1000 Luxuries

by bouncingsunflowers

Still, Isuke had scowled, and demanded why, out of the hundreds of hospitals in the entire country, they had managed to end up not only in the same hospital, and not only in the same wing, but the same room together. Haruki had continued to grin, and, waving a Pocky stick in her face, replied, "Guess we're destined roommates for life, or something."

2. Chapter 3

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

---

Quick note: Someone asked me whether I purposefully leave the names in the East Asian order of family name first followed by surname instead of changing it to the Western order, and the answer is yup, haha. I'm sorry I didn't mention it sooner; I tried writing their names as Isuke Inukai, Haruki Sagae, etc. at first, but after getting so accustomed to hearing it the other way, it felt weird, haha. Like writing Zedong Mao instead of Mao Zedong, you know? So yeah, haha, names are all in Eastern order. Sorry I didn't mention that earlier!

*Zainichi are just ethnic Koreans living in Japan, while haejangguk is a relatively popular hangover cure, at least among Asians, lol

---

For the first hour after Isuke woke up the next morning, she could do absolutely nothing except lie paralyzed in bed and wish she were dead.

This agony of mortification was not in the least bit helped by the fact that Haruki kept contentedly nuzzling against Isuke's neck as she slept, nor by the fact that Haruki was the most ridiculously heavy sleeper in the world; she didn't stir no matter how Isuke attempted to shove the idiot away from her.

Normally, Isuke wouldn't care less about something as innocent as nuzzling (it was something even pets did, after all), but Haruki's proximity reminded Isuke all too strongly of every single unbelievably idiotic thing she had done the night before.

Haruki sighed into the crook of Isuke's neck, and Isuke couldn't suppress a shiver even as she glared down at the still sleeping girl.

It's all your fault. Everything is your fault, Isuke fumed, covering her crimson face with her fingers. I don't know how, but somehow this is all your fault, Haruki.

Despite the effects of the alcohol and grogginess, Isuke remembered absolutely everything she had done, from letting Haruki see her in that humiliating position after the nightmare to that—that kiss.

That kiss. How could I be so so so stupid?

Isuke was never herself on the night of the first of August. She never really could be, with all the dreams and memories that flooded back to her.

But she had never, ever done anything so disgustingly idiotic, even when she had been a child.

Glowering at the ceiling, Isuke shook her head.

Why did I…

But of course Isuke knew why.

She had kissed Haruki because she had really wanted to.

Haruki's voice had been gentle and kind in her ear, her body had been soft and warm; after the sweep of fear and guilt that seeing him always brought, Haruki had been like a salve for her raw nerves.

And Isuke had just…

Bringing her fingers to her lips, Isuke flushed scarlet again.

Considering all of the many kisses Isuke had ever experienced, she found it a little strange that she enjoyed one where the other person didn't even kiss her back so much.

The idiot was too shocked to even move, Isuke mused with a very slight smile. And then she had to be all chivalrous and stop me…

Isuke's smile vanished the second that she realized that she had been smiling at all.

W-why am I smiling? This is nothing to be smiling about.

Isuke groaned, rubbing her temples.

"This is the worst…"

Isuke never lost control like that. She was supposed to be calculating and cool, pragmatic and…and…

Sagae Haruki was utterly ruining her.

If only yesterday hadn't been the damned first of August, Isuke thought darkly. I always get stuck with the worst timing 3

She didn't know how she was even going to begin to explain either the nightmare or the kiss to Haruki.

…I just won't. I don't have to if I don't want to, and I definitely don't want to. And since Haruki is too nice to press me on it…

Isuke frowned.

That tactic might work with the nightmare, but the kiss…

Isuke's gaze fell on the bottle of vodka on the counter, and she narrowed her eyes.

Maybe…

Haruki had seemed convinced that Isuke was slightly drunk the night before, and Isuke had drunk at least two or three shots back to back right in front of her.

Having fuzzy memories after a night of drinking is very common, and if I pretend to be hung over…

Then Isuke could pretend that she didn't remember a thing about the night before.

And they could just move on without acknowledging any of it, and everything could be completely forgotten—

But do you really want Haruki to forget about it all?

Isuke scowled at the fleeting moment of doubt.

Of course she wanted her to forget.

Nothing good could come out of Haruki finding out about the nightmare; it'd only lead to talking about feelings, and other stupid sentimental nonsense like that.

And as for the kiss…

A low groan cut into Isuke's thoughts, and she looked down to see her roommate finally beginning to stir.

Haruki opened one eye, peering sleepily up at Isuke.

Isuke swallowed hard as the usual grin spread across Haruki's face.

Why is she so irritatingly attractive? Isuke demanded of herself, averting her gaze. B-but never mind that, idiot. Start up the act.

"'Morning, Isuke-sama," Haruki murmured, stretching out and yawning.

Throwing an arm over her eyes to better hide any telltale blushing, Isuke grimaced as if in pain.

"Not so loud, idiot," she muttered, remembering how every single sound gave her a massive headache whenever she had a hangover.

Furrowing her brow in what she hoped was a convincing wince, Isuke continued, "And stop moving around so much…Isuke feels sick."

Haruki looked alert immediately, eyes widening with concern that sent a stab of guilt through Isuke.

"Do you have a hangover? You were drinking a lot last night," Haruki said, staring worriedly down at her.

Staring at a spot somewhere over Haruki's head, Isuke replied, "It seems Isuke misjudged her tolerance level…"

Clearing her throat, she added, "I can't remember a thing that happened last night."

Isuke waited tensely for a response, but Haruki was quiet.

Peeking through half-closed eyes, Isuke saw the other girl staring silently down at her; her gaze was penetrating and her expression was contemplative, but she didn't say anything.

The silence worried Isuke.

Was my lie too obviously a lie? This idiot is supposed to be gullible, so why—

"Well…if that's what Isuke-sama says, then…"

Haruki's voice, nonchalant and almost carefree in tone, startled her.

Haruki was grinning again, and she sat upright.

"But if you really have a hangover, Isuke-sama, I know just the thing to help. In fact, I saw a stall nearby that was selling exactly what you need," she said, getting to her feet.

Isuke stared at her, confused and slightly uneasy.

Did…did she buy it, or…?

"Just sit tight, Isuke-sama. I'll be right back!"

Haruki was out the door before Isuke could reply.

"What the…what kind of reaction was that?" Isuke demanded, sitting up in bed.

The idiot had been surprisingly hard to read after Isuke had told her lie, and with her rushing off like that, Isuke had no idea what to expect from her roommate.

Isuke didn't have much time to think about it either, because minutes later the door banged opened and Haruki jogged in carrying a bowl of some steaming hot liquid.

Despite the show of weakness and sensitivity that Isuke was supposed to be putting on, she couldn't help but violently recoil when Haruki set the bowl down beside her.

"W-what is that?" she demanded, staring at the broth distastefully.

"Haejangguk," Haruki replied cheerfully. "The zainichi*are masters of hangover cures. Whenever Dad had hangovers, he would try coffee, ginger, and a million pills, but nothing helped as much as this stuff that one of our zainichi neighbors brought over one time. I just ran and got some from one of the stalls in the market right outside."

Looking at the strange soup warily, Isuke said, "So it's Korean food? What…what is that red stuff?"

"Congealed ox blood, I think," Haruki replied casually.

Isuke shuddered, face twisting in revulsion.

"That's disgusting! Do you honestly expect Isuke to eat something that has ox blood in it? I wouldn't eat that even if—"

Isuke stopped abruptly, and Haruki smiled.

"Even if you were really hung over?" she finished for her.

Too late, Isuke realized that she was sitting up and getting way too worked up for someone who had supposedly been nauseous and exhausted just minutes beforehand.

And too late, Isuke realized that if anyone who was as hung over as she had claimed she was would've agreed to eat anything to stop the pounding headaches and nausea.

Oh, this is just great.

"Th-that…I—"

Excuses and lies died on Isuke's lips at the kind smile on that suddenly-perceptive idiot's face.

Isuke stared at her roommate blankly as Haruki patted her head.

"If you don't wanna talk about what happened last night, Isuke-sama, you don't have to. There's no need to pretend to be hung over," she said, settling down on the bed beside her. "And no need to pretend to have forgotten everything."

Isuke said nothing, glaring at the tiles on the floor.

Since when was she so transparent?

"I-I didn't…I'm not pretending, I really don't remember," she insisted, but her tone was weak and unconvincing even to her own ears.

"Right," Haruki said, chuckling.

She got back to her feet.

"…I wouldn't ever force you to talk about anything, Isuke-sama. But…if you ever feel like you can trust me enough, and if you think I can help at all, I'll be right here, okay?"

There was a strange, almost sad note in Haruki's voice, and Isuke looked up sharply to see her roommate staring ruefully at the ground.

…she thinks that I'm putting up this act because I don't trust her enough?

Isuke frowned.

"This has nothing to do with trust," she said, falling back against the pillows. "Where did that even come from?"

Haruki shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Ah, sorry to presume. It's just…that was just the first thing that popped into mind. That I…wasn't reliable enough to depend on, you know? And I really can't blame you for thinking that way, since you've been the one helping me all this time, and—"

"Don't be an idiot."

Haruki stopped talking and stared at Isuke, wide-eyed and bemused.

"…Isuke-sama?"

Isuke's grip on the sheets tightened, and she furrowed her brow as she gazed intently at the other girl.

"I don't want to talk about last night because it was humiliating, not because I don't think I can depend on you."

Haruki looked uncertain.

"But I…if I can, I want to help you, Isuke-sama. I've just been taking your help all this time, and—"

"There's nothing to help," Isuke interrupted again, impatiently. "I don't need any help. I just… had an unpleasant dream."

She looked away.

"If you want to help Isuke, you'll just drop it, okay? 3"

I don't even like talking about this stuff with Mama, she thought, frowning. I don't like talking about it at all. I don't even want to think about it.

But Haruki seemed to droop dejectedly, and Isuke knew that the idiot was probably still thinking that it was her fault, somehow, that Isuke was refusing to discuss the night before.

Sighing, Isuke rubbed her eyes, suddenly feeling tired again.

"…I just had a dream about my brother, all right?" she said finally, reluctantly looking back at her roommate.

Haruki's brows went up, and she stared at her with open surprise.

"You have a brother, Isuke-sama?"

"Had a brother," Isuke corrected curtly. She looked up to stare at the spinning ceiling fan. "He died eleven years ago."

Haruki was utterly silent, and Isuke swiftly got to her feet.

"Look, Isuke isn't looking for a pity party, okay? 3 I've told you that much just so you'll get that stupid idea of yours out of your head. This has nothing to do with you being undependable, or anything dumb like that," she said, avoiding looking anywhere near Haruki as she got off of the bed.

"We have a lot to do today, too, so let's get moving. We can use the day to conduct other business and still be back here in time to meet with Banba at night. If we go out now—h-hey!"

Isuke stiffened as she felt an arm encircle her waist, pulling her back against Haruki's chest.

Immediately beginning to squirm, Isuke craned her neck back in an attempt to glare at the other girl.

"I told you already: I'm fine, so let go of me, and let's—"

"Hey, Isuke-sama…do you ever take your own advice?"

Haruki's voice was soft and unusually serious; Isuke scowled at the bizarre question.

"What are you talking about?"

"…when's the last time that you cried, Isuke-sama?" Haruki asked.

Isuke stopped moving; her grip on Haruki's arm tightened.

"…don't you dare try to suggest that we're similar in that way. I don't cry because I don't need to. I'm not sad or secretly depressed or something, Haruki," Isuke muttered, staring down at her slippers.

…and I cried more than enough for that boy a long time ago.

"I'm not saying that you are," Haruki replied. "It's just…I don't know. It's not…it's not a terrible thing to let yourself…have feelings, you know?"

She spoke slowly and hesitantly, squeezing Isuke once as if in comfort, or something.

And Isuke couldn't help but let out a short, soft laugh.

This idiot…this nice, stupidly sweet, overly thoughtful idiot.

"You already saw me crying out like a stupid little baby last night. You're joking if you honestly think I'm going to stand here and talk about my feelings after something as embarrassing as that," she began, rolling her eyes.

Isuke could feel Haruki nod behind her, and she heard a little sigh.

"Yeah, I understand. Sorry for—"

"But…if I ever do want to talk about my feelings…eventually…in the far, distant future…you'll be the idiot that I talk to, okay?" Isuke finished, and Haruki's arm a very, very brief squeeze.

Haruki unexpectedly let her go, and Isuke turned around to face her roommate.

"Satisfied?" she asked, tossing her hair nonchalantly over her shoulder.

She then not-so-nonchalantly jumped in surprise when Haruki twirled a strand of Isuke's hair around her finger, gently bringing the lock to her lips.

"I am. More than satisfied," Haruki said, some of her usual joviality returning to her voice. Looking up at Isuke with a grin, she brushed her lips against the silky strands. "Thanks for the honor, Isuke-sama."

Despite her tone, Haruki's eyes were bright with emotion, and she added, more seriously: "I'll always be right here whenever you need me. I promise."

After about a three-second pause, Isuke backpedaled and then spun on her heel before Haruki could see the blush that she knew was definitely coming.

"O-obviously. It's the least you can do, after all the work Isuke is doing for you 3" she threw over her shoulder, walking rapidly towards the bathroom.

What is with all of her stupid, corny lines? And what the heck was with kissing my hair? Does she think we're in a shoujo manga, or something?

Isuke pressed a cool hand to her cheeks and glowered at the bathroom door.

What was worse was that Haruki was actually making all of these stupid shoujo-manga moves work on her.

Isuke stifled a groan of mortification.

Sagae Haruki was most definitely ruining her.

It was only when Isuke reached the bathroom that something occurred to her.

…that idiot didn't mention the kiss at all.

---

Right as Haruki was finishing washing her face, she heard a knock on the door.

Throwing her towel over her shoulder, she frowned as she jogged towards the door.

Was Banba here early?

No, that's impossible. It's in the middle of the morning, and Banba specifically said that Shinya'd be coming to visit.

Isuke followed her out of the bathroom, still wearing her towel after showering.

"Check who it is before opening the door," she warned, pulling one of her knuckle knives out of her nearby purse. "This is Banba's suite, after all, and who knows what kind of weirdo visitors that girl would get~"

Haruki obeyed, peering through the peephole.

Ichinose Haru beamed right back at her.

What the—

Opening the door, Haruki stared incredulously when she really saw Haru standing right there in the doorway, with Azuma standing behind her.

"H-Haru-chan? What are you—"

"Wah! Haruki-san! You really are here!"

With a noise of delight, Haru bounded forward and clasped Haruki's hand in between her own.

"Shiena-chan said that you'd be here, and she was right about the locations of all the others, but Haru and Tokaku weren't so sure if she was right this time, since—ah, um, since…"

Haru trailed off awkwardly, and Azuma finished calmly: "Since you're too poor to afford a place like this."

"T-Tokaku!" Haru cried reproachfully.

Despite being completely at a loss as to why or how her two former classmates had come here, Haruki couldn't help but laugh.

Seemed these two were the same as always.

"It's okay, Haru-chan; she only said what anyone would be thinking," Haruki said, snickering. "But yeah, this place isn't actually mine. I'm just kinda…borrowing it, for the time being."

Azuma raised a brow.

"It belongs to Inukai, then," she said.

Haru looked startled.

"So you really do still keep in touch with Isuke-san, Haruki-san? Shiena-chan said that you two would be together, but—"

"Inukai turned and ran back into the bathroom as soon as she saw us," Azuma stated. "She was only wearing a towel. Give Sagae the diplomas, and then let's get going, Haru. These two are clearly busy."

Haru went scarlet, jaw going slack, and Haruki rapidly shook her head.

"Whoa, no, th-that's not—we're not—it's not like that!" she said, laughing awkwardly. "It's a long story, but Isuke-sama is helping me out with something, and so…"

"So you two decided to come to a hotel together. Sharing one room. With one bed. Understandable," Azuma said, utterly deadpan. "Give them the diplomas, Haru."

Haru, still crimson, lowered herself into a low bow.

"Haru is so sorry for disturbing your private time, Haruki-san. We just came to give you and Isuke-san your diplomas from Myojo, and Haru was thinking maybe we could grab breakfast and catch up, but if you two were…um…busy, then—"

"Give me a break~ Haruki just said it wasn't like that. Are you two deaf, or something? 3"

Isuke emerged from the bathroom fully clothed (or as fully clothed as Isuke ever got, anyway) and toweling her hair off.

She leveled a flat glare at Azuma, gesturing irritably to her wounded and broken arm.

"Isuke can't believe you have the nerve to show up here after what you did," she grumbled, tossing the towel onto the counter. "Totally shameless 3"

"You were trying to kill Haru," Azuma stated, brow furrowing, and Isuke rolled her eyes.

"Well, I didn't succeed, did I? But whatever, that's not important. What did you two just say about Shiena? You managed to find us with her help?" she asked, frowning slightly.

Haru nodded, smiling brightly again.

"Yes! When Haru and Tokaku first started looking for everyone to give out the diplomas, we happened to find Shiena-chan in a web café, and she's been helping us find all the other members of Class Black ever since! She's amazing with computers!" she explained, handing two diplomas to Haruki. "She can do anything with them!"

Isuke chucked her diploma back onto the bed before saying, "I heard that scruffy nerd was a computer geek; this just confirms it."

Turning to Haruki, she said, "We have to go and get her to help us. If she's really some kind of master hacker, then we can just use her instead of one of the people I mentioned on that list I showed you. It'd save us some time and trouble 3"

Haruki blinked.

"Kenmochi can?" Haruki wasn't sure where a hacker would figure into Isuke's plan, but she nodded once. "Haru-chan, sorry for asking a favor after you already went through the trouble of bringing these diplomas—"

"Isuke didn't even want hers," Isuke declared, scoffing.

"—but do you think you can show us where Kenmochi is, too? We'd really appreciate it," Haruki finished, putting her diploma gently down onto the table behind her.

"The last time we were with Inukai, she tried to kill us both," Azuma said. "If this is a favor for her—"

"Tokaku," Haru interrupted chidingly. "Haru wants to put the past behind us and have fun with our old classmates. Can we? Please?"

She looked up at Azuma with wide, doe-like eyes, and Haruki thought she saw the faintest blush rise in Azuma's cheeks as she frowned and looked away.

"…do what you want," she finally replied, turning to walk away.

Haru beamed, turning back to Haruki and saying, "Then, let's have a double date, Haruki-san! Shiena-chan is busy doing…something strange in the computer lab. Haru thinks it has something to do with Myojo, but…but anyway! Shiena-chan comes out for lunch at noon, so afterwards, Haru will bring you and Isuke-san to her."

"Don't want to~" Isuke replied immediately, looking bored as she examined her nails. "Just bring us to her now. This double-date stuff sounds stupid and boring 3 Isuke—"

"Sure, Haru-chan. We'll come up with you now," Haruki interrupted, and smirked in amusement when Isuke bristled.

"I just said that I don't want to," Isuke said, scowling. "Why should we have to—"

Haruki let her hand land onto the top of Isuke's head, and she affectionately ruffled the soft pink locks.

Smiling in response to Isuke's indignant glare, Haruki said, "Let's go, Isuke-sama. We owe them that much, and besides…I think it'll be fun. I've never had the time to do anything like this before, you know?"

Isuke, brows drawn together in clear annoyance, opened her mouth, looking like she would argue…and then huffed.

"Fine, then. Though Isuke is beginning to suspect that your idea of 'fun' is different from hers," she grumbled, swatting Haruki's hand off of her head.

Haruki chuckled, smiling at her roommate appreciatively.

"Thanks, Isuke-sama."

She turned back to Haru, who had been watching the entire exchange.

"Lead the way, Haru-chan. We'll go wherever you want to," she said, grinning.

Haru, for some reason, looked a bit…starry-eyed.

"W-wow…Haru has never seen Isuke-san so docile before, Haruki-san! You two must be really close!"

"D-docile?" Isuke sputtered in outrage. "I'm not some kind of pet, you stupid, obnoxiously cheerful—"

"Don't talk to Haru that way," Azuma warned, and before Isuke could retort, Haruki guided her roommate out of the suite and into the hallway.

"All right, all right, let's get going, yeah? Save the fighting till we get to the restaurant, at least," she said with a chuckle.

As the other three moved into the elevator, Haruki paused for a moment, feeling a strange, sudden chill.

What the heck?

She looked around, but the feeling vanished just as abruptly as it had come.

"Haruki-san!"

The other three were waiting for her, and Haruki forced a smile in response to Haru's inquisitive stare and Isuke's arched brow.

"Is something wrong?" Isuke asked.

Haruki frowned, trying to shake off her sudden sense of unease.

"No, I…I don't think so. Let's get going," she said.

Even as the elevator doors closed, her disquiet persisted.

For a second…it almost felt like I was being watched.

That was impossible, considering they were on the top floor of the hotel, but…

---

Over the course of breakfast, Isuke rolled her eyes so many times she almost thought they would fall out of her head.

These two are almost as disgustingly lovey-dovey as those two that had tried to off themselves together, Isuke thought as she watched Haru spoon-feed Azuma yet another mouthful of her parfait.

Azuma always put on a show of being indifferent, but Isuke knew that if she hadn't secretly liked it, the antisocial girl would've just flat out told Haru to cut it out.

So cute~ It makes Isuke absolutely sick 3

Looking around, Isuke frowned.

Haru had picked out some tacky café, filled with cutesy waitresses decked out in overly frilly uniforms.

"Aaaand here you go, Sagae-san. So sorry for the wait."

Twitching at the sound of that high-pitched and annoying voice, Isuke turned to glare at the cherry on top of this unbelievably irritating morning out.

One of the aforementioned cutesy waitresses decked out in overly frilly uniforms stood by their table, beaming down at Haruki as she set a crepe in front of her.

"Whoa, looks delicious," Haruki said, grinning up at the waitress. "Thanks a lot."

The waitress giggled but didn't leave, and Haruki turned to smile at Isuke.

"Your food's the last to come out, huh, Isuke-sama? You should try some of mine as you wait," she said, sliding the plate towards her.

Just as Isuke opened her mouth to respond, another giggle erupted from the stupid waitress who was still standing by their table.

"Isuke-sama? What kind of relationship do you two have, Sagae-san?" she asked, sidling up closer to the booth.

Looking up in clear confusion, Haruki offered a tentative smile. "She's a friend of mine," she replied affably.

"Oh…so just friends then?" the clerk said coyly. "That's great to hear, isn't it?"

Isuke stiffened at the glaringly obvious flirtatious tone that the clerk used.

What does she think she's…

"Er…sure? We're really good friends." Haruki, as expected, remained completely oblivious.

"Well, her loss is my gain, isn't it?" the waitress said before winking and then flouncing off towards the bar.

"Wow, Haruki-san is really popular, huh?" Haru observed, smiling. "Tokaku is really popular with girls, too."

Turning to Isuke, Haru added, somewhat bashfully, "How do you deal with it, Isuke-san? Haru never knows what to do."

"Why are you asking me?" Isuke snapped, still glaring after that stupid, tacky waitress. "We're not practically married like the two of you are."

Cheap make-up, obvious nose job, padded breasts—does that skank honestly think she has a chance against Isuke? 3

After a beat, Isuke wrinkled her brow, suddenly baffled over her own thoughts.

…wait, why am I getting so annoyed? And why am I suddenly competing with that stupid waitress?

It was almost like Isuke was…was…

"Don't talk to Inukai now, Haru," Azuma said, staring seriously over her plate at Isuke. "She's being jealous and possessive, and she'll take her anger out on you."

Isuke outwardly scoffed even as she inwardly cringed horribly.

Jealousy. Possessiveness.

These two unfamiliar feelings were exactly what were bothering Isuke about this entire situation, and the realization mortified her.

Isuke doesn't get jealous over people. Other people get jealous over Isuke. This whole situation is not how things are supposed to work.

But Isuke was getting jealous, and Haruki…

Isuke frowned, looking back at the other girl.

Haruki was strangely quiet and clearly distracted, uneasily looking around her. She obviously hadn't been listening to a word of the entire conversation.

Back at the hotel, before we left, she was also…

"What's wrong with you?" Isuke demanded, snapping her fingers in front of her roommate's face.

Haruki jumped in surprise before clearing her throat and smiling apologetically.

"S-sorry, Isuke-sama. It's just…I just can't shake this feeling I'm getting. Like we're being watched," she said, and Isuke thought she understood.

"Oh," she said dismissively. "That's probably Ryo. He's the spy Isuke hired to follow us around and make sure that no other spies are watching us."

Isuke had asked Mama to hire him as soon as she had started to put her plan in motion. It wouldn't have surprised Isuke in the least if Ren sent spies after Haruki, and so there was a definite need for caution. And Ryo had come highly recommended, having been a friend of Mama's for a long time.

Haruki looked startled, and then smiled in obvious relief.

"Oh, is that what it is? Wow, always one step ahead, huh, Isuke-sama?" she said, chuckling. Visibly relaxing, she began to dig into her crepe.

"Well, that's a relief. Sorry for spacing out like that," she said, putting her fork down again.

Isuke was about to reply when again a high pitched trill cut her off.

"Here's your food," the waitress said, carelessly dropping Isuke's plate in front of her.

She turned back to Haruki and leaned forward, brushing a hand against her shoulder.

"Sagae-san, I told the manager that we have a super cool customer with us today, and so she told me to give you a drink of your choice on the house! What would you like?" she asked, simpering.

All of Isuke's previous embarrassment and shame at actually being jealous flew out the window as the waitress continued to giggle, lean forward, and touch Haruki everywhere.

That's really enough of that 3

Dropping her fork with a clatter, Isuke said, "Haruki…you have cream on your face."

Haruki turned back to Isuke in surprise.

"Oh, shoot, really?" she said, grabbing her napkin.

Shaking her head, Isuke flashed a sweet smile.

"Hold on~ I'll get it."

Stretching her hand out, Isuke ran a finger slowly and deliberately over Haruki's lower lip, wiping the cream from the crepe off with her thumb.

And then, fully aware that Haruki's, Haru's, Azuma's, and that stupid waitress's eyes were all fixed on her, she brought her finger to her lips and sucked it clean.

"There 3" she said.

Haruki went crimson, Haru squeaked in mixed embarrassment and excitement, Tokaku arched a brow, and the waitress…

The waitress met Isuke's gaze and scowled, acknowledging her defeat before turning and walking away.

Smirking to herself, Isuke turned back to her food and decided that maybe breakfast would be a little bit of fun, after all.

---

"Hmm…well, I think I can pull off what you're asking me to do. If I managed to hack into Myojo's server, even some mega-billionaire's private files shouldn't be problem. Thing is…there's still some danger involved in this, and so I won't be doing it for free."

"But Shiena-chan, you've been helping Tokaku and Haru for free!" Haru protested. "Classmates should help each other out!"

Shiena waved a hand, not looking up from the glowing computer screen.

"That's because you two had nothing to offer me, and what you wanted me to do was easy. Messing with Sanada Ren-san is different." Continuing to type furiously, she said, "Well, Inukai? Favor for favor?"

Isuke, looking distastefully around the dark, cramped quarters of the internet café, replied, "I have to hear this favor first."

Shiena finally looked up from her keyboard, turning around and frowning.

"…there's this boy I know through my organization. He's being bullied relentlessly by the other boys in his grade for being overweight and…well, a bit awkward, and he sought help from my group. But…" Shiena sighed. "He's soft. He doesn't want the boys hurt; he just wants to be left alone."

Cracking her knuckles, Shiena turned fully in her chair.

"There's this big school trip to Enoshima Beach planned for tomorrow, and he's already getting taunted for how he's going to look in a swimsuit. He said that all the guys are talking about all the girls they're going to try and pick up there, and—"

"Ah, I can already see where this is going, and the answer is no way 3" Isuke interrupted, seating herself in one of the folding chairs. "Isuke is not going to go flirt with some random loser just because he doesn't have the guts to stand up for himself."

Shiena scowled and then swiveled back in her seat to face her computer again.

"Fine, then. I won't be helping you, either."

"That's fine," Isuke said, shrugging. "We'll just go with my first plan, then."

Getting back to her feet, Isuke twiddled her fingers briefly at Haru and Azuma before turning to the door.

"Well, we'll be going now. Breakfast was surprisingly not as horribly boring as Isuke thought it would be, so thanks for that 3" she said, beginning to walk towards the exit.

A hand on her shoulder stopped her.

Isuke turned to see Haruki staring at her, and at the look in her eyes she already knew what her roommate wanted to say.

Rolling her eyes, Isuke shook her head.

"No, Haruki, we don't have the time to do something as stupid and pointless as this. Unlike with Hanabusa, we can easily replace Shiena with someone else. Besides, Banba's coming tonight, and we have no idea what that loon is going to want us to do. We still have to finish up the business with Hanabusa before we accept any more dumb jobs," she said, resuming her walk to the exit.

"Ah! Isuke-san, Haruki-san, are you leaving?"

Haru sounded sad, and Isuke heard Haruki say, "No worries, we'll be back, Haru-chan."

"No, we won't," Isuke called over her shoulder, pushing open the door.

"We'll definitely be back. Kenmochi, print out the details of this school trip, okay? We'll pick it up later. See you guys soon!"

"Don't count on it 3" Isuke insisted, glaring at Haruki as she followed her out the door.

Haruki caught her wrist, pulling her back.

"Isuke-sama—"

"No, you idiot. Don't drag Isuke into your dumb moral obligations. That loser can be bullied forever, for all I care, and there's nothing you can say that'll change my mind."

Five minutes later, Isuke was cursing Haruki, her stupid niceness, and her stupid puppy-dog eyes that had the stupidest, most irritating, and most inexplicably influential draining effect on Isuke's willpower.

Isuke had been right; there was nothing Haruki could say that changed Isuke's mind. But all the idiot had done was look at her pleadingly, and then…

"They'll all reach the beach around 3:00 pm, so plan to be there a bit beforehand. Here's the itinerary," Shiena said, handing Isuke a slip of paper.

When Isuke only glowered sullenly at it, Haruki took the sheet with a chuckle.

"Then, you'll take care of everything Isuke-sama asked you to, right?" Haruki asked, smiling.

"Right away," Shiena promised. "Sanada Ren won't know what hit her."

Shiena gave an almost sinister little chuckle as she rubbed her hands together.

"To be honest, I'm a little excited. This together with exposing Myojo will be my biggest challenge yet!" she exclaimed, turning back to the computer.

As Isuke was in the process of rolling her eyes again, she noticed Haru staring at her.

"…what?" she demanded.

Haru smiled.

"Ah, it's just…you've changed, Isuke-san. Maybe not a whole lot, but you've definitely changed," she said. "It's a good change! Haru is happy to see it. And Haru thinks she knows why you changed, too."

Haru glanced not-so-furtively at Haruki before beaming at her, and Isuke just sighed

"Oh, shut up," she grumbled.

But she could hardly argue when she knew that the stupid girl was right.

---

The sun was setting by the time Haruki and Isuke made it back into the suite, and Haruki turned to grin at her roommate.

"We made it just in time for Shinya!"

Her grin faltered at the weak glare Isuke shot her way, and Haruki watched in slight concern as the other girl staggered to the couch.

"…you okay, Isuke-sama?" Haruki inquired, sitting down on the arm of the couch as she peered down at her roommate.

They hadn't done anything particularly taxing that day.

In fact, after talking to Shiena, they had spent the rest of the day walking around the city and talking with Azuma and Haru.

Well, Haru and Haruki had really done most of the talking.

Isuke had occasionally interjected with some biting remark, which had usually provoked an annoyed response from Azuma, but aside from that, the other two had been more or less quiet.

"Did walking around tire you out?" Haruki asked, unable to think of any other possible reason.

Isuke sprawled out on the couch and scowled up at her.

"Isuke gets tired when she's forced into doing things that she hates 3" she said, poisonously sweet. "And guess what Isuke was doing all day today?"

Haruki chuckled, understanding, and dropped down onto the floor beside the couch.

