Disclaimer: I won neither the series nor the characters.

I don't know how to write a 10 year old girl.

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It was oddly silent when Mutsumi stepped back into the apartment. When she returned, whatever chatter was going on paused as five sisters sitting around the table turned to her.

Swallowing at their stares, she bravely took a step forward. "Sorry. I was being a bit too emotional."

"I-it's fine!" reassured Ichika. She nodded to where Mutsumi had sat a moment ago. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really..." was Mutsumi's answer as she sat once more by the table in front of them, two hands on her lap. In front of her, she noticed a cup of orange juice that hadn't previously been there.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted so I got you orange juice." Yotsuba explained, noticing Mutsumi's look. "If you want something else, I wouldn't mind anything."

Mutsumi used both hands to pick up the glass and rasied it to her mouth. She chugged down the juice, actually emptying it in one go. Putting the glass down, she sent a warm smile at the girl. "It's good!"

"Y-you're welcome." Yotsuba looked away, her heart pounding at the sight. This girl was more dangerous than Reiha-chan!

"So, Mutsumi-chan, can you tell us exactly how you arrived?" asked Itsuki as Yotsuba left to get the girl a refill.

The girl's explanation sounded like it came straight out of a novel. Apparently, that Takeda guy had become a family friend and brought along with him souvinirs whenever he came back from NASA headquarters. Normally, he just brought food he took with him on the flight back but this time he had also brought some sort of experimental machine he had been finisihing developing and wanted Fuutarou's opinion on.

Mutsumi had found herself curious and so found herself using it when the two had their backs turned.

"That was reckless of you! You shouldn't have done that." scolded Itsuki the moment Mutsumi got to her story. The young girl shrunk into her seat and Itsuki found herself feeling like the biggest heel at the girl's despondent expression.

"Hey Itsuki!" Nino rebuked her sister. "There's no need to hit her while she's down."

"Well, what's done is done." placated Ichika. She sent a gentle look to Mutsumi, hoping to cheer her up again. "You can stay with us for now."

"T-thank you. " The girl nodded at Ichika's offer before slightly shuffling in her seat, her head bowed. "I'm sorry. This was my fault and I'm placing such a burden on all of you."

"It's fine." Miku's hand twitched, wanting to pat the girl's hair down. "We're family anyways."

The girl looked up, her face blank for a moment before lighting up with glee. "Yeah, we are!"

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Itsuki tried for the third time to finish the problem set in front of her. She knew she had been stuck at the same page for the last past hour or so and, for once, it wasn't due to her lack of knowledge and scholarly incompetence.

Everyone else but her had already left their apartment, having needed to work. Itsuki, herself, hadn't found a side-job so she didn't have such obligations. Normally, she'd just leave the room and work at a cafe or a library but, today's circumstances in the form of a ten year old girl had left her stuck at the apartment.

The girl, Fuutarou's self-proclaimed daughter, was sitting with her by the table, reading through an old family photo album. Mutsumi had actually requested it and the sisters had no reason to not oblige. Itsuki was actually surprised the girl hadn't wanted to watch TV or play a game.

Was that just her thinking those things were outdated or was that Fuutarou's raising?

Putting down her pen, Itsuki took a glance to the time displaced child only to find her staring back. She jolted, almost falling on her back. Two blue eyes stared back at her, more curious than anything.

"W-what's wrong?" asked Itsuki. The younger girl didn't immediately reply, instead first scooting closer to the redhead.

"Whatcha' doin?"

"Me?" Itsuki almost out of habit moved the problem sets away from Mutsumi but instead composed herself. "Homework. Are you done looking through the albums."

"Kind of." Mutsumi shrugged, turning a page on the album. "I've seen some of these before. There are some missing but you said not to talk about the future, right?"

"I'm more surprised that you still print your pictures. Even today, most people keep them online."

"That's dad for you. He's kinda lame like that." Contrary to her scathing words, Mutsumi smiled fondly. She turned the page to reveal another picture of five identical girls who could have passed as her sisters. "It's weird how you all look alike."

"Let's just say that was the style at the time." Itsuki found herself leaning closer. She pointed to one of the girls in the picture. "That one's me."

"I know."

Itsuki blinked. "Really?"

The girl pointed at the picture. "That's you. That one is Ichika-nee. That one's Yotsuba-nee. That's Miku-nee, and Nino-nee."

The redhead stared at the picture. The girl was right. "You...how did you know?"

"I'm not sure." Mutsumi looked down at the photograph. "I just sorta do. Dad says it's because I'm a genius but it just seems obvious."

"Well, I think that's amazing!" Itsuki clapped. "Can you show do it for the other photos to?"

Mutsumi nodded and Itsuki sat herself right behind the girl so she could look at the pictures over Mutsumi's shoulder. Mutsumi then, rather naturally, settled on Itsuki's lap with the album on her own.

"Who do you think is in this one?"

