Chapter 15
The school trip continued into its third day, which brought a change in activities. Unlike the past two days, today's trip had a unique twist. Each student had chosen a destination from a list provided on a form, offering five different places to visit. They were free to pick any place they desired, even if it differed from their groupmates' choices.
The morning atmosphere mirrored the previous day, with the hotel lobby abuzz with chatter and excitement among Asahiyama students, waiting for their buses to arrive.
"*sigh* I'm still upset about yesterday..."
"Yeah, me too. I can't believe the rain dragged on until midnight, leading to the cancellation of our evening trip."
"It really was a letdown. I was looking forward to strolling through the shopping district with my boyfriend. It's supposed to be one of the city's most famous shopping areas. I still want to go there..."
"I still don't get why the teachers canceled it. The rain had almost stopped and wasn't even heavy at that point. They could've let us go."
"Well, I guess they didn't want to take any chances. The weather report warned of unpredictable conditions, and it could've started pouring again."
The cancellation of yesterday's evening trip remained a hot topic among students, who expressed their disappointment. Many of them had been eagerly anticipating the excursion, as the shopping district they were supposed to visit was renowned for its variety of shops, entertainment, and dining options.
The heavy rain and strong winds that persisted throughout yesterday afternoon continued until midnight, leading to extensive discussion among the teachers about the unfavorable weather conditions and their potential impact on the evening plans. Ultimately, they decided to pick on the side of caution and cancel the evening trip, keeping the students in the hotel to avoid any risks.
Today, in stark contrast to yesterday's gloomy weather, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly, creating a typical, ordinary day. The schedule was straightforward and more relaxed than the previous day. They would be going on an outing until evening and then spend the rest of the evening and night at the hotel, preparing for the fourth and final day of the school trip. The anticipation was evident on the students' faces, as they looked forward to making the most of their last day of the school trip.
At that moment, Fuutaro sat on the same sofa with his groupmates, a familiar spot from the previous day. Like everyone else, he could not hide his disappointment about the cancellation of the previous evening's plans. His body language revealed his discontent as he crossed his arms, wearing a dissatisfied expression.
Fuutaro had eagerly anticipated the outing, even researching the shopping district and planning activities for himself and Ichika. It was an opportunity to spend time together with her, which had been elusive in the past two days. Unfortunately, the extreme weather had ruined his plan, leaving him frustrated.
Sighing, he leaned back against the sofa and observed other students boarding their respective buses. Closing his eyes, he realized that today was his only chance to have some alone time with Ichika. He had reviewed the itinerary for the final day and found it too tight for his liking. Given the circumstances, he was determined to make it happen today.
He was willing to do whatever it took to get that alone time with her.
"*sigh* My initial plan was all ruined, thanks to yesterday's rain..."
"As I look at it again, today's schedule should be good enough, and I can reevaluate my steps..."
"I need to ask her immediately once we reach that place..."
"I won't give up, no matter what happens..."
"Don't fall asleep, Uesugi-kun, or we will leave you when the bus arrives."
Fuutaro's deep thoughts were interrupted by a groupmate's voice. He opened his eyes and turned to see Takeda sitting beside him, wearing his trademark charming expression and a playful smirk. Fuutaro rolled his eyes and exhaled heavily as he responded.
"No, I'm not sleeping," he replied unenthusiastically. "Can you stop surprising me like that? Every time I'm lost in thought, you always interrupt me, and now I've forgotten what I was thinking."
"Uesugi-kun, we're on a school trip, not taking a life-threatening final exam. Relax a bit and chat with us," Takeda said, playfully elbowing Fuutaro's shoulder. "I thought you were napping based on your expression. Did you not get enough sleep last night, or are you upset about the canceled evening free time?"
"You could say that," Fuutaro answered indifferently, gazing at some teachers who were interacting at the lobby entrance. "I still can't understand why they insisted on canceling it, considering the rain had already subsided and the wind wasn't that strong."
"Well, you know them. They couldn't risk the backlash from our parents if they went ahead with the trip," Takeda explained, also glancing at their teachers. "It's like what you did yesterday with Nino-san, but imagine if all the student got colds and fevers the next day. We were all surprised when you two arrived at the bus all wet, like you'd jumped into a lake."
"It couldn't be helped. I'd rather catch a cold or fever than have my score rigged with by that particular teacher," Fuutaro said, with his eyes fixed on the teacher who had led the previous day's trip. To his delight, that teacher was leading another group of students for today's trip. "I'm not exactly in a good term with him."
