(Same streets. Same crowds too.)

Neku stood at the intersection of Shibuya, watching the various people walking through the streets towards various destinations of Shibuya. It was the same for Neku though. He was just waiting for the cross street to turn green so he could meet with his friends at the statue of Hachiko.

(Turn green already, I've got places to be.) When the light finally changed, he rushed through the crowd and towards Hachiko. Neku was glad to find Shiki leaning against the statue of Hachiko as Beat stood nearby, practicing on his skateboard as Rhyme watched her brother. As Neku stepped up, Shiki looked over at him and immediately smiled.

"Neku!" At her greeting, Beat and Rhyme turned to look at him.

"Phones, you finally made it!" Beat said, jumping off his skateboard, "We've been waiting for you."

"Yeah, the scramble was a bit more crowded today than usual." Neku replied, shifting his headphones off his ears and onto his neck.

"Really, why is everyone in a rush?"

"Well, it IS the last day of summer." Rhyme brought up.

"What does that have to do with it?" Neku groaned at his question. (Take a guess genius.)

"Did you get your school supplies yet?" Rhyme asked Beat.

"Pfft! I got my uniform, what else do I need?"

"Books." Rhyme said.

"Pencils." Shiki added.

"A bag for all that." Neku finished.

"I'll be fine!" A silence fell over at Beat's undeserved confidence.

"…I'm not responsible for his unpreparedness." Neku said flatly and Rhyme sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll help him get what he needs." Rhyme said, "After all, I'll need to keep an eye on him." Shiki and Neku looked at each other in confusion before Beat spoke up.

"Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you. Rhyme's going to our school! She's even in our grade."

"What!?" Neku yelled in shock.

"Oh my god! That's amazing!" Shiki cheered making Rhyme blush. (Smart kid.) Neku looked at Rhyme and Beat. (Also explains where all the brains in the family went.) Suddenly Shiki's phone went off making her jump in surprise before pulling her pink phone out and flipping it open, "Oh no. I totally forgot I was supposed to meet Eri at Ten-four today!"

"And you called me here?" Neku asked making Shiki pout.

"I said a forgot."

"Just tell her you were hanging out with us and forgot." Shiki contemplated this, looking pensive.

"Well…I don't know. I haven't told her about you guys yet." This had Neku slightly surprised. (Then what has she been telling her when she shows up late? We've been hanging out for most of the summer.)

"You know, new friends are a weird thing to hide." Rhyme said and Shiki whimpered.

"I know. But I don't want her to hate you guys."

"What's there to hate?" Beat asked.

"Okay, maybe not hate but…I worry about you guys." (I don't know if that's a compliment or pity.)

"You can't hide us forever." Neku pointed out and Shiki whimpered.

"I know."

"Look, just have her meet us at Kats. It's better than hiding us like a stray dog." Beat chuckled at that comment.

"Yeah…poor skull."

"He bit you." Rhyme said.

"He was a fighter." (With too much bite.)

"…Okay. I'll do it!" Neku smiled at her confidence.

"Sweet! Hey Phones, let's race there!" Neku decided not to respond, "Alright, you're going down! Come on Rhyme!" Beat took off into a sprint at Rhyme kept pace behind him. Once they were out of earshot, Neku gave a long sigh.

"I swear, he could start a competition with a brick wall."

"Neku!" Shiki said with a frown.

"Yeah, I know. But seriously, he needs to calm down sometimes. He's going to burn out at that rate."

"Maybe…but I should probably head over to Kats quickly. I don't want Eri to show up and not find me there." (Yeah, Beat can be overwhelming on first impression.)

"I'll meet you guys there. I want to stop by AMX and see if they got in the new Twister album." Shiki giggled.

"Alright, just make sure not to be the last one there."

"I won't. I know Shibuya like the back of my hand." Shiki nodded in understanding before taking off in a jog. As she passed through the crowds, Neku could notice a pack on her back, with a small black plush arm sticking out of the side. (She never goes anywhere without him.)

