"Kagami! Tendou!" The group rushes up, effectively knocking the two riders over with their attempts to hug them. "You did it!"

"Yeah, I guess we did, huh?" Arata laughs nervously. "That's it, isn't it? We've won…" He breathes out a shaky sigh of relief. His side is starting to hurt, though. "That… was a hell of a battle you missed…"

"Kagami?" Misaki holds him on one side – damnit, that's the side he got stabbed in. "Are you alright?"

"Just a little worn out. Might've gotten a little beaten up in there, before we turned it around."

"You were all but passed out on the floor when I arrived, Kagami." Tendou's stoic voice carries, although he sounds a little strained. "That normally does not qualify as 'a little beaten up'."

"As if you're one to talk!" His laugh is a lot rougher than is probably good. "I saw you get blown up last night! And here you are! Dropping in through the ceiling! And getting stabbed!"

"You were what?!" Tadokoro gives Tendou a shocked look.

"It was only a minor explosion, don't exaggerate. Admittedly, I was stuck in the rubble for some time… and had to dig myself out. The armor helped with the recovery, it is of no concern-"

"You were stabbed after transforming, Tendou. By Mishima's weird… tentacle… vine… pointy things. Those really hurt."

"…Ah. Right. That would be the order of events, wouldn't it…" Tendou blinks, his balance suddenly seeming a bit… off, from his usual composure. "Now that… you bring it up… I believe I ought to lay back down…"

He staggers in Renge's grip, and Tadokoro goes to help support his weight.

'Confused' and 'disoriented' are not words that Arata would usually use to describe Tendou, and yet that is definitely the look he's receiving right now. "How do you know… how much those particular whips hurt?"

"I… may have gotten stabbed by them, as well. Not as many times as you, th… ooookay." The roof should absolutely not be crooked like that… "Y'know what, being back on the ground sounds like a really good idea, actually…"

He's not quite sure what happens, but suddenly Misaki's arms are definitely most of what's holding him up.

"Kagami? Hey! You're bleeding, really badly-"

"So is Tendou – Renge, call for an ambulance-" That's… Tadokoro, right? Yeah…

"Right!" And there's Renge…

There's some indistinct voices after that, but he's not awake much longer to hear them.


Both Riders spend the next few days in and out of a haze. There are a few periods where they're lucid, but overall it's a blur of doctors, being pretty heavily drugged, and sleeping. Mostly sleeping.

Kagami is asleep when Tendou finally manages more than two hours of full coherency. Shortly after his latest lecture from the doctors – who still won't let him get up, damn them – there's a knock at the door.

"Excuse me, is this a bad time? I was told my brother was finally able to get visitors…"

Oh. He has yet to tell Jyuka about the specifics of the events taking place this past year. And now he's been in the hospital for almost a week. Without having spoken to her.

He might be in trouble.

"Heh…" A tired chuckle comes from the next bed over. "The mighty Tendou Souji, finally answering for his silence…"

And of course Kagami chooses now to wake up.

"Kagami, you are not helping, be silent." Since he is, in fact, almost definitely in trouble, he's just going to blame his uncharacteristic frantic hissing at his roommate on the medications. That ought to work. He's definitely not concerned about his sister's potential response, no. Not at all.

Alright, yes, he is very worried about what she's going to think, but holding off any further from telling her isn't going to make his situation any simpler. "Jyuka… I can, in fact, explain."

"No need!" She beams at him. "I've already been filled in on what you've been doing with all that training!"

Hm. "…By whom?"

"Let's see…" She raises a hand in front of her, and starts counting on her fingers. That's telling. "There's Tadokoro-san, Misaki-san…"

Alright, that should be fine, they were with Zect but they defected along with Kagami, so they would know what is worth saying and what is better left unsaid.

"…Daisuke-san, Gon-chan…"

That is less fine. Neither of them are known for their subtlety.

"…Renge-san, Jiiya-sensei, Kagami's father…"

Kagami moans. "If my arms didn't feel like lead I'd be covering my face right now, just so you know."

"And, of course, Hiyori-s-" She pauses. "Hiyori Onee-san, because someone neglected to inform me that he has another sister!"

