Chapter 18

Several hours had elapsed since Fuutaro and his groupmates entered Toei Studio Park. They explored various points of interest in the park, indulging in park attractions, watching Ninja and Samurai shows, and jotting down notes for the school trip report. So far, the experience had been both fun and enjoyable for the group.

For Fuutaro, despite his initial bad mood and feelings of unfamiliarity spending time with Takeda and Maeda, found personal enjoyment in the activities they undertook together.

At this moment, the group emerged from the Toei Animation Gallery, having spent around an hour exploring the museum-like attraction. This gallery served as a captivating showcase of Toei Animation's history, featuring a wealth of items related to the production company, including movie posters, character figurines, illustrations, and various other artifacts. The abundance of Toei Animation memorabilia displayed in one place made it an intriguing and interesting sightseeing experience for visitors, especially for fans of the studio.

The evidence of the gallery's appeal was apparent on the face of Maeda, the typically hot-headed member of the group. He still wore a bright, childlike expression, a departure from his usual demeanor, signaling the profound impact the showcase had on him. "I swear this place is the coolest in the entire park!" he exclaimed energetically. "They have movie posters and illustrations from the '80s and '90s! There's even this poster I watched as a kid." He proudly displayed a movie poster on his phone. "Just seeing it makes me want to watch it again. Hell, they even included a summary below the poster and just by reading it filled me with nostalgia."

Takeda, peering at Maeda's phone, nodded in agreement. "This movie, huh? Yeah, I watched it a few times as a kid. It was a good one."

"Right?" Maeda said, still focused on his phone. "I just subscribed to a streaming platform a week ago, and this is perfect to add to my watchlist." He then showed another photo. "Also look at this! What really blew my mind was that they had those limited-time edition figurines! I have one or two at home, but seeing the complete set here was awesome. Words can't even describe it!" Excitement still laced his voice as he admired photos of the figurines.

Putting his phone away, Maeda declared, "It's definitely not a wrong choice to choose this park. I take back what I said this morning."

Takeda smirked. "See? Uesugi-kun and I didn't just pick a random place and call it a day. We always weigh the pros and cons before deciding." He then continued, "Look back at the past two days. Fushimi Shrine and Kiyomizu-dera were interesting historical landmarks and tourist spots, thus, providing us good materials for our trip report and place to sightseeing, don't you agree?"

"Hmm... I guess so. But not Fushimi Shrine since it was mostly shrines and temples. Although the Senbon Torii was good," Maeda replied, gazing at the ceiling above and evaluating each place. "Kiyomizu-dera was okay, except I couldn't enjoy the main stage because it was too high. So, this park is the best for me and it beats the other two by a high mile."

"That, I have to agree with you. I also think that this theme park is the best destination that we've visited so far since there are many things that we can do other than sightseeing and taking pictures," Takeda nodded. He then glanced at Fuutaro. "Don't you think so too, Uesugi-kun?"

Fuutaro, he remained absorbed in writing notes for the trip report on his notebook, seemingly unaffected by Takeda's words. It took a good ten seconds for the message to register, and his response was a simple, unenthusiastic, "Huh? Yeah..." He continued writing, oblivious to his surroundings.

Takeda sighed, shaking his head at Fuutaro's indifferent attitude. "Uesugi-kun, you can continue writing later once we arrive back at the hotel. We're still in the theme park, so let's have some fun and forget about school for now." He playfully took Fuutaro's notebook and slipped it into the owner's pants pocket, earning an irritated expression. "Now, where should we go next? How about this one?"

Takeda pointed to the Ninja climbing attraction on a nearby direction board. But the suggestion was not met with immediate enthusiasm from the other two; instead, skepticism was evident.

"Hey, hey, what's with the doubtful faces, you two? This is the attraction I've been waiting for since the haunted house," he said, raising an eyebrow with a hint of disappointment.

"Umm… I don't really feel like it. Do you want to play this, Uesugi?" Maeda hesitated, and Fuutaro responded with a simple head shake and a blank expression, aligning with Maeda's sentiments. "I guess you have to play alone, Takeda,"

Takeda sighed again. "Come on, don't be like that. We're groupmates, and we've been enjoying attractions and watching shows together for the past few hours. It's only fair to keep our unity, so let's stick together until the end of today's trip, okay?" He tried to rally them. "Maeda-kun, I know you're afraid of heights, but this attraction isn't as high as Kiyomizu-dera. If you ignore the height aspect, it's exciting, and you can compete with each other if you want."

"I don't know, man… I'm not really sure about it…"

"If you're still unsure, there are safety gears we have to wear. It's a guaranteed safe attraction unless you do something stupid and dangerous," Takeda reassured, explaining the details from the pamphlet. "Come on, accompany me, Maeda-kun."

