The food was disgusting. Yuu had thought over the years he would get used to this kind of taste, but nope it was still bitter and impossible to eat. With a pained expression he viewed the indefinable mush in front of him and didn't want to know, what the ingredients used to be. How should the other children and he himself get taller and strong from this garbage? He looked at the smaller kids, which were seated around the table, chatting happily and wondered if they had just accepted their fates. Yuu had been in this orphanage for four years now, but no way was he going to keep living like that!

Finally he took the bowl up to his mouth, pinching his nose with two fingers and gulped the food down. The boy shook as the bitter taste brought tears to his eyes and he felt like throwing up.

"Really Yuu-chan. You should show some manners when eating with others." Mika's voice sounded from opposite him, producing a deathly glare from Yuu.

"I'm not showing manners, if they are giving us muck like this. How can you all eat it?" Yuu complained, while Mika eyes clouded for a moment. From time to time they were given this kind of food. Yuu wasn't sure if it was because of money issues or if it had something to do with the special treatment they were receiving. Either way, the director should take better care of these kinds of things. It was not only the food. They slept on the ground and the number of blankets was barely enough to cover all of them at night. As a result some of the kids had gotten sick and they might lose one or two by the next week. Reading Mika's features under his blond, shining hair, Yuichiro could see how much it got to him. Mika was working his ass off and saving money for all of them to break free of this place – to live on their own. It was an ideal dream, but Yuu was sure, if it was Mika, he would make it happen.

That much he had finally gotten out of the boy by now. Also, that he had hidden the money at different locations in the city, since the housemasters had taken it away from him before. Yuu had told Mika to stop worrying and managing everything on his own. Yuichiro was the same age as his friend. He could work at the same place and they could share the burden. But whenever he offered his help to the other boy, he would earn a panic struck and shocked expression.

"No Yuu-chan! You shouldn't go to that place. Never." Back then, Mika had grabbed his shoulders with both hands and shaken him. Seeing his warily expression however, Mika had pedaled back, giving him a wide smile.

"You have to show manners at that place. Manners are everything! And since Yuu-chan doesn't have any manners at all and lashes out at the simplest and stupidest things, there is no way they would hire you."

Yuu had thought of following Mika secretly once or twice, but since the other went out of his way to keep it a secret, he didn't want to destroy his trust like that. But Mika needed help, Yuu was sure of it. All those tired smiles he was forcing himself to, all the hurt and pain in those blue eyes, in which Yuichiro lost himself from time to time. Not that he would ever say that out loud. The bastard could be annoying as hell, if you gave him just one opportunity.

"Mika onii-san! Would you play with us?" Juni, a small kid who used to cry all the time tucked at Mika's sleeve to get his attention. The blonde looked down to the small child with those gentle eyes and his smile reflected on the other's face.

Glancing over to Yuu, Mika's smile turned into an evil grin and the other already knew, what was coming.

"How about we play our favorite game?"

Yuu groaned disgruntled, as the little kid's eyes sparkled when he looked over.

"Bothering Yuu onii-san", Juni exclaimed loudly and the other kids cheered from all around the table. Yuu's forehead met the tabletop, as he could already hear the little monsters getting off their seats to run over to him. He sent Mika a deadly glare that said 'I hate you so much' and heard Akane chuckle next to him.

"They are really fond of you." She said right before the first kid landed on his back and two others pulled on his sleeves. With all their power combined, Yuu was wrestled to the ground. Hearing their happy laughter and starting to smile as well, he tried to grab the little brats, as they tickled him. Whenever he got one, the others would head to the rescue and attack together, until they had freed their friend from the fangs of the monster. All the while Mika and Akane would cheer for them from the sidelines, joining in with their laughter.

"I'm giving up." Yuu called out defeated, which was met with voices of disappointment. Having the kids seated all around him, he smiled a wide grin and whispered something. The exact same grin appeared on each face of the children and they turned around to look at their next prey.

"Oh no." Mika said quietly, before he ran around the table to get away from his former army, which now had turned against him. But the kids were just an enemy no one could outrun or defeat, so a few seconds later, Mika ended up the exact same way Yuu did before. His light laughter sounded like a melody, as it was mixed with those of the other children.

"Alright everyone! Let's let Mika oni-san live and clean up the table, shall we." At Akane's words Mika gave a sigh of relieve while all the others, including Yuu, complained loudly, but still got up to take on the task.

