Around my neck, my usual blue wireless headphones.

An early-summer coordinate from a fashion magazine I'd borrowed from Ichika.

Hm... The coordinate itself was fine, but maybe from the running, my expression was stiff.

Cursing my usual lack of stamina, I faced the glass, pushed up both cheeks with my index fingers, and loosened up the muscles.

I wanted to spend the whole day in a bright mood. Let's go with extra smiles.

"Huh."

In that instant, our eyes met.

I hadn't noticed before, but in the seat on the other side of the glass was a girl who wore her long hair well.

A star-shaped hairpin. A breezy off-shoulder top, and a pure white long skirt brimming with elegance.

She had the air of a college girl enjoying a day off on her own.

Except, on the table was a tray loaded with fries, two huge hamburgers, plus a hot dog drowned in ketchup and mustard, and to top it off, an L-size drink.

A heaping lineup like a growing high-school baseball player.

She must have noticed me a while ago, because she stayed in her seat and gave a small wave with a smile.

"She saw me..."

Practicing my smile.

Feeling my cheeks heat up from embarrassment, I went into the café and made for the seat.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Not at all. Right on time."

I greeted her like nothing had happened, and my companion—Itsuki—answered with a smile.

"The train was late."

"You ran here? Thank you for the effort."

Want some coffee? Itsuki held out a drink with a straw in it.

I took it gratefully, and the iced coffee with syrup and milk seeped into my parched throat.

I don't like things too sweet, but sugar works wonders on a tired body.

"It isn't the matcha soda you like, Miku."

"It's cold and good. Brought me back to life."

I sat down across from Itsuki and let out a long breath.

"Look, those two."

"Their faces are identical! Twins, maybe? So cute."

I caught that conversation from a faraway seat. A miss.

Ichika. Nino. Yotsuba. Itsuki.

And me, Nakano Miku.

The quintuplet sisters of the Nakano family.

Well, only two of us here, though.

"I hope we find a good present."

"Yeah."

Today's date was May 1st, smack in the middle of Golden Week.¹

This year was a ten-day stretch off.

On this literally golden day, Itsuki and I had come shopping, just the two of us.

May 5th—the quintuplets' birthday.

To pick out presents for that day.

It started with Ichika.

[Heads-up about May's "Quintuplets' Day" — the Quintuplets' Heart-Pounding Birthday Present Exchange~!

• Each of us prepares one present.

• Budget within 5,000 yen.

• Make it a one-of-a-kind present that, as much as possible, doesn't overlap with the other sisters'!

• On the day, we swap presents at random by drawing lots.

• On the day, each of us presents "why I chose this present"! It's a presentation about a present!

Those are the five basic rules.

If you can't decide, talk to your onee-san, okay?

Let's make it the best HAPPY BIRTHDAY ever!!]

"That's a lot of energy."

Out of the café, walking through the mall buzzing in the middle of Golden Week, I read back over the message Ichika had dropped in the quintuplet group chat last week.

"Quintuplets' Day."

Now that we'd graduated high school, it was hard to be together all the time like before.

So this was a plan to make a chance for the five of us to hang out once a month.

May's "Quintuplets' Day" fell on our birthday—the five of us.

We'd never given each other presents before, and now here she was making a proposal like this.

"Maybe she's high on overworking."

But I guess that couldn't be helped. Lately Ichika was really something.

"She's on the verge of a nationwide breakout, after all."

"It's impressive. She's in a ton of dramas too. As a character who doesn't die right away."

"It's not unusual anymore for Ichika's name to trend on social media."

"She hides it in front of Ichika, but Nino was over the moon about it."

"Heehee, as family-minded as ever. It seems she's secretly following every episode of the dramas on streaming too. She's a full-fledged fan at this point."

Watching Itsuki smile, my own cheeks loosened up on their own.

Come to think of it, it felt like a while since Itsuki and I had gone out, just the two of us.

Maybe because Itsuki's hobbies line up with Nino's, she went out with her a lot.

"Anyway, I'm glad you invited me, Miku. I'll do my best to help you pick your present too."

"Y-yeah. Thanks."

Right.

"I can't decide what to get for a present. Want to go shopping together?"—that was the excuse I'd used to invite her.

The truth was, my present was already decided.

We'd graduated high school, and everyone had started their new lives.

A lot of the time we ate lunch at school or at our part-time jobs.

So I'd thought a new lunchbox might be good.

"I could make lunches for everyone, too."

"? A lunchbox?"

"Ah, u-um... Lately I've been thinking I might make lunches for everyone!"

I strung words together to cover it up.

"Ichika likes salty stuff, so maybe salted squid and sautéed spinach. Spinach is rich in vitamins, so it's good for the skin too—perfect for an actress."

"I see. Then what about Nino?"

"Nino's worried about all the taste-testing in her school practicals, so something healthy. Like a tofu hamburger steak with lotus root mixed in, for that crunchy texture and some heft."

"Just hearing about it makes it sound delicious...!"

"Yotsuba gets the protein-loaded sports-college meal. Ginger-fried chicken breast as the main, and I'd want to add a banana or orange for dessert."

Itsuki keeps a monster in her stomach, so for her, heft comes first, I guess.

Goya chanpuru, the kind we'd eaten in Okinawa on our graduation trip, would pack in plenty of meat and vegetables.

Just dreaming up menus that suited everyone made me excited.

I'd been taking nutrition classes lately, so it looked like I could put what I'd studied into practice.

"That's amazing. You've gotten even more knowledgeable about cooking."

"Heehee. I study every day, after all."

...Wait, no good.

I'd come here today for Itsuki's sake, so I needed to think about the present too.

"I just can't seem to decide..."

Three days ago.

I'd happened to overhear Itsuki muttering that with a difficult look on her face in the living room.

Itsuki was the most dutiful, serious, and meticulous of the sisters.

She was probably agonizing over choosing a present that anyone who received it would be happy with.

She'd seemed unusually grave about it, too.

And besides...

"By the way, how's the friend-making going?"

"...Ahaha. It's pretty tough."

"It's fine. Someone like you will manage it in no time, Itsuki. Even I did."

"That was Rose-san, right? I heard you two had a bit of a falling-out a while back, too."

"That's settled now."

"Good. So you came to understand each other."

"No. We figured out that even friends can have convictions they'll never see eye to eye on."

"Isn't that more of a falling-out...?"

"It's fine. We decided to respect each other's convictions instead of denying them."

"Amazing, that's such a grown-up way to resolve it!"

Itsuki's eyes sparkled with admiration, but I couldn't tell her.

That we'd fallen out over how to interpret a hot-guys Sengoku anime.²

I mean, I still think turning every warlord into a hot guy is questionable, but I feel less off about the show than before.

I think part of it was that I went to see the theatrical version with Nino.

It came across that the story actually respects history quite a bit.

"No."

Let's get my head back on track.

Even if I couldn't help with making friends at college, I at least wanted to help Itsuki pick her present.

I'm the third daughter.

Maybe because I'm right in the middle of the quintuplets, I rarely acted big-sisterly the way Ichika or Nino did.

So today, I was going to do my best and be a proper big sister!

"Itsuki."

It being Golden Week, the mall corridors were as lively as a festival.

In the crowd, I signaled with my eyes—Let's hold hands so we don't get separated?

"Thank you."

Quintuplet eye contact, established.

I gripped Itsuki's outstretched right hand tight.

It felt a little overprotective, but Itsuki has a bad sense of direction.

"Let's go look around the shops."

"Of course!"

Still holding hands, we went into the first shop.

If the two of us searched together, we'd find the presents in no time!

An hour and a half later.

Apparel, sporting goods, cosmetics, food... We'd looked around all kinds of shops, but—

"We really can't seem to find anything..."

At a bookstore inside the mall, Itsuki's cute face clouded over.

"How about this book?"

"365 Days of Home Cooking? A Japanese-food edition, a Western-food edition... There are all kinds in the series."

"You might live on your own someday, so studying cooking now seems like a good idea. By the way, the person who wrote the sweets edition, Shimazu Ringo—she's a lecturer at our school, and... ah."

"Is something wrong?"

"Now that I think about it, no good. Nino owns this whole series..."