Maeda went quiet, crossing his arms and seemingly thinking about what Takeda had just said to him. He also went to the direction board, staring at the location of the climbing attraction and then moving to read his pamphlet. After around thirty seconds, he let out a small sigh, eventually giving in to Takeda's request. "Alright, alright. I guess I can handle this. As long as it's not as high as Kiyomizu-dera, I'll be fine." He folded the pamphlet and stowed it away. "Thinking about it, I wasn't that scared on the school rooftop looking at the ground below…"

"Great! Glad I could persuade you," Takeda smirked, turning to the last uninterested groupmate. "How about you, Uesugi-kun? Interested in trying this one?"

Fuutaro, who had been mostly silent, closed his eyes, fingers tapping against his chin. Climbing—an undeniable physical activity, akin to the demanding nature of a P.E. class. Throughout his life, he never found joy in such taxing endeavors, thanks to his untrained physique that left him struggling through physical activities, even the basic act of running.

Considering the physical strain running placed on him, the thought of climbing seemed like an insurmountable challenge. The prospect of hauling his entire body up using handholds and footholds, the fear of a potential fall—it all loomed before him.

Despite these doubts clouding his judgment, there was another side of Fuutaro encouraging him to embrace the challenge. He reminded himself that he was already in the theme park, with no guarantee of a next opportunity to try this attraction. Once the school trip concluded, he would return to his routine of school, part-time work, and tutoring the quintuplets. Moreover, Takeda's assurance and the information from the pamphlet suggested that the climbing attraction was equipped with mandatory safety gears, minimizing significant risks.

This activity promised a wholly new experience for him.

Taking all these factors into consideration, he decided to join his groupmates for the climbing experience. He then voiced his agreement in a not-so-enthusiastic tone, saying, "*sigh* Okay... You can count me in. But don't expect me to have fun, since I pretty much suck with every physical activity, and you already know it."

Takeda smirked, pleased that everyone agreed to the climbing attraction. "Now, now, don't get all pessimistic. This is just a theme park attraction, not a national sports competition. It'll be fun." He continued, "Now that we're all on board, let's go quickly before it gets too crowded."

Upon reaching the entrance of the attraction, a small queue had already formed. The indoor nature of the attraction added an air of mystery, leaving them unaware of what awaited inside. As they read the rules and instructions on the board nearby, they discovered that the climbing attraction operated in forty-minute periods, allowing a maximum of ten people per session. Fortunately, the queue was not full, granting them the opportunity to join the current wave as they waited for the ongoing session to conclude.

"Come on, you two, get in line before it gets full. I'll pay for the fee now, and you can pay me back later," Takeda urged, heading to the payment booth.

After Takeda settled the fee and returned to the line, an influx of people followed, leading to an immediate full capacity and the closure of the current rotation.

"Wow, that was close..." he remarked, handing the entrance tickets to Fuutaro and Maeda. "See? The crowd proves it's a popular and exciting attraction! I'm sure you two will have fun."

After some time, a loud siren emanated from inside the attraction, signaling the departure of the previous rotation group and the beginning of Fuutaro and his groupmates' turn. In the fitting area, the participants were instructed to leave their bags and valuables, retaining only smaller bags or water bottles. They were then fitted with safety gears, including helmet, climbing equipment, carabiners, and more. Those without suitable footwear were provided climbing shoes.

As they ventured deeper into the area, a variety of climbing platforms greeted them. An enormous green and purple ball stacked to form a climbing platform, a colorful spiral-shaped climbing structure, and two sets of regular climbing platforms—one for speed climbing and solo play, and the other for competitive matches.

Beyond climbing platforms, there were additional attractions to explore. Giant green pipe platforms elevated progressively, requiring participants to jump from one to the next. There was also an approximately seven-meter-high platform where participants leaped from the edge to a hanging sandbag; clinging on for at least three seconds earned them a certification of achievement from the staff, adding an element of accomplishment to the experience.

Fuutaro, he grappled with uncertainty and unease as he surveyed the towering platforms around him. The height surpassed his initial expectations, and the small handholds on each structure raised doubts about his ability to grip them securely. Given his lack of strength and proficiency in physical activities, the prospect of climbing even one platform seemed daunting, with visions of his body breaking down or losing grip haunting him. Hell, he could even be running out of breath before even reaching halfway… or even falling down.

"1200 Yen for this, huh…? This one is surely expensive…" Fuutaro muttered to himself, hands on his hips, shaking his head. "I hope this attraction is really worth my time since I could use that money for more useful things."

"There, there, haven't tried it yet and already complaining?" Takeda interjected casually, tapping Fuutaro's shoulder from behind to inject positivity. "I can guarantee this will be the most exciting attraction in the theme park. To cheer you up, I've only done this climbing sport once, with some friends. So, in terms of experience, we're pretty much the same." He then turned to Maeda, who was already searching for a platform to climb. "By the way, have you tried this before, Maeda-kun?"

