As Sumire opened her eyes, the first thing that greeted her was Ren lazily opening his own eyes, a smile across his face. She found that he had wrapped his arms tightly around her, leaving them huddled together under his comforter.

"Mornin," Ren murmured, running his hand through her hair, "You ready for today?"

Sumire pressed herself even further against him. "It's so warm… just a few more minutes…"

The warm place in the back of her mind existed in reality, too, and she knew she only had so much longer to embrace it before she'd have to wait.

"Someone's feeling greedy this morning."

Ren laughed while sitting himself up, pulling her along with him. He tossed the comforter to the end of the bed.

"Ren-senpai… just a few more…"

He flicked her forehead with his finger.

"Agh! Senpai!"

"We can't afford to distract ourselves. Morgana will do much worse if we don't get up."

Sumire pouted and rubbed her forehead.

"Y-you're right. I just…"

"I know, Sumire. I feel the same way." Ren gave her a reassuring smile. His gray, marble eyes swirled, but were filled with genuine care and appreciation.

Sumire scooted to the edge of the bed and set her feet down. The cold sensation that she felt went straight through her body. "It's cold…"

"You better change, then. It's pretty early, but Sojiro should be downstairs. I'll make us some food. Or have him do it. Whichever comes first."

"Thank you, Ren-senpai. I feel myself waking up now. Lying with you made me feel so nice and warm, even more than after I perfectly pulled off a routine."

"We've got to hold onto those feelings, right?" Ren stood up and took her hands.

"Yes!" Sumire smiled and nodded. Ren let go and made his way downstairs, where Sojiro stood behind the counter, stroking his beard.

"Mornin', kid. Did I hear your girls voice, or am I just imagining things?" He looked at Ren with a grin.

"You did. She stayed the night, again. Sorry if it's a bother."

Sojiro laughed.

"It's not an issue at all. Honestly, I think you're more bold than I ever was. Having a girl over almost every day, sheesh."

Ren lightly blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well… since I'm going home soon… you know…?"

"Don't worry about it, kid. Here, I'll make you two some food."

Sojiro turned and walked to the corner where he kept his curry pot and began preparing their breakfast. Sumire slowly walked downstairs, wearing the red dress. Ren went upstairs to change out of his night shirt and sweatpants.

"Hey there, young lady. Say, are those Futaba's clothes?" Sojiro pointed to the neatly folded shirt and shorts that Sumire held in her left arm.

"Um… yes. She let me borrow her clothes so sleep in." Sumire nervously fidgeted as she sat at the bar counter.

"I'm glad to see you two have become such fast friends. Futaba really could use more friends her age." Sojiro rubbed the back of his head. "Feels like deja vu… anyway, what brings you here today? Not that you need a reason."

"Oh, um, Ren-senpai and I went to Shinjuku last night, and we're planning to perform for my Coach today, so It was easier for me to just… stay overnight here?" She answered with a bit of hesitation. Sojiro chuckled again.

"I'm not gonna tease you too hard about it. Jeez. Kids these days…"

He set down two plates of curry as Ren walked back down the staircase, wearing his casual winter gear. A minute after that, Sojiro set down two cups of coffee.

Ren and Sumire both thanked Sojiro, ate their meals, down their coffee, and walked out of Leblanc. Their destination was Kichijoji.

"Coach knows we're coming, right?" Ren asked Sumire while stepping onto the train.

"Yes. I spoke with her the other day so we could schedule this special performance. She mentioned that she felt like we've done this before, which we have. I want to make sure that she'll never forget it again." Sumire nodded at him, a look of determination on her face.

"That's the spirit, Sumi." Ren patted her head, a smile on his face.

"It feels strange, Ren-senpai. We've done this before, but for her, it's new. I still remember you watching me dance for her that day. We got sushi after."

"Sushi?" Morgana popped out of Ren's bag, excited.

"We can do it again, if you want." Ren scratched Morgana's ear.

"No arguments here!" Sumire pumped her fist, smiling at the two.

"Taking after Ryuji, huh?"

"Huh? Well, I guess I am. All of your friends are such inspirational people, Ren-senpai."

"Our friends, Sumire. Don't discount yourself."

"Right!"

