August 27th, Late Afternoon

"Wooooooooo! Welcome back!" Futaba ran up to Hanako, waiting next to Ryuji outside the apartment complex, "How are ya feeling?"

"I feel great, Futaba-chan!" Hanako held up her medals.

"Congrats, Hanako!" Ryuji joined Futaba.

"Want to finish watching the show now? We could binge it! You two don't have practice till tomorrow, right?"

"Nope!"

"We don't," Sakiya shook her head, "Considering the flight back and possibility of jet lag, our Coaches are letting us settle in, not that we need to," she turned to Ryuji, "I'd like to catch up, but I need to go talk to Sumire."

"Oh! Uh, sure thing! I'll be waitin' here!" he laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Thank you, Ryuji."

"Since that's the case, let's watch that show, Futaba-chan!" Hanako posed, and Futaba followed suit.

"Aye aye!"

"I guess I'll go play some video games…" Ryuji dropped his head, sighing.

"I'll make it up to you later, dumbass," Sakiya punched his arm.

"Hey I was just kiddin'! Get goin'!"

"Sure you were!" Sakiya turned around and made her way down the stairs to the first floor of the complex, "I'll see you later!" she yelled as she jogged off.

After a brief train ride, she arrived in Odaiba and found her way to Ren and Sumire's apartment. She felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her as she stood in front of the main entrance. As her hand met the doorknob, she pulled out the spare key they gave her, in case of emergencies. She barely made a sound as she stepped into the kitchen hallway. The lights were off, but the door to the main room was slightly ajar, with a bit of light peeking through.

"This is a bit tighter than I thought it'd be…"

"Sumire?" she thought to herself. She knew one of the two would be home, but now her curiosity had peaked. Casually, she strolled up to the main door and opened it. The first thing she saw was Sumire posing, wearing dark violet lingerie.

"Oh wow, looking damn good, Sumi-chan!" Sakiya snapped two finger guns at her as she walked in.

"S-S-S-S-SAKIYA?" Sumire immediately turned red, her face becoming a field of red roses, "WH-WHATAREYOUDOINGHERE?" she covered her body with one hand and grabbed a blanket from the bed with another, poorly covering herself.

"I just wanted to stop by and talk to Ren and you. I didn't expect you to be into such risque outfits, though," sakiya nodded approvingly, "I gotta say, I'm proud of you. You look damn great, and if I was Ren, I'd be all over you right now."

"Y-Y-Y-You can't just walk in without saying anything!"

"Why not?"

"You…!"

"You two gave me a key," Sakiya shrugged.

"T-That's… Still!" Sumire shook her head.

"I see your body when we change in the locker room all the time, but that lingerie really brings out your best features…" Sakiya put a hand to her chin, "Nice bust, child-bearing hips, great legs…"

"SAKIYA!" Sumire's voice seethed with rage.

"Calm down," Sakiya sighed, "I'm just being honest!"

"Ch-Child…" Sumire fell onto the bed, her brain fried.

"You're really making this worse," Sakiya laughed, "You're totally open. Maybe I should call Ren and tell him what you've been up to?"

"Sakiya… please…" Sumire covered her beet red face.

"You were the one trying on hot lingerie around the time Ren would normally get home," Sakiya grinned, "Were you… Anticipating he'd be the one to see you, not me?"

"THAT'S…" Sumire grabbed a pillow and covered her face.

"I love it! Oh I have to tell Futaba… Now I'm really curious as to how he'd react."

Sumire slowly rose from the bed and gripped her fist, walking directly up to Sakiya.

"Don't. Tell. Anyone."

"At all?"

"No one at all."

Sakiya glanced down at Sumire and saw the anger in her eyes as she grit her teeth.

"I'm guessing I saw something I wasn't supposed to see…?" Sakiya gave Sumire a nervous glance.

"Saki-chan, please turn around, go to the kitchen, and close the door behind you. I'll tell you when you can come back in, okay?"

"Sure thing," Sakiya nodded and slowly backed up, retreating to the kitchen. After a few minutes, she heard Sumire's voice through the door.

"You can come in."

"Sakiya?" Sakiya heard a voice behind her as she reached for the doorknob.

"Oh hi Ren!" Sakiya waved to Ren, who had just stepped inside, all while opening the door.

