I sat alone on a bench in the park, completely exhausted. Still, I couldn't help turning my head toward the sound of sweet laughter drifting through the night air.
A short distance away, the four sisters were laughing together, small fireworks crackling and slowly burning out in their hands. After Ichika arrived, they hadn't questioned her or pressed her for answers. Instead, they chose to savor the moment first. Conversations could wait.
I leaned back and closed my eyes, facing the sky. A satisfied smile formed on my lips. Seeing them smile like that made everything I had done so far feel worthwhile.
As for Fuutarou, he had somehow gotten separated in the crowd earlier, only managing to reunite with Yotsuba through a phone call. After some time, he headed home with his little sister since it was getting late.
As I savored the cool night breeze, I suddenly sensed someone approaching. I didn't even bother opening my eyes—I could tell who it was from the faint fragrance carried by the wind. Call me a dog, I didn't care.
She sat down beside me and spoke softly. "You look tired."
I slowly opened my eyes and turned toward Miku. "Just a little."
Silence lingered for a few seconds, the night air filling the space between us. Then she finally spoke.
"Thank you… for today."
I smiled faintly. "I had fun too, so thank you as well."
Her expression faltered slightly. "Y-You know… I feel guilty about breaking my promise. I-Is there any way I can make it up to you?"
At that, my back straightened. I leaned closer to her, my expression turning deliberately serious. "Are you sure? Can I ask for anything?"
Her face flushed instantly, and she leaned back, falling silent.
Seeing how tense she had become, my serious expression cracked—and I burst out laughing. "Relax, I was just kidding."
Realizing she'd been teased, Miku puffed her cheeks and turned away with a sulky pout.
Wait a second. She couldn't actually be mad at me, right?
"I'm sorry, okay? Please don't be upset," I said quickly, feeling a flicker of panic.
She didn't respond, only turning her face further away, stubbornly maintaining that adorable pout.
But when she noticed how genuinely troubled I looked, her shoulders began to shake. A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"Got you back."
"Miku! We're heading home!" Nino called out from a distance, waving her hand.
"Do you want me to walk you to the station?" I offered.
She shook her head gently. "No need. It's close from here anyway."
I leaned back against the bench as she turned and began walking toward her sisters. My house was in the same direction, but I chose to stay here a little longer. I didn't want to cling to their side all the time like some annoying pest.
Sometimes, everyone needs a little space.
I closed my eyes, assuming they had already left.
But just as Miku walked away, another presence drew near. This one didn't approach directly. Instead, she circled behind me and suddenly whispered into my ear, "Thank you for today."
I flinched, instinctively covering my ear, only to be met with her teasing grin.
"Sneaking up on people isn't a good habit, Ichika-nee-san," I complained.
"Haha, I'm not exactly a good girl, as you can tell," she replied lightly. Turning away, she waved her hand in a playful farewell. "I just came to say thanks and goodbye."
She began walking off.
"Wait."
My voice stopped her. She paused but didn't turn around.
"Remember when I told you your smile looks fake… even a little creepy?" I continued. "A moment ago, when you were lighting the fireworks—it was beautiful, more radiant than the fireworks itself."
She still didn't turn around. In the darkness, I couldn't see the faint redness creeping up to her ears.
"Y-You're a pretty bad guy yourself," she shot back, her voice betraying her flustered state. And with that, she suddenly bolted off—as if she were running away from me.
I watched her retreating figure for a moment before lifting my gaze to the night sky, my expression flattening.
"…Cute," I muttered quietly.
-------------
With the weekend over, it was time to return to school.
The festival had been lively and unforgettable, but now everything go back to normal—back to the usual routine.
…Except it didn't quite feel that way.
"He's acting strange," Miku muttered under her breath.
From a corner, she watched as Ren casually helped a female student carry a stack of books down the hallway, smiling as he spoke to her.
"What is?"
Ichika's voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Eek—!" Miku flinched, nearly jumping on her spot. "You startled me."
Composing herself, she turned her gaze back toward Ren. "For some reason, he's being overly kind today… helping everyone. And what are you doing here?"
