(AN: join my Patreon to get early access till chapter 33 for now and monthly illustrations, link in my profile. For every new paid member there I will be uploading a bonus chapter there.)
Lunch break, I was standing alone behind the school, leaning against the trunk of a tree. I had only just come here after meeting Ichika.
Since she hadn't given me a clear answer yesterday, I had to bother her about it again today. In the end, she agreed to try—but only on one condition.
She wanted me to give her an honest opinion about her acting based on what I'd seen in the drama.
So, I did.
Honestly, there wasn't much to say.
She had done a great job. Her performance felt natural, and she managed to convey the emotions her character was supposed to evoke. While watching her, though, I couldn't help but think of the ending of "The Quintessential Quintuplets" all over again.
My heart tightened at the memory.
That scene carried the kind of emotion that stayed with you long after it was over.
As for giving her actual advice about acting... I didn't dare.
I knew practically nothing about acting myself. What right did I have to tell someone who had actually put herself into the role how she could improve?
Anyway, I couldn't help but smile as I recalled the hesitant expression Ichika had worn when she asked me about it. And the way her cheeks had turned slightly red when she heard my opinion, only for her to desperately try to hide it...
It was adorable.
Sometimes, I get this strange urge to just spoil that "big sis" of mine.
Just then, someone approached me and let out an unmistakable snort of disgust.
"Gross. Smiling to yourself like a creep."
From that tone alone, there was no mistaking who it was.
Nino.
I chuckled and pushed myself away from the tree, finally standing properly.
"Don't mind me. I was just thinking about something lovely."
Of course, Nino hadn't come here by chance. I was the one who had messaged her and asked her to meet me.
Ever since the day we went on that date, she hadn't sent me a single message and ignored mine till today. We'd exchanged numbers, yet she never used mine. She'd been distant with me ever since, and strangely enough, it wasn't just me. She had been keeping her distance from her sisters as well.
So naturally, when I asked her to meet me behind the school through SMS, she ignored it again.
But knowing me, I wasn't about to take that as an answer.
I'd simply added that if she didn't come, I'd go to her classroom myself.
For some reason, she seemed to believe I was actually capable of doing something that shameless.
And so, after a while, she had reluctantly shown up herself.
"Weirdo," Nino muttered after hearing my answer, her face twisting into undisguised disgust. "Anyway, just say what you want already. I want to go back."
She crossed her arms beneath her chest, clearly urging me to get to the point.
I crossed my own arms and remained silent for a moment, studying her expression.
Then I asked the question that mattered more to me than the exam.
"Why are you being so distant from your sisters?"
Nino's expression stiffened.
She immediately looked away, as though avoiding my gaze might somehow make the question disappear.
"It has nothing to do with you," she replied curtly. "You're just an outsider."
"That's true." I calmly nodded in agreement.
But the very next second, my eyes sharpened.
"However, with things the way they are now, you're the one acting more like an outsider than me."
My words clearly struck a nerve.
Nino clenched her teeth, her eyes glared at me.
"You... What do you even know?!"
Even under that hostile gaze, I remained perfectly calm.
"Oh, please. You already know what I know..." I paused, letting the silence linger for a moment. "Did you forget what I am?"
Nino immediately fell silent.
I didn't need to spell it out.
She remember perfectly well.
That's right.
I was proudly reminding her once again that I was a stalker.
"What are you getting at?" she asked cautiously.
I took a step closer.
"Do you remember what I said when we parted ways at that café?"
Nino frowned, but she nodded.
"That I'm metathesiophobic."
I nodded.
"You know very well that I wasn't wrong."
I took another step forward, my gaze never leaving hers.
"Face it, Nino. You're afraid of change. You're anxious because your sisters are changing, moving forward, and finding goals of their own."
My voice carried no hesitation. If anything, it was accusatory.
Another step.
"Tell me. Am I wrong?"
Nino's expression tightened.
"The reason you're distancing yourself from them is because you feel like an outsider yourself. You can't keep up with their resolve, their willingness to change, and instead of trying to move forward with them..."
I paused for a moment.
"...you're pulling away."
I took one final step closer.