"What's up? Did Sumire invite you here, or…?"

"She invited herself," Sumire stood in the doorway, her hair tied into a side ponytail, wearing a pair of baggy sweatpants and one of Ren's shirts, with her cheeks completely puffed out and her arms crossed.

"Ah… I told you only to use that key in case of emergencies," he frowned.

"It is an emergency! Sort of…" Sakiya whistled innocently.

"You're always welcome, but please warn us if you're going to stop by unannounced," Ren sighed.

"Ren's right, Saki-chan," Sumire gave her a death glare, "You really should give us a warning."

"Sorry, mom…" Sakiya gave her a jokingly annoyed look, huffing.

Ren furrowed his eyebrows as he looked over the two. "Something definitely happened before I got here…" he thought to himself.

"Where's Morgana been, Sumire?"

"He's been out and about since I got back from practice. He likes to wander around, and the staff don't mind it!"

"I see. I'll leave a note for him while Sakiya is here," Ren pulled out a batch of sticky notes.

"How considerate… Wait…" Sakiya squinted her eyes, "The cat can read?"

"Uhhhhhhhh… Yes."

"You can speak to him, he understands you, you understand him, and he can read?"

"He's a special cat. It had to do with our Phantom Thievery," Ren slowly shrugged, tilting his head.

"Merde! Why couldn't I have been a Phantom Thief! I don't quite understand why Morgana would be a talking cat, but that all sounds so cool! Imagine if you had a talking dog, or a fox, or even a robot!?" Sakiya stomped her foot.

"Um, Saki-chan, we don't even know why Morgana is a cat," Sumire shook her head, "Why don't you two come inside and sit down? We can speak once we all have something to drink."

"Thank you honey," Ren walked up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek while Sakiya stepped past her into the main room. Sumire entered the kitchen to prepare drinks, and Ren sat down at the dinner table. Sakiya took a quick look around before joining him.

"This place hasn't changed much."

"It doesn't need to. We're comfortable like this."

"Hmm….." Sakiya lightly kicked her feet under the table.

"Here you go!" Sumire walked back in carrying a tray with three cups of coffee, setting them down on the table before sitting down, "So what did you want to talk about, Saki-chan?"

"It's about Hanako-chan, and more than that, Minagawa-senpai. At the World Cup, I told Hanako-chan how I felt about her."

"How you feel about her?" Sumire gave her a confused look.

"Yeah. I told her that I'm jealous of her, plain and simple. Thing is, I know exactly why I'm jealous of her. It's because I haven't caught up to her, and that I can't go to the 2020 Olympics. Both Hanako-chan and Minagawa-senpai are likely going to make it, and I'll be stuck here."

"You're jealous of Hanako-chan…" Sumire frowned, "I see…"

"Don't get me wrong," Sakiya held up her hand, "I told Hanako-chan that I didn't want her to stop what she was doing on my behalf. I'd hate to be the type of person that makes someone else hold themselves back. I want her to do her best and follow her dreams. I just…" she sighed, "I don't want to be left behind…"

"Saki-chan," Sumire nodded and grabbed her hand, "You won't be. Ren and I both want to help you. You're an amazing gymnast and person. I know you'll show the world what you're made of."

"I agree with Sumire, Sakiya," Ren crossed his hands on the table, "You help both of us in many ways."

"Thank you, both of you," Sakiya fidgeted in her chair, "I'm hopeful that I'll catch up. I don't doubt my ability, either. Most of my qualms come from things I cannot prevent. Hanako is simply more experienced, and she doesn't need to change her nationality. I want to compete in the Olympics as a Japanese woman, though I accept my French heritage. I'm not one for fate, but due to life events, I couldn't move back to Japan until last year. It takes three years for the nationality I represent in the Olympics to change, so here I am."

"I know you can do it, Saki-chan! I'm not going to lose, though!" Sumire giggled and smiled.

"You're not the only one whose life has been thrown for a loop by a series of unforeseen events," Ren laughed, "I'm glad you're not letting anything stop you, though. I felt the same way when I got thrown to the curb."

"What happened to you, Ren?" Sakiya tilted her head, curious.

"Have I not told you? Basically, I got falsely accused of assault, was forced to transfer schools, and was labelled a delinquent for the better part of a year. It was a crazy time, and that's when the whole Phantom Thief spiel happened."

