Just like Nitori Aiichiro, Makoto had his qualms about Haru and Rin's upcoming race, now that their face-off seemed absolutely certain, and Haru focused all his energies on the hundred-meter front crawl. However, unlike Nitori, who was brave enough to voice his frustrations to a senior that had kept him in terrified awe for months, Makoto couldn't so much as open his mouth to talk to his best friend. The bottom of the well was no longer dry. A new brand of poison emerged from the cracks to seep into Makoto's mind, until he felt as though his mouth were dry wood and his tongue were tinder: that one word could spark a flame and he would burn alive.

As for Haru, he became more and more taciturn himself, his eyes always upon the horizon. Every day, they walked home in silence, and each time they said their goodbyes at the bottom of the stone stairs, Haruka would turn towards the single torii above without a moment's hesitation. Not that there was anything urgent about his stride as he climbed the steps. No, Makoto could discern no agitation or desire to flee. Haru was simply too preoccupied (with someone else…) to think of him.

Kou, Nagisa, and Rei, on the other hand, considered the race a promising development, so each encouraged Haruka to prepare for it in their own special ways. Rei commended Haru for practicing so diligently, often commenting on his beautiful technique. Nagisa would not stop talking about how excited he was to see Rin-chan in a week, and Kou of course was overjoyed at the idea that Onii-chan would get to swim with his friend again. Yet no matter how cheerful they sounded, or how much they expected Makoto to be just as happy as they were, he felt no gladness for either party, and forced his smiles in increasing wretchedness. No matter how he looked at the race, there would be a loser in the end regardless of the outcome. If Haru won, it would be Rin, who might turn out to be a sore loser again and hurt Haru, and Makoto couldn't possibly want that. But if Rin won, then the loser would be Haru, which he also protested with all his heart… And if somehow both got exactly what they wanted, and moved forward together, then the loser might be Makoto, who had no hopes of competing with a bond that stretched deeper than his own.

In the end, you might have been nothing but a spare, a voice in the back of his head told him, a voice Makoto had been struggling to resist for years. It came to him inevitably after each failed attempt to find the one true friend he was longing for, and each year, it was just a little harder to fight it off and cast it back into the abyss. Like his fear of the water, it lingered in wait, striking when Makoto least expected it. All it took was a few words or a bitter memory, and Makoto would feel it scratching at the nape of his neck, burrowing around his heart in the dark, and whenever the voice found him alone… oh, that was dangerous. There were times when he ran home every day after school, racing to unite with his loved ones before the voice might get to him, but those times seemed to be a thing of the past. He had friends now who cared for him, or at the very least he had teammates who counted on him, and while there was even one glimmer of hope that he was needed, Makoto felt he could bear his sorry situation for a little while longer.

Fortunately for Makoto, practice and exams took up enough time to dull his pain. Come the last day before the tournament, a Friday that also marked their final day of exams, Makoto even managed to muster enough spirit after practice to suggest that they all pay their respects at the Misagozaki shrine before the big day. After cramming for his exams for weeks till he was positively starved for company, Nagisa latched onto the idea like a lifesaver. Rei thought it an excellent way to boost morale and thanked Makoto for the idea, while Haru simply shrugged and tagged along, having no reason to protest going just a few turns higher than his usual route. Even Kou agreed to accompany them, more excited to get a fortune from the shrine than anything else. While she did that, the others paid their respects in coin, rang the bell, then clasped their hands together for a short prayer.

"We should get fortunes too," suggested Nagisa once they straightened and lowered their hands again. "Maybe we'll get lucky!"

"Do you really believe in that stuff?" asked Makoto with a small laugh. Haru gave him a look and turned his head.

"I certainly don't! It's nothing but probability and.. superstition…" insisted Rei, his words gradually losing steam as Haruka walked right past him in search of his own fortune. Rei stared after him for a while, then turned to look at the others with a puzzled expression, but when Nagisa merely shrugged and sank down onto the steps by the foot of the shrine, Rei and Makoto settled down to join him.

"Less than twenty-four hours until the prefectural tournament," said Rei at last to break the silence. "Time certainly flew by very fast…"

"Yeah.. I can't believe we'll get to see Rin-chan tomorrow!" said Nagisa. Makoto turned his head ever so slightly. "But he won't be swimming backstroke or the medley relay… is it because Haru-chan isn't in those?"

Makoto clenched his jaw, imagining Matsuoka Rin as a dark shadow. Wherever Haruka went, Rin would loom close behind him, and if Haru didn't move, Rin would be still as well. Was that how they had always been? Was that what rivalry really meant, that one could never move forward without the other..?

