Ever since that day…
Yeah, I'm sure it was since that day…
It was from that moment on…
That I started thinking she was special…
Fuutarou flashback - Scrambled Eggs 8 - manga chapter 68
This little vacation was somewhat enjoyable, but I'm glad this scrambled eggs situation is over. Having these five girls, who are already a huge pain in my ass, running around in a matching disguise is a nightmare. We are packed up and ready to leave, but we have one more thing to do.
Raiha wants to get a group photo with the quints before we return home. Not even the archvillain Dr. Maruo Nakano is immune to Raiha's charm it seems, or perhaps he caved because of his own daughters' insistence on behalf of Raiha. Either way, Dr. Nakano and I stand awkwardly in the back, watching my father, sister, and the quintuplets enjoying the moment. I was never a fan of having my picture taken, and it seems that Dr. Nakano feels the same way. Or perhaps he's just always grumpy.
But the bigger issue weighing my mind is that of the quintuplets. Those stupid, pain-in-the-ass sisters.
Miku's behavior…well, there's only one logical explanation. Even someone as dense as me can see it. After seeing enough hints over an entire year, even something implausible starts to become a real possibility.
As hard as it is to believe…
Miku seems to have a crush on me.
Ichika likes to flirt to make me squirm. Yotsuba is friendly with everyone, especially me. Nino and Itsuki would pretend to act grumpy even if they had a brief feeling of fondness toward me. But Miku is more straightforward. The logical explanation for her behavior is that she has romantic feelings for me.
Miku and Yotsuba are the two quints that I was able to tell apart from the rest. For Yotsuba, it was pretty easy because she's so dumb. All the quints are pretty dumb, but Yotsuba's airheadedness is hard to miss. I was able to figure her out almost immediately, so she doesn't count. But Miku was much harder, especially because she was smart enough to avoid giving out straightforward clues. So, if it takes love to tell the girls apart, do I love Miku?
I walk over to the bell, looking down the overlook, pondering. Feelings and girls are a different beast than academics. I hear Raiha yell something at me as the group disperses, but I ignore it, as I take a moment to take in the view and sort out my thoughts.
I was able to guess Miku's identity, so does that mean I'm in love with her? The love thing came from a crazy old man, whose opinion may or may not be bullshit, and from Yotsuba, whose opinion is usually bullshit. Why does Yotsuba seem to think I need to love the quints to tell them apart? Love is a strange thing to bring in to a tutor-student relationship. Even if I consider them my friends, it seems weird to me to throw out the word "love" in a friendship between a guy and a girl.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Maybe I'm overthinking it. Genki girls like Yotsuba tend to throw around "love" like it's nothing.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
If I told Yotsuba that I was able to distinguish Miku, would she insist that I love Miku? Better yet, I was able to distinguish Yotsuba immediately due to her stupidity, so does that mean that I-
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps are approaching behind me. Running footsteps.
"Hey, there's a cliff here-" I say as I turn around.
It's one of the quints. Why is she running? Who is that? She's so fast…
She hits me like a freight train. Has Nino finally snapped? Is this the day I die?
No, this definitely isn't Nino. Is this-
My back hits the ground. She's so strong. Why is she doing this?
Before my brain can even begin to process what's happening, something unexpected happens.
She kisses me.
There have only been a few times that these idiotic sisters have caused my heart to race. There's Ichika's excessive flirting. There's the time when I fell on top of Nino when she was wearing nothing but a towel. There's the time when…
My heart is beating like crazy. Rather than a feeling of disgust, or annoyance, or even of pain from the fall, all I can feel is a strange lightheadedness. And a fire. It feels like I'm on fire from the inside. A memory returns to me. That time when I felt like this before.
It's because I like you.
That's what she said. That stupid girl. I never knew she was capable of lying like that. She hasn't managed to fool me like that since then. At least I don't think…
When I open my eyes and see the face of a Nakano girl right on top of mine, it gives me an even stronger reminder of that day last year.
Her face was upside down then.
It's because I like you.
She nearly caused me to have a heart attack on that day. I wanted to punch her. But of course, as usual, her sweet and ditzy smile quickly disarmed me.
