Sunday, 7/3

Haru had never noticed the intricacy of her bedroom walls until now. Trapped within them and with little else to do, she had noted every last detail of said walls several times over. Not permitted to leave, nor engage with the outside world digitally, Haru was truly trapped.

That was what had awaited her Saturday evening after coming home. Sugimura had scurried home without her, told his father, who complained to Haru's father. When she attempted to enter the home discreetly to avoid confrontation, she was caught anyway. Her father had taken her phone and sent her to her room immediately. Leaving the estate, even attending class, was disallowed, even with finals looming. Haru guessed that her doing well in school didn't matter. Along with keeping Haru at home, her father had done something even worse.

August seventh. That's when it's over… Haru dejectedly recalled as she scanned over her light blue walls yet again.

Haru's father, in an act of desperation and dominance, had set the date almost immediately after he had heard of what had transpired. Fearing that the Sugimuras would take their good, respectable name elsewhere for marriage and keeping Haru in check were Kunikazu's main motivators.

Well, that and his political aspirations. He planned on announcing his campaign to become a member of the national diet. Doing so while announcing a marriage to a family as historically and politically significant as the Sugimura would immediately validate Kunikazu as a legitimate politician.

Haru, on the other hand, would be forced to be invalidated as a human being. Nobuo Sugimura would likely neglect Haru after a week of marriage, which Haru was perfectly fine with, but that meant that her significance on Earth would be completely gone. Her father would find no more use for her, and she could be of no use to anyone else. How would she be able to if she was kept inside most of the time (Haru expected nothing less from someone as possessive as Sugimura)?

Haru understood why she was being given away, but it was still a hard thing for her to wrap her head around. Just five years prior she, Kunikazu, and her late mother Aika formed the ideal upper-class family. Okumura Foods was successful at the time, but far from the mega-corporation it currently was. Her father still had some life in his eyes and words. And, most significantly, her mother wasn't gone.

Haru couldn't remember exactly when it was, but she remembered what happened. One morning, Aika had simply vanished into thin air. Haru knew nothing, the servants knew nothing, and Kunikazu said he knew nothing. Any questions asked were quickly brushed off, with a stern chastising in return for Haru. She learned to keep quiet and come to her own conclusion.

Maybe Aika saw what was happening to Kunikazu before it actually happened and got out while she could. Haru considered this the most likely. Kunikazu's transformation to the cold, heartless man that Haru now knew began that day, though she could never piece together why, and she likely never would.

She would be busy performing at Nobuo's every whim. That thought had become so prevalent for Haru over the past few months that it didn't even terrify her like it used to. It was just something down the pipeline that was inevitable. However, that didn't mean that Nobuo in the flesh didn't terrify her.

The turning of Haru's doorknob made her jump, her gaze shooting from the wall over to the door. Nobuo stepped in, smug as ever, and softly shut the door behind him. "Good evening, Haru." As much as the people around her attempted to hammer into Haru's head that it was imperative for her to be polite, Haru was still too disgusted to reply. Unfortunately, Sugimura didn't need one to continue. "How goes the isolation?" He knew the answer to that and was teasing Haru. The look on her face was enough for him to flash his own look of disgust. "Why don't you like me, Haru?" he asked, his face growing redder with insecure anger.

"Please leave, Nobuo," Haru asked politely in words, yet not in tone.

"Why? I haven't even had my fun yet!" he mocked, taking a glance around Haru's room. He gazed upon her dresser before walking over. Haru moved away from the dresser and onto the opposite side of her bed. Nobuo reached the dresser and took the opportunity to open the top drawer. "Ah… you won't need to be wearing these when you're mine, you know."

Ugh… Haru could barely contain her distaste at this point. Why should I even hide it? What else do I have to lose?! Haru knew she had a point, but she still wasn't able to act on it.

"Again, p-please le-" Haru attempted to say but was cut off.

