Itsuki heads to her seat at the back after being told to by the teacher.

Futaro: "Hey..."

For a split second she seemed to notice him, but she completely ignored him.

I expected that, but her favorability toward us is at rock bottom.

Well, it’s not like this is someone else’s problem.

She won’t even make eye contact with me.

* * *

[The Next Day]

Futaro: "Grilled meat set, without the grilled meat."

Kiyotaka: 'So yesterday wasn’t a one-time thing... Maybe I’ll try it too.'

Futaro: "If she rejects me like this, I’ll lose the tutoring job... I’ve got to do something!"

Kiyotaka: "Do you have a plan?"

Futaro: "Yeah. I’ll sit at her table again and say something romantic. That should somehow fix things."

Kiyotaka: 'Wouldn’t it be better to start with an apology? No, Futaro probably knows more about this kind of common sense than I do. I’ll trust him.'

We pick up our trays and look for Itsuki.

Itsuki: "Sorry to keep you waiting."

When I look toward the voice, I see Itsuki surrounded by four friends.

Itsuki: "Sorry, the seats are full."

FuuKiyo: 'Payback for yesterday...'

Even if we stayed here, it didn’t look like we’d be able to talk.

That was the shared understanding between Futaro and me.

???: "Huh? You’re leaving?"

Kiyotaka: "Yeah.” 'Itsuki looks pretty smug right now.'

???: "You were looking for seats, right? You can eat with us."

Kiyotaka: "No, I refuse."

???: "What about him? Why not? Don’t you want to eat surrounded by beautiful girls?"

FuuKiyo: "..."

???: "Even though you don’t have a girlfriend?"

Futaro: "D-Don’t assume that!"

???: "Oh, come on. You’re aiming for Itsuki-chan, right?"

Futaro: "No, I’m not aiming for—"

Kiyotaka: "Yeah, that’s right."

I’ll go along with it on purpose.

Futaro: "Kiyotaka!?"

Kiyotaka: 'If we do this, it might make building connections easier.'

???: "Wow, that one’s bold. So what made you decide on her? Her seriousness? You look like you’re not interested though... Oh, I know. I’ll call her over for you. You’ve got something to talk about, right?"

Futaro: "Wait. That’s none of your business. We’ll handle our own matters.” 'I don’t want this spreading around too much.'

???: "For a study freak, you’re saying something manly. Oh, but if you get stuck, come ask this big sis Ichika for advice. It sounds fun."

Ichika leaves with a mischievous, little-devil-like smile.

Kiyotaka: 'Now it just looks like I’m the one who likes Itsuki.'

The seat Futaro usually uses is already taken, so we sit at an empty four-person table.

Futaro: 'Still, we’re supposed to meet her after school today. There’s no time!'

???: "Uesugi-saaan", "Uesugi-saaan."

He’s deep in thought and doesn’t notice who’s calling him.

The speaker moves closer and raises her voice.

???: "Ue-su-gi-saaan."

Futaro: "Hm? ...Whoa, who are you!?"

???: "You finally looked this way."

Kiyotaka: "She’s been calling you for a while. And that ribbon... you were talking with Itsuki earlier."

???: "Heh heh heh, correct."

Futaro: "I see... Anyway, what do you want?"

???: "I’m so glad you asked. I have something to deliver to you, Uesugi-san... Did you drop this 100-point test, or this 0-point test?"

Futaro: "The 100-point test."

???: "For being honest, you get both."

Kiyotaka: 'He doesn’t need the 0-point test. Whose is this... It must belong to someone named Yotsuba. This is pretty bad.'

Futaro: "I don’t need it. Whose is it?"

???: "It’s mine."

Futaro: "And you were willing to hand it over!?"

Kiyotaka: 'Seriously.'

Yotsuba: "But I’ve never seen a 100-point test before. It’s amazing enough to be intimidating."

Futaro: "I’ve never seen someone get a 0 before. That’s what’s intimidating."

Yotsuba: "My first impression of Uesugi-san was ‘gloomy’ and ‘looks like he has no friends,’ but now I’ll add ‘genius.’ And as for you..."

Kiyotaka: "Ayanokōji. Kiyotaka Ayanokōji."

Yotsuba: "Alright, Ayanokōji-san, I’ll add... ‘quiet?’"

Kiyotaka: 'Isn’t the way she’s labeling me kind of harsh?'

After that, we return to the classroom.

While changing in the boys’ locker room, I notice a female student wearing the same kind of ribbon as before watching Futaro.

At a glance, her behavior looks suspicious.

Futaro: "How long are you going to keep following me!?"

Yotsuba: "You still haven’t thanked me."

She keeps puffing out her cheeks.

Yotsuba: "When someone finds your lost item, you’re supposed to say thank you."

Futaro roughly presses the test paper into Yotsuba’s hands.

Yotsuba: "Is this mine?"

Futaro: "I happened to pick it up. Now we’re even."

Yotsuba: "I see! Thank you very much."

FuuKiyo: 'She ended up thanking him.'

Futaro: "By the way, you’re close with Itsuki Nakano, right? Could you tell her we were apologizing?"

Yotsuba: "I don’t really get it, but things like that need to be said by the person themselves. You have to say it yourselves."

