"Can we talk a little more?" She doesn't answer me, but I go and sit next to her. There are so many things I want to talk about. But…I don't know what I should say first. My mind's in a frenzy, and I can't seem to hold onto thoughts. I stare at my hands on my knees, and open my mouth while thinking.

"You know, I…always make you worry about me, and I don't know a lot about stuff. I'm sorry, while you were talking earlier…"

"You're sounding stupid." Granny said before looking at me with gentle warm eyes "Aoba, there's never been a day that's passed by when I'm not thankful for your safety. You're my responsibility…because I'm your crusty old grandmother."

"Granny…" I spoke softly.

Granny sits silently and stares at me for a few moments. "…You said that you remembered participating in Rhyme, right?"

"Yeah."

"A long time ago, you had to go to the hospital because of an incident in Rhyme."

"Huh? An incident in Rhyme?"

"Yeah. Only now can I say it to you. When I rushed up to you back then, you didn't remember anything. Both the doctors and the police told me you were caught up in a bad fight. That you were beat up really bad, and that you were suffering from temporary memory loss…And then the day when I visited, something happened."

Knock Knock

"Aoba?" Tae called out opening the door to the room where Aoba was at. "…!" She let out a surprise gasp upon seeing Aoba standing up looking out the window, before she turn her head at her with a smirk.

"Are you surprised?" Aoba asked.

"!...Aoba…"

"At that time, there was a nurse collapsed on the floor next to you… And for two days after that, you continued to sleep. The nurse who had fainted said she remembered nothing. I went into your room to inspect some things, and it seemed that when you had woken up, you had lost your memory."

"…"

"You've been having those headaches ever since." Granny said.

"I…remember that. After that, my memories came back. They were still fuzzy, though." I told her.

"That nurse was lightly affected by Scrap. You enter her consciousness and destroyed part of her memory. The headaches, Scrap, the personality change…I knew that danger was sure to reappear again, so I prescribed you medicine. As you began to become more stable, I guess it was as if I suppressed the power there. And as a result, didn't your headaches also fade away?" Granny asked.

"Yeah." I nodded my head.

"The medicine losing its effect might mean that you're having a reaction to the drugs forcing the power down."

"…"

"Scrap's main principle is destruction. To kill, to bring ruin…But the use of such a thing can change on how and for what reason you use it for." Granny told me. "And that's why I want you to face it by yourself now. And never stop, no matter what happens. Just believe in your own choices along the way and keep pushing forward."

Speaking with fervor, Granny takes both of my hands and grips them tightly. Her hands are warm and soft. This is the warmth of my gentle Granny. It's the warmth of someone important to me, someone who's always watched over me. "Granny."

"Hm?"

"I'll definitely come back." I told her with confidence and determination in my tone.

"…Yeah." She nods her head and gives me a tiny smile.

Suddenly, I remember everything I didn't speak with Granny about. I never talked about my fight with Toue in Rhyme.

But…

Talking to her after all of that is hard. If she were to know that I was involved with Toue, she'd worry even more. I feel guilty about not telling her everything, but I don't want to make her even more anxious over me.

…I really don't want that.

"…"

"What's wrong?" Granny asked noticing my silence.

"Nothing."

In the end, I didn't confess to Granny about my encounter with Toue. After that, she stands up from the sofa and takes something out from one of the shelves.

"Take this with you. It's a new prescription for your headaches."

"Thanks."

"Make sure you hold onto it." She said handing me the case.

"Okay." I tightly grasp the medicine she gives me. I go back to my room, flop onto my bed, and stare at the ceiling. The only thing that runs through my head is what Granny said. I don't feel like sleeping at all.

How Mizuki and his group was manipulated by Morphine.

How Granny was actually a researcher for Toue once.

Toue's real intentions.

How I remembered that I participated in Rhyme before.

About my power, Scrap.

And how I…might have broken Mizuki beyond repair.

"…" No matter how many times I roll around in my sheets or let out deep sighs, the heavy feeling never goes away.

I really did that to Mizuki…

If only I'd listened to what Mizuki had to say back there, I might've been able to save him.

That's what Granny said. But I wasn't able to do that. Even if I didn't know…I still can't forgive myself.

My one action changed Mizuki forever.

I can't…

I can't believe it…

I look up to the ceiling and pound my face into the pillow. An uneasy feeling in my arms suddenly surfaces and won't seem to fade at all. "…Damn it."

…I don't want to think about this alone anymore.

I get up from my bed, and by my feet is Ren, curled up in a ball. I hold him close to me and he activates.

"Aoba, what happened?"

"Hm? Hmmm. I was just wondering how you were doing. We were caught in another Drive-By, are you okay?" I asked.

"There are no problems." Ren said.

"I see. I was just making sure."

"Right now, I'm fine."

"I see."

"Aoba, aren't you going to sleep? You look tired."

"Well… I keep thinking about lots of things, and they're piling up, really." I sit cross-legged and Ren looks up at me, still curled up in a ball. "Lots of things happened, but… I'm mostly thinking about Mizuki."

"Is this about the possibility of saving him with your power if you used it correctly?" Ren asked.

"…I kept wondering 'What if he never wakes up again?'."

