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 17: Who Deserves Your Help?
On the way to Asahiyama High…
Fuutarou barely got any sleep the previous night. When he returned home, his parents and Raiha naturally noticed how he didn't look as happy as he should have been after a successful date. And he also lamented that it had to end in such a bitter note, when he just wanted to have a nice time with Ichika.
Well, that he did, but having learned that way of what was going on with the swimming club, and how Yotsuba got tangled into it, that definitely didn't sit well with him.
It wasn't like he could pretend he heard nothing and move on with his life. That morning, after a very early breakfast, he left home to head for school like he always did, but he wasn't focused on the path. He still felt he had to do something, and that thought wouldn't leave him alone.
'But what am I supposed to do? I don't even know the girl who's skipping out by pretending to be injured, or what she looks like. Heck, do I feel so useless.'
Once upon a time that now looked far, far away, he'd just have let it be without a care. But as hard as it was to admit for him, Yotsuba had become his closest friend at school, and he didn't enjoy the idea of letting people exploit her without at least trying to do something about it. Those girls from the swimming club had no right whatsoever to ask for her help, when they just wanted her to carry their load and avoid making an effort.
'When did I start caring about her so much?'
He was so deep in his thoughts, he didn't realize there was someone standing in front of him, and he bumped them, he bumped them, stopping brusquely short of the school's gates. He was about to apologize until he saw who it was.
"Well, well, look who we got here."
There were three guys wearing his school's uniform in front of him. Two of them, he didn't recognize, but the third was the same guy from yesterday, the one who accompanied the girl named Mizumachi when they casually ran into each other at that cafeteria. The latter was giving him a smirk that didn't look like it meant good news for him.
"Your name's… Uesugi, right? Lucky me, I was hoping to run into you, so we could talk."
Before Fuutarou could ask anything or even get a single word in, one of the two henchmen muffled his mouth to stop him from shouting, while the other two grabbed him each by an arm and forcibly dragged him. He tried to struggle, but even with Yotsuba's training in the last few months, he was no match for the three's combined strength.
'Note to self: take the visits to the gym more seriously. So this doesn't happen again.'
The trio dragged him to a faraway corner, outside the school's grounds, and the leader shoved him against the wall rather harshly. It hurt, but fortunately he didn't break anything, and as soon as he caught his breath, he stood up to face them.
"What's wrong with you, why're you doing this?" he asked, trying to keep his nerve in check.
"Easy," the leader replied. "I said we just wanted to talk. Or rather, make sure you hold off your tongue."
"Hey, Tsuji, don't be such a party pooper," one of the henchmen said, cracking his knuckles. "Let me knock him off a tooth or two, yes?"
"Maybe a black eye or two," the other added. Fortunately the leader, whose name was apparently Tsuji, stopped them both.
"Nonsense," he said with a bossy tone. "All I want is to make sure our friend here won't go telling on Mizumachi for skipping out a day or two to go on a date."
"What do you mean?" Fuutarou asked, trying to stay unflappable. "If it's about yesterday, it's not like I can do anything, can I?"
"No, but just in case you thought about doing something," Tsuji replied, making emphasis on it. "You know what I'm talking about?"
Fuutarou had to hold back the urge to gulp, while also trying to keep his legs steady so they wouldn't shake. He didn't want to look like a scaredy-cat, even though inside he was a bit afraid to start a fight. He'd rather avoid physical conflict, and not just because of his own integrity, but also to avoid damage to his reputation as a model student.
Not having any friends to back him up in a situation like this was definitely a mistake on his part, if only so he could send them to get help. But who'd come to his aid right on the moment?
"Hey! You there, what'd you think you're doing?"
Fuutarou and the three thugs turned in the direction upon hearing the shouts. They saw someone running towards them. As Tsuji continued to keep him pinned against the wall, his two henchmen got into guard to face the newly arrived. At first, he couldn't get a good look due to being in the shadows, but once he came close enough, he could see it was…
"Maeda?" he exclaimed upon recognizing him. The aforementioned gave him a cursory glance, and dropped his backpack as he rolled up his sleeves and loosened his uniform shirt's collar.
"What's going on here?" he asked again.
"None of your business," said one of the henchmen. "Get lost if you don't want trouble."
"I'd rather say you guys are the troublemakers here," Maeda replied. "Three against one, isn't that a little unfair? Maybe you'd like to pick on me instead."
"Aw, how cute, he's coming to defend his friend. If that's how you want it," the other replied, punching his palm before trying to lunge at him.
Maeda, never slow on the uptake, instantly ducked under the punch and gave him a kick in the knees to take him down. The other immediately went to defend his fellow henchman, only to get punched in the stomach, and with the air knocked out of him, he was thrown over his fallen partner.
"Okay, now it's just you and me, Tsuji-senpai," Maeda said.
Fuutarou was quite surprised at what he was seeing. Why did Maeda come to his aid? Not like he didn't appreciate it, but he didn't want him to get into trouble for something that wasn't his business.