"Not really. But I did climb a few high objects in the past, like fences, trees, and electric poles with my friends back in elementary school," Maeda replied.

Takeda nodded, smiling. "Hmm... If you did that, you should be able to climb these platforms without much trouble."

"I hope so. It's been a long time, so my reflexes and climbing instincts are a bit rusty right now," Maeda remarked, stretching his arms and legs in preparation. "I'm going to try that one. Do you two want to join me?"

"You can go on your own first. Uesugi-kun here needs a little push so he can enjoy the attraction and not be negative towards it," he said, glancing toward the uninterested Fuutaro. Maeda nodded and proceeded to head to the spiral platform, leaving the two still standing. "Now then, let's go to the solo platform first so you can practice firsthand and experience what it's like to climb these platforms."

As Fuutaro and Takeda approached the regular platform designated for solo play and speed climbing, they gazed at it for a moment, from bottom to top. Taking a step forward, Fuutaro informed the staff in charge of his intent to try this platform. The staff complied, securing a safety rope to his harness and conducting a quick check of Fuutaro's safety gear while providing a brief overview of the climbing platform.

"In this platform, if you finish in ten seconds or less, you can be considered an advanced climber. If you're not at that level yet, keep practicing, but don't be too reckless because your safety is our priority."

Gazing upward at the platform once again, Fuutaro studied it for a few moments. Based on his quick observation, he estimated the height of the wall to be around five to seven meters. The idea of finishing in 10 seconds to qualify as an advanced climber struck him as ridiculously fast. This led him to ponder how long it would take for an average person to ascend the structure, or someone like him who sucked with physical activity. However, at that moment, such considerations held little significance for him; his primary focus was simply to experience the climbing challenge.

Taking a deep breath, he mentally prepared for the challenge. Placing both hands on the nearest handholds, the staff initiated a countdown to signal the start of the climb.

"Ready? One, two, three… Start!"

His eyes widened in immediate response as his reflexes engaged. Placing both feet on the potential footholds, he initiated the climbing motion by shifting his right hand to a higher hold, followed by his left hand. His feet mirrored the upward motion, creating a climbing rhythm. As Fuutaro ascended, his primary focus was on avoiding a fall and maintaining a firm grip on the holds. However, this proved challenging as his feet struggled to locate suitable footholds. The combination of limited downward vision and the pressure of the finishing time intensified the difficulty.

Amidst these challenges, Fuutaro grappled with the struggle to ascend further. The strain on his palms heightened, accompanied by the onset of aching, while his breath grew heavy as fatigue set in. In a moment of impulsive urgency, he attempted to hasten the climbing process… only to realize that this led to a perilous situation. Exhaustion, achy hands, and a lack of experience in rapid climbing nearly caused him to lose his grip. Sensing the potential for a mishap, he promptly reverted to his normal pace, prioritizing safety over speed.

Seconds after seconds ticked away, and Fuutaro finally conquered the summit of the platform, swiftly pressing the button to record his climbing time. Descending with the assistance of the staff, who removed the safety rope, he stepped away from the platform and came to a halt, bending down, clutching his knees, and gasping for breath. Sweat trickled rapidly from his hair, coursing along his face and finally dripping to the ground below.

As the fresh air filled his lungs, Fuutaro felt the relief of being able to breathe again. Standing upright, he took a prolonged inhale, followed by a slow exhale. He returned to the platform to check his climbing time, and upon glancing at the timer screen, his final time was... 45 seconds.

It stood four times slower than the designated time for an advanced climber. Nonetheless, Fuutaro considered it within his expectations and not as dire as he had initially feared. During the climb, he perceived time stretching longer than reality, convinced that at least five minutes had elapsed since he pressed the button.

Heading to his backpack deposited on a shelf in the fitting area, Fuutaro retrieved his water bottle to quench his fatigue. After taking a long sip, he let out a groan, feeling slightly rejuvenated, and turned his gaze back to the platform he had just conquered. The activity had proven to be truly exhausting, perhaps even more so than running a lap or participating in a relay race during a school P.E. session. Fuutaro sensed a burning sensation in his upper arms and throughout his legs, prompting him to gently massage both limbs back and forth to alleviate the discomfort.

Walking back to the playing area and taking a seat on one of the benches, Takeda approached him. "Well done, Uesugi-kun," he remarked, his tone encouraging as he stood before him. "45 seconds, huh? That was very slow compared to that 10-seconds mark. But, hey, considering that was your very first time climbing and you sucked at doing physical activity, it's pretty much understandable."

