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"…You could have just asked me to get the birdie," Badr said, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in his voice. He held Yotsuba's legs steady as she perched on his shoulders, reaching for the shuttlecock stuck in the branches.
"I did ask you! Hee hee, I just can't jump that high. It's so close…" Yotsuba was athletic, but the branch was simply too high. Hence, Badr's involvement.
Badr sighed. "I mean, just because you can't jump that high doesn't mean I can't. Are you sure you didn't just want a piggyback ride?"
"Eh? Really?" Yotsuba's eyes widened. "I forgot!"
"..."
A nearby woman and her little girl giggled. "You can do it, big sister!" the girl cheered.
'Ha… I'm the one doing all the work, and she's cheering for you?'
Badr steadied Yotsuba, his hands firmly gripping her thighs.
"Umm… Badr, a little higher…" Yotsuba said sheepishly. She realized her mistake. Badr could have easily retrieved the shuttlecock with a simple jump.
"…Hold on tight."
With a resigned sigh, Badr braced himself, then lifted Yotsuba higher with a powerful thrust of his arms.
"Whoa!" Yotsuba gasped as she felt herself rise into the air. Badr effortlessly hoisted her up.
The woman and her daughter stared in amazement.
"Mommy, that big brother is so strong!" the little girl exclaimed.
"Uh… y-yes, he is…" the woman agreed, surprised by the teenager's strength.
Once Yotsuba retrieved the shuttlecock and tossed it down to the little girl, Badr carried her on his back, seemingly without effort, and started to jog away.
"Waaah! Put me down!"
"Did you think you could just use me as your personal mount?" Badr chuckled, holding her legs securely as he walked, deliberately jostling her a bit, making her squeal.
"Ah, haha, stop it… I'm going to fall! Haha… My hair is tickling me!"
Yotsuba's laughter mixed with pleas for mercy. Badr finally relented and set her down.
The shrine attendant watched them with a knowing smile. "You two lovebirds, would you like to draw a love fortune slip? The gods will bless your relationship!"
"Eh? A love fortune?" Yotsuba's mouth formed a small 'o', blushing at the suggestion.
'Smooth sales pitch,' Badr thought.
Did a devil like him need the blessing of Gods?
It was amusing. If this were the past, before the peace treaty, he wouldn't even be allowed near a shrine…
Inwardly, he chuckled, but outwardly, he smiled politely and agreed.
After paying a small fee, Yotsuba drew a slip. It was "daikichi" – the best possible fortune!
"Wow! Amazing, it's daikichi!!"
"Of course it is." Badr rolled his eyes internally. If it had been a bad fortune, he would have marched straight to Michael and demanded an explanation of the Sacred fortune-telling system. Did they want to break up a perfectly good couple?
Yotsuba was thrilled with the excellent fortune.
Since all five sisters were now Badr's girlfriends, she reasoned, they would all be together in the future, right?
That would be wonderful.
As they left the shrine, Badr asked, "Do you think those fortunes are accurate?"
"Of course! They have to be!" Yotsuba declared confidently. Then, she paused. "Uh… but Badr, aren't you a devil?"
"You're just realizing that now? That's why I asked if you thought they were accurate." Badr chuckled, making Yotsuba waver.
"Does that mean the fortune doesn't count…?" she mumbled, looking dejected.
"No, it doesn't. And even without the fortune, we'll always be together," Badr reassured her, taking her hand.
Yotsuba nodded vigorously. "That's right! Hee hee, I have to tell the others!" She waved to her sisters in the distance and ran to show them the fortune slip, earning Badr several affectionate glances from the group.
…
They spent the rest of the morning enjoying the mountaintop scenery, returning to the Tora ( Tiger ) Iwa Hot Springs Inn only when the midday sun grew too intense.
The quintuplets chose to spend the afternoon with their grandfather, enjoying their rare time together.
Badr refrained from interrupting their family time. He couldn't shake the feeling that their grandfather was watching him with a hawk-like intensity, as if ready to pounce should he get too close to his granddaughters…
'Protective of his precious girls,' Badr thought understandingly. 'He wouldn't want them swept away too easily.'
The day flew by, and evening approached.
The sisters gathered to watch TV, but a silent competition brewed beneath the surface.
Nino and Miku, having tasted intimacy, were scheming to get the others out of the way so they could enjoy some alone time with Badr.
