Chapter 14: Wednesday 24th of April

It was only less than 24 hours after they rescued Zaki from the Subex, but Kota and his friends made the journey to school and attended classes as though nothing had happened. The warm spring day was pleasant, though it did nothing to shake off the drowsiness that stuck with Kota from the moment he woke up. His eyelids remained heavy throughout morning classes and it took so much effort for Kota to stay awake that he wasn't able to take in much of the lesson. He would have been better off napping through the day like Jaden did, if he wasn't so worried about the tongue lashing he would get from the teachers. The blonde got away with snoozing during class until the science teacher, Mrs Kishiko, called on him during the lesson.

"… and, upon discovering that elements are dictated by the number of protons, neutrons and electrons that it possesses, scientists have been working to find ways to create new metals through transmutation. Doesn't that sound interesting, Gatogi?" The glasses-wearing teacher singled out Jaden, noticing that the boy fast asleep.

The whole turned to find the half-Japanese student collapsed on his desk, his arms blocking out the sunlight from his eyes.

"Gatogi!" Mrs Kishiko raised her voice and successfully brought Jaden back from his slumber.

"Huh!" Jaden bolted upright and rubbed his eyes before realising the trouble that he was in. "Sorry… I had a rough day yesterday."

"It's fine that you're tired but it's rude to sleep during classes, unless it's English in which case, it's understandable." It sounded less like a joke and more like a snipe at the opposing subject as the students exchanged uncomfortable glances with each other. "Stand up, Gatogi. I have a question to run by you."

"Right…" Jaden stood from his chair nervously as he prepared for the question.

"Gold is most easily synthesised through the act of removing one of its protons. What is the original element that undergoes this process?"

"Oh… um…" Jaden started to sweat as he drew a blank. "Boy, there's a lot of metals that I could choose from, huh?" Noticing his friend struggle with the question, Kota's mind kicked into gear. He noticed that the answer was in the question. All he needed to do was to remember where gold was on the periodic table and its neighbour.

"Mercury," Kota spoke, just quietly enough for his voice not to carry to the teacher. He could just see Jaden from the corner of his eye as Jaden briefly looked back at him.

"Is it… mercury?" Mrs Kishiko sighed.

"Your tone suggests that you didn't really know, but you're correct. Mercury is the correct answer. Since mercury has 80 protons and gold has 79, it's possible to create gold through mercury by lowering its proton count by one." Relieved, Jaden sunk back into his chair as Mrs Kishiko continued. "It sounds easy enough in theory, but it's impractical to conduct to this day. Not only does the resulting material become radioactive, but the cost to carry out this process far exceeds gold's market price."

Jaden was careful not to draw attention to himself as he leaned towards Kota, who sat in the row in front of him.

"I owe you a drink after this. Thanks a bunch." Kota could also hear a few soft mummers around the room as many of his classmates noticed the assistance that he gave his friend. He could almost sense a few eyes on him as he refocused on not falling asleep.

It's too late to start napping now, huh?

Kota stared blankly at the teacher as he counted down to the minutes to the nearest break.

By lunchtime, the sleepiness that Kota struggled to keep in check had tapered off. From the moment the bell sounded, his classmates were quick to either group up with their friends or bolt out the door on their way to either the canteen or a spot outside where they could soak in the warm sunlight. Kota would have taken off for the canteen by this point if Akina hadn't prepared lunches for him and Jaden. After sleeping through the time that he would usually allocate for his breakfast, the Wild Card user was eager to have something to eat.

A short time later, the group settled down under the shade of the wooded area of the school grounds. Kota took a moment to enjoy the refreshing breeze as he sat on the grass before Akina held out a red and white checked cloth that cradled a polished wooden box.

"I… hope you like it." Akina appeared nervous as she passed the bento on to Kota. It was the first time he got to taste anything from prepared by his beanie-wearing classmate but after seeing the cake she baked for Ms Tourmi last week, the cyan-haired teen had high hopes.