"Probably so," replied Rei, "but if that really was his reason, it means he sacrificed every other possible event for the hundred-meter front crawl, and won't advance to regionals unless he places at his event… and the same is true for Haruka-senpai, since he isn't competing in any other event either."

"I know this is important to Haru-chan, but I wish it weren't so we could have signed up for the relay," moaned Nagisa.

"It is a shame," nodded Rei, "but perhaps it really is best to focus on our individual strengths for now, and hope that at least one of us advances to give our club good publicity."

Nagisa made a face and propped his head in his hand. His eyes wandered to Makoto, who had been sitting in silence. Makoto was staring off into space. Nagisa quirked his brow.

"What about you, Mako-chan?" he said, waiting patiently for Makoto to realize he had been prompted. "Would you have liked to swim a relay with us?"

Makoto twitched, his eyes large, but after a moment of hesitation, he lowered his head and nodded.

"Yeah," came his quiet answer. Nagisa and Rei turned to each other wide-eyed, then to Makoto again with a happy gasp and grins on their faces.

"Would you really swim a medley relay if you could, Makoto-san?!" cried Rei. "What inspired you? Was it our exceptional camaraderie, or was it the beauty of our individual strokes?"

"Well, I—"

"For my part, I rented a video of the Olympics when I was ten years old, and it was beautiful to watch four athletes swimming different styles in succession to win together," continued Rei with the same breath, unable to contain his enthusiasm at the thought that they had completely converted Makoto through team work and individual excellence.

"I was especially impressed by how beautiful the butterfly form was when touching the wall," he carried on, his fists clenching in excitement until he thrust his arms upward and forward like a swimmer aiming for the wall, not noticing how he startled the others with his sudden movements. "Personally, I think it's very important that your finish be beautiful, and back then that video showed me that athletes around the world felt the same way—"

"Huh?!" cried out Kou in the distance, cutting off Rei before he could properly finish, and sparing Makoto the discomfort of having to reply, I just want to feel like I belong as much as possible. "What is this, Haruka-senpai?"

Spurred by curiosity, Nagisa sprung up from his seat and abandoned the stairs to find Kou and Haruka. The moment he moved away, Rei chased after him, so Makoto had no choice but to follow as well.

Upon his arrival, he found the source of the commotion was Haruka, who had apparently received a rather strange fortune from the shrine.

"Half luck?" mumbled Kou as the others came hurrying over.

"Huh? What's going on?" said Nagisa, all of them peering over Haruka's shoulder to see his fortune.

"Half luck?" asked Makoto. "Never seen that before."

"Does that mean that only one half of your luck is good?" asked Rei with his brow quirked.

"What's the other half?" wondered Kou.

"It's the rest!" said Nagisa with a grin.

"That doesn't make any sense, Nagisa-kun," scolded Rei, none of them heeded anymore by Haruka, who began to peruse his fortune in silence.

Focus on your studies.

Your business will do well.

You'll make lots of good memories.

You will be reunited with the person you want to see.

Try not to lose anything.

You will make good friends.

Your wishes will come true with help from others.

Haru stared at the predictions in disdain, especially the fifth fortune, but just as he could feel his features harden, he heard the cries of a predator flying overhead. He lifted his eyes to the sky, wondering if it was an omen… his impending freedom.

Nagisa, Rei, and Makoto could eventually be persuaded by Kou to get their own fortunes. Nagisa got Good Luck (Told you we might get lucky!), Rei Bad Luck (This was a complete waste of time!), and Makoto got a fortune he kindly refused to share, tucking it inside his pocket for safe keeping. The others were somewhat disappointed by his secrecy, but as evening drew closer, the first-years had no more time to spare if they wanted to catch their evening trains. They rushed down the stone stairs one by one, leaving Haru and Makoto to walk down to their houses together, silent once again until they reached the path leading to Haruka's house.

"Night," said Haru to his friend, in the same emotionless tone that had coated his every word for over a week, but as he turned towards his front door, Makoto's fingers clenched in desperation.

"Haru..!"

Haruka blinked. He turned his head back just enough to catch Makoto's eye, half wishing he could just go upstairs and lie down to sleep.

"Will you be alright, Haru?" asked Makoto, whose hands found each other and clasped together in front of him. Haru stared back at him confused, then surprised. Had Makoto been worrying about him? Worried about Rin..?

