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 23: Happy Birthday, Fuutarou! – Part 1
Nakano apartment…
Just like he promised, Fuutarou proved to be quite the stern teacher, but no matter how much they wanted to complain, the Nakanos had to accept that, for all his cruelty, he was being fair. He did promise not to give reprieves to anyone, or accept any excuses for slacking off, anything to keep them up to speed with their studies.
On the one hand, Ichika admired the boy's work ethic; that was another quality of his she found quite charming. On the other, now she'd been forced to reduce her sleeping time to the essential, as between the job and her studies she couldn't afford more than nine hours at most. To be honest, if it wasn't because she was very compromised with her acting career, and she didn't want to make things difficult for Fuutarou, she would be very annoyed right now.
'You're doing this for Fuutarou-kun… you're doing this Fuutarou-kun…' she mentally repeated herself, as she tried to finish her English homework.
Surprisingly, Miku had already finished hers before any of the others, and Nino had gone off to prepare dinner after Fuutarou left to go back home. Yotsuba was the only one absent at the time, since she was doing practice with the volleyball team, but Fuutarou made sure to leave her homework, so they could pass it on to her when she came back.
While she had studied with him a couple of times, either because she needed help with her own schoolwork, or to give Yotsuba a hand with hers, Ichika really had no clue how harsh of a teacher Fuutarou could be. Truth be told, she admitted to herself that she admired how the fourth sister managed to keep up the pace, even if she passed by the hair. That was why she couldn't allow herself to fall behind. She was the eldest and she had to give the example.
"Oof, I finally finished, now I'm beat," Itsuki said, as she dropped herself on the armchair. "Nino, how's dinner going?"
"Ten more minutes," the second sister replied from the kitchen.
"Can't you speed things up a little¡? So much study is making me starve," Itsuki complained. "Uesugi-kun is much harsher of a teacher than I thought. I don't know how Yotsuba put up with all the scolding and lecturing."
"Well, she was desperate. It was either that or failing and repeating the year, or worse, getting expelled," Nino said. "Though I don't get why that jerk had to get so mad; it was just a practice exam."
"What annoys me is that he didn't keep his promise," the youngest sister commented. "I mean, we did surpass the 60 points, technically speaking, didn't we?"
Ichika raised her look as she heard those words, and couldn't hold back a few giggles before resuming her own work. She still remembered Fuutarou's angry face when he checked the practice exam, and much to his surprise they surpassed 100 points… adding up the results of all of them. Thus, the boy stated he wouldn't reveal more of his future plans to them, arguing that he obviously expected they would get over 60 points each, not that they would add up together.
"Come on, Itsuki-chan, he obviously would get annoyed," said Ichika. "Though I must admit, I'm surprised we retained so little from the past year."
"You shouldn't be that surprised, Ichika," Itsuki commented. "You need to balance school with your acting gig. I, on the other hand, have to work harder. How am I supposed to teach others when I can't hold on to what I have to learn?"
"Use Fuutarou's notes," Miku suggested, pointing at the table.
The Uesugi boy left a mini-notebook for each of them, so they could help themselves where they struggled the most. Not much, but at least it was a small help whenever he wasn't present. Miku had preferred to transcribe the notes to her Tablet, arguing that it helped her memorize them, while Nino and Itsuki still resisted, thinking that Fuutarou severely underestimated their intelligence.
"I'm home!" Yotsuba's cheery voice exclaimed. "Hmm… what's that I smell, dinner's ready?"
"Almost, go sit with the others," Nino said. "By the way, the assignments Uesugi left for you is on the table. He'll scold all of us if only one doesn't do her homework."
Yotsuba skipped across the living room, sitting between Ichika and Itsuki, and grabbing her assignments. Ichika could see her sister becoming horrified at how much she had to do.
"This much?! My God, between this and memorizing the signs for playing, I'll have my hands full."
"Don't worry, I'll help you now I'm done," Ichika said, finally finishing hers. "By the way, how did the practice go? Everything goes well at the volley club?"
"Oh yeah, everything's cool! In a few weeks we'll have our first practice match. Matsui said it'll be my real trial by fire to be a starter."
"I'd wish you luck, but I know you won't need it," Itsuki remarked.
"That's right, you've always had it in you," Ichika added with a hint of pride.
"Shishishi!" Yotsuba giggled a bit proud herself. "Then I'll do my best so as to not let you all down. By the way, what about… you know, that thing we discussed about?"
"Yotsuba, Fuutarou-kun isn't here, no need to be secretive," Ichika said. "We've got everything ready, although it'll be good to review what we'll do. Quintuplet meeting!"
"After dinner," Nino intervened, bringing out the pot with their dinner stew, and preparing to serve. She placed a bowl for each on the table and after a few minutes, everyone was digging in.
After dinner, then yes, the quintuplet meeting started. After the trip to the hot springs, Yotsuba, Miku and Itsuki told Ichika and Nino about their little chat with Fuutarou's mother, more specifically about his birthday. They'd been discussing the possibility of doing something special for him. Nino didn't seem too onboard with the idea, until they mentioned Kintarou would come to visit, and since they both shared the same birth date, they could easily make a party for both.
"Alright, let's review," Ichika said, assuming leadership among the quintuplets as she used to. "On April 15th, we all need to be on strategic positions. Nino and I will keep those two busy while the rest of you get everything ready. Itsuki-chan, how are the preparations going at the location?"
"I spoke to the Aldini brothers, and they said they're willing to book us their restaurant if we pay in advance," Itsuki replied. "They'll even help us with the food service if we pay an extra fee."
"Why bother with that?" said Nino. "I can help prepare the snacks without issues."
"No offense, Nino; you may be good, but the Aldini's are pros. Besides, you won't have time for that if you're busy with your bad boy."
Nino puffed her cheeks, but she couldn't argue against Itsuki's logic. Before they cut loose into arguing, Ichika decided to keep talking and direct the conversation to another point.
"Yotsuba, have you talked to Mr. and Mrs. Uesugi? Do you know if Fuutarou-kun suspects anything?"
