Author's Notes: Blegh. It's true what they say: life's what happens when you're making plans. I won't get into it, but suffice it to say that things have calmed down enough that I'll be focusing on getting more chapters out faster than I have, especially since I have so many good ideas that, sadly, aren't going to write themselves. Would be nice though, wouldn't it? On the positive side, this means that my prognosis of 'two or so years' from before is nowhere near accurate. I won't give a timeline or a deadline because that means I'll break it again, so I'll just say that, no matter what, I will get the story done. No matter how long it takes. There's a lot more story to come, and I hope that it's as awesome to you guys to read as it is for me and Enact to dream up.

Dedications, like always. Because my readers are what make me wake up in the morning:

darrelodin: Thanks! Junko was a good challenge to write, so I'm glad people liked her, especially given what this means for Izumi. And yes, the others are pure awesome when you get to know them. Chie's prank via Rise was a real blast to write, as was Rise's conversation with Yosuke. Glad to hear from you, and enjoy the chapter!

humbertorojo96: That is coming, I can promise you that much. Not right away, but we will get there.

Xoraan: Always a pleasure to get your reviews. I take your point that things did get a bit long, but... (looks at latest Change of Engagement chapter and the word count)... yeah, I'll keep it in mind. Still, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Junko and Izumi's compare-and-contrast part was fun to write, especially with Yuuma in there to show such different perspectives. If that got through and you felt like you could see Yuuma as a caring husband but you still wanted to punch him, then I will take it with a bow. Kanji and Naoto are a fun exercise in commonalities and contradictions, and finding where they meet in all that is proving to be quite fun. I have some ideas for them in the future that I think will make everyone laugh, so stay tuned for that. For Yukiko, I hadn't heard of Percy Jackson before you mentioned him, so the similarities were unintentional. I was more going for how being the group healer, like being the medic in an army unit that sees regular combat, is a psychological minefield. I wanted to pay tribute to that, and it sounds like I succeeded, so many thanks. As for Natsuki and Chie, and how I will make her and Kou work, I promise all sorts of fun activities that suit the Inaba Investigation Team to a T. And Rise is Rise, and Rise is a blast to read and write. More of her in the future, that much I will say. Glad to hear from you, like always, and enjoy the show.

steeltoedsandal: Glad you liked the lunch date. It was a lot of fun to write. As to what Souji is planning, well, we'll see. Maybe pretty soon.

KPON: Glad to hear it. Souji and Yukiko's families will have a fair bit further to get before the story is over, so no need to worry about them. I imagine you'll like this chapter for just that reason.

MashiroNguyen: Glad you're liking it. Lots more of them to come, so if you want a nigh-limitless source of awesomeness for those two, you're in the right place. Enjoy!

james: There is a serious lack of fics with Yosuke and Rise, I agree. I won't say whether or not I'm going in that direction, so we'll have to wait and see. I'm glad you liked Izumi's section; she's becoming quite fun to write about.

Ziodyne967: Sleep is for the weak and uninitiated! Souji and Yukiko trumps all bodily needs! And of course the chapter will be worth the wait!

EmD23: I haven't played Persona Q, actually, so that the game material has Rise say those things is a cool coincidence. Good to know that I was that close to the mark without even knowing I had a target. Thanks for pointing that out, and enjoy the chapter. I love that profile pic, by the way. Michael is awesome.

Ulcaasi: You didn't think I'd pump up the feels just to leave my awesome readers hanging, did you? I'd never be that cruel. Probably. Mostly. Glad you liked Rise, though. She's someone else who tends to get written off, so digging deeper is proving to be a lot of fun.

greymouser: Pretty good chance of an update, yep. Also, if you like Persona 3, then might I recommend my other fic, Change of Engagement? If you're a fan of Minato and Mitsuru pairings and getting deeper into the action with Pharos and Strega, then it will be right up your alley.

Binbix: Thanks for saying so. I like to think that I'm pretty good, but hearing other people say it is a nice assurance. Lets me know I'm on the right track and all that. As to Megumi and Yuuma being related, I can see that working in a soap opera with a huge build-up and DRAMA to the MAX, but I won't be doing that here. That would be way too convenient, after all, and I like the idea of people being close regardless of their blood ties. Family you choose instead of the family you have, and all that. Glad you're thinking about that sort of stuff, though. Hope you like the chapter!

animeflunky: Glad to have you! Naoto's a solid choice, no two ways about it. Yukiko will always stand out to me, though, for the weird and dorky sides we see of her. That said, I hope that I'm doing Naoto justice. Be sure to let me know, yeah?

Delacroix1991: Hi! Glad you're liking the ride, and that I'm such a standout in your roster. I wholeheartedly agree with your choices, of course, since I am that awesome. Without question. I'm also really modest, too. In all seriousness, I'm glad you're liking the ride, especially where Yuuma and Izumi are concerned. Even given their traits and where we are going, I strive to never have 'disposable' characters or people who are ignorable because of how stock they are. I'm glad to know that I haven't lost my edge, and I hope that you continue to enjoy it. Cheers!

Dragoon Swordsman: I'm glad you like it! Thanks or the review, and I certainly respect your opinion. Maybe I'll change your mind with a few of the ideas that're coming up. But whether I do or not, thanks for following along!

qweenashleyfox: I make no promises, but I will certainly try. There's some things to come that I want to get to, so here's to hoping.

MMMHHHMMM: Time does fly, doesn't it? That is an interesting visual, I agree. There won't be any TVs in this work, but I can say that I wouldn't be giving them this much attention if I wasn't going to go anywhere with them. Glad you're having fun, and enjoy the show!

Zelenal: I'll certainly try to keep it at such a high level of awesomeness, or break my own limits and make it even better. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

Kyral: Welcome back! Naoto and Kanji were a lot of fun to write, and I agree that they are the 'two steps forward, one step back' sort. If you are big on them and feel that I did them justice, then I will take that as a compliment. Strap in for them in the next few chapters though, because I'm a long, long way from being done with them. Rise might be scary, but always in a good way. And scary Rise is equally awesome Rise. We'll be seeing more of her in the future, so I hope you like where things go. For Yukiko and Chie, I won't say much more than that we see them again, and things will be fun. As to Yuuma, I'm glad you don't trust him, especially given his nature, and if you feel that way about him, then I think that I'm doing a decent job, overall. And finally, Izumi. Lots of progress with her, and I agree with you that she's come a long way from the woman who didn't say anything to Souji when he was breaking down or when he had icepacks on his face. Where is she going from here? I can't say. But she might be in this chapter, so...

Anonymous568: Glad I hit so many good points. I agree, Yosuke deserves a lot of appreciation, and it's easy to overlook his contributions when you look at the larger picture. But I won't be doing that. Kanji and Naoto were fun to write, beginning and end, and there will be a few things that were set up before that will be getting built on, now and later, that I think people will like. So be sure to let me know, yeah? Enjoy!

MegaRizwan20: Glad to hear from you. I can't comment on pairings that may or may not be in the works, other than to say that we will see what happens as we go. But I'm glad you liked Junko. Getting into her head was difficult, but I felt like it was well worth it. As for that first part, I agree: I hope I never give you a reason to hate the work, since that would mean I'm not doing my job. And on the note of yet another awesome chapter, I hope you like this one!

jack the writer: Welcome! It's always great to hear from a first-timer. I'm glad you're liking the story, since I certainly try to give the work the respect it deserves, especially since it started as a pet project and grew to the size it has. I'm with you when it comes to Souji and Yukiko (that should go without saying) but the more I got into the others, the more I wanted to explore their dynamics and characters, and here we are. Glad it's working for you, glad you're feeling that way about Izumi and Yuuma since it's what I'm going for, and I'm as stoked for that wedding as everyone else is. Not to mention all the fun times before we get there. Cheers!

HikariNiwa: Thanks! Nice review.

Just for the record, the parts to the chapter do jump in time a little. Always forward, but things aren't all happening at once.

Chapter 28

Souji jerked awake, sweat beading on him like he'd been pelted with the raindrops falling outside. A shout shattered on his teeth, dragged back down his throat when he recognized his room in Fujisawa. Then a sigh flowed out of him while he flopped back into bed and let his racing heart run.

Another nightmare. The third one this week, thanks to the rain. This time he couldn't remember what he'd seen or heard, or if there had been anything there in the first place. All he'd felt was the terror that chased him awake, the adrenaline pumping hard, and the pain digging at his scars. It took a while before his hands stopped shaking, and his heart pumped and tripped for longer than he liked. Long enough for him to realize, with a grimace, that he'd soaked his sheets in sweat and was lying against clammy covers. He scowled at the sound of the steady, tranquil patter of rain on his bedroom window.

He pushed himself up to look at his clock. It was a little early, but anything was better than trying to go back to sleep at this point. Either he'd toss and turn and end up cranky, or he'd sleep in and wake up feeling drugged. Neither would help him at this point; he had too much to do.

When he kicked off his blankets, stripped and took a morning shower next to his room (one of the perks of living in a high-end condo), he pushed the residual terror down and went over his mental checklist:

1) Find a job so he had proof of employment to put on his transcripts and so he could pay his expenses.

2) Find a way to bankroll his education without his father being able to interfere.

3) Keep his school records as confidential as possible so his father was as close to his affairs as Mars was. Or maybe Saturn.

4) Do it all in about... four days.

"I'm going to kill him," Souji muttered as he washed his hair and turned the water temperature down. "With a pair of pliers and a car battery." When he was finished and dripping water, he looked at his reflection in the mirror, brushing his hair back. He'd gotten it trimmed a few days to break up the monotony of job-hunting, and when he'd been unsure about what he wanted, the stylist got a canny smile and told him, "trust me," before taking the scissors to him. Instead of his bowl cut, his hair was layered and combed back with a few bangs leaning forward. It was more modern and a little more chaotic than he was used to, but it was a "sexy kind of messy," in Megumi's words when she saw him, and he had to agree with her. Rise had squealed and bounced and played with it with moment she saw him, so there was some backing to that opinion. He looked better, more like an adult, and it brought a smile to his face.

Souji dried off and put on a dress shirt, slacks, and a coat before grabbing something for breakfast and heading out the door with his attaché case and an umbrella. He kept the conversations with his roommates as polite and short as possible, and felt bad for it when he was on the street. He knew the others were getting worried, and he knew that keeping this to himself was a good sign of sliding into a bad habit, but he didn't know if or how they could help.

Better that he kept working at it, he told himself. If he was still up the creek with no discernable means of moving his boat by tonight, he'd swallow his pride and talk to them. He hated dragging them into his family life, but he wasn't about to drop out of university. Amagi Katsushiro wouldn't let him hear the end of it if he did, and the disappointed look that Ryoko-san would probably give him was all the motivation he needed to keep his options open, dig his heels in, and find a good employer.

If only it were that easy.

As much as he tried to smile through it all, keeping his optimism up was hard when, six visits later, he was still treading water. Everyone was polite to him, but the same questions and answers were always coming up. "No openings," "no places for students," "why hadn't he applied at an earlier date?" and so on. He wasn't sure if that was what they were saying, or if he was just remembering all the responses he'd heard already and droning out the present when he saw the same regretful look over and over.

"One more," he told himself as he entered a modestly-sized office building. After this one he was going to stop for lunch. Rise and Yosuke had given him a list of places they'd hit up already, and so far their recommendations had led to some great finds. He planned to find them again and pester the workers for recipes when he had money and some time to spare.

"Good afternoon," a cute secretary told him, bowing, as he approached. "How can I help you?"

Coming to this place was a crap shoot, and he knew that. A medium-sized and growing financial firm, not too far from the university campus, and, from what he'd read, an engaging mix of big-money professionalism and small-town approachability. Just the type of place that would be a great place to work, not to mention just the sort of place to be checked out by the local finance students.

"I was hoping to speak to someone from HR please," Souji told her with a smile while the doors opened behind him. "I'm a local student and I was hoping to find a job while I'm attending classes."