"Speaking of which, I wonder how you didn't catch a cold or fever given the extreme weather yesterday," Takeda mused. "Your determination not to get a low score seems to have strengthened your immune system, huh?"
"*sigh* Whatever you say..."
"Anyway, Uesugi-kun, there's no need to be grumpy about yesterday. We still have today, and Toei Studio Park should be enjoyable," he assured him, giving his shoulder a reassuring tap. "But I'm not sure about Maeda-kun, as he's always complaining about the choices we make..."
The two then shifted their attention to Maeda, who sat on another sofa across from them.
Upon hearing Takeda's earlier comment, Maeda's face contorted with irritation, and he quickly fired back, "Of course, I'm complaining! Why didn't you two give me a chance to choose where we should visit?" His loud outburst drew the attention of nearby students. "Why is it always him deciding the places, huh?" He directed an accusing glare at Fuutaro.
Fuutaro responded with another eye roll and chose not to engage in the argument as he leaned back further on the sofa, given his already sour mood. Instead, Takeda stepped in, "Calm down, Maeda-kun. If you really want to visit the place you want, you can go on your own," he calmly suggested, unfazed by their hot-headed groupmate. "See that bus over there? You can inform the teacher that you've had a change of heart, and I'm pretty sure she'll let you board."
"Well… That's…" Maeda hesitated, his eyes on the bus where another group was boarding.
"What's wrong?" Takeda inquired, resting his arms on his knees and observing Maeda's uncertainty. "Could it be that you don't want to be left alone by us, so you've decided to tag along even though you don't like the place?" He sported a mischievous smirk. "If that's the case, you're quite a loyal and selfless guy, Maeda-kun."
"Shut up!" Maeda yelled once more, a mix of hesitation and embarrassment displayed on his face. He let out a quick sigh. "Yeah, I admit I don't like being alone while walking around, even in a place I enjoy. I mean, you two are all right, so I guess as a group, we should stick together wherever we go… But that doesn't mean I agree with all your decisions without considering mine!"
"Hehh... You're actually a decent person, aren't you? I was almost sure you'd ditch us the moment I gave you the green light," Takeda remarked. "Even though you look like a troublesome and delinquent student, you've got a good side, you know?"
"Oi! Don't try to flatter me just because I decided to stick around. Anyway, for tomorrow, I should be the one to decide which place and shop we'll visit," he declared brashly. "We'll have about an hour of free time before heading back to Tokai, so please let me make all the decisions."
"Sounds good to me. How about you, Uesugi-kun?"
Fuutaro, still with his eyes closed and arms crossed, responded, "Yeah, whatever. Just do what you want, Maeda."
Not long after, their bus had finally arrived, and their new leading teacher instructed the students to board immediately.
"Students who have chosen Toei Studio Park, our bus has arrived. Form a line and board the bus promptly."
As Fuutaro stood up and made his way to the bus, he took a quick look around the lobby and noticed that the quintuplets were absent. Last night, Yotsuba had called him while he was in his room, inquiring about his choice of destination for the third day of the trip. He had told her, and all five of them had decided to pick the same place as him. Fuutaro did not mind; in fact, he was delighted to have their company and preferred to spend time with people he knew well.
Come to think of it, he had not seen them since last evening when he had distributed the third-day visitation forms to his classmates and delivered one to their room. They did not even show up for breakfast, which was unusual, especially for Itsuki, who was known for never missing a meal, regardless of the circumstances.
The bus was already here, and Fuutaro glanced around the lobby once more, but there was still no sign of the quintuplets.
Maeda noticed Fuutaro's silence and asked, "What's wrong, Uesugi? Are you coming?"
"Yeah... Just give me a second," Fuutaro replied and pulled out his phone, intending to call one of the quintuplets.
"Waiting for someone? Is it the Nakano quintuplets?"
Fuutaro simply nodded. "They told me last night that they also chose Toei Studio Park as their destination. I haven't seen them since yesterday evening, and they weren't at breakfast this morning either."
"So, the Nakano quintuplets are coming with us? Great! I guess it's not a bad choice after all," Maeda exclaimed with more enthusiasm than before.
"And I'm pretty sure this isn't a coincidence. You're truly a magnet for them, huh?" Takeda remarked with a small smirk. "Don't worry about them; let's just wait in the bus. I'm sure sensei will have the receptionist call their room if they take too long."
