The van rattled as it went over a particularly brutal bump in the road. Its occupants—one driver, two men in suits and sunglasses, a tall man with black hair dyed a fiery red at the tips, and Rio Nakamura—bounced roughly as the vehicle ran over a pothole. No one said a word, and silence permeated the cabin.

Rio tried to act calm, but her eyes kept drifting over to the tall man across from her. He simply sat casually, legs crossed and arms laid over the top of his seat, an unconcerned smile on his face. So far, he'd said nothing since taking her into the van, and Rio hadn't mustered up the courage to ask anything. Her heart pounded in her chest. What was she doing? This was crazy! Getting into a van with a bunch of guys whose association she didn't even know? She was probably going to die! Of course, she could do nothing now. She was locked into this course of action. She wanted badly to get answers, to grab the tall man by his collar, slam him up against the wall of the van, and demand explanations, but the men in suits about him intimidated her to great effect. All Rio could do was hope for the best.

Eventually, the tall man leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "We'll be at our destination soon, Miss Nakamura. I wouldn't want to give you any disquiet about our intentions, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to get you to wear a bag over your head as we take you inside."

"Well, you've already given me plenty reason to worry about your intentions; what's a little more?" She replied dryly, despite her better judgement.

The man laughed. "Too true, Miss Nakamura. Terribly sorry about that. My guards are simply used to putting on a scary face for strangers. But trust me, if I haven't completely destroyed that possibility, when I say that you will receive an explanation soon. For now, please put on this bag." He produced a bag, and handed it over. "Our location is secure, you see, and if you refuse our deal, we wouldn't want you revealing where it is."

So I can refuse their deal, Rio thought in suspicion. Or is he just saying that to put me at ease? She had no choice but to hope. Sighing, she put the bag over her head. A pair of hands tightened it around her neck, and briefly she panicked, but the rope was only tight enough to prevent seeing anything from below, the hands gentle and soon pulling away.

The van pulled to a stop. Rio heard doors open as well as a deal of shuffling, before firm hands pulled her from her seat and directed her through the van door. About her, she heard birds, cicadas, and other sounds of nature. There didn't seem to be any noises suggesting a city surrounding. Made sense—from what Rio could tell, though there had been no windows in the van, they had likely driven well outside the city.

The hands still on her shoulders guided her along a path. Blades of long grass brushed occasionally against her legs. A path. Someplace well worn? The ground beneath her feet certainly wasn't concrete. Rio continued analyzing what she could before she heard a metal door open and felt the outside air disappear. Her helping hands vanished from her shoulders, and a voice said, "You can remove the bag now, Miss Nakamura."

She did so, finding the rope come loose easily with a hard tug. Her vision now returned to her, she glanced about. The building she was in now was large. A warehouse, though seemingly empty, apparently abandoned save for the white lights far overhead. The only windows were high up near the ceiling, giving her no clues to her location besides the dark night sky. Well, we definitely aren't in the city, Rio thought. I'd see tall buildings in the windows.

"Come, if you would," the tall man gestured towards a metal door off to the side. She followed, still uncertain as to how safe she really was right now, tailed by the handful of suites guards. Through the side door they entered a long hallway dimly lit with yellow lights. Doors appeared periodically, their contents not obvious.

Eventually they arrived at a door like all the others. With a knock, the tall man stepped back. A call of "come in" came from behind it, and the man produced a set of keys. Once it was unlocked, he led the party inside.

The room beyond was strikingly different from the dingy, metal warehouse and hallway. A lavish, expensive-looking study greeted them, decorated corner to corner with what Rio imagined rich people would put in their homes. Paintings of high quality decorated the walls, accompanied by beautiful sculptures and vases on pedestals below. Shelves packed with books of multifarious size and form stood against the walls when paintings didn't take up the space, tall and made with lacquered wood. A visually complex chandelier hung above a large wooden desk, the surface of which was covered in papers and folders as well as a lamp and a paperweight.

And at the desk sat a woman. She had a mane of flowing black hair, large and wavy, and she wore a suit that looked like it cost as much as everything else in the room, yet was still fashionable. With a generous bust and a curvaceous body, her beauty was immediately apparent, especially when combined with her face, which bore big eyes, plump lips, and a perfect nose. All in all, she looked to be the ideal woman.

Rio forced herself to stop staring, and followed the tall man forward until she was standing beside him before the woman.

"Miss Tsutsumi, this is Rio Nakamura," the tall man said, bowing. "Miss Nakamura, this is Rin Tsutsumi."

"Uh…nice to meet you," Rio managed, extending a hand.

Tsutsumi took it. Even her hands were delicate and soft. "Miss Nakamura. It is so good to finally meet you. I had long hoped we might get the chance to talk."

Rio frowned. "Um…you know me?"

"Know of you," Tsutsumi corrected. "Ever since seven years ago, you and your former classmates have been rather famous, isn't that right?"

"Well, I don't know about that," Rio tried to laugh, but it came out as a barely audible chuckle. "I barely ever get recognized. I think it's more all of us together that catches people's attention."

Tsutsumi nodded. "I hope Daisuke didn't treat you too roughly on your way here. Sometimes he forgets what it means to be gracious to a guest."

So his name's Daisuke, then, Rio thought, giving the man a glance. He stood casually, a perpetual smile on his lips, regarding the two calmly. Turning back to the woman, Rio responded. "He was fine. Really, I'm just kind of confused as to what exactly is happening. He said you could help me with money?"