Tsuji, for his part, released Fuutarou momentarily to focus on Maeda, who seemed quite ready to come to blows with him. He could just take the chance to run off towards the school, but something stopped him, and he was left staring at the two who were trying to get back on their feet after they got knocked out. He doubted they'd stay that way, without retaliating for the hits they got.
"Cease at once, all of you!"
A new voice joined, getting everyone's attention. Fuutarou got another surprise upon seeing another familiar face. This time it was Takeda, but he didn't have his usual pretty boy smile. Now he sported a more serious demeanor, even cold and intimidating, and he was holding up his cellphone with the camera pointed at them.
"Hah! Another?" one of the henchman mocked. "Well, no matter, I'll give him his…"
"Hold up, you idiot!" the second exclaimed, grabbing him by the shoulders before he could jump him. "Don't you know who that is? He's Takeda, the principal's son!"
"Say what?!"
"Oh, it's good to see my reputation precedes me." Takeda smirked as he spoke with a calm, but unflappable tone. "And I think my father would be interested in knowing you're fighting to put it in your school records."
"You wouldn't," Tsuji intervened, trying to sound intimidating, though Fuutarou noticed the slight shake in his voice. "We're not looking for trouble; we just wanted to talk to Uesugi, but this idiot followed us," he added as he pointed at Maeda.
"You don't take someone to a faraway alley just to talk," the latter defended, still with the fists raised in case he had to use them.
"Maeda-kun, there's no need to fight here," Takeda said. "And you, Tsuji-senpai, the last term you got a warning for skipping out class. I don't think you want to add another one for fighting or bullying another student to your expedient, do you?"
Tsuji and his henchmen groaned, but they finally took the soundest choice. Picking fights or bullying was one thing, but doing so with the son of the principal? That was practically a suicide action, as it would leave a permanent stain in their records, not to mention trouble with their families.
As soon as the three aggressors left, Fuutarou could finally drop himself on his rear, leaning against the wall he was being pinned on before, and he clenched a hand on his chest before exhaling in relief.
"You okay?" Maeda asked, extending his hand.
"Now I am," he said, accepting it. "Thanks, you both had great timing."
"No need for thanks," Takeda replied. "I just happened to pass by and saw they were taking you by force. I sensed something was wrong."
"Since we're at it, what happened exactly?" Maeda inquired again. "You're not the type who likes to pick trouble; did you do something that angered them?"
"If you don't mind, how about we get into the school? I'll explain everything, but I don't want to be late for class."
Takeda and Maeda exchanged glances briefly, but accepted his point, and after Fuutarou picked his backpack again (the idiots had taken it when they grabbed him before and tossed it away), they headed for the school gates in a hurry. While they weren't late yet, if these two wanted an explanation, wasn't in the mood for it just yet.
First, he needed a few minutes to steady his heartbeat and his breathing. He really got freaked out at the thought of being involved in a school fight.
…
Having still ten minutes before the start of class, Fuutarou could explain everything that happened once he felt at ease. Long story short, Fuutarou told them how, by mere chance, he saw Tsuji with Mizumachi at a cafeteria the previous day, when he was supposed to be at a competition with the swimming team. The scuffle that happened before was because "he knew too much", due to accidentally discovering all that mess.
"I see now." Maeda nodded. "Don't you plan to do something about it?"
"I'd love to, but what can I do?" Fuutarou asked. "It's not like I can go there to tell Yotsuba they're just using her, and without proof."
"I'd say that's exactly what you should be doing," Maeda replied.
"But I'll have to skip the afternoon classes to get there."
"What's more important to you? Your friend who needs you, or having a perfect attendance record?"
Fuutarou was about to run his mouth and reply it was obvious, but he remained quiet. At the start of that school year, he would have said his attendance record was the most important thing (surpassed only by his grades in the exams), but that had changed now. He wanted to help Yotsuba, and stop those unscrupulous girls from taking advantage of her.
"Even if I go, I can't just tell her what's going on if I don't have proof," Fuutarou explained. "I don't even know who's the club member who allegedly got an injury so Yotsuba would replace her, that Makio or whatever her name is."
"That can be solved easily," Takeda intervened. "In my class, there's a member of the swimming club. Her name is Okiko Maki, and from what I know she's the only second-year member still in the team, albeit she's been uninterested in competing lately. They seem to want to dissolve the club by the end of this year."
"Maki… Okiko… yeah, I can see where the nickname comes from," Fuutarou said, putting the pieces, or rather the syllables, together. "But what do you want me to do? I can't go to your class, snap photos or record her. I'd look like a stalker or a creep."
"You don't have to worry about that," the pretty boy assured. "If I ask her kindly, I don't think she will refuse. All I have to do is send you the proof afterwards. You do have a phone that can receive them, yes?"
Fuutarou pulled out his Smartphone, the same one Ichika had given him, and held it up. He and Takeda exchanged numbers and mail addresses for contact, and since Maeda was with them, offered to do the same, just in case he ran into trouble with Tsuji or some of his henchmen again.
After storing the info and checking their watches, Maeda and Takeda left for their respective classrooms, as Fuutarou headed for his own and sit down before the starting bell went off.
