"Huh. So all five of us are home today, then. Yotsuba's club is off too."

"Then let's decide what we're doing for 'Quintuplets' Day' in July, yeah?"

"Good idea, Yotsuba. The last one was fun, too."

It really had made for a nice memory.

After Ichika's live performance wrapped, we'd all gone around the school festival together. I'd been nervous her disguise would get blown, but somehow we'd pulled it off.

The after-party had been lively and great, too, though of course we'd bickered over where to start.

"How about we go to the beach?"

Before all five of us could throw out separate ideas, I struck first.

"The beach, maybe."

"I've gotta buy new sunscreen!"

"Nice one, Ichika! I got my paycheck, so maybe I'll buy a swimsuit too!"

"Hot as it is, I'm craving some time in the water."

Yes—preemptive strike, success!

Thanks to the sweltering heat, everyone got on board with going to the beach without a fight.

"Mid-July is when everyone's schedules line up."

We'd all been busier and busier lately.

Everyone had made new friends at college or school, and the chances to go out with them had grown too.

Ichika had apparently gotten close with a junior at her agency.

"Everyone except Ichika has exams, but are you all going to be okay?"

"I'm studying properly."

"Mine has a practical exam too, but I'm fully prepared."

"The notes I got from my track-club senpai are gonna come in handy."

"I've got a lot of lines to memorize, so it's tough, but I'll manage."

Heh—the version of us from back when we'd first started at Asahi High would faint dead away if she heard all this talk.

I'd have to thank Fuu-kun.

Thanks to his tutoring, I'd come to like studying more than before.

The only person I could truly think of as a 'teacher' from the bottom of my heart was Fuu-kun.

"Ichika, you've got more work now, huh."

"That live was incredible! It ended up getting three hundred thousand likes."

"Aw, it's all thanks to you guys. There's even talk of putting out a photo book next year."

"That's amazing. Your Instagram follower count is up there with the influencers, too."

Oh, speaking of influencers—and Itsuki flicked at her red phone.

What she pulled up was the account of a girl with a chignon hairstyle, holding a boxed lunch.

"A friend of mine makes bento that go viral."

"Huh... whoa, that's incredible."

After Miku's surprise, Yotsuba chimed in.

"It's got ten thousand likes!"

"Ooh, not bad. This girl—that was Date Momo-chan, right?"

"She probably gets called something like 'Date-Momo' for a nickname. You two still close?"

"Very! And besides, Date-san's bento are high quality, don't you think?"

Hm—true, they were.

There were photos of a stylish lunch basket on her social media that looked perfectly Instagram-worthy.

The sandwiches stuffed with brightly colored fillings looked like something a café would serve.

Even more eye-catching was the photo of a character bento. The model was Kumatii. Rice colored with decorative seasoning, then nori, imitation crab, and ham shaped into the character's face... so detailed! And on top of recreating the character, she'd packed in meat and vegetables for the sides, balancing the nutrition too.

It really didn't look like the work of an amateur.

"I got a bite myself, and it wasn't just the look—the taste was wonderful too!"

"Was it really just one bite~?"

"Knowing you, Itsuki-chan, you probably ate like half of it."

"I am not that much of a glutton! Well, it was delicious enough that I'd have liked a bit more, but."

Itsuki's expression softened, brimming with happiness.

...Hmph.

What's the big deal. I'm not losing to anyone when it comes to cooking either.

I'm the one who's kept the Nakano family's table running all these years. And on top of that, I'm a culinary student now. I study cooking every day, and I do my practicals while watching my figure.

And yet here was Itsuki gushing over an amateur's cooking—friend or not...

"Maybe I'll try posting a photo of a bento too."

I'm a cook-in-training, you know?

A bento that goes viral—I can whip one of those up pretty quick!

"Whoa, what's wrong, Nino?"

"Don't tell me your exam studying isn't going well?"

July 8th. A classroom at Chukyo Culinary Vocational School.

It was the morning chitchat before the instructor arrived, and the ones who'd spoken up were girls I'd met at this school.

Their names were Sumire and Himawari.

Both of them were my age, and we were in the same group for practicals.

They were my closest friends at this school, but the two of them looked kind of worried.

"What's it to you..."

Not that I could blame them. I was glaring down at my phone, brow furrowed.

The bento photo I'd uploaded yesterday.

A character bento I'd made for Itsuki.

The model was Itsuki herself. I'd shaped the outline of her face out of rice, and crafted the eyes and mouth from nori cut like paper craft with scissors. The long hair was imitation crab. The hairpin I'd recreated by cutting thin-sliced cheese into a star shape. On top of that, fried chicken, with broccoli and fruit tomatoes for color—a bento made to Itsuki's taste.

The look and the taste were perfect, and yet...!

"Why does it have so few likes?"

The count was 432. A crushing defeat to Date-Momo.

Her bento, of all things, was a character bento modeled on her own face.

It had over ten thousand likes, and... aargh!

"She's an amateur and yet again it's pro-level quality!"

"Ahaha, you're getting way too worked up~!"

"Watch out for heatstroke now, okay?"

Himawari aimed a handheld fan to give me a breeze.

"Thanks, Himawari."

"Of course. You're always looking out for us, after all, Nino."

"Me too, me too! Your cooking technique is insane, Nino. Your practicals are flawless, and you're good at teaching the rest of the group how to make things, too!"

"I just got my training at home and at my part-time job."

I'd learned after enrolling that culinary school students aren't all people like me who'd built up experience at restaurants.

There are plenty like Sumire and Himawari who'd just helped out with housework.

Well, it seemed like a lot of people look for food-industry part-time jobs after starting school to polish their skills.

"You could probably even beat Shimazu-sensei, huh?"

"If anyone could, it'd be you, Nino! You take every class super seriously, too!"

"As if. I work hard in my own way, but that's obviously out of reach."

That woman's book is my go-to read, after all.

365 Days of Home Cooking, the desserts edition.

The author's name was Shimazu Ringo.

According to the author profile in the book, she was sixty-three this year. A veteran female pâtissier who'd trained for over ten years in France, then opened a popular shop called GLOIRE in Japan.

Now she left the shop to her daughter and son-in-law while teaching as an instructor at this school.

Her cooking technique was so deft you couldn't help but stare, and the taste was second to none.

The manager at REVIVAL—my part-time job—had once said, "Actually, I trained under Shimazu-sensei myself back when I was starting out. She's a living dictionary of this industry. She was scary back then too, but she's my mentor."

"Nakano-san."

"—!"

Speak of the devil.

She'd slipped into the classroom before I knew it—a female instructor in calm, composed attire.

Her short grey hair swaying, Shimazu-sensei was glaring at me.

"It's class time. Put your phone away. Honestly. Young people get glued to their phones in no time."

"Uh... sorry."

I obediently put my phone away.

Shimazu-sensei was famous as the demon instructor at our school.

Her lessons were incredibly easy to follow, but I'd never once seen her laugh, and she was strict with her students.

That's how much seriousness she brought to cooking—and yet... there was so much I'd wanted to ask her about opening a shop...

Neither Sumire nor Himawari seemed interested in starting a business, so it was a little hard to bring up with them.

Still, if she were close to my age that'd be one thing, but a prickly old-lady teacher was just the type I wasn't good with.