Tsutsumi shot Daisuke a sharp look. "He didn't explain anything, did he?" The woman sighed exasperatedly, while Daisuke just shrugged. "Well, I suppose I can do it. Yes, we can help you with your financial problems. Just like in any other case, you would work a job. Just a bit of a more…demanding job. In turn, we would give you an accordant amount of money."

"A job?" Rio repeated dryly.

Tsutsumi nodded. "You might not be privy this, Miss Nakamura, but not everyone is as unaware to the true nature of your Class E as the media would have you believe. In some corners of the dark web, circles actively chat about the special training you and your former classmates underwent."

A chill went down Rio's spine. She knows about that? People online know about that?

Tsutsumi continued, either oblivious of or unconcerned with Rio's shock. "You are already trained, thusly, as an assassin. No time needed to waste on teaching a new initiate, and I don't even need to hire someone. I will still spend a pretty penny on you, but any other mercenary would cheat me far worse. You are the ideal candidate for this job. The only question is your capability. Have the years worn away your skill? Daisuke has informed me even he had a hard time sneaking up on you, which is saying something. But I will not trust your skills until I see them for myself."

Rio put her hands up in front of her. "Hold on, lady. What sort of job? Sure, assassination is still in my blood, but are you asking me to actually kill anyone?" It was something Rio had never done, despite knowing full well how to. Could she actually do that? End a life?

"Not necessarily," Tsutsumi replied. "More likely we'll just have you infiltrate, sneak around, go on reconnaissance missions, collect information. Of course, if it comes to killing, it will be fortunate you have the ability."

A question suddenly popped into Rio's mind, one she probably should have asked well before now. "Wait a minute…just who are you guys, anyway?"

Tsutsumi smiled, although Rio couldn't tell why. "Let's leave that until you make a decision. On whether you want to take the job. First now, I'd like you to demonstrate your skills. You see, the sorts of places you'd be going will put you in all kinds of danger. I need to know you can get the job done regardless, and take care of any assailants should it come to that."

With that, Tsutsumi motioned to Daisuke. The man nodded, and stripped off his suit jacket. Next came his white dress shirt, which he discarded on the floor. Rio reddened, while her eyes were drawn to the distinct markings across his chest. Red tattoos matched the dyed tops of his hair, the lines elegant, sweeping along his torso. They didn't form anything in particular, though the design was mesmerizing.

Forcing her eyes away from him, Rio stared at Tsutsumi. "You want me to…fight him?"

The dark-haired woman chuckled. "Yes."

"Here?" Rio took a glance around at the lavish décor.

"Yes, dear. You will find Daisuke an adequate opponent. He has trained since early childhood, and could dispatch you with ease, but still, a match against him should give me a good idea of how capable you are."

Rio just stood there, until she realized she was really going to have to fight him. Hesitantly, she removed her jacket and her hoodie beneath it, leaving her in just a t-shirt. Her eyes once again went to Daisuke's chest, noticing the raw muscles beneath the tattoos. He wasn't bulky, just lean. But he looked strong enough, plenty capable of taking her down based on strength alone. And if Tsutsumi wasn't exaggerating, he could easily do so regardless of raw power. If Rio wanted to beat him, she had to be careful, and skillful.

Daisuke got into a battle position, one plenty familiar to Rio. She dropped into the same position, wishing for a knife. In Class E, she'd always had one on her, or else a handgun. It had been comforting to know it was there. Weapons didn't fail you; one well-placed blow and your assailant was finished. In a brawl, however, you had to land many well-placed blows, and the simple fact that your opponent might be larger than you meant you could be doomed from the start.

Size wasn't a problem for Nagisa, the thought came to her. Nagisa was the last person Rio wanted to think about right now, but there was some truth to the assessment. He'd beaten the tank Takaoka two times with out even having to throw a punch. But he also had the techniques to do so. Rio had never learned how to disable an opponent with just a clap, or with two weapons, or even with nothing but a smile. Her method had always been more direct, less cloak and dagger.

Directness would not suffice in this situation. But neither would attempting to pull off one of those techniques; having never tried them before, she was bound to fail, and then Daisuke would be on her. Only skill would win this fight. Digging into her memory, Rio tried desperately to drudge up everything she could on how to handle a fistfight, how to dodge or block your opponent's jabs, how to land decisive blows. Her eyes drifted to his crotch. One hit there might be enough to take him out.

Tsutsumi didn't give Rio any more time to think. Her voice calm and unconcerned, she sat back. "Begin"

Daisuke launched forward like a rocket, swinging at Rio with wicked force. She barely had enough time to lean out of the way, and only did so because old instincts she didn't even know were there pulled her out of the punch's trajectory. A second fist came instantly after the first one, and this time Rio managed to bring an arm up to block it. Pain shot through her arm like an earthquake, and she staggered back. Daisuke was moving again, not letting up for a second.

Focus. Suddenly she recalled a lesson, one-on-one with Mr. Karasuma. His voice came back to her, deep and in control: Watch your opponent's movements. Know what he's going to do before he does it. Then, counter.

Daisuke's eyes were on her side. His right fist twitched. There. Rio moved swiftly, catching the blow with one hand, swinging her leg up at his side in the same instant. It connected, shaking her bones.

She felt a moment of joy, but it died as she realized Daisuke had only caught her leg with his free hand. "Sorry, Miss. I'm not that easy."