"You'd have to speak to our HR manager about that, and– ah, hello Etsuko-san, and hello Akane-chan," she said over his shoulder, when he turned to look, to a lovely, newly pregnant woman who looked to be in her early thirties, and a little girl holding her hand. "Excuse me, sir," the secretary told him before addressing them again, "Minoru-san should be down shortly."

"There's no rush, Tomiko-san," the woman, Etsuko-san, told her with a smile while she rubbed her stomach. "Please, don't let me interrupt."

Souji's eyes narrowed a little. With fine-boned features and wavy black hair, she looked a bit familiar, but he couldn't think of how or why. Maybe it was the pregnant glow. The girl, wearing a rain slicker with koi and sparrows on it, reminded him of Nanako when they went on grocery expeditions back in Inaba while it was raining. But besides that... no, he thought, he couldn't place where he'd met them. Or if he had and he wasn't just confusing them with someone else.

"Of course. My apologies, sir," the secretary told him brightly. "As I was saying, you would have to speak to our HR manager about that. Might I set up an appointment?"

"That would be perfect," Souji replied, holding his smile in place and not letting himself believe that he was running into another dead end. "Would I be able to see him sometime this week? Sooner would be better."

"I'll check his schedule for you. I think he has some openings." She turned when the elevator gave a quiet ding and a tall, distinguished man walked out. "Minoru-san, I'll hold your calls and pass on anything urgent or pertinent."

"Thank you," the man replied, an air of expertise and skill about him that set off the kind smile he gave her. "I'll be back shortly."

"Please take your time, sir. We'll handle things here."

He nodded and walked to Etsuko-san, and Souji raised an eyebrow when they kissed lightly. It was rare for a Japanese businessman to be so openly affectionate with his spouse in the presence of others. The man must have felt comfortable here, or perhaps he didn't care about what others thought. The latter seemed more likely given he had to be ten to fifteen years older than the woman. Either way, it was a touching gesture, and the way the woman's eyes lit up told Souji that the relationship, despite their apparent differences in age, was still going strong. "I'll take the earliest appointment I can," Souji told the secretary when he turned to her. "Do you know when that might be?"

"He has some openings on Thursday and Friday, and I can set you up for a morning appointment if that works for–"

"Onii-chan?" the girl piped up, looking at Souji and walking closer with wide, round eyes. "Onii-chan!" she cried, running up to him and glomping onto his leg.

Souji stepped back, balancing and blinking down at her. "Um..."

"Akane!" Etsuko-san cried sharply. "Akane, you know better than to do that with strangers!"

The girl didn't let go. Instead she squeezed harder. "But it's him, Mommy!"

"Me?" Souji hadn't been this confused in a while, and it was such a novel feeling that it was as inclined to let go as the child was. When he looked to the secretary and the girl's parents for an answer, all he got was a blank stare and a pair of horrified looks.

"Akane," Minoru-san told her, walking forward. "What do you mean... it's..."

Souji looked at them, becoming less certain of himself when they turned a bit pale as their eyes widened. "Um, it's okay. She's no inconvenience, and–"

"Sir," Minoru-san told him, stepping forward and looking as serious as a death sentence. "Please join us for lunch. I must insist."

"That's not necessary, sir," Souji replied out of reflex, trying to get some perspective on the situation. "You're with your family. I don't want to impose on something personal."

"We owe you much more than a meal," Etsuko-san told him gravely, bowing deeply in spite of her stomach. "Please join us. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by again."

Again? Souji looked down at the widely-grinning little girl who was still attached to his leg, staring up at him with bright green eyes. "Wait," he began, realization slowly coming on like a halogen light. Green eyes, a girl in a slicker on a rainy day...

"You helped us in Kofu and we never had the chance to repay you," Minoru-san told him. "There is a debt to be paid, and it would be a poor treatment of my reputation if I let this chance pass."

The wife nodded, stepping forward a bit. "We tried to find you after the accident, but you were nowhere to be found. You must let us repay you."

There was a tug on Souji's pants and two inquisitive eyes widened a little more. "Please, onii-chan?"

He took a moment to try and collect his thoughts and adapt to the sudden change in direction. "That's... this is a lot to take, but I'm not against the idea. I just wasn't expecting this."

"It's a wonderful coincidence," Minoru-san asserted, giving the impression that leaving wasn't in the cards anymore. "I admit I've been trying to find you since then."

Etsuko-san held a hand up in front of her chest. "May I ask something? Actually, before that, may we know your name?"

"Seta Souji, ma'am."

"Seta-kun," she said, nodding with a smile.

"I apologize for my manners," the man told him. "I wasn't expecting this. I am Koyama Minoru, and this is my wife, Etsuko and our daughter Akane."

"Hi!" the girl chirped.

"I was wondering why you didn't contact us before now," the wife continued.

Koyama. That name had been in the company's profile on their website, but Souji couldn't remember which seat the man held. Either way, he was high up on the ladder. "Like I said," he told them, calming down enough that he could train his thoughts into order, "I was a bit of a mess after that, and it slipped my mind. I'm glad that Koyama-san's okay, though."

The girl confirmed that sentiment with an energetic nod. "Yep! Really okay! And now I always look both ways before crossing the street, so I'm real careful!"

"You don't need to be so formal, Seta-kun," Minoru-san told him with a welcoming smile. "Our first names are fine."

Souji paused. That was a rare show of friendliness, especially this close to Tokyo and its well-earned reputation for austere formality. "That's... Of course. I just don't want to seem rude."

The wife's smile had a bit of iron in it when she spoke. "We insist."

"Then I'll do that, Etsuko-san."

"Thank you," she replied, friendly once again. "I have wondered why you saving Akane wasn't reported on, honestly. Normally the news would have interviewed you or at least brought it up, but it seemed like you'd disappeared."

Souji chose his words carefully, and tried not to shrug it off too visibly. It probably said something tragic about him that running between cars and helping a complete stranger fell so well as something he'd do anyway, with or without a Persona, that he hadn't even thought of contacting the family of the girl he'd saved back then. Just the thought of that day and the breakdown that followed made him sweat and kicked his heart from second gear to fifth. He took a few breaths to keep it from showing. "It wasn't quite like that. I just had a lot going on at the time and didn't have the chance to take it all in." It was a lame excuse, and he knew it the moment he spoke the words. But he didn't want to tell them, or anyone, about what had followed and why he'd tried to put the memory of that day out of his mind.

She picked up on his hesitation and tilted her head to the side a little. "Nothing unpleasant, I hope?"

"I managed to get through it, ma'am."

"Either way," Minoru-san told him with a gesture toward the doors leading outside, "please join us. I can't accept any other answer with an opportunity like this, Seta-kun."

It was too good a chance to pass up. "I'd be glad to accept your offer, though I'd like to just finish up here before we do."

"Of course. What was your business here?"

"Seta-kun was making an appointment with Kusanagi-san," the secretary informed them.

"Are you looking for work?"

"That's right."

The man's smile grew a little wider. "We can discuss that over lunch then."

Souji's suspicions were beginning to stir, seeing a pattern unfold before his eyes and not prepared to believe it just yet. "Do you know him?"

"I do, as a matter of fact," the businessman told him casually. "He's worked for me for almost seventeen years."

It defied explanation, but he couldn't deny the proof right in front of him, and he wasn't going to turn the opportunity down. "You're the owner of this company, Minoru-san?"

"My father started it. Did you know that already?"

"I saw the Koyama name when I was researching the companies in the area."

That was clearly the right thing to say. Minoru-san chuckled and a look of approval lit up his eyes. "You've done your homework. Good man."

Akane let go of his leg but tugged on his pants a little. "You're coming with us, right Onii-chan?"

Souji thought that he was immune to puppy eyes, especially after so long with Nanako and Rise. This girl was starting to prove him wrong. "It seems that I am. Do you have a place picked out?"

"We do," Etsuko-san assured him, tugging her coat a little tighter around her and her stomach. "Does donburi agree with you?"

"That would be perfect."

The trip to the restaurant was a surreal experience for Souji. They each walked under their umbrellas to keep the rain off and Akane-san had taken possession of one of his hands, curiously tugging on his gloves while her other hand was holding her mother's, and she filled in the spaces in conversation while Minoru-san explained who he was and what he and his business did. Etsuko-san was quiet for most of the trip except for tending to Akane-chan and adding a few points of her own. For himself, Souji just listened and formulated his questions and responses around the information he was getting. Before long, they arrived at the restaurant and were ordering their meals.

"Do you have much experience with finances, Seta-kun?" Minoru-san asked as they received their drinks.

"My parents are both in the business," Souji replied, keeping his features steady. "They work at the corporate level, but I'm familiar with most types and facets of the field."

"That's quite an accomplishment for someone of your age." Etsuko-san noted while she helped Akane-san out of her rain slicker and set their umbrellas to the side.

"It wasn't really my choice, but it has turned out rather well."

"Why are you looking for a job?" the business owner asked. "I don't mean to presume, but I wouldn't think that anyone as familiar with the business as you seem to be would have difficulty finding work."

"I'm new here," Souji explained. His accent apparently hadn't changed much during his time in Inaba if someone from around Tokyo hadn't noticed any difference in it. "I transferred from out west, so I missed the chance to get my name in. Plus there's a mix-up at the university regarding the job I was supposed to have, so here I am."

"That's rare," Minoru-san noted with a frown.

"So I hear. I have it under control, though." For the most part. No need to get into the personal stuff.

"If you're going to university, then you're looking for something that moves around your class times, right?"

"That would be ideal. And maybe with some flexibility for a weekend off during the holidays." Best to keep his requests small and modest until he knew more.

"You'd like to spend it with your wife," Etsuko-san inferred, looking at the ring on his hand with a smile and a stroke to her stomach. "That's wonderful."

"We're not married yet," Souji corrected, not keeping the smile down. "Just engaged. She's going to school in Kyoto, and we've decided to hold things until we're done."

The woman's eyes narrowed a fraction, and he could read the sympathy in them. "You're so young. That must be difficult."

"We're managing so far, ma'am."

"It'll go well for you." Minoru-san predicted after a pull on his drink. "You have that look about you. Still, you won't find many opportunities around here right now. Most of the jobs have been taken by local students already, and most of what's left is for interns."

Souji bit his tongue to keep his sigh in, but he couldn't keep the dry smile that turned the edges of his lips up. "I thought that might be the case. The other companies I visited said the same thing."

Minoru-san looked at him, discerning and quiet like he was perusing his menu again despite their food coming just then, before he nodded. "That said, I feel like you would be an asset anywhere you worked, Seta-kun. When can you start?"

Souji wasn't unprepared for this, but hearing it said so directly threw him off balance. "When can– Sir, I appreciate the offer, but giving me a job on the spot is a bit much, isn't it?"

"I'm not giving you a job," the man corrected. "I'm giving you an opportunity. I want to see what you can do with my own eyes. If you are as skilled as you say you are, and if you prove to be a wise investment, then we will see about taking you on. You'll be paid for your time, regardless of how it turns out."

Calling it an opportunity was an apt description, and Souji knew that he wasn't in the clear yet. But it was a chance that he hadn't gotten from anyone else. Despite their prior insistence on familiarity, Souji got up and bowed deeply to them both. "Thank you for the chance, sir. It means everything to me."

Minoru-san waved him down, and wouldn't stop until Souji took his seat again. "It's a bargain from where I'm sitting, Seta-kun," the man told him seriously. "I meant what I told you before: my children and family are everything to me. As much as this opportunity might mean to you, it means just as much to us. I can't repay that debt, but this is a chance for me to try."

Souji smiled, feeling like he had some room to breathe for the first time in weeks. "That's very generous. I won't let you down."

The little girl on the other side of the table perked up, carefully working her chopsticks around the chunks of beef. "Are you going to stay with us, Onii-chan?"

