"I don't think I understand... you want me to... shut up and let them do it themselves?"

Sighing resignedly, I nodded my head. "Yes."

It had been two days since we'd returned from the camping trip. Two days, and this was already the third time that Takeda had come to me seeking advice, despite the fact there hadn't been a single session yet. While I could understand his anxiety to a certain extent with his job being on the line, for my part it was deeply irritating -- I was willing to help, but it was starting to take up more time and mental energy than I'd bargained for.

I had agreed to be a resource, not a safety blanket.

That said, it certainly hadn't hurt his cause that Takeda had bought me lunch.

"Look," I elaborated, swallowing a bite of the grilled cheese sandwich which I'd never remotely been able to afford before now. "The goal of the exercise is to do what, exactly?"

"Um... get them to pass the exams...?"

"Ok, and in order to pass the exams, what do they need to do? I mean in a literal sense."

Takeda seemed stumped on that for a moment, before slowly raising an eyebrow, a skeptical tone entering his voice as he answered. "...Answer questions correctly?"

"Yep. So, that's what they need to be doing -- answering lots and lots of questions. Of course, they need to know the material in order to do that, but you need to be getting them into hands-on experience as quickly as you can."

He seemed to take a moment to process what I was saying, turning it over in his head. Then, slowly, he nodded.

"I suppose... in order to train a skill, one must practice that skill. I see... hmm, very astute, Uesugi-kun!"

Takeda seemed inordinately pleased by the realization he'd had, and pulled out a small notebook, in which he quickly wrote with a pen. I'd seen the notebook a number of times over the previous two sessions -- he'd claimed it was for "tutoring notes", whatever that meant. Being associated with the word, even tangentially, was off-putting in the extreme. I just hoped he would soon reach the point where he could get the sisters to pass without my advice.

Being within ten feet of the "tutor" title gives me hives.

Thinking about it for too long brought up uncomfortable memories -- and so I took another bite of my lunch, shaking my head to dispel the irritating association like a horse's tail knocking away flies.

In the absence of the ability to change the past, brooding did no good at all.

I suddenly heard footsteps behind us, and glanced up to see Yotsuba approaching our table, a hesitant look on her face.

"Uesugi-san...?" she asked, furrowing her brow. "And... Takeda-san? Why are you two...?"

"My dearest compatriot here, Uesugi-kun, is offering me simply splendid advice on the art of teaching and pedagogy!" Takeda cried, raising his arms. "I've taken so many notes already -- our session tomorrow shall be completely different, Nakano-san; I swear it!"

Yotsuba looked at Takeda for a long moment, then turned to me and raised an eyebrow. Taking another bite of my sandwich, I shrugged.

Sorry.

After a moment of her awkwardly standing there, tray-in-hand, Takeda suddenly looked at his watch, and dramatically shook his head. "Ah, alas, where has the time gone?! I must be off. Thank you again for all of the advice, Uesugi-kun. I hope that meal was an adequate form of restitution."

With that, he grabbed his tray, and got up -- but as he did so, he not-so-surreptitiously winked at me, a gesture about which I was very conflicted. With him gone, Yotsuba sank into the chair across from me and frowned, staring after her tutor as he went.

"So, uh... what was that all about?" she asked.

"He asked me for some help with prepping for his tutoring work," I said, sighing. "He got my thoughts on teaching, and I got an interesting lesson about myself out of it in return."

"What's the lesson?" Yotsuba asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"That I'm willing to put up with a lot of crap for a free lunch," I muttered, feeling a little annoyed at myself -- I didn't like being this easy. "It's not all bad though -- it's proof that he's trying. Maybe he really will be able to get your sisters to pass."

"I hope so..."

Yotsuba seemed on edge, shifting in her seat, her fingers anxiously drumming on the table. It took me a moment before I remembered the probable cause.

"Nervous?" I asked, eating the last bite of my sandwich, and transitioning to the french fries that had, decadently, been included on the side of the meal. People get this much food regularly?

