Akari collapses pretty much the moment they get home.

She's exhausted the whole way there. And although she talks a bit at first… still glancing Aguri's way, by the time they've arrived she's completely tuckered out. She hands Korosensei the key, allows him to undo the latch, takes one step inside, flicks on the lights, and then immediately falls limp.

Aguri darts to catch her- noting just how heavy she feels in her arms. Korosensei's quick to back her up. Guiding Akari over to the couch, he plops her down gently and places a hand on her forehead. He looks concerned for just a split second, but quickly shakes it off, turning back to look Aguri's way.

"Is she…- is something wrong?" She asks, voice meek.

"I don't believe so," Korosensei reassures. "She's likely just exhausted after that expedition. All the same, I'll make sure to double-check. She's been through quite a lot tonight."

He presses a finger to her neck… stands there for a moment. Then, nodding, he says "Her pulse is normal. And she's not unconscious, either. Listen carefully."

Aguri steps forward, silent as instructed. And as she joins Korosensei by Akari's side she makes out a faint snoring… watches Akari's chest rise and fall.

"Ah," she says, relieved. "And so she's just sleeping."

"Indeed," Korosensei replies. "She had a very long day." He pauses. "Stay here with her for just one second, will you? I'm going to grab an ice pack and some bandages. Her temperature's still a little up, and I'd like to get a second look at her wound."

Aguri opens her mouth to speak- perhaps interject that she'd know where they keep things around the house better than he would, but she doesn't get the chance. He's already off. Gone in a blur, he disappears into the kitchen.

She jolts- shocked. She didn't realize he was capable of doing that. Nevertheless, she doesn't dwell on it long. And she doesn't dwell on the idea of her looking for things long, either. Not when she remembers that she probably doesn't remember where everything is as much as she thinks she does, anyways.

Korosensei's back in just a few seconds. Bandages, disinfectant, and an ice pack in hand, he crouches down to Akari's level and carefully undresses her wound. He stares at it for a long moment, uncertain.

Aguri frowns. She'd known Akari was hurt, but getting an actual look at it it looks pretty bad. It goes straight through the leg. Red and raw, she can make out the other side of the couch.

"Don't worry," Korosensei says. "I'm aware of how it looks, but I believe it's not as serious as it seems. Thankfully the projectile missed any major arteries. As long as we keep it disinfected and clean, things should be fine."

Aguri's hardly sure about that, but she supposes that he's the expert here. She just hopes that that's not hurting Akari. She doesn't know what she'd do if she was suffering.

('Something… about the wound seems familiar,' she thinks, but quickly shakes the thought. Ah… there's no time to dwell on it right now. It's too hard to focus. She can worry about… w- whatever caused this later. All that matters now is that Akari is home and safe.)

"That's good," she says, quietly.

"Mmhmm," Korosensei replies, working away at the injury. Akari flinches slightly as he dabs at it with disinfectant, but doesn't wake. Instead, whimpering in her sleep, she turns over and tugs away.

"I know. It hurts," Korosensei coos. "...But it's for your own good. I promise."

In no time at all, he's finished. Content with his work, he redresses Akari's bandages and rolls her back over.

"There," he says. "That wasn't so bad, was it? Now just take this."

Carefully, he places the ice pack on her forehead.

"The most important thing right now is making sure she maintains a consistent temperature," he explains. "I believe that her injury isn't serious, but the tentacles are another story. We've got to make sure that she stays cool. They took a lot of important energy out of her… and if we're not careful she could suffer from heat stroke."

"Heatstroke?" Aguri repeats, slightly panicked.

"It's not likely," Korosensei reassures. "But she really, really pushed herself. I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Aguri reaches out to place a hand on Akari's forehead. True to Korosensei's word, she's warm to the touch. She doesn't think she's as hot as when they first reunited, but it's still definitely of note. She wouldn't want anything to happen, either.

"Should I get some water?" She asks.

"I was just about to say that, actually," Korosensei replies. "Can you do that? I'm going to run to the store and grab some Mafenide Acetate."

He must notice the way Aguri tenses, because he says "Do not worry. It shouldn't take long. I don't intend to leave the two of you alone right now. I'll be gone for fifteen seconds at most."

"Oh," Aguri says. "...Alright, then. If you- if you swear it'll be quick."

She feels selfish saying that, especially with Akari suffering right now… but she really doesn't want to be alone. If… if this person were to disappear, then who knows what Yanagisawa would do to her when he comes back for her.

"I will be," he reassures. "Promise. You just grab that water in the meantime. Slither: like I taught you. I'll be back momentarily."

And with that… he's gone. Yet again, he zooms towards the door. Aguri stares, awestruck, for a moment, but quickly reminds herself that she has something to do. And stumbling to her feet, she makes her way towards the kitchen.

She manages to make it maybe halfway there before the door swings open. She whips around, shoulders tense, only to see Korosensei, pharmacy bag in hand.

"Don't mind me," he says. "I'll apply this. You just focus on you." He pauses. "And let me know if you need any help, alright? I'll be over in a jiffy."

Nodding, Aguri resumes her stumble. She just about trips, but reminds herself to do what Korosensei instructed… drag herself along. She… she doesn't have to be fast.

(At least. She hopes not. Akari's… Akari's not depending on her, is she?)

Trying her best to stay calm, she makes her way into the kitchen and looks around. Things are different from how she last saw them. The room's surprisingly messy, and it looks like only a single seat has been touched in months. The chair at the head of the table stands alone. It hasn't been pulled out in ages.

(That's-)

"Dad's," she says, slightly panicked. "Wait. Is Dad here? It doesn't seem like-"

"He left, apparently," Korosensei says from the other room. "At least… that's what your sister told me. Something about being too distraught after you passed. That said, however, I didn't get the impression that he was harmed. He simply did not want to continue to live here."

And so… Akari's been living here alone, huh? That would explain the dismal atmosphere. Aguri feels her gut twist, shuffling past untouched seats and discarded shopping bags as she makes her way over to the cabinet.

(...There's something Akari drew when she was three or four pinned to the fridge.)

It takes a few tries just to get it open. Aguri's hands feel weird, and it's hard to get a grip on the handle. One of her hands doesn't really have fingers anymore- but rather two misshapen, elongated graspers. And although the other: her left, is a bit better… it's not her dominant hand, and it's not like it's in a completely normal state, either. Her fingers have stretched into uneven, twitching, and sickly looking tentacles. And despite her best efforts, they feel too weak to really get much done. She has to depend on the right hand to wretch the cabinet open- trying desperately to ignore the throbbing of her veins as she does.

