Author's Notes: I decide to end Season 2 with this chapter. I plan to rearrange the story into two seasons of twenty-two episodes each, ending Season 1 at the end of Rikako's route (currently S1 E21) and beginning Season 2 with Kanako's story (at current S1 E22). I plan to add content or maybe an entire chapter to execute this plan properly.

So now, here it is: the final episode for Season 2.

The islands were caught in a dreary, empty mood for a few weeks after that last cruise. Piazza was still abuzz with activity and dinners as usual, but everywhere else time seemed to stand still. Meanwhile, the sea was becoming quite moody at this time of the year.

Grandma was just discharged from the hospital and took to sitting on the porch everyday, as though awaiting Yoshiyuki's return, but she was already having an active line of communication with him. Just the other day she sent a barrage of texts basically asking him how he's doing, and only this morning did he respond. She thought a call would be suitable now, but then she sensed the slow atmosphere of late and was caught in it like a deer in headlights. There was something in the air and she wanted to read it.

The Nittas received a package of chocolates from Anju and Mr. Nitta complained texting her the last thing they needed was something to make them fat at their advancing age. (To which Anchan playfully pouted and said that from there on they'd receive nothing but matcha.) But then in the same box wrapped apart from the sweets came a pack of special bath salts… from Shuka? So they're together right now?

That afternoon the Nankaisei students were out early. It had been like this for some time now. Overall, the school day was about an hour shorter than it was last year, but there were far fewer clubs so most of the crowd went home straightaway.

At the dive shop the scene was so desolate Nanaka actually napped now every after lunch.

#16. A Son of Nankaisei

Later that week at the Nanjou estate, a number of guests have just finished their stay at the exclusive resort and the air of emptiness got to the top of the mountain. Anna ate lunch with her parents in a morose mood; both parents had been busy and this was the first they ate together in a while, at the exact time of her life when she didn't need them to, Anna noted resentfully. Mrs. Nanjou eyed her daughter the whole time, asking once if she was sick. Her husband replied it was the weather, and nobody spoke another word after that, perhaps letting the largely vacant estate speak for them.

In the meantime, Nakamura-san could not reinstall Yoshiyuki just yet as rumors were already afoot that his resignation had something to do with Anna Nanjou, mostly that the heiress had insulted him in some way after that trespassing incident at the mountain, and a few had intimated a fling. But the boss was already preparing his papers for Harvard. Come of think, now would be the best situation to put Minase away somewhere so she can let the issue die down over the course of a year or two.

The man himself had been staying at a small house Nakamura rented for him on the other side of Otou-san, mostly sleeping the whole day. He thought to visit Granny, but then realized he'd eventually have to tell her his university will be abroad, and it might be too good for her not to let the Tokyo people know. He wondered if he will ever get around to meeting them again. Maybe if he became top dog at the hotel? Does he even have to? They probably gave him up for dead already, if his mother was any indication. Grandma would be the only one naive enough to insist on a reunion.

The hospitalization got him thinking, however. What if something does happen again? What if it is worse than the local hospital can handle? Ah… So much to worry over. All on top of losing Anna.

The lunch had already finished, and the servants have long since cleared the table. But Mr. Nanjou didn't rise. He had something to say. Anna could barely hide her irritation at having to stay behind with them. They will probably announce the marriage proposal now. They'd send her abroad to properly groom her for her prince. She thought of a career that would make her more or less independent, maybe even start her own business in Europe, maybe it will make the man think twice about marrying her. If she succeeds, she'll think about fetching Yoshiyuki.

"Anna," said Dad gravely, "I'm removing you from your seat at the school board of Nankaisei."

Huh? That was odd, was the position important enough to be mentioned this seriously? At least she thought it was more of a ceremonial post… Hold on. "Papa…?"

"I have sent word to Ito-san a month ago."

Yoshiyuki decided to take the bike for a visit to his old school right after he had lunched. He should be there by about past two.

Upon arriving at the area near the port he was surprised to pass by a number of students laughing as they walked home for the day. But he pedaled onward. As he pulled over in front of the school, he found only an old caretaker closing the gates. The campus was empty.

