Burning The Midnight Oil

Chapter 1

Nino's Retreat

~Nino~

The chore list has become her sworn nemesis.

Sweep the floors, separate and take out the trash, scrub the bathroom. Wash and hang the day's laundry (for five), prepare dinner (for five) and do the dishes (again, for five). But these things never changed, in fact this list was the very same she kept in their old high-rise. But something had corrupted her partner in order, turning it rotten like citrus abandoned in the bushes. And those bushes were this damn apartment!

A place this tiny should be easy to maintain, correct? Less space meant less mess, that's what Futaro would say. And wouldn't he be right?

WRONG!

The carpets actively clung to dust like a bald man clutching his wig in the wind! The wooden floors were pockmarked with permanent stains that matched her polka-dot dress! And the porcelain, oh, don't get her started on the porcelain. She'd finally relented and accepted that bleach would never make those old bowls shine. Her white flag was the air freshening unit over the toilet to battle the dug-in scent of a roadside restroom that greeted the sisters every time they sought relief.

And all of that, all of that would have been manageable if the appliances were half-decent. But no! These things had to be older than she was! The washer gave this eerie creen like it was trying to curse her and her unborn children every time she presented it with work, and the dryer took so long that mildew settled into their clothes. She'd given up on the thing and purchased a drying rack. She felt like an old maid every time she hung their damp uniforms.

Oh, and the dishwasher was flat-out broken. So that was nice.

If only they'd had more time finding a place! But no, they were in a rush, and Ichika had a friend who assured her this place was perfect for the five of them! Plenty of space, they said. Great condition, they said. Beautiful sunrise on the river, they said! Okay, that last part was true, but two out of three was still...she didn't want to call that a failure, or her academic future was more precarious than she'd thought.

Ichika, by the way, was totally fine with the place. No surprise there, she'd be comfortable in a blanket of leaves on the forest floor after a monsoon. The others had been a surprise. Was she the only one who found these conditions unacceptable?

One day, she thought, she'd ready for war with the landlord. She'd come armed to the teeth! Pictures, her sword; building codes, her shield; mold samples, her bow and arrow; and determination, her mighty steed!

But not today. First she had to pass this test. They all did. Futaro too, at a level she couldn't even imagine or risk fear of heights. She didn't want to imagine what could happen if any of them failed. She could stick this out a bit longer.

She relented and set the toilet brush back in its holster, the grime of the toilet that still felt like it belonged to a stranger remained undefeated. But it was late, nearly eleven. Her sisters must be asleep by now.

She drew herself a bath and settled in, letting the warm water soothe the aches of the day away, like ice melting in an oven. Maybe it was selfish to ready the tub all for herself, but she earned it, dammit. She found a job like the others, kept up her studies with the others, and on top of that she kept this place...well, as close to pristine as physically possible. That was a responsibility she refused to share. This was how it'd been for years, ever since mom left them behind. This was how she cared for her family. Things may be changing, but no matter what, she would take care of her family by giving them a clean space to rest their heads and warm food to fill their bellies.

She toweled off and dressed in an evening gown. She stepped into their kitchen and began lining up ingredients for tomorrow's breakfast. Pancakes with berries and grapefruit would be nice, she mused.

She flinched at the sound of shuffling papers and turned. There, right at the kotatsu, was Futaro vigorously conquering equations like a glutton at a buffet. Amazing! His pencil was blurring from how fast it was movi-wait, no, that was something in her eye. She blinked and focused. Futaro was in their house. Late at night. Alone.

She grinned like a leopard about to pounce on its meal. She'd leave an offering on Sunday for whatever God granted her this golden chance!

She silently waltzed over to her studious crush and leaned over, his ear further than she'd like, but hey, she had to show some restraint. She greeted cheerily, "Hey, you."

He gasped and spun, his hair shifting cutely like it struggled to keep up. He said, "Nino? What're you doing up?"

