The next day, Hajime noticed that Natsumi's behavior was different than usual. It was in the way she carried herself. She didn't have quite as much of a snide demeanor. She didn't snap at anyone. She didn't butt heads with any of the girls in class or give the teacher any of her usual sass. She was acting how most people would consider normal. Perhaps she had taken Hajime's advice to heart. He considered asking her about it during lunch. Hajime arrived at the cafeteria before Natsumi, and sluggishly approached the table. She looked exhausted and annoyed as she took a seat across from Hajime and planted her face in her arms.

"Ugh… you better appreciate this," She mumbled.

"Uh… appreciate what?" Hajime asked, skeptically. Natsumi looked up at him glaring.

"You know what! I've been on my best behavior all day! It's fucking exhausting dealing with these idiots. It's gonna give me a brain aneurysm," she moaned. Hajime scratched his head and chuckled nervously. If just restraining herself from being actively rude and abrasive was this difficult for her, she clearly had a long way to go in her rehabilitation.

"Well, don't wear yourself out yet. I've come up with some tasks… er, more like "ideas" that could help you to improve your people skills," he said, pulling out a written list. Natsumi looked up suspiciously.

" Oh great. I can hardly contain my excitement," she grumbled sarcastically, reaching for the paper. Hajime jerked it away out of her reach.

"Woah, this is for my eyes only. I don't think you should read the whole thing at once. Let's just focus on one thing at a time. We can start simple."

Natsumi glared at him with pouting, puffed out cheeks. She crossed her arms and sighed, "Fine. Whatever,"

"Ok, the first thing on the list is for you to make a friend of the same gender," he announced, which made Natsumi grimace angrily.

"Hey! What are you implying? You think I couldn't make a friend if I wanted to? " she asked, clearly insulted. " I'm not some kind of degenerate loser who can't even make a single friend! Geez!" She huffed angrily.

"Well, do you have any friends, besides me?" Hajime pried, which made Natsumi's expression change drastically. She began sweating and she had an awkward grin on her face.

"Wh-what? Of c-course I do! There's… Um… well… Er… Mahiru?" She blurted the first name that came to her mind. Hajime facepalmed and sighed.

"You two hate each other. What are you talking about?" he groaned.

Natsumi blushed and corrected herself. "T-that was a joke. I was just messing with you. But really, I totally have friends… Oh! I just remembered! There's the chick from our class that I see at the pool a lot. We've talked a few times," She recalled. Hajime perked up. This sounded much more promising.

"Ok, that sounds better. What do you guys talk about?" He asked, while Natsumi dug through her memory to recall.

"Hmm, I think I made fun of her kiddy bathing suit a few times. And that washboard she has for tits. And I "politely" asked her to get out and let me use her swimming lane," Natsumi said casually while Hajime looked like the life had been sucked out of him.

"That… Isn't even close to friendship," he muttered aloud. This was harder than he imagined, but then he honed in on a different detail. "Wait. I didn't know that you like to swim."

Natsumi smirked and crossed her arms. "Of course I do. How do you think I maintain my rockin figure?" She gloated with an arrogant grin.

"Well, at least you and this other girl share a similar interest. So that's something. It might not be too late to salvage this," Hajime exclaimed, pounding his fist down on the table. He stood up and pointed at Natsumi with his finger. "Your mission, Lady Kuzuryu, is to make friends with Washboard Girl! Failure is not an option!" He said dramatically in a mocking voice. Natsumi flushed angrily.

"Ok ok! Sit down, you jackass. You're making a scene!"

The time had come. It was nearing the end of the day. Natsumi would make her move soon. The classroom was buzzing idle chit chat and Natsumi was eyeing her "target," hesitantly. She looked over at Hajime for approval. He gave her a reassuring nod and she responded with a look that said "I really don't want to do this."

She got up out of her desk and walked over to where a girl with brown hair and a yellow hoodie was sitting. Her name was Aiko Umesawa. She had a petite body and was nowhere near as well endowed as Natsumi, however she wasn't a "washboard" as Natsumi had so antagonistically described her. Her most notable feature was that she had a rare genetic trait known as heterochromia, which made her left eye green and her right eye blue in color. Most people assumed it was a contact lense, but she was actually born that way. As Natsumi approached her, Aiko looked up at her with fear, and then darted her eyes from side to side, checking to see if Natsumi was coming over to talk to someone else.

"Sup, Aiko. I just wanted to have a little chat," Natsumi said with her natural dominating bravadon carrying a snide grin on her face. This posturing was just natural for her at this point, but it wasn't exactly friendly. Aiko looked up at her and almost shrunk into her desk.

"W-what do you want, N-Natsumi?" She asked, practically shivering with fear.

"I'm glad you asked," Natsumi said, resting her hand casually on Aiko's desk, locking her arm and leaning on it, which made her hover over Aiko, dominantly.

"I just thought we could get to know each other better," she said, as shivers went up Aiko's spine.

"D-do you want money? Is that it? Here! Take it all, please!" she said, taking a wallet out of her bag and pulling out cash. Murmurs could be heard throughout the classroom, with people whispering things to each other like:

"Oh my god, is she shaking down Aiko?"

"Thats brutal!"

"I know, right?! Poor girl..."

"That's low, even for her"

Natsumi could hear them and she clenched her fist, angrily. She slammed her hand on the desk.

