Chapter 16


Hoshikawa Subaru:

"Subaru."

He moaned and rolled over. If it wasn't his mom talking, he wasn't going to wake up. From behind his eyelids, he could tell it was barely light out.

"Subaru!"

He pulled his covers up over his head and snuggled into the deep, dark depths of his bed. It was cozy there. Warm. He didn't open his eyes even when Warrock nudged at his newfound senses.

"Why, kid?"

"Go away, Rock. It's not time to get up yet."

"True, but you may want to see this…"

Subaru didn't move right away. He probed back at Warrock but didn't find anything overtly concerning. The FMian was moreso… embarrassed? That was weird. Well, whatever. He wasn't getting up for it.

"You're mom's going to find it first if you don't." Warrock warned.

Subaru didn't emerge to say, "Just tell me what it is, Rock."

"I might've…" Warrock trailed off.

"Might've what, Rock?"

"Might've crashed the lawnmower."

Subaru didn't have a response to that. He was quiet so long, Warrock thought he'd fallen back asleep. So he startled a little when Subaru's hand snuck out to grab his transer so that they could talk face to face.

Under the darkness of Subaru's covers, it was hard to see the kid clearly. Brown eyes reflected the blue light of the screen, glimmering despite their sleep-fogged quality.

"You did what?" Subaru prompted frostily.

"Crashed the lawnmower." Warrock wouldn't meet his eyes, "I take it out sometimes at night cause you're asleep and I get bored and well… someone must've been out for a midnight stroll so I was trying to hide quickly and well… there was something in my way and I didn't see it soon enough…"

"You crashed the lawnmower."

Warrock wasn't sure why Subaru was being so redundant about it. The kid was pretty bright and he could catch on quick. This almost seemed like he was…

Uh oh. Warrock glanced at Subaru. The kid's eyes were widened to unbelievable proportions, eyebrows almost meeting his hairline, mouth set in a grim slash. Not good. Subaru was pissed.

It was just a lawnmower, right?

"I crashed the lawnmower." Warrock confirmed hesitantly.

Subaru didn't say a thing as he threw off his covers and snagged the detachable transer screen. Bare feet slapped down the staircase. But Subaru was stalled by the sight of his mom in the kitchen, breakfast made, and a fragile smile on her face.

"Hey, mom. Wazzup?"

"Hey, Su. I couldn't sleep last night so I woke up early and made all your favorite things for breakfast. Why don't you have a seat?"

Subaru gripped his transer screen tight, but did as he was told. He figured he could still beat his mom out of the house as long as he left before his friends arrived. He needed to hide the evidence of Warrock's evident stupidity.

Halfway through an omelet roll, however, all his plans were shattered.

"So, Su… I think the lawnmower got a virus last night." Akane paused for a moment. An action very unlike her, "It went haywire and it looks like it did a number on the telescope you keep in the backyard…"

Subaru froze. His hands were numb. One of his chopsticks slipped from his fingers and clattered to his plate. Warrock hadn't said anything about a telescope.

"I'm really sorry, Su." Akane grimaced, "I'm not sure if it can be fixed, but you'll still probably want to take a look at it."

Subaru wasn't so sure he wanted to.

While he didn't really use the telescope in the backyard anymore, it was one of those things. Like his Visualizer. Like his shooting star pendant. Things loaded up with sentiment. Things that made his thinking far from rational because he was too attached to the memories of his father.

The telescope wasn't something he carried with him. But it was still a big deal.

He wasn't mad at Warrock anymore.

He was too devastated to be mad.

"I'll take a look at it later." Subaru said. He put his plate in the sink while most of the food was still left on the table, and trudged up the stairs. Akane let him go, wondering if maybe she should have saved the news for after her son had eaten his fill. But it was too late now.

The silence was oppressive as Subaru prepared for school. Warrock was used to a certain level of chatter and bickering. Being on the receiving end of the cold shoulder Subaru usually gave people he didn't like did not sit well with Warrock.

He took a deep breath he didn't necessarily need and started, "Kid, I didn't realize…"

"Rock." Subaru cut him off, tone flat, "Please don't."

"Don't what, kid?"

Subaru sighed, "Just don't say anything, okay."

"Alright." Warrock grunted, "I'll leave you to sulk."

Warrock thought he probably deserved the withering glare Subaru cast him, but he was finding it a little hard to care. How many months had they been partners? He couldn't remember the exact number. But Subaru was liable to have his lows – usually concerning his father – and Warrock had come to realize that his company only made it worse.