It reminded me of the nitpicky housekeeper Dad hired ages ago.

Sumire had said, "Actually, Shimazu-sensei is a total grandkid-doter. She's got a tiny, adorable grandkid, and if you bring that kid up she won't stop talking!"—but I couldn't picture it at all.

"Please open your nutrition textbook to page twenty-five."

Even as I listened to her smooth, fluent voice, I couldn't focus well.

Maybe my bento was going viral this very moment.

I want to look.

I want to check my phone!

"Nakano-san, has your focus slipped?"

"I-I'm fine, really?"

I covered with a smile.

Then Miku, seated far across the room, stared over at me.

Hm, what is it, I don't need anyone worrying.

I decided to study hard to find my dream for the future, after all.

Sure, I'm a little fired up, but I'm not going to get sucked into something like social media.

"Itsuki. Take a picture for me, would you?"

"That's fine, but, Nino."

"What?"

"Um, are you going to post a photo taken in that outfit?"

July 15th. It was Monday, but a holiday—Marine Day—and it was evening.

In the Nakano family living room, Itsuki stared at me, looking troubled.

What was reflected in her big eyes was me, decked out in an off-the-shoulder summer knit top with a heavy dose of calculated allure.

My shoulders were fully exposed, and the neckline plunged low enough to show some cleavage, but it was fine.

It was all by design.

"If I post a picture of me holding a bento in this outfit, I can rake in likes."

"Nino! Please wake up! Right now you're completely addicted to social media!"

Itsuki grabbed my exposed shoulders with her slender arms and shook me back and forth.

"Nino, haven't you been checking your phone like once every five minutes lately?"

"The other day she was on her phone in the bath and nearly got lightheaded."

"Digital neurosis..."

Yotsuba, Ichika, and Miku watched me with worry... no, Miku was just completely exasperated.

True, this might be getting a little bad.

It had been about two weeks since I started uploading bento to social media.

My eyes had been tired lately from staring at my phone too much.

And every time my follower count went up or down, I felt like my mood swung with it...

"But I can't accept it... some random girl's swimsuit photo gets five thousand likes... if I did the same thing, I'd get even more...!"

"Please stop trying to go viral with skin."

"She's turned into a total validation-craving monster."

"At this rate it's going to start affecting your daily life, don't you think?"

"It already is, Yotsuba. The other day she spaced out during practical and messed up a dish."

"Miku! You and your unnecessary comments again!"

When I'd been making a gâteau au chocolat, I'd forgotten to bring the eggs to room temperature.

When I mixed them with the double-boiled chocolate, the cold of the yolks made the chocolate seize up.

Shimazu-sensei chewed me out something fierce.

The reason I'd made such a basic mistake was that I'd been short on sleep from messing with my phone until late at night, but...

"Why not just admit defeat already?"

After Ichika's question, Itsuki, as if to encourage me—

"There's nothing to be done about it. Date-san is a bento influencer, after all."

"I don't want to lose to someone with some vague title like that! And she's an amateur, but she makes bento that put pros to shame...!"

"Those bento weren't made by Date-san, though?"

"Huh?"

"Date-san has a grandmother who's good at cooking."

"Wait, don't tell me she's the one making them? Come to think of it, when I saw Date-Momo's face-shaped character bento I did think, 'Whoa, this girl's full of herself!'"

"Her grandmother made that one too."

She showed me a photo over chat before, Itsuki said, tapping her red phone.

What appeared on the screen was a two-shot photo.

The grey-haired grandmother pictured beside Date-Momo looked awfully familiar.

"Shimazu Ringo?!"

"What's that? A variety of apple?"

"No, Yotsuba. The person next to Itsuki's friend is an instructor at our school."

"She's a huge deal in the pâtissier world. She's published books and a bunch of other stuff... oh, and she wrote song lyrics, too."

"Song lyrics?"

"A cooking song for an educational program. It went, 'You and me, let's start cooking, it's so fuuun~'..."

"I've heard that! To think someone like that was Date-san's grandmother."

It's a small world, Itsuki said, impressed.

Now that I thought about it, their names—Momo and Ringo—were both fruit, too.²

"No wonder you couldn't win~."

"The one you were picking a fight with was a cooking teacher, Nino. No surprise you lost."

"Just admit defeat gracefully—"

"No."

I shot back at Yotsuba, Ichika, and Miku's words, then clenched my fist.

"Now that I know my opponent is that demon instructor, I'm even more fired up! My likes have been slowly climbing too. I'll definitely win! Even if I have to sacrifice this body of mine!"

"Ahaha... so prickly. Might be better to mellow out here."

"I'm with Yotsuba on that one."

Just as she said that, Ichika went "Hm?" and clouded her perfectly groomed brow.

"What?"

"No. Sorry if I'm wrong, but—Nino, have you gotten rounder?"

"Huh?"

"Physically."

Ichika looked at my... no.

To be precise, she was staring around my waist.

...Ahaha.

No way...

"Eep?!"

The moment I stepped onto the scale in the changing room, I let out a small shriek.

"Nino, you've gotten fa—n-no, I mean, have you become plumper?"

"Itsuki-chan, you're not sugarcoating that at all?"

"You were making way more bento than necessary these two weeks, and you were eating whatever we couldn't finish handing out yourself, huh."

"You were so glued to your phone you skipped yoga, too. How many kilos did you gain? Like three?"

To Miku's question, I held up five fingers on my right hand, trembling.

Then Miku put a slim finger to her chin and said one thing.

"Fifty kilos?"

"If I gained that much my weight would basically double! I'm not that huge!"

But the fact that I'd put on weight was real, and... you've got to be kidding me?

In six days it was 'Quintuplets' Day' and beach time.

"And I was going to debut my new swimsuit!"

"Nino. There's no time to be moping."

Itsuki encouraged me as I held my head in my hands.

"They say fat you've just put on is comparatively easy to lose. If you start dieting right away, you might make it in time for 'Quintuplets' Day.'"

"You sure know a lot, Itsuki-chan."

"That's, well, you know."

"It's Itsuki, after all."

"Ichika, Miku, Yotsuba. I'd appreciate it if you'd stop the strange speculation. I just happened to see it in an article online. By the way, Nino. Are you free after school tomorrow?"

"? I'm free. I was planning to research how to take photos that go viral and stuff."

"Then let's go."

It'll be fine, she said.

Itsuki squeezed my right hand tightly with both of hers.

"If it's a diet, I'll keep you company. I've been... a little concerned about my weight too."

"Hahh... haa..."

"Nino. Not done yet."

"Ngh... I'm... at my limit..."

"Keep going. Thirty more and you'll catch up to my count."

"Kh... here goes—!"

The time was just past 6 p.m.

A sports gym inside a building in front of the station.

I'd put my hair in a ponytail and changed into thin workout wear, and I was working up a sweat.

According to Itsuki, the training machine I was using now was called an abdominal crunch.

To put it plainly, it was basically just doing endless sit-ups, and it was harder than I'd imagined.

Itsuki was handling it pretty easily—but then again, sit-ups were a daily routine for this girl.

"Good work."

"Haa, haa... you've really gotten comfortable at this gym, huh."

Upright bike, cross-trainer, step machine...

She'd taught me how to use all kinds of equipment, too.