Fuutaro hesitated, glancing at the elevator and his phone. "I guess so..." he conceded, putting his phone back into his pocket. They exited the hotel lobby and headed for their bus.
As Fuutaro was about to board the bus, he looked back at the hotel lobby, hoping to spot the quintuplets. This time, he got the sight he wanted to see. The quintuplets were rushing from the elevator toward the lobby entrance. When they reached the bus, all of them were panting, catching their breath from the sprint.
Seeing them, Fuutaro slowly shook his head and pursed his lips. He then stepped away from the bus's door and approached them. "Took you all long enough, huh? Don't tell me you five overslept and just woke up five minutes ago."
"*pant* *pant* Not me! Ichika was the one," Nino replied, looking at the eldest sister who stood beside her. "We were already up since morning, but this one right here just woke up fifteen minutes ago!"
"Okay..." Fuutaro raised an eyebrow and directed his attention to Ichika, who wore a weak smile and chuckled. "I didn't see any of you during breakfast. You sure you're not half-asleep or something?"
"Of course not! Why would I make up things?" Nino said, her annoyance evident. "The thing is, Itsuki had a bad stomach, and she spent like an hour in the bathroom. So, we didn't have a chance to shower or even brush our teeth before breakfast. By the time she got out, breakfast was already over."
Fuutaro then turned his attention to Itsuki, who had an embarrassed expression, looking down at the ground. "Yeah... I can see that. If I remember correctly, she ate a lot of food and dessert at dinner last night."
"I could not help it, okay?!" Itsuki exclaimed, blushing out of embarrassment. "The food selections last night was great, and I could not help it…"
"*sigh* You really need to control yourself when it comes to food, you curry-eating monster," Fuutaro remarked nonchalantly, shaking his head at the fifth quintuplet's appetite. "Even my old man doesn't eat as much as you."
"That is rude, Uesugi-kun!" Itsuki retorted, now showing annoyance. "We are still growing, so this kind of eating behavior is normal, okay?!"
Fuutaro rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Ichika. "And you... I told you this would happen. Someday you'd fall asleep at some important event, and now it didn't take long for it to happen."
"Hehe... I was really sleepy, you know?" Ichika playfully said, stretching her arms in the air. "Last night, I hung out at the hotel's café, and some friends joined me. It went on until midnight, and I had a coffee, so I had trouble falling asleep until like three or four in the morning." She let out a quick yawn.
"I guess old habits die hard, huh? Maybe you should switch to warm milk and fix your late-night sleeping habit."
"Yes, yes... I hear you, Mr. Tutor!" Ichika replied with a grin, playfully nodding. She then leaned closer to him, whispering. "Fuutaro-kun, I think you should help Yotsuba count the attendance. She looks overwhelmed and could use some assistance."
Fuutaro looked behind and noticed that Yotsuba was struggling to count the students on her own. "Ahh... Yeah, you're right." He then entered the bus with Ichika.
Entering the bus, Fuutaro immediately joined Yotsuba in counting the attendance for their destination. Ichika found a seat next to Nino, who had already boarded earlier. The two class representatives then reported to the leading teacher, and after a while, their teacher gave the green light to the bus driver to take them to their chosen destination.
During the journey, Nino initiated a conversation with Ichika. "It's a good thing you overheard the destination Fuu-kun chose, Ichika," she commented. "I can't imagine how boring today's trip would be without him. If that happened, I'd consider ditching my destination and going wherever he goes."
Ichika chuckled. "Hehe... It just so happened that I accidentally overheard his discussion with his groupmates after the briefing was over," she explained. Ichika then leaned back against her seat and gazed at the bus's ceiling. "I agree with you. It would be kind of boring without him around, and I'm glad we confirmed his destination yesterday."
Flashback to yesterday night
After dinner, the quintuplets returned to their room to spend the evening following the announcement of the evening trip's cancellation. Prior to dinner, the teachers had informed the students about the trip's cancellation, given a briefing on the third-day trip, and quick preview of the available places to visit. There were five options, and the filled forms would be collected during the morning briefing before departure.
Currently, heavy rain that had temporarily stopped before the trip's cancellation had resumed, accompanied by the same strong winds. The roaring sound of the rain and wind could be heard even in their hotel room.
Yotsuba sat on the sofa, looking at the form for the third day, pondering which destination they should choose. "Hey, which place should we pick for tomorrow's destination?" she asked her sisters, twirling her pen with her fingers.