Of course, there was no doubt in Warrock's mind that it was because Subaru knew he was withholding information that Subaru wanted. Information about Hoshikawa Daigo. Why Subaru didn't press more, well, that was still a mystery to Warrock. The kid was more patient than most people gave him credit for.

But there were some things that set Subaru off with the force of a bomb.

Warrock was sure that, when Subaru found out, every other pity party would pale in comparison to that explosion.


"Hoshikawa-kun!" Luna snapped her fingers in front of his face, "Are you listening?"

"No." Subaru muttered, distractedly taking a bite of his sandwich.

"So you haven't heard a thing I've said?"

Subaru shrugged, "Something about the play."

Luna's lips twisted into a scowl, "Well, you have the subject right anyway." Her tone faded from angry to simply disapproving, "What's up with you today? I don't think I've seen you this out of it since… well, I'm not really sure… I don't think I've ever seen you this out of it. Did you hit your head again?"

"Ha ha, very funny."

"No really. I'm concerned."

Subaru waved her off, "It's nothing to worry about."

Luna studied him closely, her eyes narrowing like she could read his mind if she tried.

"Are you moping?"

Subaru took another bite of his sandwich. He chewed slowly while thinking directly at Luna: are you a mind reader?

Luna continued to stare, waiting expectantly for an answer.

Well, Subaru guessed many things were possible, but mind reading was not among them.

He sighed and looked away. The five of them – Luna, Gonta, Kizamaro, Tsukasa, and himself – were enjoying their lunch on the roof given that it was a fine spring day. Only the sun and blue skies had done little to lift his spirits. Luna was right on the money. He was moping.

"Yeah." He confessed.

"Well, spill it then." Luna commanded, "You'll feel better with friends to help share the burden."

"Are you quoting some kind of inspirational poster, Shirogane-chan? Sounds cheesy."

"Cheesy but true." Luna insisted. And the rest of the group nodded their heads to back her up.

"Well… some idiot… virus bugged our lawnmower and it crashed into an old telescope I keep in the backyard. The lawnmower and the telescope are pretty wrecked, although I'm pretty sure I can buy parts and fix the lawnmower. The telescope is… not so fixable."

"How come?" Luna asked, all wide eyes and sincerity. It made Subaru a little uncomfortable, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly why.

"Well, it's an old model, so parts aren't for sale any more. Custom or salvaged parts would be pretty hard to come by, not to mention expensive."

"Sounds pretty rough." Tsukasa offered.

"Why not get a new telescope?" Gonta asked.

"Idiot." Kizamaro elbowed the bigger boy and muttered, "If it's old, it's probably his dad's or something like that."

Subaru found himself pleasantly surprised. Kizamaro had deduced the situation from that simple explanation. Subaru hadn't had to say it, which was nice. He never would have thought that these kids would care enough to…

"I'm sorry to hear that." Luna laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Is there anything we can do to help?"

He never would have thought that these kids would care enough to care. To understand. To know enough about him to see things from his perspective.

And it shocked him.

Although, maybe it shouldn't have. It had happened before.

Subaru tried to smile, but wasn't sure if it came out right.

"I think it's something I'll just have to get over. But thanks."

"Anytime." And boy, if Luna couldn't smile like it was the easiest thing in the world. Unlike him, "Just let us know if there's something we can do. That's what friends are for. Speaking of which, I was talking about the school play before, yes?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, the drama club has been practicing diligently and they're ready to do some rehearsals with all the equipment."

"Yeah?"

Luna sighed, "You, Hoshikawa-kun, you volunteered to do lighting and sound. You'll need to work on that."

"Oh." Subaru had forgotten all about that. It had been pretty low on his list of priorities.

"You forgot, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

Luna face-palmed, "Amnesia, research, and whatever else you get up to, I'm sure you have some sort of excuse. But the play is coming up quick. We need the equipment ready for a trial run this weekend. Can I count of you for that?"

"Yeah."

"Good. You can walk with me after cook… I mean, Saturday. You can meet me at the corner and we'll walk to the school at one."

"But won't you be…"

Luna kicked him under the table. Strange, Subaru had thought that the others knew about Luna's cooking lessons with his mom. Guess not.