Rio headbutted him.

Blood flowed from his nose as he staggered back, releasing her leg. Anger flashed across his eyes, but he only smiled, wild and eager. Rio returned it with a grin of pride, coming at him on the offensive. She rained several blows on him before he adjusted, soon dodging each punch with a grace Rio rarely saw. She tried to mix up the way she threw each fist in the hope of catching him off guard, but it was clear he was just playing with her now.

Eventually, before Rio could try another tactic, Daisuke launched into the offensive again, landing vicious blow after vicious blow. Rio did her best to block each shot, but the pain rattled through her, causing her head to swim. Then, gripping her by each shoulder, he slammed his knee brutally into her stomach, and Rio dropped, pain and exhaustion keeping her down.

"That's the match," Tsutsumi said, the calmness in her voice strongly disjointed against the energy of the fight. Daisuke backed away, bowing to Rio. Unable to move without pain shooting through her, Rio just lay there, her head throbbing.

"Did…did I fail?" She almost didn't want to hear the answer. As shady as this whole thing sounded, Rio needed the money desperately, at least just to help her survive until she could realistically go after a job she actually wanted to work. If she was denied here, she didn't know what she would do.

Tsutsumi laughed, hearty and warm. "No, Miss Nakamura. In fact, you fared far better than almost everyone I've seen fight Daisuke one-on-one. With the skill that he wields, most opponents go down quickly and succumb to his brutal, powerful attacks. But you not only blocked his advances, you actually landed a hit. It's always a rare occasion when Daisuke draws blood in a fistfight."

It's uncommon for people to hit this guy? Rio frowned, glancing at Daisuke as he pulled his shirt back on. Just who was he?

Tsutsumi stood up, striding over to where Rio lay, still recovering. "I am very pleased by this test. It's clear you haven't lost any of your skill. You are exactly the sort of person we want for this job. You have it, if you want it."

Rio did, desperately. But instead of saying so, she voiced a thought. "Hold on…why not just send Daisuke to do this job? He's obviously more skilled than me."

Tsutsumi inclined her head. "True. But he is needed elsewhere currently. And there are many who might recognize his face. And…well, suffice it to say there are other reasons you are the preferred choice. Why, would you rather he take the job and leave you still broke?"

Quickly shaking her head, Rio propped herself up on her elbows despite the pain. "I want it. Please."

Bending down, Tsutsumi held out a hand, helping Rio to her shaky feet. The dark-haired woman smiled lightly. "In that case, welcome to the organization."

.

Hiroto and Isogai were competing to see how many push-ups they could do in one minute when Megu and Okano left the gym. The cold hit Okano like a hammer as she and Megu walked onto the sidewalk, sweating and wearing just their gym wear. She cringed. It was spring, yes, but today wasn't the warmest of the season. Hurriedly as she and Megu crossed the street she pulled her hoodie over her head and felt its insulation warm her. The sweat beading her brow disappeared as they went into the nearby café.

In the café's relative cleanliness, Okano scrunched up her nose at a pungent odor. She sniffed an armpit reluctantly. "Oh, fuck, we stink!"

Megu sighed. "Well, that is generally what happens when you're active."

Okano scowled, giving her friend a light punch on the arm. "Oh, stop being such a smart aleck."

The taller woman looked down. "I…sorry. I've been in a bad mood lately."

Okano waited for her to go on, but Megu just stared at the floor pensively. Shrugging, Okano walked over to the counter, ordering two biscuits. They soon were brought to her, warm and tantalizing after having expended so much energy at the gym. Taking them in hand, she turned and scanned the tables available. Megu had already chosen a table, sitting and staring out the window.

Okano joined her, handing her a biscuit. Megu still seemed gloomy.

Okano sighed. "Alright. What's wrong?"

Megu shook her head. "It's…Yuma. We've been…having issues."

"Tell me about it," Okano replied, chuckling bitterly. "You should've seen me and Hiroto the other day. We were…uh…" She blushed despite herself. "Making out…and the phone rang, and then he just pulled away and went to pick it up! And he told me it was cause he was waiting on a call from Isogai! Don't those two know how to text? I swear, I love Hiroto, but sometimes, he just…" As she trailed away, she frowned at Megu. "What happened with Isogai?"

Megu traced the table absently, taking a slow bite of her biscuit. "Well…I don't know. Maybe I'm just being petty. When we're at work, he basically ignores me. And that's fine, I mean, I understand…don't exactly want to be flirting in the workplace or anything. But he won't even chat with me. He just gets so absorbed with his work. Sometimes I just…worry about us. And about him. He gets way too focused on work. He does four hours of overtime some days. It's…" She pinched the bridge of her nose.

Okano stretched a hand across the table, laying it on her friend's. "Hey. Maybe you can talk some sense into him. Isogai's reasonable. If you explain things to him, maybe he'll realize what he's doing. Especially if it concerns you. He loves you, you know. He wouldn't let work get in the way if he knew how it was affecting you."

A wan smile appeared on Megu's lips at that. "I can try, I guess. It's just kind of hard to bring it up. He barely has any free time. The weekends are the only free time he gets, and he always spends it all on me. I mean…at least Maehara has time for both you and himself, right?"

Okano shook her head. "He…he doesn't get it, sometimes. He can't catch a hint, and sometimes he'll be rude or just do something stupid and he can never tell that it bothers me. I mean…I don't know. I wish I thought I could try to get it through his skull, but he's just so…dense. At least Isogai listens."

