Rem felt the slightest bit of fatigue as she rubbed her eyelids while waiting for the morning train to arrive. The previous day had been filled with a fair bit of activities: the morning exam, the mid-day exam, the emergency assembly introducing Doctor Maruki, having a counselling session and getting diabetes from his cookies, then studying until evening left Rem feeling just a bit more tired than usual.

"Aauuuuu-rgh," someone approached her from behind while yawning. It didn't take much for Rem to realise it was Ryuji, especially considering the sound of his footsteps alternating between a heavy limp and light step. "Morning Rem," Ryuji greeted fighting back another yawn with a slump, "I'm so sleepy…"

Rem shook her head as she watched him rub his eyelids. "Let me guess… pulled an all-nighter trying to study, gave up, and did something else with your time till morning?" Rem hazarded a guess while raising a brow. Something told her she was right judging by how Ryuji just stared at her slackjawed before slumping over.

"Am I really that easy to figure out?" Ryuji muttered despairingly. "Yeah, ended up pullin' an all-nighter once I realised today's the last day of exams…gave up after like ten minutes to play some games instead, before I knew it, it was morning."

Rem's brow rose just a little higher at that. "You stayed up all night? Like, not even a little bit of sleep?"

Ryuji looked at her confusedly, "Well, yeah? What'd ya think I meant?"

"Like staying up until twelve, maybe one or two then falling asleep?" Rem admitted while looking at Ryuji appraisingly, "I'm amazed you're even functioning."

Morgana chose that time to pop out of her bag. "Uh… I don't think he is…" Morgana said as they both watched Ryuji's head bob slightly up and down, his eyelids fluttering.

"How manly…" Rem muttered as she just continued to watch in amusement as Ryuji slowly fell asleep standing up in the middle of Shibuya Station. Or at least he was till another person approached them, yawning and exhausted just like Ryuji.

"*yawn* Morning…" Ann greeted despondently, eyes half-lidded as she approached the two.

Ryuji seemed to have just enough energy to poke fun at Ann somehow. "Look who else is yawnin'…" Ryuji grinned before yawning himself which then caused another round of yawns to emanate from Ann.

"Would you *yawn* stop that…" Ann half-heartedly swatted at Ryuji before shrugging. "Exams are almost over, so I thought I'd make one last effort over the finish line," she said tiredly.

"At least after this, we can have a rest," Rem nodded, slightly excited to just do nothing for the rest of the afternoon and evening except sleeping the day away. Hopefully…

"You're tellin' me," Ryuji retorted his mouth struggling to stay closed and not yawn again, "I could sleep like a rock after these exams."

"If anything, you might as well be a rock…" Morgana winced as he watched Ryuji fail and get swatted once more.

"You wanna fight?" Ryuji crouched down, fully ready to throw hands at Morgana.

Rem shook her head as she flicked Morgana on the nose causing him to recoil and hide away back in her bag. "You're trying to throw down with a cat, Ryuji… in the middle of a trains station. It's too early for this…" Rem admonished, Ryuji backing down quickly now that Morgana had wisely retreated in fear of another nose-flick.

Ann gave Rem an appreciative smile, "Thanks Rem, I swear if they continued I would've forgotten everything I'd memorised last nigh- huh?" Ann suddenly stopped mid-sentence and turned around searchingly.

!

Rem felt as if someone was staring at her.

"Am I imagining things…?" Ann murmured, but not quiet enough that Rem couldn't hear her.

"No… I felt it as well," Rem shook her head looking around. Her eyesight quickly fell on a tall blue-haired male teen staring directly at them. She grabbed Ann by the shoulder and turned her around so they wouldn't meet the teen's eyes. "By the stairs, blue hair. Wearing a white long-sleeved shirt," Rem whispered to Ann as she moved them both closer to Ryuji who just stared at them in confusion.

"Wha' the hell are you two doin'?" he muttered rubbing the back of his head as he watched his two friends act weirdly. Rem didn't say anything while Ann looked to the side, waiting for the train to come. Ryuji just shrugged as the train quickly arrived, the three swiftly shuffling on alongside the other passengers waiting.

