Writer's POV

A few years later

Hot summer in Japan, when everyone just wants to head to the beach or the sea, enjoying the fresh air with slight scent of burning sand and sounds of seagulls flying around the sky. This is the season when people either dip themselves into the deep blue sea, or just simply stay home with the air conditioner. However, for a certain young couple, they think this is a suitable time for training up, to gain some strength and endurance during this hot weather. Or at least one of them thinks so.

"Why… are we… jogging… in such a hot… weather like this?!" A redhead was jogging, with her hair tied in a ponytail, breathing heavily. She looks like she will collapse any second, judging from her almost floppy legs and sweats all over her face. She is jogging behind a black-haired guy, trying to catch up with him.

"This is the right time… to boost your stamina… so stop… complaining… for god sake…!" The black-haired guy tried to say, while also breathing heavily. He also lets out some coughs, as a sign of exhaustion. "We still have 5 more rounds to go, so pick up those legs and keep jogging!" He shouted, made the redhead drop her jaw.

"5 more?! I can't take this… anymore! Can we please… have a break?!" The girl said, coughs after coughs, with her body swaying left to right while running, unsteadily. Thinking about her words, the young man, although he doesn't want to, is forced to agree.

"Alright then… There's a bench just meters away… Let's just stop there." The young man said, pointing at the bench he was talking about. After jogging for a few more meters, he finally reaches it and settles down, finds his sitting spot on the bench and tries to catch some breath.

For the redhead, she manages to reach the destination, as her legs can't hold her much longer. Seeing the boy has already sat down, she decides to give up and lets her fall, thinks about planting her face on his laps. However, when he sees that, he moves aside, so instead of feeling the bounciness of human's flesh, all she feels is the hot and hard metal, meeting her face, which makes her scream in pain, as her legs are flopping on the hard pavement. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" She looked up and shouted at him.

"I don't know. Natural instinct?" The boy simply answered and whistled, pretending he didn't know anything about it, which snapped her.

"You're supposed to stay put so I can fall onto you!" The girl scolded.

"So me moving aside is against the law? Geez, how the world has changed…"The boy said and rolled his eyes, turning away from the redhead, made her pout. Feeling ignoring from the boy, she climbs up the bench, settles herself and turns away from him for a while. Then she feels her stomach rumbling, begging for something to get in the guts, so she has to cover her tummy to hold it, then turns to the boy, starts shaking him playfully.

"Fuutarou-kun~~" She shook the boy and purred into his ears, or in the other words, Fuutarou's ears.

"… You sounded just like my old man when he is about to tease me and piss me off. What is it?" Fuutarou asked.

"I'm hungry. Itsuki needs to be filled." The redhead, or should I say Itsuki, shook Fuutarou again.

"Now that just sounded so wrong in so many levels! Don't try to awake something in me!"

"But I'm just asking for something to eat, that's all!" Itsuki pouted.

"Well look no further, Itsuki!" Fuutarou said and pointed at some plants, outside some stores nearby. "Look, that's a wild berry tree! And look, that caterpillar is an insect, so there's lots of protein inside. Go pick all of them and enjoy yourself!"

"Noooooo!" Itsuki rejected, then turned away from Fuutarou, letting out 'hmph' noise while pouting. She decides not to talk with Fuutarou, telling him that she's upset. They both stay like that for a while, a strange silence that blocks any noise of the outside.

"… Hey, Itsuki…" Fuutarou broke the silence, became the first one to speak.

"… What?" Itsuki asked, knowing that they couldn't keep like this any longer.

"… You should follow the exercises so you won't gain weights." Fuutarou said, which made Itsuki blush red.

"I told you not to mention anything about it! It's sensitive!" Itsuki shouted in embarrassment. Then suddenly, she feels like someone is approaching her from behind.

"Oh really? Then how can you explain this?!" Fuutarou asked, then out of sudden, he grabbed her love handle, made her shriek.

"Wha-wha-wha-what are you doing?! Fuutarou, you pervert, stop!" Itsuki screamed, her face went deeply red.

"And what if I say no, hmm?" Fuutarou smirked and started tickling her love handles, made her laugh uncontrollably.

