The strategy conference was well under way shortly after Mio fell asleep. For obvious reasons, such as the aforementioned falling asleep, Mio wasn't very active in the conversation. Well technically she wasn't active at all. She's asleep after all...

"What should we do?" Azusa asked, intermittently glancing out the window at the looming blue giants in the not-exactly-far-enough-to-feel-at-ease distance. Despite being one of the calmer people in the room the rumbling thunder of enraged celestials was certainly getting to her. Not that that's without reason. I've been in closed space more than anybody else here and it still had me all jittery.

Yui nodded at the question as if it were a statement and made a concerned frown as she presumably thought through our options.

"I can make us all some tea?" Mugi suggested.

Nobody declined the offer. In fact as far as easing the mood Mugi had done a great job, if only it hadn't come at the cost of our strategy meeting.

"Can we have cake?" Yui chirped.

Mugi smiled her sweet smile and nodded, almost like an appraising dog owner after seeing their dog do a trick. I half expected her to pat Yui on the head but that image remained quietly concealed in the back of my mind and made it no further.

A shame...

…

That's right! The strategy meeting!

Sorry about that.

"Ritsu is still out there." I mused, garnering stares from the others.

"Sempai, I know I've asked this before but...Why are you so sure she's still out there? What if it's just us stuck in this place?"

"Trust me, Ritsu has more reason to be here than any of you."

"Why? What did Rit-chan do?" Yui asked, leaning in uncomfortably close.

"Uh...Er...Well...Doesn't it just feel like something Ritsu would be involved in?"

I grasped at straws.

My confidence fell way too far. I stuttered and made a fool of myself and gave a half-assed excuse I doubt anyone would buy. Judging from their stares they definitely weren't. Fortunately they all seemed to be under the impression that silent pressure would be the best way to rouse answers as opposed to asking directly.

There may still be a chance to save face with them...I just need to find something that can put me back on that pedestal. It was comfy up there...

"It would be too dangerous to comb the streets," I explained, hoping to distract from the prior awkwardness, "so we'll have to make do with setting up watch at the windows. Yui, you take the north, Azusa, the west and Mugi the east. If you spot any movement come find me and we'll determine our next course of action. Meanwhile I'll take care of Mio."

"You're gonna sleep aren't you?" Yui beamed.

"No, I'm going to watch over Mio and make sure she's okay. She's been through a lot."

"You've been through more. I think you should sleep."

"I don't need sleep!" I roared, only to keel over and groan pathetically.

Dammit, she hit the nail on the head there. If only she hadn't driven said nail into my side it might not hurt as bad...

"Fine, I'll be recuperating along with Mio, but I'll be sure to keep an eye on her all the same."

"Hmm, hmm, I bet you will!" Yui giggled suggestively.

I don't doubt for a second that she noticed my face pale at that remark.

Letting that slide for now we adjourned the generously entitled strategy meeting and waited for the tea ceremony to begin. Well perhaps not a ceremony so much as a snack break. Yes I feel that is more fitting, but doesn't tea ceremony just sound that extra bit less unnecessary and wasteful?

Yui chomped down on a slice of cake, a sight that was oddly comforting in its complete and utter strangeness. Azusa nervously sipped her tea, not daring to take her eyes off of the window and the grim sight beyond. Mugi meanwhile sat next to me; generously pouring a cup with a practised precision that dare I say challenged our very own SOS Brigades resident tea expert.

"Have you worked in a tea house or something before?" I asked, not only from curiosity but out of the desperation to spark some kind of conversation to combat the oppressive silence bar the exaggerated snarling noises Yui made with each bite.

Mugi smiled warmly and set her cup down before speaking. I'd noticed this particular habit in Nagato as well, making a personal note to look out for other similar mannerisms from now on.

"Yes, I have," she explained with a nostalgic expression. "My parents own quite a few businesses, including various cafes and restaurants. I pestered my father to let me work at a few of them and so I got to be a kitchen-hand, a maid, a cleaner and also I got to serve people at counters!" She counts off the simple little jobs on her hand with giddy excitement as if they were the most amazing jobs in the world.

"It was all so much fun, but I was only allowed to work at each store for a few days each. Father did not want me to work too much..."

"Well you are still in high school. You don't need to work too hard just yet..."

"Oh, of course, but still...Doesn't it seem so enthralling?"

"What, work? From what I hear most people complain about their jobs as if it's the biggest burden they've ever shouldered."

Mugi's eyes teared up all of a sudden as if insulted. Wait, is she insulted? Her family owns a lot of businesses so to say that their employers are bad would be to insult her family...Possibly...