"Don't get down! Um... ah, look! This fashion magazine, Ichika's on the cover. Learn from a Young Actress! The Cool Beauty's Perfect Private Life!"

"She sleeps and wakes in that pigsty of a room, though..."

"Ahaha... Should we buy this one, do you think? If sales go up, maybe they'll put Ichika on the cover again."

"Let's get it. I'll pay."

"Are you sure?"

"Let me play big sister once in a while."

After buying the fashion magazine at the register.

Next we headed to a variety-style select shop selling all sorts of things.

"A teacup might be nice. My favorite one broke, so I'd been wanting a new one."

"Tableware might be a safe bet."

"Or we could just go for laughs. The party-goods corner here has all kinds of costumes too."

We moved over in front of a shelf lined with costumes.

"This Chinese-style waitress one looks like it'd suit you, Itsuki."

"Do you think so?"

"The color's red, and that's very you."

"Heehee, I usually wear blue more, but I think red would suit you too, Miku. Like this one."

Itsuki reached for a red hakama shrine-maiden outfit sealed in clear plastic.³

"Now that you mention it, working part-time at a shrine might be something to aspire to."

"Ah, that reminds me—at the start of this year, you said you wanted to try a new challenge, right? Could that have been about a part-time job?"

"Huh?"

"Around January last year, I think you said you wanted to work at a maid café, too."

"No. Not a maid café."

"Then what kind of challenge... huh? This sailor uniform."

"Ah."

"The hem is incredibly short. Your belly button would be in full view."

"...I-Itsuki."

"And the bottom is a swimsuit. So there are ones like this, too."

"That's... not a swimsuit. It's underwear."

"What?! Why would underwear like this be... ah."

"...Want to buy it?"

"I-I won't buy it! What are you saying?! There's no way I'd buy it!"

Cheeks still colored, Itsuki fled the select shop like she was escaping.

And then she sat down on a bench in the plaza inside the mall.

"As I thought, a gift that everyone will be happy with is difficult."

Letting a sigh slip from her cherry-pink lips, with a serious face—

"For costumes, Nino would be a bunny girl, Yotsuba a cheerleader, Ichika a suit... no! I feel like a doctor's white coat would suit her...!"

"Let's step away from costumes for now?"

"Ngh... You're right. It's just, I can't come up with any other good ideas..."

Itsuki went on in a downcast tone.

"Ichika said 'a one-of-a-kind present that doesn't overlap with the other sisters',' didn't she?"

"Yeah. That way the person who receives it will be happier too, I think."

"But the five of us have lived similar lives for a long time. Coming up with a present that doesn't overlap with anyone's might be surprisingly difficult."

"It's fine. If the two of us think about it, we'll manage. For example, a gift none of the sisters has ever picked before—that feels like it'd lower the odds of overlapping."

"I see. Or making use of your own individuality..."

"Ah, you know a lot about gourmet stuff, Itsuki—how about sweets? Macarons might be perfect for a celebration, for example."

"A brilliant idea!"

Itsuki nodded happily, but then she seemed to notice something and shook her head with a "no."

"If I give food, it feels weak on surprise—it won't be one-of-a-kind. And Nino would probably think of something food-related too..."

What could I give to make them happy... Itsuki sank into thought.

Knowing Ichika, I figured she'd only written "one-of-a-kind" on a whim, but it felt like Itsuki was overthinking it and getting herself worked up.

Still, I understood wanting to worry about overlapping with someone.

Our personalities and tastes are all different, but like when we decided to do "Quintuplets' Day" every month, sometimes all of us make the exact same choice.

Maybe it's a worry unique to quintuplets.

But it was fine.

"I've got a plan for when we hit a wall."

"Huh?"

"It's Golden Week, so how about we take a break for once? I thought up a bunch of places to have fun."

I sent the list to Itsuki's phone.

A scenic photo spot I'd heard about from Ichika.

A nail salon I'd heard about from Nino.

A cheap, delicious cake buffet favored by sports-college students that I'd heard about from Yotsuba.

"Is there anywhere you want to go?"

They were all outside the shopping mall, but it was 2:45 right now.

There was still plenty of time, so let's refresh ourselves for a bit.

"This shop is the one!"

But the one Itsuki picked was the break spot I'd chosen myself.

"Have you been there before, Miku?"

"No. I'd been curious about it, though..."

"It does seem like a shop you'd like, Miku."

"Y-yeah."

I nodded, a little flustered.

That's right—why had I forgotten? That girl was at this shop!

If Itsuki ran into that girl... No, it's fine.

The odds of running into her had to be pretty low!

"Then let's make it here. The same as my—"

"As your...?"

"Ah, no... M-my seminar professor said he often goes to shops like this, so I'd actually been wanting to try it out!"

"Is that so."

After answering, I touched my phone and checked the shop's location.

"Wow."

Two stops by train from the station nearest the shopping mall.

The moment I arrived in front of the shop, a few minutes' walk from the station, I couldn't help letting out a cheer.

Hedgehog Café TOGETOGE.⁴

A shop where you could interact with hedgehogs.

"Heehee. To think the sign alone makes you this happy."

"I mean, it's too cute."

I gazed, enchanted, at the sign with a hedgehog drawn on it.

The spiky back. The pointed brown nose. The round little eyes. And the tiny limbs.

I think they have the potential to start a revolution in this country's pet scene at any moment.

Yes—the age of the hedgehog is here.

You can't afford to slack off, Japan.

"Let's hurry inside."

The interior was retro-modern, and either it was kept clean or something, because there was no animal smell at all.

"It feels like the air conditioning is a bit stronger than at the bookstore we were just at."

"I think it's for the hedgehogs. The comfortable temperature for a hedgehog is around 25 degrees. If it's too hot, they go into a state called estivation, where they go limp and stop moving."⁵

"Heehee, to know that much. You really love them."

"Of course."

"You had stuffed ones on display in your room, but don't you want to keep one?"

"Ngh... I want one so badly, but."

"But?"

"They're said to be hard to raise. They're weak to both heat and cold, so you have to strictly manage the humidity and temperature. Keeping one takes resolve, so right now it's probably no good."

"That's a shame. Still, I understand wanting one, Miku."

They're very cute, Itsuki said, gazing at a poster displayed in the shop.

This was bad. My heart had been completely stolen by the charm of the hedgehogs.

As the big sister, I had to keep Itsuki entertained!

"We are currently at full capacity. It will be about a thirty-minute wait before you can meet the hedgehogs."

After the receptionist told us that, we waited thirty minutes in the shop—which had a lot of foreign customers too—talking with Itsuki along the way ("We should have made a reservation," "So they call them 'the hedgehogs,' huh").

At last the time to meet face-to-face arrived, but...

"Here is Fuutarou-kun, the four-toed hedgehog."

The one hedgehog that came over in a wooden cage had a strangely familiar name.⁶

"...Miku. Don't tell me..."

"It's not that."

"Out of how lonely you are not being able to see Uesugi-kun, you deliberately came to a shop with a hedgehog that shares his name..."

"It's not that!"

Even as I denied it, I lowered my eyes, wanting to cover up my embarrassment.

The reason I'd been curious about this shop was that, around last summer, I'd happened to spot a little one with the same name as Fuutarou on the website.

There were other hedgehogs too, so I'd figured the odds of running into him were low!

This morning's horoscope really was a total bust.

"Is it really a coincidence?"

"Y-yeah."

But Itsuki's earlier words were half right.

Ever since Fuutarou moved to Tokyo, I hadn't been able to see him at all, so I was really lonely...

He'd said in an email that he couldn't come home over Golden Week because of his job, too... No, getting down isn't good.

Fuutarou was working hard for his family's finances, after all.

"Fuutarou-kun has a bit of a difficult personality, so he doesn't much like having his back touched. I think it's best to scoop him up with both hands and pet him that way."

After the staff member explained, I turned my gaze to Fuutarou again.

The cage had no top, so the inside was in full view.

Fuutarou was curled up on light-brown bedding called corncob litter.

He was a bit bigger than a softball.

When I stretched out a hand trembling faintly with nerves and anticipation, he shook his quills and threatened me.

Just like the staff member said, he seemed like a difficult little one.

"What do I do..."

