Author's Notes: First and foremost - thank you to everyone who responded to the last chapter. I was honestly floored by the number and depth of the responses I got. Second – as I had only one person respond on this topic, I'll leave it out for one more chapter – who does my readership see ending up with who? YukukixSouji, YosukexChie, KanjixNaoto? Or something different in the mix? Let me know – I love feedback and knowing what turns peoples' cranks (figuratively speaking, of course). Third - I think it's fair to give credit where credit is due. Some of the material in this chapter was inspired by the review left by Alith Anar, the exact connection to which will be made clearer in the chapter proper. I appreciated the feedback as a whole, but something in the review made a lot of sense to me, and thus I plan on incorporating it. To be clear, the idea was in my head before, but Alith just put it so much better than I was going to. Last and not least – Another heartfelt "thank you" to Prince Arjuna, Burgerkong, Blazehawkins, Renielle14, Alith Anar, Seiryux, KaUiA, Sai Hikawa, 21blackninja, Xoraan, Rizeleth, Mad Mad Clown, Crok Draven, Viridiianlights, Shadow09, BlizzardJade and . for reviewing, faving, alerting, or some combination of the three in the last chapter. Having this much response really blew my mind.

So, without further ado, on with the show!

Chapter 7

Souji had never contemplated his own heartbeat. He'd heard it hammering in his ears when he'd fought in the TV world, and some of the hits he'd taken during the investigation had sent it running, pouring blood out of torn flesh or tap dancing along cracked ribs. But in the silence of his own mind, even when trying to sleep, he'd never thought of just how it sounded.

Now, stunned stiff and pinned between the wall, Yukiko's embrace, and Ryoko Amagi's bronze-melting stare, he was singularly aware of his heartbeat. It didn't make sense – why the quickened patter in his ears? Why not the cramps in his legs and lower back? Or the notable chill in his nose and fingers? Then, a second later, the answer came from a dry vault in the corner of his mind, trailing dust and rattling with laughter. Maybe it's because you've only got a few left.

"Seta-kun," Ryoko greeted him, her voice low and toneless. "Good morning." He didn't have a response, only knowing, distantly, that if he looked a quarter as shocked and scared as he felt, she would have known that the suspense was a crueller punishment than finishing him off now. She didn't look to be enjoying his plight, however. In fact, she didn't look… anything. Despite the absence of the mildly pleased smile she'd worn the night before, she didn't seem angry, annoyed, happy, or amused. All that registered to his fear-addled brain was the quiet intensity and tinge of curiosity.

She stared. He stayed still. Yukiko shifted on his arm. Seconds or days passed - he couldn't tell.

"I think some things need to be discussed, Seta-kun," she told him finally, glancing over at her daughter. "Breakfast will be served in twenty minutes. Please don't be late." Kind as her words were, Souji knew he wasn't being asked. He nodded, a jerky movement that cracked his vertebrae. She glanced once more at Yukiko, then slipped back out the door and gently slid it shut.

What followed was a surreal minute of… he didn't know what. Vertigo hit him like an open fire hose, sending his thoughts in tumbles around his mind until he didn't know where they started or ended. The room dimmed, and his little corner felt like it was on a water-filled roller coaster cart, tilting back and sideways and upside down until his rolling stomach was lodged in his throat, and he was briefly grateful he hadn't had breakfast yet. Had that just happened? Was it a dream? A nightmare? No, even his worst nightmares didn't make him feel this off-kilter. What did Ryoko-san think? Would she tell Amagi-san about it? Would she believe his side of the story? Would she listen? Or even care?

"Mmmm… g'morning," he heard at his side, and his head snapped around so fast that it actually jerked his swimming vision into focus. Yukiko, eyes puffy with sleep, happily looked up at him like he was the only thing she saw in her room – which, given that she was wrapped around his arm, was probably accurate. The stark contrast of moods, from sleepy peace to frantic terror to calm, almost domestic, comfort did nothing for his frayed nerves, and all he could do as the storm raged was knock his head against the wall and groan. Yukiko scrubbed at her eyes and yawned adorably behind her hand (an action which would have had more effect on him had he not been occupied with thoughts of his own mortality), all the while holding onto his arm. When she heard his vocalized despair, she mistook it for pain – not an inaccurate assessment, though he wasn't feeling very much right then – and backed off his arm, though didn't let go.