As Neku shifted through CD's he was disappointed to find Twister's section almost depleted, it seemed like people have been hitting that along with 777's section, leaving only a single CD left. Neku picked it up and looked over the cover. It was the three main members Tenho BJ and Three-Seven shouting on a black stage.

"The Lucky Tone." (That's a tacky name for an album.) A gasp caught Neku slightly off guard.

"Is that the last CD?" Neku turned and was shocked to find he was looking at a peppy girl with bright pink hair. (Shiki!) She looked down at the CD in his hands with interest. (No…that's what she looked like in the game. Which means…)

"Are you Eri?" She looked surprised at this question.

"Yeah, how did you know?" (Something just told me.)

"I know Shiki. She talks about you a lot." Eri giggled.

"Sounds like her. I didn't know she had any other friends though. How do you know her?"

"We worked on a summer project together." (At least that's the simple way to put it.)

"Wow, I wouldn't have expected that from her. She's getting bolder. So, what's your name?"

"Neku Sakuraba."

"Cute name." (…Of course she said that.)

"Eri Torendina. It's nice to meet a friend of Shikis." Eri gave a small gasp before she pulled out her dark green phone, "I almost forgot to look at that text she sent me." (That was ten minutes ago.) "Kats? I don't think I've been there before."

"It's on Cat street. You'd pass right by it if you're not paying attention." (I know I did more than a few times.)

"Hmmm…" Eri mulled for a minute before looking at Neku and smiling. "Hey Neku…" (Very subtle.) "Mind showing me the way there?"

"Sure. I was headed there after stopping by here anyway."

"Awesome. Thanks Neku…would you mind if I also took that 777 album too?" Neku rolled his eyes and smiled before handing her the CD, "Yes!" (Weird girl.)

Neku and Eri made their way past Towa Records; Eri humming happily to herself as she held her newly acquired album.

"Ah, 777. A band unlike any other." (For more reasons than one.)

"They're alright." Eri gasped.

"They're amazing! They're the perfect blend of heavy metal and alternative!" (I know at least five different bands that do just that.) "And they're an up and coming band that's going to hit it big! I even have one of their first t-shirts they sold." (Ah, so she's a die-hard fangirl on her way to groupie status.) "Nothing beats their sound. Except maybe Princes style." (Ugh, how much crap is she following?)

"How about Twister, or Cat?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, they're cool." (Just cool?) Neku gave a small groan and just let out a small sigh.

"The world is more than just trends you know."

"I know. It's about what you do with those trends." (At least there's some semblance of a brain in there.) "I want to create my own trend."

"If you want to make something that lasts than make an icon. Or at least something that will survive after you." Eri considered this option for a moment.

"Maybe." She was pulled from her thoughts as soon as she caught sight of Shiki sitting at a table in front of a small coffee shop, "Shiki!" Shiki perked her head up and turned to smile and wave at Eri who rushed over. Neku kept his casual stroll as he came up to his friends.

"Told you I'd beat you!" Beat said pointing at Neku, "I always do!" Rhyme was about to speak up before Neku just turned to her and shook his head making her stop before she started.

"Yeah, you always win." (The illusion is better than the truth with him.) Neku took his seat and turned to see Hanakoma walking up to him with a cup of the house blend. "Thanks Mr. H."

"No prob. That'll be 680." (Of course. Service with a fee attached.) Neku handed him the change and turned to the group. Shiki was currently looking over the new CD with Eri. Neku gave a throat clear and Shiki looked up.

"Oh, right! Eri, I wanted to introduce you to some friends I made over the summer." Eri looked over the other three. "This is Rhyme."

"Hi. It's nice to meet you." Rhyme said with her most sincere smile. Eri gasped as she looked down at Rhyme's pendant.

"Is that the exclusive pendant they gave out last year!? I heard they sold out super-fast!"

"Yeah, my brother got it for me." She nudged Beat who just grinned proudly.

"Your brother must be really fashion conscious then." (Beat; fashion conscious? Those words don't belong together.)

