Welcome one and all to the next chapter of The Rising Sun! Not really much to report on. Though I now realized I posted 4 other things before updating this! For those who don't know, I recently posted the first chapter of my Gemstone rewrite so you can check that out if you wish I'm shooting for monthly updates at best for that but again, no promises. With all that said I hope you enjoy the read!

FIRE AND STONE

Today was finally the day. My meeting with the level 5, Shokuhou Misaki. I found myself awake earlier than expected and cooked up a healthy breakfast for the trio of residents. I excitedly threw on my winter school uniform and attempted to fix my blonde hair which was suffering a severe case of bed head. Yet no matter how I combed or layered it, it always returned to the natural and wild state that made me public enemy #1. There was also the issue of the hints of black still sprinkled within. Trying to wash all the dye away with a single working arm proved to be a difficult task and I feared for my scalp if I asked Gunha for help. So now instead of my regular dark blonde, It was laced with black strands which I was certain only added fuel to my thuggish looks.

"This Halloween is going to haunt me for a while, isn't it?" I sighed to myself as I exited the bathroom. At the main entrance of the dorm room, Sogiita Gunha patiently waited for me to finish my preparations. Despite having woke up an hour early, it only took this guy less than an hour to eat, shower, change clothes and wash the dishes! Think you're so good huh Gunha? You and your two working arms! I'd be finished in half the time! I knew it wasn't his fault(this time) I had a broken arm but I still resented him a bit for it.

"Yo! Kouta you almost ready?" He eagerly jumped up when he saw me, ready to move out on a moment's notice. Originally it wasn't part of my plan to bring him along to meet up with Shokuhou but Ayumi had other plans today. Sure we could leave Gunha to his devices at the dorm but that was ill advised.

"Almost." I responded. "I'm looking for a hat. Or something to cover my head really. I don't want to go out with my hair looking like this."

"Why? Your hair looks fine to me." I could tell there was not a shred of doubt nor thought within that sentence.

I didn't get Gunha when it came to appearances. Even though he dresses himself pretty well, disregarding the fact it's almost exclusively a red and white themed attire, he had trouble discerning what looked 'good' on other people. "Hypothetical question here Gunha," he nodded in confirmation. "If I were to shave only one half of my head, would you say I'd look good?"

He rested his chin in hand, attempting to picture me with a half-shaved head. "It would certainly be unique but I don't see a problem with it."

I released a sigh of disappointment, "And that right there Gunha is why I don't come to you for clothing or dressing advice." He would seriously let me walk out in public with a half-shaved head! And with complete confidence it wouldn't be strange at all! I retreated back to the bathroom to confirm my appearance wasn't some form of bizarre.

"If you're looking for a hat, I think I might have one." Ayumi called out from her room. She exited still wearing her pink flower print pajamas and a baseball cap in hand. "This should be big enough, don't you think?"

While the size and form weren't the issue, its color and design certainly was. "Ayumi… Isn't this that Kat-C3 creature from Magical Powered Kanamin?" The character in question was a bright yellow cat with an equally bright red nose which took up most of the cats face. Not only that, even within the Kanamin fandom, it was considered a character disaster. I heard rumors it was initially created to compete with another famous mascot, Getoka however few fans of the show or even kids liked it design. It was just too much. The fact that they even had merchandise of the short-lived cat only solidifies someone had high expectations of this colorful disaster. "Where did you even get this?" There were many questions running through my head about the hat, that was just the one to escape.

"Oh? I bought that for Ayumi." Gunha owned up to this terrible mistake. "Ayumi called it cute so I bought it during a Kanamin convention." I looked at Ayumi for confirmation to which she only nodded with indifference. "I would've bought more but that was the only thing of that character I found."

There were so many things wrong with Gunha just said. Ayumi thinks this is cute? Why? What kind of appeal does this yellow cat have? Wait… Before that, how does Ayumi see cute anyways? Perhaps it's a 'so ugly it's cute' kind of deal. "Ayumi, what makes this guy cute to you?" I asked, forcing down my utter disgust of the hat.

"It's big red nose." she answered with no hesitation.