"No, I don't want your goddamn money! Cut it out! I just thought maybe we could hang out together. You know, maybe go to the park or a movie. I dunno, whatever people do these days," Natsumi explained. As she said this, Aiko's face paled and she backed as far away as she could in her seat.

"W-what?…Oh no… don't tell me you're… like "that" … I'm sorry... I can't. I have a boyfriend! Please!" She pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. Natsumi was stunned for a moment, trying to comprehend this.

"Eh?..." she responded in confusion. Then, the murmuring began once again.

"Holy shit! Is Natsumi trying to steal Aiko's innocence?!"

"I had no idea she was into that!"

"Shouldn't somebody do something?"

"I had no idea she was such a deviant."

(So this is what a train wreck looks like) Hajime thought to himself as he watched the disaster unfold.

"P-please Natsumi. If… if I show you these, will it be enough?" Aiko asked as she reached down to begin pulling up her skirt, to show Natsumi her panties. Natsumi had finally put the pieces together and she blushed a deep red. Her eyes went livid and she shouted loudly.

"What? No! Stop doing that! What the fuck's wrong with you!? I don't want anything nasty like that! Just listen to the words that are coming out of my-" she stopped in mid sentence because Aiko covered her face and began to whimper and cry. Natsumi stood there with her mouth agape and her finger raised, but no words were coming out.

One of the other girls rushed over to Aiko, comforting her and putting her hands on her shoulders.

"It's ok, Aiko. Nobody is going to hurt you..." she said before angrily turning to Natsumi. "What the hell is wrong with you, Natsumi? Do you think you're cool, picking on a helpless girl like this? You're a monster!"

Natsumi clenched her fist and glared daggers down at the girl who insulted her.

"W-what did you say to me you bit-!..." she trailed off as she looked around and realized that everyone was glaring at her. The room had turned its attention to her and she was receiving piercing stares from everyone in the room, except for Hajime. He had a distressed look on his face, powerless to stop the spiraling situation. He had been trying for a while now to gesture with his hands and warn Natsumi to abort the mission, but she hadn't noticed.

"You think that just because your family is powerful you can treat people like shit!?" Another girl scolded as she stood up. Another guy stepped in as well.

"Yeah, she's been looking down her nose at us since she got here."

"Like she has any fuckin right to. Whatever happened to getting in the Main Course, huh?"

"She's just a loudmouthed blowhard."

"Why did they let a lowdown thug like her into the school to begin with?"

"Everyone's sick of you, Natsumi! Just get out of here before you cause any more damage," another girl castigated as she rushed over to Aiko's aid, who was still sniffling in her chair.

Natsumi stood there, paralyzed. Normally she had no fear in dealing with confrontation, telling people off, or verbally battling with them, but now everyone was united against her. She couldn't stand up to this. She froze up, almost in a trance, as they lambasted her. She felt her vision blurring with salty tears. She simply turned from them and ran out of the room, to which some of the students cheered. Hajime sprung from his desk and made his way through the crowd of students. He finally made it outside, but he didn't see her anywhere. He made a quick sweep of the current floor, to see if he could find her. Hajime silently cursed himself under his breath.

( I should have known this would all go to shit! Why did I think this would work? Dammit! I gotta find her!)

He dashed through the halls, drawing the attention of passers by. He had only one idea where she might be. He ascended the stairs and made his way to the same place where he and Natsumi had talked once before. There she was, sitting against the wall with her legs curled up, burying her lower face against her knees. She could be heard seething, choking, and breathing heavily and her eyes were puffy and red.

"Hey… are you ok?" He asked her, reaching out his hand towards her. She hid her face from him and didn't respond. Hajime adjusted his collar awkwardly and leaned up against the wall, standing next to her. The sun could be seen descending in the distance. It was just beginning to set, casting a glowing orange light on them.

"Look… Things got really outta hand back there. That part wasn't totally your fault. We had to expect that things might be a little rough at first."

"It's always like this," Natsumi mumbled, dejectedly. It was hard for Hajime to hear her at first because she hid her face.

"What? What did you say?" He asked, leaning over.

"It's always been like… Like this," She struggled to get out, holding back her tears of anger and pain. "Ever since I was a kid. They all looked at me different," she seethed through her teeth as she flashed back to her first days in elementary school.

"Even when I was in kindergarten, the other kids knew about who I was. Their parents told them to stay away from me. Who would want their kid going over to play at the "scary Yakuza family"s house or become friends with a future criminal? I don't know what their parents told them, but I'll never forget how they looked at me. The fear in their eyes. Soon they stopped looking at me at all. They just pretended I wasn't there. I was invisible to everyone… except my brother. Every day I would come home from school and he would be there for me. He would ask me about my day and we would play with toy guns in the backyard. He was so cool and confident. He taught me one thing above everything else. He taught me not to take any shit from anyone. That's why I wanted to stay by his side forever. So, I changed myself. I wasn't going to sit alone in the corner anymore. I was gonna give those jerks something to really be afraid of. I started pushing them around. I started scaring the shit out of them and making them give me stuff. It was easy and it felt so good. I didn't care if they hated me anymore. They were just going to do that anyway. At least I could make them respect me. That's all I needed, and that has gotten me where I am today. So why bother changing now?"