And there is the fact he was most concerned about. "Jyuka, I am allowed to have multipl-"

She grins, waving him off. "As if you hadn't already been clearly adopting her as a sibling already. This just means I have four older siblings, now!"

Oh, good, she's not mad about Hiyori – wait. "Jyuka, where are you getting four?"

She gives the both of them a stubbornly amused look that she absolutely learned from Grandmother. "Again, as if you haven't been clearly preparing to get Grandmother to adopt Renge-san, too."

Kagami chuckles. "She's got you there. So, he's obviously first, then Hiyori and Renge… who's the fourth?"

At that question, she clams up, her eyes darting between the two of them. "Uh, er, forget I said anything! Three! I totally meant three!"

He looks at Kagami, who shrugs in confusion. "Don't look at me, I don't know what you do on your personal time."

"My 'personal time' has primarily been spent as Kabuto over the past months, or related to being Kabuto. Jyuka, be honest, who's the fourth?"

She shakes her head. "Nope. I'm not saying anything!"

Well, much like himself, when she puts her mind to something like this, there's no way to budge her. He doesn't feel up to it, anyway. "Alright then, don't tell me. Which subject have you come to 'discuss', then?"

She quiets as she sits in a chair between them. "I get that you two weren't really allowed to tell anyone about the whole 'fighting the worms' thing, and couldn't say anything about being Kamen Riders. But… did you really have to be the people doing it?"

Souji can't bring himself to answer. Fortunately, Kagami's willing to. "Yeah. Yeah, we did. We were some of the only people who knew, and… I guess we'd both been raised for it, in a manner of speaking."

Tendou frowns. "His father and mine… They designed the belts we use, long before we were born. There was no way around us fighting, I don't think."

Her face falls. "Does… Grandmother know about that?"

"I have yet to ask. I've been quite occupied, and interrupting her training trip would be inadvisable under the best of situations."

"Wait!" Kagami interjects. "Wait, hold on – your grandmother's alive?!"

""Yes, of course.""

"Well, the way you two always talk about her, it sounds like she's passed on!"

Souji and Jyuka look at each other. "Do we sound like that?"

"You do quote her a lot more than I do…"

"I don't recall ever saying that she wasn't alive."

"Well, neither of you said she was alive, either! I just assumed – and I'm pretty sure most everyone else has – that she's not around anymore!"

"I told Hiyori I was going to ask Grandmother to adopt her into the family." Not much throws Souji for a loop. This is one of the things that has. "I thought that would make it obvious."

"I thought you meant 'If she were alive, you thought she'd agree with you'!"

Souji raises a finger to give a quote, but frankly is coming up blank. Alright, he can see how his phrasing could have come off like that.

"Well!" Jyuka claps her hands decisively. "We're in trouble when she gets back!"

"Myself moreso than you…" He blinks, slowly, and opens his eyes to Jyuka being much closer than she was a moment ago.

"Ah- sorry! I figured I'd just get these set up a little better while you dozed… there you go!" She backs away, revealing that the nearby vase of flowers – he's not sure who sent that in, actually – is arranged much more professionally. "It was bugging me." She gives him a fond smile, and pokes him on the forehead. She giggles when he glares at her. "Go back to sleep, Souji. The world'll still be here when you're doing better."

…That's right. It will, won't it. That is the reason he's been pushing himself for so long – because he couldn't be sure that it would still be around if he took too long to stop and breathe. "Alright. For you." Souji smiles, and drifts back to sleep.


Hiyori fixes the pair with a level stare. "Haven't you two broken out of here about five times before? Each?"

"Approximately, yes." Tendou nods. "I have had two other instances in the year leading up to our meeting, as well, as results of unforeseen circumstances arising during training." He preemptively holds up a hand to stop either her or Kagami from asking for details. "Neither were serious or my fault."

Jyuka grins. "He's not completely wrong. The first was when a training bag at a gym came off of its chain because he kicked it too hard."

"That was not the case. It was rated for exactly the amount of force I was applying, the investigation found that said chain came unhooked from the rafter. I was only admitted to the hospital for the gym to determine if they were liable to be sued."