What Itsuki wore was red-toned workout wear. A tight bra top and shorts. Her belly and waist were boldly exposed, but... she's surprisingly toned for someone like Itsuki.

"Aren't you on a trial membership like me?"

"Actually, Date-san and I have been coming sometimes since around last month."

"Come to think of it, that girl was pretty slender."

"I got this wear cheap as a sign-up perk, too."

"Mine I borrowed from Ichika, though."

She'd apparently bought it to go to the gym, but thanks to her lazy nature it had been buried in her room.

The design was a little similar to what Itsuki was wearing.

But this...

"...Isn't my belly showing too much?"

"Date-san said so. Being conscious of being seen by other people can boost your motivation to train."

"Ah, makes sense."

My pride wouldn't let me keep flaunting a waist that was a little softer than usual.

Still... wasn't Itsuki way too close with Date-Momo?

She seemed to have gotten close with the other club members too, which was a good thing for me as well, but...

"Nino? Is something the matter?"

"It's nothing. I just thought maybe I could go viral if I posted a shot of myself training."

"Mm..."

When I covered, Itsuki pursed her pale-pink lips, looking dissatisfied.

"Why are you mad?"

"I'm not? More importantly, let's take a little break."

At her urging, I sat down beside Itsuki on a bench against the wall.

"Besides machine training, swimming's good too, I think. Swimming is aerobic exercise. It burns a lot of calories, so it's perfect for dieting. They rent out racing swimsuits here, too."

"You do it a lot too?"

"That's right."

"Huh. Hey, I've been wondering, though—"

"? What is i—hyah."

When I poked Itsuki's belly with a finger, a cute little squeal rang out.

"What was that all of a sudden."

"Itsuki, you're not fat at all. You said it yesterday, didn't you? That you were worried about your weight."

"That's..."

"Don't tell me Date-Momo's been rubbing off on you? You don't have to get as slender as her, you know? Overdoing a diet is bad for your health, and you're plenty fine as you are, Itsuki."

"Th-there's no need to worry."

Itsuki looked down, as if covering something up.

And then she gazed at me, somehow fidgety.

"...It's all your fault, Nino."

"Huh?"

"Lately, the time I spend going out with you has gotten shorter. Back in high school we'd often go shopping or to movies or lunch together."

"That's... I've been busy with my new life and my part-time job."

"That's not all of it! These days even after you come home from school you're absorbed in making bento, and you spend all your free time on your phone! I invited you several times and you turned me down!"

Itsuki puffed up her cheeks like a sulking child.

Wait, did she decide to come to the gym because she wanted to go out with me?

It was true that these past two weeks I'd been neck-deep in bento-making and social media.

I hadn't been able to give Itsuki much attention.

"Um... d-don't tell me you're fed up with me? Like, I feel like what I'm saying right now is kind of clingy."

"It's not like that..."

"It's surely clingier than Ichika on the school trip, than Miku's long bangs, than Yotsuba's training ankle weights, than your love life, Nino."

"Stop getting depressed with some expression you heard somewhere."

Honestly, I let out a sigh, then let my lips soften.

"Figures—we really are quintuplets."

I felt like Itsuki and I were alike right now.

When I thought about it, it was simple, wasn't it. The reason I'd started making bento wasn't just because I wanted to satisfy my craving for validation.

"It wasn't just the look—the taste was wonderful too!"

Like that.

I'd wanted Itsuki to praise the bento I'd made.

"Hey, the reason you didn't have time free was the same for you, right, Itsuki? You had a lot of chances to hang out with Date-Momo."

"I have to cherish the time I spend with friends, too. And we've been discussing a new challenge."

"A challenge?"

"It's still a secret for now. And Date-san has been giving me advice, too."

Itsuki slowly lowered her eyes, as if holding back her embarrassment.

"Um... since you've been a bit addicted to social media, Nino, I've been asking how I might get you to go out with me like before."

"Ahaha, what's with that embarrassing consultation."

But I couldn't laugh. I'd been a little put out myself over Itsuki only hanging out with Date-Momo.

Still—I see. We'd been worrying over similar things.

"Hey, Itsuki?"

That was exactly why.

I decided to make a suggestion.

"Tomorrow, want to make bento together?"

"Heh heh."

The day after I went to the gym with Itsuki.

After school, while waiting for the train on a bench on the station platform, I gazed at my phone.

On the screen was Itsuki, eating the bento we'd gotten up early to make together that morning.

Itsuki kept me company with the diet, so the menu was health-conscious!

The main was shrimp stir-fried in Chinese-style mayonnaise. Shrimp is low-fat and low-calorie, but you can get proper protein from it—a diet's best friend. I'd mixed in yogurt to cut down on mayonnaise, so it was rich but with the oiliness kept in check.

Multigrain rice, packed with dietary fiber.

And on top of that, a veggie-heavy side. I think the kinpira gobo³came out the best it ever had.

When I uploaded the photo, it got the most likes yet.

Still, in the end I couldn't beat Shimazu-sensei. Nothing to be done about it, skill-wise, but I was so frustrated I practically wanted to scream "Aaargh, come on!" right there!!

But, well.

"That came out as a good photo."

Itsuki looked happy as she ate the bento.

The flood of likes was thanks to that smile—and also...

"How's the level of the stir-fry?"

"Not bad at all."

"Maybe I had a talent for cooking sleeping inside me all along. On account of being a quintuplet."

"So far it's mostly the eating side that's showing, though."

"Heh. That's the same for you lately too, isn't it, Nino?"

"Ahaha, listen to you now!"

Making bento together was fun, too.

And maybe it was because I got a "It was really delicious!" review from Itsuki.

I'd started to feel silly for being so fixated on social media.

Of course it still really stings that I couldn't win. But...

—Social media's fine, but I've got to cherish real-life relationships too.

While I'm at it, next time I'll make something other than bento with Itsuki!

"Man, the train's slow."

"There was an announcement earlier, wasn't there? That it's stopped two stations back due to trouble at a railway crossing."

I was startled by the sudden voice.

The one sitting beside me before I'd noticed was—of all people—Shimazu Ringo.

Crap, she's going to scold me for being glued to my phone again!

While my heart pounded, Shimazu-sensei smoothed her grey hair once, then said one thing.

"Nice photo."

"Huh?"

"Sorry for peeking. You were so entranced you couldn't even hear the announcement, so I got curious. That photo of someone eating that bento—that's your little sister, isn't it?"

"How could you tell?"

"Same face. When I heard the rumor you were quintuplets I couldn't believe it, but you really are identical. And I hear about your little sister a lot from my grandchild."

Oh, so she knew.

That Itsuki and Date-Momo were friends.

"Have you seen a photo? Here, this is my grandchild, Momo. Cute, isn't she?"

What was on the flip phone Shimazu-sensei held out to me was a photo of Date-Momo.

"I'd heard she was tiny and cute, but she's about the same height as me and you, Shimazu-sensei, right?"

"Momo's still nineteen. Even if she gets taller, to me she'll always be tiny and cute."

She really is a grandkid-doter, just like I'd heard!

And besides...!

"She is cute, but the photo of Itsuki is cuter!"

"Oh my, you want to compete?"

"Ah, s-sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"Shall I show you other photos, then? Like from her Shichi-Go-San.⁴I'll show you a record of her growth."

"Looking back through your granddaughter's history right now is a bit—"

"...Too bad. There aren't many people I can talk to about Momo."

