Chapter 10

Kiyomizu-dera… It was an ancient temple located in the city of Kyoto and one of the most famous tourist attractions in the city. Situated on the foothills of Mount Otowa, this place was renowned for its stunning views. Visitors to Kiyomizu-dera could witness a magnificent panorama of the city and hills below from a wooden stage that extended out from its main hall. Aside from the incredible view, there were plenty of other attractions and objects for tourists to enjoy, such as the Otowa Waterfall, Jishu Shrine, Love Stones, Okunoin Hall, and Kiyomizu-zaka street below the temple.

For the second day of their school trip, the students were free to explore Kiyomizu-dera and the surrounding area until late afternoon. Most of the students rushed to the main hall to see the famous view, as it was one of the must-see places in the city. As expected from a famous tourist spot, the temple was packed with tourists, both in groups and solo travelers, making it a challenge to navigate through the crowds.

As Yotsuba strolled around the main temple, she could not help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over her. The atmosphere, the crowd, the place - it all brought back fond memories of her childhood. She had visited this place six years ago and was thrilled when her homeroom teacher announced Kiyomizu-dera as an available destination for their school trip. Last night, Itsuki had suggested they should visit this temple on the second day, and Yotsuba instantly agreed, while Ichika and Miku had also agreed without much objection. Nino, on the other hand, was reluctant at first, as she was tired of visiting temples and shrines. But Yotsuba managed to convince her by mentioning the Kiyomizu-zaka street was a shopping district, filled with stores, cafes, and restaurants.

The small constant breeze of wind that could be felt on the main hall, the lush greenery surrounding the temple, and the stunning view of the city - it was all just as she remembered.A little smile played on her lips, and a delighted look was evident on her face. She was thrilled to see that almost everything about this place had remained unchanged since her last visit.

"This is really nostalgic…"

"It's just like that day…"

"Where we explored the whole town for the whole day…"

"And this place was one of them…"

Six years ago, Yotsuba was in elementary school when she went on a school trip with her sisters and her mother. During the trip, she got separated from them and found herself wandering alone. That was when she encountered a boy around her age who ended up accompanying her for the rest of the day, exploring various places in Kyoto, including the very temple they were visiting now. That day became one of her fondest and most memorable moments, as she developed feelings for the boy, marking her first experience of love.

The joy of revisiting the temple was incomparable, but what made her even happier was the fact that she could revisit it with him again – the boy who were her first love, who had always been there to help her, and now her current tutor, Uesugi Fuutaro. After she was transferred to Asahiyama High School last year, Yotsuba reunited with him again and recognized him as the same boy from six years ago, but he did not seem to remember her back. Initially, she had wanted to tell him about their encounter that day, but she held back because of the promise they made six years ago.

Still to this point, Yotsuba had not revealed her identity to Fuutaro, and she was content with keeping it that way. She felt that it would be unfair to her sisters, who had also taken a liking to him, and it could potentially harm the harmony between them. Yotsuba was deeply grateful to her sisters for their support when she was at her lowest point, and she owed them so much.

Now, Yotsuba just wanted to enjoy the nostalgic feeling of revisiting the temple and forget about her unspoken promise to Fuutaro. Nevertheless, she could not help but wish to spend some time with him again, even if he had forgotten about her, should the opportunity arise.

After spending some time exploring the main temple by herself, Yotsuba made her way to the wooden stage, where she could see a sea of crowds. As she looked around, she spotted one of her sisters, Itsuki, standing near the wooden fence and gazing out at the view in front of her. Yotsuba knew that Itsuki was afraid of heights, so she decided to approach her from behind to surprise her.

Yotsuba slowly made her way to the fence and positioned herself directly behind Itsuki. In a sudden motion, she placed both of her hands onto Itsuki's shoulders and exclaimed, "Waaa! You're going to fall!"

Itsuki let out a startled scream and quickly turned around to see Yotsuba grinning mischievously at her. With a trembling sensation running through her body due to her fear of heights and the fourth sister's sudden surprise, Itsuki frowned and shot a sharp look at her sister. "Yotsuba… I swear I am going to throw you off from this temple…" she muttered with a quiet, frustrated voice.

Yotsuba chuckled at her sister's reaction. "Ahaha… Did I really surprise you?"

"Of course you did! You know that I am afraid of heights, right?"

Yotsuba looked at Itsuki with a playful expression. "Then, why did you stand near the fence in the first place?"