"And to make sure you didn't have a concussion."

He frowns. "Regardless, I did not have one, and have only come close to such a situation a single time."

Nobody speaks for a moment after that. It's safe to conclude that all of them are making the same assumption – namely, that he is referring to Shibuya.

"Fair enough." Jyuka shrugs. "The second time, a mound at the race track he was motorcycling at gave way under him and his bike, and you know bike accidents can be bad news."

Tendou thinks for a moment. "By all rights, I likely should have had more than a twisted ankle from that incident. The track owners never did determine what caused the collapse."

Hiyori narrows her eyes at him, "Were you carrying that case at the time?"

"Naturally. Being prepared for the Kabuto Zector's arrival at all times was a necessity. I could not simply leave it at home."

"That thing ruined your suspension, and I wouldn't be surprised if it played a part in whatever happened to that track."

"It did not 'ruin' anything."

"Yes, it did, I could tell it was coming the first time I saw that bike, and your current one was probably designed to deal with whatever energy those belts give off." She frowns. "Trust me on this. Unlike people, machines make sense. There's always a reason when something goes wrong with them, same with cooking."

"Huh…" Kagami hums thoughtfully. "Yumiko mentioned once that the stove used to act up a lot before you started at La Salle, but then you did something to it and it never acted up again. Is this part of that?"

"The pilot light's seating was faulty. I replaced it. That's all it took."


"You know, since I'm assuming the food here's not to your liking, I'm pretty sure you can sweet-talk your way into getting the staff to let you use one of the mini-kitchens that we know they have."

Tendou half-heartedly glares at Arata. "Stay out of it."

"I'm just saying, you've been picking at every meal we've gotten. I know full well your particular lifestyle takes a lot of calories, and-"

"Stay. Out. Of. It."


Arata's not dumb. He's easily tricked, and a little too idealistic, but he is not, in fact, stupid. They had all been so damned busy for months, but he did notice something. He'd only really kept it in the back of his mind, yes, because there were so many other, more pressing, matters at hand. But he did, in fact, see that Tendou Souji has not been okay.

He's not sure when he first noticed. But the shadows under his eyes grew harder to miss, which is probably part of why Tendou stayed transformed so much in the last few months – to hide it. So, probably not sleeping much – as though Arata's one to talk. But Tendou's were worse. …He'd always had a bit of shadow there, actually, come to think of it.

There were also the points when Tendou seemed to… not quite 'space out', but he didn't really respond to anyone. Like in the middle of massive fights, where they were surrounded by worms. He didn't get sloppy, but he didn't pay attention to anyone else in the fight, as if he were acting on autopilot. He never went back to that awful, terrifying, berserker state, thankfully, but it grew clear that for some battles, Tendou wasn't quite… aware. Like he was there physically, but mentally he'd checked out.

And then there's how desperate he'd been to find Hiyori – which Arata definitely gets, he was too, and he knew her first. But Tendou took to it like it was the only course he had available to him, as though it was his only path in life. And maybe it was, maybe he really only had the one course of action, but… he didn't smile. Not really. Not those soft smiles that Arata had seen him give Hiyori and Jyuka, and eventually Renge. Not those smug ones, when he knew he had the upper hand in a cooking showdown or an argument.

He was broken.

All that to say that Arata has noticed that Tendou Souji, the stubborn-ass man who walks the path of heaven, and has been called some sort of bug god of the sun, is very much not alright.

If the things he's seen weren't enough to convince him, the fact that he's awake more often than Tendou is over the week they've spent as hospital roommates says something, too. It says that he's been working himself just a little too much, for a lot too long.

He will never admit that he's told the staff about his suspicions regarding… if not Tendou's potentially self-destructive behavior, then at least how hard he'd been pushing his limits. If he mentions how willing Tendou was to sacrifice his life so that Hiyori would be safe… Well, Tendou would probably not be allowed out anytime soon. And he's pretty sure he managed to talk him down from that particular ledge, so it shouldn't need to be brought up, right? Right.

