As Ren slowly lifted himself out of bed, he felt every muscle in his body ache and tense up with each movement. The past week had been nothing but practice with Sumire, which he enjoyed immensely. She wanted to practice different forms of stretching that was only possible with another person, and Ren gladly volunteered. Little did he know that he'd be stretching muscles he didn't know he had. They had today off, though. Ren rotated his head, creating an audible crack and a pop which made him want to keel over, and pulled out his phone.

Ren: Hey, Futaba. Want to go to Akihabara with Sumire and me?

Futaba: OwO

Ren: Is that a yes?

Futaba: Heck yeah!

Ren: Cool. I'm going to call Sumire and have her meet us at Leblanc

Futaba: Very well, young padawan! Now to make like a tree and…

Ren: Roll outta here?

Futaba: You've done well…

Ren let out a sigh that was mixed with a laugh, and pulled up Sumire's contact info. He had set the image to be Sumire with the rabbit ears from their Destinyland trip. His phone background was a selfie of Sumire and him creating a heart with their hands. It made him smile every time.

As he absentmindedly looked at his phone, he swiped out of Sumire's contact info and looked over his list of contacts.

Akechi Goro

Ren felt an immense weight form in his stomach while his throat grew tight. When he left in March, he swore he saw Akechi as the train started moving. It had to have been a coincidence, or his imagination.

Did he really want to find out? Wouldn't Akechi have contacted him if he were alive? If he was, what would he even say?

A nervous sweat formed on the back of Ren's neck as anxiety caught up with him. He leaned down and took several deep breaths.

"Hey! Ren! Ren! What's up?"

Ren blinked and found himself staring down at Morgana, who had a look of concern, or the cat equivalent of it, on his face.

"Morgana… do you think Akechi might be… alive?"

Morgana tilted his head with a confused look.

"From what I remember, Akechi knew that Doc brought him back to life. He knew that he'd disappear again when Maruki was defeated. He didn't want to live like that, remember?"

Ren shook his head, pressing a hand against it.

"I know… I just… hate how things ended. I pushed myself so hard to agree with him and grant his own desire to return… but I guess I'm still not over it."

Morgana hopped onto the bed and placed a paw on Ren's arm.

"You two had a unique rivalry. It's no wonder that you wanted to keep it going. But…" Morgana looked around the room, "This is reality. You still have something you need to do, right? I think Akechi would want you to pursue that goal."

A nervous laugh escaped Ren's mouth.

"Yeah… he would. Sumire and I still have so much we need to do."

Ren stood up, stretched, and changed before pulling out his phone again. He called Sumire.

"Good morning, Ren-senpai."

"Good morning, Sumire. You sound lovely today." Ren attempted to move past his grief and act suave.

"Thank you, Ren-senpai. Are you doing alright? Your voice is cracking."

It didn't work.

"Ah… um… well… can you meet me at Leblanc? I wanted to go somewhere today, but I have something else I want to talk about."

"Of course! I'll be right there! See you soon!"

"Right. See you soon."

Sumire hung up the phone. Ren felt a mixture of relief, anxiety, and hope washing over him all at once. Every part of himself wanted to move forward with Sumire. He knew that. Even so, the feeling of dissatisfaction regarding how things ended with Akechi still caught him off guard.

With a heavy sigh, Ren slapped his hands on his cheeks and made his way downstairs. He wanted to make today fun.

"Morning, kid," Sojiro waved an arm as Ren emerged at the bottom of the staircase.

"Hey Sojiro," Ren replied in a neutral tone.

"Something the matter?" Sojiro turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Not particularly. Just trying to psyche myself up for today. Could you make me some strong coffee?"

"Hmph. If you say so."

Sojiro turned back around and began preparations. About a minute later, the door swung open, accompanied by the sound of the bell.

"Howdy-yo!" Futaba stood in the doorway with a strange pose. She wore her summer outfit, consisting of a beige jacket, black shorts, a black hat with blue headphones on top, and a yellow shirt with pixelated decal.

"Ah, Futaba. You want a cup? I'm surprised you're up this early."

"I've been getting up this early since I started school! Give me more credit!"

