Tuesday, July 30th

"What are you going to practice with today, Saki-chan?" Sumire tapped her hoop between her hand and the floor.

"I'm probably going to focus on the ball," Sakiya rummaged through her bag, looking at her various apparati.

"I need to touch up on the ball, too…" Sumire sighed, "I've focused so much on the clubs…"

"You've been doing great, Sumi-chan," Sakiya stood back up, rotating the ball around her with her arms, "Be confident in your grace. Everyone can be confident that you'll win, but that won't matter unless you're confident that you'll win."

"Right!" Sumire tightened her grip around the hoop, rapidly twirled it over herself, nodded, and walked to the center of the mat. Sakiya and her vowed to practice every day of the week until their competition. Hanako practiced alongside them, Futaba tagged along and Hiraguchi and Murakami watched and made sure they were all on the right track. Ryuji went to practice for track, stating that he wanted to make sure he was ready and wanted to make it to the World Championships. Ren told Sumire that he'd be able to watch her practice over the weekend, something she looked forward to greatly.

Their practice sessions from the 29th to the 3rd of August were all relatively the same, with Sumire and Sakiya swapping out which apparatus they practiced with daily. Hanako focused on the ribbon, as she had already mastered the other apparati.

Once August 3rd came, Hanako informed Sakiya in the morning that Murakami wanted her to do a special training meet, and that she wouldn't be at practice. Sakiya informed Sumire when she arrived for practice, and they made their way to the gym. They changed into their leotards and began their warm up stretches, and Sumire's excitement skyrocketed as Ren stepped into the gymnasium.

"Kept you waiting, huh?"

"Ren!" Sumire ran up to him and leaped at him, with him catching her in a hug.

"How's practice been?" He picked a stray hair from her brow.

"Great!" she smiled the classic, heart-melting smile that Ren cherished more than anything.

"You look great," he smiled back and clapped his hands on her shoulders, "Did I miss anything?"

"Not at all! We were just finishing our warm up stretches!"

"That's good. I got so annoyed on the road I wished I was thinking about using my grappling hook to swing around the city," he chuckled.

"Wh-What?" Sumire's eyes went wide, "You still have that?"

"Of course I do! Morgana would smack me silly if I didn't keep it around. Besides," he leaned in next to her ear, "I want to swing away with you on our honeymoon."

"R-Ren…" she blushed a deep red.

"Hey! It's time to practice!" Sakiya whistled at her, "You can tease each other later!"

"Huh?" Sumire quickly spun around, "W-We weren't…"

"Sure, sure," Sakiya waved her arm, "Wait, you have glasses, Ren?"

"Huh? Oh, these?" Ren touched his hand to his face and realized that, while he ditched the coat he wore to work, he was in such a hurry to drive to the gym from work that he forgot to take his glasses off.

In a quick-witted flash of genius, he made up a response. "They're fake. I just wear them sometimes because Sumire thinks I look good."

"I think she wants an unassuming hot nerd to do dirty things to her…" Futaba snickered, standing next to Sakiya.

"F-Futaba!" Sumire's face turned even more red.

"Hehehe."

""It's been quite some time," Hiraguchi gave him a nod.

"Yeah. I don't make it here as often as I used to," Ren rubbed the back of his head.

"That's enough messing around for now," Sakiya rotated her shoulder around, "Why don't you show him what you've got, Sumire?"

"Good idea!" Sumire turned her head, gave Ren a nod, and did a leap onto the mat that turned into a front roll and a cartwheel.

"This is the most excited I've seen Sumire all week," Hiraguchi walked up next to Ren, "We both know why that is, though."

"I'm just her goofy looking boyfriend," he laughed, "I'm just standing here."

"You said that the last time we spoke like this," she smirked, "We both know that your presence here is a huge deal for her. She knows you're watching, even if it's just practice."

"She hasn't been getting cramps or anything, has she? She looks like she's in pain when I see her at night, and she tenses up in bed."

"How bold of you to admit you sleep together. That's cute."

"I have nothing to hide."

"I like your style, kid," Hiraguchi looked at Sumire, who was setting up her starting pose, "It's typical for gymnasts to get sore and cramp all throughout their body. They push themselves nearly every day, practicing their routines. I often recommend those two get massages, since they practice so much. It's tough work, but you've seen what they can pull off."

"Massage, huh…"

"You look like a man who's picked a lock or two in your lifetime, I bet you're pretty dextrous, if that's what you're thinking about."

"Something like that… Wait," Ren furrowed his eyebrows, "I said that out loud? Damn…"

"You're a young couple, kid. You don't need to hide anything from me," Hiraguchi laughed.

"Oh…" Ren lightly blushed, "Well…"

"I'm just teasing you kid. Now," she nudged her head in Sumire's direction, "Watch and see how much she's improved. I know you've watched the VODs, but seeing her move up close is an entirely different experience."

"I know," he nodded and looked at Sumire, who flashed a smile before starting her practice routine. She started with the ribbon, showcasing to Ren how much she still cared about her original apparatus, the one Kasumi and her started with and planned to end their gymnastics career with. Each World Championship began with a hoop performance and ended with a ribbon performance. The placements of who performed when was not set, and they still had time before they could even think about things like that. Her performance was new to Ren, incorporating bold moves that Sakiya taught her, graceful ones she had created, and even a few bizarre movements Hanako had been practicing.

Once she finished, she moved right on to the next apparatus, choosing the hoop. She considered herself a novice with both the hoop and ball, having chosen to focus on practicing primarily with the clubs since the new year. Ren didn't see anything that could be considered "novice" in her performance, though. Sumire combined a graceful series of leaps with a few pivots, rolls, and a number of tosses that he'd consider gold medal worthy. After that, she chose the ball, which she considered herself the least practiced in now. Her performance was still very good, though, with her biggest setbacks being a series of small errors that would add up to a big deduction in the execution score.

Finally, she pulled out her clubs. The clubs were once her worst apparatus, but to everyone except herself, now appeared to be her second best. Ren couldn't tell if it was Sumire's tenacity, but she certainly was not far behind Sakiya in the clubs, at least from his point of view. When she combined the clubs together, balancing them on the back of her neck while doing a series of moves, Ren saw a fierce look on her face, one that excited him. She was determined to master the clubs, no matter how long it took her. With a series of high tosses, flips, and rolls, Sumire finished her final practice routine laying down on the mat in a pose, sweat dripping down her face.

"That's my wife!" Ren yelled, hooting and hollering as she stood up.

"W-We're not married!" she embarrassingly yelled back, "...yet…" she whispered, "Thank you for watching, though!"

"Good job, Sumi-chan," Sakiya ran up to her, "There was a different energy to how you performed today. I'm not too sure what it was, though."

"That's because Ren was watching me!" she beamed a smile, "I wanted to do my best for him!"

"Huh…" Sakiya looked at her, befuddled, "Well, if it helps you perform better, I'm all for it."

"I shoulda recorded that!" Futaba growled, "You really were different!"

