After dinner, the evening went by rather uneventfully, but Masashi, Haruyuki, and Maiha talked for a short while about what to do with Kasumi. It was then agreed that they would approach her tomorrow, but for now, as there was nothing left to do, Masashi headed back to his room. He had the idea of talking with Mari, but given her cold attitude toward him, he thought it best to let her cool off over the night.

The next morning, he unhappily got ready and left his room. After taking in the sight of the garden outside the students' rooms, he headed over to the dining room. As expected, Faye was there, sitting with Sorao at one table, but to his surprise, the other persons here were Tanjiro, Sayua, and Hikari.

Sayua let out a loud and annoyed sigh. "How long are you gonna talk with him here? You've been speaking with him all morning!"

"We've been up for only ten minutes, Sayua," Tanjiro pointed out.

"Wh-Why do you care so much?" Hikari asked, leering at her. "I-I just want to talk with him some more…"

Tanjiro sighed resignedly as he shrugged his shoulders. "Don't be so upset about what she's saying. At least you don't have the 'responsibilities' of being a member of her fan club."

"Don't sound so down when you say that!" Sayua said. "You'll make other people think that's a bad thing!"

"I can't say you've helped stave off that impression, though," Masashi remarked.

"What's wrong with letting Hikari talk with me for a while, anyway?" Tanjiro asked modestly. "I wouldn't really be happy if you drove her away like that."

"Wh-What?" Sayua scowled. "What does she have that I don't?!"

Tanjiro sighed again. "Look, I don't mind spending time with you. But I want to spend some time with Hikari as well. You both have different interests, and it's nice to talk with different people. I hope you can understand that."

"Tch..."

Scowling, Sayua faced away from them, muttering something, but hearing a swear word or two in it, Masashi could tell that it was nothing pleasant.

It was weird, but even though she had the more dominating personality, at this point, Sayua had to be more lenient with Tanjiro now. He was intent on spending some time with Hikari, and so if Sayua tried to kick her out, his opinion of her would lower, and he might even choose not to spend time with her any more. Of course, that made it sound as if Tanjiro were a pretty manipulative guy, but given what Masashi knew of him, he could hardly imagine that to be true.

Just then, a few more people entered the dining room. It was Haruyuki and Maiha.

"Good morning," Haruyuki said as the two sat at another table. "I thought I heard a ruckus going on here. Has something happened?"

"It's nothing all too important, truly," Tanjiro answered.

"Your tone makes me think otherwise, but I suppose I need not to press the issue further."

"It's probably something unimportant," Maiha commented. "I often see many commoners bicker about the most menial of things."

"Once again, Maiha, you really need to watch over your tone," Masashi said as he turned toward them. "Um, so about Kasumi…"

"You need not to worry, for I remember our arrangements for today," Haruyuki responded. "I also talked with Kasumi earlier, and she said she wasn't coming for breakfast already."

Masashi sighed. "How is she not hungry, then? Does she have food in her room or something?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if she crept to the kitchen late at night and then feasted," Maiha replied as coldly as usual. "Well, I suppose that with her absence, dinner sessions have become much more bearable."

"Please don't think that's a good reason why we shouldn't help her..." Masashi said as he looked at her with dismay.

Not long after, he felt someone tap his shoulder. He casually turned around, only to nearly start upon seeing that it was Mari.

"Masashi," she said plainly, "have you seen Kumi?"

"Kumi? Um… No, I haven't."

"And neither have we," Maiha added nonchalantly.

Mari furrowed her brow as she glanced to the side. "That's weird... I knocked on his door, but I heard no response, so I thought he'd already come here. But I see no sign of him here."

She walked over to the others and asked them the same question, only to hear that they too had no clue about him.

"I don't know a thing about where the little fellow is," Sorao said, shrugging. "I thought he was still asleep in his room."

Mari stared at him with cold eyes. "And even though you're his 'elder brother', you're not at all concerned about him?"

Fidgeting at her critical tone, Sorao fidgeted as he scratched his cheek with his index finger. "W-Well… I simply thought he'd wake up sooner or later, so…"

"Hmm, but he usually is here by now…" Tanjiro added, unease waxing in his countenance. "Could he be…?"

Tanjiro did not need to finish her sentence for the others to understand what he meant. Could something bad have befallen Kumi as part of the killing game?

"Let's go to his room, then!" Sorao said as he stood up. "As his elder brother, I must go check whether he's all right!"

"Y-You only stick to that 'elder brother' thing of yours when you actually bother to, don't you?" Hikari remarked.

They then agreed to check up on him, but only a few actually wanted to go see him. Faye wished to stay behind to cook breakfast, so she asked Sorao to go with Mari. Maiha found no interest in his well-being, insisting that it was enough that Masashi see him.

"I will go as well," Haruyuki said. "Something about this has piqued my interest, and so I'd rather not miss it."

"Hmm... On one hand, something fishy's definitely going on with that twerp," Sayua said. "But on the other hand, he's not enough to make me get up from my seat. Tanjiro, go check it out for me, will you?"

"What, me?" Tanjiro said puzzledly. "Well, I can't say he'll care to see me. But I am a little concerned for him, so..."

"It shouldn't be much. Just see what the hell is making that twerp waste our time."

"I'd rather that you didn't say it as if he were some nuisance," Mari replied with a critical tone. "After all that he's gone through, I'm sure that he's having a tough time."

"Um, I agree with you, but let's just go already…" Tanjiro said sheepishly. "Hikari, could you please stay here? I think we already have enough people as it is."

"A-All right..." Hikari said before she gave Sayua a dismal look. Masashi imagined that there would be little conversation going on between the two, but it seemed that Hikari would be all right with awkward silence.

Masashi, Sorao, Mari, Tanjiro, and Haruyuki then trod down to the fourth deck and went over to Kumi's door. Sorao knocked on the door a few times, asking whether he was awake, but he received no response each time.

"Could he have gone elsewhere?" Masashi suggested.

"This early in the morning? I doubt so," Mari said before she sighed. "I suppose we have no choice but to ask him."

She then clapped her hands and said, "Captain Monokuma!"