"Yes, Akane-san. I will. Thank you again, sir."

"It's the least I can do," the man told him with a humorous hint of coldness in his voice. "And don't mistake this for charity: I'll work you to the bone if I have to."

Souji took the comment on the chin and inclined his head. "I would expect nothing less."

That brought a smile to the businessman's face again. "Perfect. Now then, let's eat. It's disrespectful to the food to let it get cold."

Lunch was an affair more comfortable than Souji would have expected. Minoru-san doted on his family, smiling at his wife and daughter more than once, and Akane-san enjoyed some of the same things Nanako was into when he left Inaba so Souji was able to keep up with her while they ate. That might have gotten him some extra points with her parents, but his mind was moving in two-minute miles and the conversation at the table was struggling to keep up. A job. He had a secure source of income, and he wouldn't be trying to pay his bills on Junes wages.

He stayed with the family until Minoru-san had to get back to the office. They parted with Souji handing over a resume while the older man told him, "stop by tomorrow and we'll get everything sorted out." As much as Souji wanted to shout or laugh, the weight finally off his shoulders and a path forward when he was about to give up, he stayed at the table and set his forehead against his hands. There was still so much to do, especially with classes starting in three days. But that thought, instead of bringing a headache, just made him smile.

He had an idea this time.

Souji collected his things and made a quick phone call to Kou, asking to meet him at their apartment as soon as he could. His blue-haired friend must have taken that seriously; he was sweating and breathing hard near apartment's front door, dressed in a t-shirt and running shorts, when Souji got there. Evidently his friend had been running in the condo's exercise room.

"What's up?" Kou asked while wiping at his face and sipping water.

"I need a favour," Souji admitted, getting right to the point. "I wouldn't normally ask this, but I'm in a bit of a bind and you're the only person I can talk to about this."

"Sure. You've got a lot of credit with me," Kou replied easily. "What do you need?"

The way he worded that was ironic enough to make Souji pause for a second. "Your family has a fair bit of history behind it, doesn't it? The Ichijou name, from what I've heard, goes back further than Ieyasu."

Kou nodded. "That's right. Why?"

"They're among some of the original zaibatsus, right?" Souji continued.

Now Kou was beginning to look curious. "It's not that clear-cut, but you're roughly right."

"Alright, thanks. Now to my favour: I need a phone number."

Curiosity led into bemusement and suspicion. "Uh, okay. Whose?"

Souji breathed for a second, going over his idea again in his head and taking the plunge. "Whoever is in a position to handle money. I need to borrow some, and I promise I'll pay it back with interest."

"That's... Is that what's been bothering you recently? That you're low on cash?" Kou smiled and leaned back, beginning to understand the problem.

Souji chafed a little at the way Kou put it, but that was an easy assumption to make under the circumstances. "In a way. If I borrowed money from anyone, I would have needed a way to pay it off. That's been handled, so here I am. I don't think I can go to the banks in this case, so a private investor or business, like your family, is the best option I can think of."

Kou blinked a few times, his usual smile taking on a puzzled look. "This is pretty out of the blue, you know?"

"I wouldn't ask this if I had another choice, and I'm good for whatever I borrow," Souji promised, thinking of other ways to appeal to his friend. "If you need any extra information, or collateral, I can–"

"Whoa whoa." That apparently wasn't necessary, because Kou held his hands up. "It's okay. Like I said, you've got a lot of credit with me, and it's not as though I don't trust you. I just wasn't expecting it. But I'll get you that number. When do you need it by?"

"Last week would have been great," Souji admitted.

Kou pulled out his phone and gestured for him to come over. "Let's get to it then."

It hadn't been easy. Even with Kou's influence, even with the nature of the transaction being pretty simple, the family's financial advisor was suitably skeptical, especially about giving money to a stranger and making the arrangements over the phone. And when Souji named himself as his own co-signee, he was sure the man was going to hang up on him. But his choices were narrow. A bank's interest rates would have made it too difficult to pay off given the bills he had, and he was sure that his father had spoken to several of the bank managers already. Borrowing anything from someone with a traceable name would have left a trail. An anonymous donor to a blank account that he happened to have access to, however, was exactly what he needed.

By the end of the day, Souji's problems were a step closer to being solved, and the looks he got when he completely paid for his tuition, registration and books the next morning made him want to take pictures more than once. Especially when two of the officials personally found him and tried to learn where he'd gotten the money from.

He'd cut it closer than he thought he could, but he was set. Minoru-san had welcomed him into the company on a provisional basis, and Souji began using his knowledge of the corporate world to give the man an angle in negotiating with clients and earning contracts. It was easy for Souji to assume that he was working into the man's good graces.

Almost a week passed, a week of classes and meeting other students and hammering out a schedule with a loud, impromptu celebration for his "victory over the impossible," thrown by his roommates, when his phone rang. It was his father.

"I'd like to know how you did it," Seta Yuuma told him, not the least bit angry or perturbed. "I was expecting a call from you earlier, but you're employed and attending classes. To who do you owe that honour?"

"Myself," Souji told him while flipping through his books and taking notes. It was more of a refresher than anything new, but it didn't hurt to stay sharp, and at least he wouldn't have missed anything too important if he hadn't been able to attend his first classes. "I'm a rather resourceful person, after all."

Yuuma made a noise that sounded like a chuckle. "So you are. Where did you get the money to pay for everything?"

"How do you know I did?" Souji asked, trying to get some sort of a confession out of the man. "Maybe I put a payment plan together and I only got what I need for right now."

"I don't think you've ever done that," Yuuma noted after a second. "Even when you were six years old, you always wanted to pay for things all at once and deal with the interest later. I think you did it because you liked the challenge and wanted to see if you could pay it off by the time the extra rates were added."

Souji didn't have much to say to that, surprised that his father had any memories of him as a child. "It's been dealt with. That's all you need to know."

"Well done. I'm impressed that you managed it with so little time." He sounded like he really meant it.

"I'm flattered," Souji replied in a deadpan voice. "What does Mother think of this development?"

"She thinks the universities aren't what they used to be. Not like when we were there."

There was one thing his father was a master at: keeping up the facade. Souji shook his head. "Of course she does. Doesn't she think the timing is rather convenient?"

"She's looking after her own affairs right now," Yuuma told him, his tone becoming more serious. "There have been some changes at work, and she's been making some adjustments."

Souji snorted, only able to imagine how distraught she'd be if her precious career was hitting the brakes. "Pass on my condolences," he replied dryly.

"I will," his father told him with a growing tone of interest in his voice. "She'll be glad to hear from you because she wants to know about the girl you're seeing."

"I told you," Souji replied with a sigh, "I'm not seeing anyone. I wouldn't have the time to date anyone with all these classes to take and costs to work off, would I?"

"You're lying again," Yuuma told him with certainty.

"Believe what you want, Father. If that's all–"

"She has long black hair, doesn't she?"

Souji's heart stopped. He sat up in a snap, dumping his books and notes to the floor. "What?"

"Cut straight at the bangs," Yuuma continued. "Pale skin, and she looks very appropriate in a kimono. A red one, made by a professional."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your mother is wondering who she is. I think she wants to meet her. This girl's in Inaba, isn't she?"

Souji's mind scrambled until he crushed the panic with his boot, eyes narrowing as he processed everything his father had just said. "How does... why does Mother think that I'm seeing this person? Or anyone, for that matter? That's a nice guess on your part, but lots of girls have black hair."

Yuuma's smirk was almost audible on the phone line. "That's something you'll have to talk to her about. But she does want to know. It's been bothering her lately and she thinks that you've been keeping secrets from her."

The number of people who could have told his parents anything about Yukiko was exceedingly low. And what his father described wasn't what she normally wore. A red kimono... "That was a good try, but it takes more than that to rattle me," Souji bluffed. "Which magazine did you get that picture from?"

"It's not a guess," Yuuma assured him, "and I think you owe us an answer. Tell me what her name is."

Souji's eyes narrowed. Was that speculation and deduction on his father's part? Or did he have a solid reason for thinking that? "I don't know why you think I met some girl in Inaba. I spent a lot of time in Okina City while I was out there. Met some really interesting people who dressed up because they wanted to look classy in spite of being out in the sticks."

"But you didn't connect with them, did you? You spent most of your time in Inaba, and that's where she is."

It wasn't a guess, Souji realized with growing horror. His father hadn't taken the bait, so he had to have some concrete reason for narrowing it down to Inaba. That or he was playing with him, but that was too distant a possibility given how certain he sounded.

"Like I said, your mother is curious about–"

"Tell her I say, "Hi," when you see her," Souji replied in a rush before cutting the call. He flipped through his contacts, sparing a second to glance at his clock, before he hit "send" and listened to the ringtones.

Three of them passed before she picked up. "H'llo? Doujim–" there was a long yawn, "resdence."

"Hey Nanako. Sorry to call so late."

"Oh, hey Big Bro," she replied sleepily, none of her usual sunshine and sparkles in her voice. "'T's okay."

"Is your dad there?"

"Sure. Daddy," she called.

There was some shuffling before the receiver was picked up again. "Hey," the older man greeted. "What's up?"

"Sorry for calling so late," Souji started, his voice tense. "I didn't want to wake Nanako up."

"She was just about to go to bed."

"I can wait if you want to tuck her in," Souji told him, ice touching his mind and voice. "There's something I need to talk to you about. Family related."

Doujima paused before he gave a quiet grunt. "Give me a minute."

Souji straightened up his books while he waited, hearing the phone being picked up again a minute or so later, then the opening and closing of a door and footsteps going down some wooden stairs. It sounded like Doujima had gone into the attached garage. "What is it?" the detective asked.

"I got a call from my parents tonight," Souji told him flatly. "My father in particular. He gave me a pretty good description of Yukiko when she was dressed for New Years and wanted to know if she was from Inaba."

Doujima let out a groan but didn't say anything.

"He was way too close to the mark for it to have been a coincidence. Did you have something to do with that?" It was hard to keep the accusation out of his voice.

"I sent a picture of you two to your mother," his uncle told him after a few seconds. "I haven't told them anything else, and I'm not going to."

Souji bit his tongue, taking a few seconds so his words would stay civil. "Can I ask why you did this?"

"Because she's my sister," Doujima replied, his own tone hardening. "There are things I needed to talk to her about, and how she's handling things with you is part of it."

Souji waited for more, but nothing else came. "So you reached out to them and got Yukiko involved without telling me?"

"I didn't get her involved in anything," Doujima insisted. "Izumi doesn't know who she is, and neither does your father."

"My father trashed my scholarships and my job here just to keep me under his thumb!" Souji snapped. "He's practically admitted that he pulled those strings. Do you think he'd stop at that if he knew about Yukiko?"

"He won't. I've taken care of that angle so don't worry about it."

Souji hissed in disbelief. "You... You've taken care of it? When was the last time you saw him? Or talked to him? Do you know how many people have gotten in his way over the years? How many aren't in business anymore? How do you know what's enough to cover your tracks when you're dealing with him?"

"Do you think he'd try to get around the police? We're not a business he can push around or an executive he can bribe. Law enforcement's law enforcement, no matter where it is."

"That wouldn't stop him," Souji told him, trying and failing to keep his tone steady. "It won't stop my mother either, not if she gets it in her head that she wants to play at being a family again, or if she starts digging into the people back there because she's curious about me. I've told you already that that's the last place I want her."

"You're not giving her a chance," Doujima pointed out. "She does take things seriously, especially if she's got a good reason to. If there's a chance to mend these bridges, then she'll get on board with it."

The cold rationality in his uncle's voice made Souji's teeth grate together. "I don't care what she wants! She had her chances, they both did, and I don't need them getting involved in my life now. Especially not if Yukiko's involved because, in case you've forgotten, that Inn is a small business. Father dearest would torpedo them into the ground out of spite if he knew it would get to me, so what are you going to do about that?"

