Hey, hey! It's been a while, sorry for keeping you guys waiting. Life's been a roller coaster and with everything that's happening, I haven't had much time to work on this fic. However, I have A LOT of chapters and chapter skeletons written out that take place way later in the storyline, so unfortunately I have to fill in the gaps first.

I'd also like to thank you for your comments, I really appreciate them :) 3 Btw, most of the little details I've mentioned in this story, I've learnt from Tumblr. There are many detail-oriented posts that have helped me greatly with understanding the personality of certain characters. Props to the ppl who wrote them because I would've NEVER connected the dots on my own XD

Anyway, the usual disclaimer: I don't own MFB!

Chapter 2 - Sink or Swim Together

16th June

There were three things in life that Hikaru despised the most:

1. Office gossip

2. Whenever her boss gets an 'amazing' idea

3. Morning alarms

The last one being the one pulling her out of her blissful slumber, the pesky melody resonating painfully in her ear. Hikaru reached for her phone lazily, body not fully awake, and swiped the 'X' button to stop it.

"Ugh…" Hikaru grumbled, disentangling herself from the cover that she slept with, and climbed to her feet to stretch her limbs. With a quick ruffle of her hair, the teen set about going to the bathroom and doing her daily routine. Once she was done with it, she put on a grey sleeveless cropped hoodie, dark blue yoga pants and training shoes.

She had forty minutes at her disposal before they set off to the laboratory, which were more than sufficient to do her workout. It would do a great job in completely waking her up and preparing her in case of an eventual conflict.

Hikaru raced out of the hotel and grimaced as the refreshing morning air bit at the exposed skin of her face and arms.

Her route was completely improvised, following the dusty roads of the village and then a trail, surrounded by hills with thick woodlands; When the pair had arrived yesterday, she had no time to take in the beauty of her surroundings - a massive expanse of mountains and untamed bush, with only a few pockets of civilization dotting the landscape, as wide open and stunning as intimidating.

Hikaru slowed to a stop at a clearing and started her usual set of warm-up callisthenics. She worked her way through numerous stretches with measured precision, her flexibility being one of many things she'd enhanced relentlessly in the past few years.

Twenty minutes into the body weight exercises, Hikaru switched to yoga to cool down. The girl got onto her hands and knees, and brought her forearms to the ground. She then got into a downward-facing dog pose. With slow, controlled movements, she lifted her left leg and then her right one, keeping them straight in the air, while inhaling and exhaling sharply through her nose, keeping her core tight.

Peace. Quiet. No stress. No job. No tutors. No entrance exams. Only the loud hum of cicadas.

Maybe there was an upside to this operation. The atmosphere of the countryside really helped her unwind and calm her mind, which usually raced at a mile a minute. It lacked the hustle and bustle of Metal Bey City and the constant traffic noise.

And Hikaru had been so mentally exhausted. She was getting cross-eyed trying to find a way to accommodate all the tutoring sessions she wanted to take. And sleep had been stalking her for too long to remember. Inevitable, really. When your day consists of managing a whole company, making sure everything runs smoothly and all deadlines are met, and swinging back and forth between tutors in preparation for the entrance exams of none other than the country's top universities, a sufficient amount of sleep is not something that you get often. Six hours a night tops.

That's how Hikaru, at the vibrant age of nineteen, found herself feeling like an exhausted and bitter granny in her late eighties. She rarely had the opportunity to rest up and ease her overbusy mind. So for once, the young secretary allowed herself to enjoy the ethereal tranquility that she was offered.

That was until an earthshaking blast rang out in the distance, startling her roughly and ruining the perfect balance of her headstand. The teen landed on her knees with a squeal and did an improvised child pose.

What the hell?

Hastily scrambling to her feet and dusting herself off, Hikaru took a second to listen in hopes to locate where the cacophony of noise had originated from. It turned out to be quite easy, since another bang followed. And then another.

Having always been a curious girl, the bluenette scurried toward the treeline in the direction the blasts were coming from, determined to find out what was the cause of this commotion. For all she knew, the company they were investigating could be responsible for these explosions.

After navigating through the forest for what felt like forever, all the while showing her vast vocabulary to mother nature in a rather original manner due to catching her hoodie on branches, tripping over roots and slipping on the wet grass and whatnot, Hikaru found herself at the top of a hill that overlooked a creek. The crystal clear river was making its way between the surrounding mountains with its sparkling rapid waters, presenting an idyllic beauty.