"Ano," he began, "where did everybody go?"

"Hm? It's a half-day today."

Half-day? "But it's only Wednesday."

"Madam Ito said it will be like this everyday from here on." Yawn. "Actually it's like this since last last week. Wise move if you ask me. Slashed the bills."

Anna's eyes widened in shock. "You can't do this, Papa!"

"Ito-san already knows. She can't sustain the school any longer. She might as well fold up now."

"You never told me anything!"

Dad only sipped his coffee. Of course. Mama had wanted her to "get to the point where it would be impossible to refuse." So why not Papa, also? "But there are still students there," she protested. "Let them graduate first!"

"Do we have to wait another year or so and waste another penny of the hotel on a failed investment?"

"The hotel has already cut funding," explained the caretaker. "A number of faculty have already left because they can't be paid anymore. So he subjects were about halved and so were the hours. I hear Piazza will purchase this place. Who knows what they plan to do with it next year?"

Yoshiyuki seemed to be watching the man, watching the school, watching everything, on a TV screen from afar—this isn't real, none of it! Wait… So is this the reason why there had been no bus when he went out that afternoon? The trips simply followed Nankaisei's schedule, and a lot of students were scattered all over the island…

He should have known.

Anna closed her tearful eyes. "You're the only reason for this, Papa. Our move is the only thing needed to keep the school up and running."

"Humph. Now I see how far your decision-making capacity has fallen. You're not fit to manage Piazza just yet. You really need to go back to school yourself."

"No… The final decision is still with the Director. I'll talk to her."

Mr. Nanjou wiped his hands with a napkin. "Go ahead. That would be better, so you can hear the decision yourself."

Yoshiyuki stayed on by the gates long after the caretaker has left. This is unreal. At this hour at the other side of the gates there were young people, jostling, laughing, busy in the field in their P.E. uniforms, studying inside those windows, sleeping in class… These gates were still open, and soon enough a stream of humanity will flow out of them… And the club, the Aquasports Club, would pass by chatting and horsing around with him in tow, the only boy.

"…"

There's no time to waste.

He pedaled furiously on a course straight to Grandma's.

Grandma was by now able to return to her previous routine, and today she was hanging out the blankets to dry. The weather was still gloomy as ever, but at least a steady breeze blew. It was out here that she caught a familiar voice in the wind. "Granny? Granny?"

"Yoshiyuki?" she said turning round. "Yoshiyuki!"

They searched for each other among the white and tawny sheets that billowed and flew about in the breeze. He found her—and hugged her while she grasped and felt about all over him in disbelief. "Is it really you?" She felt about his face. "Yoshiyuki…" she breathed in relief.

"Granny," he smiled weakly, "are you going blind already?"

"No-no, don't mind me, my boy. I just wanted to make sure. But it's you!"

He could chide her a bit more, but thought the better of it and hugged her again. They stayed that way, among the flying blankets, for a good while. The waves rolled over the water's edge, drawing the sand away from the beach near their place.

As they walked back to the house, Grandma raised her voice a little over the wind. "How could that be? Is Mr. Nanjou out of his mind? The poor children, can they just up and cross over to Numazu in order to finish their studies?"

"It isn't really closing down yet, I only saw the grounds empty in the middle of the day."

"It is closing down, Yoshiyuki. Piazza contributes over sixty-five percent of the school's funding. You think remaining thirty-five will be willing to carry on and shoulder all the expenses? I already told them that at a parents' meeting with the admin, it should have been one-third of each from the cruise, Piazza, and the rest of the businesses, but they insisted that Piazza was the largest enterprise and should take the lion's share of the burden. As if the cruise was much smaller. They should have realized. Piazza is a business. They will treat Nankaisei as a business.

"We need to go to Ito-san."

Anna left early the next morning. But the very first person she went to was not the director, but Nanaka. Upon hearing of this, she and Grandpa decided to close the shop for the day and accompany her to Nankaisei.

Meanwhile Grandma gathered the Nittas and and a number of other like-minded parents on the way to school. Anna's group joined up with them, and at the gates they met the school caretaker, who told them to leave. "You are not allowed to disrupt classes."