"Damn, really? That just makes you being the leader of the Phantom Thieves even more awesome! A delinquent turned thief that fights criminals in the dark…!" Sakiya shook her fist, "Man that's cool!"

"You're just like Ryuji," Ren laughed, "But thanks for understanding."

"You think so…? Ah whatever! Thanks for telling me about this, Ren. I really feel like I'm starting to understand you."

As Sakiya finished her sentence, Ren felt Hopeecho within the sea of his soul.

"Five…" he thought to himself.

"I'm glad you two are getting along so well!" Sumire giggled, "We have so much more to do together!"

"Yeah," Sakiya exhaled for a few seconds, "I don't want to be jealous anymore. I want to work my way up so I can face Hanako and the other gymnasts on their level."

"Good luck with that," Ren gave her a nod, "Feel better?"

"I feel great now!" Sakiya hopped out of her chair, "I'm gonna get out of your hair now and hang out in Ryuji's room for a bitt. I think Sumire has something she wants to show you anyway."

"Something to show me?" Ren turned and looked at Sumire, who was red in the face.

"I-It's nothing!"

"See you!" Sakiya nonchalantly made her way out of the apartment, giving Sumire one last devilish wink.

"Nothing…" Ren scratched his chin, grinning at Sumire, "there's nothing you want to show me?"

"N-No!" She shook her head, nervously sweating.

"Hmmmm… I think I'll find out soon enough."

While Sumire poured in her seat, Ren grabbed the coffee cups, walking into the kitchen, setting them in the sink, and opening the door after.

"Morgana, you there?"

"Yeah," Morgana appeared from under a small table in the apartment hallway.

"Did you give Sakiya a good scare before she took off?"

"I might have," he laughed.

"Do you know what Sumire wanted to show me? Sakiya mentioned something…"

"Something? All I saw before she told me to go out was some strange looking underwear…"

"Interesting… very interesting," Ren devilishly grinned, "I'll remember that."

"Don't do anything not befitting a gentleman, Ren!"

"Don't worry…"

The two made their way back inside and found Sumire face-down on the bed.

"You alright, Sumire?" Ren walked over to her and sat down.

"Yes…"

"Then why are you laying on the bed like that?"

"Because Sakiya can't keep her mouth shut…" she groaned.

"If you want to surprise me with something, I'll wait as long as you need me to. It's more exciting that way!"

"R-Really?" Sumire leaned up and looked at him directly.

"Yep!" besides…" Ren grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her back down, leaning over her, "I have some surprises of my own…"

"Wha-" Sumire's face turned beet red.

"I'll start by kissing you on the cheek, and then the neck… and I'll go all the way down…"

"R-Ren…"

"Of course, these clothes are in the way!"

"Wait!" She grabbed his hand.

"I'm waiting."

"I-I'd like to, um…" she could barely make out thoughts as her heart beat echoed in her mind, "I'd like to save th-this surprise for later…"

"Oh?" Ren smirked, "you're so needy that you want to reverse special treatment?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Good!" Ren laid down next to her, wrapping his arm around her, "that's the way I like it!"

"You're so mean…" Sumire puffed her cheeks.

"You love it," he kissed her cheek, and she didn't respond.

"Will you two just go to sleep? Don't you both have stuff to do tomorrow?" Morgana leaped up on the bed.

"Fine…" Ren frowned and closed his eyes.

"You're right, Morgana-senpai. I apologize," Sumire gave him a nod and closed her eyes.

"Just doing my job! Goodnight!"

Before Ren completely drifted off, he felt his phone vibrate, and saw a text from Hanako.


Meanwhile, a few hours earlier

Hanako guided Futaba into her apartment after Sakiya left, delicately taking the medals she had won out of her suitcase and placing them on a large plaque that she had above a dresser, an upgrade from the individual plaques she used at home.
"You think there will be an Olympic medal up there after next year?" Futaba leaned over her shoulder, grinning.

"I'd love that! Whether it's gold, silver, or bronze, it'd be a symbol of my love for gymnastics!"

"Well you have them darn O'Dri- Averina twins to compete against, but I bet you'll do great!" Futaba replied while setting up her laptop with the TV.

