The next day came. The fourth day. Three more days until the end. Yet after yesterday… Mamori was certain, this was not close to the end nor will this Atsu leave them alone. She hated men, Joshua specifically. And this means…
"Keeping caution" the Composer brought out. "If she is ready to attack a of her so called 'pure maiden' we're in for a ride."
"Thank you but I am aware" the brown haired sighed while looking at the male. Well… She was glad he finally decided to hang in there, even if it was probably to save his own skin, but besides this nothing change.
"Any plan you have?"
"That'd depend on the missions she'll send from today on out."
"Short-You got nothing. Got it. We'll wait."
"Hey, you understood quickly. Good girl."
"I just don't want to be erased by you. Despite the contract you probably would find a way to erase me without erasing yourself" the female explained. "Besides, deal is deal. I have to do my part now. That's how business works, right?"
"Well… it would go faster if you returned my phone" he pointed out.
"And let you have unnecessary calls!? No way!"
"Unnecessary? Let me ex-" but too late. The phone in Mamori's pocket rang. Yet it wasn't her own… It was Joshua's.
He was about to demand on its return yet his partner had picked it up by then and answered.
"Yes yes?" She asked yet right away heard a response saying 'Nyeh!'
"Nyeh? … Is this a-"
"Nyeh!"
"Hello!? If you want me to hang u-"
"Ki! Give me the phone back!" a male voice yelled from behind. The nyehing voice only 'nyehed' in confusion yet seemed to complain as the phone was forcefully handed over to someone else.
"Sorry 'bout that Composer. Ki grabbed the phone again" a male voice then said while purring can be heard from the background.
Mamori turned to Hoshua, wanting to ask him who it is but he snatched his phone back and responded right away yet this time put the speaker on. "Sorry. My bossy partner had the phone."
Bossy!? We're going that way again!?
"You too?"
"Ah, it's you Kaito. Nice surprise. How have-"
"Questions later. Hanekoma figured out the mission. Hurry to Wildkat right now before she sends out the mission."
"Aww, not even time for a little talk?"
"Unless you want your ass erased!"
"Fine fine. You win."
Hanekoma? As in… "Sanae Hanekoma!?" Mamori suddenly brought out, yet accidently out loud. She didn't see the expression of the one calling, how could she with a simple phone call, but Joshua didn't seem to mind. He was, as always, unfazed from such a reaction. He simply turned a bit to his partner and nodded with a slight grin. "Didn't you know? Composer and Producer are in direct contact with each other" he simply answered, then turned away. "We will be there in no time. See you there."
"Hurry! 15 minutes or I'll pick your asses up!" the guy yelled.
"Yes, yes."
Then he hung up. The Composer put his phone away and turned to his partner, looking directly at her. "You heard him. Let's get go-"
"Who was that!? Can we even trust him!?" the female right away asked. This was suspicious. Could it be that his true goal was to get rid of her so he can win his stupid bet or-
But she stopped these thoughts at once when she saw his expression. Again the serious glare. The type of face he has whenever he was dead set, very serious. This wasn't a joke. This was the real deal.
"This was Kaito. One of the Reapers" he explained. "Don't worry. He is on our side. Besides, he hates Atsu more than anyone else so he has more than enough reason to help us. Does this answer satisfy you?"
She nodded. Mamori wanted to speak up but this time she couldn't. She shouldn't in fact. Not when Joshua has this face. It was simply not appropriate in this case. Why should he lie when looking like this anyway? It wouldn't make any sense… Or would it? No one ever knows when it comes to her partner-
"Let's not just stand here though, we promised to be there in fifteen minutes so we have no more time to waste."

The door gets slammed open. Two figures entered the café also known as Wildkat. The male figure was standing there, not sweating nor gasping yet the female figure next to him was as she fell on her knees.
"You could've slowed down you know!" she yelled yet the male only let out a laughter. "But I ran as slow as I could."
"What a lie this is."
"Aww, now you are-"
"That was about time Composer and partner!" a guy in front of the two who just entered was standing right in front of them and looked at them. He had darker skin, dark brown hair and wore something resembling… a pirate's outfit apparently. However, in one of his hands he held a scythe. A giant scythe. He looked like he was ready to cut them down yet didn't even slightly try to point it at them.