When he did look down at her, he met an expression that was both happy and vulnerable, and happily vulnerable. She was without her usual armour, her red cardigan or barrette. He was seeing her before her daily mask went on, prepared for the roles she had to take on that day. The part of him that had sworn to help her in the TV world, that had reached out to her as she tested her wings afterward, and had trilled in joy as they became 'more than friends' revelled in this openness, in seeing her in a different light.

Sadly, most of him was still rebounding off the walls like a pinball in a machine, and what little remained of him returned her smile with one so brittle and hollow that it felt like his face was going to break and scatter all over the floor. "G'morning." He didn't know where the words came from.

"Thanks for staying last night."

"Sure."

"Are you alright?"

"Huh?"

She nudged his shoulder, and the pain finally registered. He hissed sharply. "That couldn't've been comfortable."

She misunderstood. The pain was welcome, a good distraction to his thoughts, scattered like children's toys. He grunted in agreement. "I'll be alright."

"I suppose we should get up," she murmured.

Before her parents find out, he thought hysterically. It brought a wild grimace to his face, and he literally bit his tongue to hold back a laugh he was sure would only scare her. "Yeah." He grunted as he rolled his neck and snapped his legs, sending cracks and pops through the room. "I'll be outside." When she glanced up in surprise, he gestured to her night clothes. When she didn't let go, he gave a smile and chuckle that were marginally better than his first attempts. "I'll be right outside, Yukiko. I'm not going far." She didn't let go at first, but then, slowly, pulled away from him. Had he been in a more stable mindset, her conflicted features and growing pout – also adorable - would have urged him to kiss her. As it was, he pushed himself to his feet drunkenly as pins and needles dug fiercely into his back and legs and, after looking both ways, slipped out of her room.

He stayed within sight of her door, but collapsed back against the wall and let the emotions run wild. Fear was mixed with fatigue and nausea, garnished with residual panic and topped off a thin slice of anger, all making for a rich cocktail of confusion. He didn't know what Ryoko-san was going to do – surely she'd told Amagi-san by now. Was he going to lose Yukiko after their lives were gaining some semblance of normalcy? Where would that put him with Chie? Or Dojima? He hadn't even called home the night before, so the savvy detective must have suspected at least something. Would he be angry? Appalled? Encouraging?

So many questions, so many answers, and no way to know which was right.

When the feelings began to pass, he set about making himself a bit more presentable. He hadn't moved around very much in the night either, so his hair was good enough. He brushed at his shirt and straightened his jacket, trying to smooth the wrinkles out. It wouldn't do to sit at the table looking like he'd spent the night in his clothes. No, not at all.

Clack. He turned to see Yukiko, dressed in her usual reds and blacks, looking at him speculatively. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." He winced inwardly – those monosyllabic answers sounded thin as paper. "Hey-"

"Yukiko. You're going to be late." A dreadfully familiar voice called from around the corner. Ryoko was all smiles as she appeared and looked at her daughter. "Ah, hello Seta-kun. I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon."

"I… you too, Ryoko-san."

"Souji-kun came by to visit," Yukiko put in quickly, "since he's going back to Kofu soon."

"And he wants to see his girlfriend?" Ryoko laughed richly at Yukiko's blush. "I need no explanation, my dear. But, come. Breakfast is getting cold."

"Of course."

The walk to the dining room was lost in a haze, a thick fog of uncertainty and edginess that was burned away by Katsushiro's glare from across the table. Yukiko gave her father the same explanation she'd given Ryoko, and Souji at least had the sense to agree and sound convincing. He didn't know what the menu had been, only that he'd complimented someone about it, all the while twitchy from the differing vibes from the Amagi family. Yukiko was tense but handling it well, Katsushiro was glaring a hole in the teen's forehead, and Ryoko was as serene as the night before. "My daughter has responsibilities, Seta-san," Katsushiro told him coldly near the end of the meal. "She doesn't need you monopolizing her time. If you wish to maintain your welcome here, ensure that you're not imposing on her, or her schedule."

Yukiko took a fortifying breath. "Daddy-"

"Give them their time, Katsu," Ryoko gently told him, startling the two teens. "He is only here for a few more days."

