Marched from the café and dragged out onto the bustling city street, Ikko found himself gawping at the crowds. Though Yokai tended towards being more packed than not, given the size of its student body and plentiful staff, it paled in comparison to the human tide drifting by them. He and Mizore hovered in the entranceway, exchanging a look of amazement.

"It is Golden Week," she reminded him, "Everyone's out of the office."

"Even still…"

"Where should we go?"

"Everywhere's going to be so busy."

"I thought you wanted that?"

Ikko pulled a face. "Maybe home wouldn't have been such a bad idea."

Mizore shook her head. "Come on. Let's try the shops."

She took off, nearly abandoning Ikko to the sea of passers-by. He hurried after her, relying on the waves of icy blue hair to guide him. He jostled his way through the crowds, bumped shoulders with more people than he thought possible. It was like moving through a packed tin that grew more concentrated the more he moved towards the centre.

Then it happened. Mizore's bobbing head vanished behind a particularly tight-packed crowd near a subway station, and when he broke through the crowd, he couldn't see her. It rooted him to the spot. Fruitlessly he tried to crane his neck, even jumped up to see over the crowds. Mizore, in her haste, had vanished.

He reached for his phone, about to text her, when a text caught his eye.

Ruby T.: Are you with Mizore?

Wondering whether he should respond before resuming his search, he didn't notice Mizore until she bumped into his side, looping her arm through his. He gave a frightful yelp. "Wagh! Mizore!"

"Keep up," she nudged him back into walking. He stashed his phone, all thoughts of Ruby pushed out of his mind by the way she gripped him.

"You're so fast!" he complained, "How am I supposed to do that with all these people?"

"Sorry. I'm used to shopping by myself."

"If you just slowed down a bit…" Ikko surrendered. Mizore kept her grip as they walked in the opposite direction of the crowds, occasionally glancing down to check a map on her phone. "Do you know where you're going?"

"Sure. There's a street not far from here that's a lot quieter. Don't tell me you want to stay in this?"

"Absolutely not." Ikko looked both ways, trying to spot landmarks or tourist sights. As a newcomer to the city, and having been dropped here by magical bus, his sense of place had been thrown completely off. He might as well have been dropped in yet another world, for all the difference it made.

"There's a few clothing shops – I mean, good luck affording any of it, but…"

"You been there before?"

"Once or twice. I was out with, er…" Mizore paused. She made a show of checking her phone, even though Ikko was too overwhelmed to note the twinge in her tone. "It's this way, I think. We can start there and work our way up into the other shopping districts. There's a library near there, too."

"What do we want with a library?"

"Who knows?" Mizore shrugged. "Maybe you want to waste the last of the day reading."

"Yeah, great." Ikko replied. "Are there any arcades?"

"Lessee…"

They walked and talked, slowly forming the clumsiest itinerary Ikko had ever known. Mizore seemed to know the best way to avoid crowds, for at her side he had not been bumped or jostled even once. Slowly, ever so slowly, the crowds of the main thoroughfares began to disperse, and by the time they reached a quiet street lined with fashion boutiques, barely a handful remained.

Overwhelmed and out of breath, Ikko unhooked himself from Mizore's arm and leaned against a nearby wall. "Next time," he panted, "We'll pick somewhere quieter."

Folding her arms, Mizore settled next to him, decidedly less worn down than he. She scanned the shop fronts, deciding where to start. "Don't get too used to this," she murmured, "This is a special exception for both of us. We can't drop you out in the human world on a whim – not if we're using school transport. Students are only supposed to be out in the human world on club excursions."

"I thought we were leaving Yokai talk behind?"

"I'm only explaining."

"I know, I know." Ikko pushed up on his knees, standing straight. "I didn't take you for the fancy clothes type."

"Ikko, you barely know me."

"You're not wrong." He smiled, following her gaze along the shops. "Where shall we start?"

Mizore chewed her lip. She hadn't the eye for fashion like her friends, rebuffing Ikko only to maintain some charade of distance. She picked a shop at random and marched towards it. He made to follow, only to stop when his phone rang loudly in his pocket. "It's Ruby."

"Don't answer!" Too late. Shooting her a confused look, his finger already swiping to receive the call, Ikko held the phone to his ear. Mizore scowled, awaiting to hear the words that confirmed her suspicions.

"Ruby? Hi, yeah, I'm out. What's up?" He listened. She counted the seconds. "She's not picking up? That's weird. Uh…"

Ikko looked her way. Mizore rolled her eyes, held out her hand, and snatched the phone away when he offered it. Ignoring his offended look, she turned her back and muttered. "Hi."