Hajime stood there silently as he listened to Natsumi agonizingly recall her childhood experiences. At last, Hajime was finally able to better understand who Natsumi was and why she acted the way she did. In the end, she was still that same little child, lashing out at others out of loneliness and fear.

"Do you get it yet, Hajime? If they want a monster, then that is what they are gonna get!" She whimpered through her gritted teeth.

"To hell with all of them! They are just a bunch of bottom feeders! I don't need them, anyway! I hate them s-so… f-fucking much! " She sobbed bitterly. Hajime knelt beside her and placed his hand on her head, gently patting it. She looked up at him with surprise. He could see her bloodshot, tear-filled eyes.

"W-what the hell are you doing?" She asked him, grumpily.

"You're not a monster, Natsumi. Trust me on that. You're way too much of a crybaby to be a monster," he said with a glib smile. Natsumi blushed and scowled at him a bit.

"Seriously. Things aren't as bleak as you think. If you open up to people, they'll start to see the real you. You need to have more faith in people. They aren't all out to get you. I know it's not gonna be easy- " He was interrupted as she pushed away his hand angrily.

"And what the hell do you know? How do you expect to get these people to like me? It's never gonna happen, so just forget about it!" She snapped at him, in a petulant tone.

Hajime leaned down and didn't give up. He gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"Well, I got to know you and I like you, Natsumi. They will too, if you just give it time. I promise," Natsumi looked away. Her face looked as if she was coming down with a fever.

"Yeah, well it's a little too late for that. I already royally fucked it up," she mumbled in response.

Hajime pondered for a moment, how they could come back for a second strike.

"Maybe we went about things wrong. We might need to take some other steps first. We want them to understand how you feel, but that's a two way street. You have to understand how they feel too. From their perspective, you've been nasty to them since day one. You are going to have to walk that back. You are going to need to empathize with them a little, and show them that you've turned over a new leaf, before you start trying to make friends. That's why Aiko reacted the way she did. She had every reason to believe you would be trying to hurt her."

Natsumi listened to him, but had a perplexed look on her face.

"So what exactly do you think I should do about that? What are you getting at?"

"You probably aren't gonna like it, but I think there's no other option," He said, reaching his hand out to Natsumi, to help her up. She looked at him with reluctance and doubt, but also a hint of admiration. She reached out her hand to take his.

The next day, students poured into class as usual. Hajime waited out in the hall for Natsumi to arrive. She finally appeared and shuffled up to him, looking at the ground and grumbling angrily to herself. She looked up at Hajime with a pouty face and bit her lip.

"Are you ready for this?" Hajime asked, attempting to give her a reassuring smile.

"Fuck off. You already know the answer to that question," she responded cynically. "Let's just get it over with," she growled as they waited for the other students to enter. Once the classroom was full, they both took a deep breath and walked in. Natsumi and Hajime walked to the front of the class and then Hajime cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, everyone. I would like to have your attention for just a moment, please. Natsumi has something she wants to say to you all. Please give her your attention," he said before walking off to his desk, leaving Natsumi standing there. He gave her a reassuring nod, but she just looked at him in mortification and apprehension. She looked around at the class, as their eyes were all on her, drilling into her. She felt her heart thumping wildly in her chest, but she pulled herself together.

"Hey. I've got something to say. I… I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention," She said, as the whole class watched her closely, most of them with looks of disapproval or suspicion. Some of the girls looked a little scared. Natsumi sighed and continued.

"I'll be honest. Ever since I got here… I've been pretty shitty to you guys. I insulted and disrespected just about everyone here. I won't sugarcoat it. I've been a total jerk, and that's why… I would like to apologize to everyone. None of you may know it, but I'm really trying to get better. From now on, Natsumi Kuzuryu is turning over a new leaf. I… hope that you can forgive me and we can start over."

She said taking a humble, apologetic bow, which nearly floored the class. A few of the girls gasped and there could be murmurs heard throughout the room. Natsumi looked around the room and then walked back to her seat. Everyone could hardly believe what they had just seen. Natsumi glanced at Hajime nervously, who gave her a big thumbs up. Natsumi's cheeks reddened as she looked at her desk, smiling. It was the kind of smile that Hajime was looking for. Right now, all he wanted was to protect that smile.

The day finally came to a close, as the afternoon bell rang. Everyone began packing their things and dispersing from the classroom, eager to enjoy the weekend. Natsumi was packing up all her books and folders when she felt a tug on her sleeve. She looked over and there stood the petite, yellow hooded girl from earlier. The ears on her hood seemed to perk up as Aiko eyed her nervously.

"N-Natsumi… I'm sorry about the other day. I didn't know you were just trying to be friends with me. I caused a big scene and made everyone upset at you. Please forgive me!" She said, worriedly bowing to Natsumi. Natsumi raised her hands in protest.

"Woah woah! You don't need to bow to me. It's all good. I'd rather just forget that it ever happened."

Aiko smiled and placed her hands together.

"I agree! If you're still open to the idea, I wouldn't mind being your friend, Natsumi. I don't have a ton of friends either, to be honest. What do you say?" She asked, with sincerity. Natsumi stared at her in amazement. She had never experienced anything like this before. The waves of kindness coming off this small girl overwhelmed her. Natsumi didn't know how to react to this. She blushed awkwardly and scratched her head.

