New Arc Begins! Enjoy!

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It had been nearly 2 weeks since your birthday and Today was finally the day. The night before, Mr.Maruo had texted you asking to be at the Pentagon at 10 a.m.

You honestly had no idea what to expect out of this trip. Seeing as their father was there, you didn't know how much you'd be able to interact with the girls, or if he'd be keeping a close eye on your every move.

Fuutaro also told you a few days ago that his family had won a trip somewhere, he didn't say where exactly in his excitement but you were happy he and his family got to have a nice time away somewhere together, they really deserved it after all the stress he'd been put under recently and Raiha was probably bouncing from wall to wall with energy at the prospect of going on a trip. Thankfully, you were a fast packer, so your suitcase was ready within 20 minutes of waking up, There was about an hour before you had to be there and the nerves were starting to kick in a teensy bit.

As if it was a favour called into god, a notification sounded out from your phone that was on charge on your desk, seeing a Good Morning text from Nino could wipe off any bad mood you maybe have had previously.



Well, not much to do besides make some breakfast and sit around until you order a Taxi. If only she knew the surprise of her boyfriend that was going to randomly appear in about an hour's time.

---------------

It was 10am on the dot as I arrived at the Pentagon, I looked up at the building in an attempt to mentally prepare myself for going inside and facing Mr.Maruo yet again. I noticed Ebata was already waiting for them in the parking lot.

"Mr.Ebata!" you called out, walking over to him.

"Ah, greetings Y/N" he bowed.

"You don't have to be super formal with me you know?" you laughed, Ebata was someone you had crossed paths with a couple of times before back when Maruo worked at the hospital. Ebata would show up on occasion to drive him places so you always used to wave at them out of the window if they left before you did.

"So, I take it that you're ready for your trip?" he smiled.

"Somewhat..." you looked away from him slightly, "I take it you're driving us?"

Ebata chuckled. "You are correct. I have to say, it is nice to see you in such good health after all of these years"

"Oh.. uh thanks..." This conversation was making you feel very awkward and not easing your nervousness for the trip ahead, but who knows, maybe it could be fun.

"I think Maruo does still have quite the liking towards you" Ebata suddenly continued the conversation, but his words confused you.

"Really? Well, he doesn't really seem to show it. It was cool for me to see him again but he didn't seem as enthusiastic

Ebata laughed quietly. "I'm sure right now the feelings between the two of you are complicated, you have to keep in mind that when you knew him, he did not have any daughters. Family can change a person"

"If you say so..." not totally convinced by Ebata's logic.

After a few more minutes passed, you heard the doors of the building slide open.

"HUH!?" you heard loud and clear from the ever so pleasant voice of your girlfriend. All of the girls walked over to you and Ebata, and standing behind them all was Maruo, with the same blank expression he always rocked.

"Wha-" Nino stood in front of you shocked, as did the other girls.

You gave her a smile. "Yeah... looks like I'm coming along for the trip" you laughed, slightly raising your bag with stuff inside it.

Her awareness of her father being present didn't stop her from running up and wrapping her arms around your torso, giving you a tight hug.

"Idiot! Why didn't you just tell me!" Nino questioned into your chest. It seemed like Itsuki had caught on to the reason fairly quickly as she looked towards her father, who stood still staring at the two of you. You gently released from Nino's hug and approached him.

"Mr.Maruo".

"Y/N"

"So what's the plan?" you asked him, for some reason a lot of that anxiety you felt had been replaced by confidence when Nino was by your side. There was no way you were going to let him turn this into a nightmare trip for you.

"We'll all be riding together" he simply walked past everyone and over to the limo. "Put your bags in the back and then get in," he said as he bent down and manoeuvred his way into the passenger seat. Ebata smiled at the bunch of you and then took his seat behind the wheel.

"Well, gotta do what the doctor ordered," you said as you put your bag in the back of the limo. "So how are you guys?"

"Surprised that you're here" Miku responded first. "I can safely say that none of us saw this coming. How did it even happen?" she asked as she loaded her bag in too.

"Yeah tell us!" Itsuki insisted.