Leaning on the cushion beside Isuke's head, she grinned at her displeased roommate.

"…I see. Today must've been rough on you, huh?" she said.

Isuke huffed.

"My shoulders are all stiff, and my feet are sore, and—"

"Then, lemme make it up to you, Isuke-sama."

Getting up again, Haruki circled to the end of the couch and then settled by Isuke's feet.

"…what are you—"

"I used to do this for Mom all the time," Haruki explained, taking off her cast's sling before taking one of Isuke's small feet into her hands.

Being careful not to apply too much pressure, Haruki slowly began to massage the top of Isuke's foot, working her way downward to the arch.

"H-hey," Isuke said, sitting upright and looking down at her agitatedly. "Idiot, your arm is still broken; you shouldn't be doing things like this."

"It's my arm that's broken, not my hand," Haruki replied easily, smiling up at her. "And it's my left hand that's doing most of the work, anyway. Just lie back and relax, Isuke-sama. I'll do this till Shinya gets here."

"That could hours from now. Stop being stupidly nice and let g—a-ah…"

Isuke let out a low groan of pleasure as Haruki kneaded the arch of her foot, and Haruki could feel the muscles slowly begin to relax.

Haruki grinned.

"Not bad, huh? Try to relax, Isuke-sama. I'll do your legs next, then your shoulders," she said, gently rubbing the heel with her thumb.

Isuke didn't seem to want to listen, still sitting upright as she frowned down at Haruki.

"Isuke's not actually all that tired, so you really—"

"Even if you're not tired," Haruki interrupted amiably, "I want to do this for you, Isuke-sama. You…really did a lot for me today, Isuke-sama, and I want to thank you."

Agreeing to go to breakfast, agreeing to help Shiena, and agreeing to spend the rest of the day with Haru and Tokaku; these things might not have seemed all that significant for anyone else, but for Isuke…

She definitely didn't want to do any of it. If it had just been her by herself, she probably wouldn't have done any of it. But since I asked, she did, Haruki thought, smiling at the other girl.

"You're…a really, really good friend, Isuke-sama," she said sincerely. "I think…probably the best I've ever had."

Isuke visibly squirmed a bit, averting her gaze.

"That says something about your choice of friends," she scoffed, looking off to the side somewhere.

Haruki laughed.

"For someone so prideful, you really underestimate yourself sometimes."

Isuke was briefly silent, and as Haruki switched to her other foot, finally said:

"You too. For…for me. You're…" Isuke trailed off, looking uncharacteristically uneasy and hesitant.

Haruki smiled.

"...I know. Thanks, Isuke-sama," she said.

Isuke cleared her throat, colored faintly, and then attempted to jerk her foot out of Haruki's grip.

"Anyway, c-cut this out, already. I told you I'm fine," she said, trying in vain to break free.

Haruki chuckled, her grip like iron.

"Actually, I have to admit I have a bit of an ulterior motive, Isuke-sama. I…kinda want to talk to you about something, and I don't want you running away," she said.

Isuke went rigid, her eyes suddenly widening, and Haruki guessed that Isuke knew exactly what she wanted to talk about.

Dropping her gaze, Haruki suddenly felt very awkward.

"U-uh…I know I promised that I wouldn't bring up what happened last night if you didn't want to talk about it, but…er, this is kinda unrelated to the nightmare. I think," she began, and finally released Isuke's foot.

Now that the topic had been broached, Isuke was free to do whatever she wanted.

If she didn't want to talk about it, Haruki would respect her wishes. And if she did…

Swallowing hard, Haruki looked up to meet her gaze.

"A-about the kiss, Isuke-sama—"

A loud crash made them both jump; Haruki stared in stunned bafflement as a white blur dropped down onto the bed from the ceiling vent.

"Yo…fine night, ain't it?"

Shinya straightened, rising from the bed and grinning wolfishly.

"It feels damn good to be out and about again! Guess I have you two to thank for that," she drawled, getting to her feet. "Whoa, and what a comfy bed! No wonder Mahiru picked this room."

As Shinya snickered to herself, falling back down again to lie on the bed, Haruki watched in complete silence.

Well…that's definitely the weirdest way I've ever seen the mood killed before, she mused.

But to her surprise, she felt a brief squeeze on her hand; she looked back to see Isuke staring fixedly down at the couch, face flushed red and her hand covering Haruki's.

"…w-we'll talk about it later," Isuke muttered, before jerking her hand back and getting to her feet.

"About time you showed up~ Isuke hates tardiness, you know 3" she said, walking off towards the bed.

Haruki stared after her, feeling her own face begin to heat.

J-jeez…this is no good.

Getting to her feet, she grinned shakily.

Forget about just liking Isuke.

Haruki shook her head and chuckled.

At this rate, she'd end up in love with her in no time.

---

Ryo watched as his client and her friend made their way back into the hotel room.

Would give anything to see what they got up to in there, he thought, grinning to himself. But Eisuke'd probably gut me if I even tried. Or worse, he wouldn't pay me.

Job done for the day, Ryo turned and started back home.

Pretty easy job. And pretty boring so far, too.

As Ryo made his way down the street, he noticed two cars slowly approaching him from a distance.

He narrowed his eyes, his hand going to the gun hidden underneath his jacket.

Guess I spoke too soon.

The first car rolled up to the curb, and a man rolled down the window.

"Calm down, Fujisaki Ryo-san. We're not here to pick a fight," the man said, smirking.

Ryo watched warily as the man got out of the car, opening a briefcase.

The briefcase popped open, and Ryo's jaw dropped.

"100 million yen. And there's more where that came from, if you're willing to listen," the man said.

"I'm listening," Ryo replied immediately.

The man chuckled.

"My name is Morita Kensuke," he said, "and I work for one Sanada Ren-sama. If you are willing to fill my employer in on all the details that you were originally hired to protect…then we will give you ten times what your original employer gives you."

It took Ryo only a few seconds of very brief contemplation.

"Deal," he said, and grinned.

Sorry Eisuke, but your friendship's only worth so much.

---

Thirty minutes later, Kensuke was muttering for his men to come and drag Ryo's corpse from Sanada-sama's room.

Swallowing hard, Kensuke lowered himself into a deep bow.

"D-did he bring very bad news, Sanada-sama? Please tell me what I can do to ease your burden," he stammered.

Ren was completely silent, and when Kensuke chanced a glance up, he saw her lounging listlessly in her chair, a pistol dangling from her fingers.

"…Inukai…Isuke," she finally said, very quietly. "The late Fujisaki Ryo-san informed me that Isuke-chan has been going in and out of hotels…with Haruki. They stay in one room together, and then in the mornings, they go out to visit some of their old classmates from Myojo."

Sinking low into her seat, Ren continued, "It seems that Isuke-chan not only plans to steal Haruki away…but she's also planning something against me with those young assassin friends of hers."

Kensuke flinched when he heard Ren laugh.

"...do you know why I hate Inukai Isuke, Morita-san?"

Kensuke shook his head.

"N-no, Sanada-sama, but I'm certain it's justified."

"…it is. That girl and her parents…have done something somewhat like this to me before. But this time…I won't let her win."

Ren got to her feet, and Kensuke willed himself not to move as she made her way towards him.

"Tell me, Morita-san. Do you find Inukai Isuke attractive?" she asked, her voice a near-purr.

When Kensuke couldn't respond, not knowing how to respond, Ren laughed again.

"No need to look so scared, Morita-san. I won't hurt you for being honest."

Kensuke slowly nodded, watching his boss uneasily.

"Objectively, Sanada-sama, she's attractive, yes," he said.

Ren, to his relief, looked pleased.

"That's right. I thought you'd say that. And tell me…do you think those Yakuza hirelings of yours would also find Inukai Isuke attractive?"

Finally realizing where his boss was going with this, Kensuke responded with a slow smile.

"Yes…I think they would. Very much so."

Ren patted his head, smiling broadly.

"You've been a good boy, Morita-san, and so have your hirelings. I think you all deserve a little…treat."

Ren's hand suddenly tightened in his hair, and Kensuke winced as his boss glowered down at the ground, eyes abruptly darkening with loathing.

"Teach Inukai Isuke a lesson. I want that prideful, mocking slut down on the ground, crying and begging for mercy. Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes, Sanada-sama!"

Ren released him, turning on her heel.

"…and enjoy yourself, too, while you're at it. As you said, Inukai Isuke is a very attractive girl. I'm sure your boys will appreciate this fact thoroughly by the time the night is through."

Settling herself down on the chair again, Ren sighed.

"And after you've all had your fun..."

Ren picked up the gun, her lips twisting into a distorted smile.

"...kill her."

---

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

---

quick note: I'm really sorry, but although I got a lot of questions in reviews and PMs last chapter, I'm super, super sleepy right now lol and I don't even know what I'm writing so I would probably be totally nonsensical in my response if I even attempted it. But I promise I'll answer all your questions in the next chapter! Either that or I'll try and edit this story tomorrow and answer your questions in this note here :) Please leave any feedback you wish, as always, and thanks!

also urgh why is this chapter so long it killed me.

---

"Hoooahhh! That hit the spot!"

Isuke stared, torn between being disgusted and grudgingly impressed as she watched Shinya finish her ninth bowl of katsudon.

Why hasn't she exploded yet? Isuke idly wondered, staring at the other girl's skinny frame. Where does she pack it all?

"Thanks," Shinya said, grinning at Haruki, who was openly gaping at the stacks of empty bowls. "You're not half bad. Almost makes up for the fact that ya never told Mahiru that this bitch would be here."

Shinya jerked a thumb towards Isuke, who scoffed.

"What, still sore over what happened at Myojo? It wasn't Isuke's fault you have some weird light phobia~" Isuke said, leaning back against the sofa.

"It was your fault that ya shone the damn lights in my face, though," Shinya retorted, getting to her feet. Shrugging, she continued, with her signature feral smile, "But whatever. Mahiru seemed to get braver 'cause of that, so I won't be holding a grudge."

Turning the bath, she said, "That aside, it's Jacuzzi time!"

And, cackling wildly, Shinya sprinted off towards the large bathtub, pulling about ten rubber ducks out of nowhere and chucking them all into the water before diving in herself, fully clothed.

"…uh…huh…"

Haruki had also gotten to her feet, and stared after Shinya with an expression of mixed amusement and disbelief.

"Split personalities or not, sometimes it's really hard to believe that Shinya and Mahiru are the same person," she said, chuckling as she watched Shinya splash around in the water.

"They're both unbelievably weird 3," Isuke replied, shaking her head. "At this rate, we'll never get anything done."

Haruki shrugged, grinning as she turned to face her.

"She said she'd tell us everything after dinner and a bath. With any luck—"

"Oy, bitch! Grab me a towel, would ya?"

Within the span of a few seconds, Shinya had somehow managed to get naked and covered in soap suds, and lay half submerged in the bath as she grinned at Isuke.

"…is she talking to me? 3" Isuke wondered aloud, a smile fixed on her face even as her fingers twitched for her knives.

Loudly clearing her throat, Haruki hastily placed a placating hand on Isuke's shoulder and said, "I-I'll get the towel, Isuke-sama. You just hang tight and uh…don't stab anyone, okay?"

Isuke watched, glowering, as Haruki jogged over to Shinya with a fluffy towel slung over her shoulder.

That idiot gets along well with everybody, Isuke thought as Haruki made some lighthearted comment about Shinya's rubber ducks, prompting snickering from the other girl.

She made friends with everyone, from weirdos like Banba to…

Well, to people like me, Isuke mused, with a sardonic smile. I guess that's one of those stupid qualities about her that I—

Realizing that she had been about to finish that thought with something as horrifically corny as "that I like so much," Isuke gave a violent shake of her head and stalked forward towards the bathtub.

Shinya looked up, smiling widely as she squeezed one of the rubber ducks and made it squeak.

"Ya want a duck too?" she said, waving a particularly bright yellow duck in Isuke's direction. "Your girlfriend wants this one, but you can take any of the others. I've got plenty!"

Isuke was right about to respond with an annoyed "she's not my girlfriend" when she remembered the lie that she had told Hanabusa.

And if Banba were to expose the dumb lie to Hanabusa…

Laughing, Haruki shook her head. "Ah, no, Shinya, it's not like tha—"

Haruki jumped slightly at the light kick that Isuke aimed at her shin.

Ignoring her roommate's bewildered stare, Isuke said to Shinya, "No, I don't want a stupid duck. I want you to hurry up and tell us whatever dumb thing you came here to say 3"

Shinya snickered again, wrapping the towel around her body and getting up out of the bath.

"Ah, yeah, I get it, I get it. Wanna get rid of the third wheel as soon as possible, huh?" she drawled, stepping onto the marble tiles. "Guess I'm intruding in on a love nest, huh?"

"Yes," Isuke said, studiously avoiding Haruki's gaze, "you are. 3 So if you'd hurry and get to the point as to why you're here…"

Shinya nodded, falling lazily down onto the sofa and smirking up at her.

"Well, it goes like this: Mahiru's been hiding out in ritzy places like this hotel ever since we were booted from Class Black," she began, examining a rubber duck as she sprawled out on the couch. "Visiting nice restaurants, going to museums…doing what rich people do. She's been tryna learn fancy manners, y'see."

Isuke arched a brow, bemused.

"Why would either of you ever need to learn manners? It's not like you're part of high society or…something…" Isuke trailed off as comprehension dawned, and beside her, Haruki snapped her fingers in realization.

"Are you—or er, is Mahiru doing this for Hanabusa?" she asked, smiling. "Since Hanabusa's an heiress and a socialite, and all that."

Shinya shrugged.

"Yeah, somethin' like that," she said, and, snickering, she rubbed her ears. "Jeez, Mahiru is freaking out right now. She's super embarrassed 'bout it, I guess."

Isuke frowned, seating herself on the edge of the bed.

"What a waste of time~ That stupid rich girl is obviously heads over heels in love with you. Both of you. You don't need to bother learning manners," she said, rolling her eyes.

Shinya coughed, and though she was still grinning just as cockily as ever, there was the slightest hint of something almost like discomfiture as she shrugged again.

"Yeah, well, I guess this whole thing is kinda my fault. Learning manners and all that…it's 'cause Mahiru's tryna find the best way to apologize to Sumireko," she said, finally tossing the rubber duck to the side.

"Apologize? For what?" Isuke asked, pulling a bottle of water from the minibar. Uncapping it, she idly wondered how long this stupid thing would take. We have to go the dumb beach tomorrow, too…

"For kissing her outta nowhere one night, I guess," Shinya said with a laugh; Isuke almost choked on her water.

You're kidding me, Isuke thought in disbelief as she coughed and hacked violently. I actually did something that this loon did. I have as much self-control as the crazy, hammer-wielding maniac with two personalities has.

"Hey, I think your girlfriend's choking," Shinya observed with a snicker, and Isuke immediately straightened before Haruki could reply.

"I-I'm fine," she rasped, waving a very concerned-looking Haruki off. The last thing Isuke needed was for that idiot to be near her now.

Cocking her head slightly to the side, Shinya said, "It was my bad, but I couldn't really help myself, y'know? Sumireko was right there, sitting on my bed and all, and Mahiru had been wantin' to kiss her for a while, so…I just did it."

Shinya looked a little thoughtful as she rubbed her chin.

"But Sumireko just kinda froze up, and then with Mahiru panicking and telling me to run away before Sumireko got mad, I finally listened and hightailed it outta there. Then the next day was the day me and this bitch over here tried to off Haru, and then we were booted outta Myojo…"

Scratching her head, Shinya smirked as she finished, "I haven't seen Sumireko since. Mahiru's convinced she hates us both now, which is why she's been avoiding her like the damn plague till she's figured out the best way to apologize."

Isuke was silent, mind only half occupied with what Shinya had just said.

Apologize? She's going to apologize? Is that…is that what I should be doing? she wondered, brow wrinkling in a bemused frown.

Apologizing to anyone ever was already a completely foreign concept to Isuke; apologizing for kissing someone was even more so.

After all who wouldn't want a kiss from Inukai Isuke?

Tapping her boots agitatedly against the ground, Isuke scowled at the rubber duck lying by Shinya's feet.

Isuke didn't even apologize to Banba for kicking her, or to Azuma for throwing her out a window, or to Haru for trying to kill her. Choosing to apologize now to Haruki for kissing her, of all things, would be absolutely ridiculous. And stupid. And…

Isuke chanced a glance back at Haruki, and instantly turned away again when she saw that the other girl was already looking at her.

Stifling a groan of irritation, Isuke sighed instead.

Haruki was different. Isuke knew that much.

So if I have to apologize…then…I'll apologize.

Isuke cringed. Even the word apologize sounded woefully pride-crushing.

"I, uh…don't really think you need to apologize, Shinya."

Both Isuke and Shinya turned in surprise to Haruki, who offered a somewhat tentative grin.

"I don't think you need to apologize," she repeated, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she leaned against the table. "I mean…Hanabusa definitely likes you. I know this for a fact. And it's not like she pushed you away or anything, right?"

She paused, waiting for a response, and when Shinya nodded, continued: "I mean, I definitely think you should talk to her, you know, to clear things up. But uh…just because she froze up doesn't mean she's angry or anything."

Rubbing the back of her neck, Haruki added, in a slightly quieter voice: "Just because she didn't kiss you back doesn't mean she didn't like it, you know?"

For just a fraction of a second, Haruki's eyes rose to meet Isuke's.

The room was entirely quiet as Shinya lay back and digested this information, Haruki colored and awkwardly kicked her legs, and Isuke went a rather bright shade of crimson before gulping down half the water bottle to relieve her suddenly hot and desert-dry mouth.

Was she talking about…? She was definitely talking about—

"Huh. Well, I guess that makes sense," Shinya said, sitting upright.

After another moment of silence, she grinned.

"Yeah, that makes perfect sense! I should go and talk to her now, before Mahiru chickens out," Shinya said, getting to her feet.

"What?" Isuke said sharply, also rising. "No, you can't leave now. It's already 10 o'clock; by the time you get to the estate, it'll probably be around midnight, and the guards will think you're some kind of maniac." Which you are, but still. "Besides, you need a permit to even get anywhere near the Hanabusa residence. Just stay here for tonight, and Isuke will bring you to her tomorrow afternoon 3"

That way, Isuke could also make it clear that it had been her (and Haruki) that did the job, and they could assuredly receive Hanabusa's cooperation.

Sighing, Shinya settled down again.

"Jeez, you're boring as hell. Fine, I'll wait till tomorrow," she said, and stretched out on the couch again.

Smirking, she added, "Guess I can count on you two for romantic advice, huh? Probably should've just come straight here instead of wasting my time learning manners by going to damn tea parties and stuff."

Shinya snickered, wiggling her fingers around as she closed her eyes.

"Upside is that I can hold a teacup without breaking the thing now. Took a helluva lot of practice, too. Delicate things are so damn…delicate."

Shinya went quiet, and it took Isuke a second to realize that the girl had fallen asleep, right there on the couch.

"…Hanabusa has the weirdest taste," Isuke said, shaking her head. "I swear I don't understand her at all 3"

Chuckling, Haruki grinned down at their lightly snoring classmate.

"I dunno. I like Banba," she said, picking up one of the many fallen rubber ducks on the ground.

"You like everyone," Isuke replied, rolling her eyes.

Straightening, Haruki turned and smiled at her.

"Well, maybe."

And, winking, she added, "But don't worry; I like you best of all, Isuke-sama."

Isuke scoffed, determinedly ignoring both the irrational urge to smile at her roommate's words and the irritating spark of heat that that stupid wink of hers sent through Isuke's body.

"Just go to sleep," she said, throwing a rubber duck at Haruki's face.

The other girl effortlessly caught it before grinning again, though less jauntily this time.

"Guess we can't really talk much with Banba here, huh?" she said.

Isuke looked away, forcing a casual air as she shrugged.

"I guess not," she said.

They were both silent for a moment, until Haruki began, "Then, tomorrow—"

"Definitely tomorrow," Isuke agreed immediately, flushing faintly as she tried not to remember what Haruki had said to Shinya.

If…if she said that, then…

"Awesome," Haruki said, smiling again, and this time Isuke couldn't help but smile back just a little bit.

After about five seconds, Isuke realized that she had just been staring with a stupid smile on her face at the other girl the whole time, and hastily broke eye contact.

"W-well, then. Good night," she said, and turned back towards the bed.

"Good night, Isuke-sama," Haruki replied softly from behind her.

And, once the lights were off and she was in no danger of being seen, Isuke found herself smiling stupidly yet again as she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

---

"Not owning a Louis Vuitton bag or Chanel nail polish Isuke understands, but not having your own swimsuit is just ridiculous."

Haruki laughed awkwardly, looking very uncomfortable amidst the racks of brand-name merchandise of the department store.

"Well, I've never really needed one. I don't even really need one now, Isuke-sama. As long as you have one—"

"Isuke is not going to sit on the beach by herself," Isuke snapped, pushing Haruki into the summer-wear section of the store. "There are going to be hundreds of stupid, horny high school boys there, and I'm absolutely not going to deal with any more of them other than that one loser that I have to talk to."

Rubbing her eyes, Isuke let out an exhausted sigh.

Throughout the course of the past night, Isuke had very rapidly grown to have a newfound respect for Hanabusa. Or, more specifically, Hanabusa's sleeping skills.

How anyone could sleep through that snoring is just beyond Isuke.

Shinya's snoring had steadily increased in volume throughout the night, until eventually Isuke had been tempted to smash the girl's nose in with her own hammer.

To make matters worse, Banba's continued presence that morning made it impossible for Isuke to talk to Haruki about…about anything, really.

The girl had been embarrassed and flustered to the point of near catatonia, and Haruki had tactfully suggested that they leave the hotel so that she could collect herself.

I don't understand how that girl can function, Isuke thought, remembering the way Banba had stammered out both apologies and her gratitude for their help.

"I-I'm also s-sorry that Shinya left th-the ducks everywhere," she had said for what was maybe her 20th new apology. "T-Thank you Inukai-san, Sagae-san, for e-everything."

We didn't even really do anything, but whatever. As long as she's happy…or more importantly, as long as Hanabusa is happy, and gives us the funds we need 3

"Uh…this one looks good. I think I'll just buy this swimsuit, Isuke-sama."

Snapping out of her thoughts, Isuke looked up in time to Haruki grab the cheapest looking sports swimsuit from a rack; she immediately snatched the ugly green bikini away from her.

"Isuke is paying today, so don't you dare go deciding based on the price tag," Isuke said, placing the hideous thing back onto the rack. "If you do, I'll be very, very angry 3"

While Haruki made some protest about not wasting money on her, Isuke ignored her and scanned the bikini section for something that was suitable for her roommate.

Red would be the obvious choice, but it might also be too much, since her hair is so noticeable as it is…

Glancing back at the other girl again, Isuke paused as her eyes dropped down to Haruki's nails.

Oh…that's perfect 3

About a minute later, Isuke turned back to her still-protesting roommate and handed her a baby pink bikini.

Haruki stared at the swimsuit with wide eyes, thankfully not paying any attention to the price tag, for once.

"Try it on," Isuke said, gesturing to the changing room. "If it doesn't fit, I'll find you another one."

Haruki looked past the bathing suit to stare uncertainly at her.

"Er, well…don't get me wrong: it's really pretty, Isuke-sama, but…I'm not really sure if it'll suit me," she said doubtfully.

Isuke tossed the bikini at the other girl, smirking when Haruki reached out automatically to catch it.

"Well, Isuke is sure that it will. Pink suits you, Haruki 3 Just try it out."

Though looking far from convinced, Haruki nodded and stepped into the changing room, swinging the door shut behind her.

Isuke toyed idly with the straps on her purse as she waited, wondering how far along Shiena was with her hacking.

If Shiena manages to get what I need by tonight, and if Hanabusa transfers the funds that I asked for after I bring Banba to her today, then we'll be able to move onto the final stage by midnight.

The changing room door cracked open, and Isuke casually turned back to look.

With any luck, we can have the entire setup ready to go by tomorrow morning. And then we…then…I…um…

Isuke's train of thought very slowly chugged to a stop.

And all her higher brain functions seemed to break down as she watched Haruki emerge from the changing room, wearing the swimsuit.

…ah.

Isuke stared at Haruki in what she was sure was a look of pathetically bovine slack-jawed idiocy, her eyes roaming up and down her roommate's body.

And, as she felt her body temperature increasing at an alarming rate, Isuke came to an interesting realization that she had never really thought about before:

Isuke really, really wanted Sagae Haruki.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Isuke also realized with some surprise that thus far, sex had actually never been a factor in her relationship with Haruki.

Which is weird, Isuke mused, as she continued to stare like a slavering moron, since that was what all of Isuke's past relationships were more or less based on. Well, sex and money too, of course.

But with Haruki, Isuke had always just…enjoyed her company.

If Isuke had been in a clearer state of mind, she would have cringed at how stupidly mawkish she sounded. But since most of her mind was occupied with admiring Haruki's body, Isuke could only realize that Haruki had supplied her with neither sex nor money, but…

…but I still like this idiot so much it's driving me crazy.

"Uh…Isuke-sama?"

Still, as her eyes roamed up and down her roommate's body now, Isuke was sure that the lack of sex was definitely not due to any lack of desire on her part.

"Er…is everything okay?"

Her body type is Isuke's favorite. Toned and fit, but not grossly muscular, either. And I don't think I've ever seen abs so perfect before. I wonder how—

"H-hey, Isuke-sama!"

Haruki's hand was suddenly pressed against Isuke's forehead, and the contact finally snapped Isuke out of her trancelike state.

And the moment Isuke was out of her trancelike state was the moment that she realized just how horrifically stupid she had just been acting. And thinking.

You've got to be kidding me.

First that time two nights ago, and now this.

Something is very, very wrong with me…

"Oh, jeez, I think you have a bit of a fever, Isuke-sama," Haruki was saying, frowning worriedly. "You're really hot."

So are you, replied a stupid, unbelievably corny voice in Isuke's head. Which is why Isuke can't function normally right now.

Oh, shut up, Isuke told the voice, with a hint of panic. Since when does liking someone rob you of basic intelligence, anyway?

To Isuke's renewed agitation, Haruki suddenly leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Isuke's.

Though the idiot probably only did that to better check Isuke's temperature, it of course only made Isuke's temperature skyrocket even higher.

Isuke swallowed thickly, failing miserably in her attempt to stop her eyes from drifting downward to Haruki's lips.

She was close, so close, and it took every ounce of Isuke's apparently limited self-control not to repeat exactly what she had done two nights ago.

I'm not going to kiss her in the middle of a department store, Isuke thought dazedly to herself, finally managing to take a shaky step backwards. That's tacky, and lame, and…

"G-get dressed," Isuke said, her voice sounding breathless and unsteady even to herself. "I'm fine, and we're buying that one."

Turning on her heel, Isuke rapidly walked away before Haruki could reply.

This is ridiculous, she decided, her heels clacking loudly on the ground as she stormed through the store. And this can't go on.

I have to talk to Haruki. If I can just straighten things out and figure out what exactly is going on with…with us, then…

Isuke stopped her agitated pacing, suddenly at a loss.

Then what?

Flushing faintly at the possibilities, Isuke shook her head.

Well, whatever. I can think about that later. For now, the important thing is that I talk to her so that I can stop acting like some…some confused, anxious, lovestruck teenage girl.

And as Isuke continued to walk irritably about the store, it didn't seem to occur to her that maybe the reason why she was acting like some confused, anxious, lovestruck teenage girl was simply because she actually was one.

---

The sun was blazing overhead; the gulls cried, the waves crashed, and the sky was a brilliant cerulean.

All in all, it was a gorgeous summer day, and the beach was teeming with life.

Unfortunately, all of this beauty was more or less lost on both Haruki and Isuke.

As yet another tanned, muscular guy catcalled and hooted as Isuke walked by, Haruki crushed her can of soda and determinedly worked to suppress her irrationally rising desire to beat the crap out of every guy on the beach who was leering at her roommate.

As yet another slender, bikini-clad girl giggled with her friends and glanced admiringly at Haruki as she walked by, Isuke fingered the knuckle knife hidden in her bag and briefly contemplated gutting every bimbo on the beach who was gaping at her roommate.

I guess it's understandable, considering how gorgeous she is, Haruki thought, oblivious to the group of girls who were inching towards her from behind. But jeez, I wish they wouldn't be so persistent. Can't they tell she's not interested?

Haruki's body may be perfect, and she may be cooler than every single guy on the beach, Isuke thought, irritably waving off another loser that was trying to chat her up, but can't these useless skanks see that she doesn't even notice them? Why do they insist on hanging around?

"We're a bit early, Isuke-sama," Haruki said, sticking the sunshade right behind Isuke to best cut off the continued stares of the guys around them.

"We'll just relax until it's three, then," Isuke replied, lowering her sunglasses to glare at a passing gaggle of high-school girls.

To Haruki's dismay, the guys just relocated to have a clearer view of Isuke, and they muttered to each other as they nudged each other and snickered.

To Isuke's annoyance, the girls didn't even notice her glare, and continued to giggle and whisper inane things like "she's so cool!" and "let's go say hi later!" as they passed by.

…it's going to be a long day, both Haruki and Isuke thought.

Why does she have to be so attractive?

---

"Hey, you girls alone? Wanna come pl—"

"Haruki, I can't apply any oil with this stupid cast on. Do it for Isuke 3" Isuke said, handing Haruki a bottle of tanning oil and completely ignoring the guys that had come to talk to her.

"I have a cast on too, Isuke-sama," Haruki said with a laugh, taking the bottle and trying not to grin when the guys disappointedly left. "I probably won't be able to do a much better job."

Isuke shrugged, turning on her towel to lie on her stomach.

"Just use your left hand to do my back. I can get all the other areas," she said.

Haruki nodded, and was just about to uncap the bottle when she noticed what the label said.

"…hey, Isuke-sama. This stuff has no UV protection! It's just the opposite," she said, frowning at bottle. "You can damage your skin this way."

Isuke waved a hand carelessly.

"Who cares? Isuke wants a tan, and that oil helps."

Haruki instantly shook her head, tossing the bottle into the sand before rummaging through her own beach bag.

Isuke scowled when she saw the white bottle that Haruki produced from her own bag.

"I just said I wanted a tan. Sunscreen—"

"Prevents sunburn and all kinds of skin diseases," Haruki said firmly, unscrewing the bottle. "You don't need a tan, Isuke-sama, but you do need your health."

Isuke's brow remained furrowed, but instead of protesting further she only huffed and complained: "Why is the big sister in you is coming out around me now?"

Squeezing a dollop of sunscreen into her palm, Haruki chuckled.

"Well, that's only part of it. Sunscreen also prevents wrinkles and sagging, Isuke-sama. You have such nice skin; don't want it to get ruined, right?"

As Isuke grumbled a response, Haruki smiled and scooted closer to her friend.

Isuke's skin really was pretty, her back white and entirely unblemished.

Seeing the knot where Isuke's bikini was tied in the back, Haruki paused.

Ah…I should probably…

"…um…do you want me to untie your bikini, Isuke-sama?"

"…obviously 3 Isuke doesn't want tan lines."

Haruki nodded but didn't move, staring uncertainly down at the knot.

What's the big deal? she asked herself bemusedly. It's just untying a bikini. You've done this for friends and even family members before.

Oddly, though, as soon as Isuke entered the picture, the task seemed kinda…

Clearing her throat, she gripped the string in between her fingers and hesitantly pulled.

"…w…why are you untying it so slowly? It's weird," Isuke said abruptly, craning her neck to scowl back at her.

Haruki flushed, hastily tugging the knot free and letting the string fall to the sides.

"S-sorry, Isuke-sama," she muttered, and lowered her hand to slather on the first layer of sunscreen.

Haruki could feel the other girl shiver at the contact, and she heard Isuke murmur something about the lotion being cold.

"Sorry," Haruki said again, automatically, as her hand slid down Isuke's back.

Her skin's really…really soft, Haruki mused, her hand gliding over Isuke's shoulders.

