Go-Toubun no Hanayome √AE

Chapter 27:Something Different

Turning back the clock to the day before the quints went to Umihotaru with Fuutarou

...

...

Tsubaki was walking around a shopping district, picking out clothes fit for the summer. While she was window shopping, she noticed a sad figure sitting down. Upon closer examination, she noticed it was Takeda. Tsubaki was surprised, but she knew she had to ask what was wrong. She approached him.

Tsubaki:"H-Hey, Takeda-san. What're you up to?"

Takeda:"Hm? Ah, I remember you."

Takeda straightens himself out and sparkles begin to appear.

Takeda:"I'm simply out for a wonderful walk."

Tsubaki:"...Oh! How's your back? You made a pretty serious cracking noise back during the relay race."

Takeda:"I'm perfectly fine, thank you."

Tsubaki:"That's great! I was worried about that[since I think that was my fault]. But then, why do you look so sad?"

Takeda:"Oh, it's nothing. You don't need to worry about me..."

Tsubaki put a hand on his shoulder.

Tsubaki:"Well, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."[Takeda-san is so cool, trying his hardest to not worry anyone with his ow-]

Takeda:"Life is so hard!"

Tsubaki:[Ah, I spoke too soon.]

Takeda:"I've always had an absorbent amount of expectations put upon me. Yet, I've always been able to rise upon them and meet them as equals. However, I haven't been the same since high school began. Uesugi-kun, my wonderful friend, didn't start out as that. He was, no, is my rival. But I've never been able to truly beat him. I was always his second. Due to him faltering, I believed I could finally surpass him in the nationals, only for reality to hit me in the face...Even on this latest test, I was second. My father has only lost patience with me more and more, once he even tried less than moral tactics...I was also second during the relay race, letting down even the expectations my class had for me..."

Tsubaki just kept staring at Takeda.

Takeda:"My dream...is to be an astronaut. Ever since I was a kid, I'd spend every day studying with it on my mind...But now, I don't know. The more I fail, the more I wonder if I can truly do it..."

Takeda stood quiet, a deep blush beginning to show on his face, he had let himself go.

Takeda:"S-Sorry, I don't know what happened, it seems I lost track of-"

Takeda stopped upon seeing Tsubaki's tearing up at Takeda's story.

Tsubaki:"You're so cool!"

Takeda:"Huh? I am?"

As Takeda was trying to calm her down, he noticed a couple of students in the corner of his eye. It was Maeda and Matsui, who were hanging out together.

Maeda:"Yo, Takeda. What are you-?"

Upon noticing Tsubaki tearing up, Maeda gave Takeda the stink eye.

Maeda:"Now you're breaking hearts?"

Takeda:"I have no idea what I did."

Tsubaki:"It's not his fault, I just get so emotional when it comes to sappy stories."

Takeda:"That was sappy?"

Matsui:"It's fine, Maeda-kun. If anything, we're the ones who barged in on them."

Tsubaki:"Hey, Matsui-chan."

Matsui:"Heyo, Tsubaki-chan. Say, I have an idea. Why don't we make this into a double date?"

Tsubaki:"Huh!?"

Takeda:"A double what?"

Maeda blushed. But soon he put his arm around Takeda.

Maeda:"She gets like this, just go along with it."

Upon "convincing" Takeda, the four went out to enjoy the rest of their day in the shopping district they were in. Takeda was reluctant, but quickly came to just accept his current circumstance. Takeda had only recently understood the true meaning of a friend. Now, he was beginning to really enjoy the concept.

Takeda:[Father's not going to be happy about me staying out so late, but I'll just deal with that later.]

...

Maeda:"Ah, it's getting really late."

Matsui:"...Looks like I've already missed the last bus."

Tsubaki:"...My house is close..."

Tsubaki looks at Takeda.

Tsubaki:[What's the harm?]"You guys can crash at my place."

The three lit up. They followed Tsubaki to her residence.

Tsubaki:"It's not a big house, but you guys should be able to make it."

Upon finishing her sentence, Takeda's lifeless body hit the floor, already snoozing.

Maeda:"Looks like he tuckered himself out without realizing it."

Tsubaki:"At least it seemed like he had fun."

Matsui:"Come on, it's way too late, let's take a shower and go to sleep. No peeking, Maeda-kun."

Maeda:"Eh?"

Matsui:"You can wash Takeda-kun's body if you want."

Tsubaki:"W-What!?"

Maeda:"Don't mislead her like that!"

Matsui:"Hehe."

...

...

Tsubaki woke up early. She already had trouble sleeping, but something had made a noise. Upon fixing her eyes on what it could be, she saw it was Takeda. Before she could scream, she noticed he had his eyes closed. Takeda fell down once again, still snoozing away.

Tsubaki:[Is he just a terrible sleepwalker?]

Tsubaki looked at the helpless Takeda. She began to get closer to him. As she approached him, his phone suddenly went off, waking up Takeda immediately, causing Tsubaki to scoot away quickly.

Takeda:"Ah! Someone's calling me...Yeah....Ah, yes, I'm up...No, it's fine, I didn't think much of it...Yes, certainly. Haha, I'm glad you've come to care so much. Say hi to her for me. Have fun."

Tsubaki:"What was that?"

Takeda:"Oh, hello, Tsubaki-san, what are you doing in my room?"

Tsubaki:"E-Ehhh?"

Takeda:"Oh, that was Uesugi-kun, he just called me to apologize for something regarding his sister. He's quite overprotective."

As Takeda kept going, Tsubaki thought back to something Ichika asked her.

{Ichika:"What made you fall for him?"}

Tsubaki:[Back then, I said it was because he was cool...But I see that Takeda is more than that...He likes to talk a bunch, he's weird with social situations, yet he feels himself right at home, he's a terrible sleepwalker, and he's a little selfish...But, somehow that makes him even cooler.]

Tsubaki stood up and quickly gave Takeda a small kiss on the cheek before running away from the confused Takeda.

Takeda:"Um, Tsubaki-san. What was that ab-Kyaa!"

Takeda had screamed due to feeling two hands on his shoulders. It was Maeda and Matsui, having woken up due to Takeda's noise. They simply gave him a thumbs up.

Maeda/Matsui:"Noice."

Takeda simply stood there, confused.

Takeda:"...No, but really, what do we do? This is her house and she just ran away from it."

End of Chapter 27