"Fuutarou-kun- HAHA! It's tickle! Fuuta- HAHAHA! Stop! I can't- HAHAHAHA- take it anymore!" Itsuki laughed, even though looking from the outside, it was hard to tell if she was laughing or crying. After the whole tickling session, Fuutarou stops tickling her, letting her rest from all the laughing.

"Fuutarou-kun, you idiot! People are looking at us!" Itsuki scolded, but Fuutarou didn't seem to care about hundreds pairs of eyes staring at them.

"Well, look at the bright side. At least you've lost some weights after that."

"No, I mean- URGH!" Itsuki tried to say, but she couldn't and let out a moan, then she turned away again, avoiding Fuutarou's gaze. She is looking at the pavement, where children following and playing with their parents happily. Some of them have brothers and sisters as friends, and needless to say, she is a bit jealous with how close they are. However, when she is still sticking her eyes on the view, she feels someone pat her head. "Not now, Fuutarou." She said.

"What? I can't pat my girl's head? That's cruel." Fuutarou said. "I know what you are looking, so at least I have to do something so you won't stuck in your land of imagination." His words make her smile a little.

"… Yeah, at least that's a good but rare thing from you. Thanks." Itsuki beamed a smile at Fuutarou and turned away, getting back to her goal of finding food. Both Fuutarou and she haven't had anything for breakfast, as all they did the whole morning was jogging, jogging and jogging. They need to find something to fill their stomach. Suddenly, Itsuki's ahoge, or in the other words, the "food detector", gets a signal of nearby food.

"Fuutarou-kun! Fuutarou-kun!" Itsuki tugged Fuutarou's sleeve, which made him turn to her, his face asking what she wanted to tell. "There's a sandwich shop nearby, so let's go there and order some chicken sandwiches!"

"No, hard pass!" Fuutarou rejected. "The meat is just so greasy, and the sauce inside looks like the maker was trying to flood the sandwich!" His words soon make Itsuki pout again. "We can just choose something else. Why does it have to be chicken sandwich?" Fuutarou asked.

"… Isn't that one of our memories?" Itsuki asked, tucking her hair, being blown by the summer wind.

"Itsuki…"

"Come on, just give nostalgia a chance!" She said, which made Fuutarou remember something, just a few years ago. That's just a small memory, mixing with others, even some bigger ones, but yet not a thing to be left in the corner. Looking back at the past, he scratches his head, thinking of his memory, and laughs in a sudden by how funny it was.

"… Seems like our memories just cycling around food and food, right Itsuki?" He smiled and told Itsuki, only to find out Itsuki was nowhere to be seen. "Itsuki?" He asked, times after times, tried to find where she was. Luckily, looking at the direction Itsuki used to see, he finds out that she has been already inside the shop, ordering some sandwiches.

"Excuse me! Two chicken sandwiches, please!" Itsuki told the shop's staff, which she didn't know that Fuutarou had dashed into the shop.

"So you're tired of all the jogging, but suddenly you're fully recovered when it comes to food?!" Fuutarou asked, getting the attention from other customers inside.

"Don't be so strict, Fuutarou-kun. Just wait outside and I'll bring one for you, definitely!" Itsuki said, which made Fuutarou angry.

"You know what? 20 rounds!" Fuutarou shouted. "Enjoy today, as we are busting our ass with 20 rounds tomorrow! Good luck!"

"What?! I'm not going to do that! Staff, he is bullying me!"

"This is family's business! Face the punishment, Itsuki!"

"Didn't you sexual harass me earlier?!" Itsuki said while covering her chest.

"How the hell was that called sexual harassment?!" Fuutarou asked, his face was blushing as well. "Actually, I have a better idea! Let's multiply that 20 rounds even more!"

"NOOOOO!"

"Um… are you two going to buy the sandwiches or not?" The staff awkwardly asked, seeing the young couple fighting with words.

And so, the exciting summer day, has turned to an intense summer heat between a young man and a young woman, burning up the already hot atmosphere.

O0O

Back to the present

"Itsuki-san, say 'ahh'!"

Another morning at the hospital, as Raiha is feeding Itsuki her breakfast, with scents of ramen covering the whole room. Meanwhile, Fuutarou is reading a book as a way to spend some times, under the shining light of the sun. As Raiha told Itsuki to open her mouth, the redhead follows her instruction and does it, letting Raiha feeds some noodles into her mouth. Itsuki slurps the rest of it and starts chewing, making a puffy face for having such a big bite. "Look, brother, Itsuki-san is eating, and I didn't even have to whisper to her ears!" Raiha squealed.