"I'm sure it'll be great," Kota reassured, giving her a kind smile before opening the boxed lunch. The meal was neatly organised between the three columns, holding seasoned rice, sweet and sour chicken and egg with an assortment of vegetables in each compartment. He could feel his stomach twist in pain as though it was crying out for the food in front of him.

As Kota took hold of a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and eagerly brought it towards his mouth, he could smell the mouth-watering scent. A single bite confirmed that the taste lived up to his expectations as the sweetness flooded his tongue.

"Man, this was just what I needed after all that we went through yesterday." Having already taken his first mouthful, Jaden could barely contain his praise before swallowing the piece of chicken. "Your cooking is as good as I remember it, Akina." Kota nodded in agreement.

"It tastes so much better than anything that the canteen serves."

"Come on, you guys. It's not like it's anything special. Still, I'm glad to hear that you both like it..." Akina gave an embarrassed smile as she started on her own lunch. Kota took the time to savour more of the bento before voicing his thoughts.

"I'm surprised that you went out of the way to make lunch for us. You looked beat when we made it back to the dorms."

"I was," The girl said as rubbed her right eye. While she looked to be feeling the effects of yesterday's battle as well, Akina appeared to be handling her tiredness better than both of her guy friends. "I just about passed out the moment I returned home and slept through dinner. When I woke up, dawn had only just arrived so I figured that it would be nice if I made extra lunches for you two as a treat. It's better than Jaden's plan of going to whatever junk food joint he'd scoped out this time." She added the final sentence with a sly glance at the blonde, who simply shrugged off the intentional jab.

"You don't know what you're missing out on."

"Processed foods with a high risk of future heart disease?" Akina gave Jaden a deadpan look, not taking him seriously. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"It tastes better than it sounds. Trust me."

Kota chuckled at the pair's banter as he continued to enjoy his lunch. Everyone was in a bright mood as the group continued to eat, feeling rejuvenated after a sluggish morning. Jaden and Akina continued talking between the two of them as the third student kept quiet as he stared blankly at his bento.

"What's gotten you all deep in thought?" Kota hadn't realised that he zoned out until Jaden spoke to him.

"Nothing…" Kota turned away from the blonde, uncomfortably "It's a little embarrassing, actually…"

"Oh, yeah?" Jaden's ears perked up as Akina narrowed her eyes at him.

"Knock it off Jaden. He doesn't want to share it."

"No, it's fine." Having put a slight damper on the mood, Kota figured that he might as well let them in on his thoughts. "I… was just wondering what things would have been like if when weren't dragged into all this Persona business." The amnesiac mindlessly rolled his chopsticks between his fingers. "Would we have been better off if we hadn't known about the Subex?"

"What difference would that have made?" Jaden was quick to respond, his voice filled with confidence. "I'm sure that things would play out the same way on this end."

"Well… The stuff that my Despair put me through changed the way I treated you both…" Akina sounded ashamed as she thought back to her first experience in the Subex. "It was terrible at the time but I'm glad it helped us grow closer."

"Yeah. I guess things turned out for the better, the looming threat of an early death aside…" While trying to sound joking, Jaden spoke more darkly as though distort about something. As Kota noticed this, Jaden was back to his chipper self after a deep breath. "Still, it's not worth thinking about what could have been." He picked up his can of soda and held it up towards his friends. "On that note, how about we share a toast? To our successful mission!"

"Cheers!" Kota took his own can that Jaden bought for him and made contact with the music-lover's drink.

"That's not how toasts work…" Despite this, Akina grabbed her juice box and joined the other two. The trio took a sip from their respective drinks as Kota was reminded of Glitch's request after saving Zaki.

"Right, I just remembered. Glitch asked me yesterday to visit her later today. She just wanted to give me something to help us communicate, but she was going to have extras ready for you if you both could make it."

"So… she wants to see us after school?" Jaden questioned, sounding slightly worried.

"Yeah," Kota replied, growing suspicious of his friend. "Will that be a problem?"

"Actually, it will be," Akina spoke with similar apprehension as her blonde friend. "Maybe we could come along during the weekend instead."