"We won't," said Grandma. "We just want to talk to the Director."

"She's busy. Loads of paperwork."

"And we parents aren't important enough for her time?" When the man couldn't answer right away they just passed him and trooped to the office as the caretaker scrambled to keep up. They were quite a sight. A few students sitting by the windows turned to look at the group as they marched through the grounds. When they reached the building that housed the admin offices the middle-aged school secretary ran out to confront them. Madam wants a representative. Please send the rest home."

"I don't think they will want to even if I tell them. And Madam must talk to both me and Nanjou-san."

The secretary was startled at the sight of Miss Nanjou, and was also uneasy with the part-time dive instructor among them. She hurried back inside the building with Grandma and Anna hard on her heels. They caught up with her knocking at the Director's door. "We're coming in," announced Grandma. "Please step aside."

There was no need to. Director Ito herself opened the door and regarded them with a grave stare. She motioned the secretary to leave and beckoned the two to come in.

As soon as the Director was seated, Anna spoke up. "Madam, we will go straight to the matter, if you don't mind."

"I know. Madam should be aware of our situation, as well."

"I am. It is the children's situation that is foremost."

"The school year is drawing to a close. The seniors will graduate. It is only the lone second-year class that will be affected."

"And you toss them aside just because they're only one class?" said Grandma.

"…"

"You know it will be harder for them and their families."

Madam Ito sighed. "That's life."

"What about the generations that may be born on these islands? Shall they have to move to the mainland, too? Away from their families?"

The director went to the window, and threw Anna a sideways glance. "In this world, it is the voice of the big people that is heard. We mortals do not matter."

Mortals. Anna felt the sting of those words, echoing Yoshiyuki's old rant back at the hedge.

"The little people," countered Grandma, "are still people. We will not allow our voice to go unheard. This is our islands."

"…"

"If we can gather enough support, perhaps even Nanjou-san must oblige us."

Madam Ito closed her eyes in pain. "Perhaps."

"You will support us, right?"

"You may leave now."

"Director!"

"I have decided already. Further talk is pointless."

Back in their rooms, the teachers told the students by the window to get back to the lecture, and classes went on.

Grandma And Yoshiyuki returned home late that afternoon, dejected. They have spent the day touring Otou-san and talking to other families all over the island. Yoshiyuki helped Granny across the living room to her office so she could rest there, have some TV. But she only wanted silence for now. He went to the kitchen to make tea.

As they pored over the events of the day, Grandma said, "It's not like they're really all for closing the school, are they?"

He nodded. It does seem they were more of simply hesitant, giving them such replies as, "I don't know," or an uncomfortable "It's probably better that way." But they certainly won't form the support base they needed. Even the parents who were with them last time had melted away. Clearly, though, none of them were thrilled over the closure. "It looks like they were waiting for someone else other than us to also take the lead."

Grandma sighed. "So we're not enough. But we're the only ones around."

They finished their tea in silence.

"Yoshiyuki."

"Hm?'

"The Nittas' girl is on TV now, isn't she?"

He hung his head. "Granny, she's just voicing some anime. Doesn't mean she's famous or anything."

"But you did make a club with her and Uchida-san back in the day. You won a national PV contest, if I remember correctly. You were well-known here in the Kyunins."

He gazed intently at her. Is she saying…? A glimmer of hope came to his eyes. "Granny…?""Uhm," she affirmed. "You guys can rally the people."

He felt a smile creep back to his lips. Finally? The club will reunite. The old times will return. They can't let he school, the last remnants of those days, be shut down, can they? "Well…"

"We have to try. Yoshiyuki. Try to contact Nitta and Uchida. I'll ask Mori-san to look for the Kubo sisters and Riho-san."

It was a wild hope. But it was too good a chance to pass up. He will do this. He will get the club back for its own sake… and for Anna. The club and Anna will reunite and reconcile.

Mrs. Nitta repeatedly dialed Anju's number as Dad and Yoshiyuki looked on anxiously. Ani was quite often the one calling them, generally twice a week, but at the exact time and day of her choosing. So reaching out to her was pretty tricky.