A lone figure stood amid the clearing and upon looking closer, Hikaru realized that it was none other than her new partner, the King of Beasts himself. Earning such a title, naturally, was no child's play. It required complete dedication to working hard and pushing yourself to the very limits. And that's exactly what he was doing right now, unleashing a pandemonium of raging winds at the nearby rocks and trees.

Is he seriously training this early?

Then again, Hikaru was doing the exact same thing, she begrudgingly reminded herself.

But not to this extent. How long had he been here? Judging by the damage in the area, fairly long. It looked like an atomic bomb had been dropped. Total destruction, safe for the stream - that was one thing the lethal tornado couldn't demolish.

" Go, Leone! " The blader shouted, his bey immediately following its master's commands and generating a rapidly rotating column of air, charging for another massive rock. The tall spinning vortex tore it apart with ease.

Hikaru stood transfixed at the incredible display of power. She couldn't deny that his sense of superiority was well-earned. He was one of the strongest bladers not just in the country, but in the world. He exuded absolute confidence and never doubted himself. On top of that, tactical skills and a will to go to great lengths to fulfill his goal were also something that he possessed. With all that in mind, she couldn't deny that he was pretty amazing.

If only he was willing to cooperate with others like he was willing to enhance his skills…

And as Hikaru observed him, she couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way he fought. She could watch him battle all day, even though she would never admit it to herself, let alone aloud. All of a sudden, however, she was seized by the fear that he would catch her looking, spear her with a disgusted, ice-cold glare and say 'What's wrong with you? Are you stalking me?'

It's time to head back anyway…

Throwing one final look at the blader, Hikaru began to slowly jog back to the hotel, motivated to tackle the day.

At around eight in the morning, the two set off, following the GPS's instructions, strolling through a wooded and uninhabited area. The road split in two, and they took the stretch that meandered deeper through the woods. After what seemed like hours of untouched forests, the route turned into a small gravel path, at last approaching what looked more like a prison than something related to a laboratory where beys are tested. Three stark, unmarked, concrete buildings with no windows, surrounded by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire.

They circled the site at a distance, crouching low and making their way through the shadows, as they could see the guards looking out to the perimeter every once in a while.

" That's twenty guards present outside, just for this shift. " Hikaru grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose. " It's gonna be one hard break-in. "

" Maybe if you focus more on figuring out a way to get inside instead of whining, it would be easier. " came Kyoya's quick criticism, to which Hikaru rolled her eyes in exasperation. He was scolding her; telling her off like a naughty little girl in timeout. Just the thought of it, the nerve of him, made her blood boil.

I don't care if he's one of the most respected and feared bladers in the world. He's got a major attitude, and I'll be damned if I put up with it.

" Oh, really now? What kind of work have you done up until now aside from your personal training? Have you even read the initial reports on this company? " Hikaru gave as good as she got, crossing her arms and keeping a blank look despite her irritability.

Her response had apparently taken him completely by surprise because only two words could describe his expression - absolutely flabbergasted. She reckoned she might know why. Perhaps he wasn't used to being around people who didn't idolize him and kiss the ground that he walked on, a prime example being his old buddy Benkei, who'd follow Kyoya into the depths of hell if that's where the Leone-blader had decided to depart to. What's more, even if he was with a group that didn't put him on a pedestal, he was still able to instill a fear in them that would never allow them to oppose him so blatantly, much less call him out like she just did.

Once Kyoya processed what had just transpired, his face darkened immediately, his hands balled into tight fists as he strode forward until they were toe to toe. He had to give her credit - she didn't even flinch. " 'Course I have! How dare—" Kyoya cut his rant abruptly as he caught sight of something in the distance, right behind her. Before she could even ask what was the matter, he grabbed her and dove in the nearby bush.

Hikaru fell on her back and let out a painful groan, her hand instantly shooting up to cradle the back of her head. " What the heck, Kyoya! What are— " she began ferociously but was stopped mid-sentence because her partner pressed his hand over her mouth.

" Do you wanna get caught? " he whisper-yelled, his sapphire eyes glaring from above her.

Now that stilled the girl. She had been so mentally preoccupied cursing him that she didn't catch any of the chatter coming their way.

