I was having a dream.

A dream of the day we first came to this house.

"We're going to live here starting today!?"

A thirty-story tower condominium soaring under a spotless blue sky.

I gazed up at the exterior — it looked like a castle built in the modern age — and couldn't help letting out a cry of excitement. I was a sixth-grader back then.

A woman who lived there came out through the impressive entrance and greeted us with a "Hello."

"Hello!"

"Oh my. What a polite little greeting — good girl."

The resident had a gentle smile on her face, but it froze almost immediately.

"Honestly, Ichika."

"Please don't run off by yourself."

"Whoa, this is amazing!"

"This is going to be our house?"

The four girls who appeared were wearing the same pure-white sleeveless dresses as me, had the same build, and the same face.

The resident's eyes went wide with surprise, blinking in shock. I told her with a proud look on my face:

"We're quintuplet sisters."

Nino. Miku. Yotsuba. Itsuki.

My younger sisters.

"Wow, wow!"

I took the lead and was the first one into the apartment, and the excitement only climbed higher.

A luxurious penthouse on the top floor of the tower condominium.

Unbelievably, starting today this was going to be our home — all five of us.

"The living room is huge! You could play dodgeball in here!"

"There are tons of rooms upstairs! Does this mean we each get our own room starting today!?"

"This is what they call luxury!"

"The bathroom is incredible! It's nothing like our old apartment!"

"Everyone, please come here! The view from the balcony is wonderful!"

Five awestruck voices echoed through the penthouse.

When we stepped out onto the balcony from the living room, the view that stretched before us was truly spectacular — the entire city laid out below.

"Do you like it?"

While we stood there overwhelmed by the scenery, the man who had become our father asked.

When we thanked him, Dad nodded silently, then said "I need to go speak with the realtor" and headed back to the living room.

Left alone on the balcony, we let out sighs of pure wonder at the pleasant September breeze and the blue sky that felt closer than usual.

It was like being princesses in a fairy tale.

Compared to our lives just yesterday, this was unbelievable — a complete departure from the ordinary.

But starting today, this would become our ordinary.

That was why we'd been so giddy. But then...

"...I wish Mom could have come too."

The one who murmured that, her voice tinged with sadness, was Nino.

Right — we hadn't been giddy just because we were happy about the fancy new home.

Being quintuplets, I could tell.

None of us had gotten over losing Mom yet.

We'd been putting on smiles because we wanted to forget that feeling, even for a moment. Because we wanted to keep things bright.

"It is all right."

In the quiet autumn wind, someone spoke up.

"We will not be lonely as long as the five of us are together. We will each have our own rooms starting today, but if anyone cannot sleep at night, you are welcome to come to my room."

She sounded just like Mom, who had been a teacher.

But unlike Mom, the polite speech was a bit clumsy — like she was trying to act more grown-up than she was.

Of course, I knew exactly who was speaking.

The only one among us quintuplets who used formal speech even with family — that was Itsuki.

"———"

Our lives after Mom was gone.

Of course things didn't go well at first — it was one mistake after another — but little by little we'd gotten used to it.

And gradually, our daily life in this house became something to look forward to!

Share each other's failures among the five of you. Share each other's happiness among the five of you.

Those words Mom used to say so often.

We'd divided everything equally among all five of us — just like she taught us.

This house — and our high school lives too.

But that was all going to end soon.

When I thought about it, a small loneliness began to take root in my chest, and...

"Ichika. Please wake up. It is already past nine."

I woke up to formal speech whose tone was more grown-up than what I'd heard in my dream.

My vision was hazy from just waking up.

What I saw there was a girl in casual clothes — long hair that suited her, a star-shaped clip holding it in place.

Nakano Itsuki.

With her calm demeanor — the youngest of the Nakano quintuplets.

"Hnwaaah... Mornin', Itsuki-chan. Oh wait, 'Happy New Year' would be more accurate."

"We already said that together at midnight, did we not?"

"Hehe, who cares? You can never say 'congratulations' too many times."

I was usually a heavy sleeper, but I couldn't exactly oversleep on the very first day of the New Year.

I managed to fight off the sweet temptation of going back to sleep.

Sitting up in bed, I gave a big stretch.

"Mmm, what a refreshing morning to kick off New Year's Day."

"That has zero credibility when you are saying it from the middle of a pigsty."

So you ended up skipping the year-end cleaning after all... Itsuki-chan looked mildly exasperated.

Oh right — Nino had told me recently, "Yotsuba might be living on her own starting this spring too, so for goodness' sake, at least learn to clean up after yourself."

I'd been too wiped out from my drama location shoot to get around to it.

"Honestly, even your school uniform is on the floor."

Itsuki-chan picked up the blazer that had been lying on the floor and hung it on the wall.

Suddenly, the loneliness I'd felt in my dream came flooding back.

Only two and a half more months of wearing this blazer.

Second semester — with the school festival — was over, and graduation was coming up in March.

College, vocational school, and for me — focusing full-time on acting.

For the first time in our lives, the quintuplets would be walking separate paths.

Everyone would be busy. We couldn't stay together all the time like before.

Thinking about it made my mood a little heavy.

Once we graduated, the time we could spend as five would only shrink.

It was going to be a little lonely.

— No, no!

Getting gloomy on New Year's Day was no good.

Sure, our time together would decrease. But there would still be times when all five of us sat down for a meal in this house!

"Itsuki-chan, toss me some clothes."

"Will these do?"

Colorful cosmetics and makeup tools, shopping bags printed with brand names, stacks of fashion magazines, a coat discarded on the floor... and so on.

I thanked Itsuki-chan, who had navigated the clutter of my personal belongings with practiced ease and excavated an outfit.

I put on the underwear she handed me and slipped into a fluffy white knit dress.

"I think this every year around this time, but I cannot believe you can sleep naked in the middle of winter."

"It's fine. The heater's on."

"Does it not dry out your skin if you leave it running all night?"

"That's where the humidifier pulls the night shift. My throat and skin are an actress's tools of the trade. Gotta take proper care of them."

"Even so, I worry."

Itsuki-chan stared at me with a serious expression.

I was happy thinking she was concerned about me catching a cold, but —

"Please break this habit already. The one where you strip in your sleep."

"That's what you're worried about?"

"You sometimes nap in the crew van or in your dressing room, do you not? What if the habit kicks in there!?"

"Relaaax. This only happens at home. It doesn't come out unless I'm totally at ease."

My name was Nakano Ichika and my profession was actress, but I wasn't about to give a nude showing when I wasn't even on the job.

Well — I was still a high school senior, so forget nude scenes; even a kiss scene with a guy was off the table.

"Ichika, good morning!"

"Finally awake."

"Starting the New Year with executive hours, are we?"

I fixed my bedhead and came down the stairs to the double-height living room. The four of them — Yotsuba, Miku, and Nino in their casual clothes — greeted me from around the dining table. And then — ohhh.

"Whoa, amazing!"

My groggy brain hit full throttle instantly.

Laid out on the table were vibrant osechi¹dishes packed neatly into layered jubako boxes.

The red-and-white kamaboko was bouncy and fresh.

The kuri kinton gleamed golden.

