Left Unsaid

Summary: The forces that separate them now are the same as those that separated them five years prior. The power dynamics and impropriety of their situation set Sadayo Kawakami and Akira Kurusu apart. When Akira returns as a newly hired teacher at Shujin Academy they soon learn what separates them most strongly are the words they left unsaid. AU

Chapter 1: Present 1

In a small loft with a feather duster.

Sadayo Kawakami did not often feel that life was absurd, but when she did she felt it vividly. The fondness she felt toward the light settling of dust on her glass coffee table amused and unsettled her. As her finger brushed against the glass leaving behind the tracing of a smiling face she remembered her constant annoyance at never cleaning the damn thing. But now a furrowed brow was replaced with a sad smile as the miniscule particles of dust were erased from the expanse of glass with a single swipe of her duster.

Sadayo was finally moving from her small four-hundred something square foot loft to a two-bedroom condo. She had saved up enough money over the past two and a half years. Not quite the image of life she had for herself as a girl, but still an improvement of a kind. In fact, she was quite proud of her purchase. It came from hard, but fulfilling work as a teacher and part-time tutor. For the past week, she felt a nervous excitement for the change in her situation. It was like the elation of staying at a hotel on a trip, but now as she cleaned her furniture, she felt a quiet melancholy.

The memories in her loft were associated with days of quiet shame, loneliness and guilt. Passing out on an old torn floor mattress. Sleeping too close to an unclean kitchen after coming home tired and rattled due to a particularly nasty client at her "maid" job were not happy memories. Still they were her memories and she could not help as fondness set in. A truly somber part of her life was ending with this move and she was not unhappy for its coming demise, but still she felt as frazzled as her hair. That was the absurdity of it. Her accomplishment in improving her situation was something to be celebrated and yet here she was cleaning the loft in something like mourning.

She contemplated, as she scrubbed the discolored tile of her kitchen, the reason for her disheartened cleaning. She realized, as she scrubbed her toilet and watched as soapy blue water swirled with a flush, that it was the impermanence of the situation. The reason life and the events that comprise it were unsatisfactory was the fact that life was a snapshot of events temporary and ever-ending. How long would it be before she lost the ecstasy of moving and let the dust settle into her new condo? How long would it be until she longed for a bigger house or someone to share it with? The whole thing was absurd and still as she continued to clean she was taking her situation seriously in action no matter what she thought privately.

Perhaps she pondered, nothing mattered because everything was temporary. Then she smiled and laughed as she threw her French-maid outfit in a white garbage bag. That dark part of her life was over because it was temporary. What came next could perhaps be a little better and a little longer if she worked hard enough. She concluded, as she locked the door to her loft and left for a date, that if there is no reason to believe that anything matters then the not mattering did not matter either.

In the Crossroads bar with a Moscow Mule.

Sadayo Kawakami did not feel hostile towards men, in fact she felt quite tenderly towards them. Rather it was individual men that she had trouble with. The individual, her date, in front of her now was troubling. Not in a dangerous sense, but there was an arrogance to his speech as he told her with some measure of pride about his job as an accountant. Or perhaps it was her own annoyance coloring the situation. There were similarities in the way he spoke of his career to the way she often spoke of teaching.

"That's interesting," Sadayo hummed.

She took a long draw of her drink and savored as the sweetness of ginger and bitterness of lime was followed by the slow burn of vodka. As the warmth in her belly grew from the alcohol so did her frustration with the man in front of her. As he continued to describe the intricacies of Japanese tax law she realized she had forgotten his name. Taro, maybe, or Taron? Her thoughts drifted to the neon sign of the bar. Crossroads in bright red tubes and for the first time in months she thought of a former pupil. When was the first time he had come to this bar?

It was puzzling. He was not of age back then and did not seem the type. It had been, what, five years since they had said goodbye? Back when she was still considered demographically young. She was now twenty-eight soon to be nine and well past the age of marriageability, at least in Japan. She often wondered about the unique views on a woman's age that her country had. In Europe twenty-eight was still desirable, but she was not in Europe.

Sadayo had read once that the brain was not fully developed until after twenty-five. Why then did they consider a woman marriage worthy only before cognitive completion? It was a bitter irony that society values of protecting children's innocence conflicted with demands that they grow up so early. In any case, being well over the age of twenty-five meant that the partnerships available to Sadayo now were few and far between. The dates she should could get usually involved men who only wanted a night or two of her time. A night or two could be fun though.