As if on cue, footsteps passed by them at a leisurely pace. The pair stood motionless, fearing that even the slightest rustle of leaves and crunch of twigs would give them away. Hikaru glanced just about everywhere else except at the boy hovering over her, worrying that it would make the position they were in even more awkward than it already was.

A few tense moments later, it appeared the patrolling squad was out of earshot and out of sight, so the teens carefully got out of the bush.

" They patrol outside to ward off any hikers who might go near the premises…" Hikaru mused aloud while straightening. Just great, as if it wasn't already tricky enough with so many guards present. Now the two had to hide each time they went out.

" We'll need a better observation post then, " Kyoya declared, his gaze ping-ponging restlessly around the surrounding area, before finally settling to the closest tree, " This will do. We'll get better visibility from there. " He said and started to mount the tree in a swift and effortless manner.

A tree which measured at least fifty meters, the lowest branch being at the fifteenth meter.

Hikaru blinked a few times in a genuine shock.

He can't be serious. He wants me to climb this giant!?

When the bluenette took a second too long to respond, Kyoya let out a huff in agitation. " Are you going to stand there gaping like an idiot, or are you coming? " he lashed out and continued to climb up.

And just like the 'tch' was Kyoya's trademark response to other people's nonsense, rolling her eyes had become Hikaru's M.O. in dealing with the greenhead's comments. " Coming, " she grumbled, her tone implying that she was trying to remain in control of her anger.

Damn jerk. He ought to have a shitty partner like himself, see how it feels.

Hikaru wasn't sure how long it took her to clamber to her destination, it felt pretty long since she had no gloves and the wood bark was digging quite painfully in her palms, but at last she managed to reach the first branch, where her companion was already sitting with his arms crossed. He didn't even bother looking at her, much less hold out a hand to help her get on in what most people would consider proper manners. The girl sat down farther than him, closer to the end, as it was the only possible way that they'd fit on the branch. Her fingers were aching, so she wasn't planning on going further up to get to the next one.

Hikaru sighed and angled her head towards the azure sky, peering through the thick crown and watching as the clouds slowly drifted by, almost at a glacial pace.

This is gonna be a long day…

She shifted slightly every once in a while, since the branch was no cushioned chair to sit on. But at least they had some shade to protect them from the scorching sun. Occasionally, there was a light breeze too, and even though it could hardly compare to the air conditioner back at the WBBA Headquarters, it was still appreciated.

Wait. The WBBA!

Realization swept over Hikaru suddenly, making her grimace and bite the inside of her cheek, the rush of severe anxiety overtaking her like a tidal wave. How could she forget that she was a secretary before an agent? A secretary to none other than the self-proclaimed Immortal Phoenix, a notorious man-child and party animal, who was currently operating on his own, with no supervision for him and the rest of the company.

The bluenette snatched her backpack open in a flash, fumbled for her phone and dialed her boss right away the second she found it.

No answer.

She checked the time. He wasn't in a meeting right now. How did she know, you might ask? Of course, she had memorized his whole schedule for the next week. A force of habit. So there was no reason for him not to pick up when he had his phone on him all the time.

Twenty minutes later, she chanced again. Still, no response.

Hikaru took a deep breath. She had to find a way to know if everything was going smoothly, or else she wouldn't get a wink of sleep the following nights. In such dire times, having a best friend who you can rely on to help you out is a blessing, one which Hikaru happened to have, and so she started to text her.

[ Madokaaaaa ]

[ My dear friend ]

[ Can u pleeease drop by the WBBA to check if everything's alright ]

Hikaru didn't have to wait long for an answer.

[ Sure but idk if I can today :( ]

[ Is tomorrow okay? ]

The older girl exhaled in relief.

[ Ofc whenever u can ]

[ You're the best! ]

" Hey! Quit slacking off! " came her partner's enraged barking, nearly making her jump out of her skin. He was clearly pissed at the fact her mind was elsewhere and not at the current task at hand. God forbid, he did all the work.

Knowing it was best not to reason with him, Hikaru faked a smile, but a vein was beginning to pop up on her forehead. " Just give me a second, please. "

[ Quick question, do u have any tips on how to refrain myself from strangling Mr. Wonderful? ]

[ Whatever he says, let it go in one ear and come out the other ]

Hikaru huffed peevishly and shoved the device in her pocket.

Easier said than done.

Not long after, the patrolling squad of guards began returning back to the laboratory. Figuring it was a good chance to inspect them better, Hikaru took out two pairs of binoculars and wordlessly passed one to Kyoya.