"Oh, what is it now?" Monokuma asked, suddenly appearing and looking awfully irritated. "What's so important that you had to wake me up?"

"Hmm? Shouldn't you be up during this time?" Haruyuki asked. "You usually wake us up with your morning announcement."

Monokuma sweated. "Erm, well, to tell you the truth… those are automated. Shameful, I know, but using a recorded video beforehand saves me a buttload of time."

But you're an AI. Do you even need sleep? Masashi thought, slightly befuddled.

"Getting to the point," Sorao said, "we want to know where Kumi is. We've been waiting for him to come."

"What, that little fiend?" Monokuma said as he hung his head down. "Sorry to disappoint you, but he's simply sleeping in his room."

"'Disappoint'? How's that supposed to disappoint us?" Masashi said, looking askance at him.

"Well, after all this suspense, I bet you were hoping for something more exciting to happen! Like, for example… Eh, I'll leave it to your imagination."

"Are you so lazy that you cannot even think of an example in which the suspense is properly paid off?" Haruyuki said with some disapproval.

"Well, yeah."

Haruyuki stared at him dumbly. "Hmm. I wasn't expecting such a blunt response from you."

"In any case," Mari said, looking slightly annoyed by this side chatter, "could you unlock the door for us? I'd like to check up on him now."

"Sure, sure, if you say so!" Monokuma said, sounding weirdly keen to fulfill her request. He then faced the door and waved his arms randomly. "Open barley!"

"Isn't it 'open sesame'?" Tanjiro pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," Mari replied as she opened the door. "Let's go."

After Monokuma disappeared, the five quietly stepped into the room. Masashi had seen Kumi's room before, remembering the incident in which Kumi had suddenly fallen asleep from exhaustion. And yet, even though everything seemed to look the same, there was something rather eerie about the atmosphere. With the curtains shut, the only light in this room that did not come from the outside was a nightlight set near the bed, but even then, it felt as if they were walking through a tomb.

Moreover, the owner of the room, lying on the bed, was not wearing his usual green tunic and small attachable fairy wings; instead, he was wearing a set of blue pajamas, which made him look even more like a child than his behavior did. He lay perfectly still, as if he were a corpse.

Gah, I'm overthinking this, he thought. He's simply asleep. He's not going to attack me or whatever like some undead monster.

Despite reassuring himself, he saw similar looks of uncertainty on Tanjiro's and Haruyuki's faces. Only Mari and Sorao looked perfectly calm.

"Hey, Kumi, wakey wakey," Sorao said as he shook him softly.

His shaking, however, seemed to do little. It was then that a groan came from the sleeping storyteller, who slowly opened his eyes. Seeing that sign of life relieved Masashi more than he expected.

"F-Fairies…"

"Huh?" Masashi said as he and the others looked about him, wondering whether Kumi was seeing something that they had missed. But a quick glance around his room yielded nothing new.

"Fairies… Thank goodness... No monsters..." Kumi said, looking straight up at the ceiling.

"What the…?" Tanjiro mumbled, looking at him uneasily. "What's going on with him?"

Mari approached him and gently tapped his shoulder. "Kumi, please look at me."

"L-Lady Mari…?" Kumi mumbled, not turning his head as if worried that he might be being deceived. "I-Is that you?"

Mari then leaned forth, so she was now right in his line of sight. "Don't worry. It's me. Can you see me now?"

"Oh... Thank goodness you're really here, Lady Mari." Kumi then let out a short giggle. "First, fairies, and now, you... I didn't think I'd see you so soon."

What in the world? Masashi thought, growing confused. Is he... seeing fairies right now?

"How about you get up for us, buddy?" Sorao asked rather casually. "We've been waiting for you, you know."

"S-Sir Sorao…" Kumi muttered. "Sorry, but... earlier... the fairies... here in this very room..."

"What?"

Kumi giggled as if recalling a fond moment. "The fairies must've cast a spell on me to stop me from moving... I'm sorry I didn't get out of bed earlier..."

Haruyuki chuckled, looking keenly at him. "What a rather unconventional excuse to stay in bed."

"'Excuse'?" Tanjiro said with skepticism. "Wouldn't it be better to call it an act?"

Haruyuki stroked his chin, curiosity in his eyes. "If this is an act, then he definitely shows full dedication to it."

An act?

There was no doubt in Masashi's mind that this was no act. Kumi truly meant every word about the "fairies". And from what he could tell from Mari's and Sorao's faces, they held the same lack of doubt.

Kumi giggled once more as he stared off at another part of the room and moved his hands about some more. "Fairies... they shouldn't fly around so quickly. They'll make a mess out of everything."

But… that can't be it, Masashi thought, feeling slightly unsettled. That's not what Sister Hikari told me.

"Well, he may be around the same age as we are," Masashi replied, "but deep down, he's still a child at heart. It's natural that all this would frighten him much more than us."

"Hmm… I agree. But at the same time, it's one of his best qualities," Sister Hikari said, smiling slightly. "He has a very bright and sweet view of the world and tries to see the best in everything. And his attachment to fantasy may seem silly, but I've become sure that it's his way to cope with this whole situation."

"So you think it's a coping mechanism?" Masashi said.

Sister Hikari nodded. "There are some who have found his attachment to be irksome, but we all have different ways of coping with stress and fear. For Kumi, he's fallen back on a special part of his childhood and has turned it into something beyond inspiration for his tales. It's why he keeps going on hunts for fairies that we can't see. You've seen him do that, haven't you?"

"I sure have," Masashi answered. "He even was chasing after a fairy on our first meeting."

Sister Hikari chuckled. "I've occasionally heard from him that he goes on fairy hunting with his friends at his orphanage. I guess he must've had this habit for a long while."

But why was he spouting about fairies now? Was he truly so dedicated to fantasy that he even imagined fairies in situations where there was no danger? Or were there truly fairies that only Kumi could see for some reason? Masashi found the latter to be so ridiculous that he rejected it without further thought. Still, the way he spoke made him doubt that he was simply playing make-believe.