"You are evil." Mika said, as Yuu kneeled down next to him, grinning sheepishly.

"You are one to talk. That was just payback." Yuu exclaimed, stretching out a hand to help the other get up. Right now he was wearing the expression Yuu wanted to see more on Mika's face. Not a forced smile, which shut away the hurt and discomfort, due to the hardships Mika had to go through. Not the sad look in his eyes, which he couldn't hide even though he tried his hardest, begging Yuu to help him and to make it stop. Right now Mika was smiling because he was happy to be amongst his family, for the love he felt towards each of them. It was a smile, which filled every person looking at him with warmth and lighted up even the darkest features.

With a sigh Guren leaned back in his chair, hands running through his hair in defeat, before he picked up the quill again, looking at the giant stack of paper on his desk, as if it was about to poison him. Almost six hours ago he had locked himself up in this room, working constantly on answering the letters of business partners, as well as reviewing their goods and his inventory. Several lists, registers and tables were sprawled out next to him. His attempt to keep them in neat order had failed miserably after hours of checking through them and now they were just piling up on the desk or covering the ground. With each new letter the chaos around him increased. Guren was usually a person to keep his work place tidy, but it seemed even he could turn it into a clutter once in a while. He still wondered how he had managed to answer any letter in all this mess. It was a nerve wrecking and tiresome task and required concentration, which had left him hours ago. Right now would be the best time to take a break, but Guren was too stubborn to give up just yet. His partners were waiting for a reply or at least for acknowledgment, and his future connections depended on the ties he made and cherished. Those were the lives of his subordinates and colleagues and it was the responsibility of a leader to take care of them.

His thoughts trailed off as he watched the shadows run longer and longer with every minute, which felt like an eternity in itself.

Six hours, but still the stack just wouldn't get smaller. He knew he had put off the paperwork a bit, but nevertheless he was surprised, as Sayuri and Shigure brought the documents to his study. His shocked expression must have shown on his face, because both of them eagerly volunteered to help him. As if it wasn't hard enough to concentrate on this boring stuff. He really didn't need those two running around and fussing over him. Besides, he could work more efficiently whenever he was alone. So honoring his wishes, they had not disturbed him since, not even offering him lunch or reporting news. He might as well have died in the meantime and they would only grow suspicious once he missed his third meal of the day.

I could really grab something to eat right now. He pondered, while his stomach kept growling at him after being neglected the entire day. Guren could always concentrate better on an empty stomach and he figured, once he ate something, the tiredness of the day would take him. Unsure how to decide, he eyed the stack of letters again and tried to measure how many hours of work were still to come. How could his father have managed and led an entire organization, without any trouble up until the day Guren had taken over? Watching his father, when he was younger, it had always seemed so easy to be the head of the Ichinoses. People had respected and trusted Sakae. Only when Guren was sixteen he had to learn the hard way that trust, reliance and faith were values which needed to be earned over years of cooperation. Of course, being his father's son, people had respected him. They also knew what he was capable of - he was said to be the most promising descendant of the clan since a century - but Guren still wondered if they were able to trust him with their lives, as they did with his father.

Even though the guy had been dead for four years, his shadow still seemed to haunt Guren. It was not only with the immense footsteps his son had to fill or the respect and love with which Guren still remembered the man. In Guren's eyes he would never be as great as his father, whether it was in having the trust of his clan, or in dealing with the superiors.

Guren always thought he would have enough time, right beside his father, to learn everything that was important.

Until that day.

He thought the memories of that time had finally left him for good, but reading the letters of Rikudou a few days prior, his father's name was written on the list of the wrongfully killed. Not only was it humiliating to have his father's name used just to anger the Hiragis and get rid of an opponent, but the one who produced these flyers was Rikudou himself, who, four years ago, had sat on the same table with the other eight noble families and voted for Sakae's execution. They were still degrading him, even many years after his death. Like it was such a surprise.