Nino, who was seated on the sofa next to Yotsuba, also examined the form. "Hmm... All five places seem interesting," she mused, resting her cheek on her hand. "I really want to go to the Gion district because it has a wide variety of shops, and it's supposed to be one of the best shopping districts in Kyoto. But let's hear what everyone wants to do first. You three, which place do you prefer?"
Itsuki had just emerged from the bathroom after brushing her teeth. Meanwhile, Ichika and Miku were in their respective beds, with the first sister napping and the third sister listening to music with headphones on. Nino had to call them more loudly to get the attention of the first and third sisters, who finally responded.
"Mmm? What is it, Nino?" Ichika asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes.
"I can't believe you're already asleep at this time... I'm asking which place the three of you want to visit," Nino said.
"I cannot really decide... All the places are very interesting," Itsuki admitted as she approached Nino, studying her form. "I mean, look at the Kyoto National Museum. It has a lot of material for our school trip report, and there is a good café nearby that I found online this evening."
"Oi, Itsuki, is food the only thing on your mind? You ate like a mountain of food and dessert a few hours ago," Nino pointed out unimpressed, to which Itsuki responded with a weak laugh. "I guess you see the Kyoto National Museum as a secondary choice and the café as your primary destination, huh? Anyway, Miku, what's your opinion?"
"I really want to visit the Samurai and Ninja Museum," Miku replied, removing her headphones. "They have a lot of armor, katanas, and weaponry from different periods, and I'd love to see items from the Sengoku period. According to what I read online, you can even try on the armor, wield a katana, and throw a shuriken. So, this place is perfect for me," she explained with enthusiasm, though her tone remained flat.
Nino was not impressed by Miku's choice due to her own disinterest in history. "Uhh... No thanks. I briefly forgot that you're a history geek, and you'd choose that place without hesitation," she said before turning to Ichika, who was still lying on her bed. "What about you, Ichika? Any good reasons for one of the places?"
Ichika stretched her arms and replied, "For me, my personal choice is Toei Studio Park." She sat on her bed and took her form from next to her pillow. "Since it's a studio park, it should be fun to visit with attractions similar to an amusement park but in an Edo period style. Also, the park has a filming set, so you can watch a movie or TV show being filmed. It would be valuable for me to observe their acting skills and a professional filming production."
"So, in the end, it's like Miku and Itsuki, each of you has your own interests for visiting that place, huh?" Nino noted before turning to the fourth sister. "Yotsuba, have you made your choice?"
"I still can't decide... But if I have to choose, I'd go with the Kyoto Manga Museum," Yotsuba said, sounding a bit uncertain. "Since I've started reading some manga titles lately, this place would be interesting for me to discover another title to read."
"I see... I guess our tastes are really different from each other, huh?" Nino sighed, noting the various destination choices of her sisters. "So, what will it be? Should we go our separate ways or decide on a single place to visit?" She spoke seriously, looking at each of them. "All the places are appealing in their own way, but I'd prefer if we stay together."
"Yes, I agree. It would not be fun to go our separate ways," Itsuki concurred. "Besides, we have not had much time to spend together on a school trip since elementary school. This is our chance, don't you all agree?"
All four sisters nodded, expressing their agreement. However, hesitancy and uncertainty still lingered on their faces. Despite being quintuplets, their taste and interest were pretty much different from each other, and sometimes, those differences created conflicts like the one they faced now.
Silence hung heavy in the room as the quintuplets grappled with the decision of whether to embark on individual trips or stick together and choose a single destination. On one hand, going their separate ways would provide an opportunity for each to explore the places that piqued their personal interests. Yet, as Itsuki had pointed out, they had not spent much time together during a school trip since their elementary school days, and the prospect of being apart threatened to diminish the fun. On the other hand, picking a single destination might not be fair, as they each had different interests, and forcing a compromise could lead to dissatisfaction.
This dilemma weighed heavily on their minds.
However, Ichika suddenly had an idea that seemed to resolve their deadlock. Her eyes widened as she thought of a solution, and a confident smile spread across her face. She placed her finger on her chin, contemplating whether her idea would be the key to breaking the impasse.
After about half a minute, she revealed her plan to her sisters. "Hey, since we're discussing this, I overheard Fuutaro-kun talking with his groupmates about their choice for tomorrow," Ichika said, her smile still in place. "Would you like to know which place he's planning to visit?"