You folded your arms and sighed. "You know when we finished our exams? and I stepped out to go and get snacks or whatever the hell it was? Well he found me walking the streets then and asked me to come along, and... not to tell you guys which I guess doesn't really matter now"

Nino looked wary of her father's motive judging by the slight scowl. "Y/N don't get me wrong, I'm very happy you're here but doesn't it just seem kind of weird to you?" she asked.

"I guess so. I'm just trying to think of it as an opportunity to get in his favour"

"I guess that would make sense," Ichika said.

Itsuki and Yotsuba both nodded. "You think that'll be possible though?" Miku asked.

"Won't know until I try" you nervously laughed. "Now let's get in the car before he takes a point away from me before we even get there.

The 6 of us piled into the limo. It was your first time in something so luxurious, it totally felt out of your depth. You all sat in an L shape, typical of a Limo. Yotsuba and Ichika sat facing forward on the seats at the back. It went Miku, then you, then Nino and finally Itsuki who was closest to the front. There was a small glass window between the two front seats and the back of the car, being able to see a somewhat obscured side-view of Maruo made you feel sort of uneasy, especially when you caught him looking at you through the rearview mirror.

Nino shifted her hand onto yours and gave it a reassuring squeeze. With their father watching, it wasn't like you could make out with Nino back here so you had to play anything subtly.

"Are you okay?" she whispered into your ear. "Try not to let him bother you. I'm here" Her words were reassuring despite that lingering feeling of anxiety slowly creeping its way back into your system.

"Everyone ready?" Ebata called out from the front.

Everyone cheered, and off the car went. Now that you thought about it, you had no clue how long this was actually going to take.

"Wish Fuutaro could have come along... kind of feels like he's missing out don't you think?" Yotsuba suddenly spoke up.

"And Raiha too... she's so cute. It'd be better if she came without him..." Nino said that last part quietly, but we all heard.

"Why do you even still dislike him?" Miku asked her sister, a slightly angry tone spelt trouble.

Nino just laughed. "I don't really, it's just fun to see your reaction" she winked. Miku laid back in the chair and sighed.

"Did Fuutaro not tell you guys that he's going on a trip himself?"

"What!?" they all responded.

"That's great," Itsuki said, "Is Raiha and their father going too?"

"Yeah. But I've got no clue where to though. I just hope he didn't bring a textbook and pen"

The girls laughed. "That definitely seems like something he'd do" Nino kept laughing. "Seriously, if he put that dedication to studying into his gloomy personality and tacky appearance instead, he'd probably have gotten a girlfriend before you" she pointed at you. D- Did she really just say that?

"Oh, so you'd take Fuutaro over me... oh I see how it is"

"Ugh, never in any timeline" Nino scoffed.

You and the other girls laughed. "Who knows maybe there is a world in which you and Fuutaro got together" Ichika joked, however, you looked straight into her soul which stopped her laughter.

"If I got cuc..." you shuddered. "By Fuutaro... I'd probably be doing a backflip off of the Pentagon's roof"

"Hey! Don't say something dumb like that!" Nino squeezed your hand with a clear intention to hurt you.

"Y/N, did anyone tell you where we're actually going?" Miku asked, clearly saving you from this uncomfortable topic of conversation.

You looked at her confused. "It's a hot spring resort right?"

The noise of the car speeding along the road filled in what would be the silence of Miku's lack of response.

"Well, you're right. But the resort is owned by our grandfather"

"As In..." You looked towards Ichika and Yotsuba, who both nodded with full understanding of your potential question. "Oh... okay. I get it. So I guess I have 2 people to impress on this trip" You sat back, flexing your legs out in front of you as they slowly lowered. So this grandfather of theirs was on their Mothers' side judging by their reaction, meaning that this was probably the closest blood relative you were ever going to meet.

Itsuki unscrewed the cap on her water bottle "We haven't seen him in a while. So we're all looking forward to it." She took a sip of her water.

"But in saying that. There's nothing you should worry about. Our Grandpa is a super kind man" Nino's words did settle some of that lingering anxiety still present within you. The girls all had reassuring looks on their faces as if they could read your feelings, being with them put you at ease admittedly.