But he asked said staff to not let Tendou know that he told them about anything, because he'd take it as an insult. And they're experts, so they've probably also seen how… well. For someone who is as concerned with the quality of food, and with his training, and with being a hero in all but name as he is… Tendou's looking a little… wirey. Moreso than he used to.

Not that Arata'd paid attention to all those sleeveless tops Tendou had worn or anything. Nope, not at all.

That's besides the point.

The point is, Tendou is not okay, and has not been okay for quite some time. Additionally, Tendou is pretending he is okay, and has been pretending such for quite some time. Next time that Jyuka or Hiyori are here, and Tendou isn't present, he's going to tell them the same.


Arata does not, in fact, get to tell Hiyori or Jyuka about his concerns regarding Tendou.

This is because the next visitor they have after he decides this, at a time when Tendou's out for a particularly long exam – to which he had been very grumpily wheeled to, because he's still recovering from the stab wounds – is not, in fact, one of their friends or family.

Well. Not any of the ones he knows, anyway.

Instead, she is a stern looking old woman, in traditional garb, all the way down to the geta sandals.

His stomach sinks. This is not how he wanted to ever meet the (in)famous Grandmother Tendou.

She looks around the room, before her eyes land on him. "Where is my grandson."

"He's in an exam at the moment. I think it's going to be a long one – it's for the- er." He freezes up. "How much do you know about why he's here? Because I feel like anything you don't know should probably come from him…"

She frowns. "Souji has not told me anything. Nor has Jyuka. Nor has that blasted Kagami Riku, who set all this up in the first place. All that I have been told is that he is here, and has been for almost two weeks now. Souji is supposed to have a better recovery time than that."

"So I've noticed…" He mutters, quietly, knowing full well that she can probably hear him. "Look, he… got kind of beat up, and it's really hard to recover quickly from some of the particular injuries. Believe me, he's really frustrated about it, so it's not like he's here willingly." Arata rubs the back of his neck. "And the both of us have become… known flight risks. He tried getting out. Didn't make it far before they all but dragged him back."

He's not going to mention that they needed to drag him back because he'd only managed to get a few hallways away before his energy ran out and he basically collapsed against the wall. Also, he'd started bleeding from stretching his stitches too much, which the doctors were decidedly not enthused about.

"Hmm." She looks around the room, and takes a seat. "I suppose I shall wait here with you, then. Seeing as you seem to know Souji fairly well."

Crap. "We've been working together. It was hard not to get to know him." Arata smiles. "He's got a bit of a personality, after all."

"That he does. What would you be in for…" She looks at the foot of his bed, and ohhhh no, she's picking up the chart, he is absolutely a dead man. There is no way that she won't put two and two together. "Oh my." Her eyebrows raise. "Exhaustion, muscle injuries, lacerations, electrical burns, impalement… 'working together,' you said?"

He elects not to answer.

"Kagami Arata… any relation to the Kagami Riku who recently employed my grandson?"

He elects not to answer that, as well.

"Hm. Playing it quiet. That can be a wise choice, but in the long run, truths always win out. So then, let's have a talk." She sits back down, looking at him expectantly. "Let's have a talk, Kamen Rider Gattack, about just what my grandson wound up getting into as Kamen Rider Kabuto."

And there is the question he'd been anticipating.


Tendou looks icily at the doctor.

For his part, the doctor is unaffected. "Mr. Tendou, I am aware that you are recovering comparatively rapidly from your injuries. This is not me attempting to insult you."

"It certainly seems like it is."

Sighing, the doctor moves the pair of crutches closer to Tendou. "You need to work your way up to regaining your regular stamina, Tendou. I know you either don't feel it or are ignoring it, but you are still weaker than your normal. The crutches are a tool to help you, not something holding you back."

"I. Don't. Need. Them." Tendou's icy stare turns to a full glare. "I can walk on my own just fine."

"For how long?"

He does not dignify that with an answer, largely because he would rather not admit that he has about an hour of stamina in him before he's infuriatingly exhausted.

"I thought so. Mr Tendou, you are aware that I'm a professional at my job, are you not?"

"I should hope you are."

