Arc I Finale: Heart(s) Stolen, I

(See notes below)

4/20

The rain from last night continued to barrage the windows of LeBlanc at sunrise.

For Makoto, the drone that it made in her inner ear was starting to become sharp, like a nail being lightly tapped on her eardrums by a rubber mallet.

She opened her eyelids slowly, seeing only the color of washed-out mahogany. The sensation of cheap leather then crept in. I'm surprised I was able to sleep in these circumstances, she thought as her arms started to loosen up.

Then, the smell of burnt coffee beans tickled her nostrils.

She looked down to find a fluffy-haired smartass on her chest.

"...Well, morning," Ren quipped.

Then, she remembered what happened last night and turned red-faced, burying her face in her hands, vainly hope she didn't expose too much of her quirks. "...Did we fall asleep while..."

"...Yep. After planning, you wouldn't let go," he said, the "go" accompanied by a self-satisfied smirk. "Best sleep I've had in a while, despite the trembling."

He looked over to find her things dry on the booth desk. He looked at her pen pouch. Buchi-kun, eh? I'm surprised she holds on to that. I don't think you can really get that type of merch anywhere now. Then, her wallet. Her wallet's open though. ID's showing too...wait, 4/23. That's close...

Makoto in the meanwhile was still in her bubble of embarrassment. "...N-now you're just making fun of me," she replied, wilting even further. "I don't appreciate it..."

"Well then." He launched himself up, jaunting upwards to the attic. "I'm going to get something up my room quick, and then I'll brew something up."

"O-ok then," she said, attempting to piece back together some small amount of composure. "I'll just...go over some calculus...right."

Ren creakily made his way upwards, full of nervous energy he was willing to release through muttering.

Up in the attic, Akira took a deep breath now that he was out of sight. "...Fuck, that was close. The way she was positioned, she couldn't have gotten up to snoop around here."

Upon his desk was a workbench full of tools he brought from his Dad's workshop, electrical components from the very depths of his cluttered backpack, and chemical conspicuously labeled "Property of Shujin Academy." He then went to work shoving said material into his desk.

"You're right," Morgana said grouchily, balled up on the futon. "It WAS close. Also, thanks to you, I couldn't get good enough sleep by laying on you. 'Your Majesty's' hips fused to your backside isn't a good surface to lie on."

He grinned, tittering between the spaces of his teeth. "Another reason why I should sleep with her more often."

"Jackass. At the very least, I eavesdropped late at night. I understand, that given what I've seen and heard about your shitty school, your back is against the wall. But last time I checked, plans contingent on hope are not legitimate plans."

"Indeed, it's a wager," Ren said, shoving in components hurriedly into his work desk. "More so than before. Our little heist, though, will help. I imagine if Kamoshida's Castle serves as a signal of his mental state, then he's running scared, and Kobayakawa, the suck-up he is, won't like that. We frustrate Kobayakawa on the side, and top it with the Kamoshida and the Card-"

Morgana rankled slightly. "What! Hold on a minute. Do you any idea what a Calling Card does to someone?"

"Nope. But I bet it'll be ringing his subconscious bells. Shouldn't it work for us, if we want to bait them?"

"Maybe, but we've already been messing with his mind so much. You said it yourself; he's running scared. Infiltrating the same dungeon multiple times does that. And sending that Card means his distorted desires will run on overdrive. And I'll bet, if you're not careful, you'll take the worst of it. IF you pull it off."

"What, is he going to beat the shit out of me at school? I'll be careful."

"...So you say. But are you willing to put her-"

Ren, holding his gutted solenoid, heard creaks up the stairs.

Shit. I have to lead her away; rather not let her get too curious. "Uh..." Ren then stared at Morgana for the longest time. "She did say she liked Buchimaru after all...you seem furry enough."

"...You wouldn't even-:

Ren grabbed Morgana by the scruff. "Play cutesy cat."

"SONUVABITCH!" Morgana yelled. "I swear, you are the worst!"

Makoto peeked her head over the rickety stairs. "Sorry to intrude. You were making a lot of noise, so I wandered up here to see what was going on."

He walked down, towering over Makoto on the upper steps while holding Morgana nuzzled in his arms. "It's this little guy's feeding time."

"A...cat?" she said, eyeing it curiously. She then narrowed her eyes. "A cat...you found at school, perhaps?"

"Sharp. He needed a home, and well...I didn't want him stealing more bread."

