Fallout - Quintessential Quintuplets alt ending

Nino's savior

Nino can't help but smile. Her mood hasn't been this good since before the culture festival. She can't help but think that things are going well, and if they are going well, Fuu-kun will surely be jealous and realize what he's missing.

Nino is wearing heels and a dress that she borrowed from Ichika that she wouldn't want her dad to see her in. She is wrapped around Bo's arm as the two stroll up the sidewalk toward his house after nightfall.

"The rooftop cafe was very romantic. I'm sure that idiot wishes he was there instead of sitting in his family's dinner with my baby sister." She glances up at Bo. "Thanks for taking me."

"Oh, I'm just doing my job as your fake boyfriend." His expression is utterly casual, as if he is walking beside a friend chatting about the weather, despite the fact that Nino is clinging to him like she's climbing a tree.

The two enter the house. It's a very small house, and rather run down, though it seems comfortable on the inside. Despite the fact that Nino has been living in a luxury apartment, she isn't fazed by the house's modesty because it's still much larger than the tiny apartment that she lived in before her mother's death.

"Nino-san!" The small girl jumps to her feet excitedly. She has long dark hair and seems quite intelligent for her age.

She is just like a younger version of Raiha.

"Hey Maki-chan! Oh be careful, don't drop your tablet." Nino takes the tablet, which, judging from the battered condition of its pink case, has probably been dropped dozens of times already. After making sure that Maki isn't going to drop her tablet again, Nino pats the girl's head as she wraps her arms around Nino's waist.

"Will your neighbor be watching you after school tomorrow, Maki-chan?"

"Yeah she usually comes over when Daddy is working, but she's really old and boring. I like it better when you come Nino-san!"

"She can't help that she's old, Maki-chan. You should be nice to her since she takes the time to help you when your daddy is gone." Nino pats the girl's head again. "But she's definitely not as good a cook as me. Come look in the fridge, Maki-chan, let me show you what I made yesterday."

Nino opens the fridge to display the ready-made meals that she prepared for Bo and Maki for the rest of the week.

"The green containers are supposed to go together to be one meal, and the same for the other colors. When your neighbor comes tomorrow, you can pick whichever one you want and ask her to heat it up for you. I promise it'll be yummy."

"Nino-san, you're the best! I wish you could be here every day!"

"I have work at the bakery, plus studying, but I promise I'll come as often as I can." She turns to Bo. "I'd better get back, I have school tomorrow."

"Let me walk you out," Bo says.

"No, just stay and put Maki to bed. I'm just going out to the street to get a cab."

"Then I'll walk you to the street and come back."

He always acts very gentlemanly. I wonder where he picked that up from?

When the two reach the street corner, Nino gets a mischievous grin and glances up and down the street.

"Just in case he's watching..." she whispers.

Nino grabs the collar of Bo's shirt and pulls him. She tries to be softer with this kiss than the one she did in front of her sisters at brunch. But she doesn't want it to be quick, and the softness gives way to impatience. She hooks her arm around the back of his neck and kisses him harder. He seems completely stunned, as if he didn't consider the brunch incident as a kiss because she said she was getting something off his mouth, as if this is the first time she has done this.

When Nino finally releases him, he looks shocked for a moment, then composes himself. Nino's stomach tingles in excitement, and she turns her face away to hide her embarrassment. "That was in case he was watching....You'd better go back to Maki now."

Nino quickly taps a few buttons on her phone to order a cab. Her mind is dwelling on what Fuutarou's reaction would be if he saw that kiss.

"Hahahaha!" Drunken laughter echoes down the street. She looks and sees a man and woman, perhaps in their thirties, staggering down the street. The woman tries to steady herself on the man's shoulder, and his balance also sways, and the two barely manage to stay on their feet.

"Oh hey, pretty lady..." the drunken male voice calls out.

Nino averts her gaze and pretends not to notice.

"She's young," the woman says. "Look at her pretty red hair."

"You lost, cutie?" The drunken pair approaches Nino.

"You're too pretty to leave out here on your own. We should just take you home with us," the woman's slurred voice says.

Nino continues to attempt to ignore the couple, but she can feel fear starting to wash over her body.

"No thanks..." Nino whimpers.

Her eyes are finally forced to turn toward the drunken couple, because she sees the man reaching for her arm out of the corner of her eye.

Suddenly the man is gone.

A silhouette appears between Nino and the drunken woman.

Fuu-kun? Is that really you? You came to save me!

"Ah...fuck..." says the drunken man, sprawled out on the pavement in the middle of the road.

A voice comes from the shadowy wall that appeared between Nino and her harassers. "Get your drunk asses out of here before I call the cops."

Nino is awash in fear, but Bo's voice is surprisingly calm.

"Do you want to kiss the pavement too, lady?"

The woman staggers over to her partner, flailing drunkenly in the middle of the road, and tries unsuccessfully to help him to his feet.

Bo wraps his arm around Nino and leads her farther down the street. "Are you okay?"

"Ye.....Fine...." Nino's voice trembles. It's not entirely fear that is gripping her. She can feel her face heating up. She is blushing more than she ever has in her life.

"It's my job to deal with people like that," Bo says. 'I was about to punch that guy, but that would have done too much damage. If they're drunk, it's usually better to just shove 'em down."

Bo waits with his arm around her for about five minutes before the taxi arrives. He says a few things, checking on her safety, asking if she wants him to escort her home, asking if she wants to sit down, and other things that Nino barely pays attention to. During that five minutes, the feelings of fear shift into feelings of elation.

Bo helps her into the cab and gives some kind of reassuring goodbye, but she isn't paying attention. She forces out a smile for him, out of gratitude, but she finds herself unable to meet his gaze.

What. The. Hell. Is. Wrong. With. Me? Why am I so excited? And aroused even! He reminded me so much of Fuu-kun in that moment, so I guess I'm reacting as if Fuu-kun put his arm around me. I didn't feel nearly this excited when I kissed him, and both kisses were pretty intense, much more intense than just having his arm around my shoulders. It must be because he reminded me of Fuu-kun when he did that, and I wasn't thinking about Fuu-kun during the kisses. I must really love Fuu-kun, if he gets me this excited.

The cab passes by a park, and Nino spots a distinctive shock of orange hair with a green ribbon on top.

They went to a playground on their date? I knew she was immature and lame, but this is another level.

Peering through the window, Nino sees Yotsuba and Fuutarou leaning against a tree, and they are kissing. Or trying to. Each attempt at a kiss is quickly interrupted by giggling. It seems like they aren't able to hold a kiss for more than two seconds before one of them breaks down giggling.

It's just pathetic. Really just sad. So childish. I almost feel bad for her. I would feel bad for her if it wasn't for the fact that she's subjecting Fuu-kun to her immaturity. She can't even kiss him properly! If only he saw my kiss earlier. Now that's how a woman kisses.

Maybe I can't just rely on the jealousy plan. Maybe I need to try something else. And I think I know just what to do.