They were both silent as Haruki applied the sunscreen, diligently working her way down Isuke's back.

Squeezing some lotion directly onto Isuke's skin, Haruki let her hand slide firmly down her spine.

About halfway through the motion, Isuke suddenly shuddered, and Haruki paused.

"D-don't do that," Isuke snapped, turning back to glare at her again. Her face, Haruki noticed, was unexpectedly flushed with color.

Haruki stared, confused and inexplicably flushing red herself.

The way Isuke's spine had moved under her fingers just then, and the way her back had arched as she shivered—

"D-don't do what?" she asked, rapidly cutting off her own thoughts.

Isuke swallowed audibly, her brow wrinkled in a discomfited scowl as she stared at a point somewhere by Haruki's feet.

"Th-that…what you just did, obviously. My…my spine is…" Isuke trailed off, letting out a groan instead.

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" she finally demanded, covering her eyes with slender fingers.

Haruki stared at the other girl blankly, still about ninety percent totally bewildered.

The remaining ten percent of her, though, in the very, very back of her mind…was extremely curious.

"…s-sorry, Isuke-sama," she apologized in advance.

And, placing her fingers gently at the small of Isuke's back, she repeated the same motion that she had done earlier, drawing a similar reaction from the other girl, as well as a muffled kind of gasp.

"H-Haruki," Isuke choked out, face now bright red. "W-what do you think you're doing?"

Haruki bit her lip, falling back in the sand and gazing dazedly at her roommate.

Why…why does getting that reaction make me feel so…

It wasn't in Haruki's nature to do things that she was told not to, and normally, Haruki would've stopped immediately.

But there was something strange about the way Isuke had reacted, and was still reacting; something about the blush that the motion had elicited, the way she had shivered, the embarrassed stammering, and the soft gasp that made Haruki feel…feel weirdly like…

It took another good minute before comprehension dawned.

And when it finally did, Haruki went scarlet.

Oh crap. I...I think I might be...

Sitting under the hot August sun in the middle of the beach, Haruki realized with some measure of disbelief that she was actually getting turned on.

By her roommate.

Who was lying right there in front of her.

Not good. Not good at all.

Swallowing thickly, Haruki slowly began to recap the sunscreen.

"S-sorry Isuke-sama, but I'm going to be right back," she said, tearing her gaze away from Isuke's body, which for the first time Haruki now noticed was very temptingly presented in a bold red bikini.

"What? What are you talking about?" Isuke asked, still looking flushed and uncomfortable herself.

Haruki looked uncertainly down at her.

Was…was Isuke also…

Her strange reaction to Haruki's hand running down her back…was that because…?

Getting abruptly to her feet, Haruki forced a grin.

"Be right back, Isuke-sama! Just hang tight and tan for a bit, okay?"

"Haruki—"

Turning, Haruki bounded through the sand, making a beeline straight for the water.

Diving into the ocean wasn't exactly the same thing as a cold shower, but it was close enough.

That was weird. That was very, very weird. And I'm an idiot.

Haruki had always known that she was attracted to Isuke, but…but arousal was another thing entirely.

Haruki could more or less deal with attraction.

But she hadn't the faintest clue as to how she was supposed to deal with arousal.

Arousal is linked to…to sex, and sex is…

Her mother had been sick long before she had the chance to give Haruki any talk about the birds and the bees.

In fact, Haruki's only real sex-ed consisted of what she had done with Ren.

Mood darkening somewhat at that realization, Haruki grimaced and shook her head.

What she had felt just now, and what she felt for Isuke in general were leagues apart from whatever she had had to do with Ren.

Shuddering at the sudden iciness of the water, Haruki fell back into the swell of the next wave.

Isuke had been so…so cute, really, and her reaction had just…

Taking a deep breath, Haruki fully submerged herself.

It's like what happened with the chocolate, except times ten, she thought embarrassedly to herself. Just being around her makes me feel really weird.

Even disregarding her lack of knowledge about the subject, Haruki had never really been interested in that kind of thing before.

But as soon as Isuke was involved…

Haruki groaned, sending bubbles floating up through the water.

This was no good.

Haruki really didn't have any more of right to confess to Isuke now than she had when she had first thought about the subject in the hospital.

She still had all of her responsibilities to fulfill and Ren to handle; the fact that Isuke was helping her with all of this only added to Haruki's sureness that she wasn't anywhere even near-worthy of the other girl yet.

She had to wait, at least until she had no debts or obligations that would drag Isuke down with her.

Haruki finally broke the surface of the water, taking very deep, calming breaths.

She definitely had to wait before she made any kind of move.

She had to, but…

Haruki smiled ruefully, sighing.

But you're making it really hard for me, Isuke-sama…

---

By the time Haruki came trotting back to her, Isuke had retied her bikini and calmed down as much as she possibly could.

This calm was immediately threatened when Isuke noticed that Haruki was smiling at her with that stupidly attractive grin of hers. And that Haruki was dripping wet. And that her hair was down, clinging to her body.

Isuke's defensive measure was to immediately put on her sunglasses and look away.

To her surprise (and slight relief, really, at the distraction), she saw school buses rolling up on the street beside the boardwalk, as well as students starting to scramble down from the boardwalk onto the beach.

"Looks like they're here a bit early," Haruki said, dropping down onto the towel beside Isuke. "Are you ready, Isuke-sama?"

Isuke shrugged, continuing to avoid eye contact as she replied, "There's nothing to be ready for. It's just flirting with some stupid loser. Shouldn't be hard at all 3"

Haruki was briefly quiet, and when Isuke chanced a look down at her, she saw her frowning distractedly.

"…uh…about what happened earlier, Isuke-sama. I…I know you told me not to apologize to you, b-but this time, I think I should—"

"You still don't have to apologize," Isuke interrupted without thinking.

When Haruki looked up at her in surprise, Isuke determinedly kept what she hoped was a cool façade.

"You just don't, okay?" Hurriedly moving on before the idiot could ask any questions, Isuke continued, "Th-that aside, what are you going to do while I'm with the loser?"

While Haruki had been gone, guys had been swooping down like stupid, desperate vultures, emboldened by the fact that she had been alone.

She could just see the same thing happening with Haruki and the dozens of high school girls that were already prowling around the beach. Only unlike Isuke, Haruki would be too nice to tell them to get lost.

They'd be crawling all over her by the time I got back, Isuke thought, scowling at the mental image.

"Hmm, I dunno. I was thinking of maybe trying out surfing," Haruki said with another grin. "I saw a stand renting out some boards while we were walking. My cast's waterproof, so as long as it's not too dangerous, I was gonna give it a shot."

After a moment's consideration, Isuke nodded her approval.

Surfing was good; it was a solitary sport that would keep Haruki in the water and away from these stupid prowling girls.

"All right. Isuke will be back as soon as possible 3" she said, reluctantly getting to her feet. In the distance, she could see a fat, awkwardly shambling teenager that she immediately recognized as Shiena's loser friend.

Haruki also got to her feet.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you, Isuke-sama, but make sure you give me a shout if you need me at all," she said, smiling.

Isuke smirked, shaking her head.

"You worry too much. It's just flirting with some random fat guy."

Shrugging, she added:

"How hard can it be?"

---

Very hard, as Isuke soon discovered.

"…and then I bought a dakimakura of Fate-chan to go along with my Fate-chan bed-sheet and alarm clock. I was so happy when I found out that I could find…"

Isuke didn't understand half of what this obese creature was saying.

She didn't know what a dakimakura was, she didn't know who the heck "Fate-chan" was, and she didn't know where this guy was managing to find alarm clocks and sheets with pictures of this mysterious "Fate-chan" on them.

All she knew was that her urge to stab both this guy and his bullies (for putting her in this position to begin with) was skyrocketing with every agonizingly slow second that passed.

"How…fascinating," Isuke said, her smile very close to breaking.

A few feet away, a group of dumb-looking punks who had to be this loser's bullies were watching them.

They had been stunned into silence when Isuke had first breezed past them and started talking to the loser instead.

Now, their surprise was slowly giving way to snickers as the fatty droned on and on and on about his collection of "Fate-chan" figurines.

If I don't seem more interested, they'll see through me in no time, Isuke thought sourly, adjusting her bikini strap. But it's hard enough just listening to this weirdo without wanting to gut him.

"Hey, Nee-san!"

The fat guy (Isuke realized that she had never asked for his name) started violently, turning terrified eyes to the thuggish boy who had called out to her.

The look of utter fear on Shiena's friend's face almost (key word being almost) made Isuke feel bad for him, and she turned with a look of disinterest towards the probable bully.

The delinquent was swaggering towards her, flanked by a few of his friends.

"Nee-san, why don't you leave this lardass here and come play with us instead?" he said, placing a large hand on Isuke's shoulder. "He doesn't know how to appreciate girls the way we do. Too busy jerking his dick to anime porn, y'know?"

Pushing his hand off of her, Isuke responded with a sweet smile.

"Isuke's going to have to decline 3 I'm having a lot of fun with…with this guy, so…"

The delinquent laughed raucously, slapping Shiena's friend hard on the back.

"Hear that, fatass? She said she's having fun. How's it feel to be a charity case, huh? How pathetic do you have to look in order for pretty girls to talk to you outta pure pity?" he said, snickering.

"Dude, all his rolls just jiggled when you hit 'im," one of the delinquent's friends said, snorting. "He looks like fucking jello. Do it again."

The delinquent slapped Shiena's friend again, sending all of the punks into hysterics.

Tears welled up in Shiena's friend's eyes, and Isuke frowned.

Even if the guy was a morbidly obese freak, this kind of behavior was just tasteless.

"Ah~ You're starting to piss me off 3 Isuke said to leave, so why don't you leave while I'm still being nice?" she said, plastering on another smile.

The first delinquent turned to her, grinning.

"Nee-san, are you maybe a gold-digger? You're thinking that with all the money this freak has to buy anime merchandise and shit, he must be loaded, right?"

Resting one arm on Shiena's friend's head, the delinquent laughed.

"Well, sorry to say this, Nee-san, but you're barkin' up the wrong tree! He's poor as fuck; he actually has a shitload of little cousins, too, and works his ass off at this dumpy little convenience store to help his loser drunkard of an uncle provide for them, y'know?"

Isuke narrowed her eyes, looking at Shiena's friend again.

"Guess they couldn't afford condoms," another delinquent said, and they broke out into laughter again.

Tapping her foot irritably against the beach chair, Isuke said, "There's nothing wrong with being poor."

There was absolutely nothingeven remotely similar about Shiena's loser friend to Haruki. The two couldn't even be compared.

Shiena's friend was awkward, irritating, stupid, fat, spineless, and a total geek. He was everything that Isuke found repulsive in a guy, but…

Isuke scowled.

But his situation was just similar enough to Haruki's to remind her of the idiot, and now she couldn't just let him be abused.

Besides, she had told Shiena and Haruki that she would help this loser, and while she couldn't have cared less about breaking her promise with Shiena, the look on Haruki's face would probably be all irritatingly disappointed and sad. And Isuke really didn't want to have to see that.

The delinquent raised a brow, smirking as he leaned down in front of Isuke.

"Maybe not. But having money's nice, y'know? Having money…lets me pay pretty little whores for their time," he said, his smirk widening as he leered.

"How about it, slut? Twenty thousand yen for a handjob."

After momentarily contemplating stabbing this guy in the face, Isuke instead gave him her sweetest, most angelic smile.

"Sorry, but even if I were the type to do that kind of thing, I'd charge more than ten thousand yen per centimeter 3"

It took the idiots a few seconds to get it, but when they did, the deliquent's friends burst out into uproarious laughter.

"Aww, d'you really have a two centimeter dick, Souji? Poor bastard," one laughed, shaking his head.

The lead delinquent's face became an angry, mottled red.

"You're pretty arrogant for a slut, aren't you?" he snarled, straightening. "Think it's time you learned a bit of respect, like this fatass over here."

Shiena's friend squeaked in alarm, and Isuke rolled her eyes.

"Oh no, so scary 3" she said, wondering if she would be able to get away with stabbing a few of them as long as they didn't die.

"Grab her arms," the delinquent told his friends. "Let's teach her a lesson."

Isuke watched warily as his friends looked uncertainly around them.

"Dude, we're on a crowded beach," one said worriedly.

"We'll be done before anyone has a chance to call the cops. And if anyone is stupid enough to try and get involved directly…"

The delinquent pulled a knife from his shorts, and Isuke observed that he was holding it the wrong way.

"…I'll gut them," he said.

Let's see…one, two, three, four…ten in total. Hmm…maybe I got myself into a bigger mess that I calculated, Isuke mused, her hand resting on her purse.

While she had basic training in hand to hand combat, she definitely wasn't a brawler, and also wasn't used to taking on more than one person at a time. Assassination wasn't the same thing as street fighting, and there were a lot of them surrounding her.

Getting to her feet, Isuke dodged the first guy that lunged to grab her arm, kneeing him in the stomach before pivoting away.

Then again, these guys are total amateurs…as long as they don't land a hit on me, I should be fine.

"Wow…not bad for a pretty little girl," the first thug said, smirking. "But you can't dodge around forever."

Actually, Isuke probably could have dodged around forever, or at the very least could've dodged around until the stupid delinquents got tired out, if Shiena's friend hadn't chosen that very moment to try and grow a backbone.

"I-I'll help too, Isuke-san!" he bellowed, getting to his feet and charging at one of the delinquents.

He succeeded in smashing the wind out of the punk, but he also went crashing down.

And he landed on Isuke's foot.

This idiot—

Biting back a curse, Isuke winced as her foot was more or less crushed under his weight.

And the lead delinquent, taking advantage of the opportunity, swung his fist right at Isuke's face.

There was the sound of a fist hitting flesh, and then a pained cry.

But neither sound came from Isuke.

"It's about time you got here," Isuke said, dropping down onto the chair in relief. "Any later and Isuke would've been very pissed off 3"

In front of her, Haruki tightened her grip on the delinquent's fist, eliciting another shout of pain.

"Sorry, Isuke-sama," she said, grinning down at her. "I'll make it up to you later."

And, drawing her own fist back, Haruki slammed a punch straight into the punk's front teeth.

Isuke watched as Haruki, even with her broken arm, easily took down all ten of the delinquents within the next five minutes.

All it took was one punch or kick, and the tall thugs were floored, crying out in pain.

Sometimes, that idiot is actually…really cool, Isuke thought reluctantly, watching her roommate with a grudging kind of awe.

When the last delinquent dropped to the ground, clutching at his profusely bleeding nose, the beach erupted into cheers.

Isuke looked around in annoyance as people flocked around her roommate, gushing about how strong she was and how brave she had been.

Useless bystanders, she thought, frowning. The cowards had just been standing around until now.

But Isuke's annoyance quickly gave way to surprise when Haruki politely but firmly waved them off before making her way back to Isuke.

Isuke blinked as Haruki knelt in the sand in front of her, brow furrowed in worry.

"You're okay? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" she said, bringing a hand gently to Isuke's face. "If they touched you—"

"You got here before they could, idiot," Isuke interrupted, unable to stop herself from smiling, just a little bit, at the other girl. "I'm fine."

A relieved grin broke out on Haruki's face, and she ran her thumb gently across Isuke's cheek.

"Good," she said, looking up at her. "I'm glad."

Hanabusa, Isuke realized, actually did have a point.

Haruki's eyes really were ridiculously open with affection and warmth as she looked up at her, and Isuke couldn't help but soften whenever she saw them.

"…thanks," Isuke said with another small, sincere smile.

Haruki was opening her mouth to reply when they both heard a weak, pathetic squeak from below them.

Shiena's friend slowly sat up, eyes wide as he bowed his head.

"Th-thank you both so much! With the verbal beatdown that you gave, Isuke-san, and the physical beatdown that your friend gave, those guys will never bother me again!" he exclaimed, eyes bright with gratitude.

Haruki chuckled, and to Isuke's disappointment she dropped her hand back down again.

Wait, why am I disappointed when…

Sighing, Isuke didn't even bother finishing that thought.

Because she knew exactly why:

Isuke was falling in love with her roommate, and she really couldn't even attempt to deny it anymore.

---

The sun was just starting to set by the time Haruki made it back to the shore after her last wave.

"Haruki-san, you're so good at surfing."

"Seriously, I can't believe you just started today!"

"Haruki-san—"

Clearing her throat, Haruki smiled politely at the group of girls that always seemed to materialize out of nowhere every time she walked anywhere.

"Sorry, but I have to get back to my friend," she said, and with one quick bow, turned and jogged back to where Isuke was waiting.

"Leaving your adoring fans behind?" Isuke said as she approached, brow wrinkled in obvious dislike.

Haruki grinned, and, falling comfortably down onto the sand in front of her roommate, lay her head down in Isuke's lap.

Isuke colored faintly, and her hand dropped down onto Haruki's head in a very halfhearted attempt to push her off.

After about a second, she gave up.

"Idiot," she said, though her tone was unusually soft.

Haruki chuckled, smiling up at the other girl.

"I'm beginning to think that's some kind of term of endearment coming from you," she said, reaching up to tug teasingly at her roommate's curls.

Isuke was momentarily silent, staring down at her.

And then, with a short laugh, she replied, "Maybe it is."

Frowning slightly, she added, "Only for you, though."

"…good," Haruki said. "That means I'm special to Isuke-sama, right?"

She had meant it jokingly, and so was surprised when Isuke gazed down at her with uncharacteristically serious eyes.

"…if I said yes," Isuke began, very slowly, "would you be happy?"

Haruki blinked, her hand slowly falling back down into the sand beside her.

What…is she asking?

Haruki might have been oblivious about a lot of things, but even she knew that there was something deeper to this question, something unspoken that Isuke was hiding behind the relatively simple words.

Is she…?

"N-never mind," Isuke said suddenly, averting her gaze. "Forget I said anything. Let's—"

"Isuke."

Reaching up, Haruki placed a hand gently on the other girl's cheek.

And, smiling, she said, "I'd say that it'd make me the happiest girl in the whole world, but you know…just being with you already does that."

Isuke laughed softly, rolling her eyes and muttering about "your dumb corny lines," and Haruki grinned.

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked.

"…I never said that," Isuke replied, coloring faintly.

Haruki's grin widened.

"I mean every single one of them, you know."

Isuke looked down at her again.

"...I know," she replied.

Stroking the other girl's cheek, Haruki slowly pushed herself up with her elbows.

Isuke leaned down.

And then Isuke's phone rang.

If Haruki had been the type to curse or yell or break things, she probably would've done all three.

But as she wasn't, she had to settle with a disbelieving and immensely disappointed sigh, shifting off of Isuke's lap as her roommate turned to get the stupid ringing thing.

How many times does that make it? Haruki wondered, mentally counting all the times they'd been interrupted while doing…something. This is just ridiculous.

"…Mama?" Isuke said, sounding slightly irritated as she picked up the phone. "Is this important?"

Haruki chuckled quietly as she waited for her pulse to slow down.

That…that was about to be…

Isuke paused as she listened, a faint frown wrinkling her forehead.

"Missing? Who, Ryo? What is he…ugh, how useless 3"

Isuke sighed. "Yes, we'll head back right away…mm-hmm…what? No, she's right here with me, why?"

Suddenly going an even deeper shade of red than she had been before, Isuke glared down at her phone.

"Don't be stupid, Mama….stop laughing! I'm hanging up on you 3"

Swiping irritably at her phone screen, Isuke chucked the thing back into her bag.

Haruki snickered, sitting up and looking at her inquisitively.

"Bad news?"

Isuke rolled her eyes.

"Stupid news. That dumb spy that Mama hired for us is nowhere to be found. Mama thinks he's probably just passed out in the corner of a bar somewhere; he's that kind of man, apparently."

Getting to her feet, she frowned.

"Mama only hired him because he's fallen on hard times lately, but now Isuke is wishing he hadn't. Mama said not to worry, but to not do any more planning and to get going back to the hotel just in case."

Haruki nodded, also getting up.

"All right. Um…Isuke-sama, about our talk—"

"Tonight, after we bring Banba to Hanabusa," Isuke interrupted, suddenly seeming to find the sand remarkably interesting. "Sometime time tonight for sure."

Haruki chuckled.

"Do you promise? We'll have our talk no matter what?" she said, extending her pinky.

Isuke rolled her eyes but nodded and interlocked her pinky with Haruki's.

"I promise. No matter what."

---

"Huh. That's weird."

Isuke looked up from her magazine to see Haruki frowning quizzically down at her phone.

"What is?"

"No one at home is answering the phone," Haruki said. "Usually there's at least one of them available to pick it up."

Isuke could hear the note of concern in Haruki's voice, and she tossed her magazine to the side as she replied, "We can stop by your house after we visit Hanabusa to check on them. I know you'll probably worry unnecessarily if we don't."

Haruki grinned appreciatively, nodding.

"That'd be great, Isuke-sama. Thanks."

Isuke sighed, casting an annoyed glance at the closed bathroom door.

"But we'll never get anywhere if Banba doesn't finish her stupidly long bath by the end of this century," she said, getting to her feet. "I told Hanabusa that we'd be there by eight-thirty."

A sudden ringing came from Haruki's pocket, and her roommate hastily flipped open her phone as she turned to the window.

"Hello, Fuyu…oh, sorry, I thought you were my…ah, no, sorry. What's up, Nanjo-san?"

Waving a hand apologetically at Isuke, Haruki jogged out of the room to take the call.

The door slammed shut behind her.

A few minutes later, Isuke's phone also went off.

Frowning down at the unidentified number, Isuke got to her feet and swiped the screen.

"Hello?"

"H-hello, Inukai-san."

Isuke stopped at the vaguely familiar voice, searching her memory for where she'd heard it before.

Wait...this is—

"P-please, you can't let my sister know that I'm on the phone with you!"

Isuke was silent, staring confusedly down at her phone.

Why the heck is Fuyuka calling me? And what does she mean, I can't—

"P-please, Inukai-san, don't let my sister know. I-if you do…if you do, she's going to die. We'll all die."

Isuke froze, going completely rigid.

Going white, she stared incredulously at the screen.

…what is she…

"Please, I beg you, come outside to the parking lot of the hotel you're staying in. Please, please, Inukai-san, you have to do this without telling my sister or calling the police or talking to anyone else. Please, I beg of you, p-please—"

Fuyuka's voice broke, and Isuke unconsciously tightened her grip on her phone.

Every instinct screamed at her not to listen, to just ignore her and hang up.

Something is wrong, completely wrong.

Isuke had learned to always trust her instincts, but—

But if Haruki's really in danger, then I…

Gritting her teeth, Isuke brought a hand back to the knives hidden under her skirt.

"Please, Inukai-san, you have to come down now, and you really can't say a word to my sister; don't call her, or talk to her, or else—"

The line went dead.

Trembling, Isuke lowered her phone and got immediately to her feet.

Don't go. You can't go. Something's wrong.

But what if Isuke didn't go, and something happened to Haruki?

Haruki had left the room only moments beforehand. That couldn't be a coincidence.

Running out into the hallway, Isuke looked left and then right.

She wasn't there.

I can't check on her, and Fuyuka's saying that if I try to contact her, she'll die. What kind of…

Raking a hand through her hair, Isuke ground her teeth in frustration and rising panic.

She shouldn't go. She really, really shouldn't go.

Biting back a curse, Isuke turned and made her way to the elevator.

And as the elevator went down, Isuke reached back again to touch the knuckle knives, and then the derringer.

Fuyuka was standing in the middle of the parking lot, alone, when Isuke made it outside.

No…not alone.

Isuke could see the shadows of people hiding behind cars, crouching by the fence, and hidden behind crates.

A soft footfall sounded behind her.

Whirling around, Isuke tore the derringer from her waist and pointed it right in the eye of a tall, heavily muscled man.

The man looked startled, and then amused.

"Well, well…and here I thought you were just another pretty face," he said, smirking. "I guess this is the skill of Inukai Eisuke's successor, hmm?"

Isuke could hear rustling and numerous footsteps from behind her, and could see the people she had glimpsed before emerging from the shadows.

"It seems you noticed my boys, too. Not bad at all, Inukai Isuke. In a fair fight, you might've stood a chance."

The man grinned.

"But we never play fair in our world, do we?"

He snapped, and out of the corner of her eye Isuke could see two men dragging Fuyuka forward.

"I'm sorry, Inukai-san. I'm so sorry." Fuyuka was gasping, choking for breath as she stammered out desperate apologies.

"…what's going on here?" Isuke asked, not moving the derringer from the man's face.

She kept her voice cool and impassive.

There was no room to panic right now.

If she wasted energy on doing anything other than figuring out what to do next, she could easily die.

Their tattoos…these guys are part of the Yakuza.

"My name is Morita Kensuke. And my employer's name…is Sanada Ren."

Isuke said nothing.

Mama not being able to contact Ryo, and Haruki not being able to get in contact with her siblings; rapidly connecting the dots, Isuke felt the color draining from her face.

We should've been more on guard. We should've…

But should have's were worthless now, and Isuke could only focus on what she had to do in the present.

"Now, here's the deal, Isuke-chan…I've underestimated you, so I've screwed up big time," Kensuke began, and pointed to the derringer Isuke still had aimed at his face.

"At this point, you can probably blow my brains out. True, my boys would gun you down right after you did, but I'm a selfish bastard, and I want to get out of this situation alive, y'know?" Kensuke continued, smirking.

"However, we still have our trump card. Multiple, in fact."

The men dragged Fuyuka into Isuke's line of sight; the girl was sobbing and shaking uncontrollably.

"What did you do to her?" Isuke asked, working to keep her voice level.

Kensuke laughed.

"Nothing! We just threatened her a bit; she did this to herself. I think she feels guilty, you see, since we used her to get you down here, and she knows that we're going to use her in order to get you for good.

"You see, Isuke-chan, I need you to drop your weapons. If you don't, I'll have to have my men kill Fuyuka-chan over here.

"Oh, and did I mention that we also have Aki and all the other little brats as well? They're still lined up at home, but with guns pressed to their skulls all the same," Kensuke said, smiling widely.

Isuke looked past him, mind racing as she processed this information.

She had passed several definitely empty cars as she had made her way through the lot, and she hadn't gone very far before she had heard this thug approaching her from behind.

If she shot Kensuke now and then used his body as a shield (Isuke was sure that the man would have a bulletproof vest on, in this line of work), she could make it back to take cover behind the car right behind him.

And from there, she could run from car to car in order to make it back to the hotel.

There was definite danger in this plan, but Isuke was sure she could pull it off with maybe a gunshot wound to her leg or arm at worst.

If Isuke followed this plan, she'd get away.

And Fuyuka, Aki, and all of Haruki's siblings would die.

Isuke tightened her grip on the gun.

Why should she care?

Isuke hadn't come this far in life by stopping to cry over every single stupid, innocent soul that got caught up in their world.

Her finger twitched, and she saw the faintest spark of fear in Kensuke's eyes.

He knows that I can kill him and get away, Isuke thought. He knows it, and I know it.

If she went along with what he wanted, she was sure that she'd end up dead.

He was working for Ren, and if she had discovered what Isuke had been doing, there wasn't even the slightest doubt as to what she wanted to do to her.

But if Isuke went along with her own plan, she'd live.

It's simple.

In one plan, life, and in the other, death.

It was simple, so simple.

And yet every time Isuke made up her mind to pull the trigger, her thoughts automatically went to Haruki.

Haruki, who had given up everything she had for this family.

With one shot, Isuke would be destroying it all.

"…you…you'd kill them anyway, even if I surrendered," she said, trying to reason with herself as much as state the fact aloud.

"No, actually, I really wouldn't," Kensuke replied. "See, Sanada-sama is planning on using these brats as leverage against your girlfriend, so that she doesn't come running to save you."

Isuke's knuckles went white as she desperately clutched at the gun.

Just shoot it. Shoot it, and…

"So I can't kill them. And if everything goes as Sanada-sama plans, the only one dying here will be you, Isuke-chan."

Smiling again, Kensuke chuckled.

"Of course, on the opposite end, if everything goes the way you're planning right now in that smart little brain of yours, the only one living here will be you. Because if you get away, then Sanada-sama has no need for leverage anymore. And she'll want to take all her anger out on someone. If not you, it'll be these cute kids."

Isuke's hand trembled.

He was right.

She could choose now whether to live or die.

And she could choose now whether Haruki's family would live or die.

It's simple, she repeated to herself.

And, turning to Haruki's sister, she said:

"Sorry, Fuyuka."

Kensuke's eyes widened and Fuyuka let out a cry as Isuke brought her finger to the trigger.

...I'm such an idiot.

And she dropped the derringer onto the ground.

Kensuke stared, looking just as stunned as Isuke felt.

I'm really such an idiot, she repeated numbly.

She felt a blow to the back of her head, and she staggered forwards as her arms were roughly twisted behind her back.

"You…you really surrendered," Kensuke said, letting out a little laugh of disbelief. "I don't believe this. Aren't you supposed to be a cold-blooded assassin, Isuke-chan?"

Isuke couldn't reply, wincing as she felt handcuffs dig into her wrists.

"Inukai-san!"

Fuyuka was crying again, to Isuke's vague irritation.

"Inukai-san, w-why would you…"

Isuke shrugged, and somehow managed to force her usual smile to her face.

"Ah, well, who knows…" she began.

With a soft laugh, Isuke shook her head.

"I think if I had to give an answer…I'd say that your stupid sister's idiocy is beginning to rub off on me 3"

Someone grabbed her violently from behind, wrapping a blindfold tightly over her eyes.

And, feeling that same person wrap his arm around her neck in a sleeper hold, she sunk into unconsciousness.

---

A/N: Sorry about all these cliffhangers. I'll try to have the next chapter up by the end of the weekend.

---

Chapter 11: Chapter 11

---

REALLY LONG A/N; IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE READING THE WHOLE THING, PLEASE JUST READ THE BOLDED PARTs

I made a few small changes to the last chapter, partially because Caelion's (thanks, Caelion!) review made me want to make a few adjustments, and partially because I received a message from someone who politely requested that I change a line because it was apparently rather similar to a line from another AnR fanfic. I sincerely apologize if the lines really were alike; it was entirely unintentional, as I actually still haven't had time to read any AnR fics other than the one I recommended a few chapters back (I barely have enough time to write because of work hahaha…urg work) but I thank you for bringing it to my attention, and I have changed the line in question :)

I think I answered most of the questions that were asked last chapter through PMs, but for the anon that wrote the super kind review for chapter 9, since I can't respond via PM, I'll be replying to your question here: I'm just going with the canon ages for Isuke and Haruki in this fic, which I believe are 19 and 18, respectively :) (side-note: apparently Banba is 13 and Hanabusa is 14. My mind does not comprehend the science behind anime aging. I'm surprised Hitsugi's 14 and not actually 65 or something).

Okay, with all of that settled, let's move on to the notes for this chapter.

First things first: because of the violence and language of this chapter, I am temporarily bumping the rating up to M. Again, this chapter is rated M for violence and language. Please continue at your own discretion, particularly if you are squeamish about blood and such.

So. The chapter that you are about to read is actually a rewritten version. After reading the reviews for the past two chapters, and thinking it over, I temporarily shelved the first draft and replaced it with this one. I say temporarily because ultimately the ones who will be deciding which version of this chapter they want permanently will be you, dear readers. The old version is significantly different; it's darker, but also, I think, more realistic. After finishing this chapter, please let me know whether you like this chapter as it is or would like to see the alternate version. Depending on the response, I will either move on to chapter 12 or post the alternate version of chapter 11.

This chapter may be...intense, without much of the usual fluff to balance it out, but I promise to make up for it in the future.

As always, thank you very much to all you awesome reviewers and readers :) Here's chapter 11.

---

"H-Haruki-chan! There you are!"

At the sound of her voice, Haruki turned to see her elderly neighbor leaning on her cane by the hotel entrance.

Trotting over to her, Haruki waved a hand and grinned.

"Nanjo-san! I can't believe you really came all the way here just to drop off some gyoza," she said, chuckling as she offered the old woman her arm for support.