She shrugged and sat next to him. He shifted uncomfortably, probably wondering why she sat here when there was so much space in the other corner. It was all part of her plan, slowly pushing at their distance until she mashed it into nonexistence. She'd wear him down eventually, she was up for the long game. "Oh, the usual, trying to keep this place as tidy as the laws of physics permit."

"How would you know? You got thirty-three points on your last practice test."

"And what are you doing here, mister tutor? Shouldn't you be home by now?"

He pointed to the spare futon next to them, "Your sisters let me stay the night because of the rain."

It's raining? Well that was one thing in this place's favor, at least it didn't leak. She checked the window and confirmed the droplets shimmering in the moonlight. Thank you God of Evening Showers!

She reached over and grabbed his papers. She said, "So what's got you up so late?"

He sighed, "Nino, please give those back."

"Ugh, whoever put letters in math needs to be tried for crimes against humanity."

"Nino, I'm not kidding."

She followed the math and said, "Well, beats me, I can't understand a thing."

"It's advanced calculus, you don't need to worry about it."

"Oh? Is this for the mock exam?"

"What else?" he breathed tiredly as he resumed tackling the problems.

Nino smiled, "Well it's after hours and you're officially off tutor duty, so you're our guest. Allow me to bring you some refreshments."

Futaro closed his eyes and rubbed his temple, "No, it's fine. I'm good."

"I insist! It's no trouble at all, Fuu."

Futaro buried his head in his hand and said weakly, "Okay, fine. Whatever." Nino got up and beelined for the kitchen, completely missing him take in a long breath, then let it out like steam from a kettle. He dropped his pencil and covered his face, breathing deeply again.

Refreshments, what a wonderfully versatile term. It was really dealer's choice. It could be as simple as a glass of water, or as complex as meringue tart, which, as it happens, is exactly what she planned on making. One of her girlfriends mentioned that the highway to a man's heart was through his stomach. And hadn't he said that his number two trait in a woman was great cooking?

Why could she remember that, but not the capital city of the Edo period? Life's great mysteries.

She slid the tart into the oven, then whipped the meringue so vigorously she might need another bath. The beater scraped against the bowl like she was working in a steel mill for minutes. She wondered if he was watching her, but she couldn't risk turning to check. She wanted him to see her engrossed in her work, into making this artful treat all for him. She'd make him fall for her one perfectly flavored bite at a time.

Okay, maybe she went a little overboard with the trimmings. This wasn't a painting after all, it all comes apart at the touch of a fork. But she wanted the image of this to burn into his memory for all time, preferably with her presenting it to him! She wished she had a silver platter to serve this on. Should've brought it from the old apartment.

She wondered what his face would be like. Would he light up like a firework at a festival? Or would it be a more gradual joy, like the rising sun in spring? She couldn't wait to find out! She turned and-

He was asleep.

She blinked several times as if her vision was the problem, and not the fact that the man she went through so much trouble for was slouched over the table like a deboned fish. That had to be it, right? The God of Evening Showers wouldn't abandon her already, right?

She gripped the plate so hard it shook. Of all the luck! She groaned and set the plate on the table before dropping beside it. She eyed Futaro like he might pop up at any instant to surprise her. She'd say something snide about his ungratefulness and then demand he eat, and that he'd better enjoy the fruits of her labor. But nothing. He was out like the dead. All that work, out the window.

"Geez, you couldn't stay up a bit longer?" She scolded like he could hear her. Her eyes followed his hand draped over his pencil. So he'd fallen asleep in the middle of his studies. He must be dreaming in equations, the nerd. Wait, what's that?

She carefully slid the paper he'd been working on from beneath his hand. She carefully followed the problems, still nonsensical, but this time she caught something familiar. Numbers scribbled out, scratched and erased in frustration. Mistakes. Loads of them, done over and over again until finally some pathetic sum was left. Some even carried frustrated question marks as their tails.