"… Yeah, seems like her hearing is much better, right?" Fuutarou sighed and got back to his book, with a deeply look in his face, thinking about something in mind. Seeing her brother looks like that, Raiha knows there is something wrong with him.

"Big brother?" Raiha asked and Fuutarou hummed back to answer. "Is there anything wrong with you? We can sit down and talk like a family."

"… Nothing, really. Just… having some inner thoughts and stuffs…" Fuutarou said and got back to his book. Raiha thinks that he was lying, but she knows that he isn't feeling like talking, so she gets back to her work and keeps feeding Itsuki.

For Fuutarou, he really has something bothering in his mind. He thinks about Itsuki, bursting into tears last night for missing Miku and the quints. He had to comfort her, but he knows that wasn't enough for her to forget all of those things. Last night she also had a nightmare, once again, and she grabbed Fuutarou's arm to sleep well, just like a kid hugging something dearly to be less scared of the dark and sleep. For that, he didn't get much sleep, so it can be told that he is quite tired right now.

"Brother…" Raiha called for him. "I think you really should come home and take a short rest. Just leave everything to me."

"… No, I don't think I need to." Fuutarou answered with a yawn. "As her friend, I think it's kind of like my responsibility to stay here with her, so at least she has someone by her side."

"Oh really?" Raiha found his words suspicious. "So what do you do for her then?"

"You know… being something for her to lean her back on, making sure that she has 3 meals a day, maybe singing a lullaby before she goes to sleep… There are a lot of things, it's complicated."

"Big bro… That's not even friendship! That's parental love!" Raiha exclaimed. "You seriously need a day off, big bro!" Raiha told her brother, which made him lift his eyebrows.

"What are you saying? I'm not having anything wrong…" Fuutarou said, with another yawn between it, made Raiha shake her head.

"Don't worry about her, just catch some fresh air, then you can come back. Beside…" Raiha said, then she grabbed Itsuki and wrapped her arm around the redhead's neck. "Itsuki-san has her best friend right here, so I'll be her company!" Raiha said, which made Itsuki lean her head on the girl's shoulder, with mouth still chewing noodles. Looking at the scene in front of his eyes, Fuutarou just smiles and stands up from his stool.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Fuutarou said. "I'll be going out for a while. Take care of her for me, alright?"

"Yes, sir!" Raiha saluted, which made Fuutarou less worried and head to the doors, about to take his leave. But soon, he hears a big slurp, like someone is trying to swallow something quickly to say something.

"Stay safe… Uesugi-kun…" Itsuki said out of a sudden, weakly waving her hand at Fuutarou, which he saw it when he turned around. Seeing Itsuki's action, Fuutarou lets out a small chuckle, then turns to the doors again, grabbing the doorknob.

"I will. You too, Itsuki." Fuutarou told her, almost sounded like he was whispering, away from her gaze and went outside, leaving Raiha and Itsuki in the room.

"So, Itsuki-san…" Raiha asked Itsuki, once the redhead finished her bowl of noodles. Itsuki, hearing her call, turns around with a dumbstruck face, before in her blurry view, Raiha is taking out something colorful, looks like a bucket with a rubber duck inside. "With you've finished your breakfast… Let's take a shower then!"

Itsuki, hearing that so clearly, starts having some chills in her spine and her face turns green. She shakes her head violently, refusing to take a shower. "Itsuki-san, you're really smelly. Now my big bro is gone, let's have some sister bonding moment and let me shrub your back, okay?"

"UMMMMMM!" was all Itsuki shrieked, shaking her head again and again, before she felt someone wrapping her stomach from behind and dragging her along, all the way to the bathroom.

"Geez, that's awesome, Itsuki-san! You have such a large chest! I can't wait to see it more clearly!" Raiha squealed, dragging Itsuki along with her, letting her inner perverted personality coming out. Right now, without Fuutarou, Itsuki is being "kidnapped", scaring about what might come next to her.

"UMMMMMMM!"