She sighed in frustration. "Wonderful."

Her judgment though fizzled away. "...Are cats' bellies soft like others say?"

"What, you never had cats when you were growing up?"

"...Only just a goldfish."

"Ouch. Ok then." He held Morgana out towards her. "You try holding him."

She reached out a hand.

"My belly is not soft!" Morgana yowled.

Only hearing violent meows, Makoto recoiled back.

"Don't be shy. If he hurts you, he won't be fed,"

Morgana's ears flopped as he opened his belly, his stomach grumbling the whole time he was kowtowing.

Makoto then took the cat off of him and cradled it, unsure what her 'investigation' would lead her to next. She raised her hand towards the cat's belly and traced her fingers through the white striations in its fur. "So silky... though it doesn't have the coarse feel of Buchi-kun."

"...The real thing is always better though," Morgana grumbled. "What sort of sad, sheltered girl prefers the fake version over the real version?!"

Ren shielded his mouth to hide his failing attempt to hold back laughter. He then remembered coffee was on the menu. "Anyway...the usual then."

"Uhh, is that..." Makoto then pointed at the solenoid Ren held in his hand.

"This thing here? Piece of junk." To you, maybe. I'd doubt Prez would-

Makoto directed an extremely eager, wide-eyed look directed towards his solenoid. "Kanzaki...model?" she uttered out, her voice wavering in a nostalgic excitement.

...Holy shit. She might. "For bikes, yeah...you read about that stuff?"

"...W-well...a little. We have a bike back at home. Old one. Starter's out. I was just curious..."

"Well yeah, technically. Core's gutted though, so it's not going to run any moto motors anytime soon." The coils, on the other hand...

"Shame," Makoto remarked. "I was hoping to be able to ride that motorbike one of these days. I suppose I could have found another one if I tried, but..."

"School?"

"...Yeah."

Ren smiled back assuringly. "One day, Makoto, one day." He then shoved his veiled memento into his pocket. "Now, the usual. AGAIN."

He drudged in the back of the kitchen to prepare. Keep it simple and straightforward. No need to get fancy.

He began to wash his hands when he opened his mouth. "Hey...you doing alright? Yesterday was..."

Makoto, was now at the bar with her notes. "...I'm still doing ok."

The tension in her fingers as she turned the pages, however, said otherwise. I was rather upset though...that doesn't usually happen.

She looked at Ren's backside for the longest time in a quasi-hypnotic trance.

All of this...doesn't happen to me.

I mean, what reference do I go on, with this?

It was enough to make her afraid. Was I...thinking clearly...when I did what I did?

"...I'm spending too much in the pages of books at this rate," she muttered breathlessly.

Ren was slightly away, focused on the coffee filter placed in front of her. I'm getting the hang of this, he mused.

He then looked up at Makoto, her head tilted all the way on the knuckles of her fists, and her eyes staring steadily and aimlessly.

He noticed, and it led to an awkward pause. But after a while, Ren decided that seeing her paralyzed in thought was a more painful proposition.

"You know...it's ok. I think."

"Eh?" Makoto said, breaking her daze.

Last night...

The sweat was starting to pool on the back of his night. "It was a rough day for both of us. And we were just, uh...overwhelmed. We don't have to talk right now. Let's eat and get ready, ok?"

She paused for a bit and nodded.

Akira smiled in relief. "Good."

The steam of the filter drifted up to his face and condensed on his skin.

His glasses now slightly wet, the thought came to him.

A mortifying one, considering he'd tried to focus her mind on other things.

"I just realized I only have one umbrella on me."

"...Why do I feel like you're enjoying this opportunity too much at my expense?"

"Just relax, Makoto. It's an umbrella. It's all just a matter of aesthetics." To be fair, I'm saying that since I'm used to being stared at quite a bit already.

The pair were already at Aoyama, the rain still as relenting as before, and even now, students passing by were wondering curiously why the infamous delinquent of Shujin was escorting the Student Council President under an umbrella.

Makoto herself was aflutter over the aesthetics of umbrellas. "Sorry, I'm being silly," she stammered. "Childish even. I-I just watch too many movies, that's all."

Ren smiled in earnest back. "Just pretend I'm not here."

"Can't...you smell like strong coffee." Pleasantly strong coffee.

Ren chuckled. "I'll get noseplugs next time."

Makoto returned his kind suggestion with a slap on the arm, the resulting soreness a reminder to Ren of how deceptively "eager" she could be when prompted.

