XXVII

Ominous Feeling

Yuzuka's hand shot into the air. "Sensei, my stomach doesn't feel so good." Right now all thoughts about staying in the classroom and attending the class were gone from her mind.

Azusa, sharing the same feelings, wasted no time either and mimicked her friend's gesture quickly. "Sensei, my condition is causing me pain in the chest again."

Excused from their class by their teacher they headed towards the nurse's office as that was where they could find Saeko, just before their class had started Hinami had come to see them, shocked and worried because Saeko had simply fainted and she had been taken to the nurse's office to rest.

The dark haired girl couldn't explain to them how or why it had happened, nor could she promise them that she could go and see her given their teacher was less lenient. She would come at the earliest opportunity but until then they would have to be the ones to look after their friend.

"Do you think Isuzu-san's fainting might have something to do with what happened yesterday? She seemed to be rather happy with how it had gone despite those three," Azusa summarized, trying to come up with an idea or suggestion on why she had fainted in the first place. "Perhaps something happened at her home? Maybe it got to do with dinner last night?"

Yuzuka didn't think that was right, she had seen the bento's that Saeko often brought with her. they were just too neatly packed, no she didn't think that her mother could be so sloppy with the food. There had to be a different reason.

Azusa then asked about what their new friend had told them as well. "You mean the letter that Saten-san told us about? Do you think maybe…?" Neither of them was really sure about it, of course, it was great to hear and while a shy girl like Saeko could certainly become flustered but too faint because of it seemed a little far-fetched not to mention overly dramatic to them.

"You really think so Azurin, I know that she's rather shy and easy to upset but I don't think that Saekorin would faint because of a simple love letter. We should find out quickly, let's hope that she is alright," Yuzuka mentioned as they started to approach the nurse's office, they would have to convince the woman that they were not feeling well either and get some time alone with Saeko so they could ask her what was wrong. Hopefully, they would be lucky.

Accepting their explanation they were allowed to grab some rest, although the nurse had to go for a quick visit she did mention to them that she would be back before class would be finished, given them a short thirty minutes to talk to their friend. Waiting until the woman had closed the door behind her the two of them appeared from underneath the sheets. "Saekorin…" Yuzuka whispered towards her, looking at the figure who seemed to be hiding underneath the sheets of the bed. "Hey Saekorin, are you awake?"

Azusa leaned in closer as well, asking her how she was doing. "Are you okay?"

Spurred on by their concerns Saeko appeared from underneath the sheets, looking first at Yuzuka and then at Azusa, she wanted to get up and talk to them, to explain it to them.

Seeing her friend trying to get a response to their question Yuzuka gestured for her to take it easy. "Just lie down, don't overexert yourself. You shouldn't push yourself too hard, take it easy."

Azusa told her that it was fine if she wanted to go home instead of staying at school. "If you want to leave school early then I'll bring you your bag or give it to your older sister."

Saeko whispered to them both. "Thank you, both of you." They were being so kind and caring to her again, to think that they were skipping class just to be here with her. Words couldn't describe how happy it made her have such wonderful friends who cared so much about her.

"What happened at your locker, anyway? Saten-san told us that you fainted. Please tell us."

Looking at them both Saeko wondered if it would be alright for her to tell them about how she had felt about the letter she had received. "... You see, I found this anonymous letter in my shoe locker this morning and Saten-san explained to me what it exactly was…"

"So what kind of letter was it actually, she didn't tell exactly us what it was you see?

Swallowing hard Saeko told them. "… She said it was a love letter… I… I panicked…"

"Huh, why?" Yuzuka just couldn't understand why she would panic over getting a love letter.

To most girls receiving one was normally something that they would get really excited about, she sure would if she were to get one herself. But that wasn't really all that important now.

"That's…" Saeko tried to explain but she just couldn't, there were no words that would help her explain how she truly felt about it, the confusion and struggle that still continued within her heart, the pain that it was still causing her to this very minute.

"Do you already know who sent it to you? Is it somebody you already have talked to? I got it. The person who sent it, you, and someone else are involved in a love triangle! A fiery ball of love?" Yuzuka asked her then, apparently seeming to have gotten the wrong impression.