So it won’t be that easy.

* * *

[After School]

I thought she might end up alone on the way home, but that wasn’t the case.

Worst case, I could distract the other two... No, with Itsuki there, that would probably fail.

More importantly, why am I currently sticking my face into a photo board panel when we’re just supposed to be tailing her...

???: "Itsuki, aren’t you eating too much?"

Itsuki: "Really? This is only my second one."

FuuKiyo: 'She’s not alone at all.'

Then Itsuki’s gaze turns this way.

From this position, we’ll definitely get caught.

Just as I start thinking about what happens next, the girl behind Itsuki suddenly grabs her stomach and says—

???: "You meat-bun monster, you won’t be popular like that~"

Itsuki: "Stop it. A-And besides, I ate with male students yesterday."

FuuKiyo: 'That’s us.'

???: "Eh? Upperclassmen or same year?"

Girls really do love talking about romance.

Wait, the girl with headphones who was here earlier is gone.

Did she go home—

"What are you doing there?"

She’s right in front of us.

Is her presence just that faint?

I am, technically, the White Room’s greatest masterpiece.

???: "Two guys putting their faces in a panel near the school... not even taking pictures... Is it fun?"

FuuKiyo: "Well, somewhat."

???: "And you’re staring at high school girls..."

She silently takes out her phone and starts dialing 110.

Kiyotaka: "Wait a second. We’re not suspicious."

???: "Not... suspicious?"

Kiyotaka: "Right. And please don’t tell Itsuki about this."

???: "Alright. But I’m not her friend."

Even if they look close, things seem complicated.

We continue tailing them and eventually arrive at a large high-rise tower apartment.

Kiyotaka: 'So this is Itsuki’s home. She really is rich.'

For now, should we try going in?

???: "What are you, stalkers?"

It’s the gal-like girl who grabbed Itsuki’s stomach earlier.

Futaro, clearly confused by the situation, looks toward the headphone-wearing girl.

??? Headphones Girl: "I didn’t tell Itsuki."

Right.

We only asked her not to tell Itsuki.

That doesn’t mean she couldn’t tell the others.

???: "Itsuki already went home. If you’ve got business, I’ll hear it."

Futaro: "There’s no point talking to you. Move."

He tries to push through.

???: "You’re persistent. You’re not popular, are you? Just go home."

She looks at him like he’s trash.

Kiyotaka: "It’s something that absolutely has to be addressed today. Please move."

???: "I said I’ll hear it. If you don’t have anything, go home."

Futaro: "Go home? This is my house."

???: "Eh? Seriously? Sorry."

Futaro: "You’re unbelievably rude."

??? Headphones Girl: "Grilled meat set, without the grilled meat. On a diet?"

FuuKiyo: "..."

???: "Yeah right. You’re not residents here. Guard!"

Futaro and I immediately start running.

Itsuki is just getting into the elevator.

If we miss this, there won’t be another chance.

If we keep going, we’ll make it—

But something unexpected happens.

Futaro’s lack of physical ability and stamina.

Because I slow down for a split second to check on him, we miss it by one step.

Kiyotaka: "Sorry."

Futaro: "No. The elevator stopped on the 30th floor. She should be there. Let’s take the emergency stairs."

We start running again.

How did things end up like this?

Until now, I had been enjoying the normal school life I had aimed for.

The one who shattered that, the one who dragged me into all this, is him.

Just as I think that, we catch up to Itsuki on the 30th floor.

Itsuki: "What is it? Do you need something from me?"

Futaro: "Ah... ah... huff huff."

If he climbs at my pace, this is what happens.

Itsuki: "Are you done? My tutor is about to arrive. If you have something to say, say it quickly."

Kiyotaka: "That would be us."

Itsuki: "What?"

Kiyotaka: "The tutors scheduled to come today are us."

Gaaaan.

Itsuki’s face falls in disappointment in a way anyone could recognize.

Kiyotaka: 'Well, that figures.'

Kiyotaka: "I’m your partner."

She loses strength and sinks down on the spot.

Itsuki: "People like you are our tutors..."

FuuKiyo: 'Our?'

Ding.

The elevator opens and the girls who had been pestering us all day step out.

Ichika: "Oh my, what are you honor students doing with Itsuki-chan?"

She flashes another little-devil smile.

???: "There they are. These guys are the stalkers."

It’s the gal-like girl from the entrance.

Yotsuba: "Eh!? You two were stalkers?"

She asks innocently.

??? Headphones Girl: "Nino, you’re jumping to conclusions."

She speaks quietly.

Futaro: "Huh? Why are you all here?"

Itsuki: "Because we live here."

Futaro: "Oh? Close classmates sharing a house, huh?"

I understand how he feels.

Even now, part of me wants to think this is a dream.

Itsuki: "That’s not it. We’re... quintuplet sisters."

* * *

?: "A day like a dream, huh? Hehe. That’s the day you first met them, right, Kiyotaka?"

?: "It didn’t look like a dream to me."

Kiyotaka: "Yeah. It was the first day in my life that I was shaken to the core."

?: "Then that’s good."

Even after becoming an adult, I still dream of that moment.

Kiyotaka: "It was one hell of a nightmare."