Frontier 02: Rebirthing – Chapter 26: All For You
madjack89: Hi everybody! Ready for the next chapter?
Everyone: Yes!
madjack89: I thought so, what with all those loose ends in the last chapter, particularly with Kouji!
Zoe: Speaking of which, where is Kouji?
Takuya: Madjack, what'd you do?
madjack89: Calm down, pretty boy's fine. I just made him take the commentaries for this chapter off since he's still so shell-shocked from the last chapter.
Shino: That's…surprisingly nice of you.
madjack89: When are you guys going to realize that I am a great person?
JP: When the bodies stop piling up.
madjack89: Heh heh…so, time to answer some reviews!
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apapa155: Don't fret, more is on the way! And thanks again for the treats and for reviewing!
DigiBleach: Yeah, crazy stuff, huh? Thanks for reviewing!
61wisampa: Well, yeah, I do kind of love picking on the twins, but that's only because their so dang easy to pick on! However, I can promise you that I won't kill Kouichi again, because I can't pick on him if he's dead! (lol) Thanks for reviewing!
Rain621: Yay, no more swine flu! I hope you had a good Christmas, because mine was great! I got sooooooooo many books! Yay! And I am just as surprised as you that I can find time to write this stuff. Anyway, Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrating the pilgrims traveling over to the New World and mooching food off of the Indians and all we basically do is get together with family, prepare food, and pig out! Yay! (lol) I'll try to stop forgetting my OCs in the future! And thanks for reviewing!
Aldamonburst: Yes, I know I'm bad! Sorry you had to hear that, Kaito. Thanks for the review!
hazeleyedharmony: Yay, someone figured it out! Victory cookie for you! (lol) Anyway, I DESPISE hormones! They suck! Aside from that, thanks for reviewing! (Darn you, Crispin Freeman! Why are you so darn talented?)
ladyaura12: Yay, you figured it out too! Victory cookie! Yin can have one too! (Kouji: Why the hell does Yin hate me so much?) No offense, but it's probably your personality. (Kouji: …) Anyway, why is Chief always the bad guy? Itachi, Duskmon, that guy from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children…I guess he just has an evil voice. (Kouichi: …) Anyway, thanks for reviewing! (Kira: We do rock, don't we Taru?) (Hotaru: shrugs)
GoldenDragon326: JP would be a better Smileymon if he weren't so afraid of getting killed! (lol) Yay for triumphant returns! Thanks for reviewing!
garnettfox: Unfortunately no. She's back at the base with Witchmon because Gotsumon thought they'd be too hyper for an espionage/rescue mission. (lol) Thanks for reviewing!
TobiGB: Yay candy! Thank you L! And thank you for the review, GB! (And I may end up using that attack!)
fg1fg: You really think this would make a good anime? Wow, that's really flattering! Thanks for reviewing! (I'll give Dai and Seiko each a point from you!)
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madjack89: Okay, let's get this show on the road!
—
He was happy. He couldn't help it. When he saw Seiko, not in a dream, but lying directly in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a thrill of joy. It didn't last, though, because soon logic kicked in.
That can't be her. She's dead. It hurt him, but he had to remind himself of this fact so he wouldn't be fooled by whatever trick Ilsemon was trying to pull. But it was hard. She looked so real, lying unconscious on the floor. She still had that delicate grace about her that always seemed to make her shine, almost like an angel.
That's when Kouji saw them. Small white wings jutting from her back, just like in his dream. This had to be a dream, in that case. Another stupid dream.
Unwillingly, he wrenched his gaze off of Seiko and turned to face Ilsemon, who stood patiently watching him. A small smile curled her lips.
He stared at her for a moment before saying, "What's going on?"
Ilsemon stared back at Kouji, still smiling. "You don't believe she's real, do you?"
Kouji glanced back at Seiko and, sure enough, she was still there, looking as real as ever. But she couldn't be. "Seiko is dead," he said quietly, jerking his head back toward Ilsemon. "She died saving me, so that can't be her."
Ilsemon chuckled. "Technically, you are correct. That is my sister, Masumon, lying in the corner. The one you've come to save."