Maeda's words still echoed in his head. At the time, he really wanted to go help Yotsuba, even if that meant skipping the afternoon's classes.
'My attendance record is already tainted anyway,' he said, recalling his time hospitalized due to the broken leg. 'Skipping out half a day won't hurt much more.'
It was a small sacrifice for a good cause. Concretely, for helping a friend who really needed him, even if she still didn't know it.
Elsewhere, in the meantime…
Unlike Fuutarou, Ichika didn't even attend classes that day. Having no time to explain the others what she was going to do, she got up early (which seemed an unlikely feat for her) and headed off to take the train to Kanayama station. In her rush she didn't have breakfast, so she made a quick stop in a cafeteria to ask for something fast (including an expresso to stay awake), before heading off to the Olympic pool where the competition would be held.
That posed another issue, though: she had nothing else to do until after midday, since the competition would be in the afternoon.
"I guess I came here too early," she muttered as she checked her phone.
To kill some time, she replayed over and over the conversation she recorded at the cafeteria, when they happened tp run into that member of the swimming club during their date. The eldest Nakano lamented that happened; the day had been so nice overall, and it ended up that way.
"Don't think about that now. There are more pressing things," she told herself.
So it was. After all, she'd assumed her role years ago, after their mother died. She was the eldest, and thus she had to be responsible for looking out for her sisters in her absence.
True, when it came to housework, she'd rather delegate the duties on Nino, who was much better in that area, and if people called her a lazy slob and a sleepyhead, she wouldn't deny it because she knew it was true. But when it came to important stuff, including if one of her sisters was in trouble, she'd be there with no hesitation.
That's why, upon learning there were unscrupulous people trying to exploit Yotsuba's kindness, she knew she couldn't sit still doing nothing.
Her train of thought was interrupted when her phone began giving out a melodious ringtone. She immediately recognized it, as she assigned it to a specific contact in the ID caller, and she couldn't help but smile despite the seriousness of the situation.
She immediately pressed the button to answer. "Hello, Fuutarou-kun?"
"Ichika, I've got good and bad news," he bluntly said from the other said of the line. Always straight to the point. "I found the member of the swimming club who feigned an injury to replace Yotsuba. I just have to wait until an acquaintance sends me the evidence we need."
"Oh, that's definitely good news," the eldest Nakano said with a smile. "But then, what's the bad news?"
Fuutarou remained silent for a moment, like he was ashamed to admit it. Finally, after a few seconds, he confessed in a low voice, evidently so nobody else would hear it.
"I… have no clue about how to send them to your phone. I'm still having difficulties with everything this thing can do."
"Goodness, I'll have to give you a crash course after this," Ichika replied, pouting. "But leaving that aside, what are you going to do then?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'll have to go in person there and show Yotsuba the evidence myself," the boy replied. "So she can see how they tricked her."
"Is it okay that you come?" Ichika asked. Although the evidence would come in handy, she didn't want to force Fuutarou to skip class just because of it.
"I already skipped three weeks of class when I broke my leg. Half a day more won't make much of a difference, and it's for a good cause. I'll do this for Yotsuba."
Ichika smiled. She was pleased to see the boy cared for her sister as much as she did. It was just another of the things she liked of him. But now wasn't the time for raving about it. She had more pressing things to take care of.
"Okay then. You do remember the address, do you?" Ichika asked, just to be sure.
"Yeah, don't worry. But I can't get out until the lunch break. Can you manage without me until then?"
"I'll do what I can," Ichika replied. "I'll stay on the lookout in the area, just on case Yotsuba appears."
"Alright, I'm counting on you. I'll see you there."
She immediately ended the call. Ichika looked around again. The competition started after midday, and there was still time before that. Most she could do at the time was wait until Yotsuba and the Asahiyama swimming team showed up.
'Nobody will take advantage of my sister's kindness and get away with it. Not on my watch.'
Right then, she saw some school buses started arriving in front of the Olympic pool building. The eldest Nakano kept her eyes wide open in alert, scouring for the Asahiyama bus. The teams who'd take part in the swimming competition came out as they crowded in front of the entrance, which only made it harder for her to find her sister.
"Yotsuba… where are you?"
A few minutes went by, and two, three buses more arrived, but the one bringing Yotsuba didn't show. And as more people arrived, she came to another realization: how was she supposed to get her attention?
She'd brought the necessary ribbon-and-wig kit to pose as her, and there was a small alley nearby where they could change without anybody seeing them. The question was, how to attract her there with nobody else coming and finding them out?
She could scream there was a stalker, but that risked having everyone come and dogpile on her, and that wouldn't be convenient. On the other hand… she had a less complicated way, and sometimes the best hiding place was in plain sight.
"Why didn't I think about that before?" she said as she rustled into the bag. She not only had the disguise for Yotsuba, but for the rest of her sisters.
She pulled out a long, magenta wig, and a pair of black butterfly ribbons, and immediately donned them to turn into Nino. In case the Mizumachi girl had gone to tell everyone else, she didn't have to go as herself. She just needed to pose as one of the others and nobody, Yotsuba notwithstanding, would suspect anything.