Rem and Ann were both acutely aware of how the teen had also boarded the train on another carriage. All too soon, the train arrived at Aoyama-Itchome station and the three disembarking and making their way to school.

It was as they were ascending the station escalators that Rem felt the piercing gaze return. A pull on the back of her blazer showed that Ann had noticed it as well. "He got off…" Ann whispered worriedly, holding onto the back of her blazer tightly, "…isn't this bad?"

Rem just gave the blue-head of hair just slightly above the height of the average Japanese citizen a glance. Ryuji, on the other hand, seemed like he couldn't care less as he simply yawned.

"Hey, at least act like you care!" Ann looked down at him crossly, eyes peering down at him in annoyance.

Ryuji just shrugged, more exhausted than anything to care. "Fine…" he muttered as he walked ahead of the two and ascended the escalators. "You two just wait over there or somethin' and I'll stop this guy from comin', cool?" Ryuji asked.

Rem quickly agreed, dragging Ann by the arm gently and stood in the spot that Ryuji motioned in the general direction of while Ryuji stood off to the side. It didn't take long before Rem felt Ann stiffen by her side, a small prickling feeling appearing on the back of her neck as she felt someone gaze intently at them.

Ann's hand clutched her wrist tightly. The two of them listened as the footsteps approached closer and closer, then Ryuji stepped in silently.

"Uh… You two sure it's this guy?" Ryuji questioned as he looked the blue-haired teen up and down. If he had to say… the guy was actually surprisingly good-looking if a tad beanstalk-like. Rem and Ann turned around to look at the blue-haired teen with their own eyes.

The teen cocked his head to this side with curiosity. "Is there something you want?" he asked politely causing Rem to raise a brow and Ann to growl.

"You've been following us since Shibuya, we should be the ones asking you that," Rem crossed her arms, looking distinctly unimpressed.

"Why have you been stalking us?!" Ann asked, a dainty finger pointed directly at the teens face, his grey eyes following the manicured nail down to its owner.

"Stalking you…? That's outrageous," the teen denied calmly.

"You say that… but the evidence says otherwise. Both of us saw you," Rem stared the teen down, even if she was shorter than him.

The blue-haired teen seemed slightly taken aback by Rem's slightly-aggressive attitude. "That's because-" he tried to explain but was cut off by the sound of a car honking its horn and a black sedan pulling up to the side, the four of them looking towards it.

The back-seat window slowly rolled down smoothly, revealing its occupant to be an elderly man with long white-hair drawn pack in a ponytail. "My goodness… I had wondered why you left the car," the elderly man stated looking directly at the blue-haired teen. "So this is where your passion led," his eyesight turned to Ann and Rem, Rem feeling slightly unsettled beneath his gaze, "Well, all is well that ends well."

"I saw you from the car… and I couldn't help myself from chasing after you," the blue-haired teen explained as the elderly man began to chuckle. "I didn't even notice the calls from Sensei… but thank goodness, I caught up to you."

"Okay…" Ann muttered disconcerted while Rem allowed a fine black brow to raise itself, her overall impression of the teen still being that of unimpressed.

Ryuji hung as head in confusion as he looked at the strange guy. "What?"

The teen seemed to gain a slightly manic gleam in his eye. "You two are the women I've been searching for all this time! Please won't you two-"

Rem felt herself be stunned at the sheer brazenness of the teen in front of her. Her strangely fluctuating aggression levels didn't seem to have a problem however, as her fist clenched ready to punch the teen.

"W-Wait a minute! I-I-" Ann sputtered as Rem's fist rocketed forth.

"-be the next models for my art piece!?" he pleaded eccentrically.

Rem blinked.

And slowly retracted her fist that was a few centimetres away from having broken the teen's nose.

"…What?" Rem asked dumbfounded.

"Model?" Ann was in a similar state.

"All that I've drawn till now have been lacking, but I feel a passion from the both of you unlike anyone else!" the teen spouted as he looked between Ann and Rem. "Two contrasting beauties, red and black, blue and blonde! Truly, this is a fortuitous moment indeed!"

Rem continued to stare dumbfounded.

This was certainly a new one.

"Finally done with exams…"

"Hey, are you gonna go in for counselling?"