Despite knowing that it was too good to be true, Kouji felt a pang of disappointment. Masumon looked so much like Seiko…
"But that is also Seiko." Kouji's eyes widened in confusion.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked skeptically. What Ilsemon said didn't make any sense. Masumon and Seiko couldn't be the same person. That would just be crazy, let alone impossible. "And don't even think about saying that they're twins, because we already did that crap…"
Suddenly Ilsemon pressed her finger firmly to his lips, shutting him up. "You're such a skeptic, aren't you?" she muttered, giving Kouji a slightly menacing look. "You can't bring yourself to believe anything…well, not without proof. Luckily, though, I have proof.
"I've been through her memories, back to the very core, witnessing things that not even she remembers. I'll show you how Masumon and Seiko came to share the same persona…now!"
With that, Kouji blacked out.
—
"Gaomon!" Shino quickly knelt down beside the fallen Digimon, assessing his injuries (like a doctor).
Though Gaomon's Fractal Code had initially flared up after Wizardmon's attack, it was beginning to disappear, indicating that he was in no immediate danger. However, he was still clearly in pain and, at the moment, unconscious.
"What're you doing here, comrade?" Wizardmon suddenly asked, startling Shino. He'd almost forgotten that he still had to deal with Wizardmon. Almost.
He jumped to his feet, D-Tector in hand. "I'm not your comrade," he growled, getting in a defensive position in front of Gaomon.
"Okay, Shino then," Wizardmon conceded, giving Shino a curious look. "But really, what the hell are you doing here?"
Shino hesitated, confused by Wizardmon's apparent surprise. Usually, Wizardmon seemed to know everything, especially concerning Shino. But he honestly didn't seem to know about their rescue mission, which was a bit…weird.
"Uh…we're here to rescue Masumon," Shino explained slowly. "You didn't know that?"
"We? As in, all you Warrior brats?" Wizardmon groaned, ignoring Shino's question. "I thought I was getting a day off! And I've still got this headache…"
Shino tensed, worried by this conversation. Wizardmon was acting odd, not at all like the jerk he usually was. It was unsettling, to say the least.
"Just forget it," Wizardmon muttered, clearly annoyed now. "Let's just take care of this guy here."
"You're not laying another finger on Gaomon," Shino said protectively, snapping back into action as he glared at Wizardmon. "Try and I'll kill you."
Wizardmon stared at Shino for a moment before sighing. "Shino, do you really think he'll keep our secret? He'll snitch to your little friends the first chance he gets."
"You're wrong." Shino said this, but he still wasn't sure of that himself. Gaomon seemed sincere, but could he really be trusted?
Wizardmon smirked. "Doubting yourself? How long have you known this guy, anyway? I've never seen him before. He won't be missed, and our secret will die with him."
Yeah…no! Shino struggled with his own thoughts, trying to convince himself that Wizardmon was wrong. Murder was wrong. Lying to his friends was wrong…don't think about that now!
Wizardmon winced visibly while watching Shino's struggle, but Shino was too preoccupied to notice. However, Gaomon wasn't.
"The nature of the mark you placed on Shino," Gaomon began slowly, struggling to his feet.
"Don't try to stand," Shino cautioned, distracting himself from Wizardmon's influence. "I can handle him."
Gaomon glanced back at Shino. "I don't doubt that you will," he said, smiling. Shino was a bit surprised by Gaomon's confidence in him considering he was beginning to really doubt himself.
Gaomon whipped his head around, giving Wizardmon a cold look. "Are you causing this confusion?" he asked, gesturing at Shino.
Wizardmon glared at Gaomon but still replied, "In a way."
Shino's eyes narrowed. Wizardmon was obviously the culprit. He'd been screwing around with Shino since they'd first met, all those months ago. Why would he bother to hide the truth now, when everyone present already knew what he was doing?
Gaomon just smirked. "I thought that was the case." Then the Digimon glanced back at Shino and said, "He's not as high and mighty as he wants you to believe."
"What?" both Shino and Wizardmon said at the same time. Shino was perplexed, but Wizardmon actually seemed a bit uneasy of Gaomon's statement.
"It always seemed odd to me," Gaomon muttered, turning back to Wizardmon. "That mark supposedly gives you a bond with the person that you put it on, but it only works one way. You can affect Shino, but he can't affect you, nor can he stop you. That's not the way a bond normally works, you know?"
