A/N: After nearly drowning in the lake beneath the waterfall where she was sparring with Guren, Yuichiro catches pneumonia from having water in her lungs and needed to be taken home. While she is sick, her guardian reveals a bit of his softer side and tells her a most unusual story that readers of the OnS LNs will recognize. Keep in mind that this fic is AU and will have differences from the canon version; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader and editor, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review! ;)

Chapter 18: Something That Can Never Be Undone

October 22, 2018

"Hey, Yuu-chan, what do you want to do when we get back to the surface?"

Yuichiro lifted her head from the book she was reading stared at Mikaela. Both of them were relaxing in the loft they usually stayed to read, play games, or talk after Akane and the younger kids have gone to bed.

"What? Did you hit your head or something? Even if we could get away from the vampires, the virus would kill us as soon as we got outside."

"Aww, come on, Yuu-chan. Don't be so negative, use your imagination! If we could go back with the others, wouldn't that be great? We can see America like you've always wanted!"

Yuichiro closed her book as she pondered the thought for a moment.

"America…"

"You still want to go there, don't you?" Mikaela persisted.

"I do…but it's impossible now..."

"Well, we'll never know until we get outta here!"

Yuu gave her blonde orphanage brother a look of annoyance.

"What makes you so sure we can even get back to the surface without dying, let alone to a country on the other side of the world that may not even exist anymore?" she asked in dismay.

"I'm sure it still does. And to be honest, I'd rather take my chances up there then spend the rest of my life down here until I die, wouldn't you?"

Yuichiro fell silent as she closed her book and gazed at her brother. She had never dwelled on it much before. But now that Mika brought it up, Yuu finally realized that almost four years have passed since they and the rest of the Hyakuya orphans were brought underground to be livestock for the vampires. And those years had passed by so quickly, too. The thought of spending the rest of her life in Sanguinem was just as unappealing to Yuu as it was to Mika now that she thought about it.

"You do have a point," she admitted. "But like I said before, how would we survive even if we did manage to get outside? Assuming that we don't drop dead from the virus as soon as we did, that is."

The blond boy laughed. "No worries, leave all of that to me!" he said cheerfully as he got up and prepared to leave the loft.

"Hey, wait, where are you going?" Yuichiro demanded.

"Shh… not so loud or you'll wake Akane and the others. Since you just admitted you want to go back to the surface, it looks like I've got a lot of work to do."

Yuu blinked as she watched her brother climb down the ladder until he vanished from sight. What did Mika mean when he said that?

Thinking the blond boy must be joking, Yuichiro went back to reading her book. Surely, Mikaela couldn't be serious about what he just said. The girl swore that her brother was too optimistic for his own good but since she didn't want him to stop smiling, Yuichiro chose to humor him whenever he suggested absurd notions such as this.

Little did Yuu know that Mika's plan to get her out of Sanguinem would actually work. But at a price most dear…

Screams of terror…

The sound of gunfire…

Blood spraying everywhere…

Bodies dropping to the cold tile floor…

Mikaela's dying plea for Yuichiro to escape without him.

To leave Sanguinem forever and never return…

"MIKA!"

Yuichiro screamed her dead brother's name as she writhed in her bed, halfway between the waking world and the world of dreams.

"Yuu, wake up! It's just a dream!"

The girl's eyes flew open as she panted heavily with beads of sweat pooling on her forehead and temples. Looking up, Yuichiro saw Sayuri gripping her firmly by the shoulders as if she had been trying to shake her awake from her nightmare.

"Sayuri? Wh…what happened?"

"Shh… hush, dear. You were just having a bad dream," the older woman answered gently.

"Dream?" Yuichiro asked in confusion before she remembered where she was.

"Right… you and Guren were supposed to go on a three-day-trip for training, but he had to cut it short and bring you back a day early when you caught pneumonia after your ordeal in the lake." *1*

Yuichiro frowned. "Oh…I'm sorry to trouble you. I'm sure there must be other things you'd rather do with your time than taking care of me."

Sayuri smiled and shook her head before leaning over and giving the younger girl a motherly kiss on her forehead.

"It's alright, Yuu. I don't mind. More importantly, why didn't you tell Guren or any of us that you couldn't swim before he took you out to the falls to train?"

Yuichiro hesitated to answer as if the topic was uncomfortable for her but she supposed she did owe her caretaker an answer for the trouble she was putting her through.

"Well…I didn't want Guren to think I was afraid or unwilling to fight at the waterfall."

