"Well I know what's right,
I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin' me around
But I'll stand my ground…"

-Tom Petty

Once free of his work obligations, Shuichi stopped at home to shower and change his clothing, attempting to calm the constant hammering of thoughts slamming around within the confines of his mind. He hadn't been able to focus on much during the course of his evening—even Kazuya had made a comment in passing that he seemed to be distracted in the midst of their shift together. Shuichi had simply cited his education as the cause for his preoccupied state, announcing that he had an important test on the horizon. His stepfather had made sure to clarify that he wasn't bringing it up in a negative manner, but only out of concern—even unfocused, Shuichi was still his best employee, and Kazuya expressed his gratitude for all the help he consistently offered at the café. He even suggested that Shuichi take his next shift, which was set for Wednesday night, off to study and prepare for his exam so that he wouldn't be overwhelmed.

While he was appreciative of this unanticipated offer of reprieve, Shuichi felt bad that it came from false pretenses, so he decline the suggestion, knowing his stepfather couldn't handle the burden of work alone. Kazuya didn't protest his refusal for that very same reason, and thanked him again for always making the effort to assist.

"I want to hire another person on, but finding good, reliable help these days is difficult," Kazuya had confided to him while they were cleaning up and closing down for the night. "Perhaps you can ask your friends, if any of them are looking for a good, part-time gig?"

Shuichi promised he would do just that, although at present, he had no one in mind to make the suggestion to. But he would keep the idea on the back burner in the event that it came up in conversation—Kazuma had mentioned previously that he was considered a second job, but Shizuru had been adamantly against the idea, worried that he would forsake his studies if he took on more work. He enjoyed his work as a bouncer at the dance club, but given the fact that most of nights were spent there, the job was starting to wear on him—between that and school, he had nearly no free time to enjoy himself. Perhaps a different job would be better suited to his needs—Shuichi decided that he would ask the next time he saw his friend. It certainly couldn't hurt to put the offer out there.

Once he had dressed, he made his way out of the house, telling his mother in passing that he was going for a quick walk—he knew she'd be in bed long before his return, so he wished her a goodnight and made his way outside. He could feel the weight of another long day on his shoulders, but couldn't afford to focus on his impending exhaustion, knowing that a decent trek still awaited him. His thoughts constantly fluctuated towards Davina and their impending date together, but he did his best to push them aside for the moment. He knew that they would only serve to distract him when he truly needed to stay alert. Even with the protective laws in place, there were still a number of things that could prove problematic during his journey into the neighboring realm, and he didn't want to be caught off guard.

The expedition into the Demon Realm was a fairly simple one—there were a number of available portals that linked both planes together that were fairly easy to find, if one knew where to look. Luckily, they weren't the most accessible, as to keep wayward mortals from accidentally venturing into unknown areas, but the odd occurrence did happen from time to time. This very reason was why the Search and Return squad had been formed in the first place—and Hiei himself had headed the operation under Enki's rule. It had proven to be a useful organization, hence why he had maintained such a force when he had taken over as king.

These known portals, while not strictly guarded, were monitored from afar, and whenever a human entered one, it alerted the squad, who would then arrive and make sure to transport the errant mortal back to their home world safely. Of course, these portals were also available for apparition use, but those who used them were under constant surveillance while visiting the Ningenkai. As long as they caused no trouble or harm, they were permitted to do as they pleased—however, if they so much as looked as if they were considering something problematic, the organization would be dispatched to round them up and return them home, where they would stand trial for daring to break the edict of no mischief.

It was a simple but effective system that kept the peace, and Shuichi was truly appreciative for such a measure. It was when demons, such as the one who had been secretly keeping watching over Davina, ventured into the neighboring mortal realm through non-established thresholds that caused need for concerned—those conduits weren't monitored by the Search and Return organization, and thus could easily be used for less desirable notions. Despite this, if any demon, regardless of the method of their crossing, caused harm or misbehavior while in the Human World, the squad would handle it. It was their sole duty to maintain the peace, and their presence alone had prevented a vast number of problems over the course of the past few years.

