So...here's a new chapter.

If anyone still wants to read, yay. If not, totally understandable.

Life kicked me in the stomach the past couple of months, and my will to write left me yet again.. The big reason being that my dad died on the 14th of August, 2020, and I'm still trying to process it. Then on the 24th, my cousin, who was 18 months younger than me, died in his sleep from natural causes. I'm still wrecked, but I'm going to write a little, see if that helps me, and hopefully help you feel better.

Here's, hoping you enjoy it. I don't know how I will handle this series of events or what's going on in my life, but writing is my therapy, and hopefully, we shall all feel a little bit better!

Please don't hate me for the way I chose to start this chapter. I know you wanted more actual characters from the series, and they are going to appear, but part of this is necessary. Anyway, therapy writing away!

Also I spent a good amount of time editing this but there were a few software issues, I don't know why, so please don't kill me! I'm sure I fixed them.

"Thanks, Harumin."

Yuzu pulled the beer bottle and glasses Harumi had set on the table and pulled toward her and poured them drinks while Harumi stared at her from across the table.

"It's fine," sighed the brunette as she accepted her beer and nibbled on a rice cracker from the small bowl on the table. "I'm just glad I finally get to see you, even if it's because you two got into a fight."

"I'm sorry," whined Yuzu, raising her hands in apology. "I know, I've been a bad friend lately, but I didn't know what else to do. I just had to…."

"Go somewhere where people weren't going to bug you about making up?" Harumi smirked and sipped her beer while Yuzu blushed, confirming Harumi's suspicions. "As I said, it's fine. After this long, I'm used to being your soundboard for relationship troubles."

"Yeah, I guess that's a pretty accurate summary of me as a friend." Yuzu sighed and poured herself some more beer but didn't drink; instead, she began rubbing her eyes, hoping to stave off the tears.

"Ah, come on, Yuzuchi," said Harumi as she grabbed a box of tissues from the kitchen counter. "You know it was a joke, don't go breaking down on me."

"But it's true," sniffed Yuzu before wiping her eyes and blowing her nose loudly into it. "I only ever come to see you guys when it's about Mei or the kids, and I don't want to have to keep doing that. It's not fair to you and Matsuri."

"I'm not going to lie and say that it's a little tiring," answered Harumi before pulling a chair closer to Yuzu and wrapping her arm around Yuzu's shoulder and hugging her, "but it's your life. This stuff happens when you grow up, you know? Priorities shift, and we gotta accept that, even if it gets a little tedious and makes me want to hang up the phone sometimes."

"I'm so…"

"I know you are," huffed Harmui before kissing Yuzu on the cheek. "But you're my best friend, and you're hurting, and I couldn't live with myself if I sent you and Airi away. If anything, I'm sure Mei or someone else in your family would kill me if I did, and I kinda like my life."

"Thanks for letting us stay, by the way," said Yuzu with a weak smile. "She's been through enough today, and after everything that happened, I didn't want to take her someplace she didn't know. "

"Well, she's my goddaughter, and I'd be a pretty crap Aunt if I told her I didn't want her around. Besides, I'm a bit curious about what exactly set this whole thing off."

"That was a good call," whispered Yuzu, lifting her beer to her mouth, ignoring Harumi's prodding. "After all the crap me and Mei said to each other, having you or Matsuri say you didn't want to see her, I don't know what that would do to her."

"Why?" Harumi's eyebrow arched in curiosity at hearing this bit of news from Yuzu. "What did you say?"

Not wanting to answer, Yuzu began drinking her beer, slowly this time hoping that Harumi would lose interest, but eventually, her glass drained, forcing Yuzu to reach for the bottle.

However, Harumi was too fast, and the brunette managed to get ahold of it and push herself a little ways away, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Yuzu," began Harumi with an edge she customarily reserved for Matsuri or Nene when they got on her last nerve, "what'd you say?"

Yuzu's mouth opened and managed to stutter out, "Mei and I uh...well we...it's..."

While she tried to find the right words, the sound of shuffling feet came from the dining room entrance, and a voice yawned, "Mama, can I have some water?"

"Yes," said Yuzu shooting up from her seat, grateful for the interruption but nearly knocked it over as she walked over to scoop Airi up in her arms and hug her tightly. " Yes, you can have some water. But you need to go to the bathroom, right after, okay? I don't want you having an accident."