"The Russian and Ukrainian gymnasts are on the top of the gymnasts world!" Hanako traced a finger around her gold medal, "In next year's Olympics, we'll likely see the Averina twins in the top three. Both Sakiya-chan and Sumire-chan want to put Japan on the top, and I want to help them! It's like an underdog story!"

"Underdogs… I guess you're right… Minagawa was the first Japanese rhythmic gymnast to make it to the Olympic level. We don't really focus too much on it, I guess. Actually, has Japan even won any medals for rhythmic gymnastics at that level?"

"Nope!" Hanako cheerfully replied, "Minagawa-san was close, but we've never actually won any for rhythmic gymnastics. We have won in artistic gymnastics, though!"

"You four are like the true bad guys in a shonen, waiting for that plot twist in 2020…"

"I guess we are!" Hanako giggled, "Right after the Russians win, there's a short timeskip, and suddenly, we're here to steal the show!"

"I can't wait to see it! We're bingeing this thing, right?" Futaba gave Hanako a wide grin as she finally hooked up the cable.

"Yes!"

Hanako plopped onto the bed, and Futaba sat next to her. They both found their attention immediately fixated on the TV. As they continued to watch the show, the girl and boy had slowly fallen for each other but hadn't realized, and didn't have the confidence to confess to one another. They often ended up in scenarios where they appeared to be a couple, yet neither of them had the guts to say anything. The tables turned in the eleventh episode, however, with the girl coming across a simple man who was willing to listen to her woes.

"I just… I'm always thinking about him, and I want him to be with me all the time. He makes me laugh, and he says that he thinks my smile is cute. Whenever he says things like that, I feel like my heart's going to burst! I don't know what to do, though, and I'm not sure what these feelings are…"

"Why, Miss, I think that's just plain old love," the man smirked and laughed.

"Love… I'm in love…"

"That's right! Now, considering those feelings, what will you do?"

"I… I need to tell him!"

"Correct! Now get goin', before some other girl tries to run off with him!"

"Thank you so much, sir!" the girl deeply bowed and ran off.

"Kids... " the man tipped his hat and walked off in the other direction.

Hanako stared at the screen, deeply confused. Her thoughts scattered and smashed together like colliding waves.

"Those feelings that the girl has… Those sound a lot like how I feel about Futaba… Wait…" her eyes widened and she blushed, "Wait wait wait… WAIT! HOLD ON!" her heart started beating faster as she started to piece together her internal thoughts.

The volume from the TV caught her attention again.

"I love you!" the girl stood on the rooftop, clenching a hand to her chest, with the boy a few feet away from her, "I want to be by your side, and I want you to stay with me!"

Badump.

Hanako's heart thumped in her chest loudly. "She loves him?" she thought to herself, "Is she loves him, and I feel the same things as her… Um… What…"

"I… I love you too!" the boy dramatically waved his arm in front of him, "I didn't know what to do, but now I understand! I've wanted to say those exact words!"

"Y-You love me back?" the girl's eyes widened as she blushed.

"Of course I do!" the boy ran up to her, "And now that you know that… Um…" he blushed back, "Now what?"

"Now what?" the words echoed in Hanako's mind, and she looked over at Futaba, "They love each other… I feel the same way as that girl… so… he loves her back… Ummmm!"

Episode End

"That was a fun watch, wasn't it, Hanako-chan?" Futaba snickered, the light from her laptop reflecting off her glasses as she adjusted them.

"What's going on? I… I need to talk to Amamiya-san!" Hanako covered her face with her hands, blushing and extremely confused.

"Hanako-chan?" Futaba leaned down to look up at Hanako.

"U-Um..." Hanako couldn't look at her.

"You okay? Did their confession make you cry?"

"Oh! Not at all!" Hanako giggled and waved her hand, "I'm actually really excited!"

"Excited?" Futaba perked her eyebrows, "I guess that's one way to think about it. Are you happy they got together, instead of the protagonist being stuck thinking like a rock?"

"Thinking like a rock?"

"Errr, basically the protagonist is dense and doesn't understand how someone feels about them."

"That sounds silly!" Hanako fell back onto her bed giggling.

"Futaba-chan."

"What's up?"

"Thank you for coming over today."

"It was no problemo!"

"I need to go to bed now, though… It's so late!"

