-4/16, EARLY MORNING, SATURDAY, YONGENJAYA BACKSTREETS

Sighing at the loud alarm blaring in her ears, Airi reached over for her phone on the bedside table and turned it off. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, feeling the puffy bags underneath. She had a fitful sleep last night. Images of Shiho crying and her bones cracking from her fall, her matron's cold face, that man, Takase giving her a sunny grin, and Rui's kind smile...

Covering her mouth as she yawned, she left the bed to get ready for school. She shouldn't dwell on the past any longer, or else the whole day would be ruined. It wasn't just her who needed a nice day, the whole team did, and they needed her to keep the mood up.

Rinsing her mouth of any toothpaste, she put on her school uniform and went downstairs into the tatami room, phantom strings at her fingertips.

She usually avoided this part of the house, but it wouldn't feel right today of all days. Kneeling down onto the soft straws, she opened a small cabinet, a portrait of her parents smiling back at her.

Her father was a typical salary man with thinning brown hair at the top of his head, a slight pot belly from long nights at the lab, and a jolly expression always present. Her mother was a beautiful light brown, almost blonde, haired woman, standing much shorter than her husband. Her face always had a kind smile ready as she reached out with calloused fingers.

In her arms was a two year old Airi, grinning at the camera in a sundress, one knee bandaged up. The sun shone down on her light pink hair, which baffled her family for years. Her father joked it was due to a genetic mutation from his long days at the lab, though she didn't understand at the time since she was so young. Pink hair was extremely uncommon in this side of the world, but they just took it as a sign for her to be a flower. They wanted to name her "Sakura" but her mother said it was too overrated, and Jasmines were her favorite, hence "Airi."

Her heart ached as she gazed at the portrait. If only they could have stayed. If only they hadn't left her by herself...

But.

She shook her head. It wasn't their faults. She had accepted that long ago. "Hi Kaa-chan, Tou-chan..." She whispered, lighting some incense and placing it in the holder. "Today's my birthday...I'm seventeen now." She smiled slightly. "Time flies, huh...I wish you were here. So badly..." Her lips tightened. "My friend tried to commit suicide yesterday...I'm so glad she's alive and that she didn't join you in the afterlife..." She bit her lip as her eyes clouded with moisture. "I love you..." She sniffed, clapping her hands twice in a prayer motion.

Wiping a tear away, she smiled to herself, finding the action to be more genuine than she expected. "All right, let's dance."

Grabbing her bag and keys, she put on her oxfords and left the house to Leblanc.

With a gasp, his eyes snapped open. Slowly, he sat up on his elbows, rubbing his shadowed lids. 'I could barely sleep.' Akira thought sullenly. He glared tiredly at the reason why.

Morgana breathed softly on top of his abdomen, occasional purrs escaping it. The additional weight had pinned him into the bed, barely letting him move or breathe.

Yawning, he lifted the cat off of him, waking it in the process with a yowl, and flipped back the comforter to get ready for the day. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and changed into his uniform.

Hearing Sojiro's movements at the bar, Akira grabbed his bag and placed the present within. 'I hope she likes it.' He prayed. This was the first time he was giving someone a present.

Making sure Morgana won't crush it when it sits inside, he gestured to the feline who was grooming itself awake. "Morning, Akira." It yawned, jumping into the bag.

Shouldering the bag, he put on his now usual glasses and went downstairs where a plate of fresh curry awaited him at the bar counter. Sitting down, he greeted his guardian with a quiet "good morning", grabbing a can of cat food on the side for Morgana to eat.

Quickly finishing his food, he clapped his hands and muttered, "gochisousama deshita." before getting up to wash his dishes. "Thank you for the food." He expressed to the older man, who grunted in response.

"You better get going or you'll be late." Sojiro stated nonchalantly, shaking his newspaper.

Nodding, Akira dried his hands, grabbed his bag, and left the shop.

Just arriving at the cafe was Airi, idly brushing out her bangs with one hand and her school bag in the other. She perked up once she saw her bespectacled classmate. "Good morning, Akira-kun!" She called out, giving him a smile.

Akira smiled back. "Good morning, Airi-chan. Happy Birthday." He congratulated.