"Umm… I wanted to look at the view of the city. But then I accidentally looked down and… you know the rest…" Itsuki replied, slightly embarrassed.

Yotsuba turned her attention to the view and walked to the fence. "Ehh… Is that so? It's been a while since we've been to this place." She looked out at the city and marveled at the breathtaking sight. "Wow! The view is great! I can see the whole town from here."

Itsuki walked over to the fence once again, even though she was still afraid of heights. She immediately looked out at the city instead of the hills below. "Yeah… It is definitely great. But still… What if we fall?"

Yotsuba gave her sister a reassuring smile. "Then, don't stand close to the fence. Or…" She could not resist teasing Itsuki again and quickly grabbed her arm. "It's just like you said…" She slowly pushed Itsuki's arm forward, causing her to scream in terror.

"No! Please do not do that!" Itsuki begged, taking a few quick steps back away from the fence.

Yotsuba chuckled at Itsuki's reaction. "Gotcha!"

"Hehe… Stop teasing her, Yotsuba. You know that Itsuki-chan is afraid of heights, right?"

Ichika suddenly appeared and joined in on the conversation, sporting her usual cool and cheerful expression. She had finally caught up with her sisters after exploring the temple complex on her own.

"Where have you been, Ichika?" Itsuki asked her.

"Ahh… I was with my friends, sightseeing around the area below," Ichika explained, as she walked up to the fence to join her sisters. She gazed out at the stunning scenery, taking in the vast expanse of the city that lay before them. "How long has it been? Six years? The place looks way bigger than I remembered, and the fence seems to have gotten higher."

"Yes, it's been six years," Yotsuba confirmed. "The last time we were here, we were still kids, so of course the place looks bigger now."

"I guess you're right. Coming back to Kyoto brings up a lot of nostalgic memories," Ichika said, smiling wistfully as she looked around the wooden stage. She then turned to Yotsuba. "Especially for you, right? You always seemed to have a special connection with this city. I remember when we got back from our school trip, you couldn't stop talking about Kyoto for a whole week."

"Ahaha… I guess so…" Yotsuba said with a small chuckle as she got reminded of the past again.

"Whoa… The place feels pretty high after not seeing it for so long."

Another familiar voice was heard, and when the three sisters looked towards the source, they saw that it was their tutor. Fuutaro was standing alone nearby and he had his digital camera out, taking photos of the city, the surrounding hills, and the main temple. He then put the camera back into his backpack and noticed three of the quintuplets were also here.

"Hey, what's up?" he greeted them, giving a small wave. "Hmm? Where are Nino and Miku?" he asked, looking around.

"I saw them walking with their friends on the area below." Ichika replied. She could not help but tease him a little, "By the way, where are your groupmates, Fuutaro-kun? Are you ditching them because you don't like walking with them?"

"Well… You can say it like that, but it's not entirely true." Fuutaro responded with a monotone voice. "Remember what I said to you? I prefer to walk alone than in a group of people. Maeda said he didn't want to get up here because he's afraid of height and then Takeda never shut up talking about things, which really annoyed me."

Ichika chuckled at his response. "As expected from you," she said. "Now that you're here, I bet you'll enjoy our company more than theirs, right?" she added with a smile.

"Kinda... But to be honest, still better than them," Fuutaro replied, earning a small laugh from the sisters.

Itsuki's face lit up upon seeing Fuutaro, feeling the euphoria from the night before still lingering in her heart. Her infatuation towards him was at an all-time high, and she was eager to spend more time with him. "Good timing, Uesugi-kun! You have a camera with you, right?" Itsuki said cheerfully, immediately approaching him. Knowing that Nino was not there, she saw this as a chance to take advantage of the situation before the second sister appeared and monopolized Fuutaro for the rest of the day. "Let us take a picture with the four of us together. But first, take a picture with me."

Surprised by her sudden request, Fuutaro raised his eyebrows, unsure of what to make of her unusual behavior. "Ehh? What's with the sudden..." he trailed off, feeling a bit taken aback.

"We are at Kiyomizu-dera, one of the most famous places in the city. A few pictures of us together would make great memories to reminisce later," Itsuki explained with an energetic voice. "Hey, Yotsuba, would you mind taking a few pictures of us together? Give your camera to her, Uesugi-kun."

"Ehh? Y-Yeah..." Yotsuba nodded awkwardly, accepting the camera from Fuutaro. "Whoa... Itsuki is acting very unusual. It's been a while since she acted like this..."