O0O

Fuutarou's POV

To be honest, I'm still worried about Itsuki.

Is it actually fine to leave her alone with Raiha? I know that Raiha is kind of her best friend, but you never know anything would happen if you leave two girls in the same room, with one of them is blind and one of them… has an unstable mental. I think I should mention that Raiha has an inner perverted beast, or at least that's what I suspect. I've heard some news about her being "too friendly and too close" to her female friends from her high school, but I guess that's just a rumor, with no ground yet to prove.

Anyway, following Raiha's order, I think I should go home for a rest, then come back before lunch. If some situation like Raiha going home for emergency stuffs happened, Itsuki would be sleeping by then. That means there are still lots of times for me to get back some stamina.

I don't know how many times I've walked down these staircases. Mostly I just left the hospital to grab something for breakfast and lunch, and the rest of the time staying with Itsuki. I think I can count it with my fingertips, not so hard to remember. Still the usual scent of alcohol striking through my nostrils, but it is not much a problem for me, as I'm so used to it.

… Wait… Who's that?

"Here's the hospital fees for Itsuki-sama. Please continue taking care of her." An old man told the receptionist, handing out an envelope, definitely filled with money, and he mentioned Itsuki. Judging by his look, he is familiar, even though I didn't meet him quite often before. He then turns his look to the staircases, where I'm walking down. Is he…

"Ahh, Uesugi-san. It is glad seeing you here!" The old man greeted me. Combining all the information I've got, I realize who that is.

"Oh, you… You were the one who took my job as a tutor!" I pointed at him. It appears to be Ebata-san, or at least that's what I remember from Itsuki's father.

"That is very cruel, Uesugi-san. The only thing you remember from me?" Ebata-san bowed his head in front of me, which was a surprise. Looking at him much more clearly, I can tell he is now almost at his 80. How time really flies fast, doesn't it?

"Anyway, Uesugi-san. I have-"

"If you want to visit Itsuki, she's on the second floor. She's having some mental problem, though, so make sure to-"

"There is something wrong with Itsuki-sama?" Ebata-san cut my words. For god sake, can you please let me finish?

"… Yeah, but don't worry. Her recovery is going great… at least that's what I hope." I answered.

"I see…" Ebata-san said, then lowered his head, using his hand to hold his chin, then he headed back up. "Uesugi-san, do you have anything else to do?"

"Not exactly… Why?" I asked. Then Ebata-san takes out a key chain from his pocket, trying to find his car key.

"Could you go out with me for a few hours? I want you to see something."

"… I am not dating an old man!"

"I think you have got me wrong! Just follow me to this place. We will talk on the way." Ebata-san said, then signaled me to go with him. There goes my resting plan, I guess.

Although still doubting him, I know that he's still Maruo Nakano's assistant, so at least that's the thing I can trust. I quickly follow him outside, just to be wowed by an expensive car, with Ebata-san as its driver. "Get inside, Uesugi-san." Ebata-san opened the car's door and guided me inside, so I accepted, even though I still had a lot to suspect from him. Where is this guy driving me to? What is his intention?

As I get in the car, Ebata-san starts driving away, leaving the hospital and taking me to another destination, somewhere I still don't know.

O0O

"Champagne, Uesugi-san? There is some in front of your seat, if you want to." Ebata-san said, letting me know about the existence of bottles of wine and different kind of champagne.

"No, thanks. Are you trying to make me drunk? I'm not falling into your tricks." I shot back at him, knowing that I was a bit rude, but familiar with this family, I was suspecting with some tricks he might pull out. But instead of angry at me, he shakes his head.

"Forgive me about my manner, but what makes you act like this the whole time, Uesugi-san? Is it because of Maruo-sama?" Ebata-san asked.

"You bet. That creepy guy drove me crazy in the past. Hell even sitting in this car, I can feel his existence, whispering to me about my tutor salary." I answered, resting my elbow on the door, looking out the windows, seeing how the scenes go by. Silence covers the whole car once again, with only small sounds of passing cars and morning radio, talking about traffics or letters from the audience, which I can't hear well.

"You know, Uesugi-san." Ebata-san said, broke the silence. "If Maruo-sama were still alive, he would still be glad that his daughter had someone to be by her side."

"Even judging by your role as his assistant, your words were so deniable. I can't really trust you." I told him.