Sojiro looked at her curiously.

"I suppose you're right. I just figured you'd sleep in since its summer break."

"Not today!" Futaba excitedly proclaimed, "Today we go to Akihabara!"

"We?" Sojiro raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.

"Ren, Sumire and I! We're gonna buy a bunch of parts and build a PC!"

"Wait, we are?" Ren looked at her, puzzled.

"Yeah! When you mentioned Akihabara, I remembered that one time we spent all day in your room looking at PC parts! You told me you built one before! You didn't bring it, though, so we'll just build another one!"

Ren saw the burning passion in her eyes, and found it impossible to say no.

"Fine. I'm sure we'll find some way to entertain Sumire."

"That's exactly it, Ren! We could build a PC, for you or her, and she can watch all the gymnastic or ballet videos she wants on it! Maybe I could even get her into my favorite MMO…"

Ren karate-chopped Futaba on the head.

"She's got a lot to focus on already. I like the video idea, though."

"Eck! Hey!"

"Speaking of… she should be here soon. Sit down."

Futaba puffed her cheeks and sat at the bar counter. Sojiro set down a cup for her, which he drank. After a few more minutes, the doorbell chimed again.

"Hello, Boss-san, Futaba-sensei, Ren-senpai."

Sumire curtsied in the doorway. She wore a violet sundress, which was new to Ren. Her ribbon was tied at the bottom of her hair, and she wore the identical glasses.

"Woah... " Ren's voice trailed off as he took in the sight of his girlfriend. Every time she wore a new outfit he was caught off guard. Having her hang out with Ann was a deadly mistake, but completely worth it.

"Well well. Hello there." Sojiro gave her a nod and pulled out another cup.

Futaba snickered, pulled out her phone, and began texting. Ren raised an eyebrow. A few seconds later, Sumire pulled her phone out of her bag. Her face turned a deep shade of red as she looked at her phone.

"O-of course I am!" She yelled before burying her face in her hands.

Futaba burst out laughing while Ren and Sojiro looked at one another in confusion.

Sumire took a deep breath and regained her composure.

"Ah- sorry about that. Futaba-sensei texted me a very inappropriate question."

She put on a nervous smile before walking over to a booth and sitting down.

"Futaba…" Ren glared at her, "Featherman chop!"

With the fury of Atavaka Ren swung his arm down and hit Futaba on the head with another karate-chop. As Futaba recoiled from the impact and dramatically laid her head on the table, she muttered, "Worth it…"

Ren moved from the bar counter to the booth where Sumire sat.

"Sorry about that. You know how Futaba is. You look beautiful, by the way."

He reached his hands over the table and took hers, which were clenched together, her thumbs nervously twiddling.

"Th-thank you Ren-senpai. It's fine… I know Futaba likes to tease me." She smiled genuinely, her ruby eyes meeting his grey ones.

"She means well," he paused for a second before continuing, "in any case, would you like to go to Akihabara with Futaba and me?"

Sumire's eyes widened.

"Akihabara!? Aren't there a bunch of collectible Featherman figures there? I've never been… considering how much I've practiced, and I was too nervous to go alone."

"Hehehe. You know nothing, my apprentice," Futaba whispered into Sumire's ear, having snuck up next to her.

"Eep! Futaba-sensei!" Sumire jumped in her seat, shocked.

"I can show you things you never dreamed in Akihabara! You need only follow my lead…" Futaba backed away ominously and made her way out of Leblanc.

Ren and Sumire looked at each other, puzzled.

"I think we hyped her up for this trip. We should catch up with her."

"Right!" Ren and Sumire quickly slid out of the booth and made their way to the door.

"Miss, your coffee…!" Sojiro's voice was lost in the rush as they made their way outside. Ren knew he still needed to talk to Sumire about Akechi, but he wanted to lose himself in the excitement for now. The couple caught up with Futaba at the Yongen-Jaya station and boarded the train to Akihabara.

Ren and Sumire sat next to one another while Futaba sat across from them. They somehow managed to all grab seats. Futaba bunched herself up in her classic sitting pose.

Ren looked at Sumire, who gave him a curious glance.

