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 14: Presents
Asahiyama High…
Days went as normal as they could have been. After his last checkup at the hospital, Fuutarou was allowed to remove the cast, and he could finally walk without crutches, though he was warned to take things easy, with no exaggerated efforts or exercises for at least one more week. It was a relief in more than one sense, being able to walk normally and not having to carry that shameful signature everywhere.
As he'd decided, he focused all his energies in studying with Yotsuba and prepare for the exams, and today was the day the results would be announced. Even without seeing the ranking, Fuutarou knew his grades had been less than perfect, as he got distracted a couple times, and after checking the answers he realized he made a few minor mistakes.
"I heard your average scores lowered a bit on the finals, Uesugi-kun."
Again, he was in the bathroom doing his needs, and in the urinal next to him was pretty boy Takeda once more. Fuutarou just gave him a quick glance and shrugged. Most everyone suspected it had to do with being at the hospital, but he knew that wasn't the case.
"I had a few slipups. Guess I wasn't fully focused."
"It must have been something serious, to distract you that way," Takeda said. "Is there anything else on your mind?"
"Why the interest?"
"Oh, nothing. I just want to be sure I beat my rival fair and square, that's all."
Fuutarou almost rolled his eyes; there he was again with the 'rival' thing. He couldn't care less about it, but sometimes he'd just play along just to humor him. And while part of him just wanted to bury all the matter deep, the other reminded him that every time he talked about it, first with the Nakanos, and then with his family, he ended up feeling better afterwards. Besides, Takeda didn't seem like a mean guy.
"Promise not to tell anybody"?" he asked.
"My mouth is sealed," Takeda assured.
"Well, I just happened to… meet someone from my past. Someone I hadn't seen in a long, long time."
"Hmm… a girlfriend maybe?"
Fuutarou gave him a look, noticing he smiled with bigger interest. Technically, she wasn't a girlfriend-girlfriend, but it wasn't too off the mark either. For the sake of context, the term would have to do.
"Something like that. Long story short… she broke my heart and that left me pretty bad. I guess I still haven't gotten over it."
"Understandable." Takeda nodded. "A broken heart can also shake our brains, affecting our performance on everything we do."
"You're saying that for experience?"
"No, fortunately, but I have seen it in others before. In any case, you have my full sympathies, as it is something I don't wish upon anyone."
Fuutarou briefly let out a smile, and after pulling up the zipper and washing his hands, he said goodbye to Takeda and walked out of the bathroom.
Outside, a familiar orange head with a green ribbon came running at him across the hallway.
"Uesugi-saaaaaaaan!" The Nakano girl came and tackled him sideways, though fortunately she braked before getting to him so she wouldn't knock him down. "Where were you, why didn't you come see the ranking with me?"
"There was no need," he laconically said. "I checked the answers later, so I knew I didn't get all the points."
Yotsuba pouted, but immediately morphed back to her usual smile.
"Well, at least we're done now. It's weird, but all week I feel more relaxed, like I knew better the answers."
"You sound quite confident in yourself," the boy said.
"With you teaching me, there's no way I can fail," the ribbon girl assured with a big grin. "So, since classes are over for today, wanna do something? Maybe do some jogging or hit the gym again?"
"I'd take the jogging, thank you very much," he replied. "At the hospital they told me I can do exercise, but nothing that exerts too much strain on my leg."
Although that was true, another part of the reason was that he still lacked the strength to pull up heavy weights at the gym, and it was a bit humiliating whenever they went together and she made him look bad. On the other hand, he was able to run better, holding up to fifteen laps to their usual place before he got tired. That was a progress, albeit she still made them much faster and pulled the "On your left" on him no less than twenty times.
Anyway, after doing jogging with Yotsuba a few times, it wasn't so annoying anymore. Besides, the track club's marathon, the same one she'd promised to help with, was coming next week. Speaking of…
"By the way, have you sorted everything with the track club? This'll be the last time you help them with a competition?"
"Yep, last one for sure. Told them it'd be better that they don't hog me, just in case another club needs my help."
Fuutarou hoped inside that wouldn't be the case, and he made her promise that, should another club attempt to pull the same trick as Eba (the 'secret weapon' thing and not reveal this to anybody) she had to screw it and tell him, so they wouldn't have to go through the same as the last time. That way, in case they had to readjust their study plan there wouldn't be any more nasty surprises, nor any more last minute re-scheduling.
