Ryūko was sat along side Mako and her family as they chowed down on croquettes with an untamed ferocity. Ryūko ate her own food, however she seemed still lost in thought, her food still mostly whole.

Mako's mother was the first to pick up on this, "Are you alright Ryūko dear?"

Mako's father added on "Yeah, you barely touched your plate!"

Ryūko spoke tentatively to not worry them, "I'm alright, just... thinking about stuff... I... can I borrow the bike for tonight?"

Without skipping a beat Mako's dad replied with, "Oh yeah sure, you use it more than us anyway, but you sure you want to head out so late?"

Mako's brother spoke up too, "yeah! if you go any where far even on this bike you'll be back super late." he then audibly gasped joyfully, "OH could I come with!?"

Mako's mother pinched the brother's ear, "Oh no you don't!" She then turned to Ryūko as Mako's brother recovered from his pinched ear. "Oh! I have an idea, I could make you a snack box!"

Ryūko smiled in bemusement, "Thats not-"

Mako suddenly got close to Ryūko pulling her face up to her own. "Come on Ryūko! you shouldn't miss out on my mom's snack pack!"

Ryūko raised her arms relenting, "Alright, alright! I'll take the snack pack, thanks Misses M."

Ryūko got on the mankanshoku's red motor cycle, snack pack in tow. Mako and her family waving to her as she got ready to drive away, Ryūko looking back at them with a warm smile and her own little wave. Ryūko then turned the key to the motor cycle causing it's engine to erupt into life, she placed her foot on the peddle as the bike began moving causing her to raise her other leg off the ground and the bike sped down the streets. Ryūko zoomed down through street after street eventually finding herself within the winding streets of the Japanese country side. Ryūko kept driving into the cold of the night, careful to avoid the edge of the cliff-like hills the road she drove upon was situated against, the road in front of her illuminated by the bike's front light. A few more moments of driving had passed till she pulled up, as she stepped off the bike she pulled her phone from her right hand pocket, unlocking the screen and selecting the torch icon in the settings menu. The phone's light ignited immediately revealing she had pulled up in front of the burned cinders of what was left of the Matoi household.

Ryūko looked around for a few moments before the moon revealed itself from behind dark clouds, bathing the area with moonlight replacing the phone's light. Ryūko put away her phone and walked about the area, each site of the scene bringing up memories she had long put behind her. She located the hole she had made, when she used Senketsu to burst into the underground area of the house, causing her to smile from the sentimentality. Ryūko dropped down from the hole into the large area beneath. She pulled out her phone again looking about the area, the massive pile of clothing filling the room. She moved about the room, looking towards the other end before noticing a door made out of steel, a wheel shaped handle akin to a submarine's porthole opening fixture affixed to the center of the door. Ryūko span the wheel although it buckled against her grip, even with her strength. Eventually the door opened revealing itself to be multiple centimetres thick. Within the door appeared to be some sort of steel panic room although instead of any people the room was filled with various objects, Statues, paintings, gold bricks, porn magazines and various other objects of obvious value. When Ryūko saw it, a pristine acoustic guitar. Ryūko picked up the guitar by it's neck, as she looked in shocked recognition. The memories flooded back. She was packing up her things, getting ready to move to her next boarding school, after she was kicked out of her last one.

"Ryūko" Isshin was running his sewing machine, as Ryūko was walking out with her large steel case when Isshin turned his head, his long white hair whipped around, his face was striking and cold, "you forgot that."

Isshin pointed to A guitar propped up in the corner of the room, his voice was as cold as his face was, grumbling in his raspiness.

Ryūko was dismissive, and cold in return, "Do whatever you want with it, I don't play anymore." Ryūko had her back turned towards Isshin, not even looking at him as she was about to walk away.

"So what are you doing with that?" Isshin referred to the metal case she carried over her shoulder via a strap.

"I can probably find a use for it, see ya." Ryūko walked out of the room, making that what would be the end of Ryūko's memories, however the memory continues, as Ryūko realises what must of happened after she left.

Isshin looked at the guitar for a moment before standing, taking the guitar in his hands. He made his way through the house, pulling a book on a book case, causing the case to move to the side. He entered through the passage revealed by the book case making it into the house's basement. He approached the metal door and with a heavy grunt he pulled on the wheel to open it. After the door opened, he located a spot in the panic room to situate the guitar, propping it up carefully. Isshin took one look at the guitar, staring sentimentally, before closing the door.