"If he's going to come here so early, the least he can do is dress properly." Wait... What? "He looks like he slept on a bench at the side of the road."

"Teens believe they have all the time in the world for such things, and Seta-kun is a teenager, after all."

Katsushiro grunted, placing his bowls together and standing to leave the room. "Yukiko, when you have a moment."

"Of course, Daddy." Yukiko finished off her own meal and, with a concerned look to Souji, left the room as well.

Arriving early? Yes, his clothes did look slept in, but why would Amagi-san think he'd arrived early when Ryoko-san had surely-

It hit him. It shocked his thoughts into order as the other million possibilities vanished. He stared incredulously at the Amagi matriarch, placing her husband's utensils near her own and taking his place across from the befuddled teen. "You didn't tell him."

"Not yet."Her tone was less distant than half an hour before, and less welcoming than the previous night. It was sober and to the point, and caught the frayed ends of his attention.

"But… why?"

"There are things I want to know, and I think you'll tell me the truth of those matters. Katsu's opinion of you would only get in the way of that."

She let him process her words. It took a while. Everything was a jumbling mass in his head again, but without the breakneck pace. Finally, feeling a bit more in control for the first time that morning, he ventured, "what do you want to know?"

"About Yukiko, and your part in her life. She's changed this past year, and I'm curious as to what part you've played in that. Both Katsu and myself are, actually."

"Amagi-san does seem very protective of her. You as well."

"Make no mistake, Katsu loves Yukiko more than life itself. And he doesn't like you. He hasn't liked any of the boys who've shown an interest in Yukiko, but he dislikes you in particular."

"May I ask why?"

"You heard about part of it last night. Until now, we've only known about you from what the staff told us, or what Yukiko or Chie have let slip. Before that, you were Dojima-san's nephew from the city, and you arrived just as those murder investigations started. Your move to Inaba was not without its grandeur, both at Yasogami and among the town. Neither of us wanted that kind of attention around Yukiko, so you can imagine how Katsu reacted when that was precisely what happened."

He collected enough of himself to sigh. "Why so much attention on me?"

"You know why by now, I'm sure."

"But for this long? It's been more than a year."

"You're used to the cities, Seta-kun. In Inaba, news travels from the river to the railroad in a matter of minutes, and it's harder to get lost in the crowd. Fresh news is a rare commodity."

"I see your point, but not how it applies to me."

"You're not the first boy to pursue Yukiko. Katsu's heard of boys "taking the Amagi Challenge" more than once. We both have. I cannot tell you how many times the staff have been followed or bothered for information on her. More often than not, these people are students in her class." Ryoko's sober stare cracked under a whimsical little smile, but only for half a second. "Chie's also been taken to task for protecting Yukiko's reputation more than once."

"I'd heard that when I arrived," Souji ventured, "and after the first day, it did seem that Chie took what the other students said pretty seriously. I always thought the numbers were exaggerated, though."

"They are closer to accurate than not, as I understand it. Also, we've had four separate invitations for an arranged marriage since she turned 16."

That hit Souji like a swung pillow – it connected, caught his attention, but didn't surprise him. Yukiko was beautiful (sure, he was biased, but so what?), her family was rich , and so it only made sense that she'd have such offers. Souji's parents had brought up that very topic with him more than once in the past, discussions which always ended in violent denials, sharp words, and frosty silence for days afterward. "I'm not surprised," he offered, still unsure of his verbal footing. "She's in a position where that would be expected."

"The point, Seta-kun, is that Katsu and I have been at this point before. Young men arriving with more fanfare than a cavalry charge asking after Yukiko, treating her like a trophy to be won or a means to the Amagi name. Most were charming and offered a great deal to try to get in Katsu's good graces. They offered Yukiko the stars on a necklace and the ocean one teaspoon at a time, but never managed to win her over. They saw her as a means to an end, and we all knew it. However, after all that, she brings you home and is willing to lie to us for your sake. She trusts you implicitly, so the matter of approval comes to Katsu and I. This is where I have to wonder: are you different from them?"