"Okay." Airi rubbed her eyes and clutched the stuffed owl Hideki had bought for her when she was born. "You stink."

"I'm sorry," said Yuzu while Harumi put the beer bottle back on the table and rolled her eyes. "Mama and Auntie were having a drink."

"Oh." Airi waved at Harumi, who waved back and smiled as Yuzu took Airi into the small kitchen and got her a glass. "Hi, Auntie Harumi."

"Hello Airi," replied Harumi, glaring at Yuzu for taking advantage of her daughter's arrival but turned her smile right back to the little girl wearing one of Matsuri's old worn-out t-shirts as pajamas. "Are you okay? Did we wake you up, or was it too hot in the room? We can turn on the air if it helps."

"I'm fine." Airi yawned again and downed the small glass of water Yuzu gave her and wiped her mouth on her shirt sleeve. "But I'm worried about Mommy. Did she call? She said she'd read me the ending of my magic book tonight. They were gonna fight the Red Bull!"

"She hasn't called," said Yuzu hoarsely before refilling the glass and drinking herself. "But, I promise she'll read it to you when we get home. Until then, I'll read you a different story."

"But when are we gonna go home?"

Both Harumi and Yuzu winced at the fear in Airi's voice.

"Soon, sweetie," answered Yuzu in a whisper before kissing Airi's cheek and holding her close to her chest. "But right now, I need you to get some sleep. Mama's going to take tomorrow off so we can go and have some fun. Maybe even see the movie since we didn't get to today. How does that sound? And maybe we can go out for dinner too."

"Is Hideki gonna come?" Airi's voice picked up at the prospect of seeing the movie while Yuzu walked her back toward the guest room, leaving Harumi alone in the dining room. "I want Hideki to come."

"I don't think Hideki is going to want to come," said Yuzu sadly before setting Airi down outside the bathroom door and waited for her to shut it.

"How come," Airi yawned through the door and the clack of the toilet seat. "Is he mad at us?"

"I don't think he's mad at us," chuckled Yuzu despite the pain in her heart remembering Udagawa saying Hideki wanted to live with his dad for a while. "He just needs some time to think about a few things, so he's staying with his dad. But if you want, I can call him and Mommy tomorrow. I think she'd like that. I'll even ask her to read your story over the phone, okay?"

"I guess," yawned Airi before flushing the toilet, making Yuzu smile. After a quick stop to let Airi wash her hands, Yuzu returned her to the bedroom, where she began tucking her daughter in.

.

"How's that," asked Yuzu after making sure Airi was comfortable while clutching her stuffed out tightly. "All comfy?"

"I miss Mommy and Hideki," whimpered Airi as she curled up beneath the covers, her owl squishing under her weight. "Are we gonna go home soon? Or are you and Mommy going to fight again?"

"I promise we'll go home very soon," whispered Yuzu, brushing Airi's bushy hair out of her eyes. "Hopefully, we'll only be here for a couple of days, and soon you'll be in your room and playing your piano and your violin, and we'll have a big dinner with all your favorite foods. I'll even make a few of those little cakes and tarts from the restaurant that you like."

"But what if you fight again? Are we going to have to live here?"

Yuzu had to stop as she saw the same look of fear in Airi's eyes that she saw in Hideki's the first time he remembered her and Mei fighting.

"I promise that Mommy and I will work it out," said Yuzu with a tear-stained smile remembering a similar conversation she'd had with Hideki when he was her age. "But I can't promise we won't fight, so if you wanna stay here or with Grandma and Grandpa, or Shirapon, then you can. Mommy and I won't be mad because we want you safe and happy."

"Can I stay with Uncle and Hideki?"

Airi's face lit up at the smile, and Yuzu couldn't hide her laughter as she nodded and said, "I'm sure they'd love that. But you have to go to bed and don't worry; I'll be in to cuddle you soon. Is that okay? You think you can be my cuddle bug tonight?"

"Uh-huh." Airi smiled briefly before scrunching her nose and asking, "Are you gonna get drunk? You always wanna cuddle me when you get drunk, and I don't like it when you smell like beer."

"Do you even know what that means," asked Yuzu as she saw a familiar mixture of pink and black hair drift away from the door.