"Happy Birthday, Lady Airi!" Morgana meowed loudly, jumping out of his bag and into her arms.

Airi blushed, hugging the feline. "Thank you, Morgana." She murmured graciously, giving it a kiss on top of its head.

It purred at the affectionate gesture, before jumping back into Akira's bag.

The two then went on their journey to school, walking to the station. In a rare occurrence, they both got seats on the train. Airi covered her mouth as she yawned, tears clouding her eyes.

"Did you not sleep well?" Akira asked quietly, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

Wiping the moisture away, she shook her head. "Not really. After what happened yesterday, I...couldn't." She whispered, looking down morosely.

He stared at her concernedly before placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure Suzui-san will be fine. Takamaki-san had said she was stable." He reassured. "Maybe you can go visit with her?"

Blushing a little from the close contact, she nodded. "Yeah, I can do that…" She smiled hopefully. "Thank you, Akira-kun. You always know what to say."

He blushed slightly at the compliment. Did he? He wasn't one to say much. "You didn't answer your phone last night." He reminded.

Blinking, she checked her phone and found several unread messages from him and Ann. "Oh! I'm so sorry." She apologized. "Let me text Ann-chan now."

While she was engrossed into her phone, Morgana subtly popped its head out of his bag. "Even though it's so crowded, looks like you can still grab a seat if you're lucky enough..." It remarked quietly over the roaring sounds of the train tracks. "While we're riding the train, we've got some downtime. I wonder if we could put it to good use..." It mused, shifting back inside.

Akira hummed. Maybe he could read a book? He'd have to dig some out from Leblanc's pile or buy some of his own.

Walking into class, Airi was greeted with several wishes of happy birthday from her classmates. She happily accepted them, along with small gifts of chocolates and snacks, and thanked them for their kindness. With a shy blush, Mishima handed over a gift wrapped book, stammering a "Happy Birthday" to her.

Touched, she drew him into a gentle hug, making sure not to aggravate his injuries. "Thank you very much, Mishima-kun!"

With a feverish face, he bowed shakily. "You-You're welcome, Senpai..." He looked down shyly and went back to his desk, keeping his head down and away from anyone's gaze.

An idea came to her and she took out a new tube of Recov-R Gel, placing it in front of him. He looked up at her quizzically.

She smiled slightly. "It's for the bruises...I hope it helps, at least a little..." She looked down. She wished she could do more, but until they sent the calling card, this would have to do.

He stared at the tube blankly, his lips tightening. "Thank you, Senpai...You're kind." He subtly wiped a tear away. "I'll make sure to use it." He gave her a watery smile, a small glimmer of gratefulness in the bleakness of his eyes.

She smiled back and walked up to the board to prepare it for the first class. She didn't know her classmates very well since it was still close to the start of the new school year, but Mishima had also been in her first year class. He was also being threatened with expulsion, and she couldn't forget that they had to fight for him too.

No matter how many failures piled up, she still had to try.

The door slid open to the classroom and Kawakami-sensei walked up to her to pat her on her shoulder. "Seventeen now huh...You're getting closer to not needing me." She smiled awkwardly, still unsure and reluctant to interact with her. "Are you OK? After yesterday?"

Airi shook her head. "I'm...OK. At least, I will be." She smiled gratefully. "And no, Sensei, I'll always be grateful for what you did. You saved me."

The teacher snorted. "I only signed my name because of him, I didn't do anything worthy of your praise…" She shrugged nonchalantly. "But I don't regret it, OK?" She put her books down on a stand.

The students took their seats and the school day began.

Phones buzzed in the midst of Ushimaru-sensei's lecture about Japanese law and three students discreetly pulled them out.

R: Hey, we're meeting up at the hideout after school, right?
An: Don't text now. We're in class.
R: Whoa! You mean you're actually listening to all this crap?
Ai: Yes, please pay attention to class, Ryuji-kun.
Ai: You need to improve your grades.
R: Ugh, you had to say that.
An: Nothing's really sticking though.
An: I'm too excited for later. I need this break.
R: Hell yeah! Anyways, hideout after school?
R: Or straight to Airi's house?
Ai:My house.
Ai:I'm sure we're all hungry now since lunch was about two hours ago.
R: Shit, you're right.
Ak: Got it.