What Hikaru saw through them made her blood run ice-cold. These sentries weren't some ordinary people most companies hire just to get the job done, they were professionals, built like they can put you in the emergency room in less than a minute. What's more, they weren't armed with beyblades like the typical guards from the laboratories they were investigating. No, they were equipped with firearms - a machine gun and handgun for each.

Hikaru gulped nervously. That meant one thing.

Shoot on sight.

Her partner seemingly took notice of this, too, as she heard him curse sharply under his breath. Kyoya put the binoculars aside and threw her a skeptical look. " You sure you can handle this? "

" Yes, " she spoke with conviction and turned back to face him, eyes narrowing. Annoyance flared up within her at the idea that Kyoya was questioning her competence and possibly even trying to scare her away from the mission, as if she was some useless sidekick that was only going to slow it down. " What makes you think I couldn't? "

Kyoya cocked an eyebrow, picking up the hardly-hidden anger in her voice. " You could barely climb a tree, what's left for fighting people who specialize in combat? "

Hikaru tried and failed at concealing her spite as she threw a particularly nasty look at Kyoya, followed by a sardonic reply, " Sorry I'm not a pro at climbing giant trees. We don't have them lying around back at the metropolis." she said, before adding " Also, we've never even had a sparring match so don't make such baseless assumptions. "

He shrugged in a heedless manner, irritatingly apathetic as always. " All I'm saying is that you'd better be as good as Hagane says you are, otherwise you'd be a nuisance. "

At that, the already tenuous hold that Hikaru had on her temper was beginning to thin out.

You dare call me a nuisance? You're the nuisance here, pal! I'm gonna show you—

A lightbulb lit up in her mind.

Indeed, they've never trained together. He'd underestimated her once, so he'd probably do it again. He would let his guard down and she'd be able to kick his ass. The mere thought of using Kyoya as a punching bag infused delight within her.

" Alright. How about we put it to the test, then? Let's spar tomorrow, so I can show you I can fend for myself and so you don't have to worry about it. " The girl suggested, doing her best in repressing a devilish smirk which might expose her true intentions.

Kyoya considered her with an unreadable expression, then let out a sigh, as if spending an additional one hour with her was the most inconvenient and energy-draining thing in the world. " Fair enough. "

Can't wait to mop the floor with you.

Content with her small, yet significant victory, Hikaru summoned the courage to urge him into talking some more about their lookout. " By the way, I was thinking about how we'll proceed with the watching, " she decided it would be best to probe what was on his mind. " Do you have any ideas? "

" We'll split into day and night shifts, obviously. That's the quickest and most efficient way."

Hikaru nodded, placing an index finger on her lips thoughtfully. " Agreed, but there's a downside to this. We won't be in sync and have to waste at least one day, so we can rest and prepare. There won't be any time to report our findings to one another, too. Besides, have you done any night shifts before? "

Kyoya made another of those impatient, slightly disgusted noises. " How is that any of your concern? "

Hikaru's face twisted into a frustrated scowl as she placed a palm against her forehead. Why did he have to be so difficult even for the smallest things? " It's not, but if you had, you'd know that night shifts are very challenging. "

Kyoya snorted indelicately and his shoulders stiffened. " Speak for yourself, I can handle them just fine. "

Sensing that this was going to be another long dreadful discussion, she whirled around, so they were face to face. " I'm sure you do, but here's my point - it's safe to say that we'll carry out the operation at night anyway, just like most covert missions before. So we might as well do only night shifts."

" Ha? " he rounded on her, expression so angry that she could literally see the smoke blowing from his ears. " Together? "

" Of course, how do you expect to stay awake? " Hikaru replied more argumentatively than most people would around Kyoya. " You can't listen to music and zone out, you can't do anything physical either. You have to pay full attention. "

On the full spectrum of dissatisfied Yoyo-emotions, Kyoya seemed to be hanging around impatience more than downright annoyance. As if he couldn't get what was so difficult for Hikaru to understand about this. " It'll still take long! We've gotta split the night shifts, there's no point in doing it together! "

Oh, God. He really hadn't done any night shifts before. Night shifts are freaking nightmare. They mess up with your circadian clock, you're always tired and never quite awake no matter how much you sleep during the day. He had no experience, and he still wanted to argue. All that for what? Just to speed up the process? Hikaru wasn't going to bend over backwards just because Kyoya was in a hurry.