"Hello, Mizore." She winced, each syllable landing like a hammer blow. Ruby was not the kind to shout and scream; she never needed to. "Su tells me you've taken Ikko to the human world."

"I have."

"Arranged with the headmaster?"

"Special exception, given all he's been through."

"And it had to be today?"

Her will faltered. It would be easier is Ruby was shouting – they both knew that. Mizore looked back to Ikko, who watched on with concern. "It did."

"Is there a reason you didn't tell us?"

"I knew you'd be disappointed."

"Mizore, I see you every day." She heard the motherly frown tugging at Ruby's mouth, and hated every moment of it. "It's not me that's going to be disappointed."

There it was. Mizore bit back the reflexive retort, shortening her breath. "Just tell them I said hi."

Ruby sighed. "I will. Listen, Mizore-"

"I know, Ruby. I know, but I don't want to see him. Not now. I told you, didn't I?"

"You did." Ruby's voice came in a tiny whisper, understanding. Then she jumped in volume, returning to normal. "But that's not it. I was going to say – we're using the bus to go out, but then the Headmaster has him for the rest of the day. If you want to get back to Yokai on the same trip, you're going to have to meet us at the party."

"What?" Mizore tried to put what Ruby told her together. "Hang on – no, wait. He didn't tell me that!"

"Didn't he?" Ruby asked, her tone sweet, but full of 'of course he didn't'.

"Wh-where are you guys meeting?"

"Tsukune's apartment. They're on campus at Aichi."

"Aichi!?" Mizore exclaimed. "That's ages away! We're in Tokyo!"

"Sorry," Ruby finished, "You two gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Mizore cast one last look Ikko's way, finding him pretending to be window-shopping, his eyes flicking in her direction every other second. "We'll sort something out. God…"

"I'll let you know if it changes. And Mizore?"

"Yes?"

"I won't stop them if they want to talk to you. You've been hiding long enough, understand?"

"Yes, mother." Mizore hung up before Ruby could correct her. She handed the phone back to Ikko as he joined her.

"That looked fun," he said.

"Oh, sure," Mizore groaned, "Great."

"What do we need to sort out?" he asked, figuring now would not be the best time to ask what had upset her so.

"We," she huffed, "Are going to need to add a hotel to the bottom of our sightseeing list."

"A hotel?"

"We're stuck here 'till tomorrow, or so Ruby says. The Headmaster needs it for something."

"You're kidding, right?" Ikko balked. "Right?"

"Nope."

"A hotel!"

"Yes, Ikko, a hotel. How many times do we have to say it?"

"B-but…"

Mizore placed her hands on her hips. At least now she knew to leave her phone off. "It's still early. We'll deal with it later. C'mon."

She marched off into the nearest store. Ikko followed along, reeling. First she led him by the hand, now they'd be sharing a hotel together – the coincidences began to add up in his addled mind. He longed for someone to set his mind straight, to clear things up and help him focus on enjoying the day, but he couldn't bring himself to confront Mizore about these things. He thought of Su, but how would he ever explain this to her? She would probably just laugh at him for being so silly. Thus, he resigned to wallow, his eyes on Mizore's back, and then on the floor as she started browsing clothes.

For her part, she tried to keep up the act, but browsed with only half a mind on the task. She spied Ikko's expression, downcast and anxious, and after the third clothes rack could take no more of it. "Ikko."

"Mm?" He didn't look up, reaching for his phone and checking for messages. She checked around them; only a few browsing shoppers picked through the store, leaving the quiet pop track of the store as the only real source of noise. She stepped a little closer, dropping her voice to a whisper.

"I know this sucks."

"No, it doesn't. It's-"

"-Fine?" she interjected. He looked up, saw her half-hearted smile a little too close for comfort. "It's not fine. This was supposed to be a day away – for both of us – and now…" She exhaled. "What I'm trying to say is, we should make the most of it. Don't worry about tonight. It's only one night, and I'm sure we'll find a convenience store."

"It's not that." His head shook, arms stiff at his side. Mizore couldn't possibly guess what played on his mind, and he was loath to speak it now, but she was pushing him into a corner.

"What, then?" she asked, "What is it?"

"It's – er. It's…" Ikko scrunched his eyes. "Is this really okay?"