"If I'm being honest, you're acting like a loser right now."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"A coward who's desperately clinging to her little comfort zone because she's too afraid to take a single step beyond it."
The words were harsh, even cruel.
But I didn't take any of them back.
I knew they would hurt Nino. I knew every word was going to cut deeper than she wanted to admit.
But sometimes, being honest meant saying the things someone desperately needed to hear—even when those words hurt.
Nino needed to hear this.
Because if she wanted to move forward, someone had to force her to face what she had been running away from.
Given Nino's fierce personality, I fully expected her to fire back or lash out at me.
Instead, the moment she lifted her head, I saw two crystal-clear tears roll down her cheeks.
...Eh?
My mind went completely blank.
A sharp pain, almost like a needle piercing my heart, struck me. Yet before I could even make my body move, Nino finally broke.
"What the hell am I supposed to do?!"
She shouted, her voice trembling.
The tears wouldn't stop, yet she stubbornly tried to maintain the same tough demeanor she always wore.
"I just wanted us to stay close... to stay together like we did when we were kids."
Her voice cracked.
"That was all I ever wanted. That's what I wished for... that's what Mom wanted too. Was I really so wrong for wishing for that?"
She wiped at her tears, but more immediately replaced them.
"Yes, I was scared of them changing! I was afraid that if everyone changed, we'd eventually drift apart. We'd get caught up in our own lives, chase our own goals, and eventually wouldn't even have time for each other anymore!"
Her voice grew louder as everything she had been keeping buried finally came spilling out.
"I tried to hold us together!"
Then she glared at me through tear-filled eyes and stepped forward, grabbing the collar of my shirt with both hands.
"But you destroyed it all!"
Her fingers tightened around my collar.
"The moment you entered our lives, you took Miku away from us, and everything just started falling apart!"
By the time she reached the end of that sentence, her voice had already weakened.
The strength seemed to drain from her body, and even her neck no longer seemed capable of holding her head high.
"I hate you..."
The words came out as barely a whisper.
"I hate you all..."
She lowered her head, her grip on my collar loosening.
"Why am I the villain here?"
She muttered it so quietly that no one else could have heard.
But I was standing close enough.
I heard every single word.
Up until that moment, I hadn't been able to move.
I simply stood there and silently took in everything Nino had thrown at me. Seeing her cry had left me far more shocked than I ever could have imagined.
But now...
Seeing this strong-headed girl standing before me, stripped of all her usual bravado and reduced to such a fragile, vulnerable state, my body moved before my mind could even catch up.
My arms reached out and gently wrapped around her in an embrace.
Nino's body flinched the moment she felt my arms around her.
But before she could pull away, I lowered my voice and spoke solemnly.
"Don't lie to yourself."
I held her a little more firmly.
"Because I know for a fact that you love your sisters more than anything."
I paused, then quietly added,
"And believe me... they love you just as much."
Perhaps my words had reassured her somehow, because Nino gradually stopped struggling. Even her breathing began to steady, along with the quiet sobs escaping her.
A few moments later, she spoke in a small, almost fragile voice, her face still buried against my chest while my hand continued gently patting her head.
"What should I do?"
...What?
She isn't trying to pull away?
I'd honestly expected her first words to be "Let me go."
Instead, she remained there, quietly accepting the comfort.
"Isn't it obvious?"
I answered as gently as I could.
"Join them."
I continued stroking her head.
"There's no way your sisters are going to leave you behind. Have you already forgotten what happened at your previous school?"
Nino remained silent.
"They went that far for Yotsuba. Do you really think they'd do any less for you?"
I reminded her of everything her sisters had done for Yotsuba. If they had been willing to go that far for one another, then there was no doubt in my mind that they would do the same for Nino.
"So don't distance yourself from them either."
A brief silence followed.
"I see..."
Nino's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Now I understand how Yotsuba feels."
She seemed to be saying it more to herself than to me.
Even though I was holding her, there was still a healthy distance between our bodies. It wasn't the kind of embrace shared between lovers, nor was there anything intimate about it.
It was simply the kind of hug you'd give to a friend or family member who needed someone to lean on.
And, perhaps most importantly, Nino wasn't hugging me back.
I was the only one holding her.
