The Quintessential Quintuplets: Marching Forward

Chapter Thirteen: Invitationals Part 1

~Miku~

Miku tried to contain yet another yawn as she dragged her exhausted body back to the bathroom. Stopping at the mirror, she surveyed her reflection - noticing the weariness in her skin and split ends in her hair from working and studying long hours she felt no worse for wear, but her reflection suggested otherwise. Opening the medicine cabinet, she grabbed Nino's jar of night cream.

I am still a girl, after all...

She gingerly applied a small dab under her eyes, which according to Nino, was supposed to help reduce the appearance of fatigue. "She'll never know."

As Miku dragged her feet back to her bedroom, she heard a faint voice from across the hall. It was Yotsuba's youthful giggle coming from Nino's bedroom. Miku frowned and turned back towards the sound of Yotsuba's voice.

"Uuueeesuuuugiii-saaaan! Aren't you happy to see me?"

No way, she's...

"We should try our best to have a date with no regrets!"

Miku tiptoed to Nino's bedroom, carefully cracking open the door and peeking inside. "Miku!" Nino shrieked. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here," Miku raised an eyebrow. Nino had her collection of makeup and garments spilling out all over her bed. She had dug through her entire wardrobe to find something sporty—eventually coming across her high school tracksuit with her name stitched onto the front. "Nino," Miku started. "What do you think you're doing? And why does it look like Ichika decided to spend the night here."

"S-shut up! I had no choice! I have too much clothes, and I couldn't find my old tracksuit. Wait! Get out of my room—I thought you were asleep already!" Nino shouted. Her face scrunched up in embarrassment. "You should knock before just coming in!"

"You're rehearsing?" Miku asked, ignoring her sister's shouts. Her mind was already spinning to conclusions.

"Yes, but It doesn't concern you anyway," Nino cocked her hips. Miku always admired Nino's courage and her bluntness. It frustrated Miku that Nino sometimes failed to see things from other's points of view. It was either her way or get out of her way— but that's how Nino dealt with disagreements. Miku's stomach churned with unease as she contemplated the situation that Yotsuba and Nino had entangled themselves in.

Did Yotsuba and Nino really think this'll work? Finally, with a sigh of resignation, Miku entered her room. "She calls him 'Futaro' now," Miku said. "and you're playing up the ditziness too much. Yotsuba is dorky, not stupid."

Once Nino realized Miku had no intention of arguing again, her shoulder relaxed. "Okay," she exhaled. "Then how about this," Nino cleared her throat. "Futaro, are there any special places in town that you'd want to share with me? I want to know Tokyo the way that you do."

Miku folded her arms, leaning against the wall as she watched her sister in action. If there was one thing that Miku was comfortable saying that she was good at, it was understanding her sister's mannerisms. Unfortunately, there was one undeniable truth: Nino enjoyed being Nino too much, and Nino was too proud to play the part that wasn't already hers.

"It still might need some work," Miku said quietly, hoping not to offend. You might need Yotsuba to help you out a bit more.

"She has. Neither of us wants to mess this up. But we're out of time," Nino sat by the edge of her bed. "Honestly, I'm really nervous."

"I probably would be, too," Miku sat on the carpeted floor by Nino's feet, facing away from her. She figured that Nino might have an easier time talking if she didn't have to look her directly in the eye.