The red threads twisted and turned shifting around her, the energy pulsing through sent shivers down her spine as words began to emanate through them; "What a disappointment, to think an aspect of her still lives... You must feel the same, don't you? Ryūko."

Ryūko awakened next to the snoring Mako, wearing her yellow rabbit polka-dot pyjamas. She rubbed her eyes calmly before looking down with a soft smile at Mako who continued to sleep in her own pyjamas bearing Mt Fuji and an eggplant.

"Jeez... after that night I guess the weird dreams are to be expected..." Ryūko proceeded to nudge Mako to get her to wake up, "Hey Mako... we're gonna be late to school."

Mako tossed and turned in her sleep mumbling "ugggghhh I don't wannaaaa..."

Ryūko had a bemused smile and made another attempt, "You know Satsukis gonna be here soon right?"

Mako immediately shot up to sitting position, "I'm up!"

This caused Ryuko to reply with another warm smile "welcome back."

Ryūko and Mako proceeded to get dressed into their school uniforms, Ryūko took a short sigh before kicking the doorway to the room, causing two voices to yelp from the kick. When they finished getting dressed the door slid upon as Mako's mother waltzed into the room, she had her pink dress on along with her frilly apron, she smiled brightly with her hair done up in a bun. Mako's brother and her father could be seen slinking around the corner down the hall.

"Morning sleepy heads! I made plenty of croquettes for you two for the day ahead!" Mako's mother's voice had a lively flourish as she held a large cooking bowl filled with various croquettes while in the other hand she held a spatula.

Ryūko bared another bright smile "thanks misses M"

Mako's mum sifted through the croquettes with her spatula as she replied, "oh right! You said Satsuki would be here soon?" Seemingly in response there was a knock at the door. "Oh speak of the devil!"

Mako's mother answered the door revealing Satsuki standing there calmly in her own school uniform. "Hello Mrs Mankanshoku."

Mako's mother seemed to have a desire to impress Satsuki, "Good morning lady Satsuki! Would you like a croquette? I got plenty for everyone!"

Satsuki replied with a slight blush, "well I guess I could have one..."

But before Satsuki had a chance to receive a croquette, Mako and Ryūko approached after having put on their shoes and picked up their school bags.

Satsuki replied upon seeing their approach with a soft smile, "I see Mako is awake this time."

Ryuko replied with a slight chuckle, "heh, yeah."

As Satsuki received her croquette The three girls proceeded to leave and head to school as Mako's family waved and yelled to them in goodbye.

It was another cool morning, the crisp cold air nipping at the girls skin. They joined the crowds of students, Mako surprisingly quiet causing Ryūko to look at her with concern.

Mako spoke up, bringing her to the attention of both Satsuki and Ryūko, "will... Nui be coming back to school?"

The group stopped as a level of surprise filled the air. "E-er yeah... But not today though..." Ryūko replied quietly.

This caused a light fill Mako's eyes "really?"

Ryūko seemed confused towards her in response, "I still don't know why you care about her, Mako."

In return Mako seemed to pout in frustration, "She just seemed lonely... I remember when I felt like that..."

Ryūko grit her teeth reflecting her own frustration. "maybe... But Nui deserves to be alone... I've done her enough favours..."

Mako and Satsuki shot their own looks of concern at Ryūko, who continued to walk on her own towards school. They arrived at their school, many students shooting looks towards them and whispering gossip among themselves, Satsuki keeping a vigilant eye at those that seemed to observe them. This culminated in the classroom as they entered drawing to them the attention of the class with many of their classmates whispering their own varying levels of gossip.

Ryūko spoke under her breath to Satsuki, like a spy trying to carefully communicate with her fellow agent, "Do you think they know about what happened?"

Satsuki replied just as carefully, "Its possible that word has gotten around..."

The three girls sat at their desks, while not long after their homeroom teacher entered through the door at the front. The students stood up and bowed following the command of the same student at the front as before, signifying the beginning of their school day.

Their classes was Uneventful, with lesson after lesson passing over and even lunch time being rather quiet as many of the students around them seemed to subtly avoid speaking to the group. Ryūko took multiple short looks of disdain towards Nui's empty desk as multiple of the lessons passed her by. It didn't feel like much had happened at all to the three girls when the bell had rang announcing the end of the school day along with the teacher telling the class that they were "dismissed".

The students proceeded in getting up from their desks, Satsuki looked towards her sister and Mako before speaking up to get their attention, "Ryūko, Mako would you like to come over to my house for this afternoon for a spot of tea?"

Ryūko's and Mako's eyes brightened up, as Ryuko responded happily "for real?"

Satsuki replied with a warm smile "of course, in fact Soroi recently did an excellent job on the cleaning."

Ryuko fist bumped the air "sweet!"

While Mako threw her arms up happily shouting, "Yaaaaay!"