"Not at all. Yesterday I spoke to Raiha-chan, and she assured me they haven't told him one word of this," the ribbon girl replied. "They want to surprise him as much as we do."
"Well, in that case, then I too should be ready to keep him busy," the eldest sister declared. "I hope he doesn't mind I take him for a little trip around the city during his birthday. Miku, did you sent the decoration designs as I asked?"
"Covered," the middle sister replied. "They'll be ready after tomorrow tops."
"Okay, those are good news." The oldest Nakano smirked. "That means everything goes on schedule, and we'll have plenty of time to prepare everything. Fuutarou-kun must know nothing."
"Why hide it? I haven't told Kintarou-kun anything, but just because you won't let me."
"The point of doing a surprise party is to make it that, surprise," Itsuki explained as if it was the most obvious thing. "They'll surely like it much more that way, we can't spoil it."
Nino wanted to protest, but once more, she couldn't refute the logic. Having already decided everything, Ichika declared the quintuplet meeting over.
Fuutarou's birthday was coming up soon, and the eldest sister truly wanted to do something special for him. Since classes began, the boy had been focusing back on studying and working, and Ichika thought he needed to relax and have some fun.
In fact, come to think about it, it wouldn't hurt to spend some time with him on the days prior to his birthday. With some luck, maybe she could get him to spill out what he would like for a present, and give him an additional surprise when the day came.
A few days after, the week before April 15th…
At the start of every school period, one of the first things Fuutarou would do was to organize his calendar for the next months. Generally, he would like to stick to it in order to be sure he'd get done everything he wanted to do. Some would call it exaggerated, but to him, it was a way to feel he had a good control over his life.
This year, aside from balancing school with his job as the Nakano's tutor, he'd added another regular activity to his calendar: his visits to the Gym. On the days he was neither studying nor working, he'd continued to make use of his paid membership for one year. While at first he'd done so to avoid being seen as ungrateful, the truth was he was starting to enjoy the workout, and gaining some additional strength wasn't too bad either.
The only downside was that, sometimes, it could be a little boring when he had to go alone. Now that Yotsuba was at the volley club as a full-time member, she couldn't tag along with him as frequently as before, but he couldn't complain because he himself had suggested it to her in the first place. Besides, she looked a lot happier and more motivated since she entered, which the boy was glad for.
That day, at the very least, he didn't have to go alone.
"Thanks for waiting, Fuutarou-kun!"
Earlier when they finished their classes, Ichika approached to ask if he had any plans for the afternoon. When he said he was planning to hit the gym, she offered to accompany him and, seeing no reason to refuse, he agreed. By sheer coincidence or maybe fate, on that same day they were opening the gym's new indoor pool, same one they were about to try out on that same moment, once they got out of the dressing rooms.
"You sure about this?" he asked as he took a look at her. She was wearing the same bikini from back at the mixed springs less than a month ago, and it looked just as good on her as before. Maybe even more so.
"Come on, Fuutarou-kun, don't they say swimming is the most complete exercise?" the Nakano quipped. "It's not only about heavy lifting."
"Something tells me you just were looking for an excuse to see me shirtless," he replied. He for his part was wearing a pair of black shorts with a vertical blue stripe down each side, so it wasn't like she wasn't seeing anything new from the last time.
"And what if that were the case?" She winked at him. "Well, since I'm enjoying the view, you're free to do the same. We'll be even then."
The Uesugi boy rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile a little. She was right; since they were there, the best he could do was enjoy himself to the max. And doing a different exercise to change the pace didn't sound half-bad.
When the swimming club fiasco happened, Fuutarou didn't have the chance to see Ichika in action. After they dived into the water, the Nakano girl challenged him to a little race from edge to edge, which he confidently accepted, thinking he had a chance as he didn't think he was a bad swimmer.
And he got quite a surprise when Ichika not only managed to keep up with him, but on the final stretch managed to overtake and win, as he was a little tired when he tried to kick and flap harder to get faster.
"Careful, you could get a cramp that way," Ichika warned him, as she sat on the pool's edge.
"Showoff," he replied. "Wow, you got me there. You're a pretty good swimmer."
"I was on the team during junior high. I wasn't bad, though of course Yotsuba overshadowed me by a lot," she said modestly.
"Surely you could have been as good as her with some work," he replied. "Who knows, maybe even better?"
"You flatterer," the pinkette smirked. "Sometimes I still like doing it, though it's more of a hobby for me. And sure, it helps me stay in shape."
She placed her hands behind her head as she stuck out her chest, making him look away a little flustered. There she was again: she knew what to do in order to get those reactions, always having fun by teasing him. The girl seemed quite aware of her physical appeal and loved to show it off, albeit she only did it in front of him when there wasn't anybody else looking.
"By the way, Fuutarou-kun… your birthday's coming soon, isn't it?"
That sudden topic change made him look back at her. Ichika's teasing smile had vanished from her face, making way to a much more interested expression. Truth be told, he was a little surprised at that, since he'd never talked much about his birthday with her, or Yotsuba or the others. He didn't even mention the exact date.
"How do you know?" he asked.
Ichika simply shrugged. "Your mom may have told the others at the hot springs, and they told me."
Okay, that was a plausible explanation. Not that he could get mad about it, as if they had asked, Mrs. Uesugi would have no reason to not to answer. And he'd never told her to keep it quiet explicitly.
"Do you have plans for that day?" Ichika asked again, interrupting his train of thought as she approached him a little more. "It'll be on a weekend, so you don't have to worry about school."
The boy shivered a little when she made contact. He wasn't sure whether it was because he was nervous, or because the pool's cold water still dripped over their bodies, but he had to shake himself a bit before answering.
"Not really. I told them years ago not to spend on parties for me, so we could save some money. I have enough with a cake Mom gives me every year. Besides, I was planning on studying that day anyway."
"Boo, that sounds so boring," Ichika said. "I mean, surely a cake made by your mom must be delicious, but wouldn't you like something else? It's your special day, you should celebrate it properly."
"You think so?" he asked. "And how should I celebrate, huh?"
In response, the girl approached him suggestively, walking her fingers up the boy's wet torso. He winced at each touch, like he got an electric discharge, while the girl smiled all the time at him.
