"Today was eventful, I guess..." He muttered to himself as he stood outside of the Pentagon, his tutoring session with the quints over for the day. Moebius went down earlier than they had planned, they had never expected Osanai to act so suddenly.
Fuutarou sighed as he walked down the steps, mind spinning about the recent events this morning. 'Now we wait for the remaining Moebius members to band together and retaliate against us during the Musashi Festival. Dishonorable bastards, didn't we agree to fight during the festival itself? What changed?' Fuutarou wondered as he neared his motorbike. He looked at the sun setting, having taught the quints until the afternoon. He then recounted what happened during lunch before snorting a little.
'I never imagined Nino and Miku would challenge each other for a cook off. Nino as always, delivers in her cooking. Miku's need a little work, but I know she can be a chef as great as Nino. After all, if one can do it, the other four can do it too.' He nodded to himself, still remembering the smiles on the two sisters' faces as he praised their cooking. It was absolute cinema for the test of the sisters.
'Nino's warming up to me, that's good. All that arguing we had is exhausting, finally she's treating me like a normal guy.' He neared his motorbike. Fuutarou was about to start its engine, but then he remembered something.
'Crap.... I left my pencil box up there...'
...
"Thanks Miku, you're a lifesaver..." He whispered as he entered the apartment, hearing the sound of a hairdryer in the living room. He widened his eyes in horror as he saw Nino sitting on the couch, not wearing her butterfly ribbons, a towel was wrapped snugly around his waist, the edges still darkened with moisture. She seemed to not notice his entrance, instead focusing on blow-drying her hair.
"Hmm?" Fuutarou gulped as the girl stopped what she was doing, humming as she looked at his direction. She had an unreasonable expression on her face.
"Miku? Is that you? Go take a shower, I'm done already." Nino called out, now tying her butterfly ribbons back on. The tutor immediately deduced that she had poor eyesight and was always wearing contacts.
"Seriously who would've thought Uesugi would like your cooking. Your food is more poisonous than the most powerful poison in the world." Nino laughed to herself. Fuutarou couldn't help but smile as he walked towards the kitchen table, where he left his pencil box.
"Can you get my contacts for me? It's on my usual shelf." Nino requested. Fuutarou froze. Now what should he do? Should he run out the apartment? But that would only raise alarm bells for Nino.
"Oi! Are you that lazy to help me now? It's literally right in front of you!" Nino scolded as she walked towards the shelves. Fuutarou stepped aside, not wanting Nino to bump into him and get a clear view. He gulped again as Nino was on her tippy toes, reaching for her contact lenses. He looked away, noticing that her towel didn't really do a good job of covering her.
"I still don't like that papa didn't consult us before hiring a tutor. Like who does he think we are? Like we get it papa, we're adopted, you don't have to make it even more obvious by acting indifferent." Nino started. Fuutarou stopped and listened.
"I mean, you understand me right Miku? Papa literally chose work over us. He pays the bills, and I'm thankful for that, but money doesn't feel like love to me you know?"
"I feel like we're all invisible to him, like we're just five girls he protects out of obligation, like we're just liabilities he needs to keep alive." Nino clenched her fists tightly.
"But... but at least it's him taking care of us, not that bastard who left mama after knocking her up." She whispered, her tone emotional. Fuutarou really felt like he shouldn't be here.
"And Uesugi isn't that bad I guess... I just severely misjudged him. He's certainly not what I expected at all. Like does that guy know that printers exist? I swear that guy's main tactic is just straight up guilt tripping us to study." Nino wondered in amusement. Fuutarou found himself smiling at her calling him out. Yes, he had a printer at home, but he'd prefer personally writing the questions for them, makes it much more personal for him after all.
"But that doesn't mean I'm going to get all buddy buddy with him! Even though his face is handso—Ah forget I even said that!" Nino coughed, interrupting herself. Fuutarou raised an eyebrow,
From the corner of his eyes, Fuutarou saw Itsuki walking down the stairs.