I stopped myself short of openly retorting to that unexpected answer. She actually thinks its cute! "Me too! Think it goes well with its yellow fur!" Gunha added. Not you too!

With my own opinion about the hat and character outnumbered, the thought of wearing it passed through my mind as a legitimate option. "While I do appreciate the thought, I think I'll just go as is." I tried my best to politely let them down.

"...I see." she quietly squeezed out before returning the hat to her room. What's with that weak and sorrowful response! Were you actually looking forward to me wearing that?

Gunha grabbed my shoulder and shook his head in disappointment. "Kouta. I don't mind if you don't like it, but please be considerate of Ayumi's feelings." I never thought the day would come when Gunha of all people would come to scold be about being considerate of others feelings. "While I did understand you resistance when it came to the candy cane costume, this is a completely different matter." How so? "Ayumi wanted to share her love for Kat-C2 with you but you mercilessly and without guts shut her down." No! Even if she thinks that thing is legitimately cute, her ulterior motive was to make me look like a total idiot!

"It's fine Gunha." Ayumi responded. "It's my own fault, suggesting to wear a hat about a character he probably doesn't know anything about. Next time I'll keep my suggestions to myself." Oi! Don't say it like that! You're making it sound so much worse than it actually is! The worst part about the scene was Ayumi's dispirited face. Without her glasses, her crestfallen appearance was much more visible.

It's completely unfair! How can she show such a despondent look on the drop of a dime! Though I 'knew' she was acting, her believable act still hurt to see. With Sogiita Gunha at the rear and Kihara Ayumi at the front, my will was pushed to the ultimate test! But I won't accept defeat! I would not allow these two to win! I refused to wear that yellow and red abomination on my head! Not in this lifetime!

A multitude of stares centered around me and Gunha as we walked through District 15. Whether it was from little kids in amazement, to judging adults, to even giggling peers. The hat did not go unnoticed by any passerby, much to my dismay. This had gone on since I stepped out of the dorms back at District 7! All the while Gunha kept pace as if nothing was wrong. To make matters worse, the location of our meet was being held inside a public restaurant! I released a light sigh in exhaustion. Complaining about it now won't change a thing, I thought. "Hey Gunha? Have you met any of the other level 5s?" I asked to distract myself from the ongoing stares.

"Hmmmmm. Can't say I have." That's a surprise. You would think with all his running around he would run into at least one of the other 7. Though, to be honest, that is 6 out of the 2.3 million people in Academy City. "Oh wait! I did meet one once! At the Daihasei!"

Oh? The Daihasei? Was it some kind of competition? Wait… Did Gunha even participate? I tried to recall my thoughts on the Daihasei. Most of it blurred together with all the events with Fukiyose and Aogami actually working together. I tried to skip out on most of it but they caught me right after the opening ceremony. I do recall Fukiyose and Himegami getting hospitalized on the first day but I don't have much details on that. And then there was the folk dance. My thoughts halted there. It was a very… embarrassing memory. "Oh? What kind of person were they?" Maybe it was the same Shokuhou Misaki we were about to meet.

"They lacked guts!" Gunha declared.

That could mean a multitude of things coming from you Gunha! "Could you be a bit more specific?"

"Their speech! It lacked the guts to motivate! Good thing I enough guts for the both of us!" He boasted as I continued to wonder what exactly he was talking about.

My thoughts halted as we arrived at our destination. We had arrived a few minutes after the designated time due to some 'Gunha' complications so I assumed Shokuhou was already waiting inside. While I was concerned about what she thought of me, my real problem laid within Sogiita Gunha. How will she react to him? Either people found him endearing or noble, or annoying and loud. There was no in between. "Gunha. Don't forget to lower your voice and behave, were in a family restaurant." I chided.

Gunha replied with a surprising pout. "I know. You don't have to treat me like a child you know. We're the same age." I ignored his little fit and stepped through the doors. I assured the greeting waitress that we're here to meet another person and scanned the booths in search of a girl with black hair and a Tokiwadai uniform. While I didn't see anyone that fit the description, I did notice a girl in a Tokiwadai uniform but she had honey blonde hair. She was intently staring at the menu, with occasional glances up. Our eyes met and I quickly looked away, hoping she wouldn't get the wrong idea. Her reaction however, was the opposite of what I expected. Instead of a repulsive glare, she happily waved us over to her booth.