Ever since the barrier had fallen, many demons had ventured into the mortal plane, most out of sheer curiosity. Some of them had even chosen to remain there, adapting to a new life and enjoying the collective of human comforts available that the Demon World decidedly lacked. Shuichi personally knew of several apparitions who had made the transition—Yukina, of course, as well his good friends, Touya and Jin, as well as Chu and Rinku, who were now all occupants of the Ningenkai—they had found happiness in the simplicity of the human plane, content with leading a more peaceful existence. But most apparitions only popped in to quell their brief interest before returning home to their mother realm, unimpressed by what their sister realm had to offer—demons were, by nature, a fickle people with a fierce love of their motherland, much like Hiei, who had never truly found contentment among the humans.

Shuichi ventured to the nearest channel to make his way over, making sure to ascertain that he was not being followed by prying eyes. Comically enough, the most convenient gateway was located down near the Kaiden docks, not far from the pier storage house that Yusuke and Hiei had experienced their first confrontation a number of years ago. Shuichi remembered that night well—he still bore a scar across the length of his belly from where Hiei had stabbed him with the Sword of Shadows, an attack that had been intended for Yusuke, but that Shuichi had interrupted in an effort to thwart Hiei's sinister plans.

Reminiscing about such events almost prompted Shuichi to chuckle—it had certainly been a hellacious start to what later became true comradery. Time had undoubtedly changed them all in a number of ways, but the majority of it had been for the better, or so Shuichi believed. Without much fuss, he located the threshold and swiftly passed through it, making his way across the empty, dim pseudo-space with a causal stride. Within seconds, Shuichi emerged within his home realm, greeted by skies of crimson and purple, the all too familiar aromas of ash, blood, and the unique musk of the world itself weaving together and flooding his nostrils. The Search and Return squad would not come forth to collect him, as Hiei had made it known to the current members that he required no such assistance—in the event that they did appear, they wouldn't interfere with his travels, especially once he had explained the purpose of his visit.

As expected, they did not show upon his arrival, and after taking a moment to get his bearings, Shuichi began the endeavor to his destination, the city of Kinzoku—it sat near the center of what had once served as Mukuro's territory during her reign among the trio of self proclaimed kings. It was similar in size to that of Gandara, but more rural, despite its impressive collection of advanced technology. While the journey wasn't a particularly arduous one, it still took him the better part of an hour to reach the city gates—he had passed several villages along the way, but apart from a few curious glances, Shuichi hadn't received much notice. He was grateful for the lack of interest—the last thing he wanted to do was attract attention to himself. Despite his transition, there were still vast numbers of demons who knew him as his former self, and plenty of them still desired a confrontation over real or imagined slights. It wasn't that he feared the chance of altercation; he just simply didn't want to get held up because of it.

The gates were opening as he approached, and he slipped through with barely a nod from one of the guards posted there—it was obvious that his presence was expected. As he delved deeper into the Kinzoku, he could feel the proverbial shadow of Hiei's aura nearby and followed it closely. Much to Shuichi's surprise, it wasn't within the Shiryoku Palace that he came upon his old friend, but rather an isolated tower at the opposing edge of the city. Quickly, he climbed the spiral of stairs up several floors, exiting into an atrium that fed into a small chamber with a wide, yawning window. The room was entirely empty, save for Hiei's modest form, which was clad in all black with a long cloak to match. His white headband hid away his Jagan Eye from sight, carefully tied at the back of his head. His visage was stoic, as per usual—regardless, Shuichi was pleased to see his friend, finding himself glad for the opportunity.

"It's about time you showed up," Hiei offered sternly, but his tone was almost lighthearted, which was a distinct but welcomed rarity.

"My apologies for making you wait, your majesty," Shuichi retorted, mild amusement clear in his voice—a smirk gathered on his companion's lips as he spoke. "I came as quickly as I could to sort out the urgent matters you failed to provide any details on."