"But I'm lost. Where do I even start?" she asked, genuinely looking for advice.
"For starters, how about aiming for what they're currently trying to accomplish? Passing the midterms."
I gave her the most straightforward advice I could.
"To be honest, I don't think I can make it with the little time I have left."
Even if she hated admitting it, Nino knew her own academic limits.
"Have I ever told you that I admire the bond you five share?"
I began speaking, and Nino quietly listened.
"To someone like me, who never really had anyone, I used to envy it. At the same time, I admired it. That's why I've always wanted to protect that bond however I could."
I paused.
"But perhaps... I got a little greedy and wanted to experience a bit of that love for myself."
Realizing I was drifting away from the point, I quickly pulled myself back together.
"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that all five of you have your own strengths and weaknesses. That applies to academics too."
I gently patted her head once more.
"So why not cover for each other's weaknesses? You don't all have to be good at everything. Where one of you struggles, another can help."
I smiled faintly.
"Because, in my eyes, you five really are the quintessential quintuplets."
(AN: Here i didn't used the Japanese title "Go-Tōbun no Hanayome", which literally translate to Five Equal Brides. The title used here is the english one "The quintessential quintuplets" Which means the most perfect set of five identical twins.)
Because her face was buried against my chest, I couldn't see what kind of expression she was making.
Still, I decided to add one last piece of advice.
"Even though I hate to admit it because I don't particularly like him, Futaro is a good teacher. You can pay attention to his tutoring and ask your sisters for help..."
I paused for a moment.
"Or, if you want, I can help too."
That was all I had to say.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke. We simply remained there in silence.
One minute passed.
Then another.
Eventually, Nino suddenly muttered,
"How long do you intend to hold me?"
There was a hint of annoyance in her voice, but if you listened carefully, you could tell it was only a façade.
Her tone was unusually soft, completely lacking its usual sharpness.
"As long as you want me to."
I replied playfully.
"What?"
"Just kidding..."
I raised both hands in a playful gesture of surrender and took a step back.
Of course, I hadn't been joking at all.
"You..." Nino began accusingly, her voice carrying a hint of irritation. "You always say misleading things, yet whenever you're in front of Miku, you act like some kind of saint."
She complained.
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"What do you mean? I'm always true to myself."
With a playful smile, I stepped closer again and pulled a handkerchief from my pocket.
"Come here. Don't ruin that beautiful face of yours by crying."
As I spoke, I reached out to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
Nino instinctively tried to turn her head away, but I caught her chin with my other hand and gently guided her back toward me.
...I don't know what had gotten into me.
For some reason, I was feeling ridiculously cheesy right now.
And the fact that Nino wasn't resisting wasn't helping me at all.
"Just so you know, I wasn't crying," she clarified.
I carefully wiped the tear stains from her cheeks, almost as if I were handling a child who had gotten hurt.
I supposed her pride was slowly returning. I didn't want to bruise it any further.
"Of course."
Once I was finished, I let go of her face and smiled.
"Much better. Now you look even more beautiful."
Naturally, I couldn't resist adding a compliment.
Nino huffed and crossed her arms, clearly determined not to fall for my words this time.
"Because I'm the twin of your girlfriend?"
That was the wordplay she had fallen for at the café that day.
But this time, I wasn't playing around.
"Nope. You're plenty beautiful yourself."
Nino visibly flinched.
Her composed demeanor shattered for a moment as a beautiful shade of red spread across her face. Clearly, she hadn't expected me to be that direct.
"You are so hateful!"
I dramatically clutched my chest.
"Ouch. That hurts."
Then, as if I hadn't just sent her into a flustered state, I continued.
"Still, while we're at it... Has anyone ever told you how gorgeous your hair is?"
Her expression froze.
"Personally, I find it really attractive. The long hair suits you. It's soft, it smells nice, you must have taken really good care of it."
...
Did I sounded like a creep?
Most likely.
But I had to say it now, before it was too late.
It was nothing more than a selfish preference of mine, but I genuinely love Nino's long hair. So when I'd seen her cut it in the anime, I couldn't help but think what a pity.
If something was going to change her mind someday, then I might as well tell her how much I liked it while she still have it.