"I'm impressed, Sumire," Hiraguchi nodded, "Who would have thought his presence would make such a difference. I look forward to the actual performances."

"We still have nearly a week before those, Coach! I'll improve even more by then!" Sumire bowed.

"That's the spirit. Sakiya," Hiraguchi turned to her, "You're up."

"Right!" Sakiya took to the mat while Sumire stepped off, and began her four performances. She started with the ball, which she had steadily attempted to improve with. Her performance was as daring as ever, and Ren noticed how much better her handling of the apparatus had gotten. It still wasn't perfect, and she made a few moves that were too risky, but he could tell she was just as determined at Sumire. The rest of her performances told him the same thing, with her bombastic, risky maneuvers and daring throws, leaps, and pivots paying off.

"Sumire's performances have changed drastically since I last saw her perform in person," he thought to himself, "I could tell she was getting better, but she's learning almost as fast as I learned new things. She does share the World with me, but I don't think it works like that. I don't want it to be like that, either. I want her to succeed through her own hard work. I mean, the Metaverse is gone… I'm probably overthinking things. As for Sakiya, her performances feel like more of the same from what I've seen. The same is still damn good, though."

"Great work, Saki-chan!" Sumire congratulated her as she finished her final performance.

"Good work," Hiraguchi gave her a nod, "I'm surprised that you'd start with what you think are your worst apparati and end with your best."

"My ball and hoop performances are the main show, while my club and ribbon performances are the encore. It's the encore that always keeps people wanting more," Sakiya twirled the ribbon around her and bowed.

"That's an interesting philosophy," Hiraguchi replied, "I look forward to seeing where you go with it."

"I could barely keep up with your tosses!" Futaba's eyes beamed, "Sumire, Hanako-chan and you all have such different styles! You're the craziest, Sakiya, really! You're like the challenge version of a stage that normally is pretty easy to beat!"

"I'm not sure that I understand the analogy, but sure. Thank you Futaba," Sakiya laughed in response.

"That's all for today," Hiraguchi looked at the two gymnasts, "I'll see you all here tomorrow."

"Thank you again, Coach!" Sakiya and Sumire gave Hiraguchi a bow before she left the gym.

"Welp… Now what?" Futaba looked at the three.

"I'd like to spend some time with Sumire before it gets too late, soooo…" Ren motioned to the exit.

"Spend some time with, huh?" Futaba snickered, "I bet I know exactly what you're doing…"

"Futaba, please…" Sumire sighed, her cheeks turning red.

"Heh."

"You two can do as you please. I'd suggest resting up though, Sumi-chan," Sakiya did some stretches to wind down, "It's only going to get more intense next week."

"You're right, Saki-chan!" Sumire held up her arm, flexing, "We're going to finally compete again next Friday!"

"I'm excited!" Sakiya pumped her fist, "Opportunities like this don't happen often!"

"Yes! Let's relax for the rest of the day!"

"Ayyyyyyyy!" Futaba pushed the two toward the locker rooms. Ren waited for the two to change, and looked around the empty gym, surprised that Morgana wasn't present.

"I wonder if Sakiya makes Sumire keep him home during practice? I swear she brought him everywhere now. Pets aren't allowed at Tokyo Mental Health, but I feel like a cat could be really therapeutic. He is to me, at least. I hope Sakiya can get over her allergies. How does that work, though?" Ren lost himself in thought as he waited, "I've been there for a year, now. I started by volunteering, and then I got my internship… I think I'm doing well. I cut back on the number of clients I took, but like Sumire lectures me, and Maruki told me, I need to focus on my own mental health," he scrunched his nose between his fingers.

"Are you alright, Ren?" he blinked and saw Sumire standing in front of him, a concerned look on her face.

"Hm? Yeah I'm good. I was just thinking about Morgana, and my job."

"Are you stressed again?"

"Not anymore," she smirked.

"I'm afraid that won't work," Sumire smiled and shook her head, "We can talk when we get home."

"Sure."

"Ohhh, what do you think they're planning Sakiya?" Futaba playfully nudged Sakiya's side.

"Something nasty, I bet. Sumi-chan needs to unwind somehow," she snickered, speaking out loud.

"Wh-What?" Sumire felt a shiver shoot down her spine as he looked at Ren and felt her face turn red.

"Hey hey," Ren wrapped his arm around her waist, spinning her around, "What we do is between us," he smirked.

"R-R-Ren! Don't encourage them!"

"Have fun, you two!" Sakiya winked, "I'd like to spend time with Ryuji, myself!"

"I'm gonna see if I can catch Hanako-chan before the night is over! Gotta jet!"

Futaba and Sakiya made their way out, leaving the couple in the gym.

"Your hair has gotten pretty long," Ren ran his hand through her hair, which reached her upper back, "I haven't really noticed, since you've been wearing it tied up for a while."

"It's not fully grown out yet!" she giggled, "I'm not going to let it get too long, though. Bundling up all that hair in a bun actually impacts my performances."

"Is that why Sakiya never changes her hair?"

"Yes! She thinks it takes too much time to do her hair, and she'd rather spend that time reading!"

"She never changed, huh?"

"I respect her dedication!"

"Mhm," Ren held his hand against his stomach, "I'm pretty hungry, and I only watched! We should head home!"

"Yes!" Sumire's stomach growled, "I'm quite hungry, and Morgana-senpai is probably lonely!"

"Should we get him another cat…?" Ren scratched his chin.

"I don't think so. He wouldn't let someone else, especially a cat, get into his treasure hoard!" Sumire giggled, and Ren gently took her hand.
"Let's not keep him waiting, them!"


Ren and Sumire drove home, changed into comfortable clothing, and prepared themselves a large dinner consisting of curry and coffee.

"We really should cook some other meals…" Sumire looked at the large pot of curry as it bubbled.

"We're really busy," he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on hers, "It doesn't hurt, sticking to what we're familiar with. It's pretty healthy, too, with the right ingredients."

"You really love it, don't you?"

"Sojiro trusted me with his secret recipe. Him and I are the only ones who know the recipe to the best curry in the world."

"That's a bold claim, Ren."

"You're a bold woman, Sumire," Ren ran his hand up her torso.

"R-Ren!"

"You're the one only wearing a loose shirt…"

Sumire blushed and puffed her cheeks.

"Is the food ready?" Morgana meowed loudly through the door to the main room.

"Oh, uh, yeah!" Ren yelled back and lowered his hands.

Sumire sighed and opened the fridge.

"What? Disappointed we had to stop?" he grinned as he checked the curry.

"..." she didn't respond, pulling the tuna from the fridge and silently preparing a plate.

"Darn it, Morgana…" Ren sighed.

The two finished preparing their dinner and sat down at the table, with Morgana giving them a confused look.

"What got into you two? You both look mad!"

"It's nothing, Morgana-senpai!" Sumire rapidly blushed and waved her arms.

"Hmmmm…." Morgana gave her a skeptical look.

