Hey.

Lacie-Abyss: Even though you didn't comment on my last chapter, you asked a question for the one before it and I'm sorry; I totally forgot to answer it in the last chapter! D: And anyways, I'm also sorry that I can't give you my opinion on that anymore since I just read the translation for Retrace 70 and my head exploded. If it were before I read it though, I would have guessed Jack, because the memories were all about explaining how he was a total troll the entire time. :)

Will of The Abyss-AlicexOz: Thanks; I'll definitely try to update more except that's difficult since my head JUST EXPLODED FROM RETRACE 70 and I'll probably sit around stunned with half-chewed food stuck in my mouth while eating because I keep thinking about it. And I'll definitely check out your story and leave a review for you! =3

peppermint twertle: First off, I heart your name. ...Anyways. That would make an awesome scene! I'll think about it...or something like it...

Oz

The marketplace, like usual, was bustling with activity. Stand owners were shamelessly screaming out into the street, trying to attract attention in order to sell whatever goods they had. Alice's eyes were shining as she glanced around, trying to find – inevitably – meat.

I found it cute the way she darted from stand to stand, trying to find someone who was frying pork or chicken, etc. Pure happiness was scribbled all over her face. "What's with the Stupid Rabbit?" Gil asked me.

I laughed. "She's just being Alice."

We followed her around as she zipped around like a child hyped up on sugar. Even though we were supposed to be on a Chain hunt, it was hard to ignore the lively mood that surrounded me.

Alice had found her target, and her eyes widened as the stand owner seemed to start his own barbeque. "You sure have a nice eye, there, miss," he said to Alice as she watched him simultaneously flip a bunch of kabobs over. "This beef was shipped straight from the Americas; it's extremely high-quality."

"Ooooh!" Alice replied, even though I doubted she even understood what he was talking about. She whirled her head to look at Gil and I, her face lightened up. "Oz! Is this good?"

I stood next to her. It wasn't like I was some sort of meat expert…but it seemed like no matter what I told her, she would want to eat it anyway. "We're not getting any," Gil said before I could make up a reply. "We're not here to have fun."

Alice grimaced at him. She then looked at me, clasping her hands together. "Please, Oz?"

Her eyes were positively glimmering. So…cute…

"We're here on a mission!" Gil told us sharply. "Hurry up!"

"Shut up!" Alice snapped, glaring at him. "I'm hungry! How do expect us to work when we're hungry?"

"Quit faking!" Gil hollered right back. "You just ate!"

"I ate a piece of bread!"

"Exactly!"

"A piece of bread!"

"Aw, don't they get along so well?" Break chuckled. I shivered before turning to the stand owner, grabbing a hamburger, and then jamming it into Alice's mouth. Things instantly settled down.

"May we proceed?" Gil asked, irritated that I had given into Alice's greed for food. Alice ignored him and munched happily on her food. "We want to get at least one Chain today, don't we?"

We walked along the road, a little less tense this time since Alice's hunger had been (temporarily) eased. After a few minutes, though, her impatience took over. "When are we going to do something?" she sneered. "I thought we were out here for work."

"Well, you can't expect us to simply crash into a monster," Gil muttered.

"It takes some time," Sharon told us. "Chains keep undercover pretty well. Sometimes we can search for a whole day and nothing comes up."

Alice grunted in annoyance, but she didn't push it any further. "Do you always just search the same area over and over again?" I asked. "If you did that, would there be any Chains left at all?"

Break laughed. I didn't understand what was so funny. "We're the agents stationed in Japan," he explained. "And lucky for you, we just happened to be camping out in that mansion when you came back from the Abyss. We usually fly around the country every week or so to keep every area of the country consistent in the amount of Abyss exposure."

"So…basically Pandora is spread throughout the whole world. And we're just the ones in Japan."

"Oh, you're so smart!" he said, beaming and ruffling my hair. My spine prickled uncomfortably. Someone...help...me...

Alice came to my rescue. She glared at him and smacked his hand from my head, none too gently. "Keep your hands off my servant!" she snarled, looping her arms around my neck from behind and yanking me backwards. "You'll taint him and make him less useful!"

"So mean!" Break complained, even though his smile hadn't disappeared. "I'm one of the best workers of Pandora!"

Alice didn't relent; she released my neck but proceeded to possessively grab my right arm as we walked down the streets. I cleared my throat, feeling my face and ears heat up. Although she had saved me from the horror of Break, did she really have to do that?

As the five of us strolled along, shoulder-to-shoulder, I wondered how we would ever find a monster in such a crowded place. It didn't seem possible in the least, especially since it was extremely hard to concentrate with all of these people shoving random goods in our faces in attempts to sell them to us…

…And with Alice gripping my arm like…like…like a couple on a date.

"Are you okay, Oz?" Gil asked me suddenly. "Your face looks really red."

