Light.

She blinked, and the world came into focus. Crowds of people walked the street in front of her. Indistinct chatter filled the air. A soft breeze blew through the air. She felt the comfort of Mr. Mew, who was safely in her arms, and hugged him tighter as she stood up. Looking around, she realized she was at the Statue of Hachiko.

Reaching up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear, she realized she was wearing glasses. As she looked down at the clothes she was wearing, it finally hit her.

I'm…back. For real this time…

Her thoughts were confirmed when a rather frustrated-looking kid looked her way. His face instantly turned to one of ecstasy when he saw her and he immediately ran towards her.

"Shiki!" Neku genuinely smiled as he came to a halt in front of her.

"Neku!" Shiki smiled as well.

"We're really…" Neku started excitedly, then stopped, as if he was afraid to believe it was true. "We're really back? This isn't just another Game?"

Shiki paused as she reconsidered her thoughts. She had regained her former appearance, but…what if it was all just another evil plot on the Reaper's behalf? Or Joshua's?

Just then, a small blonde girl approached them shouting, "Neku! Shiki! We're back! We're really back!"

"Rhyme!" Neku and Shiki both looked down at her, smiles lighting up their faces. "But where's—"

"HEY, YO!"

Rhyme giggled and motioned behind her. "He's catching up."

The three of them saw the top of Beat's head as he made his way through the sea of people. He stopped in front of the three of them, panting.

"RHYME, Y'KNOW! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO WAIT UP FOR ME, YO!"

The three of them laughed as Beat asked, "HEY! WHAT'S SO FUNNY?"

Neku stopped laughing first. As Shiki and Rhyme slowly stifled their giggles, he hesitantly asked, again:

"Are we really back now?"

"Yes," Rhyme said, immediately. "I'm completely sure of it."

"REALLY? HOW!?"

"Because," Rhyme continued, "As soon as Beat started shouting, a ton of people started looking at us. "

The three of them laughed yet again, while Beat's frustration continued.

Shortly after their laughter died down, realization hit. This was real, now. It was back to life as they used to know it.

"Hey, Beat?" Rhyme asked softly and cautiously. "We should probably head home to see Mom and Dad…they must be worried sick about us."

"Mom and Dad…" Beat thought about it for a short while before exclaiming, "BWAAAH! I RAN AWAY FROM HOME, RIGHT, YO?"

"Mmhmm…" Rhyme nodded, "But I'm sure it will—"

"It doesn't even matter anymore, yo."

Beat's voice had quieted considerably. As he looked down at the ground, he seemed contemplative and mature, for once. Looking up, he continued, "It doesn't matter why I was arguing with them, with Mom and Dad. I'm alive now, and maybe…it's time to start over again. I think I need to tell them…I'm sorry."

He took off in the direction of home impulsively, leaving Rhyme with the two…friends. They watched him go, yet no one made an attempt to stop him. Because for once, it seemed like Beat had actually thought things through and arrived at the right decision.

"Well," Rhyme said, looking at Beat's retreating figure. "I should probably follow him, or my parents will be worried."

She turned to face Shiki and Neku and asked, "When will we see each other again?"

"Soon." Neku said, unhesitantly. "I say…we meet up in a week , right here, and hang out as…"

He paused slightly, stumbling slightly over the last words.

"As friends."

Rhyme smiled. "Okay. I'll see you guys in a week, then."

She ran in the same direction Beat had taken off in, her, "good-bye" riding the wind back to Neku and Shiki over the countless conversations of the people surrounding them.

Neku and Shiki watched her disappear into the sea of people, not daring to look at each other. Neither one wanted to be the first to say "good-bye" to the other.

Neku stared off into the distance, deep in thought, reminiscing over the last three weeks. On the first day when he met Shiki. Boy had she been annoying, then! He recalled her never ending persistence in trying to understand him, despite the fact he stubbornly blocked her out those first few days. He remembered vividly her promise on their last day as partners. I'll be waiting for you every day, in front of Hachiko… till you come back.