"You still have a curfew?" Futaba gave her a confused glance.

"Yes!" Hanako stood up, "It's a part of my routine!"

"It's summer break, though!"

"I know, but I like my routines!"

"Actually…" Futaba stood up and gave her a thumbs up, "Good on you for keeping a sleep schedule! I won't bother ya any longer, so I'm gonna make like a hedgehog and roll outta here!"

As Futaba started walking away, she felt a brief, split-second tug on her sleeve. Neither of them acknowledged it.

"Goodnight, Hanako-chan!"

"Goodnight, Futaba-chan!"

Hanako took a deep breath and smiled.

"Focus, Hanako…" she calmed herself down, following her gymnastics routine and letting her thoughts simmer for a few minutes.

...

"So these feelings are… they're… I feel like the girl did," she closed her eyes and focused, "She said she was in love… So am I in love…? I know I love Futaba-chan, Sakiya-chan and Sumire-chan… but… I love gymnastics too! So what does it mean to be in love?" she started to feel more excited, "So is this a new kind of love? Can I love something like I love gymnastics! I need to tell Amamiya-san about this the next time I visit!"
Her heart beat giddily as she laid down and pulled out her phone.

Hanako: Hello, Amamiya-san. I know I'm only supposed to text you if it's an emergency, but if you're able to, could you push my next visit ahead? I'd really like to tell you something!

Ren: Sure thing. I can figure something out.

Hanako: Thank you, Amamiya-san!

Hanako paced around the bathroom eagerly, curious about her newfound feelings. Eventually, she calmed herself down again and laid down, falling asleep with thoughts of love, gymnastics, and the show she watched in mind.

Futaba sat in her computer chair and angrily started spinning around as she yelled at herself internally.

"That was a huge mistake! Why did I want to show her that? Now that I watched the girl confess, I want to say something! But I can't! I don't wanna! I don't want to say the wrong thing again! If I mess up, it's game over! Kana-chan, I'm so sorry! I didn't even try to understand your feelings! No no no… I can't say anything… Hanako doesn't like me like that… she has bigger things to worry about anyway! My stupid feelings are nothing!"

"Damnit!" Futaba jumped on her bed and pulled out her phone, "Ren, what do I do?"

Futaba fell asleep before she texted Ren, mentally exhausting herself, anxious out of her mind.


August 31st

In the two days between finishing the show and her appointment, Hanako found herself constantly thinking about her feelings. Whenever she practiced, she focused completely on her routine, but as soon as she changed, the thoughts came swarming back. Her heart beat increased each time she interacted with Futaba, and she figured that she was overly excited. They talked about the show, gymnastics, Featherman, and what the next semester at university would be like, but it was all different now. Something was off, and Hanako couldn't pinpoint what it was. She just felt different when she interacted with Futaba. On the morning of the 31st she felt a new wave of excitement encompass her as she entered Tokyo Mental Health and was escorted to her appointment.

"Hello, Amamiya-san," Hanako sat down in the familiar room she had become accustomed to visiting every couple of weeks.

"Hello, Natsuki-san. What would you like to talk about today?" Ren gave her a reassuring smile, "Oh! How about that World Cup Challenge? You went with Sakiya, right?"

"It went great! I feel like I'm getting better and better with my routine! Soon enough, I feel like I'll be an Olympic-level rhythmic gymnast!" Hanako kneaded her fingers together, smiling.

"Olympic-level, huh? I believe you can do it, Natsuki-san."

"So do I! I'm really excited to compete in the World Championship in a few weeks, too! I have Futaba-chan cheering me on, and that really makes me excited! I'm getting better and better with the ribbon, and my hoop, ball and clubs performances are top-notch, as Sakiya-chan told me!"

"I'm glad to hear that," Ren adjusted his glasses, "Is there anything else you'd like to talk about other than gymnastics? It's fine if that's all, of course."

"Oh!" Hanako clapped her hands, "I do have something else I want to talk about, Amamiya-san. It's actually a question!"

"Shoot. You sound excited about it."

"Okay!" with a deep breath and stars in her eyes, Hanako excitedly proposed the question that had been on her mind the past few days.

"What is love?"

"What is love, huh?" Ren leaned back, smiling, "Are you talking about a particular kind of love? There are many types, and it's a complicated emotion. There's parental love, sibling love, comradery, deep love for a significant other, and so on."