Wait a second…this person on top of me…this is Miku, right? She has been acting strangely, and I started to get the feeling that she has a crush on me. But would she tackle me and kiss me?
Would any of the quints do that? Probably not. But one of them is doing it right now. So who the hell is this?
She pushes herself up off of me. I'm so flustered and distracted that I wasn't able to think about how the kiss felt, or how much it hurt to get tackled into a steel bell onto a stone pathway.
Her mouth is slightly agape, as if she is shocked by her own actions. Her face is bright red, probably even more red than mine. Her eyes are tearing up. She's starting to cry.
I'm too stunned to speak, and my mind is racing.
Just tell me who you are, idiot. Miku? Or are you one of the others? Why the hell are you crying?
She stands up quickly and sprints away. I watch her running, trying to remember the strides that I identified Miku with yesterday.
As I watch her flee, I am fully aware that part of my brain has already realized who it is. But I'm terrified to dig that information out to the forefront.
Why did she do that? Why did she kiss me? Why is she crying?
It's because I like you.
This doesn't make sense. Her behavior doesn't make sense. My own reaction doesn't make sense.
I already got what I wanted.
Why did she say that? That day in the park…
…Today's going to be so much fun…since it's a date…
…You and I are the same…alone and lonely people…
…Because I need you right now…
…Let's make a promise…
…I'll do it for my mom. You'll do it for your sister. We'll both study our hardest…
It's because I like you.
I'm sitting at the table while Raiha makes lunch. I have been too distracted to study.
I type out a message to Yotsuba.
Fuutarou: I have free time tomorrow. Do you want some tutoring? You're further behind than the rest, so I don't mind giving you some extra tutoring before the next term starts.
The message shows "read" almost instantly. But it takes almost thirty minutes before I see a response appear.
Yotsuba: Hey!~ I'm surprised to see a text from you! I appreciate the thought, but I'm not feeling well. I think it would be fine to just wait until the term starts and study with the whole group. Enjoy the rest of your break! :D Don't spend the whole time studying like a nerd! :P
I can't help but smirk. Unfortunately, Raiha notices.
"Onii-chan, who are you texting? I didn't think you had any friends."
She snatches my phone before I can react.
"Is it one of the quints?" She looks at the message. "Oh, of course it's Yotsuba-san."
"What do you mean 'of course'?"
"Because she's the only one that can make you laugh. You're such a stick in the mud."
"Shut up." I snatch my phone back from her and look at the message again.
I'm not good at this kind of thing, but…does it seem like her message was a little off? Like maybe she was overthinking it?
If that really was her at the bell… Raiha says she's the only one that makes me laugh. Was that some kind of prank? No way…she was crying. There's no way that was a joke.
Was that really her?
Her strength…the way she ran…that look on her face…
It's because I like you.
I can't get that stupid kiss out of my head.
There's a good chance that I'm wrong. I keep thinking about that time when she pretended to confess to me, because that's the other time that I had such a strong physiological reaction.
Let's think about this logically. The girl that kissed me was wearing a wig, so it probably wasn't Itsuki. Since Miku's hair is a similar length, she didn't really need to wear a wig, though she could have been I suppose. Ichika and Yotsuba would definitely need to wear a wig.
Would Ichika randomly kiss me? Maybe. But would she be crying afterward? Probably not. She'd be teasing and laughing.
The girl didn't punch me or scream at me, so maybe it's not Nino or Itsuki.
The clues kind of point toward Yotsuba, but why would she be crying? I could easily see Miku crying in that situation, afraid to reveal herself to me out of shyness. But not Yotsuba. Sometimes I get the feeling that she's bottling up her emotions. So I can't imagine her acting that way in front of me.
It's because I like you.
On the first day back to school from break, I go straight for Yotsuba's locker. This is the first time that we've seen each other since the hot spring resort…since the bell kiss.
"Oh hey, Uesugi-san…we're in the same class now, isn't that cool?"
She can't make eye contact. Her face is turning red. Her voice is shaky. This girl is such a bad liar.