Itsuki led Fuutaro to the wooden fence where she had stood before, and Yotsuba began taking a few photos of the two of them with the hills behind them as the background. Itsuki's face radiated happiness and life as she posed with a peace finger sign. Fuutaro had an expressionless face in the first two shots, but in the third shot, Yotsuba spotted a little smile on his lips through the lens of the camera.

In an instant, Yotsuba's heart skipped a beat upon seeing Fuutaro's smile, and her eyes widened. It was the same spot where she and Fuutaro took a photo together six years ago when they visited this place. The memory of that moment came flooding back to her, and she felt a wave of nostalgia seeing the smile of her first love.

"That face of his..."

"It really brings back memories…"

"That time was indeed fun..."

"Yotsuba... Hello...? Are you finished yet?"

Itsuki's voice brought her back to the present. "Ehh?! Sorry... Let me take the picture now." Yotsuba regained her senses and gave the signal for the photo. "One, two, three... Say cheese!"

"Good! Now let us go over there, Uesugi-kun!" Itsuki pulled him to another spot, away from the wooden stage. "That spot has a good background for the picture. Come on, Ichika, Yotsuba!"

Yotsuba stood there silently, gazing at the camera, lost in thought. She felt a mix of emotions after capturing the photos of Itsuki and Fuutaro. Nostalgia washed over her, but she also felt a sense of emptiness and melancholy, which she could not explain. Was it because of jealousy? Or perhaps she was remembering too much of the past, and it was making her feel depressed? She put her hand on her chest, trying to understand her feelings while taking deep breaths.

"Why do I feel like this…?"

"Is it because I also want to be by his side…?"

"I really want to…"

"But…"

As she pondered on these conflicting emotions, she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. Turning to her right, she saw Ichika, who had a warm and reassuring smile on her face, just like the time when she gave Yotsuba advice on quitting the track team.

"You know… It has been six years since we met Fuutaro-kun…" Ichika said, casting a glance towards where Fuutaro and Itsuki had gone. "Do you still remember that time?"

Yotsuba was taken aback by Ichika's words. So Ichika remembered him too... Six years ago, after Yotsuba and Fuutaro had finished exploring the city, her father found them at night and brought them back to the inn where she was staying. Yotsuba went to see him in the other room where he was temporarily staying, but when she arrived, she saw him meeting with Ichika instead, mistaking her for Yotsuba.

Initially, Yotsuba thought that Ichika had forgotten about their meeting with Fuutaro because she did not show any reaction at all when she first met him at school and when he asked the five sisters if any of them had met him before. But now, hearing her words, Yotsuba realized that Ichika had remembered him all along.

"W-What are you talking about, Ichika?"

"You know what I mean, right?" she said gently. "We have already met Fuutaro-kun on our elementary school trip six years ago... in this city too."

Yotsuba did not answer, feeling a wave of reluctance wash over her. She did not want to discuss the matter any further, but Ichika persisted.

Ichika gave her a light tap on Yotsuba's shoulder before removing her hand "At first, I had forgotten about him, but then I remembered after seeing your picture with him from six years ago in this place," she spoke softly, trying to calm Yotsuba down. "Did you ever tell him that you two already met with each other in the past?"

"So you knew about it, huh?" Yotsuba replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She shook her head and added, "No... I still haven't told Uesugi-san about it."

"Hmm? Why?"

"There's... no particular reason for it," she responded in a low voice, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. "It's just that I'm not ready to tell him yet..."

"Are you sure about that? You were all happy and hyped up when you told us the story about walking with him for the whole day." Ichika's tone was laced with worry. "Are you fine keeping it that way?"

Yotsuba nodded weakly. "Unn... it's fine," she murmured. She let out a small exhale before continuing, "Besides, there was a certain promise that I made with him back then that I still haven't fulfilled yet. I can't tell him about it until I fulfill that promise..."

Ichika could not bear to see Yotsuba looking so down and gloomy. At first, she had thought that the fourth sister was just being her usual friendly and supportive self towards Fuutaro, as she was always helpful and kind to her peers. However, after seeing the picture of her and Fuutaro from six years ago and connecting it to her past story with him, as well as the way she interacted with him, Ichika could tell that Yotsuba definitely had feelings for Fuutaro - just like she and her other sisters did. And now, it was clear from the expression on Yotsuba's face that she also wanted to spend more time with him.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Ichika's head. A vivid picture of her plan, along with a few quick details, flowed through her mind and she quickly formulated a plan to cheer her sister up. Closing her eyes and allowing herself a small smile of satisfaction, she knew that this plan was just what Yotsuba needed.