"Hey, Kurusu!"

Startled, said student's head shot up with wide eyes, putting his phone away.

Ushimaru sneered. "Pay attention! Is that how you listen to someone who's talking to you?!"

Akira paled, tensing in his seat. 'I feel a murderous intent..!'

With a large sweep of his arm, the teacher threw his piece of chalk at the student, hitting him square in the forehead.

Head snapping back at the force, Akira rubbed the spot gingerly and hunched over himself, sweatdropping at his slow reflexes.

Ann covered her mouth incredulously and turned away.

Airi winced; that had to hurt. Discreetly, she took out a small tube of Recov-R gel from her bag and handed it out to the injured student.

He took it, giving her a grateful smile even as the injury began to pulse underneath the now red skin.

"Ooh...That looked like it hurt."

"He hit him right in the forehead..."

"That's what you get for daydreaming!" Ushimaru-sensei hmphed, before turning back to the board. "Kids these days have no respect for their elders." He grumbled, taking out a new piece of chalk and continuing the lesson.

Morgana popped its head out of Akira's desk and looked at him pityingly. "Good grief...Looks like you need more proficiency to completely dodge that."

He grimaced in response.

"Man, I am so excited!" Ryuji grinned, rubbing his stomach. The four (five if you count Morgana) walked out of the station and into the backstreets. "Lunch was forever ago! I can't wait to eat your food, Airi!" He proclaimed, walking backwards with his hands behind his head. "I don't think I've ever tasted your cooking!"

She laughed as they walked past the closed movie theater. "I'll make sure not to disappoint."

The group soon arrived at a small but well maintained house, some vines climbing up the side of the building. It was squished by neighboring houses like most property in Tokyo, and it even hosted several similar design choices, such as the small cement fence and the mailbox built in. It was a single family detached residence that was around twenty years old, with the typical white plaster siding and a dark ceramic tiled roof.

"Well...This is my place." Airi stated awkwardly, unlocking the door. They walked into the entryway and closed the door behind them, the non-residents looking around curiously. The inside was also typical of a Japanese residence, though it was somewhat bare. The dark wooden floors shined impeccably and the eggshell white walls were empty of any decorations, as if she had just recently moved in.

"It's so nice and clean." Ann marveled while taking off her shoes and placing them on the shoe rack.

"Hehe, I try." Airi smiled sheepishly, before leading them to the living room. "Anyway, make yourselves at home! You can watch TV if you'd like, or maybe do your homework..." She suggested, looking at the delinquent specifically. "...Ryuji-kun."

"Hey!" He pouted indignantly. "We're not here to torture ourselves, we're here to celebrate!" He flopped down on one of the chaises, grabbing the remote and turning the TV on.

"In other news, we have yet to figure out what is triggering the mental breakdowns. The cause is still unknown. However, many citizens still take public transportation while citing they are in fear of future incidents. Reporting live from-"

"Boring." Ryuji groaned, changing the channel.

Akira sat down as well, unzipping his bag for Morgana. The cat jumped out of the bag and landed on the coffee table, looking around curiously. "Wow, Lady Airi. Your place is so nice! Way nicer than Akira's room." It purred cheerfully, before jumping down on the floor and exploring the room.

Akira frowned. "Hey." He was making due with what he had.

"Yeah, Airi-chan." Ann sat down on the other chaise. "My house is bigger, but yours has such a nice atmosphere. I'm kind of jealous." She confessed with a smile.

Airi smiled. "Thanks, guys." She took off her blazer and draped it on one of the couches. "I'm going to start cooking, OK? I'll call when food's ready." With that, she walked down the hall and into the kitchen to begin.

Once she was gone, the four guests huddled together. "All right, did you guys get presents for her?" Ann whispered fervently.

"Hell yeah I did!" Ryuji grinned, giving her a thumbs up.

Morgana took out some lockpicks from its yellow scarf. "I can't buy anything, so I made some lockpicks." It puffed up its chest pridefully. "Now she won't have to let down her hair all the time."

Akira gave him an odd look. "When?"

It purred. "When you were sleeping, of course. It was cold when I was done so I slept on top of you."

He deadpanned. He almost died last night from suffocation. He shook his head. "When should we give them to her?"