"I saw the volleyball guys getting called in…"

"Oh shit, I got that question wrong…"

"I know, right? I feel like I have to protect that teacher!"

The last round of the usual school gossip had Akira raise a brow as he walked through the corridors following the final rounds of exams. "Huh… Doctor Maruki has a surprising following among the female students, weird…" Akira noted aloud.

"It is… strange… to hear people talk about Doctor Maruki like that…" Sumire admitted as they made their way outside the school gates. "I hadn't expected Doctor Maruki to have become so popular…"

Akira shrugged. "Well… I guess the female students needed a new male teacher to replace Kamoshida for them to ogle."

"Akira-senpai!" Sumire shouted, scandalised as his words

Akira looked at the blush that formed on her face, a small amount of amusement flittering across his face. "What? You can't tell me that doesn't seem like the most logical reason…" he stated.

Sumire looked down, her face slowly blazing as she imagined students ogling the councillor she'd been lucky to receive help from. "It's so weird to think about people doing that to Doctor Maruki… now that I think about it, I overheard some of my classmates talking about him…" she said shivering at the thought.

Akira couldn't help himself but laugh, a small adorable pout forming on Sumire's face as she looked up at him. "Senpai!" she admonished, the pout still on her face but tugging into something of a smile as Akira laughed.

"Sorry, sorry," Akira apologised as he pet the top of Sumire's hair, "You were looking a bit cute there…"

Sumire's face turned as red as her hair. "A-Akira-senpai…! D-Don't say something like that!" she squeaked, heart hammering in her chest, hands fidgeting with the hem of her skirt while Akira just laughed.

The moment was cut short as Akira's phone jingled in his pocket. He rose a brow while Sumire fought to get her blush under control, his hand snaking its way into his pocket and withdrawing, the screen displaying a message from Goro.

Goro: Check your email.

Akira rose a brow perplexed but nonetheless followed his instructions. He opened the mail app on his phone and found an email from Goro. It didn't have any title or content except for a single file.

Akira clicked on it.

He stared for a single moment before closing the email app and called Goro. It took all of six seconds before the line established and Goro's voice resounded from the receiver. "I see you got my email…" Akira could just hear the smugness in the bastard's voice.

Akira took a deep breath, unsure of how to feel. "Can you please explain to me…" Akira hissed, Sumire looking at him in concern, "…exactly why I have a pair of VIP tickets to Ichiryusai Madarame's next gallery exhibit in Ueno sitting in my inbox?"

"Well…" Goro drawled, Akira almost able to see that little pretentious smile sitting on his face, "…one of my… contacts… decided to give me them since he had little care for exhibits. Unfortunately, because of a certain 'someone,' I'm currently inundated with not only the Mental Shutdown case but also the case of one Suguru Kamoshida."

Akira had the decency to wince as Goro emphasised 'someone'. And he could imagine exactly who had given him the tickets judging from the disdain that laced Goro's voice.

"Unfortunately, as much as I'd love to look at some truly boring paintings for the better part of who knows how long, I have a meeting tomorrow with Nijima-san. But then a thought occurred to me…" Goro's drawled insinuatingly "…I have a friend who should be taking it easy after coming from an accident, and what better way to do that than having him stare at paintings for a couple of hours while dying inside?"

"…this is a weird and unusual punishment from you," Akira stated with an amused huff.

"It's the best I could come up within about ten minutes…" Goro admitted, "…and since there are two tickets, you can bring Yoshizawa-san along with you, the two of you certainly seem close. You could go in the morning, have lunch and Leblanc and maybe do something together in the evening. Make a day out of it," Goro said suggestively.

Akira had to take a moment to just take in his suggestion. "You just want Sumire with me to ensure I don't do anything stupid, don't you?" he asked dryly.

"She seems to be the only one with brain cells between the two of you. If you go on your own I'd likely found myself receiving another call from Doctor Hisegawa saying you're missing the bones in your legs," Goro snarked with exasperation.

"I'm touched at the amount of faith you have in me…" Akira said sarcastically, "…fine. I'll take the damn tickets."

"…I'll be giving Shinichi-san a call tomorrow to ensure that Yoshizawa-san accompanies you."