What about me? he asked himself. Am I worried..?

He didn't feel worried so much as impatient, like a songbird in a small cage waiting for someone to open the door.

"I'll be fine," he managed to say in a firm tone, but his words could not smooth out the creases of Makoto's brow, or give his pale cheeks color.

"I was just thinking that, last time—"

"This will be different," replied Haruka with uncharacteristic patience. "I'll race Rin and then we'll move on."

And yet Makoto continued to stand there staring at him, as though his feet had frozen to the ground. Haru sighed.

"It will be fine," he said. "I just need to do this one last time."

Makoto clenched his jaw, but after a short pause, his face smoothed out in resignation.

"Alright, Haru. If this is what you really want, I'll support you," he said with a grave expression that left no room for his smile or that small sideways tilt of the head, but strange as Makoto looked whenever he turned solemn and serious, Haru found the idea oddly comforting. Makoto was reliable, attentive, and alert – he would be exactly what Haru needed to have as little on his hands the next day as possible. His lips curled into a smile, and though Makoto did not smile back, his features softened a little.

"Good night," said Haru, his tone a little warmer.

"Good night, Haru," replied Makoto, and as Haru did not turn away from him at once, he finally broke into a defeated smile as he walked down the stairs towards the gate, followed until his final step by a pair of dark blue eyes.

There was little room for conversation as the first-years hurried down to the station. In the end, all the boys could afford was a hurried See you tomorrow! to Kou before she ran off to her train, but once Nagisa and Rei boarded their own train, they finally had a chance to catch their breath. They travelled until their usual stop, then walked down their shared route in growing silence, but when Rei stopped at the final juncture between their homes and casually said, This is it, a cold chill spilled inside Nagisa.

"Well, see you tomorrow, Nagisa-kun," said Rei with a content smile. He then proceeded to turn away, but he could hardly manage a few steps before Nagisa reached out to grab him by the wrist.

"Rei-chan, don't go!"

His voice sounded almost savage. Rei turned back to him at once, his brow quirked. Nagisa released him and tried for a hopeful smile.

"Can I come with you? Can I spend the night..?"

Rei blinked.

"No, you cannot, Nagisa-kun," he said with a stern expression. "Not yet, at any rate. You are still wearing your uniform and carrying your schoolbag, and I do believe you haven't packed yet for the tournament. Weren't you telling me earlier how you were going to pack later tonight?"

Nagisa forced a laugh. Leave it to Rei-chan to be so precise about details, and remember the smallest things Nagisa said during the day and then forgot about within five minutes.

"Oh alright, I haven't packed yet. I'll do it when I get home, but can I come after? I was just thinking it would be nice to spend the night with Rei-chan when such an important day is coming up," he began, straining to keep his tone light and innocent. "I get shivers from all the excitement and Rei-chan's strong arms would keep me safe and warm.."

"It's July and no house is particularly cold at this time of year…" mumbled Rei with red cheeks.

"Your calm composure would help soothe my nerves.."

"I'm actually rather nervous about tomorrow, Nagisa-kun—"

"And if you let me, I promise not to kick you in your sleep!"

"What kind of promise is that and how would you possibly keep it once you're asleep?!"

"Well, you always complain about me kicking when I never complain about you snoring," pouted Nagisa.

"I DO NOT!" shrieked Rei. "I would never emit such vile sounds in my sleep!"

"Fine, fine, I won't mention your snoring again if you let me stay for the night!" replied Nagisa with a sugar-sweet smile. "Please..?"

"Nagisa-kun…" sighed Rei. He turned his head a little, but when he glanced down, Nagisa's hands had clasped together, his eyes wide and gleaming. It was a dangerous look, or so Rei believed. After all, it no longer worked on anyone else but him.

"Please…?" whispered Nagisa. Rei's shoulders slumped as his face fell in defeat.

"I suppose, if you really want to.." he muttered in reply.

"Then I will pack and see you soon! Thank you, Rei-chan!" cried Nagisa, then with a wave of his hand, he rushed down the street to make good on his promise. If he wanted permission to stay over at his friend's place, he needed talk to his mother before his sisters might come and hog her like they always did, or gang up on him and rile him up about the tournament tomorrow. Rei might have been worried (how odd), but Nagisa was downright anxious. Just like Makoto, he often felt himself to be the weakest link in their chain, and the last thing he needed was his sisters' teasing, or falling victim to one of their nasty pranks. Luckily for him, Rei was no mind reader. He saw little more in Nagisa's actions than a friend starved for socialization after weeks of studying nonstop.