"Sure, that… uh… sounds good," Natsumi replied.

"I've seen you at the pool a lot. We should go together. You're really fast! Have you been swimming for a while?" Aiko asked her, excitedly. Natsumi smirked proudly and crossed her arms.

"Yeah. The home I grew up in had a huge indoor pool, so I went swimming practically every day as a kid," she bragged. Aiko stared at her wide eyed in awe.

"That's sooo cool! I always wanted one of those!"

Hajime got up out of his seat and quietly slipped away, as the two conversed together. He smiled contently to himself as he walked through the halls. He had a creeping sense of optimism coming over him. Despite the initial roadblocks, his first mission was a success.

A few weeks later, it was time to implement the next step in Hajime's plan. He and Natsumi took a taxi into town and arrived at a small building in the downtown area.

"When are you going to tell me what this is all about? It better be good for you to drag me out here!" Natsumi complained. Hajime paid the driver and they stepped out of the vehicle. The air outside was cold and brisk, as fall was beginning to arrive. Natsumi looked up at the sign on the building, which was shaped like a giant dog bone. The sign read "Animal Shelter and Intensive Care," Natsumi was baffled for a moment.

"What is this? Are you sure this is the right place?" She asked Hajime, with a questioning look.

"Yup. Come on inside. I've got something to show you," he said, leading her into the building. Once they arrived inside there was a strong, unpleasant smell in the air which was difficult to get used to. It was obvious a lot of animals were kept here. The sound of dogs could be heard in the kennel area, elsewhere in the building. The building was divided into different sections for various animal species, including hamsters and rodents.

Shortly after they entered, a teenage boy walked into the room. He had a strange hairdo and makeup. He looked like he should be on his way to a heavy metal concert. He wore gaudy, clothes that looked like they belonged in some kind of edgy anime. In contrast to this, he also wore an apron, as it was required for volunteers at this facility. He spoke in an outlandish, melodramatic voice.

"Ah, the prodigal son has finally returned. Just as it was foretold by the crimson haired siren of-" he said before being interrupted by Natsumi.

"What the hell are you supposed to be? Are you some kind of fuckin weirdo or something?" She asked rudely, looking him over with a look of confusion and annoyance.

"Ha ha ha! You are quite the impertinent wench. Ordinarily, those who speak to the lord of darkness with such vulgarity and disrespect would find themselves trapped for a millennium in the fourth circle of hell. However, I can detect a powerful and intriguing aura coming from you, and thus I will spare your soul," He said, in a proud and bombastic tone, crossing his arms.

"Wait… did you just call me a wench?" Natsumi asked, totally baffled by this boy's behavior. "Let's get out of here Hajime, this dude is on something!" she said, grabbing Hajime's sleeve.

"No, wait. It's alright, Natsumi. This guy is cool. He's one of your brother's classmates. His name is Gundham Tanaka. He's the ultimate breeder."

"In truth I am the ultimate scion of the 7th underworld, but the title of ultimate breeder is far more succinct, I suppose," Gundham said, with a cartoonish cackle. Natsumi made a perturbed grimace at him as he spoke. Hajime attempted to retake the reins of the conversation.

"So, Gundham. Mahiru said that you were looking for volunteers to help out around here, so I brought Natsumi along with me. We are ready to get started as soon as possible."

"Splendid!" Gundham responded. "Take these mythril cloaks to shield yourselves whilst communing with the clawed behemoths of the underworld. They can be quite tenacious," he said, tossing them their aprons.

"Hey hey, wait a minute! I didn't agree with any of this! What the fuck is this Hajime?" She asked him, fuming and clutching the apron. Hajime sighed and attempted to reassure her.

"Don't worry. Just go with it. I think this might actually help you relieve some stress and you might learn a thing or two. Just trust me, ok?" He said, as Natsumi looked away and grumbled to herself. The two of them put on their aprons and tied them in the back.

"The felines of the apocalypse are in dire need of your attention. They haven't been unshackled from their dimensional prisons for a while now. They must be allowed to roam free and expend their raw dark energy, lest they become restless and feral, unleashing a thousand years of pestilence and wanton destruction on this planet," Gundham explained before Natsumi butted in.

"Yeah yeah, we get it. We have to look after a bunch of cats and clean up their hairballs and shit. You don't need to make it into a fuckin novel!" She snapped as she stormed off towards the room, with Hajime close behind.

As soon as they entered, there was a chorus of "meow"s coming from the cages that lined the walls. Hajime closed the door behind them. It was a wide open space with cat trees, scratching posts, and toys strewn about. The cats clawed at their cages and whined at them. Natsumi bent over and looked at one of the cages that contained a little black kitten. She couldn't stop staring at it. It was just too adorable. Her grumpy expression began to fade and morph into a child-like smirk as she watched the little creature intently. Hajime interrupted her trance.

"Ok, let's start letting them out," Hajime said with a grin.

"Oh, right… Whatever," Natsumi muttered in reply, shaking herself back to her senses. She began unhinging the cages and the cats hopped out. Half a dozen of them immediately began swarming around Natsumi's legs, meowing up a storm. They brushed up against her and rubbed their faces on her shins. Natsumi just stood there awkwardly, looking down at them.