"I hate you…" Akira jabbed, a brow twitching in annoyance as a demented smile appeared on his face

"Love you too," Goro sang throwing his own words back at him, Akira slightly miffed at the fact he'd had the gall them against him. With a sigh, he clicked off his phone and looked up to find Sumire staring at him quizzically, wondering at what the call had been about. Akira just looked down at his email inbox at the two VIP tickets to Madarame's exhibition that he'd honestly forgotten about. At least he'd be able to keep an eye on Rem and the others now that he thought about it. He showed the tickets to Sumire.

"How do you feel about going to an art exhibit tomorrow?"

The beaming smile that appeared on Sumire's face could have blinded him with its radiance.

"Oh my," Sumire muttered as she gazed around at the variety of paintings, Akira standing by her side, looking at paintings he'd not seen in years. The two were essentially given free rein to look around, special lanyards around their necks signifying that they were VIPS.

"I can't believe Akechi-san was able to get these," she looked around starstruck. "Why wouldn't he want to come here?" she wondered.

"Goro's not exactly one I'd call a 'fine arts' person," Akira shrugged, his eyesight catching two familiar blonds and a head of braided-hair in the corner of his eye. "He's more into trendy things, but that's more because he wants to keep up-to-date with the latest trends. He does have a liking for jazz and a stupid obsession for pancakes though," Akira stated as they walked around the art exhibit.

"Pancakes?" Sumire turned around and looked at him curiously.

Akira looked at her helplessly, "I've known him for two years now and I don't think I've come any closer to figuring out his obsession."

"I wouldn't have expected that from someone such as Akechi-san… then again, whenever I see him on TV is completely different to how I see him interact with you," Sumire noted, a slightly faraway look in her eye.

"That's just everyday Akechi for you," Akira said as they continued to walk around but stopped as they saw the 'painter' of the many exhibits around the place. Akira noticed Ryuji standing by himself listening in.

His brow rose, slightly mystified as to why he was alone. Shouldn't Rem have been with him?

"Oh, isn't that Madarame-san?" Sumire asked as she took notice of the legendary artist. "Would you mind if we listen in Senpai?" she asked, looking at him for permission.

"Feel free to lead the way, I'm more than happy to follow you," Akira nodded earning himself a radiant smile, and Sumire trotting off to the side with a spring in her step to listen in on the interview being conducted, Akira right behind her.

"We continue to be truly surprised by your imagination," the interviewer gushed as she and a colleague interviewed Madarame, a cameraman behind them with a camera hefted onto his shoulder and recording the three. "You have such expansive styles, it's hard to believe that it all stems from one person…" she continued, "…where in the world does all your inspiration come from?"

Akira leaned against a nearby wall, watching the interview while Sumire leaned in eagerly, her rapt attention focused solely on the interview. Akira noticed Ryuji stroll closer to Madarame.

"Well… it's rather difficult to put into words…" Madarame said, a hand scratching at his beard. "They naturally well up from within my heart like bubbles rising one after another in the spring."

"That's amazing…" Sumire whispered, Akira looking at her in amusement.

"I didn't know you were so taken by the fine arts," Akira cocked his head as Sumire shook her own.

"I'm not crazy over it but I can appreciate some nice artworks at times," Sumire admitted her attention shifting to Akira but a small part still listening in. "It's fascinating that so many different types of artworks can come only from Madarame-san… it's amazing if you think about it."

Akira inclined his head but internally he couldn't help but shake. If only she knew the truth behind the various artworks on display.

"Naturally, you say?" the interviewer asked intrigued.

"What's important is to distance oneself from worldly desires such as money and fame," Madarame spoke. "My atelier is a modest shack, but it is more than enough to pursue true beauty."

The interviewer nodded along with his words, "I see… so that act of emptying one's mind gives rise to inner beauty. Still, to think that we could hear the word 'shack' coming from the great artist Madarame."

"You would understand if you saw it…" Madarame chuckled, his voice full of mirth.

Akira heard footsteps increase from all around the exhibition area. His hand shot out and grasped Sumire's, her face looking at him startled and a small blush forming. "S-Senpai…?" she stuttered as she looked at him.