Ryuji rubbed his chin pensively. "How about after dinner?"

They nodded in agreement. "Sooo...What did you guys get?" Ann inquired, taking her's out. "I got her a all day coupon at the spa!" She grinned happily, showing them an envelope.

Ryuji looked at her incredulously. "Are you serious?!" He groaned, leaning back on the chaise. "I just got her a giant plush." He sighed then perked up. "Oh yeah, I didn't ask yesterday, but what did you buy?" He turned to Akira.

He shrugged. "You'll see later." He replied shortly, a bit nervous. He flexed his hands, heart beating quicker with anticipation. Maybe he was pushing it too far by getting her something so nice. They didn't know each other that well, only for about a week, and he could come off a little creep.y

Off in the distance, they heard the ventilation hood in the kitchen turn on. Curious, the four quietly sneaked over to the dining room, crossing the small hallway to the other side. Beyond the dining table was the kitchen where Airi was currently cooking. She tossed the beef with her spatula and added some sort of cooking alcohol, making the wok explode in flames.

"Whoa!" Ryuji gaped, gawking at the fire show.

The four looked on in amazement as the class president moved from the stove, to the grill, to the fridge, and back to the stove. "She's amazing." Morgana purred, eyes shining with awe. "And it smells delicious!"

Taking out several plates and bowls, Airi killed the heat on the stove. Piling rice from the cooker, she set them on the table before bringing over the main courses. She divided the portions for four individuals, placing them on separate plates.

Dowsing the dirty dishes in the sink, she wiped her forehead, sighing in relief. 'Just gotta make sure the cake is decorated.' She reminded herself.

Taking the finished cake out of the fridge, Airi shook some icing sugar on top, before going to the mint plant and slicing off several leaves, decorating the top. She placed the cake back into the fridge and took off her apron. "Food is ready!" She called out.

Getting up from their crouched positions behind the doorway, the four walked into the dining room, gazing at the food with admiration. There was finely grilled black perch, korean marinated beef, and spiced legumes. A simple miso soup was served for each seat except for Morgana's, who had a wide selection of tuna cuts.

Slowly taking their seats, they inhaled the aromas of the freshly cooked meal. "This smells sooo good!" Ryuji sighed in appreciation, mouth watering at the scents.

"I can't wait to dig in!" Ann grinned, taking a photo of her meal.

Looking at his set, Akira noticed his perch was a bit bigger than the others. He blinked and looked over at Airi questioningly.

Airi smiled mysteriously in response. "I want to thank you guys again for coming over." She began, giving them all a grateful look. "It's been a long time since I've been able to cook for someone else other than myself. " She laughed sheepishly. "I hope it all tastes OK. Maybe I've gotten too used to my own cooking..."

"Airi-chan…" Ann bit her lip, looking at their host. "...Can I ask where your parents are? It-It's just that...I haven't heard you mention them ever, even in middle school."

"Yeah, plus you haven't cooked for someone in a long time? Where are they?" Ryuji piped up, looking around the room, not noticing the class president's face grimacing.

Akira stared at her with concern, not saying anything. One thing he could pride himself on was his own observational skills. She had never mentioned them before, and the lack of other shoes in the entryway had implied something dark.

Airi took a deep breath. "...They're gone." She whispered, not looking up. They fell silent at the news. "They've been gone for years, almost a decade now." She smiled wryly.

Ann covered her mouth in horror. "Oh...Airi-chan..." She whispered, tears clouding her eyes. "I-I'm sorry for asking..."

She sighed. "It's all right, Ann-chan. It's old news. I didn't really tell anyone, so..."

Clenching his fists, Ryuji bowed his head. "Sorry, Airi." He murmured apologetically. "I...didn't know..."

Gray eyes glanced at her sorrowfully. "Airi-chan…" Akira whispered. So she was responsible and mature because she had to be. She had no one to rely on.

Shaking her head, Airi looked up at them with tearful eyes. "Thank you." She closed her eyes. "I'm happy that I have such good friends who care so much..." Wiping the moisture from her eyes, she clapped her hands together. "Enough talking about sad stuff, It's my birthday! The meal's getting cold and I worked hard on it, so you guys better eat up!"