Megu laughed. "I guess we both have boyfriends with problems."

Nodding, Okano took a breath. Now or never, she thought to herself. "Maybe…we all just need a break. What if we all went to a party? I bet that would really help us loosen up."

Her friend's brow furrowed. "What are you getting at?"

Leaning forward almost furtively, Okano couldn't resist grinning a little. "I was going to a party tonight. My gymnastics friend is going, and she says it'll be totally awesome. I haven't told Hiroto yet, but I'm sure he'd love to go. I was wondering…would you and Isogai like to come?"

Megu's lips drew into a line. "A party? What kind of party? Like a rave?"

Okano shook her head. "No, I think it's like a house party. With a punch bowl and drinks and snacks and stuff? Yeah. But wouldn't that be fun? We could totally just have a night to ourselves! No need to worry about work or relationships! We could just get wasted and stuff!"

There was a dry look on Megu's face. She sighed. "Sure. Why not? Maybe Yuma really will lighten up. And it's not like either of us really had plans. He'd probably have fallen asleep halfway through whatever movie we were going to watch anyway."

Pumping her fist, Okano stuffed her biscuit into her mouth and looked at the time on her phone: 6:00. The party was starting at 9:00. If they left for her and Hiroto's apartment, they'd have enough time to get showered and ready before heading out. Okano wondered what Megu and Isogai's casual attire would look like; the two always seemed to be in business mode.

Giggling happily to herself, Okano led Megu back across the street, heading back inside the gym. Hiroto was bench pressing, Isogai spotting him, when the two girls approached. After Okano had pitched the party proposal, Isogai responded with great enthusiasm, seemingly excited at the prospect of having a night to let loose. Okano breathed a sigh of relief; she'd been worried Isogai might be too focused on work to bother with a party. Hiroto, of course, was all too eager to party the night away. The two finished up at the gym, before joining their girlfriends and setting out.

It didn't take long for Hiroto and Okano to arrive back at their apartment. Okano was first in the shower, making sure to get extra clean after having been at the gym for several hours. Sure, she'd likely just get sweaty again at the party, but it would be nice not to feel gross walking in. After scrubbing her body clean, she selected an outfit she thought would be appropriate for a party: a blue t-shirt with a purposefully misspelled "fcuk" in broad, bold letters, its hem short enough to reveal a little bit of stomach; ripped jean short shorts that left her legs most uncovered; bright red sneakers with too-long laces; various colorful bracelets and necklaces; and a pair of magenta sunglasses which she wore resting atop her head.

Okano admired her outfit in the tall, standing mirror in the hallway just outside the bathroom. A small smile crept onto her lips. She wasn't one to boast, but the outfit looked damn good. Okano appeared ready to take anything the party might throw at her.

"Nice!" Hiroto said, grinning as he stepped up to her, examining her attire. "That looks really good, Okano. Sexy, cute, and hot. I'll have to be on my guard all night; all the guys at that party won't be able to stop staring at you!"

The comment made Okano blush. She wrapped her arms around Hiroto's neck, giving him a brief peck on the lips, before motioning towards the bathroom. "I guess you'll have to try and show me up, then. At least regarding the stink."

He nodded, winking, and headed into the bathroom. The sounds of the shower came muffled from behind the door as Okano threw herself onto the bed, laying on it with her arms splayed and her legs having half off the edge. She couldn't help but smile to herself. For once, things seemed to be going well for her. She was advancing in the gymnastics competition, Hiroto was being his lovable self again, and maybe tonight Okano could have a good time. Who knew, maybe somehow she would finally get Hiroto to understand how frustrating he could be at times? Unlikely, though…and besides, that would probably take a more serious setting to pull off. For tonight, she would be content with Hiroto's dorky, exuberant self. Serious issues could wait.

Eventually Hiroto stepped out of the bathroom. His hair was still damp, and water droplets still beaded his skin in various spots, but he'd changed into a suitably vibrant outfit. Over his torso he wore a red tank top with fire patterns covering the lower half, complimented by dark green cargo shorts. While Okano had opted for a myriad of bracelets, Hiroto had adorned his wrists with black and white wristbands. On his feet he wore a simple pair of sandals.

Okano furrowed her brow at the footwear. "Really? Sandals? It's spring, but it's not that warm out."

"You'll change your mind once the party's swinging full force!" He replied. He walked over to the bed as she sat upright on it, and their lips met tenderly. "Now, what do you say to getting out of here?"

"What, with no supper?" She whispered against his lips.

"We can pick up something on the way," he said, pulling away. "It's only at 9:00, right? That's plenty of time. What did you want?"

"Hmm…dunno. Fast food, I guess."

Hiroto guffawed at that. "I thought women ate healthy! What happened to watching your figure or whatever?"

Okano pulled off a shoe and threw it at him. He dodged, laughing. Okano rolled her eyes, though she couldn't resist smirking. "I mostly eat healthy. But we're going to a party anyway, so what's a little indulgence for one day? And besides, I pretty much exercise every day. If anything, you're the one who needs to 'watch his figure'."

He laughed. "Maybe you're right. You showed me up at the gym today; I couldn't best you at anything. I'm just lucky Yuma's too nice to make fun of me for it." As he spoke, he walked over to the door, grabbing the car keys from their hook. "Well, fast food it is, then. Let's ride!"

