Miku swallowed her food, enjoying the meal Nino cooked. She was having dinner with her sisters. But the weird part was, they weren't eating their food, even Itsuki wasn't eating, instead they were all staring at her.
She looked up, a little annoyed at their antics. What was up with them now? "I'd appreciate it if you didn't stare at me like I'm some wild animal." She stated bluntly before she continued digging into her meal.
She knew they were definitely up to something, her suspicions confirmed when she noticed Ichika's lips curving just enough to suggest trouble, her eyes glinting with quiet amusement.
"Tell me Miku... How was your date with Fuutarou-kun?"
"H-huh?" How did Ichika find out? She only told them she was going out somewhere and nothing else.
"Oh come on, you didn't think we'd hear about the conversation you two had outside our home?" Ichika questioned. Yotsuba raised her hand, wanting to speak up.
"Hey Miku, did you go out to jog or something? I saw you wearing that tracksuit and you came back looking half-dead." The fourth sister questioned. Surprised at Fuutarou somehow managing to get Miku to exercise.
"Miku? Exercise? Pfft!" Nino covered her mouth, stifling a laugh, causing Miku to pout. Itsuki was silent, unsure of what to say. Should she be glad that Miku's getting out of her comfort zone and trying something new? Or should she be mad that she's not using her precious time to study?
Ichika leaned in, placing a hand on Miku's shoulder.
" Give me details, Miku. I want everything~"
Miku's mouth was sore from all the talking that night...
...
"Good work today girls! I can see the improvement already." Fuutarou nodded, a smile on his face. He was impressed. It seems like the girls have put in effort during their own time.
"I know this is a bit soon, but we need to focus on the midterms. With this track record you're having, I think you five can do well in it." Itsuki smiled. He had so much confidence in them. She had to pay it back with her own effort, now feeling motivated as he spoke.
"What, you want us to score high marks or something?" Nino questioned. 'He better not set something impossible.' She grumbled in her head. Fuutarou shook his head.
"While I'd like you all to pass the midterms, I have a more important thing in mind." Fuutarou handed each of them a couple of exercise sheets.
"Hey, you didn't follow up with what you said." Yotsuba pointed out, wondering what that important thing was. Fuutarou smiled as he pointed at the exercise sheets.
"I've written a little something for you five in there. It's something like 'conditions for success' for you five. You'll understand once you read them." He grinned before looking at his watch.
"Ah man, sorry girls, but my time ends here."
"Awww..." Yotsuba frowned. She really liked spending time with Fuutarou. She felt proud of herself because now she understood stuff more with his help. But now he's ended the session and she has to revise on her own while waiting for him to come over again, which was a bummer.
Itsuki sighed. Inside she knew she could keep going, but looking at her sisters, she knew their focus was slowly dropping. She knows that Fuutarou could tell, and using that he leaves everytime at the same point, but not before assigning just enough work for them to be doable, then he returns and follows up.
By now the quints realized that he expects them to be better when he comes back, he expects them to improve on their own. That alone causes people like Nino and Ichika to study a little harder, and hard workers like Itsuki, Miku and Yotsuba to feel more motivated to improve.
"But don't worry, I'll come over during the weekends, both Saturday and Sunday in the morning to tutor you all for more hours."
"Yayy!" Yotsuba cheered.
"Hmm? You're not staying for dinner? Nino wanted to cook for you, you know?" Ichika asked. Nino looked at her in shock.
"No I did not! Why the hell would I could for this guy?!" She pointed at Fuutarou standing there innocently, with a smile on his face. Ichika grinned.
"Because you like it when he praises you, duh~"
"I'm not a dog hungry for praise, Ichika! And I don't need compliments from someone like him!"
"Mhm, keep lying to yourself."
"Hmph!" Nino huffed and looked away. She glanced at Fuutarou before scowling a little.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get out of our house!" Fuutarou sighed, it seems her moment of niceness disappeared after she gave him that bento the other day.
"Alright alright. But do you need that bento box back? I washed it at home already."
"Just keep it..." She mumbled, still not meeting his gaze. He grinned as he opened the door.
"Alright, see ya tomorrow Nini!"
"OI UESUGI!!! WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT—"
The door shut before Nino could finish her sentence. Nino growled angrily while cracking her knuckles. "I'll kill you Uesugi, I swear to God..." She stomped towards the door, preparing to chase him.
"Pfft!!!" She stopped. Her eyes widened in horror. She turned around to see her sisters covering their mouths, trying their absolute best to contain their laughter, but it wasn't long before someone failed.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Yotsuba was the first to crack, followed by Ichika, then Itsuki and Nino. Nino's face reddened in anger, embarrassment and rage.
"N-nini? Seriously?" Ichika wiped a tear from her eyes, her stomach aching from her cackling. Miku looking at Nino, still laughing.