"I'm not too sure," she shook her head, "I watched a romantic comedy, and I saw the girl protagonist talk about her feelings, and then confess to the boy. When I listened to her, I realized that a lot of the things she felt are things that I feel about someone…"

"I see," he nodded, "There is no simple answer to that question, unfortunately. Love is simply a feeling that a person gets when they feel a strong attraction to another person or thing. For example, you love gymnastics, right?"

"Yes! I do!"

"How does gymnastics make you feel, exactly?"

"I get really excited when I perform, pull off a new move I've been practicing, win a medal, and when I get to watch other gymnasts! My heart beats really fast, and I always feel really happy when I'm thinking about it!"

"In other words, you love gymnastics."

"Yes!"

"Now that you're thinking about your love for gymnastics, how does it stack up to your feelings for your parents?"

"I love my parents a lot! I'm happy that they're supporting me, and I want to understand what they want me to do more! What I want to do after I graduate from university is different from what they want me to do, but I really want to find a middle ground!"

"So you love your parents, and you love gymnastics. When you think about both of them, does it feel different at all?" Ren held up both his hands.

Hanako tapped her fingers on the table, thinking to herself. Ren patiently waited, and about a minute passed before she replied.

"It does! It's hard to put into words, but I feel like my love for my parents is different from gymnastics!"

"Alright. Now, take those same feelings, and apply them to that scene you watched. What did the girl want that made her realize she was in love?" Ren jotted down notes as he spoke.

"She wanted to stay by the boy's side, she loved how he made her laugh, and she thought about him a lot!"

"So those are the feelings that made her realize she was in love. You mentioned that you resonated with these same feelings?"

"I do! At least, I think I do…"

"Then I think you have your answer."

"Love is wanting to be with someone forever, wanting to do something forever, and thinking about it a lot… Is that how you feel about Sumire-chan?"

"It is. For Sumire and I, our love is our dream, and everything that happens along the way. We want what's best for one another, and at the end of the day, despite our troubles, we always tell one another 'I love you.' Do you have any other questions?"

Hanako rocked slightly in her seat, excitedly sorting her thoughts.

"What would a person do when they're in love?" her eyes flashed momentarily.

"If someone is in love with another person, they'd want to spend all their time with that person, would think about them all the time, and would want the best for them. It's just like that girl's feelings from the show you watched."

"I understand! I know we repeated the same things a lot, but I'm starting to get it! I love gymnastics, I love my family, and Iove my friends! When I think about it, I feel like that's different, too! I want the best for Sumire-chan, Sakiya-chan, Ryuji-kun and Futaba-chan! Their happiness is my happiness! Compared to that, I love my family because they raised me, care for me, and support me! Lastly, I love gymnastics because it makes me really happy and I have so much fun with it!"

"There's one other type of love, Natsuki-san. I feel romantic love toward Sumire, for example. Do you feel that at all?"

"Romantic love… That's a combination of all those things!"

"Exactly."

Another minute passed as Hanako happily spun the flower pin in her hair.

"I think I feel that, too! Thank you, Amamiya-san! I'm going to think about this, but first I have another World Cup, and then I have the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championship in September!"

"I understand. What will you do, then?"

"I'm going to focus on practicing and getting better with the ribbon. I love gymnastics more than anything, but after the World Championship, I'm going to think about love some more! I want to find out exactly what it means, and why it's different depending on the person! I'll have an answer by then, and I'll tell you!" Hanako gave him a nod, and Ren felt the word Charity resonate within the sea of his soul once more.

"Take your time, Natsuki-san. Everyone figures out their feelings at a different pace. Stay true to yourself and your love of gymnastics, I'm sure you'll figure out what it means."

"I think so, too! Maybe by performing more, I might be able to understand my love for other things!" Hanako beamed a smile and nodded.

"Now that you have a temporary answer about love, what do you want to talk about next?"