Ryūko was smiling, sentimentality overflowing within her. She began embracing the guitar, emotions filled her face as her memories ran back through her mind. She found tears dripping from her eyes quickly wiping them away. She made her way out of the basement, jumping her way out of the hole with the guitar on her back slung over with a strap. She got back on her bike and drove off into the night, the memories continued to flood her mind. When she got back to the house, it was around midnight so of course Mako and her family were snoring away. Ryūko joined them carefully making her way through the house, however Mako appeared at the door to the room Ryūko was creeping through.

Mako was holding a baseball bat with a few nails in it looking scared half to death till she realised it was Ryūko, "oh you're back! I thought it might of been someone trying to steal our socks." Mako suddenly started looking incredibly shocked, "wait a sec! Is that a guitar?!"

Ryūko seemed quite awkwardly worried, "yes it is Mako, but can you quiet down?"

Mako seemed to punish herself casually, comically whispering, "Ah right, my bad. So er... were you gonna play it tomorrow?"

Ryūko seemed dismissive about the notion, "oh nah... I just thought it would bring up old memories y'know?"

Mako appeared rather melancholic after Ryūko said this, "memories of your dad and Senketsu?" This hit Ryūko hard as she didn't think Mako would realise, Mako continued in her sadness, "I would really like to hear you play I'm sure Satsuki would like to hear it as well and... I think Senketsu and your dad would've liked that too..."
Ryūko remained silent as Mako rubbed her eyes, before uttering "goodnight..." and then leaving the room.

Ryūko's eyes changed from shock to clarity and she began to leave the house, stopping a few meters away in the side alley. She held the strings on both ends of the guitar as if to play it with the strap keeping it close to her by being locked around the back of her neck. She then strum away into the night, the sounds were off, as Ryūko tried to recall the memories she had of playing the guitar, but nevertheless she played, cold and alone but still she played.

Ryūko woke up next to Mako still in her clothes from last night and tired as hell as she went to sleep not too long ago, however the alarm on her phone still waking her up.

"Oh crap!" she realised she would be late to join Satsuki in visiting the music club who was still visiting the school.

She rushed to get ready and pulled Mako out of the house who was still half asleep. Ryūko and Mako made it to school to see Satsuki and Nui waiting at the front gate.

Satsuki spoke up as they approached, "Ah Ryūko, Mako, me and Nui saw the music club it was quite a strange experience having to explain why a version of Nui made out of blood burst out of her body but overall it was very pleasant, I tried coming to your house but Mrs Mankanshoku told me that you both seemed rather tired so I decided to leave you be."

Ryūko seemed irritably embarrassed in her reply, "I'm so sorry Satsuki..."

Satsuki shook her head calmly in response, "no need for the apology, Nui insisted that after we saw the band club, we should wait outside for you two."
Nui blushed slightly upon hearing this as Satsuki continued, "Wait that case... Did you want to..."

Ryūko bared her own heavy blush, "y-yeah... I did..."

Satsuki contemplated for a moment, "Nonon mentioned that the Club stays for a little while after school as well as coming in early, so we should be able to do it then."

Ryuko's eyes lit up as she looked at Satsuki directly, "really?"

Satsuki smiled warmly in her reply "Indeed, and if they say they don't have enough time then I'll make it an order from the eternal student class president."

Ryūko hugged Satsuki who embraced her back, Mako and clone Nui smiled joyfully, while true Nui appeared floating by clone Nui's side frowning and seemingly staring longingly at the two sisters. The group then made their way into class, Ryūko especially impatient to reach the end of the day. She attracted a lot of attention from her class mates due to the large metal case she kept by her feet, with many of the class members discussing what could be inside. Finally, the bell rings signifying the end of the school day, Ryūko pulling the case up slinging it over her shoulder as she walked with the other three towards the school gymnasium.

The four girls stepped inside through the gym's double doors, and as they hoped the band club was still there. The presence of the four immediately grabbed the attention of Setsuko and Nonon, who walked over to greet them.

"Oh hey! Its good to see you both, Ryuko and Mako." Setsuko said with a welcoming smile.