"In any case, I'll do my best to help them win," she said with determination. "It's the least I can do after all the trouble I've caused."
"You better do," Fuutarou said. "I'll be at the finish line waiting for you, and if you don't cross it first, I'll punish you with extra schoolwork for winter."
"Eeeehhh?! No fair! I've been killing myself the past two weeks to finish earlier!"
"Well, I've spoken," he replied, trying to give off his best stern teacher voice.
Admittedly, it was fun to make her mad by throwing her those punishment threats, not to mention they had the effect of getting her to work harder, which in the long run would benefit them both. She would raise her grades, and he'd get a higher paycheck.
"I guess you must have finished your winter schoolwork, right?" Yotsuba said after a while. "Have you got plans for the Christmas holidays?"
"My family and I are going to spend them at my grandparents' house," Fuutarou said. "It'll be just a family dinner; a bit boring, but that's all we have."
"Too bad," the ribbon girl said. "My sisters and I were going to throw a party in our apartment, and thought about inviting you guys too."
Fuutarou gave her a look. For many years, the Uesugi's Christmas tradition was to spend it in family, at the home of his paternal grandparents. Not that it bothered him, but spending it there was pretty boring, even for the standards of a studious teenager like him. Not to mention his grandparents always showed more favoritism for his sister and cousin, giving them better presents, and also more New Year money.
The Nakanos' invitation didn't sound too bad, and if it weren't because he felt tied to his family by compromise, he would have accepted in a heartbeat. If only to do something different.
"Maybe I'll tell my parents, see if they'd let me come. Should I tell my stupid cousin too?"
"Oh, sure you should! Nino would be so happy."
"I suppose… we should be bringing presents?"
"Oh, no, you don't have to!" Yotsuba assured. "We've got everything covered, so you don't have to worry about that. It's all just to have a good time, together."
Despite the girl's words, Fuutarou wasn't fully convinced. For starters, he wasn't one to accept to things he felt weren't earned, and since he was being invited, he wouldn't feel right to go just to eat and have fun. Not to mention Thanksgiving had gone by and he couldn't give Yotsuba anything for the help she gave him during the school trip. Now that Christmas was coming, it was as good a chance as any to make up for it.
He'd have plenty of time to think about it once they'd left school, but first he had to consult it with his family.
Mall, during the weekend…
"Oniichan, hurry up! Wow, this place is huge!"
"Raiha, don't run off alone!" Fuutarou exclaimed, trying to catch up to her.
Fuutarou didn't expect to come back to this mall, but after spending the whole week thinking, he couldn't come up with a better place to find Christmas presents for the Nakano sisters. Though the time he came with Ichika he ran a few laps, it was so big that he still hadn't explored it in full.
That being the case, he guessed he could find something for each of them. At least he hoped so, considering the conversation he had with his parents a few nights back.
…
It wasn't usual for Fuutarou to start the conversations during dinner, but that time he felt the need to tell them about Yotsuba's invitation. After all, the ribbon girl extended it to the whole family, not just to him specifically.
The eldest child explained that he wanted to do something different for Christmas that year since, as much as he appreciated his grandparents, doing the same thing and getting bored every year was starting to get tiresome, and Raiha seemed pretty excited about spending Christmas with the quintuplets. After all, she'd had plenty of fun with them during the fireworks festival.
"What do you think, darling?" Kazane asked, once Fuutarou finished explaining the details.
"Well, even if I'd really love to attend, I'd feel bad for leaving my folks alone during the holidays," Isanari said. "But I see no reason why my son can't have fun with people his age, especially with such charming young ladies."
"Mom, Dad, can I go too? Please, please, please!"
"Raiha sweetie, you don't have to beg us," Kazane assured. "Even so, I think it'd be wrong not to give them any presents. Ah, I got it! How about a Christmas cake? Better yet, two of them so you can have enough for everyone."
"Yay, good idea, Mom! I'll help you bake them too!" an excited Raiha exclaimed.
"Well, I guess that sorts out the present trouble," Fuutarou said.