"Yotsuba-nee."

"What about over here?"

"Ichika-nee."

"The one on the furthest left?"

"That's Miku-nee. I can tell from the look in her eyes."

"That's right. Then, who is the one wearing the onesie in this one?"

"It looks like Nino-nee. I think Dad said she burned this up when she saw it again."

"Then we'd better make sure she doesn't." Itsuki giggled. Indeed, the Nino today wouldn't be caught dead in that. The redhead was actually surprised how accurate the girl was.

Searching through the pages, she looked for a challenging one. Black hair tickled her chin but she found it surprisingly comfortable. Eventually, she found a single portrait shot even she had a hard time identifying.

"Okay, who is this one?"

The answer immediately popping up in her head, Mutsumi turned her head back and excitedly answered Itsuki.

"That's you, mom!"

Itsuki froze. In her arms, she felt the girl freeze from the slip-up as well. Then after a second of frozen time, an odd warmth rose up and filled Itsuki's cheeks.

"S-sorry." Mutsumu bowed her head back down. "I know you guys told me to treat you all as older sisters but it slipped out."

"I-it's fine." stuttered out Itsuki. The odd feeling in her chest was still there which made it hard for her to look at the girl in her lap."So when you said that..."

"It's because mom and I used to do this all the time." Mutsumi answered. Her small hands gripped the sides of the album in her lap. "I remember she'd sit me on her lap and we'd look through albums together while she told me stories."

That explained some things but raised more questions. Why did she react to that picture? Was it because the one in the picture was her mother and she was just used to it or was it because it was Itsuki herself? There was also if the girl was right or wrong.

Itsuki bit her lower lip, unsure of what to do. Even though she knew she shouldn't ask, such an opportunity was something that shouldn't be missed.

"Hey, Mutsumi-chan. Did you remember...who your..." Itsuki's voice got trapped in her mouth when she noticed something.

There was a wet spot on the picture below. One. Two. Then more.

In her lap, Mutsumi lightly shook, her shoulders visibly quivering. Under the dark top of her head, the air slightly glinted.

"I...I'm sor...ssorry." A voice much too young cracked in between supressed sniffles. "I-It's just...M-mom...Why can't I..."

Not hesitating, Itsuki wrapped her hands around the girl in her lap. She was so thin and small yet her shaking body shook Itsuki's core.

"It's okay." whispered Itsuki, placing her face close enough to feel the tufts on the girl's hair. "It's okay."

Itsuki closed her as she waited for the girl to calm down.

In a way, she understood what the girl was going through. She could understand the despair of forgetting who her mother was because Itsuki didn't dare let it happen to herself.

She'd visit Nakano Rena's grave every month. She tried to act just like the one in her memories. She wanted to follow her mother's path. Not because she looked up to her that much, that was only a part.

She wanted to be her so she wouldn't forget. If she could be like Nakano Rena, she'd never forget her.

And now, she found herself thinking once more, "What would Nakano Rena do?".

But then again, did Nakano Rena know such a pain?

Wasn't there another person Itsuki knew who she was sure would be more useful, more knowledgable? Instead of Nakano Rena, would would that person do?

What did Nakano Itsuki want to do?

"Hey, do you want to hear a story?"

The girl in her lap stilled for a moment at Itsuki's words. She didn't seem to be over her sudden fit but the tension on her body did seem to lessen. "W-what kind?"

A small smile grew on Itsuki's face. Even though Mutsumi's voice was shaky, there was a small ting of curiousity mixed in it. "Do you know how I met your father?"

"No." Mutsumi shook her head. Itsuki could easily picture the pout. "I've actually never heard how he met all of you. Whenever I ask, he said its a boring story and isn't worth my time."

The smile on Itsuki's face fully reached his cheeks now. She could imagine why as he had left a very rude first impression on her. Even the day after, the rest of her sisters had thought of him as a stalker.

It wasn't exactly the most romantic of first meetings that you'd want your child to hear about.

"Well, he was eating a barbecue set without the barbecue."

"Huh? I don't get it."

"It means he ordered the set but removed the barbecue."

"That's weird."

"Right? As for me, I ordered..."

Itsuki was right in the middle of her secondhand account of Fuutarou's stalking when she felt the girl in her arms feeling a bit too limp. She peeked over to see Mutsumi's eyes closed and the photo album on the floor.

She was about to carry the girl to the bedroom but soon felt one tiny hand gripping her skirt.

And that was how, instead of finishing her problem set, Itsuki spent the rest of her afternoon providing a lap pillow to the sleeping Mutsumi.

The girl snored lightly and Itsuki was thankful she didn't inherit her father's talent for snoring. She did try to get back to the problem set but soon found it impossible when she couldn't look away from the girl's peaceful face.

She hadn't realized just how tensed up the girl must have been. While earlier her face matched her father's stern and tense expression, now it was a perfect match of her sisters when they were younger.