"Hn. We can get to that now that you're here," he replied briskly, ignoring his companion's subtly barbed comment. "How's Yukina? I hear she's visiting for the next couple of weeks. She's staying with the moronic oaf and his sister," Hiei announced almost distastefully, obviously referencing Kazuma—despite the years spent in each other's company, the pair had never grown even somewhat fond of one another. At best, Hiei and Kuwabara tolerated each other, and even that explanation was generous. The fact that Kazuma harbored feelings for his twin sister only worsened Hiei's ill found contempt towards him. Of course, the wielder of the Spirit Sword still had no clue that his beloved Yukina was related to the ornery fire apparition, and Hiei sought to keep it that way. "I'd appreciate if you kept an eye on her while she's around. And if that loudmouthed buffoon tries anything uncouth, I'll slice him to ribbons and feed his remains to the scavengers."

"Will do," Shuichi replied, attempting to avoid the urge to roll his eyes at his companion's harsh threat. Kazuma was an honorable man, and truly laden with good intentions—even Hiei was aware of that. To merely picture him trying to push anything improper on Yukina was a laughable thought—he'd fall on his own sword before ever daring to even consider such a thing. "Although you realize that you could have simply made this request through the spirit of words you went through such pains to send me earlier and saved me a trip, if that was all you needed to convey."

"That's only the first matter I needed to discuss with you," Hiei remarked dryly, crossing his arms across the narrow expanse of his chest as his gaze tapered. "There's several now, in light of more recent events." His tone suddenly grew almost harsh. "You do know that the decree against causing mischief in the mortal realm is still in place, don't you, Kurama?"

Shuichi's eyes narrowed into a stern glare, put off by both the use of his previous name and the unanticipated alteration of Hiei's voice.

"I'm well aware of that, yes," he responded swiftly, quirking a curious brow in the king's direction.

"Then why were you using your abilities to manipulate a human?" Hiei asked bluntly, his crimson eyes digging hard into Shuichi. "You know it violates the law, regardless of whatever your intentions were."

There was only one way in which Hiei could be privy to his actions, and the realization made Shuichi's spine grow rigid with righteous fury.

"I didn't realize that you were keeping me under surveillance," he replied calmly, despite the venom that lurked behind his words.

"It's not consistent," Hiei admitted quietly. "It's more of an insurance policy than anything. You and Yusuke wouldn't be of much use to me if something bad happened."

As always with Hiei, Shuichi had to read between the lines, and felt some of his anger quell at the fire apparition's explanation—he would never admit to caring, but by keeping an eye on them from a distance, his actions spoke volumes. The realization actually caused Shuichi to smirk.

"And here I thought you weren't the sentimental type, Hiei."

"I'd watch your mouth if I were you, fox," the king snapped back, his eye twitching with sudden irritation. "I can still have you charged with breaking the decree, if I chose to. So explain yourself."

A loud sigh of protest escaped Shuichi—he hardly wanted to have this conversation, but he knew that it would be best to placate his friend, lest he end up in actual trouble.

"Very well. The human in question is a…friend," he began, opting to keep his account as brief as possible. "We attend university together. A few weeks ago, she was approached by an Aoiashi, who gifted her a stone that hailed from this realm. After doing some research, she discovered a link between her family and apparitions—it terrified her. I used the Fuzai Kioku to remove those memories so that she would forget such things and be able to live in peace."

Hiei remained silent for a long moment as he considered his companion's story.

"How noble of you," he remarked blithely, fixing Shuichi with a pointed stare that suggested he knew that there was more to be told, but wasn't eager to push. "And how fortunate for your…friend. But what will you do if the Aoiashi reappears? If the girl has connections here, and they want to communicate with her, you know better than most that there is no way of stopping them."

"Perhaps that is something you can assist me with—she mentioned the name Kurosuna before I doctored her. Is the name familiar at all?"

"No. But I have ways of finding out who they are."

"So, you'll help me, then?"

Slowly, Hiei nodded his head in agreement. "I suppose it's for the better. I can't have you causing havoc in the Human World over some mortal female. I'll see what I can learn, and pass it along. In the mean time, keep it together. Remember, I pushed to keep that law in place—if anyone else learns that one of my closest associates is openly violating it, there will be hell to pay."

"Agreed. I will tread carefully. You have my appreciation, Hiei," Shuichi replied, the tension in his back growing lax as relief flowed throughout the length of his body. "Was there anything else?"