Something soon snapped him out of his train of thought, however. It was the click of a camera, and Sorao was holding a small pink camera and snapping a few shots.

"Um, what are you doing?" Masashi asked.

"I'm just taking a few pictures of the little fellow," Sorao said amusedly. "I think he looks a bit adorable while going on about fairies."

"That camera… Did you get that at the arcade's shop?" Tanjiro asked, looking askance at him. "I have the same model camera."

Sorao nodded. "Yep, I got this a few days ago. I wanted to take a few pictures of this place. Sure, this experience's been rather harrowing, but it's good to have a memento of my time here."

"Your priorities are a little misplaced right now," Mari said sternly as she kept her gaze at Kumi. "Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on him right now?"

Sorao sighed as he put away his camera. "All right, all right, time for me to stop playing around. Kumi, can you hear me, buddy?"

He then poked the storyteller on the shoulder a few times, and eventually, Kumi stopped mumbling about fairies and rose from his bed.

"Oh… the fairies… I hope I'll see them again soon," he bemoaned as he rubbed his head. "It's fun to play with them, even if they're always so mischievous and like to hide."

Sorao beamed as he opened up his arms. "Ah, really? It's a shame we missed them. Now, come on, little fellow, get up and get dressed. Everyone's waiting for you at the breakfast table."

"Oh… all right…" Kumi said as listlessly as before.

He got up from his bed, went to the bathroom, and shut the door.

"Well, now, all's well that ends well, huh?" Sorao said, the only energetic one here. "There's no need to worry about Kumi anymore, so you guys should go back to the dining room."

"Hmm? You're staying behind?" Masashi asked.

Sorao widened his smile. "I need to make sure that the little guy's all right! Who knows what will happen to him after that weird episode of his?"

"I suppose that's reasonable…" Tanjiro added.

"Then let me stay as well," Mari said.

Sorao chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, with you, it's fine. I bet he'll feel much better with you around."

That settled, Masashi, Haruyuki, and Tanjiro headed back to the dining room and told everyone what had happened. Though there was initial confusion about it at first, in the end, most of the others chose to dismiss it as nothing more than another fantastic delusion of Kumi's. It made sense, given that Kumi was far more obsessed with fantasy than the average fan, and so Masashi accepted it as the likeliest explanation.

Even with that reassurance, however, something about Kumi's behavior still struck him as off. Though he chose to set it aside for now, he had a feeling that there was something about it that Kumi had not told the others.

After Sorao, Mari, and Kumi came to the dining room, the students began the breakfast meal without a hitch. Afterwards, they headed their separate ways once more.

All right, we'll talk with Kasumi around 5:00 PM.

He, Haruyuki, and Maiha had agreed to that time for their meeting with Kasumi. But right now, it was still rather early in the morning, and so he had tons of free time to spend however he wanted.

Once again, having nothing better to do, Masashi walked around the amusement park, taking in the sights. He walked down to the lower fifth deck of the Moonlight City, wanting to see the music room. When he entered, he heard someone playing a few keys on the celesta.

"Wanna try?" Sorao asked, smiling.

"Er, no, I don't think I'm up for it," Masashi replied. "You certainly like playing that thing, don't you?"

"Well, I wouldn't be the Ultimate Celesta Player if I didn't, right, dude?" Sorao said mirthfully. "And if it weren't for my duty to look after Kumi, I'd be playing this thing for hours. Too bad he's at the restroom right now."

"So that's where he is..." Masashi replied. "Did you bring him here?"

"Indeed, I did. I asked him whether he wanted to go somewhere, but he didn't really give me a response, so…" Sorao shrugged as if it were no big deal. "This city isn't a bad place to while the time away. But, you know, something about this city irks me. You know the rule about how we have to have our IDs with us if we want to enter a room?"

"Oh, that rule… It is a bit creepy, I guess."

"Yeah, to have your every move recorded and stowed somewhere… Something about that doesn't sit right with me."

"But there's nothing we can do about it," Masashi added. "It's just another rule we have to follow while we're here."

Sorao sighed as he stood up from his seat. "I guess you have a point there. So what are you here for? A little chat with me?"

At this point, he found Sorao to be a questionable fellow, at best. He had forced him to lie to Futaba about her lover and had tried to overthrow him upon exposing Masashi's hidden motive video. It was clear that he had hidden motives in mind and might be plotting something right now. Unfortunately, though he had seen for himself Sorao's deception, there was no evidence that he could show anyone else. Without it, it would be easy for Sorao to dismiss his claims.

Still, I guess it won't hurt to spend some time with him.

It would at least prove useful to learn more about him and try to understand him.

"All right, then," Masashi began, "could you tell me more about yourself? Last time, you talked about how you got into playing the celesta."

Sorao chuckled. "About me? Do you think I'm a special guy?"

"You're special, that's for certain," he replied. "There's something about you that makes you stand out."

The musician chuckled again, looking merry. "It's always flattering to hear that, but I'd rather learn more about you."

"Me?"

"Yep. You're the Ultimate Lucky Student, but even now, you don't know why," Sorao said, smiling. "There must be something special about you, even if you don't know it."

Hmm… Special... Is that right...?

"I don't really think I'm special," he responded, uncertain at what Sorao wanted to say. "I'm just a normal guy, and my family's normal, for the most part. That's all."

"So that's how you think of yourself, huh?" Sorao said as he crossed his arms. "Speaking of that... Wasn't there a family member of yours in your motive video?"

"Oh, um, yes, that's right. I have a younger sister, and her name's Keiko. She also happens to be the Ultimate Maid."

"Ultimate Maid?" Sorao whistled in amazement. "To think, your younger sister's an actual Ultimate! Don't you feel bad that you don't have an Ultimate talent? I mean, for some reason, you have the title of Ultimate Lucky Student, but let's face it, it's not really an Ultimate talent."

"To be truthful... I feel a little envious. After all, Ultimates have lots of opportunities open to them, and they can do lots of things to help their families. But really, it's no big deal to me."

As the Ultimate Maid, Keiko could take care of household duties with little difficulty, and she hardly complained about it, as she enjoyed working as a maid. Sometimes, seeing her work so hard made him feel a little inadequate, and so he would offer to help her, which she never refused.