"We could spend the day together. I can take you to eat whatever you want, or go wherever you want…" she suggested. "Besides, it's your 18th birthday. Wouldn't you like to try some… adult stuff?"
As cold as the pool's water could be at the time, it could have been easily vaporized by the heat in Fuutarou's face right then and there. Again, Ichika laughed, having successfully gotten him into her little game.
"Just kidding, kidding. I still have to wait until May to be legal," she reminded him. "But seriously, you don't turn eighteen every year. You really should take the chance to have fun and enjoy yourself. It is a special day after all."
The boy gave it some thought. Truth be told, his birthdays stopped being important for him in the last few years. Not because he hated them, because he preferred not to spend money in a party for himself, although he'd always accept his mother's cake every year with whole gratitude. His parents and sister constantly told him he should celebrate more if he could afford it; in fact, this year his cousin would come for a weekend visit, and said something about the possibility of celebrating it together, as they shared the same day.
That thought caused a chill to go down his spine: he didn't want to imagine where Kintarou could drag him, should he think about them doing 'adult stuff' as Ichika suggested. Maybe going off with her was a safer option in that sense.
"I don't know; to be honest I don't feel comfortable spending money on those things," the boy said.
"If it's about the money, you don't have to worry," the pinkette replied. "Whatever you want to do, wherever you want to go, it's all on me."
"I don't want you to bother yourself for me."
"Oh, for Heaven's sake, Fuutarou-kun." The boy facepalmed. "Don't you get it? That would be my present for you, no way it'll be a bother."
So she said, but he still didn't see it that way. The fact she was willing to spend money on him, not to mention that he still felt indebted for her Christmas present (of which he still had barely learned about half of the apps and tools), made him feel a little self-conscious. Like he owed her somehow, and he hated feeling in debt with other people.
"I think I know what you're thinking," the girl said, giving him a serious look. "Look, when someone gives you a present, you don't have to feel in debt, or that you have to give something in exchange. You give it because you want to, not because you're obligated to. After all, you did give us all presents for Christmas, remember?"
"Yeah, but… I didn't spend as much money on mine like you did." No kidding; that smartphone she gave him probably costed more than all the presents she got for her and her sisters together.
"So what?" Ichika insisted. "Monetary value doesn't matter. What matters is that it comes from here."
The girl poked a couple of times near his left nipple; she obviously meant his heart. Come to think of it, although his family convinced him to buy presents for all five sisters, and spared plenty of money for each, he never actually thought on whether they liked them or not. Each one of them, not just Ichika and Yotsuba, but also Miku, Itsuki, and even Nino, the one he got along the least with, was pleased with the present she got, even though he half-chose it as an inside joke (a secret he would take to the grave).
Despite being a little stingy with the coin, after seeing them all so happy with their presents, he didn't care much about the money he spent on them. Their happy faces upon receiving them was a reward in itself, to the point he wouldn't have been bothered not to get anything that day. Of course, he didn't snub the presents they gave him, so he used them as much as possible to show his gratitude.
"Hey, tell you what: if you still feel you owe me, you can make it up during mine," Ichika said, as if she'd read his mind again. "You still have time, since our birthday is on May 5th. We can do whatever you want now, and then we'll do whatever I want. Does that sound like a fair deal?"
"I guess… yeah, fair enough." Equivalent exchange and all.
"Okay, then let's seal it as we should." The girl raised her pinky finger and winked again.
Fuutarou sighed. Really, all this stuff about going out together was so complicated. Or maybe, was he the one who was making it complicated? Truthfully, he had no idea, but as he knew Ichika wouldn't take a no for an answer, the best he could do was not to snub her generosity.
Even though he didn't have the courage to talk to her about 'that'. Why was it so hard to mention? Had he just disregarded it as a simple dream?
In fact, why did it seem like he wanted to disregard it as a dream?
April 15th…
"Happy birthday, Oniichan! Rise and shine!"
Those were the first words Fuutarou heard in the morning. Raiha had broken into his room to wake him up abruptly. He was about to protest, until he saw his little sister carried a huge tray with a freshly made breakfast, which smelled too good to resist.
"Good morning, Fuutarou, and happy birthday," his mother greeted him too, smiling just like his sister. "Your father has gone off to work, but he leaves his congratulations too."
Fuutarou was a bit puzzled at that. His father working on a weekend, and on his birthday? He didn't say anything about that, but he still accepted the congratulations, which had been written in a small birthday card, with a brief message: "Happy 18th birthday, son. Have fun in your date with your girl!"
"Guess I'll thank him later." Fuutarou turned to the futon by his side, where his cousin was still sleeping. "Hey, lazybones, time to get up."
"Hmmm… five minutes more, old man." Kintarou turned over himself.
"I'm not your old man." Fuutarou pulled the covers to get him out. "Come on you idiot, get up now."
"Urgh, I'm getting up, I'm getting up." The blond stretched and let out a huge yawn. "Morning, cous', and happy birthday for us. Oh, is that for me?" he added upon seeing the breakfast tray.
"It's for both," Kazane said. "Eat at your leisure, today is your special day after all."
Both of the (now) 18-year-olds started eating their breakfast with a lot of appetite. Kintarou had arrived yesterday in the afternoon, and he was going to stay the whole weekend, since his father would have to do some extra shifts to cover for a friend at his station, so he wouldn't have time for birthdays.
While the blond didn't seem to have issues with this, saying it was the perfect chance to come and pay a visit to Nino, it didn't escape Fuutarou that there was a tinge of bitterness in Kintarou's voice. While the blue-haired boy didn't know the full details, he knew the relationship between his uncle and cousin was somewhat tense. Understandable; his parents had divorced a few years back, and then, when Kintarou's mother (sister of Fuutarou's father) died in a car accident, he had to move in with his dad.
However, that was a taboo topic to talk about, and Kintarou would always get upset when it was brought up. Therefore, that was a line Fuutarou was unwilling to cross, so he wouldn't ask any questions about it.
"So, cous', you sure you don't wanna take up my offer?" Kintarou asked. "It'd be much more fun to have a double date. You and Ichika, me and Nino."