Nanjo offered a tremulous smile, taking her arm in a tight grip.

"W-well, I stopped by at your house with the food, Haruki-chan, and Fuyuka-chan told me that you were here with some lovely young friend of yours, I had to come here in person to see for myself," she said, with a thin, almost shrill laugh.

Haruki looked down at the woman in surprise and some concern.

Her neighbor was the grandmotherly type, always bringing over snacks and food; doing something like this wasn't unusual by any means.

But now that Haruki could see her face-to-face, the old woman seemed strangely and uncharacteristically nervous.

"Everything okay, Nanjo-san?" she said, peering down at the anxious woman.

Nanjo nodded rapidly, smiling again as she replied, "Oh, just a bit tired, my dear. Now, if you could follow me back to my car, we can pick up the containers and bring them up. The reason I called you down here is because I can't do it alone."

"Right," Haruki said. "Lead the way, then, Nanjo-san."

Her neighbor began hobbling out the door, and Haruki carefully helped her along.

I wonder if Isuke likes gyoza, she thought, smiling as she walked. I should get her to try some when we get back. She never eats enough.

"Sorry for making you walk all this way, Haruki-chan," Nanjo said. "I had trouble finding parking."

"No problem," Haruki replied genially, looking around the dark and small parking lot for Nanjo's car.

"Ah, by the way, Nanjo-san, I wanted to thank you for calling me when you did," Haruki added, looking down at her neighbor. "Even if it hadn't been to bring me your awesome food, I was really relieved to hear that you were just with Fuyuka and the others. They hadn't been picking up, and I was getting a bit worried until you called."

Nanjo abruptly stopped walking.

Haruki stopped beside her, peering inquisitively at the old woman's strangely blank expression.

"Nanjo-san? What's—"

"R-run, Haruki-chan," Nanjo whispered.

Her fingers dug into Haruki's arm, and she looked up at her with wide, terrified eyes.

"You have to run now, Haruki-chan, and get back to that girl before they—"

A tall, dark figure abruptly swung a leg out from behind them, kicking Nanjo's cane and sending the old woman staggering forwards.

Haruki moved instinctively, reaching out just in time to catch her neighbor before she hit the ground.

W-what the—

"Wow, nice reflexes, Haruki-san. You really are just as cool as they say."

The figure stepped out in the light of the streetlamp, grinning down at her.

He was clean-shaven and dressed nicely in a crisp-black suit, but Haruki knew with one look that there was something very, very dangerous about this guy.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Haruki said, easing her trembling neighbor upright. "If I hadn't caught her—"

"She would've broken her hip or thrown out her back, yeah. But she would've deserved it, the way she was chickening out at the last minute," the man interrupted.

Narrowing her eyes, Haruki was about to ask just what the hell he was babbling about when Nanjo suddenly started to cry in her arms.

"I'm sorry, Haruki-chan…I'm so sorry, but they threatened to kill me if I didn't listen, and I have four grandchildren that need me. I had to do it, Haruki-chan. I'm so, so sorry," she said, eyes downcast and ashamed.

Even as Haruki's mind raced to process what she was saying, Haruki gently handed Nanjo her cane and helped her stand again.

"What are you talking about, Nanjo-san?" she asked, looking intently up at her. "You had to do what? And who threatened to kill you?"

"My boss did, of course," the man answered for Nanjo, laughing. "And until you decided to be a little cheater and run off with that pink-haired slut, my boss was your boss, too."

…my…boss…?

And, even in the heat of the summer night, Haruki suddenly felt numb with cold.

"…you…you work for Ren?"

The man chuckled, nodding.

"Sure do. And so did this little old lady, for just a little bit, by getting you out here."

Haruki automatically looked down at Nanjo, who wouldn't meet her gaze.

Nanjo…tricked me into coming out here? For…for Ren?

Overwhelmed by confusion and disbelief, Haruki turned back to the man.

And she saw the barrel of a gun as his hand went down to his belt.

She reacted instantly, whipping her leg out and kicking the man in the gut before he could draw the weapon.

The man dropped down to one knee, winded, and Haruki twisted his arm back behind his back.

Kicking him down to the ground, she pressed her knee down against his back and demanded, "What the hell is going on here? What is Ren trying to do?"

The man coughed, still sneering as he glared up at her.

"You're pretty damn strong for a girl, huh? Unfortunately, no matter how strong you are, there's no helping you here," he said, snickering. "Not when we've got your precious family at gunpoint."

He suddenly shrieked in pain, and Haruki dully realized that she had unconsciously tightened her grip on his wrist until a bone had cracked.

The reason why I couldn't get into contact with them…Ren, she must have…

"…what does she want from me?" she asked, wondering how her voice managed to remain steady as fear welled up inside her.

Aki, Fuyuka, and all the others…and Mom, she…

"She just wants to make sure you stay put instead of running off to save that slut of yours," the man rasped, his face twisting in pain. "'Course, now that Nanjo got you out here, it'd be too late anyway."

For one, terrifying moment, everything in the world seemed to freeze.

Nanjo's words came flooding back to her; "get back to that girl," she had said.

By leaving the hotel room, even for a few minutes, she had separated from Isuke.

Isuke…Isuke's in danger.

"Looking pretty pale there, Haruki-san," the man taunted, mouth stretched in another grin. "And I haven't even told you what the others have planned for Inukai Isuke yet. If I did—"

He cried out again, cursing as Haruki wrenched his other arm back.

"Where is she? And what the hell do you mean, 'what the others have planned' for her? If you don't explain everything right now, I swear I'm going to break both of your arms," Haruki said, panic and dread funneling into anger.

I've only been out here for five minutes at most. There's no way she can be—

"She's probably out in the hotel parking lot, but I'm telling you it's no use. You take one step in the wrong direction, and your family will have their brains blown out."

Smashing the man's head down into the pavement, Haruki grabbed the gun from his belt and shoved it against his temple.

"What the hell are you saying?" she snarled, hands shaking. "How would she know what I'm doing?"

"Because I'm watching you, my dear."

Haruki froze at the sound of that voice.

Sanada Ren emerged from Nanjo's car, smiling and flanked by two bodyguards.

"I had been planning on greeting you properly when you reached the car, but I'm afraid Nanjo-san seemed to have a little crisis of conscience," she said, her voice smooth and her expression placid as she approached. "So why don't we have our conversation in your little hotel room instead? I have something that I need to show you, and that I think you'll be very, very interested in seeing."

Haruki rose unsteadily to her feet, vision darkening as her fingers twitched towards the trigger of the gun.

"Ren, I swear to you, if you've done anything to Isuke—"

"If I've done anything to Isuke?" Ren interrupted, with a short laugh. "Not worried about your family, then? Is Isuke the new number one in your life? How fickle you are, Haruki."

Raising a hand, she wagged a long finger.

"And if I were you, I'd put that gun down, my dear. I'm in a very bad mood right now, and your rudeness is only exacerbating it. If you continue to wave that thing around, I might just get angry enough to, let's say…tell my men to shoot a hole through dear little Aki's head."

Haruki trembled, a hot, blind rage shooting through her veins at those words.

Violently suppressing her anger, Haruki breathed out a short, desperate curse.

The gun fell from her limp fingers.

"…what the hell do you want, Ren?" she said, her voice rough with fear and anger.

Isuke…if Isuke gets hurt, it'll be because she was involved with me. It would be because she helped me. If she gets hurt—

Haruki dug her nails into her palms, clenching until the skin tore and bled.

No.

Isuke couldn't get hurt. She wouldn't get hurt.

I can't let that happen.

"I told you, didn't it? I want to show you something. Let's be civilized and conduct our business indoors, hmm? And do remember: if you even try to run off in some misguided and hopeless attempt to rescue that whore of yours, you'll be killing each and every member of your family."

Haruki felt hollow as she followed Ren back up to the hotel room, her mind swamped with emotion and overrun with thoughts.

By the time she was in the room, she felt sick, sick and half-crazy with dread.

What the hell should I do? What the hell can I do? she thought feverishly, bringing a clammy hand to her forehead.

In front of her, Ren's bodyguards produced two computer monitors from their briefcases, setting them down on the table.

Haruki watched, motionless, as both screens flickered to life.

On one, all of her siblings lay bound on the floor of her home, surrounded by armed men.

On the other, Isuke lay unconscious and blindfolded, chained down to a table by her wrists and ankles.

Haruki felt her stomach drop, twisting painfully at both sights.

"…what the screens don't show is your mother at the hospital, though you can rest assured that I have men stationed there, as well as…oh, here she is now."

"S-Sis!"

Haruki stared, incredulous, as Fuyuka stumbled into the room followed by three more men.

"F-Fuyuka? Why…"

Fuyuka collapsed beside her, shaking violently as she clutched at her shirt.

"I'm sorry, Sis, I'm so sorry! Inukai-san, she—if it hadn't been for us, then she wouldn't have…"

Fuyuka's voice broke as she dissolved into tears.

And Haruki tried in vain to keep her own voice steady as she said: "What do you mean, Fuyuka? She wouldn't have what?"

Her sister looked up at her with wide, watery eyes.

"Inukai-san gave herself up because of us! Because Aki and me and all the others were taken hostage, sh-she gave herself up to these men, and they took her away t-to…they told me that they're going to—"

"Hush, now, Fuyuka-chan, or you'll ruin the surprise," Ren interrupted, her smile broad and mocking. "You ought to let your older sister see it with her own two eyes."

Haruki fell heavily down to one knee beside her sister, shakily pulling her handkerchief from her pocket and handing it to the younger girl.

"It's all right," she said, even as everything inside of her burst in a tumult of disbelief, fear, and rage. "It's okay. Everything will be okay. Just leave it to your sister, all right?"

They used my siblings…they used my family to get Isuke, Haruki thought numbly, wrapping an arm around her sister as Fuyuka broke down.

Isuke actually…she actually gave herself up in exchange for…

"Yes, I'm told it was all very heroic and noble, though our suddenly altruistic Isuke apparently looked just as shocked by her own actions as my men were," Ren said, seating herself on the end of the couch. "Unfortunately for dear Isuke-chan, the first and only good deed of her life will also be her last."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Haruki had known what Ren had been planning from the moment that she discovered that Isuke had been captured.

But hearing it put into words was…different.

Haruki got to her feet.

Ren is going to kill her.

If Haruki didn't do something, Ren was going to kill Isuke.

Isuke dead—it was impossible.

There was a gaping, empty void whenever Haruki even thought of the idea that Isuke might—that she would actually…

No. Impossible.

"Don't touch her, Ren," she said, somehow managing to speak clearly despite the way her throat painfully constricted.

Ren arched a brow.

"Do you really believe that you are in the position to be making commands, my dear?" she said, smile widening.

"This isn't a command. It isn't a threat, either, or anything like that," Haruki replied, anger overwhelming all else. "It's just a promise: if you even try to take her life, I'm going to take yours."

Her fingers twitched, and in the back of her mind the familiar motions of handling a garrote were grotesquely clear.

"…I swear it," she said quietly.

Ren's smile twisted, and her countenance darkened with hatred.

"Didn't you say you never wanted to kill again, Haruki? I see that Inukai Isuke really has wrought several changes in you," she said, letting out a sharp, biting laugh. "Didn't I warn you that she would corrupt you?"

"She didn't do anything," Haruki replied, eyes narrowing. "This is—"

"You think that way because she's brainwashed you," Ren interrupted, composed once again. "I've seen this happen before, my dear. I've seen the way she bewitches people like you. And I think it's high time…that she's punished for such behavior, don't you?"

"Ren—"

"Have you ever heard of yubitsume, Haruki? It's an interesting ritual that the yakuza has when punishing members who have committed grave offences. It involves using a knife to methodically cut off your own fingers, starting from the top of your left pinky. The more serious the offence…the more fingers you have to cut off.

"It's all very interesting, but Isuke-chan is unfortunately not a member of the yakuza, so the punishment wouldn't be very fitting, would it? So as I tried to think of a similar but more appropriate form of punishment, I remembered that your dear slut is so very fond of her lovely, perfectly manicured fingernails."

On the second screen, a man walked into view, holding a strange metal device equipped with a wedge and a lever.

"It's a modern version of the same contraptions the Europeans used in their medieval torture dungeons," Ren said, smiling. "You slip the victim's nail under the wedge, and, hammering down on the lever, watch as the nail is slowly ripped from the nail bed and torn off."

The world spun, and a sudden, powerful wave of nausea overcame Haruki as her knees gave out from under her.

"It's an incredibly painful procedure, and is often still used as a form of torture today. And we will get to see it firsthand, once Isuke wakes up. Won't that be fascinating?"

"Ren, you can't do this."

Haruki brought a trembling hand to her temples, blocking out the terror and revulsion that wrenched at her gut.

She had to stay calm. She couldn't panic, or Isuke would…

On the screen, the man placed the device by Isuke's hand.

Haruki forced her eyes away.

"What is it that you want? You know I'll do anything for you to stop this," she said, doing everything to keep her voice steady. "Ren, please, you can't—"

"All I want from you is for you to stay still and watch, Haruki," Ren said coolly. "And all I want from tonight is for Inukai Isuke to suffer and then die. She needs to be punished for what she's done.

"Scheming against me, trying to take you from me…these things compounded with her past crimes against me…she needs to be punished," Ren repeated.

Haruki violently forced down her panic, focusing instead on the five other men in the room with them.

I need something, anything, as a distraction. Even for just two seconds, I need…

Her eyes fell on the bathroom door.

Banba.

Banba, Haruki realized, had been in the bathroom even as she had been leaving the hotel room a few minutes ago.

She couldn't have left in those couple of minutes, she thought agitatedly, her knuckles going white. She has to still be in there.

But if she was, then why hadn't she done anything until now?

Biting back a curse, Haruki screwed her eyes shut.

No, she couldn't rely on someone who might not even be there. She had to figure something out on her own.

She had to, or else…

"I can practically see the gears turning in your little head, my dear, and I advise that you stop whatever plan you're scheming right now," Ren said, and pulled a small pager from her pocket.

"All it would take to end the lives of both your siblings and Inukai Isuke pressing this little button on this pager."

Outside the window, the sun finally sunk down below the horizon.

And the bathroom door smashed open.

"About damn time! Just what I was waiting to hear, bitch!"

Just as Ren whirled around, a massive hammer swung down and utterly crushed her hand.

There was a split second of silence as time seemed to freeze.

But then Ren shrieked in rage and pain, Shinya swung her hammer at the bodyguard that drew his gun, and, without pausing to think, Haruki jumped to her feet, snapping out her leg and driving her knee into the second bodyguard's gut.

Taking his gun, she shot the third and fourth guards, pausing when she saw the fifth get taken down by a cackling Shinya's hammer swing.

Without stopping, Haruki dropped down beside Ren, shoving the barrel of the gun to her temple. The pager lay crushed to pieces in the bloodied and pulverized remains of Ren's hand.

"Call everything off, Ren, or you'll die right here," she said, pinning down Ren's other arm with her knee. "Call your men off my family, and bring Isuke back here."

Ren let out a harsh, rasping laugh, face twisted in pain and fury as she writhed on the ground.

"Go ahead and shoot! Shoot, and see what happens to your precious family and that pretty little slut. Do you really think my men will let any of them go if you kill me?"

Her lips curling into a sneer, Ren choked out another laugh.

"Are you going to try to swoop in the hero, now? Won't that be a lovely sight? Let me give you a promise of my own, Haruki: by the time you manage to find Inukai Isuke, my men will have violated and tortured her until she's unrecognizable to you, if she isn't dead already."

Drawing back her hand, Haruki smashed the butt of the pistol into Ren's face, knocking the woman out.

She trembled violently as she shoved the Ren's limp body down onto the ground, feeling a frightening, burning, unfamiliar desire to kill. To murder the woman in front of her, wringing her neck until no life remained.

But I can't. I can't. She's right; I can't touch her, not yet.

"Oy."

Haruki turned to see Shinya grinning at her, leaning casually against the doorway.

"I smashed the elevator door open and put the thing permanently outta service," she said, snickering. "So this bitch's men won't be getting up here to check on her anytime soon. I also smashed all their cell phones, just in case she wakes up early and wants to use a phone to do the pager's job."

Getting to her feet, Haruki managed a quick nod.

"Th-thanks, Shinya. For everything. If you hadn't come in when you did—"

"The bitch was ruining my bath with all that noise she was making," Shinya said with a shrug, moving towards the window. "'Sides, Mahiru wants to do whatever she can to help you guys out. So don't mention it."

Swinging her hammer back, she smashed a jagged hole in the suite's large view window.

"I think I hear her," she said, grinning again.

As Haruki stared, bewildered, Shinya smirked and indicated her cell phone.

"Ya don't think I was seriously just taking a damn bath the whole time that bitch was goin' on and on, do ya? I'm stupid, but not that damn stupid. Mahiru made a little call for backup, y'know? And—"

Shinya's next words were drowned out by nothing other than the whirring of a helicopter that flew into view outside the window.

Hanabusa was visible from inside the helicopter, throwing a rope ladder down to the window.

Too short on time to waste any on disbelief or shock, Haruki turned and managed to shoot Shinya a shaky smile.

"Sh-Shinya, you're a genius," she said, which Shinya only waved off.

"Grab your sister, and let's get goin' to save your girlfriend and those brats, yeah?"

Cackling again, Shinya leapt out the window, snagging the rope ladder and clambering up to the copter.

Haruki turned back to Fuyuka, who sat quivering by the sofa and watching the screens.

Glancing back at Isuke's, Haruki took it and shoved it into one of the bodyguard's briefcases. It might prove helpful in trying locate her, and also to see if she was still…

Swallowing hard, Haruki shook her head.

There was no time for that. She just had to act. To move. To save her.

"Fuyuka, let's go. Don't worry, all right? I promise I'll take of everything," she said, taking her sister gently by the arm.

Fuyuka nodded, still crying weakly as she got to her feet.

Haruki helped her get out the window and up the rope ladder, following close behind with the gun tucked into her pocket and the briefcase in her hand.

Hanabusa was sitting in the back in some strange kind of bodysuit when they reached the top, and she offered a faint smile.

"Shinya-san provided me with only the basics of what is currently happening, but I am sure there is no time to explain further. Please simply instruct me, Sagae-san, and I will do everything in my power to help you," she said, rapidly stripping down a gun as she spoke. "While I unfortunately lack the authority, permission, and time to utilize the Hanabusa conglomerate fully, I can offer the services of my personal bodyguards, as well as my personal armory and, of course, myself."

"Thanks. Really, thank you so much," Haruki said, her mind racing as she surveyed the city below them.

"Can we get to the biggest internet café in Ikebukuro? I think there are a few people there that'll definitely be able to help."

As Hanabusa nodded and gave directions to the pilot, Haruki brought a hand to her face and closed her eyes.

They had time. They could do it.

The situation with her family could be resolved simply enough, now that she had Hanabusa's help. She knew where they were, and how to save them.

But with Isuke—

Haruki gritted had teeth and shook her head again.

It was possible. Even if they didn't know where she was, or how to get her, it was still possible, somehow.

And she would do it, no matter what.

So please…until I get there, please hold on.

---

Kensuke watched this young assassin called Inukai Isuke with something in between incredulity and a grudging kind of admiration.

Kensuke had seen men denailed before. It was really a nasty procedure, and even full-grown men were crying and screaming themselves hoarse long before the day was through.

But this slender, gorgeous little thing in front of him hadn't made a single sound yet.

Her entire body had convulsed, tears had automatically dropped from her eyes, and that pretty face of hers had wrenched with pain every time; but every time, instead of screaming, she had glowered at him and defiantly refused to let out even a whimper.

On the third nail, her body had finally given out from the agony and shock of it all, and she had quietly passed out.

Kensuke now sat watching her face, still twitching with pain even in unconsciousness.

"Seems like a real waste to kill her," he said, leaning back in his chair. "A real waste."

"Why d'you think she doesn't scream?" one of his men asked him, staring curiously down at the girl. "Pride?"

"I think that's definitely part of it," Kensuke replied, chuckling as he remembered the scornful look she had given him the moment he had removed her blindfold. "But the other part…"

He glanced at the camera that was on the table a few feet away from them recording the entire thing and sending a feed back to Ren.

He had caught Isuke looking at the camera once or twice, and had the suspicion that the girl wasn't screaming partially for the sake of that girlfriend of hers, who was probably being forced to watch the whole thing.

I thought this girl was supposed to be some frigid, selfish bitch, he mused, wrinkling his forehead in confusion. Guess she's going soft.

"Hey, how long do we hafta do this for?" Kazuo said from his seat on the ground. "This is boring as hell."

"You said we'd be allowed to fuck her, right?" Manabu chimed in, grinning. "When does that start?"

Kensuke frowned, irritably waving the two off.

"Keep it in your damn pants for two fucking minutes and stop asking me over and over," he said, shaking his head. "Sanada-sama said to just torture her this way until she gives us the signal. Once she pages us, you guys can fuck her all you want."

Isuke began to stir, and Kensuke somewhat reluctantly got back to his feet.

"Rise and shine, Isuke-chan. Still seven nails to go, y'know. Can't go fainting now," he said, and smiled at the responding glare.

Seeing eyes with such clarity and strong emotion, even while being tortured…it was a first for him.

Sighing, he shook his head.

It really was a waste.

But before he could touch the denailing contraption, Junji came jogging in from the other room.

"Morita, it's a call from the other group. Apparently they're suddenly not able to get into touch with Sanada-sama, and there were reports of a chopper flying in near the penthouse where she's supposed to be," he said, panting slightly. "They tried to check up on her, but the only way to reach the penthouse is with the elevator, and the elevator is apparently not working."

Kensuke frowned, taking the cell phone from his hand.

Jerking his head back to where Isuke lay on the table, he said to Junji, "Make sure those guys don't touch her. We have to wait for the damned signal."

He looked back once more at Isuke, smirking when he saw how bright and alert those amber eyes remained.

I'd hate to see that fire go out too soon…guess we've both lucked out for just a bit longer, Inukai Isuke.

---

"I just finished hacking into her private files this afternoon, and it's all right here: the location, the time, the people she's blackmailed, the police that she's bribed in order to keep them out of this business…everything. Even the details of what she's planning on having them…do to Inukai."

Haruki nodded jerkily, trying fruitlessly to stop the images that she had just seen on the screen from resurfacing in her mind.

"Thanks, Kenmochi," she said, looking down once at the screen to make sure that the man who had been using the denailing device on Isuke was still gone.

He's probably gonna find out about what happened with Ren soon. We don't have much time.

"Please give me the coordinates; I will have my pilot fly us there right away," Hanabusa said, placing a hand on the back of Shiena's chair.

"I'll be taggin' along too," Shinya said from her sprawl on the couch. "It'll be a damn fun party, smashing all those heads."

"H-Haruki-san!"

Haru moved forward, grasping her hand with her own.

Looking up at her with wide, frightened eyes, she said, "Haru wants to help, too! Isn't there anything Haru can do?"

Haruki managed a slight smile.

"Yeah, actually, there is. You and Azuma managed to find everyone and give them their diplomas, right? Do you think you can work with Kenmochi again and maybe—"

"Contact everyone and ask if they can help?" Haru finished for her.

At Haruki's answering nod, Haru solemnly said, "Haru and Shiena-chan will find them right away, Haruki-san. We'll get all the help we can."

"Then I'll come with you too, Sagae," Azuma said, stepping forward. "Haru and Kenmochi won't need my help with finding them."

Haruki shook her head.

"Actually, i-if you can, Azuma…do you think you can go with Hanabusa's men and help them…help them with—"

"I'll make sure your family is safe, Sagae," Azuma said, and nodded seriously at her. "Your mother, your siblings, all of them."

Haruki exhaled shakily in relief.

"Th-thanks. If it's you…"

Hanabusa's men were already on their way there, and would definitely get to the house and the hospital before Ren could come back to consciousness and order her own men to do anything.

But just in case...

If anyone's suited for rescuing people just in time, it's her.

Getting to her feet, Haruki forced a crooked, strained version of her usual grin.

"Then, I'll be going."

Haru caught her sleeve before she could turn away, and looked earnestly up at her.

"Isuke-san will be fine, Haruki-san. Haru knows it," she said.

Haruki managed a weak chuckle.

"I hope you're right. I really, really hope you're right, Haru-chan."

---

Isuke lay in a haze of pain and confusion, dazed and drifting in and out of consciousness.

Her entire left hand felt like it was burning; pain lanced from the three denailed fingers and shot through the rest of her body.

This is what I get for trying to be 'good,' she thought, feeling the strangest, most irrational desire to laugh. Good people are stupid, and stupid people suffer.

Haruki was living proof of that, wasn't she?

She was the biggest idiot of them all, and had suffered more than anyone, but still bore it all with an unending supply of patience.

Isuke isn't good, she decided, and then did laugh; a soft, self-deprecating noise that echoed in the large room. I'm not good, and I was never meant to be good.

Isuke had no illusions about morals or altruism having motivated her choice.

It wasn't that she had felt some ethical qualms about letting Haruki's siblings be killed.

She wouldn't have liked it, maybe, but had it been just their lives against Isuke's, there would've been no question.

Isuke would've shot Kensuke and gotten away free, leaving all of them to die.

No, Isuke hadn't made her choice because she was a "new" or "changed" person. Not really.

She had done it because of Haruki.

Not for Haruki's sake, exactly.

She had done it acting solely on her feelings for Haruki, and that made her an idiot of a whole different kind.

All of this because of some poor idiot who I've only known for less than a year, Isuke thought, wincing as a fresh wave of pain coursed through her body. How stupid can I be?

Acting on her heart instead of her head…she really had abandoned Mama's lessons.

Mama…I wonder…if he's worried.

She stared down at her left hand, grimacing at the bloody, torn remains of the three ripped fingernail beds.

It hurt. It really, really hurt, more than her broken arm or stabbed wrist had.

It hurt more than anything Isuke had ever felt before, and she felt sick at the thought that she had seven more nails to go.

And the entire thing was made worse by knowledge of what was coming after that. The leering, impatiently waiting men surrounding her kept that knowledge clear in her mind.

But strangely, despite it all, Isuke could only feel a strange kind of numbness about the entire situation.

Guess the shock of playing the stupid good guy hasn't worn off yet, she mused, feeling that inexplicable desire to laugh yet again.

Behind her, the door slammed open, and Kensuke stalked into view.

Isuke watched him through half-closed lids as he made his way towards her.

"Sanada-sama is on her way here right now," he said, looking down at her with dark eyes.

Isuke could see fear in their depths, and would've rolled her own eyes if any movement didn't provoke waves of nausea.

"She wants to kill me herself, I guess," she said, smiling when her voice came out smooth and sweet despite the pain and nausea.

"No," Kensuke replied shortly. He paused, then frowned. "Well, yes. But that's only part of it. Your girlfriend's gotten away, and is probably on her way here to rescue you. She…did something do Sanada-sama, and now she's…extremely angry. The brats have somehow gotten away too. I'd bet anything she's coming here to take it out on you. Brace yourself, girl. Denailing is nothing compared to what that woman can do when she's angry."

Isuke stared at him, only barely hearing what he was saying.

That idiot.

Haruki…was coming here.

That complete and utter idiot. She's going to get herself killed.

There were dozens of fully armed men in this room alone. There were probably dozens more outside, and Ren was probably bringing even more.

Shaking her head, Isuke ground her teeth in frustration.

Idiot, she repeated, feeling a hint of dread coil deep inside her gut. She can't come here. If she does, then…

"You're worried about her, aren't you?"

Kensuke was studying her, forehead wrinkled in incredulity.

"I'm standing here telling you that Ren is coming here herself to torture and kill you, and you're worried about someone else. Exactly how special is this girl to you that she'd turn Inukai Eisuke's successor into…this?" he demanded.

"Call it a selfish concern over my investment 3" Isuke replied, mustering up a saccharine smile while ignoring the faint sense of confusion that his words brought about. "If that idiot were to die, all of this would have been for nothing, wouldn't it?"

Kensuke looked skeptical.

And then, leaning in, he said in a quiet voice, "Ren's a sick, twisted bitch. I'd seriously advise against running off that mouth of yours around her, girl."

Isuke raised a brow.

"If you're so concerned, how about undoing these chains and letting me go?" she said, tugging weakly at her bindings. "If you're not going to offer something useful like that, Isuke doesn't want to hear it 3"

The man barked out a laugh.

"You're a fearless and proud bitch, I'll give you that," he said, smirking. "Don't break too easily, girl."

Isuke then did roll her eyes, despite the nausea, and then closed them.

Don't come here, you idiot, she thought.

But in the back of her mind, she knew that Haruki definitely would.

She was an idiot, after all. And an even bigger one than Isuke was.

---

"There. That warehouse below us. When the helicopter reaches that area, I will jump down and clear the immediate opposition. I will also provide cover fire while you and Shinya-san make your way down the ladder and into the warehouse itself."

Haruki looked up at Hanabusa uncertainly.

"You're going to jump? From the helicopter?"

"Yes," Hanabusa replied calmly. "Please do not worry. I am more than equipped to make such jumps, and I have also survived much higher falls."

"But you said that your body is frail—"

"Ah, that," Hanabusa interrupted serenely, smiling, "was a bit of a lie. You will see for yourself soon enough, Sagae-san. Now please get ready. We're almost there."

Haruki nodded, pushing away her misgivings and focusing on adjusting her gloves. Hanabusa had a pair similar to the ones she had always used during her assassinations, as well as garrote wire.

Not that Haruki would be relying too heavily on these old weapons of hers; Haruki also held two guns and a Taser from Hanabusa's private armory.

"Should be fun," Shinya drawled, grinning at her in the darkness. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Stay safe, both of you," Haruki said quietly. "If you feel even a little bit like you have to retreat—"

"Please do not worry about us, Sagae-san. We will be fine, so please focus all of your energy on finding and rescuing Inukai-san. Now, then…"

After taking a few steps back, Hanabusa sprinted forward and leapt from the helicopter, plummeting down to the pavement below them.

---

After the events of Myojo, the Hanabusa conglomerate had not only restored Sumireko's body to full functionality, but had also enhanced it to be able to withstand falls twice as great as the one that had ended her assassination attempt on Ichinose Haru.

Sumireko hadn't planned on using these new features anytime soon, but…

Such is life, with all its unexpected twists and turns, Sumireko thought calmly to herself as she smashed down onto the concrete.

The dozens of armed men all around her could only stare in complete astonishment, and Sumireko took advantage of their shock by picking up a car, swinging full circle, and then chucking the vehicle at a group of them.

That galvanized them into action; they started running about, shouting obscenities and firing their weapons wildly.

Almost pitying them in their mass confusion and panic, Sumireko plucked a machine gun from one of their hands and politely apologized before unloading round after round on the now terrified and fleeing yakuza mobsters.

---

"What the fu—"

Smashing a fist into his mouth before he could finish the curse, Haruki fired several bullets at the man beside him.

In front of her, Shinya ran down the hallway, smashing doors and skulls alike as she cackled wildly and shouted Isuke's name.

"Where the hell are ya hiding the bitch, huh?" she demanded, shoving one man against the wall.

When the man cursed at her, Shinya snickered.

"Wrong answer," she said.

And she swung her hammer at his face.

Haruki grimaced, kicking another man into the wall and then unloading her gun on him, too.

They're endless, she thought as she garroted another that came running at her.

Hanabusa was taking care of even more outside, but even inside there had to be at least a hundred.

I'll never be able to get to her at this rate.

And, as she turned to kick yet another man, she found that he was suddenly dropping down onto his knees, scissor blades jutting out of his throat.

Takechi Otoya emerged from behind him, smiling brightly and waving in the dark gray of her prison uniform.

"Hope I'm not too late, Haruki-san!" she said cheerily, still smiling as she stabbed another man in the throat. "Harucchi and Shiena-chan just got me out here on 'community service.' Y'know, because I'm clearing out the trash. Get it?"

Takechi laughed to herself as she gutted another man that ran at her from behind.