"Ren-senpai… you mentioned you wanted to talk about something when I arrived, right?"

It appears that Sumire was not as swept up as the other two in their excitement.

Ren's face immediately sunk, and Futaba sat quietly.

"Well… this morning I saw Akechi's phone number in my contacts and it just… made me feel conflicted."

Sumire nodded her head and wrapped her arm around his.

"It's okay, Ren-senpai."

"I'm sorry, Sumire. I just don't know how to feel about it sometimes. I should be happy that he got what he wanted but…"

"You still don't like how it ended," she finished the sentence.

"I don't," he replied with a tone of emptiness.

"Ren-senpai… you're stronger than anyone I know," she squeezed his arm, "You are my strength. I know that feeling of never being satisfied. I feel it every day. We can share that dissatisfaction, if that will make it any easier."

"Sumire…" Ren looked straight at her, a flicker of surprise in his face.

"This might sound harsh, Ren-senpai, but I don't think there is a way to get over this dissatisfaction. Akechi-san is… gone."

She leaned in closer.

"But, we promised to reach the world stage. I won't be satisfied with my abilities until I've won on an international level. We share that dream, right?"

Ren's eyes widened, and he smiled.

"We did, and we will. I'm sorry for getting so caught up in my own thoughts. This is reality, the one I wanted. What I want more than anything is to see you at the top. I shouldn't dwell on the what ifs anymore."

Sumire ran her hand through Ren's hair, slowly and tenderly.

"I'll always be here for you, Ren-senpai. Lets just relax today, okay?"

Ren closed his eyes and pressed his head against hers.

"Mhm."

The train ride continued, with the three remaining quiet until they reached their destination. As they stepped off onto the platform, Futaba immediately began hyping them up again.

"Alrighty! Since Ren first took me here, I've been coming back on my own a lot! I know this place like I'm on New Game Plus! Just follow my lead you two!"

"New Game Plus?" Sumire innocently asked before Futaba wrapped her arm around Sumire's free arm, dragging her along. Ren was brought along, being wrapped around Sumire's other arm. With surprising skill and deftness, Futaba weaved them through the busy Akihabara streets, through otaku, maids, and cosplayers alike. Before they knew it, they found themselves inside one of the largest electronics stores in the area.

"Where are we?" Sumire asked, wide-eyed and curious.

"This is a sacred ground, Sumire. Here, we will assemble the necessary components to build you the ultimate PC!"

Sumire cocked her head sideways and laughed nervously.

"I have a laptop at home that I use for school and some other work…"

Futaba frowned and slumped in defeat.

"She's already beaten the game… Ren…"

Ren walked over to her and patted her head.

"We can still get new parts and build a new PC together, for me. I know exactly what we could get for Sumire here."

Futaba slowly looked up at him, her hope rekindled.

"Ren…! Alright! Let's clear this and move on!"

With a renewed sense of purpose, Futaba eagerly began to drag the couple around. They looked at motherboards, CPUs, fans, graphics cards, RAM, towers, and even considered watercooling.

"Think about it, Ren! You could have your tower glowing red and black, like Violet's colors!"

Ren placed a hand on his chin.

"That certainly is tempting…"

Sumire blushed, unsure of how to interpret this plan.

"Futaba-sensei… What does all of this mean? I didn't even realize you could build your own computer. I thought everything was pre-built."

Futaba smirked, and a flash of light reflected off of her glasses.

"Ohho, you wish to learn, Sumire? Very well. Most computers do come pre-built, yes. However!" Futaba stuck a finger up matter-of-factly, "There isn't any fun in just buying one! Buying all of the parts and building a computer through your own blood, sweat, and tears is much more fulfilling!"

"Umm…" Sumire looked at her, still puzzled.

"Think of it this way, Sumire," Ren chimed in, "Imagine if you were suddenly the best gymnast in the world. You didn't work your way up, you just were. Would that be as fulfilling to you compared to working your way to the top?"

Sumire quickly shook her head.

"Of course not. The entire reason we fought against Doctor Maruki was so I could work my way up."

"Precisely. Futaba is saying building and using your own computer is more fun than just buying one. We can show you."