"You too, Akina?" Kota looked back and forth between the two as he tried to work out what was going on. "Do you two have a date planned?"

"Nah uh! No way! Definitely not!" Akina strongly and quickly denied Kota's words as Jaden shot her a look of bitterness.

"Jeez. Way to make a guy feel wanted…"

"What is it then?" Kota pressed, leading his two friends to exchange looks as though each of them was waiting for the other to bail them out. After a moment of silence, Jaden spoke up.

"I-It's a secret! Sorry, but we can't tell you."

"Fine. I won't pry then." Kota was bothered by the pair's secrecy but made the decision to let it go.

"Don't feel bad, okay? You'll understand later," said Akina, sensing Kota's disappointment.

"… Okay." He wasn't pleased by being kept in the dark, though he realised that he wasn't one to talk.

Even with everything he'd been through with Jaden and Akina, he hadn't told them about his amnesia, about how he arrived in Iwatodai with almost nothing. With everything that has been going on with the Subex, he realised how suspicious that would look to them. As much as he wanted to tell them anyway, there was no telling how it would impact his relationship with them, particularly with all the crazy things that have been happening over the last few weeks. He knew that if he was to tell them, he could never take those words back.

With the anticipation of meeting with Glitch later in the day, Kota found that the day slowed to a crawl as the final bell approached. As the final class of the day drew to a close Jaden and Akina excused themselves and left the classroom ahead of him. They gave him no indication of what they were up to, so Kota figured that it was related to whatever it was they were hiding from him. Slightly annoyed by the development, the teenager made the lonely journey back to the Iwatodai Dormitory.

Upon returning, Kota tossed his schoolbag onto the lounge-area table and sat himself down on one of the adjacent sofas. Pulling up his sleeve, the boy looked into the face of his Transferal, the inky darkness behind the lens almost alluring as it eyes remained transfixed on the device. With a press of the crown, Kota found himself brought into the Subex once again.

The Persona-user stood up in the dilapidated version of his dormitory and stepped outside. The sounds of grinding gears and pistons could be heard from the distance as the suit-wearing teen walked under the dark, spiralling clouds in the sky.

"Are you the only one here?" The familiar trenchcoat-clad being was leaning against the wall just to Kota's right, appearing as though she was waiting patiently for his arrival.

"Yeah… The others said they had something on." Kota couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice as he spoke of them. "Did you end up finishing that communicator?"

"Easily, though I could only create one that your group can use." Glitch held out her hand to reveal a small chrome-looking object. "If I were to make more, there would be a chance that the link between more than two devices would be strained, causing the signal to scramble. I haven't made my own yet, though I should be able to make adjustments until the frequency matches your own communicator."

"That sounds rather difficult." Kota took the small device and brought it level to his eye. It was small enough and was shaped in such a way that it could sit nicely inside of an ear, though it was impossible to tell how works just by looking at it.

"It's just a matter of testing the device until I can secure a connection. It's just a question of whether it'll be done in time for when I'll need to contact you."

"What happens if you don't finish it in time?"

"Then I'll just hack your phone again."

"… I really hope it doesn't come to that, again." The Wild Card clenched the communicator in his hand and looked at his surroundings. The Subex looked the same as ever, mirroring the coastal city in the physical world, only feeling empty like a ghost town. "It must get pretty lonely, having to stay here by yourself."

"I suppose. It has always been this way until your group showed up."

"So… you don't mind it?" The stone-faced girl simply shrugged in response. It was hard to get a reading on the Subex-dweller, but Kota imaged that it would bother anyone to be confined to such a barren place.

"Do you mind if I asked you something personal? What exactly… are you?" Glitch furrowed her brow, making Kota realise that he should have put it more delicately. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean any offence!"

"Don't apologise. It's only natural that you're confused by my existence." The guide gave a tired sigh, thinking carefully about how answer Kota. "For as long as I can remember, I've always been wandering through the Subex. I've grown to understand this place and its importance in maintaining the balance of the world as we know it. It was my understanding that the sole purpose of my existence was to watch over the Subex… to ensure that it wouldn't collapse and bring chaos to the world. That was… until I came across this."