Swishing its tail back and forth, Morgana gazed at her affectionately. "Thank you, Lady Airi! I'll be sure to savor this!"

"Itadakimasu!" The group dug into their meals. "Oh man, this is sooo good!" Ryuji moaned in appreciation, chewing on the korean beef. "It's so sweet and juicy!"

Ann chewed happily. "The fish is so soft, it's falling off my chopsticks! You have to teach me how to cook." She proclaimed, pointing her utensils at Airi.

Morgana devoured the sashimi on its plate. "Meeoooow!" It sang blissfully. "Real fooood!"

Savoring the meal, Akira closed his eyes contently. He hadn't had a real meal like this since he left home, and even then, his mother's cooking couldn't compare. All he had lately was curry and ramen.

'I could get used to this.' He thought blissfully. Taking another bite of the black perch, he blinked, tasting a new flavor. He looked closer at the fish, and saw it had garlic and mushrooms stuffed inside. He quirked his lips. 'Something she enjoys a lot, huh.' He thought fondly to himself. Even though they didn't know each other very well, he was learning bit by bit about her.

Finishing their meals in a matter of minutes, the teenagers and one cat sighed in bliss. "That," Ryuji began, pointing at his empty dishes. "Was the best meal of my life." He declared dramatically, leaning back in his seat. "My Ma ain't ever cook this good."

"Agreed!" Ann stretched in her chair languidly with a smile. "I haven't had a good home cooked meal in ages!"

Morgana was laid on its back, stomach distended from all the food. "Meow..." It purred quietly, already half asleep.

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Akira muttered a "gochisousama deshita," before getting up from his seat and gathering the dirty dishes.

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Akira-kun!" Airi piped, hurriedly getting up from her seat to help.

He shook his head. "You did all the work, this is the least I can do."

Deflating, she smiled and acquiesced, heading into the kitchen. "You can just leave them in the sink, I'll do them later." She ordered, opening the fridge. "I hope you guys aren't too full because I also made cake." She pulled it out and laid it on the dining table.

It was a light matcha cheesecake, sprinkled with icing sugar and topped with a few buds of mint. She also grabbed a carton of vanilla ice cream from the freezer. "Shall we eat?" Airi asked, brandishing a knife.

"Wait!" Ryuji stopped, holding a hand out. "You gotta make a wish! It's your birthday!"

"Oh, right right!" Airi laughed sheepishly, sweatdropping at her forgetfulness. It had been a long time since she really bothered with tradition.

Taking a few old candles out from a drawer, she inserted them into the cake and lit them with a match. Closing her eyes, she clasped her hands together. Several moments later, she blew the candles, extinguishing the flames.

"Happy Birthday, Airi!" The guests cheered, clapping their hands in celebration. "Alright, cake time!" Ann cheered, jumping in place happily.

Cutting the cake into several pieces, Airi handed them out on new plates and topped them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

They dug into the dessert with relish. "Oh my god, this is amazing!" Ann marveled, eyes sparkling at the cake in front of her.

"Thank you, Ann-chan!" Airi smiled, flinching at the religious mention. "I wasn't sure since I'm the only one who usually eats my cooking. You're big on sweets, right?..."

After the meal by the birthday girl, they relocated back to the living room. Airi had went and prepared tea for everyone, and now they sat in peaceful silence, nursing a steaming cup.

"Sooo…" Ryuji began, the others looking at him curiously. "Present time?" He suggested to his fellow guests, wiggling his eyebrows. They nodded and reached into their bags.

"Wait- presents?" Airi repeated. "You guys didn't have to! I only told you yesterday..." She blubbered flusteredly, waving her hands in front of her.

"Of course we had to!" Ann argued, sitting across. "You've done a lot for us, for me especially." She looked down at her lap. "You told me earlier in our texts that you're sorry for not being able to save Shiho, and you've kept on saying that. But," She looked up resolutely. "...You tried. That's more than anyone else had done, more than..." Her hands clenched. "What I had done. So thank you, Airi-chan." She smiled gently. "She's probably alive right now because you went up there, so stop blaming yourself! We'll go visit her tomorrow and tell her we're going to avenge her."