Guren stopped writing mid sentence, due to his hands shaking forcefully. His face however didn't give away any emotion as he dropped the quill, spilling the black ink all over the paper. With a tired and disappointed sign he stared at the mess on his desk, picked up the soaked material and dropped it in the bin behind him. The stack still seemed enormous, so he at least picked up three additional letters and got up from his seat, walking over to the window. Opening it, he was met with a light, fresh breeze of the rainy afternoon, accompanied by the icy mist that still remained in the cold season. Guren took a deep breath of the air, leaning half way out of the window and watched the life of the city take place before him. Being a noble himself, Guren owned a building in the noble district as well as several secret bases in the lower parts of the city. Representing the Ichinose family, he resided in the mansion most of the time, even though he hated the pretentious life in the midst of his enemies, who wore faked smiles and looked down on his entire clan. The Ichinoses were marked traitors many centuries ago and the grudge and humiliation against them still lingered on. Shared hatred was the best way to unite people, so his family had remained the scapegoat and traitors in the eyes of the Hiragis. By giving everyone the same enemy, the Imperial family secured their superior standing and the allegiance of the other nobles.

Guren escaped a smile as he spotted the marketplace in the far distance down the street. How desperately he would like to leave this dull mansion, hide his presence under old, rotten clothes and join the lively hustle.

But dressing up and acting polite and high was necessary, since his name also unified many other families under it. Families which, even with their low standing, were faithfully following the Ichinose Clan for many hundred years. They were depending on Guren as the leading figure and their business relied on his connections. Sayuri's and Shigure's parents for example had considerably high standing in society and been his father's most trusted subordinates. The Hiragis of course knew which families were associated with him, but Guren wasn't sure if they had made the connection to the Moon Order yet. The organization of robbers and information brokers was the secret business they were pursuing, under the cover of rich merchants. The secret activities of the Moon Order had started with Guren's father and were now also passed on to him. Along with his duties as a noble.

Making your son become a criminal. Father, what kind of education was this?

Guren had asked himself this question many times when he was younger and soon came to realize that they were living two lives. One in the shadows of the night, hidden behind the pretentious and decorated other. If someone saw him attending one of those tedious noble gatherings, where no one gave a fuck about his opinion, it was not hard telling which life he preferred. Although the jobs were uncomfortable from time to time.

Turning around, Guren faced his room again, feeling the wind tingle his skin and play with his hair. After examining the sender he broke the seal of each letter and unfolded the content. Again it stated mostly numbers - calculations and profits of stores the Ichinoses oversaw amongst others - as well as reports about customers, recent troubles and challenges they were about to take, to improve their business. Skipping through the reports, Guren was staggered about the absence of problematic incidents, such as robberies, blackmailing and sheer threats, as they had occurred the months before and basically as long as he could remember. His merchants still made enough profit for the Moon Order to support their work, but he usually lost a third of his earnings either to the nobles - who naturally presupposed they didn't need to pay in a filthy Ichinose store - as well as the Imperial Demons, which demanded protection money from every store in the city. The criminal syndicate, which controlled most of the illegal groups, as well as the drug and gambling market, had interfered with some of his jobs from time to time. Since the Imperial Demons were much bigger in size and power than the Moon Order, Guren didn't stand a chance to revolt or even fight against them. His group would be crushed in the blink of an eye, as well as all the people secretly supporting them. The only reason why the Moon Order still existed was because Guren let them keep a low profile to not pose a threat in any way. His organization was probably too small and insignificant. And since the leader of the Imperial Demons always had the opinion to use everything that could still be useful, Guren had had the unpleasant fortune to work for them as well.

Raindrops, being carried by the wind, landed on his neck, sending a slight shiver over his body. The rain didn't stop there, flying past him and dropping on the writing in front of him. The ink dissolved as the drops met the paper, forming black trickles, which began to make the stuff unreadable. Before any big harm was done, Guren flung the letters over to his desk, setting up his mind to attend to them right away. Or maybe he should head down first to show his subordinates he was still alive? He was pretty sure they both had wanted to check on him several times by now, but never in the world would they disobey one of his commands. Shigure and Sayuri were pretty stubborn when it came to such things.

Before doing any of these however, Guren was interrupted by a knock at the door. Not sure if he should actually admit to being relieved about this disturbance, Guren kept his stand right by the window, as he called out to the person on the other side. The small figure of Shigure appeared at the entrance with Sayuri right behind her, both wearing expressions of worry, accompanied by a mix of annoyance and apology. Their faces alone spoke volumes and Guren already figured who had just entered his mansion.

He sighed, crossing his arms and leaning his back against the window frame, before he opened his mouth to speak.

"Let him in." Was the reply those two were receiving right as Goshi made his way into the room, by lightly pushing Guren's subordinates aside.

