'...There are certain things I've learned since L/N-kun started coming over with Uesugi-kun. 1: He isn't much of an otaku.'

"Eh? I mean, I like manga and stuff, but I don't get all worked up about moe stuff..." Y/N states plainly in one of Itsuki's memories. "And I don't collect figures."

'2: His family runs a cake shop.'

"I brought cake!" Y/N had stated in one memory of Itsuki's, bringing a cake box over to their apartment.

'3: He did his piercings himself, with a safety pin, in middle school.'

"Yeah... It did hurt pretty bad when I pierced them," Y/N says in another memory, reminiscing about it.

'And finally... How do I put this... He's really bad at studying. ...But... His grades are better than mine...' Itsuki monologued.

--: Chapter 3| Another One Joins :--

---

Yesterday...

"I'm a generous person, so I'm willing to forgive you what you did to me yesterday," Fuutarou first starts out. "Anyway, thank you all for gathering today!"

"Well, this is our house," Ichika says sleepily, her head on Yotsuba's leg.

Doing as Fuutarou had instructed, Itsuki had gathered her siblings in the living room of their apartment. While she was annoyed of Uesugi's presence, it was calmed down with relief with Y/N being there, whom was sitting on the other couch to their right.

 "You still haven't given up, eh," Miku says, annoyed.

Nino sighed. "I have a date with my friend so can you hurry up? Didn't we tell you yesterday that we don't need a tutor?"

"If you girls really mean that, then prove it," the boy says, crossing his arms.

"Prove it?"

Fuutarou grinned as he pulled out the test papers he made for the girls, slamming it down on the table.

"This is the test that none of you finished. I promise I won't bother anyone that can get a passing score on this test. If you can do this, then making it to graduation is just a trivial task." 'I don't have to be fair and equal with these idiots! All I need to do is teach those that are likely to fail.'

Nino narrowed her eyes. "Why do I have to do this annoying test..."

"I understand. I'll do it," Itsuki suddenly speaks.

"Huh?" Nino looks at her younger sister with disbelief. "Itsuki, are you serious?"

"We just need to get a passing score, right?" She said, taking out some glasses from a case. She then pushes them up her nose as she puts them on. "If we can do that, then we won't have to see your face again."

Ichika falls face first on the table. "So let's do it everyone."

"Sisters! Let's try our best!" Yotsuba yells out, thrusting a fist into the air.

"Y/N, I want you to do it too," Fuutarou says, the boy with a lip ring pointing to himself.

"Eh? Me, too?"

"Yes, you too. You know why."

Y/N sighed and lowered his head. "Fine..."

"What is the passing score?" Miku asked calmly.

"60... No, 50 points would do. Y/N, for you, make at least a 70 or higher."

The pink-haired girl with butterfly clips stared at her siblings with utter disbelief before she sighed. She then grabbed a test paper and pencil.

"Guess we have to do it, then. But don't you dare look down at us."

And the tests then started. The quints and Y/N began to quietly work while Fuutarou carefully watched them. He noted that some of them seemed to be struggling, Nino covering one of her eyes with her hands as she seemed to be having an internal struggle. Occasionally, Itsuki would tap her pencil on the side of her head, thinking of an answer to put down.

Y/N didn't seem to struggle as much, but he would twirl his pencil in between his fingers when thinking of answer to put down for a question. Soon after they all completed the tests, they handed it to Fuutarou, who went and graded them.

"And the grades are here! Great, 100 points!" Fuutarou yells. This pleased the girls for a bit, only for them to falter when he spoke again. "If I combine all the scores together...!"

Starting from the left, Itsuki made a 28, Nino made a 20, Miku a 32, Ichika a 12, and Yotsuba being the lowest, a score of 8. However, when he looked to Y/N, who seemed to be shrinking in his seat.

Fuutarou sighed with slight disappointment. "As expected. You suck at studying."

"Eh?" The girls were surprised to hear that. Fuutarou gave the test paper, along with a few past test papers, of Y/N's to the quints. Upon looking at it, they gave him a deadpan expression. Y/N made a 69 on the test, his past tests having 50s or higher or lower.

"Sorry..." Y/N apologized.