"So here I am! Mm, I can't say this is really my thing, considering that these are all ugly yakuza gangsters instead of cute girls, but still! Maybe I can get a reward from Harucchi later, right? Oh, and maybe Shiena-chan, too! And I think I saw Hanabusa-san here too, so that'll be even better!"

Haruki dodged behind the wall as a man fired at her from afar, and she offered Takechi a quick, uncertain smile.

"Uh, right. Whatever the reason, thanks so much for helping out, Takechi," she said sincerely, and then sprinted forward to kick the guy in the face as he scrambled to reload.

As she continued forward, she suddenly found that the amount of men abruptly started to lessen.

---

Elsewhere in the building, a tall, hulking yakuza mobster glared confusedly down at the little girl with the teddy bear that had wandered into the room.

"What the fuck are you doing in here, kid? Are you lost?" he demanded.

"No," the kid replied with a smile. "Chitaru-san is with me today, so I found my way just fine."

And, cheerfully raising her bear to his face, the kid shot him in the face with a very potent poison.

"Good job, Kirigaya," a voice said from above him as he fell down onto the ground. "Is he…"

"No, Chitaru-san," the kid replied. "I use stunning poisons now. He'll only be unconscious for a while."

"Good," the other voice said, sounding relieved. "Then let's keep going. Sagae needs all the help she can get."

---

A room somewhere blew up.

Unfortunately, it was the wrong room.

Fortunately, the room still held yakuza members, and therefore achieved the desired goal of the person who had planted the explosives despite the slight error.

"Well, that was close enough, Kouko-chan," Suzu said with a smile, patting her ex-roommate reassuringly on the shoulder. "And you still got them, so it's all right."

Kouko sighed quietly, leaning against the wall and placing the detonator on the ground.

At the sounds of footsteps outside of the room, Suzu stood, cocking a gun.

And she easily dropped all three of the men that appeared in the doorway.

Smiling at the look of surprise Kouko gave her, Suzu said, "A century of target practice can do wonders for your aim, Kouko-chan. Never underestimate an old woman."

---

In another room, a dozen men were screaming and flailing about, running headlong into walls and shooting at each other.

Hashiri Nio stood in their midst, grinning widely.

"Leave it to the Black Class to have reunions that are this much fun!" she exclaimed, munching on a melon bread as she stared down at her tablet.

"I should be back in no time at all," she told Yuri, who responded with a small smile on the tablet screen. "It seems even the Yakuza doesn't stand a chance against the Kuzunoha!"

---

Isuke cocked her head slightly, listening to the sudden commotion that had started up outside the room.

"Don't get your hopes up," Kensuke said beside her, shaking his head. "Your little rescue squad has to fight through dozens and dozens of men, while Ren is making her way here directly. She should be here any second now."

Isuke didn't reply, listening intently to the sounds of gunfire and screaming.

You'd better be okay, Haruki.

She didn't know if her roommate even knew how to use a gun. Wasn't the idiot too poor to afford any kind of training like that? How was she fighting dozens of armed mobsters?

The doors behind her finally opened.

"S-Sanada-sama! Y-your hand—"

A gunshot rang out, and Isuke turned to see Kensuke fall down onto his knees, clutching at his stomach.

"A maniac hiding in the bathroom with a gigantic hammer is a rather difficult detail to miss informing me of, Morita-san," came a velvety voice from behind her. "Thanks to your negligence, I have permanently lost the use of my right hand. I think your life should suffice to make up for this error."

Kensuke slumped down onto the ground, dead, and when Isuke looked up again, she came face to face with Sanada Ren.

Her hand, Isuke noticed, was utterly mangled, and Isuke mentally congratulated Shinya on a job very well done (at least, she assumed it was Shinya, unless there had been some other "maniac hiding the bathroom with a gigantic hammer" that Isuke didn't know about).

Ren herself was trembling with fury, holding a gun limply in her left hand.

Isuke raised a brow, her lips curving upwards in her usual, poisonously sweet smile.

"Ah, what a temper. Very scary 3" she said, looking down again at Kensuke's corpse. "Is that what you plan on doing to me now?"

Ren was silent, eyes drifting over her slowly.

Finally, she said, "It seems that you've successfully managed to completely entrap Sagae Haruki. She's mounted a full-out assault in an attempt to save you."

When Isuke didn't reply, Ren glowered down at her.

"…you've taken someone from me before. Do you remember?"

Isuke rolled her eyes.

"Isuke doesn't know what you're talking about," she said.

And she really didn't. She remembered only vaguely that Ren had forever been nursing some age-old grudge over the fact that one of her old pets had run off a long time ago, chasing after Isuke and leaving Ren behind.

It's not like Isuke had even wanted her, she thought, unable to even remember what the girl had looked like. She just came running after me on her own.

Dropping the gun onto the ground, Ren pulled a long, serrated knife from her belt.

"How many men and women have you stolen from people like me, Inukai Isuke? How many people have you ensnared by spreading those legs of yours?"

Isuke responded with an amused, derisive laugh, eyes flicking dismissively over the knife.

"Have you ever considered even for a second that people leave you because you're an utterly insane and murderous old hag? I never stole anyone. No one has ever stolen anyone from you. They left by themselves, and for good reason," she said.

Ren's eyes flashed dangerously, and she pressed the flat end of the knife against Isuke's bare stomach.

"Then why is it," she hissed, "that they only leave once people like you show up? Selfish, arrogant bitches like you?"

The steel was cold against her skin, and Isuke suppressed a shudder.

"Because selfish, arrogant bitches like Isuke are very, very attractive 3" she said flippantly, and smirked at the rage on the older woman's face.

She was dizzy with pain and exhaustion, but even in this state Isuke knew that she was playing a dangerous game.

If Ren was collected, cool, and logical, then she would know that killing Isuke quickly would be the best course of action, finishing the job before anyone could get to her.

But if she was angry…

She's going to try to hurt me, Isuke thought with a grim smile. And she's going to try to prolong the pain for as much as possible.

And pain, even intense and prolonged pain, would be preferable to death.

There was a long silence, in which Ren simply stared at her.

And then, bringing her hand to Isuke's throat, she whispered:

"A filthy slut like you…doesn't deserve Haruki."

The mocking, provocative words that Isuke had prepared died on her tongue.

She thought of that idiot, running around somewhere in the building trying to find her.

And, looking away from the other woman, she responded with a small smile.

"I know," she said.

Ren looked down at her sharply, brows lowering.

"If you know, then why do you stay with her?"

Isuke glanced up at her, and her smile widened in amusement.

"Because I'm a selfish, arrogant bitch, of course 3"

And that did it.

Isuke saw that these were the words that made Sanada Ren snap, and yet she didn't fully realize what Ren did next until she felt an odd warmth pool around her abdomen.

At first, strangely, there was only a dull, pounding sensation as Isuke stared down at the blade jutting out of her stomach.

But then Ren twisted the knife, and Isuke couldn't help but whimper at the sharp, tearing feeling.

Ren had taken the bait, giving in to anger instead of simply ending her life with a bullet, but—

Ren ripped the knife out and stabbed her again.

If…if I can survive, Isuke thought, her mind clouded with pain, then this much is preferable. It's better than she does this and wastes time.

"Undo her bindings."

The men unchained her, and Isuke fell heavily down onto the ground, every breath coming in a ragged, painful gasp.

"Do you know what I did to Haruki last time, in order to punish her for her disobedience?"

Ren's ripped the cast off of her arm, tearing into the material with her knife.

"I made a mistake back then. I shouldn't have done it to her. I should've done it to you from the beginning. Everything…everything is your fault."

Isuke heard the bone crack, and for one blinding, dizzying moment she saw nothing but white.

And from outside the room, she could hear a distant crashing sound.

"Go out and kill anyone who tries to get inside here," Ren commanded from above her.

Hearing the men run out of the room, Isuke forced herself to look up at the door.

"Kill anyone" includes Haruki, doesn't it? That idiot is trying to get in here. That idiot…that idiot can't die.

Ren's boot came down, her heel digging into Isuke's gut.

Isuke's body convulsed and writhed in pain.

And yet Isuke's mind barely registered the feeling, focusing instead on Haruki, who she knew was somewhere out there.

---

A bullet grazed Haruki's shoulder, and she gritted her teeth as she smashed her fist into the shooter's jaw.

She's here.

Isuke had to be here, inside of that room.

The last group of men was surrounding the area, positioned all around the doors.

She's here, Haruki repeated to herself, gathering up all of her remaining energy.

Isuke was here, and since the men were guarding the room, that meant that she was…she had to still be alive.

She had to be.

An explosion went off to her right, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Kouko duck behind a wall as the men were sent flying.

Several more men abruptly dissolved into mass-hysteria, fighting unseen illusions, and Haruki could see Nio perched atop a table to her left.

As her ex-classmates routed the men surrounding the room, Haruki sprinted to the nearest door, driving her fist straight into his face and then kicking him out of the way.

The door was locked; rearing back, Haruki rammed into the door several times, summoning all the strength she had.

On the fifth try, the door smashed open, splintering to pieces.

And Haruki staggered into the room to see Isuke on the ground.

In that split second, Haruki saw everything.

She saw the blood oozing out of gaping holes in Isuke's stomach. She saw the unnatural way her arm was bent back and twisted. She saw Ren, kneeling by her and holding a jagged, crimson knife.

She saw Isuke's eyes crack open, glazed and dull, to meet hers.

And in that split second, Haruki cleared the room.

Smashing her leg into Ren's side, she sent the woman crashing down onto the floor.

Haruki pulled her gun from its holster.

With three shots from her pistol, Sanada Ren was dead.

Haruki barely registered the murder as she turned around, dropping down onto the ground.

"I-Isuke…"

She shook uncontrollably as she took the other girl into her arms, terrified of even raising her voice.

There was blood everywhere.

Too much, she thought feverishly, tearing off her jacket and pressing it to the wounds. This is too much. She can't—she can't lose this much.

"Isuke," she breathed again, swallowing convulsively. "You're gonna be okay. Everything… I-I've got you, okay? I swear, I won't—"

Her voice broke, and she looked desperately back at the door.

There was still fighting. She couldn't take her out yet. She couldn't move her yet.

But I have to. She needs an ambulance. She needs a hospital. If she doesn't get it soon, she's going to…Isuke's going to—

"I…idiot."

Isuke's eyes fluttered half-open, and she stared up at her quietly.

---

The idiot, Isuke realized, was actually crying.

Of all the things she could choose to finally cry about, she thought, that idiot chooses this. She chooses me, of all people…

She didn't have the energy to scoff or give her usual smile, and whenever she tried to move, her body didn't seem to listen to her.

But…but that idiot is crying, and an idiot like her needs…needs comfort from someone, or else she'll just…

Tugging at Haruki's shirt, she exhaled shallowly.

"…your…your family," she murmured, leaning her head tiredly on Haruki's shoulder.

Haruki stared down at her, looking physically pained as she pressed her wadded-up shirt against Isuke's stomach.

"Th-they're fine, Isuke, because of you. They're fine, Azuma went to save them a long time ago, but—Isuke, I-I don't know how to…your wounds, th-they're not—"

Isuke gazed at her roommate, listening to her panicked, incoherent stammering and watching her frantically try to staunch the bleeding with her clothes.

The dumb, overly kind idiot didn't even seem to get what Isuke had been trying to say.

Your family is fine, idiot, so…so there's no need for you to be crying.

But Haruki was crying, and for the first time, Isuke wondered vaguely to herself if she was going to die.

She had known that objectively, even while she had been taunting Ren to buy time, the danger had always been there.

But it just hadn't occurred to her that it might actually happen.

Not to Inukai Isuke.

She smiled to herself.

That was her arrogance, she supposed.

Isuke closed her eyes.

She obviously didn't want to die, and she knew that she should be scared, or angry, or…or something.

If Isuke was just a little less…tired, then maybe…

But, as it was, she just felt weary.

"Isuke, p-please, you have to stay awake. If you sleep now, I don't know—Isuke, listen to me, okay? You have to stay awake."

Isuke sighed, feeling the faintest spark of something stirring through her fog of exhaustion at the sound of that idiot's voice.

"Isuke, I have to tell you something, remember? I-I really, really need to tell you something," she was saying.

Isuke could feel the other girl's hand, rough with calluses and yet gentle and warm, rest on her cheek.

"I need you to stay awake until I tell you, Isuke. Until we can get you into an ambulance, and once we're at the hospital, I need to tell you…"

Isuke slipped deeper into the haze that overwhelmed her, barely able to make out what Haruki was saying so urgently.

She couldn't see anything, and couldn't hear anything.

But she could still feel.

And in that next moment, she suddenly felt lips pressing against hers.

Isuke opened her eyes.

It was clumsy, abrupt, and desperate, but Haruki was kissing her, her fingers tangling in Isuke's hair as her lips moved against Isuke's own.

Even in her fatigue, she felt a strange, distant spark somewhere inside of her, and her weak pulse quickened.

And even as Haruki pulled back, she was whispering softly, desperately in Isuke's ear:

"Please, Isuke, you...don't you remember your promise? We promised to have our talk, remember? There's so much I have to tell you. S-so much I have to do for you, so you can't—"

Haruki swallowed hard, and she pulled Isuke in closer to her chest.

"P-please, just stay awake. You'll be fine, so just don't close your eyes, and soon, as soon as they come, then…"

Slowly, as Haruki continued to speak, the fog around Isuke's mind began to lift.

That was right. She had promised.

A pinky promise…like we're little kids, or something.

Isuke shuddered at the pain that had returned when the haze had receded.

But she gritted her teeth and clutched at Haruki's shirt.

I…I did promise.

Dimly aware of the sudden rush of footsteps, and only vaguely hearing the clamor of voices above her, Isuke tightened her grip on Haruki's shirt.

She had promised.

And so Isuke couldn't die here.

I can't, she repeated. I won't.

After all...after all, only the good died young.

And Isuke…

She almost smiled.

Isuke wasn't good.

She was too selfish to die yet, and so she wouldn't. She couldn't.

She had promised this idiot, and so she...she couldn't die.

She had promised, and...

...and I...I have something I need to tell her too, don't I?

---

A/N: I apologize in advance, as this week is extremely busy, but I'll try my best to have the next chapter (or the alternate version, if that's what you guys want) up as soon as I possibly can.

---

Chapter 12: Alternate Chapter 11

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EDIT: lolll you guys i have to go out in like five seconds but since there's so much confusion I really quickly made another poll; some people seem to be confused over which is the original and which is the rewrite, so if you can, please vote again on the new poll as well. I know some people probably won't get a chance to see this remade poll, so I'll take the results of both polls into consideration for the final choice! The remade poll is also on my profile.

---

Please just read all the bolded parts of the A/N, even if you don't want to read the chapter itself.

A/N: Lollll I love you guys very much and you're all awesome people but I feel like every time I ask a question the opinion is always split perfectly down the middle hahaha; makes it very difficult to choose one thing or another based on reviews loll.

But anyway! For this dilemma I just decided to go with this: this is the alternate version of chapter 11. Quite a lot of people asked for it, and so here it is. I would have liked to post chapter 11 alt. and chapter 12 at the same time, and I sincerely apologize, but two of my friends have their 21st bdays this weekend and let's face it...I'm probably going to be lying in bed cursing myself for always thinking that I have a high tolerance when I actually don't more than I'll be writing. If by some miracle I decide to be rational for once and drink responsibly, then I can probably manage to have chapter 12 up by the end of the weekend. If not, then please expect it sometime early next week. Again, I sincerely apologize to you all you wanted chapter 12 next/uploaded with chapter 11 alt, but as our resident kindly anon said, authors do have social lives too hahaha. But I will do my best to have chapter 12 up asap!

Okay, on to the less fun stuff...so, warnings for this chapter. The answer to the main question that everyone seems have is yes, there is sexual coercion in this chapter. While certain politicians may disagree, sexual coercion is basically rape. So yes, there is rape in this chapter. Nothing explicit, but it is there. Before I say anything else, please allow me to make something very clear: I am not trying to throw in a rape scene simply for the cheap effects of angst/grimdarkrealism. I am fully aware of how sensitive and horrible an issue it really is, and I sincerely hope that once you've read this chapter, you understand why it was included. Again, I apologize if this still offends you, but I ask that you please simply do not read this chapter if it upsets you.

That said, another reason why I can't upload chapter 12 yet is because it would be different based on the chapter 11 that you guys preferred. See, the way it is now, I'm pretty sure that most people will prefer the rewrite if only because they don't want to read/don't like the darker content of this alternate version, which is why I rewrote it in the first place. However, to be fair to everyone, I decided to make a poll and figure things out that way. If you click on my name above (bouncingsunflowers), there's a link to a poll on my profile. Please vote there to choose which version of chapter 11 you would prefer to be the one that chapter 12 and of course the rest of the story will follow.Also, if you send me a PM/leave a review explaining your vote, I'll count it twice :) PPS, if you want to vote for the rewrite but don't want to read the alternate at all, that's totally fine too. I'm really just having the poll to be fair to the people who wanted this alternate version :)

Basically, the chapter 11 rewrite was the one in true AnR, over-the-top, TITANIUM RIBS, SURPRISE EVERYONE LIVES ;D fashion. The near-miraculous reunion of the Black Class was the most glaring aspect of this craziness, but there's also the fact that Ren was kinda stupid and incompetent throughout the chapter, starting with when she decided to go up to a hotel room that isn't even hers to speak with Haruki. Shinya's perfect timing and Hanabusa swooping in to pick them up in five seconds was a little much too, as well as the fact that a veteran assassin like Eisuke didn't notice anything off about Ryo's disapperance and Isuke suddenly being out of contact. Some of you seemed to like all of this anyway, which is great :D and tbh I really enjoyed writing it too, just like I really enjoyed watching AnR, haha.

But a lot of you wanted a darker version with more action, which is essentially what this is. It starts off the same way, and some parts in the story might probably sound similar, since the chapter you read is a rewrite of this one. But for the most part, starting from when Ren tells Haruki to get into the car instead of the hotel, this chapter is vastly different. If you remember what happened in the last chapter, just skip the first part until you get to where Haruki sees Ren for the first time after getting tricked by Nanjo. The denailing part is also somewhat similar, so you can skim that as well. But from there on out, everything takes a pretty different turn, so...yeah.

To inject a little bit of lightheartedness into this kinda dark chapter, I have another poll that I want you guys to take lol, since I've been getting a looooooooot of requests for an...intimate scene between Haruki and Isuke. I don't really know how old you guys are, lol, and if I'm going to be corrupting even one pure, sheltered soul by including smut, then sorry, but nope, I'm not going to do it. Therefore, please be honest when you take the poll. It basically just asks if you want to see Haruki and Isuke getting busy (winkwinkenudgenudge) before the story ends. It's anonymous, so it's not like people are gonna come hunting you down if you don't want a sex scene lol. So please please please be 100% truthful. That poll is under the other one on my profile. Please take that one as well :)

Okay, so here's the alternate version of chapter 11.

---

"H-Haruki-chan! There you are!"

At the sound of her voice, Haruki turned to see her elderly neighbor leaning on her cane by the hotel entrance.

Trotting over to her, Haruki waved a hand and grinned.

"Nanjo-san! I can't believe you really came all the way here just to drop off some gyoza," she said, chuckling as she offered the old woman her arm for support.

Nanjo offered a tremulous smile, taking her arm in a tight grip.

"W-well, I stopped by at your house with the food, Haruki-chan, and Fuyuka-chan told me that you were here with some lovely young friend of yours, I had to come here in person to see for myself," she said, with a thin, almost shrill laugh.

Haruki looked down at the woman in surprise and some concern.

Her neighbor was the grandmotherly type, always bringing over snacks and food; doing something like this wasn't unusual by any means.

But now that Haruki could see her face-to-face, the old woman seemed strangely and uncharacteristically nervous.

"Everything okay, Nanjo-san?" she said, peering down at the anxious woman.

Nanjo nodded rapidly, smiling again as she replied, "Oh, just a bit tired, my dear. Now, if you could follow me back to my car, we can pick up the containers and bring them up. The reason I called you down here is because I can't do it alone."

"Right," Haruki said. "Lead the way, then, Nanjo-san."

Her neighbor began hobbling out the door, and Haruki carefully helped her along.

I wonder if Isuke likes gyoza, she thought, smiling as she walked. I should get her to try some when we get back. She never eats enough.

"Sorry for making you walk all this way, Haruki-chan," Nanjo said. "I had trouble finding parking."

"No problem," Haruki replied genially, looking around the dark and small parking lot for Nanjo's car.

"Ah, by the way, Nanjo-san, I wanted to thank you for calling me when you did," Haruki added, looking down at her neighbor. "Even if it hadn't been to bring me your awesome food, I was really relieved to hear that you were just with Fuyuka and the others. They hadn't been picking up, and I was getting a bit worried until you called."

Nanjo abruptly stopped walking.

Haruki stopped beside her, peering inquisitively at the old woman's strangely blank expression.

"Nanjo-san? What's—"

"R-run, Haruki-chan," Nanjo whispered.

Her fingers dug into Haruki's arm, and she looked up at her with wide, terrified eyes.

"You have to run now, Haruki-chan, and get back to that girl before they—"

A tall, dark figure abruptly swung a leg out from behind them, kicking Nanjo's cane and sending the old woman staggering forwards.

Haruki moved instinctively, reaching out just in time to catch her neighbor before she hit the ground.

W-what the—

"Wow, nice reflexes, Haruki-san. You really are just as cool as they say."

The figure stepped out in the light of the streetlamp, grinning down at her.

He was clean-shaven and dressed nicely in a crisp-black suit, but Haruki knew with one look that there was something very, very dangerous about this guy.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Haruki said, easing her trembling neighbor upright. "If I hadn't caught her—"

"She would've broken her hip or thrown out her back, yeah. But she would've deserved it, the way she was chickening out at the last minute," the man interrupted.

Narrowing her eyes, Haruki was about to ask just what the hell he was babbling about when Nanjo suddenly started to cry in her arms.

"I'm sorry, Haruki-chan…I'm so sorry, but they threatened to kill me if I didn't listen, and I have four grandchildren that need me. I had to do it, Haruki-chan. I'm so, so sorry," she said, eyes downcast and ashamed.

Even as Haruki's mind raced to process what she was saying, Haruki gently handed Nanjo her cane and helped her stand again.

"What are you talking about, Nanjo-san?" she asked, looking intently up at her. "You had to do what? And who threatened to kill you?"

"My boss did, of course," the man answered for Nanjo, laughing. "And until you decided to be a little cheater and run off with that pink-haired slut, my boss was your boss, too."

…my…boss…?

And, even in the heat of the summer night, Haruki suddenly felt numb with cold.

"…you…you work for Ren?"

The man chuckled, nodding.

"Sure do. And so did this little old lady, for just a little bit, by getting you out here."

Haruki automatically looked down at Nanjo, who wouldn't meet her gaze.

Nanjo…tricked me into coming out here? For…for Ren?

Overwhelmed by confusion and disbelief, Haruki turned back to the man.

And she saw the barrel of a gun as his hand went down to his belt.

She reacted instantly, whipping her leg out and kicking the man in the gut before he could draw the weapon.

The man dropped down to one knee, winded, and Haruki twisted his arm back behind his back.

Kicking him down to the ground, she pressed her knee down against his back and demanded, "What the hell is going on here? What is Ren trying to do?"

The man coughed, still sneering as he glared up at her.

"You're pretty damn strong for a girl, huh? Unfortunately, no matter how strong you are, there's no helping you here," he said, snickering. "Not when we've got your precious family at gunpoint."

He suddenly shrieked in pain, and Haruki dully realized that she had unconsciously tightened her grip on his wrist until a bone had cracked.

The reason why I couldn't get into contact with them…Ren, she must have…

"…what does she want from me?" she asked, wondering how her voice managed to remain steady as fear welled up inside her.

Aki, Fuyuka, and all the others…and Mom, she…

"She just wants to make sure you stay put instead of running off to save that slut of yours," the man rasped, his face twisting in pain. "'Course, now that Nanjo got you out here, it'd be too late anyway."

For one, terrifying moment, everything in the world seemed to freeze.

Nanjo's words came flooding back to her; "get back to that girl," she had said.

By leaving the hotel room, even for a few minutes, she had separated from Isuke.

Isuke…Isuke's in danger.

"Looking pretty pale there, Haruki-san," the man taunted, mouth stretched in another grin. "And I haven't even told you what the others have planned for Inukai Isuke yet. If I did—"

He cried out again, cursing as Haruki wrenched his other arm back.

"Where is she? And what the hell do you mean, 'what the others have planned' for her? If you don't explain everything right now, I swear I'm going to break both of your arms," Haruki said, panic and dread funneling into anger.

I've only been out here for five minutes at most. There's no way she can be—

"She's probably out in the hotel parking lot, but I'm telling you it's no use. You take one step in the wrong direction, and your family will have their brains blown out."

Smashing the man's head down into the pavement, Haruki grabbed the gun from his belt and shoved it against his temple.

"What the hell are you saying?" she snarled, hands shaking. "How would she know what I'm doing?"

"Because I'm watching you, my dear."

Haruki froze at the sound of that voice.

Sanada Ren emerged from a black van, smiling and flanked by two bodyguards.

"I had been planning on greeting you properly when you reached the car, but I'm afraid Nanjo-san seemed to have a little crisis of conscience," she said, her voice smooth and her expression placid as she approached. "So why don't you come continue on your own? There's something that I want to show you in here. Something that I think you'd really be quite interested in seeing."

Haruki rose unsteadily to her feet, vision darkening as her fingers twitched towards the trigger of the gun.

"Ren, I swear to you, if you've done anything to Isuke—"

"If I've done anything to Isuke?" Ren interrupted, with a short laugh. "Not worried about your family, then? Is Isuke the new number one in your life? How fickle you are, Haruki."

Raising a hand, she wagged a long finger.

"And if I were you, I'd put that gun down, my dear. I'm in a very bad mood right now, and your rudeness is only exacerbating it. If you continue to wave that thing around, I might just get angry enough to, let's say…shoot a hole through dear little Aki's head."

Haruki trembled, a hot, blind rage shooting through her veins at those words.

Violently suppressing her anger, Haruki breathed out a short, desperate curse.

The gun fell from her limp fingers.

"…what the hell do you want, Ren?" she said, her voice rough with fear and anger.

Isuke…if Isuke gets hurt, it'll be because she was involved with me. It would be because she helped me. If she gets hurt—

Haruki dug her nails into her palms, clenching until the skin tore and bled.

No.

Isuke couldn't get hurt. She wouldn't get hurt.

I can't let that happen.

"I told you, didn't it? I want to show you something. Let's be civilized and conduct our business indoors, hmm? And do remember: if you even try to run off in some misguided and hopeless attempt to rescue that whore of yours, you'll be killing each and every member of your family."

Haruki felt hollow as she followed Ren into the van, her mind swamped with emotion and overrun with thoughts.

By the time she seated inside, she felt sick, sick and half-crazy with dread.

What the hell should I do? What the hell can I do? she thought feverishly, bringing a clammy hand to her forehead.

In front of her, Ren's bodyguards produced two computer monitors from their briefcases, setting them down on the seats in front of her.

Haruki watched, motionless, as both screens flickered to life.

On one, all of her siblings lay bound on the floor of her home, surrounded by armed men.

On the other, Isuke lay unconscious and blindfolded, chained down to a table by her wrists and ankles.

Haruki felt her stomach drop, twisting painfully at both sights.

"…I'm told," Ren began, leaning back in her seat, "that your precious Isuke-chan actually willingly gave herself up so that your family wouldn't be killed."

Haruki looked at her in disbelief, her knuckles going white in her lap.

"You…you used my family to…"

And Isuke…Isuke actually gave herself up in exchange for them. She's there now because…because of my—

"Yes, I'm told it was all very heroic and noble, though our suddenly altruistic Isuke apparently looked just as shocked by her own actions as my men were," Ren said, leaning indolently against the van's window. "Unfortunately for dear Isuke-chan, the first and only good deed of her life will also be her last."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Haruki had known what Ren had been planning from the moment that she discovered that Isuke had been captured.

But hearing it put into words was…different.

Haruki got to her feet.

Ren is going to kill her.

If Haruki didn't do something, Ren was going to kill Isuke.

Isuke dead—it was impossible.

There was a gaping, empty void whenever Haruki even thought of the idea that Isuke might—that she would actually…

No. Impossible.

"Don't touch her, Ren," she said, somehow managing to speak clearly despite the way her throat painfully constricted.

Ren arched a brow.

"Do you really believe that you are in the position to be making commands, my dear?" she said, smile widening.

"This isn't a command. It isn't a threat, either, or anything like that," Haruki replied, anger overwhelming all else. "It's just a promise: if you even try to take her life, I'm going to take yours."

Her fingers twitched, and in the back of her mind the familiar motions of handling a garrote were grotesquely clear.

"…I swear it," she said quietly.

Ren's smile twisted, and her countenance darkened with hatred.

"Didn't you say you never wanted to kill again, Haruki? I see that Inukai Isuke really has wrought several changes in you," she said, letting out a sharp, biting laugh. "Didn't I warn you that she would corrupt you?"

"She didn't do anything," Haruki replied, eyes narrowing. "This is—"

"This is what? Tell me, Haruki, why is it that you care about what happens to Inukai Isuke?" Ren asked, turning fully towards her. "I must say that Isuke's surrender also caught me by surprise. Could it be that you two genuinely think you have something sweet and special?"

Ren's smile was broad and mocking.

"I wonder, Haruki, if you've ever stopped to consider the fact that this girl kills other people for a living. And not to feed her starving little siblings and provide for her ailing mother, like with you and your heartwarming little story. She has more than enough money, as you yourself undoubtedly know. But she kills anyway; and how much sleep do you think she loses over every single life she takes?"

Pausing, Ren let out a quiet laugh.

"I think you and I both know that she doesn't lose a single wink," she finished.

Haruki was silent, twisting her fingers together to keep them from trembling.

"…what are you getting at?" she asked, gaze fixed on the screens in front of her.

Ren chuckled.

"This person who you're so very concerned over is nothing more than a frigid, arrogant, cold-blooded murderer. I think that objectively, the world would honestly be better off without someone like her. In a way, wouldn't killing her be doing a good deed?"

Haruki shifted in her seat to glower at the other woman.

"Ren—"

"You're letting your feelings get the better of you, my dear, but I suppose that is to be expected, after Isuke only just sacrificed herself for your siblings, and all. It was a surprising spur of the moment decision, I must admit, but I do wonder…"

Canting her head to one side, Ren raised a finger and went on:

"If repeatedly given the choice, would Inukai Isuke continue this unexpected trend?"

Haruki stared at her, her body rigid with worry and anger.

"What are you talking about?"

"You really shouldn't glare at me so. I am planning on being very benevolent, my dear. You see…at first, I had been planning on simply having my men ravage and then kill your precious Isuke. And then I was going to have your family killed. End of story."

She smirked at the way Haruki went white, continuing, "But her unanticipated and entirely uncharacteristic act of selflessness, along with, of course, your strong and terribly obvious feelings for the girl, has changed my mind. I'm quite curious now, you see."

Haruki narrowed her eyes.

What is she…

"My dear Haruki, you chose that pretty little slut over me. Therefore, we shall let her be the arbitrator in this situation instead of me. From now on, whether the members of your family live or die shall depend entirely on the goodwill of Inukai Isuke."

---

"…what are you saying?"

Kensuke smiled grimly down at her.

"I'm only repeating what Sanada-sama told me to say. 'From now on, you will determine the fate of each and every member of Haruki's family,'" he said.

Isuke scowled, tugging irritably at the chains that chafed at her wrists and ankles.

"Fine, then. Isuke wants to let them all go. All done 3" she said, smiling sweetly up at the stupid man. "And why don't you let me go while you're at it?"

Kensuke barked out a laugh.

"You're a fearless little bitch, I'll give you that. But let's see how long you can keep up this nonchalance, huh?"

Leaning in close, he muttered, "Ren is a twisted fuck, girl, and she's furious right now. I'd brace myself, if I were you."

