couple times (like when the track club's mess happened, or when they fell asleep on the day of the midterms). However, he couldn't help but feel flattered when she said how much she appreciated his patience. Not anybody could put up with such a troublesome student.
"So, Kiku-chan," Ichika intervened. "Would you like one of us to be your new mommy? Who do you prefer?"
"I… I don't need a new mommy." The girl lowered her gaze. "Mommy left with another man, and because of her Daddy had it hard, but… I don't feel lonely. Because… because Daddy's with me, and he loves me. That's why… I don't…"
The game stopped being fun right then and there. The girl didn't seem pouty anymore, but clearly was fighting to hold back the tears. The smiles in both Nakano sisters' faces vanished, and at the same time, something within Fuutarou moved as well.
Even though he was supposed to be a 'patient' and he had to stay in bed, the boy turned around to sit, and lifted the girl to carry her on his lap and hug her. She was a bit surprised for a moment, but she didn't oppose nor did she complain about it. Taking a deep breath, Fuutarou decided to get again into his role in the game.
"Don't worry, Kiku. Daddy's also sad because Mommy broke his heart. You don't have to put a strong front; you can cry as much as you want. You're a kid, and you don't need to act like an adult. Come on, let it all out."
As if a dam had broken, the girl let out the waterworks, grabbing onto Fuutarou's shirt and even blowing her snouts into it. Okay, now that was a bit more than he bargained for, but having accepted his role with the girl in the game, he couldn't protest.
A while later some steps came running down the stairs, and he realized it was Itsuki. She probably heard the girl's cries and came over to see what was going on, but before she could ask, Ichika shushed her, placing a finger on her mouth.
"Shhh, don't interrupt them."
"What's going on?" the redhead asked. "Why's she crying?"
"Poor Kiku-chan. She must feel horrible because her mom left their home," Yotsuba said.
"So, Uesugi-kun is comforting her?"
The sisters talked in a low voice, but he still could hear them over Kiku's sobs. At first, he didn't pay much mind since he was too busy patting the little girl's hair so she would slowly calm down. He heard how Ichika and Yotsuba explained Itsuki they were playing doctor, and the topic of Kiku's mom came up, making her cry.
Nobody said anything for a few minutes, until the little girl finally cried herself to sleep. Carefully, , Fuutarou put her to rest on the couch so she'd be comfortable, and grabbed one of the nearby chairs to watch her, though he momentarily glanced at his shirt.
"Anybody has something I could borrow something while I wash this?" he asked, meaning obviously the snouts Kiku left when she blew on his shirt.
The three sisters made a "Way to spoil the moment" face, each in her particular manner: Itsuki rolled her eyes, while Ichika and Yotsuba glanced at one another and snickered. Yotsuba offered to get one of her sweatshirts and ran upstairs to her room, leaving him with Ichika and Itsuki, who came over to talk.
"Well, this is a side of you we don't get to see often," Ichika said with a smile.
"If I didn't know better, I'd have it hard to believe," Itsuki added. "Are you like that with Raiha-chan?"
"Just when I have to," Fuutarou replied. "Raiha hasn't cried in years for anything, so I haven't done it in years, but… it brought me some memories."
"Really?" both of them asked with interest.
"Uh-uh, don't think I'm gonna tell you. That's a story for another day," he said with finality.
Both sisters pouted, but fortunately, Yotsuba came back with one of her sweatshirts bearing the number 428 in the front (she seemed to have plenty of those) and thus he had an excuse to go to the laundry room, so he grabbed his crutches and left.
However, once he got there and changed his shirt before tossing it into the washing machine, suddenly he found himself in front of a bunch of buttons and lights he had no clue of. It looked like a state-of-the-art washing machine designed for rich people, and he was unsure which button he was supposed to press.
"How do I get this thing running?"
"Need some help?"
The boy was startled, and he saw Ichika leaning by the entrance with her arms crossed. The girl glanced at the number on his borrowed sweatshirt before snickering.
"You know, that sweatshirt looks nice on you. Maybe I should tell Yotsuba to give it to you?"