"I wouldn't say that." Rhyme replied. "But he does know what I like."

"Speaking of-" Shiki started up. "-The skull cap on her right is Beat. Her brother."

"Yo, nice meeting you Eri!"

"Nice to meet you as well Beat." Before Shiki could motion to him, Eri turned her attention to Neku who sipped from his cup, "And that's Neku right?"

"R-Right. How did you know that?" Shiki asked looking slightly worried.

"I met him at AMX. That's where I got the new album."

"Couldn't find Twister though." Neku added. "Ran into her while I was there. So I helped her find her way here."

"Nice guy." Eri added. "Has an interesting opinion on trends."

"Oh, sorry about that." (Come on Shiki. I'm not THAT bad.) Neku looked down at his clothes and felt a sudden flash back to his run in with Prince. (I'm not a spicy tuna roll.)

"He did give me a good idea. We need an icon."

"An icon. Like what?"

"Something that's eye catching."

"Something original." Neku cut in. (Is she trying to die out there?)

As Shiki and Eri talked over icon ideas, Neku looked over the streets as people passed by the small café. He could still remember when he would just pass by like everyone else, only interested in getting where he was going to go and nothing else. But ever since he came back from the game, he'd find himself just watching the people go by. Seeing who they're with, where they're going, and what brands they chose to wear. He actually found it interesting. (Seems like Hip Snake is dominating the area today.)

"Hey Phones!" Beat yelled making Neku turn to face him. "How about a quick game of Tin-Pin?"

"You know you can't beat me."

"So? I'm getting better!" (No you're not.) Neku pulled out his starter pin set and set them on the table.

"You sure you want to take that chance?"

"I bet a burger on it!" Neku just sighed and set up his first pin.

As Neku and the group were busy enjoying their last day of summer, Hanakoma had taken off through the backdoor. He made his way to Pork City and climbed up to the roof, finding a boy in a grey button up shirt and simple black pants with white sneakers. He looked over the city of Shibuya, his eyes landing on the statue of Hachiko as he pointed his orange flip phone towards it. The phone gave off small noises as he directed it.

"Seems like someone is on the move." Hanakoma started, making Joshua chuckle.

"They're not very subtle though. Leaving energy all over the place. Almost like they want to be found."

"That's not a coincidence though." Joshua's smile faded.

"No. It never is." He quickly shut his phone, stuffing it into his pocket before turning to his old friend, "Seems they think Shibuya is an entry point they can use."

"After what that math head did, I'm not surprised."

"Neither am I. But they're moving much quicker than I would have expected. Odds are, they have an agent moving around…more than one from my experience with these types."

"What's the plan then?"

"Wait for them to make their move. They can't do anything as long as I'm in Shibuya." Joshua smirked, "And I'm not worried about those fools doing anything to me." Hanakoma sighed before pulling out a grey feather.

"They might just be able to. I found these at enough locations to assume we're surrounded." Joshua went quiet as he thought over the situation.

"…I'm going to need to seal the river. You need to lay low until I can get rid of the problem."

"And you?"

"I think this problem calls for a personal touch. I'll get my friends to take care of it."

With a smash into Beat's pin, Neku won the match with a perfect victory; six pins to zero. Beat gave out an agonizing yell as Neku smirked.

"Whooped you again." Neku said.

"One more." Beat asked with a glare.

"That was your fourth loss."

"Five is my lucky number!"

"Beat, it's almost seven." Rhyme brought up.

"Bwaa! We've got to get home before curfew!" Beat quickly shot up from his seat and grabbed Rhyme before hopping onto his skateboard and taking off. (And there goes my burger.)

"So this is what you've been doing when we don't hang out?" Eri asked Shiki.

"Kind of. We spend time together doing all kinds of things around Shibuya." Shiki pulled Mr. Mew out of her pack, "Last week, me and Neku picked up some supplies to repair Mr. Mew."

"Neku sews?"

"Kind of." Neku replied. (Beats Shiki taking my clothes to sew them in public.) "Anyway, we should probably be going home. The first day of school starts tomorrow."