---

"I was thinking that we could start simple. Have you ever heard of yubitsume, Haruki? It's an interesting ritual that the yakuza has when punishing members who have committed grave offences. It involves using a knife to methodically cut off your own fingers, starting from the top of your left pinky. The more serious the offence…the more fingers you have to cut off.

"It's all very interesting, but dear Isuke-chan is unfortunately not a member of the yakuza, so the punishment wouldn't be very fitting, would it? So as I tried to think of a similar but more appropriate form of punishment, I remembered that the slut is so very fond of her lovely, perfectly manicured fingernails."

On the second screen, a man walked into view, holding a strange metal device equipped with a wedge and a lever.

"It's a modern version of the same contraptions the Europeans used in their medieval torture dungeons," Ren said, smiling. "You slip the victim's nail under the wedge, and, hammering down on the lever, watch as the nail is slowly ripped from the nail bed and torn off."

The world spun, and a sudden, powerful wave of nausea overcame Haruki as she slumped down in her seat.

"It's an incredibly painful procedure, and is often still used as a form of torture today. I was thinking that for your three youngest siblings, we could begin with one nail each."

"Ren, you—"

"If Inukai Isuke agrees to have a nail ripped off for each of your three youngest siblings, I will let those three go, right before your eyes."

"You can't do this."

Haruki brought a trembling hand to her temples, blocking out the terror and revulsion that wrenched at her gut.

She had to stay calm. She couldn't panic, or Isuke would…

On the screen, the man placed the device by Isuke's hand.

Haruki forced her eyes away.

"What is it that you want? You know I'll do anything for you to stop this," she said, doing everything to keep her voice steady. "Ren, please, you can't—"

"All I want is to understand the appeal of someone like Inukai Isuke," Ren interrupted smoothly. "A selfish, cold, prideful whore like her…what exactly is there to like? I need to know…and I'm going to find out right now."

Haruki violently forced down her panic, focusing instead on the two other men in the car with them.

I need something, anything, as a distraction. Even for just two seconds, I need…

"I think I can see the steam coming out of your ears, my dear, and I would strongly advise against plotting anything. As things are now, none of your family members have to die. I have already paid quite a significant sum in order to ensure that certain members of the police force look the other way during this kidnapping. I would rather avoid having to pay them billions more should I actually need to kill any of them.

"But, should you attempt anything, then this entire setup will be ruined, and in my anger at this I might just do something irrational."

Haruki felt the bitter taste of bile rise in the back of her throat, and she screwed her eyes shut as swallowed hard.

I can't just sit here and watch this. That's impossible. I have to…there has to be something that I can—

"My poor, poor pet, don't look so distraught! Don't you have faith in your precious Isuke? If she really is a person worthy of your affection, then I should think that she would be more than willing to have a few nails torn out. It should be nothing for her, right?"

There was the sound of faint voices coming from the screen, and Haruki opened her eyes to see the man leaning down, repeating what Ren had said to Isuke.

There was a long silence, and with Isuke's face turned away from the screen, her reaction was impossible to discern.

"Oh…is she having doubts already?" Ren said, chuckling. "My, but how unfortunate, Haruki. At this rate…but let's not judge her yet. Perhaps she'll come around."

And, on the screen, Isuke suddenly gave a stiff, jerky nod.

---

Isuke lay in a haze of pain and confusion, dazed and drifting in and out of consciousness.

Her entire left hand felt like it was burning; pain lanced from the three denailed fingers and shot through the rest of her body.

This is what I get for trying to be 'good,' she thought, feeling the strangest, most irrational desire to laugh. Good people are stupid, and stupid people suffer.

Haruki was living proof of that, wasn't she?

She was the biggest idiot of them all, and had suffered more than anyone, but still bore it all with an unending supply of patience.

Isuke isn't good, she decided, and then did laugh; a soft, self-deprecating noise that echoed in the large room. I'm not good, and I was never meant to be good.

Isuke had no illusions about morals or altruism having motivated any of the choices she had made that night.

It wasn't that she had felt some ethical qualms about letting Haruki's siblings be killed.

She wouldn't have liked it, maybe, but had it been just their lives against Isuke's, there would've been no question.

Had it even been their lives against Isuke's fingernails, really, she knew what she eventually would have chosen.

Isuke would've shot Kensuke and gotten away free.

She would have refused to be denailed and simply let the three kids be killed.

No, Isuke hadn't made any of her choices because she was a "new" or "changed" person. Not really.

She had done it because of Haruki.

Not for Haruki's sake, exactly.

She had done it acting solely on her feelings for Haruki, and that made her an idiot of a whole different kind.

All of this because of some poor idiot who I've only known for less than a year, Isuke thought, wincing as a fresh wave of pain coursed through her body. How stupid can I be?

Acting on her heart instead of her head…she really had abandoned Mama's lessons.

Mama…I wonder…if he's worried.

She stared down at her left hand, grimacing at the bloody, torn remains of the three ripped fingernail beds.

It hurt. It really, really hurt, more than her broken arm or stabbed wrist had.

It hurt more than anything Isuke had ever felt before, and she knew it was all far from over.

Isuke swallowed thickly, wetting her lips with her tongue and then wincing at the stinging feeling.

They were raw and bleeding, and Isuke realized dully that she must have been biting down on them to keep from screaming.

Glancing to her right, she saw the recording light blinking on the camera.

"…the reason why you didn't scream…it was for her sake, wasn't it?"

Isuke scowled at the sound of Ren's lackey's voice.

"Nope. Not at all," she replied, somehow managing to summon her usual smile. "Isuke just wasn't about to scream like a baby in front of a bunch of trash like you. Call it arrogance 3"

Kensuke smirked, shaking his head.

"I know it was for her sake. That girl's made you soft, Inukai Isuke."

Isuke's smile became strained, and she closed her eyes.

Tell me something I don't know.

"…the three youngest brats have been released. They're with the cops that we bribed, stationed outside the house to make sure no one comes investigating. They may be greedy bastards, but they sure as hell won't actually let anyone kill kids right in front of them. You've actually saved three lives, girl," Kensuke said, tossing his phone down onto the table.

Isuke could have laughed.

Inukai Eisuke's successor, raised to be an assassin from childhood, saving lives.

The irony is just too rich.

"…you don't look so good. There are still six brats left, and then the mother. Don't go passing out on us yet."

Isuke said nothing.

Seven left. And the tradeoff was only going to get worse from here.

Why am I being so stupid? she wondered dazedly. I might even be stupider than that idiot.

If that idiot were in Isuke's position, then…

And, sighing softly, she rolled her eyes.

If Haruki were in my position, she'd get her entire hand torn off before she let anyone die, she thought, with the faintest of smiles.

…never mind. I guess no one can be a bigger idiot than her, after all.

She took in a slow, shuddering breath.

So…if it's for her…

---

"Ren, please. Continue this on me instead. Please, Isuke doesn't…she doesn't—"

"Doesn't deserve it? Oh, I think the families of her targets would disagree with you. And continue this on you? What would be the point of that, my dear? I already know quite well how very selfless and noble you are. What I want to see is Isuke's shining character; the character that you apparently are so very fond of. I must say, she's surprised me thus far…but I'd like to see how she continues to hold up."

Haruki raked a hand through hair, feeling her stomach continue to twist inside of her.

She felt sick.

She was clammy and shaking, and every time she closed her eyes she saw the way Isuke's body had convulsed in pain as each nail had been slowly, torturously hammered out.

"You can't do this to her, Ren. This…"

"We're only beginning, my dear, and you're already like this? My, I wonder how you'll be able to handle what we have planned next."

Ren chuckled.

"You see, I personally believe that Isuke's vanity over her nails stems from a deeper overall vanity about her body. She is gorgeous, of course, and time and time again I've seen that body and that face of hers ensnare person after person. So I was wondering…would Inukai Isuke remain as kind and selfless as she has if there was a threat of that perfect body of hers being defiled?"

Haruki stared, visage utterly blank; her heart began to pound spasmodically even before her mind fully processed what Ren was saying.

"Your next group of siblings is significantly older than the last three. The next task should be significantly more difficult, shouldn't it? The next task is therefore to, let's say…endure the thorough…attentions of four of my men in exchange for your next four siblings."

Haruki said nothing, her mind strangely void of anything other than a shroud of disbelief.

Impossible.

It was impossible.

Ren wouldn't…not even Ren would want that.

Not even Ren would force her to…

"…you can't," Haruki heard herself saying. "You can't, Ren. It's impossible. That…R-Ren, it's not—"

"Impossible? For a slut like her, it should be no problem at all. I dare say she'll even enjoy it," Ren said, smile unwavering. "This should be a simple choice for her, really. I'll even release the four children right away, before she begins."

No.

Haruki shook her head, feeling something deep inside bubbling up, swelling dangerously close to the surface.

She was terrified.

The numbness, the disbelief; it was beginning to wear off, and once it was all gone, she was terrified as to what would rise in their place.

She was terrified that once the disbelief went away, she would have to understand that Isuke…that this situation—

"This isn't real," Haruki said, her voice a hoarse whisper. "You can't be doing this, Ren, I can't believe…I won't…"

She dimly registered the sound of voices coming from the screen, and heard Kensuke repeating everything she had just heard from Ren.

"Let me talk to her."

Haruki pressed a hand to her pounding temples, struggling to take in a full, deep breath.

"Please, let me talk to her, Ren. I need to tell her that she…that she can't."

"And your siblings? You'll have them die?" Ren asked, raising a brow.

Haruki shook her head again, wincing at the sudden nausea that made everything lurch around her.

"Just let me talk to her," she repeated, pleadingly. "I need to talk to her."

With a low, thoughtful hum, Ren leaned back in her chair.

"…I'm rather taken aback, my dear. But I must say, I'm rather curious, as well. Are you really going to try to convince Isuke to let your siblings die?"

When Haruki didn't respond, Ren smirked.

"Very well. A five minute phone call," she said.

Haruki felt sick, utterly sick.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't even know what she was going to say.

She just knew that right now, no matter what, she had to hear Isuke's voice.

I have to talk to her.

---

Strangely enough, Haruki's phone call ended up having the opposite of the intended effect.

As Isuke had lain on the table, listening to Kensuke speak, she had mentally apologized to the idiot and decided that she couldn't do it.

Physical pain was one thing; Isuke had the willpower and training to endure that much.

But what he was saying to her now was…

Isuke wasn't meant to do things like this, she had thought, straining at the chains. Even the nails were too much for someone like me.

Ultimately, selfishness really was part and parcel of her.

Even for that idiot, she couldn't. She wouldn't.

But then Kensuke had received a call, and had placed the phone by her ear, saying, "It's that girl. Sagae Haruki."

Now, Isuke stared at the phone blankly, further confused in her disorientation.

Haruki…? How is she calling me?

"…I-Isuke."

Isuke was quiet, and closed her eyes.

It really was her.

No one else's voice would ever have this kind of effect on her.

"Isuke…I-I…I'm so sorry," Haruki said, her voice soft and strained. "For all of this, I…"

It was odd.

Isuke had been the one getting her nails ripped out, and she was the one trapped here now, and yet Haruki was the one who sounded tortured.

Objectively, it was odd, but for Haruki…

It's just like her, she thought. The idiot's probably in more pain than I am from just watching.

"I'm sorry for all you had to go through, Isuke, but now…you don't have to do anymore. You can't do anymore."

Isuke listened, momentarily unable to comprehend what the other girl was telling her.

"Tell them that you can't, Isuke."

"…your siblings," Isuke said quietly. "Do you realize what you're—"

"I can't ask you to do this, Isuke," Haruki interrupted, an edge of desperation entering her voice. "No matter what. Y-you…"

Haruki's voice broke, but Isuke understood.

She knows that I'm doing all of this for her.

Haruki knew, and so she was trying to release her from that.

…idiot.

Isuke wasn't sure when or how she had changed her mind.

But at some point, as she had been talking to the other girl, it had happened, and she opened her eyes to stare up at the harsh fluorescent lights.

"Haruki," she said, finally breaking the silence. "What you did earlier today, on the beach…"

Despite everything, Isuke found herself smiling faintly at the memory.

"…Isuke has to admit that you were pretty cool," she continued, "when you stopped that stupid delinquent's punch. You came right on time."

"Isuke—"

"But you know…you shouldn't try to play the hero all the time. You may have super strength, but in the end, you're only human, too 3" she said, managing a hint of the usual playful lilt to her voice.

And, turning to Kensuke, she gave a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"…go ahead. I agree."

"Isuke, stop it. You can't. You can't, this isn't—"

"Don't come," Isuke interrupted, as Kensuke began to undo her chains. "Don't try to come here, and…do Isuke a favor and don't watch, okay?"

An idiot like you wouldn't be able to handle it.

The phone line suddenly went dead, and Isuke stared up at the ceiling as Kensuke pocketed the phone.

"…four hours. An hour with each of us," he said, pausing to look down at her. "I'm beginning to wonder if we hit you too hard in the head. You know what you're agreeing to, here?"

"Mmhm," Isuke replied, with her usual smile. "Four exceedingly unpleasant hours with four hideously ugly yakuza mobsters. Isuke understands completely."

It was strange, but it was only now, once she was off the phone with Haruki, that Isuke began to think about the practical effects of her choice.

The idiotically altruistic choice is actually the more pragmatic one, for once, she thought, rubbing at her wrists as Kensuke moved down to her ankles. Four hours…four hours of anything is preferable to a one second bullet to the head, isn't it?

Her mind had automatically shifted from numbness to a kind of cold, pragmatic detachment, and she glanced quickly around the room.

The chances of escaping were slim to none. There were armed men everywhere, and with Ren watching from the camera, backup would be immediate.

It was almost impossible to expect rescue from Haruki, even if she hadn't said what she had to her. Haruki didn't have the faintest idea where Isuke was (even Isuke didn't know where she was), and most of her family was still at gunpoint.

But Mama…

Isuke always called him at the end of each day to say goodnight. Missing one call might not set off any alarms, but with Mama already knowing about Ryo going missing, her gone from the hospital, and Haruki also out of contact…

Even if I had refused, Ren wouldn't just let me go. Whatever she has planned last for me will probably be the worst. So if I can just delay that for as long as possible…then Mama might have the time to figure it all out.

And if there was anyone who would be able to get Isuke out of this, it was Inukai Eisuke.

Yet, even as Isuke went over all of these pragmatic consequences in her head, she found herself looking at the camera again.

And she knew really, she had been entirely numb when she had made her choice.

She hadn't been thinking at all about any of the consequences.

She hadn't been thinking at all.

No, that's not true, a voice in the back of her mind told her. You were thinking. Just about stupid things.

Stupid things like how that idiot wouldn't be able to live normally if she let three of her precious siblings be killed. Stupid things like how hearing her voice made Isuke feel better even now, in this kind of situation. Stupid things like how if it was for that idiot's sake, then maybe…

Isuke shook her head, and with a soft, derisive laugh aimed at no one other than herself, she sank down onto the floor.

Idiotic, pointless, utterly stupid things.

But even as Kensuke unbuckled his belt, simultaneously fumbling with the zipper of Isuke's jacket, even as she felt swell of nausea rise inside her, she couldn't find it in herself to regret it.

---

Ren watched the screen, vaguely amused, as Kensuke stripped the whore of her clothing.

It barely makes a difference anyway, she mused, smirking, considering how little she wears to begin with.

In the seat beside hers, Haruki was ashen and rigid, her eyes closed, and Ren wondered if she had fainted.

But when Isuke made a noise as Kensuke forced her to take him into her mouth, Ren saw Haruki twitch at the sound, and she realized that the girl was just listening to what Isuke had told her to do.

Or, more specifically, what not to do.

"Don't watch," Isuke had said to her.

But where would be the fun in that?

"Kensuke seems to be enjoying himself," Ren said, smirking when she saw the way Haruki's knuckles went white. "Isuke-chan must be very good at this, even when coerced. How many men do you think she's serviced in a similar way before?"

"Ren—"

Haruki abruptly stopped herself, leaning her head in her hands and beginning to tremble.

Ren looked at the girl with some surprise.

In just that one utterance, there had been more hatred, more anguish, and more desperation than Ren had ever heard from Sagae Haruki before.

I really am pushing her to her limits, aren't I? she mused, smiling. How delightful.

Kensuke's groans got louder, and the other men began to laugh and jeer.

"Are you simply going to sit there like that for the next four hours? It will become remarkably tedious," Ren said, chuckling softly. "Why don't you just take a peek? That lovely body of hers that you must be fond of yourself is on display for everyone to see."

Haruki didn't react, and Ren stifled a sigh.

If she was going to be like that for the next four hours, Ren was the one who was going to get bored.

But I don't want to shorten dear Isuke's time with the men, either. So the next trade won't be for a while. What to do…

And, as Ren thought, an interesting idea suddenly came to her.

"…Haruki, what was it that Isuke said about the beach? Something about you arriving just in time? Did you perhaps rescue her from some close call?"

Haruki still didn't respond, and Ren decided that yes, it really would be a good idea to go with her newly forming plan.

The girl needs some hope to make things interesting, after all.

"You see…I must say that I'm quite touched at yet another act of selflessness from our Isuke, and I was thinking of perhaps rewarding the two of you by giving you a chance of sorts.

"How about it, my dear? If you can manage to find and get to Isuke by the end of her four hours, I will release both her and the rest of your family without requiring anything more from her."

Haruki finally stirred, and when she looked up, Ren was somewhat startled to see that her eyes were completely bloodshot.

"I would have you wear a GPS tracker, of course, and if you attempted to go to the police or gather help from those powerful friends of yours such as the Hanabusa conglomerate, both Isuke and your family would be killed immediately," Ren continued calmly.

"It will be an extraordinarily difficult task, my dear. Even if you managed to make to the building where she's being held, you'd have about two dozen yakuza hirelings to fight through. But if you feel you are up to it, you are welcome to try. Despite what your sweet Isuke-chan told you…do you still want to attempt a rescue?"

There was no hesitation.

"I'll do it. Let me try," Haruki said, eyes fixed in front of her, looking past the screens.

Ren smiled inwardly.

"Very well. Give me your hand," she said.

When Haruki complied, Ren shot in one of the same microchip trackers she used to monitor where her bodyguards always were.

"Best of luck to you, my dear."

To Ren's surprise, Haruki abruptly looked up and stared directly at the screen.

Her eyes were dark with an intensity that Ren had never seen before, and when they suddenly shifted to rest on Ren herself, she had to work to suppress a strange shudder.

"I'm going to save her, Ren. I definitely will. No matter what."

And, turning, Haruki left the car.

Ren sat in silence for some time, a slow smile spreading across her face.

…can it be that she knows what I'm planning?

It would certainly surprise her if she did, considering how very much of a trusting young fool her dear Haruki was.

But it hardly mattered in the end.

Even if she does know…there's nothing she can do about it, is there?

Though the girl would definitely try.

Perhaps she really thinks that she can still save her.

Ren laughed.

Even after everything, Haruki remained an idealistic, naïve young fool.

Snapping open her phone, Ren dialed Kensuke's number.

On the screen, Kensuke picked it up without pausing in his activities.

"S-Sanada-sama?" he said, his breathing heavy and punctuated with low groans.

"I gave Sagae Haruki permission to try to find and rescue Isuke," Ren said, crossing her legs. "Considering the dear child's determination and her great affection for the whore, I actually don't doubt that she'll somehow make it to where you are."

Smiling, she continued, "So when she arrives, whenever that may be, I want you to move onto the final tradeoff, without waiting for any permission from the slut."

There was a pause, and on the screen Kensuke abruptly stopped moving.

"The…the final tradeoff, Sanada-sama?"

"Yes. Stab Inukai Isuke twice in the gut; once in order to release Fuyuka and once for Haruo. And finally, in exchange for the life of Haruki's mother…"

Ren's smile widened.

"Put a bullet through Inukai Isuke's head. And do make sure Haruki is in the room to watch this part happen."

---

"I just finished hacking into her private files this afternoon, and it's all right here: the location, the time, the people she's blackmailed, the police that she's bribed in order to keep them out of this business…everything. Even the details of what she's planning on having them…do to Inukai."

Haruki passed a trembling hand over her face.

"I just need the location for now. Th-thanks, Kenmochi."

Shiena stared up at her, eyes dark with worry.

"Are you really planning on going there by yourself?" she asked, turning in her chair. "There'll be twenty-four armed men there, you know."

Haruki nodded, getting to her feet.

"I know."

"If you'll at least let me contact Azuma, then she can go with—"

"I can't. If her men report that anyone else is with me, she'll kill them all. No outside help, Ren said. I was only able to come here because it's just an internet café. Ren probably thinks I'm trying to use the computer myself to find Isuke," Haruki said with a short, mirthless laugh.

"…wait. Then take this, at least," Shiena said, pulling a pistol from the desk drawer.

Smirking at Haruki's look of surprise, she said, "What? I'm an assassin too, you know."

Her smirk faded though, as Haruki accepted the gun, and she continued to stare up at her.

"There's really nothing I can do to help?" she said.

Haruki forced a shaky grin.

"You've helped enough, Kenmochi. Thanks. Maybe…maybe when I come back with Isuke… then we'll need your help again taking Ren down. But…but until then…"

"…then, I'll expect you to come back, Sagae. With Inukai, too. I'm holding you to that."

Haruki nodded once, and, turning away, gave one last wave before running out of the café.

She tore off her sling, chucking it into a trash bin as she ran down the sidewalk.

Wonder if my arm's healed enough for me to punch with it.

Gritting her teeth, Haruki ran faster.

It didn't matter. She'd use it anyway.

Haruki only vaguely recognized the address that Shiena gave her; it was by the docks, in the old factory district.

Probably an abandoned warehouse…pretty clichéd setup, Ren, Haruki thought, smiling humorlessly.

But whether it was warehouse, factory, apartment…even if it was a damned castle, it wouldn't make a difference.

I have to save her.

She ducked into an alleyway, cutting behind apartments to get there faster.

A dilapidated old building awaited her at the address she had been given, and Haruki cocked the gun as she circled around to the door.

The air was heavy with humidity, and utterly silent.

This isn't right.

Haruki smashed down old wooden door, sprinting up the steps three at a time.

In the single room at the top, three suited men lounged around on peeling leather sofas, all watching a small TV screen in the middle of the room.

They looked up when she came in, and the first grinned as he got to his feet.

"That was fast. Sanada-sama said you would be here soon, but damn…gotta say I'm impressed," he said, smirking.

Haruki's head began to pound, and even as the man spoke her mind raced to put together what had happened.

"Can't blame you, really, considering you probably don't know what the hell is going on, but all your secrets have been spilled, girl. Your girlfriend's little spy Ryo ratted you guys out for a pile of cash. Not that he got to use any of that in the end, considering he got killed right away, but…"

Ren knew. She knew that Kenmochi had hacked into her database, and so she knew that I'd go to Shiena. So this place…it—

"It's a dead-end," the second man said, shrugging his shoulders. "A trick. Better find a new way to find where your girlfriend is, or you'll run out of time."

"Or don't," the third man said, snickering. "I think our buddies would prefer it if you took as much time as possible."

And for the first time, Haruki looked at what they were watching on the TV screen.

"She's fucking gorgeous, your girlfriend. Tits, ass, hips, waist, legs, and face; she's literally got everything. Wish I could be there right now."

"Doesn't seem like she's enjoying it much, though, does it? Hey, Sagae…does the bitch moan like a whore for you when you fuck her?"

Haruki didn't realize she had moved, at first.

But in the next second she was on the ground, fingers wrapping around the third man's neck as she pointed the pistol in his face.

"Where is she?"

She was dimly aware that the other two men had gotten to their feet, drawing their own guns and pointing them at her.

Her vision darkened, narrowing on the one man that was choking underneath her.

She let off the pressure for a moment, and he coughed violently, wheezing with every breath.

"Where is she?" Haruki repeated, and she sounded unrecognizable even to her own ears.

Hatred, violence, rage-they darkened her voice, roughening the sound to an animalistic snarl.

"Where the fuck is she?"

The man sputtered, face mottled with anger.

"Fuck off," he rasped. "Give it up. It's too damn late for her, and you know it. And who says she needs rescuing, anyway? Sooner or later she's gonna start to feel it, and by the time the third guy starts fucking her, she just might be panting and begging for it like the slut she is. And when that happ—"

Gripping his collar, she lifted his body up off the ground.

And she pulled the trigger.

The other two men reacted instantly, cursing as they unloaded their weapons.

Every single bullet hit the body of their friend, whose body Haruki still held up in front of her.

Pivoting to the side, she chucked the corpse at the first man, who stumbled backwards under its weight.

In that split second, with her side exposed to the second man, Haruki felt something white-hot graze her shoulder.

She unloaded three rounds into the second man before slamming her knee down onto the fallen first man.

"Tell me where she is," she said, wrenching his arm back until she heard a crack.

The man howled, struggling violently underneath her.

"Fuck you!" he gasped, writhing as Haruki tightened her grip.

In the background, Haruki could hear the sounds from the TV, and they somehow seemed to get louder and louder with every second.

There's no time for this. I have to save her. I don't have time. I have to save her.

With that mantra echoing in her mind, she forced the man's hand down onto the ground and violently bent his finger back, crushing it under her shoe.

"Tell me where she is, or every finger will break just like this one," she stated, forcing herself to ignore his shrieks of pain.

I have to do this. I have to save her.

Tears ran down the man's face, and he choked out, "The top floor of the old Nighton hotel in the commercial district. It's only five fucking minutes from the hotel you two were staying at. I swear, that's where they're keeping her, so please, let me go! Don't kill me!"

For a moment, at the desperate pleading in his voice, Haruki hesitated, her grip on the gun faltering.

And in that moment, the man wrenched his other hand from behind his back and slammed it into Haruki's side.

She shot him immediately, firing one bullet straight through his forehead.

But she felt a sudden, strange warmth, and she looked down to see a switchblade sticking out of her side.

He stabbed me, she realized numbly, staggering to her feet. Just now, that wasn't a punch, it was…

Whether because of shock or the adrenaline pumping in her veins, Haruki couldn't feel anything other than a sticky wetness from the blood that oozed from the wound.

The graze on her shoulder from the bullet the second man had fired at her hurt more, stinging persistently as she stumbled to lean against the couch.

If she pulled the knife out now, she could end up doing more damage, and the bleeding would be worse, much worse. But she couldn't keep going with a knife in her side.

The hospital. I need to go to the hospital, she thought dully.

A sharp, quickly muffled cry came from the TV screen, and Haruki looked up dazedly.

Isuke…Isuke was being…

…what the hell am I doing?

There was no time for this.

The hospital? Even if Ren let her get near one, there wouldn't be enough time.

Forcing herself fully to her feet, Haruki gripped the handle of the knife.

You have to save her.

There was another sound from the TV, followed by laughter; tightening her grip on the handle, Haruki jerked the blade out.

The instant, searing pain made her drop the knife, and she dropped down onto one knee, gasping.

Through watery eyes, she looked up at the three dead mobsters.

Their clothes were made of cotton; it she cut them up into strips with the knife and then tied them up, she could use them as makeshift bandages.

Five minutes later, throwing all of their weapons and extra ammo into one of their bags and slinging it over her shoulder, Haruki ran out of the building, studiedly ignoring the burning pain in her side.

The hotel. The old Nighton hotel…it's literally right behind the one we were in. Ren…Ren purposefully made me waste all of this time.

Temporarily forcing down her anger, Haruki continued sprinting, stopping once she reached the sidewalk.

The men had had money in their wallets that she could use; waving an arm, Haruki flagged a taxi down.

Curling up in the backseat of the car, Haruki cradled her head in her hands and shuddered violently.

She couldn't think. If she thought about it too much, then she wouldn't be able to…

You just have to save her. That's it. That's all that you need to think about.

Pressing her forehead to the glass, she stared out the window at the quickly approaching lights of the hotel she and Isuke had been staying in.

"Go…go around the back," Haruki told the driver, staring warily at the parking lot where Ren's car was still probably parked. The woman would know where she was anyway, with the tracker, but she didn't want to have to see her, after she had fallen right into that trap.

The driver obeyed, and as the taxi rolled around the back of their hotel, Haruki saw the bright red of a Murcielago parked in the lot.

"I'll walk from here," she said, handing the man his money.

She wasn't about to ask the driver to pull up right in front of the abandoned Nighton hotel, and she wasn't about to storm it from the front, either.

Twenty-four guys. There were just three guys back there, and I'm already—

"…Haruki?"

She looked up to see Inukai Eisuke emerging from the Murcielago she had seen.

And she felt her heart begin to pound once again.

What…what is Isuke's…why is he—

"It is you," Eisuke said, approaching her rapidly.

His entire face was filled with a relief that slowly faded as he got closer and closer to her.

"I-Inukai…Inukai-san," Haruki managed, her throat suddenly feeling painfully tight.

Isuke's parent was here, right here, while Isuke was…

He must have come looking for her.

"Isuke wasn't answering her phone, and when I tried calling this hotel, they said that you two were both not in the room," Eisuke said, his brow knitting in concern. "I thought I'd swing by just to make sure that you were both all right, especially since Ryo suddenly dropped out of contact."

Haruki couldn't meet his gaze.

"W-we have to get out of the open, Inukai-san," she said, glancing around the mostly empty lot.

"…let's talk over there, then."

Eisuke suddenly looked pale, and Haruki wondered if she was really that transparent.

Once they were hidden in a narrow alleyway, Eisuke abruptly turned to face her.

"Where's my daughter?"

His voice was as cool as it always was, but even Haruki could detect the undercurrent of panic that ran through it.

She stared down at the ground, shaking.

"Sh-she…she's being held in the top floor of the old Nighton hotel. It's…it's because of me, Inukai-san. It's all…it's all my fault."

She told him everything, her words bubbling out rapidly in a stream of near-incoherent stammering, and her speech only became more and more feverish as she went on.

The entire time, Inukai Eisuke didn't give any kind of reaction at all.

His face was completely blank, and when Haruki finally broke off, he very slowly leaned back against the wall behind him.

"…so…according to what you're saying, if I went in now to try and save her, Ren's men would kill her right away?" he asked, his speech oddly uneven and clipped.

Haruki managed a nod.

"…my daughter…is being raped right now by the yakuza…and there's nothing I can do to stop it?"

His voice finally cracked, and he looked down at her with a sudden, dark intensity.

"She's being violated because your family was abducted. She's being hurt right now because—because of you!"

His hands went down onto her shoulders, shoving her against the wall, and Haruki couldn't help but gasp in pain as her side throbbed at the impact.

Eisuke jumped at the sound, jerking his hands back as though burned.

"I…I'm sorry," he said immediately, raking a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, and what I said was…I—"

"What you said was the truth," Haruki interrupted, her voice hoarse. "It's true, but I swear to you, Inukai-san, I'm going to get her out of there."

Eisuke looked lost, then, lost, afraid, and completely unlike himself.

"What else does Sanada Ren have planned for her? What else does she need to do in order to free the rest of your family?" he demanded, his hands splayed against the wall as if in search of support.

"…Ren said that if I reach her by the end of four hours, then she'll let her go without any more requirements, but…but I know she's lying."

Hearing herself voice her own suspicion made her feel strangely ill, as if she hadn't acknowledged the truth until now.

"Ren…I know her, and there's no way it would be that simple."

"…she's planning on killing her in the end, isn't she?" Eisuke said, voicing Haruki's own thoughts, and she nodded once.

"I think so," she breathed, not trusting her voice to get any louder.

I had always known…from the beginning, that this was…

"But I'm going to get her out of there. I…I promise you, I'll bring Isuke out alive."

Eisuke stared at her uncertainly, fear and grief for his child lining his face and making him look far older than he was.

"And I? Am I supposed to just sit here, waiting for you to bring her back?"

Haruki shook her head.

"Isuke…Isuke told me once that you're skilled with sniper rifles."

