Hmph! The nerve! He never called back! Who does he think he is?!
Bright and early on that sunny Saturday morning, Yukiko was already up and waxing the first floor corridors. With her yukata tied up at the bottom and her sleeves held up by a thin strip of spare cloth, she ran on all fours with a small rag up and down the length of the hallway, filled with boundless energy fueled by her fury from Souji. None of the inn's customers were awake yet, making it the ideal time for Yukiko to clean the floors—if any customers were around while she was cleaning in this manner, they might find themselves with a different kind of service than what the Amagis intended. Still, Yukiko checked from time to time to make sure she wasn't accidentally exposing herself.
I guess I should thank Mother for having me do this when no one's around. And I suppose Father's right about me slacking off lately, what with the investigations and all, but that doesn't give him the right to scold me in front of the customers!
At the end of the hall, she straightened herself up and felt her back and shoulders pop a few times. With a groan, she stretched and admired the fine work she had done in the hallway.
It's only seven in the morning, but it's already this hot, she thought as she picked up the rag and added more wax to it. Last night wasn't so good, either. Now I'm the one that wishes Chie could use Bufu in our world.
She peered down the connecting corridor and sighed at the long stretch before her. Resuming her waxing position, she ran down the length of the corridor and repeated this action up to the third floor. By the time she was finished, it was already ten o'clock. She went to her room and collapsed at her table, resting her head on her arms. She was able to rest for a moment before her mother came in.
"Beautiful job waxing the floors, Yukiko," she said to her daughter. "I know you're tired, but I need you to pick up all the yukata we ordered. Can you please go into town and get them?"
Yukiko exhaled slowly before sitting up. "Yes, Mother. I'll go."
Her mother stroked her hair lovingly on her way out the door. Before closing the door fully, she whispered, "He only means well, so don't take it too personally. Just try to be nice to him for now; he'll come around eventually."
"Mother… what are you—" she started to ask, but the door had shut before she could finish. Was she talking about Father? There's no way she could possibly know about Souji-kun. Even if it was him, what is it about not calling back that says he 'means well?' But then, she must be talking about Father…
She changed into her normal outerwear before traveling down the river plain, still wondering why her mother would say such a thing.
--
"Huh? You can't come today?"
Souji had just left his house to pick up Chie when she called.
"Yeah, my parents are coming home from their trip tonight, so I have to stay and clean," she explained. "They expect a spotless house when they come back, or else I'm grounded."
"We're just gonna buy something that Kanji could hide under his uniform, so it's cool."
"I know, but I also wanted to look at what else they might have. And with all the stuff we got from inside the TV, I bet Old Man Daidara can make even better stuff!"
"So, you want me to pick up the items from your place?" he asked as he quickened his pace down the street to Chie's house.
"Pleeease?" she said in a sugary tone. Just then the sound of a doorbell sounded from the background. "Oh, hold on a sec." He heard her take the phone with her to another part of the house. He continued to listen as the sound of a door opening came through his cell phone.
"If you're already at my house, why didn't you just tell me on the phone?!" Chie yelled when she saw that Souji was standing outside her front door. The two hung up their phones and she invited him inside briefly while she retrieved a bag full of the items they found inside the TV. She disappeared up the stairs for a second before reappearing with something in her hands.
"Here ya go!" she grinned as she tossed a plump, lumpy backpack at Souji from the top of the stairs. A loud "OOF!" escaped his lips as the bag caught him square in the chest. As Chie came down the stairs, he took the time to see that the bag was light green with a big, yellow star trailing a rainbow tail behind it. He glowered at it.
"Sorry, but it's the only other bag I have for all that stuff," Chie said as she patted her old bag. "I got it when I was ten, but I never really got to use it…"
Never 'got' to, or never 'wanted' to? "And I have to walk around town with this?" he turned his arctic gaze to her, but she only laughed nervously.
"Well, at least me and the others won't question your tastes," she said as she choked back a giggle. "Hey, isn't Rise-chan going with you? Maybe you could make her carry it."
He slung the bag over his shoulder, sliding one arm into one of the straps. "She'd better carry it—this thing's a plague on my manliness," he muttered darkly, but it wasn't soft enough that Chie didn't hear it.
"Huh? You're worried about it keeping girls away?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "What kind of guy doesn't want girls fawning over him?"