"By the way! We get to go on a boat later!" Yotsuba blurted out.

You almost felt your eyes jolt out of your head "A boat? It's on an island?"

"Did we not mention it's on Himakajima?"

"No!"

"Oh, well... surprise!"

An hour or so passed as we all chat amongst ourselves in the car. Maruo and Ebata exchanged little words every now and then but they were too quiet to make out. It felt like you needed to be on guard at all possible times otherwise you'd slip right into Maruo's hands.

When we arrived at the port, there was a small boat solely there to transport us. The sun was shining brightly overhead, and the waters were calm as the boat slowly but surely glided across the water. As much as you wanted to be right now, you resisted the urge to be all lovey with Nino as their father kept a close eye on the two of you.

No ground rules were ever really set for what you two could and couldn't do but asking him would definitely result in a net negative outcome so instead you held your tongue and leaned over the railing of the boat, watching seagulls race the boat as they overtook and flew in the direction of the island.

Even if you couldn't go and be all romantic with her, admiring Nino from afar was still a sight to behold. She stood towards the front of the boat, also leaning over the railing and staring out into the ocean. Her position looked kind of uncomfortable though, how does she even lean on the rail with those...

"Y/N" A deep voice boomed from behind you, scaring you shitless. You visibly jumped and quickly turned around to see Maruo staring daggers at you.

"A-Ah... Jeez Mr.Maruo, you scared the hell out of me..." You took a deep breath and leaned back on the railing. In the corner of your eye, you could see Nino had turned in your direction slightly.

Maruo adjusted the watch he was wearing, it was a pretty expensive-looking watch that reflected the beaming sunlight above. "I came to remind you about this trip. You are a guest under my bringing, understand?"

"Yeah. Of course"

He looked over towards Nino. "My daughter..." he began as his eyes turned back to you and narrowed. "Don't even think of doing anything with her while you are here. You will listen to me just as my daughters do. Do I make myself clear?"

Maruo looked as if he were reading into your soul. "Yeah... I get it. But... I can at least talk to her, right? If I talk to the other girls but ignore her, surely that would just be super weird" Realising what a counterargument to this could be you quickly added. "Please don't forbid me from talking with any of them..." you bowed.

You couldn't see his face, but the feeling of his steel gaze directly on you sent a small chill down your spine. "There's no issue in talking with them. Even I realise you have become acquainted with them like none other. They do have a strange liking towards you that I cannot just deny"

Maybe there was a reasonable conversation to be had with him later down the line, it seemed like he wasn't totally out to get you after all. Still... when you last saw him all of those years ago you were never on bad terms so his hostile behaviour since your reunion felt odd.

"I understand. I'd rather not cause unnecessary trouble"

Maruo turned on his heels and walked away over to Nino, presumably to tell her something similar. You felt a sense of relief he didn't mention you staring at her, now the island was getting closer so you decided to go and talk to Miku.

Miku sat on a bench at the back of her boat with her headphones on, she looked tranquil for once. For the supposed quiet and shy sister, you sure barely saw that side of her at all.

"Hey Miks"

She turned her head in your direction and gently lifted off her blue headphones. "Don't call me that Y/N" Her words were blunt and cold as ever.

Feeling the need to interrupt her peace, you took a seat on the bench next to her. "Ah... don't you just love that fresh sea air?"

"Do you exist to disturb me?"

"I could say the same thing to you. Ever since we made that agreement you changed from timid to a flea in my hair"

"Ew. Please shower when we get to the resort" she insulted you as she opened her book again. It was some type of history book and judging by the position of her fingers and the pages, she was nearing the end.

"You just overtook Ichika as my least favourite sister"

"Fine by me" Miku flashed you a cheeky look before putting her headphones back on, signalling the end of this conversation. You stood up from the bench and went to go check on Nino at the front of the boat.

Maruo had left her alone, so she stood there looking as beautiful as ever all by herself. The way her short hair graciously flowed in the wind made you imagine what it would look like right now if she never cut it, a gigantic blanket of hair being blown by the wind made you laugh silently to yourself as you walked up to her.