'...Why does this seem wrong?' Itsuki thought.

"But you're amazing, Uesugi-san! You've made 100s!"

Yotsuba then piped up. "Aren't people with glasses typically quiet and good at school stuff?"

"Are they?" Y/N nonchalantly asks, four of the five quints comically slamming their heads on the table.

"What are these?" Yotsuba asks.

"Ah, finals from last year! If you fail them, you have to take a make-up!"

"The stuff on there is probably not something you'd understand yet," Fuutarou says.

Yotsuba pouted. "I can!"

"Then how about this? Let's find the range of 'X'! You'd better pay attention, this is the most basic of the basics!" Fuutarou explains.

"Uh..." Yotsuba seemed to have a brain fart, which made Y/N begin to laugh.

"Someone who can't do the basic of the basics shouldn't be laughing," the other four quints say, along with Fuutarou.

"Eh!? But you can still graduate as long as you don't fail! I know that much!"

"But you've gotten perfect scores on health and physical education..." Fuutarou deadpanned. "People don't get grades that high."

Y/N rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I guess it's because I can do the basics..."

"Stop it, that's creepy," Nino says, only to receive a jab in her side from Itsuki.

"On another note," Fuutarou says, looking to the quints. "You girls... Could it be..."

"...Run away!" Nino quickly yells.

"Ah! Wait!"

But it was too late, Fuutarou's attempts of trying to get them back were futile. The quintuplet siblings had scrambled on back to their rooms, leaving only Y/N and Fuutarou in the living room.

'All of them... Failed to even get an average score?'

---

A few days had passed and Y/N had always been visiting the Nakano's apartment, as per Itsuki's request. He entered the quints apartment like normal, talking to a few of them, avoiding Nino most of all as she was always suspicious around him, but right now, Y/N was in some sort of dilemma.

Currently, he was in Itsuki's room.

"Nakano-san, what do I do!?" Y/N screams in desperation. "We're going to start swimming classes soon! This is terrible!"

Itsuki's eye twitched, attempting to study but was distracted by Y/N's yells of despair. She then looked to him, fanning herself with her notebook.

"Something wrong with that? It's better than doing a marathon when it's so hot out."

"Everything's wrong with it! They'll find out about everything!"

Itsuki raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'everything'?" Itsuki then blushes as she waves her hands in front of her face, closing her eyes. "Don't start pulling your shirt up!" 

"What am I supposed to do about these!?"

(A/N): *Note* Ignore Kyouko in the pic and of what she's doing.

Uncovering one eye to see what he meant, Itsuki gets a look, half of his shirt was up with his left arm's sleeve was lifted up. However, she opened her other eye to get a real good look with both of her eyes, causing her to deadpan and stand up from her seat. She now understood why Y/N always wore the winter variation of their school uniform instead of the current spring/summer variation of their uniform. 

He has tattoos underneath his clothing. It would obviously raise some people's concerns if they were to find out that Y/N has piercings, even more if he has tattoos. After standing up from her seat, she walked to him and chopped the top of his head, making him grunt in pain as he rubs the spot she had just just hit.

"L/N-kun, sometimes I can't tell if you're really incredible or just an idiot..." She says, crossing her arms while keeping her deadpan expression. "Also, I'm pretty sure swimming classes aren't mandatory."

"Eh!?"

'...There's still many things that I don't know about L/N-kun yet.'

---

The next day, in the classroom.

"It's soooo hoooot...!" One girl says, slumping forward in her chair. "Why is it so hot today? I'm going to die without air conditioning..."

Itsuki let out an exhausted sigh. "There's no way we'll be able to do PE in this sun..."

Another one of Itsuki's friends look over to Y/N, "Well. We do have one stalwart, though."

"Ah! L/N-kun, huh. Now that you mention it, he hasn't changed his uniform the whole year..."

"Maybe he's just sensitive to cold?"

"Maybe..."

Itsuki sweat dropped. 'That's not it at all... He's just stuck enduring the heat... He says if he wears just the shirt, his tattoos'll show through... His eyes also look dead...'

"Hah..." Y/N lets out a pant.