"Don't," he replied. "I just need to wash mine, and that's it."
"Can I help you?" Ichika grabbed a bottle of liquid detergent. "If you have no clue how to turn it on."
The boy said nothing, but stepped aside making a "go ahead" gesture, and the eldest Nakano quickly caught on. First, she poured a bit into the machine, and turned it on to fill it up, putting it on the quick cycle so it wouldn't take long. The digital timer said it'd take about fifteen minutes, so all he had left was to wait.
"I think you can play the role of a dad pretty well," Ichika commented. "You to be into the role, you could be a good actor."
"You think so?" he commented. "I guess I just felt pity for her. I mean, having her mom abandon them due to an infidelity, no kid deserves to go through that."
"No, of course not," the girl agreed. "I think you'll make a good parent when the day comes, if you're that way with your own children."
"Isn't it a bit too soon to tell me that?" he asked. "I'd rather think of myself as a big brother, thank you very much."
"Hahaha, sorry, Oniichan," she giggled. "Yeah, I think the parent thing is for people older than me, But, being a big brother is the first step to be a good parent. And if you allow me to say so, that's another thing I like of you."
Fuutarou glanced at the girl, whose expression had morphed to show her flirty smile again. Usually, whenever she showed it, she was either playing or teasing him, but the glint in her eyes made him realize she meant it. The eldest sister didn't pull any punches, did she?
"Was it so hard? Taking care of Raiha-chan by yourself when your parents weren't around, I mean."
"I had good days, others not so much. She was never a spoiled brat, though. Even when she was sad, she was never the noisy type. All I know is that I never liked to see her cry."
Ichika's smirk turned nostalgic. She probably knew a lot about being the eldest of her family, just like him. He hadn't talked much about it, but sometimes he wondered what kind of life they had when their mother was alive, and after she died. Had it been similar to her and Raiha?
Years before, there were times Raiha felt lonely because their parents couldn't be home due to work, and he had to take care of her. Raiha would cry and wonder why Mom and Dad couldn't be there with them, and he had to explain to her that they had to work to provide for them, and they did so because they loved them. Fortunately, their situation improved, and when Raiha grew older she decided to accompany their mother at work to spend more time together, though sometimes she would recall how sad she could get during those days.
For a moment, and despite of how unpleasant the brat seemed at first, the boy could see his little sister in her, and that was what prompted her to give her a hug and let her vent. Alright, she could have asked for a handkerchief or something else to blow on instead of his shirt, but outside that, it felt nice to do that for her. Maybe, after she woke up she would thank him or something, that's be nice.
"But while you were comforting her, I noticed something else," the eldest Nakano commented. "Just for a moment, you seemed to be venting over something yourself."
Ichika's tone was quite serious. At this point, he'd known her enough to know when she was teasing-serious, and when she was serious-serious, though since she was an actress she could sometimes fool him. He'd almost taken the bait, if it weren't for what she said afterwards:
"When you mentioned the broken heart, you didn't seem to be playing. Are you still thinking about… you know, her?"
Fuutarou looked away. Was it so obvious? Maybe by then Yotsuba and the others had told her about his meeting with Rena. Well, he never said anything about not telling anyone, though he trusted they'd keep it within their personal circle.
Anyway, while his thing was just a non-realized student crush, and not as serious as cheating with a daughter in the middle, maybe a part of him felt some sympathy for Ichika's manager. Who was to say he didn't love his wife, and he wasn't heartbroken for her betrayal? And from Kiku's account about her daddy dearest, the mustached man probably loved her a lot, and was struggling to ensure she wasn't lonely. He had his respect for that.
"I've tried not to think much of it, but… yeah, guess it reminded me," he admitted. "I wanted to focus on my job to keep my mind busy with other things."
"I'm sorry. I didn't think…"
"Why're you apologizing?" He shrugged. "It wasn't like you knew what happens at your boss' house, nor that the topic would come up while you were babysitting his daughter."
"I guess not. In any case… are you alright? Still hurting about what happened with her?"