"I'm just a little stressed again, but it's not that bad," Ren waved his arm.

"Are you alright, Ren?"

"I'm fine, yeah," Ren reached over and pet Morgana.

"Sumire knows when you're lying."

"I know."

"Hmmmm…."

"Would you mind taking a walk, Morgana? I need to talk to Sumire about something privately."

"After I eat! A gentleman always empties his plate!"

The three of them ate their dinners, with Morgana stepping out after he finished.

"Why did you have Morgana-senpai step out?" Sumire gave him a curious look.

"I wanted to ask you a question," Ren stood up and calmly looked at her.

"Go ahead. Although, I feel like I should be asking you a question," she stood up and walked in front of him.

"I'm not stressed, Sumire. I promise," he grabbed her hands, "I'm not worried about my problems, because I've been doing fine. I'm worried about you. How do you feel about being able to properly face off against Sakiya again?"

Sumire took a deep breath and looked him in the eye.

"I want to beat her, Ren. I really want to show her how much I've grown. Since the start of university, her and I have been practicing together every day. I've mentioned it to you before, but she reminds me of Kasumi in many ways," she exhaled, "But at the same time, she's so much more than Kasumi. I don't mean to sound mean, though. They are very different people, and Kasumi's determination was unmatched, but Sakiya's attitude is…"

"Headstrong and risky?" he tightened his grip on her hands.

"Yes… She's not afraid to lose, unlike me… She tells me over and over that I need to accept failure and learn from it, but…"

"It's not that easy," he reassured her, "Whenever I lose a client, I feel awful, like I failed them."

"Mhm," Sumire nodded, "I want to change who I am, who Sumire Yoshizawa is. I don't want to cry anymore. I thought I took that vow when we promised to become our world's champions."

"It's not that easy, Sumi," Ren chuckled, "We're doing the best we can, slowly but surely. Instead of trying to change ourselves in the moment, all at once, let's just keep growing day by day, like we have been."

"I agree," Sumire giggled and kissed him on the cheek, "I feel the same way as you."

"That's why we're dating!"

"We have a bond that Sakiya will never have, Kasumi, you and I…" Sumire closed her eyes.

"Yeah," Ren closed his, and the two held one another close for a few minutes. After silently acknowledging they had nothing more to say on the matter, they slowly opened their eyes, completely calmed down.

"By the way… That wasn't what I originally wanted to ask," Ren leaned back, smiling.

"Really?" Sumire's eyes widened, "What did you want to ask, then?"

"I was going to ask if you've ever gotten a massage."

"A massage? I don't often get them, no. I make sure I always stretch before and after my routines, and I'm usually over any soreness by the next morning."

"Do you ever get cramps?"

"Sometimes I do, yes. You don't have to worry about my physical health, Ren," she giggled and shook her head.

"But I do, Sumire," he bumped his head against hers, "All I do is watch and listen to you. I was thinking about another way I could help you, before you go and face Sakiya."

"What's that?" she smiled at him.

"I wanted to give you a massage," he smirked.

"Huh?" her entire face froze.

"I used to get massages all the time, during my Phantom Thief days. They really helped me out. I remember exactly what they did, so I wanted to try my hand at it."

"W-Wh-Wh-Wh…" Sumire's face turned beet red, "Y-You want to give me a massage?"

"I want to do even more for you, Sumire. When I watched you practice today I was… I was blown away. I can't wait to see what you'll show me when you seriously perform."

Sumire let go of one of his hands and touched his cheeks. "You do enough by just being there for me, Ren. Is this what you were actually stressed about?"

"Huh?"

"I can still tell that you're stressed, you know. Your breathing is off, and you don't look as confident as you normally do."

"Well I…" he looked down and averted his gaze.

"It's okay," she interrupted, "You really surprised me at first, saying you wanted to give me a massage… But I'd be okay with it."

"Y-You're not embarrassed?"

"I'm very embarrassed, but I want you to spoil me while you still can," she smirked, slightly biting her lip.

"Being greedy again, huh? You honestly deserve it after all that practice. I want you to be in your best shape through the next week," Ren smiled, reassured.

"I'll lay down on the bed then," Sumire stepped back and led him to their bed, holding his hand. She laid down, wearing a loose shirt and sweatpants. Ren looked at her directly as he cracked his fingers, feeling encouraged.

"It's embarrassing if you look at me…" her cheeks stayed a light pink.

"Good," he gently laid his hands on her shoulders and rubbed his thumbs against her upper back, "How does this feel?" he smirked.

"You really are good at this…"

"I don't know the names of any back muscles, but I do know where most of them are. Do you remember all those times we stretched together?"

"With my routine, you learn about all sorts of muscles you'd never even think about. The way we're required to bend and twist our bodies… We use every last muscle."

"I've seen that," Ren slowly worked his hands down her back, performing various massage techniques.

"Ah…"

"Did that hurt?" he lifted his hands.

"It's okay, I'm just a bit sore. I think I bent my back too far during my ball performance…"

"I don't have to tell you not to overdo it," he continued, working his way back up caressing her sides as he did.

"Ren!" she flashed red as he ran his hands up and moved to her arms.

"You're so cute…" he snickered and continued, working his way down her arms.

"It's mostly my back and legs…"

"You've never twisted your wrist before?"

"When I was little, I did… Kasumi helped me after. I cried for hours…"

"And look at where you are now."

"Yes…"

"You can fall asleep if you want, dear."

"I wouldn't be able to enjoy this if I did…"

"So you ARE enjoying it!" his grin widened.

"N-Not like that!" She buried her face in a pillow.

Ren continued to massage her body, working his way down her legs, covering areas Kawakami never touched. He had a general idea of how to massage every muscle after working his way down her back.

"How do you even do pivots?" he asked while massaging her hips, knowing full well how red she was.

"P-Practice… L-Lot's…"

"Practice…"

"Ren!" she rolled over, completely red and glaring at him.

"What? You're so soft and toned at the same time… I just had to!" he held up his hands, raising an eyebrow.

"..." Sumire puffed her cheeks.

"I really can't handle how cute you look!" he giddily responded.

"I'm… I'm really happy that I get to show you this side of me…"

"And I'm really I get to be myself around you," Ren crawled up to her on the bed and laid next to her. Their eyes met, ruby meeting onyx, and they silently looked at one another for several minutes.

"How do you think you'll do?" Ren cupped his hand around her left, tracing a finger around the heart ring.

"I feel like I'm going to do just fine with you watching me. That massage… really helped, too," she gave Ren a loving gaze, touching her right hand to his chest.

"Does that mean you'd like more massages?"

"...I think you already know my answer."

Before the two went to bed, they opened the doors for Morgana and let him in. After that, they held each other closely, spending an intimate night together, anticipating the coming week.