"Miku..."

"This is too on-point. He's just like Fuutarou back when we first met. Could it be—the real thing?"

"Are you aware you're blurting out nonsense?"

"Maybe Fuutarou's living spirit has possessed him."⁷

"Heehee. In that case, if we pay him a salary he might get along with us."

That's it, and Itsuki rose from her seat.

She received a small plate from the staff member and came back.

"Cookies, for a snack. I could buy them for an extra 350 yen."

"The bait strategy?"

"If this little one resembles early Uesugi-kun, then the way to win him over is, after all, money."

Now then, it's time for your payment in kind, Fuutarou-kun, she said.

Itsuki brought one cookie from the plate up to Fuutarou with a pair of tweezers.

Fuutarou, who'd been giving the cold shoulder, clearly changed the look in his eyes.

With his tiny mouth, he finished off the small, strip-cut cookie in no time.

For just an instant, his tiny pink tongue showed as he licked the corners of his mouth, and it was too cute.

"So cute..."

"Indeed..."

"He's making a face like he's thinking, 'I dunno what this is, but it's good!'..."

"I can tell..."

This time I held out a cookie, and he ate it.

Fuutarou nibbling away at his snack with all his might was too adorable.

"Has he warmed up to us by now, maybe?"

After giving him plenty of snacks, I lightly touched the area along Fuutarou's side.

I did it—he let me touch him!

"Whoa."

Not only that, he brought his face close to my finger and nuzzled it.

"W-what do I do, Itsuki?! Fuutarou's suddenly getting all pushy!"

"He's even identical down to the mercenary streak..."

"He nuzzled me."

"Heehee. I get the feeling he just had an itchy face and wanted to rub it, though."

"That's on-point too."

Fuutarou would never act spoiled so easily.

Even as I thought that, I lifted Fuutarou's tiny body up with both hands.

Oh? Lifting me up, huh? Can't be helped, I did take the salary!—his round little eyes seemed to tell me something like that.

He stayed quiet and still on my palm.

I brought my face close, but there was almost no smell, and—whoa, his claws are tiny like sesame seeds!

While I was overcome, he stared up at me with an innocent, baby-like expression, twitching his brown nose, maybe expecting another snack.

"S-so cute."

At this point the difficulty of keeping one didn't even matter...

The world's pet situation was about to be turned upside down.

You can't afford to slack off, Earth!

"That's it! For the present—how about something hedgehog-related? It definitely wouldn't overlap with anyone, and everyone would be happy."

"A brilliant idea... no! Hold on! Has your judgment gone dull from too much cuteness? I'm not sure Ichika and the others would be happy to receive hedgehog goods."

"Ngh, now that you say it."

"I do think they'd smile like you did just now if you were the one to draw it, Miku, but... ah, that's right."

Itsuki turned her phone camera toward me.

Having my doting-over-Fuutarou face photographed was embarrassing, but I gave it my best smile.

"Heehee. I got a good picture."

"Really?"

"Yes. Uesugi-kun was nice and well-behaved too."

I held back a laugh that almost burst out.

Itsuki had the name wrong.

"Let's tickle him, coochie-coochie."

Maybe her maternal instinct had been stirred, because Itsuki stroked Fuutarou's side with a finger, smiling.

"He looks like he's enjoying it. So cute, Uesugi-kun."

This was bad.

I wanted to record it on my phone.

"I'd honestly like to keep him. Uesugi-kun, won't you become our family's child? I'll pet you lots."

I wanted to share scatterbrained Itsuki's cuteness with the other quintuplets too.

Secretly recording it and uploading it to the group chat... no, that's no good.

With just audio, everyone's brains would probably get destroyed.

"Ehehe. U-e-su-gi-kun."

"Yeah. So cute, Uesugi-kun."

Maybe because I got dragged along by fully-doting Itsuki, I got the name wrong too.

In that instant, Itsuki's face flushed all the way up to her forehead.

She must have finally realized she'd been getting the name wrong, because—

"Th-that's not it, okay?"

"Itsuki. Don't tell me..."

"No."

"Because the days of not being able to see Fuutarou kept piling up, you deliberately chanted his name over and over to soothe your loneliness..."

"No! There's no way I'd do something like that!"

"Pfft."

"Honestly, don't laugh, Miku~!"

After putting Fuutarou back in his cage, Itsuki patted my shoulder with both hands, pat-pat.

But her expression eased right away.

"Did the hedgehogs' cuteness heal you?"

"No. The hedgehogs are cute, but you're cute too, Miku."

"Huh."

"Your smile while you were playing with Fuutarou-kun—it healed me."

"...Honestly, no getting me back."

I muttered that, wanting to cover up my embarrassment, and stood up.

I headed to the counter to buy drinks.

"Glad Itsuki seems to have refreshed herself."

After placing my order, I murmured it under my breath.

If this kept up, picking the present would surely go well too.

"Hm?"

But as I tried to head back to the seat with the green tea and coffee in both hands, I noticed.

Beside Itsuki was a slender girl who wore her hair in a chignon well.

She was probably around my age, but... who was she?

"No way! That's a problem!"

Itsuki seemed strangely flustered for some reason.

Was she being hassled, maybe?

If so, I had to help!

"Ah, could that be your sister over there, Nakano-san?"

The girl, noticing me, smiled.

...Nakano-san?

"...Miku. Let me introduce you."

When I came over to the table, Itsuki opened her mouth like she'd resigned herself to it.

"This is Date-san. A friend from my university."

"I was surprised."

The time was four-thirty.

On a park bench we'd stopped at after leaving the hedgehog café, I spoke to Itsuki.

"To think you'd made a friend. Why were you hiding it?"

"Actually, I'd been planning to invite Date-san to our home sometime soon."

"Is that so?"

"Everyone was worried about whether I could make friends, after all. I wanted to surprise you."

"Ah, I see. So when you were flustered earlier..."

"Date-san apparently comes to the hedgehog café often too, but I never imagined we'd run into her. If she'd bumped into you there, Miku, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"

"I see."

She must have been happy to make a friend her own age, and wanted to introduce her to us.

The surprise part made sense too.

Between us, I'm planning a surprise for everyone, too.

"Date-san and I often take lectures together and have lunch and so on."

"You're close."

"We're both aiming to be teachers, so we get along, and we're in the same seminar too!"

"I'm glad you made a good friend. But... sorry."

I felt like I hadn't talked with Date-san very well back at the café.

Maybe because I didn't want to show my shy side in front of Itsuki's friend, I think I ended up talking too one-sidedly.

"Heehee, an assertive Miku driving the conversation was refreshing. Date-san's hobbies, hometown, favorite foods..."

"Ngh... please forgive me. With a samurai's mercy."⁸

I'd shown a side of myself that wasn't very big-sisterly.

If it had been Ichika or Nino, would they have talked more naturally?

"Don't look so glum."

Under the evening sky, Itsuki, sitting beside me, gave my downcast shoulder a pat.

She wore a faint smile, as if to cheer me up.

"I was happy. Because you tried to get along with my friend."

"B-but! I want to make it up to you somehow!"

"Make it up?"

"Is there anything you're having trouble with? Other than picking the present!"

Wanting to recover my big-sister points somehow, I asked on impulse.

At that, Itsuki fidgeted with her glossy hair, then looked at me with clear eyes.

"Then, would you give me a bit of advice?"

"Of course. Tell me anything."

"Thank you. Just between us, there's something I've been agonizing over and can't seem to decide. Because of that worry, I feel like I haven't been able to fully focus on picking the present, too..."

I caught my breath.

The reason I'd suggested today's shopping was that Itsuki had said something just like that in the living room.

Maybe—that hadn't been about picking the present.

"Actually, I've been agonizing over whether to join a club."

A huh?! of surprise slipped out of my mouth.

By club, she meant a university club activity, right?

"It makes sense to be surprised. I've never even been in a club before now."

"If it's something you've decided, Itsuki, I'll support you."

"Really?"

"It's the Gourmet Research Society that recruited you before, right? You're going to aim to be a student food fighter."

"That's wrong."

"Then a cooking research club? Scouted as a taste-tester, maybe."

"That's a miss too. The one I'm wavering over joining is the school festival executive committee."