And she did it just in time, as right then the Asahiyama bus arrived, and the swimming club started coming out. As soon as she saw Yotsuba, she took a deep breath and walked out. It was the moment of truth.
"Alright, here we are," she heard the girl who seemed their captain say. "Let's go for everything, girls!"
"YEAAAAAAAHHH!" everyone shouted in unison, Yotsuba included.
"Yotsuba! Yotsuba, here you are!" Ichika called out, acting as if she ran a marathon, and stopping to breathe heavily. "Oof… I finally found you."
"Nino? What are… wait, you're…"
"Do you know how long I've been looking for you?" she exclaimed, interrupting before her cover was blown, and trying to sound as much as she could as Nino. "You're hopeless, you knew that? To think you dropped your cellphone back at the apartment!"
She showed the aforementioned device to emphasize her point and make her act even more convincing. From what she could see through the corner of the eye, everyone present was surprised, but nobody seemed to suspect anything weird yet. Good sign.
"I'm sorry," the apparent captain of the swimming team intervened. "Are you friends with Nakano-san?"
"Her sister, matter of fact. Nino Nakano, nice to meet you," she replied, intervening again before a very confused Yotsuba slipped her tongue. "Sorry for intruding; I came to bring my dear little sister her cellphone, and also because I need to tell her something very important. If you could excuse us for a moment?"
"But the competition is about to start, in less than half an hour."
"I won't take more than five minutes. Ten tops," Ichika assured. "It's something very important, sister business."
The captain saw her suspiciously, but she ultimately relented, and after thanking her, Ichika practically dragged Yotsuba by force towards the alley she saw before, and once there, pulled out the wig once she made sure nobody was looking.
"Ichika, what are you doing here?" Yotsuba asked. "And why are you disguised as Nino?"
"Just in case," the eldest sister said, in a low voice just in case somebody tried to follow them. "Listen, Yotsuba, I actually came to warn you. Those girls from the swimming club, they're just using you."
"Say what?" The ribbon girl tilted her head. She seemed to get only more confused by the minute.
"They're planning on making you compete in more than one event, right?" Ichika said.
"Well, yeah, but that's because the ones who were to compete, one got injured and the other's sick."
"Doesn't that seem weird? I mean, that she got sick right when the competition was coming, and you've conveniently offered yourself as a replacement?"
Yotsuba's eyes widened slightly. She seemed to want to reply, but this time she was unable to. Probably it hadn't occurred to her before and left her to think. However, Ichika could tell her sister wasn't fully convinced, so she grabbed her phone and played the recording of yesterday's conversation.
"That voice…"
"Sounds familiar?" Ichika asked. "It's Mizumachi, the one they told you was sick."
"M-maybe it's just a coincidence," Yotsuba replied, still not fully buying it.
"No it's not. Look, Fuutarou-kun could confirm it. He was there with me, when we casually ran into them during our date. She just pretends to be sick to go out with a boy."
"Uesugi-san was there too?" Yotsuba now seemed even more confused.
"Yotsuba, I'm serious. I know you promised to help, but all they want is to take advantage of you, so you can make them win without making any effort themselves."
"That's not… even if it were true, I already promised to fill in for Makio-san, who got injured," Yotsuba insisted.
Ichika held back the urge to sight. Yotsuba was a really kindhearted girl, and she'd always assume the best out of everyone else by default. The problem with that was that she could be really naïve, and she wouldn't realize someone was up to no good unless she had irrefutable proof of it.
"Okay, if you won't take my word for it, would you take Fuutarou-kun's?" the eldest continued. "He must be on his way here with the proof you need."
Yotsuba was still doubtful, but the mention of Fuutarou seemed to have the effect Ichika was looking for. Yet she still needed one last push to convince her.
"Let's do something; you wait here until Fuutarou-kun arrives, and I'll take your place in the competition in the meantime," she said as she pulled out from her bag the orange wig and a green ribbon identical to Yotsuba's. "I won't let my little sister help people who don't deserve it. They want help? They'll have it, but not the one they expect."
Next, she urged her sister to hurry up so they could exchange their clothes, looking every once in a while to be sure nobody was peeking on them. Yotsuba was still reluctant and Ichika almost had to forcibly strip her. Even though the fourth sister was the strongest physically, she'd always turn into a fragile little lamb whenever Ichika went into "Big Sister Mode", just like all the others. She hadn't done that in a long time, and she hated having to resort to it, but she was doing it for her own sake.
"Ichika, are you sure about this?" Yotsuba asked once they finished changing.
"I am," the eldest sister assured, grabbing Yotsuba's sports bag and leaving hers on Yotsuba's hands. "Take care of this for me, okay?"
And without any further words, she headed where the others were waiting. All of them looked rather impatient, so Ichika immediately got into the role and put her acting skills to use.
"Sorry for taking so long, but I'm ready now."
"Good, we were worried you may be trying to escape, or she took you away by force."