The datemaki looked like a professional chef had made them — probably oven-baked, with a beautiful finish.

The thinly sliced roast beef would be absolutely divine with wasabi soy sauce.

There was plenty more, but personally, I was thrilled to see the salted kazunoko!

"It looks delicious, does it not? Nino and Miku made it."

"Yotsuba and Itsuki helped too."

"All Itsuki-chan and I did was help set the dishes out."

"That still counts as work. Unlike a certain young actress I know."

"Ugh, sorry, sorryyy."

Nino's trademark snark doubled as a greeting. I gave a light apology and sat down.

Dad was actually supposed to come home last night, but apparently his flight got canceled because of some trouble while he was overseas for work.

He was still abroad, so it was a bummer we couldn't see him on New Year's Day, but I'd have to give him a proper "Happy New Year" when he got back.

"Itadakimasu."

All five of us said it in unison and reached for the osechi with our chopsticks.

"This roast beef is exquisite! The flavor has soaked in so well — it is tender, juicy, and this faint richness and aroma... is that chocolate, by any chance?"

"Bingo. I saw on a recipe site that adding it as a secret ingredient makes it delicious."

"I knew it! You have improved even further, Miku. I am craving a big bowl of rice now!"

"Ahaha, yeah, this roast beef really is impossible to stop eating. And these kazunoko are amazing too! The seasoning is just right."

"Good. Glad to hear it."

Nino let out a small breath of relief, then nibbled on a piece of datemaki with her little mouth.

That reaction — could it be...

"Nino, did you make the kazunoko?"

"More or less. It wasn't that much work, so you don't need to thank me."

"Liar. Nino said, 'If I'm making them to Ichika's taste, maybe the kazunoko seasoning should be a little stronger.'"

"Miku!? Don't go saying things like that!"

"Ohhh, so you tailored them to my taste?"

"...What? Got something to say about it?"

"Yeah. I'm happy you were thinking of me."

When I said thank you, Nino lowered her eyes, her butterfly hair ornament swaying.

"...Don't let it go to your head."

Then her pale cheeks flushed the faintest pink.

"You've been so busy with everything, so I just did you a little favor."

Now accept it graciously! — and she thrust a piece of kazunoko at my mouth with her chopsticks.

Mmph — she'd literally shut me up.

I'd wanted to tease her a little more since she was so cute when she got embarrassed.

But I was happy.

She'd hit me with that snark earlier, but it seemed like she'd been thinking about me on the inside.

Just like Nino said, the end of the year had been pretty hectic.

On top of work as an actress, I'd also been battling the study assignments Fuutarou-kun had put together for me.

All so that I — the only one of us sisters on leave from school — could still graduate properly.

"I'm going to grill some mochi later too. How do you all want yours? I'm doing mine French toast–style."

At Nino's question, Miku and Yotsuba answered.

"Kinako. Not too sweet, and just one piece is fine."

"Isobeyaki²for me! I could eat two!"

"I'll pass on mochi. If I eat too much, the scale's gonna turn on me."

"Ichika. I understand that as an actress you are especially mindful of your figure, but could you not let loose a little on New Year's Day at least?"

"What about you, Itsuki-chan? What topping do you want?"

"Let me see. If I recall correctly, there is a frozen pizza in the refrigerator, yes? What if we sliced the mochi thin, spread the pieces all over the pizza, added extra cheese on top, and made a mochi cheese pizza? It would be paradise in your mouth!"

"U-um, Itsuki-chan?"

"Are you okay? It feels like you've been eating more and more lately. Is it the exam pressure?"

Yotsuba's big eyes were filled with concern. Then Miku followed up, as if trying to soften the blow:

"I'm sure it's just an extended growth spurt..."

"...Should we be worried? Has the stress from exams broken your fullness sensor?"

"I-It is New Year's Day, is it not!? The entrance exams are just around the corner. I may very well lose weight from the pressure after this!"

Nope, nope, not a chance — not Itsuki-chan, if anything she'd gain weight — the sisters said with their eyes.

Itsuki-chan puffed out her cheeks like mochi in protest, then:

"Besides, I had a dream about eating mochi cheese pizza as my New Year's dream!³If it comes true, that would be auspicious, so I would very much like to make it a reality. It should help with my exams as well!"

"Huh? Isn't the first dream supposed to be the one you have from New Year's night into January 2nd?"

"I think Yotsuba's right."

"Then it wouldn't be auspicious even if it came true, would it?"

"N-No! Then my Fortuitous Pizza Plan was nothing but a fleeting illusion...?"

"Now, now. Quintuplet rules, right? Just for today, let's say whatever dream you had last night counts as your first dream of the year."

Even I felt like I was being pretty sloppy with this argument, but I kept going.

"If we make the first dream come true, it becomes good luck. So — pizza time?"

"Ichika... Thank you so much!"

Itsuki-chan beamed at me, and I felt a little bashful.

So I changed the subject to cover for it.

"Come to think of it, I had a dream too. About the day we first came to this condo. Remember? The day we moved in, all five of us stood on the balcony and looked out at the city."

Drawn in by my words, everyone turned to look out the window.

Beyond the glass stretched a clear, pale-blue January sky.

It was different from the sky we'd seen that day, but somehow the memories from six years ago came flooding back.

We'd had a hard time adjusting to life in this house at first.

"When we first moved in, having my own room felt so weird!"

Yotsuba smiled, her green ribbon bouncing.

"You joked that 'Anyone who'd set us up with a mansion like this has to be suspicious. Maybe it's a stigmatized property!', Ichika."

Itsuki-chan's lips softened with a nostalgic little smile.

"You were such a mean little ringleader back then, Ichika. But still better than Nino, at least. Nino chased off the housekeeper Dad hired."

Miku teased with her blue wireless headphones still hanging around her neck.

"Obviously. That woman was incredibly naggy."

Nino huffed, then continued.

"She meddled with everything — our routines, our food preferences — things that were none of her business. There's no room for outsiders in a home that belongs to the five of us. ...Well."

Chasing her off was going too far, though, she added quietly, looking a bit guilty.

"Well, hey. I feel bad for the housekeeper, but thanks to that, Nino got really good at cooking."

I smiled, savoring the memories along with the osechi.

Dad hadn't been around all that often even back then, so we'd needed to manage our daily lives on our own as quintuplets.

That was why we'd divvied up the chores.

Roughly speaking: Nino handled cooking, Yotsuba handled cleaning, and Itsuki-chan handled laundry.

Miku had mostly done odd jobs like grocery shopping at first, but nowadays she and Nino split the cooking.

I'd started out on odd jobs with Miku, too.

Though lately I'd been too busy to help with much of anything.

About all I did was keep the household budget ledger.

While I was thinking about all that, Miku spoke up as if something had just come to mind.

"This is totally off topic, but the other day a girl in class mentioned that you're in the special New Year's drama airing today, Ichika."

"Really!? Our Ichika's become a top actress before we knew it..."

"Sorry, Yotsuba. Hate to break it to you, but it's a bit part without many lines. I've been getting more popular, but not enough to land a lead in a New Year's special."

"Just being in it is amazing!"