"N-No…" Was all that Saeko could get across her lips before she fell silent.

Azusa then offered another suggestion. "If that person went out of their way to give you that letter then perhaps it belongs to somebody who isn't of this school. Isuzu-san are you perhaps involved with a rebel? Sneaking out in the middle of the night? Going to forbidden places? Having romantic meetings in the dead of the night? Isuzu-san I didn't take you for that kind of person, you really surprise me there."

Once again all that Saeko could whimper in response "… No…" No, that wasn't it at all.

"Then what is it Saekorin? Do tell us so we can understand what's troubling you about it then."

The garden gave off a nice, almost tranquil, sight, Yuka enjoyed this moment of rest that she was enjoying along with the pleasant company of Nozomi who had come to spend the day with her. For Yuka, it was a day off from school which was rather welcome, to say the least, and as for Nozomi, it was a rather similar situation. "So Nozomi-chan, how did your father react when he heard that you made him a special dinner, how did it go?"

"Father simply loved it. I think he even cried a little when he found out how much work had gone into making it for him, he told me it was the best dinner he ever has had in his life." The younger girl's face was shining, last night had made her feel so proud of herself.

Smiling in response Yuka expressed how happy she was to hear that, in her mind, Nozomi deserved the praise, and there was no denying that she had gone through a lot of trouble preparing this. As such it was only normal that she

"Still I can't take all of the credit for it, I had a lot of help you know. I couldn't have done this without them, they deserve as much of the praise as I do." She wondered if it would be alright to mention that she had the twins to thank for their help.

"Oh, and who might they be? It sounds more like they did you a really big favor with helping," the older girl remarked in surprise, looking up from the cup of tea she was holding.

"Yes, they did," Nozomi said though she quickly became a little uneasy. "Yuka-san, could you do me a favor and keep this a secret? I'd hate for either of them to get into trouble simply because they were so kind with helping me make that dinner."

Taken aback Yuka just watched, somewhat uncertain what to make of such a request by Nozomi, it was rather confusing but surely the younger girl was making a joke or something. "That sounds a little too much don't you think? But alright I give you my word that I won't give away the identity of your mystery helpers," Yuka giggled, her hand in front of her mouth. "So tell me, who were they then? Do I even know them?"

"I'm serious about this Yuka-san, please don't tell their names. I would feel really bad if they would get into any kind of trouble. If somebody is to blame then it should be me."

She was honestly surprised. "Nozomi-chan, you aren't pulling my leg here are you? You're actually serious about this aren't you?" Somewhat concerned Yuka leaned forward and placed down the cup back on the table, a worried expression etched on her face as she did.

"Kyou-chan and Ryou-chan helped with it, Nana-chan couldn't really help me with what I wanted but she told me that the twins and in particular Kyou-chan could help me, I know that she's a lot better at cooking so I followed the advice and went to their house."

Yuka made a deep, exasperated sigh, that sure did explain why Nozomi didn't want them being mentioned. She knew that Nozomi had meant no harm in visiting the two girls and under normal circumstances she felt that neither Dai nor Mako would have minded it but with what was going on now and this Kakuzawa girl going round looking for former employees of the DRI it was just not a smart move. The girls had been expressly forbidden from opening the door let alone to go outside during the day even if it was with somebody they knew well. Dai and Mako were going to be pretty upset about this if they were to find out about it, even if she had promised to Nozomi to keep it a secret she was going to have to tell them about this.

"Nozomi-chan, I'm really sorry for this but we have to go and tell them about it, we have to."

Oh, how was she going to tell them, Nozomi simply wasn't aware of the danger that existed if somebody were to recognize their horns. Guess that was bound to happen with Nozomi being left out for her own sake, in a way they had themselves to blame for this mess.

"Nozomi-chan, this isn't your fault or the fault of the twins either. We're the ones to blame for this. I'm really sorry for it and I should have told you sooner, I'll go to the Hirano's and clear this up with them. I just hope that they're in a good mood."

She would go right after dinner tonight and explain the situation, Nozomi was right; the twins didn't need to get into trouble as they actually did the right thing. They hadn't opened the door for a stranger nor had Kyou gone out on their own or without a good reason.