At the fourth call, she finally picked up. "Mom," they could hear her grumble, the phone was hands-free, "I was just out of recording. I'm tired."

"Sorry dear, but Yoshiyuki's needs to talk."

"Yoshiyuki? Er, tell him I'll call. Maybe at six."

Mom knew that whenever Anju mentioned "maybe," it was a definite "no." "He looks pretty urgent, Ani. Come on, it's not everyday you get to hear from him and after so long."

After a short pause, "Where is he?"

She handed over the phone and let him talk. "Anchan. Sorry I really had to bother you."

"And you really do bother me. Moh."

He held himself back. She's just being sassy as usual, he told himself. "Something's happened. Nanakaisei—"

"Is it closed already?"

A shock came over everybody in the living room. But even, he brushed aside just to keep talking. "It's not! Aren't you doing something?"

"What's there to do?"

"Everybody's waiting for us. They know us. All we have to do is sing. Tell them we stand by them. You know the folks here, they're fence-sitters, they'll need a powerful enough voice they can get behind."

There came another pause, but he thought he heard her snicker. Or did she? The voice he heard next had no mirth. "Move on, Yoshiyuki."

"…"

"We've graduated now. Do we have to bother ourselves? We have our own careers, let them do what they want with that stupid place."

The days gone by flashed before his pained eyes. "So you really have forgotten everybody. Everything. All of that… You don't move on from that, Anju! Who are we to you now? You're always like this, ever since, I'm sick of it!"

"You actually think doing idol stuff can save a school? You and your anime logic."

"I'll swallow any logic just to save our place."

"Hahhhh. Seriously… Who told you to do all this?"

"Huh—?"

"Come to think, Mama must've told me something about your being in that hotel." Chuckle. "Something tells me you got to hook up with that spoiled brat."

"Gah—"

Soft laugh. "Just kidding. But you do work for her, right? Have you tried to tell her to bug off after doing that to us? You know there's no putting the club back together after what she had done to Rika-chan." She finally gave in to sobbing. "You think it's that simple to club again like nothing happened?"

"If we have to make it that simple, we will. It's worth it."

"You're an unregenerate fool, Yoshiyuki."

"Where's Shuka?"

"…"

"She's with you now, isn't she? Let me talk to her, at least. Gimme the number!"

"Don't you even try. We have talked about this. She's even harder about the whole thing. She told me… She said we shouldn't let the Nanjous touch the cruise."

"Just give me the blasted number!"

She hung up.

He slowly put the phone down as his eyes stared into an unknown distance. Mrs. Nitta held back tears while Mr. Nitta only looked away sadly.

They hadn't noticed it, but the afternoon just got a little less bright.

Nanaka had contacted Arisa. Kubo said it's best not to run into the Nanjous. She wouldn't let her talk to Ai or Kanako, either.

The director had finally announced at the graduation ceremony that Nankaisei will be dissolved. A certain pall hung over the whole occasion. The graduates were supposed to feel fortunate they got to finish high school in time… but, what do you call that? Survivor guilt, is it?

Funnily enough, the school gates were left unlocked after the end of that final school year. It was still unlocked when Yoshiyuki found it two weeks later. Even some of the classrooms were left open. It's like they didn't care anymore, as though it was a school that shouldn't have been born…

Yoshiyuki got free rein to wander all over campus, nap on the benches. Nap of the branches of the old magnolia tree like he used to when he first saw Anju speak up on that silly crate, asking for takers for her Drama Club. Of course nobody's around now. He could break the windows for all he cared. But there's nothing to pilfer. The cafeteria is empty. The school is just another park now, which only he frequented.

As the day began to wind down he pushed through the unlocked gates and looked back at the school building. Was this the terrible place that demanded him to show up at a precise hour every single day? While he stewed in his thoughts he heard a dragging sound, and his eye caught sight of Anna. Anna? She was holding a heavy lock and chain which trailed along the ground.

He half-sneered. "Are you going to tie me up to the gate with that? For trespassing?"