"Ehhh… There are a lot of these little bastards aren't there?" She mumbled as she reached down to pet one of them. She managed to move over to a bench and take a seat. Immediately one of the cats, an orange and white one, hopped into her lap and curled up.

"W-what do you think you're doing… you little shit..." She asked, as she began to pet it on its head and ears. It began purring like a motorboat and that same childish smile began to creep its way onto Natsumi's lips. She didn't even notice Hajime as he hovered over her. She toyed with its ears and made it purr even louder.

"Pretty cute, huh?" He asked as she jumped a little at the sound of his voice, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, of course they're cute. They're fucking cats. What do you expect?" She grumbled as she continued to possessively pet the cat in her lap. There were other cats mewling and nuzzling against her legs, wanting their turn. She felt an uncontrollable urge to pet them all. She began to don a blissful grin as the felines crowded around her.

"I know you're enjoying yourself, but we actually need to get some work done."

Hajime interjected as Natsumi picked up the small, black kitten and held it out in front of her. She stared into its green eyes and completely ignored Hajime.

"Hey… Earth to Natsumi… Snap out of it!" He said, waving his hand in front of her face. It snapped her out of her trance momentarily.

"Yeah yeah. I heard you! Geez! Just give a few minutes. You're the one who dragged me here and you're not even gonna let me have fun with the cats?" She complained, while she took the black kitten and cradled it against her body.

Hajime watched her caress and snuggle the little cat and he decided to just leave her be. He got to work cleaning out all the litter boxes, giving the cats fresh water and food, and changing the newspaper in their cages. Meanwhile, Natsumi seemed transfixed on that one cat. He approached her while she was holding it up to her face, letting it place its little paws on her cheeks and nose.

"You know, all these cats need a home. I'm sure Gundham would be happy if you took one of them with you," he suggested, to which her eyes lit up.

"Wait, really? I could just take one of them home with me?" She asked, with clear excitement in her voice, which she quickly tried to mute, out of embarrassment. " But… uh… do the dorms even allow pets?" She asked, trying to sound disinterested.

"Yup. They allow cats, but not dogs. They have to be indoor only, and house-trained of course," he explained, as she couldn't take her eyes off the black cat, which was snuggling in her lap. She pet it slowly, on the back. The little thing was barely bigger than her hand.

"But… you know. Pets are a lot of responsibility, and they cost money," she mumbled, unconvincingly. Hajime shot her a sarcastic smirk.

"Oh yeah. I'm sure you, of all people, would have a really hard time affording cat food."

Natsumi blushed and glared at him. "If you want me to adopt him, just say it already."

"That's not my decision, Natsumi. Do you want to adopt him?" He responded, smugly. He could see the desire on her face. She had already grown attached to it. He could see it in her eyes.

"...yes..." she said, quietly. "Yes, ok? I wanna adopt him. Just wipe that smirk off your face," she mumbled, holding the cat up and letting him rest on her breasts. The kitten kneaded them with his paws happily. Feedback could be heard, emanating from an intercom in the far corner of the room. A familiar voice resounded over the speakers. Gundham cleared his throat and spoke into the mic, from another room.

"Hearken to my voice, oh gate guardians of the netherworld. Your time in the realm of light hast expired and thus you must return to your unholy abodes, until called upon again," For some reason, all the cats paid attention to his voice and they began scurrying back to their cages, as commanded. It was truly a bizarre sight. Mahiru had mentioned that Gundham had a way with animals and could train them to do complex commands, but he never imagined it would look like this. This was the kind of talent that only "ultimate students" possessed. Even the black kitten in Natsumi's arms wanted to run back to his cage as commanded, but Natsumi didn't let him.

"Woah woah. Easy there tough guy. You gotta come with me, ok?" She spoke to the cat in a cutesy tone and then caught herself. She cast an embarrassed and wrathful stare at Hajime who was stifling a chuckle.

One the way back to the dorms, Natsumi had the kitten in a plastic carrying cage. It was more than a little perturbed by the situation and was meowing up a storm. It clearly didn't like being in a moving car. Natsumi tried to calm it down and eventually it began to grow sleepy and simply curled up in a corner of the box. It was fascinating for Hajime to watch Natsumi trying to comfort and calm down a kitten, as if it were her baby. "Caring" and "motherly" weren't words he would use to describe Natsumi.

"So, have you decided on a name for it, yet?" He asked, as she watched it carefully though the holes in the box.

"I think I'll call him Joe-Kun," she said grinning to herself.

"Huh?... Really? Isn't Joe an American name? That's an odd choice. Are you sure you wanna go with that?" He remarked, skeptically.

"Of course! I'm naming him after Joe Pesci. I grew up watching American gangster movies with my brother. Joe Pesci is a total badass and so is this little guy," she said, warmly smiling down at the kitten as he snoozed. Hajime didn't press the issue anymore. If she wanted to name it Joe, then that was her decision.

Later, once Hajime was back in his dorm room, he decided to take it easy and give himself a well deserved break. It was the weekend after all. He flopped onto his bed and messed around on his phone, killing time with some games, including his favorite, addictive school idol game, which was a guilty pleasure of his. Half an hour later, he began to get a bombardment of text messages from Natsumi, with pictures attached.

"Joe-Kun is exploring his new home. I think he likes it" One of the text messages read, with a picture of the little cat wandering around.