She scans the cabinet and decides on a small glass cup… reaches out to grab it and hesitates. Wondering, really, if she can carry something like that, she glances back down at her hands. Maybe she should ask Korosensei for help.

...No.

Korosensei is doing something important right now. He's taking care of Akari. If she can't even do this on her own then she'd really have to be pathetic. She'll stop whining and take care of it. She wouldn't want to be a burden, after all.

She doesn't even get a chance to shut the cabinet.

The minute she's removed the cup from it, it slips from her grasp. She scrambles- trying to catch it in time, but it simply slips from her grasp a second time and bounces back onto the counter. There, it shatters.

The noise rings out through the house. And heart racing, Aguri freezes. Eyes wide… hands shaking, she takes a step back- and all at once, she hears a horrible whooshing sound heading her way. She covers her head with her hands, ducks, and lets out an apologetic scream.

"I-I'm sorry!" She yelps. "I didn't mean to!"

There's a long moment of silence. But as no pain surges through Aguri's body… cautiously, she peeks open an eye. There, she sees Korosensei standing next to her, staring at her with a pitying gaze.

She'd… really thought he was going to strike her, hadn't she? 'What a cruel assumption,' she thinks. Of… of course he hadn't. And yet it had just come as such a natural reaction. She hadn't even needed to think it through.

"I'm… sorry," she says again, this time for a different reason. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay," Korosensei says. "Don't sweat it." He pauses… crouching. "Now then, let me help you clean that up. I'm sorry for scaring you."

Aguri's gut twists. She feels terrible. This… this person has been nothing but nice to her since she met him, and she's acting like he's going to hit her? What's wrong with her!? She really deserves to be hit at that rate.

Of course, she doesn't say any of that. She simply stares awkwardly as Korosensei gets to work cleaning up her mess. She reaches a hand out to help, but he stops her halfway.

"Don't push yourself," he says. "I'll take care of this. I'm sorry for putting any of this on you in the first place." He sighs. "I should have just let you rest. Go in there with Akari, will you? I'll get her some water. You just try and relax."

Aguri's lip wavers. She wishes there was more she should do. But not wanting to burden him any more than she already has, she stumbles to her feet and does as told.

"I'll be right back over there," Korosensei reassures. "Just give me one moment, alright?"

Aguri nods. Dragging one heavy tentacle after the other, she makes her way into the living room. It's funny… his voice is patient- understanding, but somehow that just makes her feel all the more ashamed. This person is walking on eggshells around her, isn't he?

She remembers, briefly, who he said he was. And at the thought, her heart only twists more. Reaper seeing her like that... the idea makes her sick. She's really degraded a lot since he last saw her, huh?

(He's got to be disappointed.)

Trying her best not to cry then and there, she arrives at the couch and places herself down next to Akari. Thankfully, the girl's still sleeping. At least Aguri has that going for her. She doesn't know what she'd do if her screwup woke Akari up on top of all of that.

It's maybe a minute or two before Korosensei returns. It feels like an eternity compared to how long it took him to get the burn ointment.

"That was a while," Aguri says, concerned. "Did anything else break?"

"No," Korosensei reassures, glass in hand. "I got everything cleaned up. I just realized that perhaps I shouldn't be using my supersonic speed around you."

"Supersonic… speed?" Aguri repeats.

"An effect of my tentacles," Korosensei explains. "Something you've got, too. You utilized it earlier when you were attempting to get away from me and the class." He pauses. "Usually it's quite useful, but it dawned on me that it may be a little frightening right now to subject you to something like that while you're still all sorts of confused."

...Ah. And so that's what he's been doing: how he's been moving so fast. Aguri's still not really sure if she understands it entirely, but it's more context than before.

"You don't have to do that for me," she murmurs. "I'd… I'd hate to rob you of-"

"No," Korosensei interjects. "It's nothing. I promise. As long as you'd like, I'm willing to stop." By now he's made his way over to the two of them. He crouches down by Aguri's side… lifts the glass to Akari's lips. "Would you like me to stop?"

Aguri hesitates.

"...Maybe a little," she finally admits. "It's… uh- when you're moving that fast it's hard to tell what you're going to do." She's quiet for a long moment. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Korosensei reassures, tipping the glass back. Carefully, he trickles water into Akari's mouth. She lets out a frustrated, sleepy groan.

"Yeah, yeah... I know," he murmurs. "You just want to sleep. But drink a little for me, alright?"

It's subtle, but some of the color seems to return to Akari's face. Aguri knows she should be relieved… but another part of her feels guilty. Why is it that Korosensei's doing this… not her?

"Sorry I couldn't… I couldn't grab that, either," she says. "It should have been simple, but-"

"Don't beat yourself up," Korosensei says. "You're still adapting. It was foolish of me to push that on you in the first place." He pauses. "Do not worry about what you still cannot do. I'll take care of it. And I promise… it will get easier with time."

Aguri shifts, slightly.

'With time.' What a notion. She sincerely doubts she'll get even that. Yanagisawa will be back for her… he'll return her to that place. And when he does, he'll make her pay for her insolence. There's no doubt in her mind of that.

And besides. Even if he weren't going to by some god-forsaken miracle is this even really much better? Existing like this forever? Korosensei says it gets better, but he isn't- he wasn't…- he didn't start out as someone like her.

(Someone who was already so useless before)

Aguri doesn't share her dark thoughts. She'd hate to bring down the mood… and Korosensei has more important things to focus on than her issues right now.

Slowly but surely, he manages to get Akari hydrated. He readjusts her ice pack and applies some burn ointment to the back of her neck.

She lets out another uncomfortable murmur, but doesn't stir. Still snoring, she curls in on herself.

"She's… really sleeping through all of this, huh?" Aguri asks.

"Indeed," Korosensei replies. "The tentacles exhausted her. She worked herself incredibly hard. She may be out of it for the next few days."

He must notice the look of concern that crosses Aguri's face, because he says "That said, however… it should pass. Do not worry. No permanent harm should come to her. I'll make sure of it."

Slowly, he rises to his feet.

"We should be getting her to bed. She's had a long day. Let's tuck her in… then we can worry about getting you settled."