"Also, is bringing him along to school necessary? I'm assuming it's a he."

"My guardian still has a business to run. And some people don't appreciate pets in restaurants."

She squeezed the bridge of her nose in defeat. "I swear, though, if I hear any more complaints..."

"You won't, o Fair and Generous Maiden."

"Your banter is torture to hear," Morgana muttered.

Ren then reminded Morgana the virtue of silence with a quick jab to his bag.

A brief pause.

"You know," Makoto said. "About the plan...if it doesn't pan out..."

"Still thinking about it, eh?"

He looked over to find Makoto staring down at the puddles on the ground. He then panned to her wavy reflection off the water, revealing the anxiety creeping under her eyes.

She then looked up towards him, her head tilted aside. "You'll still be around at LeBlanc, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...if it doesn't work...

Ren only knew what was said before: get expelled, and you're thrown out. But in front of her? That answer won't cut it. "Of course. Don't worry about it."

By the steps was Kamoshida, pacing erratically. In expectation of a bitch in hairbraids and a curly-haired piece of trash. And booming at any student who bothered to look at him.

"...That's what I feared," Morgana then said. "I can hear him from over there. What you're hearing and seeing is textbook, Renren, when you go poking into Palaces deep enough."

The duo observed from a distance.

Morgana's words, in Akira's mind, started to sink in.

Hard.

"There a back way to the school?"

Makoto pointed to a small gate that passed through a small garden out front. "I have a spare key for that over there. Seeing Kamoshida over there, and, well, seeing US, I rather not draw a wide spectrum of scrutiny."

"Agreed."

The two sneaked through a hedge of bushes and flowers, being trimmed by an orange, poofy-haired girl in a Shujin tracksuit who was hoodied, with pricked fingers, too focused on shaping hedges with a pair of shears to look at anything else.

"Seriously, that lady should be inside already," Akira noted.

"Sorry. Okumura-san can be quite the horticulturist. Let's not linger. Once we get inside, we'll meet at lunchtime, ok?"

"Ok. Just watch yourself. Kamoshida seems...off if you couldn't tell."

"I'll try. I wouldn't imagine him being stupid enough to try and assault me."

"Hey, Akira!" a boorish voice cried, getting ever closer.

Ren's heart skipped. Goddamnit, Ryuji.

"So hey, about the Pal...ace?" Ryuji then noticed the two of them together.

"Palace?" Makoto wondered. "Is that supposed to be literal?"

"Right! The palace on the eighth level! I'll tell you later about how I beat it!" Akira then put an arm around Ryuji and began to corral him away. "Well, see you later then!" he said, waving at Makoto and giving her his best attempt at a neutral smile.

Makoto walked away, tempted to wave it off due to more pressing matters. And yet, that blonde-haired student seemed familiar.

That latent thought kept gnawing at her brain as she walked away. The "Nijima Itch."

Meanwhile, Akira and Ryuji rounded the corner and outside to the courtyard before Ryuji decided to talk again.

"Shit, sorry. I didn't even know you were trying to hook up with someone."

"No, I'm was NOT 'hooking up.'," Akira said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We just...were walking together and she didn't have an umbrella, that's all."

Ryuji sported a giddy grin. "Sure, you sly dog," he said, jabbing at Akira's ribcage playfully. "Bro code, dude. Between us."

"...Sure." Akira said sighing. "Sorry, busy day last night after eating over at your place. Should have told you earlier over the phone, but we have an update to the plan."

"Update?"

"We're taking down the Principal too."

"Seriously?! When we haven't taken down Kamoshida yet?"

"Yeah well, I don't have much of a choice. You were right; the Principal and Kamoshida are trying to get me expelled."

"WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me this before!?"

Akira grunted. "...'Cause I was focused on other things. You had your Mother's Day; I didn't want to make it awkward by just raring you up."

"Well yeah but...shit. What now then?"

"That girl you're talking to before is the 'now then.' She has a plan for Kobayakawa, and I'm hoping that everything pulls through and I won't have to get sacked. But we need to make sure everything goes well in the Castle."

"Wait, does she..." He leaned in forward a bit, lowering her voice. "...Does she know about...over there?"

"No, she doesn't know," Akira said intently. "And I intend to keep it that way, RYUJI."

"...Right, sorry. Wait, though, isn't that asking for her to find out?" Ryuji said guiltily. "I mean, women are scary."