"Not so fast, son," Isanari intervened. "You should still give them something that comes from you."
"What? But Dad, there's five of them, should I be spending that much?"
"Don't be greedy, Oniichan!" Raiha exclaimed. "Besides, you've been saving your job's money, it's not like you're short to not to buy them anything, right?"
"Yeah, but…"
He wanted to say he already had plans for that money, but in reality, he hadn't decided concretely what he'd do with it. Sure, he'd bought some things he needed (like that alarm clock), but the truth was, he'd been saving his earnings rather stingily since he began working, barring the occasional time taking Raiha out to have some fun, and less frequently to pay one or two days at the gym to do exercise (though he hadn't returned after he injured his leg, and maybe he wouldn't for at least the next month).
So indeed, he wasn't at a shortage of money so as to not to buy them anything. Maybe he would give a bit of priority to Yotsuba and Ichika, but his relationship with the other three had improved enough, so he wouldn't leave them out.
"I'll have to think about what I can give them," Fuutarou said.
"Don't worry too much," Kazane assured. "I'm certain they'll like whatever you give them."
…
That was that they said that night. At least he had green light to attend the Nakanos' party, so he'd be spared from the boredom at his grandparents' house. However, when the weekend came over, and he said he'd go out to buy the presents, Raiha insisted in coming over, and his little sister, always the smart one, used her puppy dog eyes stare so he wouldn't refuse.
"So then, Oniichan, what are you gonna buy?"
"I still haven't decided," he admitted. "I was thinking of buying them some clothes, but I'd risk that it won't fit them, or maybe they won't like it."
He could limit himself to buy them winter clothes, or maybe a simple scarf each, but he saw that as the easy way out, and he didn't want to resort to it. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he really wanted to give them something they enjoyed.
That was a pretty weird thought. Despite not having good first impressions with all of them, he was growing fond of them, enough to give them good presents.
"Well, we can take a look everywhere. Let's go!"
And without further ado, Raiha grabbed her brother's hand and practically dragged him to the first store she saw. Coincidentally, it was the same where he accompanied Ichika during that little pseudo-date they had, when she bought that coat for him before the school trip, same one he was currently wearing. Now that winter had come in full force, it was pretty handy.
'Maybe… I should buy them stuff they find useful. If only I had asked them if there's something they need…'
"Oh, look who I found here."
The cheery and flirtatious voice behind him was unmistakable, and upon turning, the eldest Nakano was indeed there, smiling as ever. Ichika was also wearing her winter gab, holding an elegant bag under her arm; she clearly was doing her own shopping.
"Ah, Ichika-san!" Raiha immediately ran off to greet her. "Good to see you!"
"Same here, fancy meeting you guys," the eldest Nakano replied. "Coming for more new clothes, Fuutarou-kun?"
"Something like that." He scratched the back of his head, trying to avoid visual contact.
"Hmm… by the way, I don't know if Yotsuba already told you about our Christmas party," the pinkette said. "I've been so busy with work and school I couldn't message you about it, but…"
"Yeah, we already know," Raiha interrupted. "In fact, Oniichan here came to see if-hmmphhh!"
"Raiha, I think Ichika doesn't need to know that." Fuutarou had kneeled down to cover his little sister's mouth.
"To know what? Oh… ah, I get it. You're here shopping for gifts for us, aren't you?"
Fuutarou didn't answer verbally, but Ichika's smirk when she saw his face gave it away that she hit the bullseye, so he didn't bother to deny it. He removed his hand from Raiha's mouth, and the little girl pouted a little. Seeing that he'd been caught red-handed, he figured he could take advantage of the situation.
"The truth is, I didn't have any ideas," he acknowledged. "Since you're here… maybe you could help me find presents for the others? Just don't tell them anything until Christmas, okay?"
"Oh, so you wanna surprise them? Well, since you're asking nicely, I'll gladly keep the secret for you, Fuutarou-kun." She then winked at him.
God, why did she have to be so flirtatious? He'd always have a chill down his spine whenever she did that. Not because it was uncomfortable, but rather because, admittedly, he was beginning to feel flattered by the gesture. And that worried him for reasons he couldn't explain.
"Fine then, what do you think they might enjoy? Since you're their sister you must know them better than anybody," the blue-haired boy said once he was able to talk again, after shaking those thoughts off his head.