Yuka continued, "I must admit that I'm somewhat impressed by how well they handled it, I should mention that as well to their parents. Perhaps it's time for what their parents have been thinking about for a while now, if the girls can behave themselves like they did today then surely they deserve some more freedom."

And with that their discussion started to go off topic as now they were feverishly talking about the twins, their good and bad points, the antics that Kyou would pull on people or the sheer kindness that only Ryou could offer.

"You know, I think I might ask if it's alright for them to stay the weekend here. It's been a few weeks since their last stay and sadly it didn't entirely go well. They would like that," Yuka said out loud, thinking that perhaps this could also be a good way to see for herself just how well these girls could handle themselves without their parents being constantly there. "What do you think?"

Clapping her hands together Nozomi expressed her feelings, "I think that's wonderful idea and if it's alright with you and Kouta-san I'd like to bring some practice material with me tomorrow and see who else would like a singing practice."

Yuka smiled, that sounded great as well. This might just become a good weekend, she would need to do some extra groceries but having the twins over was pleasant nevertheless.

"Well then," Nozomi raised her cup. "To the twins then?" She smiled as well, already she was enjoying herself. "To a wonderful shall we say Yuka-san?"

Yuka raised her cup in response. "To a wonderful weekend Nozomi-chan." And they cheered.

"I…" Saeko mentioned, gazing at the two of them. She wasn't going to get out of this without at least telling her friends why she was a little reluctant to tell them and hope they would understand. Letting out a deep say she sat up straight and said, "The truth is, there's one person that I really like a lot, he's the one who helped me to get away from that institute and have a happy life. He was the first person who treated me like a human being, always so kind and gentle to me even when I disappointed him. He gave me everything that I have."

"Oh? Really?" Both Yuzuka and Azusa were stunned at this revelation, neither of them had expected this, not from this apparent shy yet kind-hearted girl. With their eyes wide open, their curiosity caught, they kept on listening to what Saeko had to say, this truly was fascinating to hear, to think that she actually already experienced so much in her life.

"However, I didn't really have a lot of good experiences with telling him how I felt, I never got the chance to tell him how much I cared about him. Master died before I could even…"

She started to cry, thinking back to the day she had gotten the news, the day that she had been told that the man she considered as her master had perished along with the ship. That he was never going to come back. Pulling the sheet back over her face to avoid seeing the look in their eyes she cried.

"I see. So that's what happened. Then why even force yourself to worry about this in the first place? Just because you got a love letter from somebody else doesn't mean you have to like them to. Besides, it's not like us high school girls don't get a say anymore in who we want to date, anyway."

Saeko was surprised. "Huh? You mean that I don't have to? I don't understand, this is so confusing to me. Doesn't love mean that you both feel the same and share it?'

"Sure but how can you tell if you actually love each other, sure it's called a love letter but really it's more of a way to let somebody know you like them and get to know them better,"

Yuzuka explained to her. "Besides I think it's much better if a guy actually proves to you that you can trust them, maybe you might not even like him at all so I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you."

They all looked up as the bell went off signaling that class had ended. "Oh, class it already over it seems. We were just starting to relax too," Azusa joked, lying comfortably on the bed. "What do you think Isuzu-san? I wouldn't mind staying here a little longer, it's better than being in class don't you think?"

They all looked at the ceiling in unison, sure class was over and that meant actually that if they were feeling better they would be expected back in their respective classroom. If they decided to stay here they would have to wait until the next class as they wouldn't be allowed in.

To Saeko it was a difficult choice to make, honestly, she was starting to feel a lot better know that Yuzuka and Azusa had come to talk to her and she really liked having this private moment with them. Then again she wouldn't mind if Hinami were to also come over and join them.

Yuzuka simply smiled. "Homeroom's next, we can stay here a little longer if you want?"

Hearing that Saeko had decided that yes they would stay a little longer, if only for her to be able to spend a bit more time with her friends without having to worry about somebody overhearing them.

Yuzuka couldn't help but giggle as she leaned in a little closer towards her friend. "So tell me then Saekorin, what exactly was this person like given that you really liked him? I wouldn't mind hearing a little bit more about him. And what's exactly with you calling him master? It seems kind of odd you know."