"Hmm… I see…" Sorao said, nodding along. "So where is she now? Wait, let me rephrase that… Where was she before you found yourself in this crazy place?"

"Well, as far as I remember, she was offered a temporary position at some mansion," Masashi answered. "It was only to get some cash, since she had nothing else going on for the break before school began."

"And you really are worried about her, huh?" Sorao said. "You know, Masashi, I kind of envy you. You get to live in a household with a mother and a father, but as for me… I only have my mother."

"You don't have your father?"

Sorao shook his head. "I've never seen him, nor do I know who he is. I've asked my mom a few times where he is, but she never gave me a clear answer. All I know is that he's gone, and I don't need to ever care about him."

That's… pretty weird to hear from your own mother, but I don't really know anything about your family situation, so...

"Then without your father, does your mother have to take care of you all by herself?" Masashi asked.

"Yep. She had to work a lot in order to provide for me," Sorao said as he looked down at the floor with a rather somber look. "And unlike you, I had no siblings. Sure, I played around with Tanjiro's younger twin brother a lot, but it just wasn't the same."

Sorao smiled as he glanced downwards. "In one aspect, Tanjiro was like me: he too didn't have his biological father around. Like mine, his father had disappeared for some reason. But unlike me, he had a stepfather around. A few different ones, in fact. And he had plenty of half-siblings. You can definitely say that he had a larger family than I've ever had."

"That…"

Masashi could not read Sorao's feelings. Was Sorao envious of Tanjiro? Everything about his words suggested that, but his tone went against it. If anything, there was nothing but indifference in his voice, as if he were simply noting what his next-door neighbor was like.

Sorao smirked as he extended out one arm. "Don't you see? I wasn't dealt a good hand in my early life. And yet, in the end, through hard work, I managed to achieve success. As a player of a less known instrument, I composed songs, participated in concerts that used the celesta, had my works featured in soundtracks for films and all that jazz. And I even managed to secure a scholarship to go to a music school. Even with my success, I wasn't exactly raking in dough, you know."

That is pretty solid proof for being thought of as a success… Masashi thought, though he admittedly could not recall ever hearing about Sorao Mineta. But then again, he was not exactly someone in the music scene.

"So what do you think?" Sorao said as he opened up his arms. "Despite being from a humble background, I ended up becoming a national star! Not exactly an easy feat, don't you think so, dude?"

"Definitely not. That just makes you all the more remarkable!"

Sorao widened his smile as his eyes glinted. "I'm glad to hear that from you."

Though Masashi nodded along, in the end, he still felt a little confused. He had learned more about Sorao's background, and nothing about it struck him as odd, and yet, he felt no closer to understanding what kind of man he was. All he had told him about himself sounded like something he would see in an official biography.

The musician chuckled as he headed for the door. "It's been nice killing time with you. If you want to learn more about the star known as Sorao Mineta, by all means, ask."

Later, Masashi headed up to the second deck, entered the restaurant, and once again saw Faye sitting at the table.

"Oh… Hey there, Masashi," she said, having been staring out of the window. "Is there something you need? I'm not cooking until noon."

Masashi's eyes glinted, as this was now the right time to talk about what he had noticed about her last time.

"Ah, not in particular," he answered. "But are you free for a little chat?"

"A chat? About what?"

"Faye… I have a feeling that you're feeling troubled by something," he began. "You've been assuring me that you're an excellent pastry cook, and I've no doubt about your craftiness... but I think you're a bit obsessed over it."

"What…? Is that what you think?" Faye said, unease creeping into her voice. "That's… That's just silly thinking, Masashi. All I'm guilty of is a little indulgence, that's all. We all like to be complimented."

"That's true, but I don't think that's the whole story," he responded as he recalled moments when the others talked to her about her cooking. "Whenever someone criticizes your cooking, however small the criticism may be, you become rather edgy…"

"Nngh…" she groaned as she glanced to the side. That was a far more telling reaction than he had foreseen, and he was certain that it had something to do with her pride as a cook.

"What's bothering you, Faye?" he asked, trying to draw the answer out of her. "If you have any concerns, by all means, tell me."

"You say that, but…"

Faye breathed in and out. "No offense, Masashi, but I don't think you'll understand if I tell you. You're the Ultimate Lucky Student, but that's not really an Ultimate talent, is it? Still, I can't help but think you truly are lucky."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

She leaned back on her seat, her countenance growing dreary. "Masashi, you're an average, everyday, normal guy, aren't you? You know that you're not an expert in any particular skill, so you don't ever have to feel doubt about yourself, right?"

"Well… I'd like to think that I'm pretty good at some things, but I guess that's about right," Masashi replied. "Wait… Faye, since you're asking me this, do you have that problem, then?"

She nodded dully. "I've had this problem for a while now… Every now and then, I can't help but think: am I truly the Ultimate Patissier? You may think it's silly to wonder about that, but do I really deserve it?"

"Hmm…"

It was a problem that Masashi had admittedly had little experience with. All the Ultimates that he had met had different kinds of personalities, but one thing that they had in common was their certainty that they deserved the title.

"Well, why do you think you were given the title in the first place?" Masashi asked.

"Obviously, I was bestowed the title because it thought I was worthy. Still… I can't stop feeling anxious that I'll be found out later."

"'Found out'? Wait, did you cheat to get your title?"

"What—No!" she cried out, looking at him scornfully as if he had just insulted her. "I can assure you that every one of my victories has been won truthfully!"

"O-Oh… My apologies, then." He looked at her confusedly. "Then what are you so afraid of? You seem like a pretty successful woman."

She sighed as she hung her head down. "Even with all these accomplishments, I can't help but think that I'm not that worthy to have all this success. I keep thinking that I must've fooled people into thinking I'm worthy of being an Ultimate. Maybe it was not my craftiness but simple luck and timing that got me to where I am!"

"Hmm… That's… a weird way to be cursed by success."

"A curse… Yes, you could call it that," she murmured. "And what's more, I can't help but think about my old tutor's words. When I was studying in France, he would keep telling me that I wasn't ready.