"Oh no, don't worry! I'll never break my promises, I assure you!"
Coincidentally, right then the doors of the Olympic pool and the teams ready to take part in the competition began entering the building. Ichika decided to make her acting even more convincing and raised her fist up in the air.
"Alright team! Time to give it all to go to the nationals! Let's win!"
"YEAAAAAAHHH!" the others shouted.
Being an actress herself, Ichika was able to tell when people was sincere and when they were not, so she could tell their enthusiasm was faked. She really hated using her talent for trickery, but then reminded herself it was for a good cause.
Anyway, she was the second best swimmer in her family after Yotsuba, so maybe they wouldn't notice until it was too late, and they wouldn't be able to accuse her of losing due to lack of effort. These girls really needed a lesson, and she would make sure they'd get it.
A bit later, in Asahiyama…
Fuutarou didn't remember the last time a morning in class was so long, at least since her elementary school days, when she didn't care much about studying. In fact, a couple of times he was called for spacing out, though he couldn't help it. He was impatient to get out of the school, as soon as he got the message from Takeda with the evidence he needed. Fortunately, it came right as the last class before the lunch break ended, and as soon as the bell rang, he ran out of the school, and while he was worried about running into Tsuji or his henchmen, he didn't spot them anywhere.
Thanks to the training he'd been doing for months with Yotsuba, he didn't get immediately tired as he ran across the streets. He moved forward nonstop, except at the crosswalks, and in front of a vending machine to get a drink until he reached the train station. He'd regret skipping lunch later, but then again, he reminded himself what he was doing and why. Or rather, for whom.
Now that he was aboard the train on his way to Kanayama, standing as he held the safety cord with one hand, and checking his phone with the other. Takeda had sent him several photos where a cheery-looking girl with a silly smile (who looked dumber than Yotsuba, if that was possible), where she did all kinds of poses, even running and jumping, evidencing no signs at all of having an injury, or anything that prevented her from competing. That was all he needed to show Yotsuba she'd been told lies.
"Thanks for this, I owe you one," he muttered as he typed the reply message, so Takeda would know he got it. With that done, he entered the contacts and searched Ichika's number; he needed to tell her he was on his way.
"Hey, Fuu… Uesugi-san?" she replied on the other side. "Something wrong?"
Fuutarou arched an eyebrow. He recognized Ichika's voice, and immediately noticed how she shifted tones and the way she called him to mimic Yotsuba's. Was she switching places with her?
"I just wanted to let you know I'm in the train. I estimate I'll get to Kanayama Station in about ten minutes."
"Good, I'm glad to hear that," Ichika said. Again, he noticed how she used a high-pitched tone that, while convincing, he could tell was acted. She then began talking in a much more discreet tone. "Listen, I don't have much more time, so I'll only say this: find Yotsuba out of the building. I'll take care of everything else."
"May I ask what you mean by 'take care'?" he inquired. He had a slight idea, but he couldn't help but feel worried if it was what he suspected.
"I'll explain later. We'll talk later, okay? Bye."
Without further ado, Ichika hung up. Having nothing else to do, he decided to just wait for the train to arrive to its destination, exhaling a deep sigh as he looked out the window.
Ichika told him to find Yotsuba out of the building, so putting two and two together it was easy to deduce what happened. She probably did manage to intercept Yotsuba, and somehow switched places with her. And that was exactly what worried him: as good as she was at acting, there was always the risk of getting found out.
'Come on, hurry,' he thought, wishing for the train to go faster. His only solace was that the Olympic pool was probably five minutes on foot from the station, so he wouldn't have trouble getting there, but the wait would feel eternal until he reached the Kanayama Station.
At the Olympic pool's dressing rooms…
When nobody was watching, Ichika put her wig into the sports bag, and covered her hair with the swimming cap as she got ready. She was lucky to have it so short, as she could keep it completely hidden and nobody would notice the difference. The fact of being quintuplets and having identical bodies was another plus.
"Nakano-san, are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said, making her best cheery and enthusiastic impersonation of Yotsuba. "I'll give it all to help us win."
"You better do. Remember we're counting on you on those three events, don't disappoint us."
Ichika nodded firmly, although inside she really felt angry at this girl's hypocrisy. Of course they'd be suffering a big disappointment, but it was what they deserved for taking advantage of his sister's goodwill.
'I hadn't worn one of these in quite a while. It's a little snug,' she thought, trying to stretch the competition swimsuit to adjust it.
Ichika knew she wasn't as good an athlete as Yotsuba, but back in junior high she was a member of the swimming and tennis clubs on different years, albeit she had them more as a side hobby and a way to stay in shape than a real interest. After all, by then she was already awakening her real vocation to become an actress.
"Attention all competitors, please head for the center pool! The competition is about to start, with the individual 200m freestyle!"
Fortunately, it wasn't her turn yet. She could simply sit and enjoy the show, as she was set to compete in the individual 400m multi-style, 200m butterfly, and being the last in the relays. From what she knew, the first and third competitions were worth the most points, which was the reason they placed Yotsuba in them, to ensure their ticket to the nationals.