"Why don't you just wear the shirt only?" Fuutarou asked.

"Huh...? I'm fine."

Fuutarou deadpanned. 'No you're not. You're practically overheating, dumbass.'

---

"Hah... I... Am on fire." 'Starbucks! I want to go buy something cold and expensive!'

"I told you, you should have just wore the shirt. Why didn't you just take the jacket off?"

"You wouldn't want to see it... Anyway, what are you doing?" Y/N says, trying to draw the attention away from him.

"Hmm? Oh, this? Just trying to figure out how I'll help assist the quints to graduation."

The glass wearing teen let out a hum as the two continued walking through the school's hallway. As they continued walking, Fuutarou was looking at his notebook, examining his plan for helping the quints graduate. However, he perked up when he sees something.

On the scored test sheet from a few days ago, he notices one of the quints scores. Miku's in particular. 

"Wait..."

"What is it?"

"Miku... Got the first question right from the test a few days ago... So why didn't she back there..." Fuutarou murmurs to himself.

"Why don't you ask Miku-san during lunchtime?"

"Well..."

Fast forward to lunchroom...

Fuutarou awkwardly waved his hand, "H-Hey, Miku..."

The two boys had went to the cafeteria after class to have their lunch, but to also ask Miku of something. Well, mainly Fuutarou, but the two did find her.

But in response to Fuutarou, Miku gives him a cold stare. The boy then looks down at her tray, seeing 350 yen sandwich and a matcha soda. He then tries to make conversation with her.

"I wonder what it tastes like?"

"I won't let bad Fuutarou drink it. Bad."

Her reply made Fuutarou feel like he was stabbed. Y/N could be heard chuckling to himself in the background. Fuutarou then sighed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Can I ask you something? About the question from this morning."

Miku looked liked she was about to say something, the girl opening her mouth to do so. Fuutarou was beginning to feel hopeful, but it all shattered when a familiar orange-haired girl had suddenly appeared behind him and yelled in his ear.

"Uesugi-san! Want to have lunch together?"

"Uh, whoa..." Fuutarou jumps in surprise, turning around. "Really, you again, Yotsuba? Do you have to jump on people like that?"

Yotsuba only laughed. "Sorry for ignoring you this morning."

"Hello, Yotsuba-san," Y/N says with a small wave.

"Ah!? When did you get here!?"

"Eh? I've been standing here."

"So, anyway... Miku--"

Yotsuba then jumps in front of Fuutarou, flashing a paper in his face. "You should take a look at this. It's an english test."

"About that--" Fuutarou began again before he was interrupted by the orange-haired girl.

"I didn't get a single one right!" Yotsuba laughed.

Fuutarou's eyes darkened as he began to get fed up with Yotsuba's antics. Ichika soon came in and began to push her sister away, giving the black-haired teen an apologetic look.

"Sorry for bothering you three."

"Ichika, you should see it too."

"Umm... Well, let's drop that. We are all idiots, anyway. Right? So it would be boring to study all the time in high school. You must enjoy your youth. Like, falling in love for example!" Ichika proclaims.

"Falling in love?" Fuutarou asked before he continued on. "That is a stupid action and way inferior compared to studying. Feel free to love anyone you like, but remember this. If you keep thinking like that, then being a student would be the only high point of your life."

"Making a big deal out of it like that is a bit outdated...!"

The orange-haired girl then nervously laughs, rubbing the back of her head. "But even I want to love someone, there isn't a good guy around here. How about you, Miku? Do you have someone you like?"

"Uh..."

Being asked the question on the spot only caused Miku to blush. She then turned around and headed the other way, muttering out, "N-No, I don't have anyone!", which was only heard by her siblings, Fuutarou and Y/N. Fuutarou then looked in the direction Miku had left in, a confused look on his face.

"What's wrong with her..."

Yotsuba then slid next to him, "That kind of expression... A sister like myself understands it very well. Miku is in love."

While the three were talking about it, and somehow speculating who Miku supposedly likes, Y/N stood there holding his lunch tray, deep in thought. The question Yotsuba asked Miku had gotten him thinking.

Especially since the question could only make a clear image in his head. She popped in his mind.