Sayuri sighed before wiping Yuichiro's brow again and placing a hand on the younger girl's forehead. As she predicted, Yuu's skin was hot to the touch.

"Yuichiro, just because soldiers accept the possibility of getting hurt during training does not mean we disregard safety precautions altogether. To prevent something this from happening again, I strongly advise you to learn how to swim."

Yuichiro gulped at her caretaker's suggestion. After almost drowning, the girl was not too keen on getting into a deep body of water anytime soon but she knew Sayuri was right; she didn't want to burden her guardian with the trouble of having to save her again should she fall into another lake or whatever.

"You're right. But…who would teach me?"

At first, Yuu thought Guren might but after the stunt she pulled that caused that whole mess in the first place, the girl doubted that he would be willing.

"Well, normally Goshi is responsible for your physical conditioning and from what I can see so far, he's done a really good job of training you so you have more stamina and endurance. But I'm afraid swimming isn't one of his talents; he almost failed it in high school, to be honest. So Goshi probably isn't the best person to ask. I'll try asking Shinya instead. From what I can remember, he's the best swimmer in our squad and likely the most qualified person to teach you." *2*

"Oh… I see."

It wasn't lost on Yuichiro that Sayuri had not suggested Guren teach her how to swim so she assumed her guardian probably needed a bit of time to cool down from his displeasure at her.

Now that she thought about it, perhaps it was for the best because Yuichiro was pretty sure she'd be too distracted at seeing him shirtless to pay attention to her swimming lessons anyway.

"I understand, Sayuri. I'll do my best to learn how to swim."

Sayuri smiled as she stroked Yuichiro's damp hair.

"That's the spirit, dear. I wouldn't blame you if you were unwilling to learn after what happened but I'm glad you are. Overcoming your fears is also a trait of a good soldier. But for now, the most important thing is for you to get better."

"I will. I promise."

"Good. In any case, I must go now. If you're hungry, I'll have Shigure bring you some soup. While I was taking care of you, I had to ask her to cook dinner in my stead."

Upon hearing that, the younger girl pulled her blanket up to her mouth and chin.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I've troubled not only Guren, but you and Shigure as well because of my clumsiness."

"Shh… none of that, Yuu. Just concentrate on getting better."

"Okay… and thank you, Sayuri. For everything."

"You're welcome, Yuu", the older woman said as she gently patted Yuichiro on the arm before getting up to leave. "I still have some work to do but even so, don't hesitate to call for me or Shigure if you need anything."

"I won't."

After leaving the younger girl to fall back asleep, Sayuri gently closed the door to her room after stepping out into the hallway. As soon as she turned around, she gasped when she came face to face with her superior officer.

"My lord, you startled me!" Sayuri gasped as she placed her hand on her chest.

"I apologize, Sayuri, I know this isn't the first time I've done that. I'll try to be more cautious next time. Anyway, how is Yuichiro?" Guren asked.

Despite what Yuu had thought, he had already gotten over his displeasure over the trouble she put him through of saving her when she nearly drowned after falling into the lake beneath the waterfall where they were training. Now he was only concerned for her well-being.

"She's still feverish but should be all right as long as she takes her medicines and gets enough rest. "

"I see…good. Thank you for taking care of Yuichiro. I know this whole mess is my fault; she wouldn't have gotten hurt if I hadn't over-reacted to her little prank. And if I made sure she could actually swim before taking her out to the falls to train."

Sayuri laughed softly at Guren's confession.

"Well, I understand why you didn't appreciate what she did but Yuichiro was probably just being playful and mischievous. Her behavior is to be expected of a young teenage girl."

For the first time since he and Yuu had returned, Guren smiled.

"Yeah… you're right. I'm sure she didn't mean any harm. I don't want her to think of me as being no different than her parents who punished her for even the slightest transgression."

"I doubt Yuichiro thinks anything like that, sir. In fact, I think she actually likes you, my lord."

If it wouldn't have woken the younger girl, Guren might have laughed bitterly at the suggestion.

"You mean like a crush, Sayuri? Are you serious? The girl acts like she can't stand me most of the time."

"True. But that's often one of the biggest signs. A way for her to cover up her true feelings so to speak."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Sayuri but I really think you're mistaken", Guren insisted stubbornly though his subordinate could tell that he didn't sound totally convinced of his own claim. But she decided to humor him anyway and let the man figure out things for himself if that was the only way he'll accept the truth.