Wizardmon's eyes slowly narrowed. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that you're not giving Shino his amount of credit," Gaomon said firmly. In a quieter voice, he added, "He's started to affect you too, hasn't he? All that confusion and turmoil is slamming right into you, and you can't do a thing about it."
"You're wrong," Wizardmon said, though he didn't sound as confident as usual. "Why would I have marked him if it would be such a huge risk to me?"
Gaomon looked cocky now. "Because you didn't know it would have that effect."
Shino's eyes widened in surprise. Could that really be a possibility? Was Wizardmon's own plan backfiring on him? Were his negative emotions bothering, possibly hurting, Wizardmon?
Gaomon chuckled, watching Wizardmon take a small step back. "You shouldn't be flaunting your superiority. You should be afraid of Shino."
"That does it!" Suddenly, Shino found himself pinned against a wall, a gloved hand around his throat. He choked, trying to dislodge Wizardmon's hand from his throat with little success. Wizardmon just glared murderously at his "comrade," lifting his wand. "I'll show you, dog."
"Shino!" Gaomon's panicked face was the last thing Shino saw before Wizardmon's wand lit up the entire hall, blinding him.
—
"Look out!" Kouichi tackled Zoe to the ground just as Duskmon struck out with his sword, barely missing the two.
"Damn," Duskmon muttered, retracting his sword. "I thought you didn't see me."
"I happened to look up at the last second," Kouichi retorted, turning to face his attacker.
Zoe winced, anticipating the look of hatred that would surely darken Kouichi's features, not that she could blame him. She wasn't exactly a member of the Duskmon fan club herself, especially after what he'd done, both past and present. Even if Kouichi hadn't technically died, she was still losing him thanks to this Digimon.
But he's only a puppet. Despite what he'd done, Zoe still pitied Duskmon. All he'd ever wanted to do was live his life on his own terms. Unfortunately, the price for his wish always ended in slavery to another.
Zoe closed her eyes momentarily, reminding herself that Duskmon was an evil creature by nature. After all, he'd just tried to kill both her and Kouichi unprovoked. True, they'd snuck into Ilsemon's stronghold, but still…
"What are you doing, Duskmon?" Kouichi suddenly asked, snapping Zoe back to the present. Strangely, Kouichi seemed calm and had asked his question in a level voice. This was puzzling for, as Zoe well knew, Kouichi despised Duskmon. But, for whatever reason, he was holding himself back now. He'd even kept his D-Tector pocketed.
Duskmon seemed a bit surprised by Kouichi's reaction as well, but replied, "I tried to kill you. I'm evil, what would you expect?"
"Duskmon, I'm really not in the mood for your clever quips, so just tell me why Nina suddenly wants me dead," Kouichi said, still keeping expressionless.
"Hey, that's right!" Zoe exclaimed, understanding crossing her features. "If Nina wants Kouichi to join you, why would you kill him?"
Duskmon stared at the two before lowering his eyes. "For your information, I won't be joining Nina and Kouichi in their exploits," he muttered quietly, almost to himself. Then his eyes snapped back up and he continued, "And my reasons for killing you are my own. Nina's got nothing to do with it."
"What, are you…jealous of me?" Kouichi asked this skeptically, but Zoe could tell that he was truly wondering what Duskmon was thinking. A pissed off dual-sworded Digimon was the last thing they needed after them.
However, Kouichi's comment seemed to affect Duskmon more than he'd meant it to. Duskmon's eyes suddenly flashed with such blind fury that both Kouichi and Zoe hopped up and tensed to defend themselves.
Duskmon didn't attack, though. Instead, he chuckled. "It's always you, isn't it? You even get credit for my creation; my very existence stems from you. And she thinks it's freedom she's giving me. I'll never be free. I know that…"
Duskmon suddenly stopped, realizing that Kouichi and Zoe were giving him confused looks. "Forget it," he muttered. "You shouldn't be here anyway. I overheard Ilsemon saying she had plans for that brother of yours."
"Kouji?" Kouichi's eyes widened in fear. "What's she going to do to him?"
"Probably torture," Duskmon replied, shrugging. "If she's found him already, they'll be down that hallway to the right."
Without even considering that Duskmon might be lying, Kouichi rushed off down the indicated hall.
"Kouichi!" Zoe cried, running to catch up to him. She stopped mid-step, however, turned, and said, "Uh, thanks for the tip, Duskmon?"
