"Geez, where could she be~?"

Danwa bent down and hung her head.

"Don't give up~!" Urusai commented. "She's gotta be here somewhere~!"

"But we've looked everywhere~!" She counted off her fingers. "Spyke's alley, Booyah Base, the Squid Sisters studio..."

"What about Octo Valley~?"

She gave him a look. "Do you really think she went to Octo Valley~?"

"Er..."

"I thought not~." She sighed. "Uru, I'm tired and hungry and I don't know where she is~. Sorui, I'm sorry~."

"It's ok..." Sorui smiled, but it wasn't as bright as usual.

Danwa gave an equally weak smile back. "We'll find her~. She can't just up and disappear~! If she's not in the plaza today, she'll be here tomorrow, and if she's not, we can ask Judd for her address or something..."

"Yeah..."

Her stomach rumbled and she clutched at it. "I'm hungry~. Let's at least take a lunch break before we start looking again~. The cafe by the tower is always good~. It wont do any good to investigate on an empty stomach~!"

The others nodded their approval.

"Sorui, you coming~?"

"...in a minute, I'll catch up to you."

Danwa patted him on the shoulder once and the six set off for the small cafe.

Sorui dragged Yutaka's Splatling with him and leaned against a wall. He sighed and examined the back of his hand. Then he touched his lips. He thought back to that moment in the warehouse.

"It's love." One thought that kept echoing back and forth in his head.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a small sniffle. He peaked around the corner of the wall he was leaning on, where he saw a girl crying to herself. He paused for a minute, then spoke up.

"What's wrong?"

The girl flinched, but didn't look up. There was a long silence.

She finally broke it. "I just embarrased myself in front of the boy I like. I-I can't possibly face him now. He probably hates me."

"Why would he hate you?"

"B-because!" She stuttered. "I-I've been so rude to him before. I was a jerk! And I forced him to b-be on a squad and I called him names and...and...I ruined everything!"

Sorui paused, then hefted the Splatling, and sat down beside her. He sighed.

"You know...you did this same thing before."

The girl sniffed.

"H-huh?"

"You were outshone. You cried. And you ran. And you wound up in someone's house, and you told the woman who owned that house." He closed his eyes as he recounted. "Except that the woman you told turned out to be the mother of the person who outshone you."

The girl flinched.

"Yutaka..."

Yutaka lifted her head.

"S...Sorui?" She buried her face in her hands again. "Urgh...I-I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry for what?"

"F-for...THAT!" She gestured around and stared teary-eyed at the boy. "That...in the warehouse!"

Sorui raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"I'm no good! I'm mean and selfish and...and..." She rested her head on her arms. "You...wouldn't go for someone like me..." She murmurred.

Sorui paused.

"I don't think you get it."

"Huh?"

"Yutaka...look at me."

She raised her head and immediately when she did, Sorui pressed his lips against hers.

He pulled back.

"I wouldn't go for a girl like you? What about you going for a guy like me? I think that proves people do crazy things." He grinned. Yutaka sat stunned. "Yutaka...our first meeting was terrible." He crossed his arms and made an obviously fake pout. "You insulted me, you insulted my birthday present, and you insulted my clothes." He uncrossed his arms.

"Despite that...Yutaka..." He opened his eyes. "I love you, Yutaka."

Yutaka froze, then whimpered, then grabbed Sorui by his shoulders.

"I do too!" She announced, sobbing. "I love...love you! Sorui! I'm sorry for being a jerk! I'm sorry for everything!"

"I don't forgive you."

"Wh-wha?"

"Unless..."

"U-unless?"

"Unless you promise me that you'll never make me worry like this again."

Yutaka giggled.

"I can handle that." She said, and nuzzled closer.

Six Inklings sat at a table inside a cafe. Two more Inklings walked in the door, holding hands as they did. The girl held a Splatling gun in her free hand. One of the ones at the table waved excessively.

"Sorui~!" Danwa chirped. "You found her~!"

"And by the looks of it..." Urusai grinned. "Things worked out for our little Cinder and his Princess Charming~."

Yutaka blushed profusely.

"Wha-wha?"

"I'm kidding~! Come on, sit down~."

The two did as they were told.

"So I suppose you guys are the same as us now~."

"Y-yeah, I suppose we are..."

"Well, as long as you two don't let it mess with your ability to battle~! Right, Uru-pai~?"

"Of course dawn-dawn~." Urusai's gaze drifted. "By the way..."

He grabbed the Octobrush user and pulled him closer.

"This one has been apologizing constantly for wrecking the battle~. To me, to Judd, to everyone, frankly it's been a pain in the neck to listen to it all the time~. Speaking of the battle, Judd declared it a draw. Here's your share for inking the turf~."

Urusai pulled out two small bags. "400 coins for Sorui and 300 for Yutaka~."

Sorui smiled. "Great, I can save up money and buy Yutaka a real birthday present."

Yutaka crossed her arms. "No." She stated.

"No?"

"No." She uncrossed her arms. "Your present to me was being on the squad...n-no, actually, it's not that..."

She paused. "Your present to me...rather than being on a squad...I want you to be by my side, forever."

Sorui grinned.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

The two stared into each other's eyes.

"I hate to interrupt this beautiful moment..." Danwa broke in. "But Sorui, what happened to your weapon~?"

Sorui jumped in his seat. "My Slosher! Oh!" He frowned. "It...er...I dropped it when I pushed Yutaka...it probably got smooshed under all the boxes..."

"That's terrible~!"

Sorui nodded, disheartened. "But...I got Yutaka's weapon, at least. I can just take a break from turf wars. I already waited a year, right?"

"That wont do." Yutaka announced. "I can't have my b...my bo..." She struggled with the word. "My...boy...friend without a weapon. That wont do at all."

"She's right~!" Danwa said. "And no friend of ours is going weaponless either~!"

"Then after lunch, we'll head over to Ammo Knights~." Urusai chimed in. "We'll get Sorui a brand new weapon~! What should we get you~? A Splattershot~? Maybe a Splatterscope~?"

"A Slosher." Sorui said. "I'm fine with- no, not just 'fine', I want a new Slosher. Sloshers are my weapon."

He smiled at Yutaka. She smiled back.

"A Slosher." She repeated, and proceeded to nuzzle her boyfriend. "A Slosher."