"I saved the company a good bit of money by…" The man in front of her continued.

Sadayo frowned he was still talking about taxes. She quickly downed her drink to hide a frown and signaled for another. Lala, the bartender, had anticipated her request with a knowing smile and slid a premade gin and tonic her way. It was Sadayo's first date in six months and Lala immediately saw the coming end.

Six months since her last date, Sadayo rubbed her eyes and wondered when her last relationship had been. Sure, she had a few nice nights after liberation from her debt and 'maid' job, a few interactions since he had left. But her last relationship? Well she had to go back to her college days for that. That would be nine maybe ten years ago? Immediately after graduation she had thrown herself into her position as a teacher and had little time for that sort of thing. Then Taiki Takase had come into her life and just as quickly died. Then her debt began and soon after her maid job.

Sadayo did not feel hostile towards men, but she had met many a man during that time in her life that troubled her. The leering and off-color comments she learned to deal with easily, but the imprints of groping and unwanted touches could always be felt in some way. Often, she had been harassed, but there were only two times she really felt unsafe. Somehow that brought with it a unique form of unease. The truly dangerous men she had encountered she could run from and report to her maid company. The jeerers and touchers, however, left her in a constant state of tension. The kind of tension that never gets relieved and that bred a constant unease around every new man she met.

To be fair though most of the men she worked for during her time as a maid were simply awkward creatures seeking some reprieve from loneliness. Much like her own situation now. Sadayo smiled wryly and wondered what he would have said if he could see her now. She had made one true connection during her time as a maid, but even he fell into the category of the lonely that sought out the women in her profession. Akira Kurusu had been his name and he had been one of her students once upon a time. What had he said when she had asked why he kept ordering her service? He did not have any friends. At that time in her life neither did Sadayo.

The real tragedy of loneliness is how hard it is to admit it to another person despite its admission being a potent cure for the condition. That was why Akira's answer had been so refreshing. It had allowed her a chance to vocalize her own feelings and led to a risky bond, but one she still treasured. It opened a path for them, and while at the end of it all many important things had been left unsaid between them, the beginning of it seemed to matter more.

"This is, uh, an interesting bar you picked for our date." The man said.

Her date was finally done with taxes, but the end of his life story signaled the end of her patience. Perhaps it was the nostalgia of leaving her loft or the memories it brought or simply the alcohol, but she felt no greater desire than to run away.

"Look, I didn't mean to waste your time, but I'm not going to go home with you," Sadayo said.

The look on the man's face immediately made her regret the rash words. It was a look of genuine surprise, which was quickly followed by hurt and then finally hidden by an embarrassed smile.

"Oh, that's," her date stuttered. "That's fine I wasn't really expecting that sort of thing on a first date. Well that's not true you're very pretty of course I thought of that, but, well, anyway. I just wanted to get a few drinks."

Her date was nice. He was attractive in a naïve sort of way and Sadayo now felt cruel and experienced. She felt some guilt, but still knew that it was the end. Her mouth opened wordlessly trying for some apology and a way to escape. His kindness was flustering her and he seemed to pick up on it.

"Ah, right I'll go," he said. The smile he offered was admirable in its attempt to cover the feelings beneath.

Sadayo felt she should say more maybe offer a condolence. Some sort of acknowledgment for the feelings she had bruised, but she was overcome with a sense of awkward emotion. Why was it so hard to offer sincere words? To tell him in a way that the dismissal had little to do with him. Suddenly her date laughed and shook his bottle at her in a playful manner.

"Hey, buy my beer?"

"Sure," she laughed feeling the tension go. It was not the best way to end, but in the exchange a sense of their feelings being spared had come upon them.

Despite the course of her life Sadayo Kawakami did not feel hostile towards men in fact she could feel quite tenderly towards them.

On the streets of the red-light district with a purse.

Sadayo Kawakami could often succumb to feelings of panic and the feeling of a sudden tugging on her purse was not reassuring. However, on the streets of Shinjuku it was a welcome feeling. It was just another one of her life's little absurdities. Some explanation is necessary. Sadayo Kawakami, despite her past life, was not one to be found on the streets of her city's red-light district. She did not generally enjoy the night life and was naturally attracted to more solitary pursuits like fishing. Still over the past year she had grown very attached to the Crossroads bar and once or twice a month she would find herself exiting its doors onto the streets of Shinjuku with a warm buzz and a content smile.