Glitch reached inside of her coat pulled out a simple-looking hand mirror. The back had no design, sporting just a rich shade of red. When Kota caught a glimpse of the reflective face of the mirror, he immediately felt a chill on the back of his neck that brought him back to journey to rescue Akina not too long ago.

"The mirror shard from the fun house." Glitch nodded in response to Kota's exclamation.

"When I first looked into the mirror, I saw someone who wasn't me. She looked someone who belonged on the surface. I only saw her briefly, though it left such a strong impression that I can't help but remember that face whenever I look into this mirror." Her eyes fell back on the mirror as though they were searching for the very image she was describing. "This may sound silly, but… I have a hunch that that girl might have been me before I became this."

Silence fell between the pair as Kota digested Glitch's words.

"I think you might be right. You once said that you didn't have a body that you could use to leave the Subex. Maybe there is one out there that belongs to you and you just have to find it."

"I've considered that possibility and it does stand to be the most obvious explanation. However, I don't have any reason to be optimistic," Glitch said darkly as she tucked the mirror back under her coat. "I've been here well before you first arrived. While it's hard to get I sense of time passing in the Subex, I imagine a body that has been separated from its consciousness for the length of time I've been here would have already withered away due to thirst."

"You told me yesterday that I shouldn't assume the worse while there are other explanations. If your body was taken to a hospital, the doctors there would be able to keep you alive. I'm sure that it will work out."

"I suppose that could be the case." Glitch looked to be deep in thought for a brief moment before looking back to Kota. "I apologise for making my troubles your business."

"There isn't anything to apologise for. You helped me out yesterday so I was just looking to return the favour." Kota looked at his ally with kind eyes. Glitch seemed at a loss, unsure of how to respond before steadying herself with an exhale.

"I'm glad that you and your friends agreed to help protect the Subex. Thank you."

"You're welcome. We'll keep coming back as long as we need to." After giving her a winning smile, Kota looked at the small device in his hand. "So, I'll just need put this on for me to hear you, right?"

"That's right." Picking up where they left off, glitch went on to explain the workings of the communicator. "It won't appear on the surface but you should be able to hear me as though you're wearing an ordinary earpiece. I can pick up any sounds that you hear as well, which will allow the two of us to communicate."

Kota slotted the device in his right ear which fitted in quite comfortably. Satisfied, he looked back to Glitch.

"I need to get back to the dorm and make a start on the schoolwork that I've been putting off. Take care of yourself." Glitch showed her acknowledgement by giving a small nod.

"I'll have my own communicator finished shortly." Kota returned to the interior of the Subex-dormitory and sat down in place of his silhouette, bringing his consciousness back to the physical world. Finding himself back in his dormitory, he placed his index finger in his right ear where he placed the communicator to find that there was nothing there, as he expected.

With his business in the Subex having concluded, the schoolboy leaned forward to reach for his workbook and one of the textbooks from his bag. Kota went into the task that was set for him by his English teacher though as he continued to revise the material and practice his pronunciation. As he continued to slave away at the task, Kota began to feel uneasy from the silence that persisted in the dormitory's lounge room.

While he wasn't the most diligent student, Jaden was great at English and Akina had a way of keeping everyone focused on the task whenever they were addressing schoolwork. Thinking about them made him wish that they were both studying with him, particularly while he was in the empty dormitory room that made him feel even more lonely. Still, he couldn't complain.

"I can't imagine what it must be like, being trapped in that place…" Kota suddenly felt guilty as he thoughts back to Glitch. He wanted to do whatever he could to help her out of there. Sadly, he wouldn't have known where to begin. Finding it difficult to gather up the motivation to study, Kota continued to work as best he could without much avail.