Only Tsukasa tilted his head in curiosity at Luna's cover-up. Kizamaro and Gonta were willing to overlook it entirely. Well, it was pretty standard Luna behavior. Ninety percent confidence. Seven percent bluster. And three percent magnanimousness. If he were feeling generous. Which he supposed he was given Luna's efforts to cheer him up.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and saving Luna from explaining herself. She hopped up from the table they'd been sharing and lead the way to their next period. Subaru lagged behind, his head still full of the day's events.

When the group had pulled away enough that they were out of earshot, he mumbled to Warrock.

"Sorry for snapping at you earlier, Rock."

"Well, it was hardly undeserved." The FMian said gruffly.

Subaru sighed, "I guess that's true. But it's not worth creating a rift between us. We've got bigger issues to deal with than a broken telescope."

"If you mean saving the world, kid, I know I've said this before: It's not your problem if you don't want it to be. I can leave and you'd never have to deal with the other FMians or see me again."

"I don't want that."

"I figured." Warrock still sounded relieved, "But I just want you to know that the option is there. You can always walk away. Whenever you want. I won't stop you."

"You still have things to tell me, Rock. You're not getting off that easy."

"The more time passes, the less I feel that our initial agreement is fair."

Subaru didn't know what to say.

Maybe it wasn't fair. But at this point, Subaru couldn't imagine life without Rock. Losing him would be like cutting off his arm. The things he had learned from the FMian were priceless. And that wasn't limited to scientific discovery. Warrock had helped him learn more about himself, his limits, his abilities. He'd learned to trust again.

Subaru still didn't know what to say.

But he was saved from his predicament by a message alert on his transer.

From Misora: We should hang out this weekend! Are you free?

The likelihood of him escaping Luna on Saturday was zero to nil. Sunday was the day Subaru had promised Amachi he'd let the scientist grill him and he wasn't getting out of that either.

Sorry. He sent back. I do have plans for this weekend. But maybe sometime next week? What do you have going on?

"You should really get to class." Warrock reminded him, "Or Pigtails is going to be on your case."

"Right." Subaru had already dilly-dallied enough. He put on a burst of speed and made it to the classroom as the bell rang. The teacher tried her best to calm the students, but after a free period for lunch, twenty plus teenagers were a bit unruly.

"That was a close one." Tsukasa whispered from his seat as things quieted down.

"Bathroom." Was Subaru's excuse.

Tsukasa raised one green eyebrow as he played at being skeptical, but there was a friendly twinkle in his eye.

"Hey, I know the Prez already planned your day away on Saturday, but we should really hang out sometime. Outside of school, okay?"

The teacher hushed the class one last time before launching into the day's material.

Tsukasa just gave Subaru a wink before turning around to face the front of the classroom.

When Subaru looked down at his transer he had two messages.

From Rock: When did you get so popular?

I have no idea.

From Misora: This week is pretty busy. I have a series of interviews from various TV stations to advertise my new songs. Ummm… I probably won't be free until next weekend.

It didn't take Subaru long to come up with a response: I'll keep next weekend open then. But if you don't have anything to do this weekend, do you want to come to AMAKEN labs with me on Sunday?

What's going on there?

This was the part he was a little less sure about: Well, a friend of mine, Amachi, is the head scientist there. I mentioned him before. Anyway, long story short, he knows about… you know. And so I'm talking to him about some of the scientific aspects of what we do. It's likely that he can give us some advice too.

Misora took a few minutes to respond. Subaru tried to pay attention in class, but his foot was bouncing up and down with anxious energy. Luna shot him a look, which he ignored. It wasn't an uncommon exchange for them.

Ahhh! The guy that makes the stuff for SP. Yeah! That sounds like a good idea. I'd like to come too. So I'm not out of the loop ;)

Cool.

Harp says hi. But she says it doesn't extend to Rock.

Subaru was about to type out a response when suddenly the keys tapped out a rapid fire response of their own: Well Harp can stuff her stupid strings in a toilet. I don't need her greetings anyway.

Oooo… that's cold, Rock.

Subaru decided not to let the conversation get away from him.

I'll see you Sunday afternoon then provided nothing happens before that!

Don't jinx it! See you then! Misora added a cheerful sticker to the end of the message string.

Subaru rolled his eyes, but felt a smile tug at his lips. He resolved himself to paying attention to the lecture after that. But within moments, another message lit up his inbox.

From Rock: Sounds like you're going to be a busy kid.

How did this happen?

Hell if I know. Subaru could practically hear the scoff in Warrock's tone.

Language.

