Chapter III
First Beat

"Sir, Sample PA has awakened."

The voice was female, that much he could tell. His senses were numbed to the core, a sheet of ice over his heart, his ears picked up the sloshing sound of water rocking back and forth, coating his inner ear with an unknown substance. The water was cool to his cheeks, running over the gaps of his fingers and toes. Inches from his face was transparent glass. A glass box, he thought, wiggling his fingers over the sides of the box. The box was glowing a radiant of green and blue, beyond the glass was pure darkness.

A man's face appeared, the light from the water sharpening the wrinkles on his face, the criss in his forehead formed layers of dried skin. He was big in size, wearing a badge suit, the long collars of his sleeves made his hands look big and powerful, enough to dent a wall. There was no strand of hair left on his head, only a surface of shaven area. "This is the boy you are working on?" he asked, his jaw set to a scowl. "He is merely a child, no more than an insolent fool. I want a servant who follows orders, not a mindless teenager."

"Your Excellency, this child you are referring to has exceeded the limitations of mankind," a gruff voice said. "He is among the many that shows outstanding results."

"Results doesn't matter if he rebels."

"This is why we must start when he is still growing. Developing the genes takes years to comprehend. Giving it to anyone else would cause deaths. We may not find another as remarkable as him."

"This operation needs two." The man disappeared back in the gloom, his voice sharp. "You promised me there is another one. Was that a lie?"

"No," the voice glowered back. "Let me finish first, old man."

"Do not use that tone with me."

"Whatever. The other one isn't a structured being. Unlike Subject PA, he has powers that wasn't instilled, but rather born with it. Subject PA is a replica from an expired one. The other one is a living human being continuing life as it is."

"So you have the second one?"

A pause. "The globe is not a small world, it's bigger than you think. Never mind worrying about male or female, the population itself is a challenge to us."

"Then why aren't you doing anything?"

"I'm doing everything as best as I can. I have search parties all over the world for years. It's not easy as you see. There is still the government to be concerned over. Do you want a foul play to jeapardize everything we have liven up to? Every single night and day I spent myself in this lab working my way through this mess is another step closer to insanity for me. The more I solve problems, the more the holes keep popping up. It's like a rash that never stops itches."

"I don't care what it takes; put up posters, establish examination for every kid or adult out there, start kidnapping if you have to!"

"Didn't you listen to me a minute ago?" the voice said through gritted teeth. "We have the government on our tail, unless you want the lab and the formulas destroyed then you got another thing coming! We have to restart every-freaking-thing, don't you get it!? Do you want to be sent to prison and wait for another decade to start planning the procedure, to remember the blueprints?"

Silence followed after that, broken by the heavy breathing from the second voice. "Alright," the man replied softer. "I won't rush you in that topic. But give me one good reason why completing this boy is far more important. The priority, at the moment, is finding the second one among millions of them. Shouldn't the search be conducted closely?"

"Yes, what you are implying is very true. It's like finding a needle in a haystack. What do you do when playing hide-and-seek with metal? You get a magnet. That's where the boy comes in handy."

"You're saying the boy can find his...kin?"

"Absolutely! They are two sides of a coin, a package that cannot be without the other. There is a strong connection between them. They can reach each other through dreams and communicate, that is the beauty of it all."

"So the boy should be asleep now?"

"Comatose? Yes, of course."

"Why is he awake then?

Again, a pregnant pause. He heard footsteps gaining closer and a face of another man. He was the complete opposite of the first. He had a thin frame that could be passed for underfed, hollow cheeks and tired eyes. He wore a white lab coat over a T-shirt. There was a scar running down his right eye, curving to his chin. His hair, a mop messy coal-black tresses, hung over his face. When those green eyes locked onto his, they widened into saucers. "Impossible," he breathed. "This, by far, is uncommon."

The first man sidled up beside him. "Why? What does this mean?"

The scientist said nothing at first. "It means the connection has been broken. Something is interfering with the link they both share."

"Explain in Japanese."

The scientist stared emptily at the man. "It means his other kin is thinking of someone strongly. Someone has occupied the mind of the other, forcing Subject PA out. If this continues further, the link will break."

"What should we do?"

"You do nothing," the scientist threatened, walking away. "I must contact the staff and make preparations. We're going to reattach back the thread."

The man turned to the spot where the scientist was. "How are you going to accomplish that? Find this person before the connection breaks?"