Just like he did when he discovered his young ward was a girl. And after an entire year of believing she was a boy while overlooking the obvious signs that suggested the opposite.

"Of course. Whatever you say, my lord. In any case, I've convinced Yuichiro to learn how to swim. I recommend we ask Shinya to teach her since Goshi isn't really qualified."

Startled, Guren stared at Sayuri for her suggestion.

"Why Shinya? You don't think I can teach her?" he asked as she made a gesture towards himself.

The younger woman cleared her throat before answering.

"It's not that, Guren. From what I can remember, Shinya's always been the best swimmer out of all of us and is most suited for the task. And to be honest, I think both you and Yuichiro need a bit of time to cool down after what happened between the two of you at the waterfall. If you know what I mean…"

Although Sayuri did not elaborate further, her superior knew exactly what she meant. Although he refused to admit it, even to himself, Guren found it quite difficult to ignore the feminine curves of Yuichiro's bottom while he was spanking her like a wayward child.

Or the feeling of her not-so-childish body while she was sprawled across his lap on her belly.

"You're right, Sayuri. I'll call Shinya later and ask. I know Yuichiro will learn swimming in school eventually anyway but I think it's best for her to get a head start as soon as possible."

"I think so too but before she can do anything, Yuichiro has to get better."

"Will she be alright?" Guren asked, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was worried about her.

"She'll be fine, don't worry. Shigure and I will take care of her. If you can spare the time, I think you should also pay Yuu a visit later."

"I will…thank you. I know this isn't the first time my blunder wasted your time."

"Not at all, my lord. You've been very good to me and Shigure all these years. It's the least we can do for you."

"I'm glad. I must go now. Kureto will be expecting me at headquarters for a meeting shortly. I'll be back later to check on Yuichiro. Have a good day, Sayuri."

"You too, my lord."

SSSSSS

Sleep did not come to Yuichiro easy, especially after her latest nightmare. Though it had been two years since she escaped Sanguinem, the girl still remembered what happened as clearly as if were only yesterday. Knowing that she won't be able to fall asleep again anytime soon, Yuichiro got up and turned on the lamp before she went digging through her jewelry box for something she had not worn or even looked at since she came to live in Guren's home.

Mikaela's golden heart-shaped locket.

With fumbling fingers, Yuichiro managed to undo the clasp of the shining gold chain before fastening it around her neck. Looking into bedroom mirror, the girl could see that her late orphanage brother's gift looked just as new and shiny as the night he gave it to her. The ruby in the center stood out among the gold and almost glittered, indicating that it was of very high quality and would have costed hundreds of thousands of yen if bought from a jewelry store.

I wonder what Mika would say if he could see me now… Yuu wondered sadly as her thoughts went back to the blond boy.

Unlike the last time she saw Mikaela alive, Yuichiro now dressed regularly in female garb and her hair had grown out, hanging halfway down her back when unbound. She was currently dressed in a white Victorian style nightdress with her hair free from its usual ponytail and hanging down her back in soft black waves.

When she was living in vampire captivity with her orphanage brothers and sisters, Yuichiro almost gave up on her dreams, almost resigned herself to her fate as livestock. But deep down, she still had the desire to escape, to see the world that had been closed off to her for so long. Mikaela had that desire too but unlike herself, he was actually willing to do something to make it a reality.

And in a cruel, ironic twist of fate, he granted Yuichiro's dearest wish in exchange for his life. Everything Mikaela had ever done had been for her as well as the rest of their little family.

And what did I ever do for him in return? She thought bitterly. Nothing! I was totally helpless and in the end, I left him to die!

Clutching the heart-shaped locket with one hand, the girl squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

No… there is still something I can do for Mika and that is to rid the world of vampires. All of them!

Guren had told Yuichiro that few soldiers ever get to live long lives because of the dangers they faced on a regular basis but the girl had no issue with that. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to live so long that the people who were once her world would become nothing more than faded memories, ghosts from the past. It wasn't as if Yuichiro had much else to live for anyway. The world was in shambles and she knew nothing would ever be as it was before that horrible day.

Even America, the country she so wanted to see since her early childhood. For all Yuichiro knew, Japan may be the only country with any people left alive. Any humans, that is. The rest of the world was likely ruled by vampires.

As the girl loosened her hold on the locket, she heard a knock on her door.

"Yuichiro? Are you awake? It's me, Guren."