Hikaru clenched her fist so hard, her knuckles turned white. Still, she inhaled deeply through her nose, in one last attempt to keep her temper under control. " You know, you're not making this easy, " she uttered through gritted teeth. " Things won't work out if we don't see eye to eye and collaborate. "

" Piss off if you don't wanna be here, " Kyoya groused, voice rising and head stubbornly turned to the side. " I'm not making you stay. "

Oh and how she wanted to go back. To ditch this and convince Ryo to send some other unfortunate soul to deal with Kyoya's temper. To be able to sleep soundly and peacefully because she wouldn't have to worry that the company will crumble, and she'll be left unemployed, that she'd have everything under control.

But as Hikaru eyed him with scrutiny, another part of her chimed in, saying that she'd dealt with way worse attitudes back at work, overly haughty behaviors from her superiors to which all she could do was just grin and bear it.

In addition, her boss had entrusted her with this, and Hikaru didn't want to disappoint him. She wanted to prove not only to him, but mostly to herself, that she can do the job. Furthermore, she was going to leave the company in just a couple of months anyway. This was like one last push before freedom.

In short, quitting was not an option. But they couldn't move forward with this stance, certainly not. That's how Hikaru came to the conclusion that if she wanted to get this over with and return home with her sanity intact, she'd have to drop the professional attitude.

Hikaru puffed out her chest and also crossed her arms. " I'm not turning tail, Kyoya. " she insisted, eyes shining with determination which caused a thinly-veiled surprise to scrawl all across his face. " I already told you I can handle this and I'm not giving up. We can find a reasonable compromise, but you have to be willing to fix your attitude first." she asserted, before getting to the point. " So how about this - tomorrow we'll do a night shift together. If we deem we can manage it alone, we'll take your approach. "

Silence followed her pronouncement. The tension between them seemed to multiply tenfold as they stared at each other.

Kyoya clenched his teeth. Whereas before he just looked vehement, now he was almost murderous. His jaw clenched, lips pulling away from his teeth in a snarl. He was silent enough to make her nervous, but seemed to regain his composure since he threw his hands up in the air. " Fine. So be it! " he hissed as though he was unwillingly agreeing to the most unpleasant settlement.

And with that Hikaru spun around and returned to her duty, fairly satisfied with how things had turned out since she knew tomorrow's shift would prove him wrong.

Radio silence stretched on and on while they surveyed the area below. Hikaru's eyes were specifically on the guards, and she couldn't help the growing feeling of uneasiness. These guys were buffed, some of them were definitely foreigners. They looked like they could flat-line you with just one punch. One strike from those huge hands and your soul will become homeless. Hikaru did her best to banish all these pessimistic thoughts and put her situation into a new positive perspective, but the sense of Kyoya glaring daggers at the nape of her neck made it hard to think of anything unrelated to death.

Which reminds me.

Too lazy to turn around yet again, Hikaru just leaned backwards and tilted her chin up so she could look at the green-haired lad." I forgot to ask you, have you thought of any code names? "

Kyoya's uninterested expression said it all. " No. " he muttered plainly, the 'duh' evident in his voice. Of course, his Highness couldn't be bothered with such insignificant matters.

Hikaru's lips pursed as she studied him. Code names were obviously used to protect the agent's identity. They had to be short and easy to remember. Then it hit her. Hikaru snapped her fingers, playfulness gracing her features. " I got it. I'm going to call you Sunshine. "

Kyoya's face contorted at the endearment. " Are you fucking serious? "

She nodded and offered him a mocking smile. " I think it fits you perfectly since you're such a joy to be around. "

Kyoya rolled his eyes and huffed, not offering any immediate response. Then he readjusted his razor-sharp focus, centering it on only one thing at the moment, and that was Hikaru. She suddenly felt extremely self-conscious under his gaze. He spilled his thoughts without any filter and any regard for other people's feelings. Who knows on which insecurity of hers he would pick at. He would probably be even more ruthless than normal, since she had been getting on his nerves ever since they set off from home. No doubt he'd want to put all his resentment into this opportunity.

Kyoya eyed Hikaru tepidly, mouth a thin line that barely gave as he gave his final verdict, " Dollface. "

The girl cocked her head to the side, momentarily stunned.

