"Don't they realize that we're tired, too?" Haruna complained as she carried a sleepy Kurumi on her back.

"You did agree to give her the piggyback ride, Haruna," Miyu reminded the other girl. Miiko was riding on her back.

"Yes, well, that's beside the point!" Haruna looked away, blushing embarrassedly. What Miyu said may have been true, but Haruna was too nice for her own good, and she knew it. Even though all of them were exhausted after their most recent performance, Kurumi and Miiko somehow suckered piggyback rides out of Haruna and Miyu.

In times like this, Haruna couldn't help but feel like a tired parent trying to look after her wayward children. She supposed that made Miyu her partner in all this, helping her "raise" said wayward children. The thought was actually kind of cute and only made Haruna blush harder. Although, if they thought she was too nice of a parent, Miyu was way "worse" in that regard. It was enough to coax a small smile out of the DJ.

Before long, though, Haruna needed to pause. They should've been back at the hotel by now, but they were still roaming the city streets. It was already confusing enough, but since it was nighttime, that made getting their bearings even harder!

"Kurumi, wake up, please. I need you to slide off my back for a moment," Haruna shook the other girl awake.

"Huh? Wuh? Are we back yet?" she yawned.

"No, but I need to check our map to make sure we're going in the right direction," Haruna said. After a few more seconds, Kurumi shook herself awake and slid off Haruna's back. At the same time, Miiko did the same with Miyu. They took a pit stop at a nearby gas station, using the lights to help them see the map better. And if they really couldn't figure it out, they could always go inside and ask for help.

"You girls lost?" There was a man at one of the gas pumps and he noticed the four of them puzzling over the map in confusion.

"Yes! Do you know how to get back to the hotel?" Haruna led the way over to him, handing him the map. After a couple seconds of inspection, he nodded, gesturing perpendicular to the way they were currently walking. Good thing they hadn't gone farther!

"Care for a ride back?" he asked, gesturing to his car. It was a sleek, black, sports-looking car.

"Oooh!" Kurumi and Miiko's eyes went wide with excitement. They were sure such a fancy car must be able to go really fast!

"Thank you for such generosity, sir!" Miyu curtseyed at the same time, and the man flashed her a smile. Haruna suddenly felt her stomach twist.

Nothing had gone wrong so far, and the stranger gave no indication of being untrustworthy, but…Maybe it was paranoia, maybe it was a sixth sense, either way, Haruna wasn't letting any of them get in that car. Her hands shot out and she grabbed Kurumi and Miiko's hands, tugging them back before they could approach the vehicle.

"Oww! Hey, Chairman, what gives?!" they complained, but Haruna only shook her head severely before gesturing with her head for Miyu to get behind her. It was such an intense and alarming change in temperament that Miyu didn't dare think to disobey.

"Actually, sir, we would prefer to walk," Haruna spoke with as much politeness as she could muster.

"What? No we don't!" Miiko cried.

"C'mon, Chairman, we're tiiiired!" Kurumi agreed, both of them tugging on Haruna's arms. They really were like her wayward children, weren't they? But that meant, right now, Haruna was about to become a very overprotective parent. She shook her head again, stern and resolute.

"Aww, come on, listen to your friends, I'm not gonna bite!" the man tried to sound friendly. Haruna spent the next couple minutes trying to steer her way out of the situation, but the man was persistent, trying to refute every argument or reason she sent his way. Now she was really on guard. As polite as the man was being, the fact that he didn't want to take "no" for an answer was a huge red flag. Even Kurumi and Miiko weren't protesting anymore. It seemed as though the tension in the air was finally getting to them as well. For once, Haruna was grateful for it. They only held her hands a little bit tighter, but they didn't try to pull away anymore.

"Just…Please give us our map back and we'll be on our way, sir," Haruna continued, straining to sound relaxed and disinterested.

"Well, what if I don't want to?" Oh. That wasn't good. Haruna felt Kurumi and Miiko both grip her hands tighter, but she let go, pushing them farther behind her and spreading her arms just slightly, as if trying to shield them and Miyu. She felt Miyu grab her arm from behind.

"Haruna!" she whispered, but Haruna maintained her firm posture. The man mirrored the gesture. Coming from him, though, it was a lot scarier. He was, after all, an adult male that towered over all of them. Haruna felt her stomach twist again, and her heart started to pound.

