While we were driving in the car, we all got bored and the quintuplets decided to play their own game.

- A game of quintuplets!

Yotsuba explained the rules:

– «Game of Quintuplets» is a game where you have to guess whose finger is raised.  Definition: Ichika = thumb, Nino = index finger, Miku = middle finger, Yotsuba = ring finger, Itsuki = little finger.

I'm not very good at playing these types of games, but I also decided to participate in this game.  Anyway, besides sleeping, there is no other entertainment in this car.

When I finally understood how to play this game, Nino covered one of her hands with her other hand so that only one finger was visible.

- Who am I?  Nino asked.

Now I think the game has begun.  It is quite difficult to know who this finger will be, because Nino only shows the top of the finger, and the thickness of their fingers is equal.

Each of the quintuplets had different answers.

- Nino.  Miku said.

- Miku, I think.  Ichika said.

- Yotsuba!  Yotsuba said.

- This is Nino.  Itsuki said.

They all try to guess Nino's finger, but no one noticed that Yotsuba voted for herself.

I wanted to take a closer look at Nino’s fingers, but when I approached and reached out to her, she hid her hands behind her.

- Hey, touching and peeking are prohibited!  And don't touch me at all!  Nino said.

If this is prohibited, then you need to choose at random.  I wonder what my level of luck is?  I can try to choose the answer with the most votes, that is, it will be Nino.  But if I choose the option with the smallest number of votes, then there will be two options: Ichika, Itsuki.  50% from two unpopular options.

If you just play for luck, then the chance will be 20%, but if you take into account the fact that Nino chose the finger, then it turns out that...

- This is Miku.

If we take into account that this is Nino, then there is a 90% chance she will decide to show me her middle finger.

I still can’t believe that the previous thoughts ran through my head in just 2 seconds.

- What?  But how did you guess?

It looks like she can't believe I was able to win this game.  But it’s somehow unpleasant for me to see how she wanted to show her middle finger.

- Who knows?  It's just luck, nothing more.

Well, it's definitely an interesting game.

- Let's start the next round.  I said.

– Something has carried you away. Itsuki said.

– I’m going to enjoy this trip to the fullest because if I don’t, then one person will be sad for me and will remember me for it.

Inside the backpack I found a note and it said:

If you do manage to go on a school trip, try to enjoy it to the fullest.

I will be very sad if you come back the same as you were before.

If this is not enough for him, then for this I will make a bunch of notes in the guidebook and show him the most recent memories.

- Well…

Yotsuba tries to say something while looking out the window.

– We’ll have to stop here for at least an hour.

Looking in the same direction where Yotsuba was looking, I saw a huge traffic jam.  I think due to the snowy weather in this area there will be difficulties for drivers and they will have to be delayed.

It will be a long trip.

×××

Due to heavy snow, the driver had to stop at the nearest hotel where we could catch our breath.

Entering the room we were given, I immediately looked around the place and put my backpack on the floor.  After which I said:

- Not a bad place.

Itsuki and Nino stood next to me.  After my words, they also looked around the room, then Itsuki said:

–But wasn’t it supposed to be a room for four people?

Then, looking dissatisfied with the turn of events, Nino said:

-Are we really going to stay here?  I'm not going to share a room with him.

At that moment, Miku and Yotsuba entered the room, when Yotsuba heard Nino's words, she decided to remind her of our situation.

- Well, we don't have much choice.  We came here suddenly, so this is the only room left.

- And the car?

– He had some business to attend to, so he left.

It turns out their driver just left us alone in this living room.  I wonder if I can see the excursion?

– What about that little room outside?

I don't remember seeing any room on the street.  Maybe Nino means the doghouse?

– He is not going to spend a frosty night in a kennel!!

Having stopped listening to their conversation, I took my backpack on the floor and began to look at the things that Matsuo put for me.  I have to give it credit, he not only packed my things well, but also put all the essentials here.

After looking things over, I said:

– This hotel is pretty good, just stop complaining and entertained yourself, Nino.

- Girls, get together.

After Nino’s words, they all sat down together away from me at the other end of the room and began to discuss something.

×××

Third person view.

Sitting at the other end of the room, the quintuplets started talking to each other.

Nino: I don't like it, but we have no choice.  Just don't forget about your safety.

Yotsuba: Our safety?  What for?

Nino: Well... You know... We will sleep in the same room...

There was a slight silence in the air.

Nino: Together with a man...

After these words, their faces turned a little red.  Also in their heads appeared the image of Ayanokouji in a beast costume trying to catch them.

Itsuki: ...He would never have thought about such things.

Ayanokouji: Let's do "this."

Ayanokouji, who suddenly appeared behind them, scared them with his words, which is why they jumped away from him and kept their distance.