'...Someone you "like," huh?' Y/N thought.

---

After school, Y/N was once again at the quintuplets apartment. Once the school bell had rung, he had run-in with Yotsuba, who was helping out some of the teachers and students after school, which in turn, the rest of the quints had left for home. So, the two decided to get some Starbucks so they could beat the insane heat of the day.

Having gotten some drinks for everyone, both Yotsuba and Y/N had went home to the apartment, but they ended up running into three of the other quints. Itsuki was apparently on grocery duty, so she had left for the supermarket to get some more items for their fridge and pantry. And so, the rest of the quints decided to drag him along with their plans for the day, despite Nino's protest. However, during this time, it felt like to Y/N that he had made progress with making them as friends, Nino even warming up to him a little. 

They had even stopped by a few places because Y/N insisted on buying them presents, as thanks for putting up with him, despite their protests. Yotsuba had gotten a fitness watch. After learning about Y/N's perfect score in physical health, and out of all her siblings, she was the most active, she made it one of her goals to also get a perfect score in physical health... For some odd reason. So she decided she'd want to go on runs every morning, Y/N had gotten her a fitness watch so she could track her steps and such. For Nino, she wanted to get her ears, so she had asked Y/N for advice on what to do. All he told her was that it did initially hurt, which made her back down, so she had Y/N accompany her to a clothing store and give her thoughts on them, which surprisingly he had given a good sense of fashion sense towards her.

As for Ichika, she didn't necessarily want a gift, but she told him of what she aspired to be. An actor. And so, she requested for Y/N to help her rehearse or act, to which he shyly obliged to do so. He was very awkward at it. And as for Miku, he learned of her love for history. So he got her a book that talked all about Sengoku Period warriors. Despite her already knowing almost everything about them, she still appreciated it. 

And when he arrived at their apartment, he asked if they could give studying another attempt. Although they were reluctant and lazy, they abided and tried it out, Y/N studying with them as well. However, it didn't last long as they ended up falling asleep on the couches, Y/N putting blankets on them as he sat down at the foot of a chair.

Itsuki soon arrived home, and the two chatted for a while.

"I see... So you tried getting them to study."

"Yeah, but it didn't last long," Y/N says with a sheepish smile. "But... Today was fun. I had fun."

Itsuki blushed slightly when she sees the smile on Y/N's face. It was genuine, like the time she saw that day in the school stairwell. Y/N didn't normally show this side to anyone, not even Fuutarou got to see this side of him a lot. But for some reason, whenever he was around Itsuki, he felt that it was okay to show this secret side of him. 

Itsuki then looked to her sisters, seeing some of the items they had. She didn't remember them having them.

"Hey, those things they have..."

"Hmm? Ah, yeah, we stopped by a few stores on the way back, and I got it for them."

"Eh!?" Itsuki then bowed. "I really... Can't thank you enough... We've made friends at school, but... You interact with them more than them..."

"Not at all. I just felt like doing it. I wanted to thank you guys."

Itsuki nodded slightly, walking to the kitchen to put the groceries away.

"You know, it's unusual. Aside from our father, we don't usually get attached to someone."

"Attached?"

"I mean, we don't usually share these types of things with others... Not usually, anyway." Itsuki then sighed. "What I mean to say is, you're a big help. Even just coming over. I feel like... I can just be myself."

She then finishes setting everything and putting the groceries in their proper places. Itsuki then closes the fridge door, leaning a hand on it as a sad look was on her face. Y/N couldn't help but notice it.

"Come to think of it, we're always depending on each other. We never really asked father for anything. I wonder if we're holding ourselves back? It just goes to show I need to do a better job..." Itsuki finishes.

"Nakano-san..."

"By the way," Itsuki says, walking over to a part of the couch and sitting on it. "Where's my juice? Don't tell me you didn't buy any...?"

The L/N teen gulped. He then remembered that he didn't buy her any because she forgot. Normally, he'd hand one of her sister's cup towards her, but right now, he kind of wasn't thinking clearly.

Instead, he took the straw of his drink out of his mouth. He then presented the cup towards her, looking away."

"Here," Y/N offers. 'I can't tell her I forgot...'