"Then let me do my job, and follow my instructions." The doctor doesn't glare – good, that would be unprofessional – but his look manages to convey a glare regardless. "Use the crutches, or you'll wind up right back here again when you fall and re-injure yourself because you didn't have the strength to keep going."

With what is absolutely not a growl, no matter what anyone says to the contrary, Tendou grabs the stupid crutches and leans them against his chair. "Fine. How much longer am I stuck here?"

Raising an eyebrow, the doctor smiles. "Do you mean this meeting, or the hospital in general? Admittedly, both times depend on you being cooperative for once-"

"I am cooperative."

The other eyebrow joins its match. "Your reputation precedes you, Mr Tendou. You have never fully cooperated while you're here."

…Well, he's not wrong, exactly. Souji is well aware that part of the reason Kagami and himself are in the same room isn't just because it's more efficient to have one room for the same doctors to go to, seeing as their injuries are so similar. It is partially that, but it's also because they are each other's deterrent from running off.

They are both proven escape risks and, frankly, Souji is surprised that there wasn't a guard of some sort outside their door before Kagami's escape attempt two days ago.

Though, even as exhausted as they both are, if he and Kagami were working together, they could most likely take down a guard or two if they still needed to. (Not that he is saying he is exhausted, but he will privately admit that he's far from his peak form.)


"You're refusing to tell me what injuries he sustained."

"Correct."

"As well as what happened during any of your battles."

"Also correct."

"Why."

"It's his story to tell. If you were to ask about my part, then I would tell you that. But you're asking about Tendou's. I'm not the one who should say any of it."

"Hm. Noble. Not bad."

"Was this a test? Because I'm really sick of those."

She gives him another of those expectant looks.

"I'm talking about the hell I had to go through to obtain the 'trust' of the Gattack zector, and of just how long it took to find out that my father was my boss – and just how much of my life had been planned." Arata looks at the clock. "What the hell is keeping him… honestly that exam should have been over a half hour ago…"

"It would be far simpler on the lot of us if you would simply explain what happened, Kagami-san."

Arata frowns internally. He can't frown externally, because he's fairly certain that showing his frustration with the Tendou matriarch would just get him in so much more trouble. He'd really like any sort of distraction right now. But since he's not going to get one, he'll have to make do.

"May I ask you something, first, ma'am?"

"Hmm?"

Arata inhales and exhales slowly. This clearly is going to have to be done carefully. "You were the one who put him on the 'path of heaven' deal. His birth parents were killed by worms, after his father had helped develop the belts that Tendou and I both use." He gives the old woman the sternest look he can manage. "The Native worms call 'Kabuto' the 'god of the sun'. How much of this situation were you aware of, and for how long?"

"How dare-"

"You said that nobody told you what happened, and then you referred to us by our designated pseudonyms. It's a simple question, Mrs Tendou. How much did you know?"

An uncharacteristically confused voice accompanies the sound of the door opening. "Grandmother? When did you return to Japan?"

Grandmother Tendou looks at him as he enters on a new pair of crutches. "Ah, you're back. I trust you are recovering well?"

"I would rather be allowed to rest at home, but yes." Tendou sighs just the tiniest bit. "Zect's leadership may have been incredibly corrupt, but they do employ some of the best surgeons and medical staff possible."

Muttering, Kagami scoffs. "With everything they put their employees through, I should hope so. Anyone who survives long enough to get to them is usually back in the field within a week."

Grandmother raises an eyebrow. "'Usually', you say. And what of those who aren't?"

He smirks, a little smugly. With what he's heard, and now seen, of the Tendou matriarch, he suspects this will look good for him. "Those of us who weren't in for a week were usually back in the field in a day or two, often because we were able to take off early. The doctors are never exactly thrilled about it, but it's been worth the recoil afterwards to get things done."

At that, Tendou smirks. One of those ones that Kagami likes to think means that he's impressed, because he gets a similar look in his eyes like his proud smiles for Jyuka, Hiyori, and now Renge.

(Jyuka is probably right that Tendou's been planning to take Renge in properly. If Tendou hadn't beaten him to it, or if he doesn't after all, Kagami is going to do so instead.)

