Hourglass [Quintessential Quintuplets]

Chapter 9 - Trickster (Ⅰ)

Fuutarou's POV:

"Hah... hah... hah!" My lungs feels like on fire among through the throngs of festivalgoers. I seriously can't remember the last time I ran this hard. ''Come on!'' My eyes dart around, searching desperately for Nino and Miku.

Pretty sure I saw them turn this way. If I manage to gather them both, then maybe this day can still be saved. If I had known that this day was so important to them, I would have definitely stopped Asuka, damn it!

''NINO! MIKU!''

No good. It's too crowded here, they're probably too far to hear me over all this noise. It's almost impossible to make my voice heard over the crowd. Still, I call out their names a couple times more at the top of my lungs. ''This part of the festival area is mostly filled with open food stands, which means I can see them from the outside— Only ten minutes until the fireworks begin. If I estimate an hour to locate them, I still have roughly 70 minutes left... DAMMIT! MIKU! NINO!"

''Fuutarou?'' A serene voice called to me from behind. The owner of the voice belonged to one of the two people I want to see in this world right now.

Somehow I managed to come right next to Miku. She and Nino were sitting at a yakisoba stand. ''Miku!—Thank god.'' I gasp, stumbling to a halt in front of them.

''Ugh, What are you doing here?'' Nino asked with a sullen expression. Wonder if I came at a bad time, or if she's just in a bad mood—maybe both. Screw this! That's not the problem here now. ''Do you have any idea how many times I've called you! Fireworks are about to start!''

''Fireworks...'' Miku's eyes flick toward her phone. ''...''

Nino's eyes snapped open wide. "Where did you hear that? We never—" She probably didn't want anyone to know this information except her sisters.

"Yotsuba told me." I answer, cutting her short. "She was searching all over for the rest of you on her own. It's impossible for one person to handle. Seriously, check your phones! It's already 7:50 PM. I thought it was an important day!"

Miku looks at her phone, her voice small. "Ten minutes! Oh no..."

Nino bolts upright, leaving her half-eaten yakisoba behind. "We have to go. Now."

Miku, catching Nino's urgency, rises too. I can feel the tension in their eyes—the heartbreak if they miss something so significant. "What about the others?" asks as we start speed-walking through the crowd.

"It's my job to find you two." I say, trying not to crash into people while keeping them close. "Yotsuba's taking care of rounding up the rest. We just need to move fast."

A small smile lifts the corners of Miku's mouth. "Fuutarou... arigatou."

''No problem.'' I wave off her thanks. ''You'll be sad if you miss today, won't you? Sessions with sad students are not productive at all.'' I throw in a half-joking remark.I need to try to lowering the tension as far as I can. Miku breathes out a tiny laugh.