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The warm glow of the setting sun filtered through the curtains, painting the bedroom in shades of gold and orange. Long shadows stretched across the floor while the last rays of daylight lingered outside the window, giving the room a peaceful atmosphere that only seemed to exist during the quiet moments between day and night.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Fuutarou found himself waking up without an alarm, a work notification, or five tiny voices demanding his attention before he had even fully opened his eyes.
His company had given him a rare day off, and after spending most of it catching up on much-needed rest, he had apparently slept longer than intended.
Normally, by this hour, the house would already be filled with noise.
At least, that had been the plan.
As he slowly sat up in bed and stretched, something immediately felt off. It wasn’t something he could see. It wasn’t even something he could hear.
That was exactly the problem.
The house was quiet.
Far tooooo quiet.
Fuutarou frowned and glanced around the room. A normal morning in the Nakano-Uesugi household was anything but peaceful. By now, someone should’ve been running through the hallway. Someone should’ve been arguing over a toy. Someone should’ve been crying because another sister had stolen that toy. There should’ve been laughter, tiny footsteps, random questions, and at least one suspicious crash that would force him to investigate.
Instead, there was nothing.
The silence stretched on, and with every passing second, his concern grew.
As a father of five toddlers, Fuutarou had learned one very important lesson.
Silence was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Because whenever the girls became this quiet, it usually meant they were concentrating on something they absolutely should not be doing.
A long sigh escaped him.
“The Bwahs are up to something, aren’t they…”
The answer was almost certainly yes.
Nino, Miku, Ichika and Itsuki had already left for work earlier that morning. Nino and Miku were busy with the bakery, Itsuki had classes to teach, and Ichika was away filming again.
Yotsuba had the day off and had promised to watch the girls while he caught up on some much-needed rest.
Which only made the silence even stranger.
Yotsuba alone could generate enough energy to fill an entire building.
Combined with five toddlers?
The house should’ve been shaking.
Fuutarou threw the blanket aside and stood up. After slipping on his slippers, he stepped out of the bedroom and into the hallway.
The silence remained.
No tiny feet racing across the floor.
Nothing.
Fuutarou narrowed his eyes.
“Okay…Where did everyone go?””
He started down the hallway.
The Sleeping Guardian
As Fuutarou stepped into the living room, his eyes immediately began searching for the familiar sight of five energetic toddlers. The room itself looked perfectly normal. A few toys lay scattered across the carpet, a plush rabbit rested beneath the coffee table, and one of the sofa cushions had somehow ended up on the floor. It was the sort of harmless mess he had long since grown accustomed to living with.
What wasn’t normal was the absence of the girls.
His gaze slowly swept across the living room, then lingered for a second pass as if his eyes refused to accept what they were seeing. Everything looked normal at first glance. The sofa remained exactly where it always was, a few toys were scattered across the carpet, and one of the cushions had somehow found its way onto the floor. Sunlight poured through the windows, bathing the room in a warm golden glow that should have made the house feel peaceful.
Instead, it felt strangely empty.
The space beneath the coffee table, a favorite hiding spot during games, sat vacant. The pile of toys that normally seemed to migrate around the house throughout the day lay untouched, as though their owners had vanished in the middle of play. Even the air itself felt different. The living room wasn’t messy, noisy, or overflowing with energy the way it usually was.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
For a brief moment, the room felt almost lifeless, stripped of the warmth and chaos that five toddlers brought wherever they went. As the realization slowly settled in, Fuutarou’s expression tightened.
The girls weren’t here.
Not a single one of them.
The realization slowly settled in.
The Bwahs were nowhere to be seen.
A small wave of concern rose within him, but before it could fully take hold, his attention shifted toward the sofa.
“Yotsuba?”
There she was.
Half her body remained on the couch while the rest had gradually slipped toward the floor sometime during her sleep. One arm dangled lazily over the edge of the cushion while her blanket had become hopelessly tangled around her legs. Even her ribbon sat slightly crooked atop her head, making it painfully obvious that she had been trying to stay awake until exhaustion finally won.
Fuutarou couldn’t help smiling.
He didn’t need anyone to explain what had happened.