"It was your attempt to leave that landed us the second guard," Tendou adds, casually easing himself down onto his bed. "Though it was rude of you to not wait for the both of us to have a chance to get out together."

"You tried it first. I just made sure I could actually walk first" Kagami shrugs. "Honestly, I'd assumed that you'd take advantage of them looking for me, and make your way out while they were preoccupied."

"Rest assured, had my practitioner not been delayed, and had Jyuka not chosen then to visit, I would have."

Humming in consideration, Grandmother Tendou draws their attention back to her. "Very well, then. Going by these charts, the pair of you have a week remaining on your stay. I shall return in three days with a meal for you. You will take your needed time to recover. 'One can care for others, but one must also care for themselves to do so,'" she states, with an air of certainty and finality that implies any arguments to the contrary will not be tolerated.

"Now then, I must take my leave. Designing a proper meal that can be enjoyed in these conditions is no small task. Farewell."

Stoically, she takes her leave. Though…

Kagami is fairly certain he saw a glimmer of fondness in her eyes when she spoke to Tendou. Good to know it's hereditary, and that despite everything about how he seemed to have been raised, she does care about her grandchildren.


"I can't help but notice that your supervisor hasn't come by as of yet." Tendou raises an eyebrow at Kagami and Misaki. "I thought the three of you were close."

Misaki shakes her head. "We are. But he's been busy cleaning up some of the bureaucratic mess that's left of Zect. Apparently Mishima and Negishi started telling him a lot of stuff towards the end, so…" she grimaces. "I do not envy him in the slightest. However!" With that, she grins, lifting a takeout box from behind her chair. "He couldn't come in person, but he could send along a treat."

Kagami leans forward. "Please tell me that's his family's soba."

She opens the box to reveal two still-warm bowls of soba.

Tendou only just manages to hide his excitement, and it's a testament to how well Kagami's learned to read him that he can see it at all. Kagami, on the other hand, does not bother hiding his excitement at all.

"Yesss!" He throws his hands in the air, before quickly pulling them back down and clutching his side. "Ow, stitches, ow…"

Misaki shakes her head. "So, aside from that, how're you two doing?"

Tendou glances up from his soba. "We are fine." He looks aside at Kagami with a subtle smirk. "Although certain people have done things that resulted in that guard watching our door."

"Hmph." Kagami sulks. "Surprised we didn't start off with one. At least I waited until I was sure I could walk before I tried to get out of here."

Misaki leans back, with a long suffering sigh. "Seriously? Both of you tried to run off?"

Tendou frowns over his nearly-finished meal. "I also have to wonder why Zect did not place a guard on us to begin with. I've overheard multiple attendants commenting on Kagami's and my own… predilections towards evading them in the past." He pauses. "They may simply be grateful that we haven't made simultaneous attempts."

"So, how did you try to make a run for it?" Misaki props her chin on one hand.

"Oh, you know, the usual." Kagami shrugs. "Got them to trust that I could be trusted to go to a check up on my own, and just turned down a different hallway." He grins. "Almost got out, too. And I would have if Jyuka hadn't picked right then to come visit."

Tendou smirks, and oh is it good to be seeing that again. "Her timing remains, as always, impeccable."

Misaki gives the pair a serious look. "She's a good kid, you'd better be glad to have her."

"Naturally." His smirk turns into a proud smile. "She's being promoted within her badminton team, and has been making excellent progress in the kitchen in my absence."

"Yeah, she's brought some of her bentos by!" Kagami grins. "Her and Hiyori have been working together on them. I, for one, can't wait to get to try her food in a real setting."

The expression Tendou gives isn't 'expectant' really, but more 'certain'. "You will be present at dinner the night we are released, of course."

Misaki chuckles a little. "The girls are lucky to have you two."

Narrowing his eyes, Tendou frowns just a little bit confusedly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Yeah, that doesn't make sense."

"Oh." Misaki's voice is a little strained. "You- oh my god you don't know. Never mind, forget I said anything." She looks at her watch, eyes wide. "Oh, look at that, I was supposed to meet Tadokoro to help with some of the Zect restructuring process, I gotta go."