Thou art I… And I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

It helps bridges the gap towards humanity's true fate…

Thou shalt be blessed with a Persona of the Hermit Arcana…

Thursday 25th of April

Kota was looking forward to the end of lessons the following day. It was finally time for him to take part in his Kendo Club practice. After hurrying to the gym and changing into his training gear, the teenager found Daichi and Yuto picking out their gear with the other club members. Daichi was the first to notice the latest addition to the Kendo club.

"You made it," Daichi called out Kota as he approached the boys. "So, are you raring to go?"

"You could say that." In truth, Kota had been eager for the chance to learn Kendo since he and his friends had returned Zaki to the physical world safely. He wasn't certain that it would help but he hoped that practising two-handed sword techniques would benefit his fighting ability in the Subex. The Wild Card was desperate to redeem himself after the katana-wielding Shadow soundly bested him in sword fighting before Akina and Jaden intervened.

"You don't have to worry about being worked too hard," Yuto chimed in. "Practice is usually just made up of training drills in pairs before holding a few matches at the end."

"I'll be happy to pair up with you this time, if you're not planning to go with someone else," Daichi offered. Having been one of the friendlier faces that welcomed him to Gekkoukan at the start of the school year, Kota was secretly relieved by the offer.

"I don't really know anyone else here, so that works for me."

"Don't worry, the drills aren't particularly tough so you shouldn't have much trouble getting through them. I'm not going to be holding back for the match at the end though so make sure you're well prepared."

"You're looking to get an easy win for the sparring at the end, aren't you?" Yuto questioned.

"Is it so hard to accept that I'm a nice guy who wants to help out the new recruit?" Daichi frowned, annoyed that his intentions were questioned. "Why would I be desperate to win?"

"I dunno. Maybe you're trying to weasel your way out of paying for drinks at the end. Or, maybe…" Yuto gave a sly smile as he let the silence build suspense before his next words. "You're trying to look cool in front of Ms Ogata after losing earlier this week." Daichi appeared flustered as mood changed suddenly.

"What?! N-No way?! That's definitely not it!" He was red in the face as Yuto crossed his arms, looking rather smug as he turned to Kota.

"What do you think? He sounds like he has a thing for the manager, don't you think?" The cyan-haired boy observed Daichi with a thoughtful expression.

"He does seem suspicious…"

"Right?! He's totally love-struck."

"Can you two knock it off!" Daichi burst out, putting an end to the boys' chatter. "There's seriously no ulterior motive in helping Isarota out. Besides, beating a noobie is hardly going to grab her attention."

"Who's attention?"

"Ah!" Daichi just about jumped out of his skin when he heard the calm voice of the club manager from behind him. The second-year student turned to face the slender girl, who was patiently waiting for a response. "I-It's nothing for you to worry about, Ogata-senpai!"

"If you're in the middle of a private conversation, you should keep your voice down." Akemi looked unimpressed as she coolly spoke. "Practice is about to begin."

"U-Understood." Luckily for Daichi, Akemi didn't appear to gather that he was referring to her. With that nervous response, the senior looked to Kota.

"So, Isarota, do you need any help getting started?"

"I'll be fine. Imatsu offered to show me ropes today." Yuto smiled mischievously, still present in the conversation.

"Yeah. Isn't he such a swell guy?" Daichi looked like he wanted to hit Yuto right then and there, but he was able to restrain himself.

"I suppose. It's admirable that someone to take the time to help out a fellow club member." Akemi seemed disinterested as she looked eager to make a start to the club activities. "Gather up your gear and get ready to line up for the exercises." She eyed each of the three guys firmly before heading towards another group that seemed preoccupied with a conversation of their own.

"Isn't that great, Daichi? Ogata-senpai totally complimented you." Once the manager was out of earshot, Yuto beamed at his fellow clubman only to receive a glare in return.

"Shut up," Daichi grumbled as his teasing friend pouted.

"Talk about ungrateful. You'll thank me later." Yuto took off for the rest of his armour. The long-haired student composed himself with a deep breath and looked Kota, still visibly embarrassed by what had transpired.

"Come on. We'll need to fit you with some armour before we can get started."