Duskmon just glared at her. "Just leave before I decide to run this sword through your chest. You know, like before."
Eyes narrowing at Duskmon's words, Zoe turned around and continued to sprint down the hall after Kouichi.
Duskmon watched them disappear into the darkness. Then he muttered when they were well out of earshot, "Hurry."
—
"Hello?" Seiko called, glancing curiously around the empty white space she was suspended in. She didn't really know why she was here, or how she'd gotten to a place like this in the first place. The last thing she could remember was shoving Kouji out of the way of…
"Oh. That's it." The realization of what had happened to her didn't come as much of a shock, strangely. Perhaps it was because she could accept it without regret.
No, she did have one regret. "Kouji's alone now." His greatest fear had been losing the people he cared about, and she'd made it come true. "What have I done? He'll be so sad…but he'll be alive."
That gave Seiko back her resolve. She'd launch herself in front of a thousand trucks to save his life. He was too important to her to lose. She loved him with all her heart. Surely she'd fall to pieces if his light were ever extinguished.
"His light? How ironic." Seiko jumped, hearing a feminine voice behind her. She quickly turned and found that she was hovering in this strange, empty space.
"Neat," she muttered, staring down at her feet. "I'm like Casper or something."
"I don't know who Casper is, but you're a spirit, so floating is just one of the perks." Seiko's head shot back up as she remembered why she'd turned in the first place.
Floating in front of Seiko was a woman with long straight platinum blonde hair and hazel eyes similar to her own. She had on a strange outfit that looked almost like a toga, with Roman looking sandals to boot. However, not even the swirly blue tattoos running up the length of her left arm could captivate Seiko as much as the two small white wings jutting out of her back.
The woman noticed Seiko's fixed stare on her wings and ruffled them playfully, sending up a cloud of soft feathers and down. Seiko chuckled, feeling a bit more at ease by the person's presence. However, she still wondered…
"Are you…an angel?" Seiko asked tentatively. "Are you here to take me, you know, up there?"
The woman smirked. "I'm not a heavenly messenger, dear. I'm here for a different reason."
"But who are you?" Seiko asked curiously.
"That, my dear, is a long story," the woman said, eyes downcast. "I will, however, give you the short version. My name is Masumon, and I am what's known as a Digimon."
"Digimon," Seiko muttered to herself. Suddenly she gasped. "You're like Impmon and Wizardmon, aren't you?"
"That's correct," Masumon replied, nodding. "I see you haven't forgotten your two little friends."
"How could I?" Seiko said, smiling to herself. "They helped me get Kouji the perfect gift for Christmas…Kouji…"
The memory of her kiss with Kouji brought involuntary tears to Seiko's eyes and before she could stop herself, she was sobbing heavily into her hands. Masumon quickly wrapped Seiko into a tight hug, whispering, "There there, dear, it's okay."
"It's not okay," Seiko mumbled into Masumon's shoulder. "Kouji will never be able to live with himself. He'll think this is all his fault. And the worst part is that he's all alone now!"
"He's not alone," Masumon replied quietly.
"Yes, I know he has his dad and his step-mom, but he'll still feel abandoned by the one person who said they would never leave; me!" Seiko said, feeling the guilt build inside her.
Masumon let Seiko cry a moment longer, then said, "Seiko, Kouji has a bigger purpose in life than you or even he is aware of."
Seiko slipped out of Masumon's embrace, giving her a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"
"Seiko, Kouji is destined to become a Legendary Warrior," Masumon replied.
Seiko's gaze grew even more quizzical. "Is that like a cult or something? Is he gonna go join a Satan worshipping demon cult and get pumped full of illegal drugs to help heal his depression and sadness?! No Kouji, you can't! Just remember D.A.R.E.!"
"Seiko, it's not a cult," Masumon said gently.
"Oh," Seiko muttered. "Um, then what is it?"
Masumon smiled slightly. "Since you already know what Digimon are, let me give you a small history lesson."
Seiko listened attentively as Masumon related the story of the Legendary Warriors of the Digital World to her. Wow, she thought to herself as the story unfolded. All this time, there's been another world border lining ours, and we never even knew!