"What are you giggling about?" Nino teased as she instinctively reached both hands for your face before stopping short and forcefully restricting herself by lowering her hands to her sides.

"So he told you too huh?"

Nino rolled her eyes and turned back to face the sea. "When I saw you waiting back at home I got so happy thinking this would be like a mini holiday together, but here we are being babysat by Papa" Her frustrations were definitely a shared opinion as she pretty much described it perfectly.

She turned on her heels to face you again. She smiled and put her hands behind her back before looking around to make sure her father wasn't watching. She got on her tip toes and whispered in your ear directly. "Dosen't mean It's going to stop me though~" her breath tickled your ear as she giggled, playfully walking away towards the back of the boat.

As she did, a horn sounded out signalling we were about to arrive. Quickly you went to regroup with everyone else.

-----------------

"This is a big ass hill.." you complained to Ichika as all of you began to climb a hill on the island.

"Don't complain so much, you're meant to be the strong big brother. If anything you should give me a piggyback right now" Ichika winked.

"Hell no idiot..." The heat was really starting to take its effect, you could feel the sweat begin to gather on your forehead. But for some reason the girls seemed okay, even Maruo and Ebata were doing fine.

Itsuki especially was full of energy, she seemed really hyped up as we got closer to the top, "Itsuki, you look like a firework about to shoot off" Nino laughed.

Her younger sister only smiled as she suddenly began to run up the stairs at full sprint towards the top. You and the rest of the girls started to pick up the pace to catch up with her.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" you heard a duet of voices call out from the top of the hill.

"Itsuki... you're going too fast!" Yotsuba complained as she was the first up the stairs. "E-Eh?" she suddenly stopped at the top.

As you got to the top, you couldn't help but laugh like an idiot at the sight of your best friend standing there like a dumbass with a stupid expression on his face at his current circumstance.

"Oh, it's Fuutaro!" Yotsuba called out.

"No way..." Ichika muttered through her breaths.

Miku stayed silent but she looked relieved to see him after climbing those stairs.

"Honestly, What are the chances?" Nino chuckled slightly.

His eyes roamed at everyone. "Y-You guys..." Finally, he looked at you. "Y/N!?"

"Yo" you saluted. "Good to see you taking some time off"

"A-Are you guys on a family trip too?"

"Yes, that would be correct" The distinct voice of Maruo made itself known as he reached the top of the stairs with Ebata close behind.

Fuutaro's face dropped. Understandable reaction in all honesty. Something up here that caught your eye was the huge bell sitting at the very peak of the hill.

"Hey. What's that for?" you asked Nino.

She smiled as she stood next to you. "It's the bell of vows"

"Bell of vows?"

"It's said that if a man and woman ring this bell together, they will be bound together for eternity" The romantic look in her eyes easily told you that she wanted to do this at some point. Knowing Nino was super into the romantic stuff there was no way that you were going to get off the island without ringing it with her.

"Wait. If this is a family trip then why the hell are you here?" Fuutaro turned to you.

You said nothing but pointed at their father. Fuutaro looked displeased by his presence, to say the least.

"It is by my intention that Y/N is currently with us" Maruo spoke down to Fuutaro. "I suggest you exercise yourself carefully while you are here"

Fuutaro's eyes darted between you and Nino. Nino turned away and you gave him a look of Yeah, we're under watch. It seemed like he understood as he swallowed and directed his eyes to the towering man standing before him.

Despite the cheery weather, the atmosphere on the top of this hill felt suffocating, to say the least.

"Now then, let's have our lunch here" Maruo clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. "Be careful where you step, it's not the most flat terrain up here" Quick and direct as ever he got to giving out orders, You saw Nino roll her eyes and walk over to the other girls.

"I don't think either of us are particularly in his good books..." you sighed.

Fuutaro looked behind him. "Y-Yeah..."

"Oh yeah if you're here, does that mean-"

"Y/N" Maruo called for you as he suddenly appeared behind you. "What are you doing? I called for lunch, go and get your lunch from Ebata" His tone of voice indicated that you had no room to oppose his orders, your hands were tied.