Itsuki widened her eyes in disbelief. The scene she stumbled upon looked very weird, a vulnerable Nino not wearing anything but q towel, while Fuutarou was looking at her with panic in his eyes.
"Itsuki..." Fuutarou mouthed out, pointing at the door repeatedly. "Help me..." He gulped as the youngest quint narrowed her eyes at him.
"What are you doing here... You better not be doing what I think you're doing..." Itsuki scowled as she silently stepped over to him. Fuutarou shook his head as fast as light.
"I forgot my pencil box, Miku let me in just now. You can ask her, wherever she is in this house..." He explained. Itsuki sighed, so it was pure coincidence then. And how would Fuutarou know about their shower routine anyways? One thing's for sure, if Nino caught him now, her tutor would ne in one hell of a beating and shouting fest.
" Huh? Who's that?" Nino called out, still not wearing her contacts.
"Uh! It's just me Nino!" Itsuki stuttered out before hushing Fuutarou to the exit. He quickly tipped toed towards it, making sure not to hit anything. Itsuki resisted a laugh at his funny movement, covering her mouth as she followed him.
"Oh Itsuki! Where's Miku?" Nino asked as Fuutarou slowly opened the door, cursing a little as the door creaked.
"Miku went to take a bath." Itsuki replied, pushing Fuutarou out of her house. The man just grabbed his shoes before dashing straight towards the elevator barefooted.
"Haih..." She sighed before shutting the door.
"Why'd you open the door?" Nino questioned, finally deciding to put her contact lenses on. Itsuki shrugged, her mind already having an excuse.
"It's nothing, just thought I heard something." Itsuki replied as she sat down at the dining table, her pink tablet and study supplies already neatly placed on it. Nino sighed in relief as she finished inserting her contact lenses, finally able to see clearly. But then she realized something that made her facial expressions change immediately.
"Wait a sec... if you just arrived downstairs. Then who the hell was I talking to just now?"
...
Fuutarou sighed as he walked out of the apartment complex, standing near his motorbike. Nino was a smart girl, there was no way she wouldn't have realized that something was off. And she'd definitely get her answers with Itsuki there.
"I need to apologize somehow... Yeah, it was pure coincidence, but I did kinda see her half naked and listened to private matters. She probably feels humiliated, so let's just be the better man here..." He muttered, putting on his helmet and starting the engine.
As he rode back home, he couldn't help but think of what Nino said. 'So looks like Mr. CEO himself is a deadbeat. Heh, who would've guessed...' No wonder there was no bedroom for their father in the apartment, it seems the father is focused on work, too focused.
'Dad had nothing but still spent time with us, he wasn't the most perfect guy out there but he was there for me and Raiha. Meanwhile, Mr Maruo here has the opposite profile. Money, power, control, insulation. I wonder what's his excuse?' Fuutarou only had one thing to describe the father of the quintuplets, an egotistical coward.
One man had nothing and still gave himself. The other had everything and withheld it, and his children had to pay for it. The sisters learn to survive without a true parental anchor. They become self-reliant, cautious, and hyper-aware of emotional dynamics.
They rely on each other more than an adult, which strengthens their sibling bond but also carries blind spots such as Nino's aggression, Ichika's overbearing responsibility, Miku's withdrawal, Yotsuba's self-effacement and Itsuki's rigidity.
He shook his head, accelerating as the traffic lights turned green. 'Whatever. I'm just an outsider. What right do I have to interfere in their family matters?' Fuutarou rode home silently afterwards, he pitied the girls, feeling bad that they had to grow up invisible and unsupported, but he doesn't linger in the feeling.
Why do that when they could channel it into results such as better grades, stronger self-confidence, and slowly, more trust and openness? Fuutarou definitely won't let it define them, that would only be unproductive and self-limiting.
Little did Fuutarou know, his presence would change their lives forever...
To be continued.....