Airi stared at her with wide eyes before looking down at her lap, her bangs shadowing her face. Tiny droplets hit the back of her clenched hands. "...Every time I close my eyes," She began quietly. "All I see is Shiho-chan's face. When I went to bed last night, I...kept hearing her body hit the ground." She covered her face with her hands. "I know, I did all I could...but it wasn't enough, though, was it? I didn't make any difference..." She sobbed quietly. "I had her! If I was stronger, I could have pulled her up..."

Akira scooted closer and put an arm around her shoulders. She tensed but slowly relaxed, already becoming familiar with his silent support.

Ann flinched at the description and reached out, placing a comforting hand on her leg, Ryuji reaching over Akira's arm to also half hug her. Morgana jumped and curled up on her lap. They comforted the crying girl for however long she needed, knowing that yesterday had scarred them in ways that they couldn't explain.

Sniffing, Airi wiped the tears from her face, embarrassed from crying so much over these past two days. "Sorry..." She bit her lip. "I keep ruining the mood with all my crying..."

"Don't apologize, Lady Airi." Mona shook its head, ears twitching. "It's OK to cry." It gave her an understanding smile, jumping onto the table.

She gave a watery smile back. She was so fortunate to have such good friends, even if she didn't deserve them.

"Alright, enough with the crying!" Ryuji persuaded, taking out his shoddily wrapped present. "We gotta think on the bright side! It's your birthday, we're gonna bag Kamoshida's Treasure, Suzui's stable!" He listed off, grinning excitedly, doing his best to lift the mood. "We got this!"

"Yeah!" Ann chimed in, pumping a fist. "Everything's going to be fine! We'll make it better!" She took her gift out and shoved it into Airi's hands. "You have to open our presents now!"

Startled, she looked down curiously. She slowly unwrapped the envelope, the paper giving way to an all expenses paid coupon at the local spa. She laughed delightedly. "Thank you, Ann-chan! I need this so bad after this week." She smiled gratefully. "Maybe we can go together sometime?"

Ann nodded gleefully. "Definitely!"

Ryuji shoved his large wrapped package at her as well. "Open mine next!" He demanded, bouncing excitedly in his seat.

With a laugh, she did as she was told, unwrapping all the newspaper covering the object. "Oh!" She blinked, taking out a large plush of a cat. It was mostly black with white tips, easily resembling a certain dexterous feline that was in front of her.

"Is that supposed to be me?!" Morgana yelled incredulously, glaring at the punk.

Ryuji glared back. "It's way better than you!"

Airi burst into laughter and hugged the plush close to her. "It's so cute!" She brightened up. "I'm gonna call it Mona!"

Morgana turned and gave her a look of betrayal. "Lady Airi..." It teared up. "Aren't I good enough?!"

Airi gave the feline a gentle smile and rubbed its ears. "Of course you are, Morgana." She reassured softly. "But you're always going to be with Akira-kun. I just get my own Mona to hug and snuggle with."

Morgana stopped mid-purr. "Snuggle with…?" It breathed, blushing heavily at the thought, before shaking itself. "OK, fine." It relented, trying to sound nonchalant, but the blush still present on its face gave it away. "Here's my present." It handed a couple of lockpicks with its mouth. "I can't really wrap them..."

She accepted the gift, placing it next to her on the couch. "Thank you! Now I won't have to use my bobby pin each time."

Akira smiled at the feline's dramatic actions before resigning himself. 'My turn.' He thought with trepidation. He pulled the still wrapped box out of his bag and silently handed it over.

Airi blinked, before accepting the bundle of tissue paper. She slowly unwrapped it layer by layer, unveiling a black velvet box. Her eyes widened, and looked at him in astonishment. "Did you...get me jewelry?" She breathed, her fingers slightly caressing the box. Was she dreaming?

He smiled a tad nervously. "Open it." He instructed quietly. He glanced away for a moment, and met wide light blue eyes.

Ann stared at him in disbelief, before smirking knowingly at him.

He gave her a confused frown, not understanding why she was giving him that look.

Airi slowly opened the velvet box, gasping at what was inside. She gently took out the silver barrette, the delicate flower petals gleaming in the light, and placed it in her palm to admire it. "Akira-kun." She breathed. "This must have been expensive. You didn't have to." She objected quietly, frowning guiltily at the gift. This must've cost at least ¥12,000.