Yeah. Whatever.

Do you think we should tell Amachi that we're bringing someone else?

Nah. It'll be fun to see his reaction.

Subaru couldn't agree more.


"Hoshikawa-kun!" Luna's voice had taken on that loud, demanding quality, "Come to the mall with us today!"

The final bell had rung only seconds before, signaling the students' freedom. Half the classroom had already evacuated by the time Subaru finished packing his back pack. If he had hurried, he might have missed getting wrapped up in Luna's antics. No such luck.

Subaru couldn't help but roll his eyes, "What is it this time? Election materials? You don't need me for that."

Luna planted her hand on her hips, "If it was for the election, it would be too late. Campaigning is over. Voting is next week. Which you would know if you paid attention."

Right, Subaru had lost track of all that, among other things, "We all know you're going to win."

"We don't know that for sure." Luna tossed her head, curls bouncing, "While the chances of my victory are high, it doesn't do to let my guard down. Besides, campaigning isn't about making a false impression. It's about showcasing the kind of person I am daily. But we're getting off point."

"What's the point then?"

"The point is," Luna pointed to Kizamaro, Gonta, and then herself, "That we are going to the mall – the food court more specifically – to hang out and relax. And you are coming with us."

"C'mon, Hoshikawa-kun." Kizamaro piped up, "It'll be fun. I'm sure Prez will keep her purchases to a minimum."

"I make no such promises." Luna huffed.

Gonta flexed his arms, "I'll bet I can carry everything!"

"Probably." Luna and Subaru muttered simultaneously. Upon realizing it however, they shot each other equally confused looks. Subaru scooted away.

"Fine." He acquiesced.

"Let's go then!" Luna chirped, "What are you dilly-dallying around for?"

"I wasn't, I was just…"

Luna didn't wait to hear his excuses. She took off, Kizamaro and Gonta on her heels, leaving Subaru jogging to catch up.

"Where's Tsukasa-kun?" he asked when he had.

Luna sighed, "Another doctor's appointment, apparently."

"He sure has a lot of those." Kizamaro mused.

"Well it was a pretty serious accident." Luna defended, "They kept him in the hospital for a while."

"Were there complications?" Subaru asked.

Luna's expression lost its usual shine and Subaru wasn't sure how to interpret it. After a long pause, she finally said, "I'm not one hundred percent sure that it was complicated because of his injury. Something else. But it's just a hunch and I'm not going to gossip."

Now that was food for thought.

Subaru wasn't exactly sure, but Luna made it sound like Tsukasa had things other than just a head injury to worry about. He didn't know enough about Tsukasa to even take a guess. But, if he were to spend more time with him, perhaps he would find out.

It wasn't like he was on a mission to find out everyone's dirty secrets, but if Tsukasa was vulnerable to FMian control… well, Subaru would rather not fight his friends.

He snuck a glance at Gonta as they walked through the streets of Kodoma Town. The big kid had been downright cheerful lately. But Subaru was finding that cheerful was Gonta's normal disposition. Subaru had initially assumed otherwise because Gonta didn't like the way he'd treated Luna. Now that all of that was behind them, Subaru found the boy's jovial attitude uplifting. Even if Gonta could be forceful at times, he always had good intentions.

The boy in question pulled to a sudden stop.

Luna, who had been chatting with Kizamaro about something, didn't see it happen and subsequently ran into the lager boy. Gonta's hand shot out and steadied her by the shoulder in case she fell, but he wasn't looking as he did it. Instead, he was peering down the dimly lit alley. Shouts and laughter echoed from within.

"What is it, Gonta?" Luna asked.

"Did you hear that?" Gonta said.

Kizamaro pushed his glasses up and peered down the alley, "No?"

A frantic yip rose above the sound of human voices, and Gonta's brow furrowed in response, "I think we should go check things out."

"Lead the way." Luna agreed, a little less confidence than usual.

Subaru took the rear with Kizamaro as the quartet squeezed, two by two, into the alleyway. It was cool in the shadows. Subaru sneakers got soaked by a puddle he didn't see in time and he couldn't help but wrinkle his nose. It must be the same for the others, but they said nothing about it.

Gonta peeked around the corner at the end of the alley. Buildings towered around them on all four sides. It seemed that the route they'd taken led into a space between the buildings on the block. It was roomier in here, but much dirtier.