Joshua turned his eyes to the guy, grinning slightly. It was a mix of a sly yet also sly grin. "Sorry about that Kaito" he said. "My partner is kind of a slow poke."
"I was running as fast as I could!" Mamori countered. Kaito's gaze went to the female, observing her closely. "And that's who?"
"The partner I chose. Her name's Momori."
"Momori?"
"Mamori!" she interrupted. "Mamori Wakai!"
"Whoops. My bad. Mamori" the Composer quickly corrected himself.
"How did you get the Momori anyway?"
"I just pronounced it wrong. Calm down."
Mamori stared suspiciously at Joshua yet then sighed. She had to let it slide after all didn't she?
"Either way, there's something we-"
Yet then the phone in Mamori's pocket vibrated. Kaito's eyes widened a bit in shock and with that he pushed both in and slammed the door close while locking it. The partners were confused and asked him right away what this is about yet the reaper only told her to look at her phone… Which she did. A mission mail plopped up.
"A player is acting out of line alongside his partner. Expose them to any Reaper you male pig players. 12 hours. Fail and erasure for all of you male piggys!"
"A player acts out of line?" Mamori asked while looking at the pirate Reaper. This one nodded. "Yes. This 'player' is the Composer" he simply answered. "Means we have to hide both of you here for twelve hours."
"Oh come on. How would they know it's-"
"She sent a picture to all male players of him. It's not too hard for her to do that. Anyway, whether you want it or not you're staying here. Hanekoma should be here in a bit so-"
"Hold it hold it hold it! Who said that-" but Joshua interrupted Mamori right away and said:"We understand your concerns. Thanks I guess. We will stay here for today and take it as a little break for us."
Then he turned away, looking to the window. "May I?"
"Yeah yeah, whatever" Kaito just brought out while Joshua then walked over to a table, nearby the window and looking through it.
Mamori turned to the reaper, looking at him with a very serious glare. "Are you crazy!?" she brought out. "He is right in sight for any player passing by! How can you-" "Relax" he interrupted her. "Mr Hanekoma made sure no one else but him can go inside and outside ones the mission starts. You're safe here."
"And how can we be so-"
"Wanna know where he is? He is running errands right now. Should return in a bit and-" But he stopped as soon as he saw a blond haired fox girl in front of the door. She was simply wearing a shirt, beneath it underwear as her tail seemed to reveal it by lifting the lower half of the shirt while wagging fastly. Yet that was it. Nothing more.
Mamori stared as soon as she spotted the girl herself. This was some outfit. A very revealing outfit. How does she even feel comfortable in it?
"Any moment now" Kaito brought out. "Ki's smelling the treats already." "Ki? Is that her name? And why is she wearing barely anything?" Mamori asked ahead.
"Neh, I call her Ki. Her actual name is Denki, she's a reaper just like me and the reason she wears not much is because she has a hard time changing her clothes."
"So… She is disabled?"
"No. She is dense. She doesn't talk properly besides saying 'Nyeh' all the time when showing her fox ears and fox tail. On top she's acting like an actual animal."
"W… What? … You're joking, right?"
Kaito pointed at Denki who was sitting there and waited. Yet as soon as the door opened she jumped right onto the person who entered and licked this one's face. They only heard a small laughter from the person though.
"Hah, nice to see you too Ki!" a male voice said laughing and the person seemed to pet her. "I got 'em I got 'em. If you get off me I can hand them over."
And that's what Denki did right on the spot. She was standing, waiting for the man to get up and give her something he seemed to have promised her. And to Mamori's surprise… This man was really Sanae Hanekoma. So the Reaper wasn't lying to her. … Not even when it came to the fox girl.
The female player had no words. She just watched how Mr Hanekoma handed the girl over a bag full of some so called 'treats' and the female Reaper's eyes shining as soon as she got them. Then she 'nyehed' happily and ran over to Kaito while showing him. This one sighed and petted her. "Yes yes. I'll feed you in a sec" he told her while petting her, making Denki purr happily. It was… An odd sight, to say the least. But if it keeps them happy she won't comment on it.

Mr H had approached Kaito. They both seemed to talk something out quickly yet Mamori heard not much. She only saw Sanae nodding a few times before Kaito got dragged off by Denki, probably to feed her or something.