"He's right." Shiki agreed. "I don't want to wake up late tomorrow."

"Then let's go. I want to ask a few questions about your friends." Eri grabbed Shiki by the arm and dragged her off, leaving Neku sitting in front of Kats by himself.

"Going back to school." Neku said, thinking about his old reputation. Given that he didn't care for people it wasn't a stretch to say that people didn't give him much though. But that was okay with him, he didn't need to impress anyone. Even with his new outlook, he didn't want to catch attention from people at school for no reason. (My world may need people, but I want it to have depth. Most of my old classmates weren't exactly interesting. I'll just keep my head down.)

"Thinking about ducking again?" Neku turned to Hanakoma who seemed to just show up behind him.

"Just in my class."

"You've still got a lot to learn Phones."

"I want depth, not just volume." Hanakoma just sighed.

"If you say so. But depth isn't always easy to find." With those words, Hanakoma walked back into his shop. (What does that mean?) Neku looked up at the sun, finding it start to set. He finished off his house blend and got up to make his way back to his home.

Shiki and Eri were on their way through the Shibuya Dept. Store as the crowds started to pick up as the day turned to night.

"Ah, the night life must be fascinating around Shibuya." Eri commented, watching the people, "Speaking of people, how did you meet those friends of yours?"

"Oh um…during a summer project." Shiki replied, remembering Neku's cover story he told her.

"And Neku was part of that?"

"Yes." Eri just smiled.

"And what's his deal?" Shiki felt a bit of worry at this question. For all Shiki knew, Eri could have figured out that was a lie.

"W-What do you mean?"

"Well, he comes off as a bit aloof." Shiki chuckled.

"Yeah, that's Neku."

"But his take on trends is fascinating. He's got an eye for the world that's intriguing. Plus…he's kind of cute, isn't he?" This made Shiki stiffen up as her cheeks flushed pink.

"I-I-I-I don't know." Eri giggled at her response.

"I think so anyway." Shiki was a bit conflicted on this matter. She had considered Neku before…even mulled over it for a few hours when she couldn't sleep. But she had never considered that other girls would be interested in Neku. They eventually came to a stop at Eri's apartment. "I'll see you at school tomorrow." Shiki waved as she made her way up the steps and into the building. When she was inside, Shiki made her way home, continuing to think about the possibility of Eri getting together with Neku.

As Neku touched the doorknob to his apartment, he felt a cold chill go up his back. Neku just decided to shake off that feeling open up to find his mom sitting on the couch and watching one of Shibuya's game shows. (Knowing dad, he's probably out on the night shift right now.) Neku shut the door and moved over to watch over his mother's shoulder.

"Neku. Welcome home."

"Hi mom." He looked towards the small kitchen they had, noticing a lack of any preparation or signs of a meal. "You hungry? I can make some rice if you're up for it."

"No thanks sweetie. I had something with your father before you showed up." (Saves me a meal. I'm not hungry anyway.)

"I'm going to head to bed then. I've got school in the morning."

"Alright…oh, you got a letter in the mail today." (A letter for me?) Neku looked on the coffee table and noticed an envelope with his name on it but no address. (Who dropped this off?)

Neku stepped into his room. It was full of different Cat items, from posters to CDs to even a few t-shirts and bags. If anyone wanted to know who Cat's biggest supporter was, they would just have to look in Neku's room. Neku swiped open the envelop and reached in, finding a letter.

"Erasure is not the only end to Shibuya. The end is up to you and what you decide to do." (Weird letter.) He looked over it again, reading it twice over to try to figure out what it was saying. (This is just confusing.) Neku let out a yawn and decided to leave the letter for later. He wouldn't be able to figure anything out tonight.

As Neku slept, an air began to blanket Shibuya. A subtle air that left an impression on no one in the RG. For the Reapers in the UG working that night, and the Composer, a small chill worked its way up their back. Some pushed it off as the night air but the Composer knew it was something powerful entering the boundary of his world.