She had been through Shinjuku often during her time as a maid and was deeply familiar with both its trivial and secret nature, but when those days had ended she rarely found herself walking amongst the towering buildings and neon signs. Perhaps the association with her former employment had soured the locale for her, but now she truly felt a sort of easy-natured neutrality towards it and its people. About a year ago, well after her life had taken a happier course, on a whim she had been possessed of a great desire to get truly and deeply drunk.

This led her to the streets of Shinjuku a location until that night she had avoided. It may have been a defiant protest. A decision to fight against the association of her past and the red-light district. It is an odd facet of our human nature that people will imbue a location with deep feeling even though a street or a building can bear no feeling towards us. If Sadayo was to impart feelings with locations then she would give them a positive aspect. She had decided five years prior to find, if not happiness then, peace. Or maybe it was simply the breezy nature of human whim that had brought her there at that time.

In any case that brought her to Shinjuku a year ago and a sudden embarrassment for her desire for inebriation had shuffled her into a relatively empty bar called Crossroads. The great irony was that Sadayo would have loved to get drunk with other people and perhaps form a new friendship. She had so few of those in her life then and now. Desire often falls in the face of feelings of insecurity. However, in a twist of good fortune, found only a few times during one's life, she did end up meeting two new people she would come to call friends, Lala Escargo and Ichiko Ohya. To her great surprise they both new Kurusu, quite well in fact and in ways she had never known him. Perhaps that was the real reason she returned to Crossroads so often? It was one last connection between her and the bond she had formed with Kurusu.

But we have digressed. Sadayo felt a sharp tug on her purse and despite her generally worried demeanor felt not distress, but a sudden swell of excitement. Only Ichiko would pull her purse so suddenly. Sadayo turned to smile at her friend.

"Ichiko!" Sadayo said. "You're too late already drunk."

"So am I idiot," Ichiko frowned. "Piece of advice don't go spouting off about how much you've had to drink. Scares the guys away."

Sadayo snorted loudly in her direction. "You don't need any help with that," Sadayo's happy smile became mischievous. "Aww, Ichiko you're actually just worried for my safety huh? You might be a drunkard, but your heart is sober!"

Sadayo's ability to change from her usual sarcastic and reserved nature to an upbeat almost naïve childlike girlishness often unnerved Ichiko. Lala had hinted that fake smiles often hid genuine ills, but Ichiko had not yet discovered what if any pain Sadayo was masking. Still Ichiko felt a sisterly concern for the younger woman. So, when she saw these moments she often wondered how best to offer council.

"Bad date?" Ichiko laughed keeping up the teasing.

Sadayo's eyes widened in surprise. She knew Ichiko was an investigative journalist, but sometimes she wondered if the woman was the devil. No one could have access to information the way she did without knowing the darker arts. "How did you know?"

It was Ichiko's turn to snort. "You texted me, very incoherently I might add, about how boring accountants are ten minutes ago."

Sadayo snatched the phone out her friend's hands and read the message on the screen. The overuse of emojis seemed wrong. Her eyes narrowed "You hacked my phone! I don't remember sending this."

"What?" Ichiko asked. "No, I didn't. You're just drunk. Too drunk if you can't remember a text from ten minutes ago. Anyway, I'm right then? It was a bad date?"

"No, not really. He was a nice guy actually," She struggled to find the words. She often did around Ichiko. She really did cherish the bond that had formed between them over the past year, but vocalizing the feelings or acknowledging them by opening up had not happened yet. It is sad that the words we need to say most so often go unsaid. Sadayo had not come to test her trust in the woman yet. "He was just I don't know too…"

"Old?" Ichiko smiled.

The devil, Ichiko was the devil. Sadayo took back every favorable thought she had for the woman and vowed to silence any future words of kindness. "You… that's…."

Sadayo turned quickly to leave and felt a hard yank of her purse once more. She turned back to face the journalist and saw the pout on her face. The effects of alcohol only eased the tension further and soon they were laughing together. Part of being friends is the ability to poke at each other's wounds in a loving way. "All I said was he was cute for his age. You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Kurusu was cute," Ichiko laughed. Her eyes held a mischief of deeper knowing. "I do regret I never tried."

"Hey!" Kawakami protested. "That's really inappropriate. He was only…?"

"Seventeen when I met him," Ichiko reminded her. "Another year and who knows."

"Stop it Ichiko!"

Sadayo laughed again easing a moment that was beginning to infringe too close on thoughts that would only hurt, but Ichiko continued.