"Of course it is," Mizore urged. She placed a hand on his arm, squeezing it gently. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Ikko's cheeks burst into colour. He bowed his head and stepped back. "It's just a day," she continued, shrugging, "We'll get back to Yokai tomorrow, and that'll be that."

"Right." His nod came shakily, causing Mizore to look once more at the clothes shop around them. She sighed.

"We're not gonna get anything done if you're locked up in there." She mumbled, tapping a long finger against his forehead. The strange gesture caused Ikko to snap up from his distraction, startled.

"What d'you mean?"

"I know what that's like," she smiled, "Being caught up in your thoughts with no way to sort them out. You want my advice?"

He nodded with more certainty. "Focus on right now," Mizore replied, "Whatever's got you caught up in your head, whatever's bugging you – you can always deal with it later. Right now? Right here? We're here to take a break from all that, aren't we?"

"That sounds like terrible advice," Ikko muttered, laughing.

"Give it a try," she urged, "It's helped me a lot these past few days. Past while, actually."

He harboured a sneaking suspicion that this had something to do with the phone call. Ikko took a deep breath. If Mizore was going to put this all away for later, he could at least do the same. He sighed. "Alright. Alright, fine. We'll do it your way."

"Great! Let's get out of here."

"But we only just got here!"

"Yeah, but this was to get away from the people," Mizore grinned back at him, "I'm not the fancy fashion type."

Ikko smiled along with her. "I knew it."


The arcade awaited them with open doors and glaring lights. Neon shocks of colour spattered the gaming centre as the largest collection of machines Ikko had ever seen sprawled before them.

"Warm in here…" Mizore huffed, fanning herself. She reached for a fresh lollipop, finding only a handful left. Between the cramped city and the long walks, her supplies were dwindling fast.

Ikko scanned the arcade. Though not as busy as the streets and shops, there were enough people to sing a low hum beneath the roar of the music. "Where shall we start?"

"Drinks." Mizore said, making a beeline for a vending machine. Ikko watched her go, spotted a change machine, and went to get money for the rest of the day.

His phone buzzed. Another text.

Ruby T.: Make sure she checks her phone

Ikko frowned at the text. He didn't want to ignore it, more specifically he didn't want to ignore Ruby, of all people, but knowing part of Mizore's intent for escaping Yokai gave him pause.

"I didn't know what you wanted."

"Gah!" Ikko yelped. Mizore appeared at his side, two cans in hand. He nearly dropped his phone. "How do you do that?"

"Same way I get up to the sixth-floor dorm," she shrugged. "Practise."

He clutched his chest. If they were in this together, he should at least consult with his escapee partner. "Ruby texted. She wants you to check your phone."

She made a noise of feigned interest. "That's nice. You got change?"

"Y-yeah."

"Great. Swap you?" She exchanged can for coins, and together they looked for games to play.

"How long have you been playing for?" Ikko asked.

"Long as I can remember," Mizore pressed the can to her forehead, "Mom used to get on my case, but she's given up on that part of my life."

"She sounds intense."

"Kinda… everyone's been a bit intense recently," she looked past him, "How're you with racers?"

They made their way to a racing game complete with driver's setup. A few laps in, Ikko spied an advantage; Mizore's reflexes were far sharper than his. She twitched and shifted with absolute precision, of a kind earned outside of a few sharpshooting trophies online. Giving up on his prospects of beating her, Ikko turned to conversation. "How come everyone's on your back?"

"Trying to distract me?"

"No!" Ikko crashed. He sighed. "Yes. But only in part!"

Mizore leaned back, keeping one hand on the wheel as she reached for her can. "It's Tsukune, mostly," she replied, with a pained grimace, "He's worried about me. I've been avoiding them for a long time, now."

"Did you fall out?"

"Not exactly. He…" Another grimace. "He made his choice."

"To go to Aichi?"

At this, she laughed. "No, not to go to Aichi. After we graduated, everyone except Yukari and Ruby went their separate ways. Kurumu went off to model – I think she's in Tokyo, actually. Gin's running Under Moonlight. Koko and Su are still students, but we don't talk so much anymore, and I…"

"You…?"

"I spent some time at home." Mizore twisted the wheel suddenly, skidding across the finish line.

"Show off."

She grinned, turning properly to face him. Ikko checked to see if anyone else wanted the seats, then did the same. "I wanted time to figure things out."

"Because of him?"

"Sorta." Mizore smiled. It didn't reach her eyes. "It's not their fault. It's my problem to sort, so I try not to bug them with it."

"You still haven't told me what it is," Ikko noted.