"You won't be needing any clothes," Nobuo said as he wheeled around from the dresser to face Haru. "Show me. Everything. Now." Haru got up from the bed so that it was an obstacle between her and Nobuo. She was closer to the door and would be able to run out if she was quick enough. "Haru… no need to be so prudish…" Sugimura crooned in what he must've thought was a suave tone. He came across as pretentious, but his utter lack of self-awareness stopped him from realizing that.

"Forgive me, N-Nobuo, I'm sure the servants n-need help with some…" Haru trailed off as her escape path was closed off by Sugimura. Haru had been frozen in fear, and Nobuo had taken that time to round the bed and block the path between her and the door. He was getting alarmingly close to her now.

"I don't understand the issue, Haru," Sugimura said as he lightly brushed his hand across Haru's face. She was doing all she could to lean away, but she was forced into the corner of her own room by Sugimura. "Soon enough, you won't be able to refuse. Why make the effort now?"

No… no… Haru's new mantra was the most she could process besides trying to create just a few more inches in between Sugimura and herself.

The hand that brushed along Haru's face traced its way down the back of her neck, over her goosebumps, down her shoulder, down her arm, down to her-

"Nobuo!" a stern, abrasive voice called from the doorway. Haru was so close to Sugimura that she couldn't see past, but she recognized the voice nonetheless. More importantly, Nobuo recognized the voice and his face paled as he turned back to face the doorway, taking his invasive hand with him.

"F-father?" he asked surprisedly as if he forgot that Hajime was staying in the same house.

"Stop whatever you're doing this instant. We must discuss the plans for the marriage," Hajime said, finally in view now that Nobuo had adjusted his positioning. Even if he was saving Haru from Nobuo at the moment, Hajime was just as detestable. He was greasier, older, and more powerful than Nobuo.

"B-but Father, I-!"

"Silence!" Hajime commanded. "You will not spoil your bride two months before your wedding! Do with her what you will after then, but you will not do such a thing while staying in a house that is not yours. Am I clear?"

"Y-yes, father."

"Good. Go downstairs," Hajime said as he shifted out of the doorway so that Nobuo could pass by. After he had done so, Hajime turned back to Haru and spoke. "I will see you at dinner, I trust. Please do not disappoint your father or me again with your behavior towards Nobuo."

As if she was readings lines off of a script, which she was basically doing at this point, Haru agreeably said, "I will do my best."

"Good. Recognizing your place before someone must recognize it for you is important for a healthy marriage," Hajime said before he closed the door and followed his son downstairs.

Haru stood in the corner of the bedroom in shock. She was in her own room, and yet Nobuo had the nerve to even ask of such a thing. She knew that she was already viewed as less than a person, but to be disrespected in such a way cemented everything that Haru was already thinking about the marriage.

She didn't even have the strength to go back to laying on her bed. Instead, she backed into the wall, and slowly slid down until she sat on her floor, head resting on her arms and knees.

For the first time since getting home on Saturday, Haru cried.

Monday, 7/4

Detention was surprisingly average, despite both Ren and Ryuji's absence from the previous session in addition to what occurred between Ren and Yuriko the last time that they spoke. Yuriko had been relatively nice, though slightly more reserved than usual. However, her laser focus on actually teaching Ren and Ryuji prevented Ren from truly engaging with her.

When all was said and done, Yuriko actually let them leave quite early. Ren hadn't expected this, especially after skipping a session, but he didn't mind. Unfortunately, it did put a fairly large hole in his schedule. Detention had lined up surprisingly well with his work schedule, letting him leave after detention and arrive perfectly on time to Leblanc, whereas before he had several hours to kill before going to work. Being let out earlier than usual but still taking time for detention left him with too little time to go back to the apartment to do anything, and going to Leblanc this early would only add to the boredom of working at an unpopular coffee shop.

Actually, will I even be working in Leblanc tonight? Not sure how things went with Futaba, but I'm eighty percent sure that my agreement with Sojiro to help out still stands. Eh, I guess I'll find out. What should I do before I head to Yongen? Could hang out with Ryuji for a bit.

Ren, who was still packing his bag after being dismissed, looked over to Ryuji's seat to find that he was already gone.

