Chapter Text
Finals week is the worst week of every college student’s life. Especially now that my brothers and I managed to get into college. Well… most of us. I insisted on it since job hunting would be easier with a degree. Of course, there was opposition. “It’s just like high school!” “I’ll just be a NEET for the rest of my life!” “I’d rather play baseball!” Us older brothers decided to set an example for the time being, while Ichimatsu, Jyushimatsu, and Todomatsu are off doing god knows what.
But perhaps they are the smart ones, since these exams are making me want to claw my eyes out. I keep reading the notes over and over, but it’s not sticking in my head one bit. I keep thinking about what the others must be doing, and reminiscing of a time not in school. Seems pretty backwards, huh.
I decided to go to a nearby coffee shop in order to make use of some free Wi-Fi and a quieter atmosphere, in hopes that I could retain the information better. The exam is in three days, so I should have enough time… and Totoko’s calling me about a show she’s trying to plan… Todomatsu is texting about dinner…
Just tune them out…
I crack open the textbook and tune out the shop’s noises. There’s not a lot of people, yet they decided to be super loud and obnoxious. Meh…
After about fifteen minutes of constant distraction, I decided it was enough. Since Todomatsu is so adamant about dinner, maybe I’ll drop by the house and lock myself in a room away from everyone else -
Whoa.
I was ready to leave the shop - scarf, jacket, gloves, book in hand, everything - but I froze. In the middle of the place, nonetheless. The door swung open and the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen jaunts through. Good god, I guess the wind kicked up a notch, but she managed to look like a model waltzing past a fan - her hair was flowing in all directions, like a goddess - before the door shut and she took a seat nearby the window.
God, I must’ve looked so stupid.
Me, just standing there, mouth half open, frozen in time because of a girl . I can hear Osomatsu and Karamatsu laughing in the distance. But… maybe this was fate. It had to be. I was about to leave! And then she came in… She eclipsed Totoko’s beauty by a longshot. And, unlike Totoko, I probably had a chance with her… maybe…
My messed up thinking was cut short when gravity took over and the textbook I was holding fell to the ground, startling nearly everyone around me. Shoot! My brain felt like mush and my legs like jelly as I knelt to the ground to try and pick it up. I just blew it. I blew it, I blew it, I blew it, I blew it, it’s over, it’s over, it’s over, I’ll be single forever…
I adjusted my glasses as I picked up the cursed book and noticed a shadow creep into my line of vision. Oh, someone’s - huh?
A bright set of eyes and a big smile was about four inches from my face.
“You dropped this. Are you okay?”
She - she’s - she’s talking - to me?
I just nodded, my throat feeling like sandpaper. Swallowing was a challenge.
“Finals got you down, huh?”
She’s still talking! To me! Say something already! Stop standing there!
“Y-yeah,” I managed to say, cracking a small smile. My chest felt like it was going to explode.
Get it together, Choromatsu!
I could see she was kind of uncomfortable. I’m a failure.
“W-well, good luck. Maybe you should get a bit more caffeine in you before you leave.” She smiled again. Oh my goodness.
I shook my head, clearing my mind, taking me to a different place. “S-sorry! Yes, yes, finals… a real mood killer.” Where do you go off from there? You’re so stupid! She’s not gonna say anything….
“Do you want me to get you something? I was just about to order. You seem really tired, so it’s the least I can do.”
Oh my god. Is she… flirting? With me?
“That would be great!” My voice went up an octave on the last word, much to my dismay. I just keep tumbling into more and more embarrassment, it seems. But I can do this. She’s way too beautiful to just walk away from - especially without even knowing her name. Plus, I can’t wait to see the look on my brother’s faces when I tell them…
I sat down near the window, on the opposite end her belongings were situated. She had a sketchbook and lots of random art tools - must be an art student. She looks like a painting, it makes sense.
After a few moments, she came back with two coffees. It didn’t even matter what she got me - the mere fact that a girl bought me coffee was enough. For a lifetime!
She sat across from me and placed her sketchbook on the table. “Oh, I’m ___ by the way!” Another smile.
“Ch-Choromatsu,” I replied.
She looked at me for a moment. “Choromatsu, hmm… oh! Are you by chance part of the triplets? I believe Osomatsu is in one of my classes, he’s mentioned brothers before.”
My face turned completely red and my eyes widened. “O-oh! Y-yes, how did you know? B-but actually, we’re not triplets… we’re sextuplets…”
Now it was her turn to be shocked. I guess it’s not everyday you come across sextuplets. “No way! Six? That’s crazy!” She laughed, and it sounded like music. How is she this perfect? “So, if you don’t mind me asking, where’s the other three? I haven’t really talked to Osomatsu, so I’m not sure…”
“They’re busy doing nothing, basically. Us older three are the only ones in college right now. But maybe soon they’ll join us. Or maybe they’re the smart ones, since these exams are such a pain…”
___ smiled. “That’s true.” She took a sip of her coffee. “I’ve seen so many people in the libraries sleeping in the weirdest positions, people walking into doors because they’re so tired… I feel so bad. I try to help as much as I can, because my finals are usually lighter than everyone else’s…”
“Y-you do art, yes?”
She flips to a clean page in her sketchbook. “Hehe, how did you know?”
“Just a lucky guess.” I smiled the best I could, trying to mimic her warmth. “Oh, but if you do art, how is Osomatsu in your class? He’s the worst artist in the family.”
“We’re required a gen ed class, so it’s open to everyone, not just people in the major. I like those classes because being around art kids all day can be super tiring, you know?” Another sip.
I nodded, mimicking her sip. I feel like I won the lottery.
“___,” her name sounded so nice on my tongue - “thank you so much, again, for the coffee. Here, let me pay you -”
She shook her head. “No, no, it’s okay, it’s not that expensive. Just wanted to be nice is all.”
Oh. Hm.
“W-well, can I make it up to you somehow? You basically saved me.”
She thought for a moment. “I need a subject for my art piece for the final… would you do it, in exchange for the coffee?”
I nodded almost immediately. “Y-yes! Sure!”
“Cool. It’s a date.”
Yeah, I definitely hit the jackpot. Guess I have finals week to thank.