Looks like even geniuses need to learn new tricks, she thought. She took the futon and shifted it behind Futaro, then gently lowered his body on the mat. This guy was a heavy sleeper. He could sleep through an earthquake, or an eruption. She noticed faded crests under his eyes like bad mascara. How long had he been-

And then something happened. The Nakanos might be book-dumb on a scale that shamed their parents' genetic gifts, but they weren't thick. And as the pieces were so blatantly laid out before her, Nino Nakano realized one truth.

Futaro was exhausted.

Only this wasn't the exhaustion of a long day's work in the fields. There were no obvious signs of physical stain and debility. This was more subtle, almost unseen. But the signs were there, signs of a mind pushed to its very limit until overheating. Why hadn't she noticed them? And now that she could, she felt the rush of guilt as she understood why.

How else could it have ended? One very bright boy given the task of teaching five dim-witted sisters for hours a day was trouble enough. But now this challenge threatening their delicate status quo demanded he score in the top ten in the country. And all this, all of it, was to keep a tutoring position he wasn't even being paid for, all while working another job to help manage his family's debts, on top of acting as the unwilling class rep to an uninterested student body.

He could have walked away, refusing wouldn't have meant anything had to really change. So they get a new tutor, that doesn't mean they have to stop being friends. But he persisted, either because he was stupider than she thought, or he, like them, didn't want to lose this strange, tiring dynamic they'd stumbled into. Because he found something special inside it. And Futaro was past proving he wasn't stupid. Thicker than concrete, maybe, but never stupid, not like them.

"Futaro, you idiot." She said quietly. She took the comforter and draped it over him. Then she knelt and watched the blanket softly rise and fall with each silent breath. This must be his only relief from it all, his only way to escape before hopping back on the hamster wheel the moment he opened his eyes.

And what had she done in all this? She pushed and prodded, demanding he give her his focus, until he noticed the depth of her affection for him. Then again, this wasn't any different from before, was it? Hadn't Futaro always paddled through her river of wants to get results? The only thing that changed was the direction of the flow, bringing him closer instead of pushing him away, but he still had to keep swimming through her currents. Because she wanted him to see her. She wanted. But Futaro just needed to rest. He looked like his mind was scrambled like an egg. How much of that was on her?

She pulled back. This wasn't right, why was she blaming herself? What about Ichika, or Miku? And even then it was really their papa who's to blame. He was the one trying to shove a wall between them, if he just minded his own business everything would be fine! Whatever pressure her affections gave him was nothing in comparison to him! Why should she be the one feeling guilty? This wasn't her fault!

She looked again. Those lines were deep. His face looked hollow.

She sighed. Well, every little bit helped, didn't it?

He didn't need this now. No, he couldn't take it. If she kept prodding now, he might never forgive her for it. And maybe she wouldn't, either.

Not like this, she decided. She wouldn't take part in tearing him down.

"I...I have something to say to you. But it'd be better to say it now, when you're asleep." She began, kneeling beside him and staring at his tired face.

"You're stronger than you look, Fuu. We really gave you a hard time, but you kept with us all the way. I think that's quite an accomplish. If Takeda ever took over, we'd have his resignation letter within a week." She paused, "But you're not that strong, are you?"

She reached out to brush the hair out of his closed eyes. But just before her fingers touched his black strands, she paused, frowned, and pulled away.

"Let's make a deal, just between you and me. I, well, you won't have to worry about me until the test. Just forget everything I've said up to now and focus on making the top ten, okay? I really won't forgive you if we all pass and you're the only one who doesn't hold up their end.

"But don't think I'm done! I haven't given you up. I'm still going to show you how much I love you, Futaro. Just...it can wait until after the exam, right? So don't go falling for anyone else before I get my chance."

She stood, frowning at nothing, and said, "So let's give it our all tomorrow, okay? I'll be counting on you. Goodnight."