"Huh?! Why... ah, if you join, do you get to eat all the festival stalls for free?"

"Miku, are you all right? Every time you open your mouth it's nothing but food. Are you hungry, maybe?"

"You're the last one who gets to say that to me..."

"What is that supposed to mean!"

Honestly, Itsuki said with a wry smile, and explained.

It was called a committee, but what they did was almost the same as a club.

The activity period ran almost all year round.

Itsuki's university held a school festival twice a year, and they worked out plans for running the event.

It turned out Date-san was a committee member too, and as Itsuki heard about it, she'd come to find it appealing.

"There's a room they use in place of a club room, and the members eat lunch there, chat after lectures, and have study sessions, apparently."

"Sounds fun."

"Doesn't it?! The new-member welcome period for clubs has already passed, but I'd like to take a step forward, partly to widen my circle of friends."

And besides, Itsuki said, her fair cheeks softening as if reminiscing.

"At last year's school festival, Uesugi-kun and Yotsuba ran the event as class representatives, didn't they?"

"Could it be... you looked up to those two?"

I said it on quintuplet intuition, but it seemed I was right. Itsuki nodded.

"During the school festival, I was studying for entrance exams whenever I had a spare moment, after all."

"Do you have any regrets?"

"No. Thanks to that, I got into my first-choice university and could move forward toward my dream of becoming a teacher."

"Yeah. I think you're really admirable, Itsuki."

When I praised her honestly, Itsuki gave a faint, bashful "Thank you."

"Still, there's a part of me that wishes I'd gotten to enjoy my youth like Uesugi-kun and the others."

"I get it. That kind of experience seems like it'd be useful when you become a teacher in the future, too."

"Yes! And the other day, an email came from Uesugi-kun."

"From Fuutarou?"

"It said, 'Have you made friends at university?'"

...Yeah.

Fuutarou himself was probably saying it out of consideration, but...

"Hearing it from Fuutarou, who used to be a loner, just makes you panic instead."

"Right?! Well, he's probably worried about me."

"If anything, let's make a lot of friends and put him at ease."

"Yes! According to Date-san, everyone on the committee is a good person. There are also plenty of alumni who went into teaching, so apparently you can hear their stories from time to time!"

"That's the full package. There's no need to hesitate..."

No—Itsuki had seriously worked hard studying for entrance exams to make her dream come true.

That's exactly why she thought this way.

I got into university to become a teacher, so do I really have the luxury to do club activities?

For Itsuki, joining a club was a path she'd never chosen before.

Maybe she was afraid of that change.

And the relationships surrounding Itsuki might change in a big way, too.

"I understand how you feel, Itsuki."

I, too, had been afraid of changing and gotten cold feet once.

Even so, with help from Fuutarou and everyone, I think I was able to change.

That's exactly why I wanted to be there for Itsuki.

Taking on something new is a good thing. I started something new, too!

I wanted to tell her that, but...

No good.

Like club activities for Itsuki, this was a big change for me.

Something the Nakano Miku of before would never have chosen.

Of course, I think she'd support me without being critical.

But the way I am now, I still...

"Thank you!"

Maybe she'd noticed my face cloud over, because Itsuki thanked me.

"Talking about all sorts of things cleared my head a little."

"Really?"

"Of course. As thanks, I'd like to take you to a special place of mine right now."

"Yours?"

"We still haven't decided on the present, and it'll surely be a good change of pace!"

So saying, the place Itsuki named was, to me, a fairly unexpected one.

[KO! YOU WIN!!]

"I did it!"

Looking at the words displayed on the square monitor, Itsuki, seated on a round stool, let out a cheer.

The place we'd come to was a game arcade.

It wasn't the kind that was mostly crane games, which had been on the rise lately—it had all sorts of games.

It was crowded since it was Golden Week, and honestly a little loud with the noise of all the games.

But the sight of Itsuki in front of me was enough of a surprise to blow that noise away.

"Did you see, Miku?! The instant my opponent went all-in, I blocked, then triggered a combo right away! I escaped his desperation throw, and even nailed a clean okizeme on his wake-up! A critical hit!"⁹

"Y-yeah."

What do I do. I had no idea what she was saying.

What Itsuki was absorbed in was a so-called arcade fighting game.

The kind where you clatter a stick around with your left hand and work the buttons with your right.

And somehow Itsuki was five wins out of five so far.

"H-hey, M・A・Y's here... somebody jump in."

"No way... there's nobody left in this arcade who can beat 'Ranker-Eater M・A・Y'..."

She was even being called by some menacing nickname.

Listening to the murmurs of the gallery that had gathered at some point, I called out to Itsuki.

"Amazing. I don't really get it, but I get that you're strong, Itsuki."

"I've been practicing at home too. I bought an arcon with the pay from my cram-school job."

"Arcon?"

"An arcade controller. I wasn't good at games, but lately I've been grinding away at it as a break from studying. The timing for an effective back-dash and forward-dash, and I've also been studying various things about pokes and counter-pokes by watching pro gamers' videos, and—ah, I'm sorry. Playing all by myself. Will you play too, Miku?"

"It's fine. I've already played plenty."

Yeah—since coming to the arcade, plenty.

"Unfortunately, they didn't have what I was after."

"Did you want a kangaroo plushie or something? You liked those, right?"

"S-something like that. Is there anything you want, Miku?"

"Um, this, maybe."

The two of us playing the crane game.

With a practiced hand, Itsuki grabbed me a plushie of a character named Kumatii.

I thought about just picking a present from the crane-game prizes, but I couldn't find anything with enough surprise to it, so it was a no-go.

"There it is! A trifecta! A jackpot ticket!"

"Itsuki, amazing."

At the horse-racing game she hit a long shot, and the medals came pouring out.

While I was admiring how amazing she was—

"Eek! Miku! Reload, quick! Kill it with a headshot!"

"Wait! I'm doing it now!"

At the horror-style gun-action game she did nothing but scream, totally useless.

Blasting zombies together was a satisfying kind of fun, though.

Itsuki giving it her all with her curly hair flying everywhere was endearing, too.

"I was surprised," I said as we walked through the arcade, exchanging words.

"Do you come here pretty often?"

"I come with Raiha-chan a lot, too. This place holds memories for me."

Itsuki blushed faintly and looked bashful.

Come to think of it, I remembered there was a photo-booth print stuck to Itsuki's phone, taken together with Fuutarou and Raiha-chan.

"I held back during exam season, of course, but the number of times went up after I started university."

"Why?"

"Um... I had time to kill after lectures."

"Ah."

"Until I got close with Date-san, I was a loner, after all... Walking alone through a lively campus during the new-member recruitment period, I just felt so forlorn..."

"I-Itsuki."

"So while I was coming here all the time, I got hooked on all sorts of games. As if to vent the stress of not being able to make friends, I trained hard on an old laptop I borrowed from Dad, and the result was—on a whim, I entered a regional fighting-game tournament and came in second...!"

"Idiot. If you were lonely, you should have said so. I would have come with you anytime. Actually..."

Sorry I didn't notice, I apologized.

I understood it really well. While the people around you keep widening their circles of friends, being all alone yourself is lonely. And unlike me, Itsuki was sociable, but until now she'd mostly tagged along after us older sisters.

Maybe that was why I'd never seen her become like best friends with a classmate.

Just like me.

So I'd wanted to notice sooner.

"I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize... oh, that's right! Shall we take some photo-booth prints?!"

Maybe to change the mood, Itsuki tugged me toward the photo-booth corner.

After we got inside the machine, she worked the buttons in a familiar way and said—

"How about something like this?"

"Pfft."

I burst out laughing in spite of myself.

What showed up on the booth's screen was me and Itsuki with our eyes blown up to about three times their size.

"Heehee... not the face of an Earthling..."

"When I came with Raiha-chan, we tried all kinds of ways of shooting."

"This is funny in its own way, but let's take a proper one? As a memento of coming here together."

"Yes!"

Watching Itsuki put on a cheerful smile, I thought to myself.

Itsuki had changed.

She used to be nothing but serious—not the type to take a break at a game arcade.

She would have focused only on studying, without wavering over whether to join a club.

