The Quintessential Quintuplets, Eternal Hearts

Chapter Twenty-Nine, Destructive Thoughts

-Futaro-

              Futaro had won the grand prize of going to the hot springs trip in the mountains. He had opposed the idea of going because of his worry for Rokuro, but his father had forced him to come, telling him that he couldn't do anything about it at the moment. He was sitting on a rock by himself, thinking about Rokuro as his dad and Raiha shouted to the mountains.

"Damnit...I hope he's alright.." Futaro muttered to himself. He sighed and stood up from the rock he was sitting on, he decided to worry about it later, standing up and walking over to the edge of the mountain, he took a deep breath and smiled.

"Yahoo!!!"

"Yahoo!!!"

A voice shouted from next to him, he turned to his side and saw Itsuki standing next to him, they locked eyes and his face dropped.

"I-Itsuki!!!? What are you doing here?!" Futaro exclaimed.

"Why are you here, Uesugi-kun?!" Itsuki retorted, Futaro saw a set of heads coming from over the hill and up walked the rest of the girls...and Rokuro.

"Kazuhiro!!!" Futaro shouted.

"Oh, you're here too Futaro?" Rokuro asked simply, Futaro paused, Rokuro looked perfectly normal, nothing like he had a week before. Then he remembered how good his friend was at hiding how he was feeling, but he dismissed it for now, running over to him.

"You're okay!?" Futaro asked.

"Yea, my chest still hurts every now and then, but they said I shouldn't come in about it unless I feel like I'm dying." Rokuro replied, Futaro sighed and nodded.

"Well at least you're alive, of yea..have you gotten over that?" Futaro questioned, referencing the day with Nino.

"No, not in the slightest, but I can't worry the girls anymore than I already have. Though Ichika-nee already knows." Rokuro whispered to him, Futaro looked at him quizzically until another figure walked up to the group, it was their father.

"It appears that trouble has its way of finding us on trips. Come along, Rokuro-kun." Maruo said.

"I'm talking to my friend." Rokuro retorted, their father stared at him for a long time, his eyes narrowing, he had a look that said Rokuro had five seconds to leave Futaro alone. Rokuro suddenly took his bag off his shoulders and handed it to Futaro, Futaro looked up in confusion as Rokuro started to walk over to the girls' father, taking off his jacket. He threw it to the side and scowled, clenching his fists. Futaro realized what he was about to do and ran over, grabbing Rokuro's arm.

"Kazuhiro, no!" Futaro said urgently, Rokuro's head snapped back over to him and Futaro saw pure rage in his eyes, but not rage at anyone in particular, rather it was rage at the world.

"Kazuhiro, I get that you're upset, but don't go down that path." Futaro said sternly. Rokuro sighed and took his bag back, walking over and grabbing his jacket before slinging both over his shoulder and walking away.

"He's been like that since yesterday, when we came home he didn't say a thing to us. He first spoke to us on the drive here, but he's been cold and distant,  and he won't talk to me." Itsuki said from beside him. Futaro glanced at the others before sighing.

"I'll see if I can get him to talk, but we can't talk about it, not while your father is here. I'll see you later." Futaro said, running off after Rokuro, he found him walking over to the inn they were gonna stay at and caught up to him.

"The Nino thing messed you up this badly? I don't think in the years I've known you that I've ever seen you lash out like that." Futaro said.

"It's broken me Futaro, I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't think straight! I don't know what to do.." Rokuro said, looking down as his fists clenched tightly.