The next week flew by for the two competing gymnasts, with their focus being solely affixed to their training. Sakiya and Sumire fiercely worked to perfect their current routines, with Sakiya leaning heavily into the ball and hoop, and Sumire working to perfect her club and ribbon performances. She didn't have time to drastically improve her hoop and ball routines, and she believed that they were adequate and graceful enough. Her primary focus was on bringing a graceful style to the clubs, which she believed would greatly benefit when it came to standing out. Every day, she would feel her anxiety spike when she thought about the upcoming competition, but she let herself calm down, utilizing the methods Ren taught her, and thinking of him at the same time. She knew that if she continued to practice to the best of her ability, she'd be able to make high marks and secure victory in some way. The thought of losing always lingered, but she knew she couldn't let it hold her back. Sakiya wouldn't let her, and Ren wouldn't let her. She didn't want to disappoint either of them.

Hanako continued to practice alongside them, but also stood along Hiraguchi and Murakami to evaluate their performances. Futaba started recording every single one of their performances for future records. Every day was tough, and much to Ren's excitement, Sumire actively began asking for more massages. Both of them worked hard, with Sumire pushing herself as hard as she could, knowing that at the end of the night she could lie next to Ren and sleep comfortably, knowing he'd always be there for her. This brief cycle continued, and the promised day finally came.


August 8th

Ryuji, Futaba and Ren sat in the bleachers of the large gymnasium, while Hanako, Hiraguchi, and Murakami sat at a table where they had set up one end of the large gymnastics mat. Ren knew he couldn't avoid being in the same place as Hanako at the moment, so he elected to keep his distance. He wasn't going to miss this, and he knew her role as a judge. It only took them one small glare to make a silent agreement, one that none of the others needed to know of.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Sumire stepped into the gym, wearing her violet leotard, with her hair tied into a tight bun, her neoprene strap keeping her glasses held tight. Next to her was Sakiya, wearing her dark green and black leotard, with her hair tied into a tight bun. As they stepped forward, Hanako spoke.

"Hello, everyone! I know there are only a few of us here, but I wanted to make this feel as authentic as possible!" she excitedly waved at Futaba, ecstatic to see her, with Futaba giving her a thumbs up, "Today we will have the two rhythmic gymnasts, Sumire Yoshizawa and Sakiya Archambeau, competing for the slot in the World Cup Challenge in Cluj-Napoca! They will be competing using the traditional performance order used in the World Championships and Olympics, with twenty-minute breaks after every two performances, so they can stretch and prepare themselves! Both competitors will begin with the hoop, and end with the ribbon! Coach Murakami, Coach Hiraguchi and I will be judging using the guidelines set by FIG! Both will be judged on their individual apparatus performance, with the score consisting of their execution score and their difficulty score, added! Additionally, the two have chosen musical tracks that they will perform to! Once all of their performances are finished, we will add together the total of all four performances for each competitor, making the all-around final score!" Hanako looked at Sakiya with a smile, "Sakiya-chan, are you ready to begin?"

"I am," Sakiya picked up her hoop, which was laid out with the rest of her apparati, and stepped up to the center of the mat.

"Hoop em, Maiden!" Ryuji yelled, which made her glare daggers at him, "Aw, wait, that doesn't sound cool… Sorry!"

After a few more seconds, everyone in the room went silent as Sakiya assumed her starting pose. She held her right arm outstretched, with the hoop pressed into place, pushing against the palm of her hand. Her left arm was bent in front of her face, and she leaned her back slightly, with her left toes bent and pressing against the floor. As soon as the music began, an instrumental version of Caught Somewhere in Time by Iron Maiden, she hopped forward, picking the hoop up and flicking her wrist so that it rolled along her right arm. As it did, she jumped back, letting it roll down before catching it with her left hand and tossing it up to her right hand, which she held high. Once she caught it, she stepped forward, moving the hoop down and placing her foot inside of it. She let go of it and flicked the hoop into the air with her right foot, tapping her feet to the rhythm as it fell back down. Each of her movements were in direction coordination with the beat of the song. She caught the hoop with her left arm, letting it spin around a few times before spinning herself around and letting the hoop continue to spin around her wrist. While it spun, she held her left leg up before placing her foot down and spinning the hoop above her head. As it spun, she lowered it onto her shoulders and let go, letting it spin around her shoulders and she moved her head under it, before letting it spin around her left shoulder and rapidly catching it again. Both of her hands gripped the hoop as she spun around in a forward motion, tossing the hoop high into the air after a third spin. She did a quick roll on the floor before catching the hoop and doing a backflip through it, which brought her into a standing position. She let the hoop spin around her right wrist as she picked her left leg up and held it for a second with her arm. She continued her performance with several twirls, tossing the hoop and catching it between her legs in a sideways flip through the air. It rapidly twirled around her hand as she placed it around her body while she laid down, spinning into another flip before proceeding to do several cartwheels while letting the hoop spin around her left foot. The last few moves consisted of her doing another series of spins, a toss, and then catching the hoop around her waist, holding up her left leg, and pivoting around four times while flipping the hoop in and out. She did several forward flips, catching the hoop each time with her foot and sending it into the air again. In the last flip, she did a roll instead, letting the hoop bounce off her back before catching it in a side roll, resting on her knees, and holding a finger pointed toward the judges in her final pose as the music stopped.

Ryuji immediately applauded, and the three judges calculated her score.

"17.900 points total!" Hanako excitedly yelled, "Sumire-chan, you're up with the ball!"

"Right!" Sumire picked up her ball, gave Ren a nod, and walked to the center of the mat. Sumire bent forward, placing the ball against the top of her right foot and the back of her left heel, holding it on both sides. She stood up, balancing the food between her heels. As the music began, a track from Façade 5, which Futaba showed her earlier in the year, played. Sumire moved her upper torso, moving her left hand down and right hand up, taking one step back and letting the ball roll against the tips of her left toes while lifting ler left hand. She let it roll, stepping forward to follow it before doing a quick spin and letting it roll up her left foot. She kicked it up, bouncing it off her right knee and dribbling it for a second before picking it up with her right hand and tossing it into the air. It flew into the air and landed right behind her, and she bent her back slightly so that it bounced off the back of her neck. Ren winced slightly, unsure of how that wouldn't hurt. She quickly dribbled it again before picking it up and rotating it between her hands and jumping into another toss. She spun around three times on her right heel in a rapid motion as it flew in the air, and as soon as she caught it, she did a backward roll, lifting her right leg into the air and following with her left. Once she finished the roll, she briefly lost the ball for a second, but it rolled inside the boundaries. She quickly improvised, doing a forward roll and picking it up with her right hand before following up with another toss. While it flew, she did a side-spinning pivot, rotating her whole body around her left leg before catching it again in another backward roll. She didn't lose it this time, instead holding it with her left hand and moving it around her, holding it between her legs. She lifted up her right leg completely back and began a series of pivots, spinning on her left foot with her right hand held out. This motion didn't stop, and she picked herself back up into a series of spins, and she jumped like a swan before bouncing the ball and catching it once more. This pattern of movements continued, with Sumire alternating between spinning tosses and rolls. In one toss, she caught it between her legs while sitting. As she stood up, she held her leg up behind her head, doing another series of pivots. Her last big move involved her doing a forward roll and watching the ball between her feet while landing in a handstand. She let it roll down her body before she let herself fall forward, standing while catching it. Her performance concluded with her letting it roll down her back and catching it before ending with a sitting pose, holding the ball in her left hand, while holding her right hand, with her fingers slightly bent, high.