"Please, stop it."
Nino turned her head away, raising both hands in front of her as if they could somehow shield her from my words. Even the tips of her ears had turned bright red.
Considering how social Nino is, I'd assumed she'd be practically immune to compliments.
Apparently, I'd been wrong.
"Hmm... What's this?" I teased, a grin spreading across my face—one she would probably find unbearably annoying. "Are you feeling embarrassed?"
"Gosh, you're so annoying!!"
Just as I expected.
"If we're done here, I'm leaving."
In the end, Nino chose the only strategy she could think of.
Escape.
I didn't stop her.
I also decided it was time to head back to class, walking at an unhurried pace as the lunch break was drawing to a close.
It had been a long break.
Arguably, a little too short for everything that had happened.
--------
I went to my part-time job as usual, but even after half my shift had passed, Itsuki still hadn't shown up.
That meant she wasn't coming today.
In a way, that was probably for the best. Eating ramen every single day wasn't exactly good for her health. Besides, we'd already exchanged numbers, so she could always ask me about anything she needed without having to meet me face-to-face.
On the other hand... How was I supposed to explain the situation here to Miku?
I crossed my arms and closed my eyes, lost in thought.
"Hmm..."
"Ren, deliver this to table X."
My boss's voice snapped me back to reality.
Right.
I'd just be honest with her, like always.
--------
Meanwhile, at the Nakano residence, Futaro arrived once again for his tutoring job.
As usual, he came with little to no hope.
After everything he'd been through, he'd already grown accustomed to the sisters refusing to cooperate. At the beginning, some of them would immediately retreat to their rooms upstairs, while others would simply ignore him altogether.
Only Yotsuba would actually listen, help him try to convince her sisters to cooperate.
So imagine Futaro's surprise when he entered the room today.
All five of them were still there.
Some looked reluctant, others indifferent, but none of them had gotten up to leave.
And, most unbelievable of all...
Nino was there too.
Normally, she was the first one on her feet whenever Futaro appeared. She'd either try to chase him out, distract her sisters, or find some other way to sabotage his tutoring session.
There had even been a time when she'd slipped sleeping medicine into his water.
Yet today, she remained seated.
Futaro couldn't help but stare at her.
Nino noticed his gaze and immediately clicked her tongue.
"Tsk. What?"
She shot him an annoyed look.
"Don't just stand there. Do your job and get out."
Her words were as crude as ever, and she still looked as though she'd rather be anywhere else.
But she was staying.
That alone was enough.
It was a silent gesture that, despite her reluctance, she had decided to study alongside her sisters.
Futaro had absolutely no idea what had caused this sudden change.
But after everything he'd been through, he could only assume that somewhere out there...Some kind of guardian angel had finally decided to lend him a hand.
"Nino, we're surprised too. What brought about this sudden change of heart?" Ichika asked, voicing the question everyone else was thinking.
Nino lowered her gaze.
"I just don't want to hold you guys back anymore. I want to take a step forward too."
The moment she heard that, Yotsuba's face lit up.
"Nino...!"
She immediately jumped over and wrapped her sister in a tight hug, since she could relate to those words.
Meanwhile, Miku remained quiet.
She already know who was behind this sudden change.
Miku also caught Itsuki using a strange method while studying—covering parts of the text with her fingers or hand as she read.
Someone had probably taught her that.
Just then, a loud clap echoed through the apartment, drawing everyone's attention toward Futaro.
He stood there with a genuinely joyful smile on his face.
"Great! I'm really glad all of you are finally cooperating with me."
His voice was unusually cheerful.
"Since we don't have much time left, and I already know each of your academic strengths and weaknesses from the test I gave you at the beginning..."
He reached behind him and pulled out a massive stack of papers.
"...I prepared these notes with all of that in mind."
He proudly put down the mountain of notes.
"Memorize everything here, and all five of you will make it through the midterms!"
The sisters stared at the enormous stack.
Their expressions slowly turned to dread.
"He wrote all of this?"
Ichika muttered in disbelief.
"And we have to memorize all of it?"
Yotsuba's face paled as she stared at the mountain of paper.
Nino let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"Can I still back out?"