Aguri's not exactly comfortable with the attention being redirected to her, but she nods. She stumbles to her feet and waits for his next instruction.

Carefully, Korosensei scoops Akari into his arms. He removes her ice pack and places it in his pocket, promising he'll return it soon. Then, turning to Aguri, he says "Do you need a hand? I wouldn't want to put her to bed without you."

"I… think I'll be fine," Aguri says, voice weary. "Don't worry about me. I'll follow after."

Korosensei hesitates- perhaps not wanting to humiliate her, but soon does as told. Taking the lead, he makes his way into the hall and starts to head upstairs.

"Is this the right way?" He asks.

"Yeah," Aguri says. "I… think it's not far from here. Up and then… little to the right, maybe?"

It's hard to remember. She hasn't lived here in a very long time. She wracks her mind… desperately trying to make sense of it. Dad's bedroom is at the end of the hall, right? And then Aguri sleeps downstairs. That would mean…-

"Yeah," she says. "Two doors to the right. It's the bathroom, and then Akari's bedroom."

It used to be hers. But when Akari was born she wanted her sister to have the bigger room and ended up moving to the bedroom downstairs. Now that had ended up backfiring… since 90% of the time a young Akari wanted to sleep in her room, anyways.

Korosensei creaks open the door. Peeking his head in, he flicks on the light and then motions for Aguri to follow.

...Akari's room is a mess. Sheets undone and window shades snapped shut, it's a shrine to her isolation. Various papers litter the floor, although a surprisingly organized stack sits on her desk. Aguri only takes a glance, but they seem to detail her experience with the tentacles. D.I.Y research notes; written in increasingly messy handwriting.

'It hurts,' they say. 'It hurts so much. But it'll be all worth it in the end. I'll make him pay.'

Aguri looks away. Decidedly uncomfortable, her gaze drifts to a framed photograph lying on the bedside table.

It's of her and Akari, maybe just a few years back. They're watching a movie or some other equally as inconsequential thing… and Aguri had stuck her arm out, pausing to take a pic. Akari had complained at the time- saying it really wasn't necessary, but Aguri had reminded her that it was important to make memories.

She stares at it for a long moment.

...Both of them are smiling.

She tears her gaze away, turning to Korosensei as he slides Akari into bed. He's careful not to tuck her in: mindful of her body temperature. Instead, he simply straightens out her bedsheets and places the ice pack back on her head.

She looks so peaceful, lying there. For just a moment, despite the bags etched in under her eyes, she rests… and it comes as a relief to Aguri. Now that's the sister she knows.

She's changed so much since she last saw her. She can't believe she dyed her hair… grew a few inches… enrolled in her class. Akari outright attacked a man for her. It's as if an eternity has passed. But then again, Aguri supposes she can't really comment.

...She's changed, too, after all.

Regardless, she's careful to memorize how Akari looks lying there. It's been a long time since she's seen anything like this… and she doesn't want to forget again.

Satisfied with his work, Korosensei turns back to face the door. "I'll continue to check in with her throughout the night just in case… but I have a feeling she'll sleep through."

"Mm…" Aguri says. And yet… she hesitates. She feels like there's still something that she needs to do.

"Wait," she says. "Can we have a moment alone? I'd just like to talk to her."

"Of course," Korosensei says. "I'll wait right outside. You two take all of the time that you need."

And with that, he leaves the two of them alone.

Slowly… Aguri lowers herself to the ground. Kneeling on the carpeted floor, she reaches out to place a hand on Akari's forehead and runs her 'fingers' through her hair. She feels a little gross… like she shouldn't be touching Akari at all in the condition she's in, but she has to make sure it's real just one last time.

She's still warm to the touch, but looking miles better than she did earlier in the evening. Letting out a muffled snore… she shifts, slightly, and frowns in her sleep.

"Hey," Aguri says, voice quiet. "I hope I'm not waking you up. I just wanted to say a few things before I left. I missed you a lot, you know."

She frowns.

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long. I'm sorry I'll probably be gone again soon. But it was nice to see you while I still could. You've come a long way since I've seen you last. I was lucky to get that opportunity." She pauses. "...I'm really proud of you. And I hope we'll be able to talk at least one more time before this is all over."

She knows that's not likely… but it's nice to think about. And saying it aloud makes her feel a bit better, at the very least.

Briefly, she considers undoing Akari's hair ties. She looks so uncomfortable lying there in bed with her pigtails still up. But she soon decides better of it. She remembers dropping the glass earlier. It's not like she's got much control of her body. She'd hate to pull Akari's hair.

Instead, she settles for giving Akari one last pat on the forehead. She says "I love you," and "I'll see you in the morning, alright?" before stumbling to her feet and just about collapsing onto the bed. She catches herself… breathing heavy, and thankful to not have disturbed Akari.

"Goodnight," she says, if only for clarity's sake. "And thank you. For everything."

As she turns to leave, there's this song in her head... this silly little thing she sang to Akari back when she was a baby. It always helped get her to sleep. Aguri's not sure why she thinks of it now… Akari's already fast asleep, after all. But all the same, she hums it as she reaches out to take the door and flick out the light.

'A canary sings

A cradle song

Sleep, sleep,

Sleep, child.

Above the cradle,

The loquat fruits sway

Sleep, sleep,

Sleep, child.

A squirrel rocks

The cradle by its rope

Sleep, sleep,

Sleep, child.

Dreams in a cradle,

With the yellow moon shining down

Sleep, sleep,

Sleep, child.'

And she hopes that Akari will be able to lay as peacefully as she is now still in the morning.

Korosensei is waiting for her outside. That same patient smile on his face, he cocks his head and says "We should probably be getting you to your room, too. You need lots of rest."

He reaches out a hand for a moment, but Aguri hesitates. When she doesn't move, he unfurls a smaller tentacle from his sleeve… places it on her shoulder, and says "I'll help you get there, alright? Do not worry. Just tell me where, and I'll lead the way."

...Getting there isn't really the main issue. Still, Aguri does as told… taking Korosensei's tentacle with one hand, and pointing down the hall with the other.

"It's back downstairs," she says. "Just past the kitchen."

Korosensei nods… guiding her down the hall. He stops as they reach the stairs- tells her to lean on him.

"Going down may be slightly harder than going up."