"Yeah, it's as expected. I already told you before that I'm not good at and interested in any physical activity," Fuutaro replied, stretching both of his arms as he gazed upward at the platform again. "And it was even tougher than it looks. The real challenge was figuring out where to place my feet on those footholds, especially when you're racing against the clock and can't see what's below you."

"Yeah, I agree with you. I had a similar experience when I first tried it," Takeda nodded in agreement. "I noticed you were having some trouble finding your footing up there, panicked and confused while trying to guess where each foothold was. I'd say, in this sport, it's all about studying the platform beforehand, noting where each handhold and foothold is, and strategizing your climb. Maybe some visualization can really help, where you imagine yourself climbing the route before you start."

Takeda's statement caught Fuutaro's attention as he went quiet and turned his attention back to the climbing platform. There, he observed a person that currently climbed the platform, and then the placement of the handholds and footholds from bottom to the top. After a while, he then responded back to his groupmate. "You make a good point. I was too distracted on how high the platform was and the 10-seconds mark really made me a bit reckless. I even almost lost the grip of my hands."

Takeda chuckled, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Careful, Uesugi-kun, let's not turn this theme park trip into a hospital visit, okay?"

"Yeah… Anyway, do you still want to try that platform?"

"Yes, of course. I'm not really that good at climbing so I want to test my skill by climbing it first." he responded, stretching his arms and legs to prepare to climb. "How about this, after I finished this one, how about we do a little climbing competition on that versus platform right there?" He turned to look at the other platform. "Just for fun of course."

Fuutaro's chest somehow felt heavier than ever. Climbing one platform was already a big painful experience to him, but after this, competing with Takeda? Who already had a climbing experience, even though only once, and had better physical condition than him?

His mind definitely told him a big no, but his heart had a small desire of wanting to try another platform after taking in Takeda's advice to efficiently climb and observing the board for strategizing. Fuutaro was somehow curious if he applied this, he could climb much better in his second attempt of climbing.

He really did not want to, but he thought might as well to accept the offer since he was curious if his second try of climbing could be much better than the first. "Fine, I guess… But give me more time to rest. My arms and legs are still sore from the last climb."

"Great!" Takeda grinned. "While you're at it, mind keeping an eye on me when I climb? I could use some feedback to help me improve my climbing technique."

"Yeah, sure."

As he rose from the bench, Fuutaro followed Takeda back to the earlier climbing platform. While the staff prepared and briefed Takeda, Fuutaro sat on the ground to further rest his tired condition. When the staff counted down and shouted start, Takeda immediately climbed the wall in a swift pace, even faster than the person that he observed earlier.

During the climb, he could see Takeda's movement was somehow smooth, maybe even smoother than him. His hands located the handholds without much trouble as Takeda quickly ascended upward without halting too long. Despite that, Fuutaro could observe that Takeda had some trouble finding the right footholds which made him stop at a few occasions before continuing. Other than his finding, Takeda showed no signs of slowing and accelerating, maintaining a constant pace, probably to play safe and kept any mistakes from appearing in his performance.

Eventually, Takeda reached the top and pressed the button. Fuutaro got up and went over to check the timer screen, which showed 28 seconds. He nodded repeatedly, clearly impressed by Takeda's time.

After descending down and checked by the staff, Takeda immediately went to Fuutaro. "So, how's my time?" He then looked at the timer. "28 seconds, huh? It could've been worse. So, how did I do?"

"Your performance was not that bad," Fuutaro said, cracking his neck. "Your movement was alright, you easily climbed all the way upward without much troubles. You did not show any sign of slowing, constantly moving at your own speed, although that you slowed down several times, looking for footholds to place your feet. If you did not have that mistake, I say you could've finish under 25 seconds."

Takeda nodded, putting his fingers on his own chin. "Is that so? I guess I really need to pay attention to that part." He then went to massage his right leg and let out a chuckle. "I did hesitate a bit on the footholds because I didn't want to rush my movement and risk injuring myself. I guess those so-called 'advanced climber' really knows what they're doing, where they have no hesitation and keep climbing upward in a crazy fast pace, huh?"

Fuutaro smirked sarcastically, letting out a "heh", "If your performance was still not good enough, I can't really imagine how fast and smooth their movement will be to finish in 10 seconds or less…" His mind then filled with curiosity, wondering if someone had ever finished with that mark or less. He then went to the staff in charge to ask of this. "Umm… Excuse me, do you know how many people that managed to finish this platform in ten seconds or less?"

"Hmm… There were not many. But every month, there was at least one person who managed to break that mark," The staff said. "Earlier today, there was someone who broke every previous record of this platform since the opening of this attraction. Seven seconds to be exact, and no one had managed to finish under nine seconds."

"Wow, can I ask who might that be?" Takeda asked, curiosity etched on his face.