"Keep your shoulders relaxed and focus on your breathing." Nodding, Kota took a deep exhale and held his bamboo sword just above Daichi's head.

Now fully geared in their armour, the pair was finishing off with an exercise known as Kirikaeshi. It was Kota's turn to take a series of swings at Daichi, alternating between the boy's left and right side as he tries to parry them.

Kota's arms started to tire as he was reaching the home stretch of their training. Unfortunately, the endurance that he would have built from his ventures into the Subex didn't appear to carry over to his actual body.

Following the example of the pairs that went before him, Kota gave a yell as he hit Daichi over the helmet before locking swords with him. Pushing his partner back, the Persona-user started dealing his nine strikes with a grunt for each. As Kota moved towards Daichi, the boy matched his pace going backwards and deflected each swing with absolute focus.

Despite his lungs starting to burn, the new recruit was able to dish out nine solid swings before hitting his partner one more time over the head, signalling the end of the exercise. As Kota caught his breath, Daichi his bamboo sword to his side.

"Nicely done, though you could work on raising your voice more." Kota remained hunched over, gasping for air.

"I still feel… a little awkward… making all this noise though."

"It'll come more naturally in the next few weeks, I'm sure." Daichi held his sword in front of him again, grasping it firmly in both of his hands. "My turn." Not excited for what was to come, Kota his own sword at the ready in preparation for the onslaught.

Daichi sounded a powerful yell as he locked swords with his partner. Kota backed away as Daichi's blows started to come at him hard and fast. The repeated shouts from each hit almost intimidated the Wild Card as he concerned himself with just getting his sword in the way of the incoming swings. With each clash, Kota's control over the bamboo in his hands started to weaken. The weight of the weapon in his hands worked against him as he was forced to position it in the way of the following blows without any time to assess his technique.

While Daichi's swings were noticeably faster than Kota's, it felt that it took twice as long for his partner to finish his nine swings before it ended. The rookie kendoka fell backwards with the final hit on his helmet, spent from the training that turned out to be more gruelling than what he was promised.

"You alright?" Daichi was quick to offer out his hand as he pulled Kota back to his feet. "You'll need to remain flexible with your grip. If you clench the sword too tightly, you'll have difficulty absorbing the opponent's blows."

"I see…" With the heat getting to him, Kota headed towards the gym stands with Daichi and out of the practice area before discarding his helmet. Taking a breather, he looked at the other club members continue their practice. A few of the younger students had finished their sets, though the more experienced members were still at it. Despite appearing to be as easy-going bunch early in the week, they worked as hard as any other club, even if they clocked out earlier than most.

"Don't be discouraged. It's always tough the first time you try it. Heck, beginners normally wouldn't be doing half the stuff you just went through. You picked up a lot of the fundamentals pretty quickly, actually." Kota figured that he had his fights with the Shadows to thank for that. After awakening to Dante, he'd been gradually improved his two-handed sword skill as he looked to lessen his reliance on his Personas.

"Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without your tutorage." Daichi may have claimed to be at a lower level than the majority of his peers, but he was a great teacher. He was quick to identify a lot of the faults in Kota's sword work while wielding his own weapon like a true professional. It was a wonder why he and his clubmates thought so little of his abilities.

"You're just saying that," Daichi said, bashfully running his hand through his dark hair. "So, after the rest of the group is finished, all that's left is the matches. You should give it a rest for today though since it's your first time and you look totally beat."

"Sure, but I wouldn't mind starting matches next time." Daichi gave him an amused look, though a pleased smile had formed on his face.

"Maybe not that soon, but keep coming to training and I'm sure it won't be long until you're ready." Kota gave an understanding nod before Akemi called for the club members to start pairing off for the matches.

Friday 26th of April

For the first time since waking up in the hospital, Zaki was attending classes again. He didn't arrive until morning homeroom was just finishing up. He was able to sneak in while Mr Ekoda wasn't looking, though his classmates all noticed as they stared at the latecomer while exchanging the odd whisper among themselves. Kanade was the only person who seems overjoyed as Zaki took his seat next to her. She looked as though she wanted to say something before Mr Ekoda started addressing the class again and leaving to allow the first class to commence.