"Oh? That person?" Without warning, Gunha began walking toward the corner booth and began talking with the girl. "Kouta. What are you doing? Hurry." He motioned me over and sat across from the girl as if it was normal.

Feeling the intense peer pressure, I hastily moved myself and sat next to Gunha, still avoiding eye contact with the girl. "What are you doing? We're not here to flirt you idiot! I'm here to meet Shokuhou!" I lowered my voice so that only Gunha could hear me. I then turned to the blonde and bowed my head. "I'm sorry. My friend here must've mistaken you for someone else. I apologize for taken your time."

"Huh? Aren't we here to meet her?" He pointed to the girl.

"No! You don't even know what she looks like!"

"So we're meeting a different level 5?"

Though he had already said it, I placed my hand over his mouth. "Shhhh! You can't just spout that out to just anybody! Wait…. What did you just say?" I slowly removed my hand to allow him to talk.

"I mean, she is a level 5. So if she's not the one, who are we looking for?"

It took awhile for my brain to process what Gunha said. I gave the girl a blank stare, attempting to form some coherent thought. "Ma'am, If I may be so intrusive as to ask for your name?" Somehow, my words came out overly polite.

The girl spoke with a familiar tone. "Shokuhou Misaki." Her voice cracked as she tried to contain what I only assume was laughter at my hat. I ignored it as I was baffled by her newfound appearance.

Gunha recognized her as a level 5 from the Daihasei but I wasn't sure this person was Shokuhou. She could be that other level 5, Misaka Mikoto was it? "Wait. If you're Shokuhou Misaki, then who did I meet the other day?" The one I saw in person was a Little Miss who had too much personality despite her small stature.

"That was me of course!" she didn't clarify anything with that statement! And don't pull out your phone to take pictures of this stupid hat!

Then something clicked in my head. Maybe her appearance has something to do with her powers? Sort of like a light manipulator or her skin refracts light to change her appearance? No, that wouldn't explain voice change. A voice modulator in conjunction with light refraction? But why though? Ayumi seemed to mention something about her power and her appearance. A hobby perhaps? Making yourself look older… No! No! No! Despite her looks you have to remember she's a Middle school student! And there's no point to that if you're still wearing the Tokiwadai uniform. Wait. In the first place It may not be a light manipulation ability. What if it's like gene control? Actively changing her D.N.A. makeup to drastically change her voice and appearance!? That definitely sounds like a Level 5 ability! But if she could do that, would it be possible to have multiple abilities? Or change it to have any ability at one time?

"Kouta!" My glare snapped away from the table and I scanned the room awkwardly before stopping on Gunha. "You were gone again. What were you thinking about?" Despite his concern, my thoughts were turned to the ridiculous bright yellow hat with a red bill sitting on top of his head.

"Oh? So you are a natural blonde." Shokuhou happily chimed in. Apparently she had already ordered and wasted no time eating her strawberry shortcake.

I swiped the stupid hat from Gunha and snugly secured it on my head. "Sorry. Just wondering what your power is?"

Shokuhou cutely stuffed another strawberry in her mouth before answering. "Hmmmm. It's a bit tedious to explain, so how about a demonstration?" She reached into her purse and pulled out a T.V. remote controller.

While I am all for demonstrations of cool and awesome powers, there's a time and place for everything and judging by her wording and actions,she thinks here and now is a good time for a level 5 demonstration? "Wait. I don't thin-" Before I could finish she clicked a button on the remote and an instant change occurred within me. Without warning, I broke into a fit of laughter! "HAHAHAAHAA! A remote? That's hilarious!" There was nothing particularly 'funny' about the remote yet the sight of it just tickled me silly! I tried to cover my mouth but I began to laugh even harder! I couldn't control myself! In a public place like this just laughing my ass off like and idiot! But to my surprise, no one was glaring or even giving me any notice! "HAHAHAHA! Look Gunha! No one's paying attention to me! HAHA!"