"Sumi cute!" Ren yelled as Sumire stood up, smiling. She waved at Ren and waited for her score to be calculated.

"Your score for the ball performance is 15.050! Your execution score took the biggest hit, but you did well, Sumire-chan!" Hanako announced her score, remaining cheerful.

"I understand," Sumire bowed, "Thank you!"

"Next up after our break is Sakiya-chan, with the clubs!"

"Right!" Sakiya picked up her clubs and twirled them around her rapidly, walking to the center of the mat. She began stretching and practicing various poses while the various groups talked amongst themselves. Sumire joined her to stretch, with everyone waiting for the break to end.


Once their break ended, starting with a deep breath, Sakiya sat down and placed her clubs, hooked together, on her right foot, while curling her left toes and bending her left leg back. She bent herself back, outstretching her hands on the floor. Her starting pose puzzled Ren, but he quickly realized what she was doing. The song for her clubs performance, Moonchild, began and Sakiya quickly leaned back up, kicking her leg into the air and doing a backward roll that led into a backflip, with her kicking her right leg out and forward. As the clubs flew up from the kick, she caught them with her left hand and did a sideflip, leveraging herself with her right hand. She stood upright, spinning the clubs around her, holding her left hand up in a wave for a moment. Her right leg kicked up as she dropped the clubs onto it, and they bounced back up, with her leaning back, balanced on her left foot. She quickly caught the clubs and sprung forward, separating them and beginning a series of spins, twirling the clubs around her. The club in her left hand flew into the air as she spun around, and it bounced off the right club into the air mid-spin. With another twirl, she caught it behind her with her left hand, and held out both her kicked her right leg completely up, pressing her arms together with her leg between them. He left toes held her as she pivoted around twice before beginning a series of spins and tosses again. Most of her movements consisted of tossing while spinning, a feat that required precise coordination and dexterity. Ren understood how it was different to a particular degree. Not all palaces could be traversed in the same fashion, and they all required different versions of thinking to actively navigate. Sakiya happily swung the clubs around, smiling. She lifted her left leg completely back and up, bending forward and holding her arms out before doing another series of pivots. As she pivoted, she twirled the clubs around her hands in the reverse direction of her body pivots. As her spinning slowed, she beat the clubs like drumsticks for a second before doing a forward roll, keeping her legs outstretched the entire time. She held herself with her body leaned back on one foot, twirling the clubs again before leaping into a standing pose and following up with several more tosses and spins. After that, she held her left leg up, with her toes just brushing her hair bun, drumming the clubs against the ground and then juggling them. She then held her left leg up and spun them behind her before assuming a standing position and performing another small flurry of bombastic twirls and tosses. Her final big move involved her tossing the club in her left hand into the air, doing a backward roll, and catching it with her right hand as she rolled backward. She spun along the ground before jumping up, doing one last series of tosses and spins. On her last toss, she caught the combined clubs with her legs and pressed them on the ground, holding her finger pointed out in her final pose.

"Holy shit…" Ryuji stood up, his eyes wide, "That was nuts… Go Sakiya!" he yelled.

Sakiya stood up and smiled at Ryuji, waiting for her score..

"Your score for that performance is 18.200! That was incredible, Sakiya-chan!"

"Thank you very much," Sakiya flourished her clubs one last time.

"The next performance is Sumire-chan with the ribbon!" Hanako exclaimed.

"Right!" Sumire picked up her specially carved ribbon and looked it over again, reading the names "Kasumi," "Sumire," and "Ren," off before stepping onto the mat. With a quick flourish of the ribbon, she placed her right foot in front of her left and crossed both her arms against her chest, holding the ribbon in her right hand. The music began, another track from Façade 5, and Sumire began her dance. She spun her arm up and in a circle, with the ribbon trailing behind. She lifted her right leg high and twirled the ribbon, creating a spiral in front of her. It continued to twirl as she lowered her leg and quickly lifted it again, jolting her left arm out in a pose. As her right foot touched down, she moved her right arm up, letting the ribbon fly high as she caught part of it with her left hand, jumping as it passed under her feet. She followed up with a series of sideways twirls, creating a series of circles with the ribbon. Her body remained in perpetual motion as she gracefully let the ribbon spin around her, creating the sight of an alluring beauty in a storm of flowers. She lifted her right hand high and twirled the ribbon around, doing two sideways cartwheels while it spun. The ribbon entranced everyone as she pivoted on one foot, flawlessly maneuvering the ribbon around her, letting it spin freely. As she finished her pivots, she held the ribbon forward and did a forward roll, tossing the ribbon into the air as she did. She jumped, spinning, and landed on her knees, catching the ribbon with her left hand. Once she caught it, she leaped back up, lifted her left leg above her head, held it with both her hands and began another series of pivots, with the base of the ribbon held against her leg, with the ribbon itself spinning around her. She effortlessly and rapidly put her foot back down and began another series of sideways cartwheels, following up with a spinning toss, catching the ribbon in her right hand as she rotated herself backward in a roll. Her pattern continued, with Sumire launching the ribbon into the air again before sitting down and doing a backward roll, catching it and keeping the ribbon twirling. She stood back up and held her left leg high, spinning the ribbon in a downward spiral around her before doing another sideways cartwheel, twirling the ribbon rapidly, moving into another toss. With another perfect catch, she did one last series of spins, allowing the ribbon to hypnotize everyone as it twirled. In her last move, she tossed the ribbon, did a backward roll, and caught the ribbon between her feet before finishing in a laying pose.

Ren pumped his fist and wiped a tear from his eyes. He wanted to yell so badly, but he knew it'd ruin the moment. Her movements were beautiful, graceful, and delicate; movements that brought him back to his days as a Phantom Thief.

"The score for your ribbon performance is 18.300! Great work, Sumire-chan!" Hanako announced, "The second round will begin in twenty minutes. Please stretch and drink some water!"


The next twenty minutes were slow, with Sumire and Sakiya stretching and hydrating themselves while Ren, Ryuji and Futaba waited silently, too anxious and excited to make small talk.

"Saki-chan is ahead by 3 points right now with both performances added together… I can still do this!" Sumire hyped herself up while occasionally glazing at Ren, who gave her nothing but warm, reassuring smiles.

"Next up is Sumire-chan, with the hoop!" Hanako exclaimed.