"See you soon, Nagisa-kun..!" Rei called out after him, then turned to walk home, his brow furrowed as he gathered his thoughts. What was he to do on such short notice? Was there enough lean chicken breast in the fridge for two…?

The moment he closed the door behind himself as softly as possible, Nagisa slipped into the kitchen with hurried steps, to find his mother standing by the counter, a ball of lettuce unraveling into slim ribbons under the constant chopping of her cleaver. No one else in sight. Nagisa took a deep breath.

"I'm home," he said to his mother's back, just loud enough to announce himself and low enough not to be heard further down the hall. He then said in the same breath, his voice a little desperate already, "Mom, can I go over to Rei-chan's for the night?"

"Sure, sweetheart," came the calm reply, "after we had a nice family dinner."

No… "But, Mom—"

"It's almost ready and everyone's home, even your father finished on time."

"But, I need to pack and then talk to Rei-chan about the tournament—"

"You will talk to Rei-chan after you had dinner with everyone else."

Her words sounded final, and to add insult to injury, another voice joined the conversation despite Nagisa's every attempt to remain under the radar.

"Is Rei-chan your girlfriend, Nagicchi?" asked his sister Nanako in a sing-song tone as she snuck up on still smaller Nagisa and pulled him into a headlock, her knuckles pressed against his head. She gave him a hard rub and Nagisa let out a hiss, grabbing her arm, but going no further. Even if he could tug it off his neck, two more pairs of arms might come to replace it in the blink of an eye, and as much as Nagisa had grown (or as little, he sometimes thought as he looked at Rei), he was still no match for an older sister, let alone three.

He settled for telling Nanako to let him go as quietly as he could, hoping his mother would turn around to scold her, but she seemed absolutely engrossed in composing the perfect salad for their pork cutlets.

"He's his friend, isn't he Nagisa, that boy with the red glasses? Ryuugazaki-kun," she said in a mild tone. Nanako's knuckles stopped drilling against Nagisa's scalp.

"He's that nerd, isn't he? The weirdo that always wants everything to be beautiful," she laughed.

By the time she finished, Nagisa gritted his teeth and finally yanked at her arm, hard enough to pry it loose.

"Don't call him that!" he snapped, louder than he meant to, louder than he was allowed.

"Nagisa!"

Of course his mother would turn back right then, to see Nagisa clutching his sister's arm with her having drawn away from him as though she were trying to flee. Nagisa's eyes widened.

"She called him names," he pleaded, but it was no use.

"Is Nagisa being a baby again?" came another voice further away, another sister that could not be bothered to come over in the middle of her favorite romance route.

"Yeah, he is," replied Nanako with her voice raised, though it had since lost its playful edge. "Lighten up, Nagicchi…" she whispered to her brother, her features now carefully guarded except for the confused arch of her brow. Nagisa frowned.

"Nagisa-kun..!" they heard his father a moment later from the living room, no doubt looking up from his paper and contemplating whether he should intervene or not. Nagisa stiffened at once. His fingers twitched, then slipped from Nanako's arm. She shook her head and left the kitchen for her room. Nagisa cautiously glanced to his mother.

She was staring at him with her brow creased, one hand propped on her hip. Nagisa's fingers curled into fists beside him.

"She called him names," he repeated himself, even though it was no use. His mother sighed.

"Nagisa, you're not five anymore," was her reply, and when Nagisa's lips pursed into a bitter frown, she walked over and kissed his forehead briefly, then patted his cheek, both gestures feeling like a routine, the everyday practice of calming a fussy child. "Set the table for me, will you, sweetheart?"

And so Nagisa set the table, laying out all the mats and plates and utensils like a good boy. He then sat down with his family to eat in complete silence, glad there was still another week before his report card would be issued because his father could hardly wait to peruse it, right at the table in front of everyone over another 'nice family dinner.' If he could just avoid looking at them until they finished and he could be excused, things would be fine. Then, afterwards, if he locked himself away in his room as soon as he entered it, packing wouldn't take long…

"So what was the commotion about?" their father asked somewhat abruptly between a bite of pork and a sip of water, just when Nagisa thought he had forgotten about having yelled at his son from across the apartment. Nagisa's hand flinched with a slight knock of his chopsticks, but Nanako flashed her father a well-practiced smile.

"Nothing, papa," she said with a barely perceivable wink towards Nagisa, who had stopped eating and now sat with both hands clenched into fists under the table.

