Quintessential Shadows: Quintessential Quintuplets x Male Reader

Y/N's POV

It had already been a week since that incident in the classroom.

The field trip that was originally supposed to take place had been postponed due to some internal school issues. This news had left everyone disappointed, but no one seemed more crushed than Yotsuba. Her boundless energy and excitement about the trip had been contagious, making it even more heartbreaking to see her spirits dampened. Despite her usual cheerful nature, I could tell that the delay had affected her.

Meanwhile, in the past week, I had learned that the name of the boy who mistakenly confessed to Miku, thinking she was Ichika, was Maeda.

Maeda wasn’t a bad guy—not at all. In fact, he was actually quite sweet. Over the past few days, I had run into him a few times, and each time, he would always ask if I was making Ichika happy. At first, it had annoyed me a little, but after a while, I started to find his concern amusing. He truly cared about her, even if he had misunderstood who he was confessing to.

And then there was Miku...

She hadn’t told any of her sisters about what happened that day—the accidental kiss.

That was a huge relief. The thought of Nino finding out about it sent shivers down my spine. I could only imagine the kind of wrath she would unleash upon me. Miku keeping it a secret was probably the best outcome I could have hoped for.

Still, every time I thought back to that moment—to that fleeting, unexpected kiss—my chest tightened.

And as my mind drifted further into the memories of that day, everything from a week ago started flooding back.

• Flashback •  One Week Ago

3rd Person POV

The hallway was quiet, save for the faint hum of students chatting in the distance.

Y/N and Miku had stopped walking, now standing a fair distance away from the classroom where Maeda had just confessed. A tense silence lingered between them, neither quite sure what to say next. The only thing connecting them in that moment was their intertwined fingers.

Miku still hadn't let go of his hand.

"Hey, Miku… how are we going to tell Ichika about this?" Y/N asked, his voice laced with hesitation. His grip on Miku’s hand instinctively tightened, as if seeking reassurance.

Miku, still slightly dazed from the overwhelming events of the past few minutes, took a deep breath. She looked down at their joined hands before finally meeting his gaze.

"Don't worry, Y/N. I’m sure she’ll understand…" she said softly, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Y/N exhaled, relieved yet still uncertain. "Yeah, I hope so…" He paused for a moment, contemplating something before continuing, "Wait… does that mean Ichika and I are supposed to dance together at the campfire during the field trip?"

The second those words left his mouth, Miku froze.

Her fingers slipped from his grasp.

Her entire body stiffened as her mind processed what he had just said.

The campfire dance. The legend of fate.

Her heart pounded in her chest as thoughts swirled in her mind.

‘If Y/N dances with Ichika at the campfire, does that mean they’ll be destined to be together? That they’re meant to marry? Does that mean I…’

Miku clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms.

A lump formed in her throat. This feeling—this terrible, suffocating feeling—what was it?