Her words immediately grabbed the attention of her sisters, and all of them turned their gaze toward her, eager to hear more.
"Really? So, which place does he want to go?" Miku asked with a serious tone, genuinely interested in their tutor's choice.
"He mentioned that he wanted to visit Toei Studio Park," Ichika disclosed. "It seemed like Takeda-kun was also on board with the idea, except for Maeda-kun, who didn't sound particularly enthusiastic when I overheard their conversation."
Nino wore a skeptical expression, suspecting that Ichika might have a hidden agenda. "Are you sure about this, Ichika? Is this a scheme to get us to choose the same place as you?
Ichika's pout expressed her slight frustration at the accusation. "Why would I lie to you?" she retorted. "If you don't believe me, how about we confirm it by calling him right now?"
Yotsuba, eager to know Fuutaro's choice, agreed with the idea. "Yeah, that's a great idea! I want to know where he's going too!" Her face lit up with enthusiasm. "So, who's going to call him?"
The four pairs of eyes immediately fixated on Yotsuba, and her nervous expression revealed her sudden unease as her sisters stared at her intently. She hesitated for a moment with her mouth agape before finally saying, "Umm... I suppose I'll make the call, right...?" Yotsuba gave a weak chuckle and retrieved her phone from the table. She opened her contacts and started searching for Fuutaro's number. "Okay, here goes." Yotsuba tapped the call button and activated loudspeaker mode.
The calling tone rang for about 10 seconds, and then Fuutaro's voice came through the phone, filling the room. All the quintuplets focused on Yotsuba's phone, wearing serious expressions, except for Yotsuba, who appeared nervous under her sisters' scrutiny.
"What is it, Yotsuba? Is there something you need?"
"Uesugi-san… Can I ask you which place you are planning to visit for tomorrow's trip?"
"Tomorrow's place, huh? I've already made a decision. Have you five chosen a destination yet?"
"Yeah, about that… We're still undecided on what place we should choose," Yotsuba admitted, chuckling weakly. "I thought by calling you, we could have some reference for our decision."
"Is that so? If you want to know, I'm going to visit Toei Studio Park with my groupmates tomorrow."
Nino turned her head to Ichika, spotting a triumphant expression and grin on the eldest sister's face. The second sister then glanced back at the phone, a bit annoyed by her smugness.
Yotsuba grinned as she learned of Fuutaro's choice. "I see… I'll let the other four know so we can use this as a reference to decide our destination," she replied in a normal tone, hiding her excitement from him. "I'll text you later if we all agree to visit the same place as you."
"Alright, then. Feel free to tag along if you all want to."
"Oh, and also Uesugi-san, can I ask why you chose Toei Studio Park?"
"Hmm… Toei Studio Park is a good place to visit. It has plenty of attractions for me to enjoy. Given its Edo period design, it holds historical value and can be beneficial for our school trip report," Fuutaro explained his reason. "Besides, there's also a souvenir shop where I can find gifts for Raiha and my old man."
Ichika nodded repeatedly in agreement with Fuutaro's reasoning, as her own reasons matched his. The other sisters found his explanation intriguing.
"Okay then! Thank you for the explanation, Uesugi-san!" Yotsuba responded cheerfully as her excitement could not be contained anymore. "I will text you later after we decide on a place!"
Yotsuba ended the call, and all eyes turned back to Ichika. With a big grin and smug expression, she said, "See? I would never lie to all of you." Continuing, Ichika glanced at each of her sisters, "Now that we know where Fuutaro-kun will be going, should we choose the same place as him? Just like he said earlier, Toei Studio Park is not a bad place to visit. I already looked it up online, and it has a lot of attractions, souvenir shop, and good places to eat."
The other sisters fell into deep thought, considering their decision after learning about Fuutaro's choice.
Ichika was confident that all of them would choose the same place as Fuutaro, as one of the reasons they were looking forward for this school trip was to spend time with him. Despite their differing tastes and interests, they all shared one similarity: they liked the same person. Ichika hoped this common affection would help resolve their indecision about the destination and keep them together, as they genuinely did not want to separate from each other.
It was purely coincidental that Fuutaro had selected the same destination as her. From the moment she read the form after he handed it to her, Ichika's heart had been set on Toei Studio Park. Her fascination lay in the filming set within the park, where she could observe the production process and study the actors and actresses in action as the part of developing her skill and knowledge of being an actress herself.
As fate would have it, back after the briefing, she overheard a conversation between Fuutaro and Takeda.