Satsuki spoke up to grab her attention, "Setsuko, Nonon. Ryūko was too embarrassed before to admit this, but she does in fact play the guitar, and has brought it today in the hope she can play it for us to hear."

Nonon showed casual surprise in her response to this "Wait really?"

Ryūko blushed heavily her embarrassment showing clear as day, "y-yeah..."

Setsuko was delighted revealing her joy immediately, "That's amazing! and is that's what's in that case? I am so happy to hear that! Would you like to show us now?"

Ryūko was surprised at the notion, her blush refusing to leave her face, "Oh yeah sure..."

A stool was set at the center of the stage Ryūko pulled out her guitar from her case, she set down on the stool the strap around the back of the neck, as she held the guitar to get ready to play. Her heart fluttered for a moment, as her finger tips touched the strings. She took in a deep breath, then she began to play:

(Within this scene, the music that plays is "I want to know, Instrumental version" Composed by Hiroyuki Sawano for the Kill la Kill original soundtrack, please listen to said song while reading to get the full effect of the scene.)

The notes filled the room with melancholy, Ryūko faded from the room, lost in her own mind. Memories that haunted her returning like ghosts; the day her father lost his life, the day she met Senketsu, other instruments joined her strums in her mind as she continued to play and her memories changing again and again. The day she spoke to Mako about wishing she knew her father better, the day she faced her father's killer, the day she found out about her mother. The day she found her sister and the day she... lost her friend. These emotions enveloped her as the room seemed to fall away. Ryūko finished strumming her guitar, the room was silent, as Ryūko realised tears were pouring from her eyes. Ryūko placed the guitar within the case before briskly walking off the stage, and out of the gymnasium, Mako and Satsuki following her as they looked in concern. Clone Nui stared in their direction, her face mixed concern with clarity, True Nui looked in their direction as well her face more curious than understanding as she floated above clone Nui's head.

Ryūko had went to the roof, looking over a sunset in the distance. Satsuki and Mako stood by her doing their best to comfort her, as Mako stroked her shoulders with Satsuki looking off in the same direction Ryūko looked, while holding her hand on Ryūko's back. The door squeaked slightly signifying someone's entrance. It was Nui.

Satsuki approached her as she entered, "Nui, you... this isn't a very good time-"

Ryūko suddenly interrupted, "Nah its alright."

Satsuki looked at Ryūko in surprise, but relented and moved aside. Nui looked incredibly worried at Ryūko, every fiber in her body told her she should leave including the life fiber being in her body.

A quiet moment passed, before Ryūko spoke up, "you know you are the last person I wanted to see"

Nui responded in a miniature panic, "I mean you aren't looking at me... But I get the sentiment!"

Ryūko uttered, a sly smile hiding her malice, "you know... its real hard playing nice with you..."

Nui again panicked "you don't have to play nice with me... or anything for that matter! You know unless you want to..."

Ryūko chuckled, "Don't be an idiot Nui, if I didn't play nice with you I would straight up kill you..."

Nui was afraid for a moment before her face changed to strong determination, "I... understand but Ryūko, I can't allow myself to die... I made a promise to someone, that me and them would live a normal life."

Ryūko grit her teeth with frustration, "ugh, you're way too nice for your own good you know that?"

Nui started grabbing the ends of her jacket scrunching it up in her hands, her face was overcast with emotions as she seemed to look at the ground, "I'm not nice... I'm the one that killed your father..."

Ryūko turned to Nui in quiet shock at her sudden declaration, "huh?"

Nui continued, her face seemingly twisted in turmoil, "Thats why you cried right? Because my life reminds you that you have see the monster that killed your father every day! And I can't turn away from you! I'm just too selfish..." Nui looked up at Ryūko in horror, the anguish conveyed alone through her remaining eye, "I don't deserve to be considered nice!"

At this sight Ryūko's face changed to solemn understanding, she started walking in silence before stopping just as she passed Nui. She simply uttered "I see." before she walked back through the door from the roof.

Clone Nui collapsed onto her knees in the silence true Nui watching her floating in the air in disdain. Satsuki and Mako looked at her quietly, Mako worriedly with even Satsuki unveiling a touch of worry before following Ryūko through the door from the roof, leaving Nui all alone as she watched the sun set.