"Why so serious, Nini? You look like you just ate a jalapeno. Are you okay, Nini?"
"YOU—" Nino glared at her, fists clenching tightly.
"UESUGIIII FUUTAROU!!!! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!!!"
...
'Why do I feel like I'm going to be in big trouble today.' Fuutarou wondered to himself as he stood in an abandoned warehouse. He had planned to arrive at the quints' apartment early so he can tutor them longer, but it seemed Mikey had other plans.
"Sorry for calling you out of the blue, Fuutarou. I know you're busy with your job." Mikey apologized, grinning sheepishly at the black haired man. Fuutarou sighed.
"It'd better be worth it, Mikey. Why call us here?" He asked, looking around, noticing that Pah, Peh-yan, Draken, Mitsuya, Baji, Chifuyu and Kazutora was with them too.
"Some of Moebius' members harassed our guys last night, saying that Osanai's on the move, trying to find us. I guess he wants to settle things now." Mikey explained, looking at his friends.
"With so many strong presences gathering at a single spot. I think he'll find us with no problem at all." Mikey smirked, before looking at Pah.
"Make it count." He muttered. Pah nodded back silently, but then Fuutarou raised his finger, pointing at him.
"But do not do anything stupid that'll get you behind bars, you hear me? I know you wanna kill them, but don't take it literally. I'm saying this as a friend and as your leader, don't ruin your life for quick pleasure. " Fuutarou reminded him with a no nonsense tone.
" Dude, I'm not a sadist. You make it sound like I'm gonna smile like a maniac while I beat them up." Pah argued with him. Fuutarou looked at him in the eyes.
"Good. But let me ask you this. Do you have nothing to lose?" He asked. Pah was stumped at the sudden philosophical question. Looking at Fuutarou's gaze, he knew he had to answer.
"I...I gotta be honest with you... before I came here I thought of bringing a knife, stabbing Osanai when I fight him. But then I thought to myself, 'what am I actually doing this for'? I'm not going to jail for this. I'll always stand with you. I just won't throw my life away. I..." He looked down at the ground.
"I probably sound like a coward..."
"No you don't, Pah. From what I can tell, you chose restraint when violence would earn approval. You chose to walk away when staying would make you a legend, man. I think that takes more spine than stabbing him and getting your fifteen seconds of fame." Peh-yan, usually one who doesn't offer words of wisdom, suddenly intervened, not willing to see his best friend knock himself down.
"I see...." Pah muttered, regaining his confidence bit by bit. Fuutarou patted him on the shoulder.
"I don't measure your courage by how much pain you can take in one moment, or loyal you are to Toman. I despise those who let loyalty consume them, and those who do thinks without thinking of the consequences. You Pah..." He put a fist on Pah's chest.
"You are a responsible man."
" Thank you..." Pah whispered, now more confident about his decision. Fuutarou nodded with a smile, placing his hand down. Mikey remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Suddenly, the giant doors to the warehouse blew open, flying past Fuutarou and Mikey who stood there unflinchingly.
"Oi! What the hell are you wimps doing hiding in here?!" They glanced at a tall man leading a large group of uniformed people.
" Oh? You sure took your sweet time, Nobutaka Osanai." Fuutarou commented nonchalantly, placing his hands on his pocket, letting his draped coat flow with the wind. He then smirked at the leader of Moebius.
"We thought you chickened out."
"Tch!" Osanai gritted his teeth. "Snot nosed brats! You guys are so in your heads that ya went looking for a fight with us!" Moebius members started flooding in the warehouse, surrounding Toman on all sides.
"And yet you need 40-50 guys to jump 9 snot nosed brats? It really matches your image as a chicken, Osanai. " Mikey taunted him with a grin on his face as Pah walked up to Osanai, throwing his Toman coat away, revealing a white vest underneath.
'These bastards! They're not even sending their strongest guy to attack me?! I'll show you when I beat this fatass to a pulp!' He glared at Pah who was cracking his knuckles, staring at him emotionlessly.
"Hey? I know you. It's your friend that I beat up the other day right? Hah! That guy's an idiot for messing with me! Now look at him! Heard his girlfriend's in the hospital, they deserved it for messing with a guy like me—ACK!!!" Osanai was suddenly met with Pah's Haki coated fist to his cheek. The punch sent him flying back.
Osanai spat out blood before looking at Pah entering a boxing stance, raising up his Haki coated fists. He was baffled at the man's speed, he didn't even notice until the moment he was punched. "Looks like you don't know how to fight at all, Osanai..." Pah muttered, ragebaiting Osanai.
"What?!"
Pah narrowed his eyes at him, clenching his fists harder.
"Fighters don't talk with their mouths. They talk with their fists!"
Pah charged at him once again...
To be continued....
(Heeheeheeheehee cliffhangerrrr)