DISCLAIMER:
The following content is the intellectual property of the
Yamaha Corporation and its respective subsidiaries
as well as any participating organizations that own
various designs and concepts that will be featured. The
Author in no way claims to be a part owner of any of
the characters that will be portrayed, and writes with
the full authorization of the ffnet website.

WARNING:
The following content is rated M for Mature, and may
contain graphical descriptions of mature scenarios
that viewers may not find suitable. This is a work of
fiction: Any and all similarities to real life situations is
purely coincidental.

~Epilogue~
~Scene: III~

Yesterday a man had come in with an old cell phone asking her to restore its service. It was the same the week before, as well. Customers were coming in with used phone or phones bought elsewhere and using her store for their activation. It was nice because that meant a long term contract, and in the long run sustainability was the preference of any intelligent business venture.

But the money would only trickle down slowly. Right now would be a good time to have a big of a torrential downpour. For each month that her products sat on the shelf unsold, the value of her business would drop. If her hardware wasn't selling she would have to downsize her store and rent the other part of the property or lower the prices of her good and possibly even sell them to another vendor.

Of course, the option to do both also existed, but she would have preferred neither one. That simply wasn't possible under the circumstances. Unless they sold... it still came back to that, and she simply didn't have an answer to the problem. Advertising was a possibility, but probably useless because she was an independent vendor. Competing with chain distributors was a losing battle, but there were other stores to think about as well. The money would go to waste. But what else was there for her to do?

Riza Sotone had fallen asleep over the paperwork she was supposed to be filling out. Teto Kasane smiled and patted her softly on the shoulder. Perhaps now was a good time to call it quits and go home. Having a part timer certainly was helpful, but would be no good if she overworked the poor girl. "Hey, Sotone-san, wake up," she urged her gently. Sotone mumbled and yawned stubbornly. "If you don't wake up I'll tickle you," Teto giggled.

The sound of crunching footsteps stole her attention. That sound was also what woke Riza up. She was rapidly alert, reaching for a canister of mace hidden in her shirt pocket. Teto switched off the lights. The footsteps stopped. Riza stood poised.

The sound of a key sliding into the latch. Riza's took aim. But Teto knew right away who it was and barked, "Stop!" The key paused. Riza slowly lowered her can of mace. Teto wiped her forehead and sighed. "Yeah, come in, Hidari."

Len Kagamine pushed the key to Teto's office all the way in and turned the lock open. He opened the door and looked at both of the familiar faces with a nonchalant smile. "I didn't think there would be anybody here at this time." Riza scoffed.

"Oh, so you really are here to rob us." She lobbed the mace at his stomach and listened to it hit the ground with a loud CLANK. Len knelt down to pick it up and set it on a filing cabinet to his left shoulder. Teto gave him a hug and sighed again.

"You're okay, Hidari. They didn't tell us you were out of the hospital."

"Hey, is it really okay?" Riza eyed the scar poking out from Len's collar. "I mean, you had another month to go, right? Should you really be making office calls at this time of night in your condition?"

Len took Teto by the shoulders and threw her up into the air. She shrieked angrily and kicked Len when he caught her. "Put me down, you idiot! That's not funny." Even Riza was laughing. "I swear... Why did you come, Hidari?"

"Well, I convinced the hospital I was fine."

"Are they convinced?" Riza asked slyly.

"No. But anyway I'm out now. And I'm fine."

"I think Kasane-san here would have preferred it if you were coming to see her."

"Well, your house was next on my list, Riza."

Riza blushed and went to the water closet, saying, "Still the same..."

Teto looked over her shoulder and then jumped up, whispering, "Okay, pick me up, pick me up!" Len swung her over her shoulders and spun around, setting her down upon a table where she punched him in the face. "There now, you got what you came for. Now scram."

"Hmm..." He was chuckling. "You miss it, huh...?"

Teto smiled somberly, palming his chest. "A little. But I miss you more than anything."

"Thank you." He hugged her. She grimaced.

"What for?"

"For always looking out for my sister. For that, I'm really grateful."

"Yeah... yeah, okay, let go now." She rubbed noses with him after he set her down. "Don't ever do that with Rin-chan, okay? Or I'm gonna tell her things about you you'd rather she doesn't know."

"Am I interrupting? Or do I get a third rate 'let's make up as friends' apology event too?" Riza folded her arms and smirked. Len just stared into her eyes for a long time, until she started laughing. "Oh, god, Len, you're pathetic. C'mere so I can hit you."

When she had done that, Len turned back to Teto again and handed her his keys. "Here," he said, placing it in her palm and closing her fingers around it. "You told me to use it whenever I needed to, but, over the last few years I don't think I've ever tried. It's probably better if I give it back."

Teto nodded, her eyes a little red. "Yeah... that's probably the best. So, what is this? You're just tying up loose ends?"

"Well, if you want to be pessimistic," Len acted offended. "Teto?"

"Don't say it. I know what you're going to say and I'm telling you: Don't say it."

"I love you." Len smiled and stepped into the doorway. "And you too, Riza."

Palming her face, Teto groaned. "Oh, I feel young again. It's a horrible feeling." Riza threw a wad of tissue at him on his way out.

"Hey, I never asked you to say that!" she exclaimed. Len waved and closed the door behind him, leaving behind words which Teto remembered well.

A place for everything.