In front of them, four high schoolers were huddled in a group. They were the source of the noise – a steady stream of conversation garbled together indistinctly. But now that he was closer, Subaru could make out the constant undercurrent of frightened growls. Closer inspection revealed a dog – a mangy, dirty, and grossly underfed dog. By the time the scene clicked in Subaru's head, Gonta was already on the move.

The bigger boy could move fast when he wanted to, not unlike his Denpa Henkan form. Gonta grabbed the metal bar from the hands of a blonde punk who'd been about to poke the dog with it. He yanked it free with more force than was probably necessary. Gonta outweighed the punk by at least sixty pounds.

"Hey man, what the fu…" He was cut off as Gonta pushed him aside. Gonta tossed the metal bar back in Luna's direction so it skittered along the ground and out of reach. He kicked away a brick that, Subaru noted, had been weighing down a trash net the high schoolers had used to ensnare the dog.

"What's this?" A girl with blue streaks in her hair shouted as she backed away.

"Dude." Another guy said, "You need to chill. It was just a joke…"

Gonta slugged the guy in the stomach before he could finish. There was fire in his eyes, "If this is what you call a 'joke' then you should have no problem with me getting serious. Leave the mutt alone."

A rock glanced off Gonta's head, but didn't seem to have much of an affect given Gonta's ever present hat dulling the blow. Gonta's eyes zeroed in on the kid who'd thrown it – a skinny boy with brown hair gelled into stiff spikes.

"Throw them at me and not the mutt, squirt." Gonta hissed at him.

The kid dropped his armful of rocks and took off in the other direction.

Blue Streaks watched the kid go, a quiet tch making its way past her lips, "Some dedication." She looked past Gonta and shouted at Luna, "Call off your guard dog!"

Subaru snuck a glance at Luna. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her feet planted firmly apart, and her gaze steady, "Can't. He protects his own. I suggest you scram."

Bluster. Subaru could tell. Luna was putting on a good show.

The blond punk who'd been the first to go down was standing now, fists up and shoulders hunched. Blue Streaks smacked her gum in dissatisfaction. She flicked open a knife she'd pulled from her sleeve and ordered, "Yuu, grab Yurio. We're leaving."

The blond punk nodded, darting forward to grab the guy who'd taken Gonta's fist to the stomach and still hadn't recovered his breath. When they were sufficiently out of the way, Blue Streaks took a step back before tossing the open knife in Gonta's direction. It was a slow lob, but still potentially dangerous all the same. As Gonta side stepped to avoid it, she took the opening to chase after her friends, shouting in her departure, "Playing hero is a good way to get yourself hurt in the future. I'd watch out if I were you."

With that, the alley grew quiet, but not completely silent. The dog still whimpered from its position under the trash net. Gonta promptly forgot about the knife and the high schoolers, kneeling to remove the rest of the bricks anchoring the dog's bonds.

It didn't exactly go smoothly. The dog was clearly scared for its life. It continued to growl and yip, even trying to nip at Gonta's hands. But the big boy didn't seem to mind. He murmured so softly Subaru couldn't make out what he was saying. Gonta moved slowly as not to startle the dog.

"This will take a while." Kizamaro observed.

"We'll wait." Luna said matter of fact. She bent down to retrieve the open knife, wiping water and dirt from the blade carefully with her sleeve before closing and pocketing it. Subaru nudged the discarded bar out of the way with his toe.

"Well, that was interesting."

Luna shot Subaru a look as if to say 'you're not unfamiliar with dark alleys,' but Subaru ignored it and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Instead, she instructed Kizamaro, "Can you find the nearest animal clinic, Kiza. We should get the dog checked out."

"Sure thing, Prez."

"Are we taking it to a shelter?" Subaru asked.

Luna watched as Gonta finally succeeded in placing a hand on the dog's head. It shivered under his touch, but didn't fight back. Gently, Gonta gave its ears a tentative scratch. It cowered closer to him in response.

"Probably not." Luna's tone and smile were soft.

A wry smile found its way onto Subaru's face as well, "He's certainly good at that."

"Gonta is a dog person." She turned to face Subaru, "I'm more of a cat person myself. What about you, Hoshikawa-kun?"

"Rabbits."

"Come again? I thought you said…"

"Rabbits. You know, bunnies." Subaru knew it was odd, but it was the truth, "They're really cute and smart and social if you take care of them right."

"Huh?" Luna sounded just a bit choked, "I had no idea."