Ichika, Yotsuba, and Itsuki, though a step behind, also desired some individual time with Badr to explore their burgeoning feelings.
Badr, for his part, wouldn't mind if all five sisters joined him…
However, they were all quite innocent and easily embarrassed. Such a scenario might be possible in the future, but for now, it was highly unlikely…
The sisters exchanged veiled suggestions and subtle maneuvers, each trying to outwit the others, but their mutual desires created a stalemate.
As the night grew later, the tension thickened, and they remained at an impasse.
A wave of despair washed over them. 'This is so difficult!' they all lamented internally.
…
It was 11 pm, and no one showed any signs of retiring for the night.
Nino and Miku had intended to outlast each other, but their standoff had dragged on, leaving them both frustrated.
Badr looked at them curiously. They usually went to bed much earlier. "It's late. Aren't you tired?" he asked.
"Uh… I'm too excited to sleep, thinking about leaving tomorrow. We finally got to hang out together," Nino quickly offered an excuse.
"Eh? Now that you mention it, I guess I am a little excited…" Yotsuba chimed in. "That's why I'm not sleepy…"
"No… you're just naturally energetic," Itsuki retorted dryly.
"Hee hee…" Yotsuba scratched her head. "How about we all sleep together tonight? You know, it would be fun to chat in the dark!"
The suggestion caught everyone off guard, but they seemed intrigued.
"Is there enough space?" Ichika wondered aloud.
"We can clear the tables in the biggest guest room upstairs and lay out futons!" Yotsuba, as if having already planned this, immediately laid out the arrangements. "I've always wanted to do this! I even checked it out earlier!"
"Hmm… if we squeeze in a bit, we should be able to fit six futons," Nino murmured.
Badr blinked, quickly interjecting, "Why six? Am I supposed to be part of your girl talk?"
"Duh! Of course you are!" The five sisters answered in unison, their rare moment of agreement startling him.
"..."
He was grateful their grandfather wasn't present. If he knew his granddaughters were planning a sleepover with Badr, he'd probably throw him over his shoulder.
Unable to refuse their enthusiastic request, Badr resigned himself to their plan.
After nearly half an hour of bustling activity, they finally had the futons arranged.
Six futons formed a circle, allowing them to lie head-to-head.
Badr stared at the arrangement, bemused. He didn't understand the appeal. Why not just sleep comfortably in their own beds?
They all settled onto their futons, turning off the overhead light and leaving only a small floor lamp glowing softly in the center of the room.
"So… let's tell ghost stories!" Yotsuba suggested excitedly.
Badr chuckled. Why ghost stories now? Weren't they afraid of not being able to sleep?
"No way! I don't want to be up all night," Nino protested immediately.
Ichika, Miku, and Itsuki also shook their heads, making Yotsuba slump in disappointment.
"Aww… I was looking forward to this…"
Badr, lying on his back, stared at the ceiling, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Yotsuba, aren't you afraid of ghost stories?"
"Uh… but it's perfect for the atmosphere…"
"Let's just tell regular stories…" Itsuki suggested, waving her hands dismissively. "Like Mom used to tell us before bed."
A moment of silence fell over the room at Itsuki's suggestion.
"That… sounds nice…" Yotsuba's voice was tinged with nostalgia.
The others remained quiet, clearly thinking of their mother, especially now, in their grandfather's home, where they had spent so much time with her.
"Ha! So, who's going to tell a story? Just so you know, I've always been the listener." Ichika quickly changed the subject, breaking the melancholic mood.
Her question stumped everyone.
Their mother had always been the storyteller. None of them had experience telling stories themselves.
All eyes turned to Badr, who lay quietly on his futon.
Badr sighed. Even without joining their huddle, he could feel their gazes upon him.
He rolled over onto his stomach, propping his chin on his hands. "…Alright, I'll tell one."
Truth be told, Badr had never told a story, nor had he ever really listened to one…
But… he could certainly make one up.
"This is a true story. A long, long time ago…"
For the next ten minutes, Badr wove a fantastical tale, drawing on his imagination and a flair for dramatic storytelling. Then, at a rather abrupt point, he stopped.
"…And to find out what happened next, tune in next time!"
"Eh!? That's it?" Yotsuba was astonished. She had actually listened intently to the story, even though Badr himself found it rather dull!
Badr smiled. He could already hear the even breathing coming from beside him.
Ichika and Itsuki, on either side of him, had fallen asleep…
...
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