When Eli woke up, the living room was dark and there was a distinct scent of food cooking. Whatever it was, it smelt great. Eli sat up and stretched, a bit sore from sleeping on the couch and the work she did earlier on in the day, and looked around. Nozomi was standing at the stove in the kitchen, one of the few rooms with the lights on. Eli stood up off the couch and walked to the kitchen.

Already plated on the table were two servings of rice and okonomiyaki. It looked like Nozomi was putting some soup into bowls as well. Eli inhaled deeply, taking in the delicious scents of the food, also gaining Nozomi's attention while doing so.

"Oh, have a nice nap? I'm almost done plating dinner, so you can go ahead and sit down." Nozomi chimed. The grin on her face was infectious, causing Eli to smile herself.

"You must enjoy cooking." Eli commented, noticing how happy she appeared to be. She sat down in the chair closest to her. Nozomi set down the two bowls filled with soup on the table and sat in the chair opposite to Eli.

"It's not often that I'm able to cook for people I like." Nozomi replied. Eli felt a jab in her heart. She knew she had to end things with Nozomi before things went too far, but haven't they already?

Eli stopped thinking about it for a moment, not wanting to show her emotion on her face. It seemed like Nozomi was good at reading expressions and she didn't want her to worry, or at least not worry right now.

"Thank you for the meal." Eli said, picking the chopsticks off the table and digging into her food. Nozomi echoed her and did the same.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow Eli planned to end things with her. She didn't want to ruin Nozomi's current good mood.

`"Oh, this is delicious." Eli gasped, the food gaining her complete attention. She took another bite of the okonomiyaki, this time savoring the flavor completely.

"I'm glad you like it." Nozomi smiled before eating another bite herself.

The dinner was delicious, though Eli began to feel bad for Umi. Since Umi was at the motel, she couldn't eat such amazing meals unless she went out to eat or cooked something herself using the motel's kitchenette. Perhaps Eli would make it up to her by buying some manjuu, one of her favorite snacks.

Bringing herself back to the situation at hand, Eli assisted Nozomi with the dishes on the table, washing the ones that she used.

"Oh, you don't need to do that. You can just sit down, I can handle it." Nozomi called from behind her.

"It's alright. I'd rather help than just sit down and make you do the work." Eli replied, rinsing off her plate. "Do you want these in the dishwasher?"

"Yup. Thanks, Elicchi."

Eli moved to the dishwasher and put her dishes neatly inside, Nozomi taking her previous spot at the sink to wash her dishes.

"Would you mind if I take a shower? I did change clothes before I got here, but I still feel a bit disgusting after what I did today." Eli wasn't that much bothered by the body, but more so how she was digging and sweating in the hot sun. She personally liked to keep herself clean as much as possible, no matter how messy the business could get.

"Of course not, go right ahead! There should be a clean towel in there already that you can, use as well as my soaps." Nozomi answered. She finished putting the last dish in the dishwasher and closed it.

"Thanks. I'll finish quickly." Eli responded, walking off in the direction of the bathroom. She entered, this time closing the door behind her, and started the water. She stripped down and stepped inside, first making sure the water was the right temperature. She poured a small amount of Nozomi's body wash onto her palm, which had a slight floral scent to it, and scrubbed her body down. She knew it wouldn't be as effective as using a washcloth, but it works. She rinsed out her hair as well, wanting to keep it shiny and clean.

Once she was done, she turned off the water and strained her hair, grabbing the towel Nozomi had mentioned to help dry herself. She put on the clothes she had previously been wearing, a white thick-strapped tank top and a pair of jeans, and left the bathroom. Nozomi was sitting on the couch, apparently browsing through the channels once again.

"I'm finished with my shower now, so you can take one now if you want." Eli told her, sitting down on the couch besides her.

"Okay. I'll be back soon then. You can watch whatever." Nozomi replied, standing up to walk to the bathroom. Eli watched as she walked away before she turned her attention to the TV. She went to the news station just to be sure nothing had happened within the day. There were no new deaths connected to their case, as hoped, but it was still too early to be certain.

Satisfied with the information for now, she began searching for something else to watch. After a couple minutes of browsing through the channels with no prevail, Eli decided to just drop the whole TV idea and get some fresh air outside. She left through Nozomi's front door, leaving it open a crack so she could get back inside afterwards, and onto the veranda of the second floor. The air was cool, especially when she had just left the shower, but she preferred the cold. She leaned on the railing to stare out into the dark parking lot and the active city just past it.