Quintuplets: W-What is “this”?

Ayanokouji: I have chess and cards with me.  Let's play.

Realizing that Ayanokouji meant games, the quintuplets calmed themselves down.

Ichika: Just great!  Damn, I was released.

Yotsuba: What are we going to play?

Ayanokouji: (I doubt they know how to play chess, so I'll have to stick to playing cards.)

Ayanokouji: What about the old maid?

Itsuki: (Everything... It will be fine... Really? We are just students with our tutor.).

×××

Ayanokouji from the first person.

Finally it was time for lunch and we all sat down at the same table.  Today's lunch looks very huge and luxurious compared to my usual lunch.

There are so many different dishes on the table that I wanted to try them all.

Sitting at the table and eating my food, I listened to their conversation:

-Can we eat this?  How about comparing this to tomorrow's curry?  Yotsuba said.

– Miku, we’ll be looking forward to your curry. Nino said.

- Shut up, I was practicing.  Miku said.

– Now that I think about it, I might double-check tomorrow’s schedule. Ichika said.

Hearing Ichika’s words, I also took out the chart and began to memorize the information written on it.  Having read to the end, I continued to eat my lunch again.

Ichika decided to read out tomorrow's schedule:

– Tomorrow's main events will be orientation at 10, rice cooking at 16, and the haunted house at 20. Third day activities to choose from: hiking, skiing or fishing with nightly gatherings around the fire.

Most students will likely choose skiing as their activity for day three.  I will also take this event, because I am interested in this new experience.

– Oh, and add to this the campfire legend!  Yotsuba said.

- This story again.  Itsuki said.

- Legend?  Ichika said.

- It does not matter.  Let's not talk about this.  We still don't have a partner.  Nino said.

Hearing Nino’s words, I noticed next to me how Ichika calmed herself down with laughter.  Miku's eyes also looked empty inside.

Oh, right. I'm kind of dancing with Ichika. In any case, I wonder what will come of it.

– And I don’t care about these stupid legends.  Nino said.

- Oh, so it's true.  They write that they have hot springs here.  Ichika said.

– Most likely, no one invited Nino.  Miku said.

- Yeah, that's why she's mad.  Itsuki said.

- So, girls... Nino said.

They all then turned their attention to Ichika's next words.

- Um... They are mixed.

I know what will happen now, it's too obvious.  I've seen their different reactions a bunch of times already.

Nino said first:

- What?!  First we have to share a room with him, and now a bath too?!

Now it's Itsuki's turn:

- This is not permissible!  We are not allowed…

– Ichika, could you re-read what you just read?  I said.

After my words, Ichika looked at the same place and found her mistake.

- Sorry, I was wrong, they are separate.  Ichika said.

The hieroglyphs "mixed" and "separate" differ only in a few features.

×××

Third person view.

Late in the evening, the quintuplets wanted to spend time together in a hot spring.

Nino: Ah... So cool.

Ichika: When was the last time we steamed together?

Yotsuba: Miku, your breasts have gotten bigger.

Miku: She's always been like this.

While they were enjoying a bath in the hot spring, Yotsuba decided to bring up Ayanokouji in conversation.

Yotsuba: I think Ayanokouji-san doesn't go on trips.

Miku: If I'm not mistaken, he said that this was his first trip.

Nino: He's dangerous while we're traveling.  And the problem is...

Nino was silent for a moment before continuing.

Nino: This room is 6 futons.  Someone will have to sleep next to him.

The room they lived in could fit 6 futons.  They could have asked Ayanokouji to sleep somewhere else, but that would have looked ignorant on their part.

Ichika: Nino, aren't you overthinking this?  I mean, he's our friend.

Yotsuba: Yeah!  Ayanokouji-san is not like that!

Paying attention to Yotsuba's words, Nino returned the words to Yotsuba.

Nino: Maybe then you'll sleep next to him.  Ayanokouji-san is “not like that.”  Well then you shouldn't have any problems.

Having added the last words like fuel to the fire, Yotsuba could no longer add words.

Yotsuba: It's... A little... I hope...

Listening to Yotsuba's words, Nino could only sigh.

At this time, Itsuki decided to sit down with Nino.

Itsuki: Then what about you, Nino?

Nino: What?  Why me?

Itsuki: No, I was just joking.  If it is Nino, then there will be a scandal, a fight and bedlam.

Having added the last words like fuel to the fire, Nino could no longer add words.

Nino: Ichika, you don't worry about it.

Ichika: Now you're asking me...

Nino: You and he are just friends, right?

Ichika: Yeah... Kiyotaka... Good friend.

Ichika said her last words while looking away.

Nino: Well, that solves everything.

Miku: Stop.

Standing up from her seat, Miku attracted the attention of all the sisters.