Sumire became slightly more excited.

"I see… I would like to watch, please!"

Futaba cracked her knuckles.

"Awwright! Let's grab some parts! You got the cash, Ren? This isn't gonna be cheap!"

Ren shrugged.

"Psssh, of course! Let's go!"

The three spent an hour searching for compatible parts with good specs before cashing out a full set of parts. Ren was in charge of lugging the bags around. With their PC parts in tow, the three set out to look for Featherman figures. After a short trip through Akihabara, Futaba led them to an Otaku shop, filled to the brim with collectibles.

"I'm not even sure where I'm supposed to be looking…" Sumire commented, taking in the sight of at least a hundred different figures on display.

"It's okay if you feel out of place, Sumire. Are you enjoying it, at least?"

Sumire nodded her head with a reassuring smile.

"I'd go anywhere with you, remember? Besides, Futaba has been a good friend to me. She's so smart, too. So don't worry if I appear confused all the time. This is a nice change of pace."

Ren felt her warm smile aiming directly for his heart. She was so sweet it made him physically weak.

"I love you, Sumire."

"I love you too, Ren."

While the couple flirted, Futaba listened intently. "No senpai this time, Sumire?"

Both Sumire and Ren blushed as Futaba called out her lapse in pronunciation. Futaba laughed and hid behind the shelves. Within minutes, Futaba had found two premium figurines of Feather Hawk and Dove. They were in mint condition, too. Knowing how much Sumire loved the two, she kept herself hidden from view and began calling Ren over.

"Psst! Hey, Ren! Distract Sumire! Then get over here!"

Ren heard her voice, and quickly hatched a scheme.

"Hey, Sumire, why don't you look for some Featherman figurines? I know you want a Feather Hawk one…"

Sumire turned three shades of red, but nodded in confirmation. "Right! I'm off!" She scurried off in the opposite direction of Futaba. Ren walked over to the orange-haired gremlin.

"Alright! Now purchase these and hide them in your bag!" Futaba showed him the figurines.

"Impressive, Futaba. Very impressive."

"Mwehehehe. I know. This is my forte. Sumire will love these!"

Ren deftly took the figurines off of Futaba's hands and purchased them. He now carried three heavy bags, but that was the price he had to pay. Within a few minutes, Sumire returned, empty-handed with a look of defeat on her face.

"Ren-senpai… I couldn't find any figures! It doesn't make any sense! There's so many, but none of those two! I'm so sorry!"

Ren chuckled and held out a bag toward Futaba, realizing how much of a burden it was.

"Don't worry about it, Sumire. I think Futaba found something better. You'll have to wait until we get back to Leblanc, though."

Sumire smiled, relieved.

"Okay, Ren-senpai. Let's go home then."

Ren's ears immediately perked up. He leaned forward toward Sumire.

"Home? Does that mean you're going to be staying with me tonight? Even more than that, usually we wouldn't call it home until we're married."

Sumire's face turned a deep shade of red, as dark as her hair, and she began to stutter.

"I-uh- married? Uh-um-you and me? I-I'm not ready…!"

Futaba and Ren began laughing, and Ren fully hugged her, putting the bag down for a moment to do so.

"You're so cute. Thank you, Sumire."

Sumire felt like she was about to explode. Her heart was racing, and she couldn't make words.

"M-marriage…"

"Earth to Sumire…" Futaba poked her cheek. "We gotta build a PC! Thermal paste! Anti-shock bracelets! A screwdriver! We gotta go!"

Futaba took Sumire's arm and quickly led her to a smaller hardware store, where they picked out the necessary tools to successfully build a PC.

"Futaba-sensei!"

"Yes, my apprentice?"

"Why did you want to build me a computer?"

Futaba dropped her gremlin persona and was caught off guard for a second.

"Oh… well… um… I wanted to help you build something where you could watch gymnastics and ballet videos so you could learn from them and stuff… I don't really know many other ways to help you. I'm barely athletic enough, and my body wouldn't be able to keep up…"

Sumire took Futaba's hands, a look of gratefulness encompassing her face.

"Futaba… you're so kind!"

