Disclaimer: I own neither the series nor the characters.

For the many long decades of her life, Nakano Itsuki had never thought of herself as vain. Like most people, she'd thought of herself as humble or, at least, down-to earth. She wasn't the type to care too much about looks, after all. A presentable blouse and pencil skirt combo was enough for her whenever she taught classes at the University. Even at home, a sweater or even a crop top was enough depending on the weather.

However, at this moment, she couldn't help but indulge herself as she stood in front of her room's full body mirror. Youthful skin glowing skin, round perky breasts, a fiery red mane that didn't hold a single strand of gray, but most of all…

"I can see you!" Itsuki grinned as she watched her toes wiggle on the floor. Her hands slid down a tummy that only slightly started to go outwards towards the end.

Her eyes turned back up to her eighteen-year-old body reflected in the mirror. She still couldn't believe how good she looked! If only her children could see her now! Wall, maybe when she actually put on something besides a frilly black set of underwear first.

She turned her body sideways to see a round and plump ass that she knew her husband would love to lay his head on. Two hands grabbed the globes of meat to give them a light squeeze, happy to feel just the right amount of fat.

She still couldn't believe it but after almost a week it all still felt real.

She was young again.

And sexy to boot!

Fuutarou had always told her she was always sexy but Itsuki knew better. At some point, all those snacks finally caught up to her, all those cravings during her pregnancies, not to mention her lack of regular exercise because of a busy job and, well, it wouldn't be entirely wrong to say she "ballooned up".

Itsuki shook her head.

No! This was not the time to be thinking of the past, er, future? The current time was her in a young, still-tight, eighteen-year-old body.

A very hormonal body, at that.

As the years had gone on, Itsuki and Fuutarou's bedroom activities had started to dwindle, partly due to their kids, and partly due to how busy their jobs were. Fuutarou had said it definitely wasn't due to her looks and Itsuki really did believe her husband as, while their lust may have fallen, their love for each other still blazed strong.

However, that was then (?), and this was now. And right now, she was in a body that felt lighter, more flexible, and much much more eager to do something she had told her students numerous times to not do in the middle of her lectures…now that's an idea…

Just before Itsuki could get her and an unsuspecting Fuutarou surely suspended for public indecency, there was a knock at her door.

Nino's voice came from the other side.

"Itsuki, breakfast's ready!"

"I'll be there soon!" called back Itsuki, her mind shifting away from naughtier ideas to putting on her "new" uniform. It only took her a moment to finish dressing. She took in her reflection once more, to see a nostalgic sight of a girl in a red sleeveless vest staring back at her.

Only it felt like something was…

"That's right!"

She raced back to her desk to pick up two hair clips, in the shapes of yellow stars. The redhead had forgotten about them because she had stopped wearing them after passing them down to her daughters, one each. They were the last things her mother had left her and Itsuki had wanted to pass it down much like she had.

For a moment, she paused, holding the two stars in her fists. There was no way she'd ever forget her children. They had already left the household to live their own lives but Itsuki didn't think she'd ever forget them.

They were the ones who truly made her feel like the mother she had always wanted to be, after all.

"Mu-chan...Kana-chan…Okaa-san will definitely make sure you'll all come back," whispered Itsuki, a promise, not just to herself but to her children. "And this time, let's try to get you both that brother you wanted, okay?"

"Itsuki!"

"Coming, Coming!"

Placing on the two hairclips, Itsuki left her room with her bag in tow.

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"I hope Itsuki's okay."

"Yeah, she said she just wanted to walk."

"It's probably all that breakfast she ate. I can't blame her though. You've really stepped up your game."

"Well, I did start working at a café recently. You could say I've really gained some experience. I'm more surprised how good Miku's cooking was. Didn't she say she was also starting to work somewhere?

"I guess everyone is at that age. Right when I told everyone I wanted to become an actress you guys announced your decisions to try to get jobs. All of us are moving forward."

"True. Yotsuba's already started joining clubs, as well. We all live together and eat together…honestly, I missed this."

"Me too…I mean, you know, how we weren't as close in our last school."

"Th-that's what I meant, of course! It's just been a while, a short while, since we've all had dinner together. Just the five of us."

"Oh, that's right, I'll be missing out on dinner later."

"Oh, how come? Work?"

"You could say that. I'm meeting someone important tonight. I initially planned it yesterday but decided to move it today to have some more time to prepare. I feel like this is connection will last a lifetime."

"That's great."

"Yeah, I have the whole night planned. We're just going to dinner though. I'm thinking that fancy place Itsuki likes…oh wait can't drink yet…that's a problem…"

"You're really pulling out all the stops, Ichika.'

"Well, this will really help me in the long run. I'm still starting out after all. The more connections the better, right? How's that café thing going, by the way?"

"Amazing, actually. An interesting newcomer just joined in. Was a bit sick, all red and flushed so I helped get the measurements for the uniform. Was as stiff as a board the whole time."