"I'm sure," Fuutarou replied. "I've done my own plans. And as the saying goes, two's company, three's a crowd, and four's a disaster waiting to happen."
That, and he didn't want to deal with the most temperamental and conflictive of que quints. He knew Nino was a total sweetheart when she was with his cousin, but in the hypothetical case that something went wrong, Fuutarou didn't want to be in the fire zone where she could blame him, even if he wasn't at fault.
"Well, you're missing out," the blond said. "Still, I understand you wanna spend time alone with her. That means you're progressing, huh, you little sneak? You're so lucky; unlike me, you can see your girl on a daily basis at school."
"Not quite. Ichika's often busy with her actress gigs. We haven't had much chance to hang out for quite a while. It's been less than a month she finished filming on her last movie, and she's been running laps with it."
In fact, one of the stops he planned for their date, was precisely at the cinema, to watch Ichika's latest movie. This time she'd landed a bigger role, while still not a starring one, but at the very least she wouldn't end up dead (or so she said). That would be a nice change from the roles he was used to see with her.
"Well, here's hoping she'll do well in her career," said Kintarou. "Even so, I'm still a little annoyed that you refuse. It's been years since we las celebrated our birthdays together, and now we have the chance, you stand me up for your girlfriend? What happened to bros before hoes?"
"We're cousins, not brothers," Fuutarou pointed. "Besides, I don't wanna imagine where you'd drag me now we're legal."
"Oh, cous', you hurt me gravely. Do you really think I'm capable of that? Especially when my date is still underage?"
"She's close enough," Fuutarou deadpanned. "Their birthday is on May 5th, so it's less than a month away. I have no doubt you could wait until then, but after that…"
Fuutarou wasn't too prone to make jokes, but when he was with his cousin, he couldn't pass off the chance to pull him one or two. He knew Kintarou was a hopeless rebel, but he had his limits, and one of them was that he was always very respectful to women. Suggesting he could try something improper or indecent with one of them was a surefire way to push his buttons.
"Take that back, cous'," he said in a flat tone, squinting his eyes.
Fuutarou smirked and shrugged. "Kidding, just kidding. I know you wouldn't. Though it's not me you must convince of that, after all. You know what I mean?
Kintarou turned to see him. The previous annoyance at Fuutarou's suggestion had turned to curiosity. His cousin seemingly didn't quite catch the indirect, so Fuutarou could still have some fun at his expense.
"Oh, didn't I tell you? I had the chance to talk to the Nakanos' father a couple times. Last time I saw him he was quite… interested in meeting Nino's boyfriend."
"Interested? Nino never mentioned it," Kintarou replied.
Fuutarou had to repress the urge to smirk. Apparently, the second sister was trying to delay that meeting as much as possible, but it was inevitable. Sooner or later couples had to introduce each other's families, and giving a good first impression could be crucial for the relationship's future.
Kintarou could be a gentleman with Nino, but Mr. Nakano didn't seem the type of guy who'd approve of his daughter dating a guy with that kind of appeal. Fuutarou was barely on the "tolerance" zone with Ichika, and that was because he was a model student.
"Well, I'll tell you this much: he's not a guy you'd want to anger. Trust me, he can intimidate with his sole presence, so you better get ready for that day."
And finishing the conversation, both continued to consume their breakfast. They had a long day ahead of them: after all each one planned to celebrate his birthday on his own, with his respective girl.
/-/
A bit later…
Once he had breakfast and groomed himself to go out, Fuutarou said goodbye to Raiha and his mother, and accompanied his cousin to the bus stop where each would take a separate route. Before he left, though, his mother and Raiha prepared him a picnic basket with some sandwiches and snacks, since I had a specific stop in mind for his little birthday date with Ichika.
He was now by the train station, after he got a text from Ichika telling him she'd gone out earlier and she'd be waiting there for him. Once he arrived, he didn't see her, so he stood where he was, keeping an eye out for her. And much to his surprise, he didn't wait that long, as a pair of hands came from behind covering his eyes.
"Guess who?" she said with her usual flirty voice.
The boy turned around to see the eldest Nakano. She was wearing a simple, yellow-colored summer dress that fell to her knees, with a pair of white sandals. She also wore her sunshades and a hat to hide her identity, as she used to do whenever they went out to avoid drawing too much attention.
Said hat was the same she wore that night, which briefly stunned him as he recalled the event. Had she donned it on purpose as a reminder of sorts?
"I bought this new dress recently. Do you like it?" She twirled around so he could get a good look. It snapped him out of that brief trance.
"It looks rather nice… you look quite cute," he said.
"Thanks, and happy birthday." She gave him a smooch on the cheek. "So, what's your plan for today? Where do you want me to take you?"
"Well, if it's okay for you… I did this little schedule with the places I'd like to go." He pulled out a mini-notebook from his pocket. "We don't have to follow it to the letter, but…"
"Nonsense! Today's your special day, and we'll do whatever you want, however you want." The Nakano got a hold of his arm and snatched the notebook from his hand. "Come on, everything's on me today."
And without further words, the eldest sister dragged him into the train station. Thus the trip that would be his eighteenth birthday began, one that he would remember for the rest of his life.
…
The first stop was at a local cinema. Fuutarou chose it as he was interested in one of Ichika's recent movies, since he'd kept an eye on her acting career recently. The eldest Nakano had tried to climb a bit higher on the past months, landing a few bigger and more important roles, if still failing to achieve a notable starring one.
Rather than a horror movie or a drama, the movie in question was a police comedy. Ichika portrayed a clumsy and clueless courier, who'd constantly get lost while doing her deliveries, and with such bad luck he'd always get caught in all kinds of incidents for being in the wrong place at the worst time.
Admittedly, Fuutarou wasn't a fan of these movies in general, but he had to acknowledge Ichika's scenes brought him some giggles he tried to stifle, just because he tried to keep a serious demeanor. And at the end, it turned out Ichika's character was crucial to solve the plot, being an important witness at the court for all the incidents where she was involved.
"Well, that movie was funnier than I imagined," Ichika commented as they exited the cinema.