Chie blinked. "Um… Kanji-kun?"
He stared blankly at her, not able to believe the answer she had just given. I'll give her points for that one. In that case, I'll give it to Mr. Fabulous to carry for me. It's his weapon we're shopping for, anyway, so he has to at least do some work for it.
"I'm off," he said as he started to leave. He had the door halfway open when Chie stopped him.
"Um, just out of curiosity… What do you think of Yukiko?"
He turned back towards her. "What do you mean?"
"Well, she said some things about you yesterday that she didn't mean for you to hear, so… She really didn't mean any of it. At least, I don't think so," she said, letting her eyes fall to the floor.
"Then why did she say all that about me?" More like announce to the world, actually.
"Ah, that's…" her cheeks developed a pink glow. "… That's because I was poking fun at her, saying that you and her would look cute together."
Souji shoved his free hand into his pocket and grasped Yukiko's handkerchief. "And thus her answer," he said as he stepped through the door.
"Wait! You didn't answer my question!"
He halted just outside the door. "… Let's put it this way: unlike her, I don't hate every fiber of her being," he said over his shoulder before officially departing. Chie leaned against the door frame, hoping that her constant prying into Yukiko's relationship with Souji didn't ruin their friendship with each other.
--
Every person Souji passed on the way to Kanji's house stopped and stared at the girly backpack on his shoulder. Children would point and laugh, and adults would whisper behind their hands to one another. At one point, a group of junior high boys jeered at him. He was about to spin around and shoot them a dirty look when a towering figure lunged at them.
"Who're you laughin' at, you little bastards?!" Kanji roared as he chased the boys away. When they had run a fair distance, he cracked his neck and walked over to Souji. "Damn kids…"
My hero! For rescuing me, I shall bestow a handsome reward unto thee, Mr. Fabulous! "Thanks. I'll treat you to a soda later," Souji said dully as his rage left his being.
"Cool. But first, I gotta take care of some stuff at home," Kanji said as he returned to his house. Souji followed and was welcomed by Kanji's mother.
"Oh, Souji-kun! So good to see you again," she said sweetly as he entered. He couldn't help but notice her eyeing his bag.
"It's my little cousin's," he lied. "She visited a friend and they spontaneously decided to have a sleepover, so I'm just taking it over to her."
"How nice of you. Can I get you something to drink?" She got to her feet.
"No, it's alright. I don't want to trouble you," he said as he set the horrific backpack down by his feet. The older Tatsumi walked over to one of the displays and began fixing some of the items on the table.
"Kanji, before you go, could you get that box I told you about? Someone's coming to pick it up soon," she informed her son.
"Sure thing, Ma," he replied as he retreated to the back. His mother turned to look at Souji.
"Thank you again for taking such good care of my son. He really does look up to you," she said with a bow. "I think he's become a better man from just meeting you."
Souji was beside himself as he reveled in her words. "Thanks, but I think you did a good job raising him, too."
She opened her mouth to say something, but Kanji returned with a small cardboard box. "Found it! Careful, it's heavier than it looks."
"Just set it down over there," she said as she motioned her hand to indicate where to put the box. "Okay, have fun, boys."
"See ya, Ma!" Kanji smiled as he set the box down. "Let's go, Senpai."
Souji lifted the little green nightmare back onto his shoulders and slid the door open, startling the person on the other side.
"Um… good morning, Seta-kun," Yukiko said in a meek voice.
"H-Hey, Amagi." Awk-ward. "Running errands for the inn?" Souji ran his fingers down the back of his head as he averted his eyes from her.
"Y-Yeah. We've gotten really busy, so… I'm the only one they could send." She placed her hands behind her back as she shifted her weight to one leg. "By the way, I called last—"
"Yukiko-senpai! I got your order right here!" Kanji appeared next to Souji holding the box from earlier. "It's kinda heavy, so—"
As Yukiko reached for the box, Souji snatched it away with both hands. "He's right about it being heavy. Kanji-kun, you take that," he said as he nudged the backpack with his foot. Kanji picked up the bag and stared at it while Yukiko thanked his mother.
"You don't have to do that," Yukiko told Souji on the way out.
"We're headed in the same direction, so I might as well."
Why is he helping me? She wondered with her eyes trained on Souji's back. Is he still mad at me? He doesn't seem mad, though.
