Ren opened his eyes and found himself in his Velvet Room cell, wearing his Shujin Uniform. He heard Igor chuckled and turned to look at him.

"Magnificent."

"We have indeed witnessed your decision," Lavenza spoke. "Not only have you taken back mankind's future for itself… But you've also re-established our reason for existence. While reality had been wholly distorted, your actions have guided it back towards what it ought to be."

Ren sighed.

"What it ought to be, huh? That would mean… everything Sumire and I did is only in our own minds."

"That is correct," she answered. "Time itself cannot be rewound, but every past event will revert to the event that should have occurred instead."

"So it all still actually happened? The fighting, the uh, snuggling… her resolve to keep being Sumire? And I turned myself in? That must mean… Akechi really is gone."

Lavenza looked at him sadly. "Everything will return to how it should be… Everything. There are no exceptions. Have your regrets begun?"

Ren felt around his pocket, his fingers running across a smooth, leathery glove. He smirked.

"No. I did what needed to be done."

Lavenza smiled.

"Choosing such a path for yourself must not have been easy for you… For that, you have our utmost respect and gratitude, Ren Amamiya. Now, return to your true reality."

Ren walked back to his cell door, where a glowing, blue door awaited him. The chains on it shattered, and the door opened. He walked through it and his vision went dark.

"Didja see him?" Ryuji begged to his friends, panting. He had run around the perimeter of the stadium.

"Where could Mona, Akechi-kun, and Ren be?" Ann rubbed her head, confused. "We've literally looked everywhere…"

"This IS our original reality, right?" Ryuji kicked his foot up repeatedly.

Sumire looked down at her left hand and saw that the heart ring was still on her finger.
"It… it is. It has to be."

Yusuke pulled out his phone.

"The Meta-Nav is gone. We don't even have a way to check anymore…"

Makoto let out a deep sigh.

"At any rate, there's no point in worrying about it here. We should work all of this out somewhere else. Sumire, you still have that ring. Ren gave it to you, right?"

Sumire held back tears. Every horrible scenario of what could have happened began to run through her mind.

"H-he did…"

Futaba hugged Sumire, wrapping her arms around her figure and clutching as tightly as she could, holding back her own tears.

"He's fine, Sumire. I know it, and so do you. We've been out all night. You're tired. Just… let's calm down and go to Leblanc."

Sumire buried her face in Futaba's beanie, being slightly taller than her, and hugged her back.

"R-right."

Futaba let go of the hug. Everyone nodded in agreement and began to walk away. As Futaba's head left Sumire's vision, she saw a newspaper clipping on the ground.

"This is…"

"Sumire, let's gooooooooo." Futaba called out to her. She folded the clip and put it in her pocket.

The group traveled to Leblanc and walked in. Sojiro was lazily reading the newspaper, sitting at the bar counter.

"Hm?"

"I'm home…" Futaba spoke in a guilt-ridden voice.

Sojiro flipped the newspaper onto the table and stood up. "You didn't tell me you'd be out all night… You should've at least gotten in touch with me about it."

"I'm sorry, Sojiro…" Futaba apologized, digging her foot into the ground.

"We're the ones who kept her out so late-we should be apologizing for her." Ann piped up.

"And we're all back so early in the morning… We're awfully sorry." Sumire added.

Sojiro grinned.

"Stop apologizing so much. Being worried isn't exactly on my list of favorite activities, but I assume you had a good reason for it, right?"

Makoto put her hand over her mouth for a moment, hesitant to speak.

'Um… Have you seen Ren-kun at all lately?"

Sojiro raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Ren? What are you bringing him up for?"

"You know what his deal is right now, Sojiro?" Futaba looked up at him with pleading, yet sad eyes.

Sojiro's expression became more serious.

"Well, yeah… He's been locked up since last year."

Ryuji scratched his head. "Locked up?"
Ann spun a finger through one of her twintails. "What's going on?"

"What are you guys talkin' about…?" Sojiro stuttered, "well, I was gonna ask you that, but now I'm getting a strange feeling that I've been seeing him until fairly recently…" He placed a hand on his chin, stroking his beard. "Anyways-why don't you all take a seat before I go over his situation. I'll make some coffee and curry, too."