At this moment she realized… Joshua had no even said a single word during this time. In fact, she just saw him sitting there, in front of the window, looking outside of it for some reason. Yet she did not want to interrupt him so she left him be and turned away, thinking about what to do in the meantime alone. But she didn't have to wait long.
"Can I have a talk with you?" Hanekoma asked as he approached Mamori.
She turned to him, nodding quickly. "Yes. Is there something I can finally do to repay your favour?" she added.
"Hmm... Precisely, there is this time. It is about Joshua."
"Joshua? What about him?" Sanae pointed towards the male. He was still sitting in front of the window, watching male players running around and screaming non stop while looking at their phones. "
"He's just watching what is going on I think."
"It's not about right now Mamori. It's about what was."
"What was?"
"Yes. You see... Before he got into this mess he sometimes came here to watch the Reaper's Game going on. Back then he didn't know that no one would believe this. He tried to talk to people about the Reaper's Game but no success. Soon many started to avoid him of course, claiming him as a crazy boy who has lost his sense to reality."
"Soooo?" She looked at Hanekoma, very suspiciously. "What are you heading at? I cannot help if I don't get asked."
"I thought it was obvious if I said that he barely has any contact. And the contact he has... Well... I don't have always time and the Conductor neither so he is still on his own most of the time" he continued. "What about the Reapers?" "Most don't even know what he looks like. Kaito and Denki are rare exceptions yet those two don't have much time on their hands either. Besides, you know of the current Gamemaster. She tries to dethrone him. If Reapers knew who knows how many would try so he needs to stay hidden, safety measures."
Mamori turned back to Joshua, still staring outside the window.
"You mean to say that he is... Lonely?"
"You understood quickly."
"He didn't seem like someone who minds. All the words he let's roll off his tongue. It's unbelievable sometimes. Even I am not safe and I am his partner."
"Not all people are showing what they are really like. It takes a closer eye sometimes."
She stared at the owner of the café, a bit confused. She understood... But her partner... Out of all people?
"Being the Composer isn't as easy as it sounds The day I had a proper chance to talk to Josh about the Reaper's game... I think that was one of the rare times I actually saw him enjoying himself to some extent despite only having passed one day. So… I want to ask you for a favor."
"And that would be?"
"Keep him company would you?"
A moment of silence. Company? Him? How!?
"How am I supposed to do that!? Once this is over I already have plans to return to the RG!" she countered then.
"I cannot promise something I probably cannot keep!"
Sanae looked at Mamori. Then he sighed quickly while shaking his head. "I forgot. Sorry" he said. "Then let's say... keep him company until you are out of the Reaper's Game. Is that too much to ask for?"
"Well..."
"The deeper the trust the better chance you have for surviving this game."
"I get it I get it. We have a deal Mr Hanekoma. I can at the very least promise that. Besides... I owe you for the information you provided anyway so it is the least I can do."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Why asking me though? Couldn't it have been someone else?"
Sanae shook his head. "No. Not at the moment. You're his partner so it's basically your job to-"
"Mr Hanekoma!?" Joshua suddenly yelled over to them ,directly staring at the one he called. "Could I have something to drink!?"
"Sure Josh! Hold up a moment!"
"Alright!" Then the young male turned away, back to the window and staring outside.
"Just like that?" Mamori asked surprise. "It's a café after all."
"If you say so. Then go ahead, I will spend the time thinking… If you don't mind."
"Of course not. Take your time."
And just like that Mr H left. Mamori sat down on the nearest chair which also gave her a free sight at Joshua. She stared right at him, in his direction and was thinking about what Mr H said. Joshua… Not showing what he really thinks most of the time… It sounded a bit odd to her. He didn't seem the type who was going to mince matters. But she didn't deny one thing… Ever since she found out what kind of role he has within the game since yesterday he had sudden changes where he seemed like an entirely different person so… Maybe Mr Hanekoma wasn't far from the truth considering Joshua? They seem to know each other since some time now, that's what she also heard from Kaito after all, so he should know better than her. Especially when Joshua came here from time to time before to observe the players, just like what he is doing right now. … When she gets the chance with him, all alone, she should confront him about it at some point maybe. She was just confused right now but in general… Joshua alone was enough reason for her to cause confusion in her head. The more she thought about him and his situation the more confusing it got for her, she had no idea what to think about him let alone how to feel about him. Wait a moment…
"Why am I wasting my thoughts on this guy!?"