Simpler times when they did all would try to fit their heads under their mother's lap to nap.

The youngest quint remembered her mother's expression whenever Itsuki felt too cold under the futon and asked to sleep next to her. No matter how tired she was, her mother never refused.

Was she making the same face she saw in her memories?

For the longest time, Nakano Itsuki wanted to be like her mother. Every month had her wondering, praying, if she'd be able to match the woman. And yet, as she stroked the sleeping girl's hair, this was only the second time, where she truly understood Nakano Rena's feelings.

The feeling she felt when she received words of gratitude from tutoring her sisters was the same one she felt as she watched the sleeping Mutsumi's face.

This was why Nakano Rena did the things she did and why Itsuki wanted to become like her.

An overwhelming warmth that filled her more than any amount of food could. A reason to do her best whatever the cost.

'Mom...I wonder if this was the same for you? No, I'm sure it was the same. You definitely loved all of us. This is why, right?'

It was at that point in her life that, Nakano Itsuki realized that, yes, she too wanted to become a mother one day.

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'Okay, the vote is 3-2. We all agree not to tell Uesugi-kun about her until the end of the mock exam, okay?'

"What's wrong?"

Nino turned from her seat to see the image of Uesugi Fuutarou holding what could only be a mock exam reviewer, numerous stickers poking out of different pages. Seeing his face only reinforced the image of the girl she had reluctantly left behind.

"What makes you think something is wrong?" she countered breezily although Fuutarou's eyes still never left the reviewer in front of him. He had even been reading in the middle of work.

For a moment, Nino had wondered why he even bothered showing up but then remembered that this kind of guy wouldn't let studying make him miss a day's pay.

"You've been distracted the whole time." Fuutarou answered succinctly. "And I know you're competent enough by now to not be this slow."

Nino's cheeks flushed red for a moment before her lips turned to a grin. "So you've been watching me?"

For the first time since they had started working, Fuutarou's eyes actually left the reviewer and turned a stony glance at her.

"Of course. It's hard not to with how much you've been sighing your whole shift. You know I don't have time for another one of your games."

Nino paused. For a moment, she did want to ask him about the time-displaced girl that had suddenly appeared before her. One that was definitely his child and...maybe hers.

While she had initially decided to use her saved up money to buy some scented candles for Fuutarou's birthday, she couldn't help but think about using it for something else.

For a girl who seemed to have only a single dress to wear.

Her normally one-track mind had suddenly found itself at an intersection and she had no idea which side to pick. Should she continue on the full track towards his heart or take a detour to help out a girl who may or may not be her daughter?

She knew they could probably scrounge up some old clothes but she wanted, no, she needed to buy dresses for that girl! She wanted to dress her up so badly!

It was then she felt a hand on her shoulder, Nino looked up to see the deadpan serious face of the person she had fallen in love with.

"Nino...I can trust you, right?"

She blinked stupidly before almost shouting her reply with a confident smile. "Of course!"

This must have been it! He was definitely asking her to leave their daughter in her hands.

"Then I'll leave it to you." Fuutarou released a sigh. If he were being honest, he had no idea how the sisters were doing and since he had barely any time from his own studying to help them out with theirs. He really did not need any drama between them.

If some long lost relative came up and stirred trouble, he seriously needed them to leave him out of it.

His eyes back on the reviewer, he turned to leave but not before asking one last question, "So? Is there a problem?"

Nino sent him a cheeky smile. "Nothing a little shopping couldn't fix."

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Mutsumi woke up, her eyes bleary.

She pushed off the blanket on her and got sat up on the futon she was lying on. Like a zombie, she rose groggily with unfocused eyes. Her strait was slow as she walked on autopilot, a yawn escaping from her lips.

When she left the room, her feet brought her to the nearest source of food she could sniff out in her half-dazed state. There on the table was a single croissant on a plate. Without hesitation or thought, she took it and put it in her mouth.

She barely chewed as she devoured the piece of bread without any discrimination. It only took her a few moments to only leave nothing but a few crumbs sprinkled on her white dress.

Feeling slightly more awake, she turned to see the wide-eyed look of Nakano Miku.

"You...ate it." Miku looked, well, shocked, but there was also a tinge of excitement in her voice. "How did it taste?"

Mutsumi gave her honest opinion: A shrug.

"Do...do you want more?"

Mutsumi nodded. Anything to fill her empty tummy. She hadn't expected earlier to have been so draining. Miku was silent for a moment before crouching down eye level at the girl.

"Does your dad cook, Mutsumi-chan?"

"Not all the time. When he does, he makes curry."

Miku nodded to herself. Her mouth became a tight line as she strengthened her resolve.

"How would you like curry tonight?"

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AN: Putting my cards on the table, I wonder if you can call my bluff? Are we getting a red fish or a smoking gun? Does the lack of fatty jokes show I'm serious or not serious enough?

Watching Endgame, you have to wonder if those time travel rules apply here?