Azusa looked at her as well, she too was getting pretty curious to learn more about this mystery person. "He must've been really special if you talk about him with such pride in your voice Isuzu-san?"

Saeko smiled hearing that, she did and with that, she was about to begin to tell them about her former master when suddenly the door slid open and a voice called them out. "There you are."

Appearing from behind the curtain came Hinami. "I came as soon as I could, oh I'm so glad to see that you're alright Isuzu. So how you're feeling? Still a little dizzy?" She pressed her hand against Saeko's forehead, feeling what her temperature might be. "Ha, you don't seem like you're having a fever, well that's good. Glad to see you're doing better than this morning."

Sitting down next to her on the bed she asked them all how they were doing, she had kind of gotten worried not to mention a little scared when she had been told by their classmates that all three of them were now at the nurse's office. "You all scared me there you know, you should've told me. Well at least you're all fine, that's a relief," she led out with a sigh of relief.

Sitting there they all looked at each other, well now that Hinami was here they might just as well make the most out of it and enjoy their stay here until the next class would start.

"Are any of you hungry perhaps, I brought some onigiri with me?" the dark haired girl mentioned as she pulled a few from her lunchbox. "I bought a bit too much this morning so I thought we could share. Who's up for one?" she asked as she held up the first one out for whoever wanted it first. They all couldn't stop themselves from laughing out loud.

Sitting in his office going through more of the paperwork Dai felt relaxed and calm for good reason, few people were present at the office at the moment, the work was only minimal and Mizuno was away for an important meeting with the higher ups in Tokyo. "Ah this is so much better, even when I take it easy I expect to have all this finished well before the shift is over. I should be able to go home in time today and then I can get to enjoy a long weekend off."

Dropping the pen he folded his arms behind his head as he leaned back in the chair, a small break right now wouldn't hurt, perhaps a cup of coffee would be in order and besides he was starting to feel a little worn down by what he had already finished today.

"Yeah that is in order, I could use one as well," he mentioned as he pushed himself out of the chair, leaving the work lying on his desk for the time being. Peeking outside most of the department was also rather deserted with just a mere five other employees being present here.

"I'm going for some coffee, anything that I bring for you guys as well?" he asked them, making sure that he wasn't going to get into any trouble should they catch him in the act.

Satisfied as he heard what they wanted he set off, he was going to have go down several stories in order to reach the canteen given that most of the assistants would also have the day off. Well, that was okay for him, he would use the elevator to get down there.

His body still protested from time to time which is why he was planning on taking it easy today, allowing his body to get some rest. "I just hope that a certain somebody is also going to leave me alone for the time being, I don't need any wild excursions for the next few months."

He reminded himself, knowing full well that it was only a question of time before a certain pain in the ass would be found on his doorstep telling him to gear up.

It was not going to happen today, not tomorrow, not this week, and certainly not this month. Getting better was a top priority now, he wouldn't put his body through such an ordeal again anytime soon. No, for now, his body needed to recover and the best way to do that was to get plenty of rest as well as not getting the others back home upset.

If nothing were to get in the way he might even go home early, that would certainly surprise the girls. Perhaps he could even bring some dinner with him, there was no reason for the girls to spend every day making dinner for him and Mako.

"I wonder how they would like pizza or maybe pasta? At least something foreign, yeah that might just be a nice surprise for the two of them. They sure seemed to like it the last time we had it at that restaurant." He couldn't help but smile seeing it in front of him, oh the smiles they had on their faces when they were staring at that pizza, they were just so happy then.

"Excuse me sir, who is it that you are talking about if I may ask?"

Taken by surprise as he had not expected to run into anybody he nearly screamed, fortunately, he managed just in time to keep his mouth shut to avoid embarrassing himself. Looking over his shoulder he noticed that it was one of the assistants though likely she worked for a different department, honestly, he hadn't really expected for her to be here.

"My apologies sir if I have startled you, I was just on my way to the coffee chamber when I overheard you talking. Were you talking about some of your colleague's sir?" She seemed to be rather young, early in her twenties perhaps. Maybe she was only here for a couple of days or a few weeks at the most.