Miku: Together.  Let's divide it equally.

(Editor: When did he manage to become a thing?)

×××

After the quintuplets finished their hot spring bath.  They gathered together and summed up the decision.

Miku: That's a good idea.  If no one wants to be around him, then we will all be around him.

Standing in front of the entrance to a room with no identifying marks, they finally agreed with each other.

Miku: That would be better from Kiyotaka's point of view.  He still won’t be able to distinguish us, so he won’t do anything.  Is everyone ready?

All: Come on!

Finally, placing their hand on the door handle, they opened the door.

When they entered the room they were all surprised.

Ayanokoji was sleeping in the room. That's just while they were deciding who would sleep with whom, he chose a place in the corner of the room at that time and went to bed.

Nino: Um...

Itsuki: Okay, let's go to bed.

×××

The morning light illuminated the room.  Ichika turned away from the sun's rays in the opposite direction until she found herself next to Ayanokouji.

From an incomprehensible touch, Ichika opened her eyes and saw him sleeping in front of her.  In surprise, she raised the right part of her body, and then sat down on her knees.

Ichika: Kiyotaka... Why?

Then she looked around the whole room and noticed that in this room her sisters were lying out of place.

Ichika: Wait a minute... A-ha-ha... Everyone is sleeping randomly.

Turning her gaze back to Ayanokouji, Ichika said:

Ichika: This is the second time I've seen you sleep.

Ichika pressed her hand onto the surface of the futon beneath her.

Ichika: If that was enough to make me lose my composure, then I can't be your friend... Or rather, your partner, right?

Looking at the sleeping Ayanokouji, Ichika smiled.  A strange idea appeared in her head.

Ichika: Then there's nothing wrong with that, right?

Itsuki's POV.

I didn't think I could sleep in the same room as a guy, but I managed to survive last night.

Perhaps this is due to the fact that my sisters were with me, otherwise there is no way to explain it.

When I woke up in the morning, I was the first to notice that we slept in different parts of the rooms.  Besides, I myself didn’t sleep where I remembered.

This can be explained by the fact that in our sleep we tossed and turned from side to side until we found ourselves in these parts of the room.

But the most surprising thing is that Ayanokouji-kun was also lying in the wrong place.

The question arises: is it like we were supposed to toss and turn in our sleep so that Ayanokouji-kun, who was in the corner of the room, ended up almost in the center, but when are we at the edges?

Leaving this question within myself, I stood up and left the room to do my usual morning routine.

Having finished with my business, I remembered that it was breakfast time.

With these thoughts, I returned to the entrance to our room and opened the door.

- It's morning already.  Let's get ready for breakfast...

I didn’t have time to finish my sentence, because I saw one of the sisters leaning over Ayanokouji-kun.

From this reaction, I quickly left the room and slammed the door behind me.  Having caught my breath, I began to remember what had just happened.

It can't be... this...

I opened the door a little so that through the crack I could see what was happening inside.

As expected, they were all asleep.  Did I really imagine it?  Impossible.  I remember exactly that I saw someone.

- Nakano, what are you doing here?

Behind me I heard a familiar voice.  It turned out to be one of the teachers with his other colleagues.

- A?  Teacher?

×××

Now I'm sitting on the bus with Ayanokouji-kun.  At this time, the flight attendant in front of us tells us something about the trip.

– Even though we were stuck during this snow storm, but now the whole class is together and we can finally have fun on the trip.

To my left, Ayanokouji-kun sat near the window, looking out the window.  He was wearing clothes that Nino had chosen while shopping at the mall.

I have to admit, he looked really cool in it.

Having finished telling the story, the flight attendant sat down in her seat and we set off on the road.

Looking out the window, Ayanokouji-kun asked me his opinion.

– To think they're staying at the same hotel. It's just amazing that we didn't miss them.

– The coincidence can be bizarre.

– So, did you remember those words of mine during the performance in our class?

– I just thought these words were appropriate in this case...

Looking at me, Ayanokouji-kun wondered what I was thinking about now.

- Is there something wrong?

- N-nothing.

I didn't get a good look at that moment.  But I'm sure for sure.  That's for sure, there was one of us with him.  And I have an idea who it might be.

×××

[A/N] – Well, this is going to be a long, hard arc.  This arc will have a lot of moments with the quintuplets and a bit of interaction with their classmates.

After this arc there will be the end of season 1, then I plan to add a couple of short stories, 2 chapters maximum.

And then start season 2.  In which the relationship between Kiyopon and the quintuplets will change.

The school year has begun, and I continue to work.

In Russia, as well as in other CIS countries, the school year has begun.  The Editor has distance learning in Ukraine.  Like me, he works and studies at the same time.

That's it, see you.

Words: 2829