"For once, I kind of agree with Ryuji," Morgana said through a space in Akira's bag zipper. "But...this guy here is in a serious bind. I can't fault him for this plan. Even if it's a long shot that assumes A LOT about people."

"Well, do I need to do anything different?" Ryuji said exasperatedly.

"Not really. Just need your head down more," Akira ordered. "You see Kamoshida today?"

"Yeah. He's pissed. I haven't seen him losing his shit like that in...ever."

"Apparently, according to my furry lecturer here, it's from poking at his Castle. When we release the Card, it'll be worse. Keep that in mind."

"Shit..." Ryuji darted his eyes. "That's a problem. I...Ann...she might know we're doing something. If she gets too close..."

Akira slammed the palms of his hands into his head. "Great. Just great. What, is she going to blab to someone? Is that your concern?"

"No, but she's stubborn. She'll be dogging us for sure. How am I supposed to explain Castles to her? To anyone, for that matter?"

"Fine. I get it." But still...this might unravel pretty quickly. I might have to call it. "Look, just...tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow?! Holy shit, isn't that kind of fast?"

Morgana's words still haunting him, Akira saw time as a luxury he didn't have. For now, a calm Ryuji was more valuable. "We'll be fine. After school, in the alleyway. At the very least, believing in Castles requires suspending one's belief quite a bit, so we have that buffer if anyone like Ann keeps snooping. Just watch out until then, that's all. Look around every corner. Stuff like that."

"Don't worry," Ryuji said, smiling and giving two thumbs up. "I got it. Well, see you later then?"

"We'll talk over the phone. Keep your distance."

"WAIT! Lemme me make the card then!"

"Ryuji..."

"I gotta stick it to Kamoshida somehow!"

Akira groaned. "Have fun. Don't use your handwriting!"

"Don't worry! I got the perfect idea for this!" Ryuji said, fist-pumping in the air.

Ryuji and Akira split up afterward.

A distance away:

Ann kept her hoodie down, and her ears open..

"Castles? These boys are weird for sure. But still...Student Council?" she scowled. "Someone apparently likes padding their college application with stunts like these rather than acting sooner. I'd be surprised if they did anything at all at this rate."

Time for lunch.

Or, so the establishment would prefer me to treat now as. For me though...

It's always story time.

The President and sole member of the Newspaper Club hovered by the Student Council Room, hoping fortuitous whisper to come through the door crack, a whisper that belonged on her newspaper. The school can claim as much as they want; it's mine.

MINE. I made it, I own it.

My "special talent." My thrill of the day.

No amount of dressing up like my ditzy self outside school is going to give me the rush like this.

"Takao-san?"

She heard the sound of a wimpy, downtrodden first year approaching her.

"Yuuki Mishima. Why did you call me here? I thought you said you had something to reveal about Kamoshida?"

"...W-well," Mishima mumbled. "Sort of."

"...Sort of? 'Sort of' doesn't work as a testimony!"

"...Follow me in..." he said somewhat dejectedly.

"Follow you in, there? For all I know, this is just a trap by the Establishment."

Mishima then opened the door to show Makoto and the infamous transfer student sitting at the hastily arranged desks in the middle of the room.

Takao-san turned her head, wondering how the pieces in front of her fit. These guys? I never imagined they, of all people, would be here in the same room. Though...actually, the rumors I heard today DO make me less surprised, now that I think about it..."Fine. Make it quick."

Mishima ushered in the aspiring journalist and closed the door behind them.

"Takao-san," Makoto said. "Please take a seat."

"Whatever." She sat in front of the two, who were sitting side by side, while Mishima stayed in his corner of the room.

"So, Takao-san, how are you doing? I hope your club duties aren't interfering with school."

Takao groaned. "Jeez, what am I doing here? Are you going to chew me out? I know the Principal gets annoyed when I ask about school issues, but c'mon. Sicking out his lapdog? That's low even for him."

"...Well, to be frank, this is under Kobayakawa's nose. And after it ends, I'd like to keep it that way."

Takao smirked. "You afraid he won't write you your rec? Isn't that why he sicced you onto the transfer student over there?"

Makoto looked somewhat surprised.

Takao relished her shock. "I hear quite a bit. Though I will say, he probably just did it to show the Establishment isn't an incompetent mess."

Makoto dimmed her eyes in light of her guest's insolence. "Relax. I believe we're trying to accomplish similar goals."

"In what way?"