Motherfucking runners. Okay… what else? I could- wait, what's she- dammit.

Ren's mind raced with a mix of disappointment, dread, and annoyance as Yuriko approached where he sat. He met her eyes with a stare, challenging her to talk shit.

Do your worst.

"Can we talk?" The reservedness from her lesson remained.

"O-oh… sure," Ren surprisedly replied, giving Yuriko the go-ahead to occupy Ryuji's desk. She did so, letting silence fall over them. Ren couldn't tell if Yuriko was trying to find the right words to say or if she expected him to start, so he guessed the latter. "I can guess what this is about."

"I'm sure you could."

Not helping, Yuriko. That's a conversation dead-end.

"Look," Ren said to get her attention as he turned to face her in his seat, "do you want me to try and figure out what you want to say, or do you just wanna say it?"

"Er… fuck, I'll say it," Yuriko said as she looked away from Ren momentarily before looking him in the eyes again. "I'm sorry about being a dick to you over the past few weeks."

Eager to leave, Ren tried to reply, "Apology acc-"

"I was just trying to find some way to assert myself after everything that happened with Yoshiro. The way you responded after I was a total bitch to you was kinda thrilling, and things just got out of hand. That was the only secure sense I had of control recently, I guess, and I was clinging on to that. And, well, I had a decent excuse, at least at the start, because of how you were at the park cleanup," Yuriko urgently explained, trying to say it all at once to avoid embarrassment. "So, Ren, I'm really fucking sorry."

"Oh… that's a lot."

"Yep…"

Jesus, Ren. Say something!

"I accept your apology. Sorry for being a dick at the cleanup and the last time we spoke."

"No worries. We're all good now, right?"

If we're all good, I at least need to get one decent joke in on her. I've taken shit for the past few weeks, so I'm sure she'll let one joke go, right?

"Fuck yeah," Ren agreed as he checked his phone while an opportunity popped into his head. "Shit, I'm gonna be late for Saw Con."

"Saw Con?" Yuriko inquired. "What's that?"

Ren slowly turned to Yuriko for dramatic effect with a devious grin before delivering the killing blow.

Makoto Niijima:

-Was it really necessary to yell for Yuriko to "Saw Con these nuts" during detention today.

Ren chuckled to himself as he sat on one of the stools at Leblanc's counter. Sojiro had told Ren that he was giving Futaba a break from the social encouragement today, as moving things too quickly was an unnecessary stressor for the girl. Ren agreed, and that left him working the shop for the night.

Mondays were usually less busy than other nights. Sojiro understood, and Ren was free to use his phone while sipping some of his own coffee during that downtime. Sojiro was even doing the same, though through his own generation's technology; he read the newspaper a few stools down from Ren.

Ren Amamiya:

-Small price to pay for a few seconds of laughter.

Makoto Niijima:

-One-sided laughter?

Ren Amamiya:

-Yuriko giggled.

Makoto Niijima:

-Ren…

Ren Amamiya:

-Ok, fine. She was unamused by my sheer genius, but comedy isn't for everyone. At least it didn't set us back any further, right?

Makoto Niijima:

-True, but it confuses me that you would even think to tell a joke like that literally right after an apology.

Ren Amamiya:

-I was testing the waters to see how serious she was about us being cool with each other. Sure enough, I was right.

Makoto Niijima:

-Okay, but no more testing the waters by telling people to "Saw Con these nuts."

Ren Amamiya:

-You drive a hard bargain.

Ren Amamiya:

-But I agree to your terms.

Ren Amamiya:

-I'll only tell the joke when I know what the waters are like ;)

Makoto Niijima:

-Looking cool, Joker. Are we still on for tomorrow?

Ren Amamiya:

-For sure. Idk how long detention will last, so I'll just text you when I'm home and you can come over.

Makoto Niijima:

-Sounds great. See you tomorrow! :)

Ren Amamiya:

-See ya.

Tuesday, 7/5

Ren got back to his apartment after being let out shockingly early from detention. He guessed that it was because he and Yuriko had made up, but she hadn't confirmed. He and Ryuji didn't mind, as they briefly celebrated before parting ways after leaving Shujin together.