She closed her eyes, letting her face fall. "Ikko, don't make me spell it out. You've spoken to Ruby and Su – they've told you."

"They haven't. They both told me to figure it out."

"And?"

"Honestly, with Masumi, Kotsubo and Tayama, I've not had much time to think of anything."

"I don't see any of them here." Mizore said, quietly. "Go on. Figure it out."

It didn't take long. The answer surfaced within moments of putting the photo, Mizore's behaviour, and his questions together. He felt a great pang of chastising idiocy, and noted his realization with a quiet, "Oh."

"Yeah," she added, with a sting, "Oh."

"Sorry."

Her hand waved. "It's okay. Like you said, you had a lot on your mind – and really, you shouldn't be obsessing over anyone's love life but your own."

"Who said I'm obsessing?"

"I don't know. Who's the one asking after me to all my friends?"

Ikko flinched, retreating backwards. Mizore's eyes widened as she tasted the venom of her last accusation. "No – that was uncalled for. I shouldn't have said that."

Were it not for the music roaring overhead, the silence would have been uncomfortable. Instead, he offered a rematch whilst he formulated the words he wanted to say – if he had any. They raced again in silence, and this time Mizore beat him soundly. He sighed. "I'm beginning to sense a theme to this."

"Really?" Mizore quipped, "What would that be?"

"Very funny." Ikko frowned. This time he left the seat, grasping his can. As they contemplated what to play next, he found his words. "Hey, Mizore?"

"Hm?" She spun to look at him. For the first time, he saw her brow relaxed, her eyes alight with unfettered enjoyment.

"I, uh- about asking Ruby and that."

"Yeah…?"

"I only asked 'cuz you looked so sad." He mumbled.

"What? I can't hear you." She tipped her ear towards him, shuffling closer.

Ikko scrunched his eyes. "I only asked because you looked so sad all the time. Wouldn't you do the same?"

A torrent of expressions flashed across her face. Ikko watched them – confusion, concentration, surprise, pain, restraint drowned her eyes all at once. Her eyes wordlessly flickered, as if the words were spelled out before her and she couldn't grasp the sight. Ikko began to open his mouth in apology, dreading that he had pushed too far, when she finally reacted. She threw her arms about him in the span of a breath, crushing Ikko against her.

Ikko froze. He yelped, spluttered, coughed, for she had simultaneously rendered him speechless and crushed the breath from him. "Mi-Mizore!?"

She didn't move. Ikko gasped, surfacing from the sudden embrace like a diver coming up for air, then with his breath held placed his arms carefully around her shoulders. She smelled sweet, the crisp sweetness of a winter morning, not overly honeyed or treated. He felt a faint vibration against his collar bone, and realised she was trying to speak. "What was that?"

Mizore released him, stepping away. Her cheeks burned, and he thought he spied the streak of a tear; she stifled both with a furious rub of her sleeve, hiding her face from view. When her face reappeared, her smile survived, as well as the barest hint of a blush. "Sorry."

"Sorry?" Ikko parroted, stupefied, "Wuh-what for?"

"That." She gestured to the space between them. "I… um. I didn't realise how much I needed to hear that."

"You're welcome?" She laughed. Confused, Ikko straightened his clothes out, grounding his senses and trying to focus on something that wasn't the woman who'd just embrace him. "Shall we, um… play something else?"

Mizore shook her head. "No. I have something I need to do."

"You do?"

"Yeah," she smiled at him, and there was a soft, unspeakable something in the way she looked that twisted him worse than Kia's closeness had ever managed to do, "Do you mind if we head to the hotel a little earlier than we planned? I'll order us some food."

Ikko gawped. What on earth could she want the hotel for? "U-um… sure. Sure. That's fine. I think?"


By the time the bus rolled up to Tsukune's apartment, the day had sunk into a comfortable evening half-light. Ruby and Yukari alighted a short walk from the complex proper, trying to see which of the group would be there to guide them. "I can't believe this is the first time we're visiting," Yukari commented, adjusting her hat.

"We've normally got a bit more time to prepare, don't we? This was supposed to be for us three."

"I know, I know," the younger witch pulled the hem down to hide her face, "I said I'm sorry, didn't I? I didn't know we were supposed to keep this to ourselves."

Ruby exhaled. The cool night air felt good on her exposed shoulders, welcoming despite the cruel, hard stone of the city around them. To be so far from the natural world, to have it crushed and buried under everything manufactured, would set a younger witch on edge. Even now she felt the smallest unsettling in the seat of her soul. "What's done is done. Did they say who was coming out?"