There was a sinister chuckle that promised casualties. "I have my methods. It might take long though."

"Take as much time as you need. Just make sure the job is done."

"Whatever it takes," agreed the scientist.

"My, Tasuku-kun, you're leaving early today."

"You know that Kaa-chan owns a dojo at our place, right?"

Tasuku nodded, transferring the stacks of papers into his hands, donning them on her desk. "Sorry for bailing on you with this much paperwork," he apologized sincerely.

"I know. You told me, right?"

"It's fine." Stella smiled at him. "It's good that you're coming out of your shell. I was worried about the whole fiasco last week and Akari-chan only told me tiny details, telling me to leave you alone and you were fine, that you just needed time, she said. I found it hard to believe at first, but looking at you right now..."

Tasuku masked his astonishment with a deadpanned look. Was he really changing?

"Listen, we have PE on Wednesday. I'm going to be an instructor in Mikado-style Aiki-jujutsu for my class. We're allowed to invite people and I wanted you to come, you know, to experience." The words came out unstable.

Tasuku forced a smile. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine now."

Stella went behind her desk and began riffling through the papers, grabbing a pen to sign some of them. "Things went better, didn't they?"

"You're inviting me?" Tasuku asked in disbelief.

Gao swung his head back to look into his eyes, but looked away instantly, a blush creeping into his cheeks. "Yeah," he answered. "Don't make this even harder. I just wanted to introduce you to Tetsuya and Kiri."

"Ah," Tasuku echoed the word, drumming his fingers on the table. "Of course."

"Of course." He heard himself saying the same thing, the two voices from past and present interlapping into one. There was an awkward silence, the staring contest between them served as an excuse for her to see it in his eyes, to see the truth behind his odd behaviour. He must have did a good job hiding his emotions, because Stella sat back sighing, given up on trying to read him. "I'll be going." He grabbed his long-strapped bag where he stored his clothes and sped out of the doorway, not bothering to answer a startled Takihara who he nearly rammed into.

"Whoa." Takihara spun out of the way before there was a collision. Tasuku disappeared around the corner before he could voice out. He turned to Stella, who looked on amusedly. "What's gotten him so excited?"

He shook his head before walking over to his own desk with his fair share of paperwork to do. He heard Stella giggling by the corner. "What?"

"Nothing important," she said in a sang-song voice, which only heightened his suspicion.

Tasuku had changed out of his work clothes, putting on his school's workout attire: a normal white T-shirt and a pair of red shorts. He thought of using a vehicle to reduce the amount of time to reach there, but decided against it. He wouldn't want every pair of eyes to spot him from a mile away. Instead he took Jack's suggestion to fly, and now he was, summoning Jack out of his card form to activate his Buddy Skill. Circles rotated at each side of his feet. He started to float, two trails of steam spilled back.

"What should I wear?"

It was stupid for him to ask. He had spent the morning fussing over what to wear before dropping the clothes in a pile, realizing with utmost embarrassment that he was acting much like an enraptured girl on her first date.

It was Gao's turn to be surprised. "Anything's fine. Why?"

"Nothing," Tasuku said too fast, cheeks heating up.

Tasuku sighed, flying over Shibuya street filled with people gushing over a boy behind a stand, performing magic tricks; a clown in an oversized pants, large shoes, a plated shirt and a big red nose was parading down the road, flipping his hat over his head; another clown was making animals out of balloons for passing kids; a salesman in his expensive suit was advertising about a portable machine; there was also an old lady selling sweets and chocolate. The world was cycling in its own way, just as everyone was moving forward in their lives.

"What was I thinking acting like that this morning," he mumbled to himself, sailing by a theme park, a few fingers below were pointed in his direction. He gave a short wave to them, their joyful faces fading behind him.

"Tasuku."

He barely dodged an incoming building. "Don't scare me like that."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Jack. What's wrong?"

"I should be asking you that," Jack said, flying beside him. "You've been acting strange since the morning. Does it have anything to do with the nightmares?"

Tasuku was quiet after that, letting the wind rushed past him, hearing large waves in his ears. "No." He knew? For how long?

"From the beginning," Jack said, as if reading his mind.

"You were watching?"

"Always." Looking into Jack's amber eyes, he knew his buddy was dead serious. Guilt started to settle in. How much pain did Jack endure? Watching him squirming in bed, facing the nightmares each and every night for two weeks, Jack was the one suffering all this time, not being able to help or ease his nightmares. Jack had said so, your pain will always be my pain.