Now that he was home, he had someone to remind to come over.

Ren Amamiya:

-Just got home. Ready to study?

Makoto Niijima:

-What do you think I was doing while waiting?

Ren Amamiya:

-Vigorously peeling oranges, adding each peel to your collection that is so vast that it stops anyone from using the bathtub.

Makoto Niijima:

-Good one. I'll be there in a few.

In the meantime, Ren figured he could at least prepare the study materials. He unpacked his school bag, setting his books on the table. He also filled two glasses of water from the kitchen and brought them back to the table in the living area. All that was left was for Makoto to arrive.

Not long after Ren was done getting ready, she did. Ren opened the door after several knocks to greet her. "Hey, how's your day been?"

"Alright. We've been doing exclusively review in my classes, so I've gotten a bit tired," Makoto replied, hinting at unexpected tiredness from studying. Ren figured he should verify if his hearing was working.

"But you could always study more, right?"

Makoto smiled, though with a slight sigh. "Of course."

"Then let's get to it," Ren said as he led Makoto over to the couch. They both sat down and got to work.

The efficiency that the pair had demonstrated in the past hadn't deteriorated with time. They breezed through review material like it was nothing, quizzing each other while getting mostly correct answers. The times that they weren't correct, usually on Ren's side, had the pair go over the answer, why it was incorrect, and what the correct answer was.

In only an hour and a half, Ren had conquered two of his assigned study guides, with Makoto completing zero because she did them two weeks ago. Recognizing that they both needed a break, Ren plopped his notebook on the table and leaned back into the couch, stretching his legs out and yawning as he did so.

"Jeez… good work, Makoto," he said as he realized how much work they got through.

"Same for you. I'm surprised you had the unit circle memorized. Most people have to cram that the night before their final." Makoto copied Ren, setting her study materials down on the table. She relaxed into the couch, though in a much less excessive way than Ren.

"Think Kobayakawa will give me a medal?"

"I think he'll be happy when you do well on your exam, Ren," Makoto said. "You did great today."

"You flatter me," Ren said with sarcastic playfulness.

"I hope so."

Ren turned to look at Makoto for a second, smiled, then shook his head as he let out a chuckle. He checked his phone to see the time. "'Bout time… wanna stay for dinner?"

Makoto didn't seem confident in whatever she was about to say, but that didn't stop her from answering relatively quickly. "Sure!" Her urgently nervous answer irked Ren, but he figured that it didn't really matter why she answered that way if she agreed to dinner.

Probably just something to do with Sae. Alright, what to get for dinner? Pizza? Shit, it's easy.

"Pizza sound good?"

"Yes, that sounds great."

Ren dialed the pizza place and placed the order for delivery. There would be about thirty minutes until the pizza arrived, so Ren just turned on the TV. Figuring that it would be a good idea to let the guest choose, he handed the remote to Makoto.

"R-ren? Oh, it's fine. You can wa-" Ren waved the remote in front of her, urging her to take it. Succumbing to the pressure, she apprehensively took the remote and looked back to the TV. "Alright… let's see what's on."

She flipped through a few channels and shows that Ren recognized. He didn't particularly like any of them, so he didn't say anything. Though, if he did like them, he still wouldn't have said anything. It was up to Makoto.

She finally settled on a kid's channel that was playing the sequel to Buchi's Express , naturally titled Buchi's Express Two. The movie was already midway through, so Ren had no clue what was happening. He didn't really mind, as Makoto was as enthralled as one could be when watching a children's panda bear mascot. She was so absorbed in the movie that she would shush Ren when he attempted to make small talk. He would've found it rude if it wasn't so cute.

With Makoto watching TV, and Ren mostly watching Makoto, the thirty minutes passed by. The knocking at the door signaled the arrival of food. Ren stood up from the couch and went to open the door. He thanked the pizza guy, paid, and took the food. He brought it to the table in the living area rather than the kitchen. Surprisingly, this is what pulled Makoto out of the movie.