At the man's answering nod, Haruki continued, "Knowing Ren…she'll want to make things as painful as possible. And she wouldn't have let me go without a purpose. When…when I reach the top floor, they might try to…to do something to Isuke in front of me. If that happens—"

"I'll kill them," Eisuke said, slowly beginning to resemble his usual self as he straightened up. "By the time you reach the top floor, there'll be no more danger to her, right?"

"Other than the guys in that room, yeah," Haruki replied. "If…if I can manage to get to her and make sure that no one can kill her from outside, and you kill the people who are with her in the room, then…then she should be…"

Shaking her head, Haruki amended, "She will be safe. And if you could secure for us some kind of escape route…like a copter, maybe, then…"

Eisuke stared at her for a long time, eyes fixed and unwavering.

"And your family?"

Haruki looked away, feeling her stomach clench painfully inside her.

"I can't ask you to worry about that," she forced herself to say.

"…my first and top priority will be my daughter. But…my daughter also chose to go through all of this for the sake of your family. For your sake."

Eisuke looked down.

"And so…so I'll be sending some of my associates to surround your home and the hospital. If possible…then immediately after Isuke is safe, then they will rush in to rescue your remaining family members, hopefully before Ren has time to figure out what is happening and react," he said, speaking slowly and deliberately.

Haruki nodded, bowing her head.

"Th…thank you, Inukai-san. Really, I…I don't deserve that, but thank you."

Eisuke was silent for a few moments; finally, he lowered himself into a slight bow of his own.

"I…I promise to do whatever I can to help your family. But…I will also hold you to your promise, Sagae Haruki. You…you have to keep it. Please."

Haruki nodded, swallowing hard.

"I will."

---

Kensuke sank down slowly into his chair, eyes fixed on the so-called assassin named Inukai Isuke.

It was halfway through the second hour, and he could see her will slowly beginning to erode.

Those pretty amber eyes, mocking and prideful at first, were now dull with exhaustion and pain, and that usual smile of hers, so poisonously sweet, was missing entirely.

Wonder where that girlfriend of hers is, he mused, buckling his belt again. Shouldn't she be swooping in the hero sometime soon?

Though, he realized, if she did, he would have to end it then and there.

Kensuke frowned, rubbing his forehead.

That was fucked up, even for Ren.

Kensuke didn't feel bad about what he had done to Isuke, but he did feel uncomfortable at the prospect of what he was going to do to her in the future.

She's going through all this shit…doesn't feel right to just end it like that.

At least the girlfriend would have her family safe and sound, but…

I'm pretty sure that if she could, Ren would probably have killed all of them too, anyway.

But it'd take a shitload of money and work to cover up the deaths of an entire family, most of whom were children.

And money, Kensuke knew, was a commodity that Ren for once didn't have an endless supply of.

The Hanabusa conglomerate had been suddenly screwing with the prices of Ren's stocks over the past few days, and they knew it had something to do with what Isuke had been planning with the conglomerate's young heiress.

If possible, Kensuke knew that Ren wanted to avoid killing anyone other than Isuke herself.

So in the end, you singlehandedly saved the lives of the entire Sagae family, he thought, staring at Isuke and wondering how the girl would react if he told her all of this out loud.

"Hey, Kensuke. Sanada-sama just called and said that we can take the slut more than one at a time now," Junji said, grinning at him as he walked into the room. "Gonna help myself, if you don't mind. Why don't you give her another go, too?"

Kensuke frowned, gaze flicking back to Isuke on the ground.

For all her willpower and pride, she was still physically just a nineteen year old girl. If they were too rough with her…

"…I'll pass. Just make sure you keep it under control. If she dies before that girlfriend of hers gets here, Sanada-sama will have all of you fucking castrated," he muttered.

To his surprise, Isuke's eyes suddenly refocused, shifting to rest on him, and after a moment he realized why.

"…yeah, that's right. Your girlfriend's on her way here. Think she'll make it, against all odds?" he asked, staring down at her.

Isuke didn't reply, but her expression darkened, and Kensuke recognized the emotion on her face as that of worry.

She's getting fucking gang-raped, and she's spending her time worrying about that girl.

On the other hand, he hardly knew what Sagae was going through in order to get here.

The two of them trying so hard for each other…it was pretty fucking cute, wasn't it?

Kensuke smirked, turning to his briefcase and popping it open.

And I'll be ending it all with a bullet through her skull, making it all for nothing. Really, really fucked up.

He pulled out one of the syringes in the briefcase, testing the pump before turning back to Isuke.

To his men, he waved a hand.

"Get off of her for a second. I need to do something."

And kneeling beside the girl, he said, "Isuke-chan. This here's a drug that's gonna make you feel a whole lot better."

Manabu snickered, pulling out of her and grinning.

"Good idea, Kensuke. It's not as fun if she's all pissy like this," he said.

Kensuke ignored him, focusing on the way Isuke looked up to glare at him, eyes once again clear with hatred and anger.

…this has got nothing to do with wanting to make this more pleasurable for all these other fuckers, he thought as he grabbed Isuke's wrist.

The girl convulsed as he injected the drug, and he smiled grimly her eyes momentarily closed.

If those eyes of yours are glazed over from the effects of the drug, it'll be a lot easier on me to pull the trigger, Inukai Isuke. Sorry, but that's the way it is.

Hearing his phone go off, he stood and turned away.

Seeing the caller ID, he paled.

"S-Sanada-sama? Is everything all right?" he said, uneasily looking at the camera.

"Everything's fine, Morita-san. I've just called to inform you that Haruki has reached the building. It seems she somehow managed to find the place after all. I told you that girl had remarkable determination," Ren said, her voice silky and amused. "The tracker shows that she's trying to get in through the side entrance. Send your men there, and let's see how much that determination can really do."

Kensuke nodded, snapping the phone closed and turning back to his men.

He was somewhat relieved, in a weird way, to get rid of some of the guys. They'd really kill the girl at the rate they were going.

"Junji, Manabu, Yamato, Hikaru…get the fuck off of her and go down to the side entrance. Her girlfriend's here. Go and give her a warm welcome," he said.

The men protested immediately, and so Kensuke casually picked up his gun and shot Manabu in the shoulder.

Ignoring his shrieks of pain and rage, he turned to the other three.

"These are orders from Sanada-sama herself. Should I tell her that you guys were too busy fucking your new toy to obey her orders?"

That got them up fast enough, and Kensuke added, "There are already fifteen guys down there; I'll tell them to go to the side entrance, so go and get rid of her together."

He stared down at Isuke as they left, taking in her shallow breathing and trembling.

The drug was starting to kick in, relaxing the muscles in her body, but those damned eyes of hers were still alert, focused on the backs of the men as they left the room.

"…nineteen men, and more up here. You think your girlfriend can handle that?" he said, putting his gun back down.

Isuke didn't reply, but he could see her body tense again.

Kensuke shook his head, grimacing as he looked at his gun. The gun he'd used to blow this girl's brains out, even if her girlfriend somehow managed to make it up here alive.

Really, really fucked up, he thought, and even he felt the faintest twinge of something that might've resembled guilt.

---

Haruki heard the men coming down the stairs and counted somewhere around fifteen of them.

And, bringing the knife to her hand, she sliced through the skin, biting down on the cloth she had stuffed into her mouth as pain flooded her senses.

Ren will know if I take the chip out, she thought feverishly as she dug into her flesh with the knife. I haven't broken any of her damned rules, I'm right where she wants me to be, and I didn't remove it to go get help, so she won't be angry, but she'll know, and she'll tell her lackeys over the phone.

Which meant she only had a few minutes, tops, to do what she was planning.

Forcing the chip out with the tip of the blade, Haruki took in a shuddering breath.

And, blocking out the throbbing, she quickly tied her handkerchief around her bloodied hand, dropped the blinking chip onto the ground, and jumped out the window.

Sprinting around the building, she made her way to the back entrance.

Fifteen men there, which means that there are only about eight or nine left elsewhere in the building, she thought, wrenching open the door and bounding up the stairs.

They would probably be alerted within minutes that she was using another entrance instead; she had to get to the top floor as fast as she could.

When she reached the fourth floor she heard voices, and, peeking around the corner, saw four men coming down the stairs.

"Fuck Kensuke and fuck Ren," one of them was muttering, rubbing at his shoulder. "Why the fuck do we have to go down, anyway?"

"I'm beginning to think Kensuke feels a little bad for her, or something," another said, shrugging. "He wouldn't fuck her more than once, and even when he did, he was really damn quick about it."

"Oh, I feel plenty bad for her too," another man said, laughing. "Just not bad enough to resist that body of hers. Never fucked anyone like her before."

"Tell me about it," the last said. "And so tight and hot inside. Felt like I was fucking a virgin. Isn't she supposed to be some slut?"

They came closer and closer, and Haruki pulled the gun from the bag.

Once they rounded the corner to go down the next flight of stairs, they'd see her.

So she had to move before then.

Making sure her body was protected behind the wall, Haruki peeked up and fired.

There was a cry and the thump of a body hitting the ground.

"What the—"

She fired again, bringing the second man down, but the last two had spotted her.

Haruki ducked down behind the wall as they shot at her, hearing the bullets ricochet off the steel and embed in the concrete.

"That you, Sagae?" one of them called, pausing in his shots. "You here to rescue your girlfriend?"

"Not bad, getting this far," the other said with a chuckle. "But you won't be gettin' any further, unfortunately."

"…you gonna just keep hiding back there?" the first said. "While poor Isuke-chan is getting fucked raw?"

His voice was suddenly closer, and Haruki reacted even before she saw his foot come down beside her.

Whipping her leg out, she sent him sprawling to the ground.

The second was right there behind him, and in that second, they both raised their guns.

Haruki shot the first on the ground even as she lunged at the second, smashing her fist into his elbow and forcing his arm to the side as he fired.

She felt something hot tear into her shoulder, and she bit back a curse as she tackled the man to the ground.

The man was already wounded, with a bleeding bullet wound in his shoulder, and even in her own weakened state Haruki was able to overwhelm him.

She tightened her grip on his throat until she felt his windpipe collapse underneath her fingers, and only let go once he stopped struggling completely.

Haruki forced herself to her feet immediately, staggering up the stairs.

It hurt.

He had shot her in the shoulder, where the graze had already been.

I think the bullet passed through, which is good, but…

Her entire side felt like it was on fire, and she could feel blood seeping through her makeshift bandages.

Her broken arm ached, and she was pretty sure she had really screwed it up even more when she used it to punch the guy just now.

Shaking her head rapidly, Haruki continued up the stairs, clutching at the railing for support.

It doesn't matter. I have to get to her.

Isuke was here, on the top floor. Just a few more flights of stairs, and she'd be there.

I have to save her.

In that moment, nothing else mattered.

---

"The only way to reach this floor is through the elevator. As soon as those doors open, and that girl comes out, riddle her with holes."

The five men who were left on the top floor with Kensuke nodded, loading their weapons.

Leaning back in his chair, Kensuke shook his head and laughed.

I don't believe this.

She had tricked them into going to the wrong entrance to intercept her.

Thought she was just poor, dumb muscle…guess I was wrong.

But it wouldn't matter in the end anyway.

The fifteen men down on the bottom floor were on their way up, and so even if—

A loud crash cut into his thoughts, and he immediately got to his feet.

"...don't just stand there! Go check what the hell that was!"

His men obeyed, running out into the hallway.

There was a sudden, startled shriek of pain, instantly followed by the sound of gunshots and shouts.

Kensuke stalked out into the hall to see his men dropping like flies.

And he stared, aghast, when he saw Sagae Haruki in their midst.

…is that really Sagae Haruki?

There was nothing of that grinning, relaxed girl that Kensuke remembered in the person that drove her knee into Hiro's gut and emptied bullets into Akira's skull.

She mowed them down like a machine, not stopping despite the bullets that tore at her own body and the punches his men threw at her as they struggled desperately against the garrote that tightened around their necks.

No, not a machine.

There was a desperation to her movements, and wild, unrestrained rage that kept her going despite the blood and wounds that should've dropped her ages ago.

She was like an animal, not a machine, and that, Kensuke thought, was far more frightening.

He turned, moving quickly back into the room and digging through his bag for his knife.

Two stabs…and one bullet to the head.

He turned to look at Isuke.

She was seated on the ground, leaning back against the wall that his men had shoved her against before they had left.

She was utterly unresponsive when he walked up to her, and those eyes, to his relief, were glazed over and dull.

The effects of the drug had really addled her brain, and for the past hour she had been like a limp doll, not reacting to anything that the men did to her.

She's almost dead from exhaustion anyway, he thought, as well as totally out of it from the drug. It'd be better to put her outta her misery now.

He stared down at the knife, brow furrowing slightly.

And, kneeling beside her, he shoved the hilt against her gut, positioning his body to hide hers from the camera and make it look like he had really stabbed her.

I'm a complete asshole, he thought. But even I've got damned standards. Not going to gut her now just for the sake of Ren's shits and giggles.

Pressing the barrel of his gun to her temple, he sighed.

Unfortunately for you, girl, my standards aren't high enough to stop me from killing you. Sorry.

But for the briefest of moments, he hesitated.

That was all it took.

In that briefest of moments, right before Kensuke pulled the trigger, Inukai Eisuke fired from a building hundreds of feet away.

---

Haruki staggered into the room just as she saw the man inside scream, something tearing into his arm and shredding the muscles and skin as it ripped clean through.

It was Eisuke who shot the bullet. It had to be.

The man stumbled, picking his gun up with his other hand.

Haruki cleared the room in a second, sending the man crashing to the ground with a kick to the side.

And on the floor, the man wheezed out a laugh.

"Well done, Sagae. Not fucking bad. Maybe it'll all be worth it in the end for you two after all," he said. And he smirked as another sniper rifle bullet tore through the window and killed him.

Haruki turned for a second to the camera behind her, smashing it to the ground and shooting it to pieces.

The camera was gone, the men were dead, she had shot the elevator's cord off so the rest of them wouldn't be able to reach this floor.

All the barriers were gone.

And so Haruki finally was able to turn, and she could see nothing but Isuke, sitting there beside the wall.

She stumbled towards her, pain, anger, everything forgotten as she sunk down onto her knees beside the other girl.

She fumbled for her wrist, fingers trembling violently as she took Isuke's cold hand in her own and felt for her pulse.

It was there.

It was faint but it was there, and Haruki choked out a sigh of something that couldn't yet be relief.

She was alive.

She was alive, but…

"I…Isuke," she breathed.

Her amber eyes were dull and empty, her face void of any emotion.

And when Haruki reached out to touch her cheek, the other girl didn't react at all, still staring straight ahead.

Haruki felt something twisting inside of her, worse than anything she had felt that entire night.

"Isuke…please…"

They had to get out of there.

Ren wouldn't just stand by after Haruki had done all of this, and the men would eventually somehow find a way up even without the elevator.

They had to get out of there, Haruki knew that, but—

I can't.

Haruki couldn't move. Not like this.

"Isuke, it's me. I…I'm here," she stammered, brushing her hand gently over her friend's cheek. "I'm here, and…and I…"

Haruki broke off, gazing at the other girl.

The adrenaline was finally beginning to wear off , the panic, desperation, and near-hysteria suddenly leaving her in the emptiness of that room.

And she felt hollow as she stared at Isuke, drawing the other girl in close against her chest.

"…I'm sorry," she finally said, shaking. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I can't...I can't ever say it enough. Isuke, you…you were right, you know? I'm not some superhero, and I…I'm just a stupid, weak, pathetic human, and I couldn't even stop them from—"

Her voice broke, and she clutched weakly at the other girl.

"I'm sorry. But Isuke, you were the one who told me to be selfish, right? I-I know it hurts, and I know you've been through hell and you're tired and…and you want to rest, but Isuke, pl-please…I'm going to be selfish, okay?"

She tightened her grip on the other girl's hands, swallowing hard.

"I'm going to selfish, so please…please come back to me, Isuke. Y-you have to be okay. You have to. There…th-there's so much I need to tell you, and so much that I need to do for you, and if you go now I don't know what I…I need…"

Haruki couldn't speak, her throat painfully tight and constricting around her words.

And so, leaning down, she brought a hand gently to Isuke's face and kissed her.

It was clumsy, abrupt, and desperate, and Haruki trembled violently even as gripped her fingers with her other hand and pulled the girl closer to her.

It was stupid, hopelessly naïve in its intention to somehow rouse the other girl.

But as Haruki moved to pull away, she felt the briefest, weakest squeeze at her fingers.

And when she opened her eyes, Isuke's were just a little bit clearer, a hint of their usual focus returning to them.

Recognition sparked in their depths.

Haruki gazed down at her, terrified of even speaking.

She felt a sudden, weak tug, and she looked down to see Isuke's other hand pressed against her shirt, clutching at the fabric.

"…I told you…not to come," she breathed, and her pupils dilated as she stared dazedly up at the ceiling. "I-idiot…never…listening to me."

Haruki swallowed convulsively, still not trusting herself to speak.

Running a shaking hand along Isuke's jaw, she looked intently down at those amber eyes.

And she watched as they slowly returned to clarity, watched as they drifted down to meet Haruki's.

"…but you…came anyway. And…right on time, again," she murmured, tightening her grip on Haruki's shirt.

"I…I didn't," Haruki finally said, her voice hoarse and strained. "You're…I…I didn't get here on time at all."

Isuke responded with the faintest of smiles, a ghost of her usual ones.

"Isuke's alive. I think…that counts as just in time," she said.

She looked up at Haruki again, directly, and something inside Haruki broke.

All the terror, panic, pain, and anger; everything she had done for the past few hours had all been leading up to this moment.

And Isuke was alive.

She's alive, and she…she's going to be okay. She has to be okay.

Haruki crumpled, wrapping her arms tightly around the other girl and closing her eyes.

Isuke gave a weak laugh, and Haruki felt her hand brush against Haruki's cheek.

"…idiot. When Isuke told you to cry…didn't mean…about dumb things like this."

When Haruki opened her eyes, she finally managed a crooked smile as she looked down at the other girl.

"We…we don't have a lot of time. We have to get you out of here, Isuke. Hold…hold onto me, okay?" she said, draping her jacket carefully over Isuke's shoulders.

Isuke nodded slowly, her arms encircling Haruki's neck.

"I asked Inukai-san to prepare an escape route for us, so hopefully, with any luck, something should be here soon. If not, then—"

"Haruki…you're hurt."

Haruki looked down in surprise to see Isuke staring at her body, eyes moving from wound to wound.

"Ah, it's nothing major," Haruki said, forcing a laugh. "Don't worry about it. I'm going to check if there's a helicopter—"

"Nothing major? I-idiot, this is…"

"Hey," Haruki said, smiling softly. "Just worry about yourself. Isn't that what Inukai Isuke told me to do?"

"Inukai Isuke…became a complete idiot the moment she met you," Isuke replied, frowning faintly as she leaned her head tiredly into Haruki's chest. "I don't know what she would do or say anymore."

Haruki chuckled and placed a foot on the ground to push herself up.

In the next second, a sudden dizzying wave of nausea overwhelmed her, and she had to lean back against the wall to keep from crashing back down to the ground.

As she stood there, shaking, she realized what was happening.

The adrenaline, the fear, the anger…it had all been feeding her willpower, keeping her body going out of sheer determination.

But everything had a breaking point, and now Haruki's body…

I think it reached it a few hours ago, she thought with a weak laugh.

"Haruki," Isuke was saying, countenance dark with worry as she looked up at her. "Put me down, idiot. You…you can't carry me like this. You—"

She broke off, going even whiter than she already was, and Haruki followed her gaze to the blood that was soaking through her shirt.

It was coming from more than her side now.

Haruki knew she had been shot more than once, and with the beating she had gotten as she made her way here, all the wounds had been exacerbated.

Her vision swam, and the world seemed to spin, but Haruki gritted her teeth and forced herself to stay upright.

She couldn't pass out here. If she did, that'd be it.

"I-Isuke…do you see anything outside at all? Isuke's mama…said he'd prepare…"

Pain flooded back to her, and she cut herself off, leaning heavily against the wall.

"Th-there…there's a helicopter, but it's still a long way off, and I don't know if it's coming here," Isuke said, turning back from the window. "Haruki, your side, the blood, it's—"

"It's fine," Haruki interrupted, forcing another grin. "I'm fine. The helicopter…even if it's not for us, we have to get to the roof, Isuke. Isuke's mama is the one who shot the sniper rifle, so he should be watching us right now. But unless we get to the roof, there's no way anything can reach us."

She staggered forward, ignoring the way every torn muscle and every broken bone screamed in protest.

There was one old wooden door, and Haruki knew that one had to lead to the roof.

The doorknob turned, but the door wouldn't budge.

"Must be jammed," Haruki muttered, frowning. "It's an old place, after all. S-sorry, Isuke, but I'm going to put you down for just one second, okay?"

"You never had to pick me up in the first place," Isuke mumbled, but Haruki noticed how she stumbled as soon as she touched the ground.

She went through torture these past few hours; her body...it's not safe for her yet. I can't waste time here.

She turned to the door.

"Haruki—"

Rearing back, Haruki slammed her body against the door, blocking out the burning pain that shot through her.

When she rammed into it again, she felt her wounds open up, the blood warm as it oozed down her skin.

The third time, she heard a crack, and briefly wondered to herself whether it came from the door or her.

Probably both, she mused with a faint laugh; and then, on the fourth try, the door finally gave way, the old wood splintering as she crashed through.

Her vision darkened as she crouched on the ground, abruptly seized by violent, wheezing coughs.

Seeing her hand come away bloody, Haruki grimaced and hastily wiped it on her already stained shirt as Isuke came through the doorway and crouched down beside her.

"You're an idiot," the other girl said, glaring down at her, and Haruki couldn't help but laugh, ridiculously and inexplicably pleased by the familiar sight.

No…no, actually, it's easily explainable, she thought, as she pushed herself up to her feet again.

"I…I want things to go back to normal again, Isuke-sama," she said, and winced when her voice came out in a painful rasp. "I…I want to get out of here…and for everything…to go back to the way it was for us."

"...it will, you absolute idiot," Isuke said, taking Haruki's arm and draping it over her shoulders. "It will, so just lean on me for support, and we'll get up the stairs that way, okay?"

Haruki could hear the undercurrent of panic in her voice, and smiled slightly as she sagged against the other girl.

"…you…you can barely walk yourself, Isuke…" she said, her vision hazy and her mind feeling strangely clouded.

"I can walk better than you can, so stop talking and keep walking," Isuke replied, casting her a dark, troubled look.

Guess I look pretty bad…I sure feel pretty bad, Haruki thought, stumbling slightly as she missed a step. Isuke…Isuke's exhausted too, though. I can't…I can't do this to her.

"I…I want things to go back to normal," she repeated dazedly. "With Isuke-sama back to her usual self, and…and Isuke…"

"Shut up," Isuke insisted, her pace quickening slightly. "Stop…stop talking like you're going to die. Everything will go back to normal, and you'll be right there, like always, so stop it. We're almost there, Haruki."

The second door opened with only minimal effort, and they finally made it up.

The night air was hot and muggy, and they both collapsed as soon as they stepped out into it.

Haruki stared up at the sky, watching as the helicopter flew closer and closer.

Something…something's wrong.

"Haruki…Haruki, there's another helicopter coming behind that first one."

Haruki's body moved before her mind could react, and she forced Isuke backwards, back to the stairway.

"Go down a few steps, and don't come up until I open the door," she said, and slammed the door shut before Isuke could reply.

Ignoring the rattling of the doorknob behind her and the banging from the door, Haruki held the door shut and looked up as the first helicopter slowly descended onto the roof.

Sanada Ren stepped out of the copter, smiling as she waved at her.

A silver knife gleamed in her other hand, and she walked briskly across the rooftop, stopping right in front of Haruki.

"You didn't try to shoot me," Ren said, looking somewhat surprised. "It seems you're both more resourceful and smarter than you appear, my dear."

"You wouldn't come here without at least five bodyguards. They'd blow me to pieces if I even tried to grab the gun," Haruki replied, keeping her voice as level as she could.

This woman was responsible for everything. This woman had held her family at gunpoint. This woman had tried to kill Isuke.

This woman is still trying to kill Isuke, she reminded herself.

She couldn't act rashly. Not when Ren still had the upper hand.

"It seems as though your family has escaped entirely," Ren said, smirking. "I do wonder how you managed that while you still had the tracker in you, but…you have proved yourself quite remarkable today. I congratulate you."

Looking past her, Ren continued, "Is Isuke-chan behind that door? I'm rather surprised that she isn't dead yet, really, with all the drugs and abuse they put her through. Not to mention the stab wounds."

Haruki frowned slightly in confusion at the mention of stab wounds, but said nothing as Ren continued, "Still…I did make a promise, didn't I? And even though I really had no intention of keeping it, since Kensuke is dead and I can see Inukai Eisuke coming in that helicopter over there, I suppose I don't have much of a choice anymore."

Ren's smile widened.

"I came over here simply for the last trade, my dear Haruki. You see…Isuke-chan technically did make the trade for every single last one of your siblings…but the last trade for your mother never really went through. She was supposed to take a bullet in the head, but Kensuke failed me in that regard."

Twirling the knife between her fingers, Ren cocked her head to the side and stared at Haruki.

"I came here to finish the job with Isuke. But since you're in the way, and you're safely on the rooftop with Eisuke a few minutes away, I was thinking that maybe you could take her place, my dear. Of course, since you are my sweet pet, I would never shoot you in the head. Just one stab wound, for your mother. Either that, or…you can move aside, and let me get to Isuke."

Eisuke was coming, but there was nothing he could do from the helicopter; even if there was, he'd overpowered by the sheer number of Ren's men in her helicopter.

Ren had lost, and she was angry. She had come here to take her anger out on someone, and it would either be Haruki or…

"You already know how I'm going to answer, don't you?" Haruki said. "I won't let you touch her."

Ren's smile twisted.

"I thought you'd say something like that," she said, and calmly plunged the knife into Haruki's stomach.

There was no pain; or maybe there was, and Haruki just couldn't feel the extra bit the knife caused when the rest of her body was already flooded with it.

But her legs did suddenly give out from under her, and as Ren wrenched the blade out, Haruki soundlessly slumped down onto the ground.

"Goodbye, my dear. Thanks to this little fiasco, it seems I'll have to disappear for some time. Even if you don't die here, I doubt we'll ever see each other again. You were quite the entertaining little pet, especially tonight, even while you were fighting for Inukai Isuke's sake. Now I must be going, before Eisuke gets too close…I wouldn't want to waste any more time with a skirmish with him."

Haruki watched as Ren turned, throwing one last smile over her shoulder before getting back onto her helicopter.

And she watched as the helicopter rose back into the air, flying off and away.

It was only when the chopper was a good distance away that Haruki finally moved away from the door, letting Isuke get through and onto the rooftop.

"Haruki!"

It hurt.

Really, really hurts. Everything, it all…

She could hear Isuke saying something to her, voice strangely thin and breathless with panic.

I wish…I wish I could tell her to calm down. She's…she should be worrying about herself.

Haruki turned her head slightly, frowning as she remembered something.

Reaching out, she ran a hand gently over Isuke's stomach, smiling when she found it smooth and unmarred. She let her gaze drift over the rest of her friend's body.

There were no stab wounds.

Wonder what Ren was talking about…but it doesn't matter, anyway, as long as Isuke's okay.

Her body…had really reached its absolute limit.

She gotten Isuke up onto the roof, had made sure Ren didn't hurt her, and now Eisuke was coming, his silver hair visible in the window as his helicopter drew closer.

Just…just a little bit longer.

If she could just hang on until Eisuke landed, she would be sure that Isuke was safe.

Haruki tried to focus on what Isuke was saying to her, and mentally apologized to the other girl when she couldn't.

She dimly registered the wetness of tears, though, and wanted to laugh.

We're just a pair of crybabies today, she thought, and smiled when she felt fingers tighten around hers.

The telltale sound of a chopper drew nearer and nearer, and Haruki watched as it landed on the roof.

Eisuke leapt out of the helicopter, running towards them, and Haruki let out a weak sigh.

It was all over.

She's safe.

And, smiling, Haruki finally closed her eyes.

---

Chapter 13: Chapter 13

---

EDIT: lolll kk guys so the purpose behind my wall of text backfired horribly and now I'm getting more messages than ever because people think I'm super duper offended/scarred for life or something and will never write again. Lol thank you all very much for your concern, and you're all very very kind, but everything I wrote was meant more or less facetiously; I'm not angry or sad in the least, and alllllll I want is for this entire blog thing to die down completely. Let's all just be friends and hold hands and sing and whatnot :D I'm just going to delete all that stuff, and let's all just forget it ever happened and move on, yeah? :)

So please stop with the messages ;_; I really do appreciate the sentiments behind each and every one, but my poor inbox is begging to be put to rest, ahaha.

I'm not going to delete the tumblr shoutouts, though, just because I was told that people were apparently really happy about them, haha. Oh, and good to hear from you, gaaaaahhhhh! I made the appropriate spelling change to your name, ahahaha.

---

Ohohoh wait;to bring up some happier stuff about tumblr while I'm on the subject: I've also received a lot of messages mentioning bloggers called labanba, krovski, akihaotaku, steponmeisukesama (LOL I love all your names), nala-suu, sleepy-tanuki, jstonedd, and gaaaaahhhhh (I hope I have the right number of a's and h's lol). I can't remember whether you guys were people that liked the fic and supported it, people that disliked the fic but were sweet and respectful about it, or people that also wrote Haruki/Isuke fics, lol; it's all super jumbled up in my head after reading all those messages, but I've seen these names pop up over and over again, and I wanted to sincerely thank you guys, regardless of which category you fall into. If any of you guys are happen to know what I'm talking about/are friends with this blogger, please apologize to her for me, since I doubt she'll be reading any of this; I hope she didn't actually receive any death threats, and I sincerely hope that this entire thing can just…fade away now. (And, given she can forgive my paragraph of obnoxiousness above, that we can maybe be friends. Provided she doesn't hate me as much as/more than she hates this fic).

---

Okay, so on to the notes for this chapter.

The darker version won in both polls, and when the votes from the reviews were added, the pie chart ended up being split 71.67% for the darker version and 24.23% for the rewrite, while the remainder was just fine with anything.

So yes; I sincerely apologize, and to be honest I'm a little surprised, but the darker version did win. Majority does rule, and it simply wouldn't be fair if I went with the lighter rewrite after all of this. Once I have time later (my internship finally ends in mid-August, whoo! I intern at a hospital in the psych ward, for those of you who were asking) I may write alternate chapters going off of the rewrite; but for now, chapter 12 and the chapters after that will follow the darker version. I apologize again, and I completely understand if this path means that you can no longer follow this fic. Thank you very very much for your interest until now.

I can say this, though: the alternate chapter 11 was the darkest that this fic will ever get. There won't be anything more like that in the future. Also, there will be lots of fluff and such to hopefully balance it all out in the end, so…yeah. Please look forward to that :) I also tried to minimize the angst in this chapter, one because I think everyone (including myself) has had a surfeit of that stuff, and two, because I really didn't want this to play out too much like some hospital soap opera thing.

I apologize for the wait for this chapter; aside from the whole blog thing, there was a lot going on this week, including an awkward affair on Tuesday that involved me completely forgetting about my boyfriend's birthday. Quite an unfortunate lapse of memory. I made it up to him with special dates and such, which took up quite a bit of time. Also, I just really wasn't in the mood to write this week. So yes, sorry about the delay.

Okay. Yay. Here's chapter 12. Sorry about the millions of line breaks, but they were necessary to create that whole weird fuzzy dreamscape kind of atmosphere. I'll try to have chapter 13 up asap to make up for the delay and the relative lack of certain...stuff in this chapter.

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"She suffered from multiple contusions around her body, while the opioid analgesic that was injected into her has led to a significantly decreased blood pressure and respiratory depression; the nail avulsion—"

"Cut the damned jargon and speak to me plainly!"

Eisuke trembled, stopping his agitated pacing to turn and glare at the doctor.

"Is my daughter going to be all right?"