The question's hard abruptness caught him off guard. Ryoko's eyes held his in place, as riveting and intense as an angry snake. Swallowing twice and taking care to formulate his answer, he finally replied, "I don't know how to answer that, Ryoko-san. I could tell you that Yukiko means more to me than I imagine she ever did to those other… candidates. That I'd still be with her if she were a penniless outcast with only her clothes to her name. But, if your description of her prior suitors is accurate, then you've heard that as well." She responded with a faint smile, a twitch of the lips that didn't reach her eyes. "I can't say anything to you that wouldn't sound like flattery or an excuse, especially after this morning. All I can do, in that case, is tell you how I feel about her."

"And how is that?"

"I never went into detail about my parents last night. I wasn't lying when I said they weren't a happy subject for me. I've spent my childhood and adolescence going from city to city, school to school, pulled all over Japan on account of my parents' work. I've lost a lot of friends because of that, because it was always easier to let go when I never held on in the first place." The memories clouded his mind in grey, tinting his words with a dull flatness. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and never breaking his gaze with the woman. "Yukiko and the others changed that. I didn't have the choice of letting go or running away. They showed me…" he glanced away, searching the wall beams for his words. "How to live," he concluded at last. "Yukiko asked for my help in some things, and made me feel like I mattered. Yosuke and Chie did the same, granted, but it was different with Yukiko. She makes me feel good enough, like there's someone in this world who's in my corner no matter what. That's a rare feeling for me, one I'm still getting used to." It was the truth, and saying the words left him light-headed and dizzy.

"You raise something I wanted to ask you. But, later. Continue."

He shrugged. "That's about it. Your daughter's the first person in years that I can say I don't want to let go of. You've heard all the declarations of love and loyalty before, so I won't bother you with them. But, in the end, she is very dear to me. I'd come back here to stay for her sake alone, if I could."

Ryoko was quiet, pensive, and her stare lost some of its intensity. Still, he felt like she was seeing more than he was saying, and wondered how this woman, like her daughter, could read him so well despite knowing him for less than 24 hours. "You're the first boy Yukiko's talked about for more than half a year, Seta-kun. She actually dodged the issue when Katsu or I asked about you, even after Kasai mentioned you spending time with her at the shrine. Chie didn't add much to the topic either, just saying that you were as dedicated to Yukiko's happiness as she was herself."

"I didn't know that either," Souji admitted.

"You're the first instance of Yukiko saying she has a boyfriend," Ryoko pointed out, and Souji couldn't keep down the blush from his cheeks. "And the staff are supportive of you as well. That's not easy – Kasai's had similar issues with her own children, weeks of puppy love that always end in heartbreak, and she treats Yukiko like one of her own."

"I see. Where does that take us, then?"

"I'm not going to mention what I saw this morning to Katsu. He wouldn't be as open-minded about the matter, and I think that, had Yukiko felt in any way imposed upon, she would've said so, one way or another. However, I'm not giving you my blessing yet. There is still much to be determined, about you, Yukiko, and where you go from here. I want to see how you perform."

"Meaning… you won't object to me seeing her?"

"Correct."

"But nor will you support me."

"Precisely."

It wasn't a flag of support, but it was better than choosing between the noose or the firing squad. And Souji wasn't sure Amagi-san didn't have both rope and a gun somewhere on the premises. He was walking out of the situation with his hide, and that was plenty. "Very well. I guess that's as much as I can hope for, all things considered. You said you wanted to know something about Yukiko earlier?"

"I did. I'm curious, what did you and her talk about or do when you lived here?"

Souji blinked. Twice. Then a third time. "Uh… I'm not sure where to begin with that, Ryoko-san."

"Before last April, Yukiko was lethargic and withdrawn," Ryoko explained. "Chie worked hard to talk to her, but Katsu and I worried that she was becoming clinically depressed. She did her work here as well as usual, but rarely ever smiled. Then she mentioned a new transfer student who'd talked to her in the rain and how different he was." She smiled when Souji fidgeted under the memory, but it died away and the quiet intensity in her eyes dulled. "Then she disappeared. We thought she'd run away. I doubt Katsu or I slept more than four hours between us when that happened."

Souji could feel the heavy pall of the memory on her, and nearly said I'm sorry I didn't get her back sooner. He bit back the words, not knowing the details of what Yukiko or Chie had told people. "It couldn't have been easy," he offered instead.

"It got our attention," Ryoko told him, shivering at the memory.

"That wasn't her intention," Souji assured her.