The train pushed on, and the two found themselves in Kichijoji, where they made their way to Sumire's house to pick up her outfit, and then the practice building.

Sumire went to change, and Ren approached Coach Hiraguchi.

"So, you're the one I've heard so much about. I can tell from the way you walk, and your general physique, that you work out quite a bit. On top of that, your posture is near-perfect. Sumire told me you too practiced together often."

Ren bowed. "Thank you for helping me. I really do appreciate it."

Hiraguchi grinned. "Stand up. You're very important to Sumire. You're the one she wants to dance for. If she's serious, you're a key part of her development, Mr. Boyfriend."

"Right." Ren corrected his posture and stood in front of Hiraguchi. After a few moments, Sumire entered the gymnasium wearing her blue, decorative leotard. Her hair was wrapped into a tight bun, and her glasses rested on her face, held by a neoprene strap. She walked up to Hiraguchi.

"Thank you for allowing me to perform today, Coach." She stated while bowing.

"You've got a good look on your face today, Sumire. You told me you'd show me your best. To be honest, this feels familiar, but I can tell you've grown beyond even what I think I know."

"I have."

"Good. In that case, you may begin." Hiraguchi pulled out a baton with a blue ribbon attached. Sumire took it and pulled out Kasumi's ribbon. She neatly tied it around the hilt of the baton.

"Okay. I'm ready."

Hiraguchi and Ren walked to a corner and began to watch. Sumire assumes a new starting form, unfamiliar to the two.
"Sumire…" Ren's eyes went wide. She had practiced new moves that even he was unaware of.

"Even her starting form changed. Impressive," Hiraguchi remarked, "Is this your doing?"

"No. This is all her." Ren replied, his eyes fixated on Sumire. She lifted both of her arms and spread them wide, her right foot placed in front of her left. Then, she leaned forward and kicked back, and began spinning on her left foot. Her blue ribbon flowed in a spiral around her as she held the baton, with Kasumi's ribbon bobbing as she spun. With perfect form, she stopped spinning and tilted her head back. She skipped forward, tossed the baton and ribbon into the air, leaned backward and flipped, her hand touching the floor for less than a second. The baton landed perfectly in her right hand as she stood up, the ribbon resting on her shoulders and left arm, which was stretched out.

Sumire exhaled calmly, opening her eyes, locking them on Ren. Tears once again began to silently fall down his cheeks as he began cheering. Hiraguchi lightly chuckled, a smile on her face.

Sumire bowed again. "Thank you for watching!" Her determined gaze never wavered.

"That was very impressive, Sumire. You kept your own graceful style while combining the bold movements of your sister."

Sumire walked over to Ren and leaned up, pressing her lips against his. She wrapped her arm around his as they released the kiss.

"With Kasumi's, Ren's, and my spirits combined, we will take the world stage of gymnastics! We will be the champions of our world!"

In unison, they bowed.

"I see." Hiraguchi replied. "You truly are moving forward, your lover at your side. I look forward to it. Your routine was more than enough to confirm to me that you're serious."

As Hiraguchi turned to leave, Sumire spoke again. "Coach, wait! We have something else to show you."

"Hm?" Hiraguchi turned back around.

"We've been practicing something else. A duet performance. Please, watch us."

"Oh? Very well." Hiraguchi crossed her arms, a faint smile on her face.

Ren took off his coat, revealing his own performance outfit. He wore a sleeveless, gray vest and black, form-fitting pants. He took off his glasses, leaned down, put them in his bag, and pulled out a small music box and a violet flower. He tapped the music box, playing a familiar tune, and placed the stem of the flower in his mouth.

Sumire held out her hand. "Shall we?"

Ren took her hand and immediately lifted his arm, spinning Sumire around his body. She let herself fall backward, with Ren catching her in his arms. He lifted her back up, and they took each other's hands, beginning a slow dance. Like their dance before fighting Maruki, they slowly looped around the gym, each step of their feet matching the music box's high notes and low notes. They continued this for a few minutes, letting their bodies flow together in perfect synchronization. They slowed down and stopped as the music ended, keeping their performance simple. Hiraguchi chuckled.