"It was a teenage girl around your age," The staff told. He then gazed at Fuutaro and Takeda's school uniform. "From what I can tell, she looked like from the same school as you two since there were group of boys with the same uniform, along with her group."

From the staff's story, somehow, Fuutaro seemed to have a clue about the girl that broke the record of this platform. If she was in the same school as him, he had a clear guess on who might this girl be. There was only one girl in school that he knew to always perform outstandingly on every physical activity that she participated in, and Fuutaro knew damn well about her. A weak smirk formed on his lips as he asked back to the staff, "About this girl… did she have a short hair to the neck and wore a green ribbon on her hair?"

The staff went quiet, seemingly trying to recall the physical description of the girl that broke the record. It did not take him long to remember as he quickly answered back to Fuutaro, "Yes, that's true! That description you just mentioned matched her. Is she your friend, by any chance?"

Fuutaro let out a weak laugh, still smirking. As expected from her, it was no surprise that Yotsuba would perform really well in this activity. Fuutaro even thought and could imagine, the fourth quintuplet could easily climb all of these platforms in this attraction and then dashed back to the hotel, still with lots of energy left for more activities. "Yeah, she is my friend. Anyway, thank you for the information."

"As expected from Nakano Yotsuba-san. Ever since she transferred to Asahiyama and joined the sports clubs, they immediately performed outstandingly," Takeda said, smiling to Fuutaro. "Even our basketball and track club managed to reach the final of the city-level competition, and it was all thanks to her participation."

"Yeah. That girl is always giving 101% to every sports club that she has joined. But that hyper-activeness sometimes distracted her from studying and academics, which negatively impacted her grades," he said, smiling weakly. "So, are you still up for competing with me on that platform?"

"Of course! Just give me a second, I'm really thirsty after climbing this," Takeda said, taking a water bottle from his bag and immediately chugging it. He then stretched his arms and legs, preparing himself for another climbing challenge. "Alright, I'm good to go! Let's go, Uesugi-kun."

"Yeah…"

Fuutaro and Takeda stood in front of the versus climbing platform. It was similar to the solo platform, but instead, the other side was climbable for two people to compete. The platform wall was transparent so the participant could observe the position of their opponent on the other side. On top of the platform, instead of the button for timer, there was a drum placed for the one who managed to reach the top faster.

There were several peoples queueing for this platform, so the two took this chance to observe the platform, observing each handhold and foothold placement, and strategizing of the best route for them to climb. They also took this opportunity to observe peoples' performance before them, taking notes of their climbing technique and movement.

After a few minutes passed, their turn to play and compete finally arrived. Just as before, the staff on the platform secured them with safety ropes, checked their gear, and briefed them about the platform. Before they proceeded, Takeda turned to Fuutaro and remarked, "Hey Uesugi-kun, it just occurred to me—this is the first time we're going to compete with each other outside of school and academics."

"What do you mean?"

"All this time we've been silently competing academically since our first year, although you probably didn't realize it until recently," he said with a confident smirk, seeming eager to compete with Fuutaro again. "I never expected us to compete outside of school, especially in something unrelated to academics." He paused, then continued, "It's actually quite refreshing, don't you think? Something fun and stress-free, unlike the usual school-related stuff. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I guess so… But studying isn't really stressful for me," Fuutaro responded with an indifferent expression. "Besides, you were the one who started it all with these… competing stuffs. And that mock exam competition was really exhausting for me."

"Yeah, I know. But life wouldn't be as fun without a bit of competition, right?" Takeda remarked. "It adds some excitement and liveliness to things, like what we're about to do now. I'm sure your competitive spirit will kick in soon, just like it did before."

"We'll see about that." Fuutaro shrugged nonchalantly. "But right now, let's just play this and get it over with."

The two nodded to the staffs, signaling their readiness. They went to each of their side of the platform and grabbed the handholds for their starting position. The staff then did a countdown.

"Ready? One, two, three… Start!"

And with that, both Fuutaro and Takeda pulled themselves upward as their limbs did their job to ascend.

While climbing, Fuutaro felt that he moved more smoothly, maybe thanks to observing the platform beforehand and already experiencing climbing before. He had more easier time to picked the correct footholds to placed his feet, a big improvement from before. Overall, he was still hesitating due to unfamiliarity and inexperience of this activity,

Between the climbing, Fuutaro's attention shifted towards Takeda, who he could see on the other side through the transparent wall, that he was already ahead of him; in which his feet were already above his head. Taking in this situation, Fuutaro unconsciously increased his pace, maybe hoping to catch up to Takeda.

But instead of getting closer, this impulsive action made him even slower and the distance between them were getting wider. It was all because of his untrained physical body started to act up, both his arms and legs also started to get sore again, and his breath was starting to get out of control. Fuutaro even almost got tripped over by a foothold when pulling himself up due to recklessly increasing his pace, and not considering his inexperienced climbing skills.