"I think it was impossible for you to have picked the exact words necessary in that situation."

"I know. I know, but… It was a chance that I could have saved him with it. Honestly, it hurts to think that it was all my fault. And I even remembered that I had been in Rhyme…Granny… she said that the medicine she was giving me held down the headaches that I got from Scrap. I always took what she gave me. But what if I hadn't?"

"Your headaches are becoming worse because of Scrap correct?" Ren asked.

"When I think about it, if I don't take that medicine, who knows how dangerous it will become? But it's been working well lately." I said. "And my memories about Rhyme came back too… I don't know if it was because it was my fault, but it makes me feel sick."

"Those two especially relate to each other."

"Yeah. I don't have a sixth sense for it or anything, it's more like a foreboding feeling. And it looks like Toue knows something about me too. Maybe it's something I forgot, and don't know about… I have a feeling it is."

"Is that so…"

"I definitely want to stop Toue at all costs, but… I also want to learn what he possibly knows about me." I say. "I'm not psychic, and don't know if he actually does, but I have a feeling he knows something very important. I have this feeling that I have to speak with him…"

With his mouth shut, Ren puts his front paws on my knee. "Then all the more so, you should rest. Tomorrow is the big day, isn't it?"

"…You're right." I hold up Ren and put him to my face. "First, I gotta do what I have to do, huh? …Thanks. I feel better after talking to you."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. All right, let's go to bed." I get into bed and Ren, who always curls up by my feet curls up near my face instead. "Good night."

"Good night."

I pet Ren's head and slowly close my eyes.

.

.

The sun peeks through the curtains while I'm still lying in bed, drowsy. As I'm about to doze off again, my Coil suddenly rings. Someone's calling me.

"Yeah?" I answer the call with a yawn.

"Aoba-san? Were you sleeping?"

This voice…

Is uh…

I look at the name on the Coil screen.

"…Huh? Virus?"

"Yes."

"Hey, what's up?"

"It's a disaster. Keep calm and listen to me. The police are going to your house right now."

"…Huh?" I'm now wide awake and bring my Coil closer to my face. "Why?"

"I don't know. But a lot of them are on their way."

"Are you serious…?" I gasped in disbelief.

"Please run away and hide somewhere. The police came here too, so things are a bit noisy. If I hear anything I'll contact you again. Aoba-san, please be careful."

The call from Virus ends.

What? The police? What's going on?

At that moment, I look up and the light in my room becomes brighter. Like morning had passed over into noon.
"…?" I get off my bed, walk up to the window, and open the curtains a bit. "…So bright…" I can't open my eyes. I look out the window, frowning. The early morning mist still covers the scenery, and there are police huddled together in a line in front of my house.

"Ah—Ahh-Ahhhhhhh! Come out this instant! We know you're in there! You damn terrorist!"

"…What!?" I gasp in shock.

That voice…That's Akushima.

"Aahhhh! This is what you're charged with! Trespassing, damage to property, and everything else you can think of that goes with those! Come out! Seragaki Aoba, and your little gang too!"

"!" He calls out my full name, and I know now that there's no way he's thinking of anyone else.
But wait, me, a terrorist? How did it come to that!?

I finish changing, start up Ren, and quickly go downstairs. In the living room is Granny, Koujaku, Noiz, Clear, Mink, Haga-san and Yoshie-san.

"Aoba…"

"Master!"

"Granny! There are a bunch of policemen outside, and he called out my name too…" I hurriedly say.

"This has definitely taken a turn for the worst…" Granny said.

"Wait, Aoba-chan! What's going to happen!?" Yoshie-san asked worried.

"I finished the preparations for you and came over here, Tae-san, but…it seems like there's bit of a problem." Haga-san said.

"I don't know why they're doing this, but I'm on your side, Aoba-chan!"

"Yes, me too!" Haga-san agreed with a smile.

"Thank you. But, I feel only sort of relieved…" I said.

"This is most likely Toue." Granny said.

"Toue…!?"

"Yesterday, Morphine must've reported that you used Scrap. So now he's showing interest."

"Hurry up and come oooooooooooooooouuut! If you don't we'll come in! Okay! All right! Get ready for entryyyy!"

"All of you, escape through the back door!" Granny quickly told us.

"Those guys are completely serious." Koujaku said.

"We'll do something here. So please, Aoba-chan, get out as quickly as you can!" Haga-san said.

"Exactly! We'll make sure that those stinky policemen can't take a single step!" Yoshie-san said.

"Haga-san, Yoshie-san…Granny, thank you." I told them with a gratitude smile.

"CHAAAAARRRRREEEE!"

"Aoba, they're coming!" Koujaku said.

We go outside through the back kitchen door.

As if they had taken our place, we hear the noise of policemen crowding into the house.

Granny, Haga-san, Yoshie-san…Everyone, I'm sorry…! Please be safe…!

We follow a narrow road that runs between two walls. We pass through it, and it becomes a bit wider as we hit a different back lane.

"There are police over there! I can hear their footsteps!" Just as Clear yells out, I hear the policemen in front of us.

"It's them! They're over here!"

They found us…! If they catch us here, we'll be rounded up like cattle!

"Don't huddle together! Separate!" Mink's voice urges us, and we start running in different directions.