Sojiro stepped behind the counter and began preparing the food and coffee. Sumire and Futaba sat next to one another, while Ann and Haru sat opposite of them at the table. Yusuke, Makoto, and Ryuji all sat at the bar counter. Sumire buried her face in her hands, taking off her glasses. A realization crossed her mind. My glasses? I'm still wearing them… She reached her hand behind her and felt for her ribbon. It was neatly tied into a bow at the end of her hair, loose against her back. "Ren…" she muttered. "He's still… everything we did still happened… but he's… locked up…"

Tears began to streak down her face. Futaba reached her arm around Sumire and pulled her against her chest. "It's okay… It's…" Light tears began to streak down her own face.

"H-hey, don't be like that. I haven't even told you the details." Sojiro scratched his head while setting down a cup of coffee in front of Sumire. "Drink this. You too, Futaba."

He retrieved the rest of the curry and coffee, allowing the group to rejuvenate themselves a bit. He adjusted his glasses and sighed.

"So… after you all fought that… thing in December… what was it called? I remember the sky turning red." Sojiro shook his head. "After that, Ren came home and told me he had to turn himself in to save you all. The day after, he left in the morning with Niijima. I swear I heard him muttering under his breath, "I'm sorry Kasumi," while walking out. Niijima told me he was being taken to juvenile detention. I can't recall where you were between then and now. It hurts my old head thinking about it."

Yusuke tapped his fingers together. "So, Ren's in juvenile detention…"

"Well, I need to stock up on a few supplies before I open up shop… Feel free to hang out here while I'm out. But, I think you all have school, bar Futaba." Sojiro threw on his coat and left.

Sumire continued to cry, partly out of grief that her lover was locked up, and out of joy that he was alive and that she was evidence that their love was, and is still real.

"So, this is our original reality, right? Or, are we in another different one now?" Ann buried her face in her hands, confused.

Makoto took a sip of her coffee. "You know, these unexpected changes could actually be the end results of our actions in our own reality… Remember how Ren was originally planning on turning himself into the police?"

Haru took a sip. "Then Akechi-kun did it for him instead…"

Yusuke stood up and leaned against the table behind Sumire and Futaba. "But that took place in Dr. Maruki's reality-which means Ren's currently…"

Ann leaned up. "So, everything that would've happened if it weren't for Dr. Maruki… now it's actually happened?

Ryuji ruffled his hair. "Ya know, what y'all are saying's startin' to make sense… But in that case, in the real reality-Uh, I mean, the reality we're in right now… What happened with Morgana and Akechi?"

Futaba buried her face in Sumire's hair. "Don't say it… Just like with my mom, now Morgana's…"

A familiar voice echoed from the door. "Did somebody say my name?"

The group collectively looked up and down at the source of the voice. Morgana stood on all fours in front of the door.

"This again!?" Ryuji yelled.

"Recycled gags suck! Why do you always hafta get us all worried like that!?" Futaba shook Sumire, still tightly clung to her.

"How are you here?" Haru asked, wide-eyed.

Morgana laughed. "Looks like it really was just the Metaverse me who disappeared. Eventually, I woke up in Shibuya. Getting all the way back here took some time."

Ryuji grinned and stepped forward. "C'mon, don't scare us like that! Oh, but wait- does that mean Akechi's…"

Morgana turned his head away.

"What is it, Mona-chan?" Haru pushed him for an explanation.

"Well… about him…"

Ryuji picked Morgana up and set him on a chair. Morgana continued, taking a deep breath.

"I think he's… gone. After what happened in Shido's palace… the one we worked with in Maruki's reality was… he was Ren's wish, actualized. It was his wish to continue and settle his rivalry with Akechi… so Maruki made it real. But now that we're back in our reality…"

Sumire winced. "No… I can't believe Akechi-san's really…"

"What the hell…" Ryuji wiped his nose. "So he was fightin' that hard, knowin' he was gonna disappear the whole time…"

"So, Ren's incarcerated and Akechi is…" Yusuke was unable to finish his sentence. "I thought I'd braced myself for the decision we made, but… this truly is a harsh reality.

Sumire picked up her glasses and put them back on.