"Senpai? What's with this bag?" Kanji asked as they strolled down the district.
"It's stuff from the TV. Chie couldn't come because she needed to clean her house before her parents came home, so she's having me take it."
"Uh, okay. For future references… it's… um… not really your color…"
Somewhere behind him, Souji heard the sound of stifled laughter. He craned his neck to see Yukiko fighting to hold back one of her laughing fits. A small smile crossed his face as he tried to hide it behind the box. "You're right about that. It matches your eyes better."
A loud snort escaped Yukiko, and her face became a bright red. Both Souji and Kanji turned around and stared at her.
"Pffft! S-Sorry…" she gasped between laughter. "I-I… I'll just… hee-hee… I… ha, ha, ha…"
She quickly grabbed the box from Souji, still trying to catch her breath. "E-E-Excuse… me…" The two watched as she stumbled away, half carrying and half dragging the box down the street.
"Who'd've thought that Yukiko-senpai'd be such a strange girl," Kanji mumbled. "Whoever gets her will never get bored, that's for sure."
I know I'm not bored yet. How can anyone get bored with someone that cute? Souji thought as he continued down the street. I wonder if her laughing was a good sign just now. They passed by Marukyu Tofu Shop where Rise was waving furiously at them.
"Hey, Senpai! Hey, Kanji!" she called to them. "Did you two see Yukiko-senpai just now? She looked like she was in pain or something."
"Nah, she was just doubled over laughin'," Kanji explained. "We're goin' over to that weapon shop—wanna come?"
"Sure! But, ah… Kanji, that bag…" She clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing as Kanji threw it down on the ground in disgust.
"Y'know, you just threw down the goods we were going sell to get you your weapon," Souji pointed out. Immediately Kanji picked the bag up and dusted it off before hastily handing it off to Rise.
"Hey! Why do I have to carry it? I'm not the one who needs a weapon!" she hollered as she threw it back to Kanji. Souji led them into Daidara's store while they continued to throw Chie's bag at each other. They unloaded the contents of the bag in front of Daidara himself, who raised an eyebrow at the bag.
"I can probably give you… nine thousand for everything," the old man said as he picked through the pile of odds and ends. He handed a pile of bills to Souji, who looked at the small sum with disdain.
"That's it? Can we even get a decent weapon for Kanji with that much?" Rise asked.
"Sorry. The most you can get is an accessory."
"Dammit! How the hell'm I s'pose to fight now?" Kanji said in despair, but Souji had an idea.
"Follow me," he said as he left the store. The juniors followed Souji all the way to the Samegawa riverbed where an old man stood watching the river flow by.
"Excuse me, sir," Souji said gently to the old man.
"Oh, it's you. Caught any fish lately?" the old man smiled. Rise leaned in close to Souji so she could whisper something.
"Senpai, why are we bargaining with an old man about fish?" she asked.
"This old fisherman trades goodies for fish," he replied. He then turned back to the fisherman. "Let me try to catch some and we'll see if we can make a deal."
"Let's see what kind of fisherman you are!" the old man laughed as he lent Souji a fishing pole. He took it and cast the line, hoping that he'll catch the right fish.
--
On her way back to the inn, Yukiko was laughing so hard that tears were flowing in place of actual laughter. She couldn't even lift the box anymore from laughing so hard. As she started to calm down, a hand touched her on the shoulder.
"Are you alright?" A familiar voice asked. Yukiko turned around and saw Yosuke looking at her with concerned eyes.
"Oh, Yosuke-kun. I'm f-fine, just… there was something funny earlier," she said with a smile plastered on her face. "My cheeks hurt now from smiling so much."
"What was so funny? And what's with this box?" he asked as he tapped the box with his shoe.
"Oh, nothing. Just Kanji-kun and Seta-kun, that's all. And those are just some yukata for our inn," she managed to say without giggling. She wiped the remaining tears of laughter from her face. "How about you? Aren't you busy on Saturdays?"
"Usually, yeah, but my shift starts a little later," he explained as he picked up the box. "Whoa! Were you carrying this all this time? It's pretty heavy; here, I'll help you take it to your inn."
"That's all right, I can manage by myself," she said as she reached for the box.
"No way."
"Why not?"
"Let's just say I owe you," he told her as they made their way to the inn.
"What exactly do you owe me?"