I wonder…how long can I hold him off? If I tell the others to run, right now…how much time will I be able to buy them? It was a terrifying thought and it only made Haruna's heart beat even faster, but time and options were running out. Haruna even took a step back, forcing the other three back as well, but then the man took a step forward. Not good.

Haruna wasn't a fighter, she didn't have any training, but as the band's chaperone, as well as the tallest and most responsible, sensible member, what choice did she have? And even more, she was their friend, their guide and guard. She simply had to protect them, at any cost.

"Haruna, please!" Miyu whispered again, squeezing Haruna's arm even tighter. It was as if she'd read Haruna's thoughts. She felt Kurumi and Miiko clutch at her skirts, terrified because of, and for, her. Haruna did her best to remain the stalwart bodyguard. This wasn't how she thought she'd spend tonight, but as far as she was concerned, anything less on her part was unacceptable.

"I t-t-told you, s-s-sir!" she stuttered, trying her best to keep a brave face. "We'll be walking home. Keep the map if you must, I'm sure the hotel has plenty more!" What ensued was a silent stare down, as if the man was daring them to try to leave. Haruna did her best to hold his gaze, even though she was shaking. She knew the others behind her were shaking as well. This was not good. But until she could think of something…

The stare down seemed to last forever, but all at once, the man tensed up, then looked away. He looked back at Haruna, then away again, and this pattern repeated a few more times before he finally, suddenly, turned away in defeat, walking off with a scoff.

"Ungrateful little bi—!" he muttered angrily to himself. He slid into his car, slammed the door shut, then flipped them off as he drove away. Haruna and the others were in so much shock that they barely even registered it, just amazed that he'd given up so quickly and quietly. She let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding, and as her arms lowered, she heard the others behind her sigh in relief as well. They were all still shaking.

"Oh, Haruna!" Miyu sounded close to tears as she embraced her friend.

"Chairman!" So did Miiko and Kurumi, joining the group hug. Truth be told, Haruna felt like she was about to cry, too.

"Are you four all right?" A new voice caused them to whip around in alarm. Again, instinctively, Haruna pushed the others behind her, although this time, Miyu tried to stand beside her. She couldn't stand the thought of Haruna having to protect them alone again.

"Woah, woah! Sorry, sorry! Forgive me! Please, I didn't mean to scare you." The moment they realized who they were looking at, all their terror immediately evaporated into relief, and for a second time, all four of them felt seconds away from tears.

"Dalia!" And so it was.

As Dalia would later explain, in her car, which the quartet was all too happy to climb into this time, she'd been out buying red solo cups and ice. Rika, of course, demanded an afterparty for their concert, but in her forgetful excitement, although she remembered the alcohol, she didn't remember anything else. That left Dalia to make a quick grocery run, and it was just dumb luck that she happened to check out right at the time Lyrical Lily ran into the stranger at the gas pump.

"I hate to think what might've happened if you'd come even a little bit sooner or later," she muttered grimly, holding the steering wheel in a death grip, eyes cold and blazing. Her teeth were clenched as well. Although the girls didn't know it, as the man sped off, she'd quickly memorized his license plate number and reported it to the cops. Even though he hadn't technically done anything illegal, Dalia still wanted eyes on him, in case he ever tried anything like that ever again. She wouldn't put it past him, sad as that was to say.

It was then that Haruna realized why he'd given up the fight so quickly. It wasn't that she managed to scare him off, but Dalia. Haruna felt a little embarrassed by this, but she could definitely see why. Even though Dalia was scowling at the road ahead, Haruna still felt a nervous energy rising up from the pit of her stomach as she looked at Dalia's intense gaze through the rearview mirror. She could imagine how frightening Dalia must've looked when she was scaring off the man.

Haruna could picture it in her head, Dalia approaching from behind Lyrical Lily, standing stoic and tall, arms crossed and eyes flashing. Maybe she'd bared her teeth, maybe she'd made a threatening gesture. In any case, imagining someone so tall and muscular scowling down at them through the dark was certainly a frightening picture. And this was before the man would've realized, had he not backed down, that she had a black belt in martial arts! Her muscles weren't just for show, after all.