"It means you drink a lot of beer and smell like cigarettes and throw up in a toilet and promise never to do it again," answered Airi haughtily, sticking her nose in the air proud to display her knowledge of adult matters.

Yuzu heard a few chuckles from outside the door and she couldn't deny her own humor before speaking to her daughter.

"That's part of it," said Yuzu with a nod and kissing her daughter on the forehead. "But before I say anything else, I want you to tell me who told you that stuff."

"Auntie Matsuri told me when I stayed over one time. I had to go pee, but when I got to the toilet, she was throwing up in it and said it was because she got drunk."

"Oh shit," came one of the voices followed by the stomping of feet as Airi and Yuzu both looked at the door.

"Was that Auntie? I wanna say 'hi.'"

"I'm sure it was," chuckled Yuzu, her eyes narrowing at the crack in the door while she kept a struggling Airi from escaping the bed. "But I'm not happy you know all of that stuff. Did Auntie at least explain why she was drunk?"

"She said she went to a 'mixer' for work, but that she didn't want to, but she had to because her boss said she had to do it so she could kiss a client's ass."

Yuzu's eyes went wide at hearing her daughter's explanation, but Airi was too focused on playing with her owl and asked, "Am I going to have to do that when I grow up? I don't like throwing up, and I don't want to do stuff that makes me throw up."

"Not if you don't want to," sighed Yuzu as rubbed Airi's cheek. "But right now, it's time to go back to bed, okay? And no more saying that word or any of that stuff about drinking and vomiting, do I make myself clear?"

"What word," slurred Airi as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Ass," said Yuzu, blushing with embarrassment. "You're too little, and Matsuri knows Mommy and I don't want you to know that stuff. So, the next time you say it, you're going to be in big trouble. Got it?"

"Okay, Mama," yawned Airi as she smacked her lips tiredly as she closed her eyes to the soft sounds of the music playing from the channel Yuzu had set the television to earlier. "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, Airi." Yuzu bent down and kissed Airi while managing an awkward hug. "I'm sorry today turned out the way it did, but I'm gonna make it better with Mommy."

Airi nodded and nuzzled Yuzu's hair, and before her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep.

After giving her daughter one more soft kiss, Yuzu shut off the lamp, wiped a stray tear from her eyes, and returned o the dining room after partially shutting the door. Once there, she found Matsuri shoveling what looked like pasta into her mouth as Harumi busied herself with grabbing drinks and other things.

"Hey Yuzu," exclaimed Matsuri from the table after swallowing a large mouthful. "Want something to eat? I hope you don't mind, but I finished off the beer you and Harumi opened."

"Just as long as Airi doesn't wake up because you decided to drink too much," sighed Yuzu, sitting back down while Harumi handed her a box before placing three fresh bottles of beer on the table. "What's this?"

"I had Matsuri add an order for you since you didn't eat when Airi did," said Harumi, winking as she opened her box. "I'm sorry it's takeout and not something like what you guys normally eat, but it's late, and I figured it was better than nothing."

"This is fine," said Yuzu, opening her container to reveal a large portion of pasta puttanesca. "And it smells delicious. Harumin, do you have any…"

"Here," said Harumi, handing Yuzu the cheese after taking a bite of scampi.

"Thanks." Yuzu applied it to her food and felt her mood lift slightly as the flavors danced happily across her tongue. "It's good."

"I know right," said Matsuri with a nervous smile, her pink high-lighted hair bouncing, she stood up to pour them all beers. "My bosses at the station took us there once, and it's kind of become a go-to for Harumi and me when we're feeling lazy. I'll get you the address later if you want."

"That'd be nice," sighed Yuzu after taking a sip of beer, aware of what Matsuri was trying to do. "But don't think that you giving me a restaurant to go to is going to make me forget that you taught another one of my kids things they shouldn't know. We had a hard enough time getting Hideki off of saying that kind of stuff when he was little, and I don't want Airi to pick up your bad habits."

"Yeah, well, I was drunk, so doesn't that mean I get a get out of jail free card," inquired Matsuri after sitting down and ignoring Harumi's snickering. "I mean, it's not like the kids haven't heard worse.

"That's beside the point," scolded Yuzu, her vHarumietting uncharacteristically icy. "I don't want her repeating it. Mei and I are still dealing with the bullying at her school, and I don't want her to have any more stress than she's already got just because you don't know when to not say certain things."

