Time: during episode 7

Characters: Yuri, Otonashi, various SSS members

"I need some time alone."

The words rang in her ears even though they were spoken so softly. She kept on her nonchalant mask as she exited the classroom, tapping Naoi on the shoulder on the way. He seemed reluctant to leave, but he followed her out and shut the door behind them. With his job as a hypnotist complete, he walked off without a word, probably off to beat up more NPCs or build a shrine to his beloved senior. She waited until his footsteps faded away into the distance.

Yuri was never one to show overwhelming sympathy, even if she did lead a bunch of mistreated teenagers around. It wasn't because she didn't care, nor was it because she felt like she had the worst life out of them all, but it was simply because they didn't need it. Not from her, at least. She was their leader, not their mother. They didn't decide to follow her because she was a kind, warm-hearted friend. No. They followed her because she was a cold-cut soldier with a sharp attitude and a passionate motivation.

And there was nothing wrong with that.

But there was something to be said about the funny feeling in her gut that worsened the farther she got from the classroom. She suspected its occupant wouldn't be out for a while, and the funny feeling spread to her heart. This was why sympathy never worked with her; it hurt too much to care for people.

Otonashi wasn't exactly the most cheerful guy around. Compared to the rest of the team, he was calm, levelheaded, and practical. He wasn't an ace fighter or an enthusiastic member, but there was a sort of an alleviating factor about him, almost like an impenetrable umbrella in the center of a tempest of gunfire and insanity.

An umbrella.

She just compared him to an umbrella.

Shaking her head, Yuri made her way to the vending machines in the cafeteria, planning to buy some coffee to ease the twisted feeling in her stomach. What she didn't expect to see was a bunch of Battlefront members milling about on the stairs, unraveling cords and setting up speakers to face the atrium. There were a few of them setting up lights on the top balcony, shouting orders to each other from across the room.

"What are you guys doing?" Yuri asked as she inspected the organized mess.

A few of them looked up and flinched. "Y-Yurippe! We didn't think you'd be out and about," one of them said with a nervous laugh.

"You're setting up a concert? But we don't have any operations planned for tonight," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Y-yeah, but—"

"It was my idea!"

Yuri turned slightly at the excited voice. "Yui? What is all this?"

"It's a surprise guerrilla concert! Since we haven't had any real operations since Angel was fired as president and that creepy guy with the red eyes and the hat joined up with us, I thought it'd be fun to bring back the band!" She hopped around with elation, punching and kicking the air.

"So you went against my orders…er, or lack of one and decided to set up a performance on your own?"

Yui's smile dropped. Hinata popped out of nowhere and leaned an elbow on top of her pink head.

"See, I told you she'd be mad," he said without a hint of remorse. "And now we have to pack up all this crap we spent hours setting up."

"I didn't say you can't have it," Yuri shrugged, turning to the vending machines.

There was silence as she pressed the button for some Key Coffee. But when she bent to pick up the can, there was an outburst of spluttering from the idiotic duo.

"A-are you serious? You're going to let her—"

"Yes! This is a dream come true! I finally get to plan my own—"

"—is unbelievable! She can't even play and—"

"—or later everyone will recognize me as—"

"All right, you morons! That's enough!" Yuri shouted over the din, clenching her coffee can so hard the aluminum started to dent. "Do whatever you want. But you're responsible for any conflict with the teachers, understand?"

Yui cheered and Hinata groaned. They walked off in a heated argument, the two of the tripping over cords and lighting equipment like a couple of dumb klutzes. Yuri glanced down at the can in her hands, looked back up at the brightly lit products displayed in the vending machine, and bought another Key Coffee.

Where would he go once he calmed down? she thought to herself as she opened her can and took a sip. Definitely not to headquarters. Probably not to his dorm. Maybe…

She rounded the corner and headed for the staircase. Voices floated down from the floor above and she frowned. Wasn't there anywhere she could think in this school?

"Hey, Yurippe," Fujimaki greeted as she reached the top. He was leaning on the wall next to the bathrooms with Takamatsu and Ooyama, and there was a relaxed atmosphere about them. "We were actually just talking about you."

"Oh?" she said shortly, already putting a foot on the next set of stairs.

"Indeed we have," Takamatsu stepped forward, straightening his glasses. "I have something to report concerning our—"

"Later," Yuri cut in, starting up the steps. "Whatever it is, we'll handle it at tomorrow's meeting."

They stared after her, speechless, as she skipped up the stairs and disappeared from view.

The roof was empty when she emerged from the narrow staircase, but it wasn't like she expected anything different. NPCs never came up here, not even Angel. Before taking over the principal's office, she had actually used this rooftop as the meeting place for the early SSS. She recalled how she met Hinata here, how she kicked him off the roof to prove his immortality, and how she eventually formed the Battlefront to fight against god and his cruelty. He was her first recruit in this world, her first friend…

She leaned on the railing with a coffee can in each hand, staring hard at the stone surface of the roof. An image of Otonashi flashed across her eyes, him sitting there, heartbroken and distraught as his memories washed over him. Yuri had meant it when she said he didn't have a good life, but she had to admire his effort towards the end. Even after he had lost the meaning for his life, he had found a new goal and fought long and hard for it. He had pushed on after such a jarring tragedy.

It was more than she could have ever done.

What was she, compared to him? He had been a noble and selfless man, pursuing a new life in medicine with dignity and composure even after god had treated him so unfairly. And here she was, fighting against a power—one she couldn't even confirm the existence of—with guns and violence like some temperamental teenager who whined and pouted when she didn't get what she wanted. It was pathetic, really. And on top of that, she hadn't been able to start her one-sided warfare with the unknown divine power until she had died and confirmed her ability to survive any battle. Though she would never admit it out loud, Otonashi was a much stronger person than she could ever hope to be.

She kept her eyes fixed on the floor as the sun started to sink. There was a lot of noise on the field and she guessed that school was over and the NPCs had come out for their club activities, and even though she could see them if she just turned her head, Yuri never felt more disconnected with them. They weren't human. She was. And she had the ability to feel hurt and remorse and guilt and sadness and anger.

All for one newbie member who she more or less forced into remembering his awful past.

Sympathy?

Of course she felt it. She was human, after all.

Footsteps sounded from across the roof, and Yuri turned slightly to see Otonashi walking towards her with his hands in his pockets, casually watching the NPC activity on the grounds. So her guess was right.

"Have you calmed down?" she asked gently.

"Yeah," he sighed, stopping a few feet away and facing the view. She turned to join him and offered him the unopened coffee.

"It's normal for people's hearts to become unstable after getting their memories back." And it's too bad I never had a chance to lose mine in the first place, she wanted to add. But it felt wrong to include her sob story into this conversation. She decided to take the empathy route. "You're not the only one like this."

Otonashi stared at the coffee in his hands. "I'm so weak," he muttered. "I've come to respect how strong you are, Yuri."

"That's not true." She said the words lightly, but she meant them with all her heart. It wasn't true. He was stronger, much, much stronger. She was the one who should be admitting weakness. It didn't matter that she could physically beat him to a pulp; his heart, his compassion was what struck a chord in her, and anything she did would pale in comparison to him. Of course, she still had the title of leader, and she suspected that was something she couldn't lose if she tried. But in her eyes, Otonashi was the leader of the rebellion.

Yet there was no way she would ever admit to that.

Ever.