"I spotted you while taking a little stroll," Ichika replied casually, then tilted her head. "But what's so strange about helping people? Isn't that a good thing?"
"You don't understand," Miku said quietly. "Of course he's kind… but most of the time, it feels like he doesn't really care about others. Like he only focuses on me."
Ichika's lips curled into a mischievous grin. "Hmm~ Someone sounds jealous."
"Je— That's not it!" Miku shot back defensively.
"Oh? What are you two doing in the corner?"
They had been so caught up in their conversation that they hadn't noticed Ren walking toward them.
"N-Nothing! Right, Ichika?" Miku answered quickly. She definitely didn't want him finding out she had been watching—no, tailing—him. She expected Ichika to smoothly back her up.
But when Miku turned to her sister, she found something unusual.
"R-Right. We were just having some idle chit-chat," Ichika replied.
That was strange. Ichika always carried herself with calm confidence, as if she were directing the scene. So why she looks shaken… why is she blushing right now?
"I see—"
They were standing in the corner of a particularly busy corridor, students passing by in a steady stream. Before Ren could say anything more, someone accidentally bumped into him from behind, sending him stumbling forward.
Instinctively, he placed both hands against the wall to steady himself—only to realize he had inadvertently caged Ichika between his arms.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concern flickering in his eyes as he glanced down at her.
But Ichika couldn't respond.
Thump!
Thump!
Her lips trembled ever so slightly, and the blush spreading across her face deepened, betraying a rare moment of fluster she couldn't hide.
"I-I'm really sorry!"
A girl wearing glasses bowed repeatedly in a panic. She had been the one who bumped into him. But honestly, it wasn't entirely her fault—he had been standing in the corner of a crowded hallway, and she had clearly been in a rush. The documents she'd been carrying were now scattered across the floor from the collision.
"Ah, I'm fine. It was my fault for standing here," Ren said calmly. "Let me help you."
Without hesitation, he crouched down and began gathering the papers alongside her.
After gathering the scattered papers, Ren handed them back to the girl. She bowed repeatedly again—this time in gratitude—before hurrying off. Ren let out a light chuckle and gave her a small wave.
But the moment he turned around, his heart nearly stopped.
Ichika still hadn't fully recovered from what had just happened, her face faintly flushed. And Miku…
Miku was staring at him with what could only be described as a cold glare.
A bead of sweat formed on his forehead. He genuinely had no idea what he had done wrong.
Miku parted her lips, he awaits her words. Instead, she pouted hard and muttered under her breath, "Commit seppuku."
Then she turned on her heel and walked away coldly, leaving him completely stunned there.
"W-What?" Ren muttered, utterly bewildered.
"It was clearly your fault," Ichika commented lightly from the side.
"What do you mean?" he asked, turning to her in confusion.
She only smirked. "That's for you to figure out."
Ren paused for a moment, thinking it through. Whatever it was, he didn't want any misunderstanding to linger between them.
"…Got it. I'm going after her."
As he hurried off, Ichika instinctively reached a hand toward his back, as if wanting to stop him—wanting to say something. But in the end, she let her hand fall.
She released a soft sigh, a faint smile touching her lips.
"I guess it wasn't a waste to come here after all."
Why am I so annoyed? What is this frustrating feeling?
Miku pressed a hand against her chest as if trying to steady the restless beating of her heart.
Images replayed in her mind—Ren helping other girls, standing a little too close, their hands or shoulders brushing in the process. They had smiled at him. And worst of all… he had smiled back.
Her heart tightened painfully. The sensation was sharp and unpleasant, something she couldn't ignore no matter how hard she tried.
She bit her lip harder than she intended and clicked her tongue in irritation—an action so unlike her usual gentle demeanor.
But right now, it only proved one thing. She was genuinely, unmistakably annoyed.
"Huff…! Found you… huff!"
Ren's voice reached her from behind, slightly breathless from running.
Miku didn't turn around immediately. "What are you doing here?" she muttered, her tone colder than she intended. "Shouldn't you be helping those girls instead?"