The ride to the nearest McDonald's was a short one. Arguing that they had plenty of time, Hiroto ignored the drive-thru and decided to go inside, though Okano was somewhat embarrassed to be wearing the type of clothing she was out in public. She followed him inside anyways, and they ate leisurely. Okano checked with Megu as they ate; she and Isogai were just leaving his house.

Once Okano and Hiroto had finished eating, they drove off again. Squinting at the map on her phone, Okano attempted directing Hiroto to the house, though she proved somewhat inadequate, and they got lost a few times. But they made it at last, Hiroto pulling up to a large house in a fancy, rich part of town. As they struggled to find a spot, they got a clear view of the house; it was clearly decked out for a party. Cars lined the street on either side, making it hard to find a place to park.

"Wow," Hiroto remarked as they stepped out of the car and made their way up the walkway. "This is certainly an…expensive-looking house party. Who's hosting this thing again?"

"A friend of a friend," Okano replied, equally impressed with the display.

Music could be heard muffled as they approached. It loudened into clarity as they knocked and a young woman opened the door for them.

"Hey! I'm Kumiko! You're here for the party, right?" The woman was very exuberant, with curled hair complimented by a number of streaks. Her party attire was even more boisterous than Okano's, and even more revealing. Beyond her, inside the house, a DJ was blasting dance songs from a set of large speakers, while colourful lights overhead lit up a dozen or so people dancing. Off to the side, a table was laid out with snacks of all sorts, and a bar manned by an actual bartender was serving out drinks. Those who weren't dancing stood or sat about, chatting pleasantly.

"Yeah," Hiroto answered while Okano stared, "I'm Hiroto Maehara. This is my girlfriend, Okano Hinata."

"Cool!" Kumiko replied, her voice cheerful and bubbly. "Just out of curiosity, how'd you guys get invited?"

"My friend Maya said she was going," Okano replied. "Originally I saw people talking about it online, and when I brought it up, she recommended coming."

"Oh, I know Maya!" Kumiko swiveled around, cupping her mouth to be heard over the music. "Hey, Maya! Your friends are here!"

A tall girl with short hair wearing a tank top and jeans strode over: Maya Sunada, professional gymnast, professional socialite. She nodded coolly to Okano as she stopped beside Kumiko. "Hey, Okano. Made it here all right?"

Okano nodded. "Got a little lost on the way, but we found it eventually."

Kumiko stepped aside, gesturing for them to come in. "Well, welcome to the party, guys. Feel free to have anything from the snack table. Drinks do cost, but it isn't that bad! AND ENJOY THE NIGHT!" She grinned broadly as her cheers were swallowed up by the dance music.

Maya chuckled as Okano and Hiroto shut the door behind them. "You'll get used to Kumiko. She's very…exuberant. I think these parties are just a way for her to let out that raw energy bouncing around inside her. I swear, the girl doesn't know the definition of the word 'quiet'."

"Is that what this is, then?" Hiroto asked as the three made for the bar. "A way for her to 'let out energy'? Or are we celebrating something?"

"Not as far as I know," Maya replied with a shrug, "but you'd be better off asking Kumiko herself. Long Island ice tea, please."

As the bartender nodded and began to make the drink, Okano raised an eyebrow at him. "Must be pretty rich to be able to afford hiring a bartender."

"Well, have you looked around?" Maya grinned, gesturing to the lavish house. "Yeah, I think Kumiko's the daughter of some big corporate magnate. Guess that's how she can afford to throw a party every other week."

Okano and Hiroto both ordered a drink of their own, Okano sitting with her back to the bar and staring at the dancers by the DJ booth. She didn't recognize anyone here; Maya was the only one who she'd even known was coming. Maybe she should chat around, meet some new people? After all, sometimes it got bothersome to be friends with gymnasts you were competing against.

Her drink came, and she took it, sipping idly. Just as she was about to get up and head to the snack table to start up a conversation, Isogai and Megu walked in.

"Hey, guys!" Isogai called, his face breaking out into a smile as he shut the door behind them.

"S'up, Yuma?" Hiroto grinned as the two walked over to him, Okano and Maya. "Found your way here alright?"

Yuma shrugged. "It was fine. We had more troubles with deciding what to wear."

Okano raised her eyebrows at his rather plain attire; Isogai wore a plain striped polo shirt and a pair of gym shorts. "Really?" She asked dryly.

He laughed. "Not me."

Megu blushed. Her dress was fashionable, yet also classy, appropriate for the party while still giving off a sense of stylish lavishness. "I…I don't usually go to these sorts of things, alright?"

Maya laughed good-naturedly. "You guys are a riot." She took another long sip of her drink, before sliding off the bar stool and gesturing off into the crowd. "Well, I'm gonna greet some other people. Anyone's welcome to join me."

The perfect chance to meet new people! Okano jumped off her stool. "I'll come. I've been wanting to meet people. Sometimes it's hard to have a good time when all your friends are gymnasts you compete with."

Maya's mouth drew into a line as she ostensibly went into thought. "Well, if you want to have a good time…come with me."

Okano frowned, but followed, waving goodbye to Hiroto, Isogai and Megu. Maya led her deeper into the house, curiously passing the dancers next to the DJ as well as the snack table, where groups of people were chatting. They even ignored Kumiko, who was apparently making out with some guy off in a corner. Maya led Okano into a hallway, where she opened a side door.

A bedroom lay beyond. Several people laid about on chairs and couches sat up at their arrival. There was a distinct smell in the air, one Okano immediately recognized. Weed.