She pulled Futaba in for a hug. Futaba nervously fidgeted in place for a moment before hugging her back.

"It's nothing… Sumire… I think you're… crushing my spine…"

Sumire slowly released the hug. "I'm sorry, Futaba-sensei."

Futaba put a hand on her shoulder. "You can just call me Futaba. You're a grade ahead of me, aren't you?"

"Futaba...sen-" Sumire began to say her name before Futaba quickly shushed her.

"We're not Phantom Thieves anymore, either, so it's not like I'm ahead of you in experience."

Sumire puffed her cheeks. "But you are older than me… so…!"

"No senpai!" Futaba pinched her cheeks.

"But… I have to!" Sumire pleaded. Ren stood and watched, a wide smile on his face.

"Grrr… do I have to tell Ren your dirty secrets?"

Sumire immediately blushed again and stopped struggling.

"Wh-wh-wha-! N-n-no! Wait! I mean! I don't have any! Futaba~!"

A wide grin crossed Futaba's face. She crossed her arms, victorious.

"Sure you don't. Just call me Futaba and it'll stay that way."

Sumire hung her head in shame, defeated. Secrets or not, the mere proposition of having them made her mind race. She couldn't fight back. Ren himself blushed, extremely flustered at the prospect of Sumire having dirty secrets. He didn't believe that she did, but the thought crossed his mind regardless.

"Wh-what about the tools…?" Sumire asked, trying to go back to the proper subject.

"I'll have them faster than a hedgehog on a race track! Be right back!" Futaba took off, leaving Sumire confused once more.

"A hedgehog…?"

"Don't worry about it," Ren replied, "and don't worry about her teasing. It's just her way of showing affection. I'm glad you two have gotten so close."

A nervous laugh escaped Sumire. "She is an amazing person, and a little strange."

"We're all strange in our own amazing ways. It kept us strong, and kept us together. Speaking of together…"

Morgana popped out of Ren's bag.

"What have you been doing?" Ren asked.

"Sleeping…" Morgana replied groggily, "I like my cat naps."

"Uhhuh," Ren replied.

"Hello, Morgana-senpai."

Morgana turned his head to Sumire, who began to pet his head.

"Hello Sumire. Where are we?"

"Akihabara. We're about to leave, though."

"I see. Well, I'm going back to sleep. Wake me up when we get home."

Morgana retreated into the bag. Futaba returned with a second bag, filled with tools.

"Components acquired! Now we need to find a building station! Luckily, Ren has one at Leblanc! Let's go!"

The three eagerly returned to the train station, heading home, to Leblanc.

With several large bags in tow, the three enter Leblanc. Sojiro gives them a curious glance.

"Have a fun trip? What do you have in those bags?"

"Computer parts!" Futaba exclaimed.

"Huh. Must've been easier for you to pick them out than me. Every time you sent me out to get them I'd have to ask so many people what your writing meant."

"Ah- sorry about that Sojiro."

"It's no big deal. I'm satisfied knowing that you can go out with your friends and do your own thing now. Want me to cook you all some curry? It'll take a bit, but it'll be all yours."

Sumire looked at him with a pleading face. Her stomach rumbled loudly.

"I would love that, Boss-san."

Sojiro smirked.

"Ohho. I forgot that you have quite an appetite. I better get started."

"Alright… let's get these bags upstairs." Ren led the other two to his room. They set down the bags full of PC parts next to his workbench. Futaba placed the bag with the figurines on Ren's bed.

"Sumire, behold! We stole the treasure of Akihabara, winning the war!"

Futaba took the figurines out and placed the boxes on the bed. Sumire immediately gasped.

"Futaba! Ren! Did you two buy these for me?"

"We did," Ren nodded in confirmation.

"Thank you so much! These are amazing!"

"They're poseable figures, too, so you can have them do whatever you want," Futaba added.

"Amazing…" Sumire had to hold herself back from opening the boxes right there.

"Glad you like it. Now… Futaba," Ren gave her a determined look, "Let's build this PC."

"I'm gonna have to go into fourth gear for this! Let's do it!" she replied.