Making up his mind, Tasuku flew above Jack. He turned his Buddy Skill off and he smoothly landed on the dragon's neck, settling into a comfortable position. He wrapped his arms around his neck, pressed his cheek against the scales, the rigid muscles underneath him relaxed. "I'm sorry," he murmured soothingly. "It was hard for you, wasn't it?" Jack didn't answer, a gesture for him to go on. "From now on, no more secrets," he promised, tightening his grip.

How long could he keep that promise?

They landed a few blocks away, behind a deserted alley, the darkness providing a good cover for them to shy away from the public. Tasuku didn't need to reveal more of his situation to the world, his personal life was at stake. Sooner or later, the press were going to knock on his door for answers. Not this time though. He was much more careful, flying high in the clouds and low behind buildings. People didn't need to know why he was attending a lesson with the same boy who accidentally kissed him in front of a camera.

Tasuku shook his head, sighing. The world had really gone nuts from it all. Still the articles were streaming through the charts, each day was the talk of the same prospect, same report that travelled the globe in mere seconds. Couldn't people forget about it?

He was pulled out from his thoughts when he registered an old man a feet away from him. He jumped back, started, closed to tipping over a trashcan. The man was in an old cloak, his face hidden under the hood. He was perched on a stool, a square table in front of him consisted of pearls, diamonds, a variety of craftsmanship and voodoo dolls. Weird, was the man involved in occult?

"Sorry. I didn't see you there." The man remained quiet, his covered hands beckoned him closer. Tasuku didn't move, strangers were dangerous enough without being bundled up. Who knew he could get robbed and stabbed by a concealed knife. Thief these days were smarter, one underestimation from his part, he could end up dead for all he knew. "I should be going right now. I'm already late."

The man began to whisper in a different language, agitated. Tasuku didn't understand a single thing he said. "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're trying to tell me."

"Tasuku," Jack warned, stepping between them. "Don't get close. He's dangerous."

Tasuku complied, knowing that trusting Jack's instinct was for the better. "What should we do, leave?"

"It's for the best."

Tasuku turned to leave, then froze on the spot. In a second the man was in front of him, standing tall, a walking stick in one hand that disappeared behind the cloak. Before Tasuku could react, the man's hand darted out and closed around his wrist. Panic flared in his nerves, his hand struggling to break the hold, but despite the man's hand all ashen and dark and wrinkled up, his grip was as strong as iron. "Let go!"

Jack's tail snapped up towards the man, whipping him across the chest. The cloaked man was knocked onto his back, his grip pried off, touching the ground at the end of the alley where the sun poured on the pavement. The man got up, uninjured. Jack's claws were clamped on Tasuku's shoulders, his wings spread, ready to fly off.

The man realized the movement and stood where he was. "Ryuenji Tasuku." There wasn't one voice speaking, but a thousand voices chanting in one beat, the vibrations shook his nerves. "The puppeteer's strings are fully intact and the play has begun."

"I don't know what do you mean." His voice was shaking.

"The only thing it's lacking is a another marionette," the man continued, undisturbed.

"You're not making an sense!"

"Be ready when it comes for you."

Jack's tail snaked out, fast and deadly. The man saw it coming this time. He deflated the blow with his walking stick. Jack sneered at him. The man laughed hysterically and vanished in a shower of raven feathers. Tasuku looked on blankly, his constricted heart had his veins pumping loudly in his ears. Jack's talons clenched painfully, but he did not voice out a complain, simply the meeting of the man had kicked up an uneasy sensation in both of them.

"Are you okay?"

Tasuku swallowed. "Yeah. Just a little—scared, that's all." He scanned the place for any signs of life. "We should go," he said, after confirming that what happened back there wasn't a dream, but a solid memory that kept coming back to him.

"Who do you think that was?" Jack asked after a few blocks down the avenue, his feet creating tiny quakes.

Tasuku shook his head. "Let's forget it."

Jack fell in-step with him. "He knew your name."

Tasuku shrugged, trying to sound casual, but nothing was alright at all. "I don't know. Anyone could have known my name. The press weren't that quiet when it came to me. He could have just gotten that from the papers or TV."

Jack turned to Tasuku. "Surely you don't believe that. His words, do you remember what he said? The last line of the sentence was a warning."

