Even after sleeping off his video game hangover, Souda still found himself unable to focus in class the next day.

Too much was up in the air: his new relationship, things unresolved between him and Sonia, the band, his home life and whether he wanted to face it over the summer...

The last point was easy to resolve, at least. He knew he didn't want to be around his dad and that his dad probably didn't want him around, but it was still stressing him out to know that he didn't really have a home he was welcome in.

As for Sonia, she approached him after band practice that day.

"Good afternoon, Mister Souda," she began with a courtesy that made Souda want to bolt. "I have been meaning to speak with you about a pressing issue for some time. Is there a time that would be convenient for you?"

A few months ago, he would have jumped at this opportunity and rode the high of having a one-on-one conversation with Sonia for weeks. He held back a sigh. "Yeah, I'm free now, actually."

Her lips turned up, but the smile was more diplomatic than genuine. "Excellent. Shall we go somewhere we can talk in private?"

A few months ago, he would have come close to fainting at the unintended innuendo. "Yeah," he repeated. He resisted the urge to double over and nurse the nervous pit in his stomach.

"Would the library be an appropriate location?" Sonia asked.

Souda nodded. They spent the walk over there in a silence that neither wanted to fill with small talk.

As Souda opened the door for the princess and she nodded her thanks, he remembered when he came here with Nanami and Hinata near the beginning of the school year to spy on Sonia and Tanaka. Stupid.

They sat at the same table - second floor, back corner, by the window - that the couple always sat at. Souda swallowed.

"Uh," he said, "what did ya wanna talk about?"

Sonia folded her hands on the tabletop, posture rigid. "It has come to my attention that you and Tanaka have recently talked out your differences. Is this correct?"

Souda nodded.

She smiled, less tight, a little more sincere. "That is wonderful news, but I also feel like you and I should discuss some matters that have been hanging in the air for quite a while."

Souda nodded again, realized that she wanted a response. "Okay, yeah, that's fine." His blunt nails tapped the table rhythmically as rain. "I mean, I dunno exactly what there is to talk about. Tsumiki and I are actually datin' now, so the two of us should be fine, right?"

"Just because your affections have a new target does not mean that all the issues here have been solved." Sonia blinked and tried to widen her smile. "Though I am glad that you and Miss Tsumiki are together, you must realize by now that she needs someone who will be very patient with her."

"Yeah..." The rhythm slowed to a confused patter. "Are you here to give me relationship advice or somethin'?"

"That was not my primary purpose, actually, just a digression." Sonia paused for a moment. "The feelings you had expressed for me in the past were, to my understanding, a bit unhealthy, and I wanted to ensure that your motives with Tsumiki were pure."

Souda clenched his fist on the table before he could stop himself. "Where did'ya get that impression?"

"It was described to me as an idealization, I believe." Souda could guess who did the describing.

"Well, I'm not gonna treat Tsumiki like anythin' but-" a princess, he almost said, but that would be a bad idea, "-with anythin' but respect, so don't worry about it."

"I am glad to hear that." Sonia's tone was too flat for Souda to believe her. "But I need you to know that putting anyone on a pedestal results in an unhealthy mentality. We are all human and should be treated with respect, but imagining a perfect relationship with someone will just leave you disappointed later on."

Souda shifted, feeling like he was back in class. "Uh. Okay." He cleared his throat. "Anythin' else?"

"Is there anything you wanted to say to me?" Sonia asked, hands tightening their hold around each other.

He tried to relax his hand. "I..." He stared at the table. "I'm sorry if I ever made ya feel bad... or uncomfortable... and I'm sorry for tryin' to get between you n' Tanaka. It was really shi-" He swallowed. "Um, bad. It was a bad thing for me to do. Won't happen again."

Sonia nodded. "Apology accepted." With those two words, her posture relaxed, her hands uncurled. "I look forward to more amicable relations over our next few years in school, Souda. Are you excited for our upcoming shows?"