Carefully, he helps her slide down. He makes sure she doesn't fall- that she touches down safely at the landing on the other side of the steps. And when they've finally arrived, he releases his touch on her shoulders, asking her if she feels alright.

"Yeah," she says, only-half lying. "That was fine."

Quite frankly, she hadn't even really processed it. She'd been too focused on the feel of his hands around her back to even think about making her way down the stairs. She'd just blinked… taken a deep breath, and then arrived.

She clings tight to his tentacle as he makes his way into the kitchen, and subsequently down the hall.

There, he cracks open her door… peeks his head inside. Then, pulling it back, he asks "Is this the place?"

Aguri stares inside. Sure enough, she recognizes it, and yet... the doorway seems forbidding. Looming over her, the darkness peeks out from inside and clutches at her heart. It feels so long since she's seen this place… and the shadows of her bed- her mirror- they make monsters… reminding her just how much she's lost.

She doesn't end up answering Korosensei's question.

Instead, grip tightening around his tentacle, she asks... voice quiet:

"Can you stay?"

Korosensei blinks.

"Pardon?"

"I… don't want to be alone right now," Aguri clarifies. "I'm scared that- I'm scared that Yanagisawa will come back for me. And I know that's selfish- I don't want you to put yourself at risk either… but I don't know how to- I'm just not ready to go back to that place right now. Can you stay with me, please? Even if it's a lot to ask?"

Her voice wavers. She feels ashamed even saying it- but she can't just not. The fear is so petrifying it locks up every limb in her body. She thinks about being alone right now and she wants to wretch.

It's narcissistic to ask for... his life is far more important than her not being lonely… but all the same-

She at least hopes this erases any pretenses that she doesn't like this person. That she doesn't trust him or believe in what he's saying. She's still not sure if she believes that one thing he said, but… she trusts him as a whole. She's thankful that he's here… and she wants to stay around him as long as she possibly can.

(He has an indescribably warm presence. )

"First of all," he says, surprisingly gently. "That is not selfish to ask of me. I'd be happy to stay here with you. Especially considering that second of all, that was the plan from the start." He pauses. "I did not want to risk anyone re-capturing you. I planned to hang around the home, at least for a little bit. Would you like me to stay in there with you tonight?"

"That… would be nice," Aguri says, giving a meek nod. And some tension seems to release. She feels a lot better now that she knows he's not going anywhere.

He squeezes her hand slightly, then leads the way inside. He flicks on the light, and slowly, the two of them take a look around.

It hasn't been touched in months. She moved in with Yanagisawa well over a year ago. She can tell that Dad and Akari tried to take care of it… but a fine layer of dust coats the room, and her nose wrinkles as she steps inside.

Thankfully, most of her stuff still seems to be there, at least. Yanagisawa hadn't wanted her to take anything 'stupid' or 'embarrassing' along when she moved in. She'd felt really hurt by it at the time- desperately tried to convince him otherwise… but in hindsight, it's actually pretty nice. After all, anything she's left at his place is as good as gone by now.

Her bed's neatly folded across the room… but Aguri doesn't rush to it, and Korosensei allows her to take her time. She peers around in the dim light… soaks in the familiar scent, and tries, quietly, to process just how long it's been since she'd last been here.

It almost feels like an unfamiliar location entirely: a relic of a bygone era. But as she shuts her eyes… breathes in through her nose, she knows she recognizes the feeling.

Slowly… she starts to drag herself across the ground. Still clinging tight to Korosensei's tentacle, she maneuvers herself across the room… and stops- pauses - halfway to bed.

There, on the armoire, rests a mirror. She stares into it for a long moment… finally processing what sort of state she's in for the first time since she'd stepped foot out of that lab.

Even through a fine layer of dust, it's easy to tell that things are bad. Her skin's grown gray- colorless… and her eyes glow in the dim light. A bright golden with pitch-black sclera, their gaze is piercing... and she shudders, slightly at the sight of them.

Her face as a whole isn't much better. Raised, slightly reddish veins peek up from her cheeks… and larger, inflamed looking veins mar her chest and neck. Her hair falls over her shoulders- no longer actually hair, but rather thick… sickly looking tentacles. They twitch as she stares at them… writhe in an unnatural manner.

They cover her. It's not just her face and throat. A tentacle rises from her shoulder, reconnecting with her inner arm. Her hands are mutilated. Her feet are long since gone. Every part of her has been consumed - replaced with some facsimile- some sick mockery of the human form.

Bile rising in her throat… shame surfacing in her gut, she tries to tear her gaze away, but is unable. Instead, letting every aspect of it sink in, she feels just as helpless as before.

Yes. That's it. Not scared. Helpless. She's known this was coming for a very long time… known she was turning into something horrible. But all the same… seeing it with her own two eyes…-

(Rope-like, split-ended arms. Twisted, stringy-textured skin. Bubbling flesh and spasming veins… legs that she can't even make out.)

Oh god. Yanagisawa was right.

It's a long moment before Korosensei reaches out for her. But when he does, placing a hand on her shoulder, his voice is melancholy.

"You should probably stop looking," he says, trying to nudge her away.

And Aguri wants to… she really does. She wants to listen to that kind advice. But there's just one more thing that's bothering her…- one more thing she has to look at before she goes.

...Her gaze drifts down to her stomach.

And, there, rests the worst of it all. A massive wound sits where she was maimed all those months ago… still every bit as repulsive as it was back then. Held together, barely, by tentacles, the injury throbs and pulsates… an almost tumor-like texture around it. A reminder, clearly… of the mistakes that she made, and of the fact that she shouldn't be here right now at all.

Korosensei's gaze must drift to it too, because he pauses. She sees his expression twist in the mirror. And yet she's aware that this must not be his first time seeing it. She's outgrown her patients' gowns far enough for it to be clearly visible. He's been looking at it all this time.

"...Ah," he says. "You're right. We should probably get you out of those scrubs and into something more fitting. You don't deserve to live like a lab rat."

Instantly, he's started to dig through her drawers. But before he can get far Aguri reaches a hand out, reminding him that that won't exactly work.

"I… probably won't fit in any of my old clothes," she says, glancing at one elongated, misshapen arm. "Don't go wasting your time. I'll be fine."

Admittedly… yeah, she feels a little bad staying in the patients' gowns, and even worse staying with her wound on full display, but she's already wasted enough of Korosensei's time. She'd hate to ask him for this on top of all of that.