"You want to eat here?" she asked, gesturing at the couch she was sitting on.

"Yeah," Ren said with a shrug as he sat down next to her.

"But what if-"

"Hm? Is Mako-chan a messy eater?" Ren teased, knowing that she would get annoyed by it. He was immediately proven right as her face reddened.

"Well, no, but there's always a risk of-"

"Makoto, it's fine. Not even my couch, and I'm sure Iori-san would be too shit-faced to notice."

"True…" Makoto cautiously took a slice of pizza and began eating. She was still leaning over the pizza box because she was just that polite, but at least she was making an attempt to listen to Ren.

Ren took a slice of his own and leaned back into the couch while watching more of the movie on TV. Feeling disconnected from the movie that he hadn't even tried to follow that night, he attempted to spark up with a conversation with Makoto now that she wasn't enraptured by the movie anymore and was too busy trying way too much to not get any food anywhere besides the pizza box.

"Thanks for that birthday thing for Ryuji. He really liked it," Ren said after he swallowed a bite of pizza.

"Hm? Oh, it was no problem. Speaking of, where were you guys?"

"Diner in Shinjuku. Horrible connection over there, sorry that the call cut." Ren knew that he had to keep a poker face to not blow his cover. Makoto learning that he went to a maid cafe wouldn't necessarily be bad, it would just complicate things.

"That makes sense. Sorry that Haru wasn't on the call. I texted and called a few times that day, but she didn't reply."

"Weird. You'd think Haru would be the most diligent about replying quickly and shit," Ren said before taking another bite. He caught Makoto nervously eyeing him as she set her slice down in the pizza box.

"Do… do you think something happened to her, Ren?" she said while Ren was chewing, making him immediately stop. The only sound that could be heard was Buchimaru and his animal friends singing a song of friendship.

What great music for this situation.

It must've irked Makoto as well because she quickly picked up the remote and muted the tv before turning back to Ren. She was still expecting an answer.

Did something happen to her? She didn't respond to Makoto, not even for Ryuji's birthday. Maybe it was just revenge for Ryuji being shitty at gardening. Is she even that petty? Nah, no one doesn't wish their friend a happy birthday because they're a bad gardener. So that means that… fuck. I wish Haru was that petty. And now what? Do I lie to Makoto? Is it even lying since I don't know what happened?

"I really don't know," Ren said without inflection.

"Did we do the right thing by letting her go home?" Makoto asked. Ren had asked himself that question several times on Saturday, and he knew that Makoto had done the same. He also assumed that she hadn't come to a conclusion, just as he didn't.

"Fuck, I don't know. I don't know anything. There's no way for us to know anything right now if she can't answer her phone. Unless… have you seen her at school?"

"Well, no, but I should've. I usually pass by her in the halls a few times a day," Makoto said before her tone darkened even more. "I didn't see her yesterday or today."

"Oh, fuck," Ren said as he laid back on the couch and rubbed his forehead. "We fucked up."

"No, Ren, we had no idea w-what would-"

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Ren wasn't trying to contain himself at all at this point as he sat forward on the couch again. Knowing that something horrible had happened, or was happening to Haru was too much for one to learn and stay calm about.

Chihaya and her hanged man. What if it's Haru? No, it can't be. Chihaya literally meant a hanged man. Unless she changed how literal she was being mid-prediction, she means that it'll be a man that dies. Then who the hell is the man that's gonna die?! And Chihaya was saying to check on people that I know. Haru is the only one that I am aware of going through some shit that's bad enough for-

"Ren, maybe she j-just had her phone taken, or s-something like that," Makoto shakily reasoned. It was that shakiness that made Ren doubt her words, but the nervous look on her face said enough for him to realize something: freaking out over Haru would only make things worse. He and Makoto would both grow far too unreasonable to do anything to help her, only act irrationally and be nervous, angry wrecks.

Ren took a deep breath. He let the silence of the apartment and his own breathing center himself. After a few more breaths, he felt calm enough to speak. "The first thing we need to do is contact Haru. Assuming she really doesn't have her phone, then the only way we can talk to her is at Shujin."