In the end, Takeda was the one who hit the drum first, signing his victory. Fuutaro was just passing halfway of the platform when his groupmate reached the top. Now that the winner had been decided, the two immediately went down back to the ground, getting the safety rope removed and going for their bag for their water bottle.

"*pant* That was really fun…" Takeda said in a stuttered, exhausted voice, as he took a deep breath to stabilize his breathing. Sweat glistened on his face. He then chugged most of the water from his bottle. "I think I managed to improve a bit on my foothold placement. Observing the platform and watching those people really helped a lot."

"*pant* *pant* Good for you… *pant* My lack of strength really slowed me down. I could barely pull myself up after reaching halfway... Though I'm starting to get the hang of it..." Fuutaro quickly gulped down his water bottle, emptying it in a matter of seconds. Just like Takeda, sweat covered his face. "Rushing definitely didn't do me any favors. I almost slipped when I saw you were already ahead."

"Hehh… starting to feel competitive, Uesugi-kun?" Takeda smirked teasingly. "Looks like you do have a competitive side beyond just academics, huh?"

"Huh? Well… I guess so," he replied, tucking his water bottle back into his bag. "*pant* It felt more like instinct, I guess? When I saw you pass me, I thought that I had to catch up and climbed even more faster."

"It's good to see you enjoyed yourself. If you weren't having fun, you would've called it quits the moment I overtook you, or even went back down in an instant," Takeda remarked with a small smile, seemingly amused by his friend's reaction. "So, how about another round? Are you up for another shot at defeating me?"

Fuutaro's response was immediate as he shook his head. "No, I'll pass. I know my limits. With how exhausted I am and considering the gap in our physical abilities, asking for a rematch would be foolish." He scanned the area for an empty bench or chair. "I'm going to take a rest. Maybe go for one more before the session ends."

"Alright, suit yourself," Takeda said, putting his water bottle back to his bag. His gaze shifted to the pipe jumping platform not far. "I'm going to that leaping platform. If you decide to change your mind, you're welcome to join me."

Fuutaro briefly watched Takeda as his groupmate moved to another platform before settling onto a nearby vacant bench. Sinking into the seat, he felt immediate relief wash over his tired legs, prompting him to massage them gently in an attempt to alleviate the soreness before the next playing session... or at least to ensure he could still walk afterward. With a sigh, he stretched his arms and then turned his attention to his aching hands, cracking his knuckles to ease the stiffness.

Leaning backward against the bench, he could sense his stamina slowly recovering as he took a few deep breaths further alleviate his fatigue.

As Fuutaro gazed at the versus platform, he could not help but acknowledge the fun and thrill of competing against Takeda. It had been a long time since he experienced such excitement. If he recalled correctly, the last time he felt something similar was during his elementary school days, when playing card games with his friends. Those were the days before he became fully focused in studying and ignored other activities. Despite being just a card game, it was undeniably competitive.

Competitiveness… Just like Takeda said, maybe he had become too absorbed in studying and school academics, forgetting about other activities that could be enjoyable.

Most of the times, Fuutaro lacked interest in physical activities like climbing, mainly because they fell under the category of physical exertion. During Physical Education classes, he consistently performed poorly with practical lessons, particularly those involving teamwork and competition, such as relay race, soccer, and volleyball. However, when it came to theoretical lessons, he aced it like it was nothing.

However, this time, he found himself oddly enjoying the brief competition with Takeda, despite his usual aversion to physical activity.

"That climbing was unexpectedly fun..."

"It brought back memories of playing with my elementary school friends..."

"Friends, huh...?"

"How long has it been since I've spent time with friends?"

"I can't remember the last time I felt this much fun and competitiveness..."

His contemplation was abruptly halted by the arrival of someone settling into the seat beside him. Shifting his gaze, it was his other groupmate, Maeda, who appeared drenched in sweat and held a bottle of energy drink in his right hand.

"Wahh… That was really tiring," Maeda groaned, quickly gulping down his energy drink. "So, how did the climbing go, Uesugi? Did you have fun?"

"No, I didn't enjoy it in the slightest," he replied in a disinterested tone, turning his gaze forward. "But it seems like you had a good time."

"Yeah, climbing those platforms was a blast. It brought back memories of climbing with my old friends," Maeda said with a mix of exhaustion and excitement. "Hey, if you're up for it, want to join me in climbing that ball-shaped platform? I just found out that climbing alone isn't as fun, and it'd be nice to have someone to chat with while we climb."

Fuutaro's shifted his attention to the ball-shaped platform, and he could not help but roll his eyes. First, the standard rectangular climbing platform, and now he had to climb this unorthodox shape? Climbing it would undoubtedly be a pain. He would rather stay on this bench until the playing session ends.

