No Longer Confused, Steadfast in Dreams

Shinichi smiled and said, "You speak, and I'll listen."

With nostalgia in her eyes, Yotsuba spoke softly.

"When I was young, everyone clearly liked the idea of the quintuplets. I thought all five of us being exactly the same was a good thing. Mother also said that we, the five sisters, should be harmonious, like dividing a watermelon into five equal parts. It was our luck and happiness."

"If nothing changed, maybe we would grow up exactly the same, play with each other exactly the same, nothing standing out, nothing special, the five of us as one, and be together forever."

"But, I was the only one who didn't want that."

Yotsuba paused, her voice mingling with scattered leaves.

"One day, the hospital TV switched to the sports channel, and that was the first time I watched a sports competition."

"I forget if it was the Olympics or something else. I don't remember exactly what they were competing in. I just remember that every athlete was so cool, and the way they fought hard to win got people excited. Just watching it on TV made me feel excited."

"At that moment, whether it was the warm wave of the hand when winning a competition or the reluctant expression wiping away sweat and tears when losing, I felt... Ah, it turns out there are many special people in this world."

Her expression different from usual, calm and peaceful.

"Weird, right? I don't even know why it's 'special,' but that word has lived in my soul since then."

"At that time, I became obsessed with watching sports shows every day. Mother and everyone thought I was strange, but it made me think that I was special and not just one of the quintuplets anymore."

"So besides just watching, I wanted to be more and more a part of them, and I wanted to be more special."

"Because my family didn't have money, and I didn't want to ask Mother for money for myself, I decided to start with the simplest sport, which was when I went to and from the hospital or when I went home. Walking by the riverbank, I would run as long as there was time and space... I kept practicing like this, and unconsciously, I truly fell in love with the feeling of running, and I became more confident."

She tilted her head towards Shinichi and smiled. "I'm Yotsuba Nakano. The fastest and strongest among the quintuplets. Even guys can't beat me!"

"I acknowledge you." Shinichi said with a smile. "Even though your grades aren't great, you're hardworking and cheerful. You never easily give up on difficulties. You're a very special woman."

"...Um."

Yotsuba bit her lip slightly, holding back expressions of happiness and other emotions.

Turning her cheek, revealing her reddened ears, she continued speaking faster:

"A lot happened in the past. For example, I wore a headband to make myself look cooler while running, and I started obsessing over being special. Because of that headband, Grandpa misunderstood that our sisters didn't have a good relationship and fell ill."

"Feeling it was all my fault, I began to wonder if being special was the right thing to do. After Mother passed away, everyone started to change. Ichika cut her hair short, Miku wore headphones, and Itsuki also wore star-shaped hair accessories..."

"Really, a lot happened~"

Her mentality returned to calm, Yotsuba straightened her legs, took a deep breath, and slightly lowered her head.

"Before I knew it, my goal as a child no longer meant much."

"I kept running so that everyone could know me, and also fulfill everyone's expectations. I kept training just to make myself run faster, so I could stand side by side with everyone getting better. It doesn't matter if I'm not the most special, as long as I can be with everyone."

"If I continue like this, maybe I will really become an athlete, right? Even though I feel like I'm not that strong, if running is the only thing I can do, then I want to do it until the end and do my best. Um, Asada-san told me that."

Leaning forward and touching her toes with her fingers, she blinked towards Shinichi and slowly smiled.

"If only that didn't happen yesterday."

"When I couldn't run anymore and didn't know what to do, Asada-san told me that there was something else I could do besides running."

"Supporting others from behind, cheering others on, watching them work hard to win and finally smile brightly. Like when a red balloon rises into the sky, it gives an indescribable touch to me."

"Completely different from when I won a medal, as if all the hard work and fatigue radiated in the cheers of everyone, and it's a deep feeling that pierces the heart and squeezes the heart."

"I want to help them, I want to support those 'special people,' I want to see them smile, I want their hard work to bear fruit."

"Such thoughts replaced my childhood goals."

Yotsuba stood up straight and looked at Shinichi with bright eyes.

"Asada-san, I want to use my talent and hard work to help others achieve their dreams."

"Just like you, push me when I'm confused and guide me forward, just like everyone, accompany me when I'm scared and give me courage."

"This is what I want to do now and in the future."

"This is my dream!"

Yotsuba said this sentence firmly, and her tone didn't tolerate any confusion.

Shinichi looked at her for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"...Congratulations, you have found your dream."

Then, he was about to reach out, hesitated for a moment, then withdrew it.

At this moment, Yotsuba, determined and without confusion, was quite charming.

She was already mature and no longer suitable for being patted on the head like a child.

Shinichi sighed with regret. Forget it, there's Rizu anyway... Rizu is so cute that one dares to pat her head no matter what happens.

"Asada-san?"

Yotsuba looked at him strangely, realizing something from his movements. She blinked twice, and a blush appeared on her fair cheeks.

However, she didn't show a shy expression but looked around sneakily. After making sure that the shadow of the big tree could block their figures and no students were passing in front of them, she whispered.

"Now I have a dream and courage!"