He tried to grin, and maybe it was a little forced, but it helped calm the swirling mixture of anxiety in his gut. "Yeah, a'course. It's a little out of my comfort zone, I guess, but it's cool. Kuwata seems to have more fun with it than anyone else."

Sonia giggled. "I heard that the school is going to announce the incoming class in a few months. Imagine how frustrated he would be if he got in because of his talent in baseball."

"Yeah," Souda snickered. "It sucks that-" He cleared his throat. "Um, it's too bad that he doesn't appreciate his talent. Y'know? It's like, everyone has hobbies outside of what they got into the school for, but Nidai said that he should try to focus on his sport more."

"I am sure that he will come to appreciate what he has in his own time," Sonia said, glancing at the clock above Souda's head. She moved to stand. "I'm afraid that I have an engagement elsewhere, but it was lovely talking with you. I'm glad we sorted matters out."

"Yeah, me too," Souda said. He smiled, trying not to bare his teeth. "See ya around."

He sat there, staring at the setting sun outside, long after Sonia said goodbye.

...

Sonia nearly started skipping as she stepped from the library. She met Tanaka in front of the dining hall with a smile still on her face, and he offered a hesitant nod in return.

"Wonderful news!" she began, holding out a hand. Tanaka took it, automatically intertwining their fingers. "You and I are both on good terms with Mister Souda now. We needn't any more spats."

Tanaka smirked beneath his scarf. "My intuitions say that there will always be disagreements between he and I, but it is unlikely that they will take on a truly contemptuous tone in the future."

Sonia shook her head with a giggle. "I should hope not. We have certainly had enough of that in the past months." She began walking in no particular direction. "That aside, I did have something that I wanted to ask you today."

"I will answer to the best of my ability," Tanaka replied.

"It is more of a yes or no type of inquiry," Sonia said. She hoped her hands weren't tensing up, hoped that her nerves were in check. "I will be returning to Novoselic over the summer holiday, and I was wondering if you would be willing to go with me. There are some unique species there that you may not have seen elsewhere in your travels."

She heard Tanaka's breath catch. He didn't respond until they had passed the main class building. "I would be..." he swallowed, "indescribably honored to accompany you in your travels, if possible. Have you consulted with your parents about the matter?"

"Yes, I asked a few days ago," Sonia said. "They said that they would think about it, and they just told me last night that they would love to have a guest." She smiled. "Permitted that we do not stay in the same room, of course."

"Of course," Tanaka sputtered back.

"Oh, perhaps we will find a Golden Makango!" Sonia squeezed Tanaka's hand tighter. "It would be like a divine message! We would have to defeat it together, and then our love will be cemented in the mountains for all eternity." She sighed.

"I hope we would not have to cause any lasting harm to the creature," Tanaka murmured.

"No, they are naturally very aggressive creatures," Sonia said. "It is simply required that the couple in question subdue the Makango, although many kings and queens of legend killed their Makangos and displayed it in some way in their homes." She frowned. "A bit cruel. Perhaps you would like to keep it as a companion instead?"

"Yes, that would certainly be a humane alternative." Tanaka cleared his throat. "We are thinking too far ahead. Will you not have responsibilities to attend to?"

"I will, but I believe my parents may be able to free their schedules for a few days to supervise us in our travels. You may roam the kingdom as you wish, of course, but I would love to spend a few days with you after I have taken care of most of my duties."

Tanaka looked at his feet. "We would still be able to see each other on a regular basis, correct?"br /br /Sonia giggled. "Yes, at meal times, given that you are not off on an adventure somewhere."

"Well," Tanaka said, stopping in front of the dorms. "I am, again, honored. No one has ever..." He shook his head, once, almost imperceptibly. "I have never been given such a generous opportunity with such pure motives. Thank you."

Sonia beamed. "You are very welcome."