With another click of her remote I immediately stopped laughing and felt thoroughly embarrassed over what just happened. At the same time, A flood of information swarmed my mind about her ability, Mental out. In my own words I could only describe it as absolutely ridiculous!

Brainwashing, memory manipulation, emotion manipulation, telepathy, mind reading, mind control. The range of uses of Mental Out were staggering! Comparing my own mental abilities to her would be like comparing a level 1 white mage to a maxed out paladin! While I processed all that data she threw inside my head, my mouth moved of its own accord. "Why even bother with a demonstration if you could just do that in the first place?"

"You're no fun~ Kazeyare-kun. A display of power should always have a bit of flare to it." She playfully cut her cake with her fork while teasing me.

"So you made Kouta laugh like that huh? That's a pretty amazing ability you got there!" While he wasn't wrong in regarding her power as amazing, I knew he most likely thought it 'only' caused people to laugh uncontrollably which is far from the truth.

Gunha returned his attention to the menu, leaving me in an awkward position to continue the conversation. But where do I go from here? Do I just flat out ask for her help despite knowing she has nothing to gain from this and might even be endangering her life? But can I do anything on my own? Obviously not if i'm here asking another level 5 to help me. Ayumi said the attacks would stop so is there any real incentive to do this so aggressively?

"You really do think too much despite your appearance." Shokuhou's words broke me out of my trance. "You called me out, to help you for someone else's sake right? You yourself may not be able to do much but the least you can do is see your decision through to the end."

"...Were you reading my mind?"

"It doesn't take a mind reader to know what you're thinking. You're fairly simple, similar to a certain friend of yours." She pointed to Gunha with her fork who was still trying to decide on a meal. "Ive already decided to help you so don't try to back out now~" With that statement she assured me she wanted to do this. Whether it was out of the kindness of her heart or for some unseen personal gain I didn't know.

Compared to Gunha, she was surprisingly mature and thoughtful despite some strange quirks in her personality. I was certain she would be some self-absorbed brat who ridiculed others for having a weak power. "Thanks." she lightly nodded as she nibbled on a piece of cake. Gunha and I ordered our food while Shokuhou ordered 2 more cakes while we waited for our entrees. Now that I had time to think about it, Shokuhou was way more developed than any other middle schooler I've seen… If she was in high school, I'd say she might give Fukiyose a run for her money.

The waitress arrived with our plates, steak with mash potatoes and gravy on each. While they had an amazing assortment of hamburgers and seafood, we decided simple is the best. I eagerly grabbed my fork and just as I was about to stab my juicy sirloin steak, my plate disappeared right before my eyes! But to my left was Gunha casually cutting up My steak! "Gunha… What are you doing?"

"Cutting up your steak. You can't do it with one hand right?"

In a very passive aggressive manner, I pressed his face away from my plate. "There's no need for that! Just because I can't cut it doesn't mean I can't eat it!"

"Why are you being so stubborn about it now?You never complained when I did it at the dorms!"

"What!?" That was you cutting up my food! I always assumed it was Ayumi seeing that you have zero culinary skills! In the corner of my mind I thought it was some gentle gesture that she actually cared for my health and well-being… Arrrrgggghhhhhhh! Give me back my illusion! Sogiita Gunha! I pressed against his face with even more force but he continued to push back. "I'm paying for it so I should eat the way I want!"

"No! Table Manners are a must for anyone with guts!" He continued to cut my steak up with even more vigor than before! With my steak slowly being minced by Gunha, I was left with one option. With fork in hand I stabbed his steak and promptly took a large bit out of it! "Ahhhhh! That's my steak Kouta!"

"Doesn't matter! We ordered the same thing!"

"Hehehe!" A light laugh escaped from the corners of Shokuhou's mouth as she tried to contain herself. "What a strange relationship you two have. It kinda reminds me of…" her voice trailed off but her smile still remained. "Sogiita Gunha-san."

"Yes?"

