"I… I…"

Aside from a few occasional moments and certain topics, Yuri was under the belief that she was past having trouble finding the right words.

"Why…?"

"'Why…?' what?" a curious voice asked.

Standing in front of her was Monika.

"Something on your mind, Yuri?" she further asked.

"N-No… It's just… Well… I was just thinking about what it would be like if I could be more open with my feelings."

"But I thought you were already more open with your feelings, Yuri."

"I am, but there are some that I haven't mustered up the courage to verbally."

"Have you tried the nonverbal methods? I know something like this would be something you would express in your poetry."

"I've tried, but…" Yuri sighed. "The words are in my head and in my heart, but I cannot bring myself to let them out in any way."

"I see…" Curiosity was evident on Monika's face as she took a moment to think. "Do you at least know what these feelings are directed at?"

"It's actually directed towards quite a few things really," Yuri answered. And the truly frustrating thing about it is they are almost about the same thing."

"Really? That does sound a bit frustrating," Monika sympathized

"I was actually thinking that if it was you, you wouldn't have such a hard time expressing these feelings."

"Eh… That's not entirely true…"

"Really? You've always seemed to have an easy time to expressing yourself all the time."

"Honestly, I have as hard as a time as you do when it comes to certain things too," Monika admitted.

"You do?"

"Come on, Yuri, you know I do. In fact, I'm sure there are certain topics that we share that make us a bit stumped on what to do."

"Ah… Perhaps."

"Still, it's okay if you don't know how to express what you're feeling. It's frustrating, but sometimes you just need to wait for the right moment."

"I know…" Yuri conceded. "Perhaps I'm just stuck with them bottled up until then."

"Don't think of it like that. Just think if it a searching for the right time for both you and the recipient," Monika cheerfully advised.

"So… Bottled up."

Monika's cheerful demeanor immediately crumbled. "Okay, you're forced to bottle it up…"

Yuri giggled. The playful defeat resting on Monika's face made it hard not to.

"You know, the others are probably waiting for us," Monika pointed out. "We shouldn't keep them any longer."

"Okay," Yuri closing her eyes.

"Yuri?"

I…

"Yuri?"

"I…"

Golden rays of sunlight hovering above were the first thing Yuri noticed when she reopened her eyes.

"Ever the cruel irony…"

"Yuri?"

A face full of stiches was suddenly thrust into her field of view.

"Yuki…"

"No, Grimm."

Following the arms holding the stuffed doll, Yuri soon met eyes with her younger sister.

"What are you doing in here?" Yuri asked.

"We were worried about you and wanted to catch you before you left," Yuki answered.

"Why?"

"We wanted to know why you're still not talking to your friends."

"…Why would you ask that?"

"Because they said that they would talk to you about that."

"…They… I can't speak to them anymore."

"But why? You never told us why though. They look like they still want to be friends, so why don't you want to be?"

"…Because I…" Yuri averted her gaze. She had the answer in her head already, but she couldn't say it. "I just can't."

"But why?" Yuki inquired further. "You used to be so excited to talk about the stuff you do with them and then you suddenly started hating the idea of being around them."

"Things have changed, Yuki; that's all. Now please, I'd like to be alone right now."

"…Okay."

Yuri kept her eyes focused on the ceiling until she heard her door shut close.

Sorry, Yuki.

Yuri slowly sat up, thinking about the memory that played back in her dream. She always believed that dreams like the one she just had some sort of purpose.

"This one seems to just exist to to…"

She closed her eyes as her right hand clutched her chest.

"I'm…"

Saying no more, Yuri's hand slowly slid down her body. Her breathing, already heavy, grew more ragged as her hand crept down her body until a sharp chill shot down her spine. Her entire body trembled the moment she made contact to her stomach.

"Ah…"

She could remember it at all. The sensation of being stabbed, the feeling of metal piercing flesh. The blood rushing to escape through her open wound and the fear that it was only the beginning.

Opening her eyes, Yuri pulled up her shirt and caressed the spot where she was stabbed.

"A phantom pain…?"

Quickly discarding that thought, Yuri slid out of bed and made her way downstairs. There she found her mother fiddling with her tablet.

"Mother…"

Yuki looked up. With a calm smile, she responded with a simple. "Good morning, Yuri."

"What are you doing?"

"Just writing down some ideas."

"Oh…"

Any other time, Yuri may have inquired further but she couldn't really commit to that expected social norm. There was something else on her mind.

"Mother… Is it wrong to want to desire to be left alone?"

"Not at all."

"Eh? Yuri was stunned by how their conversation already had reached a conclusion. "That was such a quick response."

"Oh my, is that so strange?" Yumi questioned.

"Well… Considering the circumstances."

"What circumstances would that be?"

