"Life is short. You have to be able to laugh at our pain or we never move on." - Jeff Ross

In the Blessing Software's 10th anniversary dinner celebration, a party was held in the main hall of the office building. Many people arrived.

Megumi is in the female toilet, changing into her white summer dress. The dress that she had worn during the "fate summons" with Tomoya Aki, who is currently her boyfriend.

She then wore her white socks and pink heel shoes.

"I can't believe I still can fit into this." Megumi thought as she looked at the mirror and smiled at herself. As she got out of the washroom, she bumped into someone, and she felt her breasts being touched.

She screamed in fear. The person titled his head up a little. He was wearing a hat with a shirt and long pants. He has sunglasses on too. Tomoya rushed to her.

"What happened, Megumi?" Tomoya asked.

"This guy touched my breasts!" She pointed at the guy.

Aftermath

Episode 2

"I didn't mean to." The guy quickly apologized.

"It's okay. It was an accident, wasn't it?"

The guy nodded.

"Get on with your things. Just don't accidentally touch another girl's breasts again." Tomoya said.

"Thank you, Aki-san." The guy bowed and then walked away. As he walked away, he grinned and nodded to himself.

"Tomoya-kun!" Megumi glared at him.

"I know he touched a part of yours he isn't supposed to touch." Tomoya placed his arm around her shoulder, "But it was just an accident."

"How can you trust what he said?" She groaned in anger, "He might be telling lies! He might have wanted to touch it!"

"You're thinking too much, Megumi." Tomoya laughed, "Have you watched too much drama?"

"A girl must be protective of herself." Megumi crossed her arms.

"Okay, Megumi, stop getting angry." Tomoya comforted her, "It's the company's event today. I promise I'll protect you from any pervert, alright?"

"That's more like it." Megumi kissed his lips, "Do a good talk up on stage. Don't screw yourself up."

"No worries, I won't." Tomoya smiled at her.

Masaru returned to his new home at night. It is one of the house units in one of the public housing building in Tokyo.

He took a lift to the tenth floor and turned left. There were three house units at each side, each floor. He went to the middle unit and unlocked the door.

He had told George to sell his old house during George's visit to the prison. It had reminded Masaru of Uncle Yang, and Masaru feels a little creeped out on that.

He laid down on the sofa in the new house.

"Nothing like home." He comfortably rested his head on it. Inside the house, there is a living room, a kitchen, a storeroom and two other empty rooms.

Masaru got up from the sofa and sighed as he thought about something.

"Imagine I didn't go...Ughh, it's already over. What's done is done. Why did I keep repeating 'If I had never went to steal money'?"

He then thought about Utaha Kasumigaoka.

"It's time for her to get a new boyfriend. It looks like she doesn't have one. Maybe she's hiding it or something."

After the Blessing Software event, Tomoya drove Megumi to their home.

"Tomoya-kun." Megumi said.

"Ah?"

"Did you ever think how Masaru-san is now?"

"No. I mean, he's no longer our employee. And that guy's a threat to the company because he stole money."

"It's partially because..."

"...he needs money. I get it, Kato."

"That was not what I was about to say..."

"Don't protect him, Megumi. He's a guy you should stay away from. He kidnapped Utaha because of money, remember?"

"But..."

"No buts. Case is closed. Let's not talk about it."

Megumi sighed as she leaned against the passenger seat.

The next morning, Megumi went to Masaru's old house and knocked on the door. She waited for a few seconds before the door opened.

"Hello, Masaru..."

She was shocked that the person opening the door is not Masaru. Instead, it is a random man.

"Who are you looking for, miss?" The guy asked with a gruff, muscular voice.

"I...I'm looking f...for a guy named m...Masaru Kobayashi." She stuttered.

"Who on earth is that?" He asked, "Haven't heard of the guy before."

"Isn't this where he lives?" Megumi asked, "A guy with black hair? Black sunglasses with a thin figure?"

"I know no one like that." The man replied, "So, if you will excuse me, I need to watch The Price Is Right."

The man slammed the door close. Megumi sighed.

"Who would know of where he lives?" She thought very hard. Suddenly, she thought of someone.

She called Eriri on her phone. Eriri answered the call.

"Hello, Eriri?"

"What is it, Megumi?"

"Can I ask you something?"

In a food court a few minutes later, Megumi waited for someone to come. She was looking at her phone when someone sat opposite her.

"I'm here." It was George. She placed her phone down and looked at him.

"What do you want from me, Megumi?" He asked.

"Umm, I wanted to ask about something, and I hope you'll be honest with it."

"Ask it, then."

"Do...you know where Masaru-san lives now?" Megumi asked.

"Masaru?" He sighed, "I had promised to keep it a secret. I won't break his trust."

"So you do know where he is?" She catechized George.

"Yeah...but you're not going to know it." George stood up, "Don't waste your time trying to plead me to say it. It won't work."

"Please, George-san." Megumi pleaded with George, "Take it as I'm asking a favor from you. I promise I'll help you with anything."

"Kato-san, I really wish you would stop. Nothing's going to..."

Megumi stood up from her chair and went down on her knees.

"I beg you, George-san." She begged, tears in her eyes, "Let me see Masaru-san. I just want to apologize."

"You..." George pointed his finger at her, then sighed.

