Jin…A tightness was forming at the center of her chest. She had hoped that he would remember who she was. That he would stop mourning the "death" of Mystic. It had been hours since he overheard her discussion with Toga and Magne, but he was clearly still bothered by it.

Neneko had changed out of her villain costume and released her hair from its braid. It was wavy from being braided for most of the day and she was just waiting for it to settle back to its normal sleekness. While she was changing, she had hoped that he would think about things and realize she was still alive.

Instead, Jin was sitting on the edge of the bed with his mask off. Head in his hands, teeth gritted, gray-blue eyes shining wetly with fresh tears that had yet to fall. He was spiraling deeper into a depression. He truly believed that Mystic was dead and, on some obscure level, he seemed to believe she was dead as well.

She hated to see him in so much pain. It made her stomach twist in knots and tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "Jin…please…"

"She can't be dead! Mystic…can't be dead! I love her! I can't lose her! Why would someone do this?! She's…better off dead!"

The woman winced at the sheer agony in his voice and moved without giving it a second thought. She knelt on the bed behind him and wrapped her arms around Jin from behind. Her chin rested on his shoulder as she held his back against her chest. "I…am here, Jin. I am here for you…I am still alive. So, please, cease mourning."

"But Mystic-!"

"Jin…I am Mystic. Please remember. You were there…when Giran mentioned this. Please do not mourn. Seeing you this way…breaks my heart."

The man had been shaking, but it slowly ceased. In a few quick movements, he had gripped her arm gently and pulled her around him. She was straddling his lap now, facing him, and he wrapped both arms tightly around her waist. Jin buried his face in her chest, tears wetting the front of her shirt.

Her cheeks were warming with a blush and she tentatively settled a hand on his shoulder. Her other hand lifted and fingers trailed through his messy blond hair, trying to soothe him. "It is alright. I am here for you and…I will always be here for you. I love you, Jin. More than I have ever loved anyone before."

This…is all I can do to help you. I no longer have my Mystic costume; I left it behind when I was forced to abandon my home. If I had it and put it on, would I be able to convince him that I was Mystic? That I am still alive?

She felt a hand pressing at her upper back, bringing her tighter against him. Neneko's stomach felt fluttery and she had an almost floating sort of sensation at the closeness. Leaning down, she tried to say more to reassure him. Things to calm him down, put him at ease.

She pushed aside her own flustered feelings, trying not to think about how she was sitting on his lap. Trying to not focus on the warmth she felt against her inner thighs or the way her skirt had ridden up her legs. "I am Mystic…and I am Sorrow…and I am Neneko. I love you so much that…it brings me pain to see you this way. Please…"

He turned his head to the side, cheek pressed against her chest. For a moment, he simply sat quietly and held Neneko. It took him a while, but soon he appeared to have stabilized his emotions. "I'm sorry. I…didn't mean to hurt you," he muttered, squeezing her in a slight hug within the embrace.

Jin lifted his head to look up at her, tears in the corners of his eyes. A hand raised and his fingertips caressed her pale, scarred cheek. His touch was gentle; as if she was made of porcelain and he was afraid of breaking her. He frowned, his scar appearing deeper as his eyebrows furrowed. "…I made you cry…"

She closed her eyes, letting him delicately wipe away her tears, and felt her pulse seem to flutter. Neneko felt his hand carefully trace along her cheekbone and thread his fingers into her dark, wavy hair. Opening her eyes again, she felt the warmth growing in her face. His expression…was so serious, so pained, but now…this expression on his face...makes it feel as though my heart is melting.

Neneko leaned down slowly and he leaned up to meet the woman's soft pink lips with his own. When he abruptly fell onto his back on the bed, bringing her with him, she was glad that the kiss muffled her yelp of surprise. She felt her stomach doing flips as she found herself on top of him, her legs still straddling his waist.

Her hair fell around him, brushing against his cheek and pooling around his head on the blanket beneath him. He seemed to either not notice or not mind. He slid his fingers through her hair to the back of her head, pulling her face closer against his and deepening the kiss.

When the contact between their lips broke, Neneko braced her hands on the bed to the either side of him and leaned back. Her violet gaze met his gray-blue eyes and she no longer saw sadness. Instead there was warmth and adoration. So intense that she had to look away for a moment. "Jin…do you…feel better now?"

He reached up, his lips curling into a sheepish half-smile. "Yeah…I feel a little better," he agreed. His warm fingers brushed over the curve of her ear as he tucked her hair behind it, giving him a better view of her face.

She wanted to find some way to keep him from thinking about Mystic again. Neneko knew that if he thought of her old persona, he would spiral into depression once more. If she could get an adequate distraction, she was sure he would be able to redirect his attention and the distraction may even overshadow his sadness enough to make him forget long-term.

"This…may come across as rather forward. Would you…perhaps…like to go with me somewhere? A proper date. I would…very much enjoy spending the evening with you on a date…if you would like." Neneko was pulled down so her head rested on his chest and her eyes widened. "Jin…?" She heard his heart racing beneath her ear and then caught the sound of a small, excited burst of laughter.

"Of course I want that! I don't wanna date you; I've got standards!"

He is having conflicting thoughts again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to help calm him down. "If you are worried about being seen…I can assure you that we will be safe. We will take alleys to reach our destinations and I will dress quite differently from my usual style. I will wear one of those…strange outfits that Giran-san supplied…and we can safely go on a date."

"A-alright…if you're sure." He loosened his hold to let her sit up, a faint warm hue settling across his face when he realized she was still straddling him.