"Okay, okay," said Matsuri, shocked at hearing that Yuzu was so aggressive. "I was just joking, you know, trying to make you laugh. I figured you'd be pissed about it, but I didn't expect you to go all 'Mei' on me. Jeez, talk about a high school flashback, huh Harumi?"

"Not really," said Harumi with a shrug. "You know I didn't deal with Mei much during school, so don't go lumping me in with you just because you were a delinquent."

"Tough crowd tonight," grumbled Matsuri, downing her glass of beer before getting up to grab a pitcher of ice water for them. "If I knew that,, I would have stayed at work."

"I'm not in a joking mood tonight," sighed Yuzu, pushing away her pasta and draining her beer glass. "If I hadn't been joking, maybe I'd be at home in my bed tonight instead of…"

"What," asked Matsuri, her temper beginning to flare. "Is there something wrong with our house? I mean, it's not as nice as yours and Mei's, but we worked our asses off for it just like…"

"Matsuri."

Harumi reached over and placed a hand on her partner's and squeezed it.

"What?!" Matsuri jumped to her feet by this point and, despite her best efforts to keep calm, shouted at her lover. "What? I love her just as much as you do, but if you think I'm just gonna sit here and let her…."

"Just stop," whispered Harumi, angling her head back toward Yuzu.

Matsuri's gaze turned to Yuzu, who was in tears, her wedding ring pressed against her mouth as she dabbed at her eyes with a napkin.

"I'm... I'm sorry," sniffed the former gyaru after a few tense moments. "I didn't mean to…"

Matsuri's anger sputtered for a moment, before turning into a knot in her chest. Biting her lip, Matsuri let out a loud sigh, retook her seat, and let Harumi take Yuzu's hand to comfort her.

"I'm sorry too." Matsuri ran her hand through her hair as she spoke and began scratching the back of her head. "I didn't mean to fly off the handle like that. All Harumi told me was that you two had a fight and that you'd be staying here for a few days, which I'm happy about. I'm just tired from work and people were being stupid, so I haven't been in a good mood. I'm sorry I yelled, and I want you to know that.."

Matsuri let out a loud sigh as she tapped her feet against the dining room floor and stared at the ceiling.

"Well, I want you to know that if you need to stay here for a bit, it's okay with me, and Harumi too. Hell, it might even be good for you and Mei to have a little time apart, you know? OW!"

Yuzu fought to keep herself from smirking when she noticed the table jump from Harumi kicking Matsuri beneath it.

"Do you ever know when to shut up?"

"It's not like I'm telling Yuzu to dump her," snapped back Matsuri, rubbing her shin. "But you and I have days where we just kind of go off and do our own thing to recharge, so why can't they? When was the last time either of them did something like that?"

"I can't even remember," answered Yuzu with a sad smile. "That's one of the reasons Mei and I got into it tonight."

Both Harumi and Matsuri fell silent for a minute, all three of them focusing on their slowly chilling food and warming beer, though Yuzu only prodded at her plate or touched the lip of her glass while her friends pecked at their food, unsure of how to proceed.

"It's all right," said Yuzu, breaking the silence after a long sip of beer, her voice as flat has her drink. "You guys can ask me about it; I know you want to."

"But what about Ai…"

"She's asleep," said Yuzu stiffly, her eyes darting down the hallway. "Not to mention, I turned on some of her favorite music to fall asleep to, so unless we get as loud as Mei and I had, she shouldn't wake up."

"Must have been bad if you left and brought Airi with you," said Matsuri quietly.

In all her years of knowing them, there'd only been a handful of times that Matsuri could remember Mei and Yuzu ever truly shouting at each other. Normally they were able to work it out and come to an understanding, but despite knowing this, the younger woman couldn't help but fear that her friends would end up parting ways and not only end up hurting each other but also hurting their children as well.

"One of our worst," choked Yuzu, her eyes reddening as the tears once again began to fall. "And all because I had to act like a child."

"Quit blaming yourself for all of it," consoled Harumi, rubbing Yuzu's shoulder as her best friend wiped her tears with the back of her hands. "Yeah, I'm sure you said a few hurtful things, but it's not like Mei's had justification for all the things she's said. Seriously after some of the crap she's pulled, I'm surprised you've only slapped her once.