There was something about night that Eli liked. Even in the busy city, night seemed to calm her down and give her a sense of peace that the day doesn't. She let out an airy chuckle as she remembered the time where she was absolutely terrified by the dark. It was before the situation with her family, when she didn't know of the creatures that lurked in the shadows. If anything, the whole thing would've made her even more scared of the dark, knowing man-eating monsters actually existed, but it did the exact opposite. It was that fear, sorrow, and anger from that moment that pushed her to overcome her initial fear of the dark. Even she took humor in the idea of the small girl petrified by the dark becoming a very skilled monster hunter.

"Elicchi, you're going to catch a cold if you're out here with wet hair."

Eli turned around at the sound of Nozomi's voice, her eyes meeting Nozomi's emerald ones. Nozomi walked besides Eli to lean on the railing next to her.

"You say that but aren't you out here too?"

"Touché, Elicchi. Anyways, what'cha doing out here? Aren't you cold?"

"I was just thinking a little bit, remembering some things." Eli answered still maintaining eye contact with Nozomi. There was something about the soft, caring look present in Nozomi's eyes whenever they spoke that made Eli just want to kiss her. It took every ounce of self-restraint for her not to in that moment. Eli needed to end things with Nozomi and she didn't want to make anything harder than it already was for herself or Nozomi. Eli looked back forward, not wanting to be completely absorbed in her eyes. "We should head back inside. It would be terrible if either of us got sick."

Eli turned around and walked back into the apartment. She sat down onto the couch with a sigh, closing her eyes as she did so.

"It's getting late and I have work tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep now. Where will you be sleeping?" Nozomi asked.

"I think I'll take the couch tonight." Eli answered.

"Oh," Eli could hear the slight disappointment in Nozomi's voice. "I'll get a blanket for you then."

"Thank you, Nozomi." Eli wanted nothing more than for her to be happy, but this was for the best. This was the downside of being a monster hunter: you had to distance yourself from everyone, no matter how strongly you care for them. If you really cared about them, you would let them go.

Eli easily ended things with girls previously. Nozomi was just another girl, wasn't she? Eli just liked her a bit more than the rest... actually, she liked her a lot more than the rest.

"Here ya go, Elicchi." Nozomi disrupted her thoughts, handing Eli a blanket. "Good night."

"You too. Good night, Nozomi."

Nozomi smiled weakly at Eli before she walked back off to her room. Eli stood up and turned off the lights of the living room before laying back down on the couch. After turning off the TV, Eli threw the blanket over herself and shut her eyes.

Eli woke up to the sound of movement around her, more specifically in the kitchen. She sat up with a yawn, noticing Nozomi cooking something in the kitchen. Eli stood up and stretched, regretting the decision to sleep on the couch a tiny bit.

"Good morning, Nozomi."

"Oh, did I wake you up? Sorry about that. I was just making some food before I head off to work."

"It's alright. I usually wake up this early anyway." Eli reassured her. "What do you do anyways?"

"I have the opening shift at a small shop not far from here. It's simple but really helps with my living situation." Nozomi answered as she put yesterday's rice, water, and some seasonings into a pot on the stove. Eli hummed at the response. She's never actually had a real, paying job, but she could still understand.

"When I'm gone, feel free to do whatever. I'll be back around noon if you plan on heading out."

"That's pretty laid back, isn't it?" Eli commented. She has only known her for a couple days and now she's letting her roam freely in her house when she's gone?

"I trust you, so it's alright." Nozomi responded. She turned the stove off, still stirring the food inside the small pot. "The food's done now. Can you get two bowls for us? They're in the cabinet above the dishwasher."

Eli nodded, as if Nozomi could see when she was focused on the pot in front of her. Eli walked to the cabinet, grabbing some of the bowls inside.

"Here you go." Eli said, handing the bowls to Nozomi. Eli couldn't help but feel the lingering feeling of sadness...or perhaps loneliness, on the back of her mind when she spoke to Nozomi. She ignored it. She wouldn't have to deal with it past this afternoon.

"Thanks, Elicchi. You can sit down now. I'll eat a quick breakfast with you before heading to work." Nozomi looked back and smiled at her. This time it was Eli who smiled weakly back.

With a bowl in each hand, Nozomi made her way back to the table, setting them both down. Feeling uncomfortable with just watching Nozomi serve her food, she grabbed a spoon for both herself and Nozomi from the utensils drawer, remembering the location from the previous night.