"Hm? Oh, no. I don't mean that she did it for the attention – just that it made Katsu and I realize how distant from her we'd become by that point. Up to then, we'd been focusing so much on the Inn that our answer to the problems Yukiko was going through was to make her more a part of the daily goings-on."

"I hope things worked out for you after that."

The sharp intelligence and canny wit glowed in her eyes again, chasing away the past. "That's it though. Before we had a chance to change much of anything, she seemed more active and energetic than ever before. We couldn't pinpoint what had changed, and she never gave us a straight answer when we asked. She was smiling more and took to her work in a way we hadn't seen before. Chie started spending more time with her when she could, and they seemed even closer than before. We thought they'd had a fight and worked through it, but Chie denied that. We thought there was a boy in her life then."

Souji blinked owlishly for a moment before the pieces connected. "So you think I triggered the change in her?"

"It does fit."

"That would have been around late April though," Souji pointed out after crunching the numbers and dates. "Yukiko and I started going out in August."

"She mentioned you long before then, Souji-kun," Ryoko informed him coolly.

"We were friends at that point. I was a soundboard when she needed someone to talk to. Nothing more."

Ryoko looked thoughtful. "You know she was thinking about leaving the Inn when she graduated, Seta-kun?"

A long pause. The clock ticking in the corner. Long exhale. "I didn't know she'd mentioned that."

"Eventually. Only in the last month or so," Ryoko clarified. "I was of the impression that she'd dropped the matter when she came back home, but obviously it went longer than that if you knew of it."

Souji swore silently. Walked right into that one. "It did come up during our discussions. In all honesty, I don't feel comfortable discussing this behind Yukiko's back."

"I understand, and I respect that. But the mother in me is curious about what changed. It's not uncommon for children to try to break away from their parents' path in life, but this seemed out of character for her." Souji stayed silent. Impassive. "Please."

He stared at her for a long while, losing count of just how long as the gears now turned in his head. Would Yukiko mind? She'd already mentioned it. How would Ryoko-san react? How would Katsushiro-san? The Inn was a central hub to their lives, yet there was still so much Souji didn't know. Finally, running his thoughts in circles until they collectively collapsed, he sighed. "You didn't hear this from me, Ryoko-san. I insist that this remain between us."

"Of course. I promise."

He sighed again and gathered his words. "Yukiko felt that her life was being decided for her. She said that the Inn, and her place as its inheritor, was something she'd been born into, but didn't feel that she wanted." The image of her Shadow popped into his mind, and the burn scars throbbed. "She compared it to a bird in a cage too small for its wings. Locked and restrained by something that'd always been there with no way of breaking free. That was her first impression when we started talking after she was found. But, as time passed, she started to rationalize the decision until she was going in circles. She always talked about Kasai-san and the others, how the cooks had pushed her out of the kitchen when she tried to make anything."

"I don't know if Yukimura-san wanted to laugh or cry back then," Ryoko recalled. "The rest of the cooks were in stitches when they saw what she was putting together. They've never let her live it down."

"After that, the producer and crew of that fake TV show started following her around." Ryoko's eyes went frigid at his words, a look that triggered a grim smile across Souji's own face. "Long story short, she scared them off. It was around then that we'd started becoming more than just friends. And she also talked about how she'd come to see the Inn as her home instead of a burden to shoulder. That's really all there is to it. No matter where Yukiko was going or how she's ended up since then, it's been on her own steam."

"It sounds like you were an anchor for her when she needed one, Souji-kun."

"Perhaps. If I was, then it's all I was." Ryoko looked skeptical. Souji's calm façade wavered, cracking in the face of tough grit that showed as almost, not quite, a hard stare. "Ryoko-san, I'm going to be honest. Yukiko made her decisions on her own. Maybe I helped her, maybe I didn't; I don't feel like I did anything special. But in the end, she had the courage to look in the mirror and change something about herself that she didn't like. I know personally how hard that can be. You give me more credit than I deserve if you think I caused a change in her. She changed back then, and is changing now, because she wants to." He took a calming breath before continuing. "It's something that's been there all along. And, if we're being totally honest, I'd say that I had little to do with any of it."

"But you did play some part in it."