"We might want to leave right about now… it's about to get a little crowded…" Akira pulled Sumire close to him, an arm wrapping around her waist as he guided her out of the way of the rapidly forming crowd that had taken notice of Madarame.

"Madarame-san is actually here!?"

"Over there!"

"I'm so glad I came on opening day!"

Soon a stampede was forming, the two pushing their way through, Akira being the bulwark while holding onto Sumire behind him.

"Th-Thank you senpai!" Sumire thanked as they arrived at the exhibit centre entrance, her breathing slightly heavy from having to move through such a large crowd and having been held tightly to Akira's chest. She shook away the small blush that tried to form once more.

"Don't worry about it," Akira shook his head. His attention drifted from Sumire, however, as he noticed a certain blonde struggling to pull himself free of the crowd but found himself trapped within. "Excuse me for a moment," Akira said, detaching himself from Sumire and heading over to Ryuji.

"Hey, stop pushin'!" Ryuji grunted. He found himself surprised as someone grabbed onto the back of his purple hoodie and bodily dragged him free of the encroaching crowd. "Wha-?" his sputtered as he was hauled off the ground and free of the foot traffic.

His found touched the ground as his hand fell to his knees, propping himself up. "Th-Thank for that…" Ryuji thanked before looking up and finding himself looking at a pair of grey and red eyes, both looking slightly familiar. "H-Hey… ain't you that guy that saved Suzui? Kurusu or something? You're in Ann and Rem's class ain'tcha?" Ryuji asked as he realised where he'd seen the pair.

The male was the one that had tried to save Shiho but ended up falling along with her when the wire fence holding them tore, the teen using his own body to prevent Shiho from getting too hurt. If he remembered correctly, the girl beside him was the one that went with him to the hospital in the ambulance.

"Akira Kurusu, Class 2-D," Akira introduced himself as a hand found itself to the top of Sumire's head. "This is Sumire Yoshizawa, first year. We're both students as Shujin Academy."

It hurt to see Ryuji look at him with a lack of familiarity.

COLD

"Oh yeah, ain't the two of you those new transfers along with Rem?" Ryuji scratched the back of his head before his eyes widened. "Shoot, I need to find Rem and Ann!" his face fell as he'd realised he'd forgotten them, "Thank for the help man but I gotta go!"

Ryuji was gone in a matter of seconds, looking around the now partially empty exhibit centre due to the fact that the mass congregation had left a large swathe of open space allowing easy access. "That was kind of you senpai," Sumire said as they watched the teen run around, "It's sad we won't be able to hear more from Madarame…"

"You can always see it in the news since it was being recorded," Akira stated. "That being said… how do you feel about getting some lunch? It's just past twelve now…" he asked looking at his phone showing that it was just twelve-thirty.

"I'd love too, but…" Sumire's face grimaced as they looked at the torrential downpour outside having started in the morning, "I'm not sure what places would be open in this kind of weather."

"Don't worry," Akira grinned slightly excited, "I know the perfect place in this kind of weather."

"Good afternoon- holy crap kid, you look like a drowned sewer rat," Sojiro looked at Akira wide-eyed, the teen shaking an umbrella that should have stopped him from looking as if he'd walked from the station without anything over his head.

A head of red popped out from behind him, a girl smiling nervously, not a single drop on her.

Sojiro sighed.

"I'll go get some spare towels and set you up with some coffee before you catch a cold," he shook his head. "Take a seat you two… don't think I'm not going to be grilling you with some questions though brat," Sojiro smirked, this being the first time that Akira had brought a girl over. Smoothly, he slipped from around the counter and moved over to the bathroom adjacent to the restroom.

"You shouldn't have done that senpai, you'll catch a cold now!" Sumire tittered over Akira worriedly. The umbrella he'd brought hadn't been enough to cover the both of them, so rather than doing the sensible thing and sharing, he'd instead opted to hold over Sumire who'd tried to get him to hold it over himself as well the whole way from Yongen-Jaya Station to Leblanc.

She eeped cutely as a white towel went flying through the air, landing on Akira's head. "Go dry yourself off kid and put your blazer over the heater to dry," Sojiro ordered to which Akira quickly shucked off his soaking wet jacket and placed in front of the open heater that was keeping Leblanc warm in the face of the rain.