"You hadn't seen it?" he asked.
"I didn't get the chance, since I was at school. So tell me… how was my acting?"
"Well… I had no idea you could scream that way. You surprised me, quite a lot."
Indeed, in almost every scene, Ichika's character screamed in terror when she ran into the criminals, before running off and having to be saved by the protagonist, a police officer. She almost didn't seem her, screaming in such a cacophonic manner that she sounded almost as bad as Yotsuba's singing (and that was saying a lot). The weirdest part, despite having acted in many horror movies where she got killed, she more-often-than-not would get offed before screaming or something, which was why he was surprised she could let out those shrieks.
"Hopefully I did so in a good manner," Ichika smiled. "On the other hand, weren't you a little bit jealous, seeing my character with the protagonist?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Oh come on, didn't you notice?" she said. "I, I mean, the courier and the cop, every time he showed up to save her, it seemed like there was something going on between them. They more or less wrote the script that way."
Fuutarou arched an eyebrow. In hindsight, maybe the courier was attracted to the cop when he saved her life, but he hadn't paid much mind to it. Besides, they didn't end up together at the end, as it wasn't the movie's point.
"Truth be told, I don't see why I should get jealous. You were just acting, weren't you?" He shrugged.
Ichika puffed up her cheeks, but apparently didn't find any argument to rebuke his logic. He knew Ichika was just playing a role on screen, so he didn't see the point in getting jealous. That wasn't her, after all, just a fictional character.
"Anyway, that was a good movie. Maybe I'll invite my parents and Raiha so we can watch it together," Fuutarou said. "You played a good role, and besides… you made it alive through the whole plot for a change."
That comment brought a smile on the Nakano's face. He'd gone to the movies more frequently, just to check some of the films where Ichika would take part. As she was part of the cast, she could get tickets easily for him and her sisters, and he liked to check them out if he had time. Today was no exception.
Among other things, it was impressive how well she could act different roles, not just a dumb schoolgirl who'd ended up killed, or a romance drama between teacher and student that could be seen as inappropriate should it come to light. While she had yet to get a role that would catapult her to stardom, she seemed to be doing well, and he was glad for that.
"Thanks, Fuutarou-kun. Now, the next stop will be a bookstore?"
"It's close of here. I know it's not the best dating spot, but there are some books I needed to buy, so I thought…"
"I told you, you don't need to explain me. Whatever you need, I'll get it gladly for you."
The way the eldest Nakano smiled made it impossible to refuse. It was his birthday and she was willing to pay for anything he asked. How could he say no?
…
A bookstore may seem an unusual place to go during a date, or a birthday. But Fuutarou being the bookworm he was, Ichika figured it wouldn't be so bad. Besides, she did promise they'd do whatever he wanted, and she had all the intention to keep that promise.
Despite his stoic demeanor, she could notice the look in the boy's eyes, almost looking like a kid in a toy store. She could see him smile as they went from one shelf to another and he found whatever he was looking for. Most of it were study books, although when they reached the 'For Dummies' section, she was surprised to see the boy grab one titled "How to be a Good Teacher". It seemed that, even during his free days, he'd take very seriously his job as a tutor for her and her sisters.
Something she'd come to realize was that Fuutarou would pick study books, and their titles sounded rather complicated, even above high school level. To a certain extent it made sense; he'd soon take part in the national mock exams, so he wanted to be as prepared as he could.
As they passed by the Math section, the Nakano idly noticed a rather thick book that she found familiar. She recognized it by the cover, although she saw it was a more recent edition, but her father had it in his library and he'd lent it to them for studying. She herself found it useful for her own Math class, as it had lots of contents not only for high school level, but also college level.
Besides, it also included something else to make it even more versatile.
"Hey, Fuutarou-kun, check this out!" she called.
The boy left what he was doing and approached her, just as she pulled the book out of the shelf to show him, with a wide smile. Fuutarou gave her a confused look, but before he could ask, she went ahead to answer.
"Look, this is Dad's favorite math book. It can be pretty handy for college, regardless of your career choice."
"Is that so? Well, it better has good content, being so thick and all," the boy replied.
"Oh, of course it does. It saved me in Math class a few times, you know?" the girl added as an anecdote, which seemed to catch his interest. "Not only that, this one includes a computer disc, to make it even more interactive."
She turned it around to show him the back cover, with the aforementioned disk attached. The boy grabbed it to check the label with some interest… and then his face turned to disappointment before he returned it.
"I don't think my PC can support it. It's a Blu-ray disc, and it says it's only compatible with recent versions."
Ichika recalled her visits to his home. Indeed, she noticed that the family's computer was a rather old model, maybe a decade, or a decade and a half before. She later learned the family had done some upgrades, but it essentially was far from the potential from the current machines (it had a DVD unit instead of Blu-ray), as they only used it for the essentials, such as Fuutarou and Raiha's schoolwork, and the records for Kazane and Isanari's job bills.
In fact, she'd been thinking exactly about that to give the boy his surprise gift once they reached the party, so even that wouldn't be an issue. But she couldn't tell him that yet.
"Even so, the book itself is worth it. On any college career you'll deal with Math, Calculus and stuff, and this book has a pretty good basis regardless of the area you choose. If you want, I can foot the bill," Ichika assured.
"Are you certain? It's expensive, and I don't want to…"
The girl shushed him by placing her fingers on his lips. She knew what he was about to say, and she had the answer ready beforehand.
"Fuutarou-kun, today's your special day. Let me give you this as part of your present. It'd make me really happy to know I gave you something that'll be useful in the future."
Ichika thought it was a low blow to appeal to this, but knowing him, there's be no better tactic to convince him. Fuutarou's sense of responsibility was his weakness, and the look in the boy's eyes made it clear that, indeed, he wanted that book. Finally, after a second or so of deliberation, he smiled and accepted it.
"I'll pay the rest of the stuff myself, if you don't mind."
"Not at all," the Nakano assured.
They headed for the cash register, where Fuutarou paid for the rest of the books he bought, while Ichika paid the Math book with the disc. Fortunately for them, they were near a post office, so they could take a few minutes to send them via a package to Fuutarou's home, so he wouldn't have to worry about them until the following day.