"Okay…" Sumire picked up her hoop and stepped onto the mat. She assumed her starting pose, holding the hoop in her right hand, with her left foot held up and against the bottom of the hoop. The music, another song from Façade 5, began, and Sumire sent the hoop up and across her shoulders before spinning around and letting it spin around her left arm before tossing it into the air. She gracefully posed and did a handstand, catching the hoop with her left foot and letting it bounce between her feet before catching it with her right foot and stepping forward, holding it between her right leg and lft, holding it with her left hand. Sumire looked directly at Ren and curtsied before lifting the hoop up along with her right leg, holding it behind her leg with her left hand, and holding the hoop between her legs and above her head with her left hand. She rapidly did two pivots before rotating the hoop out and holding it out with both hands, tossing it into the air with a jump. As it flew, she spun around three times before holding her left foot up and bending her body down, letting the hoop fall all the way down her torso before leaning up, kicking her left foot out and sitting down for a brief moment. She stood up and held her right leg up behind her, spinning the hoop around as she rotated it around her body. On the last rotation, she swung her leg through it and held it up again. She let it spin around her neck before moving into a handstand, twirling it around her legs as she moved one down and kept the other up. Once she stood back up, she pivoted the hoop around her right leg, kicking it up high. Her last move consisted of ehr doing several cartwheels sideways, kicking the hoop up and around her each time. With one final handstand and flip, she let the hoop fly up. As it landed though, she briefly lost control of it for a second before catching it with one last spin, making the best of her error. Unable to finish in the pose she intended, she held her hand up and waved to Ren, trying to hold back tears, knowing that would cost her points.

Ren unequivocally clapped for her, however, cheering her on and on.

"The score for your hoop performance is 16.300!" Hanako announced. Sumire sucked it up and stepped off the mat, "Up next is Sakiya with the ball!"

Sakiya gave Sumire an affirmative nod as she picked up her ball and stepped onto the mat. She sat down and placed the ball behind her, holding out both of her legs slightly. The music, Different World by Iron Maiden, began, and Sakiya rolled on her back, flipping herself without her hands leaving the ground. She landed on her stomach and let the ball roll up her chest and onto her right shoulder, spinning around and letting it bounce one before catching it with her right hand. She pushed herself up on her knees and let it roll down her arm and back, rolling forward and catching between her legs as it did. As soon as she finished rolling forward, she rolled back, standing on her hands with her legs held in the air, with her back bent. The ball bounced once, following the beat, and she rolled her legs back, picking the ball up with her hand again, standing up. She ran forward with the ball clenched to her chest, dramatically throwing it into the air mid-spin. The ball landed in her right hand as it fell, and she held her arms up and let it roll down her arms and under her chin. While she balanced it under her chin, she did a backward handstand, letting it fall and bounce as she completed the flip, catching the ball and moving her body quickly so she was standing again. She lifted her left leg above her head, touching her foot to her head as she dribbled the ball. It bounced off her chest once and continued to dribble it before picking it back up and rotating herself. In a daring, strange move, Sakiya bent herself downward on her left side, holding her leg in the air and placing the ball on the ground. She pushed it away from her, letting it roll on its own. As it rolled away, she did a sideways cartwheel and caught it with her feet as she landed. In another rapid, forward roll, she tossed the ball into the air, rolled forward, and sat down. The ball landed between her legs, she picked it up with her left hand, and then she did a backward roll, holding herself up with her right hand for a minute before standing again. She quickly posed, holding the ball up for a moment, before lowering it to her bottom foot and lifting her left leg backward into the air, beginning a series of pivots. After spinning for a few rotations, she bounced the ball while doing a forward roll, catching it again and jumping up into another spinning toss. Sakiya spun around a few more times, letting the ball roll around her body before tossing it into the air with a sideways cartwheel, kicking it up with her foot. She dropped to her knees and posed as it fell between her legs again, jumping up a second after and doing a roll, lifting her left leg behind her into the air as she rotated her torso back and forth, holding the ball in her right hand outreached. With an insane maneuver, she rotated herself backward, swapping the foot she was standing on while moving the ball between her hands. For her final move at the climax of the song, she tossed the ball into the air and held her hands behind her back, letting it drop into them as she leaped forward. With one last leap, she tossed the ball in front of her from behind, landing in a sitting pose and letting the ball come to a rest between her waist and legs.

With a deep breath, she stood back up and waited for her score.

"The score for your ball performance is 17.400!" Hanako yelled, "Up next after our final break is Sumire with the clubs!"


Sumire swallowed the lump in her throat as she began stretching, thinking to herself.

"I need to score perfectly, or better! This is my last performance! Don't panic, just breath…"

With a nervous glance, she saw Ren give her two thumbs up and blow a kiss, which made her giggle. Their break passed by quickly, and with one last burst of confidence in her steps, she stepped onto the mat and placed her clubs, combined, onto her left foot. She held her right leg out and left arm up in her starting pose. As the music began, she immediately did a backward roll, taking the clubs with her. Mid-roll, she kicked the clubs off her foot, allowing them to spin in the air freely. As she finished her roll, she grabbed them with her right hand and rolled them along the ground briefly before picking them up in a forward roll. She tossed them into the air and began spinning, doing a cartwheel before catching them with her right hand and immediately throwing them into the air again. Once they met the grasp of her right hand once more, she spun them between her legs as she did a backward rotation, landing on her knees and spinning it around her. Mid-spin, she separated the slubs and let them spin in her hands as she held up her left leg behind her. She tapped the clubs together before moving into a forward roll, throwing the clubs into the air. With a seamless catch, she stood up and began spinning, tossing the clubs as she did and catching them. She stopped near the edge of the mat and did a backward rotation with her left leg, letting the clubs fly freely, catching one with her foot and the other with her hand. She did a flip backward with one hand, letting the club fly from her foot. After catching it, she smiled and skipped around the mat, drumming and juggling the clubs in the air. Once more she did a roll forward, tossing the clubs in the air and doing a handstand, catching the clubs by bending her legs while they fell. She held her arms out and began a series of pivots, holding her left foot in the air behind her, drumming the clubs as she spun. With one final, graceful move she held the clubs in an X with her right hand, bending herself back and doing a pivot, holding her right leg in the air, a disorienting move that she managed to pull off flawlessly. She rolled forward one last time, tossing the clubs in the air and catching them with her legs and smiling.

Ren stood up and clapped, letting the tears flow down his face as he did. He didn't speak, but she could tell he was saying "You did amazing."

With bated breaths, Sumire waited for her club performance score to be calculated.

"The score for your club performance is 17.150!"

Sumire took a deep breath and bowed.

"Thank you for evaluating my performances!"

"You've done well, Sumire, now take a seat and relax," Hiraguchi smiled at her, and Sumire did as she told her to.

"Our final performance today is Sakiya-chan, with the ribbon!"