"Hey, Nori," Maya nodded to one guy.

The man, Nori, stood up lethargically. Strangely, he didn't look or act high, soberly looking Okano up and down. He wore an enormous jacket, far too thick for the weather, completed with baggy pants and a beanie over top of his long, tussled black hair. His face was handsome, and though his expression was lax and unconcerned, there was a certain gleam in his eye.

It disappeared when he spoke, addressing Maya. "Who's this?"

Maya smiled at Okano. "Someone looking to have a good time."

"Well, you've come to the right place for that," Nori replied. His tone was friendly enough, but it didn't meet his eyes. "I've got weed, of course, but we're trying out this new thing. Only got out recently. It's pretty good. No negative side effects, pretty light, and it's a totally different experience than weed."

"You've gotta try it, man," one of the guys splayed out on the couch put in.

Okano hesitated. She'd had plenty of experience with weed; it was a great stress reliever; but new drugs she was always uncertain about. She'd tried new stuff before, of course, as long as it was light, but all the same, it was a risk any time she did so. But Maya seemed unconcerned, even eager to join in, and her nonchalance towards the situation persuaded Okano a little would be okay.

Of course, this wasn't exactly what she'd wanted to do in the first place. Maybe Maya had thought Okano might be able to make friends with the strangers in here? It would be a different experience while they were all high, but perhaps it would work all the same.

A sudden surge of recklessness passed through Okano, and she strode forward, extending a hand towards Nori. "Okano Hinata."

A small smile appeared on Nori's lips. "Eager, are we? Well, take a seat, Miss Hinata. I've got just the thing." Taking a small cylindrical canister from the table, he handed it to Okano. It was ostensibly filled with a powdered drug, packed into a container around the size of a pen.

Not letting herself think about it any further, Okano stuck the canister up her nose and inhaled deeply.

.

Fury fueled Sakura's fists as she let loose on the poor boy before her. Tact, grace and strategy were abandoned as she wailed on him, taking advantage of every opening, never letting him even touch her. She barely felt the sweat beading her brow or the exhaustion permeating everywhere but her head.

Stupid Amari. Stupid Funai. Stupid muggers on the street. She imagined the irritating twins with each sock to the stomach, envisioned the men who'd drawn a dagger on her in every brutal kick. She was so involved with demolishing her nonexistent opponents that she almost missed the call regarding the real one.

"Stop, stop! Time out!"

Sakura made herself drop the next punch, though an energy that flowed through her made her want to hit anything, even the wall.

Seito stepped angrily onto the mat, a vein bulging on her forehead. "Kiyashiki! What are you doing? That poor boy is just starting out! You're supposed to test his skills, not beat him up! Get over here! And someone make sure the poor thing isn't hurt too bad."

Sakura, sullen and fuming, reluctantly pulled herself off the mat, walking away with Seito while the unfortunate victim of her anger was attended to elsewhere.

A concerned look replaced the irritation on Seito's face as she scrutinized Sakura's expression. The martial arts master sighed, laying a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Kiyashiki? I can tell something's happened; you wouldn't have gone berserk on the boy otherwise." When Sakura didn't answer, Seito gave a wan smile. "You can talk to me, Sakura. Don't keep it to yourself."

What's wrong? Sakura thought sullenly. Oh, just the fact that despite all the martial arts training I've taken, I still can't do shit against the two biggest assholes in my school, as well as the fact that in the one case when my skills might have actually helped, I only made things worse. It was humiliating, that she'd gotten herself put into such a position. A knife to her side? She should have been able to grab his wrist. But she'd been focused on the other mugger, and had forgotten about any other potential adversaries. Idiot. And Nagisa had been forced to step in thanks to her mistake.

What had he done, anyway? The answer still eluded her. She only recalled that he'd walked forward, clapped, and suddenly the muggers were unconscious, twitching on the ground. And then that strange old Russian man had arrived, not five minutes after the incident. The strangeness of Nagisa's life that had up until this point seemed only to be a subtle reference, a background detail, was now being brought to the forefront. It filled Sakura with a longing to discover what exactly Nagisa was hiding, but at the moment, her own frustration with her failures to stand up for herself overpowered it, ignited into a fire of rage by the spark that was the mugging.

She said none of this to her martial arts instructor, though. "It's…not something I can really explain." She hoped that would be enough to get the middle-aged lady to stop prying.

Seito graciously backed off with a sigh. "Alright. But this mood of yours is interfering with the class. Why don't you head home for the day? We're nearly finished up here anyway."

Normally, Sakura would have objected, but today she agreed with her instructor. She knew she'd have a hard time keeping a leash on her anger, and that keeping it bottled up would only exacerbate it further. Either she'd cause an even bigger scene than earlier or she'd walk home in a fouler mood than when she'd started.

So she nodded, and Seito smiled comfortingly and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Whatever it is, hang in there. You'll get through it." With that, the martial arts master walked past her, heading off to see the boy now covered in bruises.

Sakura sighed, and made for the changing rooms. After changing into something more comfortable and less soaked with sweat, she headed into the lobby, where Shibata was sitting on one of the chairs, a notebook perched on her knees, her brow furrowed as she wrote something down on it. To her side a textbook was splayed open on a chair. Sakura couldn't help but smile when she saw her best friend. Shibata had a weird way of making everything better just by being there.