"That's enough," Doujima growled. "Like I said, I've taken precautions against that. I didn't put her in the crosshairs, and I haven't sold her family up the river, so calm down. Give me some credit."

Souji grit his teeth and bit into his words until they lost their edge. As angry as he was getting, he didn't want to alienate the few relatives he could talk to. "Why did you get her involved in the first place? My mother's been happy at her job since before Nanako was even born. She'd gladly work there until she dies and up to now that hasn't been a problem. She never called while I was there, either time, and you were happy to let that slide. What's changed?"

Doujima let out a long breath. "We're a family. No matter what happens, that should mean something. That's what you and Nanako said, right?"

Souji bit into his knuckles to keep his words down. He didn't bother holding down the growl.

"You might have problems with her as your mother," his uncle continued, "but she is and will always be my sister. There's a lot of history there that doesn't just go away because we haven't talked lately. And Nanako's growing up, so she should know the people she's related to as more than just names."

"That doesn't explain why you got me involved," the younger of the two told him after he pried his teeth off his finger.

"You're part of that family too. If Izumi starts visiting or talking to me about you, I can't lie to her. I won't tell her everything, but I'm not going to pretend that you being here didn't happen, and she's going to want to know about you."

Souji was beginning to regret all the long, late-night talks and arguments he'd had with his uncle on the topic of family. For the first time yet, he wished he'd kept his mouth shut when talking about second chances and taking risks for one's family. "She might ask, but she won't mean it enough for it to matter. She'll lose interest or get a call and go back to work and not talk to you for another decade. It would save you a lot of trouble if you just lied to her."

It took Doujima a few seconds to respond. "Do you really mean that? You're actually serious?"

Why were people so surprised to hear him say that? This hadn't been the first time. "She's made her decision, and she's not going to change. Not for you, not for Nanako, and definitely not for me; I'm just her kid."

"You don't know that until you try," Doujima objected with a note of resignation in his voice. "Either way, I sent that to her because she deserves to have some sort of an idea what you're up to. And nothing else would have gotten her attention this fast."

"So Yukiko and I are just bait? That's not your call to make," Souji hissed.

"Maybe, but I made it. That's part of being a family sometimes, so I'm sure you'll forgive me."

Souji couldn't hold the words back this time. "Don't you DARE say that! Yukiko and I have nothing to do with her. If you want to try talking to her for Nanako's sake, fine, do it on your own. But you had NO right to bring us into this! Not when you don't know anything about who your sister is now!"

"I know who my sister is," Doujima assured him in a cold, hard tone. "I knew her for a long time before you came into the picture. You might hate it, but she is your mom, and Amagi's tied to the hip with you. It does concern you, and that means that it will concern her."

Souji's breath whistled between his teeth when he collected his words, but Doujima beat him to it.

"I know you don't trust your parents. I know things have been hard for you, and if you want to tell them off every chance you get, that's fine, you can go right ahead. But this is my family too. It's Nanako's family, and if there's a chance for us to connect more with my sister, then I'm going to take it. I won't let this get back to Amagi. I promise you that, and if things get too hot, I'll step in and put a stop to it. But I am going to talk to your mother and try and work things out with her. We'll see where it goes from there."

Souji bit back a number of particularly foul words, not sure how much English and Korean his uncle knew. "Don't get me involved in this. Not again and not either one of us. Reach out and mend bridges for Nanako if you want, but you keep me and Yukiko and anything to do with Inaba out of it. I'm not letting her screw everything up now."

His uncle took a few seconds before replying in resignation. "You're serious, aren't you? You really want to leave it there?"

"I don't care, Doujima. Your sister and her husband have nothing to do with me. That's where I sit with them. My life has nothing to do with them and the less I hear about them or from them, the happier I'm going to be."

"We'll see. I get that you're angry, but we're not on opposite sides here and I'm not going to throw you under the bus. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah."

Doujima hung up and Souji threw his phone against the wall, fist clenched and wishing, more than anything, that he still had a murder to solve and a TV to jump into: he REALLY wanted to break something right now. He was out of his chair and pacing the room before he gave it any thought, teeth gritted against the urge to scream and swear. He wanted to, but he was aware of Yosuke and Kou resting or sleeping nearby and he didn't want to bother them with yet more of his family-related drama.

It took him a while to relax enough to unclench his fists without feeling like he wanted to throw his desk out the window. He should have seen this coming, Souji told himself. When his uncle mentioned trying to mend bridges back in Inaba, he should have paid more attention. Should have thought of the implications a lot more.

Doujima's rationale made sense though. Nanako was and would always be first in his life, and they both knew that she needed more of a connection to the people around her than just her friends and an on-call father. "Wish he could have picked someone else for the job though," Souji told the empty room.

He tapped his forehead against the wall while his temperature levelled off, then turned back to his phone. As much as he hated doing this, there wasn't a choice now. Forewarned was forearmed, and this time there were more than Shadows at stake.


"You're sure everything's fine?" he asked her again, looking concerned and curious. Yukiko thought it made him look very handsome and utterly adorable at the same time. The way his eyes were open just a little more than usual reminded her of Chie's dog when he was looking at her and begging for a treat, and that image was only reinforced by how his head was tilted to the side just so. It called a childhood memory to mind, when she'd gone over to visit Chie and the dog was eating meaty canned food out of the bowl. He must have recognized her scent, because he scarfed down the rest of his food and came over to say hello, gravy and slobber dripping from his mouth. Chie had come over to try and clean him up, but when Yukiko saw his big eyes and the mess he was making, she lost control and laughed so hard that she doubled over and ended up on the floor, which invited the dog to lick her and make a mess of her shirt. At the time it had been impossible to explain to her parents what had happened without breaking down into another giggle-fit.

She had a hand across her mouth to keep her mirth down, knowing he wouldn't get the joke. That didn't stop her from wanting to play with his hair though, especially since he looked rather fetching with his new cut. "I talked to them yesterday and they said everything's fine," Yukiko assured him patiently, setting her hand on her lap and smiling at her laptop screen. "Actually they couldn't talk very long. It seems they're very busy right now."

He sighed loudly enough for her to hear it over her speakers. Talking over their computers was as close as they could be given their schedules, and while it wasn't the same as having him in the same room with her, she'd take what she could get. "That's good to hear," he told her with a rueful look. "Sorry for bringing it up again."

It was getting a little silly. She knew that her fiancé didn't trust his parents, and she had been worried when he explained the implications of his father becoming even minimally aware of her family's background, but it had been three weeks since he'd called her in the middle of the night and asked her to make sure everything was alright with the Inn and nothing out of the ordinary had happened so far.

Still, it was nice that he was this concerned. If he wasn't, she'd have to have a talk with him. "Doujima-san won't let anything happen," she told him confidently. "He knows what this all means to you, and he doesn't break promises."

"I know," he replied, shifting in his seat.

The gesture made the crest on his chain sway, and she smiled when she saw it. "It's okay, I'll forgive you. You're just being you, right?" she commented, barbing him away from his problems.

"I'm not sure how I should take that," he shot back with a smile that made his eyes sparkle like the Yasogami River in summer. "I like to think it's a good thing, being me and everything. But if anyone's better at being me than I am, you'll let me know, right?"

She couldn't resist. She was glad to see that he was in the mood to tease and kid around, so she smiled mischievously and leaned forward with a propped-up hand against her cheek. "Maaaaaaybe. There are a lot of people here, and I might find someone who actually pulls it off. If someone manages it that well, I don't know if I could stop myself."

"I'd have to come get you then," he told her, voice lowering and eyes narrowing a little. "And chase after you if you tried to run away."

"Hmmm..." she hummed playfully, leaning forward a bit more. "Would you come after me? How far would you go to get me back?"

"Criminals, cousins and classmates aren't the only things I'm good at hunting down, and Japan's not that big." His lips peeled back and showed his teeth, and she could help the flip-flop his smile sent her heart into.

He looked gorgeous when he did that, and the idea of him crossing the country to get her back, determined and stopping at nothing, made her girly side quiver into goo. She wanted to play the game even more now. "That doesn't change the fact that the other guy would probably want to keep me for himself," she bandied. "He's like you, after all, so he'd be just as handsome and charming. Would you come after me in that case? Fight to get me back and keep me?"

His eyes went from playful to predatory, and the way his smile made him look like he wanted to eat her was making her heart race even faster. "You should know that I don't like to lose," he almost growled. "At anything. This guy of yours would have his hands full just trying to keep up to me."

"Careful," she warned him even as she shivered, "your modesty is showing."

"It's okay when your being a brat," he shot back.

"I am not," she protested with feigned indignation.

"You are. I'd put you over my knee if I were there right now."

The dark promise in his voice made it hard for her to keep her hands steady. She leaned forward to needle him more, but her reply was interrupted when he gave a yawn large enough that she could see it around his hand.

"Are you looking after yourself?" she asked, not teasing as much now. She knew he was taking a lot on with classes and a new job and shouldering his own finances. She knew he'd run himself into the ground if he thought it would help things, and she remembered times when she'd had to step in during the investigation to stop him before he crashed. The worst had been when Nanako-chan had been abducted and he'd fallen apart in her arms on the living room floor.

"I'm alright," he assured her, leaning back in his chair. "It's been raining here for a while and I just need some sleep, that's all."

She'd heard him say similar things back in Inaba. She still didn't know why the weather mattered when he brought it up. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." He was smiling and comfortable again, his voice steady and calming. "Classes are going fine and work's been interesting, not to mention that it's been pretty quiet around here since Yosuke's been working more and Rise's on the road."

"How are Rise-chan and Kou-kun?"

Souji shrugged. "Rise's Rise, so about the same as usual. She lives here when she's in the area for concerts and work, so we get the paparazzi hanging around outside every now and again, but besides that not much has changed. Other than that, she's been asking me if we've started planning the wedding yet."

Yukiko blushed and smiled, thoughts of her own rudimentary plans rising to the surface. Like what she wanted her dress to look like, where she wanted the reception to be held, what Nanako-chan would look like as the ring-bearer...

"And Kou's getting along with everyone better than I am," he continued dryly, "so don't be surprised if they evict me in the next month or so and give him my room."

She perked up, even if she knew it was only wishful thinking. "Will you come live here in that case?"

He gave her a flat look. "That was a joke. Please don't tempt me."

"I have room here, you know," she began, the ideas coming easily to mind, "and I'm sure you'd get along well with Mei-san and Natsuki-san. There are lots of parks here, so it's not like you'd be bored, and I hear the business program is very well-respected."

His stare turned into a sigh. "You're not working for their marketing department, are you?"

Yukiko crossed her arms and put on her biggest pout. "I'm serious though."

He shook his head, looking like he genuinely wanted to be there with her. "I'd do it in a heartbeat, but you know I can't."

"I know, but just think about it," she insisted. "We have a kitchen here, and you could cook as much as you like. Maybe even serve me breakfast in bed."

"I'm seeing where this is going," he told her with a smirk.

Yukiko ignored him. "Then I could come watch you play basketball as you push the Kyoto team to the finals. You could come swimming with me and Mei-san, and then we could go visit the restaurants, like where you took us before."

"Maybe we could sleep in on the weekends," he mentioned, smiling as he began to pick up her fantasy. "Just us with no classes or tests or travel plans."

She could almost imagine how her closet would look with his clothes next to hers, both smelling of his cologne. "Breakfast could wait. We wouldn't have to get up right away, and then we could get something later when no one's around, and–" She let out a shriek when she turned a little and saw one of her friends leaning against her doorframe. "Mei-san, when did you get here?!"

"About the time you were inviting Seta-kun to move in," was the unrepentant answer even as the slender woman smiled. "You have my support if you want to make it happen, but please, continue. Don't let me stop you."

Yukiko felt her blush turn nuclear, covering her mouth and trying not to let an embarrassed whine out. She ended up more embarrassed when she did, and Souji's laughter didn't help things in the least. "Um... we were..."