Kizamaro interrupted whatever crisis Luna was on the precipice of experiencing with directions, "There's a clinic a few blocks from here. If we take the side-streets it should be at least a little bit quieter. About ten minutes away."

"Sounds good." Gonta said, standing. He had the dog cradled in his arms and didn't seem to mind that its mangy fur was dirtying his shirt.

"Let's go." Luna announced, "Lead the way, Kiza. We're counting on you."

Subaru's stomach offered a loud grumble as if by way of affirmation. Three pairs of eyes zeroed in on him. Luna raised her eyebrows.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"I realize it's not the food court." Luna said, "But are you coming?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about it." His tone was joking as he tapped his head, "I've survived worse."


Shirogane Luna:

"You're awfully late."

Luna wasn't sure why her mother had decided to read the newspaper in the living room. She usually kept to her room unless she was eating or on her way out of the house. Luna thought that maybe this was some kind of new tactic to try and catch her 'in the wrong.'

Not that it would work. Luna's life was just about as exciting as a slice-of-life anime. Which isn't to say boring, but it's not like she got up to a ton of wild shenanigans. Right?

"My friends and I found an abandoned dog on our way home from school. We took it to a clinic. It needed some treatment so it took a while." She explained.

Luna's mother made a noise of dissatisfaction, "If you weren't associating yourself with ruffians, you wouldn't have to deal with stray mutts. You could get sick. Infected. Dirty."

Luna shuffled her feet behind the couch. Her mother wouldn't be able to see her soiled tights – soaked with dirty alley water – from where she was sitting, but it made Luna feel guilty anyway.

"Well, I have homework to do, so I'm heading up to my room." She made to move towards the stairs, but didn't get far.

"Stop." Luna's mother said sharply, "I didn't wait here for hours just to exchange three sentences with you. Are you stupid?"

Luna squeezed her eyes shut, opened them, and turned to face her mother's hard glare, "No."

"Good." Her mother huffed, "Your father and I have narrowed down your options for next year to three schools. You'll need to choose which one you want to attend by next Sunday. That's eight days from now. The pamphlets are on the desk in your room."

"Is that all you wanted." Luna asked dryly, "You could have just messaged me."

"That's what your father wanted to do. But I'm not so sure you would take it seriously. I wanted to make sure that you understood what we are doing for you. It will be a boarding school away from the city and all these virus attacks. It will also be a college prep school so I also made a list of acceptable professions you can possibly enter. You will need to start studying for exams right away…"

"Why didn't you just make a to-do list for me, mother." Luna bit out, "It would require less energy on your part and it would save me from having to listen to you."

Her mother's eyes narrowed, "This is why. Clearly, you are taking your future too lightly. I am trying to be direct. Everything that your father and I have done for you has been in order to make you as successful as possible. But you seem bent on throwing all that away." She stood, tall and imposing, "I want you to know how serious we are."

Luna felt her eyes grow hot. She chewed her lip.

"I know I've been given more opportunities than most." She said at length, "But I've said this time and time again. I don't think you are trusting me to make the most of where I am." She met her mother's gaze, embarrassed to find the image shimmery as tears clouded her eyes, "I like where I am. And I'm going to stay. Somehow…"

With tears threatening to fall, she didn't think she could keep up the 'conversation.' Luna fled up the stairs despite her mother's calls. The long hallway was dark and empty, so she sprinted on cold feet to her bedroom. Slamming and locking the door, Luna collapsed against it before slowly curling up on the carpet. The sobs came first, catching sharply on her ribs. Tears came second, so the knees of her tights were now thoroughly wet as well. She felt so damn helpless.

Third and finally, she regrouped. Luna wiped her nose with the heel of her hand. She wasn't sure how to fix her problems. And while crying was therapeutic, it wasn't going to help. She was going to pull herself together and have at least some semblance of normality for now. One hot shower later, and she sat down at her desk.

The pamphlets were there, neatly arranged at right angles with the wood grain of the desk, even spacing between each that could have been measured with a ruler. The list of college majors like an addendum off to the side, printed on starch white paper. It screamed 'professionalism' at her. Like she was part of a company and not a family. Luna swept them into a drawer to deal with later. She wasn't in the mood.

Instead, she pulled out her schoolwork. The monotonous task of worksheets – algebra, grammar, and English – successfully diverted her focus for an hour. An essay later and Luna noted her stomach grumbling. She raided her stash of food she kept specifically for days like this.