"Then, if that's what you want, I understand," Ichika nodded sympathetically. Opening her eyes, she smiled reassuringly at Yotsuba. "If you don't want to tell him, maybe I should be the one to tell him instead."

"I-Ichika?! Please don't!" Yotsuba pleaded nervously.

"Why not? I'm sure that Fuutaro-kun would be surprised and delighted to know that you were the girl that he met six years ago," Ichika said, trying to persuade her sister. "If you want to tell him, I can help you, despite your hesitation."

"No, it's fine. Please don't tell Uesugi-san anything about it," Yotsuba said, her nervousness increasing. "Besides, if I tell him, it wouldn't be fair to you and the others, especially Miku. So let's just keep quiet about it and continue as usual," she forced a weak smile to show her seriousness.

"Well, if you say so... But I hate seeing my sister looking so troubled and down. It's not good for the mood, especially when we're on a school trip," Ichika said, putting her fingers on her chin and looking upward in a slightly playful, wondering expression. "Remember what we were talking about earlier on the bus regarding Nino? Well, I've changed my mind. Before her, I've decided that you'll be the one to spend some alone time with Fuutaro-kun!"

"Ehh? What do you mean?" Yotsuba asked, surprised by her sister's sudden change of plans.

"Don't worry about it. You can thank me later, Yotsuba," Ichika gave her a thumbs up and a wink. She then made her way towards where Itsuki and Fuutaro were. "Hey, Fuutaro-kun, there's something I need to tell you..."

"I-Ichika! Hey!" Yotsuba got surprised by Ichika's actions and quickly went after her.

As Fuutaro walked around the main temple, he was overcome with a sense of nostalgia. The atmosphere of this place was just like he remembered: the magnificent view from the wooden stage, the noisy crowd that filled the place, and the beautiful architecture of the temple. But what he remembered most vividly was the moment when he and Rena, or whatever her name was, had visited this place and taken a photo together. He had treasured that photo for five years, even putting it on the other side of his notebook cover. But when she had reappeared last year, she had taken it away from him, telling him that he needed to focus on the future and forget the past. And then she had disappeared again, until showing up a few days ago.

She had been an important person in Fuutaro's life, and thanks to her, he had changed into the person he was today. But, as she had advised him, he would look forward to the future and not dwell on the past. However, he would never forget how important she had been for appearing in his life.

Currently, Fuutaro was on the other side of the main temple, walking with Itsuki. She had been dragging him to every part of the temple for the past few minutes, pointing out the various parts of it, and he could not help but notice the happiness and energy that radiated from her. It was a rare sight for him to see Itsuki this cheerful, as he was used to seeing her being serious and stubborn during their tutoring sessions. He had only seen her cheerful a few times outside of school and tutoring, but not quite like this.

"Uesugi-kun, have you been to Otowa Waterfall yet?" Itsuki asked.

"No, not yet," Fuutaro replied. "After we left the bus, my groupmates and I hung around at Kiyomizu-zaka for a while. Then I headed straight to the main temple without stopping at any place."

"Hmm… Is that so? Then, how about we go to the waterfall after this?"

"If that's what you want, okay, I guess…"

Itsuki's mention of Otowa Waterfall reminded Fuutaro of something. He had wanted to ask Ichika to walk around the Kiyomizu-dera complex with him. But since Itsuki had already asked him to walk with her instead, he thought he might as well accept her invitation. He did not want to ruin her happy mood, as it would be troublesome for him to be on her bad side, which he found very unpleasant.

"Well… I guess I better accept…"

"Maybe I can ask Ichika to walk with me on some other times…"

"There's still evening trip and two days left…"

"Hey, Fuutaro-kun…!"

Just when he thought of her, Ichika's voice reached through his ears. He turned around and saw she was jogging towards him, with Yotsuba behind her. Fuutaro had been hoping to spend some alone time with Ichika and was delighted to see her. Now that she was here, he wondered if he could ask her to join him and Itsuki, with Yotsuba, of course, on their walk around the Kiyomizu-dera complex. Who knows that he might be able to get some alone time with her in the process.

"Ichika, huh? What is it?"

"Hey, there's something that I need to tell you!" Ichika said with a grin on her face.

Yotsuba, however, seemed to be panicking. "Ichika! Please don't! There's no need to do this," she begged her sister.