"We all decided to live our real lives and look to the future from here… But even so…" She stood up and wiped away her tears. "I… I just can't accept Ren being stuck behind bars. We still have to become the champions of our world! Why don't we try and help him somehow?"

Morgana's tail jumped. "Nice, I'm impressed with the idea!"

"Yeah! We won't put up with this injustice!" Ann raised her voice.

Haru nervously raised her hand to her mouth. "But, what can we do to actually help him get out of there?"

Makoto rested her hand on her chin. "I remember Sis telling me a while ago… In order to overturn a sentence, you need definitive evidence that proves the subject's innocence."

Ryuji clenched his teeth, a serious expression on his face. "So what yer sayin' is, we just gotta find that evidence… right?"

Sumire rubbed her index finger and thumb between the frame of her glasses, a resolved look on her face. "Then we're on the case.

"There's no time for us to waste. We're going to show off what the Phantom Thieves are capable of-one last time." Yusuke stretched his shoulder.

Futaba patted Sumire's head. "That's right! Let's go!"

"We're gonna save our leader, no matter what it takes!" Ryuji pumped his fist.

The group collectively nodded in agreement and departed from Leblanc to go to school. Sumire held onto her feelings for Ren, constantly looking at the heart ring throughout the day. As soon as the final bell rang, she practically sprinted to practice, dead set on obtaining her coach's help in proving Ren innocent. After changing, Sumire walked up to her coach with a determined look on her face.

"You've got a good look on your face today, Sumire."

"Coach! I have to request something! Ren-senpai, my boyfriend, has been falsely accused of a crime and is locked in juvenile detention!"

"Ren…? Boyfriend?" She cocked her head, confused.

Sumire bit her lip, enough to draw blood. She figured that anyone outside the group wouldn't remember the past month after talking to Sojiro.

"I feel like I know who you're talking about…" Hiraguchi scratched her head. "Now that I think about it, I swear he's watched you perform before."

Sumire blinked, realizing she had broken through a mental barrier.

"Please! He doesn't belong in juvenile detention at all! I swear I'll make up for the missed practice. Please, let me take just a short break!"

Hiraguchi remained silent.

Sumire looked up, a look of surprise on her face. "Ah… Coach?"

Hiraguchi eyed Sumire with a stern look. "...No deal."

Sumire stood up straight, a sorrowful expression crossing her face. "But…"

Hiraguchi grinned. "I've got a few connections up my own sleeve that'll probably be more useful than simply doing your own legwork. I'll also try calling around to check if any of my other trainees have some useful info… But, if I do this for you, it means you're continuing practice as scheduled, got it? I'm sure that's what your boyfriend would want, too."

Sumire bowed and smiled. Ren would want her to practice. She had forgotten.

"Thank you so much, Coach!"

"Now, get practicing. I've got some calls to make. "

"Right!"

Sumire adjusted her bow, wearing her hair in a ponytail for ease of exercising.

The other Phantom Thieves got a hold of Ren's Confidants as the days passed, informing them of the situation. Each one vowed to help prove his innocence. Sumire practiced every day, imagining Ren standing in the corner, watching her with a smile. She wanted to blow him away when he saw her again.

Ren opened his eyes and found himself in a small concrete cell. He wasn't in his school uniform or tattered prisoner rags. Instead he was in a fresh pair. He looked through the bars and saw a guard, whom he questioned. The guard told him he'd been locked up for two months and counting. Ren didn't mention anyone's name. He couldn't trust the guard. At one point, the guard commented about some old man making a fuss. Ren figured it was Sojiro. His friends and confidants were trying to prove him innocent. The days passed slowly, and Ren could only think about Sumire. He wanted to hug her, kiss her, tell him he was fine. That everything was fine. The food was bland, a far cry from Sojiro's curry or Sumire's cooking, but he grit and bore it, imagining their food. He thought about Sumire's warmth, her next to him, tightly snuggled next to one another on his bed. Eventually, this was all he thought about until he woke up in the Velvet Room again. He sighed in relief, figuring this meant something good, maybe. With a wide swing, he planted his feet on the ground, stood up, and walked up to Igor's desk, where the long-nosed man sat.