Before exams there'd been a time when she couldn't unwind well and lost her appetite, but now it was different.

Coming to the arcade all the time worried me a little, but she was venting her built-up stress and managing herself.

"Miku. Please smile."

When I saw Itsuki's gentle smile on the screen, it really sank in.

Itsuki was growing properly.

And that made me happy, like it was about myself.

"Hey, Itsuki. Are you free the afternoon of the day after tomorrow?"

After we finished taking the prints, I made up my mind.

Like Itsuki, who'd started moving forward, I wanted to take a new step too.

"? I'm free, but."

To Itsuki, who tilted her head just a little, I smiled.

"This time, I'll take you to a special place of mine."

"Welcome home, princess."

Even though I got a little lost in the winding back alleys.

The moment I entered the shop Miku had specified, a young female cast member greeted me with a smile, and I was completely taken aback.

"I-I'm home!"

I answered reflexively, then my face grew hot with regret.

That wasn't a line the customer was supposed to say.

But it couldn't be helped that I'd act suspiciously after being treated like a princess out of nowhere.

Japanese Café Chacha.

May 3rd, with a present everyone would be happy with still undecided.

What I'd come to was a Japanese-style maid café.

When I'd checked the shop's website on my phone earlier, there'd been the phrase: [Cute town-girls will wait on you!]

The walls and tables inside the shop were all wood-grain, with a Japanese aesthetic.

It was full of cast members dressed up in uniforms that looked like a mix of kimono and maid outfits.

According to Miku, she'd asked me to come here at three in the afternoon, but...

"Is this Miku's special place?"

After a cast member showed me to a counter seat, I thought it over.

Could it be that this was somewhere Miku frequented?

"Hm? Miku?"

While I was deep in thought, a foreign cast member spoke to me.

"What are you doing? Your little sister's coming soon, right?"

"Huh, um... excuse me, but who might you be?"

"Huh? Quit messing around and get ready... wait, what?"

The blond cast member stared hard at my hair, then said—

"Don't tell me you're not Miku?! Seriously, you're not Nino either, incredible! KAGEMUSHA!"¹⁰

"Um, you are..."

"Ah, I'm Rose. From Miku's school... oops."

The cast member who'd named herself Rose said, "Pardon me. Please wait just a little longer," in remarkably fluent Japanese, then swished her skirt and walked away.

...What was going on? That person was probably Miku's friend Rose-san, wasn't she?

She seemed to work here, but...

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

In that instant, I lost my words.

The one who came over was Miku.

What she wore was a different-colored version of the other cast members' uniform. The top had a blue, kimono-like design. The bottom was a knee-length skirt with a pure-white, frill-trimmed apron.

It was a splendid blend of Japanese and Western styles, and it suited her well, but... huh? What was this? This?

Don't tell me she was working here?

Miku, here?!

But this shop was...!

"What would you like to order?"

Ignoring my astonishment, Miku put on a soft smile.

"U-um... then, this drawing omurice, please."

"Certainly. Please wait a moment."

After smiling, Miku stepped away from the table once.

Amazing—both her service and her smile were natural!

The calm, Miku-like smile suited her perfectly.

"I'll do a drawing. Do you have any requests?"

A little while later, Miku, who'd brought the omurice over, said that.

"Um, then... I'll leave it to you."

"Certainly."

After a small nod, Miku decorated the omurice with ketchup in a practiced hand.

What she finished was the face of a round-eyed animal with pointed ears.

"A kangaroo?! Amazing, you're so good!"

"I practiced drawing a lot, after all."

At the sight of Miku, her lips loosening a touch proudly, my chest went ticklish.

"This kangaroo is really cute. It almost feels like a waste to eat it."

"Then, shall I cast a spell to make you want to eat it?"

"Huh?"

"...Love, love, I love you, get yummy~."

She must have been embarrassed to do it to a sister.

After making a heart shape with both hands a little awkwardly, Miku winked, looking bashful.

...What do I do.

More than my surprise at hearing my same-faced sister say such an outrageously calculated line, the cuteness won out!

That it was an embarrassed expression rather than a service smile made it earnest and adorable.

Couldn't Miku make this shop a hit in one fell swoop?!

You can't afford to slack off, maid-café world!

"Is something the matter?"

"Ah, um, I'll dig into the omurice now... hm?! Th-this...!"

"You noticed."

"The egg is fluffy and runny, and the chicken rice has an indescribable richness to it... there's probably miso as a secret ingredient, isn't there?! It's incredibly delicious!"

"I'm glad it seems to be to your liking. Although..."

She smiled calmly, heehee.

Miku took a tissue from the table, then said—

"You've got ketchup on you."

And wiped the ketchup from the corner of my mouth.

"Ah, sorry, Itsuki."

"What's the matter?"

When I asked, Miku looked bashful, as if covering up a slip.

"Contact with customers is a no-go here. That just now was... special, because it's you, Itsuki. Keep it a secret?"

When I made the request in a tone that wasn't keigo, Itsuki, seated at the counter, nodded.

"Of course. Still, I was surprised."

"Yeah?"

"When we went shopping, you said you didn't work at a maid café, didn't you?"

"This isn't a maid café, it's a Japanese-style maid café. Totally different."

"To me it isn't much of a difference, though."

"The uniform's Japanese-style and all. The manager here is an unusual person. They originally worked at a high-end Japanese restaurant, but got tired of the work, and happened to be healed by a maid café they stopped into. So they opened this place, apparently."

"Surprisingly turbulent..."

"The shop itself has a homey feel—no late-night hours, no alcohol served. By the way, Rose's homestay is at the manager's house."

"I see, so that's why she works here."

When she asked, Were you invited by Rose-san too, Miku?, I shook my head a little.

"I said I wanted to do it myself."

"Huh?! ...Really?"

"Is it that surprising?"

"It was written on the website. 'Singing by the town-girls!' Do you sing too, Miku?"

"More or less."

There was a small stage inside the shop, and if a customer requested it, the cast would perform a song.

The old me definitely would have shrunk back, but—

"Cooking school doesn't just teach cooking."

"What do you mean?"

To Itsuki, who'd asked, I explained.

To get a job at a restaurant, you have to study how to deal with customers too.

There were classes on customer service, phone handling, and even how to handle complaints.

I was still keeping up the bakery job.

But while I'd gotten good at making bread, the manager had handled all the complaints and such.

"The classes got me thinking I wanted to train my service skills more."

"Indeed, being a town-girl does seem like it'd build communication skills. Still, it doesn't seem to have much to do with singing."

"You can repel complainers with song."

"Huh?"

"Let's fight with a rap song."

"Why hip-hop..."

"You could do it too, Itsuki. If I close my eyelids, the picture comes to me."

I shut my eyes and imagined it.

Itsuki, clad in street-style fashion—

The customer is god! But complainers are so lame! Send 'em packing quick, business is booming, I'll bump your luck right up, fortune on the rise—!

...Yeah.

Catastrophically unsuited to her.

"S-sorry! I shouldn't have made you do this even in my imagination...!"

"Being apologized to that much is complicated in its own way, though."

After apologizing to Itsuki, who puffed out her cheeks cutely with a honestly, I went on.

"Fighting with rap is a joke. But if you sing in front of customers, you'd build up some nerve, right?"

The tension when talking to someone for the first time might lessen.

I hadn't really liked singing in front of people.

But ever since Fuutarou conducted us for the graduation chorus, my thinking had changed a little.

"The fact that your approach is surprisingly bold is so you, Miku!"

"Thanks. But honestly, juggling jobs is really tough. I feel like I understand Fuutarou's struggles now..."

"Uesugi-kun did work a lot of part-time jobs, after all."

"Also, please keep this job a secret from everyone and Fuutarou for now. I got embarrassed with the spell just now, too—my service skills are still a work in progress."

"The way you took the order was really good, though?"

"That was because it was you, Itsuki, so I could do it without getting nervous."

Wanting to cover up the true feeling that had slipped out, I went on.

"A-and I'm still in the middle of practicing the songs, so my repertoire is small."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. But I'm still deciding... I thought it might be an option to invite everyone and sing, to surprise them."

"A surprise, in other words."

"So, will you keep it under wraps?"

"Of course!"