Yuichiro gasped when she heard the stern voice of her guardian. She and Guren had not spoken since they returned from their brief "camping trip" and Yuu was a bit hesitant to let him in for fear that he was still upset with what she did back at the falls. The girl hoped that if she remained silent and not answer, her guardian might think her asleep and leave her alone, at least for the night.

Unfortunately, Guren knew her a little too well by now for that to work.

"Yuichiro, please open the door. I know you're awake. You don't normally sleep with the lights on."

Crap… Yuu thought. Not only did her ploy fail, she was also surprised to hear Guren say "please". Which was not a word he used often, especially as master of the house.

Knowing she had no choice, Yuichiro turned and quietly opened the door to her bedroom. As she predicted, Guren was standing right outside. What the girl wasn't expecting was to see him holding a tray with a small bowl of soup, possibly chicken noodles, on it alongside a glass of water and a spoon.

"Yes, sir?" she asked quietly. "What can I do for you?"

The older man rolled his eyes as if his ward had asked the most silly question.

"Actually, I came to see how you were feeling and maybe offer you something to eat. Are you hungry? I haven't seen you eat since we came home the day before yesterday."

Yuichiro was startled. Now that Guren mentioned it, Yuu remembered the last thing she ate being the single fish she managed to catch from the stream during their short break at the waterfall grounds for lunch. As for how she was feeling…

"I think I'm a little better," Yuu answered, remembering how she woke up on the third day of their trip with a high fever and sore throat and had to be taken home. Her bottom did smart for a couple of hours but not days like she thought it would. As displeased as he was, Guren didn't really hit her that hard and Yuichiro was more embarrassed than hurt, which was probably his intention all along.

"A little…" she admitted. "Sayuri told me Shigure would bring me some soup for dinner so I was kind of expecting to see her, not you."

"Well, yes, Shigure did make and intended to bring you dinner, but I asked her to let me do it instead."

"But why? Isn't there something else you'd rather do?"

"Actually, no, there isn't. We do need to talk, Yuu."

Yuichiro gulped and felt her face growing hot, thinking that her guardian intended to bring up the little prank she played on him before she fell off the waterfall ledge.

But fortunately, Guren didn't. For unknown to Yuichiro, it was just as embarrassing to him as it was to her and he really didn't want to talk about it any more than she did. Instead, he brought up what he believed was the more important issue at hand.

"After what happened, I know that you cannot swim. And it wasn't hard for me to figure out why you didn't tell me. But I agree with Sayuri that it's something you need to learn just as much as sword fighting, unarmed combat, or shooting guns."

"I know…" the girl said quietly. "Are you going to teach me?"

"Actually, I was going to ask Shinya. He swims much better than me so I think he's more qualified to teach you."

Yuichiro was startled. "Shinya? Really? I didn't know he could swim well; he never mentions it."

"Well, he's far more proud of his sniping skills than anything else even though he does have many talents, believe it or not."

"Oh, I believe it. I don't think you'd lie to me about something like that. But I don't want to use up any more of his time than I already do with my shooting lessons. You know I'll be taking swimming in school eventually anyway."

"Yes, that's true but I feel that the sooner you learn the better."

"I see. So when do plan for me to start?"

"For now, the most important thing is for you to get better. Have you been taking the medicines Sayuri brought?"

"Yes, I have."

"Good. But even so, you shouldn't be up and about. You should be in bed at least until your fever goes down" Guren said in an almost fatherly tone as he set the tray with Yuichiro's soup down on her night table.

"I'll be ok, sir. It's not like you to fuss over little things."

Guren raised a brow as he eyed Yuichiro incredulously.

"Little? You call pneumonia a 'little thing'? People actually died from it back in the days before modern medicine. And they still can without proper rest and treatment. I didn't save you from drowning only to bring you back and have you die at home because you're too stubborn to take care of yourself, Yuu."

Yuichiro sighed but she knew her guardian was absolutely right.

"Fine," she said as she turned from her bedroom mirror back to her bed. Yuichiro managed to make it halfway back before she found herself stumbling a bit. It looked like she hadn't recovered from her illness as much as she thought and might have fallen if not for a pair of strong hands catching her.

"See, what did I tell you?" Guren scolded gently as he lifted Yuichiro off the ground bridal style and carried her back to bed.

Yuu felt her face growing hot, this time with embarrassment rather than fever.

"Hey, I'm perfectly capable of walking, you know!" the girl whined as she began to squirm a little in her guardian's arms.