"Th-thank you, Dalia. Thank you for saving us," Miyu was the first to speak, voice hushed with awe and gratitude.

"You do not need to thank me," Dalia replied shortly. Even though they knew she wasn't mad at them, it was clear that her anger at the man was still so overwhelming that she was doing her best to keep her temper in check. That was saying something, considering how stoic she normally was. "Of course I wasn't going to let a creep like that lay a finger on any of you."

"Wow, Dalia, you're just like a superhero!" Miiko sounded a little starstruck too. That was finally enough to coax a smile from Dalia.

"No, I'm nothing of the sort," she said, shaking her head. "I was just doing what any good person would do. Of course we bandmates have to look out for one another." Even though she was from Merm4id and they were from Lyrical Lily, as far as she was concerned, they were still bandmates at heart, bound by music even if not by organization.

"Still, you were so cool, like wow!" Miiko said, the tension finally starting to fade away. Now Dalia gave them a soft laugh.

"Thank you, all of you," she said.

"It's us who should be thanking you," Haruna said softly, echoing Miyu's words from earlier. "If it weren't for you…"

"Let us not think of that right now," Dalia said gently. "Although I am more than happy to help you process it later, think nothing of it for now. You are safe, that's all that matters. Focus on that."

I just wish…Haruna gazed longingly at Dalia in the rearview mirror again. Dalia seemed to understand what that look meant right away.

"I hope you aren't blaming yourself for any of this, Haruna," she said, voice stern again.

"Hmm?" The other members of Lyrical Lily turned to their DJ, looks of surprise on their face.

"Huh? What?! I—! No! I—! Uhh…" Haruna had been called out.

"You did nothing wrong, Haruna. It was him who was to blame," Dalia continued, eyes flashing as she mentioned the man again. "You only did what you thought was right, and you did your best to guide and guard your bandmates through a time of crisis. You did well, and nobody could ask anything else of you. You kept your head, and you kept the safe. It was a job beautifully well done."

It was true, though, Haruna felt a little guilty. First, she got them lost, then, she nearly ran them right into stranger danger. What sort of leader did that? She'd let them down. Protecting them was only her way of making it up to them. Tears welled up in Haruna's eyes.

"But you're the one who alerted us to the danger!" Kurumi cried, recalling how quick she and Miiko were to try to get in the car. Even Miyu was far too trusting, blindsided by the man's earlier kindness. For once, Haruna's wariness paid off. If not for her suspicion, they may have all gotten into the car without a second thought. Who knew what may have happened next? It was enough to send chills down all their spines.

"So really, Haruna, thank you for saving us as well," Miyu said softly, reaching over to squeeze the other girl's hand affectionately.

"Yeah, you were pretty cool, Chairman, protecting us like that!" Kurumi agreed, bouncing up and down in her seat and taking Haruna's other hand.

"You're a superhero, too, Haruna!" Miiko agreed. "Your super-senses saved us! And you were so brave back there, shielding us like that!"

"They're right, Haruna," Dalia agreed, meeting her eyes in the rearview mirror again. "You were ready to do anything and everything to get them out of harm's way. That's something you should be very proud of!" Especially since you aren't even trained in martial arts, Dalia thought. In Dalia's mind, Haruna was something of a kindred spirit to her because they were both their band's respective bodyguards. But as she'd noted, as far as she was concerned, Haruna's bravery that night outshined her own because Haruna had been prepared to go down swinging when she didn't even know how to! She didn't have a black belt to back her up the way Dalia did, but she still never faltered, standing her ground to the very end.

At long last, the group reached the hotel. None of them had ever been so glad to see it. Dalia climbed out of the car first, grabbing the ice and red solo cups from the trunk. The rest of Lyrical Lily piled out after her.

"There you are, Dalia! We were wondering where you were!" Rika's voice was the first to greet them as they entered the lobby.

"Yeah, we were just about to send a search party/rescue team!" Marika joked, gesturing to herself, Rika, and Saori. It wasn't the most intimidating or skilled search party/rescue team, but Dalia was amused and appreciative, nonetheless. She was glad to see how many of them cared for one another so intensely that they would brave any danger to look out for one another. Speaking of…

Saori, the most serious and perceptive of Merm4id, was the first to notice Lyrical Lily, and how shaken they looked.