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Ren blinked at her, then gave a small, awkward cough. "Ahem. I didn't want there to be any misunderstandings, so let me just say it clearly."
He straightened slightly, still catching his breath. "I was helping people to restore my reputation a bit. I don't want anyone saying bad things about me when you're standing next to me."
Realization dawned on her. He had only been trying to be thoughtful, yet she had reacted like that. Embarrassment washed over her.
"I-I… didn't mean to talk like that," she admitted quietly. "I just… don't know what came over me."
She looked down, clutching one arm with the other, clearly flustered by her own behavior.
Ren let out a small sigh of relief now that he had explained himself. Then a faint, knowing grin curled at the corner of his lips.
"…Doesn't that mean you were jealous?" he said.
He was only guessing, but judging from what she had said, that was the only explanation he could think of.
Her guilt quickly turned into burning embarrassment.
"Not you too…" she muttered under her breath.
Before he could say anything else, she suddenly turned and tried to run away.
"Why are you running?!" Ren called out as he hurried after her.
"I don't know!" she shouted back without even looking at him.
Miku wasn't exactly the athletic type, so how was she running so fast?
She suddenly slid down the stairway handrail—a reckless move that could have been dangerous—but somehow she pulled it off smoothly.
Ren followed without hesitation, copying her move as he slid down right after her. He didn't call out again this time, simply chasing her in silence.
Let's see how far you can run.
Like that, Miku managed to exit the school building first. But the moment Ren stepped outside, he accidentally bumped into a girl with green ribbons tied in her hair, the loops sticking up like rabbit ears.
"You are…" she muttered, staring at him.
Then her eyes widened in recognition.
"That's right—you're that guy from before! Your name is Ren, right?"
Ren let out a sigh before suddenly grabbing the girl's wrist—gently, of course.
"Seriously…" he stretched his shoulders, unable to hold back a small laugh. "Did you really think a disguise like this would make me mistake you for your sister?"
Ren hadn't forgotten Miku's uncanny ability to mimic her sisters almost perfectly. There was no way he would fall for such a trick.
And more importantly—there was no way he wouldn't recognize her.
Miku was stunned.
How did he recognize me?
She had even put effort into imitating Yotsuba's voice. By all means, it should have worked.
Then a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Now that she thought about it… Ren had never once mixed up their names. Not even a single time.
How is that possible?
(AN: For those who don't know, the Nakano sisters are quintuplets. They shared the exact same face, the same eyes, the same hair color—only their hairstyles set them apart. In anime, the differences people saw were mostly superficial, for fans to not get confused and mix them up.)
"How could he tell?* That's what you're thinking, right?" Ren said, voicing her thoughts aloud.
"Let's just say it's one of my special abilities." He winked playfully.
Miku let out a small sigh of defeat and looked away. Her hand returned to clutching her other arm, just like before, a hint of insecurity in the gesture.
"You're right… I felt jealous."
Thump!
Ren's heart skipped a beat.
A quiet happiness stirred within him. If she felt jealous because of him, then that meant… there was something there.
"Well, if that's the case," he said with a half-teasing smile, "why don't you just date me already?"
He meant it mostly as a joke.
But then something completely unexpected happened. "A-Are you really sure you want to date me?"
Ren froze, staring at her.
Her face was slightly red, her expression shy—yet her eyes were completely serious.
Seeing that, he dropped the playful tone and matched her sincerity. Gently lifting her hands in his, he spoke without hesitation.
"Not only do I want to date you… I want to marry you."
"Y-You're skipping way too many steps," Miku said, her voice small with embarrassment.
After a brief pause, she continued, cheeks still flushed. "But… I think I like you too. S-So…"
She tightened her fingers around his slightly.
"Let's go out. I'll be in your care from now on."
Ren stood there, completely dumbfounded.
'Huh? Is this real? I'm not dreaming, am I?'
'Are we… actually going out now?'
For a moment, he even considered pinching himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
But before he could do anything, a voice of pure disbelief rang out nearby—one that sounded very familiar.
"Miku, you can't be serious!"