The Quintuplets Are My Neighbors

"It's true."

Miku's calm voice cut through the buzz of the cafeteria. All eyes at the table turned to her. She wasn't surprised—they always looked at her when these misunderstandings came up. After all, they were quintuplets, identical in appearance but vastly different in personality.

"I told him I was Itsuki," Miku continued, her tone steady. "But he didn't believe me."

Ichika tilted her head, her playful grin teasing. "I still find it kind of incredible. How could he figure it out?"

Nino crossed her arms and scoffed. "What's so strange about that? We have different hairstyles. It's easy to tell us apart if someone pays attention."

Miku puffed her cheeks in quiet frustration. "You don't get it, Nino. He didn't guess. He knew I wasn't Itsuki."

Her words hung in the air for a moment.

Nino adjusted her butterfly hair clips and rolled her eyes. "Boys are all liars, Miku. You were probably just deceived—"

"I wasn't," Miku shot back, her voice sharper than usual. She rarely spoke up, but Nino always had a way of pushing her buttons.

Ichika raised a hand, grinning as she interrupted. "Alright, alright. Let's calm down. This kind of thing is easy to figure out."

Yotsuba paused mid-bite, her curiosity piqued. "Do we know who this boy is?"

Miku hesitated, her chopsticks clinking against the edge of her bowl. "He's our neighbor. Kenji."

"Kenji?" Itsuki blinked in surprise. "Wait, the Kenji?"

Miku nodded.

Yotsuba's eyes widened. "Oh, I've heard of him! Isn't he kind of… infamous?"

Ichika leaned back, her expression sly. "He's well-known, but his reputation isn't great. What do you think, Miku? Did he leave a good impression?"

Miku avoided her sister's gaze, her fingers nervously fidgeting with her earphones. "I don't know… It's not like I talk to him often."

"Well, I think it's interesting," Ichika declared, her tone bright. "Maybe he's not as bad as people say. He seems sharp if he figured out you weren't Itsuki."

Nino leaned forward, smirking. "So, what's the plan? Are we going to test him?"

"What?" Itsuki's face turned red. "Why are we pretending to be me again?!"

Ichika waved her off, laughing. "Relax, Itsuki. It's just for fun. Besides, if anyone can pull it off, it's Nino."

Miku sighed, shaking her head as her sisters devolved into playful banter.

---

Kenji leaned against his desk, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone. The buzz of the cafeteria was a distant hum now. After finishing his lunch, he had opted for some peace and quiet in the classroom.

His thoughts wandered to Miku. She wasn't anything like her sisters—reserved, quiet, and a bit of a mystery.

"Guess I'll just have to figure her out," he murmured with a small smile tugged at his face.

His musings were nterrupted by the sound of sharp heels clicking down the hallway.

"Kenji!"

He turned, his expression unreadable, as Hiratsuka Shizuka, their homeroom teacher, approached. Dressed in a tailored suit with her black hair flowing down her back, she carried an air of authority—mixed with irritation.

Kenji sighed. He knew that tone all too well.

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