"Ah, thanks Elicchi." Nozomi said, to which Eli hummed in response. Eli handed Nozomi a spoon and then sat down opposite to her.

The two ate in silence. Eli just didn't want that feeling to intensify. She never really got attached to people, only needing her 'occasional' flings and Umi to keep her from being lonely. It was a rare occasion to actually feel this way about someone, an emotion she was unfamiliar with. She wasn't that good at handling a lot of her emotions in the first place, let alone one she barely dealt with.

"Alright, I'm heading out now. See ya soon, Elicchi." Nozomi called out, rinsing her dishes and placing them in the dishwasher.

"Mm. Bye, Nozomi." Eli dropped her gaze to her bowl, not wanting to see her face after her somewhat cold reply. She hated the way she felt. She hated how she had to do this to Nozomi, but this was her choice. She chose to sacrifice her love over the safety of the people in Japan.

Eli's eyes widened, realizing what she had just thought to herself. Sure, she knew she had begun to like Nozomi, but for the first time, she had actually said that it was love.

"Umi will definitely be upset with me." Eli chuckled dryly to herself.

At this point, Nozomi had already left for work, leaving Eli alone at her apartment. She finished the food Nozomi had cooked in one final bite before rinsing her dishes and placing them besides Nozomi's in the dishwasher. With her dishes now cleaned up, Eli went back to her previous spur of the couch. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone to check if Umi had sent her a message. Nothing. Eli put the phone back in her pocket and turned on the TV. Since Umi didn't text her, she assumed nothing happened within the night. It still wouldn't hurt if she checked for herself though.

As expected, there were no new deaths relating to their case. Eli sighed. It was going to be a long couple hours.

Eli knew Nozomi had come back when she heard the doorknob start to jiggle. Eli knew what she had to do, as she was preparing herself for it the whole day. It was now or never, Eli much rather wanting to do it never. Eli got up from the couch, where she had been reading a book she had found, and began to walk towards the door.

"I'm home!" Nozomi called out. "Oh, were you going to greet me at the doorway?" She added jokingly.

"Actually, I need to talk to you." Eli said back, not reflecting Nozomi's energy.

"What's wrong?" Nozomi asked, eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this. Starting today, our conversation will be minimal to none." Eli paused, giving some time for Nozomi to comprehend the information before continuing. "There seems to be no dangers of you staying here alone, so I won't be staying another night. Once Umi and I are certain this ghost has been taken care of, we'll be heading on as well. Thank you for your hospitality."

Silence followed. Eli didn't dare to look at Nozomi, so she couldn't tell what she was thinking. Finally, Eli started for the door. She kept her eyes to the ground to avoid looking at her. She didn't know if her heart would be able to handle it. She slipped on her shoes and reached out for the door.

"Why?" Nozomi asked faintly. "I want to know why before you leave." Eli dropped her hand back to her side.

"In this business, loving someone is a weakness that is often exploited by monsters and sometimes even other hunters alike. This is for your safety."

Following those words, Eli opened the door and walked out, not giving time for a response. She really hoped Nozomi wouldn't follow her. She needed to get the hell out of there before things get even harder to deal with. Eli could feel her eyes begin to sting as she jogged down the steps, but she refused to let any tears fall over this matter.

Without so much as a glance back, Eli returned to her car. She dropped into the drivers seat, closing her eyes tight to push back any tears that had decided to start to form. She was tempted to see if Nozomi had begun to follow her, but decided it was for the best if she just left. She pulled out of the parking space and began to drive away, back towards the motel she and Umi were staying at.

Throughout the drive, Eli couldn't stop thinking about Nozomi. While she didn't see her face, her imagination could perfectly piece together what her expression was when she left. Her heart ached at that expression, the way she sounded hurt. Eli turned the radio on and blasted the volume, hoping the loud music would block out her own personal thoughts.

Accompanied with focusing her attention completely on the road, Eli managed to get back to the motel without her thoughts suffocating her. Although she wasn't thinking about it, her heart still ached from the situation, a lingering ache that refused to disappear. She turned the music back down to the normal level before stopping the car completely. She grabbed the keys and hopped out, it locking with a beep. She walked to her room, where Umi was currently at most likely searching for another case.

Eli wondered how Umi would react when she entered. She knew that she looked terrible and that Umi would pick up on it immediately. If she did explain the full truth of what happened, and what was happening, what would Umi do? At this point, Eli could imagine the irritated look on Umi's face, the one that would even send the worst monsters shivers down their spines. Knowing there was no way around it, Eli entered the room.