He reaches out to grab a shirt anyways… holding it up to compare it to her, but must come to the same conclusion, because he soon tucks it away with a sigh.

"Ah," he says. "I suppose that would be an issue, yes. Still… I feel bad seeing you in such a state." He pauses, thinking for a long second. Then, he reaches up to remove his cloak from his shoulders.

At first Aguri hardly even processes what he's doing. But as he holds it out towards her, that still-kind expression on his face, it clicks.

"Take this, at least," he says. "It's not much… but it's far better than nothing."

Aguri stares. Blinking hesitantly, she says, "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Korosensei replies. "I've still got a perfectly good shirt and tie. You take this for the night. You clearly need it more than I do."

Eyes watering, Aguri nods and takes the cloak. Some part of her still feels a little ashamed, but she'd hate to refute his kindness. And besides… something feels comforting as she slides it on over her shoulders. A feeling she can't quite place: A familiar smell.

He doesn't give her much more time to look at the mirror. The minute she's got the cloak on he guides her on over to bed. He says "It's about time you get some rest. Worry about all that stressful stuff in the morning, alright? For now, just try and sleep."

Nodding, she slides into bed. It takes some effort, and he has to help her heave herself up, but eventually, they get the job done.

...He doesn't lie down next to her.

"Hey," she says. "It's okay. You can sleep too. Feel free to lie down." She pauses. "If you'd like, I mean."

It's meant as an offer, but it ends up sounding more like a plea.

Korosensei hesitates, but soon flicks off the light and subsequently slides himself in bed next to her. It's clear there's a sense of awkwardness to it- shame, almost… but he simply doesn't have the heart to turn her down.

"I'd like that very much," he says, bed creaking as he makes himself at home.

...He radiates warmth.

It's been a long time since she's laid down next to anyone like this. She savors the feeling. Even if he's practically a stranger, it feels good just to hold someone close. Not that she actually holds him, of course. Some part of her wants to cling to him- pull herself into his form and bury her face in his neck, but even she knows better than to do that.

And besides, she's content just having company at all.

Shifting, slightly, he tells her that she can sleep easy. "I'll make sure to stay here all night… ensure that nothing happens to you or your sister. And so please don't worry about keeping your guard up, alright? I'll do the protecting."

Aguri gives a nod. She hardly believes it… it's not easy to just let your guard down after something like that, but it's the thought that counts. And even with her heart racing, she feels slightly safer with this person around.

"I'll… try my best," she says. "And thank you again. For coming back for me, I mean."

"Of course," Korosensei replies. "I wouldn't have had it any other way."

He pauses for a long moment.

"Goodnight, Yukimura. I hope you rest well."

Aguri opens her mouth to speak, some words still weighing on her tongue… but nothing seems to come out. And so instead she simply shuts her eyes and murmurs back "Goodnight."

She lays there… eyes closed, for what feels like forever. But try as she might to soothe her thoughts, sleep doesn't creep up on her. The darkness unsettles her- and when she closes her eyes she sees nothingness. It reminds her of her days back at the lab… her inevitable fate.

It's the sort of thing that makes her feel ridiculous. Korosensei wants her to sleep and so she just should. She doesn't want to annoy him, right? But… it's hard. How is she just supposed to sleep and pretend that nothing happened after all of that? He's telling her that she needs rest- and the truth is she probably does… but there are a hundred-thousand things she still wants to say.

It's maybe five minutes that she manages to lay there. But as the unease becomes unbearable, she speaks up in a quiet voice.

"Can we… talk about one more thing, actually? Before I sleep?"

It's a moment before Korosensei replies, but when he does it's in a patient tone.

"Of course," he says. "What is it?"

"Well…-" Aguri pauses, mouth dry. "Are you sure, actually? If- if you're tired I'd hate to keep you up."

"I do not intend to sleep in the first place," Korosensei replies. "And so please don't worry about disturbing me. The only person I'm concerned about getting ample rest is you. If there's anything you feel the need to get off your chest first, then please do so."

Aguri blinks. Quite frankly… she didn't expect to get this far. There's definitely something weighing on her chest… far too much to even vocalize, but where is she even supposed to start?

"Is it… normal?" She asks. "To feel like it's not real? Being out of that place, or whatever?"

Korosensei's quiet. Repositioning himself, slightly, he asks "Pardon?"

"You were there, too. Right? You're like me."

'That's how we met,' she thinks, but won't dare believe it.

"You were also experimented on. Is it… normal for it to not feel real for a bit? Feel like…- like you're just dreaming? Or that it's just temporary? That he's going to come back for you?"

"Well…-" Korosensei drifts off. "I can't say I particularly experienced the same thing, but…" he pauses. "That could also be a result of how many mistakes I made in breaking out. In many ways… my life would have been better if that was all just a dream." He shakes his head. "That said, however. I don't think there's anything abnormal about what you're experiencing. You're still processing that you're no longer in that situation. But I promise you that this is real… and I promise that he will not be coming back for you. I'll tell you that as many times as you need to hear."

"Mmm," Aguri replies, feeling her gut twist, slightly. The puncture in her abdomen pulsates again and again. She feels bad for bringing up bad memories.

Some part of her is tempted to shut up and just go to sleep based on that alone. But she only manages to stay silent for maybe thirty seconds.

"Did he… ever come back for you?" She asks. "Try to take you back to that place?"

"Come back for me?" Korosensei asks. "No. He never came back for me."

He pauses.

"Well… I have seen him a fair bit since then, but he never tried to return me to that laboratory. He was far more focused on trying to lay a hand on me… something which I promise I will not allow him to do to you."

"Yeah," Aguri says, voice empty. "I know." She drifts off. "I guess it's just… it's scary, you know? It was really bad in there."

'Lay a hand on him,' Korosensei says… and in some way Aguri is almost relieved. He sugarcoats it, but she knows what that means. She heard Yanagisawa say it himself: he was trying to kill Korosensei. And she can only hope that he'll do the same for her. She'd rather die- be put down like a monster than ever have to face going back to that place.

"It was… it was so painful," she continues. "Sometimes I-" But she cuts herself off. "Well, I probably shouldn't talk about it, actually. It's… a lot."

She feels ashamed. As desperate as she is to process the situation, she will not put that on Korosensei. She doesn't want anyone to know just how bad she was doing in there.

(She stares down at her hands, backlit by the flickering nightlight.)

...She doesn't want anyone to know how bad she's doing right now.