"Is that so?"

"When I bring it up with friends, they make a face like a dog that overate and got heartburn."

"In other words, they're full..."

So even this person has worries, I thought, as I continued.

"I hear your granddaughter is a bento influencer."

"Momo was troubled by it too. Because I carelessly forgot to mention I was the one who made them, people misunderstand and think her cooking is pro-level. Momo herself is bad at cooking."

"Is that so."

"Well, your skill seems to be pro-level, Nakano-san."

"Huh?!"

To me, startled, Shimazu-sensei spoke in a tone just a touch softer.

"Of course you're still very much developing, but you've got the best instincts of the first-years. I can tell from your movements that you've worked hard, and the taste is decent too. Ever since you enrolled you've taken both your practicals and your lectures seriously—I can feel the passion. Well, lately your focus has been a little lacking, but that bento in the photo looks delicious."

"R-really?"

...It's like a dream.

Getting praised by the author of the recipe book I'd been reading all this time.

And besides, this person trained in France, then opened her own shop in Japan and made it a popular one.

She was, in a sense, the one who'd realized the dream I'd had as a child, and...

"However."

As the announcement rang out—"Thank you for waiting, the train will be arriving on Track 2"—

Shimazu-sensei sharpened her gaze, then said,

"Don't let your guard down on the final exams. Work hard. Our school's written tests are tough."

"Ah."

Crap. Now that she mentioned it, I'd been so caught up in bento-making and social media and dieting lately that I'd been kind of slacking on studying at home...!

"And, to you..."

"...Is there something else?"

"......No. It's nothing. —At any rate. Don't go shaming yourself by getting a failing grade."

After driving in the warning in her usual stern demon-instructor mode—

She left me dumbfounded on the bench and strode briskly aboard the train that had pulled in.

July 21st, 12:30.

Today was supposed to be a beach day.

The plan had been for all of us to go to the ocean as the long-awaited summer event for 'Quintuplets' Day,' but...

"No good. They're full here too."

Under a blazing sun that could've fried an egg on the asphalt.

In heat that was beyond a midsummer day—a scorcher of a day—Ichika came out of the café with a wry smile.

She had her disguise glasses on. To guard against sunburn, she immediately put up a black parasol.

"W-well, it is Sunday..."

Maybe because she had no stamina, Miku was clearly getting beaten down by the heat.

"We were supposed to be swimming at the beach right about now..."

Itsuki wiped the sweat glistening on her forehead with a handkerchief.

"N-nothing we can do... none of us finished studying for our exams..."

Yotsuba was as listless as a potted plant nobody had watered for three days or so.

"Next month for sure, let's go to the beach, okay? Once everyone gets through their exams safe and sound!"

Maybe because she was used to the heat from outdoor location shoots, Ichika was the only one with a cool face, shouting something that sounded like a death flag.

Right—today, all five of us quintuplets were having an emergency study session.

Probably because our new lives had been so fulfilling, our guard against the tests had slipped without us noticing.

We'd been complacent—figuring that we, who Fuu-kun had drilled, would be fine if we put on a final sprint.

"Wait, why is Ichika studying too...?"

"Can't memorize your script or something...?"

"No, Miku. I ended up having to go on a quiz show to promote the drama. I don't want them thinking I'm one of those airhead celebrities."

"That's admirable... You even looked up a place where we could all study earlier..."

"Ahaha, I can at least use a map app. There are times I have to get to a set by myself, too."

This is bad. The voices of every sister except Ichika were right at their limit.

No surprise there. We'd been wandering the streets for a good thirty minutes already in temperatures over thirty-five degrees.

I felt like a traveler wandering through a desert.

We wanted to reach an oasis fast, but everyone must've had the same idea, because every shop was packed.

Two or three people would be fine, but five of us together meant over capacity.

"The library's closed today, too. We're out of luck."

"To think the condo would have a power outage..."

To Yotsuba, who heaved a deep sigh, Miku replied while looking at her blue phone.

"Looks like that whole area won't have electricity until around evening..."

"A blackout, of all things—give me a break..."

"Still, I'd kind of like to head home once. The perishable ingredients in the fridge will spoil. Let's cook them and eat."

"How are you going to use the stove? Our kitchen's all-electric."

"It's fine, Miku. We should have the portable gas burner we used for the April camping trip."

"Ahaha, has the heat fried your brain? We'd be barbecuing before the ingredients ever hit the flame..."

"Th-the top floor of a tower condo with no AC... is a natural grill... you know."

"Hey, Yotsuba. You okay?"

"...With what?"

"You should be used to heat from your club. Why are you so wiped out? Are you feeling sick or something?"

When Ichika worried over her, Yotsuba looked down, drooping until even the ribbon on her head seemed to wilt.

"...My college test studying and report-writing are ultra rough."

"That bad?"

"I'm in the Rehabilitation department, you know... Anatomy, physiology, intro to rehabilitation... and a whole parade of other specialized subjects on top of that."

"Juggling that and your club sounds tough..."

"Yeah... But I'm definitely going to earn my credits."

Even as she was worn to exhaustion, Yotsuba clenched her fist tight.

Yotsuba's dream was a job that supports people. That's exactly why she was attending a department to become a physical therapist, but she seemed to be struggling like crazy.

Still, I didn't think it was hopeless.

Yotsuba was a stamina monster, after all. If she poured all the time and energy she used to spend helping others into her club and studies, she might just pull it off.

And though I was insanely jealous and it stung, they were a couple, so it wouldn't be strange for Fuu-kun to be tutoring her remotely.

"Phew."

While I thought about that, we bought ice cream at a convenience store to beat the heat, then took a breather.

Ichika had one of those coffee-flavored squeeze tubes. Miku had a red-bean kind. Yotsuba had a mandarin-orange bar. Itsuki had an ice cream daifuku. And I had a chocolate-vanilla crêpe.

In the convenience store parking lot, all of us chomping or spooning up our separate ice creams, we racked our brains.

"If all five together is hard, why not just split up and study?"

"No way, Miku! Today's 'Quintuplets' Day.'"

"We couldn't go to the beach... but I want to be together..."

"But, Yotsuba, it's only going to get hotter from here. Walking around any more is dangerous. We have to find a place where we can all study for exams, like last year..."

"Ah."

Oh—why hadn't I noticed something so simple?

If it's a place to study like last year, there's one perfect spot, isn't there!

"I've thought of one place."

I decided to tell everyone.

The name of a place that had turned into one of our memories—for us five quintuplets.

"The AC is the beeest! The power of civilization! Truly overwhelming power!!"

"Yotsuba. The correct phrase is 'the gift of civilization,' not 'the power.'"

"Don't tell me I've been remembering it wrong this whole time?"

"Either Ichika's right, or the heat short-circuited your brain."

"Well, as long as we're here, we can cool off."

Where we'd come in our casual clothes was—Asahi High.

While the chorus of hardworking cicadas rang in from outside the windows, the school building was sparsely populated thanks to the holiday.

Thanks to the installed AC, the library where we'd held so many study sessions was a midsummer paradise!

"Glad they let us in."

"It would've been tough on a weekday, but it's Sunday! It helped that there was a teacher I knew in the staff room!"

After Yotsuba, who absorbed the cooling power and shouted full of energy, Miku spoke up.