"No need to, I'm the one who should have paid a bit more attention to where I was going. Without you I might have even walked into a wall or something, thank you." Rubbing the back of his head he did feel a little embarrassed, well that served him right for spacing out.

"And no I wasn't talking about any of my colleagues, it was about my two daughters. Here I have a photo of them in my wallet." Pulling it out he briefly thought about not showing it to her but he reasoned that with her being new here that she had most likely never heard of a Diclonius much less being able to recognize one. "That's them right here, they're identical twins."

Holding the photo in front of her he explained who was who. "The one you see on the left is Kyou, she's the older of the two and the one on the right next to her is Ryou, she's the younger sister."

"Oh, they are so adorable and pardon if I say so sir but they look to be rather old compared to you and your wife. Did she get pregnant at an early age?"

To Dai, it felt like he had just been kicked in the stomach, possibly even lower. Then again looking at it, he did have to admit that the woman had a point, he needed to explain that alright. "Actually they aren't our real children, we kind of ran into them by accident and they decided to stay with us so we eventually just adopted them."

She listened to every word he said while keeping her attention on the photo. "That is so generous of you sir, to help children who have so little to look forward to. Oh, that reminds me could you perhaps tell me where the office is of Hirano Dai? I have to report something urgent."

Dai looked at her in, eyebrows raised at the woman mentioned his name. "I'm Hirano, for what reason do you need me?" he asked, curious as to why an assistant from another department would need to talk to him about. "What do you have to report to me? Why is it so urgent that you come out here while you could just call my office?"

"Ehm well, you see sir. There is man downstairs who needs to speak to you, he said that it was rather urgent. I have left him in conference room two, sir."

He wasn't really expecting anybody but it was not like he did not have some spare time to spend, informing her that she could bring the remainder of the coffee back to his colleagues he set off, going towards the conference room where this gentleman was waiting for him. A foreboding feeling gnawing at the back of his mind with every step he took.

Sitting there while doing her best to pay enough attention to fool her teacher into believing that she was following his explanation Mayu kept thinking about how wrong it had been of her not to say a word yesterday when she had a good chance.

She would need to make up for that and tell them first thing tonight though she would need to be cautious to make sure that it was just going to be between them and her, no need to let the other people in her family become aware of it. 'I wonder if Bando-san perhaps found out something. It would help if I could tell Kouta-san and Yuka-san a little more.'

It was difficult to tell, sure it had only been less than a day since she had asked him for help which gave her ample of a reason not to be expecting a miracle already but then again he was Bando. 'If anybody can do it then it's you.'

There was little doubt in her mind that he would find out soon which would actually help to put her mind a bit at ease and yet she kept worrying, seeing Mei almost every day sure didn't help make her feel any better as she could just see the fear and pain in her friend's eyes. It did little more than empower the sense of being powerless to help.

'I can't let them go through with this Mei-san, I'm going to find out who's responsible and together we're going to put an end to this. They won't get to walk away from this, not after what they have put you through.'

A part of her felt angry about it, angry to think that people could abuse her friend and thus far do it without being stopped, angry that adult could just abuse their power seeming at their own leisure and not have to worry about the consequences. 'Adults can be so disgusting.'

And yet she knew that it didn't apply to all of them, she had also met many adults that were simply wonderful people.

'Mei-san, when this all over we should see about getting help for you. Somebody who could make you forget about all the painful things they put you through. So you can laugh again.'

She wondered how Mei was doing, she was going to see her again during their break which meant that she needed to come up with what exactly she wanted to say to her. For now, it might actually be better to just talk about the simple things in life and let the matter at hand rest, for now, that would hopefully also induce the presumption that Mayu had decided to follow Mei's warning and dropped the matter.