"So, we're are we heading now?" Ichika asked.
"It's almost lunch time," Fuutarou said. "There's a park nearby where we can eat in open air."
He emphasized the point holding up the picnic basket he'd brought. While Ichika wouldn't mind paying for a meal, the idea of sharing a picnic with Fuutarou at the park sounded too tempting to let it pass, and it wouldn't hurt to spare some money for other stuff.
"Sounds excellent to me. Did your mom and Raiha-chan prepare it? I'm sure it must be delicious."
Without further ado, both headed for the aforementioned park. And just in time, as their stomachs were beginning to groan.
…
Fuutarou had seen this park often during his frequent jogging outings, either with Yotsuba or alone. It's become one of their frequent stops to rest, and he was starting to like it, truth be told.
That day there was a nice spring breeze, and now they'd sat under the shade of a large tree, ready to eat their lunch together.
"This is a nice place," Ichika commented. "You come here often?
"Sometimes I stop for a break here, when I go out jogging," Fuutarou replied. "Also discovered it's good to exercise the mind."
The Nakano gave him a puzzled look, so the boy proceeded to explain.
"Sometimes, when I need a change of air, I come to study here. Not that it matters, but I realize it's quite relaxing, and it helps me clear my mind. Even more so than the library."
"Oh my, you still think about studying during your birthday? Boo, that's so boring!" Ichika made a fake pout before giggling.
Fuutarou didn't laugh, but did smile a bit. To be honest, he was glad he found this place. Whenever he needed to focus more, being a little further from everything, and everyone, sitting under this tree seemed his escape place, his personal sanctuary. Just like those swings were for Yotsuba.
"Laugh if you want, but you know I can't laze around," the boy said. "Not just because I'm tutoring the five of you now, but because I have very important plans, for the end of this school year."
"You mean… the national mock exams, right?" the eldest Nakano asked.
He nodded. The national exams were very important for him, since by making it high on the ranking, he could increase his odds to enter Tokyo University. That was his short-term goal, though he still didn't decide the career he'd pick.
In fact, a few days before the eldest Nakano had caught him watching some pamphlets about the university and the careers offered, and he was forced to confess he was still trying to pick his study opportunities. There were many open choices, but Ichika told him that, with his grades, he'd probably do well in any route he picked.
"You still haven't decided your career of choice for Tokyo U, have you?" Ichika asked.
"Well, I've been reducing my options. I'll feel content so long as I can get a high-paying job," the boy stated.
"I bet you'd make a pretty good doctor, or lawyer," the pinkette suggested. "Do you think Dad would like to hire you at his hospital?"
Fuutarou shivered. It was creepy enough to work for Mr. Nakano as his daughters' tutor, but the idea of working all day long for him in a hospital… that made Medics seem like a less attractive career for the boy. A few seconds later, Ichika chuckled, and judging by her expression, that was exactly the reaction she was trying to get out of him.
"We better not talk about that. It's a good time to eat, after all."
Fuutarou opened the basket. Inside were a large stack of sandwiches, a few varied snacks from the bakery, and a pair of bento boxes his mom and Raiha prepared for him and Ichika. The sight alone and the smell were enough to whet anybody's appetite, but when he reached for one, Ichika went ahead and snatched it. He tried to grab another, and once again she took it first.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"You want these?" The girl moved the sandwiches rather provocatively in front of the boy, who tried to take them back. "I'll gladly give them back… if you grant me one request."
Fuutarou arched an eyebrow. He didn't even need to ask, as the girl sat by placing her thighs together, gesturing at him to approach.
"Rest your head here so I can feed you." She pointed to her own lap.
"You're kidding," the boy replied.
"Nope, I'm not. Come on, it's not like you haven't done this before, have you?"
Fuutarou knew exactly what Ichika meant. Almost a year ago, during the fireworks festival, he fell asleep and they rested his head on Yotsuba's lap. Ichika even snapped as a photo to keep it as proof and blackmail material, so he'd do what she wanted.
Rolling his eyes, the boy complied, as it seemed the only way she would let him eat. Luckily for them, there weren't many people around the park at the time, and he'd found it really embarrassing that an acquaintance would spot him there. Then again, on the other hand, when he rested his head, the Nakano's thighs turned out to be quite soft, almost like clouds.
In fact, he vaguely recalled the sensation of sleeping quite well that night. He could notice the similarities between them on that area.
"Now, say aaaaaahhh."
Fuutarou wanted to snort, but he finally caved in and complied. Ichika placed the sandwich on his mouth, allowing him to take a huge bite. She did the same with the remaining piece.
"Hmm, this is delicious. But I couldn't expect less from your mom and Raiha-chan."
They were simple tuna sandwiches, but given that Ichika liked seafood in general, she seemed quite delighted. Truth be told, Fuutarou found that being fed that way wasn't so bad, and was even pretty funny. Had he brought his birthday cake, would Ichika want to give it to him the same way?
After they finished the sandwiched, Ichika allowed Fuutarou to sit back up, and they grabbed the bento boxes. Both were identical in contents, so Ichika insisted that each one used the chopsticks to feed the other. While there wasn't a bunch of people around, every once in a while someone passed by and glanced at them. Some laughed, others looked at them with envy, probably because they made a 'cute couple'.
That said, part of him couldn't help but feel proud of himself. After all, he was lucky be able to date a girl as pretty as Ichika.
After finishing the bento boxes, the snacks from the bakery quickly followed. This time, Fuutarou was faster to grab them for himself, and started to eat them in front of her. Ichika puffed up her cheeks, but he obviously wouldn't be so mean so as to eat them all by himself. Thus, when he finished half of the snacks, he forced Ichika to say "aaaaahhh" as he fed them to her one by one, in retaliation for the previous game. Rather than being annoyed, the Nakano laughed and gladly took his game, enjoying it all the way.
"Hmm, I'm stuffed. I wish we had saved a few for later, though," Ichika said. "God, your mom's cooking is really amazing. I see she not only has good hand for bread and pastries."