Another picture showed Natsumi laying on her couch with the kitten perched on her breasts, resting on them. "I cant keep him off me. Joe-Kun just loves me so much ." she gloated.

At first, the messages were pretty cute, but she just kept sending more, which started to border on being obnoxious. Hajime was starting to wonder if he had made a mistake with this whole venture.

"He's cute, but can you cool it with the pictures? You're going to fill up my phone's SD card" Hajime texted, after having received nearly two dozen images.

"Whatever. Youre just jealous of the kind of kinship me and Joe-Kun share. People without pets just can't understand" She texted. Hajime could just imagine the smug tone of voice behind it.

( You've had him for less than an hour... )

He wanted to type that but he decided against it. He would let Natsumi have her fun. This was another important step for her. Hajime's scheme was coming along nicely.

Two Months Later

The following months passed peacefully, almost too peacefully. Natsumi and Aiko often spent afternoons together, either swimming or just hanging out, which actually gave Hajime more days that he could spend with Chiaki after school. Hajime enjoyed just sitting back and watching things play out, for once. He continued his daily workouts with Peko and he was getting into noticeably better shape. His frame was more pronounced, his arms were thicker, and his leg muscles were more defined. Peko had even tutored him in combat more. He was finally beginning to see some results from his monotonous training. He was seeing results in other aspects of his life as well. He actually began hanging out with Fuyuhiko occasionally. Sometimes the young gangster and a few of the other guys from the Main Course held poker nights. True, gambling was against school rules, but that just made it even more fun for Fuyuhiko to be the ringleader. Hajime may not have been a member of the Main Course, but at this point he was spending so much time with some of its members that he might as well be one himself. His plans for Natsumi were working better than he had anticipated. Natsumi's attitude had significantly improved over the past few months. She was still sarcastic, smug, and abrasive at times, but compared to how she was when he first met her, the difference was night and day. She seemed more relaxed around other people. Her circle of friends had even expanded to some of Aiko's friends. She was taking exceptionally good care of "Joe-Kun," only feeding him the best cat food and buying him an excessive amount of toys. Natsumi was truly changing for the better. But now, it was time to take the next step.

"Hell… No. Not happening," Natsumi said flatly, with venom in her voice. The two of them were sitting in the cafeteria together and Natsumi had risen out of her seat, mid meal. She gaped at Hajime with shock, wondering how he could even ask such a thing from her. "There is no way I'm apologizing to that ginger bimbo! Not after her butt buddy tried to murder me! No way," she said stubbornly. Hajime looked disconcerted, but he kept pressing.

"That stuff happened a long time ago. I think it's time for you to put it to rest. You can bury the hatchet with Mahiru and both of you can put it behind you forever," he explained, as Natsumi crossed her arms and looked at him with disgust.

"I already did put it behind me, alright?! I don't have anything to say to her!" She grumbled, taking her seat again and scarfing down some of her food, angrily.

"Even you acknowledged that the whole thing was your fault… You admitted it to me, but you never actually settled things with Mahiru," he urged, as Natsumi looked up at him with her mouth full of food. She chewed it a few times and gulped it down before clenching her fist on the table. But she took a few deep breaths and simmered her anger down a bit, before speaking.

"Listen, Hajime. I've done everything you've asked me. I've been really trying my best. And I'll admit it. You've really helped me out a lot. I'm grateful for what you've done… But I don't need to do this. I don't care what Mahiru thinks of me. I don't need that bitch to like me, in order to be a good person."

"It's not about that. It's about doing what's right. It's about having enough self respect to admit that you were wrong and make amends. The Kuzuryu-gumi aren't common thugs. They have a sense of honor and respect. You of all people shou-" He was interrupted as Natsumi slammed her balled up fist on the table, looking down and trembling with anger.

"Hajime… I like you, but… Don't you ever try to hold my family name over my head like that… You don't have the right to do that!" She snarled through her teeth, in a serious tone. Hajime could sense the deadly rage that she was holding back. She dug her nails into her palms so hard that they almost bled, but after a few moments she began to loosen them. She let her emotions settle and pass over her.

"You're a real pain in the ass, sometimes, you know that?" She said with a sigh before locking eyes with Hajime. "I'll do it," she muttered. "But you better be grateful."

With that, the girl departed. Hajime let out a sigh of relief as the tension finally dissolved. He could hardly believe that she had caved in. His words must have really hit a soft spot in the angsty teen girl. Now it was time to see if all the progress he had made with Natsumi had paid off.

Mahiru waited by the stone fountain, where Hajime typically met with Chiaki. It was on a weekend and there were no other people nearby. Given the season, and a chilly wind blew across the open courtyard. Mahiru was wearing a skirt and sweater, with green leggings to keep warm. She also wore gloves and a plaid scarf. She sat on one of the benches and checked her watch. Hajime had texted her and told her to meet him here.

( What could this be about? ) she wondered to herself. ( Could he be planning to… confess to me?… No! What the hell am I thinking? God, calm down Mahiru. It's probably nothing too serious. But then... why wouldn't he tell me what he wanted to talk about? )

Mahiru heard the sound of footsteps and looked up to see Hajime approaching her. She stood up and smiled, raising her hand to greet him, but then she saw someone walking behind him. Her expression drooped. "Hey Haji-… Wait a minute. What's shedoing here? What is this?" She asked, looking at Natsumi suspiciously and with a hint of fear. Natsumi looked back at her with somewhat of a scowl on her face, but it was different. There was a different aura to her now. It lacked the confidence and menace that Mahiru was used to.