"Come on, Fuutarou-kun; you know them well enough at this point. Think about it, surely a genius like you should be able to figure it out himself."
"Knock it off; you're supposed to help me, not to make it harder."
"You've hanged out with them, haven't you seen what they like to do? I'm sure you have," Ichika insisted.
What they liked to do… Fuutarou placed a hand on his chin, closing his eyes as he tried to focus. Actually, he'd seen once or twice the quintuplets' habits and hobbies. Miku would often play her Sengoku era videogame, Nino loved cooking and be always fashionable, Itsuki was always eating (this was discarded, since his mother's Christmas cakes would cover it and it wouldn't do any good to fatten her even more) and often watched TV documentaries about marine life.
Of course, he wasn't discarding Yotsuba and Ichika in any way, but since he was certain they wouldn't be demanding on presents for him, maybe he could leave them for later and focus on the rest first.
After giving some thought for about a minute, the ideas finally came clear, and he snapped his fingers in realization.
"I've got it. Ichika, is there a collectors' shop in this place?"
…
A collectors' shop seemed like a weird place to get a Christmas present, unless it was for a geek of any particular franchise. Even Ichika herself was a bit surprised about it.
The shop in question had action figures, others for shelves, collectible cards, tabletop games and all kinds of popular merchandising for fans. Raiha even checked the cabinets, and he'd make a mental note to buy her something later if she liked it, and if he had some money to spare.
After going a few rounds from one shelf to another, he finally found what he'd come looking for: a shelf full of figurines made on the likeness of the Sengoku Warlords, all suited up with their armors and swords. He smiled with satisfaction upon seeing them.
"Here they are. The Sengoku Jidai series."
"I don't get it, what's so special about them?" Ichika asked.
"They're based on that videogame Miku likes," Fuutarou explained. "They've got the complete collection here, though buying them all would eat all my savings."
"Well, you can buy her one now, and I can give her the rest for our birthday," Ichika suggested. Fuutarou gave her a cursory glance. "What? It was just an idea. Besides, our birthday is on May, so there's plenty of time."
Fuutarou had gone out with fifty thousand yen for the presents, and he made a note of not spending more than ten in each, nor less than five to avoid favoritism. The Sengoku collection had over thirty figurines, and their prices ranged on average between eight and twelve thousand, so he could only afford one.
"If you say so," he said, grabbing one labeled as Uesugi Kenshin. Maybe because it was the one sharing his family name, though he didn't think Miku would protest. "Alright, this one's worth 8,500 yen. A reasonable price."
"We'll have to get some gift wrapping later," Ichika pointed.
Before paying, Fuutarou decided to spoil Raiha a little, and with the remaining 1,500 bought some collectible card packages for her, leaving his little sister very happy about it. Exiting the store, the boy pulled out his student notebook, marking a square on a written list.
"Present for Miku, check. One down, four more to go."
…
The following stops were notably easier. For Itsuki, Fuutarou first chose to go to a library and buy her a marine life encyclopedia. Considering she'd always be watching those documentaries, he figured she'd find it interesting. However, on the way there they passed by a cutlery store, and he saw a small set of fancy spoons. He figured that, if he wasn't going to give her something she could eat, giving her something she could eat with wouldn't be a bad idea. Plus, she could try them with his mom's cake during Christmas Day.
As for Nino, Ichika suggested going to a toy store and buy her a plush doll for her bedroom, since she loved collecting them. The alternatives were buying her, either beauty treatment articles (Ichika had already bought her a compact makeup set), or clothes, but he'd rather keep this one as a last resort, just in case he didn't think of anything else. In the end, the plush doll was much easier, and he picked one that looked like a purple-haired yuki-onna who looked a lot like Nino herself for some reason. Though just in case, he wouldn't mention the last part out loud.
Later, they'd gone into a sports shop. Fuutarou figured there was something he could give Yotsuba there. At first, he thought about a basket, volley or soccer ball, but after a few rounds across the store, his eyes set on a pair of white and green running shoe, which somehow drew his attention.
Since the marathon was approaching, he figured they could come in pretty handy.
"You like those?" Ichika asked, noticing where he looked.
"Dunno. You think Yotsuba will like them?"