"You escaped the prison of the heart only to be imprisoned in reality…" Lavenza began, standing next to the desk. "What a most ironic outcome, your wish for others' happiness prevailed over your own." She smiled. "However… I feel as though all is finally well. In the end, you willingly chose the correct path. Most importantly, you never compromise your values for your own well-being."

A small, blue ball of light formed in front Ren and turned into a card, floating above his hand.

"The final arcana you have acquired is "The World." It is the power for an individual to stand on their own two feet, swayed by none. That power shall fuel the hope shared amongst your friends and yourself, to strive towards a better future. With "The World," you are no longer without a palace to belong, and will never trudge a path alone again."

"Our world… Sumire…" The card flashed in a sphere of blue energy and shrunk back into a small, blue ball. Ren clutched his hand and felt the energy of the arcana flow through him.

Igor shook his head.

"My own duties end here as well… You were truly a remarkable guest."
Igor began to glow a shade of blue, slowly dissipating into hundreds of small, blue orbs. In a flash, he was gone, leaving the seat empty.

Lavenza smiled at Ren, before disappearing herself. The entirety of the Velvet Room glowed blue, becoming so bright that it overtook Ren's vision. He blinked and found himself in the void, surrounded by darkness. A small, blue butterfly fluttered past him. He closed his eyes and thought of Sumire.

As he opened them, he heard a guard call from his cell door.

"You have a guest. Get going."

The guard watching Ren's cell led him to a small room with a glass window and a chair.

"Sit down."

The guard turned around, walked away, and closed the door. A few seconds later, Sae Niijima walked up and sat in the chair on the opposite side of the glass.

"Long time no see." She began. We met last on Christmas Eve, right?" She furrowed her eyebrows for a second. "...Mm, nevermind. It's nothing." Then she smiled. "I have two great pieces of news for you today. First, we finally managed to prosecute Masayoshi Shido. He'll likely be found guilty. I'm grateful for your cooperation with the trial. Your testimony proved to be very useful."

"Thank the All-Father for that." Ren sighed in relief.

"All-Father?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Huh. Well, to be frank, it seemed almost hopeless at one point. But thanks to the civil protests, some of the more indecisive prosecutors came to our side. It will likely be some more time until the hearing begins, but this is the first step to true change. The only charges right now are for breaking election laws, breaking funding control laws, and bribery. I knew that proving the Metaverse's existence would be difficult… but I still find myself dissatisfied. Shido did admit to all of his crimes though, including everything you know about."

Sae brushed her hair away from her eye.

"Now for the other piece of good news. As of today, you'll be free to go."

Ren felt himself turn into a cloud, all of his stress disappearing.

"Hahah… really? You're not joking?" He really missed Sumire.

"That's right," Sae replied with a smile. "Shido's confession brought light to the truth of your case. We were able to prove your innocence in the original assault charge that led to your arrest. Your sentence will no doubt be rescinded. You're a free man." She leaned forward. "The others did everything they could for you. Bringing in the woman who was the victim in your case as a witness was the turning point. To think they'd be able to track down someone involved in a case from well over a year ago… That wasn't all… An unbelievable amount of support has come in from various other places as well."

Sae took a deep breath and leaned back.

"Regardless, the righteous Phantom Thieves are gone. All that remains is for us adults to lead society in the right direction… Then again, I have to wonder if you believe what I say."

Ren laughed, leaning back in his chair.

"We made a deal! Also, I really want to see Sumire. I haven't seen her blush in… way too long. I don't have my phone, either, so it's not like I get pictures."

Sae giggled in return. "Hah. Thank you. You really care about your girlfriend. You help everyone you meet. I can't imagine the special treatment she gets. In any case, I'm glad I was able to save you in court. I've never felt so happy in my entire life. I'm not quite sure how to put it, but… saving your future meant more to me than my own career. I feel like you even taught me how to live."

Ren stretched his neck, rotating it.

"Sure. Don't know exactly how, but alright."

"...By the way, there's something that's been on my mind. What did the Treasure of my world turn out to be? "

"Don't remember. Way too much has happened since then."

"And that's perfectly fine. This isn't an investigation, after all. I suppose it doesn't matter now one way or the other." Makoto rested her hand on her chin.