"You don't remember? And after Chie even scolded me last night about it," he smiled pitifully.
"About what? What did you do that made you owe me?" Her curiosity made her forget about the box.
"Yesterday, I made a comment on how Teddie knew a stronger healing spell. I didn't realize that it bothered you so much," Yosuke enlighten her. "I'm sorry. Damn, me and my big mouth…"
Yukiko smiled kindly. "Yosuke-kun, to tell you the truth, I actually forgot about that this morning. I've been so busy helping out at our inn that I haven't had much time to even think about it. But I accept your apology." They approached the inn's entrance and Yosuke passed the box to Yukiko.
"You sure you got it?" he asked as she took it in her hands.
"Don't worry—I'm stronger than I look," she grinned as Kasai came barreling down the hallway.
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you to help out with the laundry! And who's this?" she inquired when she spotted Yosuke. "Yuki-chan, is this a boyfriend of yours?"
"N-No, ma'am! Just a friend! Yukiko-san, I'll see ya later!" Yosuke said quickly before running off. Yukiko sighed as she set the box down.
"Kasai-san, please don't joke like that with my friends."
"I'm just kidding! But look how fast he ran when I said that," she winked. She then dropped her voice to a whisper. "So how are things with Souji-kun? Is your situation any better yet?"
"Not yet. Things weren't going so well yesterday, but today he was rather nice to me," she explained as they carried the box to the laundry room. "He helped me carry all this for a bit, and he wasn't mean or anything, but we didn't really talk."
"It looks like he might be trying to win you back. But, are you ready to take him back just yet?"
Yukiko lowered her head. "I don't know. I was talking with Chie and she said that I was worrying a lot about him, so I know that I don't hate him. I also don't want to rush taking him back, because I don't know if I've completely forgiven him yet."
They scooted the box into the elevator and rode it to the third floor. Down the hall was the laundry room, where they loaded the new yukata into the washing machine.
"Yuki-chan, I think that in due time, you'll be able to take him back," Kasai said as she threw in some laundry detergent. The machine whirred to life as she set it to wash and the two went to another washing machine to unload another set of yukata. Together they took it up another flight of stairs to a large landing outside where they hung the freshly-washed yukata out to dry.
"Do you really think so?" Yukiko asked as she passed the older woman one of the damp yukata.
"Of course I do. I have the utmost faith in you, Yuki-chan!"
--
"Well, not bad. Not bad at all," the old man said as Souji showed him the various fish he had caught in a single afternoon. By this time, Rise was so bored that she dragged Kanji into making fun of Chie's backpack by making a mock infomercial.
"Today we have a new line of backpacks!" Rise said as she positioned her hand in front of her mouth as though she held a microphone. "It's not just any backpack—it's the world's greatest backpack! It has an anti-theft mechanism built right in! Kanji, would you care to explain how this anti-theft mechanism works?"
"Get that thing outta my face! It's freakin' ugly as hell—"
"—Did you hear that, folks? It's a backpack so hideous that even a thief wouldn't wanna touch it! Get yours today while supplies last!"
"I ain't no thief!"
Souji finished trading with the old man and passed a round and flat object to Kanji before he could get violent.
"The hell is this?"
"A bath lid," Souji said simply. "It's not what we expected, but at least it's easier to carry around compared to a desk. It's even got its own handle."
"And it's not hideous," Rise chimed in.
"So, whose turn is it to carry that?" Kanji asked. All three looked at the bag as though it was a diseased rat.
Yeah, a diseased rat with a star crapping rainbows, Souji thought to himself. I guess since I live the closest to Chie-chan, I'll take it. Don't forget, Souji—as ugly as it is… Make it sexy!
"Senpai shouldn't have to carry something like this!" Rise argued.
"Men like us have no right carrying that trash! You carry it!" Kanji yelled back, but Rise's attention shifted to Souji.
"Senpai, you're so mature!" Rise fawned over Souji as he picked up the bag.
"I have to drop this off at Chie-chan's, so either way I'll have to carry it," he explained.
"You're a greater man than I," Kanji added as they headed home. When Souji saw that the two had returned to their homes safely, he took a detour back down the street into a decorative, bright blue door that led to another dimension. He checked to see if anyone was watching before stepping inside, where he was greeted by a bald, elderly man with an abnormally long nose and a blonde, young woman in a blue dress.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room," the woman said as Souji took a seat across from the man. The interior of the Velvet Room had the appearance of a stretch limousine, with various shades of blue coating everything inside. It came complete with a tiny bar filled with drinks lining one side, another long seat on the other and a small table set before the man.