"Well, they're her favorite color," the eldest sister said. "Besides, surely she could use them in that competition, and it'd mean a lot to her if they come from you."
"Yeah, but… I'd have to give them before Christmas," he pointed. "I don't wanna play favorites."
"Would that be wrong? You spend more time with her than any of us. I don't think it'll hurt to give her present beforehand. You guys are friends, aren't you?"
"Hmm… yeah, I guess we are," he admitted. "Though I need to be sure they'll fit her."
"Oh, that's no problem." Ichika smirked, and immediately called out one of the employees passing by. "Excuse me, do you have this model in other sizes?"
One of the perks of being quintuplets apparently was having the same foot mold, so Ichika agreed to try the shoes to be sure they'd fit Yotsuba. Again, they'd have to stop by the gift shop to wrap the packages, but at least now he had four out of five Christmas presents covered.
However, Ichika told them they should go eat something, and since it was almost lunch time, both of them agreed. The eldest Nakano agreed to pay some okonomiyakis for each, and as they devoured them, they took the chance to chat and catch up.
"So, Ichika-san, how have you been doing in your acting job?" Raiha asked. "Will you have important roles soon?"
"Haha, to be honest yet," the eldest Nakano chuckled. "After the last movie I'll need a break. I'll be fine spending Christmas with family, and friends like you guys."
"Your father will be there too?" Fuutarou asked. "It's weird, I've been paid almost four months for my job, yet I haven't seen him in person."
Ichika's smile dimmedown slightly. "Don't hold your breath. Dad's too busy with work to take days off."
"What does her work at?" the boy asked curiously.
Ichika arched an eyebrow. "Don't you know? He owns the hospital where you were tended to."
Fuutarou almost choked on what he was about to swallow, and both him and Raiha had to give a few pats to the chest to help him down it. When it didn't work, he grabbed his glass of water and a couple of sips were enough to clear his throat.
"What did you say?" he asked once he could talk clearly.
"I'm sorry, thought you already knew," Ichika apologized. "That's why we always take our vaccines there, and also when he found out about your ski accident…"
"Yeah, that explains a lot," Fuutarou said.
Someone who owned a hospital that big most likely had enough to pay an apartment like the quintuplets', and also to pull a few strings after his accident. But that also brought a few questions, upon recalling a few things he already knew about his employer.
"But then… does that mean he spends more time at that hospital than at home?" he asked again.
"Hmm… unfortunately, yes. I'm already used to it, but I admit I miss him sometimes. He's always been… a bit distant with us, you know?"
"And why is that?" Raiha intervened, also interested.
"I guess… it's because we're a living reminder of Mom," the Nakano explained. "They couldn't be together for long before she died, after all."
"That's so sad," Raiha said.
"I don't deny I'd like to see him more often, but despite everything, he's done everything in his power to take care and provide for us," Ichika said. "That's why I don't hold it against him. Of course, not all of us think the same way. Nino is usually the one who has the most issues with him when we see him."
"Nino? Really?" The boy was interested upon hearing this.
"She doesn't hate him, if that's what you think, but sometimes she feels he tries to impose too much control in our lives," Ichika explained. "Or at least, that's what she says. I think deep down she just wishes he was a bit more… affectionate with us, that's all. We wanted to spend Christmas all together, but he said he'll have too much work to do and won't be able to."
Fuutarou remained silent, wondering if that was the reason the Nakanos invited them to their Christmas party. Maybe they wanted to compensate their father's absence somehow, though that story made him feel a little guilty for standing up his grandparents, even though his parents had supported them to spend Christmas with the sisters.
He then recalled the favoritism and that partially eased the guilt, though this revelation surely gave a new context to the invitation. On the one hand, it meant a lot to him to be invited, and on the other, he wanted to say a few things to the Nakanos' father. Even if he wasn't their biological dad, Fuutarou didn't like that he was emotionally distant with his daughters. Isanari and Kazane never ceased to remind him and Raiha of how much they loved them, and he always appreciated that.
Now he felt he had an ever bigger reason to attend that party and give them those presents. He didn't know why, but he felt someone had to fill that void somehow.
"Well, I think I should get going, the others are waiting for me," she said once she finished eating. "If you want to order something else, I'll gladly treat you."