"Well, I proved him wrong!" she continued, now trying to sound assertive. "I've won every baking competition I've been in and thereby acquired international fame! He was wrong... He had to be wrong!"

Faye heaved a heavy sigh as she weakly glanced down at the table.

"Every day, I tell myself that I'm no imposter, but in the end, I can't believe myself," she continued. "It's only when other people say that my cooking's good that I feel like I belong here."

Oh... That explains it, I guess.

Faye might be prideful about what she had accomplished, but deep down, her insecurity about her success had made her doubt herself, whence she had to be assured that her insecurity was groundless by being assured by other people. Hence, any criticism of her only deepened her feeling that she was nothing more than a fraud.

So that's why she said I wouldn't understand...

She was right about his lack of experience. He had never been in a position of "success", so he had never had to deal with feeling that kind of doubt. Still, that did not mean that he did not understand her pain. It was something that he was sure other people had gone through as well, and so it was by no means something unique to her. And he was sure that some of them had managed to overcome it, and if they could, it was the same for her.

"Faye… do you want me to say that you're worthy of being the Ultimate Patissier?" he asked.

"It certainly will make me feel better," she answered as she bit her lip. "But what's the point, really? The praise never makes this feeling go away for good."

"But, you know, Faye, don't you want to get rid of that insecurity of yours?"

"Of course I do!" she said, somewhat irritated. "But what can I do?"

"Well, for one, you've talked with me about it," he answered. "If you want others to help you, then you can't expect their help without telling them."

"I suppose so…" Faye muttered. "To be truthful, I already feel a bit relieved from telling us all this. I thought you'd think my problem was silly, and I was simply overblowing this."

"No, of course not!" he said, holding his hands up defensively. "I'd like to help you deal with it, for that matter."

"I'd like to see you try," she said with clear expectation that he would not succeed. "If you can truly help me with this problem of mine, then… how about I cook you ten batches of whatever pastry you want?"

"T-Ten batches… Th-That's…" he said, almost driveling upon imagining ten batches of éclairs.

"You really like my snacks, don't you?"

"Well, there's no denying that they're really good."

She laughed briefly. "I always appreciate hearing that from you."

It was around five o'clock, and the sun had already begun to set. Masashi headed over to the Moonlight City and walked down to the Ferris wheel room in the fifth deck. The room looked much like a park early in the evening. The Ferris wheel lay at the middle of the room, but even with its height, it was still not tall enough to reach the ceiling.

"It's about time you were here," Maiha said, who sat at a nearby bench.

"Sorry… I've been hanging out with some of the others," Masashi said, feeling a little tired from all their conversations.

"Exhausted, are you not? It's understandable that you feel that way from talking with those people."

"That's not why I'm tired," he said, though not finding it surprising that she would read it that way. "Where's Haruyuki?"

"He should be coming here with that wretched thief," she answered. "Why did you choose him to bring her here?"

"She's trying to avoid me right now, so she wouldn't have responded to me," he said. "And as for you… I don't really need to say it, do I?"

She showed a look of disgust. "The very thought of my asking her to spend some leisure time with me is loathsome enough."

"You really don't like her, do you?"

"Of course not. She's a thief, and thieves are nefarious folk. Surely you don't like thieves, do you?"

"I can't say a whole lot of them are good folk. Still, I'm sure that some thieves are just good people, regardless of their thieving."

Maiha rolled her eyes. "What a foolish thought. All thieves are evil by virtue of the fact that to be thieves, they must have stolen from others. There's nothing more to think about for them."

"Is that how you think?"

"It's the same for commoners, of course," she replied. "There's no end of vices that they exhibit. I've heard all too many tales from my parents about their misdeeds. And I myself know all too well the effects thereof."

Hmm… So it's a bit personal for her as well, he thought. I wonder what exactly happened to her...

"Don't forget what we agreed to," Masashi added. "You promised us that you'd change your ways and learn to get along with us. And that means you have to set aside your class prejudice."

Maiha sighed as she rolled her eyes again. "Yes, yes, I haven't forgotten that promise... I'll be sure to keep it in mind, but I imagine it'll soon grow quite tiresome."

Just then, the door to the Ferris room opened, and in came Haruyuki and Kasumi.

"Wh-What the? You're here, Masashi!" she said, taken aback. "And Maiha! Why's she here with him?"

"Relax, Kasumi. It was I who had invited them here," Haruyuki said.

"Y-You did?" she said, facing him with unease. "But why? Are they joining us or something?"

"Indeed, they are," he answered calmly. "We four shall ride the Ferris wheel. I trust that you have no objections to that."

Kasumi said nothing for a few seconds as she looked back and forth at the three of them.

"Sure… I guess it'll be all right," she said, albeit with some reluctance.

"Let's go, then," Masashi said, wondering whether she had already suspected why he was here, but from the looks of things, her glances were directed toward Maiha instead.

The four boarded the Ferris wheel's lowermost passenger car, which was designed such that once the door shut, no one could leave. Kasumi and Maiha sat next to each other, and so Masashi and Haruyuki sat at the other side. The car then began to rise up into the air. Though the Ferris wheel was confined wholly in this one great room, glancing outside and seeing how high they were astounded Masashi nonetheless.

"Not every day that I get to look down at the ground like this," he said.

"Indeed, it is like looking down at the earth from the top of a mountain," Haruyuki remarked. "Of course, I've never climbed up a mountain. I'm not a fan of that kind of outdoor activity."

Maiha sighed as she sat back at her seat. "You must be easily amused if you think this is incredible. I've seen far more impressive heights from the windows of my family's private jet."

"Well, not all of us are as rich as you, you know!" Kasumi chirped. "Of course, I've been on the skyscrapers of buildings several stories tall, so this is nothing to me!"

For the remainder of the ride, the four continued to chat about various things. For a moment, Masashi even forgot that they were here to talk with Kasumi about her problem. With how happy they all were, it almost felt like hanging out with his friends.

Wait, no. Not all of us are happy...