'If Mei thinks that I've listened to her warning then it's likely that the people abusing her will let their guard down sooner which should help Bando-san to find out who is doing this. It pains me to having to pretend like I have stopped trying to help her but this is for her own good, still, I don't like it but I have to.' She would need to do her best to make it believable, if Mei were to find out then so would likely her abusers. Mayu could not risk that as it would mean even more danger for Mei, Bando would be fine, he could handle himself so she wasn't too scared of him getting hurt. 'I'm not that good at lying, can I even do this and trick Mei-san into believing it? I don't like having to lie to one of my friends, it feels so wrong to me, I don't want to…'

Not the kindest of things she would do to a friend and she would likely come to hate herself for doing it but this seemed to be one of those things that just needed to be done. She could also go and discuss this with both Kouta and Yuka tonight, they might even have some tips or words of advice for her but other than that she was going to need to do this on her own.

Well, for now, she would just do her best depending on what the situation would be, the rest she was going to find out one way or another and besides that it was time for her to focus again on school and her teacher. Mei would find out if her friend was doing poorly in school.

Dai hadn't even fully opened the door or already a crass voice greeted him, grating against Dai's nerves, asking him the kind of question that would normally be rather welcome but not with this person.

"So Hirano, how are you doing? Hope you're feeling a lot a better since last time." His back against the wall he just stared at him, why of all people did it just have to be him and even more important why the hell was he here.

"Why are you here? No, wait, I don't even want to know because I'm going to kick your sorry ass out of this building now! Bando, have you paid any attention to what I told you the last time you decided to waltz in here?!"

Taking a seat in one of the chairs the man tapped the side of his leg. "Fuck I did, something rather boring about getting the both of us in trouble if I would get caught. Cool yourself, Hirano, nobody is looking for me anyway, least of all your little buddies here."

Shaking his head in disagreement Dai quickly grabbed one of the seats and sat down, tapping the intercom he asked for the assistant from before to come and bring them some coffee. Knowing Bando all too well he knew that he was going to need it.

"Alright let's hear it then, by all means, do tell me what brings you here, and surprise me though I can already take a little guess as to what exactly it is that you are planning to put me through. I will tell you right now, forget it. I'm not going to come with you on another trip!"

"Talk about being a bore. Hirano, I'm going out to aid in an assignment but I don't know any of the guys this acquaintance of mine is bringing along and I sure as hell don't trust them." And having said those words Bando started to explain what he had been told by Sakai earlier this day, the supposed information he had received from an as of yet undisclosed source that mentioned a possible transaction linked to the earlier incidents was going to take place soon.

Dai made it clear that he would not be joining him on this one, firstly because his body just wasn't up to it and secondly because he did not want to put his family through such an ordeal again. For him, there was not a single reason to come along and risk his life again, especially now that it was going to be with other people, none of whom he knew.

"I'm sorry but my answer is no, I understand you want somebody there that you can trust but right now I doubt that I would be able to offer you much more than moral support. I'm still recovering from what we have been through. I'm far from fine and so are you, I mean just look at yourself, you're still using that crutch, still using those damn painkillers."

Bando didn't say a word, not like there was any need for him to and they both knew it. Neither of them was in any shape to go into what could be another fight and certainly the odds did not seem to favor them this time.

"Take my advice, don't go through with this. You say yourself that you don't know any of them, to me that would be more than enough reason to refuse. You don't have any obligation to any of them, let them sort out their own mess."

Scratching his forehead Dai had one other remaining question and that he found odd that Bando hadn't mentioned yet to him. "Tell me exactly when this is supposed to go down?"

He remained awfully silent and while normally Dai would be pretty thankful for Bando keeping quiet for change he did not enjoy it all that the man was doing it right now. No, he was really getting a bad feeling about it, not a good feeling at all. "So? When does it happen?"

"Tonight, the operation is to advance at all due haste," Bando answered him, taking off his glasses, in those eyes, Dai could see, without a shadow of a doubt, the reservations that were plaguing Bando himself about the entire operation. Thank God a part of him remained as paranoid as ever.

"Geez, talk about a shotgun approach," Dai sighed, sure enough, that was something he had dreaded, this was becoming more and more desperate the longer he spent thinking about it.

"As if I didn't already have more than enough reasons to advise against it, you know from experience how such rushed operations usually end up. Don't do it, Bando, it's not worth it."