The only thing she had left was a chemistry pre-lab for Ikuta-sensei. But her hands were itching for something to do that wasn't school work. The baby grand piano in her room caught her eye.

It had been a while since she'd played. Luna ran a finger along the top and found not a single speck of dust. Of course. The maids wouldn't let neglect happen, even if Luna did.

Luna left the top closed, but raised the cover up from over the keys. They were similarly immaculate. White and Black. Luna appreciated the polarity. She pressed C major and sat down as the note rang out, loud and clear.

Her movements were rusty at first, but Luna found that she didn't care. Perfectionism was sometimes a fault. It was something she'd learned the hard way. She'd tried being the perfect daughter for her parents, but found that the cost of it was too great to herself. Take care of yourself. Do as much as you are capable off. Both could coexist.

It helped to have friends

It helped to succeed at something, even if it was little by little.

Luna let her eyes shut as her fingertips raced over notes she had long since encoded in muscle memory. She thought back on the day. Subaru had started out so dispirited. But they'd found the problem, they'd taken steps to belay his mood, and they'd succeeded. His smiles. Two of them. The first fragile, but sincere. The second unintentional, but content. Luna wished she could take a picture and put it in a photo album. How long had it taken?

Worth it, she thought as her pinky hit an off key.

Bunnies.

Luna wanted to laugh. Not at Subaru. Just at the idea that he would be so enamored with little cute, fuzzy creatures. She wanted to see him hold one. Then she'd really take a picture. She wondered if he'd smile then too. Two birds with one stone.

Subaru had definitely grown more comfortable sharing things with them. Luna was certain that, at this point, he probably considered them his friends in return. She hoped. That didn't mean that everything after this would come easily. He still froze up when she asked about his mystery friend and he gets oddly annoyed whenever she so much as mentions Rockman.

Rockman.

Luna began a new train of thought as she began another song. She hadn't given up on meeting – or enchanting – her hero. But as time passed and attacks became more intense she found herself increasingly worried for him. She didn't want to interfere when things were so dangerous. She tried to help in any way she could, but it was risky.

Subaru would know more about the situation.

Which brought her about in full circle.

Subaru didn't like talking about his research. Luna wasn't sure why exactly. It made him dodgy. At first, she had thought it had to do with her supposed 'hero worship' towards Rockman. But then Subaru had gone and lied to Inspector Goyouda's face. Maybe Amachi would be the right person to talk to, but he was busy with working on the tech for the Satellite Police. She hardly ever saw him when she and her friends went to AMAKEN Labs, either to find Subaru or to help Utagai with collecting data.

Luna sighed as she concluded her piece and closed the lid on the piano. It was getting late.

If all else fails, at least she would know how to cook when was said and done.


"See how it's dry around the edges and the bubbles in the center have popped. That means it's time to flip it. Good! See, you're getting the hang of this, Luna-chan. Your spatula skills are top-notch."

Saturday morning cooking lessons had been going much smoother after a few rounds of practice. Luna hadn't burned anything in a while, but getting the proportions on the ingredients was something she was still working on.

"Thanks, Akane-san." Luna wiped her forehead with the crook of her arm. It was hot where she stood over the stove and she'd made the mistake of wearing long sleeves.

Akane was carefully rolling omelets on the adjacent stove, content to let Luna handle the pancakes solo. That was reassuring. Subaru still had yet to show his face.

"So how have things at school been going, Luna-chan?" Akane asked.

Luna checked the underside of the pancake as she answered, "Really well actually. Hoshikawa-kun has been…"

"I'm not asking about Subaru." Akane said teasingly, "Though I do worry about him. I mean you, Luna-chan. How are things going for you?

Luna fell silent. She added the pancake to her pile of finished ones and started on the next one, "I've been keeping busy."

"You don't sound all that pleased about it."

Luna hummed, "It's better than the alternative."

"How do you mean?"

Akane always knew when to press Luna. To get the answers she wanted. To circumnavigate the front Luna wore for pretty much everyone else. It was unnerving. But it was also reassuring. That someone noticed. If only it wasn't so difficult to bare her soul and emotions.

"It's better than being at home." She confessed after a long pause.

Luna snuck a glance at Akane out of the corner of her eye. She didn't seem surprised. Luna felt the need to say something else. To smooth it over like it wasn't a big deal. Even though it was.

"I…"

"Morning mom. What's for…" it seemed that Subaru had finally dragged his butt out of bed, but only at the most inopportune time, "Breakfast? Oh, I see, pancakes."