"Hmm, he would be what, twenty-two or twenty-three now?" Ichiko began counting off fingers trying drunkenly to do math. "Well in any case. I hope he's happy now. Crazy story that one had and I know a thing or two about crazy stories."

"Yeah," Sadayo agreed. "I wonder where he is now. Doubt we'll ever know."

Ichiko's smile showed fangs. Sadayo sweared her teeth glowed in the dark. If she were sober she would have left immediately.

"You shouldn't be so sure of that," Ichiko said in an offhanded way. "Shujin certainly has a history of taking on odd people. Anyway, sure you can't drink anymore?"

"No," Kawakami replied. She was quietly relieved at the change of topic. "Tomorrow is the last day before the school year starts and we have to welcome new faculty members. Math and social studies I think?"

Sadayo was having trouble fighting off the blur of her buzz. It was math. Ms. Usami had left soon after getting married last year. A sign of hope Sadayo thought sourly. Ms. Usami was in her late thirties and had managed to find someone. Still Shujin had been in an unsteady state since Mr. Kobayakowa's suicide. They had gone through a string of temporary replacement principals, Ms. Usami the latest, but now even she was gone. Mr. Ushimaru was taking over and had been swift in hiring two new faculty. He had gone so far as to not involve any of the other faculty in the interviewing process. Deep down Sadayo had wanted to put forth herself for the position, but like so many other things in her life it went unsaid.

She shook the drunkness and coming regret from her head. Things were going well. A new school year and a brand-new condo. In fact, she was having a house warming party soon and wanted Ichiko to come. She had not asked, still unsure of where her relationship sat with the other woman. Just more words left unsaid.

"Yeah," Ichiko yawned as a light flickered. "I'm going to go in and get a drink before Lala closes."

Her friend was turning to leave and Sadayo suddenly felt once more the strange pulling of her desire to invite Ichiko to her party fighting with the unsure fear of rejection. Why was it so hard to voice such things? The truth was that if Ichiko turned down the offer it would not have mattered that much to Sadayo. Yet, she still felt the sickening hesitation in her gut. Finally, the courage of alcohol won out.

"Hey Ichiko, wait!" Her friend turned to her. "I'm having a house warming party in three weeks. I wanted to invite you. Here's the address and time. It's okay if you can't though."

Ichiko smiled and brought her orange-tinted sunglasses over her eyes. "I'll bring a keg."

"Er, right." Sadayo waved as her friend went into the bar.

Sadayo Kawakami could often succumb to feelings of panic and Ichiko, with a keg, in her new house, was reason to panic. Some words were better left unsaid.

In the conference room of Shujin academy with a hangover.

Sadayo Kawakami often felt appreciation for the contradictory nature of her favorite beverages. Alcohol imbues one with a sickness, the euphoria of inebriation, which is soon righted by its cure, the dysphoria of a hangover. Right now, she was experiencing the cure intensely. Ichiko had once argued that she had the sickness and cure backwards. Sadayo took the argument seriously once, but then decided that was why Ichiko was an alcoholic and she was not. Her hand twitched angrily for another drink, regardless, of her philosophy on the matter.

The bright lights of Shujin's conference room beat down on her as harshly as any summer sun. She cursed Mr. Ushimaru's desire to hold faculty meetings in well-lit rooms. A familiar baggy yellow sweater adorned her person. It was an old thing, but comfortable in the way that was so crucial to people in her position. The dull throb of her head continued its march. How long had it been since she had worn this? It would have been about the time Kurusu had left. The sweater had faded in the five years since and the cuffs were frayed at the end. If she had bags under her eyes her discomfort made it trivial. Her hair had a natural wave which played to her advantage. If it was a little more disheveled than usual due to her condition it would probably go unnoticed.

On either side of Sadayo sat Mr. Hiruta and Mr. Inui. They would not notice her state and had always held her in a friendly state of disregard. Had they RSVP'd to her house-warming party? Sadayo felt they had, but did not trust her memory now.

Her last colleague, Ms. Chouno, sat across from her and offered a nod of her head in acknowledgement. A sort of friendship had settled between them over the years. It was nothing deep or overly personal, but they would often find each other to share lunch and idle gossip. Ms. Chouno had RSVP'd very quickly and it warmed something inside of Sadayo. Back then Chouno had been a contest stress for Sadayo. The older woman was deeply concerned with goings on of others. While Sadayo could appreciate it now as a sincere care she held for the school, it had been a great threat to her back during her maid days. Sadayo shuddered at the thought and fought back a mild feeling of nausea.