Yotsuba had probably spent the entire morning chasing after five toddlers, insisting she was perfectly fine, refusing to sit down for even a minute, and eventually collapsing wherever she happened to be the moment her body gave up.
Some things never changed.
Kneeling beside her, he gently brushed a loose strand of orange hair away from her face. Despite all the chaos she brought into his life over the years, moments like these reminded him why he had always admired her. There was something undeniably beautiful about the way Yotsuba gave everything she had to the people she loved.
“You really wore yourself out this time,” he murmured softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
As if responding to him, Yotsuba let out a sleepy sound and shifted slightly, her expression remaining completely peaceful. The sight earned a quiet chuckle from him before he carefully slipped an arm beneath her shoulders and another beneath her legs.
The moment he lifted her, she instinctively leaned against him.
Years ago, the gesture would’ve made his heart race.
Now it simply felt like home.
The movement caused Yotsuba’s eyes to slowly flutter open. For a few confused seconds she simply stared up at him, her sleepy mind struggling to understand why she was suddenly moving. Then recognition returned, followed almost immediately by panic.
“F-Fuutarou?” she asked, blinking rapidly before her eyes widened. “The girls!”
She immediately tried to push herself upright, but Fuutarou adjusted his grip and gently stopped her before she could launch herself back into action.
“The girls can wait,” he said calmly while continuing toward their bedroom. “Right now, you’re the one I’m worried about.”
Yotsuba’s expression softened for only a second before concern returned.
“But I was watching them,” she protested, rubbing one eye with the sleeve of her sweater. “I only rested for a little bit. Just a tiny bit.”
Fuutarou glanced down at her and raised an eyebrow,“A tiny bit?”
The confidence in her voice disappeared instantly. “…Maybe not that tiny.”
A faint laugh escaped him.
Yotsuba pouted at being caught, but even that lacked its usual energy. She looked completely exhausted.
By the time they reached the bedroom, the fight had already left her. Fuutarou carefully lowered her onto the mattress and pulled the blanket over her. The moment her head touched the pillow, she visibly relaxed, as though her body had been waiting for permission to rest.
Still, the guilt remained.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured quietly, staring up at him. “I was supposed to be helping.”
Fuutarou sat beside her and adjusted the blanket around her shoulders before answering. “Yotsuba, you’ve spent years helping everyone around you. Taking a nap isn’t a crime.”
Her lips parted as if she wanted to argue, but the words never came. Deep down, she knew he was right.
“…You’ll find them?” she asked after a moment, her voice softer now.
Fuutarou smiled and gently placed a hand on her head.
“I’ll find them.”
Yotsuba’s eyes slowly began to close again.
That answer seemed to be all she needed.
Within moments, her breathing became slow and steady, and the worried expression she’d been carrying finally disappeared. Fuutarou remained there for a few seconds, quietly watching her sleep before standing once more.
Then his thoughts returned to the much more immediate problem.
Five missing toddlers were inside the house Unsupervised.
A long sigh escaped him as he headed back toward the hallway.
Finding Yotsuba had been easy.
Finding the Bwahs was going to be another story entirely.
Five Little Mysteries
The moment Fuutarou stepped back into the hallway, he began his search. Experience had taught him that looking for all five girls at once was impossible. Looking for a single toddler was already difficult enough. Looking for five toddlers, each with their own personality and habits, was a challenge entirely of its own. Fortunately, after years of being their father, he had developed a fairly good idea of where each of them was likely to end up.
The first place he checked was the small reading corner near the family room. The moment he looked inside, he found exactly what he expected.
Curled up comfortably on a beanbag chair sat Aisha, completely absorbed in a picture book. Sunlight streamed through the nearby window, illuminating her brown hair while she quietly turned a page with all the seriousness of someone conducting important research.
Around her neck rested a small pair of cat-ear JBL headphones designed specifically for children, complete with volume limits and parental controls that Miku and Fuutarou had carefully chosen to protect her hearing. Despite rarely listening to anything loud, Aisha wore them almost everywhere simply because she liked them.
At three years old, she was the oldest of the five girls and the daughter who resembled Miku the most. Between her calm personality, her love of books, and her tendency to disappear into her own little world whenever she found something interesting, the resemblance was impossible to miss.
There was only one problem.
The book was upside down.
