Things were getting...awkward, to say the least. IMONO wasn't happy with them deciding to keep it out of the loop in regards to their planning, so what did it decide to do? Well, it decided to introduce a chemical into their systems. Now people were full of weird emotions, and were acting differently. Even Naoko felt different, but so long as he didn't think about it too much, maybe he'd be able to relax a bit. Avoiding Yori for the time being could potentially help, in that regard.

Naoko stopped by the game room, hoping that there'd be some people there, playing games and generally having a good time. When he peeked inside, however, the only person who was inside was Hoshi, who was flipping through that notebook with the weird symbol on it. He glanced over at Naoko and looked surprised.

"Oh. Naoko," he said. "You came here expecting more people, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Naoko admitted. "Sorry if I'm bothering you."

"Oh, no, no, you're not, really," Hoshi assured him. Naoko noticed a hint of discontent in his voice. He felt like it was probably due to their situation, but...well, it probably wouldn't be very polite to ask outright, would it? "Would you, perhaps, be interested in playing a game of Blackjack?"

Naoko figured that would be alright with him. "Sure, why not?"

"Ah, excellent," Hoshi responded, looking quite relieved. "I'll be the dealer."

That was how the two of them ended up playing a game of Blackjack together. It might've seemed a bit strange, a single player and dealer, with no money on the table, but it still ended up being a nice way to pass the time. Despite Hoshi seeming a tad nervous about something, Naoko still felt like the two of them grew a little closer. So, he figured, he may as well unload a rather peculiar item onto him. Thus, at the end of the game, Naoko gave Hoshi a present in the form of a glass jar. Said jar was filled with a clear green liquid, and within that liquid was a (presumably fake) human brain floating around. A macabre gift, for sure, but Hoshi seemed to like it.

"You're giving this to me? I'm flattered. I didn't think I'd ever get my hands on something like this before."

"So, Hoshi," Naoko said, "I've been thinking about the conversation when we first met. Y'know, the one about your writing?"

"Ah," Hoshi replied, "you want to talk about that, eh? Well, that's nothing new."

"I'm sure it isn't," Naoko replied. "I mean, if I had to guess, you've probably talked a lot about your works, since you've been in interviews, and at conventions."

"Oh, yes, I've definitely seen my fair share of those," Hoshi agreed. "They're pleasant experiences overall, at least in my opinion. I just wish that people were more creative with their questions. I often feel like I end up answering the same questions over and over."

"What kinds of questions do you get asked?" Naoko inquired.

"Mostly questions related to my more well-known works," Hoshi explained. "My Dark Cataclysm books are certainly a favorite topic among talk show hosts and convention-goers alike."

"Well, from what I remember," Naoko said, thinking back, "you mentioned that those books aren't your favorite. Being asked about them all the time wouldn't happen to be related to that, would it?"

Hoshi sighed. "Not really, no. The reason I'm not particularly fond of them is because...hmm."

Naoko could tell that Hoshi was becoming uncomfortable. He figured it'd be best to switch gears.

"Alright, how about another question. What works of yours do you prefer?" he asked.

"Oh?" Hoshi responded. "Well, one that comes to mind right away would be one I wrote not long before I wrote the first Dark Cataclysm book. It's a relatively short story I titled 'Kyoko and the Cavern'.

"Kyoko and the Cavern?" Naoko repeated back. "I don't think I've heard of that one."

"Well, I suppose it was overshadowed by my later works," Hoshi admitted. "Still, I'm quite fond of it. It follows a young girl named Kyoko, who enters a cavern in order to hide from a group of men pursuing her. Inside, she finds herself trapped, and has to find a way out, but she realizes that the cavern is filled with monsters. I believe you can figure out what happens after that."

"Are you saying you want me to guess?" Naoko asked.

"It's not hard to figure out how the story progresses, I don't think," Hoshi replied. "It's not as if she's killed immediately or anything like that. And in case you're wondering, because I've had people rush to this conclusion before, she did not befriend the monsters."

Considering what Hoshi generally wrote about, Naoko wasn't really expecting that. Still, he had read the Dark Cataclysm books, so he could hazard a guess.

"I'm assuming she hid from the monsters," Naoko answered.

"Yes, indeed," Hoshi replied. "She hid when she could, and ran when she found she couldn't. She had nothing to defend herself with, and the monsters in the cave were too strong to fight anyways."

"Sounds scary," Naoko commented. "How does it end?"

"Well, it ends with her death," Hoshi stated bluntly.

"Oh," Naoko responded. "That's unfortunate."

"Yes, well, it's more complicated than that," Hoshi explained. "Before she dies, she learns that the monsters were arriving from another world, and that they would eventually escape the cavern they were trapped in and assault the surface world."

"Wow," Naoko said. "That's a grim ending."

"Not every story can have a happy ending," Hoshi replied. "Anyone who's read my work can attest to that."

Naoko nodded. "I guess so. Maybe we can get together sometime and talk more about your work."

Hoshi smiled. "I'd like that."