"Job interviews are nerve-wrecking at the beginning but you learn to get over your nerves soon enough…is what I've heard at least. I'm still new so there's some hesitation. Sounds like the person, at least, passed just fine."

"Of course. A little stiffness can be remedied. I always make sure every person is qualified if they want to work in my res-, I mean, the café. Even if I have to give a hand-on tutorial to do it. And this one looks to need a more hands-on approach too."

"Well, I hope it goes well."

"Same with yours. Also, there's also the matter of…the tutor. I was thinking that- Oh we're here?"

"Let's go then, Nino. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to talk about that tutor after school. By the way, where is Miku?"

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If there was one thing, Uesugi Fuutarou knew about, it was exhaustion.

After years of studying as hard as he could, he was used to just falling asleep anywhere and everywhere whenever exhaustion would hit him over. Thankfully, he had come off most of those experiences relatively safe and unscathed, not that there was much to steal besides the clothes on his back.

Speaking of which, he did hope he still had those at least.

After a rather…intimate…job interview, all Fuutarou could do was to run back to his house and get to sleep, hoping the opposing forces of excitement and exhaustion within his body would end up knocking him out.

He hadn't even eaten dinner but then what was new?

His dreams were oddly horrific, he felt that he was being chased by something he didn't, couldn't, know the identity of. Just that he had to keep running or something was going to catch him.

He'd run and run yet it felt like he was barely moving.

Did he really want to get away…or did he really want to be caught?

"It's time to get up, Fuu-kun."

A voice.

Fuutaoru's eyes slowly blinked awake. An outline of a woman hovered over him, long hair tickling his face. There was also something in the air…something nostalgic.

"Okaa-san?"

The figure stilled before rubbing the top of his head. At this point, he really didn't know if he was still asleep or not. For some reason, he could imagine a smile on her face.

"I didn't think you'd start calling me that so soon."

As Fuutarou's sight started to adjust, the image of his mother faded away and all that was left was someone else., a girl with long brown hair and blue headphones around her neck.

Someone he didn't know.

Fuutarou shot up, ding an ab cruck that would have impressed any fitness trainer. It seemed he had been lying on the girls stocking-clad lap.

He quickly checked his surroundings.

Barely any appliances. Worn down walls. Yep, this was his house, all right.

"Here, eat."

Before Fuutarou could even begin his interrogation, the mystery girl, still on her knees, calmly slid a plate before him.

On the plate, was a simple croissant.

"You haven't eaten yet, right?"

Compared to Fuutarou, her blue eyes were calm yet he couldn't help but feel an intensity within them. There was little no malice or suspicion in them, in fact, he may have said it was the opposite. He really wanted to complain, ask her who she was, what she was doing in his house, and if she could leave.

However, his stomach grumbled and the bread looked oddly appetizing.

Still, he held on.

"You expect me to eat this?"

"Please."

Still hesitant, Fuutarou picked up the bread and brought it to his mouth. While he would normally be more suspicious, food was food and…there was something oddly nostalgic about the smell.

He took a bite.

Then another.

Then another.

He hadn't even realized It was all finished until he accidentally bit his finger. He reached up to his face, to wipe his tears.

"What…"

"So, you noticed too, huh?" Fuutarou turned to see his father, Isanari, an oddly serious look on his face. It was one that he rarely saw on the man and really showed his age. The man had appeared out of nowhere and sat next to him.

Fuutarou nodded, still a bit numb.

His father nodded back, closing his eyes. "It tastes just like your mother's. No, exactly like your mother's bread."

It was true. The bread Fuutarou had eaten was something that wasn't like an imitation, it really was the bread his mother made for him. It wasn't particularly amazing nor was it really worth celebrating over. It was bread that would never stand out and wasn't anything special.

It was a taste he would never forget.

However, no one but the Uesugi matriarch knew how to make bread like that.

Her recipes were for family use only. Something that his father had told him would only be passed down to Raiha or Fuutarou's own wife.

So how?

He turned to the girl before him who was still calmly waiting, only this time a gentler smile was on her face.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"This girl introduced herself as Nakano Miku." His father suddenly spoke up next to him. "She said she was entrusted to reopen the café below."

"What?" Fuutarou shot her a questioning look which she didn't even flinch at.

"Yes. I made a promise with someone long ago that I'll reopen Uesugi's." The girl, Miku, spoke up, making eye contact with Fuutarou. "Even till now, I plan to keep that promise."

Fuutarou swallowed. With how firm her voice was, there was no way she was lying. It seemed she really did make a promise to his mother but wouldn't that mean it was when she was still a child? She didn't look much older than him and yet she exuded a confidence someone their age didn't have.

"I'm still unsure about it." Isanari chimed in. "She said she didn't mind if we got the profit as long as she could continue working there. Anyways, I'm still in talks with Nakano-san and her father about this but expect her to appear more often."

The girl smiled at that but before Fuutarou could say anything else, he felt something heavy hug him from behind.