Fuutarou remained silent for several seconds before finally deciding to intervene.
“Aisha,” he called.
His daughter looked up from the book and blinked at him.
“Morning, Daddy,” she replied politely, as though there was absolutely nothing unusual about the situation.
Fuutarou pointed toward the book resting in her lap.
“Aren’t books supposed to face the other way?”
Aisha lowered her gaze and studied the pages carefully. After a few moments of consideration, she slowly rotated the book, stared at it again, and then looked back at her father.
“…Oh.”
Without displaying even the slightest embarrassment, she simply continued reading.
Deciding that some mysteries of the universe were beyond his understanding, Fuutarou quietly moved on.
His next destination was the kitchen, and the moment he entered, he immediately discovered another missing Bwah.
Standing atop a chair that had very clearly been dragged across the room for suspicious purposes was Natooki.
At two years and ten months old, she was only slightly younger than Aisha, a fact she treated as a personal injustice. Her bright pink hair and determined expression made it impossible to mistake her for anyone else’s daughter. One look at her was enough to remind Fuutarou of Nino, though Nino continued insisting that she had never been nearly this troublesome as a child.
Nobody believed her.
At the moment, Natooki was stretching as far as her tiny arms could reach toward a cookie jar sitting on top of a cabinet. Judging by the concentration on her face, she had already committed herself fully to the mission.
“Natooki.”
The little girl froze instantly.
One hand remained extended toward the cookies while the other desperately clung to the countertop for balance. Slowly turning her head, she looked at Fuutarou with the expression of someone who had just been caught committing a serious crime.
“H-Hi Daddy.”
Fuutarou folded his arms.
“Would you like to explain what you’re doing?”
Natooki glanced toward the cookie jar. Then back toward him. Then toward the cookie jar again.
“I was checking if they were lonely.”
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Eventually, Natooki lowered her head.
“They weren’t lonely.”
A small smile tugged at Fuutarou’s lips as he looked down at his daughter. Natooki’s shoulders had slumped the moment her excuse failed, but her eyes remained stubbornly fixed on the cookie jar above her. The sight was so painfully familiar that he didn’t even need to ask where she had inherited that determination from.
Without saying another word, he reached up and opened the jar she had been trying so desperately to reach. Natooki immediately straightened, her entire expression brightening as though the sun itself had suddenly appeared in the kitchen. Pulling out two small cookies, Fuutarou placed them into her waiting hands before carefully lifting her down from the chair and setting her safely on the floor.
The little girl clutched her prize tightly while he crouched down beside her. “You know,” he began, gently tapping the chair she had used in her operation, “one day you’re going to fall if you keep doing things like this. If you want cookies, all you have to do is ask.”
Natooki glanced at the chair, then at the cookies, then back at her father. The gears inside her head were visibly turning as she considered the problem from every possible angle.
“But what if you’re busy?” she asked after a moment, clearly trying to identify flaws in his argument.
“Then ask anyway,” Fuutarou replied patiently. “Someone will help you.”
The answer seemed reasonable enough until another concern suddenly appeared in Natooki’s mind. Her eyebrows furrowed and she hugged the cookies closer to her chest. “What if Mommy Nino says no?”
That question earned an immediate pause.
Fuutarou knew his wife well enough to understand why Natooki considered this a serious obstacle. Nino was an incredible mother, but when she decided the answer was no, convincing her otherwise was nearly impossible.
Looking down at his daughter, who was now waiting expectantly for a solution, he found himself fighting back a laugh.
“Then,” he said carefully, “you definitely shouldn’t climb furniture.”
Natooki stared at him.
Fuutarou stared back.
Several seconds passed as the little girl processed his response with all the seriousness of someone reviewing an important legal document. Eventually she lowered her gaze to the cookies in her hands and seemed to reach a conclusion.
“Okay.”
Whether she had actually accepted the lesson or had simply decided that two cookies were an acceptable outcome remained impossible to determine. Judging by the thoughtful expression on her face, there was a very real chance she was already planning her next attempt.
With Natooki safely distracted by her cookies, Fuutarou continued his search through the house. For a few moments, the hallway remained quiet, but that didn’t last long. Before he could even decide where to look next, a voice drifted from one of the nearby rooms.