"Eh? Leaving so soon?" Raiha asked.
"Wait, I still haven't bought your present," Fuutarou added. "You still haven't told me what you'd like."
"Oh, don't worry about me, whatever you give me will be fine," the eldest Nakano said. "After all, I've already bought yours too, so try and impress me."
"Really?" The boy was a bit surprised at that.
"What is it? Tell us what it is!" Raiha exclaimed excitedly, but Ichika waved her finger.
"Uh-uh, I can't spoil the surprise. I won't open mine until Christmas, but I'm sure I will like it," the pinkette declared. "And don't worry, Raiha-chan, I'll be sure to have one for you too, I promise. Later!"
The girl walked away, leaving the Uesugi siblings alone in their table. Well, at least she provided some help with the presents for the others, and from her words it shouldn't be too hard to find something for her.
Although she said anything would be fine for her, spending some time with her and chatting gave him enough ideas, he already knew what he could give her. The best part, what he thought was the last resort actually served as the best choice in this case.
It all seemed that this year's Christmas would be very, very interesting.
The day before the marathon…
Despite being released from compromises with the track club, Yotsuba agreed to train with them the day before the competition. It goes without saying that Eba tried one last ditch effort to recruit the ribbon girl for her ranks, even knowing it'd be futile, but didn't insist anymore afterwards. The deal was that she'd help them in the marathon, and then they'd leave her alone.
"Okay, I guess that's all," the club's captain said. "You better rest well tonight, since tomorrow's competition will be really tough. Especially you, Nakano-san."
"I won't let you down, Eba-san, I promise," the ribbon girl assured.
The club's members were ready to pack their stuff and leave home. However, one of them suddenly approached Yotsuba to give her a few taps on the shoulder.
"Hey, Nakano-san, isn't that your friend over there?"
"Huh?" Yotsuba looked up.
Indeed, at the edge of the sports' field behind the fence was Fuutarou. His face looked like he'd been standing there for a while, and with the hands behind his back, it seemed he was concealing something.
"That meddler again?" Eba said with an annoyed tone. "I thought we'd reached an agreement; if he's coming to annoy us…"
"Calm down, Eba-san," Yotsuba intervened. "I'll talk to him, alright?"
Without missing a beat, the ribbon girl ran to see her tutor/study buddy/friend, whatever she wanted to consider him. As soon as he saw her approaching, he turned around to glance at her through the fence, and smiled.
"Yo." He greeted her. "So, you ready for the big day tomorrow?"
"As ready as I'll be." She smiled. "Hope I can get enough sleep tonight."
"Hmm… if you have a moment, can you come this side of the fence? I've got something for you."
Yotsuba tilted her head in confusion, but noticed how Fuutarou looked over his shoulder. She tried to peek, but he stepped back so he couldn't see whatever he was holding. Catching the message, the Nakano went to the gate and crossed to the other side, until she met the Uesugi boy.
He then took a deep breath, before speaking coyly. "Well… I know you told me I didn't have to give you Christmas presents. Even so, the other day I bought some things for you and the others."
"Uesugi-san, you really didn't have to," Yotsuba said.
"Well, it's a bit late for that, since I've paid for them. Besides, you're the one I wanted to give something the most."
"Me?" The ribbon girl was surprised.
Fuutarou blushed slightly, before revealing at long last what he was hiding behind: a box wrapped in Christmas paper, with a card with her name as the addressee.
"I know it's not Christmas yet, but Raiha was nagging me because Thanksgiving passed by and I gave you nothing," Fuutarou said. He probably noticed her confused face, so he proceeded to explain. "For helping me so much during the school camp, with the courage test and all that. So, you can take this as a either a late, or early present…"
"I really appreciate it, but if you went this far, I wouldn't have minded to wait until Christmas to get it," the girl said.
"Yeah, but I also thought it could come in handy for tomorrow."
Again, the girl gave him a puzzled look, and he just smirked at her, prompting her to open it. Yotsuba took a quick glance, making sure Eba and the rest of the track club were too busy at the time to pay her any attention, and she quickly ripped out the wrapping.