"Welcome back, Eli." Umi greeted from her bed, where she was previously looking at her laptop. Just as Eli predicted, Umi's expression changed upon seeing how she looked. "What happened to you?"

Eli sighed. This is really something she couldn't get around. Hiding things from each other was something they just didn't do, seeing they were going to be by each other's sides for as long as they live, which they knew might not actually be a long time. Keeping secrets from each other just caused problems later on. She didn't want to hide something as ridiculous as this either, there's just no point in doing so.

"Umi," Eli began, walking over to the side of her bed before sitting on it. "I'm really stupid."

Eli could feel Umi's eyes locked on her. She kept her gaze downwards. "I think I might love her."

The atmosphere in the room noticeably dropped. She was used to this though, so she continued before Umi could say anything. "She's beautiful and cute, kind, caring, and just overall perfect." Eli knew that her heart's pace was faster than usual. "Everything about her makes me feel a bit happier than I am when I'm not around her. But I knew, for her own safety, that we couldn't be together; that I had to end it before we fell in too deep and couldn't, so that's what I did."

At this point she could feel a tear run down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, trying her best to regain her composure once again. She heard the rustling of the bed sheets as Umi moved closer.

"Eli," Umi's voice was stern, which was not surprising. "You did what you had to. I can't get angry at you for this, seeing it's natural for humans to feel this way."

Eli looked up at Umi, who was sitting on the edge of the bed looking back at her, her gaze softer than her stern voice. More tears streamed down Eli's face, tears she didn't bother to hold in anymore; she was comfortable enough around Umi to show her weak side.

"Eli... This is a first I've actually seen you like this... You must actually really like her." Umi got up from her bed and sat besides Eli, patting her back soothingly in an attempt to calm her down. "If our situation were different, I would want you to go back to her, but since we're stuck like this, you just have to know you did what was best for her and her safety."

Eli cleared the tears from her cheeks. "...Isn't alright to make one exception?"

Before Umi could reply, Eli felt a buzz in her sweater pocket. Quickly, she reached into it and pulled out her phone.

"It's her..." Eli stared at the notification before opening the message.

'Elicchi, you didn't have to leave. While my time with you may have been short, it felt like I've known you forever and it's been some of my happiest memories. When it comes to spending time and being together with you, my safety doesn't matter. I would be content with just being able to spend the time I did have with you. You don't have to force yourself to live such a lonely life either, you should do what you really want to. I don't care what happens to me if we are both happy and have no regrets. I love you, Elicchi.'

She felt her heart lurch after quickly reading the message in its entirety. She really wanted to drive back over and embrace Nozomi. This aching feeling that constantly tugged at her heart was almost unbearable. She didn't know how long she could withstand this relatively unfamiliar, but recently more frequent, feeling.

Umi sighed. "I know this will be something I will regret in the future, and don't have anything but bad feelings coming from it, but go. I don't like seeing you like this."

Eli quickly turned back around, looking at Umi in disbelief.

"Really?"

"Just hurry up and go before I change my mind." Umi replied. Eli didn't need to be told that twice. "Jeez, with you acting this way, one would think I'm the older one."

Eli, now at the door, wiped her face once more and turned around at Umi, smiling. "Thank you, Umi."

Eli jogged outside and into her car. She couldn't wait to be back at Nozomi's apartment, with Nozomi in her arms. She sped out of the parking lot, her tires screeching on the asphalt of the road, and into the road.

The ride to Nozomi's was quick, partly because she couldn't stand not talking to her after what happened. She slowed as she reached the parking lot, looking at first at the closed door of her apartment before looking back at the road and parking.

Eli inspected herself using the rear-view mirror. She knew she looked like shit, but wanted to see to what degree. After making herself somewhat more presentable, she got out of her car and started for Nozomi's room.

She walked up to Nozomi's door and knocked. The door flung open in a matter of seconds and Nozomi practically jumped into Eli.

"Nozomi..." Eli murmured as she embraced her. She rested her head on Nozomi's. "I'm sorry for leaving."

Nozomi was quiet as she stayed buried in Eli's chest.

"Hey, are you alright?" Eli asked, a bit worried at first. Nozomi finally released herself from Eli, tears now formed in her eyes.

"Mhm, I'm just really happy you're back now." She said with a smile, her tears beginning to fall.

