Saturday, around 10 a.m. Tap, Noah, dressed in his usual style, a checked shirt and jeans, looking like a total nerd with his long hair covering one side of his glasses, stood in a shopping area in the city center. He was in front of a building about ten meters wide, with a classic, two-story design, a glass door with many antiques visible in the window, and a sign on the door that read "closed."
"So this is Grandma's shop?" Noah asked himself, looking at the antique shop in front of him.
Noah turned and saw a school building right next to his grandmother's antique shop. He remembered what Mike had said this morning before he left, "I'm going to transfer you to the school next to the shop, so you won't waste money on transportation."
"Hmm, that's fine I guess," he said to himself, looking at the glass door in front of him. "But there's no one inside. It's probably a total mess. I guess I'm going to have to clean everything."
"Huh? You're..."
Noah turned when he heard a girl's voice next to him. He saw a girl wearing a simple white blouse, long jeans, with her hair in a single ponytail and wearing nerdy glasses.
"Hey... aren't you Nicole from my class?" Noah asked, pointing at Nicole.
"Yeah. What are you doing here?" Nicole asked, confused.
"This is my grandma's shop," Noah replied, pointing at the shop.
"Wait... this is my grandma's shop, too. Could you be my sibling? (looking at Noah) But that's impossible. We're the same age," Nicole said.
"Huh... oh, you're right," Noah said.
"Hey... what are you guys doing here?" a young man asked.
Noah and Nicole turned and saw a large young man with a nerdy face, wearing glasses and a man bun. He was also wearing a green tracksuit, making him look like a total introvert who never socialized.
"You... Nash?" Noah asked.
"Yeah, you're Noah, right... my classmate. (looking at Nicole) And you're Nicole, right? The one who used to date Tyler from the other class," Nash said, pointing at Noah, then Nicole.
"Oh, I already broke up with Tyler. Why are you here, Nash?" Nicole asked.
"I'm here for my grandma's antique shop... this one," Nash replied, pointing at the shop in front of him.
"Huh... this is my grandma's shop too," Noah and Nicole said at the same time. Then they looked at each other.
"Huh... could you guys be my siblings... but the three of us are in the same class," Nash said, confused.
"Heeey... who are you guys?"
Noah, Nicole, and Nash looked up at the second floor. They saw a girl wearing glasses with buck teeth looking down at them.
"Oh... you guys are my classmates, aren't you?" the girl asked.
"Naomi? The one who almost never comes to class?" Nicole asked, pointing up.
"Hello, class president," Naomi replied, teasing Nicole.
"You're Naomi? The troublesome student who's always skipping class?" Noah asked.
"Yep... that's me," Naomi replied proudly.
"Wait... what are you doing at my grandma's shop?" Noah asked again.
"Huh... this is my grandma's shop. I'm waiting for my siblings. Are one of you my siblings? Hmm... but we're all the same age. It couldn't be," Naomi replied.
The four of them fell silent, just looking at each other, deep in thought. Then Nicole walked up to the door.
"Whatever, I'm going inside first," Nicole said, taking a key from her pocket.
"Hey, you have the same key?" Noah asked, also taking out his key.
"Of course. This is my grandma's shop," Nicole replied casually.
"Hmm, guys, I have the same key, too," Nash said, taking out his key.
"Wait... how is that possible? Uncle Mike gave me this key at the hospital," Noah said.
"Huh, you went to the hospital? Where Grandma's being treated and met Uncle Mike?" Nicole and Nash asked at the same time. Then they looked at each other because they had spoken in unison.
"Hey... are you guys my siblings or not? If you're not, don't just walk into someone's house," Naomi yelled from above.
They fell silent again, and this time, they stayed silent for a long time. Suddenly, a car stopped in front of the shop. The four of them watched the car. The door opened, and Mike got out.
"Uncle Mike?" Noah, Nicole, Nash, and Naomi asked at the same time.
"Oh... you're all here. Good. Come on in, we'll talk inside," Mike said, walking to the door and taking out his own key. Once Mike opened the door, they all went inside. Noah, Nicole, and Nash could see many antiques, including ancient vases, old firearms and swords, rare books, tribal masks, antique jewelry, and ancient coins in the display cases.
Mike led them to a door behind the cashier counter. Inside was a pantry and a storage room for items being appraised to determine their value. Noah, Nicole, and Nash could see a staircase leading to the basement as they walked by. After that, they went up the stairs to the second floor. When they got there, Naomi opened the door, and they entered a cozy living area.
They saw a large sofa in front of them with a long coffee table in the middle of the room, a well-equipped kitchen on the left, a TV stand right in front of the sofa, and four bedroom doors, each with its own bathroom inside. Mike motioned for Noah, Nicole, and Nash to sit on the sofa. They all sat next to Naomi. Mike then sat across from them and placed a folder he was carrying on the coffee table.
"What's this, Uncle?" Noah asked.
"Your birth certificates," Mike replied.
"Huh?" Nicole, Nash, and Naomi said at the same time.
"Oh... I forgot to tell you. All four of you are siblings because you're quadruplets," Mike said, smiling.
"Whaaaat?" Noah, Nicole, Nash, and Naomi replied at the same time.
The four of them immediately opened the folders in front of them and took out their own birth certificates. It turned out their birth date was the same, their age was the same, and the only difference was the minute they were born. The four of them stared blankly, trying to process what they had just heard and saw.
They had known each other since junior high school, and now they were all in the same 11th-grade class. The birth certificates in their hands were undeniable proof, and they had no choice but to accept the reality, even if they were a little disappointed. Seeing them all dumbfounded, Mike leaned forward.
"Hey... why are you guys so stunned?" Mike asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Is this... for real, Uncle?" Noah asked.
"Yep. And on Monday, you'll be going to the school next door. I've already arranged your transfers a long time ago," Mike said casually.
"Why are you only telling us now, Uncle? Why not before? All this time, I always thought I was alone, and I ended up dating Tyler because I was lonely," Nicole said.
"There's a reason for it, but this was all your grandmother's idea... my mother. She told me before she got sick that if anything happened to her, I had to tell you and gather you all here," Mike said.
"Why were we separated if we're all quadruplets?" Nash asked.
"Hmm... only your grandmother knows the reason for that, but you really are quadruplets. The proof is that all of your eyes are blue, and your hair is all black," Mike said casually.
"That's not a good indicator. So who are my... I mean, our parents? Because they're not written here," Naomi asked, showing her birth certificate, which only had her grandmother's name listed as her parent.
"My brother and his wife," Mike replied.
The four of them fell silent again. Mike then stood up and walked to the door. After grabbing the doorknob, Mike turned and smiled.
"Oh... starting today, you'll be living here. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. I've also sent people to bring all of your things here tomorrow. Just accept it. Bye," Mike said, opening the door.
"Hey... wait, Uncle," all four of them said at the same time.
But Mike had already left, leaving the four of them stunned once more. They then sat back down and looked at each other.
"So what now?" all four of them asked at the same time.