When I see her reaction, my brain immediately factors in this new clue into the mystery. Why else would she be acting this way? It must be because-
For some reason, I also have a strange reaction. It is a mirror of Yotsuba's. The logical part of my brain has calculated the most likely culprit of the bell kiss, and the illogical part of my brain is responding—I'm completely flustered.
"See you in class." My fingers fiddle with my bangs—something that I always do when I feel nervous.
I start to tell myself—surely it's not her. Just because she's acting weird doesn't mean she's the one that tackled me under the bell. It's Yotsuba after all…why the hell would she do that? It's totally out of character-
It's because I like you.
Later that day, Yotsuba does something else strange. She nominates me to be the class rep.
It's because I like you.
Fuutarou flashback - Rumor About the Class Reps - manga chapter 72
Several weeks pass. I work together with Yotsuba as class reps, and we quickly return to our old banter. She seems normal. It's starting to feel more and more unlikely that this girl tackled me and kissed me while in disguise.
But today, Yotsuba is acting funny again. She seems distracted, and possibly even flustered.
"Give me half." I approach her and take half of the stack of documents that she is working on. We are in the classroom alone, dealing with the bullshit that we normally have to deal with as class reps. When I take the stack from her, her face turns red. She stands for a moment, staring blankly. Something is clearly bothering her.
"Wha…what do you think of me, Uesugi-san?"
My heart starts racing. Why is she asking me this? My mind goes back to the bell.
It's because I like you.
"Personally, I hate you. So…so you should st-stay away from me if yo-you know what's good for you!"
She's stuttering over her words. Something is seriously wrong.
"Yotsuba. What's bothering you?"
"Well…it's not…um…well…it's a stupid thing…these girls…I heard these girls saying that we…that we are…are….like…g-going out…or something…"
I sigh in a mixture of relief and frustration. Why was I so convinced that she was about to confess to kissing me at the bell? Of course not…it's Yotsuba. Of course it was something silly.
"Good grief. How did they come to that conclusion? There's no way that'd happen."
"You're right…ha ha…those…those silly girls and their l-love talk…"
"Love, huh?" For some reason, I had deluded myself into thinking that Yotsuba kissed me. But one of the quints definitely did. I can't dismiss those kinds of feelings anymore, after the way I am feeling right now. Just the delusional thought that Yotsuba was about to confess to me made my body and my feelings go crazy.
"You hate those kinds of things, right Uesugi-san?"
"Well…I can't bring myself to criticize such sincere feelings anymore."
"Huh? Did something happen? D-don't tell me…you've fallen in love with someone…D-DON'T TELL ME IT WAS ME ALL ALONG?!"
My heart starts racing like crazy when I hear this goofy girl say that.
It's because I like you.
"Hell no."
"Well, Uesugi-san…this is a step forward. I'm glad that you have started to feel this way. Listen…When you do find someone you love…no matter who it is…no matter how you come to love them…I'm your ally.
I'll support you with everything I've got."
It's because I like you.
Wow…
She's amazing…
She's dazzling…
But if she was the one that kissed me, then why is she saying this? Is it because she wants me to fall for one of her sisters instead of her?
I don't understand this girl at all.
Fuutarou flashback - Sisters' War Fifth Battle - manga chapter 82
The class trip to Kyoto has been a mess. And now Itsuki is acting strange. I came looking for Miku, and found Itsuki and Yotsuba instead. Itsuki then suddenly decided to drag me up to the railing to take a picture. Yotsuba also seems to be acting a bit weird, but it seems to be a reaction to Itsuki's weird behavior.
This is where that photo was taken. I have looked at it so many times that there's no doubt in my mind. And that girl certainly looked like these idiots. So is Itsuki trying to make me remember?
I sigh. Yes, dumbass, I know that this is where the photo was taken. What kind of game are you playing at? If that girl was you or one of the others, then just tell me. These girls' games drive me nuts.
Itsuki leans against me and tells Yotsuba to take a picture of us. If she wanted me to remember that old picture, she'd do the goofy peace sign and smirk that that girl had. I can't imagine Itsuki doing that. If that girl was her, she's certainly changed a lot since then.