"I am too. I'm sorry for leaving you in the first place." Eli said, wiping the tears away with her thumbs before resting her forehead against Nozomi's. She really, truly loved her and wanted Nozomi to see it. Eli planted a kiss on Nozomi's lips, one absent of lust and only of love. She took a step back and took Nozomi's hand in hers. "Do you want to go inside now?"

"Yeah. That would be nice." Nozomi said with a smile, weaving her fingers between Eli's. Eli began to walk behind her, shutting the door behind her as she entered.

"Do you want to just relax and watch some movies for a bit? I'm sure you don't get a whole lot of relaxation time with what you do." Nozomi suggested. Eli hummed and nodded, now taking the lead and bringing Nozomi to the couch with her. She let go of Nozomi's hand and laid down on the couch, patting the couch besides her as a signal for Nozomi to lay down there.

Nozomi understood and laid down besides her. The couch wasn't all that big, but that just meant they were closer, which Eli had no problems with.

"There's a few things I have to say first, though." Eli said softly to avoid raising panic. "This is the first time I've been in an actual relationship because of what I do. I don't want to scare you, but there's no way of knowing what can happen, but I will make sure nothing harms you, I promise you that. I'm also unsure of what will happen when the time comes for us to follow up on another case, but we can deal with that when the time comes."

With their current position, Eli couldn't see Nozomi's face, so she hoped she didn't ruin the previously good mood.

"You don't need to worry about it, Elicchi. For now, let's just relax and enjoy each other's company now that we're able to have it." Nozomi replied. She snuggled closer into Eli, who wrapped her arms around her, pulling her closer as well.

At this moment, Eli found herself the happiest she has been in a while. She was able to snuggle up with the girl she loved and relax from her normal, stressful daily tasks. She loved that she was able to do this, but there was a lingering feeling from years of being a hunter that this would not end good; hardly anything like this ever did. She ignored it though, looking instead at the TV and enjoying the warmth coming from the body so close to hers.

"By the way, Nozomi, do you happen to recall the first night I stayed here?" Eli asked. Nozomi chucked a bit at the question.

"Something like that is hard to forget after only a couple days." Nozomi joked. This caused Eli to laugh a bit.

"Well, other than that do you remember when you brought me some clothes and a towel?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well, I was wondering if you entered the room before you left the clothes. I thought I heard someone come in." Eli explained.

"Hm, I don't think I did." Nozomi replied, recalling that night to the best of her ability. "Do you think it was the ghost? I'm also pretty sure that I left the room lights on, so unless you turned them off when you woke up, maybe the ghost bad something to do with that as well."

"The lights were off when I woke up, so it's very possible it was the ghost. There's nothing to worry about now though, it's been taken care of." Eli replied.

"Thank you for that, by the way. It's a bit hard to think that my passed father would be the cause of so many deaths. I'm glad he's finally able to be at rest." Nozomi said. Eli hummed in response.

She felt a sudden buzz in her pocket, most likely a text from Umi.

"Ah, one second. I should probably look at this." Eli said. She reached into her pocket, trying her best to move in a way that wouldn't make Nozomi, who was still laying against her, uncomfortable. As she thought, the text was from Umi. She opened the message and quickly read it to herself.

"Oh, Umi wants to meet you." Eli said in surprise.

"Isn't that your partner? I would love to meet her!" Nozomi said as she turned herself to face Eli, even with the little room they had on the couch.

"Alright, I'll tell her that. Would you like to meet up with her elsewhere or here?"

"Right here is fine! Your friends will always be welcome in my home." Nozomi replied. She sat up from her spot, which Eli followed. She sent the message to Umi telling her what Nozomi had said. Seconds later, there was a response.

"Alright, she'll be over soon. She's taking a bus here." Eli told Nozomi, putting her phone back in her pocket. "I'm not entirely sure how she's going to react once she gets here, though... This is honestly the first time we've allowed something like this to happen, which we were against before."

"We'll be fine. I'm sure of it." Nozomi replied with a confident smile. With Nozomi smiling, Eli couldn't help but smile herself.

"Mm. Either way, I don't think I could leave you like that again." Eli said. She could still feel that terrible pain lingering inside of her. She felt Nozomi's arms wrap around her.

"And there will be no need to." She answered back, following with a brief kiss to her cheek. She stood up and turned around to face Eli. "I'm going to clean up the place a bit. Wanna help?"