"Seems like you are very busy, Guren. I hope you are not dying of boredom." Goshi smiled at him teasingly. Then he took in the open window and pointed in the other's direction.

"Man it's freezing in here. Were you actually trying to skip work by getting sick? That's not very nice! But I see! That way, Shigure and Sayuri have to nurse you to health. Why have I never thought of it? Giving yourself in the care of those gentle hands, what else does a man want in his life. Guren you are a genius!"

From behind Goshi, Guren's subordinates started complaining frivolously.

"Guren-sama would never do such a thing. He's far too considered and proud to take advantage of our care in such an unhanded way. How can someone like you even say something like this?" After her yell filled with rage, Sayuri pedaled back, now turning bright red like an apple. She pulled her hand to her chest and her eyes evaded those of the others.

"But...if Guren-sama really was about to get sick, I'm sure Shigure and me will be eager to take care of him."

"Oi Guren, do you hear that? How badly I want to catch a cold now."

"If your health was decaying in any way, we would just leave you to die." Shigure's cold reply was delivered quietly and in a monotone voice, but it didn't take away any of the threat conveyed with it.

"My, My. Why are you two always so cold?"

"Goshi, please stop messing with my subordinates." At Guren's words Goshi waved him off, while giving him a wink only he was able to see. At this the young Ichinose sighed, hands rubbing his temples, as he could feel a headache coming up.

"Shigure, Sayuri don't let yourselves get teased so easily by that stupid guy. Also, stop saying things that are uncalled for. You may leave now." He had said these words in a calm manner, not meaning to scold them, but the two still reacted like kicked puppies, heads sinking to their chest, shoulders dropping and their already small figures shrinking a few centimeters. With a guilty, almost sorrowful 'Yes' they left the room, closing the door behind them.

After seeing the reaction of the women, Goshi exhaled the air sharply, almost forming a whistle.

"That was not very nice. You should treat your ladies better." With a thumb Goshi pointed to the door behind him, where the two had just left the room.

"They will get over it." Was Guren's simple reply. Then he closed the window and fixated Goshi.

"So why are you here?"

"Since you are caught up in your other duties -" Goshi walked up to Guren's desk, taking the seat for visitors in front of it. He rested one foot on his knee, before his right hand wandered under his vest, to pull out a neatly folded letter, tied with a red ribbon. "I took it upon myself to control the check points and it seems we got mail again." Goshi waved with the stupid letter like it was some kind of special treat.

"Are you interested?"

"Have you looked at it already?"

"Of course I have. That's why I'm here in person and didn't pass it on to another member of the Moon Order. I think this is something you could enjoy. It's been a week since the last job and knowing you, I think you got enough of your noble duties already. So what about a change?" With this Goshi sent the document flying towards the other. Guren caught the envelope in midair, turning it a few times to examine the material. No seal, as usual. There have been a few stupid enough to officially hire a thief. And even those idiots, which basically openly announced to get the houses of their rivals robbed, had been satisfied with the work.

A red ribbon...Seems like the sender has a fondness of decoration. A female maybe?

Opening up the envelope and taking out the message, Guren's hunch was confirmed, as he recognized the familiar handwriting. Seeing the expression of the other darken, Goshi chuckled.

"Seems like this one is becoming one of our most loyal customers."

"Like I would care."

"Oh come on! You know her from those social gathering. Lady Agatha is one of the most respected noble women out there. All those fancy parties, where she is badmouthing every lady not invited and flirting with the blokes? Maaaan why was I never invited to it? Even you have been there." Goshi sounded like he had just been thrown out of paradise, as he leaned back in his chair and covered his eyes. Like it was such a social disgrace, if you had not been to one of Agatha's stupid gatherings. Yes, she always invited the high and important people as well, but those rather chose not to attend anymore. It all seemed like a childish game to get the better of some, who have fallen in her sentiments. Guren had been there once to gather information, but the entire ordeal had been pointless. No productive words were exchanged during any conversation back then.

Interest me? You know I hate her, but I can't leave this job to any of the others.

The skills of the other members of the Moon Order were extraordinary, but those women were the wives of high ranking members of society and some of them put more thought in the security than Rikudou. But maybe there was another way to get a hold of the piece, without entering a home this time.