Neneko's typical outfit consisted of a long skirt and a shirt with long sleeves or a sweater. What Giran decided to supply her with was nothing like this. He had opted to provide her with jeans, skirts that ended above the knee, and shirts with short sleeves. It made her horribly uncomfortable, but she reminded herself it was a necessary discomfort.

There was still a decent amount of sunlight when she and Jin left the hotel. Neneko led the way; holding his hand and keeping her head bowed. She did not feel like they were being looked at, even when they were on the main street for brief periods of time.

Shift P.O.V

Neneko is Mystic. He stared straight ahead, frowning slightly. She's Mystic. I know she's Mystic! So I shouldn't be upset. But she doesn't act like Mystic. I probably got it wrong! There's no way she's Mystic!

Jin lifted a hand, fingers running through his hair as he tried to fight the conflicting thoughts. He felt Neneko's fingers tighten on his other hand and his gaze drifted from the path ahead. Looking down at her, he felt like his heart was doing flips in his chest.

She had her head bowed, her free hand lifted as she chewed at her thumbnail. It was clear that she was uncomfortable in this outfit. A short dark purple skirt that ended a few inches above her knees and a lavender shirt with sleeves that barely covered her shoulders. He knew how uncomfortable she must be, but he could not ignore the fact that he felt kind of warm and tingly.

It reminded him of earlier, when they were on her bed. A part of him had wanted to take things further, but he stopped himself. He was afraid of possibly hurting her. Just the thought of making her cry again made his chest feel tight. He shook his head and attempted to push away those thoughts.

After all, he was on a date. This was something positive and sweet. Of course, he hated that she had to ask him. He knew he should have been the one to ask her.

Jin had no idea where she wanted to go or what she wanted to do, but he was willing to go along with whatever she had planned. I need to…just focus on her. Stop thinking about Mystic when Neneko's right here! Awww! She's such a cutie! I could just pick her up and-! He shook his head again, trying to stop that thought from finishing itself.

They were moving down the sidewalk, staying close to the buildings in case they had to duck into another alley. He gritted his teeth and moved ahead of her to take the lead, despite not knowing where they were going. He wanted to make her feel safe. He wanted to protect her from any potential harm.

Neneko was more than happy to allow this. She stayed close to him, keeping her head down a little and letting her wavy black hair fall to hide her face. Everything seemed fine until she suddenly squeezed his hand again, trembling. "That girl…over there. Do you suppose…it is possible…that she may be associated with the yakuza?"

He was used to Neneko's soft, whispery voice, but this was laced with sheer panic. Looking down at her, he saw her staring off ahead of them and followed her line of sight. Further down the street was a pair of teenagers walking hand in hand. It looked like the boy was leading the girl.

The girl that Neneko was worried about had long dark violet hair and she had her head bowed. Red eyes were nervously looking to the boy with ash blond hair and then back down to the sidewalk. A simple black medical mask was hiding the lower half of her face from view.

Jin tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "That's…n-no, she's…a good kid," he finally answered. "I've seen her before. She's good."

"You have seen that girl before?"

"Yeah." He pulled Neneko into an alley and rubbed the back of his head. Even if that girl was not a member of the yakuza, he still wanted to avoid those two kids. The boy gave him a bad feeling in his gut. "I saw her a while back. A few days before I met you. She…almost stepped in front of a truck, but I pulled her back onto the sidewalk. She gave me cake to thank me."

To his surprise, Neneko's lips curled into a smile. "Jin…sometimes I truly wonder…if you realize how great and kind you really are."

Staring down at her for a moment, he felt himself wanting to smile back. He wanted to hug her and show her how loved she made him feel. How appreciated, how amazing she made him feel just by being around him. Though he was still apprehensive. He was anxious and worried that his enthusiasm might scare her.

Shift P.O.V

He truly is wonderful, she thought as they had dinner together. Sitting across from him in a dimly-lit bar, Neneko was unable to feel anything but joy. Even the ever-looming threat of being found by the Shie Hassaikai could not diminish the happiness she felt in Jin's presence.

Her plans for this date were simple. A classic dinner and a movie date. It had been quite a while since she was last on a real date. Her admirer Maru had brought her flowers and candy, but they never went on an outing like this. Even the dates she had gone on had felt disappointing in comparison.

Seeing Jin smile, even though he was a bit tense. Hearing him talk, listening to a few stories. These things brought her immense pleasure. She could listen to him talk for hours and she was sure she would never grow tired of him.

The movie she selected was a romantic comedy and he seemed to like her choice. In the dark of the movie theater, Neneko felt her heart skip a beat when his arm slid around her. She rested her head on his shoulder, trying to ignore the fluttering of her pulse, but an overwhelming happiness was setting in.

When they left, the sun had gone down. The streetlights were on and the type of civilians that were on the streets now were different. Fewer children and more adults just out to enjoy their evening. Neneko let Jin lead the way back, feeling relieved that he seemed to have stopped thinking about Mystic.

The two were halfway down an alley, just a few streets away from the movie theater, when the happiness was drained from their date. A voice came from behind them, echoing down the alley. "Hey. You look pretty familiar. Aren't you that girl Overhaul's looking for?"

Neneko felt her blood run cold and held tightly to Jin's hand. She turned to put herself between him and the stranger, her violet eyes narrowing. The stranger was wearing a black suit and had his hands behind his back, a sickly sweet smile spreading across his face. "You have no business with me. I believe you are thinking of someone else." She kept her voice lowered, wanting to avoid using her quirk.

"Huh? Nope. You're definitely her. I don't forget a pretty face; I stared at that picture for hours just to memorize it. Don't you feel special? You should. Overhaul's got a reward for whoever can bring you in alive."