"Trust me, I was tempted to this time," said Yuzu guiltily as her phone began to vibrate. "But I'm not going to do that. It's bad enough we've scared the kids with our yelling. I mean, yeah, I slapped her before, but I don't want to do that again. Can you two hold on a second? I have to take this."

Matsuri and Harumi watched Yuzu's eyes darken as the phone began vibrating again, her lower lip disappearing into her mouth as her finger hovered over the screen in hesitation.

"Do you want one of us to take it," asked Matsuri, and Yuzu could tell she knew who it was that was calling.

Yuzu looked up from the screen showing a picture a server had taken of her and Mei on a recent date, Mei smiling nervously while Yuzu beamed, her wife's name and number flashing across the screen before it went dark again.

Shaking her head, Yuzu turned the phone back on again in preparation to call back, but before she could dial, the phone began to buzz, once again displaying Mei's name and number.

Regardless of whether she answered, Yuzu knew Mei wouldn't call back a third time and not wanting to make her wife worry more than was necessary; the blonde decided to do the right thing and answer the call.

Excusing herself, Yuzu headed out onto the porch just past the living room. Knowing that Harumi and Matsuri would try and eavesdrop, left the sliding door open enough to hear bits and pieces before tapping the answer button.

"Hello," choked Yuzu, her throat tight from trying to keep herself from crying.

"Hello," answered Mei cooly, though Yuzu could hear the subtle hint of worry and guilt in her voice. "I'm...is this...okay? Should I not have called?"

"Considering what happened, it's a little strange." Yuzu sat down on the porch, digging her toes into the grass as she stared up at the night sky and the few twinkling stars. "But I know how you get, and I'm happy you did. I also know what you want to ask, so, ask."

"Is she okay," asked Mei, her voice almost a whisper. "Are you okay? Are you somewhere safe? Have you eaten? Do you need me to…."

Mei's voice dropped after the last part, but instead of speaking, Yuzu gave her a moment, and finally, Mei said, "Do you need me to have Udagawa drop a few things off? Or would you rather call Mother and Father?"

"Airi could do with a few more clothes," admitted Yuzu, ignoring the stabbing pain in her chest as she answered. "I didn't grab much for me, but I can borrow a few outfits from Harumin if I have to."

"So you are with them," said Mei in relief at finally knowing where they were. "I had a feeling you'd go there, but I didn't want to intrude."

"But you called anyway," snorted Yuzu, despite feeling glad that Mei had been worried about them.

"I'm sorry." Mei's voice cracked as she spoke, and Yuzu felt herself begin to cry for what felt like the hundredth time that day at hearing her wife's voice shudder as she tried to keep her composure. "Yuzu, I'm so sorry."

The weakness in Mei's voice was enough that Yuzu couldn't resist pulling her legs up to her chest and clutching them with her free arm as she listened to her wife's sobs.

"I sorry too," whispered Yuzu, her tears staining her forearm. "I'm sorry for the stuff I said, I am, but you said some hurtful things, stuff I never thought you'd say and you've said a lot."

"I was upset, Yuzu," said Mei regaining some of her self-control. "I know I shouldn't have lashed out like that, but you know I didn't mean most of it."

"I didn't mean most of what I said either," said Yuzu, wiping her nose on her sleeve as she took a couple of deep breaths. "But it doesn't make it hurt any less; you know that, Mei. We've had this talk before."

"We have," said Mei with a dry chuckle. "Too many times and we say the same things over and over. We just never seem to learn."

"We don't," agreed Yuzu, looking over her shoulder as she heard the door slide open, and Matsuri and Harumi joined her on the porch carrying more drinks to go with the boxed cheesecake they'd brought with them. "But I want to talk about it. I just think we both need a few days to calm down so we can think clearly. Is that okay?"

"Yes," said Mei, trying to hide her disappointment. "Yes, that's fine. I'm going to be with Himeko until you're ready to talk. I couldn't handle being at home alone after everything. Is it all right if I tell the others where you are?"

"Mama and Papa know." Yuzu felt another pang of guilt at having lied to their parents about why she was staying with Harumi and Matsuri, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it. "I didn't tell them what was going on, but I'm sure they know something happened. Are you sure you want to call Udagawa? It might make things worse."