But once again, his heart told him to spend the rest of the playing period with this particular groupmate, knowing they rarely hung out together, even in school. With a resigned sigh, he agreed, "Fine… let's do it." With little energy left, he stood up and made his way towards the ball-shaped climbing platform.

"Great! O-Oi, wait for me!"

"Hey, are you sure you're okay, Uesugi? That was really a close one."

"Yeah, I'm okay," Fuutaro replied, panting a little, holding his knees. "Thanks again for the help, Maeda. I owe you one."

"Nah, don't really think too much about it," Maeda exclaimed, smiling as he reached for his bag. "Here, I still have one bottle of energy drink left. You look like you could use one."

"Ahh… Thanks."

Fuutaro accepted the energy drink from Maeda as he slowly sipped it, looking up at the ball-shaped platform. His heart was rapidly beating and it could be felt very clear on his chest, even his veins on his neck did the same too. A tragedy almost befell to him a few minutes ago on this platform as he recalled it once again.

While climbing this platform, Fuutaro truly had a hard time due to how exhausted he was from the previous climbing. His breath was unstable, out of control, and his whole body was all aching. Because of those unfortunate aspects, he climbed his way upward in a very slow pace, occasionally paused for a very long time to regain his breath and give his sore limbs a few moments before continuing. Fortunately, Maeda followed his slow pace, also chatting with him about their next destination after this attraction and their plans for the evening at the hotel.

But Fuutaro could not even respond to him since the exhaustion pretty much enveloped him from top to bottom. His only thought was just to focus on holding on so he would not fall.

As they were inches away from the top, Fuutaro's exhausted legs finally hit their limit. When taking a move upward, one of his feet suddenly went numb and gave up as he slipped on the platform. His hands were of little help, nearly as weak as his legs, causing him to lose his grip on the handholds. In an instant, time seemed to freeze as Fuutaro feared the worst was about to happen.

As luck would have it, a hand suddenly grabbed his own, saving him from the high fall, even though there was a safety rope that would safely prevent him from freefalling to the ground below.

When Fuutaro moved his head upward, his savior was none other than Maeda. He immediately yelled to him to grab back on to the available handholds and footholds while he was holding him from falling. With a sliver of help and a burst of adrenaline, it took a few attempts for Fuutaro to held back on to the platform and griped tightly. The staffs below noticed this incident and immediately went to help him and Maeda to go down below. When they touched the ground, the staffs asked for Fuutaro's condition, which he responded he was fine, and then he could see that some people had his eyes on him, probably reacting to the incident.

Fuutaro let out a shudder from remembering the incident, where he could feel his stomach turned upside down. But thanks to the energy drink, he could feel his mind started to calm down and his stamina slowly recovered back. "Hey, Maeda, once again, I really owe you one for this. I can't say a right word to thank you for saving me."

Maeda shook his head, smirking. "It's fine, Uesugi. That's what friends are for right?"

"Friends, huh…? Yeah, I guess that's true…" Fuutaro then went quiet for a while before Maeda's words sunk in him. "Hey, we're really friends, right?"

Maeda raised an eyebrow on Fuutaro's question before responding, "Huh? Of course we're friends! If we're not friends, why would we form a group in the first place?" he said in a loud, emphatic tone. "Back then when you asked me to join this group, I already considered you as a good friend. No one else in class asked me to join their group, and we've known each other since last year. So, yeah, it was obvious, wasn't it?"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, don't be a stranger about it, and the same goes for Takeda too," he said, smiling as he playfully slapped Fuutaro's back. "Look, I've noticed you've been a bit tense to us since the start of the trip. Try to relax and chill more with us; we ain't going to bite you."

"Takeda eventually joined Fuutaro and Maeda, immediately asking about their condition. "Uesugi-kun, are you okay? I saw that you were hanging and being held by Maeda-kun in mid-air? What the hell happened back then?" he asked, a concern was visible on his face.

"Umm… I tripped on a foothold and lost my grip. Luckily, Maeda saved me from falling and helped me hold onto the platform until the staff helped us back down."

"Thank goodness he was there with you. Did you hurt yourself when you tripped?" Takeda asked again, and Fuutaro only replied with a simple shake of his head. He then turned to Maeda. "Good thing you have lightning-fast reflexes, Maeda-kun. If you had been half a second late, Uesugi-kun would have fallen and it would have been a disaster."

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it myself either. My hand just moved out of reflex from seeing Uesugi lose his grip," Maeda said, staring at his hand that saved Fuutaro. "Hey Takeda, there's something I want to ask. Do you think the three of us are friends?"

Takeda tilted his head, seemingly confused by his question. "Huh? What's with the weird question? Of course, we are friends."