Perhaps he didn't know much about friendship, but he knew the few friends he had had in the past would never have promised him anything even vaguely close to Shiki's promise. He reasoned it only proved that she was a true friend; the one who would always be there for him. And maybe…even more?

He finally broke the silence.

"Shiki."

She looked up at him. He looked slightly taller than she remembered, but she supposed that was because Eri had been slightly taller than her as well. As Neku looked towards the sky as he searched for what he was trying to say, Shiki closed her eyes and thought about the past three weeks. Being with Neku, fightin the Noise with Neku. Arguing with him, trying to understand him as a person. He had even tried to kill her!

But then she remembered that she had been his price for the second Reaper's Game; she'd been the one thing he treasured most. That alone was enough to make her wonder…

As Neku finally found the words to say, Shiki threw her arms—and Mr. Mew—around him. Despite his apparent shock at her actions, Neku embraced her as well.

"Thanks, Neku. For everything." She hugged him tighter. "For being there for me these last three weeks."

"Thank you, Shiki," Neku countered, "For teaching me how… to be different from what I used to be."

He stepped back so he could look Shiki in the eye, though they still kept some semblance of an embrace. Their faces were so close they were nearly touching. Shiki blushed, and inwardly thought, will he…?

Everything he had been trying to say, Neku realized, could be summed up if he just did one little thing. Man, have I changed. Who would've ever thought…?

Pulling Shiki closer, he slowly closed the gap between them so their lips were nearly touching. As he finally mustered all the courage he could find to go through with that "one little thing", a high-pitched shout could be heard in the distance.

"SHIKI!"

Recognizing the voice, Shiki instinctively pulled away and turned towards it, though she felt bad immediately afterwards. Neku…he was really going to…

Neku had also turned to look at the owner of the voice and did a double take when he saw Shik—Eri (it was Eri, right?). Wanting to avoid the awkward encounter that was sure to occur (and still slightly peeved he had not been able to explain anything to Shiki), he loudly cleared his throat to get Shiki's attention.

She looked back at him, smiling, "You can meet Eri, now."

"As much as I'd like to…" Neku started. "…I don't think I'm ready to meet her, since…"

"Oh," Shiki said. Understanding his reasons, she replied, "…it's okay. Then I guess…I'll see you in a week?"

Neku nodded affirmatively. "You bet. See you soon."

He gave one last wave as he, too, disappeared into the crowd, just as Shiki's friend Eri came running up to Shiki and nearly ran her over trying to hug her.

"Shiki!" Eri exclaimed. "I've been looking everywhere for you! I'm really sorry about what I said…I didn't mean it in that way at all but I know you thought I did and I felt really bad afterwards so will you please forgive me? PLEASE?"

Shiki chuckled inwardly. "Of course I will. But I already know now that you didn't mean it in that way."

Eri squeezed her even tighter. "'Kay. Just making sure. I had a terrible nightmare last night in which you…you died."

"Well," Shiki said, comfortingly, "I'm alive now so there's no need to worry."

Eri finally loosened her hold on Shiki and smiled. "You're absolutely right. So…"

Her tone of voice turned to a more playful, teasing one.

"Who was that guy who was about to kiss you?"

Neku looked back at Shiki and Eri. He was glad Shiki was seeing her best friend again.

Still slightly disappointed at not being able to do that "one little thing", he reasoned that they'd meet again in a week. We have our whole future ahead of us now. Heck, we got our lives back! We're not in some stupid Game anymore! Time…we have all the time in the world.

Still, he couldn't wait to meet up with all his friends in 7 days. Well, almost all of them. His thoughts temporarily shifted to Joshua. He hadn't been there for Neku like Shiki and Beat had. But in the end, Joshua was a friend when it counted the most. And that, for now, was good enough.

I haven't forgiven him yet. But I do trust him. Maybe he'll show up at Hachiko next week. Maybe…I'll see him there?

He could've sworn he heard Joshua's chuckle in the breeze.