"Y-Yeah... Catch you later Fuutaro" Hesitantly you turned away from the shade where you and Fuutaro were standing and proceeded into the baking sunlight.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!" A high-pitched voice rang out for the second time today, getting closer to your current position.

Soon enough, Raiha and her dad joined the party at the top of the hill. It looked as if Raiha was star-struck as everyone had turned to face her from the sudden loud call. The innocent excitement on her face immediately dispelled any tension in the air.

"Ahhhh! Y/N onii-chan!" Raiha immediately ran up to you and jumped at you, almost knocking you back over.

You playfully ruffled her hair and crouched down. "Hey, sport! Looks like we're both on a trip huh?" The smile on her face was too cute to handle.

"Raiha!" Yotsuba almost ran you over as she barged past you to grab Raiha's tiny hands and lifted her up into the air.

"Whoa. Is that Fuutaro's dad?" Ichika nudged your shoulder.

"Yeah. Despite how they may look compared to each other"

"Fuutaro. What's taking you so damn long?" Isanari Uesugi groaned, scratching the back of his head as he approached everyone else. It was only for a brief moment, but you noticed a little flicker in his eye when he saw Maruo. A small grin was on his face "Look what the cat dragged in..."

"Ah, it appears it's starting to rain" Maruo held a hand out towards the sky and turned on his heels. "The weather in the mountains is so susceptible to change. Let's make a descent and head for the Inn" he addressed your entire group as he began to walk towards the stairs. "Ebata, handle the clean-up" he ordered to which Ebata simply bowed.

"Uhhh... I guess we gotta go" Yotsuba scratched her head as she and Ichika shuffled after their father.

"See ya Fuutaro" Miku waved as she too followed the others.

"Hey Itsuki, come on!" Nino called out to her as she linked arms with her and dragged her away. "And you too!" she barked as she linked her free arm with yours, pulling you away from the Uesugi's.

"H-Hey!"

"Relax, they're most likely staying in the same inn as us. You'll see them later. Besides you don't want to anger Papa at all do you?"

A low grumble left your mouth. "Fine..." you conceded. "I'll catch up with you later man" you waved to Fuutaro as Nino finally let you and Itsuki go and the three of you all followed in the descent of the hill.

-------------

After a brief walk, we finally arrived at the inn. It had a warm and cosy atmosphere about it that made it self-apparent as soon as you stepped foot through the door. Regardless of that, it did look extremely empty, no noise was being made anywhere in the entire place. No one was even at the reception desk.

"Hmm. Grandpa's not here..." Yotsuba pointed. The girls all looked worried for the moment.

"I'm sure he will be back momentarily. For now, let us go to our room and get everything set up" Maruo instructed as he led the way upstairs. For the first time since this trip began, the thought only just occurred to you about sleeping with Maruo and Ebata. There was not a chance in hell that he was going to let you sleep in the same room as Nino let alone all of the other girls. We all walked up the creaky stairs as we arrived outside of our rooms.

"Girls, you will all sleep in here" Maruo pulled the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. "Myself, Ebata and Y/N will be sleeping in the room next door"

Nino had a less than favourable expression to that news, but what could she have really expected. Maruo's eyes made their way towards you. "Is that understood?" his steel gaze fixating directly at your eyes.

You simply nodded in response while discreetly looking at Nino in a reassuring way, to not advise her to suddenly act out. The better this trip went, the more likely it would be for her father to accept you into the family.

"That's enough of that" Maruo suddenly interrupted your silent exchange with Nino. Was a nod seriously too much now? Not wanting to escalate anything, you looked up towards Maruo who was staring back at you with sharp eyes.

The girls all entered their own room as you followed Maruo and Ebata to the next door where there was a small room with enough Futons for you all to sleep in.

The room itself was nothing special, a simple small square window that let some sunlight seep through its blinds. A small table in the centre presumably for eating, and a sofa was tucked into the corner of the room facing a small TV. Considering their grandfather owned the place, however, the room seemed to be pretty big in comparison to some of the rooms you passed on the way here.