"Mother…"

"I really mean it, I'm not sure what circumstances you're referring to."

Yuri wasn't entirely sure if her mother was manipulating her or was telling the truth. Whatever the case, she knew that the conversation wouldn't continue on without her speaking up.

"…After the harrowing night before Halloween, I decided to be alone and yet it's constantly treated as if it's the worse thing l could have done. I figured it would have been an expected action."

"It sounds like it, doesn't it? So, what inspired you to question it?" Yumi curiously asked.

"I was compared to someone I don't have a high opinion of… And it coming from someone who knew that person well caused me to pause for thought."

"Really?"

"And… Never mind. I'm being foolish."

"Are you?"

It was then that Yuri knew that her mother was leading her on.

"Mother… What's going on through your head right now? I know you must have already formulated your judgment."

"Oh my, do I really seem like the judgmental type?"

"Mother…"

Yumi placed her tablet down and approached her daughter. "Truth be told, I think there's a reason you reacted the way you did, but to know what it means requires you to specifically identify and acknowledge what you felt then and what you feel now."

"I feel…" Yuri placed her hand on her chest again. As she pondered that question, her hand once again slowly slid down to where she was stabbed. "…I don't know how I feel."

"And that's fine. It doesn't have to come to you now, but it may be best if you have it on your mind at least."

Yuri couldn't find the words necessary to respond to her mother's advice. All she could do was nod her head and return to her room. She got dressed and headed out.

There was something she became somewhat detached from despite it filling the holes in her heart in the past.

…

Yuri looked to her left, then looked to her right. There were people all around her with their eyes glued to the pages of the respective novels. Their clear investment and how little the world around them meant then was something she was a little envious of.

That wasn't the only thing she spotted, however. She noticed people conversing with each other. She could only imagine what they could be talking about. Perhaps they were talking about their respective stories or perhaps they were just having a friendly chat; there was no real way to know.

However-

"Perhaps I should come back later…"

Yuri turned to leave, only to bump into another patron.

"Excuse me."

"Huh?"

Yuri's entire body froze in place. That vocal indication of surprise sounded very familiar. She was shocked to discover the person she ran into was-

"Natsuki?"

"Yuri?"

The two stared at each other, clearly stunned by the other's presence. Yuri was sure that they would have stayed that way until Natsuki let out an annoyed, tired sigh.

"I don't know why we're surprised… Of course, we would be found at a bookstore," Natsuki pointed out.

"That's true…"

Natsuki's words affected Yuri more than it should have. Her expression and tone of voice was very familiar.

"This is nostalgic…"

Natsuki's eyes lit up with curiosity. "What is?"

"I'm reminded of us being barely able to converse due to our fight in the past."

"Geez, Yuri, that's not exactly helping with the awkward atmosphere..."

"Sorry… I was just thinking aloud."

Natsuki sighed once again. It was clear to Yuri that her presence was annoying her like it did in the past.

"So… How've you been?" Natsuki suddenly asked.

"Ah… Fine enough all things considered. What about you? Have you been faring well?"

"I guess. I'm probably doing really great for someone who was almost fell down several stories…" Natsuki said with a quiet chuckle.

"I see…" Yuri replied, her response being the last words said for a full minute. "Well…"

"Yeah, I got to get going too. So…"

"See ya," they simultaneously said as they walked out of the door.

In their haste, they ended up colliding into someone just outside of the store. Yuri felt shards of ceramic bounce off her as she caught a glimpse of their victim's face.

"Rei?!" Yuri and Natsuki exclaimed.

Rei looked at Natsuki then at Yuri. As usual, there wasn't a hint of emotion in her visible eye. Her gaze slowly inched downwards towards a broken vase. Buried in the spilt soil was a white, daisy like plant.

Rei reached down and brought the plant to her face. The stem was nearly broken in half and some of the petals have already vanished in the wind.

"Uh… Sorry about your flower, Rei," Natsuki apologized.

Her eye still on her fallen plant, Rei gathered the shattered pieces of the vase and dumped them into the nearest trash bin.

"I'll… If you want, I'll buy you a new one of those," Natsuki offered.

"Zinnia," Yuri interjected.

"Huh?"

"The name of that particular flower is Zinnia."

"Right…" Natsuki was quiet, as if pondering the sudden correction. Her expression soon softened as she looked back at Rei. "I'll pay for another one to make up for crushing yours."

"I can pay also since I also bumped into you," Yuri offered.

Rei stopped gazing at the trash bin and turned her attention to the two of them. She finally responded to their words by slowly shaking her head.

"Can't exactly make you pay for a new one when it wasn't your fault," Natsuki insisted.

Rei once again slowly shook her head.