He shook his head. "I wanted to." He corrected, smiling softly.

She looked at him, searching his face, before acquiescing with a shy curl of her lips. She untied her braid, letting her peachy locks fall freely. Braiding the tendrils in a different pattern, she pulled it up into a bun and clipped her new gift in. She pulled out her phone and used the front camera as a mirror, appreciating how the flowers complimented her hair.

Airi turned back to Akira, who watched her with his mouth slightly open just like when they had met. "Thank you, Akira-kun. This is wonderful!" She smiled warmly. She had never gotten such a lavish gift, aside from her parents. How highly did he think of her to spend so much on this?

He swallowed, wetting his dry throat. His eyes rested on the visage in front of him, not wanting to blink or look away. She looked...really beautiful with his gift.

Unconsciously wetting his lips, he looked away, feeling his face heat up. "You're welcome. You deserve it." He replied shortly, not trusting himself to not stutter with how fast his heart was beating. 'Calm down.' He scolded himself silently. 'But...I can feel her appreciation…'

Whistling, Ryuji admired the barrette in her hair. "Damn, bro. How much did you spend?"

Akira pursed his lips. "I'm not telling." He dramatically coiffed his hair.

They burst into laughter at the display, seeing the usually quiet teenager try to act suave. "Thank you all for the gifts." Airi spoke, a shy smile decorating her lips. "It means so much to me coming from you guys." She hugged the Mona plush close to her, holding the spa coupon in one hand. She wasn't alone anymore.

"Well," Morgana began, jumping onto the coffee table. "Since we're done with celebrations, we should hold our meeting about the calling card." It suggested, laying down and tucking its legs underneath itself.

Akira nodded. "Right. Let's begin then." The five huddled together above the coffee table. "Since we've got an infiltration route, we can send a calling card, right?" He asked the cat, who nodded in response.

"Why couldn't we send it in the first place..?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"It's not that easy." Morgana frowned. "A Treasure won't stay materialized forever. Once the impression is gone, the Treasure will disappear. I think it'll last around a day, at most."

He groaned, ruffling his hair. "The hell..? That's like no time at all..."

"When should we send it?" Akira asked the group.

"As soon as possible. We've waited too long." Ann replied instantly, frowning deeply. "We're going to pull this off, no matter what!" She clenched her fists.

Airi nodded firmly. "He needs to pay for what he did. I'll never forgive him." She stated coldly.

"I'm with ya." Ryuji frowned, sitting forward. "Plus, we don't wanna get expelled. The earlier the better."

"Alright then, Monday it is." Akira declared.

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Once we send the card, we have to infiltrate the Palace immediately for the Treasure." Morgana advised, ears twitching in anticipation.

"So we send the calling card in the morning...and carry out the plan by the end of the day, right?" Ann inquired.

"We'll have to do this quickly then." Airi mediated. "As soon as classes end."

Akira nodded in understanding. "So, who's going to write the card?" He crossed his arms, leaning back on the chaise.

"Oh! Oh!" Ryuji perked up. "Leave it to me!"

Ann gave him an odd look. "Why?" She asked dubiously.

"Why..? Why wouldn't it be me?!" He asked, offended by her tone.

The model tutted. "This is important. Are you sure you can handle the pressure?" She pressed, furrowing her brows at him.

"I must agree." Morgana added, scratching an ear.

"I really wanna get him good!" Ryuji exclaimed, holding up a fist. "Lemme write it...C'mon, please?" He pleaded at their leader.

Pursing his lips, Akira nodded. "All right." He relented.

He pumped a fist. "Yeah, I got this!" Ryuji grinned.

Ann cringed. "Hey, are you sure about this..? If they find out our identities, all this work will be for nothing..."

"I know, I know!" Ryuji waved away her concerns.

Airi smiled sheepishly. "I'm sure it'll be fine. As long as it works, right?"

Morgana stood up. "All right! Monday it is! You'd better not slack off on this."

Yawning, Ryuji stretched his arms and got up. "It's gettin' late. We should go." He noted, looking at the clock on the wall which read "7 P.M."