"Ms. Kawakami," Ms. Chouno greeted. "I like your sweater. You used to wear it a lot?"

Metal legs scraped against the floor as Sadayo shifted in her seat trying to re-position herself to give an answer in her state. "Thanks!" she said. "Yeah I just saw it and felt a little nostalgic."

"Hmm, it really has been a day for remembrance," Ms. Chouno tapped a finger against her lips. "To think that student turned out to be such a nice young man."

"What?" Sadayo asked.

"Oh, don't mind me." Ms. Chouno waved her off. "I just met our new social studies and math teachers on my way in. In any case, I'm looking forward to your party. Three weeks from now? It is alright if I bring my husband, right?"

Sadayo felt a new discomfort at the attention Chouno had brought to her. Mr. Inui and Hiruta were staring at her and nodding friendly. She supposed that confirmed their future presence at her party. "Yeah three weeks and of course you can all bring your significant others if you want. So, you guys, Mr. Ushimaru and my other friend Ichiko. I'll plan for ten in total to be on the safe side."

"Actually, twelve if you plan on inviting the new faculty. They're both young, but seem like an agreeable sort. It would be good to get to know them in a non-formal setting." Ms. Chouno said.

Kawakami outwardly nodded, but internally fretted over the number. Twelve might be a little crowded for her condo. Her internal strife was interrupted and then heightened as Mr. Ushimaru walked in with the new faculty members. On his right was a youthful looking woman with long straight strawberry-blond hair. She was a natural beauty and quickly drew the attention of both Hiruta and Inui. However, it was the young man on the principal's left that caused her to panic.

He was standing in a relaxed posture against the wall and had a slight smile directed at no one. As a student, he had always been tall and thin, but now his lanky frame seemed a little fuller. He still wore round glasses, but they were a smaller frame and his natural black curls were cut a little shorter, more professional. Akira Kurusu had grown up.

Mr. Ushimaru coughed to get everyone's attention and convened the meeting. "Hello everyone. I'll start by welcoming our new faculty. Ms. Chihaya Mifune will be taking over social studies as I transition to my new role. Mr. Akira Kurusu is our new math teacher and as you know he will be taking over for Ms. Usami."

"Hello, it is a pleasure to meet all of you. I look forward to working with all of you and shaping our student's fates. Please take care of me," Chihaya Mifune chirped in a lovely voice that matched her looks.

It was an odd way to introduce herself, Sadayo thought. Her musing was interrupted as she noticed the smirk Kurusu shot at the pretty social studies teacher and the awkward way she returned it with a smile. Did the two new faculty members know each other?

"Yeah what Chihaya said. Same for me," Kurusu said laughing.

"I keep forgetting you two are familiar," Mr. Ushimaru said to the two newcomers. "Right then, please everyone take a seat so we can discuss. We don't have much on the agenda so this should be quick."

Chihaya and Kurusu took the two open seats across from each other and Mr. Ushimaru sat at the head. Sadayo knew he was not looking at her, but she still averted her gaze so as not to be caught. Her heart beat seemed to slow as she shrunk into herself trying to disappear into her seat. Sadayo could not explain her new sense of panic. Kurusu had been a dear friend even at the end of it all. Seeing him again should have brought back kind spirits, but she could not shake the feeling that this marked a change in her universe. Somewhere Sadayo had read once that change in one's situation did not alter you. It merely revealed who you were. Apparently Sadayo Kawakami was a creature prone to illogical fright, but then again are not we all?

"Ms. Mifune hails from a little town in the country-side, but has recently gotten a degree in education and as all of you might remember Mr. Kurusu was a former pupil of our school. He returns to us now from his time in the United States with a master's degree in mathematics."

The teachers nodded knowingly at Kurusu and he returned it with a kind smile. Sadayo firmly looked at her notepad avoiding his gaze.

"It is good to see all of you again. Mr. Hiruta and Mr. Inui. Ms. Chouno your English lessons were very useful," Kurusu said. "Ms. Kawakami! You broke out the old sweater to greet me."

"Yes! I was just saying how often she used to wear that sweater," Ms. Chouno agreed.

There it was. The attention was back on her. She looked up and the smile she received from her former pupil was the same kind one she had come to realize as a mask. His true smiles were mischievous. Sadayo felt she should laugh back or smile in kind. Do something to break the tension in herself. Perhaps then they could easily fall back in to the friendship they had formed so long ago. Instead she looked away.