I frantically nodded in response, but it didn't help. Why did he have to bring it up…? Now that I was more aware of it, I could feel steam practically rising from my head. "N-no, I'm fine," I stammered.

"You look like you're getting sick," Sharon said, concerned. "It's not worth it to be that nervous for a Chain hunt, you know."

"I'm not!" I protested. "It...it's nothing, r-really."

"What a cute girl!" an elderly lady said as she approached us, staring at Alice with a broken-toothed smile. "Would you like to buy a bow for your hair, miss?"

I glanced at the ribbons that she held in her basket. "No, thank you," I answered for Alice. I was the one managing our budget.

"What are those?" Alice asked curiously, though, completely disregarding my response.

"What an innocent girl!" the lady replied joyfully. "You put these in your hair! It makes you look pretty!"

Alice's nose wrinkled, as if she remembered the same thing that popped in my head: our discussion about the importance of image in society. "Oh. That's okay. I don't want it."

"I'll take them all!" Sharon suddenly interrupted, leaping forward and grasping the old woman's wrinkled and frail hands in hers. "How much for them?"

While Sharon was busy counting out money in bundles, the old lady beamed at me. "You got a mighty pretty girlfriend there."

Huh? Me? What girlfriend? "Oh, I know, right!" Sharon agreed, standing beside her and smiling. "Don't they match so perfectly?"

Alice tugged on my arm, still holding onto it. "What's a 'girlfriend', Oz?" she asked, looking up at me.

"Oh, so cute!" the old lady said, reaching forward to pat our shoulders. "Young love these days...it's so beautiful..."

"Isn't it?" Sharon commented, her eyes sparkling. Gil and Break had backed away a few steps.

Wha-? What was she even talking about? What was with these two women? And why were they looking at Alice and I like -

"WAIT!" I exclaimed, the reality of it suddenly smacking me in the face. "Don't jump to conclusions like that! Alice and I are just normal, everyday friends; there's no reason for you to -"

"'Just friends'?" Alice intervened. "What do you mean by that?"

She was not helping the situation at all. "Alice!" I hissed. "Let me take care of this!"

"But you're my manservant, too!" she hissed right back.

"Those two quarrel so much," Sharon conversed with the old lady. "But it's never anything serious."

She hadn't even known us for nearly long enough to say that! "Let's get back to work!" Break hurriedly said. I was obliged to follow him as we scurried off, circumventing the old lady as she and Sharon shared an extremely long series of goodbyes.

I was still blushing furiously. Gee, Sharon just had to introduce Alice and I as a couple, didn't she? I looked at Alice, who was obliviously clinging to my arm. "Ah." She suddenly remembered something. "What was that 'girlfriend' thing that they were talking about?"

I thought I was going to faint. It had barely been an hour since I had woken up and I was already completely tired. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself about!" I quickly said.

She frowned. "Is it something bad?"

I paused before shaking my head. "Not necessarily..."

Her expression turned indignant. "Then, why can't you explain it to me? You said you would be my teacher!"

Let's just make it clear beforehand that her whining is perfectly irresistible. I scratched my head with my free arm. "Well..."

"Please?"

Why not? "Remember when I told you about applying the word 'cute' to a girl? When we were back in the Abyss? And about...love and that stuff?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"When a boy and a girl love each other, they usually become boyfriend and girlfriend first. You can think of it like a status." ...I couldn't believe I was actually explaining this...

She nodded, her face determined for some reason. "Alright, then. In that case, I'll become Oz's girlfriend!"

"EH?" I shouted. "W-Why? Why would you do that?"

She stared at me calmly before firing off a whole analysis. "Well, when you were explaining love to me, you said that it was special kind of emotion, right? And you gave the impression that it was usually a good and happy thing. And, you said that when a boy and girl love each other, they spend a lot of time together. Technically, we've spent ten years together. It seems that that's a long time from your reaction to how much time passed since we entered the Abyss. And, you said that they cared about each other. I care a lot about you."

My head spun. I didn't even know anything anymore. "I mean, without you, I wouldn't know anything about Earth or know what meat tasted like!" she continued, making me want to facepalm myself. "So of course I care about you! And, you wouldn't have followed me into the Abyss if you didn't care a lot about me, right? So the feeling is mutual! Everything matches up with what you told me!"

In other words, I had dug my own grave. "Listen, Alice, I can't tell you about the concept of love in words," I said. "You'd have to actually experience it."

"But - "

"How about we just focus on getting your memories back first?" I suggested. "Maybe you've already experienced something like it before. Then you'd understand it better."

She hesitated, seeming a little dejected. I didn't like that expression. "Fine," she agreed, causing relief to fill my veins. She didn't release my arm, though.

And I didn't tell her to, either.

Because for some reason...I didn't want her to.

Gee, Oz, way to be hypocritical. -.-"