Masashi thought as he noticed the increasing displeasure on Maiha's face as she glanced out the window. He imagined that if she were more daring, she would break open the door and leap out of the car, just to get away from Kasumi.

Soon, the ride came to an end, and as the door opened, Maiha was the first one to step through it. Haruyuki let out a small chuckle at the sight before they all left.

"Well, that was fun!" Kasumi said, smiling. "So what's next?"

"Hmm... How does the Haunted Woods ride sound to you?" Haruyuki said.

Wait, are you talking about the one where Atsushi was killed?

Masashi shuddered at remembering the sight of discovering his dead body. Ever since then, he had not felt inclined to ride the regular merry-go-round or the Haunted Woods ride. He was not a great believer in jinxes and superstitions, but still, he would rather ride something else if he could.

"But before that," Haruyuki said, his voice growing slightly more serious, "Kasumi, could I ask you something?"

"Um, what?" she replied, a little hesitation in her voice.

"I've noticed that you seem a little less energetic than usual. By any chance, is something on your mind?"

At once, the smile on her face disappeared, and she let out a sigh as she glanced down at the floor.

"You know, you don't have to beat around the bush like that," she said. "You guys want to ask me what I've been hiding, right?"

"Oh!" Masashi cried out. He had thought that they would have to lead up to the issue steadily, even if she had suspected what they were up to, but now, there was no need for that.

Haruyuki looked not at all taken aback by her pointed question, however. "I'm afraid to say that you've seen through us. Yes, Masashi is here to delve into the matter that you have been hiding from us."

To Masashi's surprise, Kasumi then showed a little smile and chuckled, but it was noticeably weak, as if she were laughing at a bad joke.

"I figured that was the case," the phantom thief replied, the cheerfulness in her voice waning. "When you suddenly asked me to accompany you to look around the amusement park, I found it a little weird, but I didn't say anything. But when I saw Masashi, my suspicions only heightened. You invited me out here only because Masashi had told you to, didn't you?"

"Yes, save for one detail."

"Huh?"

"You seem to be under the assumption that I've simply been following Masashi's orders. But in truth, it was I that asked him to look into your troubles."

"Wh-What?" Kasumi looked back and forth at the two men. "Masashi, is that right?"

Masashi nodded. "Sorry I didn't tell you back then, but Haruyuki had approached me and told me what he suspects is up with you."

He then looked at Haruyuki, and he did not need to say anything to tell him what he ought to do now. In response, Haruyuki nodded and looked at Kasumi with a soft but earnest look.

"Kasumi, you have told me many times tales of your many escapades as Red Mask," Haruyuki began. "At no point did I feel that I was not entertained. It was ever so lovely to hear how you managed to slip out of whatever pinch you found yourself in.

"But now, I wish to hear about someone else," he continued. "I wish to hear about the feelings that you dare not show the world."

"Wh-What?" Kasumi said as she glanced downwards. "I-I don't understand."

"All your tales have been about the carefree and fearless phantom thief known as Red Mask," he answered, undeterred. "But I know nothing about your inner turmoil. How do you feel right now? What ails you? What do you fear?"

"But why?" she said, not looking him in the eye. "Why do you want to know these things?"

Haruyuki said nothing for a few seconds.

"To put it simply... I'm worried about you," he said, speaking rather plainly for once. "If you continue down the path that you have trodden so far, then you will grow worse and worse. And I don't want that to happen."

"That's… how you feel?"

Kasumi's lips trembled as she continued to look down at her lap.

"You really are that worried about me… I can't believe it..." she said as she looked up. "Now I'd feel awful if I said no."

"Kasumi…!" Masashi said, gaping.

Though it was clear that she had not let out all her feelings yet, that she was now willing to talk about it was great enough progress. Now they needed her to explain herself.

Haruyuki showed a small smile that nonetheless betokened his gladness. "Will you tell us everything now?"

She sighed as she sat down at a nearby bench. "It's nothing complicated, really. There's only one thing that I can't stop thinking about."

"And what, pray tell, is it?" Maiha asked, not looking terribly happy at this development.

She frowned as she gave the others a sidelong glance. "It's the one thing that a phantom thief wouldn't want others to know… Don't you get it now?"

Ah! Masashi thought, eyes widened. This is the only thing that I can think of!

"Is it your true name?"

A second later, Kasumi answered his question with nothing but a small nod.

"I admit it... I'm worried about you guys revealing my name to the outside world," she said. "That's why I…"

She heaved a sigh as she set a hand on her right cheek. "I… I wanted to gain the others' trust. I thought that as their friend, I could make sure that they wouldn't say a thing about my true identity once we got out of here. That's why I was glad that you wouldn't lock me up and instead would give me a chance to befriend the others, Masashi."

"Ah…" Masashi said as everything started to piece together in his mind. "I get it now… Those words you said on the night of Arashi's class trial."

She paused for a few seconds as she glanced left and right. Afterwards, she let out a small sigh. "All right, I'll talk... It's nothing huge, really. Since yesterday, I've been thinking about… my bonds with the others."

"Your 'bonds'?" Masashi replied, a little astounded to see that this was the thing that she must have felt anxious about.

Kasumi nodded softly. "I've kept asking myself whether I've been a good friend to the others… I know I'm not someone easy to trust. For example, I think I'm getting along with Arashi, but even after yesterday's reconciliation, I get the feeling he's still wary of me."

"Well… I got the same feeling, too," Masashi said. "But I don't think you should worry too much about it. This kind of thing takes time. Old wounds don't heal in a day."

Oh, of course… Masashi thought as he let out a small groan. That's why she felt that concerned about her friendship with the others.

Everyone here now knew her name, and it was in her best interest to keep her secret from spreading. And that desire of hers had not gone away, even when the others had started to feel easier around her.

"Is that why you were so keen to make amends with Arashi, then?" he asked.

Kasumi nodded softly. "Yeah… I thought that maybe if I got on his good side, I could later tell him not to reveal my true identity to the world."

She heaved a heavy sigh as her countenance saddened. "But I couldn't believe it when you proved that Arashi was the killer. Hearing that nearly rent my heart! If he was willing to kill everyone else for revenge, then did he not care about our friendship?"

