Takeru followed Karasuma through HQ. The more they walked, the more he could feel the stares directed at him.

'Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong, it's just peculiar to see a new recruit at times when it isn't enlistment day yet.'

He nodded in response.

A few more turns at corners, Karasuma abruptly stopped, and Takeru nearly crashed into his back.

'We're there.'

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Shou was completely focused on her phone, scrolling through the list of new recruits, checking out their first battle stimulation videos and statistics. She stopped particularly long at one name, scrunching her eyebrow together in confusion, but that wasn't for long since she had figured out who they were.

'Seems like I was too naive to think that they wouldn't find me here...'

She locked her phone and stood up. Should I find Jin? Or should I keep it to myself for the moment? She clenched her teeth, contemplating her choices.

I'm going to find Jin.

Calling Jin, who should be off-duty at that time, she waited for him to pick up.

'... Hello? Shou?'

'Jin-san. Are you free? Right now, I mean. It's rather important.'

'Lounge in five. I'll be right there.'

'Thanks.'

She walked briskly to their meeting point, not wanting to be late, but Jin was already waiting, munching on a packet of Bonchiage.

'Whats so urgent, Shou?'

'Jin-san. Please, read my future.'

'Now that's an unusual request, especially from you.' He grinned a little. 'What's gotten you so interested?'

'Please, Jin-san. I need to know what's going to happen. It concerns the safety of Mikado. Or even, the whole earth.'

Jin's expression darkened almost immediately, the mood becoming a tad more serious than before.

'Alright. How far do we need to go?'

'About a month.'

'I'll try. Let's have a seat first.'

They sat down, and Jin stared off into God knows where. It intrigued Shou, how Jin's side effect worked. How he could see so many variations of the future at one time, and how he managed to keep track of all the turning-points leading to different possibilities.

A while later, Jin snapped back into reality.

'How was it?'

'What the heck have you gotten yourself into?' He chuckled after asking her in a monotone voice. 'What outcome do you want?'

'That of the least deaths.'

'So you're prepared for it all, huh? If you still plan on finding that newbie you recognised, don't. It'll end up with either one of you dead before anything happens. It's best if you checked up on your left eye, it seems to need... Repairing? What the heck? Whatever, the route leading to the least deaths include your own. Is that fine with you?'

'Yes.' She looked Jin in the eyes. 'Please continue.'

'Actually, there'd only be two deaths from Border. Yours and one other. No other casualties. And of course, tons of trion soldiers.' He smiled faintly, hoping to lighten the mood. 'Just don't see that new recruit, or headquarters will be taken down completely. Not just the building, all the people too. Border would be ruined. Literally.'

'I promise I won't.'

'Then that's one hurdle gone. Next is an invasion next week.'

'How big?' Shou got her phone out and prepared to type out a report for him, so that he could skip the trouble of explaining to the higher-ups later on.

'It's rather small. You'll be at school then, so it to the agents on duty. They'll manage with no problem. I'll be there too, if that assures you more.'

'I see. I won't interfere.'

'After that are various small scale invasions, and about three weeks later there'll be a big one. The really big one, which you'll die in.'

'So, how do I die?'

'It was a one-on-one battle with a human neighbour. You killed them, but they were carrying a bomb.'

'Anyway to prevent that?'

'Afraid not. You were too far away from the main battlefield. The rest only found out when they couldn't contact you. And that's about it. Within this month, you die.'

'Thank you for your time and effort.'

'Though I'm not in the position to say this, don't think about it too much. Overthinking will only mess up the future even more.'

'Thanks for the advice.' She stood up, bowed a but, and headed home.

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'Yuzu-kun, what would you do if I died?'

Yuzuru choked on his fried rice. He grabbed a glass of water, chugged it down, swallowed, and blinked.

'What the heck?'

'Answer honestly. What would you do if I died?'

'Probably regret why I let you die, after I promised I would protect you.'

'You still remember that from when we were kids? I'm surprised.'

'Oi. My memory isn't that bad. Why the sudden question, though?'

'Nothing. Just an 'if'.'

'Then promise me now that you won't die, until you get all old and measly and die of old age.' He held out his right hand, pinky stretched.

Shoud's facial muscles tensed, but loosened up as the corners of her mouth twitched up. Yuzuru noticed and smiled. Fingers intertwined, they recited their promise.

'Finger cut off, ten thousand fist punchings...'