With that, she hurries out.

Blinking, Kagami shakes his head. "Okay, that makes three people who've said weird things about us. What the heck are they talking about?"

Tendou takes a moment to think, before pointing upwards. "Grandmother says-"

"Oh no."

"Pardon you, and let me finish. Grandmother says this: The greatest enigma can be the version of oneself that is seen by others. Ensure that it is the same as the version of yourself seen by you."

"That just sounds like a fancy way of saying that you don't know, either." Kagami sighs. "Five more days. We just have to wait five more days, and then freedom."


They're so close to being released. Just a few more days. That's all they have to wait through.

On the plus side, Grandmother Tendou's food really is all it's cracked up to be, and Kagami can absolutely see why Hiyori is the only person Tendou has said comes close, outside of himself.

At the news that she will be joining Hiyori in cooking the dinner at the Tendou household the night they're let out of the hospital, Kagami is thrilled.

If her bentos are this good, he can't wait to find out what a proper meal is going to be like.


The day they are released, Tadokoro picks the pair of them up. He looks rather harried, actually, which is no doubt due to his ongoing work picking up the pieces of Zect, and promptly dissolving said pieces.

Souji does not envy him the task.

They stop at Kagami's apartment building first, so that he can change into an outfit more suited to attending a friendly event, as opposed to the apparently quickly chosen clothes that had been brought to him for his release.

Neither of their outfits from the final day were… appropriate for leaving the hospital. Being admitted, yes, but decidedly less so for the end of their stay.

As such, Kagami had insisted upon changing, presumably not wanting to risk making a poor impression.

While Souji and Tadokoro wait outside, in the car that turns out to be the only one owned by anyone in their social circle, Souji expects that they will wait in silence.

He is thus surprised when the one-time Zect employee sighs, and turns to look at him.

"So. Tendou. I assume you're aware of my… status."

"I am."

"I hope I can trust that you'll be civil about it? Quite frankly, I'm inexperienced at fighting, and I don't want Kagami to have to avenge me."

Souji frowns. "We are acquaintances, are we not? It would be crass to hold your being a Native against you, particularly when I do not hold it against Hiyori."

Tadokoro sighs in relief. "I hoped you might say that. Anyway, regarding Kagami…" he trails off.

Souji waits for him to continue. He can do this all day.

"He's kind. He's too kind, sometimes. And you're… not so much. He complained about you a lot, for a long time. Don't make him do that again." Tadokoro glares. "There are many people who won't be pleased."

His brow furrowing, Souji considers this. "Of course they wouldn't be. You are all very fond of him, after all, and understandably so."

Tadokoro glances at the apartment building, and nods at the movement behind the lobby door. "I'm glad you understand."


The dinner is, as expected, fantastic. Arata hadn't expected nearly as many people to be there as there were. He'd been given the impression that it was just going to be Tendou and his family, plus possibly Renge, but no. No, pretty much everyone they'd befriended over the past year was there.

They stick to the main few rooms of the oversized house, of course, but that winds up being just enough space for them. There are some hushed conversations in corners, several of which involve people giving decidedly pointed looks at him, or Tendou, or the both of them.

He's just going to assume that it's about how the last few battles went. They were the two actually involved in the fight, after all.

(That doesn't explain why Gon looks so frustrated with Renge during what appear to be several separate instances, because theoretically Renge would be the one explaining things to Gon.)

Anyway, there's a lot of catching up to do, and a decent amount of time to do it in.

Over the course of the evening, people slowly make their way out. Towards the end of the night, he expects that Tadokoro will stick around to give him a ride, but…

He doesn't do that.

He has a hushed conversation with Grandmother Tendou, which can't bode well, and takes his leave.

"Did I just get ditched?" Arata frowns. "I don't know where my bike wound up, so I don't have a way to get home on my own."

Tendou glances over from where he is slowly gathering dishes to bring to the kitchen for cleaning. "You are to stay the night here."

"Wait, what?"

"I was given the impression you had been informed. It would seem that our allies do not fully trust either of us to be alone just yet, and 'suggested' that we remain in one location for the time being." He doesn't roll his eyes, but only barely.