"Best not to hype her up too much. Knowing Ichika, she's playing another character who dies as usual."

"No way! I'm alive until at least 6:45 PM!"

"Um, I looked it up, and that drama starts at 6:30..."

"Fifteen minutes at most, huh. Then once Ichika's part is over, I want to watch a documentary."

"Oh, I've got a variety show I want to watch too. Miku, you can watch yours on the recording later."

"No. There are nutrients you can only get from watching a history special live."

"What kind of logic is that!?"

I listened to the lively voices filling our home and thought about the plan for the rest of the day.

If I remembered right, after the osechi we were going to...

"Let us set our goals for the year, in the spirit of the New Year."

We'd played with the quintuplet fukuwarai⁴we'd made last year, racked our brains over the handmade study karuta⁵Fuutarou-kun had prepared for us, and thoroughly soaked up the New Year's atmosphere. After all that —

Itsuki-chan made her proposal as we walked along the road toward the shrine for hatsumode⁶.

She was wearing haregi⁷with a pink base.

The vivid rose pattern suited her well, and the way she'd gathered her hair at the back of her head gave her a grown-up look.

The haregi, by the way, was the same set we'd worn last New Year's — borrowed from the landlady of the apartment we'd briefly lived in last year.

The landlady's main business was running a kimono shop, with real estate as a side gig.

Apparently the quintuplets had left quite an impression, and she'd been kind enough to lend them to us again this year.

"What brought this on?"

"Well... achoo!"

Right as she tried to answer my question, Itsuki-chan let out a tiny sneeze.

She must have been cold — she was blowing warm breaths into her cupped palms.

Watching the white puffs of her breath dissolve into the midwinter air, I felt a twinge of regret.

Ugh, New Year's brain. I'd messed up.

It was pretty cold today. I should've told her to bring gloves.

Catching a cold right before entrance exams would be a disaster.

Once we got to the shrine, I'd have to treat her to something warm. Like amazake⁸.

"I started thinking that perhaps it is not good to be too idle just because it is the New Year."

Itsuki-chan had an unusually serious look on her face.

Maybe the reality of demolishing five slices of mochi cheese pizza after osechi had triggered some alarm bells.

"So what's your goal, Itsuki-chan?"

"Let me see. If I can successfully get into university, I would like to become more independent."

At her words, Nino, Miku, and Yotsuba all nodded.

We'd all be turning nineteen in less than half a year.

From here on, our time together as five would only decrease.

So I was sure everyone wanted to stand on their own two feet after graduation — to become adults.

"As a first step toward independence, once I am admitted, I plan to devote myself to my studies in education while making sure to earn all of my credits. I would also like to make new friends."

I see — a solid, practical plan, very Itsuki-chan.

I hoped she'd make lots of friends.

"I want to study hard at university too!"

Yotsuba declared with conviction.

Her deep green hakama⁹was adorable.

The furisode¹⁰with its vivid yellow flower pattern was a perfect match for her energetic image.

Then again, Yotsuba could pull off just about anything. Even that bear-onesie-style loungewear of hers.

"I want a career where I can support people! And of course I want results in my sport too!"

Ooh — the ambitious "academics and athletics" combo pack.

Yotsuba had led various clubs to the Inter-High back at Kurobara Girls' High School, so she'd probably be fine at a phys ed university.

Though I had a feeling she'd need Fuutarou-kun's help on the academics front.

She might've had romance-related goals too, but those would be hard to bring up here.

"I've already been accepted, so at culinary school I'm going to study a lot of... whoa!?"

Miku's blue furisode was cute too, and the pink flower ornament was pretty... I was admiring it when —

The unfamiliar kimono and geta¹¹tripped Miku up on a step in the road.

Watch out! I grabbed her slender upper arm and steadied her.

"Thanks, Ichika."

Her mysterious, neutral expression briefly colored with relief. Then she collected herself and continued:

"I want to study a lot. First year is a general course where you make all kinds of dishes, and from second year I'm going into the pastry track. And... I want to try something new outside of cooking, too."

Something new? Now I was curious! Tell your onee-san all about it — I almost asked, but I held back.

She might not have decided on anything specific yet.

"For me..."

Nino was wearing a haregi with white-and-purple stripes, like something a Taisho-era schoolgirl would wear.

The pale pink kinchaku pouch in her hand made a nice accent.

Mm, classic Nino.

Her coordination was impeccable, and the subtle floral fragrance she wore was sophisticated.

She could be in sweats around the house, but she really did have taste.

"...Same as Miku. We're at the same school in the same course, after all."

I almost let out a surprised "Huh?" but caught myself.

I'd expected a more self-driven goal from her.

That was a little uncharacteristic of Nino...

"What about you, Ichika?"

Nino must have sensed my concern, because she turned the question on me.

I mentally filed away thinking about Nino's goals for later and answered without hesitation.

"To properly graduate and level up my acting career."

I'd originally joined the talent agency because the president scouted me, and I'd thought it might help me become someone my sisters could be proud of as the eldest. But before I knew it, I'd fallen in love with the work itself.

Studying the script. Building the character. Then performing in front of the camera.

When we nailed a great shot, the sense of fulfillment was overwhelming.

I wanted to live up to the expectations of Nino, Miku, Yotsuba, Itsuki-chan, and Fuutarou-kun, who all supported me.

I wanted to show the staff I worked with and all the fans what Nakano Ichika the actress could do.

And growing as an actress would lead to independence too!

"It seems everyone has proper goals..."

I must do my best toward independence as well! Itsuki-chan's face broke into a radiant smile.

But something felt slightly off to me.

I felt like I'd seen this smile before.

A memory flashed through my mind — the fireworks festival we'd gone to in our second year of high school.

I'd had to skip watching the fireworks with everyone because I had an audition to get to.

I'd never forget it.

That night at the festival.

After I'd said goodbye with a smile and started heading off to the audition venue alone, the words Fuutarou-kun had said to me were...

"Oh, one correction!"

I held up my right index finger with dramatic flair and decided to make an announcement to my sisters.

"I'm going to do a deep clean."

What came back was a chorus of "Huh?" — surprise times four.

My sisters stared at me with their mouths hanging open, like they'd just witnessed a stray cat walking on its front paws. I declared grandly:

"My goal for the year! As a first step toward eventual independence, tomorrow I will deep-clean my room. But I have a feeling it'll be too much on my own, so — would you help me out, Itsuki-chan?"

"I am surprised. Ichika doing a deep clean?"

January 2nd. Just past 3 PM, with the afternoon slightly warmer than the day before.

That was what Itsuki-chan said after coming to my room as backup.

"Ahaha. Everyone was worried, like, 'You? Deep cleaning? Seriously?' 'Are you feeling okay? Should we turn around and skip the shrine?' 'Actually, maybe we should've had the shrine do a purification on you!'"

"Hehe. Ichika at home is essentially laziness in human clothing, after all."

"Hey, look who's talking — you're gluttony in human clothing. This morning you were spreading leftover kuri kinton on your toast as a jam substitute, weren't you? Three slices, if I recall."

"Th-That is beside the point!"

Itsuki-chan cleared her throat with a little ahem, as if trying to hide how flushed her face had gotten from embarrassment.

