That Night
Inn
Corridor
(Y/N) POV
Me: Gramps, just tell me already. What's the trick of telling them apart?
Ichiro wasn't with us since he said he wanted to rest.
Grandpa: Love. You can tell them apart if you have love.
Me*thought*: So he was the culprit behind it all!
Grandpa: Devoting time... Getting to know their behaviors, voices, unconscious habits... Would you not to say that is love?
Me:...
He stopped walking and looked at me.
Grandpa: You said you wished to tell my grandchildren apart? That's not something you can do in a day or two. For what reason do you wish to tell my grandchildren apart? What do you wish to do after you become able to tell them apart? Do you have the resolve to face my grandchildren?
Me:...
I started walking away, but before I went any further, I stopped and spoke.
Me: Telling them apart is like telling the stars in the sky apart. Both of them are useless, but...
I turned around and smiled at gramps.
Me:*smiles* They are beautiful and worth to waste time on.
I looked back in front and continued walking.
Little Timeskip
Our family room
(Y/N) POV
Dad: Is changing your appearance back and forth is your hobby now?
He asked after seeing me and Ichiro both now have short white hair.
Ichiro: All of that was (Y/N)'s plan. I just got dragged into it.
Me: Well, it's been long time since we pulled prank on people with our appearance.
I said while walking to the door.
Mom: Are you going somewhere?
Me: Yeah, the hotspring.
I got out from the room and made my way towards the hotspring.
Little Timeskip
Mixed Bath
(Y/N) POV
I was in the hotspring and was leaning against a wall.
As I was looking at the stars, someone knocked the wall behind me.
Itsuki: (Y-(Y/N), you better have a reasonable excuse to call me out here in the middle of a night.
Me: Yeah, I have. Get into the pool first.
A few moments after I said that, I heard splash of water.
Itsuki: W-Well, what do you need?
Me: Well, how about we start with why the heck everyone turned into Itsuki? It can't be just because of the game, right?
Itsuki: You are not wrong. We have our own reason.
Me: Care to tell me?
Itsuki: A long time ago, we quintuplets were completely identical. We and everyone else all agreed that we got along great. Seeing us like that made grandpa happy.
Me: I see.
Itsuki: But one day, Nino tried dressing differently from everyone.
Me: Hmm? How was she dressed?
Itsuki: Same as now, butterfly ribbons that you bought for her during the field trip.
Me: I see.
Itsuki: When grandpa saw that the five of us weren't the same, he became very worried. He wondered if we were on bad terms... Eventually, he collapsed. From then on, we decided to look the same whenever we're around grandpa. After talking it over, we decided on my look.
Me: You guys sure love your grandpa so much.
Itsuki: Yes, he's a very kind person, after all.
I looked up at the night sky.
Me: Hey, wanna hear my secret?
Itsuki: Hmm?
Me: I've taught countless girls before meeting Akane, you know? But why do you think I only dated Akane?
Itsuki: Why?
Me: It's because she's the one that taught me how does it feel to be at the bottom.
Itsuki: Huh?
Me: From the kindergarten until high school, I always standing on the top. I never know how does it feel to be at the bottom or even second place. But when I met Akane, she showed what she have but I don't have. Before meeting Akane, I never know how to do the housework. But after been scolded by Akane countless time, I finally know how to do the housework on my own.
Itsuki: Your apartment is still messy.
Me: That's just because I'm lazy to clean it up. Anyways, getting back into my story... I was very stubborn in the past, so got scolded by my parents was a daily routine for me. But after been scolded by Akane, my own student, I know how frustrating it is to be scolded. "There's someone better than me, huh." That's what I was thinking that time. For someone like me, who has stood on the top for a very long, that thought really was frustrating. I started to learn how to do the housework from her, and after a few months, love started to bloom.
Itsuki:... I see.
Me: Well enough with the past, let's get back to why I called you here.
Itsuki: Huh? I thought you called me here just because you wanted to know why everyone dressed like me!
Me: There's no need for us to talk like this if that's what I want from you.
Itsuki: You does have a point... So, what do you really want from me?
Me: The Itsuki that I mistaken for Nino. I wanted to meet her tomorrow. Can you tell her to meet me?
Itsuki: Well, that's an easy request. But does that mean you have found out her identity?
Me: Well, I can't be so sure.
The Next Day
Our family room
Itsuki POV
Dad: Well then, since we'll be boarding the ship at noon, I want you all to finish preparations for the return trip promptly.
Yotsuba: Miku still hasn't come back from from the toilet even though I wanted to get into the hotspring one last time with everyone...
Ichika: Itsuki-chan, do you know anything?
Me:...
Meanwhile
In a room
(Y/N) POV
Me: So... I'm sure you are the Itsuki that I mistaken for Nino yesterday, correct?
Itsuki 4: Yes. Can I believe that you are not Ichiro-kun?
Me:*smiles* Well, of course.
She stared at me for a few seconds.
Itsuki 4: I trust you.
Me:*smiles* Thank you.
I thanked her and walked to a window.
Me: Say, "Itsuki". Can you maintain your study the same way when I'm gone?
Itsuki 4:...
Me: I'll leave you guys the day after our next field trip over. It's not long until that day to come. Just two phase left. The national mock exam and the field trip and after that I'll leave Japan. So please fulfill this request of mine.
I smiled at "Itsuki".
Me:*smiles* Please never neglect your study when I'm gone, Miku. Say this to your sisters too.
She rushed at me, making her wig fell and hugged me.
Miku:*smiles while crying* I will, (Y/N).
We both fell to the ground and a second later...
Our lips met.
Miku*thought*: Thank you for all the wonderful times, (Y/N). This is my parting gift.
Me:*thought*: You and your sisters are gonna be the happiest women ever alive in the future. I promise you that.
To be continued...