"This… this is…"
Yotsuba was in for a big surprise. Inside was a shoe box, specifically of a pair of shoes for track and field events. Her eyes went wide open as she glanced at her friend, who smirked with satisfaction. Surprise made way to a huge excitement, and her heart throbbed as she opened the box to pull them out, before removing the ones she was wearing to try them out.
"They fit perfectly, right my size… how did you…?"
"Ichika," he interrupted. "I ran into her when I was doing the Christmas shopping. She came in handy as a foot mold for you."
"This is great," Yotsuba said. "You bought them so I could use them tomorrow?"
"That was the idea. So, I can assume you li–hey!"
The girl didn't let him finish; she just jumped to give him one of her hugs. She was so excited that, for the first time in months, she didn't gauge her strength as she embraced him.
"Thanks, thanks a lot, Uesugi-san! I really love them!"
"Yeah, yeah… I'm glad, but… Yotsuba…"
"Oops, sorry," she said, letting go so he could breathe. "But really, you didn't have to do this for me. I mean, they must have costed you a fortune."
"Ah, I'd saved money from the job, so you can return it by studying harder," Fuutarou said. "And you know our deal: if you guys don't win tomorrow's marathon, you'll have extra work during the winter break."
"Is that a challenge, Uesugi-san?" she exclaimed, feeling her adrenaline pumping up. "Well, you better be ready, because tomorrow I'll be the first!"
"So be it, I'll be waiting at the finish line!" he added in the same fashion.
Although it sounded like he was challenging her, Yotsuba could catch the true feeling behind Fuutarou's words. He believed in her, he was certain she'd win the competition, and had just given her a gift to support her in it. It would be like he was present with her all the way.
With that sentiment, there was no way she could lose. She'd run that marathon like never before in her life, and she would dedicate him her victory. It'd be her way to thank him for that special gift.
The next day, in the city's streets…
Attending as a spectator in a marathon was very different from watching it on TV. It was just about waiting there and hearing the commentary through the radio, unless you were willing to follow the competitor you supported all the way through the race. Fuutarou had neither the speed nor the endurance to do that, plus he promised he'd wait for Yotsuba at the finish line.
He knew he wasn't the only to come; the other four Nakano sisters had positioned themselves across several checkpoints to cheer on her sister during the competition, and occasionally would call him to report that Yotsuba or the rest of the Asahiyama team had passed in front of them. The last message he'd gotten was from Nino, which said Yotsuba had taken the lead during the final stretch.
'Looks like she took to heart my warning,' Fuutarou thought, unable to help but smile.
Admittedly, the part about throwing her extra duties as punishment if she didn't win was just a joke, but Yotsuba seemed to still believe it. The messages from each of the quints in the checkpoints told him that the ribbon girl was holding up good positions, but without overexerting herself until a certain point, and it was in the final stretch where she would pull all the stops to take the lead and keep it.
"And here come the competitors, ladies and gentlemen!" a reporter who was covering the competition announced. "We can see them, and the one in the lead is Number 428, representing Asahiyama High!"
That number was unmistakable, and while he couldn't see her, a few minutes later he recognized the ribbon on Yotsuba's orange hair. The girl was running, or rather jogging as fast as the rules allowed her, and when he spotted the rest of the competitors behind her, he calculated she was probably bodies of advantage over them.
'Hope she's not stupid enough to think she already won and screw it up.'
He'd seen it too many times; the competitor in the lead had the victory in the bag and started celebrating ahead of time, just to end up overtaken by their rival for getting too cocky in the final stretch, or in the worst case, suffer an injury due to a bad step when trying to show off, or something like that.
Fortunately, that wasn't the case for Yotsuba: in fact, she seemed to pick up the pace as soon as she spotted the finish line, and he could get a glimpse of the determination in the fourth sister's face, who didn't celebrate until her body made contact with the finish line's tape and she crossed it. Right then, she raised her arms up in the air and began jumping up, cheering herself in the middle of the crowd's applause.
"And the winner of the Female Interschool Marathon is Yotsuba Nakano, representing Asahiyama High! What a great arrival, ladies and gentlemen! And now, in second place…!"
Fuutarou paid no heed to the names afterwards. When Yotsuba finished celebrating, she fell to her knees, allowing herself to breathe with huge pants. The adrenalines had most likely reached its peak, and the effect was now wearing off.