'I don't get why they care about going to the nationals, if they're not going to make any efforts there anyway.'
Maybe they were just the kind of people who wanted rewards for minimum effort. From Ichika's perspective, if you wished for something, but lacked the passion to chase after and work for it, you didn't deserve it. She dreamed of being an actress for a long time, and she knew the only way to achieve it was to take the initiative.
To their credit, at least during the first competition she could see that the Asahiyama swimmer did put some effort as she swam, and managed to rank third. She had to put a cheery façade to congratulate her, even though inside she felt she was almost boiling in anger. She wasn't one to express rage or fury, preferring to keep a smile for the sake of peace; but today, she was having a hard time keeping it.
While she was ready to 'help' these girls so her sister wouldn't have to, she really didn't want to, and it was just for covering appearances until the competition was over, or Yotsuba decided to confront them.
'Fuutarou-kun will be here at any second. I hope he can convince Yotsuba.'
If she couldn't do it, she could only trust him to do it. She was certain he would succeed, especially if he brought the proof in hand.
Outside, shortly after…
As soon as the doors opened, Fuutarou almost leaped out of the train, and left the station as fast as he could. However, after running about one and a half block by inertia, he realized he didn't even check the address well, but fortunately there was an area map near a bus stop, which pointed that he had to take a couple turns two blocks ahead from his current position.
As he waited in a crosswalk, the boy pulled out his cellphone and set the photos sent by Takeda in slide presentation mode, to show them to Yotsuba as soon as he saw her. He spotted the Olympic pool building, but Yotsuba was nowhere to be seen.
"Come on, where are you?"
He could have called out for her, but he didn't want to attract attention to himself by screaming. So alas, he had to check the perimeter the old fashioned way. Ichika did say Yotsuba would be waiting for him, and he really didn't think she would be stupid enough to abandon her position.
"Uesugi-san?"
And sure enough, he heard her calling out for him, making him turn in a heartbeat. He noticed her wearing Ichika's clothes and bag, and it was weird to see her that way. When she wasn't wearing the school uniform, he was more used to see her wearing sport clothes like tracksuits or hoodies.
But the most notable, obviously, was that today she looked more somber than usual, rather than being with her cheery expression, and that was something he didn't like one bit.
"Great, here you are. I assume Ichika already gave you the rundown?"
"Yeah, but… I still can't believe it. Did they really lie to me?" Yotsuba asked, her face still being incredulous.
"Sorry to say it, but yes, they did," he assured, pulling out the phone to show her Makio's photos. "See by yourself."
He handed her the device, and immediately saw how she slid the photos one after another, and her expression went from incredulous to angry and disappointed. Again, he didn't like seeing her that way, and not out of habit, because he really didn't like that someone took advantage of her kindness. She was a precious friend to him, after all.
"I don't believe this. Did she just pretend to be injured so I'd fill in for her?"
"They needed to make it seem plausible," Fuutarou said. "They were smart; they knew you wouldn't accept if they legitimately weren't one man, or woman, short."
So it was. The basketball club was at a shortage of members and needed a replacement for that match, and the track club needed one more to participate in the marathon. But what about the swimming club? They just wanted her to carry the load, because they didn't want to make the effort to win themselves.
Yotsuba handed the phone back, once she was unable to watch anymore. It was clear the weight of finding out the lie had been too much for her, as she pulled back and leaned against a wall, before sliding down to a sitting position.
"I'm so stupid. How could I let them fool me this way?"
Months before, Fuutarou would have probably said "Yeah, you're stupid for believing them so easily". But spending time with her made him more… receptive to her feelings, and something told him he shouldn't pour salt on the wound. She needed a pep talk, not a lecture.
"No, you're not."
Yotsuba looked up. He could see she was trying to hold back some tears; the swimming club's con had really afflicted her.
"You're just too nice for your own good sometimes," he continued. "You assume the best of everyone else by default, and that's what they exploited of you. It's not your fault you agreed to help people who didn't deserve it."
"Uesugi-san…"
"It's pointless that you dwell on that. Come on, stand up," Fuutarou insisted. "Ichika will have everything under control, so you can go home now. If you want, I can go tell them one or two things on your behalf about it."
He wasn't sure where that urge to confront the swimming club came from, but he honestly couldn't care less. All he wanted was for Yotsuba to go back to her usual self, rather than moping over making a mistake that wasn't even her own fault to begin with.
Yotsuba stood up, and after rubbing her eyes a bit, suddenly regained both her smile and aplomb.
"Thanks, Uesugi-san. But I can't let Ichika or you take care of his. I'll go myself and speak my mind in person."
"Well then, go ahead. I'll be right behind you if you need something.
"Thank you! Come on, let's get inside quick!"
As soon as Yotsuba turned around to run towards the Olympic pool's entrance, Fuutarou let out a smile. He was so used to see her cheerful and enthusiastic, he simply couldn't stand seeing her upset or depressed, so he felt satisfied to see her back full of energy. Without further words, he ran after her too.