"Yes—not that I care, or that it's any of my business, but you tell the former detective that I said infidelity when you are committed to someone is an unforgivable offense."

"Infidelity? Yusuke?" Shuichi questioned, his eyes growing wide at the realization of what Hiei was conveying. "You mean to tell me that he…"

"Not yet, no," Hiei admitted scornfully. "But it's going in that direction. Mukuro believes that he'll give into temptation any day now—in fact, we've placed stakes on it. She's plotting to bring him serious bodily harm the next time he visits if he breaks his loyalty. Consider this a fair warning."

"I will speak to him," Shuichi agreed, finding it somewhat difficult to digest the information he had just be provided. While he had believed that Yusuke and Keiko's relationship was ultimately doomed to fail, it was hard to believe that the Mazoku would desert his honor and break the bond that held them together in such a cruel manner. He also knew that his interjection into his friend's personal affairs would be most unwelcomed, but he felt compelled to at least attempt to move him away from a dubious path. He quickly sought to change the subject, intent on passing along the request entrusted to him. "Yukina wanted to know if you'd be able to visit while she is in town—she wants to see you, if such a thing is possible."

Hiei remained silent for a long moment, appearing to contemplate this request.

"If I can find the time, I will make the trip there to see her," he responded quietly.

"I hope you can. I know she would love to see you—but she understands how busy you are, given your responsibilities. I'll pass the message along to her shortly."

"You do that. It was good to see you," Hiei offered, then promptly turned his back to Shuichi, his cloak billowing out behind him in light of his sudden movement.

"And you," Shuichi countered, knowing he had been dismissed. He headed for the exit, pausing at the mouth of the staircase to glance back over his shoulder—Hiei had already vanished from sight, leaving him to his own devices. Quickly, Shuichi took his leave of Kinzoku, and returned to the Human World as swiftly as he could. A soft sigh of relief escaped him as he stepped through the portal and once more found himself near the Kaiden docks. A brief glance at his watch informed him that it was just after eleven—he considered sending a text message to Yusuke, but quickly decided against it. With such sensitive subject matter to discuss, it was something much better done in person. Shuichi decided he would make the attempt soon, but first, he had to contemplate the best means of approaching the situation.

He began stealthily making his way home, and by the time he arrived, the house was completed encased in darkness, save for the tiny porch light he had left on in expectation of his late return. Each one of his family's auras was thoroughly enthralled in sleep, and that provided him a sense of relief—at least he'd be able to enjoy the peace before joining their ranks. But the sudden desire to check his carefully laid trap outside of Davina's complex suddenly nagged at him. Despite his exhaustion, Shuichi believed it would be best to check, curious as to if there would be anything involuntarily waiting his arrival.

Following a brief moment of contemplation, he decided to make the short trip to quell his desire—but upon his arrival, he was met with nothing, as anticipated. Judging by scent, the creature had yet to make a return to its previous location, but, upon closer inspection, his hidden snare was still intact, which placated him. Somewhat comforted by the lack of the evidence, Shuichi returned to his home, indulging in a quick shower before slipping into bed, eager to rest. Tomorrow would be upon him soon enough, and even in the presence of the emotional and mental roller-coaster he had unwillingly been riding for the course of the past several days, he was quite eager for what the evening would bring. He quickly surrendered to sleep, his mind finally falling quiet as he drifted away into oblivion.

. . .

Following her return home from the university, Davina was elated with a sense of accomplishment—she had managed to prepare several pages for her paper, which was two more than her initial goal, and she was pleased with her progress. Following a relaxing shower and quick dinner, she turned her attention to her sketchbook, eager to draw a piece to accompany the short story she planned to submit to the literary club for inspection the very next afternoon. The image came to her with ease, and quickly began to form as her pencil danced gracefully across the blank page—the final rendering left her feeling a sense of deeply seated pride, and she couldn't help but eye it with an innate sense of satisfaction.