As you began to set everything up, a wave of tiredness hit you all of a sudden. "Hey. I'm gonna take a nap, is that cool?" you asked Maruo and Ebata.

They both looked at you. "Do as you wish, but you'll miss lunch." Maruo adjusted his collar before moving to the door. He turned back and threw you a key. "That is the key to our room. I will go and get a spare for myself and Ebata, Do not lose that Y/N"

"Yes Sir" you saluted before laying down on the futon, It wasn't long before your eyes were already beginning to close. Eating could be done later...

"One last thing" You sat up to listen. "Even though I may not be able to keep watch on you 24/7. You better not try anything funny with any of my daughters, do you hear me?"

"Mmm... yeah" you rudely yawned which was a total accident, Maruo scoffed quietly and left the room with Ebata bowing towards you and briskly following.

You laid back down, finally getting the chance to nap. It was early afternoon, hopefully, you wouldn't be asleep for too long.

---------------------

A yawn escaped your lips as you slowly propped yourself up. As you rubbed your eyes and got your bearings, you noticed the sky outside had gotten significantly darker since you fell asleep. Clawing in the direction of a small piece of light, you grabbed your phone and checked the time.

7:56pm...

"Shit..." you groaned as you stood up and made the Futon nice and tidy. By now you probably missed not only lunch but dinner too. If only you could get Nino to cook you something right about now but with how you were under surveillance, that would probably not be happening.

Getting to your feet and leaving the room, you yawned loudly in the corridor. There seemed to be more lights on down the corridor so it looked like this place wasn't completely empty after all. With it being so long, the Uesugis' could be here by now. Deciding finding someone else was the best course of action you decided to head down to the main lobby.

No one was around, but there was an old man standing behind the reception desk, that was their grandfather... It took a little slap on your own face but you tried to approach him as confidently and friendly as possible as making a good impression on someone like him was very important.

"Excuse me, sir..?" He stared back at you, not uttering a word. "U-Um... My name's Y/N" Still no reaction. Was this guy even alive? "I'm friends with your granddaughters, It's nice to finally meet you" you bowed before quickly standing back up straight.

It seems you weren't going to get much out of him. "Did you happen to see a family come through earlier? A dad and an older son and a little girl?"

"Mmm," you barely heard him mutter. At least you were finally getting somewhere and at least there was confirmation that they were here too.

"Um... do you know where they went? Or where any of your granddaughters are? I took a nap like 6 hours ago and only just woke up..." His eyes shifted to the side down the corridor, seemingly giving that as his only answer. In that direction, it looked like another lounge area.

"Thank you. I hope to talk again later!" You bowed as you ran down the corridor, looking for any sign of the others. Families could be heard as you moved past various rooms. There was a split at the end of the corridor, one way was towards the hot springs, the other towards a cafeteria.

You decided to poke your head into the cafeteria, it was almost empty, save for one or two families. But leaving the other exit of the cafeteria, you just barely caught of glimpse of Itsuki rounding the corner. You ran after her and eventually caught up with her.

"Hey!" you grabbed her shoulder. "There you are jeez. Finally, I found someone"

She was startled but suddenly turned around. "Y-Y/N!" She looked super shaken up.

"You alright? Finally, I found one of you after so long. I took a nap and woke up way too late" you laughed.

"Is that right?" Itsuki turned away slightly, but something came across as off about her, You couldn't put a direct finger on it, it was just a guy instinct.

"Y/N, have you seen Fuutaro around?" she asked, slightly fiddling with her hands, it was then it clicked.

"Wait." You took a step forward and leaned in closer to her. "You're Miku right?" Now that you'd said it aloud it was definitely Miku, You could tell nearly instantly but there was a moment's lapse in judgment, maybe it was the dimly lit hallway or maybe her impersonation was really good.

Miku grumbled slightly. "Why the hell are you dressed as Itsuki?" you asked her, taking a step back. "Don't tell me this is part of a plan to win over Fuutaro..." you groaned, Miku clenched her fist.