"Good evening," Souji returned as he set the bag next to him.
"What can we do for you today?" the blonde woman asked.
"I need to summon a persona that can use fire. Did I ever get something like that?"
"Let's see…" Margaret pulled out a thick book bound by leather and flipped through it, finally stopping on a certain page. "You have a Gdon waiting for you to summon it."
"Then summon it I shall."
"Payment first," she said as she held out her hand. Souji stared at the hand before reaching into his pocket for some of the money they had earned from selling items earlier. He handed her a few bills, and almost instantaneously felt the presence of a new persona within him.
"Thank you. I'll be going now." He got up to leave when Igor cleared his throat.
"Just a moment, young man," he said in a surprisingly soothing voice. As soothing as it was, there was a slight chill to it. Souji turned back around to face him.
"What is it?"
"It appears that you have a conflict with one of the other arcana," Igor frowned lightly. Knowing where this was going, Souji sat back down on the leather seat.
"The Magician is doing well," Igor reviewed. "And Chariot has a fine bond with you, as well. The newer ones, Emperor and Lovers still need time, as does Star. I see you've also begun bonds with several others, but there's one that I'm particularly interested in at the moment."
"… Priestess…" Souji muttered, and Igor nodded.
"That is correct. It is advisable that you do not break your bond with the Priestess."
"I'm not trying to, but… it's complicated…" Souji felt like he was giving an excuse, and the two other occupants of the Velvet Room seemed to feel the same way.
"If it wasn't so complicated, would you still want to maintain that bond?" Margaret asked. Souji gave her a perplexed look. "The Priestess is someone special to you, correct?"
"How did you know that?"
"As observers, it is our duty to make sure everything flows smoothly," Igor said as he rested his upper lip against his hands. "We can only assist you so much in your journey."
"Just because we're telling you to hurry up and fix things doesn't mean you should make it your reason to do so," Margaret added. "Strengthen your bond because you want to, or else your bond is nothing more than pretense."
So, I'm basically leaving it all up to Yukiko-san. Then what should I do on my part? "What can I do to fix things?"
"Just do what you can."
How vague can you get? Souji stepped out of the Velvet Room and back onto the dark street of the Shopping District. With the bag over his shoulder, he trudged back to the direction of his home.
--
Chie was lying on her bed, drained from a full day of nonstop cleaning. She had just finished tidying up the rest of the house when her parents arrived home. They were impressed with how clean the house was until they saw her room, which she hadn't been able to touch the whole day. They spent a good fifteen minutes lecturing her on being a slob before allowing her to continue her cleaning.
"Whew! Finally finished! But I didn't get to go to Old Man Daidara's…" she brooded as her cell phone rang by her head. She flipped over to lie on her stomach as she answered it.
"Happy birthday, Chie!" Yukiko cheered from the other end.
"What? Wait, what day is it?" Chie asked as she quickly sat up to check her calendar.
"It's July thirtieth! Have you forgotten your own birthday?"
"I guess so. I've been busy cleaning the house for my parents," she sighed. "I spent all day cleaning like a maniac!"
"Aw, then how about we celebrate when we're not busy? I kind of owe you since I was busy today, too."
"Yeah! I like the sound of that!" Chie said happily. "But first, we gotta find that culprit guy, so we'll have to put it off later."
From downstairs, Chie heard her mother calling her. "Uh oh, I think my mom spotted the vase I broke trying to dust earlier. I was watching another kung fu movie while cleaning and I got a little too into it…"
Yukiko giggled. "Okay, I'll let you go. Happy birthday again, Chie!"
"Thanks, Yukiko!" She hung up and headed downstairs where Yosuke greeted her by the front door.
"What brings you here?" she asked as she slid down the banister for a faster descent.
"I was just, y'know, on my way home and decided to stop by," he tried to say casually, but Chie could tell that he had been rehearsing. "So, uh… here!"
He pulled out a small present from behind his back and held it out to her. She took it and turned it around in her hands. "Yosuke, why'd you—"
"I just saw it and thought I should get it for you." She slowly tore the wrapping off the gift and saw it was a limited edition of one of her favorite movies, 'Trial of the Dragon'.