"Oh! Sakura!" The chubby girl exclaimed once she looked up from her studies. "You're out already? Don't you go until five thirty usually?"

Sakura shrugged as she approached, grabbing her bag from where it sat on the floor by Shibata's feet. "I kind of beat up a kid. Seito got mad. Suggested I go home early."

Shibata frowned as she closed her notebook, put it away, gathered the rest of her things, and stood up to join Sakura as they made for the exit. Idly, Sakura recalled another comment made by Amari and Funai today, again insulting Shibata for her weight. It had made her furious at the time, and remembering it only inflamed the anger already permeating her system. Examining her best friend as they left the building, Sakura noted that she wasn't even all that fat. She was a bit chubbier in areas, but she was pretty, in her own way. It only made Sakura more angry with the twins.

"Sakura," Shibata said as they headed in the direction of their houses, "you still look angry. You've been like this all day. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is you still don't know how to put together a proper outfit," Sakura teased, pinching Shibata's round cheek. In truth, her best friend's outfit wasn't that bad, but the comment combined with the pinch made Shibata forget about Sakura's mood.

Laughing, the plump girl pushed away Sakura's hand. "Hey! Stop that!"

"Why are you laughing, then?" Sakura said, unable to avoid chuckling as well.

The two continued to walk, and as Shibata brought up a story about something that happened to her the other day at her house, Sakura idly slipped out her phone. She sighed. Nothing from her father. Of course. The man couldn't even be bothered to sit in for Sakura's martial arts practices. It was why Shibata often agreed to go with Sakura instead. Sakura hated making her best friend sit around for an hour or so, but the truth was she really appreciated her support. With her father mostly absent from her day, Shibata had become something of a constant in Sakura's life. Still, Sakura often tried to persuade the plump girl from boring herself for an hour, but Shibata always replied that she just used the time for studying.

The walk to their houses didn't take too long, another reason Shibata was fine with accompanying Sakura. The martial arts place was rather close to the both of their houses, which themselves weren't too far apart from each other.

By the time they reached the intersection where Shibata had to turn off for her place, there would only be a few minutes left for Sakura to walk.

"Well, I'll see you on Monday, then!" Shibata waved, smiling as she walked off.

Sakura returned it, waving as well. "Bye!"

And yet, as she continued on her walk, the happiness that Shibata seemed to automatically bring with her presence dissipated, leaving only the smoldering anger and the intense curiosity underneath it. Her thoughts returned back to that day, replaying the scene where the muggers had gotten the better of her. It still choked her that she'd been overpowered so easily by a few ostensibly untrained men. Incidences like those were what her training was for, and yet a simple blade had overpowered her.

But Nagisa had done something about it. Him, such a small, seemingly incapable man. You of all people should know that size doesn't necessarily equate to strength. It was a comment he'd made earlier that day. The short, thin-framed Nagisa had taken down five beefy muggers. Clearly, his comment was referring to the skill he kept hidden. But…just where had he gotten that skill from?

Sakura thought for a moment on it, but she could only come up with one solution: seven years ago. The strange creature that had kept Class E hostage for a year. There didn't seem to be any direct correlation, but it was the only thing Sakura could think of that might have somehow endowed Nagisa with those abilities he'd exhibited. It didn't exactly make much sense that being a hostage should have given him such skills, but that didn't mean it wasn't the case. The government had been very close-lipped about the whole situation; very little was actually known about what had happened that year.

At any rate, the events of her pseudo-date with Nagisa made her more than ever want to find out what exactly happened with the fabled Class E. She'd been waiting on the email from her old daycare principal, but so far had received nothing. She knew one thing, though. The instant he agreed to meet with her, she'd rush out and see him.

Her house quickly came up. Heading up the steps, she noted her father's car, actually in the driveway for once. That was strange. Had he opted not to take his daily trip to the pub today? Or maybe something happened with his work. He'd said he was working the weekend this week, but maybe they didn't need him anymore.

Shrugging, Sakura made to pull her keys from her pocket, but realized her father might have left the door unlocked. Trying the doorknob, she found her suspicions confirmed, and walked inside. Dropping her bag off and sliding off her shoes, she looked around for her father. She couldn't see him, but his boots and coveralls were sitting in a pile off to the side.

Striding into the house, Sakura called out. "Dad? Are you here?"

The sound of shuffling feet came from the kitchen. Her father appeared around the corner, and instantly Sakura knew something was wrong. There was a look of pure anger on his face, and from his movements and his breath as he drew closer, Sakura could tell he was drunk. In his hand he held a bottle of vodka, opened and a quarter empty.

He advanced on Sakura, his large form suddenly intimidating in the dark of the house. "Sakura…you're back early."

Sakura tried to swallow the fear rising in her throat. Was he going to start another fight with her? Belittle her until she felt like nothing? She forced herself to speak. "D-Dad? Have you been…drinking? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

He shook his head, muttering and growling to himself unintelligibly before taking a swig of the vodka. Wiping his mouth, he glared down at Sakura, a mix of fear, sadness and anger in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sakura. Got no…they told me they couldn't afford to keep me on…I tried to explain. Said I got a daughter. Wouldn't have it…laid me off, like I was nothing. Haven't I been…I worked there years! They just…hic…"

Her father trailed off into further murmurings, but Sakura stood there, paralyzed as she pieced together what her father had said. "They…fired you? Laid you off?" Holy shit…if that was true, what would their family do? While her father looked for a new job, which would be hard enough and it was, they would have to scrape and save just to get by. Sakura might even have to get a job herself, just to support them.