"Why did you ask me for help?"

"Everyone else has plans. Nino's at the shopping mall for a brand cosmetics New Year's sale. She wants something woody or gourmand, apparently. Miku's hanging out with friends from class. Yotsuba's doing independent training — getting ready for phys ed university, y'know. You didn't have anything going on, right, Itsuki-chan?"

"That is true, but..."

"Please? I'll treat you to a Frappuccino sometime! And I'll pick up some exam-support stuff for you too!"

"........"

After mulling it over for a moment—

Itsuki-chan looked back at me with those clear, bright eyes.

"All right. Since you have made the rare decision to clean your room, I will help."

"Thanks! Oh, by the way — what's that you're holding?"

"Bags for sorting things into 'keep' and 'toss.' I looked it up on my phone, and apparently preparing these first is the key first step to building cleaning motivation."

"Diligent as always."

"I brought work gloves, too. I thought it would be bad if you injured your hands."

"...Hey, you don't think my room is a garbage dump, do you?"

"Ahaha. Of course not."

"Right? It can't be that bad—"

"The correct term would be 'a graveyard of daily necessities.'"

My beloved room just got saddled with a devastating nickname!

This had to be payback for teasing her about the kuri kinton toast.

My room was not that much of a lawless wasteland!

"It might look messy, but everything's strategically placed for maximum livability!"

"Please do not say things that make you sound like an actual hoarder... That said, I was relieved there was no food waste."

"This isn't some manga or anime. Even I know better than that."

No matter how sloppy I might be, I would absolutely, positively never leave food lying around.

If one of those G-creatures¹²showed up... just the thought made me shudder.

"Shall we get started?"

Itsuki-chan gathered her glossy hair — long enough to reach the middle of her back — into a hair tie, then put on the red apron she'd brought with her.

Ooh, Itsuki-chan almost never cooked, so seeing her in an apron was refreshing. Like a newlywed.

"Is something the matter?"

"Nah, I was just thinking you look cute in the ponytail-and-apron combo. Like a new bride."

"...Honestly. Stop saying embarrassing things and get ready. Where is your apron? You had one for that home ec class, so you must still have it."

"I do. Somewhere in this room."

"Somewhere!?"

Itsuki-chan stared at the cluttered room in disbelief.

But — she was one of the Nakano quintuplets, after all.

Her steel resolve, forged under a year and a half of Fuutarou-kun's tutoring, was not so easily broken.

She rolled up her sleeves with a determined Right, so we start from there, and then—

"In that case, let us be thorough!"

With that rallying cry from the ever-reliable Itsuki-chan, the curtain rose on the great deep clean.

Apron

"We cannot seem to find the apron."

"Then how about this? It technically has an apron attached."

"Um, Ichika? It does have an apron attached, yes, but that is a—"

"A maid outfit! And a lovely long-skirted British style, no less!"

"Let me make a note. 'Excavated Artifact No. 1: British-style maid outfit.'"

"Come on, act a little more shocked!"

"Hehe. I felt like saying 'Why on earth do you have that!?' would mean I'd lost somehow."

"There was a gift raffle at a drama wrap party. They had all sorts of prizes — an air purifier, a folding bicycle, stuff like that. This was one of them. A gag prize, basically."

"And you were the one who drew it?"

"Ahaha, don't look at me like that? For an actress, this kind of luck matters. All the big-name cast members won the good prizes."

"I see. So unless you have a certain level of good fortune, you cannot advance in the entertainment industry."

"There are rumors that staffers rig the high-value prizes to go to actors with good ratings, though."

"Never mind the apron — please stop excavating industry secrets!"

"—And done. Finished changing. How do I look? Pretty cute, right?"

"You could probably be the top pick at one of those specialty cafes that cater to a niche clientele... Wait, hm?"

"What's up?"

"......I realize I am equally foolish for not noticing until you had it on, but — that apron is detachable, is it not? Could you not have simply removed the apron and worn it over your regular clothes?"

"......Yeah. That."

The Script

"All right! Now that your onee-san has achieved newlywed status too, let's keep going."

"You have quite a few novels alongside your fashion magazines. Wuthering Heights, Murder on the Orient Express, The Catcher in the Rye. ...Oh? Is this a drama script?"

"Ah, that one's from a shoot that already wrapped. I don't need it anymore."

"Then into the burnable trash... Wait! Has this drama aired yet?"

"Not yet."

"Then throwing it out as-is would be a terrible idea! What if someone at the waste collection noticed it and uploaded pictures online? That would be an information leak — you would be trending for all the wrong reasons! It is a hassle, but we should cut it up with scissors until the contents are unrecognizable, then dispose of it in multiple batches!"

"Ooh, good thinking, Itsuki-chan."

"Please take risk management seriously. Just yesterday at the shrine, one of your fans nearly recognized you."

"Ahaha. I figured blending into the hatsumode crowds would actually make me harder to spot."

"Honestly. It worked out since you were not recognized, but even Uesugi-kun was exasperated."

"True. Still, running into Fuutarou-kun's family two years in a row at hatsumode — what are the odds?"

"Ah, well, this year I coordinated with Raiha-chan so we could time our visits to... Hmm? This script..."

"What about it?"

"There are notes scribbled all over it. You really do take your work as an actress seriously."

"Hehe, I am the agency's up-and-coming star, after all."

"However, there are quite a few kanji mistakes. 'Go for a monkish performance here!' — that would make it a religious drama. The correct word is 'gritty'¹³... Wait — WHAT!?"

"Whoa, what? Was there a mistake that bad?"

"N-No... I turned the page and there was a kiss scene... Ichika, did you actually perform this scene?"

"Relax — my kiss partner was a girl! That drama's already aired, actually. You didn't watch it?"

"I was busy studying for exams. Anyway... wh-what was it like, kissing someone yourself?"

"Ohhh? Curious, are we? I bet you've never kissed anyone, have you, Itsuki-chan?"

"O-Of course not! In high school, that sort of thing is improper! I-I-It would never happen unless it were an accident! But... well, I do have a small amount of, um, academic interest... Were you nervous?"

"—Yeah. My heart was pounding like crazy."

"Even you, Ichika!?"

"I'm still a teenage girl, you know. And it was kind of a forceful kiss, too. But... after it was over, the other person got all flustered, and it was really cute. I mean, I was flustered too, so I was pretending to be calm the whole time. And the park at night — the setting actually had some real atmosphere to it."

"A park? The script says the kiss takes place in a classroom."

"R-Right, so it does!"

"...Are you hiding something? Your face looks red."

"No it doesn't!? I just... remembered the kiss really vividly, and it got kind of embarrassing, that's all."

The Album

"Phew. It's getting a little warm. I think I'll take this apron off... Oh, so that's where that album was? Under the bed?"

"Oh! Your hair is long in this photo, Ichika!"

"That's from when I was in first year of middle school."

"Why did you cut it again? Sorry, it's completely slipped my mind."

"It was getting in the way of club activities. I played tennis in middle school, remember?"

"That's right! Is this a photo from a tournament?"

"Yeah. Summer tournament, first year. I still had long hair back then."