"What happened?" she demanded. As soon as the story was over, the other members of Merm4id all looked horrified and outraged.

"How horrible! How frightening!" Saori put her hands to her face, disgusted by what had nearly happened that night.

"Oh, you poor things!" Marika looked like she wanted to scoop up all of Lyrical Lily in a warm, tight, comforting hug and never let go.

By contrast, Rika looked furious. "Where's the bast—!?"

Saori and Dalia glared at Rika and cleared their throats loudly.

"Uhh, I mean, where's the bum who did this?!" She stood up, tightening her grip on the wine bottle she was carrying.

"Long gone by now, so you can stop with the senseless heroics," Dalia shook her head. As much as she appreciated Rika's support, not only was she being foolhardy, but the last thing any of them needed was more violence. Couldn't she see how tense Lyrical Lily still was? And here she was, acting as if she was about to go out and avenge them. It was a kind sentiment, but not exactly appropriate for the moment.

"Although, if it makes you feel any better, I managed to catch his license plate number and reported it to the police," Dalia continued.

"Good!" Rika sat back down again with an indignant huff. Her fist clenched around the wine bottle again. Oh how she longed to smash it over that creep's head! The nerve of him! Preying upon poor, innocent, young, Catholic schoolgirls! But Dalia's stern look and warning reminded Rika that now was not the time for this type of energy, no matter how well-meant it was.

"Well, you're safe here with us now! We won't let anybody hurt ya, mkay? We promise! We got your backs now, us girl gangs gotta stick together!" the leader of Merm4id declared, winking and flashing them a peace sign as she finally relinquished her death-grip on the wine bottle. That was enough to make Dalia's stern expression change back into an approving smile. She nodded in agreement.

"Yes, by the way, girls, if you ever need my help with anything else, feel free to give me a call!" she said, giving them her number.

"And me!" Rika offered.

"Me too!" Marika gave her number as well, and so did Saori. "Whether it's for help or fun, feel free to call any of us any time!"

"Thank you again, so much, you guys, you're too kind!" Haruna and Miyu curtseyed their gratitude over and over again.

"Ooh, I'm loving all this praise and flattery, you guys, keep it up!" Rika grinned, winking and giving them a thumbs up.

"Rika!" Dalia and Saori snapped.

"Ooops, sorry!" Rika grinned, but she didn't look sorry. While Dalia rolled her eyes and Saori slapped her forehead, Marika turned to the others.

"Pay her no mind," she teased, "Rika's a real jokester."

"No, don't worry, we don't mind, it helps lighten the mood!" Miyu said.

"See?! Finally! Someone who gets me!" Rika laughed, gesturing proudly to Miyu.

Kurumi and Miiko, meanwhile, seemed intrigued to hear that Rika was a fellow jokester…Haruna only sighed and shook her head with a tired smile. The idea of having to look after a third chaos-bringer was exhausting, but she was just so glad to be safe and sound again! The Merm4id girls really did do an excellent job at putting everyone at ease with their cheer and laughter. Even Saori, the most exasperated of the quartet, with whom Haruna most identified, did her part in comforting the younger band.

"Obviously you four can't partake in any alcohol, but…if you would like…perhaps you could stay with us for a little while more?" she was thinking back to her own little scare when she once thought there was an intruder on her balcony, trying to break in every night. Even though it ultimately turned out to be nothing more than a nest of mice, she hadn't felt safe until all of Merm4id was there with her. She was sure Lyrical Lily didn't want to be alone right now, and she was correct.

"Oh, really, would you allow us?" Haruna and Miyu both looked delighted beyond words. "You are ever so generous!"

"Oooh, yayyy! We get to go to a college party!" Kurumi sounded excited and she grabbed Miiko's hands, who nodded back enthusiastically.

"But no alcohol!" Haruna was quick to enter lecture mode again. She dreaded the day they became legally old enough to drink.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever Chairman, don't worry, we're not going to drink!" Kurumi waved her off. "We just want to have some fun!" So off they went to the Merm4id suite! It was time to PAR-TAY!

"Hey, wait a minute! Who are you calling Chairman?!" It was nice to see Lyrical Lily already starting to get back to normal.