Masaru is relaxing in his bed, rolling around.

"I need to find a job." He sang with no tune, "I need to find a damn job."

He then heard the doorbell. He walked out of his room and went to open the door.

"Hey, Masaru." George greeted him.

"Man, you just visited me a few minutes ago." Masaru said, "Why are you here again? You miss me?"

"No, it's someone else."

"Eh?"

"I'm sorry, Kobayashi. I had to." George let way for Megumi.

"What is this bitch doing here?" Masaru asked George, "And didn't I tell you not to tell my house location to anyone, especially the Blessing Software members?"

"I can't resist it. I pity her."

"You got to be fuckin' kidding me."

"Masaru-san, I know you're angry with me." Megumi said, "I..."

"Shut up. I don't want to hear a single thing of you." Masaru said, "You and your stupid bullshit. Summoning me to the police is as easy as saying sorry casually after doing it."

"I know I didn't speak up for you..."

"Shut the fuck up with your pity!" He screamed at her, "I don't need your apologies or pity or sympathy! It's all useless! You didn't even help me speak up even though you knew I won't do bad shit for no reason! I want you to scram and leave."

"Masaru-san, let me..."

"I said, scram!" Masaru pushed Megumi out of the house, "I'll never forgive you. Never!" He then slammed the door close and locked it.

"Masaru-kun." Megumi started crying, "I'm sorry. I know I'm in the wrong. Please forgive me."

George hugged her as she cried in his arms.

At the police headquarters, police officers scramble out, running to their girlfriends, parents or friends. Today is book-out day, where all comrades get to rest on weekends after their hard training, especially with Liam.

Liam walked out and sighed. He only had his daughter, but at this time, she had school to attend. He was about to walk to the bus stop when he heard a familiar voice.

"Daddy!"

Liam turned around to see a girl with her pink Nissan Note.

"I'm glad you arrived, Lucy." He walked to her car and sat on the passenger seat beside rhe driver seat.

While she is driving the car, she turned to her father, "How's your week, Daddy?"

"It's alright." Liam replied, "What about you, baby? You okay? Getting over your ex?"

"Somehow." Lucy sighed, "I just wished he'd stop pestering me. I told him it's over for us."

"Let me do it then."

"What are you going to do, Daddy?"

Once they reached home, Liam placed his bag on the floor and went to bathe. After that, he hopped onto his bed.

"Home sweet home!" He said.

Lucy smiled at him, "I'll get lunch for you, Daddy."

"Alright." Liam replied. Lucy went out.

A few minutes later, he came out of his room and saw Masaru on his doorstep.

"Mister K." Liam opened the door.

"Am I disturbing you, Sir?" Masaru asked.

"Nah. Take a seat."

Once they both sat down, Masaru told Liam he had found a guitar teacher for Lucy.

"Really?" Liam asked excitedly. Masaru happily nodded, "It's the least I could do for you for helping me in my time in prison."

"Thanks, man." Liam hugged him, "This means a lot to my daughter. She's been wanting to play the guitar since young. My ex-wife's a guitarist, but she left us for another man."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Masaru said.

"Remember, if you need any help, give me a ring." Liam uttered, "I'll be there to help you as a brother."

"Getting all mushy behind that formidable police officer identity?"

"That's who I am."

In the evening, in Blessing Software's building, Megumi is thinking in her office about Masaru. Eriri knocked on her door.

"Here are the final drawings for our next game." Eriri said.

"Leave them on the table." Megumi commanded. Eriri walked to her table and sat beside Megumi, placing the drawings on the table. They stayed quiet for a while. Awkwardness filled the air.

"I know you've been thinking about that son of a bitch for quite some while." Eriri started talking, "We had some...disagreements on him. And I'm sorry if I had raised my voice at you that night. But he's changed. He's no longer the kind Masaru Kobayashi we know anymore. He's just a person who does anything for his own benefits."

"I feel it's just because of Uncle Yang." Megumi said, "He didn't do it because he wanted to steal. It's time we forgive him. We are part of the cause of Uncle Yang."

"We can't blame ourselves, Megumi." Eriri said, "He could've told us his problems. He didn't."

"He didn't want us to worry, Eriri. Why are you finding every way to wrong him?"

"Then why are you finding every way to defend that stupid motherfucker?" Eriri screamed, standing up, "He's a bad guy, and that's all we need to know!"

"Just get out." Megumi turned back to her work, "I don't want to start a fight."

"It's a waste of my time trying to come here and talk things out." Eriri stormed out of the office.

A yellow Chevrolet Camaro '95 stopped outside the building. The driver gripped the steering wheel. The driver took out a bottle of chloroform and poured it in a cloth.

Eriri took her bag and left the building. As she left through the main door, a cloth covered her mouth. She muffled for help, but fainted a few seconds later.

Megumi switched off the office lights and locked the door. She took the lift to the first floor and walked out of the building.

She then saw Eriri unconscious in the Chevrolet car. She peeked through the window. A cloth was then placed over Megumi's mouth. Megumi tried struggling free and muffling for help, but to no avail. Megumi fainted a few seconds later.

The driver looked at Megumi once more before throwing away the cloth. She threw Megumi into the car after that.

"I'm back for revenge." The driver growled.

To be continued in Episode 3