"I'm sure it is," Korosensei replies. "But for the record, please feel free to talk about it. I will not force you… that's your decision to make, after all, but there is no need to feel ashamed. I went through what you went through, too."

(He says that, but he's not behaving like she is. He's not- he's not acting irrational… scared out of his mind.)

"Nah," she says. "I've… talked enough."

('I don't want to bother you.')

"And besides, it doesn't matter that much, anyways."

('It matters more than words could possibly say.')

Korosensei pauses, but doesn't argue. Instead, tone calm as ever, he says "Very well then. I'm here for you if you change your mind. And if you don't… well, I hope you rest well."

"Mm," Aguri replies, rolling back over. She stares at the wall, heart thumping in her chest as she tries to will herself to close her eyes.

Why is… why is this so hard?

"One more thing," she says, abruptly. "One last- this is the last time for real, I swear. There's just one more thing- I mean… I probably should have talked about…" She drifts off.

"Yes?" Korosensei asks, almost as if he'd been expecting her to speak. "What is it?"

"I guess I just… I guess I just wanted to thank you for being here. Again." She pauses. "I know I'm probably repeating myself a lot. And I'm probably getting on your nerves, but- but it was really lonely. And I…- it feels good to have someone to sit by me. Even if that… that's probably why I'm oversharing so much. Why I'm-"

"You're not oversharing," Korosensei interjects. "...Please, feel free to talk. And for the record…" He's quiet for a long moment. "I'm glad you're here too."

Aguri blinks back tears. She knows it's probably an overreaction… the 'bare minimum' or whatever, but it still feels really, really nice to hear.

"I think that… I think that the loneliness was the worst part."

"Yeah?" Korosensei asks.

"Yeah. I didn't have anyone to talk to for a really, really long time." She pauses. "It was… it was so scary. Having something like that happen to me but- but no-one to- to dissect it with. I'm this sort of- I'm a needy person… I need everything laid out for me. I can't- I like- I can't get by without other people. Without them I felt so… so helpless." She curls in on herself. "I was."

Korosensei's quiet for a long moment. For a second she thinks she's done something to make him mad, but when he finally sits up and glances over at her, it's with sad eyes.

"Now I'm sure that's not true," he reassures. "That said, however. I'm… sorry you went through that. You didn't deserve it, and please allow me to reassure you that you are not needy or helpless."

He says it with such conviction, but Aguri doesn't believe it for a second. This person's just met her, after all, hasn't he?

('You know that's not true,' she thinks. 'You're just ashamed to be seen.' But all the same, he didn't really know anything about her, either, did he? He never saw just how worthless she was.

...That's why he cried when she died.)

"Sit up, why don't you?" Korosensei asks. "It's clear you're not going to be able to sleep." He pauses. "And I mean that in the least offensive way. It seems you've just got a lot on your mind." He tilts his head. "Talk to me about it. Sleep can wait."

Aguri feels like she's screwed up. She didn't mean to disturb him… make this into a whole thing. She just wanted to- to get it off her chest or whatever. Having it turned into a conversation as opposed to an interjection…-

Well, that feels bad.

Nevertheless, she sits up. She doesn't want to be any more difficult than she's already been, now. And besides, lying down was sort of making her shiver, anyways.

"Would you like tea or something?" Korosensei asks. "Strong sensory input can be good for grounding."

"...Nah," Aguri replies. "It's a little late for that, and besides," she pauses. "I don't think I could keep it down, anyways."

"That's fine," Korosensei replies. "I just thought I'd offer."

Trying not to look into his weary eyes or towards her own deformed body, Aguri adjusts her cloak and stares across the room at the night light. It flickers periodically… going on and off. She wonders how long it's been since anyone has replaced the battery.

(She's surprised it's still working at all.)

"So," she says, mouth dry. "What did you want me to talk about?"

"What did I want you to talk about?" Korosensei repeats. "...Well, nothing in particular. It's not my place. I simply saw you weren't ready to sleep yet, and I wasn't going to force you. I thought some company could help." He pauses. "You said loneliness was the worst part, after all, yes?"

"Mmm," Aguri replies, only half paying attention. She starts to fiddle with her hands, but stops the minute they touch. She doesn't exactly need a reminder.

(It's weird being able to move them. They were restrained for so long.)

"Just… talk about whatever you'd like, I suppose," Korosensei says.

"What I'd like?" Aguri asks, blinking slowly. "Well- well…- I'm hardly even sure."

He must hear the panic creeping up in her tone, because he reaches out to place a tentacle on her shoulder. Squeezing it gently, he says:

"It does not have to be anything serious. You're not in a place to dissect what just happened to you right now. And that's okay. Why don't we talk about something casual?"

"Something casual?"

"Yes. Just to get your mind off things."

"Like what?"

She still doesn't look his way, but she can feel Korosensei staring at her. He must have expected her to lead the conversation- come up with something- but when she doesn't he simply sighs and says, "What about the students?"

"Pardon?" Aguri asks, still staring at the nightlight.

"Why don't we talk about the students? They're a good thing," Korosensei repeats. "I could update you on how they've been doing while you were gone."

'While you were gone,' he says, and Aguri feels a knot in her stomach. Still, swallowing that doubt, she doesn't ask 'how long?' but rather says "I'd like that."

And some part of her legitimately would.

"Well," Korosensei says. "Things have been well! It took them a bit to warm up to me," he admits with an awkward chuckle "But as they grew used to my teaching methods they've really started to thrive. They're doing a bit better academically every day, and even more importantly they've started to come out of their shells. They've learned so much about themselves and each other since we first met."

"Recently they aced their first trimester finals," he continues, some of that sadness fading from his tone. "It came as such a pleasant surprise. Of course, I knew they could do it, but it's the sort of thing that makes you so proud. Seven of them got the highest score in their subject out of the whole school. They even bested the A-Class."

Aguri blinks. He's saying it so confidently, but something about that just doesn't add up to her. A-Class was… was the gifted class, right? There's no way that her class—

(Got the highest scores in the school.)

It's not that she doesn't believe in them. They have a spark in them, and she's sure they could do that if they really set out to try, but the truth is… they haven't. At least… not since she'd last seen them. She remembers quiet, cynical children. Kids with hopeless eyes.

She doesn't know Korosensei well enough to get a read on him yet. Is he just trying to cheer her up, or is he telling the truth? Is that a white lie, or…-

(Was he able to reach out to them just like she knew he would?)