"Wonderful." She clapped. "You two really understand each other. Sumire, you can understand his feelings through both performance and him watching you. I see why you've been doing so well with practice and your drills. You've had him in mind the whole time. If you can keep those feelings in your mind, I'm sure you'll be able to compete on an international level."

Sumire lightly blushed.

"Right! Thank you very much, Coach. Did this… help you remember anything?"

"If it did, it's been totally eclipsed by what you've shown me today. I'll be watching you even more intensely, Sumire." Hiraguchi nodded and left.

Sumire turned back to Ren. A bead of sweat fell from her forehead.

"Coach Hiraguchi… liked our routine. We did it, Ren-senpai!"

Ren leaned forward and bumped his head against hers.

"We did. You brought me to tears again. Thank you for showing me that."

Sumire giggled. "I'm so happy to hear that." She slowly wrapped her arms around Ren, shaking.

"It's hitting me again. I did my best out there, with you watching. It feels incredible."

Ren held her tightly against him, embracing her with all his strength.

"I'm happy that I can be that person. So happy. I've never felt more satisfied in helping someone."

Tears streamed down Sumire's face as they kept their eyes locked on one another.

"Thank you." They both muttered, their bodies reaching stillness as they calmed down.

Sumire slowly released her hug.

"Ren-senpai… I'm… I'm going to a training camp soon. I… I haven't told you yet, and I'm sorry. I'll be gone until the middle of March. I was… afraid to tell you."

Audible laughter filled the empty gymnasium as Ren reared his head back. He lifted his hand and flicked her forehead again.

"Agh! Wh-"

"Sumire. You need to stop worrying so much. We both agreed that we'd watch and hear about one another no matter how far apart we are. I want you to go and train, to become even better than before. I'll always be thinking about you."

"Ah… Ren-senpai. There I go again. Classic Sumire."

Ren rested his hand on her shoulder. His silver bangle glimmered.

"The Sumire I will always love. I'll watch you grow, and we will become our world champions. Let's go eat."

Sumire felt the tears welling back up in her eyes.

"Ah." Ren poked her cheek. "No more crying. We're way past that. Our reality is right in front of us. You don't want to let Dr. Maruki down, right?"

Sumire sniffled and shook her head. "Right! I am really hungry. Maybe that's it."

Ren pulled her in for a hug again. "You're so cute, I can't take it sometimes."

Sumire beamed a heartfelt smile.

"Thank you, Ren-senpai."

Ren beamed a smile right back.

"You're welcome, Sumire."

Sumire went to change while Ren put his coat back on. Morgana finally spoke, rolling around in the bag.

"I don't think the Coach noticed me. You two move as gracefully as you did in the Metaverse. I've taught you well."

Ren leaned down and scratched Morgana's belly. "You sure did. It feels nice, being able to move like I did there. I feel so free when I dance with her."

"How about when you watch her?" Morgana asked.

"When I watch her… I feel like I'm witnessing something impossible and magnificent at the same time. I can feel her desire to be watched… if that makes sense."

"You're both relying on each other, more deeply than words can explain." Morgana flipped back into a standing posture. "Now, you mentioned food. I want sushi!"

"You always do."

"Well, of course! It's the tastiest thing known to man and cat alike!"

"I prefer steak, but sure."

Sumire walked back into the gymnasium, wearing her red dress.

"Where would you like to eat, Ren-senpai?"

Ren stood up and placed his hand on his chin, contemplating.

"Maybe Dome Town? We've spent a few hours here, but we could go there, eat pancakes, and go on amusement park rides."

Sumire's eyes sparkled as she clapped her hands together.

"That sounds great!"

"But… my sushi…" Morgana grumbled.

"Hey, I know you like pancakes too." Ren gave him a sharp glance.

"Okay, I do!"

"Thought so. Let's go."

Ren picked up his bag, and the two made their way to the train station, heading for Dome Town.

After a short train ride, they stepped off onto the platform and exited the subway. The major sight that caught their eye among the busy Tokyo streets was the massive baseball stadium, the Tokyo Dome. Ren led Sumire toward it, as not far from it, a well-known, pancake-themed restaurant existed. As they entered the establishment, they were greeted by the smell of fresh pancakes and other breakfast foods.

