Hourglass [Quintessential Quintuplets]

Chapter 32 - Connection

Third Person POV:

''...So they've been dating ever since the cultural festival, right Uesugi-san?''


''Probably. I feel bad for explaining this late but I made a promise back then. Sorry, Yotsuba.''

''Mou!—They didn't need to hide it from us! We're not in the position to do anything.''

The eventful field trip had finally come to an end, and everyone had settled back into the mundane rhythm of daily life. School, exams, high school romances-the unholy trinity of adolescence. After the final dance at the hotel, Asuka and Itsuki decided to come clean about their relationship to the quints.

They'd braced themselves for negative responses or at least a few days of cold shoulders. But instead, every single one of them offered genuine congratulations. Well-every single one minus Nino, who had entered some kind of euphoric trance after the dance and hadn't fully snapped out of it since. Not a bad thing, necessarily. Just... unsettling when you catch her smiling at nothing in particular for the third time in a row.

Now the trip is over.

Everyone returned to school and started studying for the upcoming finals. The quints' private sessions started again. As the finals approached, it seemed like the days were passing faster for all the students. It had only been a two or three days since they returned from the trip, but it felt like weeks had already gone by.

Today, the day is already halfway through.
Everyone is waiting for the day to end.
Except for one;

''Uesugi-san. Where's Asuka-kun? I haven't seen him at all today.''

Fuutarou gave a monotonous answer without lifting his face from the algebra textbook he'd practically buried himself in. ''Football tournaments pratice. Asuka'll be late for classes since he's the team captain. It won't always be the case, but it might be difficult for him to make up for morning classes.''

''...Eh? That sounds rough, though. Asuka-kun already studies well and plays football on top of it. Isn't doing both at the same time going to burn him out?''

''Don't ask me! I don't even think that guy qualifies as a normal human being.'' Fuutarou flipped a page with precision and sighed. ''Stop worrying about other people and study. Also... if it comes to that point you just said, I'll get involved.''

''Now now, hehe.''
Yotsuba sweatdropped.
''You're already pushing us hard enough at home, Uesugi-san. Still, it's very nice to hear these things from you. Asuka-kun is lucky to have a friend like you.''

The conversation might have continued like that but the door of the classroom slammed open with enough force to rattle the frame. What entered inside was a monster radiating pure anger. The monster slammed the books down on the teacher's desk. The sound was so loud that some of the students had to cover their ears.