Immediately both Ryūko and Satsuki was standing at their desks. They were silent but the sounds of their seats jutting back and the sudden movement of them standing brought them to the forefront of the classroom's attention and even woke up Mako who joined the others in their observation of the two girls. Everyone looking at them seemed confused by the sudden act including the teacher and Nui who stood at the front of the classroom. Satsuki's and Ryūko's gazes were fixed on Nui, with a look of mortal terror displayed on their faces.

The teacher was the first to speak up, "Are you alright you two?"

Ryūko and Satsuki looked awkwardly around them to see the other students staring at them in confusion, as if they had snapped out of a trance.

Ryūko is the one to reply to the question of the teacher, "e-er yeah! Just felt a chill in the room, that's all."
As the two girls sat back into their seats trying to not draw any more attention from the class. The teacher seemed to shrug this off as the nuances of the foolish young adults.

He then gestured to Nui, "there's a seat over there at the back." referring to a seat on the top right-hand side of the room by the class window.

Nui's eye seem to glow with excitement as she made her way over to her seat. Meanwhile Satsuki and Ryūko's expressions were filled with tension, both talking quietly like spies witnessing their target.

"What the hell is happening?" Ryūko asked in desperation.

However Satsuki was cold and analytical about the situation but the pressure of the circumstance was still visible on her face as she replied "I don't know but we are going to have to wait for the right time to observe and assess these strange events."

As Nui sat down the occupants of the classed rushed to gather around her barring the Red-haired girl at the front who looked disapprovingly at the other students, Ryūko, Satsuki and mako who had already fallen back asleep. Nui looked incredibly uncomfortable as the crowd of students, sent a barrage of questions her way, ranging from where she is from, to if she is single, to what kind hair product she uses. Satsuki had managed to spy out Nui from the group of students who seemed particularly shy, much to Satsuki's surprise who contemplated if this was a new, rather convincing act put on by Nui.

The teacher attempted to gain the attention of the students "Now now everyone, settle down" but this was to no avail as the students continued to chatter in their gathering around the overwhelmed Nui.

The teacher then changed his strategy, "Well I guess this means you don't mind this cutting into your break time huh."

Upon hearing this the class then immediately sat back in their seats to quell the annoyance of the teacher. With this the lesson had begun, many students showing their ranges of attention from obvious boredom to stringent attention. Nui appeared to reside within the middle of these two extremes, as she worriedly took down notes while also at times glancing out the window in longingly. Lesson to lesson passed by with each teacher showing their own varying levels of enthusiasm for education, while Satsuki and Ryūko continued to carefully observe Nui. Once lunch time had arrived the class resumed their crowding around Nui but this time, she attempted to answer their questions seemingly feeling more in place and less shy than before. But the words she eked out was not enough to satisfy the appetites of her classmates who continued to barrage her with questions.

However, one question seemed to break out from the rest "what are you doing here Nui?" as the classmates shifted to reveal Ryūko standing in front of Nui's desk.

Nui responded confused "I guess it looked like a nice school..."

Ryūko was wasting no time replying with "That's not what I mean, and you know it."

Nui continued to look in confusion at Ryūko, "I'm sorry but... I really don't."

Ryūko appeared frustrated and was prepared to respond angrily but realized that she had caught the attention of her classmates and preferred to not show that to them. And so Ryūko walked away sitting back at her desk next to Satsuki who quietly ate and Mako who feasted on her smuggled in food.

A few more lessons have passed, and they were back with their homeroom teacher. He was reading off a few more notes after he had finished chastising those who forgot their homework which appeared to be most of the class.

The bell rings, and the teacher shuts his book, "Well it's about damn time, you're all dismissed."

Many of the class members then got up and made their way out of the classroom while a few of them stuck around to discuss various things. Nui was one of the ones that were making their way out although she was not quite as quick as the others. Satsuki and Ryūko saw their opportunity as Ryūko grabbed Mako's hand and slowly got up themselves. They walked out of the classroom maintaining distance from Nui who happily crossed the hall and was now making her way down the stairs. They continued this for quite a distance, leaving the school and walking down the streets not too far but not too close to the seemingly oblivious Nui. Eventually Nui was on a street where there was no one else but her and the ones tailing her. Ryūko saw her chance running up to Nui and pushing her into an alley way. Nui fell onto the ground without much resistance, and after she recovered from the blow, she was looking at Ryūko who stood above her with a menacing aggressive look. Satsuki stood close behind Ryūko while Mako was peering around the corner of the alley worriedly.