"H-Huh? Oh! Hah... yeah," Yotsuba said, laughing awkwardly. "I'm... I'm a bit scared, to be honest. I was talking to some of the girls in my class today, and apparently Eba-san has a bit of a reputation for being..."

She paused, seemingly looking for diplomatic wording. I popped another french fry in my mouth.

"...intense," she finished, an uncomfortable look on her face.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

My words seemed to catch Yotsuba by surprise -- she took a moment to consider it, weighing her options. As she looked at me, I thought I saw a brief look surface in her eye, an echo of the expression on her face around the bonfire. A sliver of guilt, a fraction of sadness; but also repressed joy. An admixture of all things, leading to an opaque morass, each constituent part indecipherable.

Or, maybe it was all in my head.

"I... you know what? That... would be nice."

Yotsuba bowed her head, a gesture which struck me as deeply funny. I flicked her ribbon up with my finger, and shook my head as she glanced up at me.

"Don't bow," I laughed. "I know you'd do the same for me -- besides, I want to support you. Relax."

Yotsuba gave me a smile, and lifted her head. "Thanks, Uesugi-san. I'll... I'll do my best!"

"You'll kick their asses," I shrugged, popping my final french fry into my mouth. "I have unwavering faith."

Yotsuba got a look on her face which looked somewhere between being touched and being... wistful. I wasn't really sure how to take it; and amid my own ongoing uncertainties regarding my emotions, not to mention hers, it simply added more fuel to the fire of my quandary.

What the heck does that look mean?

I'd not had much time to actually be alone with her since the trip, either. The day after we'd gotten back, she hadn't eaten lunch with me, spending it with her sisters; and after school, she'd had to leave before we could study together, the basketball club apparently having asked for her help. I'd understood, of course, and I hadn't been upset... but it meant I hadn't yet had an opportunity to ask her about that night.

About the dance.

About her grabbing my hand.

Shaking my head, I attempted to concentrate -- my primary focus would be on supporting Yotsuba in her track aspirations, and on the final exam. If I got the opportunity to ask her, then that was all well and good; I wasn't going to press the subject when there were other people around, though. It felt... wrong. Like it was violating something private.

Something sacred.

I didn't want other people to find out. It was enough that just the two of us knew.

And Itsuki, I guess.

At that thought, my eye was unconsciously drawn to the redhead across the room, who was in the midst of slurping up noodles. We happened to make eye-contact, and she glanced slowly between Yotsuba and me. Giving me an emphatic thumbs up, she went back to her meal, and I rolled my eyes at the side of her head.

"So," I said, turning back to Yotsuba, who was focused on her food as well. "We are still going to be studying together for finals, right?"

"Of course!" Yotsuba said, an almost hurt tone entering her voice. "I'm not going to just give up after how far we've come! That would insult all of your hard work!"

"Er... I think your hard work is the thing that would be wasted there," I said drily. "I'm just studying alongside you. I'm not a tutor."

"Oh-- right! Haha, right... my bad!"

I frowned. Somehow, I felt like I was being humoured -- but with a shrug, I decided to ignore it. It wasn't my fault if she had that misconception; I'd stated repeatedly that I wasn't a tutor, nor was I tutoring her.

That said... the idea of Yotsuba associating the word 'tutor' with me left a bad taste in my mouth. Not for the first time that day, an image rose to the surface of my mind entirely against my will, an intrusive thought. A flash of black hair. A soft laugh.

My chest squeezed slightly at the sight, though I could tell it was just an instinctive reaction; a remnant of what once had been. Deep in my chest, in the cage of many things, a resentful growl rumbled -- but for the most part, the beast was still.

The memory of her doesn't have the effect it used to.

That thought brought a half-smile to my face, something which didn't go unnoticed by Yotsuba. Tilting her head, she looked at me.

"Did something good happen, Uesugi-san? You're smiling."