"Look here and smile!" Yotsuba says. "Geez, you two aren't very photogenic. Hehe."
Oh…I see…
That girl…
It's because I like you.
I thought of that girl the very first time I met Yotsuba. After Yotsuba found my test paper on the floor, she followed me around half the day, pestering me. Whenever I snapped at her and pushed her away, she just laughed and kept on pestering me with a smile. It reminded me of that girl that I met here five years ago. At the beginning of the day, I thought that girl was annoying. But by the end of the day, she had become someone very special to me.
Of course that girl wasn't Yotsuba, though. That girl was far too smart and responsible. That's what I told myself at least.
But now that I stand here in this place, looking at Yotsuba's face, there's something…
Was it really her?
If it was, why wouldn't she tell me? I don't really see Yotsuba lying about something like that, and even if she did lie, she's a terrible liar so I would see through it immediately.
Is it possible that Yotsuba doesn't remember? My hair color did change after all. And Yotsuba is pretty stupid. But if that's the case, then how does Itsuki know? And whichever quint has been pretending to be Rena clearly knows too.
Now that I think about it…maybe I just want it to be Yotsuba. She has been on my mind a lot since that bell kiss. Maybe I shouldn't jump to any conclusions. My intuition makes me feel like Yotsuba is similar to that girl, but logically it doesn't make sense to be her.
I should stop dwelling on this and go find Miku.
Fuutarou flashback - The Last Festival Fuutarou's Side - manga chapter 113
Those stupid sisters are being a pain in the ass again. This time more than ever. Multiple of the sisters have expressed romantic interest in me, and it's obvious that that is causing problems between them.
It's embarrassing to admit to myself, but those girls are important to me. I hate the idea of them fighting over anything, especially over me.
That's why I decided to give them a definitive answer at the end of the festival. Once and for all, we'll settle this drama so they can focus on graduation and stop fighting.
Unfortunately for them, my answer isn't going to make them happy. I'm not going to choose any of them. I have put a lot of thought into it, and it's clear that dating one of them would be problematic. If it were after graduation, that would be a different story. But now is a terrible time to stir up more drama and problems.
I will make sure all of these stupid girls graduate even if it kills me.
I hinted to Ichika that I wasn't going to choose anyone, and she didn't like that idea. She seemed to even prefer that I picked one of the other sisters rather than no one. Is that because she wants her sisters to be happy? Or is that part of a new scheme of hers? It's hard to trust her after what happened in Kyoto.
I can't see myself dating Ichika. Even aside from her recent betrayals…it just doesn't feel right. I always felt a power imbalance between us. She may be stupid, but she has the upper hand when it comes to social interaction. She can tease me and string me along whenever she wants to. I don't hate her—even after what she did in Kyoto. Especially since she seemed genuinely remorseful. But…well, I don't know what a real romantic relationship is like, but I don't think I would want to be in a relationship that feels like I'm being strung along, rather than feeling like a partner.
And then there's Nino. My relationship with her feels even more disconnected than with Ichika. Despite the power imbalance, there have been times when I have felt a real emotional connection with Ichika. Nino, though…sometimes it feels like she doesn't even see me. It feels more like she is a freight train that I am running away from at full speed to avoid getting crushed by. I admit that I admire Nino a lot…she has a drive that I always wanted. The reason I was so excited about the promise that I made with that girl in Kyoto is because I wanted to become someone with a drive like Nino. She really is incredible…and I feel like I barely exist to her. Yet she confessed her feelings to me directly. What does she even love about me? I don't understand her. And she's the main reason that I can't choose one of the girls, because she'll start a fight with them.
Itsuki is the least problematic out of all of them. She and Yotsuba have been trying to defuse the situation. I don't have to worry about Itsuki confessing to me because we are constantly arguing. I have barely achieved a point of friendship with her, and that was after a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Although, Itsuki has been acting strange in regards to the girl from Kyoto from my past that I told her about, and that's why I haven't approached her directly to help me with this situation. I think maybe she's doing what Yotsuba is doing—trying to help one of her sisters.