Fuutarou sighed. "I'd be lying if I said no. But I've talked to enough people about that, and I guess that helps me cope with it. For now, I'd like to keep my mind busy with other things so as to not to think much about it."
"I see." Ichika walked towards the door. "But hey, if you need to talk about it with someone else, you know you can count on me. And the rest of us."
"They've already told me that, but thanks for the reminder," he said, trying (unsuccessfully) to hold back a smile.
Ichika left, and he couldn't do anything else but stay watching the washing machine, as the timer continued to run. He still had a few minutes before the washing cycle ended, so he could use the chance to think.
Again, Rena's words resounded in his head: "If that girl really loves you, don't let her go." Ichika seemed to constantly remind him that she liked him, and while at first he didn't take it too seriously, unsure as to whether she was actually interested, the truth was that her insistence had actually dug into him. The fact that she was undeniably attractive only made it worse.
Rena, his mother, everyone seemed to be telling him to leave the past behind. He really didn't know whether he wanted or not, or maybe he hadn't realized how much he still clung to it. Was it worth it, or was it time for him to finally let go of it?
One way or another, he'd already set himself a path, and there was no sense in leaving it halfway through, after everything he'd done so far. Maybe now he just needed to direct it to a different destination, one where Rena wouldn't be waiting for him.
To be continued…
Author's notes:
Well, what do you know? I ended up posting this chapter a bit sooner than I planned. Though that's because the current one was getting a bit too long, and I felt I could split it in two parts even though it was practically finished (barring a couple missing scenes). Guess that counts as finished, plus it gives extra chapters.
But anyway, with this we've officially reached the end of what would have been the Seven Goodbyes (only two in this case). First, I tried to give more focus on having Yotsuba get out on her own from that mess with the track club. Something that always annoyed me in that arc was that, one way or another, she needed the others to intervene so that she'd finally decide to get out of there, but I took a different approach here. Namely, Eba represents a lot of how Yotsuba used to be prior to the start of the story, so it's like she's facing her former self, who was irresponsible with her studies and doesn't sort out her priorities, which will lead to consequences down the road for herself (and for others, in this case the track club). Of course, she doesn't confront her violently; rather, she just makes her see what could happen if she doesn't fix that issue, and how everyone will end up affected in this case. Hopefully I succeeded.
As for Fuutarou, as you can see the meeting with Rena left him pretty, pretty bad, and it's not a wonder, after such a heartbreak. But at least he's not alone, since both the Nakanos and his family are there to offer some support in the middle of that pain. For experience I know how talking about those things doesn't make the pain go away, but it does help mitigate it quite a bit. It's better than leaving it bottled inside and build up. This'll be an important step for him to stop being so withdrawn with others. It also gave me the chance to write a scene with his mom (you have no idea how much I wanted to do that) while also telling a bit of her past with Isanari, of how things were between them as youths. Maybe something for her son to draw parallels in the future with his own, while not as obvious at first.
Lastly, about the last scene, I was a bit miffed that the second anime season completely skipped Chapter 38 from the manga. True, it's practically filler and nothing important happens there, but still I thought it was funny and after a few rounds through the manga, it gave me some perspective about Ichika and Miku. Specifically, when the girl asks them what they like about her "daddy" (aka Fuutarou), Ichika is unable to give a concrete answer, while Miku lists the qualities she likes about Fuutarou without hesitation. That was something I tried to play off here: despite how much of a loner Fuutarou is, I think that big brother instinct of his is an admirable trait, and I tried to place it as something Ichika finds attractive of him (while also exposing a bit of Yotsuba's, killing two birds with one stone). Hopefully this'll set the bases for future developments.
I guess that's all I have to say. Once again, thanks a lot to Shadechu Nightray for all her betareading work, and to TheMist33, Random Reader Guy and The Exiled Darkness for the reviews. Save for Yotsuba's competition, the following arc will be fully original and it'll serve as a break, since the characters will be spending Christmas together before beginning with the final school term. Until then, sayonara!