"Um…"

Natsuki's eyes darted around their immediate area. Yuri could understand her dilemma; she did always find it impressive how Shujinkou and Fuyu almost always knew the proper way to "converse" with their silent acquaintance.

"Ah… Rei, is it possible you have a problem with us trying to compensate you?" Yuri questioned.

Rei didn't say a word.

"Maybe that's not the case… If so, why are you turning down our offer?"

Silence was still Rei's only answer.

Utterly lost, Yuri began to wonder if Rei would ever respond to them in some way again.

Trying to ponder whether she should try any further, she soon felt a hand on her shoulder. Natsuki motioned her to turn around and whispered into her ear, "How are we supposed to get anywhere here?"

"Well, the secret is asking yes-or-no questions, correct?"

"But what do we ask?"

"I suppose anything as long as it relates to her fallen flora."

"So…" Natsuki glanced over her shoulder. Rei was still giving them her usual blank stare. "We're being rude now, aren't we?"

"…Yes," Yuri lamented.

They turned back around and apologized, but Rei still didn't give any form of a response.

"So, was that Zinnia the last one at the store?" Natsuki asked.

Rei slowly nodded her head.

Yuri snuck a peek at Natsuki. She could tell by her grimacing face that she felt more guilt by that confirmation, a feeling that she shared.

"Maybe we can find another flower you like?" Natsuki suggested.

Rei slowly shook her head. She instead pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and showed it to her two acquaintances.

It was a map of a familiar area with a specific section circled.

"Isn't that where we sent our lanterns up?" Yuri asked.

Yuri could remember that moment vividly. Seeing the sky lit up with lanterns she contributed to along with her friends around the end of Summer… thinking about it was like having a knife plunged deep into her heart.

"…You're seriously planning on going back there to get a new Zinnia?" Natsuki asked.

Rei nodded her head and stuffed the map back into her pocket. She then turned to leave.

"Hey, Rei…" Natsuki called.

Rei stopped and turned back around.

"…I'll go with you, if you want."

"Eh?!" Yuri exclaimed.

"What's so surprising about that?" After messing up her first one, it's only right for me to help her find a new one, right?"

Yuri could see a bit of determination behind the uneasiness in Natsuki's eyes.

"In that case… I'll go too," she declared.

"You're seriously coming too?" marveled Natsuki.

"As you said, it's only right to help her get a new one."

Giving her only a single nod, Natsuki turned back to Rei and asked, "So…?"

Half expecting no response at all, Yuri and Natsuki were taken aback by what sounded like a thunderous roar.

Rei grasped her stomach, making it clear that she was very hungry.

"Perhaps breakfast is in order first…?" Yuri proposed with the best chuckle she could manage.

…

Once again, Yuri found herself amid casual, friendly banter. There was also the a calmly herbal scent wafting through the air. Her current mindset along with her wandering eyes invoked another sense of nostalgia.

"I thought you said you didn't like going out much," Natsuki said, breaking her out of her spell.

Yuri could understand her confusion. If anyone described themselves as she had in the past, she wouldn't have expected to have a public place they had often frequent.

"Well, there are times when I wanted to a safe space in public," Yuri explained. "Here I could get both that and high quality tea, so it seemed like a win-win situation."

"Well, I guess you coming to a tea shop a lot makes sense…" Natsuki mumbled.

Yuri turned her attention to Rei. She was currently staring at the table.

Never has waiting for food been so tense. Yuri's mind was wandering and was taking in the conversations going around them.

She could hear people talking about their hobbies, people taking about businesses and someone thanking another for their extra coffee.

Huh?

That last person sounded like they were very close and they sound like someone they only heard only a little of.

Yuri slowly turned around. She recognized the back of the person behind her. The first time she saw it, there was someone else intensely staring at.

"What are you doing here?" Natsuki gasped.

The patron behind them turned around. There was a disinterested look on his face. "So, you did end up noticing me."

"Wait, were you following us?"

"You misunderstood. I was already here."

"So, you were just hoping we didn't notice you… Jomei?" Yuri inquired.

"Well, it is truly amazing how I somehow keep running into Shujinkou's friends," Jomei admitted.

"…You've met with the others?"

"Not intentionally, of course."

"Of course…"

There was a hint of interest hidden in Jomei's eyes. "So… What did you think of your last meeting with Akuma?"

"Eh?!"

"W-What kind of question is that?!" Natsuki stuttered.

"It's a simple inquiry."

"But who goes and asks someone involved in that whole thing something like that so calmly?"

"Not to mention how forward it is…" Yuri added.

Jomei took a sip from his cup. "…'It's so unlike Shujinkou.'"