"No-- well, maybe," I said, shrugging. "I might just be happy we're going to study together again."

"O-Oh!" Yotsuba said, leaning back in her chair, a slight blush crossing her face. "Well, I'm... I'm happy that you're happy!"

"Well, I'm happy that you're happy that I'm happy," I said, waggling my eyebrows at her. After a moment with both of us being frozen, she cracked, and we both started cackling. Looking at Yotsuba's laughing face, the flush crossing her skin, the redness filling up her cheeks, I could feel a strong sensation of warmth flourishing in my chest.

The beast got a bit more vocal in its cage.

Shush, you.

The bell rang soon after, and I reluctantly separated from Yotsuba to return to my classroom. Before doing so, however, we made plans to meet in the library after class before going to her track club meeting. As I approached my classroom, I heard rapid footsteps coming from behind, and I glanced back to see Itsuki hurriedly catching up to me.

"Hey," I said, turning around and walking backwards to face her.

"Uesugi-kun," she said by way of greeting, stepping up to walk next to me. "How was your... conversation with Yotsuba? Have you asked her about the dance yet?"

I frowned, turning back forward. "I'm not sure why you felt the need to pause before the word 'conversation', but-- no, not yet. It doesn't feel like the sort of thing I should ask about when we're surrounded by a bunch of people; and I haven't had an opportunity to be properly alone with her yet. Maybe on the weekend. We'll see."

Itsuki sighed. "If you let this go on too long, it's going to just get harder and harder to ask. Trust me on this -- don't let it drag out and become a 'thing'."

I pursed my lips as I took her words into consideration. "I... guess so."

"In other words," she said, opening the classroom door and glancing back at me, "get your butt in gear."

Scowling, I followed her inside. The classroom was pretty much full, the two of us being the last ones in. The usual twitters emanated from the more asinine corners of the room -- a fact which had begun to marginally irritate me.

One would think they'd have figured out there's nothing there by now. Especially with everything going on with...

I frowned. Where had I been about to take that thought?

The cage rattled.

With more force than usual, I clamped down on the emotions in the cage, forcing them back.

This is neither the time nor place to investigate what dangers lie within.

The afternoon's classes went by quickly, and as the bell went, I flung my bag onto my shoulder and hurried to the library. After a few minutes of loitering by the entrance, Yotsuba arrived, and we departed for the track outside the school. As we walked through the halls, Yotsuba was chattering my ear off -- but I could tell that it was due to nerves. Her fidgeting, her anxious glances out the window as we walked... it was blatant.

It reminded me, in a strange way, of Raiha.

I wasn't sure how I felt about that revelation. I thought I probably didn't like it.

Exiting the school, we finally arrived at the track to see four girls standing in red tracksuits; one with blonde hair, and three with black. It was obvious at first glance who the captain was -- it was something about the way the girl at the front with lightly tanned skin and a long black ponytail was carrying herself, the impatience radiating off of her. Even without looking, I could sense it: Yotsuba next to me, wilting under her iron gaze.

I could feel my eye twitch involuntarily.

"Nakano-san!" she barked. "You're late! Hurry and go change -- we're going to start warming up as soon as you get back!"

"Y-Yes!" Yotsuba yelped, and then scampered off, duffel bag in tow. Raising my eyebrow, I walked over to the nearby bleachers, and sat on the brown metal, cooled by the chill autumn air. The captain, Eba, eyed me up from afar with an unreadable look on her steely face -- and as Yotsuba vanished into the changing room, her brow furrowed, and she approached me, purpose emanating from every step of her stride.

I see what Yotsuba meant about her being intense.

"So... who are you supposed to be?" she asked, polite inquisitiveness hiding a veiled bite of steel in her words.

I looked up at her, trying to keep my face straight as irritation spiked in my chest at the unprompted aggression. "Her friend. I'm just here to watch."

"I see," Eba said, her eyes narrowing. "I should let you know that we typically don't allow observers. We've had issues with peeping toms in the past. Sorry."