Their little discussion went back and forth, neither seeming to be able to convince the other of their standing, neither side's argument managed to bring the decisive point forward. They were stuck in a stalemate that neither side would step back from, Bando was hell-bent on going and finding out what was going on, equally determined was Dai and his refusal to join him. Both men kept on arguing furiously, neither willing to concede to the other.

Dai finally leaned back in the chair just as there was a knock on the door. "Come in," he said, already too tired from reasoning with Bando to be worried about him being found here.

"Sorry for being late sir but it took me awhile to get back," the assistant from before apologized to him, in reality, there was no need for her to do so. "If that will be all sir?"

Dai nodded and signaled that it was alright for her to leave them alone, not like her presence was going to make a difference and she didn't need to hear or see about this kind of things.

As the door closed he grabbed a glass and poured himself some water, all that arguing had made his throat dry. "I don't seem to be able to convince you to back down from this one, am I? And you're not able to convince me to come with you either."

They stared at each other, the silence between them saying more than a thousand words. Bando was the first one who broke that silence. "So it would seem, well that also makes it clear that there is no further need for me to stay here any longer. Take care Hirano."

And just like that Bando got up from his chair, groaning as he put the strain once again on his leg. "Don't bother to get up, I know my way towards the exit. I'll see you around soon enough."

His head resting on the palms of his hands Dai couldn't help but let out a deep sigh, he knew that Bando was walking into trouble and there was little he could do about it. He had made up his mind a while ago, no more wild goose chases, not while he was still recovering from his wounds and yet it didn't sit all that well with him to let Bando go out on his own. "Take care of yourself as well, don't let them get the better of you. Come back safe."

Staring at the ceiling he asked himself if he had made the right choice after all.

Outside the weather was nice, enjoying her break together with her friends underneath the warmth of the sun it made Saeko feel better about her decision in staying at school today instead of going home. She felt so much better now that she was again with her friends enjoying and sharing their bento's with each other as well as exchanging pleasantries.

"So Isuzu, did you get the chance already to read the letter to see what it says? I mean you did kind of faint before you even had a chance to open it right?" Hinami asked while she chewed on the piece of egg roll she had just picked up. She was eager to hear what it said.

"Don't you think that it is little rude Saten-san to force yourself like that on Isuzu-san, I am sure that if she hasn't opened it herself then she likely has so for a good reason," Azusa remarked, she didn't feel that is was right for any of them to find out what was in the letter unless Saeko were to tell them. Besides this was also a private matter and given how their friend had reacted earlier it seemed better in her mind to let Saeko do it in peace without having to worry about her friends finding out what it said.

"Azurin's right you know, give her some time and besides isn't it appropriate for girls to keep the boys waiting for us," Yuzuka mentioned right before she took a sip from her drink. "Saekorin's gonna open the letter when she's ready for it and it's not our business unless she wants us to be there."

"I-I'm sorry Saten-san if I keep you waiting, I-I'm just not sure if I should…"

The dark haired girl just smiled. "Hey, just call me Hinami, given that we're friends now you don't have to call me by my family name, alright? Now pass me some of those as they look great."

Saeko handed her a few. "So Hinami-chan?" She was a little hesitant about calling her friend by her first name and to be honest, she wasn't entirely comfortable with it but then Yuzuka had told her the exact same pretty quickly. "Are you sure about that…?"

"Of course I am silly, oh Isuzu you're just so adorable when you are like this you know. I wonder what your mystery admirer would say if he were to see you like this? You are just too cute. I can see why he has fallen for you Isuzu."

"Saten-san you shouldn't tease her like that, that might actually be a rather embarrassing thought for Isuzu-san you know," Azusa remarked as she felt that was inappropriate.

Hinami smirked in joy as she gave out a retort. "My, my. Still using such an honorific for a friend of yours, you're just way too polite you know that Ichinose."

Azusa kindly returned the favor. "Not at all, my family is just rather strict when it comes to the proper use of honorifics, I was taught that from an early age on. To me, it's rather normal."

They both leaned back as they took a piece from each other's bento, savoring the taste and flavor. It had been a good idea to share their bento's, likely they were going to do this more often as they found the sharing to be rather enjoyable.