Itsuki smiled innocently.

"Hey, Itsuki."

I had to say it.

That was why I'd called Itsuki out today.

"You seemed to be wavering over whether to join a club, but I think you should do what you like right now. You can trust the things you've come to love a little more."

After conveying how I felt, I felt my cheeks take on a faint heat.

"Believe in the things you've come to love."

Back when we'd just met, Fuutarou, having learned I liked warlords, had said a line like that.

Because I was his student, maybe I'd been influenced by my teacher without realizing it.

It was a little embarrassing, but it warmed my heart.

The time I'd spent with Fuutarou.

The memories.

And the words he'd given me—they still shone inside me even now.

Because Fuutarou had been there, I'd been able to like myself.

"Itsuki, you focused too hard on exam studying and lost your appetite, right? So you don't end up that way again, you'd better find a way to unwind from studying."

Yeah—studying isn't the only thing that matters.

We knew that well. Because Fuutarou taught us.

"Eating's fine, but if it's all binge-eating your weight's going to explode."

"I-I'm not binge-eating, you know? I just eat a little a lot."

"On the flip side, come to the arcade too much and your wallet will get malnourished."

"Don't say clever things like that! Actually, won't you sit down too, Miku? Standing the whole time serving customers is tiring, isn't it?"

"Can't. A cast member sitting next to a customer in this café is a violation of the Entertainment Business Act. Worst case, the shop gets busted."¹¹

"There's a rule like that?!"

"It's different from a nighttime establishment, after all."

As if to steer the drifting conversation back, I left a short pause, then strung my words together.

"Doing something new might be scary. I was anxious about singing in front of people alone, too. But now, I think I'm glad I took on the challenge."

Serving customers and performing songs, getting customers to smile, made me happy.

It even made me smile too.

"It's only a little, but I felt like my world widened."

A new challenge had taught me a new kind of joy!

So, Itsuki, you too—

"Thank you for worrying about me."

Maybe my feelings got through, because Itsuki smiled happily.

"I don't want to lie, so I'll come clean—I've actually already joined the school festival executive committee."

"Whaaat?!"

"Before coming here today, I went to the club room and submitted my membership form. It was a holiday, but Date-san had said she'd be there doing activities."

"O-oh, I see."

"I got to meet everyone on the committee, too! Everyone seemed like really good people!"

"Th-that's good..."

I felt the heat shoot all the way to the tips of my ears.

...If there were a hole, I'd honestly like to bury myself in it.

I'd meant to give her a push, but Itsuki had already moved forward ages ago.

As I thought, big-sisterly behavior just isn't suited to me, the third daughter...

"It's thanks to you, Miku."

But what Itsuki said was an unexpected thing.

"When we went shopping the day before yesterday, we played a lot together, right? It somehow felt like spending time with a friend my own age, and it was so much fun."

"...Really?"

"Of course! Thanks to that, I made up my mind to join. I figured that if I joined, I could make friends besides Date-san, and feel as happy as I did playing with you, Miku!"

"Itsuki..."

"Thank you! Well, as for the birthday present, that's still not decided. As I thought, a non-food present that doesn't overlap with any of the sisters is difficult..."

"It's fine. There's still time until the day after tomorrow, and if the two of us think about it we'll definitely come up with something."

Ah, that's right—when you're thinking things over, replenishing your sugar is effective.

So I went back to speaking in customer-service mode.

"The Japanese sweets here are exquisite. It's a hidden gem the reviewers haven't even noticed yet."

"Really?! I'm so looking forward to it! I'm getting hungry!"

"You're always hungry, princess."

"Ngh... don't say embarrassing things. I'll make you do something embarrassing too, you know, Miku?"

"For example?"

"Like the 'Friendly Two-Shot Cheki' written on this menu!"¹²

"Heehee, you're so confident."

In a corner of the Japanese-style café, we traded life-sized smiles.

Talking with Itsuki using keigo was incredibly fresh.

Even though my birthday was the day after tomorrow, somehow it felt like I'd become a new me.

"You make a heart with both your hands together, like this."

"Like this?"

In front of Rose, who held up an instant camera, Itsuki and I struck a heart pose.

"We got a good picture."

"Yes! When I get home I'll put it up in my room. Still, as I thought, you're really good at customer service, Miku."

"Really?"

"Yes. Your smile in this photo is so cute, too. If, at this shop—"

Mid-sentence, Itsuki froze with a startled expression.

She put a slim finger to her chin, thinking about something.

"That's it... this might just work... and Miku said that, too..."

"Is something wrong?"

When I asked, still in keigo—

Itsuki shouted, "Thank you!" as if savoring her joy, then her expression lit up.

"Thanks to you, Miku, it came to me! A one-of-a-kind present that'll surprise everyone!"

"Happy birthday! Everyone, congrats on turning nineteen!"

May 5th. Three o'clock on the dot.

The Nakano family living room, decked out in gaudy decorations.

Ichika, in casual clothes, set off the party popper in her hand with a "Yay!"

"Ahh, how wonderful, how wonderful. You've all grown up so splendidly—your onee-san is so happy."

Ichika put on an exaggerated act of wiping away tears.

Her tension really was off, after all. Maybe her work-high was still going.

"This cake looks super delicious~!"

Yotsuba, in a 428 parka, flashed an innocent smile.

She'd started living on her own in April, but the apartment she lived in was about an hour from here. So she came back to the family home about once a week.

Reflected in her clear eyes was the mille-feuille piled high with strawberries that Nino and I had made.

"I put what I learned in class into practice."

Nino, dressed in a Lolita-style dress, puffed out her gently curving chest proudly.

"I'd like to dig in soon."

Itsuki gazed at the cake, eyes sparkling.

At that, Ichika waggled a slender index finger, "Tut, tut, tut."

"First up is today's main event, the present exchange! Come on, draw a lot?"

Gripped in Ichika's right hand was a bundle of strip-cut notebook paper.

The careless handmade feel was so very Ichika.

"Put a little more mood into it, would you."

Letting a small sigh slip from her pale-pink lips, Nino said, "Let's draw all at once?" and her mouth loosened.

When all of us pulled a lot together, there were numbers on the scraps.

Number 1 → Itsuki.

Number 2 → Yotsuba.

Number 3 → Nino.

Number 4 → Ichika.

And the one who drew number 5 was me.

"Oh, so my present goes to Itsuki-chan."

Here you go, Ichika said, handing over a small wrapped box with a splendid smile.

When Itsuki opened it, what came out was a white-trimmed rectangular object.

"A photo stand?"

"To be precise, a digital photo frame. Apparently it can display photos put on an SD card, or photos sent from your phone over Wi-Fi. I think it'd be nice to show pictures from 'Quintuplets' Day' and such."

"Amazing, thank you so much!"

"So Ichika. Highly practical, and whoever gets it will be happy."

"Just what you'd expect from the woman who gave Fuu-kun a gift card for his birthday."

"But it's surprising. You're hopeless with machines, yet you came up with something like this~. You worked hard thinking it over, didn't you?"

"Heehee. With your onee-san on the job, it's no big deal. Although, budget-wise it ended up a slightly small size."

"It's more than enough to make me happy! I want to display photos from our high school days too!"

Hugging the photo frame, Itsuki said happily, "I'll treasure it."

Maybe embarrassed at being praised, Ichika brightly prompted, "Next is Nino!" as if to cover up her slightly flushed cheeks.

"Yotsuba. Use it gratefully."

"Ehehe, what is it... whoa, shampoo?"

"It's hair oil. The rainy season's coming soon and the humidity will get strong, so take proper care of yourself."

"Whoa, this is a pretty popular one, right? A junior at my agency wanted it, but she said it was sold out on the online shopping sites for ages."

"Where did you get it?"

"My usual hair salon. They happened to be selling it, and the stylist recommended it, so I bought it."

"Reaaally~? Knowing you, Nino, didn't you work hard hunting down the stock~?"

When Ichika teased her, Nino answered with a cool face, "As if."

But I got the feeling the tips of her small ears went faintly red.

"Thank you! I'll use it carefully!"

With the bottle of expensive-looking honey-colored hair oil in one hand, Yotsuba's smile was at full throttle.

At the carefree display of emotion, Nino's prim expression eased.