It was Ren's turn to speak. "Word from the grapevine is that you're snooping around Kobayakawa's office. Particularly after, well, the Suzui incident."

"Perhaps. I should ask why the delinquent student cares...though I won't, considering I've already heard what you TRIED to do." She smiled. "Quite the daredevil. How's the head?"

"...Fine. Smartass."

Takao smirked. "Either way...I'll bite. What does Ms. Robot here have in store for our Rollie-Pollie Principal?"

Makoto considered for a brief moment raring back her open hands after the 'Ms. Robot' comment, and connecting them with her face. "By the sounds of it, I doubt you have a conclusive story against him. I want you to pretend you do."

"...What do you mean?"

"What I mean, is that you probably already know about the allegations, if you're willing to snoop."

"Well, you're right about one thing," Takao responded, arms crossed while looking down. "I do know about the allegation, but people don't like to talk about these guys. Doesn't allow me to comb through the juicy stuff and make masterpieces, 'truth in print.'"

"Your experience with interviewing sounds about right," Akira briefly added.

She then mischievously grinned. "I get, though, at the very least, a kick at poking at the eyes of the Establishment. Which is why I haven't gotten bored yet looking at these guys."

Establishment. Jeez, the hot air in this girl. "I suppose then you don't get your fix by pretending you have a story?" Akira wondered sardonically.

"Fleshed-out stories? Of course. My drug of choice. Other than crack cocaine."

"You take crack cocaine outside of school!?" Makoto boomed.

"Pfft. Miss Pres-i-dent. Please. Don't write me off as some crack whore."

"...Sorry. I come from a family of cops," Makoto replied. "I guess I'm hardwired like that to take claims of drug usage seriously."

"No wonder you're so straight-laced. But going back to Umbrella Boy over there, he's right. I'm not so enthused by the fact you want me to post speculation around the school."

"Umbrella boy?" Makoto said bashfully. "Nevermind. The point here is that if you do, there's the chance you'll get the conclusive evidence you need."

Would you look at her face? One of the few rumors that might hold up, and it's this. More ammo against people like her for later. Though..."Still not convinced." She then pointed at Mishima. "Why is he here, of all people? He's on the team, he should have just blabbed to me rather than go through the hoops here with this plan"

Makoto looked calm, but seeing Mishima flared her up, part of her wishing she'd slap him more. Still, she kept to principle. "He would be in a 'compromising situation.' The 'Establishment,' as you call it, would make this person's life as uncomfortable as possible, if they haven't already." She then glanced sympathetically for the briefest moment at Ren. "I don't want that."

Ren cued himself in. "He's also good at leaking information when told to. I'll vouch for that."

Mishima winced in the corner upon hearing that.

Makoto continued. "That's being said, under Kamoshida, he's done some horrible things. But...despite that, he's a student. And I'm the President. And in spite of what you believe, I believe that people aren't a means to an end, but part of the end itself. Kamoshida and the Principal, I know now, would never care to do that. And well...I've had someone to help push me away from that."

Akira couldn't keep himself but beam bashfully away from Makoto's line of sight.

Takao started to yawn at such a long-winded motivation for a not-so-straightforward plan. She then noticed Makoto's Buchimaru pen pouch and smiled. Hmm...interesting. I'm piqued.

"Now you can help us to craft a plan to hold them accountable and make way for something positive, or-"

She then noticed Makoto's dirty Buchimaru pen pouch and smiled. That's rich. I'm piqued now. "I'm in."

"...Really? You seemed reluctant just now."

Takao shrugged. "Girls are just complicated, you know." She then got up from her chair. "Numbers, then. You can fill me in later."

Akira jumped back in. "Don't be too hasty. If we ask you to pretend you have a story, whatever deliverables we ask of you should be made within two days. You think you're up for that?"

"Don't worry. I can do it. If my aunt can write articles plastered in some bar in Shinjuku, so can I."

Makoto looked embarrassed for her. "That's...an interesting way of looking at things." Makoto then gave Takao-san's number.

"Takao-san..."

"For god's sake, Makoto. Call me Eiko. My last name sounds weird."

"...Eiko. I appreciate you for cooperating with us. Please be careful."

"Just make sure the drek I send your way is useful. I'll use an alias, but it's unlikely that'll help."

"Probably won't," Akira deadpanned.

Eiko grinned toothily. "Just worry about escorting your girlfriend back home, Umbrella Boy. The rain ain't going to let down anytime soon."