"Sure – so did Chie and Yosuke, and probably Nanako and you and Amagi-san as well. In the end, Yukiko doesn't need my help on this path she's chosen. She knows what she wants and is willing to do what it takes to get there. That's why she is where she is. It's also why she means as much as she does to me. If you're looking for a more complex reason for those changes, I can't help you. She's doing it for herself – nothing more, nothing less."

"You really believe that, don't you?" When Souji didn't respond, Ryoko elaborated, "most boys would take some credit in these circumstances, especially since it could get you on Katsu's better side."

"I like to think I'm not 'most boys', Ryoko-san," he replied calmly. "Yukiko's one of the strongest people I know, and whatever she's accomplished since then has almost nothing to do with me. There's really nothing more to say on the subject." Just then, Souji's cell chimed, and when he flipped it open, he saw a text message waiting for him. Kanji. "If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way. I have something I need to look into before I return to Kofu. With your permission?"

"Of course, Seta-kun. Thank you for the information."

He nodded politely, rose to his feet, and left the room, letting out an explosive breath halfway down the hall. It could have gone worse. It nearly had gone worse. Where to go from here? He shook his head to himself. Work with what you have. Don't start borrowing trouble.

He saw Yukiko at the Inn's entrance, now in her pink kimono. The area was empty, and she came over to him when she saw him. The tension in his shoulders melted when he caught her scent, more so when she rested her hands on his arms. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Your mother just wanted to discuss some things."

"Like what?"

"Like April after you got back from... well, you know."

Her eyes clouded for a moment. "I see. That's it?"

"Mostly." His cell chimed again, and he didn't bother opening it. "I have to go. Kanji's waiting for me."

"Kanji-kun? About what?"

"He wasn't really clear."

"I see." She pulled him down, taking a closer look at his face. "Are you sure you're alright? You were acting strange this morning."

He gave a wry half-smile before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a nightmare that rattled me a bit, that's all. I dreamt that your father found us this morning."

She blinked, then began to giggle, pulling closer to him. "That does make sense."

"Considering last night and breakfast this morning, I think you can see why it was a problem." She shook her head, still laughing and pressed against him. Her arms came up against his back and held him in place as he tightened his hold. The nearness of her was starting to have its usual effect on him – tingles raced up and down his spine while his temperature ran hot and cold, and his hands and feet were starting to tremble.

He couldn't help it. The time and distance between them felt like it was closing in, ready to tear them apart. Perhaps it was the leftover fear from that morning, or maybe it was defiance against what the separation they both knew was coming. Perhaps he just felt like his words, no matter how eloquent, weren't enough. He pulled back a touch, brought her face up, and kissed her, shivering under her responding moan. Her arms tightened around him, deceptively strong, and despite his own hold on her, the kiss remained soft. When they finally broke for air, the feel of her breath on his face made him fight against the urge for a repeat performance. Maybe several. And her strong grip, still tight on his shoulders, suggested she wouldn't mind.

But he heard footsteps from the nearby door, and painfully pulled away from her, still holding her forearms. He heard a door slide open and immediately felt the sharp glare of Katsushiro Amagi tear at his skin. He ignored it. "I have to go now," he whispered, his breath stolen by the deep, soulful look she was giving him. "I'll be back later."

"Promise?" Her voice was no louder than his.

"Of course." Reluctantly, she pried her fingers off of him, and he forced himself to do the same. "I'll see you later." Then he turned, slipped his shoes on, and left. He didn't look back.

He didn't want to make it any harder on Yukiko with her father, nor did he feel like pushing his luck with the man, but he also knew that if he did turn back to her, if he saw the look he knew she was giving him, he'd never leave. He'd run back to keep holding and kissing her, consequences be damned.

Souji squared his shoulders and slid the Inn's front doors shut behind him before flipping his phone open and dialing a number. "Sorry about that. You free now? Good. Yeah, I'll see you there."

More Author's Notes: My apologies for how long this took to get out. Parts of it were being stubborn, and my own schedule has been a touch crazy lately. I was going to keep going on this, but figured two shorter chapters would be better for my readers than extending this one.

We'll be having a shift in perspective soon, so gear up for that. Cyber cookies to those who guess whose shoulder we're gonna be on after Souji's!

Finally, I'm ambivalent about this one, same as before, so any feedback on what's working and what isn't is greatly appreciated. Hopefully I'll get the next one out soon.