I got the distinct feeling that she wasn't sorry at all -- and I suddenly found that I really didn't like this girl. There was a possessive vibe I got from her, like a dragon jealously guarding a newly found gem.

Or... is the possessive one me? Maybe I'm imagining it. Regardless, I shouldn't pick a fight with Yotsuba's new captain.

"Well, I hope you'll make an exception," I said, pulling out my flashcards, and glancing down at them. "I can assure you, I've got absolutely no desire to ogle any of you."

As much as I want to pick a fight.

I couldn't see her face, but I heard the sudden sharp intake of breath.

"E-Eba-san! I'm back!"

I glanced up at the call, and the girl turned to look at Yotsuba, her long black ponytail swishing in the breeze as she spun her head. Then, looking back over at me, she grimaced, and shrugged.

"Fine, you can stay. If you cause any kind of problems though, or distract Nakano-san, I'll have you out on your ass. Capiche?"

"Sure, sure," I muttered. "Got it."

I thought I saw her eye twitch, but then she seemed to shake herself, and turned away. Returning to the group, she seemed to share a few words with Yotsuba, who nervously nodded. Then, after a few moments, the other girls began to stretch, and Yotsuba trotted over to me.

"Uesugi-san!" she called, stopping a few metres away from me. "We're going to start running now -- wish me luck!"

I eyed up Yotsuba -- her obvious nerves, but also the determination on her face. After a moment's pause, I gave a thumbs up, and she grinned at me.

I felt a flicker of warmth in my chest.

As the track team finished their warm up and began their first run, I would occasionally glance up from my flashcards to watch them going by in their red tracksuits. They cut a striking image in the late-afternoon sun, already beginning to sink in the sky. My eyes were, as ever, drawn to Yotsuba as she easily kept pace with the more senior members of the team, even if it was just warm-up.

I could feel my chest swelling with pride, which was a tad ridiculous given I'd had absolutely nothing to do with her athletic accomplishments. Watching them jog, it felt like Yotsuba was in her environment; she just looked... right.

Suddenly, for a moment, I was struck by a pang of guilt -- had I been dragging her away from the place she belonged by getting her to study? Had I been holding her back? Had--

I smacked myself gently on the cheeks. That line of thought was stupid; I was just having a delayed reaction to Eba's possessiveness. Yotsuba had already indicated to me that she wanted to pass the final. She belonged here -- but she also belonged with me.

To study, I added hastily to myself. For the exam.

Eventually, the warm-up ended, and they began doing sprints. One member stood at the far end with a stop-watch, while another team member stood at the starting line. Then, everyone ran a hundred metres in turn, timed. I wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying, but I happened to glance up from my flashcards as Eba began her heat.

She paused, crouched at the starting line. A moment of stillness. Then, like a lightning bolt cracking down from stormy skies, she took off, racing down the causeway at top speed. Her long black hair, tied in a ponytail, shot out behind her as she ran. Even though they were nothing alike, even though it was just the hair, my thoughts inadvertently drifted back to--

My eyes snapped to Yotsuba as she took her own place.

She crouched, her eyes fixed on the finish line, every muscle in her body taut, a cord stretched with tension, ready to snap.

There was no denying it. Eba was fast.

Yet, as the whistle blew, the girl I knew was no longer; she was light, she was sound, she was fury.

She was gone.

As quickly as it had begun, Yotsuba was at the other end of the course, a hundred metres devoured in a moment; or at least, that was how it appeared to my untrained eye. Though I was still unable to hear their individual words, I was able to hear the whoop of excitement that Eba released, and I could see the way that the other girls of the team were looking at one another in subdued awe.

I knew nothing about track.

But, even I could tell that Yotsuba was good.