Once they were inside, from the spectators' stands they were in for a surprise: Team Asahiyama was gathered near the pool's edge, all of them surrounding one of their members in what seemed like a lecture. Even among the crowd's muttering, they talked loud enough for them to hear.
"What happened there? You were nowhere near as fast as in the practices!"
"I'm so sorry! I think I got a cramp or something!"
"We were counting on you, Nakano-san! The first place points were very important, we told you so!"
"Remember our goal, the nationals!"
Fuutarou felt a sting of anger upon hearing that; such hypocrisy. He could see Yotsuba clenching on the handrail, and it seemed she was going to jump down there any second to confront her.
In fact, that was exactly what she did, when it seemed the lecture was about to escalate on Ichika. Without warning, she stood over the handrail and jumped off, and after landing she immediately ran towards her, completely ignoring the security detail's yells about spectators not being allowed in there.
"Yotsuba, wait!" Fuutarou cried out. Was it necessary to make a show of it? She could have waited until the break to see them in the dressing rooms.
"Okay, that's enough," Yotsuba said, getting between Orizuka and Ichika. "Stop blaming my sister; the only one to blame here is me."
"Nakano-san? But, if you're here… then you are…?"
"Oh, so you finally noticed?" Ichika raised the goggles, but still imitated Yotsuba's high-pitched tone. "Indeed, I'm not Yotsuba, and I think she can confirm it."
"I'm the real Yotsuba. We obviously switched places before entering, when she took me away. We apologize for the confusion."
"Why'd you do that?" Orizuka protested. "Do you realize the trouble you're causing us? Well, but you're here now, so you better take responsibility and help us as you promised."
"No," Yotsuba said blundly, surprising everyone. Especially Orizuka, obviously.
"Nakano-san, this isn't the time for jokes. We made a deal, remember?"
"Yeah, the deal was that I would replace Makio-san and Mizumachi-san, right?" Yotsuba replied. "But it turns out I've just learned Makio-san isn't injured, and Mizumachi-san wasn't sick either to skip today."
The entire club immediately paled at Yotsuba's words. She didn't sound angry at all; she still spoke in a relatively calm tone, maybe even cheery, and that, Fuutarou had to admit it, was a bit scary. He didn't want to imagine what she would be like when she was angry for real.
Ichika, for her part, smirked in pride as she saw her little sister facing the swimming club's members. Meanwhile, the people in the crowds had started muttering, and even the security detail was so shocked at the show, they hadn't tried to get anybody out of the area. Too much to un-see it, apparently.
"I agreed to help you guys because I thought I was needed," Yotsuba continued, in a more serious tone. "But you guys just wanted me to carry the load in the competition, didn't you? You lied to me, and I didn't like it one bit."
"Nakano… Yotsuba-san, that wasn't our intention, we actually…"
"I think there's no need for talking anymore," Ichika intervened, pulling out her cap to reveal her short pink hair. "My little sister has just made her position clear. And I didn't like that you guys fooled her either, you know?"
Naturally, everyone was completely dumbfounded, and the muttering in the crowd intensified, to the point they turned into shouts. Fuutarou managed to catch things like "Shame on you!". "You don't deserve to be here!", "How dare you trick that girl?!". Every scream was like they were being thrown a dart, and he could almost swear they were shrinking in shame. The worst part, there were TV cameras and people recording with their own cellphones.
"Come on, Yotsuba," Ichika said. "We've got nothing else to do here."
Fuutarou saw them head for the pool's exit. They were probably going to the dressing rooms so Ichika could get changed, so he couldn't do anything but wait for them at the entrance, and the three would head home afterwards.
He felt a huge rush of satisfaction inside, as he still heard the screams of Orizuka and the rest of the swimming club, like "Come back, you can't leave us!", "We can explain!", "We're sorry!", and similar comments. If he could, he'd give Yotsuba a medal for tearing them a new one.
…
Having left the Olympic pool's building, the Uesugi and the two Nakano sisters headed for the train station. It'd been a weird day, but at least the madness was over. And all they wanted was to go home and let it end.
Fuutarou couldn't help but notice how quickly Yotsuba regained her usual demeanor, smiling from ear to ear like nothing happened. He found it surprising how quick she recovered, when just a few minutes ago she seemed about to burst into tears when she learned she'd been taken for a fool.
"Hmm? Something wrong, Uesugi-san?" the ribbon girl asked, noticing how he still stared at her. He momentarily looked away, as he thought the best reply.
"Nothing, just… everything's alright? You know, with everything that happened."
"I admit I felt horrible that they fooled me," Yotsuba answered. "But there's no point in holding grudges. Besides, I spoke my mind and got all that off my chest. That's enough for me."
"I'm glad about that," Ichika said. "You should do it more often, you know? Helping others is fine, but sometimes saying no isn't a bad thing."
"And you have to be careful with whom you offer help," Fuutarou added. "Especially when there's people out there who'd just take advantage of you."
"Well, I wouldn't worry about that," Ichika said. "After that little number you made, probably everyone in your school will find out about this by tomorrow."