The other competitors arrived one after another. A few minutes later, Eba and the rest of the Asahiyama team arrived, and they all dogpiled on Yotsuba, with the joy of victory seemingly making them forget about the tiredness.
"You did it, Nakano-san! You won the marathon!"
"We're the champions!"
"Come on everyone, let's throw her up in the air!"
As the rest of the competitors arrived to the finish line, the Asahiyama team began throwing Yotsuba as they cheered her on. The Nakano did nothing but laugh, clearly flattered, though at a certain point while she was in the air, turned to see where he was, and when they hoisted her up again, waved her hand at him. He replied with a thumbs up.
…
After the award ceremony, and Yotsuba getting her gold medal for the competition, the Nakanos were the ones who dogpiled on their sister, congratulating her on her victory. The ribbon girl had her face covered in sweat, with a long jacket over the shoulders to shield herself from the cold of the day.
"Well done, Yotsuba!" said Ichika.
"We knew you'd win, you left them all biting the dust!" Nino added.
"It was obvious…" Miku thirded in a monotone, though she was still smiling.
"You had me a little worried when your shoe untied, though," Itsuki concluded as she handed her a water bottle.
Yotsuba downed the content almost in a single gulp, and right then the sisters noticed that he was in front of them, staring at them with his arms folded.
Nino was the first to approach him. "And you, don't you have anything to say? Won't you congratulate her like the rest of us?"
"Nino, it's okay," Yotsuba intervened. "Uesugi-san already did his part. After all, it was like he was with me during the entire race."
He noticed how Yotsuba idly tapped on the shoes he gave her. His lips curved up in a smile, and he placed a hand on her head.
"You did it great. You're a real athlete. Congrats on your victory."
Yotsuba chuckled. "Shishishi… told you I'd be the first, and I wouldn't break that promise."
"Well, that means you're spared from your punishment," he added. Of course it was just a joke, but she didn't need to know that, and even though he'd let her rest from studying, he had to keep her motivated.
"Punishment? What punishment?" Nino asked. "Hey, were you blackmailing her? What were you going to do if she didn't win?"
"There, there, Nino," Ichika intervened. "That's is between Fuutarou-kun and Yotsuba. But since the competition is over, how about we go to the ice-cream parlor to celebrate?"
"Seconded!" said Itsuki. "All this competition made me hungry!"
"But you finished a huge bag of popcorn," Miku said dryly, causing Itsuki to pump up the cheeks in annoyance.
"Okay, we're all off to the parlor! My treat!" Yotsuba announced as she pumped her fist in the air.
Everyone, Fuutarou included, followed instantly. When that girl was pumped up in enthusiasm, she would always spread it out to everyone, including him.
Plus, he had to admit he was starting to like seeing her that way, smiling and cheery. He'd begun noticing that Yotsuba always felt much better when she shared her joys with her sisters. That gave him even more reason to work hard as her tutor, so they could always be together again.
'Though I'm gonna miss her after that. School's gonna be real boring when she leaves.'
Again, she decided not to think about it. There was still one more term before he had to say goodbye to her, so until then, he'd make the best use of time to make good memories, with no regrets, like she used to say.
To be continued…
Author's notes:
Happy birthday to the Nakanos! Well, well, we're back on track, and I really appreciate your support. Always feels great to know what you guys think of my work, whether it's positive or negative. You really get discouraged when nobody says nothing.
Leaving that aside, I apologize if this chapter ended up a bit on the short side, but that's because, like I said before, originally this and the next one would be a single chapter. However, since the second part would be about the Christmas party, and I was a little stuck with it, I figured it'd be better to cut it off here, since Yotsuba and the track club's marathon looked like a good closing point. Now, don't worry, since the next one is finished, but you know I want to write ahead a bit more, especially because from this point on where the divergence to canon will become more noticeable. Somehow, this and the next chapter will serve as a closure to tie some loose ends, and set the basis for a few character arcs. It'll be a breather since I've planned another original arc during the final second year term, and without spoiling much, I'll use it to give Ichika an important role.
Thanks for the reviews to PrimeZero, Ayayacchi, The Exiled Darkness, and TheMist33, we'll meet again on the next chapter for the Christmas party. Sayonara!