Ichika: [Can you give me some acting coaching tomorrow?]
After agreeing to let Rin pretend to be her boyfriend, the group quickly brainstormed a plan to teach that director a lesson. The plan was simple: Ichika would call and set a time for "acting guidance," and then Shion would summon the head of the film company to storm the place alongside Rin and Ichika.
Setting the appointment was easy. Ichika sent a text to the previous number, and in less than a minute, they had a session scheduled for tomorrow evening.
Once the plan was settled, Kaede pulled Ichika aside to chat for a long while, subtly probing for information about Nino and the other sisters.
By the time Ichika returned home, it was nearly midnight. To her surprise, her sisters weren't asleep; they were all sitting on the sofa, clutching their phones.
"I'm home... why are you all still up?"
Gulp.
Ichika swallowed hard after speaking softly. Even though they hadn't said a word, she instinctively felt a chilling tension in the air. Not wanting to find out what was wrong, she decided to make a break for her room.
"You know... it's almost midnight," Nino said. "Does it really take that long to walk Nanami home?"
"Nanami lives pretty far... why? Do you miss me that much after being gone for a bit?" Ichika counter-attacked with a sly, playful grin. Her acting skills had definitely improved over the break; normally, she would have panicked.
"We miss you, but you seem to be thinking about someone else," Miku said, taking off her headphones and looking up.
"Uh... do I?" Ichika dodged their gaze, feeling guilty.
"We agreed the quintuplets would stay together. Are you planning on sneaking off alone, Ichika?" Itsuki questioned with a stern face.
"If you're making a move, you don't have to hide it from us... we wouldn't stop you," Yotsuba added, looking hurt.
The four of them played their parts perfectly—good cop, bad cop—just as they had rehearsed. It was incredibly effective. Faced with their interrogation, Ichika began to lose her cool.
Shit... do they know about the talent agency? How? Nanami wouldn't betray me... have I been acting that weird lately?
Despite her internal panic, Ichika reflexively denied everything.
"Sneaking off? No... I... look, it's late. I-I'm going to go shower and sleep!"
She bolted toward the stairs like a fugitive. The four sisters didn't chase her; they just exchanged a look. Ichika's guilt was written all over her face. Her silence was deafening.
They were now certain: Ichika was definitely dating someone behind their backs!
However, Nino and the others weren't in a rush to force a confession. Run? Where could she go? They were five sisters living under one roof. She couldn't hide forever.
Ichika: [What do I do? My sisters are starting to suspect me.]
Back in her room, Ichika immediately messaged the group chat for help.
Nanami: [Hiding it forever won't work. Why not just tell them?]
Kaede: [Exactly. Why hide it? They should be happy for you if you're becoming an actress.]
Ichika: [It's not that simple...]
Ichika explained the reason—the pact they had to "slack off" together so they wouldn't be separated, the same thing she'd told Nanami.
Hearing this, Kaede thought back to what she'd learned about the other sisters. She had it.
Kaede: [I see... but you're juniors now. What happens after graduation?]
Kaede: [Take Yotsuba, for example. She might want to be a professional athlete. You'll be separated anyway, right?]
Kaede: [You said your grades are bad because you don't want to be apart. Since they already suspect you... I have an idea. Instead of everyone failing together, why not turn that jealousy into a reason to study? Give them a reason to want to stay by your side.]
Ichika bit her lip. Kaede was right. They were holding themselves back to stay together, but that couldn't last forever. Someone like Itsuki, who wanted to be a teacher like their mother, would eventually realize she couldn't even get into college if they kept this up.
Ichika: [What's the idea?]
Kaede: [Pretend you have a boyfriend. Act like you're studying hard for his sake. Make them feel like you're being stolen away. Let them get jealous, let them get competitive—make them study hard so they can keep up with you!]
"I bought breakfast. Just eat whenever you wake up... I'm heading to school!"
The next morning, Ichika—who was usually the last one out of bed—left early after leaving a note.
When the other four arrived at school, they were shocked to find Ichika already in the classroom, hunched over a book! When she saw them, she scrambled to hide the book in her desk like she'd been caught doing something shameful.
"Did your brain melt yesterday? You've actually started studying?" Nino asked, bewildered. Usually, Ichika slept through every class, but here she was, secretly studying before the bell.
"We're students. It's normal for students to study," Ichika said, her eyes shifting guiltily as she played her part.
"That's... that's not the point!" Nino stammered. "Why are you—"
"I just felt like studying, okay?" Ichika looked away. Nino wanted to scream, to ask if Ichika was planning to leave them behind. This wasn't about books; it was about the quintuplets staying together.
"I'm just studying! Class is starting, go back to your seats."
The sisters stared at her in shock. Since they had arrived just as the bell rang, they had to sit down as the teacher entered. Usually, Ichika would be face-down on the desk within minutes, but today she stayed awake, taking notes.
During breaks, she hid in the restroom to avoid their questions. When the final bell rang, she grabbed her bag and bolted.
"I'm hanging out with a friend tonight! Don't wait up for dinner!"
She ran out of the school like she was escaping a fire. Nino and the others didn't call out; they followed her stealthily. And then, they saw it—the sight that shattered their world.
Ichika was running happily into the arms of a man.