A young woman stared up at her, clutching a partially dissected pomegranate in her nimble hands, which hung clasped before her slender form. Her eyes were wide and rimmed with tears, which trailed helplessly down the curves of her soft cheeks—behind her stood the silhouette of a tall man, his hand perched firmly upon her shoulder. As a final touch, she drew the pair surrounded by clutches of tall asphodel flowers, framing the image and providing it with depth. Even devoid of color, Davina was exceptionally pleased with the sketch. While she had initially wanted to add in vivid hues to compliment the piece, there was something about the monotonous tone of the image that did it fair justice, so she opted to perfect the shading and keep it black and white instead.

Content with her final result, Davina closed her sketchbook and returned her materials to their home before leaving her desk to use the restroom. Only upon her return to her bedroom did she realize just how late it was—she gasped aloud at the sight of the time, having failed to realize that it was nearing one in the morning. She hadn't anticipated the late hour, and rushed to get her things ready for the day ahead before heading to bed—luckily, she managed to fall asleep fairly quickly. Still, when her alarm rang to rouse her, she felt as if she had merely blinked before it was time to wake once more. A cup of coffee helped her to perk up, but her tiredness clung to her as she prepared for school, having to fight off a series of occasional yawns as she dressed and readied herself.

While her day started off fairly slow, after the completion of her first class, the remainder seemed to fly by. Before she knew it, she was done with her academic obligations, and it was nearing the time for her to make her way over to the literature hall for her first meeting with the literary club. While she was somewhat excited, trepidation reared its ugly head, causing her to doubt her intentions—it had been a long time since she had shared any of her writing, and while she anticipated a critical eye on her work, Davina couldn't help but feel worried. She clung to the notion that she was not obligated to participate, but it would still sting if they hated what she had to offer—she welcomed healthy criticism, as long as it was constructive, but given that she hardly knew Lucas and had yet to even meet the acquaintance of any other members, anxiety bit into her harshly. She attempted to calm herself, knowing that it would do her no good to get in her own head over what was to come—even if this meeting fell short, she still had the evening to look forward to—it still had yet to sink in that she was about to go on a real date with Shuichi in only a mere couple of hours, and given all that had be going on over the course of the past few days, she had yet to even truly process everything. Regardless, she was more than looking forward to their rendezvous, eager for the opportunity to be in his company once more. But before she could turn her focus onto such things, she had to concentrate on the task at hand.

Much to her relief, Lucas was the only person awaiting her arrival in the hall—a quick glance at the analog clock that hung on the nearby wall informed her that she was nearly twenty minutes early—but he greeted her with obvious excitement, pleased that she had followed through and showed up to meet with them.

"You made it!" he exclaimed with a wide smile, quickly waving her over to the table he was perched at, his laptop hanging open before him. "I have to admit, I wasn't sure if you would actually show—I'm glad you did, though. Did you bring your material?"

"Yes, and maybe you'd be willing to look it over prior to the meeting starting," she replied forwardly, trying to hide the nervousness that was threatening to overwhelm her. "Just in case you don't think it's good enough to share." Maybe she could avoid further embarrassment by being proactive.

He nodded enthusiastically, gesturing for her to take a seat. She accepted the offer, then reached into her bag, withdrawing her notebook and sketchpad. Davina opened to the pages containing her short story, handing it over to him, and then pulled open her sketchbook to the page bearing the companion piece she had drawn. Lucas gasped at the sight of the artwork, his eyes growing wide.

"You drew that?" he asked with an air of incredulity, staring down at the image with awe. She nodded in silent ascent, taking in a short, deep breath in an attempt to calm her twanging nerves. "It's great—like, I had high expectations, but this is even better than I expected."

"Hopefully, the story that accompanies it doesn't disappoint," Davina replied quietly, gesturing towards the notepad that sat forgotten in his hand. While she was secretly happy with his approval of the picture, she hoped he wouldn't absolutely hate the writing she had prepared to go with it, and was eager to get his reaction so she could plan her next move.

"Oh, right. Just give me a few minutes." Lucas turned his attention to her writing and began to read, his eyes tracing over the lines containing her neat, careful handwriting. Davina sat in silence, keeping her gaze drawn onto the smooth surface of the table in front of her, attempting to keep herself composed.