They didn't have to wait much longer. Yukari pointed out to the middle distance, and there Ruby saw a tall, lean man dressed in a navy open-collar shirt. He swayed with natural confidence, head held high, a tangle of black hair held out of his face by his distinguishing white headband. Pale green eyes gleamed mischief in the streetlight. "Well, well. If it ain't my favourite girls."

"Oh, please," Yukari pulled one eye down and stuck her tongue out, "We all know you've left your favourite females back with Tsukune."

"Now, now," Ruby giggled, patting the rim of Yukari's hat. "It's lovely to see you, Ginei. How is San?"

Ginei Morioka laughed. "Delightful as ever. She's come with!"

"Ooh, yay!" Yukari's mood pivoted on his words. Ruby, however, leaned in to give the man a one-armed hug, kissing his cheek politely. Gin's hand strayed no further than the small of her back; a response she'd taken great pains to cultivate.

"It sounds like we're missing all but one."

"No Ice Queen?" asked Gin.

Ruby shook her head. "She's… preoccupied, I'm afraid."

"She dodged," Yukari corrected, a tone of indignance. Gin met Ruby's eye. Pink smiled patiently into green.

"No prob. We're just about squeezing in as is. One more might be too cozy." He bowed, inclining his head and sweeping one arm out in a gesture of painfully proper invitation. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

They walked along towards Tsukune's apartment complex, exchanging the smallest of talks as they did. "Su emailed me," said Gin, as they neared the square, brutalist complex that Tsukune lived in. Ruby frowned up at it. Sure, it was cheaper for students, but did it have to look so uninviting?

"Oh?"

"Sounds like there's trouble afoot," Gin added, "She's askin' about a Yakumaru? Kid's messin' with people's emotions, she reckons."

Ruby frowned. "I distinctly remember Mizore telling them not to get involved."

"Kids will be kids," he shrugged, nonchalant, "I pointed her towards some of the YT back issues. We had a story about somethin' like it, once."

"Did we?" Yukari asked. Gin pressed the buzzer, which was almost immediately followed by a crackling welcome. Ruby couldn't pick out to whom the voice belonged. The lock clicked, and he swung the door wide.

"Ages and ages ago. Back when you were this high!" Gin stooped to place his hand at Yukari's knee. She huffed, incensed, and reached into the folds of her cloak. Ruby touched her shoulder, shaking her head, which drew out a louder laugh from the werewolf. Yukari blew her cheeks out, pouting.

"He only does it because it works," Ruby chided, as Gin's laughter covered their words. Harrumphing, Yukari swept after Gin, following him up to the second floor. Ruby followed at a leisurely pace, using it as an excuse to check her phone. She had texted Ikko to ask for his help in making sure Mizore was at least aware of her phone, but he hadn't responded. Perhaps he was party to her escape, now, and wanted to keep her away from all this. She thought this problematic at first, though she changed her mind when she reached Tsukune's door. If he was, that meant Mizore had opened up to him, perhaps even spoken truthfully about that matter. Were that true, it would be a stride in the right direction. She put her phone back in her purse as she stepped through the entrance, greeted by a raucous hello from three different voices. The two girls, Moka and Kurumu, detached themselves from a besotted Yukari and hurried over to the elder witch, embracing her tightly. "Hello, you two!" she sang, sweeping her arms around a shoulder each and kissing both on the cheek. "It's been so long!"

The three squeezed together before separating. Ruby regarded the pair of them with a brilliant smile. Neither looked too different from their last meeting; Moka with her flawless smile, strands of cherry-tipped silver hair swaying brilliantly over a shirt and black trousers; Kurumu with her bubbly, bouncing beam, an expertly styled cut of pale blue hair framing a full face, squeezing into a short-cut cocktail dress. In her regular garb, she felt slightly underdressed. "And where is he?"

"Here," Tsukune waved. Ruby slipped past the pair and took a sweeping look at the man. Full-grown now, his hair lighter than the once shock of black, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, "Ah, at last. Someone dressed normally."

Ruby looked down at herself. She'd picked a dress and wore a cardigan over it, sitting herself in the happy median of the group. "It's lovely to see you," she said, sweeping over and kissing him on the cheek, too, "How have you been? How are your studies?"

Tsukune nodded. "Well enough. That I have time for this is a miracle in itself, but I'm not complaining. We've got our work cut out for us."