"Uesugi, right here, seems unsure if we're really friends and brought it up," he remarked with a mix of nonchalance and playfulness, glancing at Fuutaro. "I've told him the same thing, but he's still not convinced. Why don't you give him some reassurance that we're friends?"

A smirk was now visible on Takeda's lips as he approached Fuutaro, giving his shoulder a light tap. "Of course, we're friends, Uesugi-kun. I've said it to you before for a few times: if you ever need to talk, whether it's about advice, school, or anything else, my ears and my phone are always open to hear from you, and I'm here to respond." His tone was reassuring and supportive. "I can tell you still feel a bit uneasy around me and Maeda-kun. Don't worry, we already consider you a friend, so don't hesitate to discuss anything with us! Whether it's secrets, romances, or even embarrassing moments, we promise not to breathe a word to anyone."

Friends… Come to think of it, it had been quite a long time since he had someone he could truly call a friend. Beyond the quintuplets, the past year had left him friendless both within and outside the school. The last time he had a friend, or friends, dated back when he was still in elementary school.

But he was not sure if he could call any of them friends, since they had distanced themselves and even occasionally shunned him due to his past reputation as a troublemaker with a wild personality.

But in this case, with Takeda and Maeda, Fuutaro sensed a genuine camaraderie. Their actions throughout the school trip spoke volumes: Takeda engaging him in meaningful conversations, offering advice, and even sharing his fries, while Maeda lightened the atmosphere with jokes and also shared his personal interests to him.

However, he did not see them in that light at first, as he regarded them as annoying individuals who simply got in his way.

Friends... Now Fuutaro could truly feel that they were his friends. Perhaps it was the time spent together and the pivotal moments that opened his eyes, making him realize: the enjoyable and competitive climbing experience with Takeda, Maeda rescuing him from falling off the platform, and their reassurance that they were all friends. It had been so long since Fuutaro had received support and reassurance from friends, given the many years of solitude without any true companionship.

A wave of pleasant relief washed over him as he pondered these revelations, a rare sentiment from him. And in that moment, Fuutaro welcomed it wholeheartedly.

His lips curved into a genuine, satisfied smile as Fuutaro said to his groupmates… no, his friends, "Yeah, sorry for asking such a weird question. Thank you for the reassurance, though."

"No need to be weird, Uesugi-kun. If there's anything you need, feel free to ask us, and don't be shy about it," Takeda stated, still smirking. "Even if it's a ridiculous request, we will do it as long as it's possible for us, right Maeda-kun?"

Takeda's eyes went wide, slightly gasping, "Huh?" He then gazed at the ceiling above before replying, "Well, as long as it doesn't involve risking my dignity, I'm fine with that."

Fuutaro weakly chuckled, "Don't worry, I can assure you I'm not that mental and I always think clearly with my head."

Takeda nodded in response. "Good. Glad our feelings are mutual."

The sound of siren blared in the area, signaling that this round of play had finally come to an end. The staff directed the group to the exit, where they would remove their safety gear and other equipment before leaving the area.

"It's finally over, huh? Time sure flies fast," Takeda remarked, hand on his hip as he glanced toward the exit. "Come on, let's get out of here. You decide where we should go next, Uesugi-kun. You okay with that, Maeda-kun?"

"Yeah, no problem for me," Maeda agreed with a nod. Together, the trio made their way to the exit. "So, where to, Uesugi?"

Fuutaro took out his pamphlet from his pocket, examining the map. "Right… Let's go to…"

A/N:

Chapter 18 is finally complete, and here it is!

In this chapter, Fuutaro finally acknowledges Takeda and Maeda as his friends and embraces their friendship. Upon revisiting the main series, I found myself wondering why Fuutaro didn't develop a friendship with them during the school trip, as such activities often lead to the strengthening of bonds. But, considering that The Quintessential Quintuplets series primarily focuses on Fuutaro's relationship with the quintuplets, there was limited room for interaction with other characters. So, I saw an opportunity to enrich the story by adding a friendship between Fuutaro, Takeda, and Maeda, thus adding a new dynamic to their interaction.

This chapter gave some difficulties for me mainly because of so many aspects that need to be included. I'm unfamiliar with Sport Climbing, so I had to research and detail the climbing activity. Additionally, delving into Fuutaro's thoughts about friendship, which were not extensively explored in the main series, required careful consideration. Lastly, managing the chapter's length proved to be a challenge, as I revised it over and over to make sure it flowed smoothly and included the necessary details.

I hope that I've done at very least an acceptable job considering the complexity of these aspects.

Regarding the usual chapter fixes, chapter 16 of "Our Promise and Bet" has been completed and updated. Feel free to revisit it if you're curious or read it while awaiting the next chapter.

Looking ahead, the next chapter is scheduled for release in the second week of March (11th March – 17th March). Keep an eye out for its release during that week.

As for the guest review:

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