Groaning, Arata lets his head fall backwards. "Sure. Okay. I don't exactly have a choice, now do I? I just wish they'd warned me so that I could bring something to wear, but noooo."

Tendou gestures to a bag by the doorway with his head.

"Don't tell me they planned this from the start."

"It would seem so."

Arata groans harder.

Tendou chuckles, before cutting himself off with a grimace.

"Are you okay?"

Reluctantly, Tendou minutely shakes his head. "It would seem I have remained on my feet for longer than advisable. If you would, please bring those crutches over here, and then take the cutlery to the kitchen."

Ah. Well then. Good to be reminded that Tendou trusts him, at least. The fact that he's allowing him to see a moment of weakness is… kind of gratifying, actually. It means he's broken through some of that heaven-path-walking shell.

"No problem. Here, let me just-" It's a little tricky, because Tendou tries to take the crutches before handing over the silverware, while Arata tries to take the silverware before handing over the crutches to free up Tendou's hands, but they do manage.

"There, now go sit down." Arata nudges him towards the living room, to Tendou's apparent dismay. "I can help Jyuka with the dishes for you."

Once in the kitchen, Arata blinks. He'd been expecting to see Jyuka there, waiting for Tendou to bring more in to be cleaned. He did not expect that she wouldn't be alone, even though he really should have.

Hiyori has gone home, but the family matriarch has not.

Come to think of it, does she live here? He should probably find that out at some point. With the weirdly high number of rooms visible from just the entryway, he wouldn't be surprised if she had a wing to herself somewhere.

"Uh, here, I brought these." He looks around nervously. "Where would you like me to put them?"

Jyuka looks up, and grins. "Hi, Kagami! I'll let you take over for me." She dries her hands, and skips out to the living room, waving.

"Hey, wait-! And she's gone." Nervously, Arata looks at Grandmother Tendou.

"There is no need to be afraid, Kagami Arata." She doesn't look up at him as she says this. "I trust that you know how to handle the drying."

"I- yeah, of course I do!" He protests. "What sort of adult doesn't know how to dry dishes?"

Dryly, she hums. "You would be amazed. Now then."

He really hopes this isn't about to be another test of character.

They wash and dry for quite some time, because cooking and feeding that many people results in a truly impressive amount of dishes.

For most of this, they don't talk. But…

"You are an intriguing man indeed, Kagami Arata." She mentions, almost offhandedly. "I had wondered as to why Souji thought as such, but it is now apparent, having met you."

"Thank… you? I think?"

"However." She turns stern. "While you are an example of what it means to be Chosen, it must be said that I cannot forgive your father. His actions resulted in the deaths of my daughter and her husband, and nearly led to the deaths of all of my grandchildren. I shall never forgive him for that."

He nods. "That's fair. You have every reason to be mad. I'm pretty angry at him, too, and I don't think it's going to be much of a problem, since I haven't even seen him since that last battle."

"I am glad we are on the same page." She gives him a smirk, one that he can't read. "I would hate for us to not be. Ensure that it stays that way."


As night falls, Kagami has to retire to the living room as well. By all rights, both he and Tendou should turn in soon, but they have both had more than enough of laying around. As they both rest, Tendou shifts to look at the exhausted Kagami. "Do you know, I do believe Grandmother likes you."

"Does she, now…?" Kagami mumbles. "That's good. Prob'ly wouldn't ever see any of you again if she didn't…"

"That is very likely." Tendou admits. "However, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Would you happen to know why she brought up your father?"

"Huh?" Kagami blinks, waking a bit more. "You're the one who knows her. Shouldn't you be able to tell?"

He gives a tight, reluctant smile. "I am more aware than most of how intense Grandmother can be. However, if she does not approve of someone, she generally elects to ignore their existence entirely, unless given no other option. After mentioning him the first time she visited, I had expected she would follow that habit."

"Huh." Kagami pauses, before shrugging. "Maybe that means that she's glad you've made a friend?"

"Perhaps." Nodding, Tendou turns away. "I am, as well."