"Oh, really? It didn't look like it to me," he teased. "If I hadn't caught you, you probably would have fallen on your ass just now. There's a difference between being independent and being too stubborn for your own good, Yuu."

Yuichiro fell silent when she realized that Guren was right. Again. By not admitting to him that she couldn't swim, she became the last thing she wanted when she fell off the waterfall ledge into the lake and had to be saved: a damsel in distress. And the knight that saved her was him of all people.

Knowing she couldn't argue with Guren's point, Yuichiro gave up and allowed him to carry her back to bed where he set her down gently before pulling up a chair next to her bedside.

"You need to eat something, Yuichiro. Sleep and medicine alone won't be enough for you to get better," Guren said as he took the spoon set on the tray next to the soup bowl before putting it in and offer her a spoonful.

The girl couldn't help staring when she saw him do that. It seemed so uncharacteristic for someone like Guren whom she believed couldn't be bothered with something like feeding a sick child.

"Is there a problem, Yuu?"

Yuichiro was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw her guardian regard her with curiosity.

Not wanting him to guess what she was thinking, Yuu crossed her arms and gave him a bit of a defiant look.

"Hey, no fair, I don't need to be spoon-fed, I'm not a baby!" she pouted.

Instead of being offended, Guren laughed softly as if he found Yuichiro's pouting cute.

"Maybe not, but you're just about as helpless as one right now. Come on, open up."

Yuichiro sighed but gave in because she didn't feel like arguing with the older man right now.

"Ok, ok…" the girl said as she opened her mouth and allowed Guren to spoon-feed her. Although she was opposed to the idea at first, Yuichiro soon found that she rather enjoyed the older man's attention when he wasn't annoying her with his crass remarks.

After she had finished with her small dinner, Yuichiro allowed Guren to help her get comfortable on her bed again as soon as he placed the empty soup bowl back on her night table.

As soon as she was sitting in bed, Guren handed her a glass of water with a pill.

"Take this," he said gently. "It should help with the fever and make you sleep a bit easier."

"Ok," Yuu obeyed as she took the glass and swallowed the pill. The girl found it ironic how a man who had no relation to her whatsoever was taking better care of her than her own parents did when she was sick. In fact, whenever Yuichiro had fallen ill as a young child, her parents would never give her any medicine to get better, thinking it was better to let her tough it out, something she had expected Guren to do but was surprised when he did the opposite.

In addition to bringing her soup, feeding her, and giving her water and medicine, Guren surprised Yuichiro again by helping her get settled in bed. As soon as she was lying down comfortably, the girl found herself tugging on his shirt sleeve as he prepared to take his leave.

"Yes, Yuu? Is there anything else you need?"

The girl blushed and lowered her eyes a little. Yuichiro knew what she was about to ask was a bit childish but couldn't help it; she craved her guardian's attention for just a little bit longer.

"Will you please tell me a story, sir?"

Instead of laughing and making a snide comment like she expected, Guren sighed sadly and sat back down. After looking at his sickly young ward for a moment in silence, the lieutenant colonel began to speak.

"Once upon a time, there was a young man who had many loyal friends as well as a lover he treasured above all else."

Curious, Yuichiro listened as her guardian continued.

"But his lover became possessed by a demon which made her into a monster. She ended up killing his cherished friends and he had no choice but to destroy her before she could turn her wrath on him and the rest of the world as well."

Yuichiro gasped. "How awful…"

"Indeed. The young man was devastated at losing everyone he ever cared about, one by his own hands. He couldn't bear the pain of their loss. And so, he tried to do the impossible and bring them back. By performing an ancient and forbidden magic ritual. And the result…"

"What? What happened" Yuichiro asked innocently after noticing her guardian's hesitance to continue.

Smiling sadly, Guren gently stroked her soft hair before answering.

"Something that can never be undone…" *3*

For a moment, Yuichiro found herself staring at Guren in astonishment. The story he told was most unusual and she swore it sounded almost like he was telling her a personal memory of his instead of a tragic fairy tale.

But before she could question him further and ask him exactly what happened, Guren leaned over and gave her a fatherly kiss on her forehead.

"I must go now, Yuu. I have to be up early for work tomorrow. Try and get some sleep. The better rested you are, the faster you will get better."

Not wanting to trouble him further, Yuichiro obeyed.

"Yes, sir. Good night. And thank you…"

"You're welcome, Yuu."