"So that's why you wanted to be reassured of your friendship together..." Masashi uttered, remembering her last words to Arashi. "You wanted badly to hear that your efforts to become his friend had been successful."

Kasumi nodded again. "I keep telling myself that to the very end, we were friends... but lately, I can't help but think: is the whole thing pointless?"

"Hmm? What made you think that?" Haruyuki asked.

"Even though we were friends, Arashi still betrayed me..." she answered. "Even when he sought to wreak revenge... in the end, he cared about his own feelings first and foremost. That's what all his actions showed. And as a phantom thief, I know full well the difference between words and actions."

"Ah... I guess you have a point there," Masashi said. "That's why you now doubt whether you were truly friends with him."

Kasumi sighed. "I don't want to say this, but... I guess there's no point in hiding it now."

"Hide what?"

She paused for a few seconds before answering.

"Since Arashi's death, a certain thought has kept coming into my mind: will the others ever think of me as a true friend? I know that because of my profession, people will naturally be wary of me... And even if I show them that I'd never betray them... will they believe it? Maybe Arashi betrayed me because he never thought of me as a friend... Maybe he simply wore the bracelet because it looked nice to him."

And it was then that her lips began to quiver.

"There's no point in continuing this charade... That's what I hear whispers of," she said. "And that's why... after Arashi's execution, as I was trying to fall asleep... I thought about it. I earnestly thought about playing the killing game."

Her revelation drew gasps from everyone.

"You... earnestly thought about sacrificing us?" Masashi said.

"I'm sorry! I know that it's against my ideals as a phantom thief!" she said, her voice choking up. "But... I keep wondering: what's the point of following my ideals if it means I can't stay a phantom thief anymore? And if breaking my creed means that Red Mask gets to live on, then it's something I can't easily dismiss anymore!"

For a while, no one said a thing. It was sad to hear it from her, but there was no hiding from the truth at this point: Kasumi had thought about playing the killing game to ensure that everyone else would never reveal her true identity to the world. Masashi did not know what to say, even though he had expected her secret to be somewhat dark. Even Haruyuki looked bemused and seemed to struggle to say anything.

"I'm sorry..." she said again. "I don't want to feel this way..."

"Kasumi..." Masashi uttered. "I... I can't say that what you've said to us isn't shocking to hear, but—"

"As I figured, I was right about her all along!"

The one who had interrupted him was none other than Maiha, who now showed a wry smile as she set her arms akimbo.

"M-Maiha?" Masashi said, looking at her with confusion. "What are you doing?"

"All this time, you've been saying that we need to trust her!" she said with much arrogance. "But look at what we know now! She truly thought about killing us!"

"S-Stop it..." Kasumi said weakly.

The ballroom dancer snorted as she looked down at her. "Why ought we to trust you? You've just proven that every word that I said about you was right!"

"Stop it!"

Maiha waved her hand dismissively, her eyes growing in pridefulness and viciousness.

"What are you going to say to me? Whine about how harsh I've been toward you? Even though I've just been proven to be correct about your intentions, in the end, I will have the last laugh."

"Maiha, please, stop it!" Masashi said, sensing that something bad would happen if she continued.

But Maiha sneered, showing no signs of acknowledging her pleas as the pain on Kasumi's expression grew.

"This whole thing has turned out to be nothing but a bad joke, Masashi!" she said. "You should have had the sense not to trust a filthy thief like her—"

And it was then that a certain sound rang through the room. Masashi could not say anything in response, having to take in what had just happened.

In an instant, Kasumi had moved from her seat and slapped Maiha on the face.

"What the hell?" Maiha uttered as she rubbed her cheek. "Wretched thief, how dare you—"

"Oh, just shut your goddamn mouth already!"

Masashi and the others gasped as they looked at Kasumi, who no longer showed any sadness and melancholy on her countenance. Instead, there was nothing but sheer wrath.

"All this time, you've treated me with nothing but disrespect!" Kasumi yelled, snarling, no mercy in her eyes. "Even when I pledged not to kill anyone, you still didn't believe me! Instead, you kept spewing nothing but insults at me!"

Wh-Whoa… Masashi thought as he gulped. Though he recalled how she had acted during Futaba's class trial, he still wondered at the intensity of all the wrath that she had been suppressing.

"M-My word…" Haruyuki uttered. To none of Masashi's surprise, he was smiling to the point that he seemed to be holding back any joyful laughter.

Meanwhile, Maiha merely frowned as she gathered her bearings. "H-How dare you speak to me like that—"

"Yeah, well, I don't give a damn!" the phantom thief said. "And you know what? I'm pretty sure everyone else feels the same way! I can't imagine you treating anyone any differently from how you've been treating us! Anyone around you has to think that you're a disgusting human being!"

"That's..." Maiha said, wincing. "That's not true—"

"You're nothing but a spoiled rich girl who thinks you can have your way with the world! Well, guess what?

"Nobody cares about you!

"Nobody will ever want to become your friend!

"Nobody will miss you once you're gone!

"That's how horrible you are!"

Eyes widened, Maiha was at a loss of words. She must have expected Kasumi to throw some nasty words at her, but the intensity of her loathing had thrown her off-guard, and so she could not muster even an insulting response in her usual haughty way.

Masashi looked at the two women uneasily. If truth were told, he had absolutely no idea on what to say now. Kasumi had just let out her true feelings about her anxiety and Maiha, but what was he to do now? Even Haruyuki did not look like he could defuse the situation.

"S-So... that's what you truly think of me..."

Though Maiha tried saying it in her usual disapproving manner, this time, her voice was noticeably lacking in confidence, as if hiding how shaken she was.

"M-Maiha? Are you all right?" Masashi asked, growing uneasy.

She put up a hand to stop him as she winced. "I wish to be alone right now... I'm not in the mood for any further conversation with filth like her!"

And without saying anything further, she left the Ferris wheel room. Masashi besought her to wait, but his words failed to make her stay.