Mei-san held her hand up. "Don't worry about it. Honestly, I mean that. It's nice to listen to a relationship growing instead of crashing, so take your time. I was just wondering if Seta-kun had an hour or so to spare."

"That's not a problem," he assured her from the laptop, sounding disgustingly calm.

"Did you know she was there?" Yukiko demanded.

"Of course not. I can't see your door from here. It's just funny to watch you jump like that."

"You're cruel," she huffed. "I'm not talking to you anymore."

"Promises promises," he told her, his smirk annoying her even while it made her laugh.

"Natsuki was looking for you, too," Mei-san continued as she came in and leaned against the wall, within Souji's field of view this time. "She and Chie are going shopping, apparently."

Chie had mentioned it before, and Yukiko promised to come along. She'd wanted to see what the Kyoto stores had to offer, after all. "We're almost done here," she told her friend before turning to the laptop again. "Souji can take things out on you for a while."

"More homework?" Souji asked wryly, bypassing Yukiko's jabs. Mei-san had asked about talking to him a week or so ago, and the two seemed to work well together. Yukiko couldn't follow even a quarter of what they talked about, so she just let them talk in what may as well have been Arabic after she was done with him.

"I hope it's not a problem," Mei-san told him, carrying her books in and sitting on Yukiko's bed.

"It isn't. I just need a minute." He leaned closer to the screen and Yukiko mirrored the gesture, ready to hear something that was only for her. "I love you. You know that, right?"

As many times as she'd heard it before, those words still made her heart trip and fall down to her midsection and left her feeling light on her feet. She smiled goofily and nodded. "I love you too."

"And keep some time open at Christmas," he told her quietly. "Just for us."

The fluttering in her stomach got worse, which only made her happier and giddier. He'd promised her that he'd come for a visit and she was counting down the days, even with two months to go. "Definitely."

He chuckled and sat back in his chair. "Have fun. Say 'Hi' to Chie for me, take lots of pictures, and don't spend all your money in one place."

"She can show you what they bought when she gets back," Mei-san suggested.

"I might," Yukiko told them with a smile, relinquishing her chair after blowing a kiss to Souji. "Take care."

Souji touched his cheek, letting her imagine that her kiss had gotten to him that fast. "Always. You too."

Mei-san was polite enough to wait until the Amagi heiress was out of the room before asking Souji a barrage of questions, and Yukiko was still smiling when she met Chie and Natsuki-san by the front doors.

The more colourful of the pair, wearing knee-length capris and slip-on shoes with a stand-out short-sleeved blouse tied around her stomach and revealing a bellybutton stud and some of her tattoo, was about to say something when she turned, but she paused and looked closer at Yukiko before smirking. "And how is he today? As charming as ever and looking forward to coming out, I'm sure."

Yukiko was certain she was still red from the scare Mei-san ad given her. Her heart was still running fast, after all. "How did you know we talked?"

"It's all over your face, Yukiko," Chie told her with a laugh. "Every time you talk to Souji, you wear that smile."

"And you're playing with your necklace," Natsuki-san noted. "And fiddling with your ring. The list is a bit long, actually."

Yukiko pulled her right hand away from her necklace and stopped rubbing her ring with her thumb, but didn't lose her smile. She did tilt head a little when she thought about what Natsuki-san said. She hadn't told them Souji was planning on coming to Kyoto at Christmas, so how had she known?

"You two are like buds on the same branch," Natsuki-san told her when she asked, touching her padlock pendant and drawing eyes to the several open buttons of her top. "It would be a lot stranger if he hadn't planned that far ahead, and I'm pretty impressed he's handling the long-distance thing this well." The woman chuckled and gave a sly look to Chie. "Your guy will be here too, you know. I'll bet money on it."

Chie blushed and laughed nervously. "It's not that big a deal," she murmured.

Natsuki-san sighed. "Yes, Chie, it is a big deal. And you need to look your best for when he gets here. That's one of the basic rules of beauty and being with someone."

"Are these written rules?" Chie asked. "Or just yours?"

"Both. That's the first one. The second is to know how to look good. How do you plan on doing that?"

Chie scratched the back of her head a little. "By choosing the right clothes, I guess."

"Correct," Natsuki-san told them, raising a finger, "but how do you know which clothes are the right ones?"

Yukiko and Chie looked at each other. Yukiko had an idea of where this was going, but she wanted to see what their new friend had in mind. "Why don't you tell us?"

"Gladly," the woman told them gleefully, seeming like she'd been waiting for the question. "The first thing you do is find the parts of yourself that you like. The second involves finding the clothes that make those parts look even better than they already do. Then the third part is the most important: you have to wear them like you belong in them."

Yukiko tilted her head, curious. "Don't we do that anyway?"

"You're thinking of just putting something on. Everyone does that, and they never think about what those clothes say about them. If you want to make the clothes work, you have to act like you know how they make you look." She chuckled when they gave her strange looks. "Don't worry about understanding it all at once. We'll get there. And speaking of getting somewhere, let's go."

They left the dorm and stopped for a light lunch on the way to the downtown stores. Yukiko was quickly becoming hooked on the local cuisine, different and more flavourful compared to what she was used to in Inaba. She wondered if Souji was familiar with it. He probably was, when she thought about it; he'd been to plenty of places before they'd met. Maybe he'd like some cookbooks for Christmas? And she could even test some of the recipes and surprise him. Chie could even help her if she wanted to try cooking something.

"Now," Natsuki-san began after tossing her food wrapper into a trash can, "let's begin. Chie, you're first."

The martial artist looked surprised. She might have been trying to fly under the radar the whole time. "Me?"

"Yep," their guide told her. "We're shopping for things that will make your boy's jaw hit the ground, so we need to make sure that you look like a winning lottery ticket."

Chie looked a little hesitant and a fair bit unconvinced. "Um... Okay. We can give it a try if you think it'll work."

"Of course I do," the colourful woman told her without a hint of doubt. "We start with finding the parts you like, remember? So what are those?"

"I... never really thought about it. Not in that way."

Natsuki-san grinned. "Well, you're going to start to. Right now."

Chie looked over herself, her brow furrowed in concentration. "I get a lot of exercise and try to watch what I eat, so I guess I'm pretty healthy."

Her response got her a nod of encouragement. "That's a good start. What has this exercise done for you?"

"Keeps me in shape."

"...And? More specifically?" Natsuki sighed when Chie looked at her quizzically. "Yukiko, what do you like about Chie?"

Yukiko was a bit surprised by being asked so directly, but she took a moment to get her thoughts in order. "Well, Chie's loyal and kind and always looks out for her friends. She's helped me a lot over the years and connects well with people, so it wouldn't surprise me if people thought she was generous and easy to get along with. She's also very hard-working and always tries her best."

Her friend blushed at her candour. "Uh... thanks, Yukiko."

"That's right," Natsuki-san mused, "you two grew up together. Well, if you always give your best, Chie, then you have no reason not to go all out this time, right?"

"Wait a sec," Chie told her. "Before I agree to anything, what do you have in mind?"

"Things that make your best parts stand out."

"You have an idea of what those are?"

"I do," Natsuki-san told her a little slowly. "Do you want an honest opinion? Because Yukiko gave a pretty good list, but I can tell you what I think you have in spades, and what I bet your boy thinks about when he's not here."

"...Do I want to hear this?"

Natsuki-san seemed to think for a few seconds, looking at Chie before smiling. "You work out a lot, and you look great in shorts. That's what you should concentrate on. You also have a pretty flat stomach, don't you?"

Chie seemed to be a little more comfortable now. "Yeah. Sometimes I think I'm too skinny."

"You're not," Natsuki-san assured her. "If you were lifting weights you'd have a problem, but you're fine as you are. When we get to the store, look for things that show off your legs, hips and stomach. Shirts that don't reach your waist are mandatory, as are good shorts."

"How do you know about lifting weights?" Chie asked.

Yukiko was wondering the same thing. Natsuki-san looked as striking as always, but she'd never seen the woman exercise outside of going swimming, and even then she didn't seem to exert herself that much.

"My brother's a personal trainer. I used to read his books when he came to visit and I'd hook him up with my friends when he told me stories." Natsuki-san continued to talk about her brother, who was almost six years older than her and lived in Osaka, until they reached the first store. She pulled Chie to where the shorts were and called to Yukiko, "you're not off the hook, you know. I expect to see something that makes Seta's eyes roll out of his head when we're done." After that, she pushed Chie toward the clothing racks and went through whatever had a sale tag like a whirlwind, everything she wanted ending up on a pile that was clearly designated mine.

Yukiko went to the aisle where the skirts were hanging up, picking a few for casual wear but two that were a little shorter than what she was used to, smiling in approval at how they looked in the mirror. Next came the jeans, and while she hadn't thought of buying them before, she decided to give it a try since she was certain Natsuki-san would insist that she try them on.

As odd as it felt to have her legs completely covered, something she usually only felt when she was wearing her kimonos, she couldn't help but like what she saw when she was in the change room. Her regular trips to the swimming pool and pushing past the initial muscle pain had paid off when she slipped into her new attire and admired the close fit. Loose enough that she could bend her knees and move properly, but tight enough that her curves, the ones Souji had paid so much attention to in Inaba, were showcased perfectly. She ran a hand along her hip, feeling how the taut material clung to her, and shivered when she looked in the mirror. For a moment the hand on her was Souji's, and he was squeezing lovingly while she heard his voice in her ears, low shivers and dark silver before she blinked and the moment passed. A few seconds went by before her smile spread and she ran her fingers along the hem of the waist. Yes, these would be perfect. And maybe she'd buy something else to set off the effect, like Natsuki-san said. Something black and a bit lacy.

When she left the change room and picked up a few more pairs of the same jeans, she met her partners in crime.

"There you are." Natsuki-san smiled and held out a dark red beret. "Try this."

Yukiko rarely wore hats outside of winter toques or earmuffs, but after a moment's thought she took her barrette off. Natsuki-san reached out and ruffled Yukiko's hair first, brushing past her protests, then set the beret on her head at an angle and swept her hair to one side.

Yukiko took a moment to get her bearings and really see herself in the mirror, but when she did, she liked what she saw. Her hair looked good when it was loose and a bit messy, something she hadn't thought to try before, and the beret made her feel a bit more free and relaxed. She was starting to see what Natsuki-san meant about how clothes could change one's bearing.

"Not bad," Chie told her.

"I like it," Yukiko confirmed, twisting and turning to see herself from different angles. Maybe a different skirt and top would suit the beret better. Maybe they had them at the store...

"Good," Natsuki-san told them, handing Yukiko's barrette back to her. "Now, we need a second opinion. Chie doesn't like my suggestions."

"I think they're fine," Chie shot back, "but do you really think I need to show that much skin? These show off a bit too much."

Natsuki-san gave her an appraising look, one side of her mouth turned up in a half smile. "You show more in your running shorts, don't you?"

"Not that much."

Yukiko was going to ask what the problem was, but looked at some of the shirts and shorts that Natsuki-san had brought along. She was right, they didn't seem much shorter than Chie's running shorts, but the material did seem tighter and the colours were flashier. She got the impression that they were as much for show as they were for wear, and it was easy to see why Chie needed convincing.

"I get that you're trying to help," the martial artist continued, "but I don't think I need to wear anything that flashy."

Their friend tilted her head a little to the side. "Why not? You'd look great in them, so what's the problem?"

Chie scratched her cheek with a finger. "Don't you think Kou would see me as... I don't know, trashy if I wore those?"

"Trashy? Why? He didn't look like he was stuck-up or old-fashioned."

"He isn't," Chie assured her. "Not really. But he might think I'm dressing up too much if he sees me wearing these. Or he might not like the colours or something."