"Jack, people do a lot of stupid things just to intimidate others," Tasuku said, a hint of doubt, not exactly trusting what was he saying. "Whoever back there probably thought it was funny to prank me, and they did what they wanted. Case's closed."

"It certainly wasn't a funny prank to me."

"Jack," Tasuku began, stopping at the front entrance of the gates. "I appreciate your concern, but don't you think maybe we're just tired and everything's getting to our heads?"

"The only thing getting to our heads is we're not being careful enough." Jack switched back to card form. "I don't plan to regret later on." He slipped into the right pocket of his shorts. "Neither should you."

"I know."

Past the gates was a small resting area, six rows of trimmed bushes lined the square, its plushy leaves curled into each other. A fountain sat in the middle, geysers of cold water shot out from the middle. Two sets of escalators rolled up to the top, the railings made of hard rubber to prevent anyone from slipping. The last time he had turned up in Aibo, it had been a short flight and a small glimpse of this area, he had missed out a lot of things with his rushing hours over the city. He wondered how many times he missed all the tiny details that made the things shine in their own way.

He immediately turned away as soon as he came to one single problem. The place was packed with people—like literally. There were short hang-outs in groups, adults roaming the place with their firm grips on toddlers' chubby hands, a man walking his many dozen of dogs, a lady lighting up a cigar by the bench and students spanning from first grade to university graduates. God, how bad could the situation get?

"Jack," he said helplessly, ducking his head away from wary eyes. He was glad that he had changed into his sports attire. People could spot him within a mile radius if he was in his uniform or work clothes, but it didn't keep the prying eyes off his back. "Why is there so many students outside? Don't they have classes?"

Unlike your school, students here can roam freely before their next class, Jack informed. You can see from their dress code that the school isn't that strict.

It was true. In his school, uniforms were compulsory for everyone. You wouldn't dare walk in class with jeans and a shirt, it could get you expelled. Furthermore, no student was allowed outside the perimeter of the school unless you didn't have any classes later on, you were free to leave. There was an attendance list for every class they swapped, so if you were planning on escaping, you could count that out, because they would know.

He found a place to hide behind a closed stall the owner had yet to arrive. There were more stationed nearby, most of them boarded with pictures and words, a lady or a man were either situated behind the carts, electric stoves sizzling with meat and eggs, a combination of other seasoning added to the snack. Further down was a woman clothed in linen fabric, throttling up to customers with a bright smile.

There. His eyes zeroed in on the last cart. There were a collection of wigs, random gadgets, flowery-themed hairbands, second-hand mobiles sold at half-prize, a cabinet of earrings, and to his luck: hats and caps were hanging off the hooks. He walked behind the carts, making sure to avoid them as much as possible. There was a man sitting on a deck chair, a smoking cigar in his mouth, his bold head had three strands of hair combed to the back. The vibe he gave off seemed to ward anyone off. Tasuku didn't have a choice, it was the only cart that was empty.

"Good morning." The man looked up, bored. "Do you have anything concealing?"

"Who knows? Why don't you just do it yourself?" he snapped, shutting the magazine he was holding. Tasuku flushed red. The man went behind the small tent behind his cart, muttering to himself. "I swear kids these days are too spoilt. What do they think they are, royalties?" He appeared a few seconds later, shoving a fisherman's hat over his hair. "Here. Take this." Tasuku barely caught the shades thrown at him. "It's free," he cut off before Tasuku could ask how much. "Now scram." He went back to his seat, burying his nose into the contents.

After a moment hesitation, Tasuku put on the shades and left when he saw the man glared his way. He pushed the hat below his eyebrows, making sure that any evident that could expose him was hidden away. The disguise did its trick. No one batted an eyelash in his direction. He was another unworthy breathing human that wasn't worth looking at—another stranger that people didn't want to know. Curiosity was limited to an extent to not overdo it.

He took the escalators up. The compound he hopped onto branched off in every direction. There were buildings in erected stance, a dome encircling a stadium, a long warehouse, buildings that formed a U-shape, smaller ones that took up the whole length. Aibo Academy was huge—twice the size of his middle school at least. It was his first time getting a good look at the place without the desire to escape from a mob of fans. Why haven't he done this from start? It certainly made moving around easier and less chaotic.

A quick look around, he could tell he was stranded. He referred to the map at the noticeboard, his finger touched the spot where he was at the main entrance of the building and traced across the map, over the elementary block to the dojo. His eye twitched at the distance and time it was going to take on foot.