They hugged and split ways for the night. Sonia nearly burst with happiness as she entered her dorm room and saw Tsumiki, who was, for once, not working the late afternoon shift.

"Hello, Miss Tsumiki," Sonia greeted, shutting the door. "How was your day?"

Tsumiki flinched and set her pencil down. "U-um, it was pretty good. Busy. What about yours?"

Sonia slipped her shoes off and lined them up perpendicular to her bed. "It was lovely," she sighed. "I have a feeling that your Souda will be quite the gentleman to you."

Tsumiki's eyes grew wide. "D-did you talk to him? What did he say?"

"We just had to sort a few things out." She smiled. "He told me that he intends to treat you with respect, unlike his earlier conduct around me.""O-oh," Tsumiki muttered. She stared into her textbook. "Well, I'm happy that you two are better around each other."

"As am I." Sonia sat in her chair and stretched with a catlike grin to match the arch of her back. "How would you feel about a double date sometime, perhaps?"

Tsumiki looked up with a squeak. "That would be fun! I-if you and Souda wouldn't feel too uncomfortable around each other, I mean."

"No, it won't be any trouble," Sonia said, massaging her neck idly. "It may be a little while before we can really feel at ease around each other, but spending some time together should help, I think."

Tsumiki nodded. "Is there anywhere you had in mind?"

Sonia's grin emerged again. "I have several ideas."

...

Two months, eleven shows, and three triple dates later, Souda still had something to complain about to Hinata.

"We've been datin' for a while an' we haven't even kissed yet," he said, tapping his pencil against his abandoned textbook. "We've held hands, like, twice, and that's it."

Hinata shrugged, eyes still on his work. "Tsumiki's been through a lot. If she wants to take things at her own pace, you should respect that."

"But don't girls usually put out after a while?"

Hinata's brow tightened as he looked at Souda. "You shouldn't talk about anyone that way."br /br /"Ain't that what guys do?" Souda asked. His grin faltered all the same.

"You know that's not true," Hinata said. "I mean, it's what Hanamura and guys like him do, but we all know that it's wrong to talk about people like that."

"But it's like a rite of passage or somethin' to talk about scorin' with girls, right?"

Hinata sighed. "Souda, I think you might have the wrong idea about relationships."br /br /Souda gritted his teeth. "The hell're you talkin' about? All this time, you've been tellin' me to get over Sonia, and then when I finally do, you tell me I'm doin' it wrong?"

Hinata shook his head. "I just mean..." He sighed. "What are you expecting from Tsumiki as your girlfriend?"

"I'unno," Souda huffed. "Spendin' lots of time together, makin' out when no one's lookin', sometimes other stuff... like some cheesy movie shit, I guess."

"You've probably already figured out that the two of you can't spend that much time together," Hinata said. "Tsumiki's really busy with her nursing, and we have the band and schoolwork. It's really hard to keep a relationship going if you don't communicate very often."

"Look, I don't know what you're tryin' to tell me," Souda said. "Yeah, I know a relationship isn't all happy-go-lucky stuff all the time, and I know I might not be the best boyfriend, but how the hell am I supposed to learn if I never date anyone?"

"That's a good point." Hinata set his pencil parallel to his papers on the table. "I'm just trying to tell you not to expect too much. Relationships can be great, but they take a lot of work. It's not like a movie at all."

"What's wrong with wantin' a relationship to be the best it can be?"

Hinata crossed his arms. "You should want it to be the best it can be, but just realize that your regular life will get in the way. That's all."

Souda clenched his fists. "Y'know, I'm startin' to think that you don't want me in a relationship at all, an' I think you're spoutin' bullshit, too. You an' Nanami an' Tanaka an' Sonia all have these perfect relationships where you go on dates all the time an' never argue about anythin' an' everything's great. Why does it gotta be any different for me? Does everyone just want me to be miserable and alone forever?"