Dollface was a term of affection, too. It meant 'attractive woman', but there was no way he'd use it in the literal sense. Surely there was an irony behind this nickname, just like the one she gave him. It had to be derogatory. But last time she checked, she had no zits.

Then it clicked. A doll - pretty but empty-headed.

Prick…he's got a knack for messing with people.

Hikaru puffed out her cheeks in frustration. There was little doubt that his statement had hit a nerve, but since Kyoya wasn't the only one with a big ego here, she pretended not to care. She couldn't be bothered with his opinion on her, therefore wasting her energy on berating him wasn't worth it, so she went back to observing the grounds. She'd get her revenge tomorrow anyway.

At the end of the day, they'd made their way back to the village. Hikaru was more than happy to be back on the ground, as her backside had gone sore from sitting on that hard branch all day. And man, was she hungry. She couldn't wait to make it to the restaurant.

Eating out was the one thing the pair had agreed on without any conflict whatsoever. Hikaru's busy schedule had never allowed her to take some time and learn to cook anything besides a simple chicken noodle soup for the times she was sick, and an omelet for when she was swamped with work. Half of the time she was surviving solely on take-out food. And her partner didn't seem to be keen on cooking either.

Today's place was an Italian restaurant, and given that they were paying with the company's card, Hikaru wasn't going to be shy and order to her heart's content. She would've associated the place only with positive feelings since the food was heavenly, if it weren't for the fact that she had walked into the door on their way out due to Kyoya not bothering to hold it. Obviously, she wanted to burn his head for that, but she was partially annoyed with herself too, because you'd have to be one oblivious moron to expect decent manners from a punk like him.

By the time they were back at the hotel, the sun was starting to set. Hikaru was sitting at the living room table, taking a moment to ease off from writing a paper, when Kyoya exited his room and went to put on his boots. He was going out.

" Tomorrow we start training at one, " the lad drawled and opened the door, "Don't be late." he spoke with a deeply threatening tone, which in return made Hikaru scoff and toss her head. He was clearly referring to earlier this morning when she'd taken ten extra minutes, in which he'd been fuming fervently.

" I promise I won't, Sunshine. " she affirmed in a sickly-sweet voice as he shut the door and left.

Hikaru sighed and stretched her arms lazily. Fatigue was slowly seizing her, and she was half-tempted to drop the essay and finish it some other time. Her mind was wandering elsewhere, too.

Training for the second time today? He really doesn't give himself a break.

She glanced back at the papers.

Maybe I should get back to working too…

Yup, I know some of these things aren't canon to Hikaru. But since the series never bothered to give her more screen time, I had to use my own imagination to fill in the gaps. I definitely think Hikaru would be the type to train and know some form of martial art or self-defence. In the episode when we see her for the first time, she's strolling through the outskirts of a city, in what looks like a foggy night, like it's a walk in the park (not to mention that the area almost looks like a garbage dump). Second, when she's confronted by a gang of boys, she shows no fear whatsoever, even tells them off. I know that if I got surrounded by a mob of teenage boys, I'd shit my pants. And at the time, yes, she does beyblade and that could be a reason why she was so sure of herself, but then again, how much would a beyblade help when there are punches and kicks involved? XD Moreover, she's travelling alone, and if her journeys were anything like the adventures that Gingka and the others find themselves in, she'd have to know how to protect herself because she's all alone and nobody's gonna help her. Aaaand lastly, even if she didn't know some self-defence techniques before she gave up on beyblade, I think she'd definitely learnt a few after she stopped doing the sport, because if it was the only way she could protect herself, and she couldn't do it anymore, she'd have to find new ways. Post-Battle-Bladers Hikaru has developed a fear of being hurt and battered, so the best way of preventing such a thing to happen is to become strong.

Another thing you might be wondering is what these tutoring sessions are. From what we see in Zero-G, Tsubasa is the new director of the WBBA and it seems like Madoka or Kenta (I'm not sure which one of them) is his assistant, that means Hikaru no longer works there. Also, the author of MFB had posted some sketches of Hikaru as an adult a while ago (she looked gorgeous omg), where it said that she's a hard-working and well-dressed woman. It's confirmed that she's a girlboss. 😎 So in this fic I decided to have her live through the struggles of a university-candidate and show just how much stress it involves. She's my fav character, so I'm making her suffer the same way I had to suffer not so long ago :')

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I wish you Happy Holidays!