The doctor frowned, and Eisuke noticed for the first time that her own hands shook as she placed her clipboard down onto the table.

"…your daughter's condition is stable, so she will live," she began, sinking down into the seat across from him. She was momentarily silent, clearly and carefully considering on her next words.

"But…she has been through…a nightmare, Inukai-san. We are running tests to check if she has contracted any venereal diseases, and we are administering fluids to rehydrate her body. You… are you against the use of contraception?"

Eisuke felt ill, his stomach twisting inside of him when he understood why the doctor was asking that question.

"…in this case, no, of course not," he replied, passing a hand slowly over his face. "Do…do everything you can to make that she doesn't…that she isn't—"

"Even if there is the danger of pregnancy, we will take the steps necessary to prevent it, Inukai-san," the doctor said quietly, nodding. "However…even if physically, all tests return with good news, and your daughter is physically in the clear, I…I can't say anything about her mental health after trauma of this level."

Eisuke shook his head rapidly, grasping at the arm of the chair for support.

"She'll be fine," he said heatedly, his fingers stiff and clammy as he twisted them together in his lap. "She's strong. She'll be fine. She has to be. Even…even after something like this."

The doctor grimaced.

"Inukai-san, what she went through was bad enough, but…but it's not all that I'm concerned about when I speak of her mental health," she said, abruptly getting back to her feet.

"Before she was sedated, your daughter feverishly spoke about another girl called 'Haruki' over and over again."

Eisuke nodded, closing his eyes when he remembered the state he had found the two of them in on the rooftop.

He had brought the paramedic with him in the copter for Isuke, originally, but that bloodied, battered form he had seen from the distance hadn't been his daughter after all.

"Mama," Isuke whimpered, clutching at his chest and speaking in a voice that Eisuke hadn't heard from her since she was a child. "Haruki, she's…"

"She was immediately taken to the ICU," Eisuke said, opening his eyes again. "She's being treated now, isn't she?"

The doctor looked down at him grimly.

"I just spoke with one of the intensivists in the ICU regarding her condition. When she arrived here, she had already lost at least 2000 milliliters of blood, and her body was in hypovolemic shock. The doctors are everything they can, but there are already complications involving acute renal failure and gut ischaemia, and…"

Trailing off, she shook her head.

"I'm not saying that it was your fault, Inukai-san. The tourniquet you applied and the work of the paramedic only helped her, but she should have been in here hours ago. Even from when you first reached her, it…it might have been too late."

She sat down again, taking his hand gently into hers.

"The prognosis isn't good, Inukai-san. Sagae Haruki-san is clearly someone very important to your daughter, and so…should the worst come to pass, then…"

"I have to figure out a way to tell her," he finished for her, numbly falling back in his seat.

He was dimly aware of the doctor quietly leaving the room, and he brought a hand slowly to his pounding temples.

From the very beginning, he had been concerned first and foremost about his daughter. How quickly he could get to her, what state she would be in, and how he could maximize her chances of survival.

Even now, his worry was reserved solely for his child, and he shook with a grief that was solely for Isuke.

But he had never even considered the thought that Sagae Haruki might die.

Inukai Eisuke was not a sentimental man; the job of an assassin would be entirely unsuitable if he had been the type to cry over every death he witnessed.

Really, he only truly cared about two people in the world: Shinji, and of course Isuke.

But every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the way Haruki had looked up at him in that narrow alleyway, eyes mirroring the same desperation and determination that he had felt as she promised to save Isuke's life.

And she kept her word, he thought, opening his eyes again to stare down at the hospital floor's tiles. My child is alive because of her.

Shaking his head, he got to his feet.

True, Isuke would never have needed saving to begin with if it hadn't been for her involvement with Haruki, but…

But Isuke had cried for her, hadn't she?

He grimaced, the memory bringing a spasm of pain somewhere inside of him.

Eisuke couldn't remember the last time he had seen Isuke cry.

Even when he had first taken her from her biological parents' home all those years ago, she had been dazed and withdrawn, but hadn't once shed a tear for any of the corpses that had lain in that dark room.

But for Haruki, the tears had fallen freely; Isuke hadn't even seemed aware of them at all as she had gripped her roommate's bloody shirt.

He had only managed to separate the two, letting the doctors take Haruki to the ICU and Isuke to the emergency room, once he had promised his daughter that they would both be all right.

That's right…I made her a promise, he realized, leaning tiredly against the wall, and now…I don't know if I can keep it.

Isuke…his daughter would live.

For that much, Eisuke was immeasurably grateful.

But the doctor was right; he couldn't relax yet.

Though he wanted nothing more than stay here, haunting the hallway until the doctors told him he could go and sit by his daughter's bedside, he knew that for her sake, he had to be somewhere else.

And so, turning on his heel, Eisuke made his way down to the intensive care unit.

---

Balling up his hands into small fists, Aki punched the wall in mounting frustration.

"I wanna see her now!" he cried, tugging at the hem of Fuyuka's skirt. "I wanna see Haruki-nee-chan too!"

Fuyuka shook her head, somehow forcing her voice to remain steady as she stared through the observation window.

"The doctors told you, Aki. Haruki-nee-chan isn't ready to see you yet. She'll be ready soon, okay? Then we can all go in as a family, and—"

On the other side of the window, the heart rate monitor spiked, and the nurses suddenly scattered as the doctor shouted commands.

Blood. There's so much blood everywhere. Is that…is that all my sister's…

Fuyuka looked away, her knees buckling underneath her as she slumped against the wall.

Aki abruptly stopped his demands, face screwing up in a frown as he stared intently at her.

"…Fuyuka-nee-chan, are you crying?" he asked, suddenly sounding very scared. "W…why are you crying?"

Even as Fuyuka tried to smile, she knew that she wouldn't be able to. Not like her older sister always could.

"…Haruki-nee-chan is really hurt right now, Aki," she said, and swallowed hard to keep her voice from cracking again. "She's really hurt, so you have to be a good boy and pray for her, okay? Pray that she'll be okay, and that we can go in and see her soon."

"D-did the bad men hurt her?" Kana stammered, her own large eyes filling with tears.

As Fuyuka opened her mouth to reply, the door suddenly swung open, and a tall, silver-haired man came walking into the room.

He stopped abruptly when he saw them, his expression momentarily darkening.

"…you…you must be Haruki's younger siblings," he finally said, bowing slightly. "I am Inukai Eisuke, one of Isuke's parents."

Fuyuka paled, shakily rising to her feet.

This man…this man had been the one that had sent his associates to save them.

He…he's Isuke-san's father. Why is he…

"H-how…how is Isuke-san?" Fuyuka managed to say, leaning back against the wall.

Her mind was wrapped in a tumult of confused emotions, and she looked away from the man before any of them could show on her face.

Inukai Isuke was the reason why they were all alive right now.

Isuke had sacrificed herself over and over and over again to save her siblings' lives. She had done so much for them, but…

But now, because of her, my sister is—

"Isuke is in stable condition," Eisuke said, walking slowly over to the observation window. "The doctors…told me that she kept mentioning your sister, even as they sedated her."

Fuyuka didn't reply, her throat constricting as her eyes went from all the tubes and needles sticking out of Haruki to the frantically working doctors to the erratic, constantly spiking heart monitor.

They stood there in silence, a silence that was eventually broken when Eisuke finally spoke again:

"Did the doctors say anything to you?"

Fuyuka shook her head, trembling as she closed her eyes.

"They won't…they won't even look at us. I think…I think it's because they know that…that my sister is going to—"

"Don't say it," Eisuke said sharply, and Fuyuka started when she suddenly felt a gloved hand cover hers.

Eisuke stared down at her with a solemn, penetrating gaze, his grip on her hand tightening as he shook his head.

"Your sister will be fine. I only met her not too long ago, and yet even I know that Sagae Haruki is not the type to die here," he said.

Fuyuka said nothing, eyes prickling with tears as she gazed through the glass.

"She'll be fine," Eisuke repeated, more quietly this time.

"She has to be."

---

Isuke awoke to the sound of crying.

The shine of harsh fluorescent lights immediately overwhelmed her the moment she opened her eyes, and she shut them again as nausea welled up inside.

She lay there in a daze, blindly groping for scattered memories and thoughts that eluded her.

…where…where am I?

"I-Isuke?"

Isuke turned her head, cracking her eyes open to see a distantly familiar silhouette.

"Isuke! Isuke, Papa's here, okay? Papa's right here, so…so…"

She felt two warm hands enveloping hers, and yet even as she smiled faintly, closing her eyes again, she knew that something was wrong.

Something was missing.

"Isuke…c-can you hear me? Mama is on his way here right now. He's coming from—ah, um, he's coming from somewhere else in the hospital, but he'll be here soon, okay?"

Mama…? Is that…

Was it Mama's presence that was missing? Was that why Isuke felt so uneasy, even with Papa's right here with her, holding her hand?

Why…why am I here? Was I hurt?

She heard the sound of the door opening, and Papa cried out.

"Eisuke! Isuke, Mama's here. We're both right here, Isuke."

She felt Mama's fingers wrap around her wrist and heard his voice murmur softly in her ear, but that feeling of disquiet persisted.

Mama's here, but…but there's else…something important that I…I can't remember…

Her head ached, and her entire body seemed to throb with a dull pain.

She felt Mama's grip tighten around her wrist, and she wondered dazedly why he was holding her wrist instead of her hand.

"I-Isuke…my poor baby," Papa whispered, squeezing her other hand. "That…that must have hurt so…so much."

There was a sudden, sharp pain in her left hand, shooting from her fingers.

Opening her eyes again, she looked down to stare at her heavily bandaged fingertips.

And she remembered.

"I-Isuke! What are you doing?"

Isuke clutched at the front of Mama's shirt, gasping at the wave of nausea that threatened to force her down again.

"Isuke, lie down! Honey, please, you shouldn't be sitting up like that, and definitely not so suddenly—"

"It's okay, Shinji," Mama interrupted quietly.

He stared down at her, gently supporting her back with a firm hand.

"M-Mama, where…what happened to…"

She trembled violently, tightening her grip on the fabric as she gazed up at his pale, impassive face.

"Haruki," she finally managed to say, looking up at him pleadingly. "Mama, what…where… where is she?"

She heard the beeping of a heart monitor suddenly accelerate, and dully registered the irregular beat as her own pulse.

Mama…why does he look like that?

Isuke moistened cracked, dry lips with her tongue, swallowing hard as she stared up at him.

"M-Mama—"

"Due to excessive hemorrhaging and blood loss as well as severe infections that set in, her brain suffered from oxygen deprivation and swelled. Sagae Haruki has been comatose for the past twelve hours."

He spoke so softly and so calmly that Isuke didn't immediately understand.

It was only when she noticed the way his arm was shaking as he tried to support her, the way he suddenly couldn't meet her gaze, and the way he took her other hand in his, that she realized exactly what he had told her.

She realized, and yet she still didn't believe it.

"What…what are you saying?" she asked, letting go of Mama's shirt. "Haruki…she…she wouldn't…"

"Lie back down, Isuke," Papa pleaded, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You need to—"

"Where is she?"

Ripping off the oxygen mask, Isuke swung her legs over the side of the bed. The catheters and IVs strained against her skin, and alarms went off as she tore the sticky electrodes from her chest.

"Eisuke, you can't let her—"

"She's in the ICU. If you want me to take you to her, Isuke, you have to agree to let me carry you, and to keep the IV lines connected," Mama said, moving his hand to support her side.

Isuke nodded jerkily, wincing when her head spun as Mama swept her up off her feet.

The ICU was a stark, cramped, noisy place, filled with the sounds of ventilators, patient monitors, and constantly working doctors.

Isuke wasn't certain what happened next.

She remembered seeing Fuyuka and the rest of Haruki's siblings huddled and crying in the corner of a room, and she remembered Mama letting her down onto the ground.

But in the next moment, she was sitting by Haruki's bedside, staring down at the other girl, and everything was completely, utterly wrong.

Her skin was pale, almost translucent in the way the thin, branching blue veins showed up too-clearly underneath. Her eyes were sunken and rimmed with dark circles, her body hooked up to half a dozen whirring, beeping machines.

She looked small, weak, helpless, and absolutely nothing like Sagae Haruki.

Isuke reached out uncertainly, wrapping her fingers around her roommate's wrist and half-expecting the other girl to open her eyes and flash that stupid grin.

But she didn't, and Isuke could only watch the slow rise and fall of her chest as the ventilator helped her breathe.

She…she's actually…

Isuke closed her eyes, wondering what she would feel and do when the numbness of shock wore off.

She couldn't cry. Crying meant that she was sad, and crying meant accepting that Haruki was…was like this.

She couldn't scream. Screaming meant that she was angry, and screaming meant acknowledging the fact that Haruki might never wake up.

She couldn't do any of these things; Isuke wouldn't do any of these things.

And so, opening her eyes again, she stared down at the other girl and talked to her, as if she were still awake.

As if she could hear her.

Because…because I'm not going to accept this.

Isuke's fingers trembled as she tightened her grip.

Haruki was going to wake up. And Haruki could hear her.

She had to.

"What…what do you think you're doing, idiot?" she said, her voice coming out strangely uneven and hoarse. "This…isn't like you at all."

Isuke stared up at the patient monitor, mouth twisting in a mirthless smile.

"Is this some kind of payback? Are you finally taking Isuke's advice now? Because…because you're supposed to be the selfless one here, aren't you? Your family…all of your siblings…they need you, you know. They need you, and your mother needs you, and…"

She felt sick, her stomach cramping with something she knew had nothing to do with any medications or drugs.

I can't…I can't accept this, no matter what. I have to keep talking.

"…do…do I have to say it out loud?" she said, bringing her other hand to her forehead and blocking out the throbbing pain in her fingers. "You're an idiot, so I probably do, right?"

She smiled again, more softly this time, staring down at the other girl's face.

"…but maybe I don't. You're an idiot, but sometimes…sometimes you seem to understand things that even I don't get. So maybe…"

Haruki's wrist felt delicate and thin in her hand.

This is wrong. This is all so…

"But I'll say it out loud anyway. Call it…call it a development of my character, thanks to the influence of your completely stupid idiocy," she continued, her smile straining as she intertwined her fingers with the other girl's.

"Your family…they aren't the only people that need you, you know. I…Isuke needs you too."

Pressing her other hand to Haruki's pale skin, she looked down at the ground.

"I need you too. I need you, because I…I…"

Breaking off abruptly, she looked up at the other girl again.

I can't say that. Not yet. Because she's…she not awake yet.

"No," she said, letting out weak, humorless laugh as she shook her head. "No, I'm not going to do this. This isn't going to play out like some stupid melodramatic daytime TV tragedy, you idiot. You…"

Twisting her fingers in the fabric of Haruki's shirt, Isuke took a deep breath, throat painfully tight.

"You're going to wake up, and I'll tell you then, okay? You're the one who made me promise that we'd have that talk. You made me pinky-promise, like we're little kids or something."

Isuke went quiet, and for a long time the room was filled with nothing but the whirring and beeping of machines.

And Haruki didn't stir.

What…what am I hoping for, exactly? What am I waiting for? she wondered. Life isn't some Disney movie or fairytale, so why…why do I keep thinking that she's going to wake up now if I just…

Isuke knew she was being irrational, stupid, and unreasonably naïve.

But she couldn't stop it. She wasn't able to.

Not yet.

"…what was it that you said, back at the hotel? Something stupid and corny like 'It's okay to let yourself feel,' right? You said it's okay, but…but right now…"

Her eyes burned and her vision blurred.

"Even right now, when I'm blocking out…those things, I'm already…"

She was trembling uncontrollably, and even as she swiped at her eyes and cleared her throat, she knew she was fighting a miserable, losing battle.

"Stupid, sentimental, useless things like feelings…what's the point of them, idiot, when all they do is—"

Her voice broke, and she shakily brought the other girl's cool fingers to her lips.

It hurt. More than the denailing, more than anything she had felt, it hurt.

"…prove it to me. Prove that it's not such a 'terrible thing' to have feelings, Haruki, and wake up," she breathed.

"You promised yourself that you'd be there whenever I needed you. I've…I've already told you that I need you, so…"

She fell silent again, taking slow, steadying breaths.

Finally, looking up at her roommate's wan face, she spoke again:

"I'm going to wait. You…you've always kept that promise until now. You…you always came right on time. So, this time too…"

Isuke rubbed at her eyes with her sleeve, smiling weakly.

"Isuke is selfish. You…you know that by now. What I did last night…it was just your selflessness rubbing off on me. So I'm going to wait for you, and you have to wake up for Isuke. Because I'm selfish, and because…because you don't hate that part of me, right?"

Haruki didn't move, but Isuke shook her head and closed her eyes once again.

She would wait.

It wasn't just numbness or shock anymore.

Maybe…maybe denial, a little bit, but more than that…

She trusted this idiot.

She trusted her, and trusted in her promise, and knew that she had to keep it even now.

And maybe that makes me an idiot, but…

She had accepted that a long time ago, hadn't she?

She was an idiot, but she was going to wait.

"You're the biggest, kindest idiot there is," she whispered, leaning against the bed. "So you have to wake up. Isuke…I know you will."

Haruki didn't stir, and Isuke waited.

---

A week passed by.

All of Isuke's test results came back negative, and any possible pregnancy was successfully avoided. The bruises began to fade, and her nails began to heal.

But the thing that had worried both her parents and the doctor showed no signs of change.

Isuke didn't talk to any of them about what had happened to her.

She barely talked to them at all, and anytime the doctor or the psychologist that was sent in even tried, she would alternate between ignoring and glaring at them until they left.

Eisuke and Shinji had only marginally more success.

"Not yet, Papa," Isuke said one day, when Shinji hesitantly attempted to broach the subject.

She looked up at him with a shadow of her usual smile, reassuringly patting his hand.

"Later, okay?" she said, but never specified when that would be.

She moved back and forth between her own room and the ICU, sometimes falling asleep in Haruki's room and staying there until Eisuke carried her back.

Though Shinji worried endlessly that their daughter was closing up, putting up walls between them, Eisuke stayed silent.

"She's waiting," he finally told his husband one night. "She has to talk to…to someone else before she can talk to us about it, Shinji. Before she can recover."

And so another day passed by, and there was still no change.

---

As the first week slowly moved into the second, the doctors began to talk about brain damage and worst case scenarios.

Fuyuka wept and pleaded, Aki cried and screamed, and Isuke clutched at the rail of the bed and wondered just how close this idiot was going to cut it before waking up already.

---

It didn't happen the way she had always seen it in the movies.

But one night, after even Fuyuka and the rest of Haruki's siblings had fallen asleep, Isuke tiredly took Haruki's hand and laid her head on the edge of the bed.

Leaning in, she whispered something very softly in Haruki's ear.

It wasn't anything new, and Isuke didn't say it in a manner that was any different from any of the previous nights.

And yet, that night, it all changed.

Right before Isuke rose to go back to her own room, she paused when she heard the monitor start to make erratic, unusual sounds.

And Haruki opened her eyes.

She didn't speak, didn't move her body, and her gaze was distant and unfocused; her eyes fluttered shut mere seconds after she had opened them.

But it was enough.

The monitor went off, doctors ran into the room, and Fuyuka and her other siblings were instantly awake, surrounding the bed as they dissolved into tears.

Isuke was quiet, trembling as she held the other girl's hand.

"…not bad, for an idiot," she finally murmured, smiling down at her roommate. "You're just in time, like always."

---

Another week went by, and progress was slow.

Haruki was never awake for more than a few minutes at a time, and even in her moments of consciousness she was immobile and unresponsive.

Isuke felt like she was moving slowly through a dream, which was ironically what the doctors told her that Haruki was supposed to be going through as she recovered.

I guess I won't feel like I've woken up until she fully does, she mused, shaking her head at her own ridiculousness. I won't be back to the way I used to be until she is.

---

The very first sign of real improvement happened midway through the third week after Haruki first woke up.

Isuke watched from the side of the bed as a doctor leaned over her roommate, taking her hand and asking her to squeeze if she could hear him.

There was no response, and after a few minutes of the same thing over and over again, the doctor quietly sighed and left the room.

Isuke stared after him as he left, brows raised.

And then she turned back to Haruki and took her hand.

"…you don't want to listen to some old bag, right? So listen to Isuke, instead," she said, smiling as she intertwined their fingers. "Squeeze if you can hear me, okay?"

When the squeeze came, Isuke at first thought she had imagined it entirely.

She froze, feeling her pulse quicken as she looked apprehensively up at her roommate's face.

"…if you can hear me, Haruki, can you squeeze my hand again?"

And, a few seconds later, there it was again.

It was weak, more of a twitch of her fingers than a squeeze, but it was there.

She didn't seem to be aware, and her eyes had remained unfocused as she did it, but…

But it was really there.

"…at…at this rate, you'll be better in no time at all," Isuke finally said, smiling as she leaned her head into her other hand.

"Just leave it to Isuke, and you'll be back to normal in no time 3" she added, and for the first time in over a month, Isuke heard a trace of the usual playful lilt entering her voice.

---

Two weeks later, and Haruki was gradually taking slow steps forward.

She made movements, responded to stimuli, and usually obeyed commands.

Isuke waited with something that wasn't quite patience, exactly.

Patience implied some kind of inner fortitude and virtuous perseverance.

Isuke doesn't have any of that stuff, she thought, with a quiet scoff.

She was just…stubborn.

She was obstinately waiting for Haruki to go back to the way she used to be, mostly because…

Because I can't wake up until she does, she repeated to herself, as she made her way down to the ICU once more.

---

On the night of the fifth week, Isuke woke up to something warm pressing down on her head.

As she opened her eyes, she felt a very weak tug on her hair.

And when she looked up, she saw Haruki staring back down at her.

Isuke wasn't sure why she did it.

Maybe it was the culmination of all the idiocy that had been rubbing off on her for these past few months.

Maybe it was to test her reactions and see if she was really, truly aware.

Maybe she was just ridiculously and unbelievably happy to see her roommate's eyes on her again.

Isuke wasn't sure why she did it, but she tightened her grip on Haruki's hands, leaned in, and gently brushed her lips against her forehead.

And when she pulled away, Haruki was still staring at her, the faintest of smiles tugging at her lips as she squeezed Isuke's fingers.

---

It wasn't like she had given her roommate some kind of kiss of life, and the following weeks didn't at all resemble the endings of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty.

Haruki still couldn't speak, eat, or move on her own, and she still seemed to have trouble focusing when she was awake.

And yet Isuke suddenly felt like some heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Every time Haruki's eyes would shift to rest on her, the load would get lighter and lighter, and on the day that Haruki's hours of consciousness finally managed to exceed those of unconsciousness, it seemed to disappear altogether.

It still felt like she was moving through a dream, but it wasn't a nightmare anymore.

---

"…I…Isu…Isuke…"

Isuke dropped the spoon, sending grains of rice scattering all over the table.

Haruki's lips twitched in that faint shadow of a smile again as her gaze dipped down to the fallen utensil.

Isuke hadn't been sure.

She had known that Haruki was at least self-aware now, and after the kiss she had thought and hoped that she understood what was going on; but the doctors had spoken about retrograde amnesia, and when all Haruki could do was look at people, she had no way of confirming…

"…c-close," Isuke finally said, picking the spoon up again and not even bothering to suppress the stupidly broad smile that spread across her face. "Close, but not quite. It's Isuke-sama, but I'll let you off the hook for now 3"

And Haruki's smile widened just a fraction in response.

---

The day it all ended actually started off as an ordinary one.

Isuke kissed Mama and Papa good morning, ate her breakfast, and ignored Papa's repeated attempts talk to her about…what had happened, all those weeks ago.

She then made her way down to Haruki's room.

Haruki was awake when she entered, and her gaze shifted from the window to focus on Isuke as she made her way towards the bed.

She didn't smile as Isuke sat down beside her, and her brow was furrowed slightly as if in thought when she looked up at her.

"Something wrong?" Isuke said, frowning.

Though Haruki often had periods of obvious agitation and confusion, apparently natural for anyone recovering from a coma, she had never seemed so pensive until now.

Haruki slowly reached out with her right hand, and Isuke stared as she tugged weakly at the front of her shirt.

Isuke hesitantly rose to her feet, sinking down again as Haruki pulled her down onto the edge of the bed.

"I…Isuke," she began, with a clearly concentrated effort. "I…I need to…"

Isuke gazed at her roommate mutely, a strange sense of unease welling up inside of her.

Haruki had never spoken more than her name and the names of some of her siblings a couple of times.

She had never seemed so alert, the look of constant disorientation suddenly gone from her eyes as she frowned in concentration.

"…t-tell you…something," she murmured, looking up at her. "I…I need to."

Isuke forced a shrug of nonchalance even as her heart pounded with an inexplicable and rising apprehension.

"Take your time. There's no rush—"

"Took…t-too much time already," Haruki said, with an odd, almost rueful look. "S…sorry."

Isuke laughed shortly, her fingers curling unconsciously into fists.

"What could you possibly have to be sorry for? Look, just save it. I…I have a lot to say too, but until you're better—"

"I…forgot," Haruki said, staring up at her intently. "I forgot…but…now I remember."

"…what did you forget? And what did you remember?"

"…promises," Haruki replied, and then smiled. "Lots…of promises."

Her smile faded, and she covered Isuke's hand with her own.

"…and…and h-how much…you…were hurt.

"How much…Isuke…went through. Because… because of me."

Isuke said nothing, feeling her fingers begin to tremble in Haruki's hand.

"So…I'm sorry."

Isuke stared down at the ground, almost afraid to look up.

"It's not…it's not your fault, idiot," she finally managed to say. "You don't have to be sorry."

There was a brief silence, and Isuke felt a weak tug again at her shirt. For reasons she wasn't even sure of yet, she still didn't look up.

"…Isuke."

In that moment, Haruki sounded like she had all those weeks ago, before…before everything. Her voice was louder, stronger, and clearer than it had even been since she woke up.

And it was just as kind, gentle, ridiculously warm as it had always been.

Isuke finally looked up, and started when she felt Haruki's hand move up to rest on the small of her back.

Her other hand rose up between them, and Haruki extended her pinky.

"Remember?" she said.

"…I never forgot," Isuke replied, with a quiet laugh.

Haruki looked at her seriously, gaze unwavering.

"…I wanted…to wait to have any...kind of talk. Until…until everything was…done," she said, before letting out a weak sigh. "…but things…didn't work out that way.

"So…so can I…be selfish again, Isuke? Can I…can I just…tell you now?"

Isuke nodded once, not even entirely sure what she was agreeing to.

(Or maybe she was sure, and she just didn't want to think...or to hope that maybe...)

Her temples were pounding, her chest tight, her throat constricted, and yet she felt strangely lightheaded as stared back at her roommate.

Haruki smiled again, and she pressed a hand gently to Isuke's cheek.

"…I love you, Isuke."

And with those words, the dream that she had been trapped in for all these weeks finally ended.

---

Something inside of her had burst, and she cried like a helpless, pathetic little baby as she gripped Haruki's shirt and closed her eyes.

She was aware, now, her mind finally free of the dazed numbness that had overtaken her since she had come back to the hospital.

And so now, she finally understood.

I want things to go back to normal, Haruki had said to her, as they had climbed up the stairway all those weeks ago.

Isuke…Isuke had wanted the opposite.

She couldn't have things go back to normal.

If Haruki had died, if Haruki had forgotten her, if Haruki didn't…didn't feel as she did towards her, then everything would definitely have gone back to normal.

And Isuke's "normal" was something she didn't want anymore.

It wasn't as though her normality was bad.

She would still have Papa, Mama, and all the money that she wanted.

But the thought of this normality brought the same exact feeling of emptiness that she had felt when she had first woken up in this hospital.

The sense that something was missing…it was always her, wasn't it?

Haruki's arms were unexpectedly strong as they wrapped around her, and her hand rubbed slow, gentle circles on her back.

When Isuke looked up, the other girl was smiling down at her, and Isuke knew that she understood.

"…you were…scared," Haruki murmured, leaning her head comfortably against Isuke's. "I'm… sorry that I…made you…worry."

Isuke was quiet, and as she leaned into the other girl, her trembling slowly subsided.

"…idiot," she said, once she could speak again, and Haruki immediately chuckled in response.

"Hearing that…means that Isuke…Isuke-sama is…back, right?"

Isuke didn't reply, but she nestled closer to the other girl and let out a quiet sigh.

She's getting there, she confirmed, smiling inwardly. Thanks to you.

They were both silent, remaining there together on the bed.

When Haruki suddenly stirred, Isuke looked up to see the other girl staring down at her with an almost mischievous glint in her eyes.

"…I…confessed. Isuke-sama…isn't…going to respond?"

Isuke frowned, feeling a sudden heat in her cheeks that she hadn't felt in a very long time.

"I already did, you idiot," she said, pulling back slightly as she scowled.

"You cried," Haruki replied, and now Isuke could definitely see a playful spark in those eyes as she smiled down at her. "That…doesn't seem like a good…response."

Sure that she was flushed red now, Isuke glared up at the IV drip stationed above and behind Haruki's head.

"You…do you really need me to say it?" she said, adjusting her position beside the other girl.

"…no," Haruki replied. "Don't…don't need to."

Isuke looked back to her, surprised, and her face was promptly captured between Haruki's hands.

"W-what are you—"

"Can…can I kiss you, Isuke?"

Haruki's fingers had moved down to trail along her jaw, while the other hand lingered by her cheek.

Both hands suddenly felt extremely cool, especially considering Isuke's rapidly increasing temperature.

Isuke opened her mouth, fully intending to reply with one of the usual barbed remarks that she had been missing for the past few weeks.

But then Haruki's confession replayed in her mind, the reality of what exactly was happening here hit her all over again, and what came out of Isuke's mouth was eventually a very quiet "yes."

And so, leaning forward, Haruki threaded her fingers through Isuke's hair and captured her lips with her own.

It was slow, soft, and ridiculously tender, her lips moving gently against Isuke's as her hands stroked her hair and face.

It was affectionate, sweet, and entirely characteristic of this idiot.

It left Isuke breathless, as gentle and almost-chaste as it was.

And it made her stupidly and absurdly honest, because the moment it was over, she wrapped her arms around the other girl and breathed the three words that she wanted to hear right into her ear.

Haruki blinked at her, looking startled, and the faintest splash of color finally bloomed in those pale cheeks.

And as Isuke scowled, flushing a deeper red herself, Haruki's smile widened into the grin that she had so often worn all those weeks ago.

"Shut up," Isuke grumbled, before the idiot could even say anything.

Haruki chuckled again (Isuke hadn't realized exactly how much she had missed hearing that sound) and tugged her up into her lap.

"H-hey, wait a second, you idiot; you're still recovering, and you're not nearly strong enough yet to—"

"You're light…and…having you here…makes me feel stronger."

Isuke huffed, settling down against the other girl's chest and trying to hide the dumb smile that tugged at her lips.

"It's good to see that your cheesiness hasn't changed," she said, and after another quiet laugh from Haruki, they both lapsed into another brief, contented silence.

"…it's…not over," Haruki finally said, squeezing her hand.

She didn't say anything else, but Isuke understood.

Nothing was over.

Just the opposite, really.

Everything was just beginning.

She knew that she'd have to talk about what happened all those weeks ago. That she'd have to come to terms with that, that she'd have to face it.

She knew that Haruki's rehabilitation was only just beginning. That it'd be another few weeks before she could even walk on her own again, let alone go back to the way she used to be.

She knew all of this, and yet…

It doesn't seem all that bad anymore.

It obviously wouldn't be easy, but with this idiot here, then…

"No, it's not over," she agreed. "But…you're awake now. And Isuke is, too."

She didn't say anything else, but Haruki understood.

It was going to be irritating, frustrating, and difficult, and there was so much to think about that Isuke didn't even know where to begin.

Yet now, when she newly aware of all of this...

Isuke found herself smiling (smiling like she hadn't in many, many weeks) as she leaned back against the other girl.

And with Haruki's hand covering hers, she closed her eyes and finally rested.