"There is… one more thing. I haven't even told Makoto about this… But I realized something after meeting all of you. My most prized "treasure" is the justice I use to protect those important to me. Makoto helped show me that as well. Once the Shido case is settled, I'm thinking of quitting my job and becoming a defense lawyer. I want to reform the system, but I'll have to leave that to someone else. Going forward, I want to enact justice not for myself, but for the sake of others." Sae stood up. "Well then, I need to go to submit the paperwork for your release. Thank you for everything you've done. See you later."

The guard re-entered the room and escorted Ren back to his cell. He changed, and the guard led him out. As Ren stepped onto the street, taking a breath of fresh air, a familiar car pulled up.

Sojiro waved his arm out, the window rolled down. "Hey, you kept me waiting. Geez. To be honest, I didn't really wanna come, but your girlfriend and Futaba kept nagging me. Anyway, you're a free man now, aren't ya? It'd look bad on me if you did something again under my watch. All right, let's go home. It's cold, so get in quick."

Ren walked around the car and got in. Sojiro drove them back to Leblanc, and Ren got out. I finally get to see Sumire again! Let's go! He pumped himself up in excitement and opened the door. The doorbell chimed, and he saw his friends running at him at top speed.

"Woo-hoo! Namaste!" Futaba jumped up and down.

"Woah, calm down," Sojiro motioned to her.

"You did it!" Ryuji exclaimed, patting Ren's shoulder.

"It has been a while," Yusuke calmly stated.

"Not bad. You look fine." Ann commented on his ruffled hair and appearance.

"I'm glad you seem well." Haru held her hands to her chest.

"And the best for last: me!" Morgana butted between Yusuke and Haru's legs. "So we meet again, Ren! It's good to see you."

Ren rubbed his index finger and thumb between his glasses frames.

"It's nice to see you all but… Where's Sumire?"

"She texted me a little while ago that she's finished with practice and heading here…" Makoto replied, addressing his concerns. "I'm guessing she'll be here any minute now."

As she finished her sentence, the door creaked open.

"Sorry I'm la- Ren!" Sumire burst through the door and into Ren's arms. He smelt like Lotus flowers. She smelled like Violets. Ren happily embraced her, pressing his face into her hair.

"So warm… So red…" Ren felt his whole body melting.

"W-welcome back…" Sumire muddled her head against him, hugging him tighter.

"All right, that's everyone!" Ryuji shouted.

"Let's sit down," Ren motioned to an open table.

"I don't want to let gooooo," Sumi pouted, her cheeks puffed.

"Then we won't!" Ren picked her up, holding the hug, falling into the booth seat. They laughed, holding each other.

"Hey you two, you're not alone," Sojiro chuckled, having made his way behind the counter.

Ren and Sumire blushed and sat up. Sumire's glasses were lopsided. Ren adjusted them, keeping his hand on her face.

Ryuji sat at the bar counter.

"Man! It went well, yeah!?"

"I'm so glad we didn't give up," Makoto slouched in a booth seat.

"That was certainly worth the effort," Yusuke sighed, relieved.

"We didn't know what to do once you were gone… But then we realized something. Even if we don't have the Metaverse or any other special powers, we can still change reality." Ann closed her eyes, a contemplative look on her face.

"If we didn't do that at the very least, we'd be betraying the entire reason we stood up to Maruki." Morgana commented.

"We'll oppose the injustices of this reality with our own strength… That's what we all agreed upon. It was so worth it," Sumire continued to nuddle her head against Ren's shoulder.

"And ever since then, we've been doin' just that-busting our asses tryna get you outta the clink." Ryuji cracked his fist.

Haru rubbed her hands together. "Not just us. Everyone who believed in you joined us."

"Thanks to that, we've got our leader back!" Futaba held up a finger.

"Thank you, all of you. Ah, sweet freedom… smells like violets…" Ren commented, his head in the clouds.

"What're you talking about? You're the one who took the hit for us!" Ryuji swung his arm.

"They did treat you fine, right? Did you eat okay" Ann asked.

"It would be understandable… I've heard the food in prison is quite foul…" Yusuke pondered. "So… what did you eat?"

"Was it bugs? Fermented mackerel? Or maybe durian?" Futaba was wide-eyed, thinking of the possibilities.

"You're missing the point." Makoto shook her head.