"I still think we should tell him." Mei's voice had regained a hint of composure, but Yuzu knew better than to know she was feeling better. "Just in case one of them shows up at the house, and we aren't there."

"If you think it's…"

"Do you think it's best," asked Mei cutting Yuzu off. "I want your honest opinion."

Yuzu couldn't help but smile through her tears at Mei's attempt to include her and said, "I think it's a good idea, and we can tell them about everything later. I'm pretty sure Udagawa's got enough on his mind right now."

"I suppose you're right."

Yuzu could tell Mei was smiling a little and wished she was at home holding her, but knew it wasn't the best thing for them at the moment and grew so lost in thought at the prospect of caressing Mei's hair that she missed out on hearing something important.

"Can you repeat that," asked Yuzu while Harumi and Matsuri rolled their eyes over the cherry-covered cheesecake they'd brought with them.

"I said," began Mei, making Yuzu smile as she imagined the younger woman pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration, "if I could talk to Airi, though I'm sure given the time that it'll be impossible given what time it is."

"Yeah, she's already asleep." Yuzu felt a small smile as she remembered the look on Airi's face as she asked about Mei being able to read her story. "But she was sad that you couldn't read to her tonight, but if you want, maybe you can read to her over the phone tomorrow night?"

"I'd enjoy that."

Mei let out a sigh of relief at hearing Yuzu's suggestion and said, "I brought the book with me just in case. She knows that I'm not mad at her and that I love her, right?"

"She does." Yuzu nodded as she spoke, her guilt building up once more. "I made sure she knows that she isn't in trouble and that she didn't do anything wrong, just that you and I have some things that we need to talk about and that we'd be home soon."

"Thank you," was all Mei managed to say before starting to cry again. "You have no idea how…"

"You don't need to thank me, Mei." Yuzu's voice dropped out of instinct, but it didn't do much to keep Matsuri and Harumi from hearing. "I told her the truth, that's all, and I meant every word of it. I love you, and I want to be with you."

"I know," said Mei after regaining her composure. "But it still hurts, and I still get scared."

"I get scared too," confirmed Yuzu, her hand shaking as she spoke. "I also hurt too, and I hate being apart like this, but I don't know what else to do. It seems like every choice right now is the wrong one, but us being apart for a bit is the only one that makes sense to me, and I feel like a coward for doing it."

"You aren't a coward, Yuzu." Mei's voice had finally regained some of its old strength since they'd begun talking. "You made a choice, and even though it hurts, I feel you made the right one as I'm responsible for putting you in such a predicament. So please, trust your judgment, and for our family's sake, get some rest."

"I promise," confirmed Yuzu, trying to smile. "But I'm going to stay up with Matsuri and Harumi for a little bit and talk about things. Is that okay?"

"Only if you don't mind me doing it with Himeko and Shiraho-san should she show up," countered Mei, making Yuzu giggle in a way that she wondered if it made Mei's ears turn red.

"I'm okay with that." Yuzu let out a loud yawn, despite the pain in her eyes and head, but felt a little bit weight lift off her shoulders after hearing Mei's voice. "But, Airi and I will be out for a bit tomorrow since I took the day off after...after everything. Umm, will you be available if she wants to talk before storytime, you'll be available for the storytime tomorrow, won't you?"

"I've cleared my schedule," replied Mei catching Yuzu off-guard. "So should you call, I'll answer."

"Sounds good." Yuzu let out a deep breath as she spoke, the familiar uncertainty building in her chest as she and Mei both realized that one of them would have to hang up.

Just as she was about to say something about it, Yuzu got cut off by Mei nervously saying, "I suppose I should let you go now. I'm certain Harumi and Matsuri are getting impatient, and I'm expecting Himeko to come barging into the guest room at any moment to see what's taking so long."

"That sounds like her," chuckled Yuzu while Matsuri chewed on a large bite of cheesecake while Harumi stared up at the sky, kicking her legs impatiently while waiting for Yuzu to hang up the phone. "But yeah, I should get going, especially if I'm going to keep my promise to get some rest. I love you, Mei. I do."

"I love you too, Yuzu,' repeated Mei, her voice warm, despite its pain. "Good night."

"Night."

There was a click, and despite her smile, Yuzu felt her stomach twist into a knot as she took the slice of cake Matsuri handed her, took a bite, swallowed, and dryly asked, "So what do you wanna know?"