Natsuki and Yuri were taken aback by that comment. It was out of nowhere and yet-

"That's what your eyes are screaming, you and your friends. It's as if just because there's share blood between him and I and just because he and Hiro both happen to have an unwavering kind nature, I'm expected to be the same as Shujinkou. It's almost as I'm expected to be a carbon copy of someone born after me."

There was something strange about Jomei's rebuttal towards the expectation he laid out, or rather, the way he said it.

"Besides, I see no reason to dance around the inevitable topic that will be delved into."

"Still don't think that it's something you just go straight into..." Natsuki muttered.

Jomei shrugged, his eyes now firmly on Yuri. "Does it haunt you?"

"Huh?"

"I'm asking if being one of the centerpieces of that incident haunt you? Nearly dying or becoming in no uncertain terms a slave haunt you?"

"What the heck?! Who asks stuff like that!? Natsuki chided.

"What about you?" Jomei asked, switching to Natsuki. "Does that night haunt you too?"

"I don't exactly believe you of all people have the right to try and assess us," Yuri scolded.

"Are you implying that I'm at fault for what Akui and Akuma had done?"

Yuri and Natsuki were silent, but their disapproving stares were all Jomei needed.

"Was I supposed to know that Akui would set all this in motion just because his brother had an obsession with one of the girls who happened to be in love with my son? That's pretty far-fetched, but then again, since it's Akui, maybe that should have been considered.

Still, if I have known, what was it that you wanted me to do if not even the proper officials could do anything?"

"I still feel like you could have pre-empted this whole fiasco some way. Akui was only involved because of his grudge against you," Yuri pointed out.

"Incredible, isn't it? All this because of a grudge."

"What did you do to him to elicit such a response? Shujinkou mentioned something occurred between you and his mother."

"That's ancient history. It's honestly something he shouldn't be mad at me about. Plus, Akui always wanted to show me up in unhealthy ways."

"Like a sword fight?" Natsuki brought up.

"I'm sure he would have tried that when we were younger. He and Akuma, they were never the most… 'socially acceptable' lot. Their interactions with you should make that clear."

"Clearly…" Natsuki said, rolling her eyes.

"And I'm sure you've met his charming wife."

"You slept with her, which Shujinkou found out about as a child," Yuri recalled.

"…Akui must have talked you and your friends heads off when he had you captive. How very much like him."

"No, his wife told me that while she was skidding my face against a wall."

"Hm… How 'kind' of her."

"Do you hear yourself right now? You sound so calm talking about a life and death situation; one that involved your own son," Natsuki chastised.

"I'm well aware of that."

"So how can you… do that?"

"Hm…"

"Hello?"

Jomei took exchanged glances with the two of them before taking another sip from his drink.

"You're both wondering why I'm not showing how concerned I am over my son's life. And no matter what I say, you'll chastise me for not checking up on him while he's currently comatose."

"Uh…"

"The fact of the matter is that I simply don't have to explain anything to you or the others. After all, who are you all to assess me?"

"What?" Yuri reflexively grasped her stomach as she pondered the use of her own words being used against them.

"I assume you all have a negative opinion of me because of the effect my leaving had on Shujinkou and how I left without saying a word and right now you're judging me based on that. But does that not seem to be somewhat hypocritical considering what you two are doing right now?"

"What are you talking about?" Natsuki questioned.

"You wonder why I don't express any worry over my son or check up on him, and yet you two haven't done any better."

Neither of them had a response to that. All they could wonder was how Jomei could possibly know that.

"Due to my previous run ins, I know full well that you've all avoided doing that exact thing. You judge me for abandoning Shujinkou and yet it seems to me you're doing the same right now."

"We're not-!"

Natsuki began to argue, but was immediately shut down by Jomei

"Is it fine because he's comatose at the moment? Because he's not awake, it doesn't hurt him? Plus, it seems to me that you've also all abandoned each other as well."

"That's not…"

"A dramatic event occurs, Shujinkou is hurt and soon abandoned by someone… Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

"That's…"

"Stop, you don't get to judge us!" exploded Yuri. "I'm- We're nothing like you! You've traumatized your son and essentially encouraged him to believe the death of his sister was his fault! We would never do that to anyone!"

"Really? And you're not encouraging anything right now? Neither of you are making your friends feel as though they're at fault for something?" Jomei calmly rebuked.

Those words had immediately shattered Yuri's defiance. All could she tank about was what Sayori had said to her the day before.

"I…"

Clearly defeated, she could no longer offer anymore words in her favor. Just as she accepted that, Jomei stood up.

"Well, if there's one positive for you two it's that you won't see me around any longer. I'll be leaving soon, so none of you have to worry about me being a negative influence to my son."

Jomei placed the cup on his table and walked away victorious.

Yuri instinctively tightened her grip on her stomach, struggling to come to grips with the feelings this conversation had brought up.

I… I…