"No, that's not it!" Hinata put a hand to his forehead, reprimanding himself for snapping in the library. "My relationship is not perfect, and everyone gets into arguments sometimes. Tanaka and Sonia's relationship may look perfect on the surface, but I'm sure that they have their issues just like Nanami and I do. I'm saying that you should be aware of that, because, from the way you talk about girls, it seems like you're expecting perfection."

"I don't wanna talk about this anymore," Souda spat. "I'm not a goddamn kid, I know it's not gonna be perfect, I just..." He sniffed. "Just leave me alone." He stood, hastily gathered his work, and left.

Hinata heard the heavy front doors close a minute later. He sat back, ran his hands through his hair, and sighed.

...

After the next show that weekend, Hinata approached Souda backstage.

"Hey," he began, "I'm sorry if I miscommunicated in the library the other day. I was just trying to give advice; I didn't mean to offend you."

"S'okay," Souda muttered, tugging his gloves off. "I probably overreacted, anyways." He shoved one glove in each pocket and slouched. "I should know by now to listen to your advice."

Hinata raised an eyebrow at the shift in Souda's tone. "Did something happen?"

"S'just that I haven't seen Tsumiki in such a long time," Souda said, scuffing a wood panel with his shoe. "She couldn't come to the show tonight. I feel like we're pretty distant, and summer's comin' up soon, which means she's gonna have this internship at a hospital in the city."

Hinata smiled. "I didn't know that. That's great for her." He cleared his throat. "Not so much for your relationship, though."

"Am I just too needy for her?" Souda asked, trying to ruffle some of the gel from his hair. A patch of pink spikes formed on top of his head, and he groaned. "I don't think this is workin' out too well. We're just too busy."

Hinata nodded. "So what do you want to do?"

"I dunno," Souda said. "If I try to break things off, she might get really upset an' take it personally. I dunno," he repeated.

Mioda bounded through the doors at that moment and urged Souda and Hinata into the lobby, and they were swept into the crowd outside.

...

"I just dunno how we can be in a relationship if we never see each other."

"O-oh..."

"Hey, don't get upset! It's nothin' personal. I don't even wanna stop seein' you, but I don't really see you much in the first place, y'know?"

"But... I like the time we do spend together."

"Shit, I - uh, sorry, I do, too." A sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm bein' a... jerk, a selfish one. Maybe once things settle down a little, we can see each other more."

"S-so we're not breaking up?"

"No, not if you don't want to."

"I don't."

Souda rubbed Tsumiki's back, felt the wet spot of her face in his chest, and sniffed.

...

Finals weren't so bad. Souda was a bit distracted, but he walked out of his last exam feeling confident. The day before the third year graduation ceremony, Sonia ushered everyone onto a bus and made an announcement up front.

"I have a surprise for everyone," she said, eyes alight with excitement.

Mioda squirmed in her seat. "Oh, oh, Ibuki loves surprises! The only thing Ibuki loves more than surprises is guessing surprises before somebody tells her what the surprise is because then if she's right it's quadruple exciting and if she's not it's okay because the surprise is always great, anyway."

Koizumi snorted. "What's your guess, then?"

"Is it a puppy?" Saionji asked, clasping her hands together.

"The minions of Cerberus would not fare well under that child's care," Tanaka muttered to Hinata.

"Is it two puppies?" Mioda added with a grin.

"No, it is not any sort of animal," Sonia giggled.

"Has your generous donation to the sports program inspired the faculty to build a spa?" Nidai rumbled. "I will provide the appropriate services free of charge, of course."

Sonia blinked. "I'm sorry, what donation?"

Nidai deflated only slightly.

"Can you just tell 'em now?" Kuzuryuu huffed. "They'll keep themselves so busy with guessing that they'll forget what the hell they're talkin' about."

"Wow, ru-ude!" Mioda sang. "Ibuki has a flawless memory. For example, she can remember that one time that Mini-Kazoo and Kazoo sang a lovely duet of that one pop song-"

"Jesus, Sonia, please just tell us," Kuzuryuu hissed over her.