Akane gave Luna a meaningful look. She wasn't done with that conversation. Clearly. Neither was Luna.

"Good morning, Su. Luna-chan made pancakes. I know you'll eat lots of them!"

"As long as they're good." Subaru mumbled.

Luna twirled on him, apron flapping against her knees and spatula in hand, "I'd like to see you do better, Hoshikawa-kun!"

"No thanks." Subaru grabbed a plate from the cupboard and loaded it up with three pancakes form Luna's pile. For all his complaining, he sure wasn't being picky. Akane laid out a dish full of omelets and sausages.

"Luna-chan, why don't you turn off the stove and let's all eat together while it's hot. Su, grab the toppings out of the fridge."

"Yep."

Luna pulled her apron over her head and folded it over the back of her chair. She didn't want to sit down until Subaru came back to the table, fearing it would be rude. But he was taking an awfully long time rummaging through the fridge.

When he finally joined them at the table, his arms were full.

"What's all that for?" Luna asked.

Subaru raised an eyebrow at her. His hair was a mess and his Visualizer was absent, which somehow made him look younger. It didn't help that he was practically swimming in an oversized AMAKEN t-shirt and baggy sweatpants.

"Toppings." He said as he laid down each individual item, "Maple syrup. Whipped cream. Honey. Chocolate chips. Peanut butter. Jam. Butter. Sugar. Strawberries. Blueberries. All the berries. Take your pick. There's plenty of options. I wasn't sure what you preferred. Pretty much anything is compatible with pancakes, you know."

Luna was just slightly confused, "Really?"

Subaru was at a loss, "How often do you eat pancakes?" he asked with some exasperation.

"Maybe two or three times…"

Subaru waited.

"In my life."

Matching sets of brown eyes grew wide as both members of the Hoshikawa family exchanged unbelieving glances.

"Well," Subaru finally said, "You're going to have to eat a lot of your own pancakes so you can try them all."

"All of them?" Luna choked.

Akane laughed, "He's joking, Luna-chan. Try what you want."

The three of them dug into their breakfast. It was more like brunch since it was so late. Luna had been up for hours already. She found that her pancakes, while not terrible, were still either too dry or too doughy. She was too hungry to care. And neither Subaru nor Akane said anything about it. Luna found that the more toppings she added, the less she noticed the flawed pancakes.

Subaru drowned his first pancake in so much syrup that Akane cut him off. So he slathered the next one in peanut butter, making Akane just roll her eyes and opt to ignore him.

"Did you just wake up, Hoshikawa-kun?" Luna asked between mouthfuls of food.

"Weekends are for sleeping in, Shirogane-chan." He informed her, "Not everyone gets up freakishly early like you."

Akane bopped him on the head, "Be nice."

"It's not a bad thing." Subaru said somewhat defensively, "It's just not normal."

Luna could dish out the sass too, "As long as you're ready to go in time, Hoshikawa-kun, I won't criticize your slovenly tendencies." She smirked for good measure as Subaru finally caught on what she was referring to.

He glanced down at his shirt then back at her. He grinned and pointed his fork at her, "You come to my house and make such horrid accusations…"

Akane cut of the impending tirade, "Now, now. This is my house and I will not listen to this childish bickering. If you are done, Su, it sounds like you have the energy to do the dishes. Luna-chan and I will continue the lesson."

"Fine with me." Luna and Subaru at the same time.

"I hate when that happens." Subaru grumbled as he stood and took a pile of dishes to the sink.

For some reason, Luna couldn't help but feel smug.


I hope this chapter doesn't feel like it's all filler. I'm trying to make sure I'm pacing the character development well and not dropping any plot lines. We got some Gonta action to make up for the lack of a boss fight ;) He's got a puppy now!

One thing I really wanted to say: I cannot thank you guys enough for all the support you've given me as I write this fic. Every time I sit down to write more, I wonder how I ever got myself wrapped up in writing something so long. But you guys never fail to read the new chapter as soon as it's done and you always write such amazing reviews! Not to sound goofy, but I'm really blessed! I don't think I say it enough how much I appreciate you readers :D

A special thanks to Thriefty for the amazing analysis you do. I swear, nothing gets past you. If anyone wants more material to read, I recommend checking out their reviews!

Anyway, I have many more scenes planned. More boss fights. More adorably awkward teenagers. Until next time! And thanks for reading ;)