Minato didn't know how he came here, in a grey void, but he knew this place was inside him. Pharos' world. A dream. He always got mad when people called Pharos fake. He was his own person.

"When was the last time I'm here It had been a while, I'm sure." Minato walked forward. "You better have something cool to show me, Pharos."

There was no answer.

Minato looked around, expecting to see the usual giant chained cage and the blue flame, but there was none, only the eternal dark grey.

"Pharos?"

He had come here for a few times in the past, and every single time the pajamas kid was there to greet him with a smile.

"-Hi, how are you-?" The voice asked.

This was not Pharos' voice.

Minato looked around again, but found no one, as if the voice was the universe itself. "Who are you?"

"I don't have a name." The voice was actually similar to Pharos, but it was more… mature. "I've talked with you once, four months ago-"

"-but you probably can't remember..." The voice finished to his left.

Minato pondered. Four months… when he transferred here? He couldn't remember anyone telling him anything in particular. He didn't know who this was, but he was in Pharos' world, so this voice probably wouldn't harm him.

"Hm, I'm fine... You called me here. What's the matter?"

"-I wish to talk, that is all…" The voice now came from above. "The majority of human wish for the end. It was destined from the start. What do you think, Minato?"

"Huh?"

"Do you wish for the end?" That was actually the type of question Pharos would ask.

"I don't," Minato said. "But if it happens, then I can't help it. Some people thought death is salvation... I guess I understand."

"I see… I suppose some people would choose death over suffering. Otherwise, one might end up hating everything in this world…"

"Maybe."

"Oh, and… Soon, the poisonous flowers will bloom-"

"-One in your own garden, and three in the garden opposite yours." The voice continued behind Minato.

He didn't turn to look, knowing the voice would change its position soon.

"I don't know whether or not this has anything to do with the end, but you should be careful."

This guy even acted like Pharos. "Thanks for the warning."

The voice chuckled. "I'm happy to hear that. And one more thing... you are going to be lonely for a while."

Lonely?

"But maybe this is better, for your own safety and sanity. I want to be free. You want to be free...The chains are rattling, slowly falling off."

"Huh..." He couldn't hear them.

"Thank you... You are setting me free, even if it's only for a short while, like a normal human, like a normal human..."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know... but I'm sorry that we're not going to talk for a long time, for now... Time never waits. It delivers all equally to the same end... I'll call you here again if I have anything useful to tell you-"

"-That's what friends are for, right?" The voice whispered beside his right ear.

Minato wanted to say he was not his friend, but it's like something stopped him, so he decided to stay quiet. He didn't mind this voice at all.

"My dearest…"

That was creepy. The degree of cryptic is high, higher than talking with Pharos, but Minato still wished this voice would stay and talk to him a bit more.

He knew too well that was wishful thinking.

The voice faded as well as the gray world and his own body.

"Good morning. Please wake up."

Blue eyes. Bright room. Aigis on top. Yep, a usual view.

The blonde got off him and stood up. She nodded to herself. "Mission complete."

"... Five minutes before six, right?" Minato sat up. It was still early morning.

"Yes. Do things five minutes early, as usual," Aigis said. "I am sorry about yesterday night. It would not happen again."

"I forgive you. We could, well, stay the same."

"Thank you." Aigis nodded. She looked at him in the eye. "Is there anything troubling you?"

"Huh?"

"Sadness," Aigis said. "Are you sad?"

"Sad?"

The android blinked and shook her head. "No... Maybe my emotion detector is malfunctioning today. How could someone who recently woke up be sad?"

Minato knocked on her door and Mitsuru opened it.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure," Mitsuru said. "What is it?"

"It's about you." Minato sighed. "You probably know... I couldn't remember what I've said when I was charmed... If I had said anything mean to you, I'm sorry."

He expected the worst, since his apology was so late, but Mitsuru chuckled. "I agreed with Akihiko this time."

Minato blinked. "Huh?"

Mitsuru smiled. "It's... surprisingly easy for you to forgive when someone who made you sad come confess right in front of you."

"Ah... Well, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. All you've said is that I keep too much secret, I am too... commanding, and that I am stupid."