"Ichika, thanks for negotiating."

"Don't mention it. That teacher's grandkid is a fan of mine. It was easy."

"I never imagined we would get to use the library for a single autographed board."

Just as she said that, Itsuki stroked the table as if noticing something.

"We studied with Uesugi-kun at this table, didn't we."

"Heh, brings back memories."

"With no one around, it feels nice, like we've got the place to ourselves."

"Apparently it wasn't originally an open day today. The teacher said so when I signed the board."

"While we're here, let's take a picture!"

No sooner had she said it than Yotsuba snapped a shot of the library with her green phone.

"As a keepsake of today?"

"No, Ichika. A friend just messaged me, so I thought I'd let her know where I am right now."

"The former captain of the track club?"

"Not Eba-senpai—a girl who's a manager for the track club. She's in the same year and department as me."

"You got close with her."

To Miku's question, Yotsuba nodded happily.

"Super close! She's aiming to be a physical therapist too, so we've got lots to talk about. We study in the library together and go to the tre-cen."

"What's a tre-cen."

"Training center. Shido U has a bunch of gyms and sports arenas, and the basement of one of them is a tre-cen."

"That's a sports university for you. The facilities are obviously different from a normal school."

Impressed, Miku took out her blue phone, saying, "Maybe I'll send a photo to Rose too."

"In that case, I'll send one to Date-san."

"I'll send one to Ayame-chan too~."

"Maybe I'll send one to Sumire and Himawari."

"You've all made good friends too, huh~."

"Well, more or less."

For a second I thought about sending one to Shimazu-sensei, but I decided against it after all.

The day after we ran into each other at the station, we'd exchanged contact info at school.

She'd said something like, "If you ever have something to talk over, I don't mind hearing you out."

Did she catch on that I was worrying about my future?

I thought she was a little too perceptive, but that's a veteran instructor for you. As they say, there's no substitute for the wisdom of years.

Still, there was no way I could be casual with her.

She might be the pâtissier I admired, but she was also a prickly old-lady teacher.

The only topic we had in common was cooking, after all.

"So cool..."

Miku was entranced by the cold air the AC blew out.

It wasn't just Miku—all five of us quintuplets were melting like soft-serve left in the sun, but we couldn't laze around forever.

"Come on. Let's study, shall we?"

We took out our writing supplies and our notebooks, each a different color, and started studying for exams.

Ichika had a trivia book for quiz prep. I had food sanitation. Miku had nutrition. Yotsuba had kinesiology. Itsuki had English.

Everyone faced off against her own separate textbook.

What echoed through the library was the hum of the AC. The sound of pens spelling out characters on notebooks. And on top of that, the calls of students doing sports-club practice out on the grounds in this heat.

Nostalgic.

It was kind of hard to believe we'd been here until just four months ago.

For me, Asahi High had turned into one of my memories.

But it's fine.

I'm not lonely anymore—

"I'll do things the way I want. I'll get you all promoted. With these hands—all of you, graduating together, smiling. That's all I've got in my sights!"

Out of nowhere, Fuu-kun's voice from our high school days came back to me.

Come to think of it, on a Sunday like today, we'd studied together in this library once. Before the end-of-term exams in our second year, he'd said something like, "Studying at home the whole time gets boring; changing locations matters too."

A study session of five plus one.

I'd been able to concentrate so well back then, but...

"Haah."

I'm such an idiot.

I'd shaken off the loneliness of graduating high school ages ago.

But the moment I came to school, my longing for Fuu-kun—who I hadn't been able to see in so long—flared right back up.

And maybe that was the same for everyone...

"You lot, voluntarily holding a holiday study session? Is it gonna snow tomorrow or something?"

I caught my breath at the teasing voice that suddenly rang out.

When I looked over, what was on the phone Yotsuba held was a black-haired boy wearing a summery short-sleeved shirt.

It's Fuu-kun!

"Fuutarou?!"

"Long time no see!"

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"Heh. Truth is, I sent that earlier photo to Uesugi-san too."

"She messaged me, 'We're having a study session!' so I couldn't just sit still."

"Fuu-kun..."

Don't tell me, he was worried about us...

"I'll take on the one-day tutoring gig, you know? There was food poisoning at the family restaurant I'd been scheduled at. They got shut down, so I want some extra income. Payment on an installment-once-I'm-rich basis is fine!"

"Wow. Fuutarou-kun is saying something so very Fuutarou-kun."

"Don't tell me it was Uesugi-kun's cooking that caused the food poisoning...?"

"Hey, Fuutarou, was the bad-news skull mark out?"

"I'm in the hall, not the kitchen. Apparently the cause was ingredients going bad from the heat."

"This year's heat is brutal, after all."

Fuu-kun nodded at Yotsuba's words.

"You're telling me. I'm somehow getting by with a fan, though."

"Huh?! Uesugi-kun, your room doesn't have an air conditioner?!"

"Heh. Is it that I'm not using it to save money, or that there really isn't one—which do you think? For a hint, the rent on this apartment is 32,415 yen, management fee included."

"It wouldn't be strange if there wasn't one at that price... And what an oddly specific amount."

"I haggled it down to the last yen at the real estate office."

What was behind Fuu-kun was the wall of an oddly weathered wooden apartment... wait?

This is Fuu-kun's room?!

"Hey, show us the room more, more!"

"I don't mind, but there's nothing impressive."

What appeared on the screen was green tatami. About five and a half mats' worth, I'd guess.

A bookshelf packed with reference books—maybe he'd brought them from home. And on top of that, an oddly old-fashioned round low table he must've picked up somewhere.

On it sat a familiar pen case and writing supplies—he must've been studying until just now.

"Wow, so this is Fuutarou's room...!"

"Let's search for any dirty books!"

"It is a very Uesugi-kun room. I would like a bit more color, though."

"I want to see inside the fridge too!"

"Are you cooking for yourself properly? You haven't caught a cold? Are you getting along with the neighbors?"

"When did you lot become my mother...?"

To Fuu-kun, who was exasperated, Itsuki asked teasingly.

"You are not just studying all the time, are you? Do you have friends? If college is boring, I will hear you out, you know?"

"Haha, listen to you, Itsuki! I made friends, all right. People from my seminar, coworkers at my part-time job. We message each other, too."

Fuu-kun let his mouth soften smugly.

Maybe because we were at school, it kind of felt like we'd time-slipped back to our high school days.

"Have you gotten used to using a smartphone, I wonder?"

"Yeah! Raiha taught me how to use the messaging app! This thing's amazing—calls are free, who knew!"

"Ahaha, so that's where your excitement is."

"Obviously, Ichika. This video call's free too, you know."

"But it eats your data, right?"

"...Data? Miku, what's that?"

"Heh, Uesugi-san is as hopeless with internet stuff as ever~."

"Oh, there's a sale flyer stuck to the fridge!"

"Are you managing your cooking? Your onee-san is worried."

"More or less. Raiha taught me a curry recipe, but at first my cooking turned out so awful it put me off... I came to appreciate Raiha's greatness all over again. I'll bring back a ton of Tokyo souvenirs next time."

"Hehheh, she'll definitely be happy! What do you eat besides curry?"

"Lately it's mostly pasta."

"Huh. So you liked pasta, Fuu-kun."