Glancing back down at my flashcards as another team member began to sprint, I suddenly frowned, the image of Yotsuba's charge flickering in my mind. I'd always known she was fast, and that she was the most athletic of all her sisters. However, seeing her run at full tilt, muscle stretching and feet pounding, hair and ribbon whipping in the wind as she streaked down the course... it really hit home to me the fact that every time I'd seen her run before now, she'd been holding back.

It hit me just how much she'd been holding back.

Something about that thought felt like it was tickling another part of my brain -- my mind trying to form a neural pathway, to connect two unrelated ideas. Yet, to my chagrin, I couldn't quite figure out what the link was.

It'll come to me eventually.

Sighing, I returned to my flashcards, reviewing English grammar. I sat there for a long time, to the point that the November sun was on the verge of vanishing, autumn shortening the days and demanding that the dark quickly sweep forth. Eventually, the team members were dismissed by Eba, and Yotsuba came trotting up to me.

She was drenched from head to toe in sweat -- but there was a huge grin on her face.

"Uesugi-san! Sorry I made you wait -- I didn't realize how long the first session would be."

Shrugging nonchalantly, I stowed my flashcards. "It's fine -- it was a nice change of scenery, and I enjoyed watching you guys run. It was interesting; I haven't really spent any time paying attention to sports before."

A faint blush came across Yotsuba's face. "Ehehe... yeah. It was fun. I thought I'd be more rusty, to be honest -- I guess my training paid off!"

"Guess so."

My eyes wandered over her -- her face reddened, mostly from the exertion, the sweat running down her brow. Her heavy breathing, breath faintly visible in the cool evening air. There was something... captivating about the way she looked.

The beast in the cage purred, and I internally shook my head. Stupid.

"Nakano-san! We're going to go change and shower now -- there'll be a team meeting afterwards, so hurry up!"

At Eba's call, Yotsuba's head jerked away from me, and she called a panicked response. Turning back to me, she grinned.

"Thanks again for coming with me, Uesugi-san. I really, really appreciate it!"

"Sure," I said, smiling at her. With that, she waved goodbye, and sped off to rejoin her teammates. I was left alone on the bleachers, watching her go... and wondering to myself why I hadn't taken the time I'd been granted to ask her to talk, both on the way to the track, and in those precious few moments we'd just had. There'd been an opportunity there, but I'd missed out.

Next time.

Packing up my things, I shot Yotsuba an email telling her I'd be heading home, and then left. On my way, my thoughts were in turmoil -- a mixture of chastizing myself for missing my opportunity, and images of her flushed face flashing through my mind, and the feeling it had evoked in my chest. By the time I walked through my front door, I was thoroughly irritated with myself on both counts.

Don't let this drag out, Fuutarou.

The next day, as I was going for lunch, I heard footsteps quickly approaching me from behind; and before I even turned around, I knew who it was.

"U-Uesugi-kun! Please-- I require your aid!"

Groaning, I lowered my head to my hand. This would make the fourth time -- and I knew for a fact that they were set to have their first session that night. Takeda coming to me was solely a product of anxiety, not of genuine need. Part of me briefly considered taking him up on his request just to get another free lunch out of the boy; but that felt unethical, and also made me feel a bit pathetic.

So, raising my head and turning to face him, I shook my head.

"Look, Takeda... I need to remind you of something."

He looked at me with a hopeful look on his face.

"You're their tutor. Not me."

Takeda's face fell, and I immediately felt conflicted -- it had come off more harshly than I'd intended. Sighing, I tried to suppress the need to elaborate; but it was futile.

"What I'm trying to say," I muttered after a moment, irritated with myself, "is that I'm fine with being a resource -- but there's not much more for us to talk about until after your session. Ultimately, you're the one who has to pull this off. Not me. I understand the anxiety; but there isn't anything else I can do for you until afterwards. I can't and won't do this for you."

Takeda bit his lip, a lingering look of hurt on his face... but eventually, he nodded.

"Hmm... yes! 'Tis indeed my glorious purpo-- uh, I mean... yes, it's my job, after all. I appreciate the help you've given me to this point, Uesugi-kun. Truly."