"At least she doesn't want it to herself." Guren answered as he finished reading the message. As always the letter was completely anonymous, but it was not hard figuring out, who sent them to steal fancy jewelry of women in high social standing. And since Lady Agatha had been offensive enough to wear some of the stolen jewelry, to show her triumph to those around her, many had also hired the Moon Order to get it back. They had to operate tactful to not get caught up between the mischiefs of those women. Guren didn't want to create a stir. If she had not paid so well up until now, Guren would have turned down these jobs long ago, since the only additional information he received in the process had been gossip. Sure one could make use of it as well, but what was the point, if you couldn't confirm the truth behind those words?

Right now, he couldn't care less about this child's play. In fact he had better things to take care of, like getting to know more about the circumstances described in the letters he had read in Rokudou's study.

Why would the Hiragis and the Hyakuya Church -?

"We can keep the piece this time and she is even giving out additional payment. How about making some extra money?" Goshi said, trying to be convincing.

We've got enough money on our hands. Is what Guren would have liked to say, but the truth was, the merchants working under him needed a loan to advance their business further and the Imperial Demons could also pass by again. Having some savings could prove to be better in the future.

Another look to his messy desk covered with piles of documents helped him decide. He had stayed in this room far too long for his taste. He would get the work done some time during the evening or the next day.

"As much as I hate to do this woman another favor, she does pay really well. And I could also get some fresh air. Who else knows of this?" Guren put the small card with the message written on it back in the envelope, before shifting it in a pocket of his shirt.

A wide, triumphant grin appeared on Goshi's features and his eyes conveyed the words 'See, told ya' with so much smug, Guren would have liked to kick that attitude out of him. It reminded him too much of another person, with a name much too high for his taste and a behavior, that annoyed Guren to the death.

"I told Mito we might be onto something, but nothing more." Goshi replied with a shrug.

"Well then, let's get the team and see what is expecting us this time."

The sun was setting and after the regular checkups in the evening, Mika took off again. Yuu had just given him a grunt, as he and Akane sent him off. Yuu didn't want to let him go. He wanted to grab the blond boy and lock him up somewhere, so he couldn't hurt himself anymore. Watching the figure disappear from the facility, without the director noticing, Yuu felt again the urge to follow the other. He clenched his fists, rage filling him because of his inability to help Mika. They were mostly overseen during the day and not allowed to leave the orphanage, so the only jobs he could take would be right around this time. But what normal job would be around the evening till midnight and suitable for a kid?

None.

Clenching his fists, Yuu bit his lip. This couldn't go on. The daily routine was most weeks the same, so he knew the best time to sneak out during the day. With this amount of children, they wouldn't notice him being gone an hour, would they?

A hand was lightly tapping his shoulder and he met the eyes of Akane.

"I know what you are thinking. But Mika is doing all this to protect us. You would destroy all of his efforts, if you put yourself in danger as well, Yuu." She trailed off and looked to the ground. The grip on Yuu's shoulder tightened.

"But you should know that I feel the same way you do." Her voice sounded defeated, as if all the energy had left her body. "It's just not fair."

This time it was Yuu who comforted her, by putting a hand on her head to make her look up again.

"Maybe we cannot protect him from the stuff outside, but we can do our best here at home." The words were more meant for her than for himself. Yuu had already decided what he needed to do. "Let him feel welcome and make him happy, so that he can get his energy back."

At this Akane nodded eagerly, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Mmh." She nodded, as the first tear started running down her cheek. "I'm sure he would like that." She smiled at Yuu, then, wiping her tears off, she turned around and put a smile on her face again, before she called out to the kids.

In the four years Yuu had been at the orphanage led by the Hyakuya Church, he had never seen Akane cry before.

The night was as cold as ever. Everyone had gone to bed a few hours ago, but Yuu waited again. Leaning against the cold stone wall next to the entrance, he listened to his own breathing, the only sound audible in the silence. Mika was late. Yuu couldn't really tell by how much and his friend was running late pretty often, but tonight something seemed different. An odd feeling clung to Yuu, dragging him down, while restlessness kept the sleep away. He stayed like that, thoughts spinning down in a spiral, like they were being pulled down by a stream, or engulfed by the darkness.

The door opened next to him and a small figure stepped in. Yuu recognized the golden, curly hair, as the moonlight fell on it.

"Mika."

Surprised the other turned around. As Yuu's eyes fell on the face of his friend his heart felt like it had just been crushed.