"And so, the Legendary Warriors sacrificed themselves in order to seal my brother away in the very center of the Digital World, thereby restoring peace," Masumon concluded.
Seiko nodded slowly, soaking in all this new information. "Okay, but if the Legendary Warriors are dead, what does Kouji have to do with them?"
"Their spirits live on and are currently in the possession of the three Celestial Digimon ruling the Digital World, but…" Masumon paused, looking troubled. "Cherubimon is about to betray them."
"Betray them?" Seiko repeated, looking nervous. "What do you mean?"
Masumon glanced at Seiko, then down at her feet. "He'll destroy the Digital World in the process of freeing my brother."
"What?" Seiko exclaimed. "But the Legendary Warriors sealed him!"
"And if they can't stop Cherubimon, they'll have to seal him again," Masumon muttered.
"Wait," Seiko said, realizing something. "If the Legendary Warriors are only spirits now, how will they be able to fight?"
"That is where Kouji comes in," Masumon replied. "Along with nine others, though with Cherubimon holding five of the spirits, Ophanimon had better not send for all of them, especially not Kouji's brother."
"Kouji has a brother?!" Seiko cried, eyes widening in shock.
"A twin, actually," Masumon said, smirking. "I believe that you met him once."
"I never…Kouichi!" Seiko suddenly remembered the boy she'd run into on the street, the one she'd mistaken for Kouji. "But, he didn't know anything about Kouji, and as far as I know, Kouji doesn't know about him. Why is that?"
"You'll know the whole story soon enough," Masumon replied cryptically, continuing her explanation. "Anyway, Kouji, his brother, and eight other humans have been chosen to wield the spirits of the Legendary Warriors. They, in essence, will become those Digimon in order to restore peace to the Digital World."
"They'll become…Digimon?" The idea seemed crazy, but at the same time, Seiko felt like it was right, like Kouji's life had all been leading up to something like this. "Is it going to hurt them?"
"No," Masumon said, shaking her head. "In fact, their experiences could end up helping them in the end. For instance, Kouji won't be alone."
Seiko realized suddenly what Masumon had meant earlier when she'd said that Kouji wasn't alone. He'd soon have those other kids, along with his twin, as his comrades, maybe even his friends, if he'd let them. Seiko had a feeling that he would.
But while Seiko thought this, another thought popped into her head. "He'll get hurt, won't he?"
Masumon didn't answer for several seconds. Then she said, "Possibly."
Seiko's eyes widened in fear. "No, he can't! He can't get hurt! He…he can't die! I love him too much for that to happen!"
"You truly love him, don't you?" Masumon muttered, staring inquiringly at Seiko.
Seiko nodded, holding back more tears. "I don't want anything bad to happen to him, but now I can't help him anymore…"
"What if you could?" Masumon suddenly said, startling Seiko.
"But…I'm dead," Seiko muttered.
"As am I," Masumon said. "But, if you were to take my spirit and become one with it, you'd be able to return to life…as a Digimon."
Seiko eyes widened. "You mean, I'd be able to become a Digimon like Kouji?"
"Well, he'll be able to switch back and forth while you would literally become a Digimon," Masumon explained, lowering her eyes. "And there is a catch…"
"I don't care!" Seiko cried, interrupting Masumon. "As a Digimon, I'd be able to help Kouji more than I'd ever be able to as a human. And I'd be able to see him again…"
"Seiko," Masumon said, getting Seiko's attention back. "Besides becoming a Digimon, there would be another catch."
"What's the other catch?" Seiko asked, beginning to worry about the sad look on Masumon's face.
"I shouldn't be asking you this," Masumon muttered. "If you were to take my spirit, your memories of your human life would be replaced with mine. You wouldn't remember who you were, not even that you were human. And you wouldn't remember Kouji…"
"So, I'd become you?" Seiko asked slowly, eyes lowered.
"In a sense," Masumon replied. "You'd retain your personality, so you'd still be yourself, but…the price is just too high! I can't ask you to give up your life in favor of my resurrection!"
"Masumon," Seiko said quietly, placing a hand on Masumon's shoulder. "My life was over the moment that truck smashed into me. If I took your spirit, it's true that I wouldn't be able to remember Kouji, but I'd still be able to help him. That's all that matters to me now. So…I accept. I'll become you, for the good of the Digital World, the Legendary Warriors, and Kouji."