"Thank God she's gone," Kasumi said. Though there was a great deal of spite in her voice, she now was noticeably calmer. "I can't stand looking at her... Whenever I talk with her, more often than not, she finds a way to insult me!"

"Those... were some harsh words you had for her," Masashi said, still recovering from his shock.

"Indeed," Haruyuki said, failing to hide surprise in his countenance. "I never would have fathomed seeing you show such contempt."

Kasumi hung her head down as more of her anger dissipated. "Well, I didn't want to say it, but she wouldn't stop insulting me! I wanted her to stop, so... the next thing I knew, I struck her and responded in kind!"

"I-I see..." Masashi replied.

It had been long clear that Maiha had loathed Kasumi, so it should not be so surprising that Kasumi had secretly felt the same way toward her. Still, the level of rage in her words had gone far past what Masashi would expect from her. Had he not witnessed it, he could hardly have believed that the wrathful girl was the same cheerful girl whom he was familiar with.

Kasumi sighed, looking more tired than wrathful now. "Um... I know everything that I said wasn't pretty. You guys now know how I've been feeling lately... From that, I won't really blame you if you think I'm not trustworthy anymore."

"I admit, you're not as innocent as I hoped that you were," Haruyuki replied. "But you shouldn't assume that I have chosen to shun you."

"Wh-What?" Kasumi looked up at him astoundedly. "You aren't angry with me or anything? You still trust me, then?"

Haruyuki showed a small smile as he extended one hand toward her. "I don't want to forsake a dear acquaintance."

"I... I don't know what to say about that..." Kasumi then turned toward Masashi. "What about you? Do you... feel the same way?"

Masashi said nothing for a few seconds, hesitating over his answer. In the end, however, he thought it best not to hide how he felt about all this.

"I won't lie, I am a bit concerned about you. There's no denying that you've been thinking about killing." He took in a breath of air before continuing. "But that doesn't mean I'll leave you. Even after all this... I still think of you as my friend."

Kasumi widened her eyes. "R-Really?"

Masashi nodded. "If you feel worried about something, please don't feel afraid to tell us. We can't help you if you don't tell us."

"If that's what you want, then..." she said, her voice cracking up. "To be frank, it feels a bit weird to open up! As a phantom thief, I lean toward secrecy... but if I keep staying like this, then I'll only keep worrying you as your friend... I guess being a bit more open isn't so bad, then."

"Well, that's good to hear," Masashi said, showing a small smile. "We can talk more about this later. In the meantime, you're free."

"Uh, all right, then..." Kasumi said, though she looked mildly uncertain about this state of affairs. "I'll go back to my room for now... See you later for dinner."

Then Kasumi left the room, leaving the two men alone.

Oh... Why did things have to turn out like this?

Masashi let out a great sigh as his body slightly slumped.

"Hmm? Masashi, you look rather unsettled about something," Haruyuki said, eyeing him with curiosity. "Is something the matter?"

"Well... Kasumi's agreed to open up to us from now on, so that's a lot of progress made today. I'm happy about that."

"And yet, with your words, you sound unsatisfied. May I ask why?"

Unusually, Haruyuki sounded quite puzzled and did not merely wish to learn more about what he thought about a given topic.

"I don't like how things have ended up," Masashi uttered. "I don't like how things were resolved like this..."

Haruyuki continued to give him a puzzled look, however. "What do you mean?"

Masashi hung his head down as sorrow entered his expression. "It's good that Kasumi's shown that she's upset at how Maiha's treating her, but I wish she hadn't yelled at her... I wish she hadn't said all those horrible things to Maiha and hurt her feelings."

"Hmm... I must say, you surprise me with your concern for that woman," Haruyuki said with a hint of disapproval in his voice. "Yesterday, she swore that she would try to bridge the chasm that separates her and us. And yet, with her tirade against Kasumi, she showed that she would not change her ways. Perhaps you ought to think twice about her."

"Well, I can't deny that what she said against Kasumi was awful, and I understand why Kasumi acted the way she did," Masashi responded. "Still... I want to give Maiha another chance."

"What? Why?"

His answer was simple.

"I only want everyone to be happy... I want everything to go back to normal," he answered. "And even with her personality flaws, that includes Maiha as well."

"Even with how she acted earlier?"

Masashi nodded. "I've talked with her a few times, and I know full well that she's been full of prejudice for a long time... And once Kasumi told us her true feelings, Maiha felt that she had been vindicated in her prejudice, so she reveled in it. If I want her to change her ways for good, then I need to stick with her."

"I see..." Haruyuki said. Though nothing about his words suggested disagreement, there was a great deal of skepticism on his face. Nonetheless, he showed a small smile as he lightened up. "Just to be clear, do you plan to continue helping Kasumi?"

"As I said earlier, I'll stay by her side as her friend."

"Then do you aim for some kind of reconciliation between her and Maiha?"

"I'd like that, but I imagine it's not going to be easy."

And it was then that a particular figure then arose in his mind.

Mari...

After all the focus on Kasumi, he had completely forgotten about her. As soon as he thought about her, however, he recalled how he had suddenly yelled at her and told her to leave his room without further explanation.

Oh… I can't deny it any longer.

It had been wrong for him to do so. If he thought it wrong for Kasumi to snap at Maiha like that, then there was no reason for him not to condemn his own behavior. Sure, he had yelled at her only once and had not hit her, but nonetheless, his few words of rejection had still hurt her greatly. He should have been calmer and let her explain herself more.

I need to apologize to her as soon as I can...

He could not find the energy to feel worked up about her way of thinking anymore. With her fatalistic thinking, she hardly cared about the future, but in the end, it was he that had shaped this chasm between them. How could he chide her for not caring a whit about having a future together, when he was the cause of destroying any chance to reach that future?

More FTEs! This time, it's with Sorao and Faye, who gets another one so soon since I wanted to show off more of her. And I thought that since there was already a lot going on in this chapter, it was better to have two FTEs this time. Anyway, in this chapter's main event, Kasumi lets out her hidden feelings at last, but things don't exactly go as Masashi wants.

Next time, the motive will be shown! What are your guesses on the motive? As always, I'm interested in hearing your thoughts!