Sakiya nodded, grabbed her ribbon, and stepped up onto the center of the mat. She placed her ribbon down under her left foot, curling her toes around the handle. She then lifted her foot, holding the handle, as well as her right arm. As the song, The Duellists by Iron Maiden began, Sakiya began her final performance. The song was bombastic, and Sakiya's performance reflected that. She immediately began with a cartwheel and a spin, keeping the ribbon handle locked between her foot and toes. Once she landed, she kicked the handle up to her right hand and began spinning it, immediately pulling her left foot up behind her head and pivoting several times with her right leg. She flawlessly moved out of the pivot and held herself up with her left hand, doing a split and spinning the ribbon at the same time. Without effort, she moved from the split into a series of skips, twirling the ribbon boisterously as she spun around, jumping. With another cartwheel, she tossed the ribbon into the air and did a forward roll, catching the ribbon with her left arm and swinging it forward before moving into another series of pivots, this time holding her left leg high above her head and holding it with her left leg, spinning the ribbon around herself. She continued to flourish the ribbon around herself, moving her body to the beat, jutting her hips out and her legs before catching the ribbon with her left hand and doing another forward roll, dropping the ribbon and kicking it into the air with her right foot. Once she caught it, she stood on her light leg, holding her left high into the air, twirling the ribbon rapidly in front of her along the ground before moving it back under her leg and doing a forward roll with one hand. As she rolled forward, she let the ribbon spin around her before standing and doing another round of pivots. In another flourish, she spun around and tossed the ribbon into the air again, doing a forward roll, catching the ribbon and doing another flourish as she stood back up and continued skipping around. There were no pauses in her routine whatsoever. Every movement came after the other, with no margin for error between. It was a risk-reward style of performance that was bold and daring all the same. She finished her performance with another series of rolls, ending with a sitting pose after catching the ribbon and letting it flow around her until it sat still.

Ryuji jumped up and pumped his fist, while Ren crossed his hands and sat quietly.

"The score for your ribbon performance is 18.700! That is all of the performances," Hanako stood up, "We will now calculate the all-around scores!"

"There's no need, Hanako-chan… I lost…" Sumire bit her lip as she thought to herself, wanting to speak. Sakiya and Sumire stood silently in front of the judges as they waited, with an unseen tension choking Sumire. She wanted to cry, but she knew she couldn't.

"I need to accept this with grace… I have to…" she repeatedly told herself, clutching her arm.

"Sumire-chan! Your all-around score is 66.800!" Hanako gave her a nod, "As for Sakiya-chan, your all-around score is 72.200! It was a close match, but a few small errors add up in the execution score!"

"I…" Sumire sniffled.

"Hey," Sakiya wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug, "You did amazing, Sumi-chan. You nearly beat my ribbon score, and you did a hell of a lot better than some of the people I fought at the World Championship last year. You're not gonna let this take you down, right?"

"I…" Sumire wrapped her arms around Sakiya and looked up at Ren, whose warm smile never went away, even through his own tears. She felt that warmth reach her heart and pulse through her body in that moment.

"I won't," she sniffled, letting the tears roll down her cheeks, "I'm just getting started!" she weeped and gripped Sakiya's leotard.

"That's right! This isn't failure, Sumi-chan. This is an opportunity to grow! What will you do next?"

"I-I'm going to keep training!" she yelled through her choked voice, "I'm not going to stop, not while Ren is watching me!"

"Let that be the fuel that burns the fire in your heart then, Sumire," Sakiya tightened her grip around her while everyone sachet in silence.

"F-First I'll perfect the clubs, and then I'll work on the hoop, the ball, and then I'll master the ribbon!"

"Is anything going to stop you?" Sakiya excitedly asked.

"No! I'm going to keep training until I surpass Hanako-chan, the Averina sisters, Ashram-san, Minagawa-san, and you, Saki-chan!" Sumire's tears came back in full force, but she held her head high, with a determined look confirming to Sakiya that she was frustrated, not sad. She had made her resolve.

"I'm not going to give you a break, alright?" Sakiya patted her back and let her go, "Because I'm going to keep training, too. I want to reach the top, just like you. That's why we're rivals!" she flashed a smug smile to Sumire, who started laughing through her tears.

"Right!"

"You two have an amazing bond!" Hanako clapped, interjecting as Sumire calmed down, "I'm happy you two have such a happy friendship!"

"You two really are amazing," Hiraguchi smirked, "Sumire. You pulled off some stellar performances. You're not even the same woman I was training two years ago. Every time you come to practice, you've grown just a little bit more. You've always been a crybaby, but you make sure you're never crying for the same reason. You have so many people supporting you on your journey. Sakiya," Hiraguchi turned to her, "You practice what you preach, and I respect that. Your daring routine and confident personality are going to carry you far, including the World Cup Challenge in Cluj-Napoca. Congratulations."

"I was thoroughly impressed with both of you," Murakami stood up, "I'm extremely happy to be standing in this gymnasium, surrounded by three of the best rhythmic gymnasts in Japan's history. There are the others, yes, but you three have a special bond. Keep that bond close to your hearts, and never let it go. Your love for one another, and the respect you have for each other, that is what carries gymnasts to the Olympics."

"Th-Thank you very much, Coach Hiraguchi, Coach Murakami!" Sumire bowed, with Sakiya and Hanako following suit.

"Didja see that, man?" Ryuji nudged Ren's shoulder, "Sakiya kicked ass! My girlfriend kicked ass! She beat your girlfriend!"

"Ryuji," Ren glared at him, with his eyes flashing completely red for a second, "I understand that you're happy, but I'd like if you kept it to yourself right now."

"Oh uh, right. Sorry man…" Ryuji panicked briefly and leaned back.

"It's fine," Ren took a deep breath, "Sorry. It's just, yeah."

"Ren is pissed!" Futaba not-so-subtly whispered to Ryuji, walking around Ren on the bleachers.

"I know that now!" he responded, "Ah… shit," he looked back at Ren.

"I'm not that mad…" he stated with a clenched fist, gritting his teeth with tears fresh in his eyes, "Sakiya won fair and square. It's my fault for not being there for Sumire more."

"Don't say that man!" Ryuji put his hand on his shoulder, "We had uni shit, you got your job…"

"So?" Ren shook him off, "Dammit… I'm sorry… What kind of boyfriend am I? I'm barely there for her during practice… I hid my stress from her for a long while… Jeez…"

"Ren, dude, look at me," Ryuji hardened his expression, "No one is sayin' that but you. You know what'll happen if you tell her that? She'd probably slap you. I've never seen a couple like you and Sumire, and I'm gonna have to slap you till you open your eyes, cause now you're makin' me mad."

Ren sighed deeply and looked back down at Sumire, who was now smiling again, looking up at him and waving.

"She loves you with everything she has, Ren," Futaba patted his back, "You think I tease her because it's funny? I mean, I do, but that's not all. I do it c-cause I know she loves you a lot. You and her are two peas in a pod! Just go talk to her! Adult life is hard, but you two are levelling up pretty fast! You're probably gonna be the first ones with extra lives!"

Ren scoffed and lightly chuckled. "Thanks, you two. I don't know why I get like that sometimes. I'm supposed to be the leader…"

"Hey man, no one's gonna fault you for bein' human," Ryuji lightly punched his shoulder.