"Ouch." If Minato said all that when he was not charmed, he would be executed for sure. "I, I am sorry. Really."

"Again, it's okay, Arisato. I was not angry. I am used to constructive criticism." Mitsuru paused. "However, you should talk to Takeba. She doesn't do well with this, it seems."

Minato hated summer school, but Edogawa's classes weren't too bad. Junpei could answer most of the questions in class. Edogawa was surely impressed. "As expected from the second in my subject in the whole school."

The first, of course, was Minato. Edogawa continued with his lecture.

"Let's talk about how to tell fortunes using the Major Arcana. First, you will need to shuffle the cards. If a card is reversed, its meaning will change, so it's important…"

Minato never noticed it until Junpei said all of that. Yukari did seem depressed. He invited her to the cafe at the mall.

"I'm sorry."

Minato said after they got their coffee.

"Oh, what are you talking about?" Yukari asked.

"At the hotel, remember?"

Yukari stared at him for a long time. She slowly nodded. "I... remember."

"I know it's not enough, but I'm sorry... If there's anything I could help, please tell me."

"Oh no, you said all truths. I'm fine." She smiled. "I've thought about what you've said at Yakushima, and what Mitsuru said... I have something to tell you. It's going to be long, I think..."

"I can listen. Take your time."

"Thanks." She took a deep breath. "You know about my dad, so… My mom and I aren't exactly on good terms. She dates lots of shallow boyfriends. We even have to move because of the blame for my father."

Minato nodded.

"I'm sorry that in the past I compare us two. All people are different, but I overlook who you are, and your feeling back then... sorry."

Minato drank his coffee.

"I still do sense something similar between us. You might not like it, since it's the fact that we're both missing parents… Still, I've never had anyone who could understand it around me before…" Yukari clenched her fists. "It's different for everyone else at school. They have both their parents at home… They can complain about how they'll get yelled at if they come home late… I… When I hear stuff like that, I feel jealous..."

Minato was having this... awkward feeling. He didn't deserve this. Not at all, but that doesn't mean he didn't enjoy it.

"But I hate feeling that way, so I hide it… And because I can't tell anyone that, I feel distant… I felt lonely. So when I heard about you, I felt that you could save me from that. I expected that you would understand me… I'm being selfish, I know. I could understand why you hate me." Yukari smiled. "But, the fact that you're part of our group makes me feel a lot better. I'm glad that you joined us…"

Minato lay his cup down and looked at Yukari's. It was untouched, a cappuccino with lots of milk foam, and a rabbit face made by powdered cinnamon.

"Haha, I'm just going around in circles with this pity party, aren't I? But… That's how I really feel."

Yukari confided in you.

Minato could almost hear Pharos said that line, narrating every single thing in a childish voice as usual but no, Pharos was gone... for a while now.

You feel as if you've got a little closer to Yukari...

Minato lifted his cup but realized it was now empty. "You know I'm the one who's supposed to talk, right?"

Yukari chuckled. "I really want to get that off my chest. Sorry."

"And I'm the one who's supposed to say sorry."

"You already did. Apology accepted." She grinned. "I plan on telling you that for a long time, but I didn't have the chance... Oh well, I've said it."

"Didn't have the chance?"

"Oh, you know..." Yukari stared at the coffee. "Do you know your 'death aura' is a hot topic in school?"

"No, I don't."

"That thing makes all fangirls afraid to talk to you. If you didn't have it, you would be running around all the time like Akihiko-senpai..." Yukari smiled. "And I won't hit Junpei ever again... and I won't glare at Mitsuru anymore!"

Minato assumed he had said he hated those things. "I didn't say sorry, too. And I have no excuse. Sorry for not noticing we need a talk."

Yukari smiled wider. "No biggie! We did, and you treated me to bon bon and coffee. That's enough."

Minato smirked. "All living things are attracted to food, indeed."

"Hey, I'm offended... Oh, you finished your coffee already?" Yukari called the maid. "One cup of caffe mocha, please... I'll treat you that." Yukari grabbed her cup filled with coffee. "Health. Pure life. To your health."

"I don't think this is how you toast." Despite saying that, Minato raised his empty cup.

"Whatever, as long as you are happy!"

They raised their cups and clinked them together.