"Better said, everyone in town," Fuutarou quipped. Between the TV cameras and the spectator's phones, he was certain the whole incident would go viral by the next morning. Not to mention that the photos Takeda took would probably join shortly after as further evidence.
"Well, well, how about we go for something to eat before going home? On me, you know, to thank you for it."
"No need for that, Yotsuba, we just…"
*GROAAAAAAANNNN*
He could feel the blush coming up to his face. His stomach was demanding to be fed, which, considering that he skipped lunch wasn't that surprising. Both Ichika and Yotsuba giggled at his embarrassment.
"Who am I kidding, I barely got a can of soda on my way here."
"Shishishi, that can be fixed!" Yotsuba exclaimed. "Ah, there's an ice-cream parlor I saw on the bus over there! Come on, let's check it out!"
And without further words, the ribbon girl ran cheerily at the aforementioned place. Fuutarou and Ichika exchanged glances amongst each other, a bit confused, but happy that Yotsuba didn't let any of what happened affect her.
"She bounces back quite fast," the boy commented.
"She never lets herself stay down for long," Ichika replied. "Sometimes she may feel a bit guilty in the moment, but she never lets that get to her. Even so…"
"Even so?"
"Inside, she's not as strong as she tries to appear. It's hard for her to say what she feels, and sometimes she needs a little push, like now. I think that's another thing we have in common. I try to act like the big sister, but sometimes I've felt like I could crumble at a moment's notice, if the others didn't have my back."
Fuutarou nodded. "I can relate to that."
"It's a good thing we have one another for support." The pinkette looked back at him. "And you as well; I'm glad you came today. Thank you for that."
"Hey, I did it because Yotsuba is… my friend too, you know that."
He was about to say "dear to me". He didn't want Ichika to misinterpret it after they had a date the previous day.
"Just a friend?" Ichika inquired, making him flinch a little, though he relaxed after she smiled at him. "Hey, I'm not judging you, if you see her in a different way, you know? After all, it's not like you're my boyfriend… or at least not yet, right?"
"R-right. N-not yet," he stuttered as he scratched his cheek.
"Anyway, this term I'll be busy between studies and work, so can I count on you to watch over her for me?"
Ichika gave him a serious look. A subtle reminder that he still had a promise to fulfill, to ensure Yotsuba passed all her subjects and returned to their old school. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but they were on the right track, and he was determined to succeed.
"Of course," he assured firmly.
"Oi, hurry up!" Yotsuba called them out.
"We're coming!" Ichika exclaimed, grabbing him by the wrist and quickly crossing the street towards the parlor.
A while later, the three of them were sharing a huge ice-cream, one that Itsuki would probably be able to eat alone, but they could split evenly without issues. Soon the three of them started chatting and cracking some jokes to forget about the bad stuff of that day. Or rather, Ichika and Yotsuba were the ones doing it, since he didn't intervene much, but still got a few chuckles out of the sisters' antics.
Truth was, just because of that, losing half a day of class wasn't too bad. Even if he didn't plan making a habit of that for obvious reason.
To be continued…
Author's notes:
What's up, people? Well, let's get to business first: the winner of the reference challenge I left on the previous chapter was DapperSquidMan, who was the one who caught on the most (between songs and character names), so he gets the prize of the minishot I offered. That said, there was someone else who came a close second, Redflame7, who offered a good idea enough to be considered, so I'll keep it in mind to write once I'm done with the first. Congratulations to both of you, and for those who didn't make the cut, don't worry: you'll have future chances, albeit that'll take quite a while.
Now, on to the chapter itself. Maybe at this point it may seem a little repetitive to get Yotsuba entangled with a sports club, but this time around I tried to change the circumstances surrounding it. The previous two times, the basketball and track club legitimately needed her help (even if Eba was a bit too aggressive and tried to milk it a little more), the swimming club here just were trying to exploit her, and of course Fuutarou and Ichika couldn't allow them to get away with it. For this chapter I tried to showcase Ichika's "big sister" facet, being the one who looks out for the others even to the point of switching places so her sister won't help a group who doesn't deserve it. In turn, Yotsuba has the chance to grow a little by confroting those girls and speak their mind to them, and that it's okay to be nice, but not to let anyone exploit your goodwill. On Fuutarou's side, I had the chance to get Maeda and Takeda a little more involved by making them save his neck from those thugs, thus building a stronger base for the three to become friends. I chose that scenario specifically since many times helping someone in need just once is enough to establish a lifelong friendship (I say for experience). So from now on I'll have them on a semi-regular capacity during the chapters talking place at school, and maybe sometimes out of it as well. Last but no less important, Fuutarou telling Yotsuba that it wasn't her fault having made a misjugment will be an important step to her future development, to help her get over that guilt complex of hers.
Anyway, that pretty much wraps up this mini-arc. The next chapter will take place mainly during Valentine's Day (within the story, obviously), although you'll probably find it unusual, you'll eventually see why. Thanks for the reviews to Honored Oak, Redflame7, DapperSquidMan, TheExiledDarkness and TheMist33. Until next time, sayonara!