"I doubt it," was Natsuki's reply. "I really do. Those make you stand out and do great things for your figure, so he's not going to complain. And even if he does think you're dressing up, if he thinks you're doing it for him then he'll be walking on air. Trust me," she continued when she saw Chie's doubtful looks, "guys are like puppies sometimes. Give them some attention and love and they'll bounce around you and beg for walks to the park."

"Wouldn't that be like trying to control him?"

Natsuki-san sighed with a rueful expression. "Sure, but you're doing it because you like him, right? You want him to enjoy being around you so you dress up to make that happen more easily. Any other girl is going to try the same thing, but she's not going to care as much about him as you do. Flattery, showing off, lying about herself and what she's into, if she likes him, she'll do it. And if his family's rich, then that's just the start."

Chie and Yukiko shared a look. They hadn't mentioned Kou's background or his family connections, so that example, knowing or not, had just hit close to home.

"I'm sorry to put it this way," Natsuki-san continued, "but this is like a fight. You are competing with other people when it comes to him. Any girl who wants to rope him in is going to try, and she won't care if he says he's already taken. A lot of women out there are really heartless bitches when it comes to guys they want. And he might have eyes for you now, but there's no way to tell if it will stay that way."

"Natsuki-san," Yukiko began quietly, "we appreciate your help but let's take things slowly for now."

Chie hadn't said anything, looking away and flushed, shaking a little and clenching her fists.

The older woman's eyes widened a little before she sighed. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I got carried away, and you didn't need to hear it like that."

"I get what you mean," Chie told her quietly. "It's just... this is still really weird."

"Why?"

Yukiko rubbed her friend on the back, ready to help her if she needed it but content to let her speak.

"This is all really new for me," Chie began. "Sometimes it doesn't feel like it's really happening."

Natsuki-san pursued her lips. "Why not? It's alright if it's new, but what's the problem?"

"I never thought about Kou much back home," Chie admitted with a choked laugh. "Even though he's been there forever, we never talked much until high school. He was nice and polite, but quiet so I thought he wanted to be part of the wallpaper. He always got embarrassed when me and Yukiko were around, and I thought he had a crush on her."

"That wasn't the case," Yukiko replied quietly.

"I know that now," Chie told her, "and I feel like an idiot for that sometimes. I could see the same things you're talking about, though. Girls were following him and going to his games to watch him, always talking about him during breaks and setting up betting pools on who was going to try to go out with him next. None of them ever went out with him, from what I've heard, so I thought he was just focused on playing sports, like the other guys he hung out with. But then he said he was interested in me. We've been going out for less than a year and it's all... really new."

Natsuki-san reached out to rub Chie's back, huddling in close comfortingly.

"He's had his choice of girls," the martial artist murmured, sniffling a little. "Girls who wouldn't be going to a different university than he is or put him through this long-distance stuff. But... he chose me..."

Yukiko stepped forward and hugged her friend, one hand in her hair and the other stroking her back like Chie had done for her when they were children. "You've always been a wonderful person, Chie," she told her, loud enough to hear but quiet enough for privacy. "Kou-kun just saw it earlier."

"And he's got good taste," Natsuki-san assured her. "Like Yukiko said, you're loyal and caring and dedicated. You're here because you want to build your own career even when it didn't work out for you the first time. That means you're trying to be independent, and that goes for a lot."

"Do you think so?" Chie asked after a few seconds.

"It means you won't sit back and get fat after popping a couple of kids out and expect him to do everything," their friend told her bluntly. "It means you're going to make it on your own money and sweat instead of his. That's how he's going to see it, and that's pretty rare these days."

Chie chuckled and sniffed hard, dabbing at her eyes that were otherwise clear. "I guess so. It's still really weird to think about, but I don't want to give up on this. I guess I'm... No, that's stupid."

"Nothing is," Natsuki-san told her firmly, cupping her fingers around Chie's jaw and raising the martial artist's eyes to meet her own. "What's wrong?"

It took a moment, and the reply was as quiet as a mouse in a cat den. "I'm afraid he'll move on," she admitted, "like you said, Natsuki-san. I don't want him to get bored or go after someone else, but I have no idea what to do."

Natsuki-san shook her head and smiled, hugging Chie hard. When she let the young woman go, she handed her a handkerchief. "The fact that you care enough to be this worried says it all, sweetie. We'll get you there. I promise. I know it's hard but you're not doing this alone, okay?"

Yukiko voiced her agreement, rubbing her friend's back.

"Okay," Chie replied, sniffling hard to clear her nose. "Thanks. I mean it."

"Let's work up to these ones," Natsuki-san suggested, nodding at their pile of clothes. "We'll find some things that are more you and turn things up a little at a time. How does that sound?"

"That would work," Chie replied, patting Yukiko on the back and stepping back, sounding more like her usual self.

"And you can let him decide what he likes and go from there," the older woman continued. "That would make him want to come out here more than he already does, when you think about it."

"That's a good idea. What do you have in mind?" Chie looked genuinely curious, engaging more with their friend this time.

Natsuki-san was already smiling. "Well, you have a phone, right? And it has a camera?"

Yukiko smiled and retreated from their conversation. This was what Chie needed, the confidence and support from someone classy and new. Sure enough, the two walked over to where the tops were with a parting wave. Finding herself alone, Yukiko steadied her beret and went to the footwear section, looking at the selection of shoes and boots. Some were colours she could never see herself wearing, and others had those ridiculously narrow tips, but a few pairs, particularly in red, caught her eye. Low heels, strappy heels, open-toe shoes, the list went on. She looked at the selection when she heard Natsuki-san and Chie talking about different styles of shirts, but she stopped when she turned and saw a pair of boots on the rack.

They were long, maybe knee-high or a bit lower, with flat soles and crisscrossed laces up the front. When she touched the boots, she smiled at the soft, supple feel of the leather, and the laces felt strong when she tugged on them. Intrigued, she pulled them off the shelf and slipped her shoes off, surprised and pleased to feel a thin liner inside the protect the leather. Putting them on felt right, and they fit just so when they reached, like she guessed, a little under her knee. She laced them up tight enough to support her, but loose enough that she could still move her feet. Standing in them sealed the deal for her, leaving her a little taller but feeling just right when she looked in the mirror, her skirt coming down just over the tops of the boots. When she pulled her skirt up a little, the slice of leg that it revealed brought the same smile to her face that the jeans had. It was where someone's eyes would go when they looked at them, and she loved how they felt when she walked around in them. She felt like she had power when she saw how they went with what she was wearing, how well they would go with when she'd bought already.

She could already imagine how Souji would react when he saw her in them, and how his eyes would go just where she wanted them to.

"Hey, Yukiko! We found something that would suit you," Chie told her when she and Natsuki-san turned the corner, but they both stopped when they saw her boots.

"Those are definitely you," Natsuki-san said with a grin.

"What else do they have here?" Yukiko asked, beginning to smile wider and itching to look at their selection of swimsuits.


"Your turn," Yoshiro told him with a grin after the ball slipped through the net.

Kou chuckled. They'd been playing up and down the court for half an hour and now they were taking shots at the net, each throw from a step or two further back than the previous. With how much he could read of Yoshiro's personality from their games together and chats when there was a quiet moment, it was easy to see why Yoshiro and Souji got along. They both took their time even when they had the bit in their teeth, always thinking of their shots before they were in place to make them. That said, Yoshiro was more gung-ho and lively, and while that made him easier to read, it also meant that he was a great opponent. It would be a shame that they would have to put the balls away for the season in the next few weeks; they were only out today because it was unusually warm even as autumn coloured the trees all around them.

Kou took two steps back and fired his shot, shaking his head after it went in only after circling the rim first. "That still counts," he told him.

"Of course it does," Yoshiro replied with a laugh that said he'd go along with Kou's opinion, but wouldn't forget who was ahead in their game.

Kou retrieved the ball and was about to pass it to Yoshiro when his phone gave a familiar chime. He smiled, threw the ball to his new friend, and cocked his head toward the bench where their phones and water bottles were. Instead of getting a remark about being whipped like any of the other guys Kou played with would have made, Yoshiro nodded and joined him while he opened his own phone. It was easy to see the signs of Yoshiro having been with Megumi-san for a long time given the smile on his face when he read something on his phone's screen. It was the same smile Souji wore when he got something from Yukiko-san.

Next to him, Kou flipped his phone to see what Chie had sent him, and he wasn't disappointed. It had been a while since she'd started sending him selfies, and as unexpected as it had been when she started, he'd been happy to clear out his phone and make room for each and every picture. Hearing her justification when he'd called her about them had made his week since just talking to her was a treat, but listening to her trip over herself and sound embarrassed about it was even better. Her first few pictures had been a bit skewed and made it clear that she was nervous, but he was happy to see that the more selfies she sent, the more relaxed she became. Sometimes the photos were just of her in her usual shirt and shorts wearing a smile, but lately she'd been sending pictures of herself in clothes he hadn't seen her in before. Denim jackets that ended at her midriff and close-fitting white shirts, large sweat shirts that exposed one shoulder or the other, and, his personal favourite, her new shorts that highlighted her already-stunning legs and hips. The few times she'd worn her new pairs of shorts, not much longer than the ones she ran in, he was left smiling for days. While he was sure she was getting fashion advice from someone else, he couldn't help but become smitten with what she showed him.

It was good seeing her become more comfortable in her own skin, especially since her smiles were getting more and more confident. Sometimes the pictures were of her laughing, maybe at something Yukiko-san or one of the other ladies she'd mentioned was saying. This time she was wearing her favourite yellow tank top under a dark green blouse with a few buttons undone at the neck, showing her toned figure and an easy stance that made him look forward to Christmas when he could see her in person again. Instead of just smiling, she had a grin on her face with one eye closed in a wink while her right hand was closed into a V sign. The text that followed the picture explained her clear exuberance: I did it! Miderms are backand B+ was my lowest grade!

Kou smiled. Chie typically took her time to compose her texts and make sure that the spelling was correct, so she must have been over the moon if she was leaving those mistakes where they were. He typed back: You shouldn't be that surprised. I told you you'd nail it.

You have no idea how freaked out I was! The prof even kept our marks longer Said he had to besure he got them right!

I never doubted you'd get there. Congratulations. For a bystander or another guy, that might have sounded like flattery. But Kou had spent three weeks leading up to the exams on the phone and borrowing Yukiko-san's laptop in order to help Chie study. After grilling her and making sure she knew everything like the inside of her own eyelids, even when she swore that she hated him for pushing her as hard as he did, he knew she'd pull through.

I owe you big time, she told him after a few minutes. I couldn't have done it alone. You're coming out with Souji at Christmas, right?

Definitely.

K, well we'll do something together so I can pay you back.

From what he'd heard, Kyoto was supposed to be a festival of lights and parties around that time of year. The chance to spend it with Chie after she aced her tests, because he was certain she would, was well worth the cost and time of a train trip. The way she felt like she owed him made him frown a little before he grinned. That sounds great, he sent, wondering what shade of red she'd turn. But let's not treat it like you're paying me back. Instead you can show me around as your boyfriend.

There was a long stretch of silence after he sent that, and instead of being concerned, he was more amused by the thought of her turning red and being teased or dropping her phone in surprise. He also didn't mind calling it that since he'd called her his girlfriend when she called him after she'd finished writing her exams, and hearing how she stammered through her acceptance of the idea still made him laugh.

That works, right?

The reply came after another few minutes. Yeah, that'd be that'll work just fine problem.

Is everything okay?

Yeah, sorry, I had to get my phone back. Natsuki-san stole it.

That made Kou laugh enough to make Yoshiro look at him over his own phone. Kou hadn't had the chance to speak to or meet the women Chie and Yukiko-san had connected with, but given how often Chie's comments involved them, it was clear that they were good people.

Goto go though. They're taking us out for dinner to celebrate.

I see. Enjoy yourself then, and take care.

You to. Miss you.