The two soon parted ways, and Naoko felt pretty content, though also a little intrigued. He almost pried into something that seemed a bit personal, but still, they were able to have an okay conversation. Maybe he'd ask Hoshi more about his Dark Cataclysm books some other time.

Naoko decided to stop by the kitchen to get something to eat when he noticed somebody already hard at work. And, well, it was Yasuo. Nothing too unexpected, really. He seemed to be in the process of making some food.

"Hello there, Naoko," Yasuo said kindly. "Would you perhaps like me to make you something?"

That offer seemed pretty damn convenient, really, and Naoko wasn't exactly complaining. He affirmed that yes, he would.

"Very good," Yasuo replied. "I'll get started right away."

Naoko and Yasuo then chatted for a little bit, before Yasuo finally finished and gave Naoko his food. Like the food that Yasuo had previously made for them, it was quite good, and Naoko gave Yasuo a compliment, which the waiter very politely waved off. Naoko wasn't sure what to think of that, but it still felt like the two of them grew a little closer. Naoko decided to thank him with a gift, in the form of a mug of coffee. The mug was plain white, with "#17" written on it in block lettering.

"Ah, this is nice. I suppose this is what my patrons feel like when I hand them their meal. It's certainly a good feeling."

"Hey, Yasuo," Naoko said. "I've been wondering about your talent."

"What would you like to know?" Yasuo asked.

"Well, I guess I'd like to know what it's like. Being a waiter doesn't sound…" Naoko was about to continue, but stopped himself.

"Is there something wrong?" Yasuo inquired.

"Sorry," Naoko replied. "I just thought that the question I had in mind seemed a bit rude."

"Oh, don't be afraid to ask," Yasuo assured him. "I'm sure it's fine."

"Okay," Naoko said, a tad skeptical. "Being a waiter doesn't really seem very glamorous to me."

"I can understand that," Yasuo replied. "It's not as though I do it for the glamor or anything like that."

"So why do you do it, then?"

"It's simple, really. I enjoy tending to other people's needs."

That did sound like a simple answer. Still, Naoko couldn't help but wonder about that explanation.

"And you tend to people's needs through waitering?" Naoko asked.

"Well, yes," Yasuo replied with a smile. "Providing service is something I've found myself to be very good at, and I use it to help others by tending to their needs. I wouldn't say there's anything wrong with that."

"I'm not saying that there is," Naoko clarified. "I just feel like there are a lot of other ways to tend to people's needs."

"Of course there are," Yasuo agreed. "I've looked into other ways in the past. Unfortunately, waitering is...well, it's simply where I feel the most comfortable. The most in my element."

"Really?" Naoko asked. "What else have you tried?"

"Well, I had a bit of a brief stint as a volunteer at a hospital," Yasuo exposited.

"How did that go?"

"It was…" Yasuo paused for a moment and sighed. "I hate to admit it, since it seems so negative. It was a rather rough experience. Typically, it was mundane, but...well, no matter what the context, I don't exactly do well with blood."

"I see," Naoko replied. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Yasuo politely waved him off. "No need. It simply wasn't an environment that I was particularly comfortable in. That's all, really."

"Okay. So, even when it comes to helping people, and tending to their needs, you have your limits, huh?"

"My personal philosophy is to stick to what you're good at," Yasuo said. "That's why I do the work that I do."

"Fair enough," Naoko replied.

The two of them didn't have much to talk to each other about after that point. Yasuo politely took his leave, Naoko fairly content. It seemed to him like Yasuo really had a strong desire to make himself useful to other people. That was nice, but he couldn't help but wonder if there was anything else to him beyond that. Maybe it'd be worth another conversation somewhere down the road.

Well, after that, what else would he have to do? Thinking back on things, they had a lot on their plate. There was the matter of that party, on top of that chemical in their systems. It was probably best to make some headway when it came to the former, Naoko figured. After he finished up everything he was interested in doing, he tried to find someone to talk to about the preparations for the party. Maybe Eryu or Haru. Just as long as it wasn't-

"There you are, Naoko."

Crap. Naoko had managed to bump into Yori in a hallway on the first floor. He was really hoping he could keep his mind off of her, for the time being. He was still dealing with...well, some feelings that he wasn't quite sure what to do with.

"Oh, um, hi Yori," Naoko managed to get out.

"Hello to you too," Yori replied, seemingly unaffected by Naoko's nervousness. "We've been trying to get some work underway. I was wondering if you could meet up with Takeshi in the music room. He's going to be providing entertainment in the game room, and he has some material he'd like to get your opinion on."

Naoko had to really focus on what Yori was actually telling him. It was...unusual, for him, having to put so much effort into something so simple.

"He wants my opinion?" Naoko asked. "Why? He's an Ultimate, right? I'm sure whatever he plays, it'll be great."

"He insisted that he didn't want to rely solely on his own opinion," Yori explained. "He should be waiting for you in the music room now."

Naoko nodded, continuing to do his best to push out those pesky unwanted thoughts rattling around. "Sure."