"I'm... not satisfied," she said quietly. "I need to find Fuutaro, that's all. Goodbye," Miku said as she took off down the corridor.

"Hey wait!" you chased after her, managing to catch up despite how quickly she shuffled away. "You still haven't explained why you're dressed as Itsuki"

Miku sighed. "Nino was in the courtyard not too long ago. I'm sure she'll tell you" She shook you off of her arm and disappeared up a staircase, no clue where it led to but you decided to just let her do what she wanted. With her help though, it led you back to Nino who was supposedly back in the courtyard. A bunch more voices became noticeable, maybe some people just come out of the hot springs. As nice as it would be to go and take a nice relaxing bath under a starry sky, you had priorities right now so you'd have to save that for later.

"Excuse me sir" you stood in front of the reception desk once again. "Which way is the courtyard?"

"..."

The lack of answers was kind of starting to piss you off but you kept your cool considering this was your girlfriend's grandfather. I wonder if he knows about me dating one of his granddaughters... You let out a sigh of defeat knowing you'd have to roam around like an idiot for another half an hour before you found out.

In your moment of gloom, like a shining stroke of luck, a door opened behind you and another Itsuki stepped through. She looked at you and her eyes went wide and unlike the last Itsuki, you could tell in a heartbeat that this was Nino. Her face lit up and she cutely jogged up to all excited.

"Y/N! Where the hell have you been?" she pouted angrily. "You didn't answer a single call or text!"

"Y-Yeah... my bad I forgot to pack my charger and my phone died while I took a nap earlier" You shamefully admitted. Her anger quickly changed to a sense of relief, she suddenly turned towards her Grandpa.

"Oh, Grandpa! This is my... friend Y/N! I hope he's been nice to you" She smugly looked at me. "You have been nice to him right?"

"Of course I have" you sighed. "Why would I just randomly be rude to the staff, let alone one that's your grandfather"

"Ooooooh, look what we have here!" A random guy you'd never seen before stumbled into the lobby from upstairs. He was definitely drunk by the way he clung to the railing with full strength so as to not fall. He approached you and Nino both. "Hey cutie, what's your name?" He asked Nino, completely ignoring your presence, this was giving serious vibes of the first day Nino came to school.

"Hey!" you stood in between Nino and the guy. "Keep your space alright, She doesn't wanna talk to you" The guy looked at you like he didn't care about what you were saying, he was roughly the same height as you, skinny build. Someone who didn't seem at a glance he could overpower you, so it was probably him acting up on the Alcohol.

Nino took a step back and the guy attempted to get closer to her. "Just c'mere, we can talk without this guy sticking his nose into business. He looked her up and down and took a step past you. "Damn... you've got some pretty nice..."

You grabbed his wrist. "I'm telling you for the last time, go back upstairs and drink your liver into oblivion, it'll be less humiliating than what's about to happen. I promise you"

The guy pushed you away and stretched a hand out to Nino, grabbing onto her shoulder. "Let's go back to my room, we can have a good old time-"

Your body moved on pure instinct as you got a hold of his arm, ready to throw him to the floor for putting his hands on Nino, but to your surprise, you weren't the only one.

The Quintuplet's grandfather appeared like a ghost and grabbed the guy's other arm with a powerful grip, removing the guy's hand from his granddaughter's shoulder. The both of you turned and threw him hard on his back onto the floor.

"Y/N, Grandpa!"

The guy was breathing heavily on the floor, probably got the wind knocked out of him. Their grandfather bent down and got closer to the guy's friend, It was quiet but his words were ice cold and made the hairs rise on your arms.

"Don't lay your hands on my grandchild. I'll kill you"

Nino ran over to you and held onto your arm, clearly a bit shaken up. "Are you okay?" you turned your full attention to her.

Some other members of staff had heard the bang from him hitting the floor and came to check what had happened.

"Y-Yeah, it just took my surprise is all..." Nino let out a deep breath, she was a strong girl, after all, her eyes told you on their own how grateful she was to have you there. Her grandpa suddenly appeared before you and looked down at Nino holding onto your arm, he looked you dead in the eyes. It felt like the right decision to stand your ground and stare at him back. "Thank you Grandpa" she expressed. "Y/N just-"

"Just what is going on here?" A familiar voice made itself known. Maruo appeared on the stairs, most likely hearing the noise as well. Maruo scanned the scene and saw you and Nino holding each other, and his face instantly hardened.