She can hardly even process it.

She almost feels bad for not being more excited. Exaggeration or not, that's some news she's been wanting to hear for a very long time.

"...That's! That's wonderful!" She sputters. "And so you mean that- they really did that? No strings attached?"

"Well," Korosensei says with a laugh. "I never said NO strings. Terasaka and co, ever the mischievous bunch, aced their Home EC classes just to spite me. That said, however: I did not lie. They still received top marks in the grade, and their classmates legitimately scored in more… admirable subjects." He pauses. "Not that! Not that Home EC isn't admirable, of course! It's a very real skill! I just- I- Well! I'm sure you know what I meant!"

He reaches up to cover his face with those oddly shaped hands. Skin a flushed pink, he trembles and lets out an embarrassed sort of 'eep!'

Aguri can't help but stare. It's… uncharacteristic for him. But all the same, his goofy, easily flustered demeanor only serves to make him all the more approachable. There's a personal investment behind every word he says.

"Yeah," Aguri says. "Don't worry. I get it."

She's not sure why she's reassuring him, but it's not the bad kind of reassuring. She's almost started to breathe easier.

He's right. It IS nice to talk about the kids.

"Anyways," Korosensei continues, brushing himself off. "My slip of the tongue aside, I'm pleased to inform you that they are doing well. I almost cannot wait for you to see it." He shoots her a hopeful, almost desperate glance. "I hope you'll like what I've done."

And Aguri's sure she will. The state of the E-Class he's describing… it sounds wonderful. Not only are they thriving academically, but it sounds like an environment where they can be themselves and think outside of the box. The sort of thing she'd always wanted to foster.

(The sort of thing she hadn't been able to.)

...Well, whatever. She's not going to be jealous. It's pretty much only a given that he was able to do better than her. The bar is underground. As long as the kids are happy then she'll be happy, too. She's glad they have someone who can suit their needs now.

She's still not sure she understands everything about the class… why Akari was allowed to join or who the white-haired boy is, but she also supposes that none of that matters right now. They'll explain it to her in the morning.

For now… she'll try to accept that fantasy,

"It sounds… almost too good to be true," she replies. "I'm sure you did a wonderful job."

"Not too good to be true at all," Korosensei reassures. "You'll see in time. I reassure you."

"Mm," Agrui says. "Yeah. I know."

Still… something is bothering her. She remembers Yanagisawa's manic grin: the mad look in his eye as he described what he did to her students.

"You… meant what you said earlier, right?"

Korosensei pauses. "Pardon?"

"About them all being accounted for. That they're all safe."

"Of course," Korosensei replies. "Why? Did Yanagisawa tell you he hurt them?"

Flashes of children bleeding out come to mind,

"Yeah," Aguri says. "Something like that."

Korosensei doesn't speak… simply pulls her in closer and rests his hand on her shoulder.

She stares at it… dimly backlit by the flickering light. There's still something about it that she can't quite place. She's staring at those tentacles somewhere so far from here, and they wipe a tear from her cheek.

'Wonderful,' she thinks, desperate yet genuine. And suddenly she's bleeding out, too.

(The students aren't the only ones that Yanagisawa told her he killed.)

"Hey. Korosensei," she says. "Can I ask you a real question?"

"Mm?"

"Is it really you? Or were you just trying to make me feel better then, too?"

Korosensei's quiet for a bit… almost like it takes him a moment to process what she's saying. When he turns back to her there's a melancholy to his tone.

"Well," he says. "I suppose I could say yes. But there's very little I could do to prove that to you on words alone. Why?"

"I guess it would just… it would make me feel better to know that he's-" she pauses. "That you're here right now. There's a whole lot I've wanted to say."

"Hm," Korosensei replies. "A worthy conundrum indeed. Why don't you let me try something? I've been wondering if this would work again for a long time."

Aguri opens her mouth to speak, but doesn't get the chance. Slowly… more tentacles unfurl from the insides of Korosensei's sleeve, and as they do, a light overtakes the room.

Shedding a faint golden glow, the tentacles weave their way together. Warm to the touch and so strangely familiar, they congregate into a familiar shape… one that reaches across Aguri's chest and places itself on her cheek.

That of a human hand.

It's an illusion, of course. If she looks closely she can make out the thousands of tiny tentacles making it up. But if she squints… it almost looks coherent. And even more importantly…-

That's a touch that she knows.

It comes rushing back to her: that last day at the lab. She's begging him for a reason to go on and he reaches out across the glass… risking his escape attempt just to soothe her. At the time it had felt so comforting… now it's more bittersweet, but all the same-

"Ah," he says, almost sheepish. "And so it did work. I had a feeling, but…" he pauses. "I suppose I just hadn't really had a worthy reason to try."

It's him.

It is. She knows that it is. And she's known it all along. Drowning in the golden light… letting it overtake the dim glow of the nightlight and the darkness of the room, she lets out a giddy, almost manic laugh. She tears up… shakes her head- leans ravenously into his embrace.

She should have spotted it earlier… should have recognized that comforting presence. Sure, it's changed… but what about them hasn't? All it's done is blossomed in that time. All of the kind things he's done for her tonight… they're things she's felt before! By his side!

"It really is you!" She cries. "Oh my god! It's really you!"

She can hardly even contain her joy. And for a second it all fades away. Her situation… the crippling pain: it's left in the past. She stares into his eyes and she's free. She meets his kind gaze. And as her eyes drift downwards towards his chest, she catches sight of something she knows she's seen before.

The tie.

There it is, worn 'round his neck like a medallion. It's got a pattern stitched into it now, but it's undeniably the same: the gift that she gave him

(He liked it!? He really liked it!? She can hardly even believe her eyes!)

"He didn't hurt you! Oh thank god! He didn't hurt you! I missed you so much!"

She wraps her arms around him. And for a split second, The Reaper looks happy. But as she leans in to do what she does next, that happiness quickly fades.

Aguri tries to kiss him.

She's not even sure what comes over her. She's just… so happy to see him again! Losing complete control, she buries herself in that moment of respite- and reaching out to grasp at that happy ending, she does what she's wanted to do for oh so long.

Reaper's face flashes grey. Pink. Blue. The light follows suit. And then, abruptly, it flickers out- leaving the two of them alone in the dark. Reaper pulls himself back, the 'hand' jerking from her cheek, and hurls himself against the wall.