"Short hair suits you wonderfully, but I think long hair would look good on you too."

"Thanks. No plans to grow it out right now, though. I really like this style, and long hair is a pain to maintain."

"I understand that completely. This photo, though — you look so natural in the uniform with your racket. Did you not place second at the district tournament in your second year? Why did you quit... Ah, was it to pursue acting?"

"Pretty much. I did okay at the district level, but at the prefectural tournament I lost in the second round. Plus, I had a tough rival."

"A rival?"

"Quitting the tennis club wasn't because of her. But I thought maybe acting could be the place where I got results — the way that rival did."

"Was she really that good?"

"Absolutely! A very special person to me."

"...Hmm. You certainly seem to hold this rival in high regard."

"Oho? Jealous? Curious about your onee-san's social circle?"

"Th-That is not it at all. I am simply curious about who this person is."

"Then how about we play tennis sometime... no, wait, that'd give me too much of an advantage. Let's go play badminton instead! If you can win a set off me, I'll tell you about my rival."

"What!? I am really not that good at sports."

"I'll teach you! I actually even got Fuutarou-kun to play badminton with me. You'll pick it up in no time, Itsuki-chan."

"Well, if even he could manage it, I should be fine! Please go easy on me."

—Something like that.

We chatted as we tidied up the room, and about an hour and a half later...

Thanks to the support of the meticulous, hardworking Itsuki-chan, lo and behold — that pigsty had undergone a stunning before-and-after transformation¹⁴.

"Oh, this..."

Itsuki-chan fished a small photo frame out from behind the shelf where it had fallen.

"You had this on display."

"I thought it had gone missing, and it turns out it defected to behind the shelf."

"Hehe. Since it never left the room, 'hiding out' would be more accurate, wouldn't it?"

We sat down side by side on my bed, still chatting.

What Itsuki-chan was holding was a photo of the five of us with Dad from six years ago.

Taken in the living room the day we moved into this condo.

"I'm glad it turned up. Thanks. And with that, the great deep clean is officially complete."

Time to get to the real topic... No, wait.

Maybe one more little push, just to be safe?

"Itsuki-chan, let me use your lap."

"That is rather sudden."

"I'm a little tired. Pretty please?"

"Honestly, you are hopeless."

Go ahead, said Itsuki-chan, patting her thighs with a soft pof pof.

I took her up on the offer and rested my head on her lap. Itsuki-chan stroked my hair gently, as if to say good work today.

Come to think of it, Mom used to do this for me too.

So warm.

The soothing comfort of being petted by her small, gentle hands was making me drowsy.

But I couldn't drift off to dreamland just yet.

The groundwork was done. Now I could finally get to the real topic.

"Thank you."

But then.

Itsuki-chan did something I hadn't expected.

"What's wrong? I'm the one who should be thanking you."

"Well, unless I am mistaken — this whole deep-cleaning plan was something you organized for my sake, wasn't it?"

Sharp.

The entrance exams must have been keeping her brain in top gear.

My actress-trained composure kept the surprise off my face, but there was probably no point trying to hide it now.

"Busted, huh?"

"We are quintuplets, after all. I can tell at least this much. And honestly — Ichika volunteering to deep clean was suspicious enough on its own."

At first glance, her expression seemed as calm and composed as ever.

"As we cleaned, I realized what you had done. You asked for my help so that you could put yourself in my debt, which in turn would make it easier for me to ask you for help."

"........"

"You thought that if you created that dynamic, I would find it easier to open up about whatever is troubling me, correct? Even the lap pillow was part of building up that debt, was it not?"

You are as sharp and considerate as always, said Itsuki-chan with a smile.

Ah — there it was again.

I knew I recognized that smile. A fake smile.

"Thank you for worrying about me. But I am fine."

Not wanting me to worry, Itsuki-chan put on a fake smile.

What should I do...

The memory of the fireworks festival we'd gone to in our second year of high school came flooding back.

That night.

I'd been hiding the loneliness of not being able to watch the fireworks with everyone, so I'd put on a fake smile.

And Fuutarou-kun had stopped me.

That was what Itsuki-chan looked like right now — the same as me, that night.

The thing was, Itsuki-chan could be pretty stubborn. Ordinary methods weren't going to get her to open up about what was bothering her. Then — I had an idea.

"I am no longer a child. I can resolve something like this on my ow— Bweh!?"

I sat up, gently pinched both of Itsuki-chan's cheeks between my fingers, and got a deadpan glare in return.

"What are you doing."

"Sorry, sorry. But listen, Itsuki-chan."

At a festival, the year before last.

The words that Fuutarou-kun had said to Nakano Ichika when she couldn't watch the fireworks with everyone — I decided to pass them on.

"That fake smile? Let's drop it."

Itsuki-chan's eyes went wide. I let go of her cheeks and smiled.

"Just kidding! Fuutarou-kun said almost the same thing to me once. 'Drop that fake smile' — just like that."

"Uesugi-kun said that?"

"Honestly, at a time like this, I think you're supposed to find your own words. But nothing good came to me off the cuff. So I borrowed Fuutarou-kun's line instead! Delivering someone else's script onstage — that's what an actress does, right?"

As I spoke, I said a silent thank-you in my heart.

Thank you, really, Fuutarou-kun.

You reaching out to me that night is what saved me today.

No matter how much I grow, I just can't beat you.

You've always been the one pulling me through.

It hit me all over again — what you taught me wasn't just schoolwork.

I'm glad you were my teacher.

I'm glad I was your student!

"Just now, Itsuki-chan, you had the exact same look on your face as I did when he said those words to me."

That night, just like me — Itsuki-chan was carrying a loneliness inside her.

And I was pretty sure I knew what it was about.

"You've been worrying about how after graduation, we won't be able to spend as much time together as quintuplets — haven't you?"

I had a strange certainty about it.

We were quintuplets. I figured she might be troubled by the same thing as me.

And when I saw Itsuki-chan's sharp intake of breath, I knew I was right.

"How can you possibly be that perceptive?"

"Hehehe. Go on, praise me more!"

"Um... That is amazing! Wonderful! Full marks with a gold star!"

"Mm-hm, mm-hm."

"Now let us do our best for high school entrance exams too!"

"...Uh, I'd rather not go back to being a first-year again."

"I-I am so sorry!? Force of habit from my tutoring job!"

"Ahh, I see. That caught me off guard, but getting full marks with a gold star felt pretty nice! So you're kind of high-energy at the tutoring center, huh."

"That is not the case at all. Your deduction was simply so impressive that I wanted to shower you with praise."

"Ahaha. The truth is, I've been worrying about the exact same thing as you. That's how I figured it out."

"You too, Ichika...?"

I answered Itsuki-chan's words with a smile and a nod.

"Worrying about the same things — quintuplets, right? And it reminded me. Something similar happened back when we first moved to this house."

It's almost dinnertime, so I'll tell you the details tonight, I said with a smile.

Doing the deep clean had turned out to be the right call.

When Itsuki-chan rescued that family photo, it jogged my memory.

The dream from last night.

It had a continuation I'd forgotten.

"Ichika. Are you still awake?"