"Nah, not really. You boil the noodles, mix in whatever ingredients and seasonings you bought at the supermarket—it's easy, and there's less to wash, so it's efficient."

"That's the textbook live-alone college boy, huh..."

To Itsuki, who sounded a touch exasperated, Fuu-kun laughed, "Hahaha!"

"It's a world a pampered young lady living cushy at home wouldn't last in! Anyway, you lot, study. You're having a study session, aren't you."

"That's right! Hey, hey, Fuu-kun, won't you teach us?"

I figured teaching us the specialized subjects at culinary school would be tough, but it was strange.

I got the feeling Fuu-kun could somehow pull it off!

"At this rate we might all fail."

"After I taught you all that much in high school... Are you lot under some curse that resets your brains at regular intervals?"

"Ahaha, no excuse there—"

"Anyway, so Ichika's studying too, huh."

"I ended up having to go on a quiz show."

"Hoh."

Fuu-kun fell silent once, as if mulling it over, then—

"Ichika, you hate studying, but you can memorize a drama script. My guess is you remember things well if it's something you're interested in. Raiha mentioned you can do quiz apps on your phone, right? How about downloading one and studying while you play?"

"Good idea! Way to go, Fuutarou-kun!"

"What about me—"

"Nino, your focus cuts out sometimes mid-study, so fix that."

"Ngh... Fuu-kun, are you stalking me? I got told the exact same thing at school."

"Even when I was teaching you, you were always messing with your phone, weren't you. First, set up an environment where you can concentrate on studying. Like putting a lock on your phone. A student at my part-time job mentioned there's an app that blocks you from using your phone for a set amount of time."

"I see. I'll try it. Thanks, Fuu-kun!"

"Fuutarou, Fuutarou? What about me?"

"Same as Nino, I'm hopeless when it comes to culinary school stuff... But, Miku, you've got headphones, so how about listening to some work BGM? I read this in some book—apparently listening to ambient sounds like waves or rain relaxes your brain and boosts your concentration."

"Amazing. You know a lot. That helps!"

"Uesugi-san, what about—"

"You should work on English first. Besides the physical-therapy specialized subjects, you'll need credits from those kinds of lectures to graduate, too. If there's anything you don't get, I'll teach you."

"Yes! Thank you, I'm counting on you!"

"Uesugi-kun, could you give me some advice as well?"

"Knowing you, Itsuki, you've already studied plenty, right? But you take things too seriously and you've got a weakness for pressure. Build yourself a routine so you don't get nervous when the test actually comes. Make one action that calms you down, and settle your nerves before the exam."

"A routine... Thank you very much, I will give it a try!"

Amazing—even the content of the conversation had time-slipped back to high school!

We used to study like this all the time, the six of us.

And besides...

"Fuu-kun, did you somehow get better at teaching?"

"Your advice is specific, and your tone is calm and composed."

"Even though there were times you used to make a face like 'I don't get what you don't get! I don't get how to teach this!'"

At my, Itsuki's, and Miku's words, Fuu-kun smiled smugly.

"I started a cram-school tutoring gig too, after all. I came to realize that teaching driven by emotion and momentum is no good."

"I seee! So what does that mean, exactly?"

"Instead of pointlessly yelling stuff like, 'You said you get it but you totally don't, do you, Yotsuba?!' it means thinking about how to get your point across to the student before you speak."

"Fuutarou, that explanation just now was easy to follow."

"You teach exam prep to elementary and middle schoolers, right? It is a workplace that suits you, Uesugi-kun."

"I'm a little worried the Uesugi-style Spartan method might bring some grade-schooler to tears, though."

"You'd better hold back on the no-delicacy moves, like with Yotsuba's birthday present."

"Ngh... about that—I'm, uh, sorry."

When I teased him, Fuu-kun went faintly red at the tips of his ears.

"I'll make it up to her properly."

"Huh?! R-really?!"

"Oooh, now this is something to look forward to."

"Knowing Fuutarou, are you planning to show Yotsuba around Tokyo over summer break or something?"

"I am worried. Please don't use coupons during your date again."

"If anything, Fuu-kun might be the one who ends up disappointed. Yotsuba's a sports-university student. Apparently it's a tracksuit almost every day at college, so won't the date be in a tracksuit too?"

"As if that'd happen?! I'll wear something properly stylish and advanced!"

"H-hey. Let's get back on topic."

Maybe to avoid getting dug into any deeper, Fuu-kun cleared his throat a little.

"Like I said earlier, I started a cram-school tutoring gig. Putting the experience of being taught by you lot to use."

"Fuu-kun..."

"Ahaha, your onee-san's getting bashful."

"Hold on, isn't that wrong? Fuutarou."

"The correct version is 'the experience of teaching us,' right?"

"You taught us so much, after all, Uesugi-kun."

"It's because of that the know-how for the teaching side stuck with me."

For instance, Fuu-kun said, taking a breath, then grinned.

"How to deal with a student who looks sleepy while studying."

"Ngh?!"

"How to deal with a defiant student."

"O-oh? Now who could that be?"

"How to deal with a student who only wants to study her favorite subject."

"I-I like it, so I can't help it!"

"How to deal with an energetic, dumb student."

"I'm the only one who got a fastball—no, a beanball!"

"And how to deal with a stubborn student who hates losing."

"Heh. Isn't that the same for you too?"

"Maybe. At any rate, the time I spent with you lot was such a rough stretch of days I still see it in my dreams. I never want to do it again. But—it was a daily grind so full of lessons I'll never taste anything like it again."

Inside the phone set on the desk, Fuu-kun murmured, sounding somehow nostalgic.

I was really happy to hear him say that, but...

—If he can look back on the past this easily, does that mean he's not lonely now?

About not being able to see us since he moved to Tokyo, and all...

"Hehheh."

Out of nowhere, Yotsuba moved behind the phone.

And with the mechanical pencil and notebook she held in both hands—

[Uesugi-san didn't have a shift at lunch today to begin with]

"Huh?"

We blinked blankly at the message Yotsuba secretly passed us.

But Fuu-kun had just said there'd been food poisoning at his part-time job... don't tell me, was it all a lie?

Was Fuu-kun the same as us?

Did he miss us, and that's why he got in touch?

"Hm? Something wrong?"

"Heh heh heh. Nothing in particuuular? I was just thinking Fuutarou-kun really is cute after all."

"Huh?"

"Honestly. Fuutarou's as un-honest with himself as ever."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Heheh. Why don't you try asking your own heart, Uesugi-kun?"

"—! Yotsuba, don't tell me."

"I-I didn't do anything, you know?"

"Don't lie! I can't see your face, but I can tell from your voice! You're as terrible at lying as ever!"

"Thanks, Fuu-kun. By the way, didn't you say you stopped yelling at students?"

"Shut up! With you lot I can't help my real self coming out!!"

His cheeks tinged faintly, Fuu-kun shouted.

Then, after raking a hand roughly through his hair—

"I've got cram-school tutoring again tonight! Until then, I'll stick with your study session!"

"Yaay, thank you so much!!"

"My motivation's going up."

"It's been a while since I studied with Fuutarou."

"With this, we can make it through the exams."

"Let's see what you've got, Mr. Cram-School Tutor."

Of course, it wasn't like he could look over all of our studies the way he did in high school.