I nodded, silently appreciating the effort Takeda had put in to suppress his inner chuunibyou. Then, clapping my hand to his shoulder, I did my best to smile at him. Somehow, it felt wrong on my face directed at him-- but I tried, at least.

"Just... do your best, while keeping in mind the things we've spoken about; you'll be fine."

Probably.

Takeda's eyes got misty, and he nodded fervently.

"I... I shall prove your faith in me justified, Uesugi-kun! Have no fear-- I shan't fail you!"

I sighed. "Be more worried about failing them, not failing me."

Nodding in agreement, Takeda departed: hopefully to finish his preparations. Watching the blond boy stride away, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease prickling in my gut. I had faith that he'd improved his attitude; but, that didn't mean he'd necessarily be a more effective teacher.

Not that I'd probably do much better.

Stepping into the cafeteria, I looked around, but couldn't spot any of the quintuplets. Shrugging to myself, I got my food, and went to go sit at my usual table.

A few minutes later Yotsuba arrived: and with a relative absence of other students around, I thought I would maybe have an opportunity to finally talk to her. To ask the questions that had been plaguing me for days. To resolve things, and--

"Yotsuba, Fuutarou... is it alright if I sit with you?"

I looked up to see Miku awkwardly standing above us with her tray. Looking past her, I realized that the quints' usual table was looking decidedly sparse; and by sparse, I meant completely empty. Glancing over at Yotsuba, she had what appeared to be a conflicted look on her face for a moment -- then, as she noticed my gaze, it vanished, and she put on a grin.

It seemed a bit strained. Nevertheless, I took that as assent, though I wasn't quite sure if it was begrudging.

"Sure, that's fine," I said, turning back to Miku. "Where are your sisters, though?"

Smiling softly, Miku put her tray down and pushed the table that was next to ours over to connect them, and then sat next to me. Biting her cheek, she stared down at her food.

"Um... Ichika apparently had something to do with a club, though she wouldn't tell me what it was... and Itsuki was asked to help a teacher, and isn't going to be here for a while..."

"I see," I said, frowning. "What about Nino?"

"Nino's here, but when I suggested coming to sit over here..."

Miku shrugged helplessly, and I raised my eyes to scan the room. Eventually, my gaze settled on the redhead across the way -- as expected, she was sitting with the two girls who had been following her around on the school trip. Thankfully, she hadn't noticed my gaze, and I returned to looking at Miku.

"I see," I muttered, a flicker of annoyance in my chest. "Well, you're welcome to sit with us."

Miku nodded, and said a quiet thank you. The three of us ate, but Yotsuba seemed more... subdued than usual. The silence felt awkward, and I felt an uncharacteristic urge to break it-- but I couldn't think of anything to say.

The seconds stretched into close to a minute, with all three of us just quietly eating our food. Searching for a topic to talk about, I realized with a start just how effortless conversation with Yotsuba normally was.

It's only when something goes missing that you notice how present it was before...

Frowning, I bit my lip. It felt like, with Miku's presence, things had suddenly ground to a halt, though through no fault of her own. It also made it impossible to talk to Yotsuba about what had happened; I didn't feel like I was close enough with Miku to divulge that sort of thing to her. Not yet, anyways.

The minutes began to pile up, and I found myself desperately trying to think of something to talk about.

Come on, Fuutarou. You can do better than this...

Luckily, Yotsuba decided to pick that moment to kick her usual gregariousness back online.

"Oh! Uesugi-san, I forgot to tell you-- Eba-san told me in the meeting about our schedule for practices."

"Uh-oh," I said, frowning. "Please tell me it's not going to interfere too much with your studying."

"Um... I... won't tell you then?"

Wincing, I lowered my head to my hands. "How bad is it?"

"She said it would be Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It was originally going to be every second day, but I told them I couldn't make Mondays because of the sessions with Takeda-san-- and Eba-san changed the date! I was really surprised, especially since I'm so new to the team."