What seemed like a small eternity later, Lucas finished his task, keeping his face stoic as he carefully closed the notebook and placed it down on the table before him. Davina felt her heart hit the floor with a heavy splat.

'So much for high expectations,' she thought bitterly, her face contorted into a deep grimace.

But a sudden grin emerged across the lips of her companion, giving her a small inkling of hope.

"This is exactly the kind of entries we need for the magazine," he offered, smiling over at her winningly. "It's a little rough around the edges, but nothing some fine tuning can't fix—if you're cool with it, I'll have our editor, Yunai, look it over and give you some notes. But I have to say, it's pretty solid…" He suddenly laughed out loud, looking rather pleased with himself. "I knew you would bring some good stuff to the table. I'll have to thank Kazuma for suggesting you."

The deep sense of relief that washed over Davina was soothing, and she immediately felt her entire body relax, feeling as if a heavy weight had been released from her shoulders. She actually felt a small smile rise to her lips, fighting back a sigh of reprieve.

Several other soon joined them—they all introduced themselves, and seemed delighted by her presence. The meeting went well, and upon its conclusion, Davina felt far more optimistic about joining their ranks. The club editor gave her a short list of suggestions to better her excerpt, and she left the literature hall with a sense of satisfaction that this particular venture would be a far better one than she had initially anticipated. She still hadn't agreed to become a full fledged member, but established that she would attend the next few meet ups and seriously consider enrollment. Everyone seemed nice enough, and it was obvious with the way they conversed about their craft that they truly enjoyed their extracurricular activity. While she knew she would never be able to pursue her degree in the field she truly desired, lest she incur her mother's immense displeasure, it was possible that this venture would provide her a much needed outlet to flex her creative muscles, and the thought of doing such a thing inspired a pleasant sense of fulfillment.

Now that she was free, Davina's mind quickly turned to thoughts of Shuichi—she still had plenty to do before their date, and was more than eager to get home and start getting ready. The train ride home was a quick one, but heavy with the late afternoon crowd of travelers. She stood near the front exit, doing her best to ignore the overbearingly close proximity of strangers in her vicinity. There was one person in particular who kept blatantly staring over at her from across the car, where she sat nearly at the opposite end alongside the central door. Her unanticipated attention was making Davina feel uneasy, even as she did her best to avoid that steely gaze. She knew that girl from somewhere, but couldn't place her face—likely, she was a fellow student at the university, but Davina couldn't recall ever meeting or conversing with her, and knew for a fact that they shared no mutual classes. She would have easily remembered her if they were even faintly acquainted due to the vivid purple shade of her hair, which caused her to stand out from among the throng.

Following the departure from the next stop, the tram cleared out some, freeing up a significant amount of space. Davina opted to claim a seat that had been vacated, sliding down into it before any of the new arrivals could filter in. Much to her discomfort, the female that had openly been staring her down relocated from her previous position near the far door, perching down on the seat directly across from her. Davina kept her gaze turned ahead, trying to ignore this strange, sudden presence that had eagerly catapulted into her space. Her silent chagrin worsened when the unnamed girl waved a hand in her direction to purposely catch her attention.

Unable to continue with her tactic of careful avoidance, Davina turned her eyes onto her companion, quirking a curious brow at the girl as she looked over at her quizzically.

Her uninvited counterpart fixed her with a friendly grin, but there was something decidedly malicious behind those bright blue eyes that she picked up on almost instantly.

"Hey, you're Shuichi's friend, right?" the girl asked, her tone conversational. This question came as one Davina had not anticipated, rousing her curiosity.

"Yes," she replied cautiously, trying to school her face into a fairly stoic visage even as she continuously wracked her brain for an idea of where she knew this girl from.

"Great! Could you do me a favor next time you see him?"

There was something in her voice that set Davina off—she sounded kind, but her tone lacked sincerity, as if she were putting on a show of sorts. Her request seemed innocent, but Davina's intuition suggested that this was far from the friendly encounter it appeared to be.

"And that is?"

"Could you please tell him that I'm looking forward to our date this Friday night? My phone died on me in class, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get a new one until later this week," the girl said, obviously trying to suppress a catty smirk.