When it came down to it, picking something any of the sisters would be happy to receive was very Nino.

"I'm next, huh. I don't know if you'll like it, Nino."

"—Oh my. This."

"A lunchbox. With an insulated bag as a set, in preparation for summer."

"Huh. I was nervous about your choice, Miku, but this is nice."

"If you put in a request, I'll make a lunch with the side dishes you like."

"Knowing you, you'd probably slip something into it."

"As if. You're not the old Nino anymore."

"Ngh... casually firing off venom, aren't you."

"You're the last one who gets to say that to me."

Trading our usual banter, I thought to myself.

Nino was working hard at her cooking-school studies too, so making her a delicious lunch wouldn't be so bad.

"Well then, with all due modesty, I'm next!"

Yotsuba clowned around as she handed her present to Ichika.

"Running shoes! Everyone's foot size is the same, and I figured everyone might be worried about their weight in their new lives!"

"Yotsuba, way too straightforward."

"Well, me and Miku are practically living the food-tasting life every day. And Itsuki's just business as usual."

"Nino? I would very much like you to explain in detail what you mean by 'business as usual.'"

"I'm so happy~. Jogging is my daily routine, and this is that newly released model that's light and easy to run in, right? I'd been wanting exactly this."

"Really?"

"Of course! Thanks, Yotsuba!"

Hugged tight with a smile by Ichika, Yotsuba gave a bashful "hee hee hee" smile too.

Next was the turn for Itsuki's present.

I didn't know what she'd picked either.

She'd said it was a one-of-a-kind present that would surprise everyone, but... what could it be?

While my chest swelled with anticipation, the intercom suddenly rang.

"Looks like a delivery."

Ichika murmured after checking the intercom.

She went to the entrance to receive the delivery, and then—

"Everyone! Big news!"

She came running back into the living room in an oddly excited dash.

What Ichika was cradling in both arms was a smallish cardboard box.

The name written in the sender field of the slip stuck to the box was, of all things, Uesugi Fuutarou.

"No way?! Could it be a birthday present from Fuu-kun?!"

Nino let out a huge cheer.

I—no, surely everyone too—had our hearts leaping about as much as humanly possible.

To think that very Fuutarou would send us a present all the way from Tokyo...!

"All of our names are written in the recipient field, so it's definitely for all five of us!"

"Amazing! You splurged, Fuutarou."

"Everyone! It's too soon to be happy. Knowing Uesugi-kun, the contents might be a handwritten problem set...!"

"Ahaha, even Uesugi-san wouldn't do that~."

Even as she said that, Yotsuba opened the box with a face that blended nerves and excitement.

What came out were five books and a small message card.

[Happy birthday. I managed to make it in time this year. Put them to use in your studies. I'm rooting for you.]

The card had a handwritten message that was so very Fuutarou.

The books had matching book covers on them, so all five looked the same, but—

"Whoa, this one's about theater theory."

"This one's a Chinese-cuisine recipe book!"

"Mine is the sweets edition of 365 Days of Home Cooking."

"This one's training theory!"

"Is this a book about school education?"

The contents were—not ten people, ten colors, but five different flavors of book.¹⁶

Amazing, Fuutarou. He'd properly matched all five of our tastes!

"This book is pretty pricey, though. Heehee, going to such lengths, Fuutarou-kun."

"I think I told Fuu-kun I wanted this book once! He remembered!"

"I'll make the sweets in this book sometime."

"All kinds of training are in here. 'The important thing is to strengthen your core,' huh~."

"It seems useful for writing reports! Still, to think that very Uesugi-kun would do something this thoughtful."

Hugging her book tight, Itsuki's face softened happily.

We nodded with smiles too.

Fuutarou used to wear the title of No-Delicacy like a badge, but he was growing, wasn't he. We'd sent him five presents too, timed to reach him on his birthday, so maybe this was his return gift.

When I thought about how he'd worked a lot of part-time jobs to buy them, my chest filled with happiness.

"Not bad, Fuutarou-kun. We have to send a thank-you message."

"He apparently got a smartphone recently, after all. Still, was this Yotsuba's idea, I wonder?"

"As if! I was surprised too."

"Heehee. You're going to be even more surprised, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

I was really envious, though.

Yotsuba, his girlfriend, surely had some special present apart from the book.

"...Huh?"

But when I looked into the box again, it was already empty.

...You've got to be kidding.

No way, surely not, Fuutarou...

"Th-this is unbelievable."

Sending the butterfly hair ornament bouncing, Nino stood up with force.

"Where's the birthday present from the boyfriend?!"

"U-um, maybe it'll arrive after this?"

"I-it's definitely Fuutarou's own kind of surprise!"

"Hmm, but knowing Fuutarou-kun, he'd probably send it together to save on shipping."

"I-it's fiiine! Just getting the book is more than enough to make me happy!"

Yotsuba covered for him with a smile, but Nino picked up her phone in its bunny-ear case.

What floated over her usually cute face was a smile so furious her hair stood on end.

Rage worthy of Oda Nobunaga betrayed at Honnou-ji.¹³

"Just wait a second. I'm calling Fuu-kun right now."

"Whaat?!"

"It means sending salt to a rival, but I can't overlook this. Even if it's Fuu-kun, the nerve, disrespecting my family like this..."¹⁴

"Um, Nino? I don't mind, you know?"

"Haaah?! What are you saying?! Sure, all five being the same makes me happy as a quintuplet. But today is your once-a-year birthday! The girlfriend has to get special treatment! Absolutely!"

"Nino..."

"This is about as unbelievable as firing venom at someone you've just met!"

"Nino, you do that pretty often, though? You treated Uesugi-san like a stalker at first too, right?"

"Th-that aside! What do you all think?"

A Quintuplet Court was hastily convened.

The prosecutor was Nino. The defense was Yotsuba. The presiding judge was Ichika. The jurors were me and Itsuki, I suppose.

The gentle presiding judge put on a smile as if to cover for the defendant (Fuutarou).

"Now, now. For Fuutarou-kun, isn't that pretty good effort?"

"As a former tutor it's a pass, but as a boyfriend it feels like a make-up-exam case, too."

"But, thinking about it calmly, it's so Uesugi-san!"

"Ngh... well, that's true, but."

"Let's let it slide. Yotsuba says she's happy, and Fuutarou is Fuutarou. Besides..."

"What?"

"The fact that Yotsuba isn't angry at all means she probably got an apology for not being able to see her on her birthday and a congratulations message over the phone last night."

I said it on a hunch, but it seemed I was right.

Under the gathered gazes of her sisters, Yotsuba's cheeks dyed a faint cherry-pink, and after going silent—

"Anyway! Isn't it about time for cake?!"

"It's totally obvious you're dodging! No fair! You being the only special one... wait. Since you didn't get a birthday present from your boyfriend, doesn't that actually make it plus-minus zero?!"

"Do you want Yotsuba to get special treatment or not, which is it..."

"Heh heh heh, I'm curious what kind of message you got."

"N-no! I'll never tell! Because..."

"Like 'I want you all to myself'? Heehee, you're cute, Yotsuba."

"Honestlyyy! Stop grinning at me~!"

Even as everyone chatted away merrily—

The fact that he'd sent a celebration not just to Yotsuba but to us too made the depths of my chest go warm.

I'm easy, even by my own standards.

To think just one present could soften the loneliness of not being able to see him.

Thank you so much, Fuutarou.

When I looked at the [I'm rooting for you] message, somehow energy came welling up.

I'll work hard at my school studies and juggling part-time jobs.

Just like you, Fuutarou!

The birthday passed by in a lively blur.

In the evening Dad came home too and gave us five presents.

After that we all ate dinner and played party games and such, and then—

"Has everyone fallen asleep?"

The time was nine-thirty at night. When Itsuki, who'd gone back to her room once, came back with a tote bag in hand, in the living room were Ichika, Nino, and Yotsuba, sleeping with their shoulders snuggled side by side on the sofa.

"Maybe they got too excited. I'm sleepy too."

"We were playing the whole time, after all. It became the best 'Quintuplets' Day'! We got presents from Dad, too... huh? Where's Dad?"

"In the bath."