At the moment, however, that wasn't what scared her most. Her father took another gulp of vodka, hiccuping again. He was drunk, dangerously so. At times like this, Sakura usually holed herself up in her room, ignoring his drunken ravings. But he had her here now. Would he let her go, or force her to stay and listen to his ramblings? Would he be content to ramble on, eventually passing out on the couch, or would he work himself up to the point that he'd start yelling at her?

Sakura knew she couldn't provoke him. She watched unmoving as her father continued, swinging the bottle wildly as his voice rose. "Those…fucking business guys…think they know any…fuckin…thing! How'm I supposed to afford food? How…hic…do I afford to send my…daughter to college?!" His eyes locked on her as he spoke her name. Sakura paled. Her father bent down, pulling Sakura into a hug. "You'll support me, Sakura, won't you? I…hic…you'll help keep your father afloat until he gets another job, won't you?"

"Of course, dad," Sakura made herself say.

He pulled away, a smile on his lips, before the expression dropped and his brow furrowed. "Hold…hic…hold on. Why are you here early? From…from…karate, I think? Why…how come?"

Sakura tensed. She tried to come up with a lie, something that might put him at ease, but her mind wouldn't work. The truth came spilling out before she could stop herself. "I…I'm sorry, dad. I accidentally beat up a kid, and the instructor pulled me aside, and she told me to go home early, and I did, and…I'm sorry…"

Slowly, wordlessly, her dad pulled away, and instantly Sakura knew he was angry. His knuckles whitening around the vodka bottle in his hand, he glared down at her, his face reddening in fury. "Sakura…you…why did you…you're supposed to be good, I raised you…to be good. Hic…why did you…how'm I supposed to pay for…your karate…now you get kicked out? Hic!"

"I didn't get kicked out, dad; just sent home early," Sakura tried to explain.

But her father wasn't listening. He just kept rambling on, fueling his anger with a downward spiral of negative thoughts, until she thought he'd hit something. When he spoke again, his voice was low, a growling intensity, the sort of voice he used when they got into fights.

"Sakura…you fucking…I raised you better…I hope you know I won't…do you…hic…aren't you gonna apologize? I won't stand for—hic—this sort of behavior. Sakura?! Are you—hic—listening?! Sakura!"

Sakura cringed as his temper steadily rose. She tried to say something, but she was paralyzed, and besides, he was past the point of no return. Her father was too angry to be calmed down. As he began to yell incomprehensibly at her, spit flying from his mouth and his eyes deadly with anger, he slowly brought his right hand, the free one, up, until he held it in a fist in line with his chest, as though he was a boxer. And then, with a horrible dread, Sakura realized he was going to hit her. No…she thought desperately. He's never hit me before. Yelled at me, yes, talked down to me, yes, but never hit me…

The blow came swifter than she expected, and Sakura's head snapped with the force of it. She stumbled back, bringing a hand up to feel the spot on her face he'd struck, the area stinging with pain. Tears formed unbidden in her eyes, and she could only stare up at her father as he opened his fist and stared at it in horror.

"No…I…didn't mean…" His wide eyes went from his fist to his daughter, his look of rage replaced with one of regret. "Please…Sakura…I'm sorry…don't…"

Suddenly, feeling returned to her legs, and before she could stop herself Sakura was bolting for the stairs, her father's cries of dismay growing distant as she raced up the steps. She reached her door in two bounds and slammed it behind her quickly.

Her chest heaved as she let her body lean back against her door. The tears that had welled in her eyes were disappearing, but the fear from earlier was still all too present. All Sakura could do for the next few minutes was breathe, willing her fear away. No. I am strong. I can get through this.

Eventually, numbly, she pulled away from the door and walked slowly, shakily over to her computer. Still struggling to recover from the events of the last few minutes, she sat frozen as she waited for the device to turn on. Once logged on, she almost robotically checked her email, a habit worn into her after each day at school, despite the fact that today was the weekend.

She almost didn't register the new message in her inbox. Finally, she blinked at it, and read who it was from: Mr. Matsukata. A dull sense of excitement crept to life inside her and with hesitant eagerness she opened the email, reading fervently.

Ms. Kiyashiki. If you want to talk with me, you can come to my countryside cabin. An address was listed below the taciturn message.

Sakura allowed herself a wan smile at the terseness of the old codger's reply. Just like how she remembered him. Pulling out her phone, she quickly recorded the address. She almost put it away, prepared to convince her dad to let her go see the old man some other time, until an idea popped into her head. Unable to resist a grin at the lunacy of it, she hurriedly looked up the address in reference to her own. By foot, the old man's countryside cabin was barely a few kilometers outside the main roads of the city; ultimately, a two hour walk from Sakura's house, which itself was on the proverbial outskirts.

It was five forty-five now. Sakura eagerly found Shibata's name in her contacts and called her. After a few rings, her best friend picked up.

"Sakura? What's up?"

"Grab a few snacks and tell your parents you're having a sleepover with me," Sakura said, a smile creeping across her lips. "We're going out."

.

Chapter three complete!

Hope you all enjoyed this one. I'm really excited about the direction I'm sending some of these characters, and I hope you guys are, too. There'll be some big things happening next chapter, so get ready for that.

Anyways, hopefully I'll continue writing with as much passion as I did this chapter to get you the next one quickly.

Until next time!