"Yuu-chan...You... s-should sleep already. Really, do you know how late it is?" Mika's voice was breaking, even though he tried to sound steady. He was holding a bag in one hand, which now dropped to the ground as Yuu walked over and shook him.

"What happened to you?" At Yuu's words Mika's eyes widened in shock and for a moment the emotions he had hidden all the while reflected on his face. Like a wave, pain and sorrow gushed over it for just a second, then he closed his eyes and the walls he had put around his feelings rose up again.

"Nothing. I don't know what you mean? Yuu-chan must be tired." He chuckled, but it got stuck in his throat, as the grip on his shoulders tightened.

"For God's sake, Mika, stop lying to me! Stop pretending!" Yuu hesitated as the other flinched at his words. Surprised at the volume of his voice, he looked past Mika and over to the other room, hoping not to have woken anyone over there. The rage he had kept down all this time had finally made him yell.

Taking a deep breath to fight his feelings down, Yuu fixated the blonde and continued in a whisper.

"You look like hell. You never look good when you come home, but you have never been this bad." He stopped, leaning in closer and his voice grew desperate. "Don't you trust me? I know you want to manage everything by yourself, but there comes a point when you have to share the burden. You will break apart otherwise and I don't just want to sit on the sideline and watch you destroy yourself. Aren't we a family? We protect each other, don't we?" He trailed off, trying to see Mika's eyes, which were now hidden under his bangs. The face of his friend was pale and the blonde looked worn out and hollow. Almost like a ghost.

"Yuu-chan. It's gone." Mika's voice was so faint and light, Yuu had almost mistaken it as his imagination.

"My savings. Everything I have worked for until now. I've checked all the hideouts and all of them have been robbed. I thought -" He started trembling and so did his voice. "I thought I had been careful enough. I... I always made sure no one was following me, but -" Finally Mika met the other's eyes. He blinked several times, as he couldn't hold back the tears anymore and they started streaming over his face.

"It's all gone. All the hard work and it was for nothing!" With this he broke down in sobs. Mika, the strong boy who always wore a smile on his face. Who lightened up the mood of everyone with his charisma. Right now, he was just a shadow of his old self, being crushed under the strain and struggle of this cruel world. Watching Mika crying on the ground, Yuu kneeled down as well. Glancing in the bag his friend had dropped moments before, he recognized a bunch of vegetables, as well as dried salted meat and sweets, Mika must have bought sometime during the day.

"You idiot. Only because I nagged this morning because of the food." Yuu muttered to himself, feeling even more guilt piling up in his heart. This guy really was terrible.

"Huh?" Mika asked, looking up, while trying to wipe the tears off his face, though they didn't stop flowing.

"You really are an idiot." The other answered, finally grabbing Mika's shoulders and pulling him in for a hug. The trembling boy froze for a moment and Yuichiro feared he might try to shake him off, but then he relaxed in his arms and rested his head on his friends shoulder.

"Yuu-chan is an idiot. You don't understand." His voice was so weak, Yuu feared it might disappear for good the next moment.

"What's there so hard to understand? It's just money, stupid! We can get it back. Together. In half the time! And this time we are doing it my way. Trust me, I have a plan!"

At his words Mika looked at him with red, watery eyes and clearly not convinced. At least he had stopped crying.

"You having a plan sounds like a really bad plan."

Yuu was ready to yell at him, but as the blonde started to smirk, he stopped himself. Instead he crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking like a spoiled brat.

"Well, you are probably right. But I will do it anyway. And it will work. Just watch me."

At his words, the blond boy pondered a moment too long for Yuu's taste, before he gave his reply.

"Since stopping you doesn't seem like an option anymore, I will have to make sure you don't run into trouble, don't I? You are terrible." Even though he said these words, Mika seemed kind of relieved, as if he had been freed from something horrible. Yes, he still looked awful, but Yuu had the feeling that getting his friend to share at least a tiny bit of his burden had helped him overcome something. Maybe one day his friend would stop these selfless acts and share the secrets which he was keeping locked up so deep in his heart. Maybe one day Mika could accept that they could fight side by side. Until then however, Yuu would protect the idiot from his own actions and those of the ones who were hurting him.

I will make sure your work hasn't been for nothing. You don't have to leave for the night again. We will live and learn out there. And we will get your money back as well.

That evening, Yuichiro of the Hyakuya orphans made up his mind. And just like that, the wheels of fate started turning.