"Eh, you're gonna get some good food soon enough though," Ryuji added. "Boss is out gettin' stuff for our party right now. C'mon, everyone's back together! It's time to celebrate!"

Ren felt Sumire's body rumble as her stomach grumbled.

Haru giggled. "I guess you were really hungry, Ren-kun." He laughed and shook his head. "Oh, that wasn't you?" Sumire sheepishly spoke, "Sorry about that…"

Yusuke joined the laughter. "Ah, it was Sumire…"

Futaba reached over the table and took Sumire's hand. "Sojiro'll be back soon-just hang in there!"

Ryuji's expression turned somber. "..Oh yeah! Uhhh… Sorry for not mindin' my business. But we heard from Boss… you're goin' back home next month? Can't you stay here?"

He sounded like a sad puppy. "Sure we proved you're not guilty, but people're still gonna label you there, aren't they? Ain't it just gonna be uncomfortable goin' back?"

The room went quiet. Ren sighed and kissed Sumire on the forehead.

"It's… an obligation I have to uphold. For now. They're still my parents, y'know?" He spoke to the room but kept his eyes locked on Sumire's.

Makoto stood up. "What's the matter? We were all so excited a moment ago…" She crossed her arms. "How about this? If our leader is leaving, the Phantom Thieves are truly disbanding, correct? Today, we can celebrate Ren's release… and commemorate the day of our disbandment."

Ann weakly laughed. "What kind of commemoration is that?"

"I was serious when I said it…" Makoto groaned.

"It sounds like a good idea to me," Haru commented, looking directly at Makoto.

"I guess you're right!" Ryuji regained his excitement. "We just gotta double our excitement for today!"

Morgana blinked and let out the deepest breath a cat could.

"About that-there's something I need to tell you guys… I decided to go with Ren when he leaves." Morgana began licking himself. "He's pretty special, after all. Plus, we need someone there in case he turns back into a delinquent!"

Ren chuckled, kissing Sumire's head again.

"I'll be counting on you, brother."

"That's right! Either way, I want you guys to add my farewell party to the one we're having tonight!"

Ryuji frowned. "I dunno… Is that important?"

"You're not leaving for another month, right?" Haru looked back at Ren.

"It is far too early for a farewell party," Yusuke waved an arm.

"That'll just muddy the purpose of this celebration," Makoto added.

Morgana hissed at Ryuji. "Nrrrg, how dare you! Sumire! At least you're on my side, right?"

"Uh, me?" She looked at him like a deer in headlights. "Um… then… what say we call this a second-round welcoming party?"

"Mwehehe. That's the ticket! My re-welcoming party! Nobody can complain about that! So, for the food at my party… I demand sushi! Sushi!"

Everyone looked to the door as Sojiro walked in.

"Man, you guys're loud. I could hear you from outside."

"Chief! They're so mean!" Morgana whined, meowing to Sojiro.

"Noisy as always…"
"Hey! I'm not some… normal cat!"

"I can't understand what you're saying to me, you know. Here."

Sojiro pulled out some small treats from his bag and fed them to Morgana.

"No, I would much rather have sushi than something like-Hmmprh!? This is delicious!"
"Sheesh, what an assertive little guy. I wonder where he got that from."

"Heh, that's just part and parcel of who I am-the one, the only: Morgana."

Ryuji bonked Morgana's head lightly. "Stop tryin' to talk so big. You're just a cat now."

"Shuddup! I don't need to hear that from some dumb ape!"

"What was that!?" Ryuji stood up in protest.

"It's things like that. You get angry so fast. Oh, and you're vulgar."

"You little…! Why don't you go disappear again!?"

Ann cut in. "Ugh, shut up! We're supposed to be celebrating, not fighting!"

Makoto sighed. "They're at it again…"

Sojiro chuckled. "You guys never change, do you?"

"Seriously… that weirdo Inari." Futaba rubbed her nose.

"Who you calling a weirdo!?" Yusuke retorted.

"Don't worry. Being weird is just a sign of your individuality." Sumire tried to play it off.

"Uh, you don't need to defend him about that…" Ann sighed.

Ryuji rubbed his head. "Hahaha! Well anyway, we're all here now! Let's kick this party off!"

"Very well…" Yusuke agreed.