"Thank you." a blank expression appeared on his face. Shokuhou remained unfazed and continued. "You helped an 'acquaintance' of mine during the Daihasei, so you can call this returning the favor." Gunha still looked oblivious to what exactly she was talking about. "Kazeyare Kouta-san."

"Hyes?" My response came out a bit muffled as I still had food in my mouth.

"Don't worry about the explaining the details, I already have an idea of what's going on and what you want from me. I'll contact you again when I find something substantial." She returned the T.V. remote back to her purse and slid out of the booth.

"Hmmgh! Leaving already?" Gunha asked with a mouthful of steak pieces in his mouth.

She nodded in response, "Yes. I didn't inform my friends of my whereabouts so they're probably running worried around the city."

Gunha swallowed his food and replied with a large smile, "Sound like some good friends you got there!"

"I could say the same for you." She departed from the restaurant after our little chat, leaving us alone with our food.

It wasn't exactly the meeting I was expecting the the results were far better than I ever expected. She even seemed to like Gunha! Guess it had something to do with him helping her 'acquaintance'.

As I looked at her empty plate and reflected on the encounter, a passing thought broke into words. "Ah… She didn't pay for her food."

~BREAK~

I stomped out of the restaurant with a pronounced glare sitting perfectly on my face. Not only did I have to pay for her food, which was way too expensive for 3 strawberry shortcakes, I had to cover for Gunha as well! The idiot didn't even bring his ID with him! Any positive thoughts I had to her were washed away by the brutal attack against my wallet! I may not have as bad as level 0s but I still had to manage a budget. You think training equipment and video games are cheap!

"Sorry for making you pay for me Kouta… You're not mad, are you?" Gunha asked with caution.

The cause of my current dismay didn't lie completely within Gunha however I was too upset to even care. "Yes I'm mad! Not only did I have to pay for that gluttonous sweet tooth level 5, I had to pay for an idiotic level 5 who forgets to bring his wallet with him on occasions like this! And who has to suffer? My wallet! That means no chance of getting Ultimate Aca Fighters which come out next week! But! I know just the thing to calm me down! Gunha! Were hitting the Karaoke bar!" If I'm going to be broke for the remainder of the month I might as well live it up!

"Ooooh! I can finally get that rematch I've been waiting for!" Gunha readily cracked his knuckles, excited for the challenge. It may have been a cool scene if not for that hideous Yellow hat he wore.

"It's been a couple of years since our last match. If I remember correctly, I'm up by two wins." I taunted.

"That's because I had two English songs in a row! I'm horrible with their pronunciations!"

I couldn't help but snicker at his feeble excuse. "Oh? What's this I hear? Is that Sogiita Gunha making excuses for his loss? That's quite gutless of you, don't you think?" With that last sentence, it was complete.

The already fired up Gunha picked up the pace of his walk. "Gutless! I'll show you some guts Kouta!" With that we stormed our way to District 15 to our arena of battle!

~BREAK~

Karaoke. It was one of the few things me and Gunha can actually compete with. I had no chance when it came to sports or any physical activities and though Gunha did enjoy video games he was nowhere near the skill I possessed with a controller in hand. Karaoke was something we both enjoyed greatly and were fairly good at. It was our equal footing. Which meant we took every song seriously.

"Ohhhh! Kouta look! They got way more songs than the last time I was here!" He excitedly shuffled through the electronic library as I began setting up the stage. "Scandal, ONE OK ROCK, Radwimps…"

"I don't mind trying something different, but we should start with something were familiar with." I added. "Kageyama should be there somewhere in the listing. We should do one of his songs first as a warm up." I didn't quit singing after we departed, thanks to a certain someone in Skill-Out finding out about my hidden passion, I had to openly perform in front of many people… While no one ever laughed, everyone had something to say…

"Your right. Let's see here… Ah! Found him. Wow he has his own folder! How about this one then!" he clicked on the screen and the song title appeared on the monitor. I couldn't help but grin when I saw it.

"Heh.. It's been awhile since I've sung this one." The song he picked wasn't anything special. It was from a game we used to play in the past with an awesome opening sequence we occasionally mimicked. I began singing with high spirits as Gunha wholeheartedly cheered me on. A bittersweet nostalgia swelled within me as I finished the song with a fist thrown in the air! "So! How's that?" I glanced at the screen to see my final score. It wasn't my highest recorded for the song but it was a good start.