"So, Uesugi-kun, have you already decided on your destination for tomorrow…?"
"Yeah, I'm going to pick Toei Studio Park…"
"Toei Studio Park, huh? Not a bad choice. I'm coming with you…"
It made Ichika surprised when she heard that he and his groupmates would visit the Toei Studio Park.
"Ehh… Fuutaro-kun is going to visit Toei Studio Park…?"
"What a coincidence…"
"Maybe after some time, I can walk with him…"
"I've been wanting to spend time with you on this school trip…"
After around a minute, Yotsuba broke the silence first, announcing her decision, "I already decided… that I will pick Toei Studio Park for tomorrow's destination!" She filled out the form and checked the box for Toei Studio Park.
"Yeah, me too," Miku calmly followed and took her form on the small table next to her bed. "I'm going to the same destination as Fuutaro. Besides, Toei Studio Park is modeled after Edo period architecture, so there will be a lot of historical stuff and attractions that I'm going to enjoy." She checked her destination with a smile.
"Well… I guess that place is okay. With how vast the place is, I think it will be good for our trip report. I can also look at Uesugi-kun's report if I am somehow stuck writing it." Itsuki took her form on her bed and checked Toei Studio Park as her tomorrow's destination. "I just hope there are a lot of good restaurants and cafes to eat in that place."
Ichika chuckled hearing her youngest sister's constant obsession of food. "Don't worry about it, Itsuki-chan. I already looked at the map of the park on the internet, and there are some good amounts of food vendors and restaurants available in the park." She turned to Nino and asked, "So how about you, Nino? Are you going?"
Nino showed her already checked form for Toei Studio Park as her destination, declaring, "Of course! Wherever he goes, I will follow him!"
With all her sisters selecting Toei Studio Park as their destination, Ichika felt delighted that her plan had worked out. This act was also part of her original plan, where she had wanted to help and support each of her sisters and resolve potential conflicts between them. She was glad that this situation was solved peacefully, knowing the situation between them was not that good to begin with.
"Alright! Toei Studio Park it is!"
A/N (It's going to be long, so bear with me):
Chapter 15 is finally here, and I'm back!
It's been about 3.5 months, and I'm glad to be updating this story again after a much-needed break. During the past few months, life has been a bit rough due to a fractured foot that required a cast and crutches. Simple daily activities, like holding things, taking a bath, and going up and down the stairs, became quite troublesome. Thankfully, I've been been able to walk again with both feet since the start of November, although there's still some lingering pain in the mended foot.
During the break, I used the time to further develop the concept of this story. I'm happy to share that I've completed writing the entire story concept. This marks significant progress, providing a clear direction for the story.
On another note, I want to inform you all that I've fixed and updated a few chapters of "Our Promise and Bet" and this story. Here's a summary:
-Our Promise and Bet: Chapters 10-13 (Completed)
-That Special Someone: Chapter 7 (Completed since September 1st)
If you're unaware, fanfiction . net itself doesn't notify readers when a writer updates existing chapters. However, there's a workaround. Download the official app from the app store, and then download the story you want to follow. When a writer updates an existing chapter, a small orange/red dot will appear on the library icon. Head to the download section and you will be shown a notification on the bottom of the screen that a story has been updated, and there will be another orange/red dot highlighting the story. You can use this method if you want to follow my update for "Our Promise and Bet".
If you haven't noticed, this story is already one year old, having been first published on December 2nd, 2022. Time surely flies fast, huh? Because I can still remember the moment when I was about to post this story one year ago. Once again, I want to express my gratitude to all readers, especially those who have favorited, followed, and reviewed the story, where your support has been instrumental in keeping me motivated to write and continue this story. As mentioned in the previous chapter, your encouragement really keeps me committed to the story.
As always, the next chapter is scheduled for the final week of December (25th - 31st). Keep an eye out for updates during that week.
Now, for the guest review responses:
-Guest: Thank you for the compliment! I'm feeling much better now and can walk again with both feet, which is definitely a big improvement from using crutches. And also thank you for your recovery wishes, I really appreciated it!
-iMonika: Thank you for the kind words! Knowing that you consider this story top-tier makes me really happy. I will always focus on continuing this story as long as I have time to do so since I really love The Quintessential Quintuplets series and I don't want to leave it hanging.
As always, thank you for reading this story, and I'll see you in the next chapter!
If you like the story feel free to review, follow, and favorite it