"Sorry for that boss…" Akira apologised as he sat down at a booth, Sumire joining him on the other side. "Do you have any preference?" Akira asked as he noticed her looking at the menu boards above the counter.

"U-Um… uh…" A brief look of panic flashed over Sumire's face as she continued looking at the board before giving up and looking at Akira, "I-I think I'll let you order…" she eventually said as Akira towel-dried his hair.

"Boss, can we get two of the daily special and whatever coffee you think would be good for the both of us?" Akira asked, receiving an affirmative from Sojiro.

"Sure thing brat…" Sojiro nodded before giving a look to both him and Sumire. "So… wanna explain why you'd bring your date to a rinky-dink place such as this?"

Sumire's face exploded into red as she began to sputter incoherently. Akira and Sojiro looked on in amusement as she gave vehement but sadly incoherent denials, to which she quickly caught on that they couldn't understand her and instead fell silent with a gigantic blush on her face.

"It's not like that boss," Akira waved. "We were just at the art exhibition in Ueno earlier and I figured I'd bring her here for lunch since you make the best coffee and curry… unfortunately, my umbrella wasn't exactly large enough for the both of us…"

Sumire pouted at him. "That's because you refused to cover yourself, you kept me dry but you'll get sick at this rate…" she said, looking at his still soaked shirt and pants.

Sojiro just stared at the two. "Uh… hate to break it to the two of you… but… an art exhibition? Lunch in a quaint café? Covering your girl with your umbrella while it's raining? Do you know what old people like me call that? We call that a date…" Sojiro smirked at Akira, his words causing the blush on Sumire's face to reignite.

Akira looked at him dryly, which had very little effect since his hair was still drooping little droplets of water. "Are you going to be getting started on our coffee anytime soon?" he asked cause Sojiro to let out a bark of laughter.

"Ha! I'll get right on it… enjoy yourselves lovebirds…" Sojiro got in the last word before moving behind the counter, making two cups of coffee for his only customers right now.

Akira shook his head despairingly before looking over at Sumire who was still struggling to get her blush under control. "Sorry about boss… he's a bit…" Akira said lamely, trying to figure out the best word to describe him.

Thankfully, Sumire saved him from having to say anything as she looked at him, red all over but shook her head with a shy smile. "I-it's fine senpai… I-I think it's nice seeing you like this…" she murmured.

Akira cocked his head in confusion. "'Like this'?" he asked curiously.

Sumire nodded, her blush slowly fading. "Y-Yes… you don't really talk to others or smile too often aside from me… it's nice seeing this side of you," she admitted.

"Huh…" Akira murmured.

"Well, the kid has been coming here every other day for the last two years," Sojiro's deep voice suddenly pierced the air causing Sumire to squeak adorably in surprise as she took notice of the elderly man standing in front of their booth, two cups of coffee in his hands that he quickly placed down.

"Here, this should warm the two of you up…" Sojiro smirked. "So you're falling for the brat here huh?" Sojiro teased lightly eliciting another blush for the umpteenth time in the past ten minutes. "I'd say you could do better; the brat has a habit of getting himself into accidents."

"I… I know…" Sumire's face fell slightly.

Sojiro, being ever sharp quickly realised his mistake as he noticed Akira giving him a slight glare. "Ah shit… I'm sorry bout that…" he apologised but Sumire shook her head with a kind smile.

"No, it's fine," Sumire said as her hands cupped the cup of coffee taking in its warmth. "You didn't know after all…"

Sojiro rubbed the back of his head, putting two and two together. "So… you and your sister are the one's the brat saved a month ago, huh?" he murmured earning himself a quiet nod. "Huh… guess I can see what you see in him… still say you could do better," Sojiro shrugged, the atmosphere quickly lightening.

Sumire gave a shy smile as Akira gave him a fond glance.

"Right, I'll be out with your curry shortly. You lovebirds don't do anything I wouldn't," he gave a backwards wave as he moved into the kitchen.

Once more a blush sprouted on Sumire's face, Akira watching her sputter while taking a sip of his coffee.