A waiter with shaggy brown hair led them to their seats.

"I'll have the quadruple stacked plate, thank you!" Sumire picked out her order in seconds.

Quadruple stacked? Wait, why am I surprised? Ren shook his head, lost in thought.

"I'll have two pancakes, with extra syrup, and whipped cream."

Pancakes, huh. Ren reminisced to the time Akechi slipped his knowledge of Morgana speaking on the trip to the TV station. He'd be jealous right now, maybe. Or, pissed. That wasn't the point. Ren wanted to slap his cheek as he mentally chastised himself.

"Ren-senpai?" Sumire gave him a concerned look.

"Ah," he snapped back into reality, "Sorry, I spaced out. I went here with Ryuji and Ann a long time ago. I was just remembering it. Ann put so much syrup on her pancakes. She got whipped cream, chocolate chips, the whole deal."

Sumire giggled. "That sounds like Ann-senpai. I've never been here, but I've heard good things."

Ren half-laughed and half-sighed. "It's pretty good. We need to make sure to slip some bits of pancake to Morgana, while not getting the bag covered in syrup. Or Morgana himself in fact."

"Sounds like the job for a gentleman thief," Sumire said with a grin, poking Ren on the nose in an effort to cheer him up.

"Heh. You're right."

After a few minutes the waiter returned with their food. "Here you are."

They thanked him. Ren took the tankard of syrup. "Let me see your plate, and close your eyes."

"Huh? Sure, just don't put too much syrup on." Sumire replied.

Ren poured the syrup onto Sumire's pancake stack in the shape of a heart. He then sprayed the whipped cream on the inside of the outline.

"Alright, here you are."

Sumire opened her eyes and immediately began to laugh.

"That's so sweet. Too bad I have to eat it…"

"Don't worry about something as silly as that."

Ren and Sumire eagerly ate their pancakes. While calmly eating his own pancakes, he observed Sumire neatly cut her stack into bite-sized chunks. After carving the pancake stack out, she quickly ate at least half the stack. It was an art form Ren could not fathom.

"Remember to leave some for Morga-"

Before he could finish, she had somehow finished her stack of quadruple stacked pancakes.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! It's just… these tasted so good. I couldn't help myself."

Ren noticed a bit of whipped cream on her cheek. His eyes darted around the room, and he noticed no one was really looking. He leaned in and kissed the whipped cream off, darting back nimbly before she could even process what he was doing.

Sumire felt her whole face turn a deep shade of crimson, her jaw dropping.

"R-R-Ren! Wh-wh-what are you?" She looked at him with three shades of embarrassment layering over her at once.

Ren chuckled. "Sorry. It's just… you had some whipped cream…" He began to blush too. "I… could have used a napkin."

The two fidgeted awkwardly in their seats as Morgana burst from the bag.
"Where's my share?" he meowed angrily.

"Huh? Oh, right. I'm sorry Morgana." Ren picked up his utensils and cut out a small bit of pancake for Morgana.

"So fluffy…"

Morgana happily ate his pancake and disappeared into the bag.

Sumire fidgeted, still red-faced.

"I'm sure no-one noticed. I'm sorry." Ren clapped his hands together and did a small bow. "I went too far!"

Sumire flicked his forehead. "If you want to apologize… you'll have to call me every day after you leave."

Ren leaned back up. "Sure. I can definitely do that." I was planning to anyway, Sumire, he silently remarked.

"Good."

After a few minutes, the couple paid for their food and made their way to the train station. They boarded and found themselves at Kichijoji first.

Ren tugged on Sumire's sleeve as she stood up. She looked back at him.

"About that training camp… I'm… going to be leaving in a few days. I'll miss you."

Ren gave her a reassuring smile. "This will be a test. We'll have to get used to this, right?"

Sumire slowly nodded. "Yes. You're right. I'll be fine."

"That's the spirit!" Ren pulled her in for one last hug. "I'll have a surprise for you once you get back, so give it all you've got out there."

Sumire closed her eyes and tightly hugged him back.

"Okay! See you soon, Ren-senpai! I love you!"

"I love you too, Sumire. See you soon."

Sumire stepped off the train. Ren rested his chin on his hand as the train began to move again. White Day was coming...