The Three girls cheerfully made their way out of the class and then out of the school. They passed through streets and across roads before arriving at a comfy two story house on a quiet street.

"You know its still hard to believe that the heir to the Kiryuin estate lives here." Ryūko spoke casually with a bright smile.

"Well yes, that's rather the point, I spent my childhood living in mansions, I've had my fill of such large empty spaces surrounded by fumbling servants, when I only ever needed one butler." Satsuki said as the front door to the house opened to reveal Soroi.

"Ah, welcome home lady Satsuki." Soroi seemed to not have changed a day since his days at Honnouji academy, working under Satsuki, a loyal man beyond the Kiryūin family, serving Satsuki entirely.
He wore his usual attire of formal black trousers and black jacket over a white shirt and black bow tie, his eyes shadowed over and his mostly gone grey hair clean against his partially bald head.

"Thank you Soroi." Satsuki spoke warmly as the three girls made their way into the house after taking their shoes off at the entrance.

It wasn't long before the three girls were sat in a serene dining room, in front of a shining center-stage dining table. Every surface in the room was beautifully clean, reflecting the glow of every light that touched them. Soroi quietly came into the room holding a silver tray, placing china tea cups on small saucers in front of each of the girls, each tea cup white with dark blue images painted into the china depicting long bodied Japanese dragons and men wielding katanas. He then calmly took a similarly styled china teapot and calmly and gentility poured tea into each of the cups.

Satsuki responded to Soroi as he stepped away from Satsuki's cup "Looks as perfect as usual, thank you" with Ryūko and Mako responding similarly in response to Soroi filling their cups.

Ryūko saying, "Thanks."

Mako saying "Thank you!" Both of them cheerfully.

Soroi left the room while Satsuki stirred her tea with a silver spoon, Mako put in several cubes of sugar while Ryūko took a little sip, burning her tongue then taking another sip.

Ryūko lets out a short sigh, "to think that we would have a day like this after a night like that..."

Satsuki took an elegant sip of her own tea then replied in affirmation, "indeed..."

Ryūko smiled slyly, "Tsumugu must be pissed that he has to now work with Nui Harime of all people."

Satsuki had her own smile, "You realise he would probably be saying the same about you having to go to school with her right?"

Ryūko continued her own part in this back and forth with relaxed antagonism, "ugh... don't remind me..."

Satsuki frowned a little, "I followed you in your decision but I'm honestly still not entirely sure why you made that choice..."

Ryūko had another sigh, "I could say the same thing about you with true Nui, anyway lets talk about something else... like where's Rei? I was looking forward to saying hello to her."

Satsuki took another sip of her tea calmly before responding, "oh Rei? Soroi told me she went to doing some shopping not too long before we arrived."

A figure could be seen walking down a street in the low sun of the afternoon. They began to approach a convenience store. The figure was Rei, not much of her appearance has changed except for her style which has shifted from her usual attire of a pure white suit to a blue and white striped suit with a with a fittingly blue and white striped tie and a pair of blue lens-ed sunglasses. She stepped into the store, taking a basket from a nearby rack. She then went from isle to isle picking out various items, from butter, rice, melon bread, flour, lettuce, eggplants and various other items. She approached a carton of orange juice, placing her hand on the carton to take it, only for another hand to come into view on the carton from her left. Rei turned to see none other than clone Nui, who appeared to be wearing a purple coat and a darker purple skirt.

Rei was frozen in place as clone Nui appeared to be short of breath due to the surprise as she tried to eke out a response, "o-oh Rei!"
Rei stood there silently her face almost blank but unveiling the slightest notion of surprise as Nui continued, "I didn't expect to see you here, I noticed I needed a few things so I asked the agents if I could do a bit of shopping..." Nui's attention was quickly grabbed my Rei's silence, "Rei?"

Rei answered, her words were bereft of emotion, "Satsuki told me about you last night..."

Clone Nui seemed rather nervous, "I... I see..."

Rei continued in response, "you are clone Nui, right?" Nui nodded as Rei then continued to question, "Can the other Nui see this?" Again Nui nodded. Rei closed her eyes seemingly in reprieve, "good... its... good to see you again, Miss grand couturier."

True Nui floated next to clone Nui looking at Rei in confusion as Rei took a carton of orange juice then turned around and walked towards the check out section of the store.

Clone Nui also looked confused as true Nui threw out a remark, "huh, that's odd, that wasn't like little Hōōmaru at all..."

Clone Nui replied, "I guess people can change a lot within a year."

Rei payed for the groceries, placing the items in multiple plastic bags, before carrying them towards the exit of the store. As she left she nodded to what seemed to be a nearby customer knowing they were actually a nudist beach agent tailing Nui.

As Rei made her way home her head was flooded with thoughts, "She really is back..." She stops for a moment, looking down at the ground in contemplation, "This might be my chance... To make things right."

She then began walking again, as the sun began to set.