Makoto, next to Ren, fidgeted slightly away. "Not. dating."

'Either way, my mouth's shut about you two. Toodles!" She then walked away.

"I can only hope she can deliver in time. I'm fine with the first stages of the plan starting tomorrow, but I fear you didn't give her too much room."

Akira though grimaced. ...Slipshod doesn't even begin to describe what I just heard. "We'll just have to hope, then." He then looked at Mishima, still sullen in the corner. "Mishima, I hope you know what to do?"

"...I still don't understand why I should be helping here."

"Because she insisted, despite her original impulses, to have you try and stand up for something," Ren said sternly. "I added the details. Better than torturing yourself all your life, wouldn't you say?"

"I...it doesn't feel right, considering what I did."

Akira sighed heavily and hotly through his nostrils, internally flagellating himself faced with such a pitiful expression on Mishima's face. "Then perhaps you'll learn not to run away from doing good. Maybe then you can look at yourself in the mirror."

Mishima sighed. "I...just...fine. I owe it..to Suzui-san. How, though, did you finger me?"

"I am curious myself, too," Makoto asked.

Akira shrugged. "A King in a Castle told me?"

"...Really?" Mishima said.

Well, time to wing it. "I actually just guessed. Prez already fingered you to be included in the plan. I, added a few details to the text she sent to bait you."

"...And I took it like a sucker."

Makoto chimed in. "Focus. We don't have much time. You need to make sure to spread the narrative we have penned. Leak it the best way you know how."

He stared at Akira. "You sure about this? These details don't leave room for imagination."

Ren grinned mischievously, akin to his younger self. "I'm counting on it."

"This is unacceptable, Kamoshida-san!" Kobayakawa said to Kamoshida. "I told you not to follow them! Drawing attention to the school outside school hours is not how we get through this Suzui matter!"

"These kids will be the end of Shujin at this rate! Everything we've worked for, everything that I'VE worked for, will be gone thanks to these kids."

"Ridiculous," the Principal uttered. "You forget that these guys are still teenagers. Dumb, emotional, irrational teenagers."

"THEY'RE MONSTERS POKING AT MY BRAIN!" Kamoshida cried, short of breath and veins popping from under his veins.

"Kamoshida, please hear me out. Do you understand why people listen to us? Why people listen to Shujin?"

Kamoshida panted heavily. "Because we excel."

"Because we appear to excel. Because we strive for it. Respect and power require vigilance. And when we have vigilance, we survive. The people above me understand this well. And I will do my best to emulate it here at Shujin."

"Well apologies, Kobayakawa, but we aren't going to have that if the Suzui business blows in our face."

Kobayakawa sighed. "Well, perhaps you can appear to be composed for the time being? Remember why you're here."

"Right," Kamoshida grunted out. "It's just, people should see who runs this school...that's all. Who helps to keep this place running."

"Indeed." Despite that, Kobayakawa simmered at Kamoshida's perception of things. "Please control yourself."

Kamoshida continued to groan like a wounded gorilla as he trotted out of Kobayakawa's office, the following words flashing in his head, over and over again, strobing with every pulse on the brain:

I deserve what I want.

Kobayakawa took a deep breath. His collar was starting to get damp.

He took a quick glance under the table to take a black, rotary phone and place it on his desk.

His sausage fingers hovered over the wheel. "Should I? It would be quick."

A brief pause.

He then retracted his finger, grunting angrily. "Damnit. Why do they have to be so picky? I wouldn't even know at this rate on whom to sick the Janitor. The transfer student...Nijima...or Kamoshida."

Notes: Hey guys, more a fluffier chapter than usual. This was supposed to be a longer chapter, but I have some pieces towards the end that I thought would be better as a separate part.

Good news is I'm shooting for Monday to post that, and maybe finish off next Friday (though depending on how much I write, it might as well be a four-parter. We'll see)

Stay tuned...

Oh yeah: Shoutouts:

AxelChakrams8: Ehh, yeah, I'm still pondering about whether I overdid drunk Sae. If any post-edits, then yeah I'd probably make her easier to read XD.

Also, I suppose when I wrote Makoto/Ren scene in towards the end, I suppose I'd imagined Makoto as more emotionally vulnerable due to that whole Sae business before. *shrug* I was planning on ironing that stuff out here in the recent chapter, but yeah, I will agree it's a bit more overt for Makoto to be doing that. (Oh what am I kidding, I probably just wanted to see them hug because I'm a sap.)