"Give it up Nui!" Ryūko commanded with a heavy intimidating voice.

Nui was picking herself up off the ground, "wh-what?" Nui replied revealing in her voice a mix of confusion and distress.

"I SAID GIVE IT UP!" Ryūko shouted as she grabbed Nui by the cuff and pressed her against the wall with a loud slam.

"There's no point to continuing such a ridiculous ploy, now tell us what you are planning, Nui Harime." Satsuki spoke with a cold and intimidating tone, her voice feeling as heavy as the impact of Ryūko's attacks.

Nui continued her distressed onset saying "I... I don't understand..." While she shuddered under Ryūko's grip on her collar.

"You really think you can just come back into our lives like this?! After everything you've done! You Bitch! I should have killed you myself!" Ryūko's hold seemed to intensify along with her glare until she noticed.

Tears. Tears were rolling down from Nui's remaining eye, her voice was shriek and pathetic as she appeared to plead, "I'm sorry... I don't know what I did... but I'm sorry... I don't want to hurt anyone... I just... I just want to live a normal life... so please... let me go..."

Ryūko relented, loosing her grasp, both her face and Satsuki's filled with shock. Nui coughed for a moment before looking back at Ryūko, and within this moment she seemed to be filled with a sort of familiarity, before snapping back into distress and running past Satsuki and Ryūko out of the alley way, attempting to wipe the tears from her eyes. Ryūko and Satsuki just stood there as Mako looked at them with concern.

Ryūko seemed distraught, her eyes covered by shadow as she stared down at the ground, "I don't understand..."

Satsuki then grabbed her sister's hand and walked out of the alley. She continued walking while she pulled out her phone out of her left-hand side pocket and then pressed her phone against her ear.

A phone rings in a lounge of an apartment, clothes strewn about on furniture and various parts of the room's floor. A funky tune plays from a stereo as the sound of a tap running attempts to pierce through the sound of the music from the nearby kitchen that is directly connected to the lounge. A figure is seen partially dancing to the music as they wash various plates and cutlery then placing them on the drying rack, all of a sudden, this ceases as they seem to have heard the sound of the phone. Once they turn the corner its revealed to be the one and only Mikisugi, topless of course wearing black trousers with a drying towel slung over his shoulder.

He switches off the music then answers the phone with a flourish, "hello? Mikisugi talking."

The voice emanating from the phone spoke with a cold and assertive tone, "Its Satsuki."

Mikisugi sits on the couch with a relaxed smile. "And what do I owe the pleasure?" His arm flung over the side.

"We will need to speak in person" Satsuki replied.

Mikisugi's smile to switch to an inconvenienced frown, "you sure this can't wait till later?" he reached over to pick up a can off the coffee table.

"It's about Nui Harime."

This is all Satsuki had to say to cause Mikisugi to slam his can back down and sit up from his relaxed position, his face now unveiling a strong intense look of worry.

"How close are you to my place?" he asked calm and cool.

Satsuki answered with "5 mins away."

Mikisugi closed his eyes in reprieve and replied, "Alright be here as soon as possible."
He had hung up the phone and appeared to be selecting a new contact as he stood up. He placed the phone against his ear and an answer arrived not too long after, "Yo it's me" Mikisugi said just as intense as before, "We got a problem."

The door clicked open to what appeared to be a much smaller apartment than before, two small feet stepping inside, from the cool night air. Who walked inside appeared to be Nui Harime who immediately collapsed upon taking off her shoes at the entrance.

"Ugh that shift sucked..." she crawled her way over to the tiny lounge and slipped underneath her kotatsu table, "didn't help that I was almost late... uguuuu my manager would have been so mad..."

Her face revealed her tiredness reflected in her words, although it seemed to change as she remembered why she was almost late in the first place.

"Those girls... why do they seem so familiar...?" her thoughts spewed out of her mouth as though her mind was leaking out into the world, "And why do the scary ones gotta be so cute..."