"B-But...That doesn't mean it's all bad!" I added hastily. It seemed to work in calming her down.

With a look of relief Mugi sipped her tea. Even the way she drank appeared to be some kind of honed skill; such was the grace of her movements. Are all rich people like this? No wonder they think they are better than everyone else...

"Uh...Please don't cry. I meant no offence...Whatever I said..."

Mugi wiped her tears and reinforced her smile which seemed to be painted on, though at least her smile seemed genuine each time unlike a certain esper boy who shall remain nameless. Sniffling ever so slightly she patted my arm and sighed.

"None taken."

Are you sure?

"Not really..."

That's not at all encouraging...

"I guess not..." she bowed her head, then added as if as an afterthought, "Do you want to hit me?"

"What?!" I exploded, surprising even myself. Yui dropped her plate and Azusa jumped out of her skin like a startled cat.

Mugi sat there with a smile, quite possibly entirely oblivious to what she had just asked. To be sure I echoed her question and was met with a nod. I shook my head immediately.

"Why?"

It had to be asked.

Putting a finger to her chin Mugi averted her gaze and rolled her eyes. "Mio hits Ritsu. And Ritsu hits Yui. I figured..." she looked up as if trying to lead me on.

"You expected me to hit you? That's terrible. I don't want to hit you!"

"Aw."

Don't be disappointed!

"But-"

"I'm not gonna hit you! Thats...It's...Wrong!"

"But the others make it look so fun."

"It's not fun!"

She started tearing up again. This is bad. I can't have her upset like this, but I can't sock her in the teeth either. Never would I have guessed that this situation would arise. Though come to think of it everything that's happened between me and Mugi has been...Beyond prediction...

There's only one way out of this.

"But you can hit me." I said, puffing my chest out proudly, pretending to be tough. God knows my acting wasn't fooling anyone.

"Huh?" Mugi said, frowning, then, "Huh?!" she exclaimed perking up. "Can I? Can I really?"

"Uh...Sure. Why not?"

Mugi giggled and bowed, "Thank you ever so much. Okay. I'm going to hit you now..." She scrunched her face up in concentration, staring at me so intently it was starting to burn. Despite the strong urge to speak I decided against it, just letting her have her moment and carry out her odd little request. After all how hard can she hit? It'll probably just be little tap-

"Oof!"

My head hit the ground with a thud, long before I felt the onset of pain from the strike of a hammer. Stars and flashing lights danced before my eyes, swimming before me in disorganised chaos. The room started spinning and the taste of copper settled upon the tip of my tongue.

Mugi covered her mouth with her hands let out a high-pitched cry of alarm.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry!"

Words failed.

The room turned black and I forget the rest...

The scintillatingly sweet smell of cake wafted throughout the expansive darkness and robbed me of the pleasure of unconsciousness. Waking up back in my room once again I sighed inwardly, remembering the events that had brought me here. Mugi and Haruhi have some hidden firepower within them. With Haruhi it's to be expected but from Mugi? That was an eye-opener. Quite ironic in that it actually knocked me out and made me close my eyes but...Semantics be damned that punch hurt!

Following the scent to the bed-side table I found a slice of the cake Yui had gorged upon during our meeting. A note rested against the steaming cup of tea beside it. In neat, near-typed print it read 'Sorry about that. I made sure to take the last slice away from Yui as a means of apology. Please forgive me. But thanks though. You know, for letting me hit you. Sorry again. But thanks too!" It went on a bit further but you get the gist of it. By the end it sounded less like an apology and more like...Uh, pass. I'll answer that later. Or never. We'll see.

Most likely never though.

Not feeling much in the mood for cake or tea and in need of some rest I lay back into the mattress, pressing my head against a most uncomfortable pillow.

What shoddy service to have such stupid pillows on the beds. Everything else in the rooms looks expensive, but surely they didn't blow out their budget before buying pillows?

Hang on. This feels familiar...

Tentatively I raised my head and stifled the shocked cry that leapt out when my jaw dropped.

That 'pillow' was Mio's stomach.

She was asleep. That earned a sigh of relief, but that very sigh seemed to stir her a little and so I decisively bit my tongue and swallowed the pained gasp whole so as not to rouse her.

Lining up parallel to Mio this time I lay back down and took back everything I had said about their pillows. Yui's advice crept up out from deep within my subconscious mind and echoed loud and clear.

"You should get some rest." she said while nibbling on the strawberry crown atop her slice of cake.

Sounds good to me.

Eyes closed, breath drawing slower. Relaxation. Rest. How wonderful it all feels. The prospect of a deep sleep long overdue from the last two weeks of restlessness.

A dream come true.

That was about the time when the roof caved in.