"I heard you all talk about Nagisa-kun. What was it this time?"

Nagisa's eyes began to dull. Nanako's face softened into a pensive look.

"Nothing. I was just teasing him, papa," she said at last. Over the years, there had been quite a few variants of that answer (Nagisa was being a baby, Nagisa was being whiny, Nagisa can't take a joke), but for special occasions, Nanako would let the blame fall where it truly lay, and tomorrow's tournament was a special occasion, even if none of them were going to attend it and watch Nagisa swim. It was all Nagisa had been talking about, whenever she did manage to overhear him on her way to the kitchen or past her little brother's room, which he kept closed if there was more than one person at home. Funny how he was always avoiding them now…

"You were winding him up again," replied their father as he resumed eating. "And you, you always let her get to you and make a fool of yourself," he continued, pointing his chopsticks at Nagisa. "A real man wouldn't get wound up so easily by a bunch of girls."

Nagisa clenched his jaw, but said nothing. It wasn't as though being a guy, joining the swim club, or bringing home good grades would ever make him a 'real man.' Not to him, so Nagisa merely continued to sit there with his fists clenched, until all attention turned away from him at last. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if his friends would even recognize him if they saw him now, anxious and oppressed by the smallest glance from his parents or his siblings, who were supposed to love him.

When everyone was finished, Nagisa asked to be excused. He was allowed to leave the table, from whence he went straight to his room and turned the lock.

Ten minutes later, he left, a hastily stuffed duffel bag thumping against his back as he ran all the way to Rei's apartment, keenly conscious he had kept his friend waiting much longer than originally planned. He should have known a Friday evening would see all of his sisters home from college and work, but was that really an excuse? Would Rei-chan be angry with him..?

He rushed down the open hall and rang the bell, shifting from one foot to another. In a few seconds, Rei answered, already dressed in his favorite butterfly pajamas.

"I expected you sooner, Nagisa-kun! Now your dinner is completely cold!" Rei began chiding him as soon as he ushered Nagisa inside and closed the door.

To his surprise, there were no excuses this time, no laughs or smiles or waves of the hand. Instead, Nagisa lowered his eyes to the ground, his hands guiltily clasped together.

"Sorry, Rei-chan.." he said quietly. Rei shook his head a little, then broke into a lenient smile.

"Well, I suppose you could always eat it for breakfast, and you are just in time for dessert."

"Dessert..?" echoed Nagisa, his eyes growing wide as he lifted his head to look at the other. Rei adjusted his glasses with a proud smirk.

"I prepared a special low-calorie vanilla mousse! It has a silky, delicate texture that goes especially well with strawberries."

Nagisa stared at him wordlessly, his eyes stinging something awful. His lips twitched into a wobbly grin as he pounced Rei, clinging fiercely to the folds of his ridiculously purple pajama shirt.

"Strawberries are my favorite," he said in a thick tone. Rei's face softened into a gentle smile.

"I know…" he whispered to Nagisa, who did his best to show his gratitude by savoring his dessert, rather than devouring it in obscenely large spoonfuls like he usually did.

When all dishes had been washed and it was time to lie down, Nagisa veritably burrowed into Rei's bed. He only stopped and stretched out by the wall, pulling one of Rei's pillows under his head. Rei rolled his eyes, but simply climbed in after him – he had long stopped suggesting that Nagisa take the futon he kept for guests. Ever since Rei had first invited him at age nine, they had slept together in Rei's bed, sometimes for warmth, sometimes for fear of the dark, and ultimately for comfort and a sense of belonging.

The moment Rei settled down permanently, Nagisa abandoned the pillow to nudge his head against Rei's shoulder.

"Rei-chan.."

"Hmm?"

"Did you really mean what you said earlier?"

"What did I say?"

"You said you were nervous about the tournament. Are you really?"

Rei's face stiffened a little.

"I am, Nagisa-kun."

Nagisa quirked his brow at him.

"How come?"

"Well.. we haven't competed in a long time," mused Rei, his eyes slipping to the ceiling. "This would be our first tournament in years, and I am worried about making a good display and performing well. Not just for my own sake, but for the sake of the entire swim club, and Makoto-san, who is still very new to the world of swimming and slowly opening up to the beauty of different styles and the idea of a relay. Even if I can only swim butterfly and sink any other way, I am still his mentor, and the vice-captain. It's a lot of responsibility, living up to my position with all these shortcomings…"

"Rei-chan.." mumbled Nagisa, one hand carefully pinching up a fold of Rei's pajama shirt.