"Very well," Sonia said. She clapped her hands once. "As a celebration for completing our first year together, I have scheduled a series of simultaneous hot air balloon flights for you all. In a span of hours, we will be seeing the landscape of this beautiful country together!"

The rest of the ride passed quickly as everyone talked with their friends, and the group arrived at the site as the shadows of the trees began to lengthen in the afternoon sun.

Everyone got into a balloon with their usual friends, dividing themselves evenly among four baskets. Souda reached for Tsumiki's hand as the balloon rose lazily above the trees, and he noticed Hinata and Nanami leaning on each other from the corner of his eye.

"This is kinda scary," Souda muttered, squeezing Tsumiki's bandaged hand tighter.

"A little," she agreed, resting her head on his shoulder. The two were silent as the balloon rose higher, and they had been gazing at the mountainous landscape for some time before Tsumiki said, "I've been thinking about what you said a few weeks ago."

"Wha'?" Souda muttered, eyes raking across the overwhelming amount of green below.

"About us not seeing each other often," Tsumiki said. "I-I agree. We don't, and even though I have the internship, we should still try to make plans more often." She paused. "If that's okay with you."

"'Course it is," Souda said, squeezing her hand again. "I'd like that."

Across the divide, Nidai and Owari's roars could be heard for miles. Tanaka held one hand over his ear and pulled Sonia closer with the other. "We should have chosen an alternate vessel," he said. She giggled.

In the third balloon, Kuzuryuu sat directly in the middle of the basket and refused to stand, even at Hanamura's prodding.

"It's a shame you're afraid of heights," the chef was saying. "It means you won't be able to go on top of tall towers, but being a bottom isn't so bad, really-"

Komaeda cleared his throat.

"Peko, please throw him off," Kuzuryuu muttered, pulling his hat down over his eyes. Hanamura started screaming seconds later. "Fuck, I wasn't serious!"

Farther away, Koizumi covered her ears as Mioda added to the cacophony. "I thought this was going to be peaceful," she said to Saionji.

"I'm surprised we were able to get off the ground with Porkfeet," Saionji replied.

The impostor turned with a slight smile. "I'm full of surprises."

Mioda interrupted her reverie with a laugh. "AC-DC is such a cheeseball," she said, throwing both arms around her date's middle. "That's another thing Ibuki loves about AC-DC."

Nidai screamed something about the beauty of youth, and Mioda screamed something about the beauty of their voices. Everyone else pressed their hands tighter over their ears.

The balloons touched down in the field as the sun disappeared behind a mountain. The bus ride home was quiet, and Tsumiki fell asleep on Souda's shoulder until Nidai started a jovial chant. Only Mioda and Owari joined in, but it was enough to wake up the whole bus.

Souda and Tsumiki walked through the school grounds together and stopped in front of the girls' dorm.

"That was nice," Souda said, facing Tsumiki with both of her hands in his. "Not as quiet as I thought, but that's what I should'a expected with this group."

Tsumiki smiled. "They can be a bit rowdy at times," she said, "but I think that's what makes everyone so fun to be around."

"S'true," Souda consented. He ran his thumbs along the creases of her palms. "I can't believe that I'm gonna miss 'em."

"I can't believe that I made so many friends," Tsumiki added, eyes focused on the movements of Souda's hands. "I-I can't believe someone likes me."

"Someone does." Souda lifted one hand and placed it under Tsumiki's chin. The effect of tilting her head up would have been more romantic had his fingers not been shaking uncontrollably. He leaned in but remembered another piece of Hinata's advice. "Uh," he stuttered, "can I..."

Tsumiki closed the distance before he could finish the question.

...

Before the ceremonies of the next day, Tanaka woke Souda up by slamming the bathroom door shut on his way out.

"Fuck," Souda groaned. "The hell're ya doin', man, it's fuckin' early."