You'll attract attention if you fly, was Jack's not-so-helpful statement.

Tasuku arrived fifteen minutes later, bone-tired. He slid in the dojo silently, not a soul noticing his presence. He snuck round the corner and dropped his bag next to the pile, watching the assaults of limbs desperate to throw each other off. There was a gathering crowd, and that was when he spotted Gao dodging a hand. He went closer for a better look, forcing sharp eyes to be aware of his existence.

"Don't fool around or you'll get hurt," Gao was advising a boy in a hat and what looked to be bananas in his hair. Tasuku never saw it coming—seeing the clumsy boy very earnest about this. A giggle bubbled beneath his throat, but he managed a single smile before turning to an unknown voice among the horde.

"Why is Gao-kun being so intellectual?" Tasuku realized he was the same boy who was saved by Gao a week ago.

"He won the National Tournament thrice in Mikado-style Aiki-jujutsu," replied his partner.

"Does that mean he was challenging adults?"

"He also excels in Judo."

"That's cool!"

Judo and Mikado-style Aiki-jujutsu, Tasuku noted the information. And not to mention, a winner in three consecutive National Tournament. He's amazing. That's why I want to try something out. He broke away from the swarm. "Who are you?" Gao turned on him with a solemn expression, his mouth thinning. "Why aren't you in your uniform?"

Tasuku rolled his eyes, although no one could see it with his shades on. He thought Gao would recognize him, but apparently the disguise was strong enough to keep Gao's golden gaze over the real motive. Or he forgotten, another part of his mind whispered. He didn't answer Gao.

"I'm going to get the teacher," Gao threatened. It was an empty threat to him. He had faced worse, his life clinging by the edge of the cliff, and knew that any moment could be the end of the storyline for him. But it was different for the sea of students who had known about his fame and seen what he could do. Tasuku took a fighting stance, raising his hands. "Fine. If you want to settle this the hard way..." Gao didn't finish his sentence, taking his own position. Nervous energy danced through every short gulp or uncertain glance between a brawl.

Tasuku, what are you doing?

Just testing something, he mouthed the words.

The crowd backed away, fearing that a hit would land on them. Tasuku wasn't afraid. It was the opposite; his adrenaline surged through his veins, the fluttering of butterflies in his stomach sent goosebumps up his shoulders, his fingers tingled for action, for excitement to let out. It had been a week since he felt like this. He saw himself standing in the arena, on the other side of the fighting stage was Gao and his buddy, while Jack was holding the Dragon World flag behind him.

Gao moved fast, fingers closing around his wrist. Tasuku briefly remembered the exact motion Gao had made when he was watching him in the alley. He flicked his wrist outwards, rendering Gao's hand in a vulnerable pose, seeing the shock registered in his features. Tasuku tried pulling his wrist back, but Gao's grip was just as insistent, tugging in his direction. Tasuku's free hand aimed for the joint connecting the arm to his shoulder, but Gao retaliated by grabbing his wrist; that was when Tasuku took advantage, pressing down on a joint between the thumb and index finger. He felt Gao's grasp loosened and swiftly side-stepped away when Gao made a grab for him.

Tasuku was behind Gao in seconds, pushing on his previous target, his foot kicked out on the back of his knee. Gao grunted, knees buckling, his right arm bent back. Tasuku was about to push him down when Gao used his fall to sweep Tasuku's feet from underneath him, rolled onto his back and threw him back. Tasuku's back hit the wood, wincing at the impact. He rolled away just in time before Gao could flip him over.

Tasuku got up and began dodging the advances Gao made. I can't keep running. I need to wait for an opening, that's when I'll strike. It felt like hours had passed when Tasuku's right foot caught Gao's. There. He dove, both hands gripped the front of his Haori, spun around with his back facing Gao and threw him down.

Everything happened in a blur. Next thing he knew Gao was crouched below him instead of his back on the ground. Tasuku gasped as Gao sprung up and tackled his foot with his. He toppled back onto a hard chest which left him breathless, an arm circled his shoulders, the other one locked his wrists behind him. "I win," he heard Gao whispered from behind him. Tasuku sighed and dropped his head. So much for the plan.

Gao stiffened behind him, a couple of gasps escaping from the throng. Perplexed, he raised his lashes and discovered the world wasn't covered in an extra layer of darkness, the colours hitting him in bright rainbows. At his feet laid the shades he had worn.