Itsuki stared at him dumbfounded, making Y/N confused.

'H-Huh?' "Nakano-san?"

"...Th-Thanks," Itsuki says, slowly taking the cup from his hand. She then took a drink from it. "...Wai--The crap is this!? This is a latte!"

"Eh!?" Y/N shouts in surprise. "You don't like lattes? Aah, we're going to wake up everyone!"

Itsuki groaned. "I'm gonna go change clothes."

"Okay..." Y/N shrank in his spot. 'I guess any form of coffee is too bitter for her...'

Walking up the stairs and heading into her room, Itsuki closed the door behind her. Once doing so, she leaned her back against the door, slowly sinking down before she was sitting up against it. A massive red blush was plaguing her face, her heart was beating fast. 

'Wh-Wh-Wh-What on earth just happened!? Indirect kiss! ...But it doesn't seem like anything at all to L/N-kun... Embarrassing... So embarrassing...'

Itsuki then buried her face into her legs. The scene of what had just happened was burned into her memory, something she wouldn't forget. She wasn't sure why her heart was beating so fast in that moment, but she didn't seem too bothered by it. A little bit embarrassed, but that was pretty much it. 

Back in the living room, Y/N was rocking back and forth in his spot. He still kept his latte clutched in his hands, a slightly sad look on his face.

"But lattes... Are so good..." Y/N says to himself. 'Though I should keep in mind that Nakano-san doesn't like lattes...'

Y/N then thought back to the face he was able to catch a glimpse of. Itsuki's face was slightly flustered. He wasn't sure why he was able to catch a small glimpse of that, but every time he could imagine it, a single word came to mind.

Cute.

In the end, he sighed and put his mouth back down on the straw, sipping up the liquid once more as he continued to drink. 

Little did the two know that their lives would continue to change as they interacted with each other more.

---

It was the next day, and Y/N and Yotsuba were in the library with Fuutarou, studying. While Y/N was terrible at studying, he wasn't quite as bad as the quints, as he seemed to be fairing much better than Yotsuba.

Speaking of Yotsuba's end...

"How many times do I have to tell you..." Fuutarou grumbles. "The word 'rice' starts with 'R', not 'L'! Are you going to eat lice!?"

Both Yotsuba and Y/N jump in Fuutarou's drastic change in tone. However, it softened up as Yotsuba just laughed at her own mistake, Y/N following suit while Fuutarou stared at the orange-haired girl.

"Yotsuba, how can you still laugh when I'm angry with you?"

"Ehehehe. This is not a scheduled tutoring session, but Uesugi-san is still willing to check my work. Therefore, I'm very happy," she explains with a smile.

Fuutarou then sighed in exasperation. "If the others had some of your understanding, then everything would have been easier."

"Ah, don't worry. You've still got me, Uesugi-san," Y/N says.

He looked at Y/N with a deadpan expression. "I've been tutoring you since the first year, and you still barely learn anything, idiot."

The glasses wearing teen felt like he was stabbed.

"I also tried to get them to gather," Yotsuba says.

"Ah, but, not four of them. Three." Fuutarou grinned.

"Eh? Huh?"

The two turn their heads to where Fuutarou was looking, their eyes widening a bit. There stood Miku, a shy look on her face as her head was turned to the side slightly.

"Miku. You're here too...?"

As Fuutarou walked up to her, Miku simply walked past him. The three looked at her confused as she kept walking, heading to a bookshelf and crouched down and took a few books out of it. They were the student records of the grades students have made in past years.

Miku took a look at a few of them and she smiled. She then turned around, a small blush on her face as she faced the three of them.

"Fuutarou's words got me thinking. Only a little. That... Maybe I can do it too." Miku then looks to Fuutarou with a smile. "So... You have to take responsibility."

Fuutarou grinned, pounding his fist onto his chest. "Leave it to me."

While the two stared silently at each other, they heard light shuffling. They looked to Y/N, who was shuffling in his seat with a look of disbelief. 

"'T-Take responsibility'...? Wha-What did she mean by that, Uesugi-san!? What did you do!?"

"...Why is that your reaction?" 'In fact, why does it feel like you're accusing me of something?'