"I'll watch! Maybe I'll learn something from it!" Sumire sat on the bed while Ren cleared the workbench. He placed all of the tools in a corner, and began placing parts on the table. Slowly but surely, Futaba and Ren assembled the computer together. Sumire watched intensely as they applied the thermal paste, put the CPU in, attached the motherboard to the tower, then the RAM, the graphics card, the power supply, and the fan. Eventually, every part was attached, all wires connected.

"Sumire, do you want to do the honors?" Ren asked, his hand placed on top of the large, red, and black tower.

Sumire was kicking her feet up and down on the bed, humming I believe to herself, before being snapped back to reality.

"Oh… um, sure!"

She stood up and walked over to the computer.

"So I just press this and…"

Alas, nothing happened.

"What? It's not working!" She exclaimed. Ren felt himself internally panic. There was no way they could screw up.

"Wait, Ren, the power supply! Is it flicked on!?" Futaba yelled.

Ren quickly checked and found that it was not.

"That's the most classic case in the book, and we fell for it!" she continued.

Ren flicked the power on, and Sumire pressed the button. This time, it worked. The PC booted up, and Futaba sprawled herself out on the floor.

"Mission accomplished. Current objective… survive… out of… power…"

Ren walked over to the staircase and sniffed. He could tell the curry was done.

"The food is ready! Let's eat!"

Sumire and Futaba both sprung up at once. The three quickly made their way downstairs.
"Sojiro! Curry!" Futaba ran to the bar counter and slammed her hands down.

"Sheesh, calm down," Sojiro gave her a smirk, "it's all ready. Eat up."

Sojiro began to prepare plates, with Sumire's serving being exponentially larger than Ren or Futaba's.

"Boss-san… thank you for the meal!"

"Thank you for the meal!" Futaba and Ren muttered at once before digging in. The coffee and curry rejuvenated the three, bringing them back from the brink.

"Ladies and gentlemen… we got 'em…" Futaba muttered, completely full. She practically passed out at the counter.

"You're amazing, Boss-san. Thank you again." Sumire stood up and bowed.

"No need to bow. This is what I do best. It's what I taught Ren, too. You better take good care of her, kid." Sojiro gave him a sharp glance.

"Oh I will! Ask me as many times as you want." Ren answered.

"Heh. I just have to keep you on your toes. Can't have you disrespecting ladies in my establishment." Sojiro chuckled.

"Thanks, Sojiro." Ren bowed beside Sumire.

"You too? What a handful…"

"Please continue to teach us!" They pleaded simultaneously.

Sojiro sighed but put on a smile.

"I guess I'll be taking care of you for a while, huh."

Ren corrected his posture and then shrugged.

"I can't help but want to come back here. Everything about this place is amazing."

"Don't get too cocky, kid." Sojiro waved him off and began cleaning the dishes.

"Thank you for today, Ren-senpai, Futaba-s-" before she could finish her sentence, Futaba bolted up and grabbed her wrist. Sumire let out an audible "eep" before continuing.

"I have more practice coming up, which means my summer vacation basically ends here. I might only have two or three more free days before the semester begins again."

"We'll make the best of them, Sumire. I'll be with you until the end of the break," Ren gave her a warm smile.

"I'll keep doing what I'm doing! I can cheer you on from the sidelines!" Futaba made an OK gesture with her hand.

"I suppose it's time for me to go. Would you walk with me to the station, Ren-senpai?"

"Of course I will. No question."

"I'm gonna go grind on my MMO now. Seeya~" Futaba stood up and walked out of Leblanc. Ren and Sumire took their leave, walking to the station.

"Summer break really does fly by, doesn't it." Ren absentmindedly commented.

"We're just getting started, Ren-senpai. The practice is barely the starting line. The next big meet is in October."

"That's right. October… it'll have been a year since your awakening."

"Let's try and make the next years even more exciting than last year, Ren-senpai."

"That, Sumire, is a tall order, but we can certainly try."

A light breeze passed the two as the train pulled up.

"See you at practice!"

"Yes! See you tomorrow!"

Sumire stepped aboard the train, and the two waved until she disappeared from view. The Akihabara Wars were over, as was summer break, too. Almost.