Having skipped breakfast because of the amount of time that he had slept in for, Zaki snuck a chocolate bar into class and was able to nibble at it while Mr Ono continued to drone on about Japanese history while not paying any attention to his students.

After eating the chocolate Zaki's mind started to wander, recalling the dream he had that deeply disturbed him. He was atop of a burnt-out tower and was about to jump when a bunch of people around his age interrupted him before fighting off a giant monster. The whole sequence of events seemed so far-fetched that it could only have been made up by his imagination. Still, he couldn't bring himself to shrug it off. He could just about feel the stuffy air as he breathed and the scorching heat as he witnessed the fight with the monster.

Zaki couldn't focus on any of the classes up until the bell sounded to signal the beginning of lunch. Within seconds, a familiar face was quick to approach his desk. Kanade stood before him clasping a boxed lunch, grinning sweetly from ear-to-ear.

"You're back!"

"I guess I am." While he tried to seem nonchalant with his response, a small smile forced Zaki to avert his eyes from her. Even someone as cold as him could resist the bespectacled girl's infectious smile.

"So, are you all better now? Did the doctors know what happened to you?"

"I'm fine now but the doctors couldn't tell me what the problem was in the first place," Zaki said truthfully. "They said that I just fell into a coma and woke up later that day like there wasn't a problem. They're suspecting that it was stress-related." The girl quickly started to look worried and maybe a little guilty.

"You've been feeling stressed?"

"Maybe a little but honestly, it's not a problem. It's nothing like what happened before…" Zaki didn't elaborate knowing that he didn't need to. Kanade knew exactly what he was referring to.

"Oh…" Kanade wore a downcast look, momentarily. "Well, I'm just glad that you're okay now. Say, you didn't skip breakfast again, did you?" The girl looked down with concern at the boy.

"What made you think that?" The blunt tone didn't faze her. She had long gotten used to it after all the times they had conversed since they both had begun their freshman year.

"I noticed you eating during class." Zaki looked at the desk with unease.

"Yeah, but you don't need to worry about that."

"But it's the most important meal of the day!" While Zaki wanted to wave off her concern, the sad look in Kanade's eyes told him that that wouldn't have been a good idea.

"I ended up sleeping in, so I didn't have the time."

"I guess you only just got out of the hospital, so I understand." Despite her words, Kanade looked bothered. "Were you able to prepare your lunch for today?"

"I ate it during class."

"That was all you had for lunch? You should eat more or you'll get sick again," Kanade chided him before holding her boxed lunch towards him, presenting to Zaki. "Have some of mine. I made enough for two in case you needed it."

"…Thanks." While he wasn't good at showing it, he was grateful for Kanade's offer. This wasn't the first time that he had lunch that his friend had prepared, so he trusted that it would be better than anything that he would make for himself. Without another word, Zaki stood up and exited the classroom alongside Kanade.

The pair headed towards the usual spot where they eat lunch, the courtyard outside of the gymnasium. A pleasant breeze swept through the blades of grass as Kanade prepared a rug to sit on and laid out two pairs of chopsticks.

"I hope you don't mind that there's more egg in today's meal. I made sure that they tasted sweeter than usual." Kanade opened the box to show off its contents. While she spoke about the egg specifically, there was also a generous amount of fried rice and small servings of cake. She would usually have more vegetables with her lunch, but she seemed to have suspiciously tailored the meal to his own tastes.

"I'm not fussed. This is your lunch, so I can't really complain."

"Still, I won't be happy if it isn't to your liking."

"Trust me, you don't have anything to worry about." Kanade seemed pleased with Zaki's sly compliment, putting on another of her sweet smiles before getting started on the boxed meal.

Meanwhile, Zaki continued to dwell on that dream that continued to nag at him. The feeling of loss and hopelessness during that time was all too familiar. He couldn't recall the faces of the people that rescued him, but he felt that he had known at least one of them. Considering that this all happened during a brief coma that no one in the hospital could explain to him, he was certain that it was no ordinary dream.