"Yeah! That was a great display of guts! Now it's my turn! Pick something that shouts guts!" We continued this exchange for some time, both of us growing more excited as we kept upping the score. After the sixth song, we decided to take a break. "Gahhhhh! I feel so much better!" I stretched myself out on the couch as Gunha brought refreshments. "I can't remember the last time I had so much fun!"

Gunha sat opposite of me and began chugging his drink! "Ahhhh! I know right! Me and Ayumi come here sometimes but she's no fun. She doesn't move with guts!"

"Wait a minute, Ayumi can sing?" I tried to picture the green haired girl singing but all I envisioned was a mixture of a Halloween terror movie and a musical… "What exactly does she sing?"

"Mostly the Kanamin opening and ending songs. She prefers the slower songs with female voices."

I began to understand why Gunha liked her so much, though the gap of what she likes and how she normally acts is way too big! "I know she likes Kat-C3, but does she actually like Super Powered Kanamin?" It was one of the more popular shows in Academy City. There's even supposed to be some kind of Kanamin event in December.

He took another gulp of his drink before answering. "Don't think so. She really hates Kanamin herself." She likes that annoying cat but hates the main character? "She thinks Kanamin is too perfect. A cyborg with magical powers. A loving family and friends. Gets along with everyone and no academic issues. Ayumi called her 'perfect'." The tone in his voice shifted and a melancholic smile appeared. "Ayumi said there's no point in being perfect. If you're perfect, then you can't improve." Initially I thought Gunha was treating Ayumi as he would anyone else or maybe an authority figure. But after living with them for a some time I see there's more to their relationship that I don't know. It was nice to see Gunha had someone else to rely on other than myself. Though Gunha had forgiven me for what happened, there was still a part of me that didn't forgive myself for abandoning Gunha due to my own selfish pride. If he hadn't met Ayumi, if that intruder never invaded Academy City I wondered where I would be right now? Where would Gunha be? I was a bit relieved yet somewhat jealous that Ayumi was there when I wasn't.

"How did you meet Ayumi anyway?" I asked.

"Huh?" He seemed taken aback by my question.

"I mean, before… You know, you weren't part of the Kihara Research Institute." I couldn't find the words to reference that event, nor did I even care to know them.

"Your right…" He tossed the empty glass up before setting it down on the table. "Sometime after that, they approached me. I didn't get a chance to tell you but I was given the status of a Level 5 after the System Scan." Wow! I'm really making this awkward. "Ayumi volunteered herself to help develop and understand my power at the time. The others didn't seemed to interested, calling me something of a 'black box'."

"Wait a second." I interrupted his story. "Ayumi volunteered? Isn't she the same age as us?"

"Well according to Ayumi, she's specializes in human physiology and and the physical effects between an esper and their abilities. While she was in charge of projects dealing with me, it was always up to Noukan-sensei."

"The dog?" I recalled my first time at the institute meeting some very strange people.

"Yes. He mostly let Ayumi do as she pleased. Nothing has changed since. It's a very boring story." He barely talked about anything! What was Ayumi like? How often did you guys see each other? What kind of test and experiments? Details Gunha! Don't casually skim all the important parts like that! "Though we did get into a fight once."

"Eh?" Gunha got into a fight… With Ayumi? "That's rare of you. What were you two arguing about?"

"Huh? Arguing?" He gave me a blank stare. "No no. We fought. With fist."

"Don't you think that's an important detail to mention!" I shouted but quickly realized there was no point. "Why were you two fighting?"

Gunha folded his arms and tried to recall the event. "Hmmmm…" A long silence fell upon us as I patiently waited for a response. "I don't remember." Why you little…

I took deep breaths to calm myself. It was my own fault for getting excited. "Well, do you at least remember what happened afterwards?"

He happily nodded his head. "Yeah! Ayumi was a lot happier! We even started hanging out outside of the Institute." I was feeling a strong sense of deja vu but I couldn't place why. "Still though, I always wonder if she could beat me again like that. She keeps turning me down for a rematch."