"I was really happy when Makoto-san told us he would have liked to swim the medley relay," continued Rei. "I am rather disappointed in myself for not realizing it sooner.. If I had known, I would have tried to persuade Haruka-senpai so Makoto-san could share our vision, that sight we once saw together. But now there's nothing I can do for him."

Nagisa's small hand clenched around the fabric.

"That's not true, Rei-chan," he said in a determined voice. "You can still do plenty to help Mako-chan. Tomorrow will be his first time swimming at a tournament, and I bet he'll be nervous and need your help!"

"My help..?"

"Yes, your help! You are experienced, so you can tell him about previous tournaments, and give him tips on how to calm down, and encourage him when he seems doubtful. He's afraid of water, so we should also try and take his mind off it, and create a comfortable atmosphere for him!"

Rei gave him a doubtful look.

"I'm not sure I'm the sort of person who can create a comfortable atmosphere—"

"Yes, you are!" snapped Nagisa all of a sudden. "You are the most comforting person I know!"

Rei stared at him in surprise. "N-Nagisa-kun..?"

"I don't even see why you'd be worried about your swimming, you swim a beautiful butterfly and your diving is perfect!" carried on Nagisa passionately, his heart and eyes still stinging from Nanako's words. "You are smart and capable and you're the vice-captain for a reason, aren't you?! You and Haru-chan will definitely swim well! It's Mako-chan I'm worried about because he's new and afraid of water, and about me, because I don't think I've improved at all despite the training camp…" he carried on, his voice trailing off into painful silence.

There was a pause as Rei searched Nagisa's features, then carefully lifted his hand, just enough to slip it across his chest and find Nagisa's grasping hand.

"Don't say that, Nagisa-kun," he said softly as he gave Nagisa's fist a few reassuring pats. "I am absolutely certain you have improved. Your form is much better now, and your reach is becoming longer. And besides…"

Nagisa finally looked up, his face uncharacteristically tense. Rei tried for a soothing smile.

"…You are the most inspiring person I know."

Nagisa's eyes grew wide.

"Really…?"

"That's right," replied Rei, fixing his glasses for emphasis, then dropping his hand again. "No matter the situation, you are always loud and cheerful and terribly obnoxious, but even when you are exasperating, your enthusiasm is contagious.. and you make me want to try harder every time."

Nagisa stared at him in shock, then pressed his face into Rei's shirt. He started laughing uncontrollably, hoping Rei wouldn't mind if he got his shirt wet in a moment of weakness.

"Stop laughing!" snapped Rei, his cheeks boiling red. "I was trying to pay you a compliment!"

"I found your one fault, Rei-chan, you are terrible at compliments," laughed Nagisa with tears in his eyes, but when Rei scoffed in reply, Nagisa let go of his pajama shirt to curl his fingers around Rei's hand instead. Rei huffed. Nagisa nuzzled his shirt just above his heart.

"Rei-chan is my favorite person in the world," he said in a trembling whisper that left Rei completely speechless except for a wobbling smile… at least until Nagisa's lips widened in a mischievous grin.

"See, now that is how you pay a compliment," he said, then smothered a giggle when Rei choked indignantly.

"Nagisa-kun..!"

Nagisa grinned.

"Ah, I'm glad I got all that stuff off my chest," he said in a content purr, relieved he somehow managed to make light of his own deepest feelings before he might have started wondering if Rei felt the same way about him. Even Nanako's voice faded from his mind, chased away by his own words in praise of Rei-chan. "Now let's get some sleep before we stay up too long and you wake up with huge black bags under your eyes..!"

"I most certainly will not!" shrieked Rei. Nagisa's shoulders started quaking again in suppressed laughter. Rei huffed, then released Nagisa's hand just long enough to grab his abandoned pillow, shoving it over his friend's head. He then placed his hand back where it was, so Nagisa reached for it again.

"Sweet dreams, Rei-chan," came his muffled voice from underneath the pillow. Rei rolled his eyes.

"Good night, Nagisa-kun," he mumbled in embarrassment, and within half an hour, he started snoring in an even string of low inhales and whistling exhales that never failed to lull Nagisa to sleep.

Meanwhile, Kou had a long, agreeable chat with Chigusa about prefecturals and some of the classified visual information in her booklets, until one look at the clock reminded her that she should get some sleep before leaving early. She soon said goodbye to her friend, then sent Rin a text message before going to bed.

To: Onii-chan

Good luck, Onii-chan! Let's all do our best!

She received no reply.