Futaro noticed this and wondered what was going on. He thought Ichika might have teased her, as she often did to everyone. "What's going on, you two? Is there something you want to tell me, Ichika?"

"Yup, that's right!" she raised her index finger with a wink.

"Hey, Ichika!" Yotsuba pulled at her shoulders, still begging her to stop.

"Yotsuba said to me that she wanted to explore the Kiyomizu-dera complex with you," Ichika told him, unfazed by the fourth sister who kept shaking her shoulders. "She's been saying this non-stop since this morning and can't wait to visit every object in this place."

Fuutaro looked at Yotsuba again, who appeared startled by Ichika's announcement. She seemed more panicked than before. Fuutaro wondered if Ichika had really just teased her, or if Yotsuba really wanted to walk with him. "Is that true, Yotsuba?"

"N-No…! That's…" Yotsuba stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Ichika went closer to Fuutaro, whispering in front of his face with her right hand next to her lips, making her voice quiet. "Don't mind her, she's just really embarrassed to say it," she said. "I just wanted to help her and tell it to you."

"Really?" Fuutaro said, raising his eyebrow, unsure of this situation.

Ichika then stepped away from him and nodded cheerfully, making another checkmark finger gesture. "Yup! So go with her now!" She then went to Itsuki. "Meanwhile, Itsuki-chan and I are going to Koyasu Pagoda since we haven't had a chance to explore that area the last time we were here. Let's go, Itsuki-chan!" She held Itsuki by the shoulder and pushed her away from Fuutaro and Yotsuba.

Itsuki was taken aback by Ichika's sudden action. "Ehh, I-Ichika? Wait a minute…"

Fuutaro felt a little panicked because the chance to spend some time with Ichika was slipping away yet again, for like the third time. "Oi, Ichika, wait a minute. There's also something I want to tell you."

"You can tell me later, Fuutaro-kun," Ichika said, with a smile. "For now, go walk with Yotsuba. She can't wait to go with you!"

"O-Oi!"

Fuutaro watched as Ichika and Itsuki slowly faded into the distance, leaving him standing there with Yotsuba. He could not help but feel a sense of bewilderment wash over him as he tried to process what had just happened. It was like déjà vu, reminiscent of their time at Fushimi Shrine, where Ichika had pulled a similar stunt, where she had asked Takeda and Maeda to join her, only for Yotsuba to leave shortly after, leaving him alone with Miku. He could not help but wonder what was wrong with Ichika and why she was acting this way.

"Uhh… What just happened?" Fuutaro asked, still processing the strange situation.

"Umm… I don't really know too…" Yotsuba replied hesitantly, looking just as bewildered as he was.

Fuutaro let out a sigh. "The hell's wrong with her? Anyway, where do you want to go, Yotsuba?"

"I-I don't really know… Do you have any place in mind, Uesugi-san?" Yotsuba asked back, her mind still clouded with anxiety.

"Oi, weren't you the one who wanted to walk with me?" Fuutaro raised an eyebrow, vexed by her indecisiveness. He let out another sigh, still bewildered by the sudden turn of events. "How about we go to Otowa Waterfall first? I haven't been there since we arrived here."

"Y-Yeah, good idea," Yotsuba replied, smiling awkwardly and nodding. "Let's go."

A/N:

Here it is, the time has come for Yotsuba's turn.

Firstly, I want to apologize for ending the chapter on another cliffhanger. There is actually more to this chapter, but I felt it wouldn't fit well and could undermine the next chapter. After giving it some thought, I have decided to end the chapter as it is, and the remaining part will be revealed in the next chapter instead.

Regarding the update on chapter fixes, here are the chapters that have been fixed:

-Our Promise and Bet: Chapter 3 (Done)

-I Still Remember You: Chapter 2 (Done on April 28th)

-That Special Someone: Chapter 2 (Done)

I know it may not seem like much, but it's progress nonetheless, right?

As for the next chapter, it will be released sometime between May 31st and June 7th. I apologize for the change in the usual release period, but I need some extra time to write this story. Over the past few weeks, I have experienced a few migraine attacks that hindered my writing progress. And to avoid writing burnout from overdoing it, I have been playing video games and spending time with friends. Additionally, as I'm posting this chapter, I'm feeling under the weather since I woke up and seem to have caught the flu, which is really sucks. Thankfully, the medication is helping, and I'm feeling much better now.

As always, thank you for reading this story, and I'll see you in the next chapter

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