Six years ago. A few days after we moved from the apartment we'd shared with Mom to this condo.

Past midnight, I was lying in my darkened room unable to sleep when someone slipped in.

"Yotsuba?"

A small silhouette floated faintly in the dim.

A girl clutching a single pillow, with a big ribbon on her head.

Yotsuba, in her pajamas, padded over to my bed.

"Hey, Ichika? Can I sleep with you tonight?"

It was too dark to make out her expression clearly.

But her voice was small, and there was something uneasy about it.

"Sure."

"Wait, really!?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I figured the usual Ichika would say something like 'This bed is mine and mine alone!'"

"Ahaha, I mean, it is the private room I've been dreaming about. But if you thought that, then why'd you come to me?"

"W-Well, that's..."

Don't ask, said Yotsuba, flopping down on the bed and burrowing under the blanket.

She must have been lonely. That was what I thought.

We used to lay out our futons next to Mom and each other, so having her own room must have felt wrong.

I understood the feeling. Deeply, painfully.

I'd been the same way ever since we moved into this condo.

"Ichika? Want to talk until we get sleepy?"

"Ghost stories? Maybe this place really is a stigmatized property after all..."

"D-Don't tease me! It's not like I'm scared of ghost stories, but let's not, okay? Not right now."

"Fine, fine. So what do you want to talk about?"

"Um..."

Still wearing her ribbon, curled up beside me, Yotsuba opened her mouth as though confessing something she'd been hiding in her heart.

"The day we moved here, Itsuki said 'If anyone cannot sleep at night, you are welcome to come to my room,' remember? But the reason I didn't go to Itsuki's room tonight is because I had something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Talk to me about?"

"...Do you think she'll be okay? Itsuki's been trying to take Mom's place lately, right? But it's not really working out."

Yotsuba was right.

"From now on, I will be... I will become your mother."

At Mom's funeral, Itsuki had said that.

With tears welling in her eyes, as though trying to convince herself as much as anyone, wearing a look of such sadness.

And after that, Itsuki had changed.

She started speaking the way Mom did. She started carrying herself the way Mom had.

But just like Yotsuba said, the results were... not great.

"Itsuki keeps messing up. She accidentally sprayed herself with the shower while cleaning the bathtub, she shrank a shirt in the dryer, she put so many snacks in the shopping basket at the supermarket that she ran out of money..."

"That last one is kind of cute, though."

"And then dinner today? Itsuki tried to cook the way Mom used to, but it went really badly, right?"

"It wasn't half bad, actually!"

I'd been trying to gloss over it.

The croquettes Itsuki had struggled so hard to fry were burned black and hard as rocks.

But seeing her in the kitchen with tears in her eyes, I just couldn't tell her they tasted bad.

"What do you think, Ichika? Is it really impossible for Itsuki to take Mom's place?"

There was a faint tremor in her voice.

In the dark of the room, I couldn't quite make out the expression of Yotsuba lying just inches away.

But there were things I could tell even so.

That was why I decided to give the answer I'd arrived at.

"That's not true, Itsuki."

For a split second.

The girl beside me — no, not Yotsuba — Itsuki shot upright in surprise.

"How did you know!?"

"Easy. Yotsuba's been wearing that ribbon all the time lately, sure — but she wouldn't keep it on in bed."

"That's..."

"You probably found it lying around in the living room or somewhere and grabbed it, right?"

She must have put on the disguise to make me think that ribbon = Yotsuba.

But it had actually backfired on her.

In the dark, she would've been harder to tell apart from our other sisters if she hadn't been wearing the ribbon.

"And the pillow."

"The pillow?"

"Yotsuba tosses and turns like crazy in her sleep. She keeps a second pillow at the foot of her bed in case she flips around. But you only brought one pillow. That's what told me you weren't Yotsuba."

Sure, it could have been Nino or Miku in disguise.

But the subject of the conversation had pointed me to Itsuki.

She'd wanted an honest opinion, I was sure of it.

Could she really take Mom's place?

But she couldn't just come out and ask.

She was the one who'd declared she would become their mother, and all she had to show for it was failure after failure.

If she showed her childish side on top of that, she'd only disappoint everyone more — or so she must have thought.

So she'd come to talk to me disguised as Yotsuba.

"...As I thought, it is impossible."

In the darkness, Itsuki's voice colored with tears.

"I-I cannot even impersonate Yotsuba convincingly, so becoming a replacement for our mother is clearly out of the question! Changing the way I speak is meaningless!"

"Itsuki..."

"I am not as tall as Mom was, my figure is not as good... I know! If I double my meals starting tomorrow, maybe I can become more like her..."

"That's not how it works."

"Th-Then... quintuple them..."

"It's not a question of portion size, and you already eat the most out of all of us, so let's not go there. No matter how hard you try, you can't become Mom right now."

I heard her breath catch sharply.

To wash away the worry and tears of our littlest sister, I kept going.

"Right now, at least."

"Huh?"

"That's what I believe. —Itsuki-chan."

"...Itsuki-chan?"

She blinked at me in confusion, so I continued.

I wanted to share even a little of what my sister was carrying inside.

I wanted to halve it — divide it between the two of us!

"You're the youngest, right? So of course you can't take Mom's place right this minute. It's going to take time."

"Ichika..."

"Lots of time, probably. But don't worry. You don't have to try to support everyone all by yourself. From now on, I'm going to be more like a proper onee-san!"

Right, Itsuki-chan!? I beamed with everything I had.

Of course, there was no actual age difference between us quintuplets.

But just for now, I wanted to reassure her — you're the baby of the family, so it's okay if you can't do it right away.

I didn't want to deny Itsuki's effort.

I wanted to encourage her — to tell her she'd get there someday.

And if Itsuki was going to become Mom — then I wanted to become a real onee-san.

As the eldest, I wanted to be someone who could support everyone.

So that none of us quintuplets would ever have to cry alone!

"Thank you."

A faint, soft laugh spilled out in the darkness.

Oh, thank goodness!

It sounded like she'd stopped crying.

"Thank you for telling me a joke to cheer me up."

"—Huh?"

Wait.

What? No. What?

What did she just say?

"Because there is absolutely no way, even if the world turned upside down. You, acting like a proper onee-san."

"Th-That's not—"

"You are quite mean, Ichika. Forget onee-san — you are a little bully. Just recently you ate Nino's ice cream without asking, copied Miku's homework answers word for word, stuck Yotsuba's stickers all over your own bag without permission, and tried to make me eat the shiitake mushrooms you did not want at lunch."

"...!"

"Pfft — ahaha! There is absolutely no way someone like you could ever become a proper onee-— BWMPH!?"

No, Itsuki's speech pattern had not spontaneously mutated into some anime-character original.

I'd simply puffed my cheeks out in a sulk and given both of Itsuki's cheeks a firm little pinch.

"What are you doing!?"

"That's MY line! I try to act like a loving onee-san for once, and you laugh THAT hard!? Don't you think that's a little much!?"

"The very fact that you are doing this proves you are not cut out to be an onee-san!"

"Well then, Itsuki-chan, you're not cut out to be Mom either!"

I shouted it, but I let go of her cheeks.