She placed her hand on her eyepatch as she laid down on the floor looking up at the ceiling lost in thought. "She seemed to know me... but I don't know her... is she really just a bully or is there more to this? At any rate, I should try to be nice to her so maybe we could be friends... I don't... want... to be alone..."

Nui Harime seemed to speak her last few words as she drifted to sleep underneath the kotatsu table, before suddenly waking up shouting "Crap! I gotta remember to turn off the lights!"

A few knocks on the door roused the sitting Mikisugi who continued to relax in his apartment looking incredibly bored "5 mins she said..."

He walks over to the door opening to reveal Satsuki, Mako and Ryūko standing in front of the door in the darkness of the night, Mako was doing a little wave while Satsuki stood there as calmly as ever, while Ryūko had her arms crossed in frustration.

"Fashionably late hm?" Mikisugi smiled smugly.

Satsuki lost her composure for a moment before replying. "We... got a little lost."

Mikisugi was not buying the story "It's been hours."

Satsuki replied while both hers and Ryūko's faces displayed a level of embarrassment, "ok maybe more than a little, it seems I put the wrong address into the app..."

Mikisugi sighed as he turned and gestured for the three to follow him inside, "Never mind, make yourselves at home."

The three followed Mikisugi, treading carefully weary of their environment as they seemed to hold suspicions of the various surfaces they could touch. Mikisugi passed through the lounge into the kitchen flicking the switch on a kettle and setting down mugs on the counter as the three girls planted themselves down on the sofa holding as much suspicion of the sofa as they did of the various other surfaces in the room. Mikisugi set the mugs in front of the three girls, although they seemed apprehensive about drinking the contents.

He then sat down in a chair set on the right-hand side of the coffee table, "Explain."

Ryūko and Satsuki proceeded to recount the events of the last day.

"Jeez... and here I thought I wouldn't have to take nudist beach off stand-by for a while yet then this goes and happens." Mikisugi seemed relaxed and composed although his words revealed a level of surprise.

Satsuki crossed her arms and closed her eyes, "Indeed... although the way she came off was strange..."

Mikisugi took a sip of his own mug and gave his response "It's because of the way she reacted wasn't it?"

Satsuki nodded in return "Yes, she seemed strangely genuine, I can usually see through her facades, but this one... it caught me off guard."

Ryūko chimes in "yeah! It was super weird; I didn't expect it..."

Mikisugi placed his own cup down on the table with a sigh crossing his own arms, "Well it doesn't matter, whatever the case is we will have to take her in, I already called into work, we're taking agents off standby."

Satsuki and Ryūko nodded in agreement while Mako seemed rather troubled as she began to speak up "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

Ryūko looks at Mako with concern "Mako..." While the others show a spark of surprise.

Mako continued, "How do we know it's really the old Nui? What if it's a doppelganger type thing? One time my dad met this guy that looked exactly like him!"

Mikisugi looked at mako with warm rejection, "I'm sorry Mako but we can't take that chance."

Mako is persistent however, "But she seemed so sad when Ryūko was angry..."

Ryūko replied in Mikisugi's stead, "Mako we're talking about the same Nui that tried to murder you."

Without skipping a beat Mako replied "But didn't you try to murder me too?"

A moment of silence fills the air... "Well yeah- but that was different..." Ryūko broke the silence, seemingly taken aback by this as she remembers that she did indeed try to kill her.

Satsuki was next to reply in her usual calm and commanding demeanour "Mako I understand this might be difficult to understand for you, but Nui is a threat to humanity, she cannot be allowed to exist."

Mako seemed rather frustrated by this but seemed to give in after Satsuki's dominating argument.

Mikisugi continued, disregarding the argument of the troubled Mako, "Alright I'll have some agents ready, keep an eye on her during class then after school try to lead her to an isolated area, maybe that alley from before since its on the way to her residence anyway, then we'll swoop in and scoop her up, got it?"

Ryūko and Satsuki nodded in agreement, then proceeded to lead Mako outside of the apartment with Mikisugi seeing them to the door. They stood outside the apartment as the door closes, Satsuki and Ryūko started to walk towards the steps that lead out of the apartment complex while Mako suddenly stopped looking as frustrated as before.

Ryūko and Satsuki turned around towards Mako to hear the remark "This just seems really mean..."

Ryūko in response walked up to Mako and gave her a warm hug, she then took her hand, and the three girls made their way home.