"You surprised me back there," Gao said, hands behind his head. "I didn't even know it was you."

Tasuku elbowed his ribs. He was satisfied when Gao winced at the pain. "From the way you put it, it's like you're not going to expect me for the whole day."

"You could have went through the front door."

"I did go through the front door," Tasuku corrected. "You were just too busy getting so much attention than notice me."

Gao would be lying if he denied what Tasuku was saying. But it wasn't for the fame, it was to make sure that nothing went wrong during the whole lesson. If either one of his classmates gotten hurt under his supervision, he wouldn't want to think how terrifying his mother could get.

"You were disguising yourself," Gao said accusingly. "How am I going to know it's you?"

Tasuku looked away. "Goes to show that you're pretty dense in matters of much more than logic."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Tasuku turned back and performed a light chop on his head. "It means Gao-kun surpasses the word of logic with his own wittedness."

Gao slapped the hand away. "Are you calling me stupid?"

Tasuku smiled that innocent smile, like he was an actor caught stealing cookies. "It means you're an idiot without common sense."

"That doesn't make it any better." Gao got onto his feet. "How did you do that anyway?"

"Do what?"

"When you did something to my hand," Gao said, holding up his hand. "I held onto your wrist. Not everyone can break it through that easily."

"I have my fair share of Judo. A friend taught me a bit." Tasuku got onto his feet. The evening sky melted into an orange hue, a soft breeze ruffled though his blue tresses, the afterglow of the disappearing sun hit them. His eyes were shinning, like rubies under a spotlight. For a moment Gao was mesmerized by the light's work. He felt a noticeable skip in his heartbeat, a quell of bouncing balls hastening.

Tasuku looked at the sky. "I should go. It's getting late. It's nice that I get to see your family's Aiji-jujutsu."

Gao tried to answer, but the words accumulated in his throat. It didn't take long for Tasuku's silhouette to shrink into a small dot in a distance. Disappointment ventured into his heart. What was going on? Was he sick? He felt feverish, a hot load of adrenaline flooded through his veins. And that was when he heard it.

The first sign of a beat.

Author: The words that are in Italics are usually flashbacks or conversations between two buddies when one of them is in card form. In the old man scene, I wanted to make the old man's voice really stand out in words, that's why I put them in Italics, like a thousand voices.

I'm sorry that I didn't update last week, but I have to admit I can't just keep going on with my exams coming up. Actually it already started yesterday, but what the heck, I want to have some time to write. I'll try to update at least two chapters per month. Try.

Back to the point here, I took in considerate of your reviews (by the way I'm grateful that you spare some time to voice out your thoughts) and it really helped me in a lot of ways. It'll eventually veer off when the time is right. Probably before the start of the Sengoku Arc.

To reply to one reviewer who said that Tasuku act a lot like Shinon. Actually (I hate to say this) I didn't know the second season of SAO was out until you mentioned it. I was seriously embarrassed when a friend of mine said "You don't know the second season is out? You're way behind. Girl, you call yourself an Otaku?" Yes, I'm very behind since this is my third year. I have to study. I watch the entire season in these two weeks and wow, I was completely blown away with how advanced their graphics and plot got. Especially one episode that featured Shinon with her friend talking about how irritating Kirito was, I compared my second chapter with it and found that a few lines were the same and how they react to the situation. That was a huge coincidence. Although people say coincidence rarely happens.

And Kirito's hair. O_O I can not believe it. How's Asuna going to react to her boyfriend with long hair? I laughed when Kirito tried to act cute in front of the crowd, asking them to cheer for her—cough—I mean, him. O Sorry Kirito, you look so much like a girl!

And guys, remember last week's episode. It was so obvious that Tasuku is targeted by Kyoya. I literally scream at my laptop "I knew it!" and my sister was like "What are you doing?" Then I reflect upon myself that my sister has no interest at all in Anime. Too bad. That's why I have you guys to discuss with. And did anyone checked the Wikia? The title of Episode 39 is "Dear, Gao-kun".

Oh god, I'm hyperventilating. Anyway, there is only a few possibilities. First is that it's a goodbye from Kiri or Tasuku, one of them are going bad. Unless Bushiroad is trying to troll my fantasies of Gaosuku, a new character or Suzuha (I don't want that). Tasuku didn't even appear in the latest episode! I want him back now! Curse those stupid (fake) detectives. The third might be from Disaster, Kyoya want to recruit or whatever.

See you in the next chapter.