"Let's see…"

With the core question resolved for the moment, Hanako spent the rest of the allotted time speaking to Ren about her grades so far at university. Futaba helped Hanako focus and finish all of her assignments on time, all without directly giving her the answers or cheating in any way. They talked to him about her progress with the ribbon, which was slow but steady. Sumire and Sakiya were a huge help, and their expertise and skill with it helped Hanako get a better grasp on what she felt was missing from her performances and routine. She talked about some of the ways in which Futaba tried to help her, explaining how happy and grateful she was to have a friend like her. Their appointed time together flew by, and Hanako left with a cheerful smile and skip in her step. Once she left, Ren's day continued normally until Maruki spoke up after his final appointment ended.


"Amamiya-kun, are you and Yoshizawa-san free tonight? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"I am," Ren nodded, "I'll check with Sumire right now."

Ren: Hey there honey. Are you free right now?

Sumire: I just got home from practice!

Sumire: Babe.

Ren: Mind if Dr. Maruki stops by? He wants to talk.

Sumire: That's fine! Dinner won't be ready by the time you two get here, but I'll start something!

Ren: Thank you! That's earned you extra cuddles tonight!

Sumire: I planned on it anyway. I love you.

Ren: Love you too.

Ren smirked and put his phone away. "Let's head to my apartment."

"Sure. Lead the way."

Maruki and Ren found their way out of Tokyo Mental Health, separately driving to the apartment complex. They made their way inside, greeting Sumire and Morgana as they stepped inside and walked to the dinner table. Everyone seated themselves, with Sumire preparing three cups of coffee and Morgana joining them in the fourth chair. Maruki crossed his hands together and looked into his cup, a faint smile on his face.

"I asked to speak with you three because something amazing happened recently," he looked up at both of them, "Rumi gave birth to our child. She went into labor earlier than expected, as she was due in September. Both of them are fine, though," he nervously laughed, "I'm still trying to catch up on some sleep…"

"Doc… Why are you still working?" Ren gave him a concerned look.

"Yeah, Doc!" Morgana yelled, "You should be home with Rumi and the baby!"

"I didn't want to neglect my obligation to help you, Amamiya-kun" he took a sip of coffee, "Besides, we still need money, as gloomy as that might sound."

"Doc… No, Takuto Maruki," Ren shook his head, "You don't have to do this for me. I want you to get out there and be a man. You need to go and be with Rumi and your kid."

"I apologize, Amamiya-kun, Morgana-san," Maruki sighed, "I was very conflicted, if I'm to be honest. You already know I had to take a few days off."

"And I did fine without you. Don't stress yourself out over me," Ren replied.

"Dr. Maruki…" Sumire took a deep breath, "I agree with Ren. It's very silly of you to think that Ren would want you to help him instead of spending time with your family. They're your happiness, right?"

"You got me, Yoshizawa-san," he chuckled, "They really are. I think there's another reason I've kept coming to work… I'm probably running again. Deep down, I probably don't think I deserve this…" a frown overtook his face, "That's another reason why I asked to speak with you two. I need you both to knock some sense into me again."
"Doc…" Morgana sighed, "Are you serious?"

"I'm not going to pummel you again, Doc," Ren sighed, "But I'll say it again: Go on leave and spend time with your kid and Rumi. I'm fine on my own. Pursue your own happiness, just like you wanted us to. Like Sumire said, your happiness is just as important as anyone else's."

Maruki picked up a spoon and lightly swirled it in his coffee.

"Thank you, all of you," Maruki smiled again, "I'm not sure why, but you two have a way with words I can't quite describe. I'll go on leave, you've convinced me already. Don't worry."

"Um… Dr. Maruki, what did you and Rumi-san name your child?" Sumire asked with excitement.

"Etsuko," he looked up at her, "Our joy."

"Awww!" Sumire's eyes widened as a smile crossed her face, "That's so cute!"

"I came up with it, and Rumi laughed at me. She said it's something only I'd come up with."

"She's right," Ren laughed, "But it's a beautiful name. I'm happy for you, Doc."

"I see... Keep up that attitude, Doc!" Morgana replied.

"Thank you all," Maruki let out a sigh of relief, "Every time I speak with you, I always feel like my path becomes clear. I'll take my leave now. I need to apologize to Rumi."

"Please wait a few more minutes, Dr. Maruki!" Sumire stood up, "I'd like if you could at least wait until dinner is ready, so you can take some home with you!"

"That's very kind of you, Yoshizawa-san. Very well."

"Thank you!"

Maruki, Ren and Morgana waited for several minutes as Sumire went to finish cooking.