There were specialized subjects, after all.

But even so, that was fine. Even apart, we could share time with Fuu-kun like this.

And just that was enough for us—

"Hahaha, leave it to me! I may not look it, but I'm a pretty popular tutor at my part-time job. Let's see what you've got! Do your best so you don't lose to Daigo or Kikyou."

"......"

...Was I imagining it?

Names of people I didn't know had suddenly flown out of Fuu-kun's mouth.

"...Uesugi-kun? The names you just said..."

"Students I teach at the cram school."

"O-oh, I see. What kind of kids are they, I wonder?"

"They're still in sixth grade, but they pick things up fast and they're motivated. Those two I mentioned are the top two in the class."

"...Huh. Fuutarou, you look awfully happy."

"Well, yeah. Maybe because our cram school's high-level even for the city, the pay's good and there are a lot of motivated students. It boosts the teacher's drive too, which helps."

"Wow, is that so~."

"Kikyou and Daigo especially are amazing! Apparently they want to get into the same university as me down the line, so they study like crazy every day. That dedication to studying. I'd want my kid self to learn from it... wait, what's wrong?"

"Ahaha. What's wrong with what? Tell your onee-san?"

"No... it'd be nice if I'm imagining it, but—you lot, didn't your moods just get a little worse?"

Close, Fuu-kun.

It's not a little—it's a whole lot.

To think he'd gush over his current little students in front of his former students...!

"He may have grown work-wise, but in this department he's still got a long way to go."

"Hey, Yotsuba. If you ever want to break up with him, tell me anytime, okay?"

"My study motivation went up even more. Or rather—it caught fire."

"There's no way we can lose to elementary schoolers~."

"Let's show him. The skills of his former pupils!"

The five of us, mechanical pencils in hand, full of drive.

Fuu-kun, too, was business as usual: "U-uh, I don't really get it, but do your best, okay? I'll get results on my exams too. I'll score above an A in every subject!"

Honestly, he really never changes!

Still, thanks to getting to talk, I'd been able to top up the Fuu-kun reserves I'd been running low on.

And besides—Fuu-kun was working hard too.

Juggling multiple part-time jobs like always, and even taking on a new challenge as a cram-school tutor.

To help out with his family's finances.

And—this is a hunch as one of his pupils, but—to make his own dream come true.

When I thought about it that way...

"Maybe I'll move forward too."

Maybe because everyone was focused on studying.

The small voice I muttered wasn't picked up by anyone, and in no time it dissolved and vanished into the midsummer air of the high school.

"It looks so good~! Itsuki, you worked hard!"

"It is thanks to you making it with me, Nino."

July 28th. Sunday, around noon.

We were holding an exam-survival party in the air-conditioned living room.

The menu was summery: somen and an assortment of tempura.⁵

Nino had invited me with, "Let's make it together," and I think it came out rather nicely.

The kakiage was tricky to fry, so the ones I made were a little misshapen, though.

"The fried squid looks delicious! Maybe I'll eat the noodles with sesame sauce~."

"The egg tempura is a triumph."

"The lotus root is nice and crisp. The myoga and grated daikon garnish are good too. They go with somen."

"The kakiage is hearty and yummy~!"

I am glad—it seems well received!

My cheeks relaxing into a smile at the praise, I savored the shrimp tempura myself.

First, plain, with nothing on it.

Maybe thanks to Nino giving me precise instructions on the oil temperature, the batter was crisp and pleasant to eat.

Every time I bit down, the savoriness of the shrimp spread through my whole mouth. After chewing thoroughly to savor it, I dipped it a little in the somen broth this time and tasted it together with the smooth noodles—exquisite, this too.

It is so delicious you would never think I made it myself!

"Glad we managed to have the party safely."

"And everyone avoided having to take makeup exams."

"Your onee-san put in a decent showing on the quiz too, you know?"

"We might have grown~!"

"Heh, we're different from how we were in high school now."

Thanks to Uesugi-kun, we were able to face the exams with our motivation high.

We did not go as far as a perfect hundred in every subject the way he did, but everyone somehow avoided a failing grade.

Still, the English test was hard for me, and I was right on the edge of a makeup exam...

I am not very good at English, and I will have to study more, but—

"Let's send our exam results to Uesugi-kun."

I think I just barely kept my pride as a former pupil intact!

Thanks to the book I received for my birthday, I was able to write my education-theory report well too, so I will have to send a thank-you message.

"Sure... oh, hold on a sec?"

After a notification chime sounded, Nino picked up her phone in its bunny-ear case.

...Hm. Honestly, Nino—again?

"Hasn't your phone time been creeping up again lately?"

"Sort of. Truth is, I made a new friend."

"You were messaging that person? A girl from school?"

"Wrong."

"Then someone from your part-time job?"

"Wrong again."

Nino shook her head at Yotsuba's and my questions.

After her butterfly hair ornament swayed, she curled up the corner of her rose-colored lips in a smirk.

"Do you give up?"

"Nngh, I'll guess it for sure!"

"Yotsuba. Better not get worked up. There's no way you'll ever get it right."

"I can't guess either. Miku, do you know who it is?"

"Well, it's someone I know too."

"Which means a student from the culinary school... don't tell me it's a man?!"

When I asked, my heart pounding, Nino showed me her phone with a smile and a "Nope~."

What was on it was far too unexpected a person.

"Truth is, we got close. Me and Ringo-chan."

Showing my sisters the two-shot selfie I'd taken with Ringo-chan at a café the other day, I said it.

"Whaaat?! Isn't this the demon instructor from your school, Nino?!"

"Wow, you actually became friends. Even with a pretty big age gap."

"I get how Yotsuba and Ichika feel. I was surprised too when Nino told me."

"Wait, 'Ringo-chan'?! That's rude to someone older than you!"

"Ringo-chan told me to. That outside school I can talk to her in a casual tone. In exchange, she asked me to teach her how to use her phone, since she switched to a smartphone."

"Why a smartphone?"

"She said she wants to message Date-Momo and send cute stickers."

"You got close enough to talk about that sort of thing?"

"More or less."

I get why Itsuki and the others were surprised.

When I went to REVIVAL for tea with Ringo-chan the other day, the manager's mouth dropped wide open too.

"Y-you became friends with Shimazu-sensei?! You're amazing!" he'd shouted.

She is a legendary pâtissier grandma, after all, so I suppose that's only natural.

But the two of us had an unexpected thing in common.

Both of us are—to put it the way Fuu-kun would—"family-doting fools."

While we were bragging about our families to each other over chat, we'd gotten close before I knew it... heh.

It's kind of fresh and fun!

I'd had plenty of friends my own age, but a friend with this much of an age gap was a first!

We can talk about not just family bragging but school studies and cooking, too.

As proof of that, we'd talked over all kinds of things while eating cake at REVIVAL.

"Hey, Ringo-chan. What do you think about opening your own shop?"

"It's no half-hearted matter, of course. You have to study management too, or it's hard to make a shop thrive, and at times the will to be on the offensive instead of playing it safe matters."

"I see. Did you struggle too, Ringo-chan?"

"Let's see. When I was young there was far less understanding of women working than there is now... Oh dear. When you get old you start wanting to talk only about the past."

"No, please tell me! Your stories are helpful, Ringo-chan. Like the ones from your training days in France!"