Ruby nodded, knowing. For a man with such a great weight on his shoulders, he carried it awfully well. "Shall we step out for a catch-up?" she asked, remembering Mikogami's condition for allowing their use of the bus.

"Hey!" Kurumu whined, spying Tsukune nodding. "It's been like, five minutes! Can you keep work to yourself?"

"I promised!" She answered, apologetic. She pressed her hands together, pleading. "We'll only be a second."

They took to the balcony overlooking the campus proper. Up here, she could almost forget the smell of the city, and she took a deep draw of the evening air. "Mikogami sends his regards," she said.

"Does he?" Tsukune grinned, scratching the back of his neck, "Just his regards, is it?"

"Just his regards." Ruby giggled. "But he did ask how you're finding this little project of his."

He nodded. Having graduated from Yokai at the momentous time that he had, Tsukune had been uniquely placed to work alongside Mikogami in the slow spread of monster acceptance, helping humans and monsters alike bridge the inevitable and innumerable cultural gaps. The events of the last two years had changed the world, but humanity yet lingered under some illusion of their sole claim to the earth. It was his job, and the job of others like him, to make sure that the next time monsters and humans met, it wouldn't be so blood. "Slow going. Gin's website has been a real help, giving us a single point of contact for the local communities. No bloodshed just yet, but between studying, outreach and making enough to keep the lights on…"

"You're doing good work." Ruby patted his arm, encouraging, "And he'll be pleased to hear that. The human transfer project opens officially next year, and the government is in favourable talks about a similar outreach program for monsters in the human world. The curtain's rising, ever so slowly, and this helps us be ready for it."

"I'm still amazed they managed to cover it up so well."

"Never underestimate humanity's capacity for denial." They shared a laugh. After a moment, Tsukune cottoned on to the way she'd phrased her encouragement.

"What do you mean, it opens 'officially' next year?"

"Oh, you noticed?" Ruby feigned nonchalance. "Well, there was a slight hiccup in the system. We might have gotten our first transfer a little early."

Tsukune blanched. "You're kidding."

"He's in perfectly capable hands," she added, swift, "Mizore and I were appointed guardians."

"How's he taking it?"

"Remarkably well." At this, Tsukune groaned.

"I can't leave him alone for five minutes."

"As if you'd stop him." Ruby laughed more earnestly at the thought, "As if anyone could! I'm sure it will work out."

"Because it worked out so well last time?" His scepticism dampened the humour somewhat. Ruby decided on a change of subject.

"How are you two getting on?"

"Good. We're good – she's great." Even in the half-light, she spied the tell-tale dusting of his cheeks whenever he spoke about Moka. "But now it's my turn. How's Mizore?"

"She's fine."

"Ruby…" Tsukune trailed off into a heavy sigh. "Don't think I didn't notice. She's not hiding, she's not climbing up to surprise everyone."

Ruby looked away, back to the party. Kurumu made some muffled comment about Yukari's height, which earned her the slap of a levitating spatula. Moka sat with Gin and San, on the arm of a sofa that the pair reclined on. San, a short black-haired girl in a polka-dot summer dress, scribbled merrily on a notepad, which she occasionally raised to answer a question. A wonderful picture – but an incomplete one. "You're the only one she'll talk to these days." Tsukune pressed, and she couldn't bear to countenance directly the concern that ravaged his features. "We miss her, Ruby. We all miss her. She's a part of this family."

"I know…" Ruby sighed. "If Yukari hadn't spilled the beans about the change in plans, you might have seen her today, not that she'd forgive me afterwards. You know how she gets – this has to be on her terms. Push her too hard and, well…"

Tsukune's gaze hit the floor. Ruby's heart ached. For all his strengths, for how passionately, how tirelessly he worked to bridge the monster and human worlds, the loss of a friend crushed him greater than any failure on that front. She wrapped her arms around him again, pulling Tsukune into her shoulder. "I told her you might call," she whispered, "But don't jump down her throat, Tsukune. She wants time, she's asked for time, and we have to give her as much as she needs until she feels better. Let her know you're there, alright? Remind her what's waiting for her."

She ignored the sniff she heard into her shirt. Tsukune pulled away, smiling weakly. "Alright."

An impatient rapping on glass broke their conversation. Ruby turned to see Kurumu tapping her wrist. "We're waiting on you!" she shouted.

"Coming, coming!" Tsukune chuckled. "Sorry, Kurumu. We're co- oh."

Ruby turned, halfway between him and the door. "What?"

Tsukune stared at his phone. He turned it so she could see. "It's Mizore."