"Well… People have different ways to show their appreciation, right?" Ebata-san asked.

"Yeah, by threatening about firing and exerting too much pressure on them. That's quite a 'people' appreciation thing, isn't it?"

"Look, I know Maruo-sama was like that to you, but in my view, I know that he is still a good person. Someday you will believe that, Uesugi-san." Ebata-san said, between some coughs, which I hoped that he wouldn't crash the car anyway possible. "So how is Itsuki-sama, Uesugi-san? She is still fine?" He asked me, which I had to think of something to say, carefully picking my words, remembering how sad he was when he heard the news.

"She's still having some issues, but she's recovering well, at least for me." I answered. "After all, everything needs time, and I think you should wait longer. Thank you for taking care of the hospital fees, by the way."

"I see. Thank you for letting me know, Uesugi-san." Ebata-san thanked me, and I could see his smile through the front mirror. "As a butler of Nakano family, it is my duty to make sure that everyone is doing well. But… that accident… was a shocker to me. I was relieved that Itsuki-sama was alive, but I've been worried all these days about her health that I can't even sleep well."

'Looks like we're on the same boat, Ebata-san.'

"Look, old lad, just take a vacation." I told him. "Give yourself some time off, going out the beach or something. Until Itsuki is fully recovered, you're free. Just give your old bones a rest."

"No, no, I cannot do that, Uesugi-san. I still have something to be covered with my role as Nakano's butler." Ebata-san denied, scratching his forehead. "It is amazing to hear from the nurses that Itsuki-sama is unexpectedly recovering. Must be all because of your help, I suppose."

"You bet. Or at least not just me. I also have my little sister with the help." I told him. "We just make sure that she eats well, taking care of her… well… personal stuffs." I explained, when suddenly the car stopped, with my head almost hit the front seat, but I was fine thanks to the seatbelt.

"We're here, huh?" I asked.

"Yes…" Ebata-san said. "By the way, Uesugi-san…"

"What's up?" I asked again. Then he takes out a ballpoint pen, opens its cap and with his incredible speed at the age of him, he charges at me and intends to stab my throat with it, which I luckily hold his arm before it reaches.

"OI OI OI OI OI! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WITH THAT?! PUT IT DOWN!"

"How about you? What did you to Itsuki-sama, you rascal?!" Ebata-san's voice went gloomy, with the point of the pen just centimeters away from my throat. And what's up with that sudden change of vocative?!

"I… didn't do… anything! I swear!" I gritted my teeth, trying to pull away Ebata-san's arm. God this old man is so damn strong!

Luckily, maybe for trusting me, he pulls away his arm and puts his pen back in his pocket. "Fine then. Please forgive my manner." Ebata-san bowed his head and went outside, then he opened the car door for me to get out. "We have reached our destination. There is something I want you to see.

Perhaps for being in the dark and silence car's atmosphere, when I finally get out, I am greeted by the shining sunlight, blinding my eyes, snapping me out of my sleepiness. Seeing that we're standing in front of a tall building, I am wondering where it is, but I finally know it when I look up. An astonishing sight covers my eyes, which I can't imagine that I will be here after a long time.

"I think I do not have to say that you know this place. I guess you know where to go right, Uesugi-san?" Ebata-san asked me.

"… Yeah, this time, I agree with you, Ebata-san. More than anyone, I know damn right where you want to take me to."

This is and still a special place for me, though it doesn't belong to me. But after all, I've had some great memories, whatever they were good or bad. This is somewhere I didn't expect to see, didn't expect to step inside again. But this sure is a place to be back, with great and worried feelings mixed together inside me.

The Nakano's apartment…

Chapter 5:

Return to Where it all Began (part 1)

O0O

A/N: All right, so that's the end of chapter 5. I really want to write some more, but there is already so much happening, so I guess I'll end here.

Yeah, this chapter's pace is kind of fast, so next one, I'll try to slow it down for your enjoying.

If you know me on Reddit, you probably know about my "Isanari – Maruo theory". Well, I'll let you know that the theory is on the work to become a story. So if I have any update, I'll tell you guys soon.

Thank you for reading, for all the supports you guys have been given this fanfic. See you in the next update.

-TheNameIsKaze-