"You can't expect any less," Fuutarou said. "She's been cooking for us since I can remember. Dad can't do that to save his life."
"You must feel very lucky, to eat her cooking every day. And these snacks too."
Fuutarou chuckled slightly. While he ate his mom's cooking on a daily basis, the snacks technically came from the bakery, meaning what whenever he wanted to eat them he had to pay from his own pocket (today being an exception because of his birthday). Not that he minded; they had to keep the business running, meaning they couldn't give freebies to the family.
"Well, guess it's time to keep going," Fuutarou said. "We still have a schedule for the rest of the afternoon."
"I'm dying to continue it." Ichika brought her hands together and grinned.
…
Fuutarou birthday schedule had many… interesting places. After lunch, the couple visited a cinematography museum, where Fuutarou joked that maybe in fifty years or so there may be an exhibit about Ichika, along with other actors and actresses of the time. The Nakano laughed, both amused and flattered that he believed she could make it that far in her career.
After getting out, they headed for another museum, albeit one of science and technology. While Ichika almost fell asleep during the scientific lectures, Fuutarou could notice that, when they reached the astronomy section (inside a large planetarium), she was deeply immersed. Apparently, the girl thought it was romantic to contemplate stars and planets, and even suggested buying a telescope sometime to watch meteor showers in the mountains someday. Fuutarou admitted that the idea sounded appealing, and took note of it for a future time.
Despite having pretty good time everywhere, Fuutarou still felt there was one more thing to do before calling a day, something that would have been unthinkable for his birthdays on the past years. And that was…
"The batting center?" a surprised Ichika asked, seeing what looked like the final stop for today.
"I couldn't hit the gym today, and I feel I need some physical activity," Fuutarou explained. "And it was pretty close anyway."
"Well, I did say we could go anywhere you wanted, but… I admit this is a bit unusual."
They entered the place. Ichika paid for a good bunch of coins, and the boy grabbed the bat and helmet to head for the cages. He started with 120 Km, while Ichika stood behind the fence watching him. After inserting the coins, he waited for the first ball and swung, managing to connect a hit.
"Oh, that was a good one." The Nakano clapped.
Second one, and he hit again. The third one was a miss, causing Ichika to boo and then laugh. The pattern continued for the next twenty tries, of which he managed to connect eleven. Considering his previous record, that was a good mark.
"Looks like I'm getting better. This time I could hit over half of them."
"You'd make a pretty good slugger at that pace," Ichika commented. "Ever thought of entering a real team sometime?"
Fuutarou glanced at the Nakano behind the fence. Until a year ago, he'd been so deep into academics, that he didn't seek any extracurricular activities, let alone those that demanded physical effort like sports. He thought it was a waste to train his muscles when his brain could easily carry him along.
At least, that was until Yotsuba dragged him to these activities, and he'd continued by inertia without realizing. He discovered they weren't so bad, and even were pretty fun.
Coming to the batting center was great whenever he needed to relieve tension, as he'd always feel better after hitting a few balls with that bat. It was something books couldn't do.
"It's a bit late for that now." Fuutarou exited the cage. "Anyway, I think I'm ready to step it up. Time to try 130 Km/h."
"Hit a homerun for me, will you?" Ichika suggested with a wink.
Fuutarou rolled his eyes, but smiled and headed for the other cage. Higher speed obviously meant more difficulty; the balls would be harder to hit and he had to time well his swing to bat them. Just like before, Ichika praised him and applauded when he hit them, and booed when he missed. It was like being in a stadium with her cheering for him, and he had to admit it wasn't half bad.
Yes, that was the key word, 'half-bad'. Because something still bothered him.
Ichika hadn't mentioned the kiss under the bell since then. It was like she was pretending it never happened. It was weird; she would often give him kisses on the cheeks and he'd gladly accept them, but… there was always that sensation.
Maybe it was that kisses on the cheeks and the lips felt different. Or maybe, he was just overthinking too much about it. In any case, this would allow him to relieve that tension, due to those doubts that continued to haunt him.
Something in him told him that, sooner or later, he would have to confront her about it. But he wasn't sure how to do that. Part of him was afraid to upset her, or worse, hurt her somehow. She didn't deserve it, not after she'd been so nice and attentive to him all that time.
And certainly, he wouldn't spoil all her efforts to give him a happy birthday, so today wasn't the day to confront her about it.
…
It was almost five o'clock when they exited the batting center and headed back home. Fuutarou couldn't complain; he did everything he wanted and more, and Ichika seemed very happy too.
"Hmm, that wasn't bad for your birthday, was it, Fuutarou-kun?" the Nakano asked.
"Well… it's been the best birthday I've had in a long time," Fuutarou said. "I'm really grateful to you, honest."
"Oh, come on, that was nothing," the Nakano assured. "But well, since we did everything you wanted… do you think I could ask you for something?"
"What is it?"
"There's a place I'd like to take you to eat," Ichika explained. "It's not too early for dinner, so we could go grab a snack there before heading home."
"Oi, you sound like Itsuki."
"Well, she was the one who recommended it," the eldest sister admitted. "But the food's pretty good. That's why I'd like you to try it. Consider it one last bonus for your present."
"You sure? You've spent a lot of money in me today."
Ichika waved it off. Truth was, besides the food he brought for the picnic, Ichika had paid almost everything during that day, and while he'd agreed to the terms, he still felt a little guilty for it.
"It's not too far, is it?" he asked.
"No, it's less than two blocks away. If we hurry, maybe we can make it before the place closes."
Resigned to accept, he allowed Ichika to grab his hand and drag him across the streets. Fortunately, the eldest sister didn't run as much as Yotsuba, so he had no problem to keep up with her. Less than five minutes later, they were there.
The place looked like a Western restaurant, and didn't seem too big from the outside. Above the entrance was a huge board with the letters "Aldini's", framed with the words of the Italian flag. That made Fuutarou's brain gears to tick, as he recalled something from a few months back.
"Isn't this…?"
"Yes, it's the same Italian resutaurant Itsuki-chan mentioned," Ichika replied. "We came to eat a couple times here, and the food's really that good. The owners are pretty nice too."