"Right… Also, extra lives?" Ren raised an eyebrow and looked up at Futaba, who responded with a lewd gesture.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh that makes sense," Ren nodded, "Okay, No more moping!" he stood up and started making his way down the bleachers.

"Sumire!"

As he made his way down, Hanako quietly whispered to Murakami. "I'm going to use the bathroom. If everyone leaves, come find me!"

"Sure thing…?" Murakami gave her a slightly confused look, and Hanako took off.

"Ren!" Sumire ran up to him, her cheeks still pink, her eyelids red.

"You looked so fierce the whole time!" he picked her up in a hug, "You did amazing!"

Sumire felt her worries wash away completely for the time being as she wholeheartedly embraced Ren.

"Thank you!" she happily cried, "I did my best because you were right here, watching me!"

"I'm going to keep watching you!" he set her down, "I'm never going to stop. I know I'm busy with my job and I don't get to see you pra-" she shut up as he pressed her finger against his lips.

"Stop right there," Sumire smirked through her tears before pulling him in for another hug, "That's all I need to hear."

"Young love…" Murakami looked at Hiraguchi, who laughed.

Ryuji ran up to Sakiya, with Futaba not far behind.

"You freakin' nailed it, Sakiya!" Ryuji held out his fist.

"You're supposed to hug me, dumbass!" she pulled him by the arm into a hug.

"Ah, right, sorry…" he laughed gleefully.

"Hanako snuck off…" Futaba looked around, confused.

"You two must be tired after all that," Hiraguchi wiped her hands, "Why don't you go get changed. We can't stay here all night."

"Oh! Okay!" Sumire turned to her, as did Sakiya, "Right!"

"I'm starvin…" Ryuji sighed, "Wanna go get some ramen to celebrate, Sakiya?"

"Of course!" she happily nodded, and her stomach loudly growled.

Before Ren could say anything, he saw Sumire giving him a pleading look, and her stomach growled.

"How does curry sound? I'll add a special ingredient," he smiled.

"What ingredient?" her eyes widened.

He leaned down and placed his mouth next to her ear.

"Looooooooooove~"

"R-Ren!" she turned tomato red.

"I'm glad you're okay," he patted her shoulder and laughed. After sighing, she turned back to Sakiya.

"Saki-chan."

"Yes, Sumi-chan?"

"We're going to keep training together, right?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Sakiya held out her hand, and Sumire took it.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then! Just because I lost doesn't mean I want to slow down!" Sumire strongly grasped Sakiya's hand and shook it, giving her a fierce look.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Sakiya grasped back, giving her the same look before breaking off.

"If that's everything, then, we'll see you both tomorrow," Hiraguchi gave them a nod.

"Right, Coach!" both of them bowed again, and the two Coaches made their way out.

"That was intense…" Futaba breathed a sigh of relief, "I managed to record everything, by the way!"

"Really? Thank you so much, Futaba!" Sumire replied.

"That's actually really damn awesome," Sakiya nodded, "Thanks."

"Hehehe…" Futaba rubbed the back of her head," I should make like a rock and skedaddle, though!"

"Just come with us, Futaba," Ryuji tilted his head.

"Oh yeah… same apartment. We gotta find Hanako-chan, though!" she pouted.

"Oh… Where'd she go?" he looked around.

"I'm here, everyone!" Hanako waved from one of the entrance doors, "I had to use the bathroom! I'll be waiting here, though, since you're coming this way!"

"Gotcha!" Futaba replied, "Welp, letsa go!"

"See you tomorrow, Saki-chan, Futaba!" Sumire waved to the two.

"Buh bye!"

"Adieu, Sumi-chan! Wait… I need to change!" Sakiya ran off to the locker room.

"I'm gonna start practicin' again tomorrow, but I'll you guys around!" Ryuji waved as he followed the two, "Remember what I said, Ren!"

"I know!" Ren waved as Ryuji made his way out with the rest, leaving him with Sumire.

An air of silence filled the gym as they looked at each other, their eyes telling one another everything.

"Let's go home first, yeah?" Ren patted her head.

"Yes…"

Sumire went to the locker room, and, not spotting Sakiya anywhere, changed, joining Ren for the trip to their apartment.


The drive home was silent, and quick, with neither of them speaking. The tears began once they stepped inside.

"I'm so sorry Ren…" Sumire shook her head as she found herself unable to hold back her tears.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about, Sumire," he took a deep breath and hugged her, "You were so strong in that gym."

"I-I don't want to cry!" she yelled in a shrill voice, "I said all those things… and I mean everything! So why am I crying…?"

"That's just who you are, Sumire," Ren wiped the tears away with his thumb, "But no matter how much you cry, you always come out stronger. I don't care if you need to cry into my shoulder all night, because I know you'd do the same for me."

"I'm going to become the… the greatest gymnast in the world! I will win the gold in the Olympics!" she gritted her teeth as she spoke in a choked manner.

"I know you are," he picked her up, "I'm going to be by your side and help you see it through. We're a team."

"We're a team," she embraced him, and he carried her to the bed. After lying in bed next to Ren for a few minutes, Sumire calmed herself down.

"I… I need to tell Kasumi about this," she spoke calmly, "It's almost the 13th."

"I'll come with you," Ren gently took her hands.

"Thank you. I want to bring Grandma, too."

"Your Grandma, huh? I don't believe I've met her…"

"She was only recently released from the hospital. She's fine now, but she was sick…"

"I see…" Ren bumped his head against hers, "I'm going to feed Morgana and make you a plate of hot curry, alright?"

"Okay…" Sumire closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Ren stood up and made dinner for himself, Sumire and Morgana.

"Sumire looks beat…" Morgana spoke between bites, "She had a competition today, right? Against Sakiya?"

"Yeah," Ren ate a spoonful of curry, "She lost, but not by much."

"I wish I could have been there. That darn Sakiya doesn't like me!"

"She's allergic to cats, Morgana."

"I'm not a-! Ah, wait…"

"Sorry, buddy."

Morgana sighed.

"Sumire isn't going to stop here, though. She's going to take everything she's learned and grow even stronger," Ren looked at Morgana, determined.

"Even what I taught her?" Morgana's eyes sparkled.

"Especially what you taught her. I'm going to go check up on her," Ren leaned up and walked into the main room. As he did, he saw Sumire sound asleep.

"That makes a lot of sense… But she didn't eat… hoo boy…" he walked back into the kitchen, refrigerated the curry after eating some, and laid down next to her. He ran a finger down her face, which was still damp from the tears, and red.

"I wonder if one of our kids will be a crybaby like her… Oh jeez… What am I thinking? There's still a long while before I should be thinking about things like that… Right now… I need to figure out what I'm going to do in the morning about her hunger…"

Ren dozed off, unable to find an answer to his situation. All he knew was that Sumire and him were going to visit Kasumi again in the near future, and that he'd have hell to pay when he woke up the next morning.