A nuclear bomb set off inside my head. I blankly stared at him while attempting to put my thought process together. Kihara Ayumi can beat Sogiita Gunha. Everything about that thought didn't make sense. "You remembered that you lost but can't remember why you two fought in the first place? Or what happened during the fight?"

"I mean it was a long time ago. Besides, how or why doesn't really matter, only the results!" he firmly stated.

I grinded my teeth in annoyance. Now I really wanted to know what happened during that fight but Gunha was insistent that he didn't recall any of the details. "Tch! Fine then. At least tell me why you trust her so much if you guys started throwing fist at your first meeting."

"Why I trust… You've been asking a lot about Ayumi lately." A hint of intuition peeked behind Gunha's idiocy. "Did something happen between you two?"

Rather than asking with a smirk, he seemed more concerned about my relationship with her. "Not really. I just wanted to know your opinion of her."

"What about you?" Gunha asked. "What's your opinion on Ayumi?"

I paused to think about it though I already had an idea of what to say. "I don't know." I responded truthfully. "There are things that I like about her but she always seems to distant herself. Her motives are unclear. Her actions make no sense. I want to trust but then something happens that immediately makes me doubt her intentions!" Openly asking me to go against the Kihara Family with her then within a few days retract that statement with a death warning!

Silence fell on us with Gunha absorbing what I had said. "So… Do you hate her?"

Hate? "No. I wouldn't say hate." I denied, trying to sort out a nice way of describing my feelings toward her. "More like distrust?" Man that sounds worse when I say it out loud! I continued to fumble around my words. "Look Ayumi is… Well she's generally not a nice person. She's abrasive, manipulative, prone to violence and threats and takes pleasure in others suffering. She loves to point out people's insecurities. Not to mention that fake persona she puts up in public. Someone like that really can't be qualified as a 'good person'."

"But…" I continued.

"She always cooks for us when she wakes up. She always takes part in our morning conversations, even if its a subject she know little about. She always handles the paperwork and weekly reports on your status. She never complains about her current living arrangements. She helps you with your homework, and very adamant about her research. She's… very mature for her age. With attributes like that, I can't really hate her." When I placed all these items together I formulated the best response I had. "If I had to put it in words, between good and bad, she's definitely 'bad' but between like or dislike…" I paused realizing how embarrassing the words would sound out loud. I broke eye contact as my face began to burn up, "I guess she barely falls in the… 'like' category. And I say that not as 'like like' okay! More like acquaintance 'like'!" I stopped myself from speaking any longer. If I had said more I might actually burn away in embarrassment!

"Heh." Gunha let out a small chuckle. Heheehehehehe!" he let out a strange laugh. "Sorry Kouta! I'm not laughing at you. But you said something that reminded me of Noukan-sensei." The dog? "But yeah I get what your saying. Ayumi is a strange one." That's something coming from you.

"But I like her."

"And I'll trust her with my life a thousand times over." I opened my mouth to respond but he still had more to say. "I couldn't tell you why. There's no particular point or action that I can recall to back my words. In fact, I can think of many more reasons why I shouldn't trust her."

"But…" He removed the bright yellow hat from his head and gently clutched it. "When I see Ayumi, when I hear her voice. I can't help but think… Yeah. I can trust her. I didn't always feel this way toward her and I don't know when it did. Strange isn't it? Trusting someone so much without a clear reason?"

I'm an idiot. The answer was so obvious that I failed to see it due to my own distrust toward her. Gunha's answer, while not bringing any resolution of my thoughts toward her, did shed some light on my primary issue. "It's not strange Gunha. Not at all." Sometimes there no rhyme or logic, not with emotion. "It's perfectly normal to have trust like that in a friend." It was something I had to figure out myself. There was an uneasiness when I realized that.

"Guess your right." His voice returned to his loud, energetic, and boisterous volume. "I don't need such a silly thing as a reason to trust a friend! She's my friend because I trust her!" with that he blew away the melancholic atmosphere and forced a smile on my face.