I'd held back, but apparently it was enough — Itsuki angrily ripped off the ribbon she'd been wearing and flung it away.

Then she scrubbed at her tears with the back of her right hand, and—

"I have decided. I will become like Mom before you ever become a proper onee-san."

"WHAT!?"

"I will not lose to you, Ichika! Absolutely not!"

"W-Well, I'm not losing to you either! I'll become an onee-san before you become Mom!"

"You dropped the '-chan.' I thought you were going to be more like a proper onee-san?"

"I'm not losing to you, Itsuki-chan!"

"Please stop calling me that! It is childish and I do not like it!"

"Oh yeah!? You asked for it, Itsuki-chaaaaaan!"

A sisterly brawl erupted on the bed that was a little too cramped for two.

But with Itsuki beside me—

The loneliness I'd been feeling ever since we came to this too-big penthouse faded, just a little.

"Man, we really were kids back then, huh... Wait, Itsuki-chan?"

After dinner in the living room, we were back in my room.

When I'd finished reminiscing, the youngest of the Nakano family had turned red all the way to the tips of her tiny earlobes.

She collapsed onto my bed, and from those pink lips, she squeezed out a single word:

"How embarrassing!"

"Yeah, it is."

"How can you sit there with a straight face!? That last story just unearthed the darkest chapter of our past...! We were so childish in that episode! I would absolutely never do anything like that now!"

"But Itsuki-chan, even in middle school, whenever you accidentally watched a ghost show, you'd sneak into my bed or Nino's, right?"

"Th-That's..."

"And just last month, remember? We all watched that horror drama I had a guest role in. Except my character was a ghost, so after it ended, every time you bumped into me around the house, you let out these tiny little screams."

"See, Ichika is mean after all! You are not acting like an onee-san at all!"

Itsuki-chan pouted, her lips puffing out in protest.

The sight was a little childish.

But — she'd grown so much more than she used to be.

The proof was in how hard Itsuki-chan had worked to become a stand-in for our mother.

She'd failed plenty of times, but she'd helped us even more than that.

And now she'd moved beyond the goal of becoming Mom's replacement and was drawing a dream of her own, by her own will.

A future as a teacher.

"Maybe it's time I stopped calling you 'Itsuki-chan.'"

I asked the question while sprawling on the bed beside her.

I'd started calling her "Itsuki-chan" to cheer her up when she was little.

She'd grown into such a fine person now.

Maybe she didn't need that nickname anymore.

"N-No, you can't!"

Still lying on the bed, Itsuki-chan cried out in a flustered panic.

"Well, um, you have been calling me that for so many years now, so I have gotten completely used to being called 'Itsuki-chan'... and, well..."

Maybe she was embarrassed at how loudly she'd blurted that out — Itsuki-chan pressed her lips together tightly.

Then, timidly, in a voice so small it was almost inaudible, she let one quiet sentence slip.

"Being called that by you, Ichika... I actually do not mind it."

...Wait.

That was unfair.

That was absolutely playing dirty.

"Oh! In the story just now, when Ichika ate my failed croquettes, you said 'I actually don't mind them,' remember?"

She must have realized how childish she was being.

Itsuki-chan's eyes glistened faintly with embarrassment, and she fidgeted as she spoke:

"I am sure that was just you being considerate of my feelings, but... um, j-just so we are clear... what I said just now was not a lie, all right?"

She looked straight at me as she spoke — in that thoroughly Itsuki-chan–like, earnest way of hers.

"I realize saying this may seem quite childish, but... I like it when you call me 'Itsuki-chan,' Ichika. So please do not stop?"

No good.

My little sister was way too cute.

I couldn't... hold back anymore!

"I like you too, Itsuki-chan!"

I launched a hug attack right there on the bed, and Itsuki-chan let out a little yelp.

"P-Please stop clinging to me!"

"Gotta make my first dream come true too, right?"

"What does that even mean? Besides, the rule about counting whatever dream you had on New Year's Eve as your first dream was only for yesterday—"

"If it comes true, it's good luck! My exams and my acting career will both go great!"

"What kind of logic is thaaaat!?"

I held Itsuki-chan tight as she tried to sit up, and pushed her back down onto my bed.

Just like the sleepover in my dream.

But unlike that night, this bed wouldn't become a ring for a sisterly brawl.

Even as Itsuki-chan protested with her words, she smiled.

A real smile.

When I thought about it that way — maybe I'd gotten a little more onee-san-like since we were kids?

And now, I felt like I understood something.

It was because of the memories from that night that we'd become who we were now.

Even memories that were embarrassing, bitter, painful, or sad could be turned into a source of strength.

And if they were fun, happy, joyful, warm memories — all the more so... wait, was I really getting this philosophical?

Heh. Maybe a certain tutor-kun had rubbed off on me.

Anyway — if we all kept making those kinds of memories together, then—

"———"

Even if our time as five got shorter from here on out, maybe we'd be okay!

"How about we make a 'Quintuplets' Day'?"

The evening of January 3rd.

I decided to share my idea with my sisters, gathered in the living room with the sunset sky visible through the windows.

From now on, once a month, the five of us would get together and have fun.

Starting in April we'd all be in different stages of our new lives and everyone would be busy, but we'd do our best to coordinate our schedules. We could even pick monthly events to match the season.

Sure, we'd still see each other at home and have meals together like this — but that alone felt a little lonely. A little incomplete.

I wanted more time as five — more memories divided equally among us.

I'd hesitated a little, though.

At hatsumode, I'd set a goal of becoming more independent.

So was it really okay to come up with an idea that relied on my sisters? That was a contradiction. Didn't it just prove I wasn't independent at all?

But I was sure that if it were Fuutarou-kun...

"Heh."

After I finished explaining the Quintuplets' Day plan —

In the living room bathed in the glow of sunset, someone — no, everyone — smiled.

"If everyone except Ichika is smiling, does that mean you all had the same idea as me?"

"Looks like it. Being on the same page as Nino, though — that's a rare one."

"Our tastes are all over the map, but every now and then we end up like this, huh?"

"Hehe. That is just who we are."

"Wait — what do you mean?"

I tilted my head in confusion, and Nino loosened her cheeks. "Not like you to be slow on the uptake, Ichika."

"I was thinking the exact same thing as you."

"What!?"

"Actually, me too."

"Yotsuba too?"

"I was going to suggest the same thing to everyone. During hatsumode, Itsuki seemed like she was worried about something. I thought maybe she was struggling with the same thing as me."

"Miku..."

"I also thought about it last night. Once we graduate high school, our time together as five... our daily life together will shrink. But if we have fun memories of the five of us together, I think we can always look back on them the way you would flip through a photo album — and feel happy again. And also..."

"Also?"

When I prompted her, Itsuki-chan broke into a faintly bashful smile.

"I think this is what Uesugi-kun would have done. Uesugi-kun always racked his brain for our sake and truly did so much for us."

Everyone nodded at her words, smiling.

"Fuutarou-kun came up with so many study problems for us, remember? He was brutal about it."

"At the fireworks festival two years ago, Fuu-kun came up with the idea to set off fireworks in the park. He couldn't tell us apart at all back then — the poor thing really struggled."