"Er, right haha," Sadayo said. "It's quite a coincidence."

"We can discuss fashion later," Mr. Ushimaru interrupted.

The group settled into a quick conversation of room and class assignments. Every now and then Sadayo would catch Kurusu's eye, but the gazes were never long nor intentional, but to Sadayo each was like being deeply scrutinized. She had gained a confidence in herself to the point that she could show up to a faculty meeting hungover and still function, but today that progress seemed to melt away in the face of a pair of round glasses. Why did she show up hungover today of all days and why did she wear this stupid sweater? She began pulling harshly at the loose threads of her sleeves.

The meeting seemed to pass without incident and Mr. Ushimaru was wrapping up before he stopped and suddenly seemed to remember something of great importance. "Ah, yes, right our PE teacher is still unfilled. For now Mr. Yamauchi the track coach has agreed to fill in, but we will need to find a sub for long term. We're in a bit of a financial pinch now so we can't officially hire anyone, but perhaps one of us can play double duty occasionally?"

Kurusu raised his hand quickly. "I can fill in occasionally, but I might know of a cheap substitute who could fill in."

"Really?" Mr. Ushimaru said.

"Yeah, he works at a local gym in the city, but he does have a degree and credentials to substitute. Actually, he used to go here too." Kurusu explained.

"Well, we have had luck with hiring former pupils," Mr. Ushimaru nodded. "Email me his contact information."

Sadayo frowned wondering if she knew who Kurusu was talking about, but decided not to dwell on it as everyone started leaving. Soon only her and the new faculty were left in the room and new sense of foreboding took her. Kurusu seemed to notice the fact as well, but if he was feeling similarly he hid it far more effectively. He grabbed his bag and the nodded at her before breaking the silence.

"It really was good to see my favorite teacher again," Kurusu said smirking. "Ms. Chouno is a sight for sore eyes. Still scares the crap out of me."

With that stupid little joke Sadayo felt the tension break and laughed. "Oh, you'll regret poking fun at your poor homeroom teacher. You still slouch too much."

They took the moment of humor together and a sense of familiarity fell between them. It was brief, but a good sign. Sadayo felt a strong desire to hold the moment, but as with all things in life it was temporary and suddenly a strong desire to invite him to her party came upon her. The words, however, would not come. The same unsure fear of rejection she had felt with Ichiko came back and the there was no alcohol to aid her now. Her hangover brought further discomfort. A queasy feeling came up to her throat mixing with the unspoken words turning into a thick mud that threatened to choke her.

"You okay?" He asked. "You look a little under the weather."

"Just a cold," Sadayo managed.

"Really, I'm glad to see you." Kurusu said.

His genuine sincerity only served as a further wall to her desires. He had grown up, but so much was the same.

"Akira!" Chihaya chirped from the hallway. "I just finished moving in last night and I don't want to cook. Want to grab some ramen at Okigubo?"

"Yeah me too," Kurusu said. "That could be fun let's go."

"See you Ms. Kawakami," Kurusu waved.

"Bye," Sadayo whispered.

Sadayo was suddenly captured with the feeling that despite in the impermanence of the world, nothing really changed. Akira Kurusu had come back to Shujin five years after he had left and Sadayo had parted with him now as she had then. With words left unsaid.

AN: A few words on this fanfic and its structure. I will be alternating between the present, telling the story of Kurusu and Kawakami as teachers and the past, telling the story of them as student and teacher. One chapter will be present and then the next will be the past. This is an AU and as such there will be no supernatural elements. No phantom thieves nor stealing hearts. However, the past chapters will roughly follow the non-supernatural events of the game. For example, Kamoshida is still a problem to be overcome, but during this story it will be a problem solved through non-supernatural means.

Why a Kurusu/Kawakami fic? Well, I found Kawakami's arc specifically the non-romance option to be one of the more interesting arcs. Then I pursued the romance line and found it not as interesting, but something took hold of me when considering their troubling romance. It is acknowledged to some degree that the relationship is inappropriate and I thought perhaps the game would take it in an interesting direction that addressed those issues. Sadly, it did not and was waved away with a few throw away lines. Still I quite liked the potential and wanted to try my hand at addressing it here.

Finally, all constructive criticism and flames are welcome. Criticism is the only way I can improve and flames can be ignored. Flames can also be a form of practice for creative writing. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read!

rest-in-beats