When Yuichiro finally closed her eyes, Guren took a quick glance around her room before turning off the light. Although he had been here many times, he never really took the time to look at it. But now that he did, he noticed that his ward had changed her surroundings quite a bit from how they looked when she first moved in. In addition to re-decorating it so that it looked more like a girl's room, Yuichiro also had several pictures pinned to her wall that he never paid any heed to until now.

Such as a large map of the United States on the wall just above her desk. And cleverly pinned to the map on the areas where they were located were pictures of famous American landmarks that Yuichiro often expressed the desire to see. Landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Mt. Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building, Capitol Hill, and the White House as well as many more pictures of famous cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, New Orleans, and New York City.

Even now, after everything she's been though, Yuichiro still refuses to give up on her dreams… Guren thought sadly. He found it astounding how the girl had not given up her desire to see a far off country that may or may not even exist anymore. And if they were still there, the landmarks and cities Yuichiro dreamt of seeing were unlikely to be as they were when the pictures on her wall were taken.

But he wasn't going to tell her that. If nothing else, Guren felt that Yuichiro should still have the right to her hopes and dreams.

SSSSSS

Ring

Ring

Ring

"Hmm? Now who can that be at this hour?" Shinya asked himself as he set down the book he was reading in his living room and picked up the phone from a table next to the leather armchair he was sitting on. It was getting close to midnight and though he also had to be up early for work like Guren and the rest of their squad, Shinya still liked staying up for a bit to read before bed.

"Hey, Shinya? You awake?"

The white-haired man raised a brow. "Guren, is that you? You're back already? I thought you and Yuichiro were going to be gone for three or four days."

"Well, yes, that was my intention but she got sick so I had to take her home a bit early."

When he heard that, Shinya's brow furrowed in concern.

"Yuichiro's sick?"

"Yeah. But she'll be alright. Nothing a week or two of proper food, rest, and medicine can't fix. By the way, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Sure. What is it?"

"I would like you to teach Yuichiro how to swim if you can spare the time."

"I'm sure I can find time. But why now? Did something happen while you two were away?"

Guren hesitated for a moment as if he wasn't sure if he should tell his best friend. But he also knew it would be a bit difficult to convince Shinya to teach Yuichiro to swim without telling him the reason. So taking a deep breath, he did his best to give the short version of what gave him the incentive to ask such a favor.

As soon as he heard Guren's story, Shinya burst into laughter.

"What, you got riled up because Yuichiro did something like that? Personally, I would have enjoyed it and returned the favor!"

Although he couldn't see it, Shinya was sure his friend was scowling in annoyance at his remark on the other side.

"You always did have the weirdest kinks, Shinya. That's something I never understood about you. Anyway, can you do it or not? Let me know."

"I'd love to. But I'm curious to know if there's any reason you can't teach Yuichiro to swim yourself?"

"I… I'm not such a good swimmer, Shinya. You know that. I think you're more qualified since you swim much better than I do. I'd ask Goshi since he's the one normally responsible for Yuichiro's physical conditioning but we all know what a terrible swimmer he is."

"Hmm… is that right?" the white-haired man asked, his tone indicating that he suspected there was something his friend wasn't telling him but chose not to call him out on it. "Very well, I'll do the honors. When do you want me to start?"

"Not right away. Yuichiro is still sick and needs time to get better. I'm thinking maybe a month from now since she caught pneumonia from almost drowning which will probably require chest x-rays and auscultating her lungs to make sure they're clear. And until she can swim efficiently, I can't take Yuu anywhere to train that has deep water. I know she will eventually go over it at school but I think it would be good for her to have a head start anyway."

"I totally understand, Guren. Just leave everything to me. When she's ready, just have Yuichiro come over; you know I have a pool at my home. And it's built indoors too so I can teach her anytime without worry about cold, wind, rain, whatever."

"Good…thank you for agreeing to this. You don't know how much it means to me, Shinya."

"No problem, you know I'm always glad to help out a friend. We can talk about this a bit more tomorrow if you like."

"Sure. Night, Shinya."

"You too, Guren. Sweet Dreams."

Footnotes:

1. It's possible to catch pneumonia from getting water in the lungs such as in cases of victims of near drowning.

2. Shinya being a good swimmer is something I made up; I don't think it's mentioned in the LNs if anyone from Guren's squad can swim well, including Guren himself. He does seem to be afraid of motorcycles, though lol.

3. Anyone who read the OnS LNs will know the story Guren is telling Yuu. This will be pivotal when fem!Yuu discovers the truth about the apocalypse and realizes the true meaning of Guren's tale.