She left him there and entered the room the five of them shared. It was small, with barely enough room to fit their five futons. Just like their childhood, all of them bundled together in one blanket. Back to the nest where they all began.

She began to congratulate herself on her sacrifice in love, and if she continued she would marvel that someday, he'd notice her effort as the surest sign of affection, and being so deeply touched he'd take her in his arms and express his returned interest like the knight of her dreams!

But no. Full stop. It was meaningless if that's why she was doing this. She settled into bed and pulled up the covers. Starting tomorrow, she wasn't going to give Futaro any reason to worry for her. She'd return to those stupid textbooks and practice problems with as much vigor as she could muster and leave no doubt that she'd pass her exams.

It'd all be worth it if it meant less stress for Futaro.

~Futaro~

What. Just. Happened.

This was a question. A question can be seen as a problem. Problems were his specialty because you could always reach an answer. There wasn't any equation, any formula, any piece of trivia he couldn't answer given a study guide and an hour to master it.

He wondered where he could get a study guide that covered what. Just. Happened.

He gripped these sheets. Curse the high thread count, so much smoother than the bargain bin comforter at home, and curse his sensitive skin firing his nerve endings like alarm bells ringing danger! Outside of home territory! All status on alert! Of course his mind, overheated it may be, was still a multi-piston masterpiece compared to this bag of meat it occupied against its will. And with his mind fully alert and his body struggling to catch up, he heard everything. And then he was too stunned to move.

So what just happened? The hell if he knew.

He sat up long after Nino closed the door. His eyes drifted to his scattered papers and he remembered the mock exam, the way a convict on death row remembers his execution date. He sighed, he was awake now, no point trying to sleep anytime soon. He turned on the lamp, grabbed his pencil and positioned it at the end of an equation involving seventeen characters.

He tapped his pencil once, twice, then settled into a steady rhythm. One minute flowed into the next, and still he tapped, until the spot looked like a house after a very thorough drive-by.

He set his pencil down and sighed. What happened to his laser focus, how could it fail him now? Dammit, Nino. What the hell are you playing at? And why can't he figure it out? The woman was a bee, every time he had her flight pattern locked and was ready to swat, she jeered away and stung him in the face!

He slumped on the kotatsu and resigned himself to many wasted hours. How many more would he need to reach the top ten? One-point-three million eligible test-takers across the country. He only had to beat all of them except nine. How hard could that be? Right?

Right?

Stop. Your pulse is racing. Stress is just a bodily response. It's all chemicals rushing through your brain. You can control it, just like all those other primitive urges. You're better than this.

He sighed, looking up. He noticed the tart sitting all by itself. He wondered who made it, then chastised his brain for hiccuping. Of course it was Nino. Nevermind her being the only other one up, who else made dessert so frivolously pretty?

It looked good, and she made it for you, he thought.

But no, he needed to try studying again. You'll keep thinking about this if you eat her food.

It looks lonely, his belly wined.

He glared at the dessert and cursed it for being so tempting. He made a pros and cons list in his head.

Pros: it looks delicious, no, it is delicious, Nino's a good cook, and she made this for you to eat, so no trouble.

Cons...

Cons…

He decided he didn't care and picked up the fork.

A/N

Allow me to set the record straight: this is no longer a harem, it's a romance. What harem elements that existed up to chapter 73 of the manga will remain, but I intend to write an actual romance between two people. I do not intend to overly fluff it, in fact I intend to deal with the troubles a romance such as this can create.

On another note, I came up with this idea after I discovered the manga and read it. The manga had been published up to chapter 73 at that point. As such, the story told here will diverge from whatever the original author has and shall publish past that point, and I will choose to ignore elements that do not fit in with what I plan to write.

I've enjoyed writing adventures and dark stories, and now I want to add a proper romance between two people and the people in their lives to that list. I hope you enjoy it as well. Please review with any comments, criticisms, praise and concerns.

Story covert artwork by the original author, coloring by Nerona.