"Can't argue with that logic there! So how about we finish this off with one more song?"

~BREAK~

It was quite late when we returned to the dorms. We were happily and loudly chatting it up as we opened the door. "Haha! The reigning champion of Karaoke has returned!" I proclaimed, excitedly crashing my body into the couch with clouds of paper and folders exploding into the air upon contact.

Gunha followed suit, headfirst into the cushions. "You only gained more points on the English songs! We would be equal if it wasn't for that!"

I stretched out my legs, kicking binders and stacks of paper off the couch. "Don't be so mad Gunha. Not only is English my best subject, I have much more practice watching and copying movie legends like Clint Eastwood, Bruce Willis and the great Arnold! 'Yippee ki yay, mother fucker.' " I recited the quote in English.

Gunha pulled his head out of the cushions seemingly impressed by my perfect English. "Ohhhhh! That sounds cool! What does that mean?"

I shrugged but still retained my smug attitude. "Don't know but it sounds cool right! Foreign movies really know how to make a total bad-ass! I've watched them so much, I can pretty much quote everything from their movies!"

"Oh? That's quite the mundane skill you've obtained, Kouta-kun."

"Hey, it's not as cool as igniting the air or teleportation, but it's som-!" I stopped mid-sentence once I realized who I was talking too. "A-A-Ayumi! Gunha said you wouldn't be home until later!"

"It's true I did say that, however," her eyes motioned over to the scattered folders and papers across the room. "I had forgotten my folder which you so discourteously kicked off the couch."

I know that tone! That sweet tone that only sends chills down my spine! "W-Wait! Before blaming me, isn't this your fault for leaving such a mess on the couch?"

"Whose room do you think this is?"

"Uhm… Yours but-"

"And aren't you being paid by the Kihara Research Institute for your stay here?"

Y-Yes but I didn't have a-"

"Weren't they the same group who covered for your expenses during your past 2 stays at the hospital?"

"That wasn't even my fault!"

"But you did eat the last of my Lemon top cake right?"

"Sorry. That was Gunha."

"Oi Kouta! You promised you wouldn't tell her!"

Ayumi rested her chin in her hand and shook her head in disappointment, "What am I to do with the two of you?"

Gunha decided it was a smart move to answer the rhetorical question, "Let us go and return to the lab?"

Her tone changed in response to the idiotic suggestion, "No way. That option was void the moment you ate my cake." In an instant, an idea popped into the mind of Kihara Ayumi, and a cruel smile formed on the beauty's face. "You know, it's been awhile since the 3 of us have done something together. Kouta-kun, would you care to join us for 'remedial lessons'?"

Gunha remained silent, seemingly accepting defeat. I soon came to realize what these lessons entailed. There was no end to it. There was no winning, no escape, only the dim hope you might somehow accomplish the task, only to find another impossible task to complete. All the while Ayumi happily watched, cheering apathetically as if there was a possible victory.

In theory, it was a simple game of chess against an AI. with nodes attached to your head the computer would read your brainwaves and thought patterns. With this the AI perfectly matched its opponent in skill. Unfortunately, for the lesson to end, you had to win. A loss or draw resulted in extended or additional sessions. And you couldn't just sit and wait for it to end! After 30 seconds and you didn't make a move, an additional 30 minutes would be added. The reason for these sessions was to expand your thought patterns and pick a path you normally wouldn't choose, however, the AI adapts and also changes along with you. With each move requires a different pattern, Even then, this doesn't always result in a win. The AI thinks like you so if you make a dangerous play, it will recognize this as you would and take an appropriate action. It's not an unbeatable opponent, just a frustrating one that forces you to think differently from how you normally would.

Still though, in face of such a foe, one thinks it's impossible to win! You might know everything it's about to do but that's not going to help you since it knows everything you're going to do!

There was no sense of accomplishment of defeating yourself, there was always the looming threat of defeat. This wasn't a lesson! This was torture!

"If you can win 2 in a row, I'll remove all scheduled lessons for 3 months. So good luck you two!"

That night I learned something about Kihara Ayumi… She's definitely a sadist!