"Onii-chan…you know, I never knew how mom's bread tasted until now.' Raiha spoke as she hugged him from the back. "Her bread is not really good, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Yet…I still want to eat more of it."

"…yeah."

Now that he thought about it, he had never seen his sister truly cry before.

"It's really good, Nakano-san." A teary Raiha turned to the make of the bread. "Can you make some more?"

At that moment, the smile on Miku's face didn't belong on any girl. It was a gentle one that only a mother could give.

"Of course."

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Fuutarou's head hit the lunch table before him with a resounding thud.

He was exhausted in all senses, physically, mentally…spiritually? There was no doubt he had been somewhat defiled, perhaps even molested, the whole morning period. That Nakano Itsuki had forgotten her books and then kindly asked him if he could share with her.

And, like the unsuspecting victim he was, he agreed.

Only, when she meant "sharing', he did not think she also meant sharing his personal space as she had pushed herself all over his body, refusing to budge away.

And just when he had thought the teacher was about to do something, that woman slipped a note that ignore them the whole time.

No matter how much of a genius he was, he was still a teenager! Boys his age were not prepared to have buxom girls press their bodies for that long! They were supposed to study1

It was only after keeping the image of his sister in his mind plus several snapped pencils that he had made the day without…incident.

Just what exactly was going on?

Was this some prank? Was there some sort of flu spreading? The past day and half made no sense unless he had suddenly become popular.

But…he had never met these girls before!

It just made no sense!

What would make a new girl in his class do so much skinship with a poor loner like him?

How did a job interview become a one-sided struggle between himself and an employee on taking his measurements?

When did he become the type of person to need to prepare for an evening date?

Why did he wake up on the lap of an unknown girl who claimed to want to revive his family's café?

Was he really that good looking that girls were throwing themselves at him? Was this some sort of scam to get the money of a poor student? Was this the way girls acted these days? Was there a chance Raiha would turn this aggressive to a boy she liked?

Of course not! There had to be a sane logical reason why so many of these girls were into him even before he met them!

…perhaps, he really was that handsome?

"You have the face of a person in an inescapably troubling situation."

Fuutarou stilled when a voice across him suddenly spoke up. From its pitch, it was clearly a girl's voice too.

Another one, perhaps?

Was this really what it meant to be popular? At this point, he'd rather stick with his studies.

Not moving from his position, Fuutarou flatly replied, his head still on the table.

"Leave me be."

For a moment there was silence and Fuutarou thought he had somehow chased her off, but then he heard laughter come from across the table.

"Shi shi shi! As expected of you, Uesugi-san…even now, you're still the same as ever."

"You know who I am?" Finally, Fuutarou lifted his head off the desk to look up at the girl speaking to him. His eyes met flesh and a flash of white. For whatever reason, the girl was standing on the chair across him. She didn't look at all bothered that he could see up his skirt.

Orange hair, blue eyes, and a green ribbon were all he could make of her features.

"Of course. I could never forget." The girl smiled mischievously, the motion looking slightly more menacing from Fuutarou's perspective, below.

"Now, let me turn it around to you. Do you remember who I am?"

Fuutarou returned a flat stare back at her. Even he knew how much of a cliché pick-up line that was. Alternatively, he also knew it was used for scamming people, something he had made sure to teach Raiha to avoid.

The "You used to know me" was too obvious a cliché.

Besides, he didn't think he'd ever forget such a stupid looking ribbon.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but I don't." Fuutarou replied with a hard stare, moving to get up from his seat and finally leave the cafeteria. "You must have the wrong person."

"How disappointing then. Those memories in Kyoto were really important to me, after all."

Fuutarou's whole body froze. Immediately, his gaze turned back to the girl holding up a familiar looking charm he'd recognize anywhere. His mouth moved to open but, for the first time in a long time, it failed to say anything as his breath hitched and his throat locked up.

It seemed that was enough of a reaction for the girl before him as she finally got down from the chair.

"That's right." The girl clapped her hands together, the charm held between her palms. A bright smile flashed from the depths of Fuutarou's memories and matched the one on the girl's face. "You never did get my name, did you? That would have saved me a lot of trouble."

"You…You're…" Words he wanted to say had finally started to come out but they still came out too slow. His brain was still too overloaded not just from the revelation but also from the previous exhaustion.

Placing her elbows on the table, the orange haired girl allowed the charm to hang from her pinky. Her head then rested on her hands, open palms cradling her cheeks.

Unwavering bright blue eyes stared into his own wide startled ones.

"My name is Nakano Yotsuba. It's been a while, hasn't it, Uesugi Fuutarou-kun?"

A bento was held up.

"Hungry?"

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AN: I don't even know why I continued this but here is chapter fucking two. it's short but I managed to get this out in like 4 hours.

I know I kinda skipped out on Ichika but she'll get her turn next chapter. It will also be the first tutoring session with all five at once. Gear up.