"You're right. I can ask her teachers to send her to the student council room during their periods. Also, it couldn't hurt to check the roof during lunch," Makoto explained. Since Ren had taken the time to calm down, she had done the same.

"Okay… is… is that all we can do?"

"Ren, I know that you want to help her, but we are really, really limited. The most we can do for her is provide a shoulder to lean on."

"You're right. We need to support her," Ren agreed before a thought crossed his mind that he wouldn't dare say to Makoto.

But we can only support her if we can actually talk to her.

The rest of the night wasn't very long. The mood had been ruined by the panic over Haru, and neither of the two tried to lighten it. Makoto, after having her share of the pizza, decided to go home. Ren wished her well and took the rest of the night to do absolutely nothing. He just laid in bed, Morgana at his side, headphones in his ears, and thought about Haru.

Wednesday, 7/5

School had ended and Ren had little to show for it. No one in Shujin was learning anything new (they were all reviewing for finals) and his check of the roof during lunch hadn't helped him speak with Haru. She was absent from her most frequented spot, and there wasn't even a trace of her being there since Saturday. The gardening tools were exactly as GRAVY had left them that day as well.

Ren had taken the time out of his lunch period to water the plants, knowing that they hadn't been watered in days. He didn't know if the plants were a lost cause after going days without water, but they looked similar to how they had been left.

Now that school was over, Ren had two options. First, he could spend detention with Ryuji and Yuriko. Not a bad idea considering that the beef between him and Yuriko had been settled. The second option was to visit Maruki for one of two visits that had to be done within the week.

Fuck it. I'll go to Maruki today. I should send Ryuji a text to tell Yuriko I won't be there.

Ren Amamiya:

-Doing a session with Maruki today. Tell Yuriko that I won't be there, k?

Ryuji Sakamoto:

-Got it. Have fun with the doc, and tell him I say hi.

Ren Amamiya:

-Thanks.

Ren headed off to the nurse's office.

"Amamiya-kun, do you think a change in heart would be relative to the strength of a person's heart, or would it depend on who performed the change in heart?" Maruki asked, clipboard in hand as he jotted down notes from Ren's previous answer.

Of course, Maruki knew the answer to the question. As with most conversations he had with Amamiya, he was doing a bit of reconnaissance. Depending on his answers, Maruki could gauge how much Ren knew about the metaverse and how deeply involved he was in it. Unfortunately, Ren was either purposefully vague and unhelpful, or he was just flat-out uninvolved with the metaverse.

But that'd be impossible. He has showcased an immunity to actualization. Sure, back in May I was temporarily successful, but he seemed to shake it off after a few days. My second attempt wasn't even momentarily successful. He didn't even seem phased by the actualization attempt. But what if I was successful and he isn't hiding what he does outside of Shujin from me? No, there must be something else. How could he have dispelled the initial actualization while just being a normal student? It'd be impossible, Maruki mulled without conclusion. He had gone back and forth over the idea since he had failed (or succeeded; he wasn't sure) at actualizing Amamiya.

"Relative to the strength of heart, I think. That's what the change would be dependent on," Ren answered, interrupting Maruki's thoughts.

Maruki wrote down the answer in his notes as he considered the answer. Close. From what I can conclude, there doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground. Hearts can be freed of distorted desires, succumb to them, or submit to an external presence. The only exceptions come with, well, me, but I can't write that down. It's damning evidence, and I'm not powerful enough to create a world where the evidence against me wouldn't be a bad thing. Yet.

"An interesting idea, Amamiya-kun. Thank you for your input," Maruki said as he clicked his pen and set down his clipboard. "That concludes the research portion of the session."

"Oh. That was quick."

Maruki chuckled. "Not what you expected?"

"I dunno, I guess the word 'research' makes things sound tedious."

"I think it makes things sound exciting."

"To each their own."

"True, true… anyway, we still have some time left to cover. If you'd like you may ask me any questions, or we can talk about whatever you'd like." Even if Maruki was interested in learning how the hell Amamiya had overcome Maruki's powers, he still enjoyed speaking to the teenager, even considering him a friend.