“…and that’s why sharing is important.”
Fuutarou slowed his steps.
The voice continued.
“If everybody takes turns, then everybody can be happy.”
Curious, he followed the sound until he reached one of the guest rooms and gently pushed the door open.
The sight waiting for him immediately explained everything.
Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor was Ruby.
At two years and seven months old, she occupied the middle of the family in both age and temperament. Much like her mother Itsuki, Ruby carried herself with a seriousness that often felt far too mature for someone her age. Her reddish-brown hair framed a face that always seemed deep in thought, and whether anyone asked for it or not, she always appeared ready to explain how things should be done.
Her audience, however, was perhaps less impressive than she imagined.
A teddy bear sat directly across from her.Beside it rested a rabbit plushie.
A small penguin sat slightly apart from the others, which immediately made Fuutarou suspicious.
Ruby pointed firmly toward the penguin while maintaining the stern expression of a teacher delivering an important lecture.
“And that’s why taking all the cookies is wrong,” she explained. “If you take everything for yourself, nobody else gets any.”
The penguin offered no response.
Ruby nodded as though a meaningful discussion had just taken place.
“I am glad you understand.”
Fuutarou remained quietly in the doorway for several seconds, trying to determine whether he should interrupt. Unfortunately for him, Ruby finally noticed his presence before he could escape unnoticed.
“Good morning, Daddy.”
The greeting was delivered with such calm confidence that it almost sounded as though she had been expecting him the entire time.
“Good morning,” Fuutarou replied while stepping into the room. His eyes briefly drifted toward the stuffed animals. “Looks like everyone’s busy.”
Ruby followed his gaze before giving a small nod.
“We were having a discussion.”
“We?”
“The penguin made a bad choice.”
Fuutarou glanced toward the accused plushie.
The penguin remained silent.
“I see.”
Ruby looked pleased that he understood the situation.
“Thankfully he apologized.”
Fuutarou fought back a smile.
“That’s very responsible of him.”
“It is.”
The absolute seriousness with which Ruby delivered her answer made the entire conversation infinitely more amusing. Somewhere deep inside, he could already imagine Itsuki proudly praising this exact behavior while completely missing how ridiculous the scene looked from the outside.
After making sure that neither the rabbit nor the penguin was in immediate danger of further disciplinary action, Fuutarou quietly left the room and continued his search.
This time, he didn’t need to search for long.
A blur of orange shot past the hallway opening so quickly that he almost doubted he had actually seen it.
Then it happened again.
And again.
By the third lap, he already knew exactly who it was.
Following the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, Fuutarou entered the dining area and immediately found Clover racing around the dining table with enough enthusiasm to power an entire city. Her orange hair bounced wildly behind her while the familiar green ribbon perched atop her head fluttered with every turn.
At two years and four months old, Clover was the fourth oldest of the sisters and, without question, Yotsuba’s daughter. The resemblance was so obvious that strangers could probably identify her mother after a single conversation. Whether it was her endless energy, her constant smile, or her ability to transform ordinary situations into adventures, Clover carried Yotsuba’s spirit in almost every possible way.
“Clover.”
The little girl completed another lap before finally slowing down.
“Hi Daddy!”
Her cheerful response arrived with absolutely no sign of exhaustion.
Fuutarou looked around the room before returning his attention to her.
“How long have you been running?”
Clover immediately tilted her head.
The question appeared to require considerable thought.
“A long time.”
That answer somehow managed to explain nothing.
Fuutarou rubbed his forehead while Clover grinned proudly, clearly convinced she had been helpful. Before he could ask anything else, she immediately took off for another lap around the table.
At least one mystery had been solved.
Yotsuba’s exhaustion suddenly made a lot more sense.
By the time Fuutarou left the dining area, there was only one daughter left to find.
Oddly enough, she proved to be the most difficult.
Not because she was particularly good at hiding.
Because she was busy being someone else.
After checking several rooms, Fuutarou eventually noticed movement from one of the bedrooms and quietly stepped inside. The sight that greeted him immediately brought a small smile to his face.
A tiny figure stood in front of a full-length mirror, completely absorbed in her own reflection. A familiar green ribbon sat atop her head, though it was noticeably too large for her, and every few seconds she would strike a new pose before carefully studying the results.