Futaba held up a finger demandingly. "Sojiro! I want sushi!"

The group talked ecstatically about their efforts to free Ren and all the odd people they met and reunited with along the way, meeting his acquaintances. Ren silently ran his fingers through Sumire's hair with one hand, using his other to hold her hand as he listened. Hours passed as they discussed their escapades and the sun set. The thieves went about their separate ways, preparing for the next day of classes. Sumire stayed with Ren a bit longer, their hands glued together.

"Ren-senpai… will you be free tomorrow evening?"

"For you? Always. Any night, any time."

"Good." She closed her eyes and pressed into him. "Tomorrow's Valentine's Day, and I want you all to myself."

"I thought you were supposed to give something to me?"

"I do. I want to give all of myself to you. Every day this past week my heart ached for you to be by my side."

"You want to be greedy again?"

"Yes." She pressed her lips against his, and the two engaged in a deep kiss. Seconds turned to minutes as they held each other. As they released the kiss, a trail of saliva followed.

Sumire blushed and quickly wiped it off.

"Ah… um… I'm sorry… I got a little carried away."

Ren smiled at her, blushing back.

"That felt incredible, Sumire. Made sitting in that cell for so long worth it."

"Oh… um…." Her blush intensified. "That's good… I-I liked it too…"

Ren felt an incredibly odd sensation shoot through his body, and found himself blushing harder.

He saw Sumire breathing heavily. She slowly turned and stood up from the booth.

"Um… I-I have to go now! The Coach helped me out in getting you out, so I have to practice more than usual! Um…"

Ren laughed, realizing the predicament they were about to get themselves into. He wasn't quite ready for anything so scandalous.

"I totally understand. Now that we don't have to worry about Dr. Maruki, we have to focus on our next goal, right?"

Sumire slowed her breathing and regained her composure. She beamed a smile.

"Right! I'll see you tomorrow after practice tomorrow!"

Sumire went to bow as Ren went to stand, and the two bumped their heads directly together, glasses and all.

Two "Ow's" escaped their mouths, followed by "Sorry! Sorry!"

They broke out in laughter.

"Oh, I've missed you Sumire."

"I missed you too, Ren-senpai. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Let me walk you to the station, at least."

"Okay!"

Ren stood up and the two walked to the station. Snowflakes fell as they slowly walked, the night streetlights illuminating the snow in front of them.

"I'll never get tired of how beautiful the snowflakes are. It's so soothing and welcoming. I feel like I could drift away."

"Yuki," Ren whispered.

"You remembered. It's such a beautiful name."

The couple reached the station and hugged again as the last train for the night stopped at the station.

"I'm gonna blow you away tomorrow."

"I am most definitely not prepared."

Sumire leaned up and kissed Ren one last time before stepping onto the train. Ren walked home and greeted Morgana, who had been waiting upstairs.

"Parties… sushi… farewells… it all seems so small compared to Doc. I guess home is what you make of it… even in this abandoned building of all places." Morgana spoke in a cool tone. "Hey, take care of me when you get back home, okay?"

"Of course. He'd want us to appreciate every single one of these moments. I've got a lot to think about. I have one more month left with Sumire, for now."

"Mhm. So, uh… I wanted to ask you something. Remember the tail end of Maruki's Palace, when I was actually flying? That wasn't a dream, right?"

"Seemed real to me. It got a bit crazy at the end though."

"Yeah, I knew it! But I still can't figure out how that was possible in the first place. Hmm… so, this is just a theory, but… Do you still have that star Jose gave you?"

Ren reached into his back pocket and pulled out Jose's start. It had lost its luster.

"This was shining the last time you looked at it, right?" Morgana asked. "So it really was the effect of the Star… Oh- Well of course it was, now that I think about it! There's no way that the idea of a cat converting into a helicopter could suddenly become a common cognition. Well, we're through with the Metaverse, and it only happened in the most extreme of emergencies… So I have a feeling that won't be happening again anytime soon. Anyway, you're working at the shop with the Chief from tomorrow onward, right? Let's get some rest. You can finally sleep on a real bed!"

"Real is an exaggeration, but it's definitely better."

Ren plopped down onto his makeshift bed atop a few crates and let sleep take him, thinking about Sumire and how she'd surprise him.