She only smiled back weakly. "Why should I? There's no sign."

"But you own this place now, don't you?"

She shook her head sadly. "We're still in the midst of the deal. But they were sure from the outset we're having it anyway. It's only now… well, Papa told me I could… do the honor… if I want to."

"And you wanted it?"

"I just don't want a random workman to bury my old friend."

"And your father let you hold such a heavy chain, your highness?"

She smiled warmly and looked about to laugh. "It's OK," she whispered.

He walked over to her and took the chain from her. Huff. There. "I'm sorry, your highness, I believe only a son of Nankaisei can do that."

She nodded gently. He went ahead and began to work at it. There was a certain grace of form as he put the thing around the gate, his biceps and back muscles making a steady rhythm of movement from just under the shirt. Finally, he got the lock, and clanged it shut, a final echo to the long history of Nankaisei Academy. As soon as he finished she went over and clung to his arm. He gathered her up to him and they kissed long and tenderly.

"Yoshiyuki," she said, "I'm scared. I'm all alone now. My past has abandoned me. I have no friends to return to."

"What about Nanaka?"

She winced. "I wonder what she thinks of me now that we have failed."

"…"

"I told her we'd get the club back."

"Anna, don't fret about that. Nanaka's not unreasonable. You know that."

She just made a small face again. "My future… I don't know if I can grind it again in Geneva."

"Anna…" he said as he caressed her flaxen hair. He can't believe even now how beautiful she is, princess or no. he wanted to hold her like this forever, and he showed it, smelling that hair again and again, nuzzling her, touching her…

"You're all I have, Yoshiyuki," she said hoarsely.

They embraced. They had enough kissing for now. They just wanted to feel each other's warmth. Mr. Nanjou watched silently from the car regarding them coolly. He still hasn't told his wife, only hinted that someone in the staff had dared fall in love with their crown jewel. The grand matron of a princess only dismissed it, saying she'll never accept anyone lower than top-tier management, and that she'll get her pet prince to her daughter before anyone else does, anyway.

"Stay with me," she whispered desperately. "Please."

He tightened his embrace. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. Anna.

"Even if we're an ocean apart,

The dying rays of daylight bathed her in a mellow glow, reflecting the happiness that began to show on her face, holding on to those words.

"I will come back for you."

Insert ED Song:

Brightest Melody

Single by Aqours

Released on February 6, 2019.

Lyrics: Aki Hata; Composition: Hajime Mitsumasu; Arrangement: EFFY.

That evening Grandma made tea again while Yoshiyuki perused Anna's business card where she had scrawled her Geneva school's mailing address. She told him to use an official Piazza Hotels return address under Nakamura's name to ensure it gets delivered to her, as her phone and other devices will be restricted. She also promised to write him, addressing her correspondence to Grandma's.

Mrs. Minase came back with the tea and settled beside him, groaning some from uncooperative knees.

"Aren't you closing the office?" he asked worriedly. Grandma did insist on staying active at her age, but he thought work should go.

"Welp, I guess? I had lost my contracts when I got hospitalized. I'll probably shutter it for a while until somebody comes calling… If you didn't know, Granny's pretty popular with the developers in Numazu now."

He hung his head again. "I'll be hands-off, OK? If you want to kill yourself, I want nothing to do with it."

She laughed long and hard at this. "Die fighting! Oh!" she cheered like a highschooler. After which they got down to the tea.

After a while, "Yoshiyuki. I forgot to tell you. A letter came to the office while I was bedridden. I should have given it to you last week. My, such memory."

"It's for me?"

"Uhm. From Hori-san. She probably misses the Kyunins. I mean, who doesn't?"

She stood up with those knees and lumbered over to the office. When she returned she threw him the envelope and went on to the toilet. "Agh. Tea's make me pee." And she was gone.

Yoshiyuki stared at the letter for a moment. Rikako? Shall he tell him there isn't a club or a school to return to? Whatever. He tore open the envelope and unfolded the paper within. "Dearest Yoshiyuki," it began,

"I have talked to your family."

SEASON 2 END