"Are you sure Rumi's alright, Doc?"

"She's an extremely strong woman, Amamiya-kun," Maruki laughed, "We were both worried when she went into labor, but everything turned out fine. Etsuko was born happy and healthy. I… I've never felt so happy in my life. I can't thank you enough for opening my eyes back then. The past few years were rough, and both Rumi and I struggled to get to where we are now. She still hasn't completely recovered, but each new day brings both of us a little closer to real happiness. The happiness I believed in doesn't even compare to this…"

"Don't beat yourself up, Doc," Morgana jumped up on the table, "It's all in the past. The best you can do now is keep moving forward with Rumi and Etsuko."

Maruki nodded cheerfully. "You're right, Morgana-san."

"Here you go!" Sumire walked back into the room carrying a large, wrapped bento box, "I packed enough for Rumi, you, and the baby!"

"Thank you very much, Yoshizawa-san," Maruki stood up and took the bento, "I'll be on my way now."

"Goodbye, Doc," Ren waved, as did Morgana with his paw.

"Good luck, Dr. Maruki! Tell Rumi-san and Etsuko-chan I said hello!" Sumire giggled and waved.

Maruki made his exit, leaving the couple and Morgana.

"Even Dr. Maruki is moving forward… I hope I can catch up soon," Sumire gave Ren a determined nod.

"You will, Sumire. For now, let's snuggle," Ren stood up and wrapped his arm around her waist, After we feed Morgana of course."

"I agree," Sumire led Ren to the kitchen where they prepared their own plates and Morgana's. After eating, Sumire playfully pushed Ren onto the bed, and the two spent the night together.


"Romantic love… romantic love…" Hanako sat down on her bed after arriving back at the apartment complex, "I think I feel that way… It's different from love for friends, family, and gymnastics."

She smiled and closed her eyes, reminiscing about her time with Futaba.

"Oh, this is just what I was looking for! Feather Pheasant is my favorite!"

"Y-You like Featherman?"

"I love Featherman! Ever since I was a child it's been one of my favorite shows!"

"I-I do too! I've been watching Featherman since I was little, too!"

"We both love Featherman…"

badump badump

Your hoop performance was really cool, as always! I loved how you posed like a character from that popular bizarre adventure show!

I feel so giddy that someone recognizes the poses and loves gymnastics! I'm so glad we became friends, Futaba-chan!

Friends…

Is something wrong, Futaba-chan?

Nope! Not at all! I'm happy that we're friends too!

Yay! Say, Futaba-chan, the next time I get a full day off, would you want to celebrate with me? We could watch anime together, or I could even show you some ways to practice gymnastics!

"We both love anime…"

badump badump

"That was really confusing, and I'm not exactly sure what it all meant, but… I really had fun with you today!"

"I...I… I had fun too…"

"That makes me happy! Um, Futaba-chan, let's get back to the station! It's really snowy!"

"Heh-Huhhuh. Yeah…"

"I love spending time with Futaba-chan, and I want to be with her… I love… Oh, I know!"

Hanako excitedly ran over to her desk, opening her laptop and grabbing a blu-ray disc she kept tucked away with several manga. She inserted the disc and loaded the final episode, skipping to the climax.

"You asked me why…"

"Your answer confused me. You said that it was because I saved you. But I've never been able to. It seems like you're the one who's always saving me… I could never do anything for you!"

"The idea of doing it all for you. I had it in my head that if I just kept telling you that, you'd accept it for my own stupid self satisfaction… All the things you said back then were true… Every last word of it. I was just so wrong."

"Why do you always rescue me?"

"I do it because I love you. I want to stand beside you and be your strength," the boy smiled and closed his eyes, resting on the girls lap.

"Listen…" her voice cracked, "I'm a half-elf…"

"Yes, I know that," he joyfully replied, "I'm not completely blind."

"I don't have much experience with people… so I don't have friends. I'm naive and not worldly so I say strange things sometimes."

"No matter what anyone else says about you, and no matter what you think of yourself, I love you with all my heart."

Hanako paused the episode, a wide smile on her face.

"I remember now… It's been so long since I watched this scene! That's romantic love! That's how Amamiya-san feels about Sumire-chan… and… that's how I feel… about Futaba-chan… I'm in love with Futaba Sakura."