Rika.
At two years and two months old, she was the youngest of the five sisters and the last daughter to join the family. Unlike her sisters, who had arrived relatively close together, Rika had been born a little later. Ichika had spent years building her acting career before deciding the timing was finally right to start a family, wanting to establish herself properly before taking a break from the demanding world she worked in.
The wait had been worth it.
Rika adored her mother.
And perhaps unsurprisingly, she had inherited more than just her looks.
The little girl possessed a natural love for pretending, performing, and becoming whoever her imagination decided she should be that day. Some mornings she was a princess. Other mornings she was a doctor. Once, she had spent nearly an entire afternoon insisting she was a cat.
Today, apparently, she was Clover.
Fuutarou leaned against the doorway and quietly watched for a moment. Rika spun around in front of the mirror, planted her feet firmly apart, and placed both hands on her waist in what she clearly believed was a heroic pose.
The effect would’ve been significantly more convincing if the oversized ribbon wasn’t slowly sliding sideways across her head.
Eventually she noticed him watching.
Her eyes immediately brightened.
“Look Daddy!”
Turning dramatically, she threw her arms into the air as though revealing the greatest performance in history.
“I Clover!”
The declaration echoed proudly throughout the room.
Fuutarou glanced at the ribbon.
Then at his daughter.
Then back at the ribbon.
For a few moments, he seriously considered whether correcting her was worth the effort.
Unfortunately, parenting required responsibility.
“No,” he said patiently while walking over and kneeling beside her. “You’re Rika.”
The little girl frowned.
Clearly, she believed he was mistaken.
For several seconds she stood perfectly still, processing the information. Fuutarou could practically see the gears turning inside her head as she searched for a solution that would satisfy everyone involved.
(Pls note She doesn't have split personality disorder 😭)
Eventually, her face brightened.
“I Clover Rika.”
The confidence behind the statement suggested the matter had now been resolved forever.
Fuutarou and Rika stared at Each other.
Neither moved.
In the end, he decided there was absolutely no point arguing with toddler logic.
“Of course you are.”
A proud smile immediately appeared on Rika’s face as she nodded enthusiastically. Apparently pleased by her successful negotiation, she reached up and adjusted the ribbon atop her head before returning to the mirror to continue her performance.
Watching her happily twirl in place, Fuutarou couldn’t help feeling a small sense of relief. All five girls were safe, all five girls were accounted for, and apart from a few minor crimes against furniture and stuffed animals, the morning had been surprisingly peaceful.
As Rika returned to her important duties as “Clover Rika,” Fuutarou quietly stepped back into the hallway. With all five girls finally accounted for, he felt a small sense of relief settle over him.
The mystery of their disappearance had been solved, and thankfully none of them had somehow escaped the house, flooded a room, or discovered a new and creative way to cause trouble.
At least, that’s what he thought.
The first thing that caught his attention was Aisha.
The little girl emerged from the reading corner carrying her picture book with both hands. There was nothing unusual about that by itself. Aisha carried books everywhere. What was unusual was how carefully she was moving, as though she had been given a very important task.
Without even noticing her father watching, she disappeared around a corner and continued on her way.
Fuutarou frowned slightly.
Then Natooki hurried past.
Unlike Aisha, she wasn’t carrying a book. She was carrying a pillow nearly half her size while attempting to walk as quickly as possible without dropping it. The moment she spotted Fuutarou, she froze for a second before hugging the pillow protectively against her chest and continuing onward as though nothing suspicious was happening.
That was definitely suspicious.
Before he could stop her, Ruby appeared next.
The daughter of Itsuki dragged a large cushion across the floor with both hands, struggling with its size but refusing to give up. Every few seconds she would stop to adjust her grip before continuing her journey with the determination of someone completing an important mission.
Fuutarou’s suspicion continued to grow.
Then Clover ran past carrying a blanket.
Or rather, the blanket carried Clover.
The oversized fabric completely blocked most of her vision, forcing the energetic little girl to waddle forward while guessing where she was going. Watching her nearly walk into a wall before correcting course at the last second, Fuutarou immediately moved to intervene.
Unfortunately, Clover reached her destination before he did.