"It may be so, but…" Fuutarou noticed another detail. The entrance door was closed and a sign with the notice 'Reserved for today, we apologize for the inconvenienves'."Here says it's reserved today."
"Oh, that's no problem for us." The eldest Nakano winked at him.
Before he could ask what she meant, someone else approached them from across the street. Much to his surprise, he saw it was Kintarou, holding onto Nino's arm. The second sister had also dressed up for a date, even changing her usual hairstyle to a pair of long pigtails held by her butterfly ribbons. For some reason, he felt the hairdo was quite fitting given her personality.
"Well, well, look who we found here," the blond said with a big grin. "You guys had fun too?"
"I was about to ask you the same," Fuutarou replied. "What're you guys doing here? Don't tell me Nino decided to bring you here for dinner too?"
"Any problem with that?" the aforementioned replied, before addressing her older sister. "Well, Ichika, we brought them here. Now we just need them to get inside."
"Get us inside?" Fuutarou asked. "What's she talking about."
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, Fuutarou-kun."
And with another wink, Ichika got behind him, and pushed him towards the restaurant's door. Even while he was trying to protest, he noticed how Nino did the same with his cousin, though unlike him Kintarou didn't seem to resist. It turned out the door was unlocked, and just as they set foot inside…
*POP! POP! POP!*
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FUUTAROU AND KINTAROU!"
A chorus of voices followed up the sudden rain of streamers and confetti over them. Once the surprise was over, they saw the place was decorated with several Happy Birthday signs hanging from the walls. For a restaurant that looked so small on the outside, it was quite roomy inside, although maybe it was because it was almost empty of people right then.
Barring Fuutarou's parents, the remaining three Nakano sisters, and Raiha. The latter and Yotsuba had been the first to come and welcome them, each with a party popper at hand to explode as soon as they stepped into the restaurant.
"Congrats, Uesugi-san!" Yotsuba exclaimed.
"Oniichan, happy birthday! For you as well, Kintarou-san!" Raiha added.
"Huh? What the… what's all this about? What's going on here?"
"Ah, sheesh!" A huge and muscular arm grabbed the blue-haired boy's neck, while the other hand ruffled his hair. "We spend all day long preparing this little surprise, and that's how you thank us? Get a bit more excited, son!"
"Surprise party?" Kintarou asked, before turning towards Nino and Ichika. "Excuse me, you two knew about this?"
As he struggled against his father's arm, Fuutarou saw how the two oldest sister gave each other complicit looks, and that was all the answer they needed. Not only did they know; they were part of the plan for sure.
"Well, during the hot springs trip, your mom told us your birthday was coming close," Ichika said. "So we decided to throw you a little surprise party."
"And when I knew you were coming too, I couldn't stay out." This time, it was Nino who addressed Kintarou. "The plan was to keep you busy all day, while everyone else got everything ready here."
"So… you guys were in this plan too?" Mom, Dad, Raiha?" Fuutarou asked.
The aforementioned Uesugis laughed; they evidently had gotten in all this mess just to surprise him. Well, while it did catch him off-guard… he couldn't say he didn't appreciate the gesture. Meaning that the 'reservation' was for them.
Suddenly, it made sense that his family had no objections to his change of plans, rather than follow the tradition and celebrate his birthday with them, like every year. Well played, he admitted.
"Well, I think it'd be unfair tolet their efforts go to waste. Don't you agree, cous'?"
"Yeah, you're right… thanks, really." Fuutarou did his best to smile.
"Shishishi! Come and take a seat, birthday boy, there's a lot to party for!" Yotsuba dragged him towards one of the tables, while Itsuki headed towards what seemed the kitchen's door.
"Isami-kun, Takumi-kun, they're here! You can start serving the food!"
While he sat by the table with his family and the rest of the Nakanos, Fuutarou still continued to try and process what just happened. It seemed like his eighteenth birthday would have more surprises than he imagined, and they still kept coming.
No doubt he would recall this birthday for the rest of his life, and for more than one reason.
To be continued…
Author's notes:
What's up, people? Oof, took me longer than I'd have liked to post this chapter, as the one I was writing gave me lots of trouble (writing a volleyball match was tougher than a basketball or soccer one, even helping myself with Haikyuu!), but I succeeded in finishing it before the month's end. On top of that, last month the disabled email alerts must have made a lot of people missing out the update (I missed out many), so I hope this one doesn't go unnoticed.
Now, for the chapter itself. For Fuutarou's birthday I had two things in mind: first, to have him go on another date with Ichika, and the second, the surprise party with the rest of his family and the Nakanos. But as it turned out, it went longer than I foresaw and thus had to split it, so the party comes on the next chapter. On this one, I left a small reference to one of Kana Hanazawa's roles, do you think you can spot it? I don't think it'll be too hard, the description of the character she portrays in her movie should be pretty obvious for those who're familiar with her work. Also, I'd like to say that some of the dialogues here were inspired by the story "Everything" bobalon, which I highly recommend for FuutarouxIchika fans.
On a more serious note, I think this chapter makes more visible the inner conflict Fuutarou is going in regards to his feelings for Ichika. I'll take the chance to vent about something that happened to me on Wattpad with this story, which was that a certain reader who seemed to not to know his limits (basically, he wanted to enforce changes on my stories, and he grew so irritating that I ended up blocking him) was complaining that "Fuutarou seems to be toying with Ichika's feelings, and he could hurt her". The first part really incensed me, and with the second, he seems not to understand that one of the lessons the characters in this story must eventually learn is that love sometimes hurts too. I mean, it did happen in canon, but I want to approach it on a different manner here. Obviously, all that will come in due time, but the developments thus far have also been setting up the bases for that eventual moment.
Well, guess I've got nothing left to say. Hope you guys enjoyed it, and thanks for the reviews to Honored Oak, TheMist33 and bobalon (you've almost caught up, man, keep it up!). See you next time, and hopefully I'll have one more chapter posted before this year ends. Until then, sayonara!
P.S: I haven't done it yet, but if anybody wishes for an extra chapter showing Kintarou and Nino's date, let me know in the comments.