Masumon stared wide-eyed at Seiko for a moment. "You truly are a special girl," she muttered, smiling.
"Thank you, Masumon," Seiko replied, blushing slightly from the compliment. "So, how do we do this thingy?"
Masumon smirked. "Just take my hand and close your eyes."
Seiko did as instructed, slowly closing her eyes. Here I come, Kouji. I'm still sorry for what I did, but it was for you. All for you…
Suddenly a jolt coursed through Seiko that felt almost like lightning. Before she slipped from consciousness, though, one more thought flashed through her mind.
Kouji…
Kouji's eyes shot open as he was suddenly thrust back into his own body. He realized quickly that Ilsemon had let him witness Seiko's memories through Seiko's own eyes. He'd felt all her emotions, read all her thoughts. She really did love him with all her heart, enough to give up her memories for him.
"Seiko," he muttered, shaking slightly. He was slowly trying to process what had happened. Seiko had become Masumon…in exchange for all her memories. She'd given up her love for him…in order to protect him.
Kouji didn't realize he'd been walking slowly backward until his back hit the wall. He was cornered. Did it matter? Seiko was alive, but she wasn't. He had her, but he lost her.
"My power will sometimes have that effect," Ilsemon said, gradually approaching Kouji.
Kouji didn't notice, nor did he care. His legs were shaking so much that he fell to the ground, leaning heavily against the wall. His eyes were still open wide, unblinking, in shock. Seiko was Masumon. He'd been coming to rescue Seiko all along. But she wasn't Seiko…
"I believe that you need some time alone," Ilsemon muttered, smirking. As she headed toward the exit, she added, "By the way, feel free to take Masumon with you on your way out. She's fulfilled her purpose now."
Kouji barely noticed when Ilsemon opened the door in the wall, stepped out, and closed the door behind her. What he did notice was Masumon, no, Seiko, lying next to him, twitching as if having a bad dream.
He stared at her for the next minute or so, mustering up his courage. Then he slowly extended his arm and touched her shoulder lightly. "Masumon?" he rasped, surprised by how gruff his voice had gotten in the time he'd been sitting in the room. Clearing his throat, he tried again to wake the Digimon. "Masumon?"
Although his voice sounded clearer, Masumon still showed no signs of awakening. Kouji bit his lip, not knowing what to do. Then a thought came to him. Masumon was, in fact, someone else. "Seiko?"
Masumon's eyes blinked open so abruptly that Kouji literally fell backward, hitting his head off the floor. Ignoring the ache in the back of his head, he quickly sat up, watching as Masumon wearily rubbed her eyes and yawned. He flinched slightly when her gaze suddenly shot up to him. However, he still managed to say, "Are you alright?"
Masumon gave Kouji a calculating look before muttering, "Kouji?"
—
madjack89: Hey guys, I've already had my first fall of the new year!
Takuya: Already? It's only been 2010 for three days!
madjack89: I know! But here's the ironic part about it. I fell down some stairs.
Kouichi: …
madjack89: You can laugh, Kouichi.
Kouichi: …Ha ha…
Dai: Are you okay, Madjack?
madjack89: Dai, you get a cookie for being the first one to ask that.
Dai: Yay! gobbles cookie
JP: Well Madjack, are you okay?
madjack89: Brown-nosing will get you nowhere, JP.
JP: I wasn't trying to brown-nose…
madjack89: Yes, everyone, I am okay. No broken bones or comas or anything. It's not like I had an epic slow motion fall like Chief, after all.
Kouichi: sigh
madjack89: I just kind of slipped and slid down the stairs, which wouldn't have been that bad if they weren't hardwood stairs.
Kira: Ouch.
madjack89: Yeah, I got a couple bruises out of it, but other than that, I'm fine! Nothing to worry about!
Takuya: So how many more times can we expect you to fall this year?
madjack89: With all this ice we've had in my neighborhood lately, it's hard to say.
Zoe: Both you and Kouichi have horrible luck, don't you?
madjack89: nod
Kouichi: I have horrible luck with everything else, too…
madjack89: Alright, see you guys in the next super duper awesome chapter! By the way, I hope you had a merry Christmas and have a great New Year! And try not to fall down any stairs, because comas aren't cool!
Kouichi: sigh