"Woah!" He says, utterly shocked. "Now let's not get ahead of ourselves!"

And all at once, the illusion fades.

Recognizing the discomfort in his tone, Aguri pulls back as well. And almost instantly shame washes over her. Eyes wide- she realizes what she's done… and heart heavy, she remembers where she is right now. She'd almost forgotten, but that's right. She's… this, now, and they are not back then.

Things have changed.

"I'm- I'm so sorry-" she gasps. "...I'm not sure what came over me. I guess- I guess I just assumed that-" She shakes her head, tearing up for an entirely different reason now. "No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thought that you felt the same. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just so happy to see you and I… I-"

She what? 'Lost control?' That's no excuse for that kind of behavior!

"...I won't do it again."

Reaper's looking at her, expression intense. His face is still that dark, deep shade of blue… an aspect of that form she doesn't recognize. 'That's right,' she reminds herself. 'He's… Korosensei now. Not Reaper. He's not bound to feel the same.'

(And if she's being honest, it's pretty much a joke that Reaper would have been attracted to her, either.)

Closing his eyes and breathing in deep, Korosensei finally speaks.

"No," he says. "There's… no need to apologize. Do not worry about making me uncomfortable." Pausing for a long moment, he steeples his fingers. "That is not why I told you to stop. I'm simply concerned for your sake, Yukimura. There are… much more important things for you to be focusing on right now. You just got out of an insanely traumatic situation. If I allowed you to kiss me, then I'd only feel like I was taking advantage of you."

"You've got your family and yourself to be worrying about right now," he continues. "I would never want to distract you from that. I apologize if I gave you the wrong impression. Perhaps I shouldn't have…-"

"No," Aguri breathes out heavily. "It's… fine." She pauses. "It's… really good to know you're alive. I'm the only one who crossed a boundary." She's shaking, slightly. "...I'm the one who made a mistake."

And Korosensei's right. Aguri doesn't know what she was thinking. She's got- she's got so much to process right now… a little sister to take care of. She shouldn't be worrying about… about-

(Well, she always has been the sort to focus on the wrong things)

God, she's an idiot.

"Don't think of it like that," Korosensei replies. "Or at least… don't beat yourself up. It was an honest misunderstanding." He sighs. "Just… please: do not try anything like that again... for your own sake. I'd feel immeasurably bad for putting you in that sort of situation. I'm glad you're alive, too. I really missed you. And I would never be angry with you, but..." he drifts off. "I don't want to make things any worse for you than they already are."

"...You wouldn't make it worse," Aguri reassures, voice quiet.

Shaking his head, Korosensei says "All the same, I'm not interested in being involved with anything of the sort. And you shouldn't be, either. Worry about yourself first and foremost. Later you can focus on… all of that."

"Mmm," Aguri replies, eyes glued to the floor.

"Again, for the record: I am not mad at you," Korosensei reassures, letting out a sigh. "I promise you: I am still very happy that you are here right now… and I missed you more than words can say. But I don't intend to fail you a second time. And I will do everything within my power to make sure that you end up alright."

Blinking softly, Aguri feels ashamed. It's clear that this person really cares about her. And what did she do for him in return? Accuse him of not being the person he said he was and then try to force herself onto him? That's not how a friend behaves. That's not how anyone does!

"I should sleep," she says rather abruptly.

"Are you sure?" Korosensei asks. "If there's still something you'd like to get off your chest-"

"No," Aguri replies. "I'm sure."

...There's still a lot on her mind... still a lot that she wants to say about how weird it is to not be in pain or how sorry she is that Korosensei had to see her like this, but now's not the time. She's already done more than enough damage for one night… and she got her answers. It's official: she got her best friend- the only person who ever told her he believed in her- back, and she's already managed to alienate him.

Things couldn't possibly be any more clear than that.

"Very well then," Korosensei says. He sounds skeptical, but he must know better than to argue. "That's good. You should get some rest. I apologize for trying to force you to sleep earlier. I just did not know how to handle the situation and thought that rest could help you in ways that I couldn't. I hope this talk at least eased a few of your fears."

"It did," Aguri awkwardly reassures. "And… don't worry about what you can't fix. Just keeping me company helps."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she replies, turning over and laying down. "I'll go to sleep for real now. Sorry again for…-" she pauses. "All of that."

"Don't be," Korosensei replies. "Just... clear your mind of those sorts of things for now, alright? They'll only drag you down."

He doesn't stand, but he doesn't motion to lay down next to her, either. Sitting awkwardly with legs off the side of the bed, he cranes his neck her way and shoots her a look. He looks, briefly, like he's considering reaching out his hand for her to hold… but he retracts it last minute: not wanting to give her the 'wrong idea' or anything.

Aguri averts her gaze.

"Goodnight," she says, voice quiet.

"Goodnight, Yukimura. Rest well."

And with that, she closes her eyes. For a moment she returns to the darkness… suppresses a full-body shudder, but as Korosensei reaches up not to lay down next to her, but to place a blanket over her, he starts to hum.

It's this subtle… unintrusive sound. Aguri peeks open an eye- confused, to look at him… only to catch him looking back over at her. And when she shuts her eyes- nestles back down into her pillow, the melody continues. It resounds throughout the room, quiet… but comforting nevertheless.

Because, perhaps… it's a reminder that he's here right now. And that even if things can't be the exact same, he's not going to go anywhere. 'Rest well,' it says, even wrought with melancholy. 'You can be reassured that I'll still be here in the morn.'

It's not much, but that's a comfort that she'll take. And so even though it takes her forever just to drift off… tossing and turning; mind swirling with unfamiliar thoughts, she does eventually fall into the hands of sleep. And when she does, it's to his song.

...That night, she dreams of plain white ceiling tiles. The smell of 409, and incomprehensibly gut-wrenching pain. She coughs up blood- cries for help… and when muscle bursts forth from her skin it writhes- making her lose utter control of herself. She's back there for just a minute, and she's afraid.

But even so, Aguri doesn't wake. And Aguri certainly doesn't scream. She already knows that it'll do nothing by this point… that her fate is inevitable.

And so when she wakes up sometime early that morning, not to the sound of sirens or to the overwhelming pain, but to sunlight filtering in through the window shades… she's oddly relieved.

After all, she already gave up on having moments like this a very long time ago.