The moment I told her, Yotsuba let out a biggish sleeping breath, "Nnh~."

"It'd be bad to wake them, so let's go to the balcony, shall we?"

"Yes. That's just right."

"For what?"

"Actually, there's something I want to talk to you about, just the two of us."

After going out to the balcony, gazing at the May night sky and night view, Itsuki spoke.

"Once again, thank you so much! Thanks to you, Miku, I was able to find the courage to join a club, and I was able to pick that present, too."

"Thank you too. I was really happy, and everyone was surprised."

"It's all thanks to you, Miku. So..."

I wanted to thank you apart from the present, she said.

Itsuki took a small white box from inside her tote bag.

Inside the box was—

"A mug. I got it from the crane game at the arcade."

"Cute...! The pattern's a hedgehog."

"It resembles Uesugi-kun a little, doesn't it?"

"Itsuki, did you get the name wrong again?"

When I pointed it out with a smile, Itsuki got a little flustered, like a hedgehog who'd had its snack taken away.

"I-it resembles Fuutarou-kun, doesn't it? You said keeping a hedgehog is hard, so I thought doting on the goods might be a good idea. It was sold out when we went together, but when I went to look yesterday it had been restocked."

"You remembered that I broke my teacup."

"A mug might not suit green tea, though."

"That's not true. Thank you. I'll treasure it."

"I'm glad you're happy with it! Although..."

"What?"

"Um, we all exchanged presents today, right? Giving only you a special gift like this feels like it might be against the rules, so..."

Itsuki—

Her cheeks faintly dyed rose, her slender shoulders fidgeting—

"It's a secret from everyone, okay?"

—whispered, not in keigo, but in casual speech.

"Ehehe. How was that? I hadn't been using casual speech because I couldn't quite get used to it, but maybe it's from seeing you work so hard serving customers in a different tone the day before yesterday, Miku? It made me want to give it a try."

"—Yeah. I think it's really good. Casual-speech Itsuki is cute too."

"Heehee. It's embarrassing... n-no. It's embarrassing."¹⁵

To Itsuki, who looked down bashfully, I said—

"Still not used to it? If so, want to practice?"

"Huh?"

"Talk to me in casual speech from now on. I'll talk in keigo as practice for customer service."

"Nice! A brilliant idea!"

Watching Itsuki's honest smile, I felt like something in my chest dissolved into the night air.

When we went out shopping, and when I invited her to Chacha, I'd wanted to act big-sisterly.

As a result, I'd messed up in various ways, by my own reckoning.

But—it was spending time with me that became the reason Itsuki decided to join a club.

She picked a one-of-a-kind present.

And she decided to take on a new challenge, like just now.

So then, it's fine, right?

Even if I don't force myself to act big-sisterly.

I have my own way of doing things.

"This mug is really cute."

After saying it in keigo, I made a proposal.

"I'd like to use it to drink the birthday present from you, Itsuki."

"Wouldn't a glass suit it better?"

"It tastes better drunk from this one."

Hugging the hedgehog-patterned mug in front of my chest, I remembered.

The other present from Itsuki.

During the day, after we'd opened Fuutarou's present, what Itsuki gave me was—a bottle of champagne decorated with a dazzling red ribbon.

"It's a birthday, so I went with something celebratory."

Handing over the bottle, Itsuki had worn a bashful smile.

"I'm still nineteen, so it's non-alcoholic, though."

"Amazing! Thank you!"

Gazing at the beautiful, pale-gold champagne in the clear bottle, I'd let out a cheer.

The label written in French-looking letters was stylish too, full of a celebratory mood.

Everyone praised it highly, too!

"Nice one, Itsuki! It's romantic, isn't it!"

"So grown-up~! I thought you'd give a mail-order sweet or something, Itsuki-chan, but this is unexpected!"

"How did you come up with a present like this?!"

When her older sisters praised her, Itsuki stroked her glossy hair bashfully and said—

"It's thanks to Miku."

"? What do you mean?"

"It's a secret."

To Yotsuba, who looked puzzled, Itsuki smiled.

Ichika and Nino made "I'm curious!" faces too, but I was the only one who understood.

"Hey, Itsuki. The reason you chose that champagne..."

On the balcony where the early-summer night breeze blew, Itsuki answered my voice.

"When you served me at the maid café, Miku, I thought—if they'd offered alcohol, I might have ended up giving you a bottle of champagne as a present."

"That would make it completely a nighttime establishment."

"Heehee. A Miku getting excited going 'A bottle's been ordered~!' would have a nice gap to it, and be cute, maybe."

"Honestly. I still can't drink alcohol, you know."

When I answered the joke with a smile, Itsuki laughed too.

"Miku, at the shop you told me, 'You can trust the things you've come to love a little more,' right? At first I thought giving food was weak on surprise and might overlap with Nino. But hearing your words, I felt like I could try trusting the thing I love."

"Itsuki..."

"I'd had non-alcoholic champagne at a restaurant before, but buying it myself was a first. Thanks to that, somehow my heart raced... heehee. It felt like I was taking on a new challenge, and I was happy."

"I'm really happy too."

Giving alcohol—champagne—was a path none of the sisters had ever chosen before.

And besides...

"Hey, Itsuki. When we went shopping, you said, 'We're quintuplets who have lived similar lives for a long time,' but I don't think everything is the same."

"—Yeah. I get what you want to say, Miku."

In the quiet night air, Itsuki smiled.

Yes—the five of us had each lived different ways too.

That's exactly why everyone has a different individuality.

To put it as a comparison, like the birthday present Fuutarou gave us.

The same book covers were on them, but inside they were five totally different books.

"Heehee."

This time, too, that individuality was put to use.

Precisely because Itsuki knew gourmet things, she'd reached a new idea that was hers alone!

"Thank you. It's full of surprise, and above all, the fact that you worked hard to think it over, pick it, and decide on it makes me so happy. It was the best present—so much so that it feels like a waste, and I hesitate to drink it."

"Heehee. Drink it before it goes bad, okay?"

"Since we have the chance, I'd like to drink it together with you, Itsuki."

"Huh?! Is that okay?"

"Of course."

Being able to exchange not just presents but joy with everyone made today the best "Quintuplets' Day."

Above all, that Itsuki trusted the thing she loves and took on a new challenge made me happy, just like it was about myself.

That's exactly why I wanted to share with Itsuki.

The one-of-a-kind happiness Itsuki had given me!

"There's something I'd like to talk over while we drink, too. Won't you help me with the surprise for Ichika and the others?"

"The thing about inviting everyone to my workplace?"

"When everyone and you come, I want to sing at the shop."

"Really?! The day before yesterday you were still wavering."

"I don't know if I can sing well, but I thought I'd try taking on the challenge."

I'd decided to work hard juggling part-time jobs, after all.

For that very reason, I want to sing something as bright and party-like as possible—like a birthday song.

Of course, singing in front of people still makes me nervous, but—

"Do your best!"

Maybe because Itsuki cheered me on, the inside of my chest was warm.

I started to feel like I could do anything.

"On the day itself I'll record it on my phone!"

A surprised "Huh" slipped out of me in spite of myself.

Maybe because the day before yesterday I'd left the shop before singing in order to buy a present, Itsuki's big eyes sparkled with anticipation and excitement.

And with the tension of a dad or mom getting carried away at their kid's sports day, she shouted—

"Miku singing and dancing is so rare! I have to record it!"

"U-unfortunately, there's no dancing. I pretty much just stand stock-still and sing—"

"Oh, I know, I'll bring a penlight and a fan! To cheer you on!"

"Um, Itsuki?"

"How about I ask everyone in advance and do call-and-response from the audience? To liven up the song!"

"That wouldn't make it a surprise, would it?"

Even as it slipped out in my natural manner, the sight of Itsuki talking in casual speech was endearing, somehow fresh, and my cheeks loosened.

Singing in front of people makes me nervous as ever, but I think I'll manage.

When we went shopping, I practiced my smile and all, but...

"On the day itself, I probably won't need to practice."

If Itsuki's in the audience, then surely!

Carrying that feeling sparkling in my chest like the bubbles of champagne—

I traded words, with a light smile, with Itsuki, who'd stepped one step closer to being an adult.