"Really? Thank you. You ought to go someday too, Nino."

"Huh? To France?"

"I got the motivation to serve authentic sweets in this country too, so I opened my own shop."

"I see."

"If you're going to open a shop, it's better to have a firm motivation. Why did you start wanting to have a shop of your own, Nino?"

"Um... that's..."

What was it again? When I wondered that, what came back to me was a memory from when I was little.

—Whoa, hotcakes!

—You made them, Nino?

—Amaaazing!

—You're a cooking genius, Nino!

The memory of the day I served those girls hotcakes in the Nakano family living room.

The first dish I ever attempted was fluffy pancakes, but I couldn't make them well at all.

So instead I baked hotcakes using baking powder.

That's right.

The reason I dreamed of a future where I'd open my own shop was that I wanted to make someone happy with my cooking, like everyone back then—

—Hmm...

—This looks good, but...

—The inside's kinda raw~!

—You still need more practice.

No! I remember now—those girls who ate my failed hotcakes were openly disappointed!

That stung, and I thought, this time for sure I want to make everyone smile.

Because Mom could do it.

She served all kinds of dishes at home and made us, her family, smile.

Right. I wished, too, to create a wonderful place where everyone... where family could gather and every last one of them could smile—

"Looks like you remembered something."

With a little chuckle, Ringo-chan wore a gentle smile she'd absolutely never show at school.

"Yeah! Really, thank you, Ringo-chan. That helped a lot!"

"Oh my. How adorable, thanking me so honestly. Though you lose to Momo."

"I won't lose when it comes to family bragging! Look, look, here's Itsuki putting mayonnaise on oyakodon! Doesn't she look happier than in the photo I sent yesterday?"

"She looks like the same face as you. Even with new reading glasses I doubt I could tell you apart."

"With love, you can tell us apart!"

—That kind of thing.

We'd chatted plenty at REVIVAL.

But it still wasn't enough.

Social media's fine, but I've got to cherish real-life relationships too.

And so—I sent Ringo-chan a sister-bragging message!

[Did you see the photo I just sent? Ichika has good outfit sense as always. Miku's expression is brighter than usual when she's eating her favorite tempura. Did Yotsuba tan a little from her club? Itsuki eats my cooking like it's delicious as always, which makes me happy.]

[The one who's close with Momo is Itsuki-san, right?]

[Yes! Itsuki's the most studious hard worker among us sisters. She's so serious she sometimes messes up, but that clumsy side of her is something I can't leave alone... ultra cute!]

[Aren't your vocabulary skills out to lunch?]

[That's just how cute she is!]

"...Nino? Is that true?"

I thought my heart would stop.

Before I'd noticed, my sisters had gathered behind me and were peering at my phone.

"H-hey, you guys! Peeking at someone's phone is a breach of manners!"

"Heh, sorry, sorry~."

"You were grinning at your phone so much, Nino."

"Hehheh. So you were getting all excited over family talk~."

"Honestly, Nino! Please don't send such embarrassing messages!"

Maybe embarrassed at being praised, Itsuki pressed her cherry-blossom-colored lips tightly together.

Crap—she really is cute, my little sister.

In that case, just for now, I'll just own it! And I placed a video call to Ringo-chan.

After the other end picked up.

I turned my phone's front camera toward Itsuki and—

"Hello, Ringo-chan? Itsuki in motion is ultra cute too, isn't she?"

"Nino?! What are you saying over the phone all of a sudden!"

"Calm down, Itsuki-chan. You haven't even introduced yourself yet."

"Th-that is right! Nice to meet you! I—I have been fortunate enough to be close with Date-san...!"

Ringo-chan smiled across the screen.

Maybe because her demon-instructor mode was off for the holiday, she looked like nothing but a kind grandma.

"I've heard about you many times from Date-san! That you're good at cooking, that you're admirable, a very kind grandmother."

"Heh. Why not have tea with me sometime, dear? I'll treat you to some delicious cake. And in exchange, if I may, tell me about Momo at university."

"Honestly, the grandkid-doting's going off again."

"Nino! That way of speaking is rude to someone older!"

"Ringo-chan, if you underestimate Itsuki, your wallet's going on a forced diet. Same face, but her stomach's potential is double mine."

"That remark is rude to me! And double is going too far. At most one-point-five... no, one-point-four times!"

While everyone smiled at Itsuki's words, I went on introducing my sisters properly.

Then Ringo-chan softened her expression gently.

"What a lovely family."

After saying it with a smile, she sent over a single sticker.

When I checked, it was Kumatii going [Like!], and... heh, yes!

I couldn't win on social-media like counts, but getting a "like" directly from the person herself set my heart bouncing.

And besides...

"Come to think of it, Fuu-kun said something."

I muttered under my breath.

After the study session the other day.

Right before we hung up the video call, when I'd asked, "Fuu-kun, do you have lots of new friends?"—

"I do think broadening my circle matters, but no, not many at all."

"I'm obviously not a comms-skill cosmic phenomenon like Takeda."

"Even if I can get a hundred on a test, a hundred friends is impossible."

"Well, I'll widen it at an easy pace. And besides... uh..."

When we persistently pressed Fuu-kun, who'd trailed off—

Fuu-kun went bashful with a "Like... how do I put it..." and then—

"No matter how many friends I make, I doubt I'll get any closer to anyone than you lot."

That side of him... really never changes.

Fuu-kun panicked with "Hey, don't go quiet! You lot are the ones who pushed me to say it!"—but what could we do. Even we were bashful.

Still, I don't think what Fuu-kun said was wrong.

It's a little preachy, but widening your circle at an easy pace matters too!

It had been four months since we left the nest of that miniature garden called high school life.

Ichika, Miku, Yotsuba, Itsuki, Fuu-kun, and I—all of us had made new friends.

It's little by little, and of course there are times we mess up, but we're surely broadening our own worlds.

Becoming independent.

Well, even I think becoming friends with a legendary pâtissier grandma was bold of me...

"Maybe that's like me."

"Nino? Did you say something?"

"Heh, it's nothing."

I smiled at Itsuki's question.

After all, going on the offensive is what's like me, right?

In love.

In friendship.

And in dreams for the future, too.

"Oh, right. While we're at it, let's tell her Nino's cute side too?"

"Huh?"

Ignoring me as I floundered at Ichika's suggestion, Yotsuba, Itsuki, and Miku got excited.

"Good idea! Shimazu-san's only heard about us, too—nothing about Nino yet, right?"

"I'll tell you Nino's cute parts!"

"That's fairer."

"...You guys? That kind of thing should be done where the person isn't—"

"Hmm, Nino's cute side, huh."

After making the piercing on her right ear glint, Ichika announced with a serious face.

"It's got to be her face, I suppose."

"We've all got basically the same face."

"There was a time she forgot the condo key and got locked out."

"Hey, Miku? Do you have some disease where you'll die if you don't say something unnecessary?"

"Truth is, she's scared of the pain so she can't get her ears pierced!"

"—! Brace yourself, Yotsuba. When the time comes for you to get pierced, I'll do it for you in spectacular fashion—"

"She's got a bit of a sharp tongue like this, but she's a kind big sister."

"Stop saying embarrassing things so bluntly, would you?!"

As my shout rang out—

The liveliness of the party kept climbing in temperature, just like the July heat.