That was how she always ended their conversations lately, sometimes whispering it into the phone when she was around the others. It was easy to imagine her blushing when she said it, but that just made him treasure every time he heard it. Talk to you soon, he typed, feeling like it was a lame response after what she'd sent him, but it was the best he could think of.

"Everything good with your girl?" Yoshiro asked when Kou stretched his arms out and cracked his neck.

"She got her grades back," Kou replied, chuckling. "Did better than she was expecting. She's on cloud nine now."

Yoshiro nodded and chuckled, closing his own phone. "Good on her. She's doing pretty well, isn't she? I thought you said she had a hard time with classes and school."

"She did," Kou admitted. "She still does, but Chie gets what she wants when she goes after it hard enough." He flipped back through their texts and came to the picture she'd sent him. Her happiness was impossible to miss and Kou sat back to let it sink in while also reflecting on his own high grades. He'd done better than he'd expected with his own exams, especially when he was spending so much of his time helping her. Yoshiro and Megumi-san had stepped in to help him, however, and he had them both to thank for how well he'd done.

Kou's smile twitched a little when he looked closer at the picture and saw the familiar silvery marks on Chie's forearm and collar bone. Scars that he'd seen before but never gotten a straight answer on. The resulting sigh must have stood out because Yoshiro looked over at him and asked, "something wrong?"

Kou showed him the picture and pointed to the marks on his girlfriend's skin.

"That's strange," Yoshiro noted after a few seconds. "They don't look like scrapes. How did she get them?"

"I'm not sure," Kou admitted. "I've asked, but she's never told me. She always says she got them when she was practicing her fighting, back before she had a dojo to go to."

Yoshiro seemed to pick up on the scepticism in Kou's voice. "You don't believe her? She doesn't seem like she'd lie to you if it was important, and she definitely wouldn't take any shit from a boyfriend who'd hit her or something."

Kou snorted out a humourless laugh. The idea of some other guy hurting Chie was enough to both make his blood boil and pity the poor sap who ever took a swing at her. "She wouldn't. Not in a million years. And I don't think she'd lie about it either, but I know there are things she won't talk about and those scars seem to be one of them. I don't know where they came from, but they don't look like the scars she'd get from practicing, or even getting into a fight with someone."

"Sounds like you have some ideas of your own," Yoshiro noted after a second. "Feel like sharing?"

Kou took a few seconds before he responded, and he wasn't particularly firm when replied, "it's a long story."

"I've got time, if you want."

Maybe it would help to talk about it. As it was, Kou couldn't keep down the pangs of sympathy he felt whenever he saw Chie's scars, and whenever he'd asked Yosuke or Souji, their evasive answers hadn't helped. Even Rise-san seemed to dance around it when she'd heard him ask those questions, or she'd change the subject the first chance she had. "Do you know much about Souji's time in Inaba?" Kou began after getting his thoughts in order.

"Not really," Yoshiro admitted. "He's only really said that he had family back there, and that it's where he met Amagi-san. He always seemed to be working to get back there and that was about it."

Kou nodded. "That sounds like him. I can't speak for everything that he went through, but he's got some scars the same as Chie does. Yosuke and Kanji-san, a friend of theirs who's a year behind them, are in the same boat. The other thing is that Souji's uncle is a detective and was involved with the investigation of some murders that happened while he was there."

Yoshiro went pale. "I remember that now. He talked about them once, how his little cousin got caught in the middle of it all."

"Yeah. Three people died, and it took them a long time to catch the guy."

"That's messed up," Yoshiro replied with a shake of the head. "If your girl has scars from that time, then do the murders have something to do with those bandages Souji wears on his arm?"

Kou nodded again. So Yoshiro had noticed their friend's wraps as well. "I think it does. It's a weird story. Some people were kidnapped during the investigation, like Yukiko-san and Kanji-san, but they always came back without so much as a scratch. It seemed like magic sometimes, like they disappeared into thin air, then came right back a week or two later, and they always seemed to be closer to Souji and Chie afterward when I don't even know if they knew each other before. Rise-san was like that, same with Naoto-san, another friend of theirs who's a year behind. Funny thing is, when Souji started wearing those wraps he never gave anyone a straight answer as to why he did it. I don't think he had them when he first moved in with his family, but after Yukiko-san came back, that was the first time I saw them."

"That's pretty convenient," Yoshiro noted, his eyes narrow in thought.

"It is," Kou agreed. "I can't prove it, but I feel like Souji, Chie, Yosuke and the others were involved in the kidnappings and the murder investigation somehow. They all seemed pretty normal until the murders happened, and then they started hanging out a lot more. That's when I noticed that some of them were taking time off school around the time that the kidnap victims were found, and they looked like they'd been through a serious fight when they came back. More than just scrapes on the pavement or bruises from a punch or two."

"I'm not doubting you," Yoshiro began slowly, "but it's hard to imagine Souji getting fights that regularly. I mean, he beat some guys we went to school with black and blue, but that was in self-defence and it only happened once."

"I know the feeling," Kou agreed, "and I'm in the same boat. I have no idea what could make someone like him fight, especially since it wasn't just once or twice. Same with Chie. She loves martial arts, but sometimes it seemed like she was going through a lot more than just practicing, sometimes as often as twice a week."

There was a long silence between them before Yoshiro broke it. "What are you going to do about it? Is there any way you can find out what happened?"

Kou sighed. It figured. Things were going to start getting personal and he hadn't thought the conversation through before it got here. "I don't think there's much I can do," he admitted. "It happened years ago and she hasn't come to school limping or hurt since the killer was found and arrested. No new scars, no missed classes or sick days, and no kidnappings so it's like she's right back to normal. I asked Doujima-san about it and he said that they were involved in getting Nanako-chan, Souji's little cousin, back when she was kidnapped, but he didn't give me any details so that's all I have to go on. It's hard to imagine what or who that could attack people and leave scars like that, especially if a little girl was involved, but..."

"That's messed up," Yoshiro told him after a moment. "I wish there was something you could follow up on. It's never fun seeing your girl hurt."

Kou took the chance to turn the spotlight away from himself for a moment. "You've been there?"

"Megumi caught a lot of hell when she was a kid," Yoshiro told him. "She always walked home alone, always aced her tests, and always got picked on. People bullied her because her home life was rough and she always had her nose in a book, but she didn't look like a typical nerd so she didn't really have anyone to hang out with who could protect her. She'd come to school with bruises and scrapes and no one in any of the classes in our grade would help her. Tore me up when the other kids pushed her around and the teachers didn't anything."

"You helped her out, then," Kou deduced. His friend did seem the type.

Yoshiro laughed ruefully, leaning back to look up. "Something like that. I got in the way when some guys were following her and ended up on the pavement after taking a couple of them down. They left her alone and she took me to the hospital, giving me crap the whole time. Things kinda picked up the next school year and here we are."

Kou smiled, admiring and not surprised. "You guys started going out after you got out of the hospital then?"

Yoshiro snorted. "Of course not. I was on the sports teams and knew some of the guys who were harassing her, so she thought I was just trying to show off or trick her. The first time I tried to walk her home, she led me to the cops and told them I wouldn't leave her alone. The second time I tried, she tripped me and ran. After that I had to try and find her because she started finding other ways of leaving the school."

Kou winced. Megumi-san had a sharp sense of humour, sure, but that was a level of defensiveness he wouldn't have expected from her. Not given how she was now. "How did you get through to her?"

It must have been a funny memory because Yoshiro grinned and shook his head, silent for a while before he spoke. "She has a thing for sweet stuff. Particularly chocolate mint roll cakes. I couldn't find her after school so I tracked her down at lunch and offered to share a little bit of mine if she'd talk to me. It was homemade and way better than the stuff you'd get at the store, so she tried stealing it whenever I had some. Things levelled off from there and I convinced her to let me walk her home after that. And then, well, you get the idea."

"Luring a girl in with food. That's pretty gutsy. How old were you?"

"Sixth year in school, I think," Yoshiro replied. "Sixth or seventh. It's a bit of a blur around that time since it was just... before my..." his face clouded as he looked away.

Kou couldn't be sure, but it looked like he'd hit a bad memory. Something painful. "Are you okay?"

"So what are you going to do about Chie's scars?" Yoshiro asked. The smile on his face was crooked, pasted on and fake.

As much as Kou wanted to touch on the subject, whatever he'd hit that had made Yoshiro look like that to help him since he'd gotten so much support already, it was clear that this wouldn't be the time. Whatever it was, it was a raw, bloody wound, and he had no idea where to begin with something like that. "I'll help her as much as I can," Kou replied. "If she has scars and injuries like that, then maybe some things will start bothering her as things go on, like muscle cramps or joint problems. I'm taking a few massage classes right now, and if she ends up having problems like that, I can be there to help her."

Yoshiro shook his head, a bit of his familiar smile coming back. "You really have it bad for her."

"Yeah," Kou admitted with an embarrassed laugh, "I know. It's been like that for a long time, even when she thought she was in Yukiko-san's shadow or always got picked for the sports teams in gym class or before she had those scars. She always stood out when she was talking to the other guys or running around the track field and even back then I couldn't look away." She'd never seemed to notice how striking she was, especially in high school. Kou leaned back and looked to the sky the same way his friend had a few minutes before. "Now she has a dream she wants to achieve even though she failed once and got kicked to the curb. She knew how hard it was going to be, given her grades, how hard it is for her to study and make it stick, but she still went after it. I can't say "no" to that, so I want to help her get there any way I can."

"She'll get there," Yoshiro told him quietly. "You both will. You've got something to keep you going and people who'll help you when you need it."

Kou looked at his friend, a bit less careless with his words this time. "Thanks. I mean it. You and Megumi-san really helped me with my tests."

"Pay it forward, I always say. I might need a favour someday, or someone else might and you can help them. That's my price."

"Good words to live by."

"Yeah."

Yoshiro's eyes showed a mix of calm happiness and a deep-seated pain that Kou couldn't even begin to unravel. "I could go for some food. Do you want ramen or okonomiyaki?"


"I must admit I'm surprised, Seta-san," Suto-san told her as they wrapped up their meeting. "I thought that our discussion about the company's direction would garner more resistance. You're taking it quite well."

"We all have to make changes at times," Izumi replied, straightening her clothes with a smile.

"And your sabbatical," Suto-san continued, "has raised many eyebrows. Most of us would be turned away if we asked for that much time off, especially so close to Christmas."

"I'll be working abroad rather than here at the office," she corrected him. "I haven't quit, I assure you."

"Of course, but it is an oddity."

For almost anyone else, it would have been. It still was even for someone with her track record. She'd done some fast talking to a number of people before they'd approved it, but Seta Izumi had never been one to do things conventionally.

"Might I ask what prompted this decision?" he inquired when she didn't reply. "I assumed that you would focus your energies here."

"There were a number of factors," she told him, mentally going through her list of things that still had to be done before she left. "I felt that my own methods were getting a bit inflexible, and that needed to change."

"I respect that." He looked like he meant it, too. "I hear that you will be out of town for the holidays."

He was fishing, she knew, but he was still too careful with her to ask directly. Izumi looked at him for a second before giving a shrug. "I have family out west. My brother and my little niece. I haven't seen them for some time so I wanted to take the opportunity while I could. I also have some other family connections that I would like to check in on, if you take my meaning."

There was no way he could. After all, what were the odds that he, unmarried and ambitious, had a child he'd neglected for more than a decade?

"I understand," he told her with a smile that felt more human than his usual expressions. "I hope that it all goes well."

"That is what I hope so as well," she told him as she rose from her seat. "If there's nothing else, I should see to my office."

"Of course." Suto-san stood up, came around his desk, and held his hand out. "I look forward to working with you in this new capacity, Seta-san," he told her when she took his hand and shook it. "And if I don't have the chance to say it before you leave, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year."