"Sorry, I didn't tell you beforehand, but Natsumi has a few things she wants to say to you," he said, as Natsumi stepped forward, looking Mahiru in the eyes. There was heavy tension in the air already. Hajime looked back and forth between the both of them and smiled awkwardly.

" This is between you guys, so I don't wanna eavesdrop. I'll go get myself a soda or something," he said as he began to walk off. Mahiru called out to him.

"W-wait! Hajime, are you sure..." Mahiru asked, glancing at Natsumi nervously.

"It'll be fine. Just trust me," he said giving her a reassuring nod, before walking off. The redhead and the blonde girl stood there in silence for a moment, the only audible sound being the whistling fall wind.

"S-so what's this about, Natsumi?" Mahiru asked, finally breaking the silence. Natsumi sighed and placed her hand on her forehead, mentally preparing herself.

"Look… I know things have been pretty shitty between us, since middle school," Natsumi started, to which Mahiru reluctantly nodded.

( That's a nice way of saying that you treated me like crap ) she thought, but she let Natsumi continue.

"And… I gotta say… You didn't deserve it… Like, at all. It wasn't right, how I treated you," she said, looking away, unable to keep eye contact with Mahiru as she spoke.

"Wait… what? What are you getting at, Natsumi?" She asked, deeply confused by what she was hearing. This wasn't the same Natsumi she grew up with.

"I'm getting there!… I'm trying to apologize to you, dammit," she grunted. The words hit Mahiru like a bag of hammers. It stunned her. She couldn't believe what was coming out of Natsumi's mouth. "I've always made fun of you and pushed you around. You've had to go through a lot because of me and I don't expect you to forgive me. But I just needed to tell you this, ok? I'm sorry, Mahiru. I'm sorry for everything."

"Is this some kind of… sick joke?" Mahiru asked, bewildered.

"Trust me. It would be a pretty lame joke if it was. I'm telling you the truth. What I did to you was wrong and I'm trying to apologize," Mahiru stood there in the cold, silently. She didn't say a word in response. Her mitten covered hands were at her sides. She clenched them tightly and grit her teeth as Natsumi's words sank in. She felt her head swimming with conflicting emotions.

"Why..." She mumbled softly. Natsumi was a bit perplexed by her response.

"Uh… what?" She asked blankly.

"Why Dammit?! Why now?! If you were capable of compassion this whole time, why didn't you show any of it!? If you knew you were hurting me, why did you keep doing it… for years!?" Mahiru screamed, as Natsumi could see she was crying. Natsumi was taken aback by this and didn't move as Mahiru walked up to her and grabbed her by her jacket. "You don't have any idea how much I've suffered because of you! How much Sato suffered because of you! So tell me why, Natsumi! Why did you do it?" Mahiru yelled. Natsumi was frozen, as she looked into Mahiru's teary eyes. Their faces were close together and Mahiru was staring at her with an intensity she had never seen from the mild mannered redhead. It was at that moment that Natsumi felt tears welling in her eyes too.

"Because I was fucking jealous of you! Why do you think?! When we were kids you were always the weak one. But once we got to middle school, all that changed. You got noticed by people. You had talent. You made new friends while I got nowhere. I'm not supposed to be jealous of someone like you. I'm not supposed to be pitied by someone like you. But I fucking was. So if you want to know my reasons for hating you all these years, that's it. My reasons are as shitty as they sound, but there you go. That's the truth," she cried out, as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

Then, there was a loud smack. Mahiru delivered a sharp slap to Natsumi's face, leaving a red mark on her cheek. It snapped Natsumi back to her senses. She clutched her cheek, looking at Mahiru in shock. Mahiru stood there, composing herself and wiping her eyes, before staring at Natsumi with determination. Natsumi wondered if she was going to smack her again, but then Mahiru did something unexpected. She moved in close to Natsumi and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her.

"If you were suffering, all you had to do was tell me. What you did to me was completely wrong, Natsumi. It was monstrous and your reasons were completely vile, selfish, evil… but I forgive you," she said as she held Natsumi tightly in a warm embrace. Natsumi hugged her back and tried her best to stop crying.

"But how can you say that? It can't be that easy," Natsumi whispered softly, as Mahiru slowly loosened her hug and backed away. She looked at Natsumi with her best cheery smile, mired by puffy eyes and tear glistening cheeks.

"Why not? There's already enough despair in this world. We don't need to add any more to it. We don't have to be enemies. I want to make a fresh start, just like you do. But there is still someone else you need to apologize to," she said, taking Natsumi's hand.

"Yeah… I know," Natsumi said, understandingly. " I'm ready."

Natsumi found herself walking through the halls of the Yoshigahara Medical Treatment Center. It was one of the nation's most esteemed mental health facilities, specializing in traumatized and damaged youth. This is where Sato had been undergoing psychological evaluations and therapy the past many months. It was court mandated and she was set to release at the end of the year, with the recommendation of her doctors. Natsumi and Mahiru made their way to her room through the surprisingly quiet and serene hallways. Mahiru knocked on the door and it opened almost instantly. Sato stood there, dressed in regular street clothes. She wore loose pants and a white, flowery tanktop.