Davina suddenly felt a rush of ice flood throughout her veins, but kept her face calm, her suspicions that this was far from a friendly encounter confirmed in that very moment. The girl stared firmly over at her, a rude eagerness present on her distinctly made up face as she awaited her reaction, expecting it to be one of obvious upset. But Davina decided to trust her gut and have faith in the notion that this little conversation was a ploy with no truth behind it—after all, she had no way of knowing just who this girl was. She could be an ex-girlfriend, or a bitter admirer who hadn't been able to secure Shuichi's attention. After all the effort he had been actively putting into pursuing her, it was hard to believe that he would even consider entertaining another female—it just didn't seem like something he would be involved in. Despite her internal concerns, Davina decided to play along, curious as to what the endgame was in this whole powerplay that was unfolding.

"I don't see why not," she responded sweetly, fixing her companion with a small smile. "But I'm afraid I don't know your name."

The girl seemed surprised at her response, but kept a tightly knit handle on her façade.

"It's Amaya. And I really appreciate it. I even got some special lingerie for after, but that can be a surprise…" she offered with a short chuckle. Davina was seeing red at that loaded comment, but forced herself to keep up the ploy, even though all she wanted to do in that moment was smack that smug expression off the girl's arrogant face.

"I'll omit that little detail—are you certain that your date is this Friday?" she asked, suddenly sounding concerned as she baited the hook to drop a bomb.

"Absolutely—he texted me just last night to confirm."

"Hmm…that's odd. You see, Shuichi and I have plans for Friday night," Davina replied, appearing contemplative, even as she lied through her teeth. "And he never mentioned you, how strange…oh well. I guess I'll just have to ask him when I see him later on tonight for our date. I'm sure we'll get this scheduling conflict all figured out, so no worries."

Amaya's entire face suddenly altered, a deep frown suddenly consuming her lips. But before she could speak, the train came to a slow halt, with an announcement following that they had reached the next stop. It was Davina's turn to disembark, so she promptly rose to her feet, fixing her companion with an overtly saccharine smile of her own.

"Just so you know, if I were you, I wouldn't be anticipating seeing Shuichi come Friday," she offered amiably, her words laced with quiet venom. "And next time you decide you want to be an asshole and stir the pot, maybe reconsider your bullshit and don't act like a conniving bitch, okay? Just a friendly suggestion—have a lovely evening, Amaya."

Davina took her leave of the train, keeping her eyes forward. She could feel Amaya's seething glare burning into the back of her head, but couldn't help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction. It was burdened with a wave of concern that she might have overstepped, but given her perception of the situation, Amaya's intentions had been to cause drama and plant a seed of distrust—Shuichi hadn't been secretive with his affections in public, and if she was a scorned admirer, like Davina suspected her to be, then her rude actions were born from envy rather than based on anything ongoing in reality. And while she wasn't one to typically assert herself so brazenly, she wasn't about to let the half assed efforts of a disrespectful brat get under her skin. Of course, she planned to mention the incident to Shuichi, if only to forewarn him what his 'friend' was attempting to do. While she truly believed that nothing Amaya spoke of during their exchange held any truth, she was somewhat curious to see what his reaction would be. But there would be plenty of time for such a thing later—it was nearing five when Davina finally reached her apartment, and she still had plenty to do before Shuichi's arrival at six thirty. So she dove into her preparations with gusto, excited for what the evening ahead held in store.

. . .

Author's Note: Nothing like ending a chapter with a little drama for good measure. I'm just about to dive into the next one to have it ready to post come next weekend, and truth be told, I'm interested to see how it goes. Sad to say, I didn't get as much written as I would have liked to over the long weekend—the work week absolutely drained me, so I was a pretty useless human who over indulged in coffee and played copious amounts of the new Resident Evil game for most of my free time. But here's to another long, successful week with a literal shit-ton of overtime hours—let's just say I'm beyond relieved that the weekend is here, and I don't have to be awake disgustingly early come tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who was kind enough to read/follow/favorite/review, you all are wonderful and I immensely appreciate you. Stay safe!