Finally, Rika emerged from the bedroom carrying one of her favorite plush rabbits beneath her arm. The green ribbon she had borrowed was still sitting crookedly atop her head, yet she walked with complete confidence as she followed the same path taken by her sisters.
One daughter carrying something could be explained.
Two daughters was a coincidence.
Five daughters carrying objects toward the same location was a conspiracy.
Fuutarou folded his arms and watched as the girls disappeared one after another into a room near the end of the hallway. The moment the last tiny figure vanished behind the doorway, curiosity finally got the better of him.
“What are those little troublemakers doing?”
Following the trail left by his daughters, he quietly approached the room and carefully peeked inside.
The sight waiting for him immediately stopped him in his tracks.
Blankets had been draped between chairs and furniture to form walls. Pillows were stacked together to create makeshift seats. Cushions had been arranged into surprisingly comfortable-looking corners. Stuffed animals occupied important positions throughout the structure, while Aisha’s book sat proudly near the center as though it were part of the decoration.
The girls had built a fort.
Not just any fort.
A giant pillow fort.
For several seconds, Fuutarou simply stared.
The construction was uneven.
The blankets weren’t straight.
The cushions made absolutely no architectural sense.
And yet somehow it stood.
More importantly, all five girls stood proudly inside it, looking at him with matching expressions of excitement.
“Ta-da!”
The declaration came from multiple directions at once.
Fuutarou blinked.
“What is all this?”
The girls exchanged glances before Clover excitedly pointed toward the center of the fort.
“For Daddy!”
The answer only confused him further,“For me?”
Aisha nodded first,“You work a lot.”
Natooki hugged her pillow and nodded along.
“Mommy says work is tiring.”,Ruby straightened proudly.
“So we made a comfortable place.”
Clover bounced excitedly in place,“You can rest here!”
Even little Rika joined in, clutching her rabbit tightly against her chest.
“Daddy fort!”
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Fuutarou looked around the room once more. His eyes moved across the blankets, the cushions, the pillows, the plushies, and all the tiny details that clearly revealed how much effort the girls had put into their project.
Suddenly, every missing object in the house made sense.
The blanket.
The cushion.
The pillow.
The plush rabbit.
The book.
Each item had been carefully chosen by a toddler who genuinely believed they were helping.
A strange warmth settled in his chest.
The fort wasn’t perfect.
In fact, it was probably one strong breeze away from collapsing.
But to five little girls, this was the most comfortable place they could possibly create for their father.
Because in their minds, Daddy worked hard.Daddy got tired. And Daddy deserved a comfy place to rest.
The simplicity of that logic somehow made it even more meaningful.
Looking at the five hopeful faces staring back at him, Fuutarou felt his heart melt completely.
Home
The fort wasn’t particularly stable.
Several blankets were hanging at questionable angles. One of the cushions supporting an entire side wall looked moments away from giving up. The entrance was noticeably crooked, and somewhere near the back, a stuffed rabbit appeared to be performing an important structural role despite possessing absolutely no engineering qualifications.
None of that seemed to matter.
The moment Fuutarou carefully lowered himself into the center of the fort, five excited girls immediately swarmed him from every direction.
Aisha settled herself beside him first, her small JBL headphones still resting around her neck while her beloved picture book remained tucked beneath one arm. Natooki quickly climbed onto his lap before anyone else could claim the position, clearly deciding that being first entitled her to the best seat.
Ruby attached herself to one of his arms, seemingly satisfied now that her important classroom duties had concluded for the day.
Meanwhile, Clover somehow managed to reach his shoulder despite being told countless times not to climb people. Judging by the proud smile on her face, she considered the achievement worth any future lecture she might receive.
Only Rika was missing.
At least for a moment.
Fuutarou eventually spotted her curled up beside him with her rabbit plushie hugged tightly against her chest. Sometime between helping build the fort and celebrating its completion, the youngest member of the family had completely run out of energy. Her eyes were closed, her breathing was soft and steady, and the oversized ribbon still perched crookedly atop her head as she slept peacefully against a pile of cushions.
The sight alone was enough to make him smile.