"Are you feeling alright? You haven't touched your food yet." Kanade's purple eyes were firmly on him, waiting for him to take his first bite.

"Sorry…" Zaki picked up an egg roll from the box. Upon placing it in his mouth, his tongue was greeted with the sweet coating over the egg. It was delicious, but it called attention to the unsavoury thought that he had since waking up in the hospital.

Everything Kanade did was done out of consideration of him. The prepared lunches and the extra effort she put in to make it more to his liking, the chocolate and "get well soon" card she left by his hospital bed, even choosing to stick with him no matter how many fights he got caught up in. Zaki knew that he had a lot of influence over Kanade and, after confronting the sad reality of his fate through that dream, it didn't sit right with him.

The sweet aftertaste grew bitter as Zaki slowly placed his chopsticks next to the largely-full box, earning him a confused look from Kanade.

"A future that won't lead to despair…" Zaki muttered quietly to himself.

No matter how Kanade felt about it, cutting ties with her was the only possible solution.

"Did you say something?" Kanade wasn't quite able to catch her friend's words. "Is something not right with the food?"

"No…" Zaki's face remained hardened, but his blue eyes couldn't meet her gaze. "It's great."

"Is it that you're not feeling well? I can help you to the sickbay."

"Please stop."

"Zaki?" The warm atmosphere under the pleasant spring sunlight suddenly went cold as the glove-wearing boy kept his eyes on his chopsticks.

"We can't keep seeing each other like this."

"What do you mean? If there is something troubling you, I want to help!" Pain started to burn into the boy's chest as he fought himself to remain quiet. "Zaki, talk to me!"

"You don't owe anything to me. You'll be better off finding some other friends."

"This… isn't a joke is it?" Kanade started to sound increasingly upset as she struggled to understand him. "This isn't funny."

"You deserve better than some delinquent. You're too kind to be caught up with my bullshit." It was a weak excuse and he felt sick for saying it, but he had to say something, even if it wasn't going to make the ending of this friendship any easier.

"But…" Her words never came as Kanade was overwhelmed with emotion.

Zaki rose his head slightly to see that Kanade was now the one who was averting her eyes. Even though it was hard to see her face it was clear that she was now fighting back her tears.

"Please... don't worry about me anymore. I'm sorry."

Not bearing the be with her any longer, Zaki briskly headed back to the school building. As much as it hurt to turn his back on her, he was certain that it would be for the best. She could easily befriend anyone with the amount of kindness she possessed and she won't have to go out of the way to do anything for him or get caught up in the trouble that Zaki would get himself into.

Most importantly, it would protect Kanade from the tragedy that could befall her if they continued down that path.

"Shodaru!" Zaki abruptly stopped his aimless march through the school and looked in the direction of the voice to find a familiar boy with cyan-coloured hair. He immediately identified him as the person he bumped into after his lecture from Mr Kobayashi, but that meeting wasn't the reason for the remarkably strong impression that he got from him. Thinking back to his dream, the boy had the same face as one of the guys that saved him. He was certain that that boy knew something, whether it was something to do with the dream he had or the reason he blacked out in the first place.

No longer his usual composed self, Zaki stormed up to the fellow student and took a fistful of his shirt. Uncaring for the attention he was attracting from the other students passing by, the renowned delinquent pushed him into the nearby wall.

"I've seen you earlier... after we met outside of the principal's office." Zaki's grip tightened as he bore into the guy with an intense gaze. "Isn't that right?"

"Y-Yeah!" The boy seemed shocked by how quickly the situation had escalated but didn't provide any resistance against the goalkeeper's grasp.

"You're going to explain what happened on Tuesday. Got it?"

"Of course. My friends and I have been meaning to talk to you about it." Satisfied, Zaki let go of the second-year while maintaining his cold glare.

"I'll be on the jetty at the end of Korana Strip. Be there once you're ready." With that, the dark-haired boy took his leave, heading for the front gate well before school ended for the day.