"When we got into a fight as sisters, Fuutarou worked so hard to get us to make up. We all ended up falling into the river together, though."

"Every time we were in trouble for midterms or finals, he came to the rescue! Hehe, one time I was late, and Uesugi-san tried to get through it by putting on a ribbon and disguising himself as me."

"For our birthday present, he gave us a photo album he had put together from our school trip pictures. The fact that it came well past our actual birthday was very Uesugi-kun."

Watching everyone's smiling faces as they gushed about Fuutarou-kun, I felt it all over again.

Yeah — quintuplets, through and through.

Just like me, I was sure they'd all sensed that Itsuki-chan was troubled during hatsumode.

We were sisters who'd spent our whole lives together.

It made perfect sense that we'd pick up on the same things, piece them together, and land on the same conclusion.

And that conclusion was — the Quintuplets' Day idea!

"Oh."

Right.

My first dream had ended with the fight on the bed with Itsuki-chan.

But there had been more to what happened that night, six years ago.

That night — while Itsuki-chan and I were arguing, someone knocked on the door.

It was just before 1 AM.

Who could it be at this hour? Everyone should be asleep... unless it's a ghost?

I'd said it as a joke, but — wait, what if this really was a stigmatized property!?

That thought must have spooked us both, because Itsuki-chan and I forgot to even breathe as we stared at the door — never mind our fight.

"Ichika, are you awake?"

The ones who came through the door were Nino, Miku, and Yotsuba, all in their pajamas.

It seemed like all three of them had been too lonely to sleep in their own rooms, too.

On top of that, they'd all been worried about Itsuki-chan after her spectacular dinner failure.

So they'd figured the youngest might be too upset to sleep and decided to check on her room.

But Itsuki-chan wasn't there.

Yotsuba had suggested, "Let's go look for her — she's probably feeling scared and crying somewhere right now!"

Apparently they'd been searching all over the house.

"How come Itsuki's in Ichika's room?"

"Oh, um... I got lonely and couldn't sleep! So I dragged Itsuki-chan out of bed and begged her to come sleep with me!"

We'd been fighting right up until they arrived, but I covered for Itsuki-chan.

I genuinely felt like I should hide the fact that she'd been crying in my room.

"Ichika..."

Itsuki-chan stared at me in mild surprise, but before she could say anything, Nino shouted:

"Honestly! Ichika, you never change!"

"Wait — did you just call her 'Itsuki-chan'?"

"Ooh, why, why!?"

"A secret between just us two! Right, Itsuki-chan?"

"Y-Yes, that is right."

After that, Nino got huffy that I was the only one sharing a bed with Itsuki-chan and insisted on sleeping with us too.

Then Miku and Yotsuba followed suit.

"Ahaha. Five people in a single bed is a little tight, don't you think?"

"We're quintuplets, so we should be able to split the bed five ways too!"

"Hehe. It's more cramped than when we slept in our old apartment. And here we are, living in this fancy house now."

"It'll be fine! If we snuggle up close, we'll just barely fit!"

"When the five of us sleep together like this, we will not be lonely. We should be able to sleep soundly."

Right, Ichika? Itsuki-chan whispered from beside me, and I nodded back with a smile.

Then, in a voice so tiny that only I could hear, lying right next to her—

"Thank you for coming to my rescue."

The same words she'd whispered that night six years ago.

Itsuki-chan now said them to all of us, in the living room that evening.

"Don't worry about it. We were all feeling the same loneliness. Besides, Mom always used to say, remember?"

After asking that, Nino extended her right hand — nails painted with manicure — across the table.

"We overcome each other's failures together, as five."

Saying that, Miku reached out her slender right hand too.

"We share each other's happiness together, as five."

With her trademark warm smile, Yotsuba followed.

"Joy, sadness, anger, and tenderness."

Answering the call, I joined in too.

"All of it, equally divided among the five of us."

Last of all, Itsuki-chan extended her hand.

The five of us linked thumbs and pinkies in a circle.

As if confirming the bond between us sisters.

I'd thought about this earlier, but maybe my choice was contradictory.

I'd wanted to be independent, and here I was leaning on everyone because I was lonely.

But — right now, I wanted to accept that weakness in myself.

Because I had a feeling that doing so was, in itself, a step toward independence!

"'Quintuplets' Day,' huh..."

What kind of fun things were waiting for us?

Just thinking about it made my heart race.

But this heartbeat wasn't mine alone.

Through our linked fingers, I felt like I could hear a melody made of all five of us.

Yeah, I knew it.

Being quintuplets... it really was great.

Well, anyway — that was how it went.

If it had ended there, it would've been a picture-perfect happy ending. But reality has a way of being deeply unreasonable.

Life doesn't follow a tidy script like the movies and dramas I'm in.

"I can't accept this!"

Nino shouted in the living room.

See, the problem with the Quintuplets' Day plan was that every single one of us had put serious thought into what she wanted to do each month.

And on top of that, as if we'd all taken a page from a certain tutor-kun, we'd mapped it all out meticulously by hand in notebooks.

"April absolutely has to be cherry blossom viewing. We all eat bento together under the sakura trees. And viewing the blossoms at night would be so romantic!"

Nino proclaimed with full conviction.

"No way. April should be camping. What about glamping? I hear the facilities handle everything, so it's camping on easy mode."

Naturally, I wasn't backing down either.

"Why don't we try immersing ourselves in Japanese cultural heritage for once? I've compiled a list of interesting locations."

Miku, casually steering toward her own interests.

"How about mountain climbing!? A sisterly-bonding adventure!"

Yotsuba, her curious eyes sparkling.

"I vote for a food excursion somewhere a bit farther out. A quintuplet gourmet road trip, if you will."

Itsuki-chan, already daydreaming about three-star restaurants she'd never tried.

With everyone like this, the discussion naturally went nowhere.

Though honestly, I probably should've seen this coming.

We had things in common because we were quintuplets, sure — but when it came to personal taste, we were less "peas in a pod" and more "five different flavors in one box."¹⁵

Ahh, what were we going to do...

Well, when it came to this, there was only one way things could go!

"Come on everyone, let's value teamwork!? We'll never reach an agreement like this!"

"We have to do this every month from now on...?"

"You're one of the people who suggested it, Miku!? Don't give up — commit to this!"

"Please, let us all calm down. If we work together, we can find an answer."

"Then how about you give in, Itsuki-chan? Every single one of your monthly plans is food-related."

"Wh-What is wrong with that!? You should be the one to yield, Ichika! You are the eldest!"

"That's so unfair — sibling harassment! The only difference is what order we came out of the womb! You're the youngest, so how about showing your onee-san a little appreciation for once!"

Before we knew it, we were bickering again.

A meeting that dragged on well past dinnertime.

What echoed through the top-floor penthouse was a cacophonous quintuplet quintet so devoid of harmony that Beethoven himself would have flown into a rage.

Staring out the window — the sky long since shifted from evening to night — someone let out a sigh.

And then.

Thoroughly exhausted by a debate with no end in sight —

As if to say we've had it — all five of us sisters screamed at the top of our lungs:

"Being quintuplets is such a pain!"