"Oh… um… how's Takata?"

"Takata-kun?" Maruki had been speaking with Takata several times a week, mainly to make sure he hadn't stumbled across the same powers that Ren had. Outside of making sure that the former volleyball player was still actualized, Maruki had little interest in Takata. After all, he had been converted into the ideal student: quiet, attentive, and hardworking. Maruki couldn't tell any of that to Amamiya, so a much simpler answer would have to suffice. "He is doing better. He doesn't express anger towards you."

I couldn't allow that. That'd only create conflict, Maruki mentally remarked.

"Er… good?" Ren seemed puzzled by the answer. "Has he said… anything about Makoto?"

"Niijima-san? No, he hasn't mentioned her." Maruki had actually made it so that Yoshiro forgot all the negative things about Niijima, and he wouldn't even consider approaching the girl anymore. Even if there was no danger, it would place unnecessary stress on Niijima. No one deserved that. Maruki figured that it was a good time to seize the opportunity presented by Ren and change the subject. "Speaking of, how're things going between you two?"

Ren's blush was telling enough for an answer. He rubbed the back of his neck. "They're good. She's been helping me study for finals."

"Finals, huh? Not many students seem to worry about them." This was just a guess, as Maruki had no clue what they really thought. He was left in the dark by the school on most unessential things, so it was hard to keep up with the general feeling of the student body. Not helping was that few students came to see him. There was Amamiya, Takata, Takata's co-conspirators, and the occasional random student worried about their grade or a crush. Maruki was happy to help, though he did wish he got more visitors, particularly ones involved with Amamiya. Maybe they knew something that Maruku didn't know about Ren's free time that they would let slip.

"Really?" Ren seemed surprised.

"I don't get many visitors," Maruki explained as he put on a genuine smile. "It's a little sad for me, but it's actually great because it means that students are doing well enough that they don't need my help. I assumed that not many students were worried about finals that much if they weren't visiting."

"Yeah, and I think people are busy actually studying for the finals."

"I didn't think of that," Maruki embarrassedly admitted. Of course he wasn't getting students who were nervous about finals! Those who were nervous would be studying!

"Don't worry about that," Ren said before pausing and checking his phone. "Maruki-san, I enjoyed the session a lot, but I have work soon."

"Oh, go ahead and leave. Thank you for your time, Amamiya-kun. You were great help with my research." He wasn't really. Maruki had the general ideas of his research outlined and he knew a great deal about it, but he was still working on making this presentable for a formal research paper, and gaining strength in his own heart. He had learned enough to know that one's powers were dependent on the strength of one's heart.

"No problem." Amamiya stood up and left the counseling office, leaving Maruki behind.

Putting on the smile all the time was a lot of effort, though it was easier sometimes. But most of the time, it was still difficult. Maruki thought about that night every waking hour, and he knew that he couldn't overcome it. If it still tormented him after this long, he would never be able to move past it. All he could do was create a better world where no one would have to suffer like he was, or go through the pain that was seen on the news every evening.

Maruki knew it would be hard to even come close to such a fantasy. His powers, while incredible, were only strong enough to influence individuals. He couldn't match the scale necessary for his plans. Maruki also needed to learn how Ren had overcome the actualization if he had, and he needed to learn of the Prince's goals. The moment that Maruki heard the state of Kaneshiro on the day of his death, he knew that a change of heart had occurred, likely followed by a mental shutdown.

He had delivered himself to the police, begging for justice. Crimelords don't do that on a whim, not without cognitive psience, Maruki thought. If the Prince truly did uphold his word from the calling card, he killed Kaneshiro. It had to have been done through the metaverse. Unless the police are lying, there's no other way. The Prince knows enough about cognitive psience to kill, and could threaten everything I'm trying to achieve.

These weren't new thoughts for Maruki. Every day was the same, making little progress in gaining power and going through the same lines of thought.

As disheartening as the repetition was, Maruki knew it would be worth it.