Carefully shifting his position, Fuutarou leaned forward and gently scooped Rika into his arms. The little girl stirred slightly as she was lifted, her tiny fingers instinctively tightening around the rabbit plushie she refused to let go of even in her sleep. For a brief moment, she buried her face against his chest and let out a small sleepy mumble that neither resembled a word nor needed to.
Fuutarou adjusted the blanket draped around the fort and settled back into place with Rika resting comfortably against him. The oversized ribbon atop her head threatened to slide off entirely, prompting him to gently straighten it before it could fall. Despite being the youngest of the five sisters, she somehow managed to occupy more space than seemed physically possible whenever she fell asleep.
Not that he minded.
There was something strangely peaceful about holding a sleeping child. The endless energy, dramatic declarations, and toddler-sized chaos temporarily disappeared, leaving behind only quiet warmth and complete trust. Watching Rika instinctively snuggle closer in her sleep, Fuutarou felt his smile soften even further.
Looking around the fort, Fuutarou found himself surrounded by blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, books, and four girls who looked unbelievably proud of their creation while Rika slept peacefully in his arms, her rabbit plushie still clutched tightly against her chest.
To him, it looked perfect.
Aisha quietly opened her book and leaned against his side while reading. Natooki happily enjoyed the remaining cookie she had somehow managed to save. Ruby began explaining something important to her rabbit plushie. Clover continued pointing out every feature of the fort as though she were giving a guided tour of a world-famous landmark.
For the first time all morning, the house felt exactly the way it was supposed to.
Loud.Warm.Alive.
The sound of the front door opening eventually echoed through the house, followed by familiar voices drifting in from the entrance.
“We’re home!”
The announcement was immediately followed by several more voices overlapping one another as shoes were removed and bags were set down.
A few moments later, the fort’s entrance darkened as several curious faces peeked inside.
The first thing Nino noticed was her husband buried beneath children.
The second thing she noticed was that none of them appeared interested in leaving.
A laugh escaped her as she adjusted the cake box she was carrying. “Well, looks like we missed something.”
Behind her stood Miku, who took one look at Aisha quietly reading beside her father and immediately smiled. Itsuki carefully placed her work bag near the doorway while taking in the scene, and Ichika simply stared for a moment before pulling out her phone.
“Don’t move,” she said. “I’m taking a picture.”
“As if any of us can move,” Fuutarou replied.
That earned a few laughs.
Nino crouched slightly near the entrance of the fort and shook her head with an amused smile. “You know, I spent all day baking and somehow they still managed to create a bigger mess than the bakery.”
“It’s not a mess,” Clover immediately protested. “It’s Daddy Fort.”
The declaration was made with such conviction that nobody had the heart to argue.
Itsuki looked around at the collection of blankets, pillows, books, and sleeping toddlers before a small smile appeared on her face. There was something undeniably charming about the entire scene. The fort itself wasn’t impressive, but the effort behind it was impossible to miss.
“It looks like they worked very hard on it,” she said softly.
“They did,” Fuutarou replied, glancing down at the girls surrounding him. “Apparently I needed a comfortable place to rest.”
That explanation earned several proud nods from the fort’s architects.
For a few moments, everyone simply stood there enjoying the scene. The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows, bathing the room in a warm golden glow. The laughter, the conversations, the gentle noise of a family finally together again,it all blended into something that felt strangely peaceful despite the chaos surrounding it.
As Fuutarou looked around at the people he loved, he found himself thinking about how different his life had become.
Years ago, he had been a student worried about grades and tutoring sessions. Now he was sitting inside a blanket fort built by five toddlers while the women he loved stood nearby smiling at the result.
Somehow, despite all the challenges, the sleepless mornings, the constant noise, and the endless surprises, he wouldn’t have traded it for anything.
Itsuki eventually broke the comfortable silence as she looked around the fort one final time. A gentle smile crossed her face while she adjusted a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Looks like studying can wait today.”
The statement lasted all of three seconds before Clover attempted to demonstrate a new feature of the fort, Natooki demanded more cookies, Ruby announced an emergency stuffed-animal meeting, Aisha started reading her book aloud, and Rika woke up just long enough to declare herself “Clover Rika” before falling asleep again.
The resulting chaos filled the room with laughter.
And sitting in the center of it all, surrounded by family, Fuutarou simply smiled.
He had never been happier.
To be Continued