"Whoa, complete with choreography of all the fight scenes," she gasped. As she opened the tin case to inspect the contents, Yosuke spoke up.
"I kinda owed you a new one anyway, and this was the only one I found at Junes. I gotta get home now, so I'll see you tomorrow!" He said rapidly as he turned to leave. "Oh, and… Happy birthday!"
She stood by the door and watched Yosuke run off as her face became a bright red. After what seemed like a few minutes she decided to go back to her room when she saw Souji come up to her door.
"So, how'd it go? Didja find something good for Kanji-kun?" Chie asked as she took back her old backpack. By now, her face had returned to its natural color.
"We found something all right, but it wasn't from Daidara's," Souji told her, relieved to finally be rid of the bag. "We got it from this old fisherman, and it's a lot easier to hide than a desk. He might have to bring his uniform jacket to cover it up, though."
"That's good to hear. Then we shouldn't have to worry about sneaking into Junes."
"Yeah. Then I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow."
"What time?"
"Ten. I've already sent messages to everyone on the meeting time, so you don't have to worry about telling them."
"Okay. G'night!" she said to him as he started to leave. He waved to her over his shoulder as he disappeared beyond the front gate. She returned to her room, dumping her backpack in the corner and taking the DVD to her bed to examine more closely.
"Yukiko would know it's my birthday because we've been friends for years," she said to herself as she polished the tin case with a corner of her blanket. "And Souji-kun wouldn't know because he just moved here. Rise-chan, Kanji-kun and Teddie definitely won't know because we just barely became friends. And then there's Yosuke… Why would he know it? I don't remember telling him about it…"
--
Tomorrow at ten… I hope I won't be too sore.
It was late at night and Yukiko closed her cell phone and placed it in the basket with the rest of her clothes in the changing room. With just her towel in hand, she slid the door to the hot springs open and saw that the entire bath was all to herself. She set her towel on a nearby rack before choosing one of the many vacant stools to wash herself.
I wonder why Kasai-san thinks that I'll take him back so soon, she wondered as she filled a bucket with warm water. Will I be ready by then? And how does Souji-kun feel right now? He acted as though there was nothing wrong going on between us, and he and Kanji-kun even got me laughing. But he also didn't say much to me.
She up-ended the bucket onto herself and began to scrub shampoo into her hair. And then there was that thing that Mother said this morning, about being nice to 'him', whoever 'he' is. Father did scold me for not helping out lately, so maybe she was referring to him? But what if she found out about Souji-kun? Was she hinting for me to be nice to him?
Her thought pattern continued in this fashion until she finished washing herself completely. She took her towel from the rack and brought it with her over to the hot spring. Dipping her toes first, she wanted to make sure it wasn't too hot, and soon her whole body followed. After a few seconds of feeling tense, her muscles began to loosen up.
If Souji-kun was able to act like nothing happened, I should try, too. At least, try to be a little nicer. If he's going to make an effort to be nice to me, I should at least do the same for him. Maybe if I try to strike up a simple conversation with him, things might go back to normal. Perhaps distancing myself from him had a more negative effect than I intended…
She looked up at the clear sky, in awe of the sight of the stars above her. Even though she had seen it many times over, it still amazed her how beautiful it was.
--
Inside the Dojima residence, Souji was changed and ready for bed. He planned to sleep early to get a good start on tomorrow's rescue mission when he felt that the heat was not going to let him sleep very well.
Window… The heat inside his room was stifling as he drew the curtain open from one of the windows. He slid the window open and couldn't help but notice how clear the sky was out in the country compared to the big city.
What can I do to fix things? How can I distance myself from her when we keep running into each other? And what was with today? I can't tell if she's starting to feel okay around me, or if she was actually nervous that I was nearby. Then, maybe I should just keep away from her as much as possible. Okay, Souji, here's the plan: stay away from Yukiko-san at all costs! Follow her request and keep your distance! Do this, and your relationship will survive! Now… FORWARD FOR VICTORY!
As different as their approaches may be, neither of them knew that the other was thinking of the exact same thing under the same star-filled sky.
--
Author's note: sorry if this chapter wasn't as good. I promise that the next one will be better. Thank you again for your support!