"Mahiru! I got your message. Please, come inside. I-..." Her pupils dilated as she saw Natsumi. She froze up for a moment. " W-what the hell are you doing here?" She asked with intense hostility in her voice. Mahiru placed her hand on Sato's shoulder, reassuringly.

"It's alright, Sato. I brought her with me for a reason. Just trust me, ok?" She said, as Sato still eyed Natsumi with suspicion and a hint of fear.

"Mahiru, I… F-fine… You have five minutes, Kuzuryu," she said, as she led her inside. Natsumi looked around at the one bedroom setup that Sato had here. It definitely wasn't very spacious. It was barely a step above a cell. There was just enough space for a bed, a desk, some dressers and a single bathroom.

"Why did you come here, Natsumi? Did you come to make fun of me? Maybe threaten my family? Just spit it out already. Don't waste my time!" She sneered in resentment. Natsumi remained calm and looked at her seriously.

"Tch... That's not why I'm here. I know you won't believe it, but I actually came here… To tell you I'm sorry," she said, to which Sato made a look of disgust.

"You're "sorry?" Oh. I see. So you did come here to make fun of me. Just get the hell out of my sight, Natsumi!" She ordered, angrily, as Mahiru looked at both of them, nervously.

"This isn't a joke, Sato! I'm serious about this, so pay attention! I'm telling you that what I did was wrong. I've been a piece of shit to you and Mahiru, for years and there is no excuse for it. You guys didn't deserve what I put you through. I understand that now. You gotta believe me."

Sato just scoffed. "Yeah right! Like I should believe a single word that comes out of your mouth, Natsumi! Please! I know exactly what you are! You are an abusive, sneaky, hateful, sadistic monster and you always will be! I've heard enough. I want you out of here now!" Sato yelled as she began to walk over to her door, where she could call security. As she reached the door, she heard a thump and looked behind her. She looked down in shock. Natsumi was on the floor, with her forehead touching the wood. She had her palms flat on the floor in front of her head, bent over in a bow of prostration. Sato was stunned at this. This had to be some kind of weird dream. Natsumi maintained her bow as she pleaded to Sato.

"I'm not lying. I promise you, Sato. I mean every word that I say. I'm really sorry for all the problems I caused. I don't expect you to forgive me, but please accept my apology," she said, respectfully, as she bowed to Sato.

"This… This has to be a fucking joke. There's no way!" Sato said as she stared in disbelief. Mahiru put her hand on Sato's shoulder and nodded her head.

"It's true, Sato. I couldn't believe it either, but she came to me and we talked things out," she explained as Sato clenched her eyes shut and tightened her fist.

"This is Natsumi Kuzuryu, we're talking about here... This has to be a trap."

"Why would she do that, after all this time? It wouldn't make any sense. Besides, don't you think it's possible that people can change? If they can't, the world would be a completely hopeless place, wouldn't it? That can't be true. I refuse to accept that. You should too," Mahiru assured her, with a warm smile. Then, Natsumi interrupted.

"Uhm… Can I stop doing this now?" She asked, as she was still in a face-down bow. Sato let out an annoyed groan and gestured at her.

"Get up already. You look like an idiot," Sato sighed as Natsumi raised up to her knees, blushing brightly. She stood up and brushed herself off, trying to play things off and hoping that Mahiru and Sato never spoke of what they just saw. Sato looked into Natsumi's eyes for a moment. It was as if they were locked in an intensely competitive staring contest. Mahiru looked at them nervously until Sato said something.

"Natsumi… I don't know what happened to you over the past few months and frankly I really don't care. I'll be honest with you. I'm not like Mahiru. I'm not willing to just forget the past, like she is. In my eyes, what you did is just unforgivable," she said, harshly.

Natsumi grimaced a little, but she could take it. She should have expected this, to be honest. Sato was actually a lot calmer than she envisioned, considering the last time they saw each other. Sato was trying to brutally murder her. Sato sighed and continued.

"However, I'm willing to let this feud of ours officially end. Don't misunderstand me. We aren't friends and we never will be. In fact, I'd rather not have to see your face again, as long as I live," she said with a hint of menace in her voice. " That being said… I accept your apology. And I guess it's only fair that I apologize too. You know. For trying to bash your head in."

Natsumi gave a wry smirk. "I don't think I can forgive that either, but thanks. I guess that makes us even, right?" she remarked, looking a little smug. Sato actually smiled a bit too.

"I suppose it does. Now do me a favor and get the hell out of here," she said, gesturing at the door. Natsumi and Mahiru began to make their way towards the door, but Sato stopped Mahiru before she left.

"Not you, Mahiru. Since you're here, we might as well talk a bit. I can brew us some tea," she said, to which Mahiru nodded.

"Sure. Sounds good."

"Uh, Mahiru… You're kinda my ride outta here. So, what the hell am I supposed to do?" Natsumi asked, awkwardly, standing outside the doorway. Sato just crossed her arms and smirked at her.

"I guess you'll just have to wait in the lobby until we're done," she beamed smugly to Natsumi.

"You know, Sato? You're a real mean bit-" Natsumi didn't get to finish her sentence because the door slammed closed in front of her face.