Ann got up as well, straightening her skirt. "Yeah, same here. Gotta get up early to visit Shiho tomorrow. Want to meet me at Shibuya station, Airi-chan?" She asked the birthday girl.

Said girl nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow." She replied with a calm smile.

"I'll walk wit' ya." Ryuji offered the model, grabbing their bags and heading toward the front door. "Thanks so much for the food, Airi! It was awesome!"

"Happy Birthday!" Ann congratulated once more, putting on her boots.

"Thanks for coming over! You'll always be welcome." Airi grinned at the two blonds. "Get home safely!"

With a wave, the two left, leaving Airi, Akira, and Morgana in the house.

Airi turned to her classmate. "You can stay as long as you'd like, Akira-kun, Morgana. You live around the corner anyway."

He inclined his head. "If you don't mind. Maybe we can do our homework together?" He suggested, lips quirking.

She agreed, and they moved their bags into the tatami room to study. He blinked, noticing the small shrine in the corner, incense lit in front of a family portrait.

Coming back into the room with two cups of hot tea, Airi stilled, noticing Akira bowing his head in front of her parents' shrine, his hands clapped together in a prayer motion. She quietly placed the cups on the table and sat down, waiting for him to finish. With an exhale, he opened his eyes, letting his arms fall to his lap.

"Thank you." She said quietly, smiling softly at him. She was so touched that he bothered to give her parents a prayer, especially since he had never known them. He was a really thoughtful guy.

He shook his head. "It's the least I could do. I'm sure they were amazing people." He smiled, moving back to the table. They spent a quiet evening together, mostly her correcting his answers, while Morgana napped under the kotatsu.

Two hours later, Airi waved farewell to the two Persona users as they left for Cafe Leblanc. Closing the door, she went about cleaning the mess left behind from the party, humming happily.

Today had been a good day. Better than good, it was great. Her friends enjoyed her cooking, her classmates wished her happy birthday, and she even got presents. Not that she didn't appreciate the chocolates and snacks, but they didn't really mean anything. Her team of thieves had thought out their presents, and she was going to cherish them.

After her bath, she unclasped her new barrette and admired it. 'I can't believe Akira-kun really bought me something so beautiful and expensive.' She thought, still in disbelief at the gorgeous clip. They had only known each other for a week, less than a week actually. Did he really think of her so kindly to buy her something like this?

She placed it gently on her vanity, swearing to wear it only on special occasions, before getting up. Going to her school bag, she took out all the gifts she received from her fellow classmates, including the book from Mishima.

Unwrapping it, she blinked. It was a book on Psychology. 'How thoughtful of him, and just what I need too.' She smiled fondly. Could this come in handy at dealing with the Palace? How did he know to give this to her?

Shaking her head, she placed it down on the table. She'd just have to ask, after this mess was all over and everyone was safe.

Turning around, her eyes caught the one thing in this room she avoided and she gazed at the dusty instrument with trepidation. She was at war with herself. On one hand, the cello only reminded her of that time.

"Stupid child! This is what you deserve!"

Her eyes darkened at the memories. She could still hear the wood creaking in her ears. But...on the other hand, it also contained happy memories with her mother and father, and the itch to play was getting unbearable. Her hands would twitch every so often, steel strings under her fingertips.

"Aw, honey you look so cute and tiny next to it!"

"You play really nicely, Ai-chan!"

"Let's get you a cello so you can play for your big bro!"

Clenching her now uninjured hands, she nodded to herself, coming to a decision. Reaching out with a trembling hand, her heart pounding in her ears, she dusted off the instrument.

"I wish...for my parents to be in peace, watching over me. I wish they could tell me they were proud of me, that they love me. I wish Takase and Rui were here, smiling happily at my side. I wish I can help more people. I wish that our team would stay together even after we take Kamoshida's Treasure. I wish..."

-a shrine for dead relatives is usually kept in an open cabinet or little shrine.
-shinto tradition is to clap twice when praying.
-itadakimasu is a japanese phrase used at the start of a meal, traditionally to thank the gods for the food.
-gochisosama deshita is a japanese phrase used at the end of the meal, saying thank you to the cook and gods.
-matcha is high quality green tea leaves grounded into a fine powder. It's used heavily in a lot of Japanese desserts.