"I will be leaving tomorrow," Tanaka said. "The head of schools will be re-assigning roommates over the summer, and I wished to know of your preference before my departure."

"I was gonna stick with you 'til you woke me up." Souda rubbed his eyes. "Still better than gettin' stuck with Hanamura, though." He pulled the blankets up past his chin. "I'll tell 'im to keep us together if you let me sleep."

Tanaka smiled. "The ceremony of transcendence begins soon, but you may rest until that time."

"Yeah," Souda muttered, rolling over. "I still got an hour."

After graduation, the former first-year class went out to eat before everyone dispersed for the summer.

"MGC isn't breaking up for a whole month, is it?" Mioda sniffed, cradling her neon pink milkshake. "We have our adoring fans to attend to!"

"I'm going home for a while, but it's not far," Hinata said. "I can still do shows."

"Same here," Souda said. "I'll be in the dorms all summer, probably."

"I regret to inform you that I will be returning to Novoselic soon," Sonia said. She poked at a carrot with her fork. "I will be with you all in spirit, and I am sure that I will return rejuvenated."

"That's four outta five," Mioda said, "which is an okay grade on a test but a bad friendship grade." She bit down on her straw.

"I apologize," Sonia said. "I have a responsibility to my country, as well."

Mioda huffed. "Well, yeah, Ibuki guesses that's important, too." She winked and blew a bubble in her milkshake. "Tater-tot told Ibuki that he isn't going to be busy this summer, so maybe MGC can do a few more shows, even without its gorgeous fifth member."

"Sonia will be missed, however," the impostor said, dabbing a splatter of pink from Mioda's cheek.

"I am sure you will all do well without me." Sonia leaned against Tanaka and shut her eyes as she spoke. "The afternoon has barely begun, yet I feel so fatigued."

"It's been a long year," Hinata said, a playful smile on his lips as he glanced at Souda.

That night, as Souda sat in bed, he sighed. When Tanaka didn't respond, he sighed again.

"What ails you?" Tanaka asked, turning from the cage on the side wall.

"It's gonna be lonely as fuck around here with everyone gone," Souda said, leaning against the wall. "I'm so used to bein' around people that I forgot what it's like to have no one around."br /br
"Is there no one for you to return to in your place of origin?" Tanaka asked.

"Well, yeah," Souda sighed, "but I think I'd rather be alone."

"I understand," Tanaka said. "We sometimes must remove ourselves from the toxicity of the world." He turned back to the side wall. "Perhaps some time for silence and reflection will be beneficial."

"Maybe," Souda said, "but maybe my old man's changed. He's gotta get lonely sometimes, too, right?"

"I suppose most humans must," Tanaka said.

"He doesn't really have any friends, either," Souda mused. "Maybe I should visit 'im."

Tanaka shrugged. "If that is what your instincts urge you to do, be aware that some instincts lead to danger."

"But a necessary danger," Souda said. He noted that he sounded too much like his roommate and sighed as he scanned the ceiling. "Sittin' around an' feelin' sorry for myself all summer ain't gonna do any good."

Tanaka sat on his own bed, legs crossed. "What were your original plans?"

Souda shrugged. "Sit around, go places with Tsumiki sometimes, do a few shows. I'd probably spend most of my time in the shop here." He tapped his toes together. "I could just go back for a little while. It ain't that far."

"The human family unit is complex," Tanaka said. "There will be no making amends with the man who barely thought himself fit to serve as my paternal figure in my brief time on this earth, but if there is some way for you to do so without causing harm to either party, the spirits will guide you to it."

Souda laughed, partially at the fact that he could finally decode Tanaka's own language and at the fact that they were speaking like this: casually but personally, friendly but not too much so. The tone of the whole conversation was a complete contrast to the year's beginning, and if he could do that with Tanaka, why not his dad?

"Okay," Souda said, "I'll do it. I'm goin' home."