I could feel ice filling my veins, a creeping sense of disbelief. "So, what you're telling me is... you have a scheduled activity every single day after class now."

Yotsuba nodded -- and then, after a moment, the penny dropped, and a sudden look of horror crossed her face.

"I-- oh no! I promised that we-- oh no! Shoot, I need to... I need to get that changed! I promised we would study together for the exam!"

"It's fine," I sighed. "I get it. I guess we can study together on the weekends... or something like that."

"No, Uesugi-san, I-- I promised! I'll go talk to Eba-san and... and see what we can do! I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine," I murmured. "I don't want to cause problems with your team, especially since they already moved practice once for you."

"I... I guess so," Yotsuba said, the ribbon on her head wilting in accordance with the devastated look on her face. Miku looked back and forth between us, munching on her lunch, an inquisitive look on her face -- but she said nothing.

"Do you want to study on Saturday then?" I asked quietly.

"Yes!" Yotsuba said, perhaps a fraction of a second too quickly and loudly. Her face reddened slightly, and she coughed. "Um, I mean... yes, that would be nice. Let's do that."

Snorting, I shook my head. "Fine. I guess it's a plan. I'll see you then."

A few minutes later, Itsuki arrived, a bewildered look on her face at the emptiness of the usual quintuplets table. Yotsuba called her over, and she slid into the seat across from Miku -- though as she saw the seating arrangement, she subtly raised an eyebrow at me, and I gave a slight shrug. The interaction, as far as I could tell, went unnoticed by both Miku and Yotsuba.

Eventually, the bell rang, and we all got up from the table. As Miku and Yotsuba left, I wished both luck with their session with Takeda... but as they walked away, my eyes were trained firmly on the back of Yotsuba's head, her bow dancing as she walked. My mind unconsciously went to our study sessions in the library after school, her laughing across the table from me, our textbooks spread out... and a pang went through my heart.

Maybe we'll find time for it again at some point.

As I walked back to the classroom with Itsuki at my side, I could feel my mood slipping even lower than it already had been. The fact that the track team was meeting three times a week to practice, the two sessions with Takeda... it wasn't her fault, but it suddenly felt as though the amount of Yotsuba's life that I was participating in had, seemingly overnight, drastically reduced.

With a grimace, I realized I didn't like it.

It's just you being selfish. She has her own life to lead; there are other things for her to do besides keep you company.

"Uesugi-kun? What's wrong?"

With a start, I turned to see Itsuki looking up at me, a look of concern on my face.

"Nothing," I said, waving her concern away. "Just... yeah. Nothing."

Her eyes narrowed, indicating she didn't believe me -- but perhaps due to the time constraint of getting back to the classroom, or perhaps for some other reason, she didn't press me on the matter.

The rest of the day passed by quickly, a blur of overthinking and frustration, and eventually I found myself alone in the library. My textbooks were spread around me, my only accompaniment the ticking of the clock, and the fluorescent lights masking the dull grey of the natural sunlight through the windows high above, rapidly fading as the day's light died.

Looking at the spot where Yotsuba would have been... there was a quiet sense of loss. I knew rationally that this situation wouldn't last forever; that my feelings were an emotional reaction to an inherently temporary situation. Nevertheless, as my pencil scratched against paper, as the seconds ticked by into minutes, a creeping sense of loneliness slithered up my spine, and sunk its fangs into my heart. Shaking my head, I attempted to throw it off... but to no avail.

From the cage, there was naught but icy silence.

Looking at the clock, seconds ticking by, I could feel a deep sense of unease. Yotsuba's time after classes during the school week was being entirely taken up by Takeda, and by the track team. I knew I was overreacting -- we still had lunches, and the weekend. That said, I couldn't help but listen to the harsh voice whispering in the back of my mind. Murmuring. Chiding. Pleading.

Agonizing.

With everything that she has to do... where do I fit in?