"Shit..." Nino muttered under her breath. "And when we finally had some time..." Maruo walked over to us and simply raised his eyebrows. "Separate" Not wanting to start an argument in from of their grandpas, you let go of Nino. "What did I tell you Y/N?"

"Mr.Maruo! You don't understand, I was just-"

He raised up a hand. "I don't want to hear it." he turned to his daughter. "Nino, you're going to your room. He ushered her forward and began to lead her upstairs. You followed them but not before quickly bowing and thanking their Grandfather.

"Papa! It's not what It looked like. Y/N was just helping me!"

He kept quiet and continued to direct her to her room. As you reached the top of the stairs you tried one last time.

"Please Mr.Maruo just let me explain!" you raised your voice, to which he stopped at the top of the stairs. He took a few steps into the corridor and faced you.

"Nino, go back to your room for the night" he ordered her, Nino was going to speak up but you shook your head.

"I'll handle this. Don't worry" you smiled. Nino seemed dissatisfied but turned and began to walk to her room.

Just before she opened the door, however, she looked back with a smile on her face and blew you a silent kiss, unbeknownst to her father who had his back turned to her. Her skating the line like that made you blush for some reason, and she noticed quickly laughing to herself and entering her room.

"What is your explanation?"

"That guy who some of those staff members were carrying away tried to grab Nino." his expression seemed to soften ever so slightly but he still kept a near-perfect cold face. "He grabbed her shoulder after I warned him to keep his distance so I rushed and grabbed his arm, and then the girls' grandfather did the same and we threw him to the floor. That's all that happened. I promise you" For the entire explanation I kept eye contact with him as he turned and leaned against the wall next to the stairs.

"Well, in that case, I suppose I must thank you at the very least for protecting my daughter" That sounded like a genuine positive thing he'd said for the first time since you'd arrived.

"I told you I would care for her no matter what happens"

"Something of that effect." However I am still keeping the rule for this trip about the two of you, it's my responsibility as a father, as pointed out by the fact you two were together in the first place"

"Well... my nap went on for a bit longer than I anticipated and I couldn't find anyone so I ran around like an idiot then finally found Miku, We talked Then she left to go somewhere, I kept talking around and bumped into Nino in the lobby. Their grandpa will tell you it was pure coincidence, he was there the whole time!".

Maruo looked away and took a breath. "You're a difficult child Y/N. For now, just go and enjoy the rest of your night, there's no reason to be up here until you decide to go to sleep"

THUD

"You not gonna check that out?" you asked.

"I assume you will, so I don't need to" he shut his eyes as an indication to end the conversation now.

You turned and stepped down the creaky staircase one more time, the last of that initial adrenaline leaving your body as you did. It seemed that maybe Ebata did have a point as Maruo looked a faint bit more like his old self with the relief of his daughter being unharmed.

Descending back downstairs, a weird sight was on display down in the lobby.

Miku was here in the lobby now, or at least you assumed that was Miku, and Fuutaro was on his back on the floor this time. The girls' grandfather was towering over Fuutaro, whose face looked like he'd just seen a ghost. He noticed your arrival, as well as Miku and her grandfather who all looked at you as you touched down from the bottom step into the lobby.

A sigh of utter confusion left your mouth. "What the hell is going on here..."

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New Longest Chapter! Sick.

Really enjoyed writing this chapter and I'm not really sure why in particular, maybe because I actually fully re-read the arc before writing it but who knows.

In terms of updates in my life that I'm sure you care about... I've been playing a lot of Azur Lane which is pretty cool. (Formidable best girl btw)

Anyway, that's all from me. Hope you guys are good as usual. Hope you've been enjoying the Oneshot book, I have like 15 different stories in that so far but idk when I'll actually finish any of them, they're all most like 800 words atm.

Talk next chapter, take care of yourselves :)