Izumi smiled and returned the sentiment. She'd heard it from several of her co-workers already, but it was quite nice to hear it from people she thought saw her only as a superior and a nameplate. She returned to her office to see Hitomi-chan packing up the last of the paperwork in the office. Most of it she had brought filers and movers in for, but the secretary hadn't allowed them to touch Izumi's more important documents. As a result, everything was organized and stacked neatly on her desk when she walked in.

"You didn't have to go that far," Izumi told the woman, knowing what the response would be.

Sure as dawn following the night, Hitomi-chan shook her head and looked determined. "I insist, Seta-san. This way you won't have any problems when you get home."

Izumi smiled at the young woman's dedication. Finding that in subordinates was a challenge, so Izumi valued it when she found it. "Thank you."

"Of course. Your calls have been handled and will be forwarded as soon as they come in. I also took the liberty of making sure that your company accounts and cards still work. If you need any messages sent or taken, or if you have any inquiries, please let me know."

"I will," Izumi assured her. When Hitomi-chan reached out to straighten some of the files on the desk, Izumi touched her arm to stop her. "I can handle it from here."

"O... of course, ma'am," the woman told her, threading her fingers together and fidgeting.

It was clear what was on her mind. Izumi had worked with plenty of associates and department heads over the years, but Hitomi-chan had been with her the longest. Izumi had insisted on taking her on when the young woman, barely out of university and fighting for any bit of attention she could get, impressed her with her sharp mind and knack for organization. Izumi took the woman's hands in her own and leaned forward until their eyes met. "This isn't goodbye," she told her softly. "It might not even last all that long. It could be that I'll be back before you know it."

Hitomi-chan nodded after a moment, smiling despite her watering eyes. "Of course."

Izumi reached a hand out to touch the woman's flat stomach. "And you will have to share the good news when it comes," she continued.

Hitomi-chan's eyes widened as she put her own hands over her stomach. "How did you know? Am I showing?"

Izumi wanted to say it was a motherhood thing, that she was more sensitive to the signs on account to having a child of her own. But really it was how Hitomi-chan avoided certain foods she used to love and how she always had crackers and water nearby, for cases of nausea or morning sickness, whereas she never snacked at all before. "I just had a feeling," Izumi told her, determined to mention it to her supervisor to make Hitomi-chan's transition into maternity leave easier. "Congratulations."

The tears that had been building in the woman's eyes began to spill over before she had the chance to grab a handkerchief and stop them from ruining her make-up too much. "Thank you, ma'am," she told Izumi in a watery voice. "Thank you for everything."

"It's been an honour." Izumi let the moment last for a few more seconds before nodding toward Hitomi-chan's desk. "Let's get back to work. No need to be sloppy just because things are changing, right?"

Hitomi-chan laughed and wiped at her eyes once more. "Of course, ma'am. Happy holidays, and safe travels."

Izumi made her farewell rounds after she packed her briefcase and satchel. What she couldn't carry she arranged to be delivered and, following her new work habits since she'd seen the picture of Souji and his girlfriend, she left early and caught the end of the rush hour traffic.

The ride home was quieter than she expected, so she pulled her phone out and called a number that was still so new that it took her two tries to find it in her contact list.

"Hello, this is the Doujima Residence," a chipper voice answered.

Izumi marvelled at how much Nanako sounded like Chisato. She and her brother's wife never had much time to talk in depth before Ryo moved them all out to Inaba, and she felt a pang of déjà vu hearing Chisato's daughter speak to her. It hit especially hard since she'd been making all her plans through Ryo and this was the first time she'd had the chance to hear from her little niece. "Is this Doujima Nanako?" Izumi asked, turned toward the bus window to cut down any extra noise.

"Um, yep. Who's calling?"

"My name is Seta Izumi. I'm your dad's older sister." Only older by a year, she reminded herself. Still not that old.

There was a short pause before the girl responded, but there was an undeniable spark of joy in her voice. "Oh, this is Aunt Izumi? You're Big Bro's mom, right?"

Souji connecting with Nanako and the idea of what he must have gotten up to with her made Izumi smile. "If your Big Bro is Seta Souji, then yes, that's right. Do you remember me? I saw you when you were still very young."

"Umm... Do you have black hair?"

"Brown, actually. A little darker than your father's."

"Oh! Um, sure, I remember you."

Even Izumi could see a fib for the sake of being polite, and knowing the girl's parents like she did, it was impossible to hold it against her. "That's wonderful. Is your father around?"

"Yep, he's right here. Nice talking to you, Aunty! Dad, phone!"

Izumi shook her head while the receiver was passed over. Not just an aunt, but Aunty from a girl who couldn't have picked her out of a crowd if she'd been paid money to do it. It really had been that long.

That's why you're doing this, she told herself. You're making the change now, so stop beating yourself up about it.

"Hey Sis," Ryo greeted her when he got the phone.

It was much nicer to hear him when he was in a good mood or at least neutral, compared to the hard irritation she'd heard in his messages. "I hope I caught you at a good time."

"As good a time as any. We were just sitting down for dinner, and– What? Sure, Nanako, I'll tell her." Ryo chuckled. "Seems you're already a celebrity here."

Izumi felt the spark of warmth in her heart grow. The girl was a treasure. "I just wanted to make sure that nothing's changed. Like I said, I can find a place to stay if it's an inconvenience."

"It's not," Ryo told her sternly. "It's been forever since you came out here so the least we can do is put you up for a while."

"Really?!" Izumi heard Nanako shout. "Aunty's coming to visit us for Christmas? Yay!"

"See?" Ryo told her with a chuckle a moment later. "It's fine. Nanako'll feel bad if we stuck you in a hotel."

"I am planning on bring some of my work with me," she told him. "It's a long-distance arrangement, but I'm still on the company payroll."

"We've got it figured out," he replied. "Just let us know what train you're on and we'll come get you."

"I might stop at Kyoto before I come to Inaba."

"Good. It wouldn't kill you to take a few days off. Like I said, just let us know when you'll be pulling in and we'll be there. Yes Nanako, we both will. I'll make sure you can come along." Ryo gave a sigh. "See what you did? Putting her to bed is going to be impossible now."

Her brother's good-natured grousing, paired with her niece's unrestrained enthusiasm in the background, made Izumi shake her head and laugh while the weight on her shoulders started to ease off. Yes, this was the right choice. "I'm looking forward to it. I'll see you then."

"Take care," her brother told her.

"You too," she returned before hanging up. She looked out the window and noticed that she was almost at her stop. Perfect timing. She collected her things and walked the two blocks to their apartment after she got off the bus, watching her footing on the icy streets and bundling up against the Kofu winter chill.

She got home and announced her arrival only to catch her husband as he was carrying some bags from their room. "Where are they sending you?" she asked. It was such a familiar sight that the idea of her husband working over Christmas didn't even phase her anymore, and hadn't in years.

"Niigata," he replied as he pulled his coat on and tied his scarf around his neck. "I should be there for a few weeks, maybe a month."

"What happened that's this important? They don't usually bring people in over the holidays."

"They didn't; I volunteered. There's some restructuring at the top and this could be the chance I've been waiting for. It's too good a chance to pass up."

"I'll make sure everything is locked up tomorrow," she promised.

She was about to ask him if he'd eaten or if she should order something in, but he gave her a critical stare that stopped her words. "You're still set on visiting your brother then?"

"Of course," she told him steadily, not liking his tone. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I'm on the way up now. You could be too, and I might find an opening for you while I'm there. I can't do that if you're in the middle of nowhere."

Izumi sighed. "We've been over this. I told you I was going to visit Ryo and Nanako over the holidays, and I haven't quit my job or given anything up. I don't imagine I'll be gone for that long, either."

"Do you know what the odds are of you getting promoted if you aren't in the office?" he asked her.

"Do you know where I was going to end up if I didn't rethink my approach?" she countered. "This way I can reach new people and tap new markets. Staying where I was wouldn't have done me any good, but this is something that hasn't been done before."

Yuuma stared at her before he sighed, dropped his bags and came over to hug her. "I know," he told her, "but it's terrible timing for me. This might be a chance that everyone's going to be shooting for, and who knows when it might happen again. I could use you at my side if something opens up."

"I will be," she replied. "I'm only a call away. I'll be there if you need me, but I need to do this. If I don't do it now, then I probably never will, and I feel like it's something I don't want to miss out on."

"Your brother will still be there in a few years," Yuuma noted. "He's not going to change unless he gets remarried."

"But Nanako might not be," she told him gently, the thought of the sunny girl assuring her of her choice. "She's growing up. Neither will Souji, for that matter. Stepping back for a while won't kill me, and maybe I'll learn something about the girl he's seeing when I'm there."

Even that wasn't enough to assuage her husband if the hard scowl on his face was any indication, and that surprised Izumi. She hadn't seen him this determined to advance in years.

After a long stare where she could see his commitment to twenty years of marriage warring with his meteoric ambition, he smiled in a way that didn't reach his eyes, quickly kissed her on the cheek, and told her, "I have to be going. Call me when you get there." He picked up the rest of his bags, nodded in passing, and was out the door less than half a minute later.

Izumi looked at the door, stepping over to close it. While she was sure he'd call around Christmas or New Years if he had the chance, it stung a little that he hadn't mentioned the holidays before he left.

She shrugged and went to their room to change out of her work clothes. It wasn't the first time. He probably had a lot on his mind. She ordered dinner, caught up on the stock market changes, and spent the night affirming arrangements and thinking of all the ways she could make her situation fit her upcoming change in circumstances. It had been what she and Junko had been best at in university, and while she hadn't talked to her old friend since the house visit, she was determined to not let time cost her the edge that had gotten her this far.

The next morning was almost dull in its familiarity. She told the apartment landlord about her and Yuuma's changing business situation, arranged to cover the rent through an online deposit, and ensured that her business files were packed up and on their way to Inaba. The she found a coffee shop and filled her travel mug with the strongest dark roast she could find before heading to the Tōkaidō Shinkansen station.

The bullet train system was a marvel of Japanese engineering. A new train left the platform every twelve minutes and if she'd wanted to, she could have gone as far north as Shin-Aomori or as far west as Kagoshima on the far end of Kyushu, and the costs for the comfortable seats and steady ride were very agreeable. It was very likely that Yuuma had taken the Jōetsu line up to Niigata the day before, actually, and he would have been there before he'd had the time to get comfortable in his seat. Izumi even decided, when she was bundled up to the ears and paying for her ticket, to splurge a little and pay for a seat in the first-class car, which meant she'd have her pick of bento or warm meals as well as everything she needed, from plug-ins to wifi, to work on her laptop.

Izumi let the platform employees handle her luggage, remembering which compartment they'd put it in, just in case, and she made her way to her car and sat back while the rest of the passengers, mostly families travelling for the holidays but some commuters for work, filled the car. She tuned the noise out and before long they were underway, her fingers tapping on the keys almost as fast as the rails passed beneath her. She was so into her work, actually, that when she looked at the clock on her laptop, she swore sharply in English so as to not bother the passengers around her once she did the math in her head. She'd meant to call Souji when she was close to Fujisawa so that she could wish him well for the holidays and tell him that she was visiting Inaba, but she was already at Toyohashi and halfway to Kyoto. There was a silly little thought in the back of her head that told her Souji might welcome a visit from her, maybe meet her at the train station for a coffee or two if she caught him early enough. It was such a ludicrous idea that she'd forgotten about it until she looked at his name in her contact list again.

No, he probably wouldn't want to see her. Not when he had friends to spend the holidays with, and especially not if he was going to meet up with his girlfriend. But that didn't mean she couldn't call and leave him with her best regards.

She hit "send" without hesitation this time and leaned back in her seat, looking out the window as she listened to the ring tones and sped toward Kyoto.

Author's Note, Post Script: Another chapter down, another one in the works already. How did you guys like this one? Did the Japanese terms and information make sense? Too much? Just right? Also, who saw the twist of Souji meeting that family again? C'mon, hands up, don't be shy. What'd you think of it? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the review section or via PMs. Until next time, dear readers.