And Yotsuba—she has always been the least problematic out of all of the sisters, and that's precisely why she's the most problematic now. She's my favorite. She always has been. But how can I choose her if she doesn't want anyone to be chosen? She has been working hard to keep her sisters from fighting with each other, and she even put in effort to help Miku have a fair chance. And besides, choosing my favorite is very different than choosing a girl to confess to and start dating. I just can't imagine Yotsuba being interested in dating me.
Miku is my biggest worry. She finally opened up about her feelings. She even took the initiative to invite me on a date to talk about that and about her future. It must have taken a lot of courage for her to do that. I worry about how it will make her feel if I don't return her feelings. When I tell them that I can't choose anyone, will that break her heart? Or will it give her false hope for the future after graduation? Is it even false hope? Would I consider returning her feelings at some point in the future? Probably. Miku has always been the least unpleasant sister besides Yotsuba. She's the least stupid out of the stupid sisters. She's the most like me in terms of being a nerdy homebody. So is it okay to date her because she's the most convenient option? Is my apparent compatibility with her more or less important than the weird fondness I have toward Yotsuba? Which of those matters for starting a relationship? I have no clue.
"Who were you able to distinguish from the others first?"
I'm sitting with Takeda and Maeda at the last day of the festival, and Takeda poses me this question.
It was Miku. During that stupid drama at the hot spring. It was difficult, but eventually I was able to tell that it was her. Does that mean that Miku is special to me, since she was the first? Well technically the first was Yotsuba, but I was only able to tell her apart because of her stupidity, so she doesn't count.
She doesn't count, right?
"So you like one of them, one of the quintuplets…"
Maeda says this to me. They seem to have a read on me. Maeda declares that he plans to confess today. I guess I plan to confess to five girls, but also none. These two guys seem to think I like one of them, but that's not really true.
I mean…Yotsuba is my favorite, but she doesn't count. She's not really someone I can think about in a romantic way. She's just…
It's because I like you.
"Uesugi, you should resolve yourself too!" Maeda says.
I don't need to resolve myself. I'm just going to tell these five idiots to stop fantasizing about romance until after finals are over. No need for resolve.
Damn, I'm hungry. I don't have any money though.
Oh wait…
I have this coupon that Yotsuba gave me. That stupid girl is always so reliable.
Why do I keep thinking about her?
Am I being a coward?
Instead of dwelling on sappy stuff, I stand to head toward the food stalls. While walking past, I remember that this rest area didn't exist when the festival started. It was Yotsuba and I that did this. It feels weird to be proud of myself for something so trivial, but I do feel a surge of satisfaction that all the annoyance I put up with as a class rep meant something. Maybe Yotsuba nominating me wasn't so bad.
Yotsuba again… why does she keep coming to mind? Is the universe trying to tell me something? No, that's silly. Yotsuba is my best friend, and I have to be mature and tell these girls to stop fighting over romance and focus on studying. That's all that's happening here.
The line for the yakisoba is really long, and I panic when I see a text on my phone just after I finally get my bag of food. I'm almost late for the big moment.
Itsuki: We have all gone to separate rooms. You must go to only one. This is a time for you to tread lightly. We know that this decision will actually annoy you, but this is our resolve. We hope you understand.
Those girls…what a pain in the ass. They're forcing me to go to just one girl. I guess I could send them a group text telling them that I'm not choosing anyone…
There's a pain in my chest. My eyes focus on one word in that message.
Resolve.
This is their resolve, huh? They are being brave by doing this. Am I being a coward?
I realize now. I'm making a practical decision. But I'm also refusing to own up to my feelings. The practical decision aligns with the convenient, cowardly choice. That should give me an excuse to be a coward then, right?
Let's have a festival without any regrets!
Regret, huh? Her voice again. That girl is such a pain.
When you do find someone you love…no matter who it is…no matter how you come to love them…I'm your ally. I'll support you with everything I've got!
Will she really?
It's because I like you.
Do you really?
Before I even realize, I'm standing in front of the door to the nurse's office. Did my body move without thinking? No, I was doing plenty of thinking. So much thinking that my body had to walk these halls on autopilot.
And my body brought me here. To her.