Eli stood up as well. "Of course."

A knock on the door signaled Umi was there.

"That's probably her." Eli said, placing a book back onto its shelf.

"Alright, I'll invite her in." Nozomi called out from the kitchen. Eli turned around and watched as she went to answer the door. She unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"Hi! Umi-chan was it? Welcome!" Nozomi greeted.

"Hello." Came the stiff reply. With that voice and response, Eli knew it was her. She watched as Umi walked into the room, looking around and then making eye contact with her.

"Hey, Umi." Eli said. Umi began to walk forward into the living room.

"Go ahead and make yourself at home, Umi-chan." Nozomi said to her, walking besides her and to Eli. Umi sat down on the couch, though not relaxed.

"I'm assuming you're the one Eli has been talking about?" Umi asked, almost as if it were an interrogation. Nozomi didn't seem to be phased by this.

"Jeez, Umi... You're acting like an overprotective dad..." Eli murmured.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I never actually introduced myself. I'm Nozomi Tojo. You can just call me Nozomi, though." Nozomi told her, not at all minding her behavior. She took Eli's hand and leaned her head on Eli's shoulder. "And I would like to think that I'm the one Eli has been talking about."

At the contact, Umi averted her eyes, her face a bit red. "A-Alright."

Eli saw that Nozomi seemed to notice this. With Nozomi's personality and Umi's sensitivity to anything in the slight bit 'shameless,' she knew this probably wouldn't go too well.

"Eli told me that you don't let things like this happen, but I really, truly love her." Nozomi added. She gazed at Eli and began to slowly lean in. Eli looked into Nozomi's eyes as well, captured by their beauty.

A loud rustling and the sound of Umi clearing her throat brought her back to reality. Eli looked over at Umi, who was standing up, face bright red with eyes averted from them. Nozomi began giggling at the reaction

"Sorry, sorry. I had to do something to loosen you up a bit. You were just so serious." Nozomi laughed. Eli herself was a bit disappointed Nozomi stopped at the last second, and apparently it showed in her face.

"Don't worry, little miss Elichika. I'll make up for it later." Nozomi teased. Eli's face went pink when she realized she had noticed. Umi let out a sigh and sat back down, her face returning to its normal color.

"Alright, my apologies. I'm just not used this. It was difficult for me to even let Eli come back." Umi explained. "Since this is happening though, we need to talk about a few things."

"Yeah. I'm personally still unsure of what exactly we're going to do." Eli added on.

"Since our jobs require constant traveling, Eli might not be around here all the time. However, the problem with that is that we can't protect you if anything decides to target you." Umi told Nozomi. "More than likely, we will just teach you a few things before we leave and visit every now and then."

Eli's heart dropped as she remembered she couldn't be with Nozomi a majority of the time, and in that time, there was no was of guaranteeing that she was safe.

"I'm fine with that. It sucks that I can't be with her more often, but you guys are out there saving lives, so I can bear with it." Nozomi replied.

"Eli's also a pretty good hunter herself, so you definitely will learn how to protect yourself when we're gone. She definitely will not let anything touch you under her watch."

"Sounds great! Now, since you're here, do you maybe want to stay for dinner?" Nozomi offered to Umi.

"Oh, that's not necessary." Umi replied, shaking her head.

"Umi, she's a pretty good cook. Plus, you probably haven't eaten anything really good since we got here." Eli said, trying to persuade Umi.

"I don't mind another person either. It's fun to cook for others." Nozomi added. Umi closed her eyes in thought before saying anything.

"Alright. Thank you Nozomi-san."

"It's no problem! Anyways, just call me 'Nozomi.' There's no need for formalities." Eli smiled at the two. It didn't seem like Umi disliked her that much. Nozomi let go of Eli's arm and began to walk to the kitchen. "I'll begin cooking now."

"Alright. I'll come to help in a bit." Eli said, sitting next to Umi on the couch.

"Okay. Thanks, Elichi. Go ahead and take your time."

Once Nozomi disappeared into the kitchen, Umi began to talk.

"She seems nice." Umi said in some voice loud enough for Eli to hear, but quiet enough that Nozomi couldn't hear her from the room besides them. Eli responded with some small nod. "I honestly think she compliments you. I haven't really seen this side in you, and it's good that you're able to show it. Don't be going so soft though, we still have a job to do." Umi finished with some chuckle.

"Of course not." Eli laughed back, standing up from her seat. "I'm going to help Nozomi with dinner now."