"Azurin's got a point," Yuzuka chimed in on the conversation as well now. "I know that some of my family are also pretty strict about it while my parents aren't. I guess as times change honorifics will be less in usage than they do now don't you think? I mean I heard from my mother how they had to address their teachers when they went to school, totally different than how we do."

They all listened to her except for Saeko who was still thinking about what Hinami had told her earlier, she felt deep inside that she wouldn't enjoy it if the person who had written the letter would get to see her in such moments.

"W-Would you all…?" She sudden spoke, her hands trembling as she reached out and held up the letter for them all to see. "... S-Stay with me while I read it, it would mean a lot to me…?"

Looking at her in surprise they at first didn't understand what their friend was talking about but then seeing as she held up the letter in front of them they fully understood; she wanted for them to be there and offer her some moral support while she would gather her courage and read it. But to think that she was planning to read it out loud was a surprise to them, that was something they had not really expected nor did they consider it to be a good idea.

"Ah, Saekorin are you really sure about that? Don't you want to read it for yourself first? What if it says something really embarrassing?" Yuzuka reached forward, taking hold of her friend's trembling hands. "I'll be here for you Saekorin, for better or for worse as you are my friend. I won't leave you to face this on your own." Her face was all serious.

"Yuzuka-san you're being a little overly dramatic here aren't you?" Azusa remarked, giving her the odd look. "You might give Isuzu-san the wrong impression here you know."

Hinami had her arms wrapped around her belly although it was starting to hurt she just couldn't stop laughing, these people were just too much fun to be with. "If you really want me to stay here and keep you company Isuzu then I won't mind," she giggled rolling back and forth, oh she hoped that it was going to end really soon as she couldn't finish the rest of their lunch if this kept going on, let alone that she would be able to sit still in class and pay attention for that matter. "Please stop… I'm begging you to stop. Oh, my sides… hurt so much… right now."

"Isuzu-san, are you sure about this? You don't have to do this for our sake you know, a love letter is a rather private affair you know," Azusa mentioned though she also made it clear that if Saeko wanted then she would stay and be there for her, after all, that was what friends did.

There was no need for her to even ask, any of them would be there if she needed them though they did mention that it would be better if she were to read the letter for herself in private first.

Seeing that she wasn't going to be alone in this Saeko felt more confident that she could handle what the letter would say, as such, she chose to ignore the advice of her friends. Being here with her best friends in the entire school, if not the entire world she felt confident that this time, she wasn't going to faint or cry.

Taking a deep breath she slowly opened the envelope, pulled out the letter and folded it open. One last swallow and then she began to read out loud what was written, her heart beating frantically in her chest with every word that she spoke. "… D-D-Dearest…. Isuzu-san."

With already being late in the afternoon Mayu was feeling rather disappointed not to mention getting increasingly worried that something might have happened to Mei, she hadn't seen any sign of Mei at all and she had spent most of her lunch break in a vain attempt to find her friend who, despite that Aki having assured her earlier that she was present in class, was nowhere to be seen and Mayu hadn't been able to talk to her all day.

Her next best chance to see her friend and find out how she was doing was going to be at the club though she wondered if perhaps Mei was trying to avoid her on purpose, well after the words she had said when she found about the abuse that wasn't so hard to think off.

Was Mei avoiding her on purpose to make sure that Mayu wasn't going to get hurt, even so, she wasn't going to let Mei face this on her own without getting some support from her friends, she was going to be there for her.

"Hey, Isuzu how are you doing," she got called out and turning around she could see that it was her fellow club member Aki. "You're going to the club as well right? Could you do me a favor and help me with some of the stuff that senpai has asked me too? I promise I'll take the heavy stuff."

Mayu smiled in return, "You sure are somebody for coming to ask a girl to help you with carrying stuff, you do intend to keep your promise and only let me carry the light stuff, right? Where is it?"

He pointed over his shoulder. "Just around the corner, nothing too heavy but senpai did want the stuff back in the clubroom."

Following him, they rounded the corner and sure enough, there it was standing, a couple of boxes filled with either papers or crafts materials. Well, it did not seem that these were going to be too heavy for them to carry, fortunately, it was also just two boxes.

"So did you have any luck in finding her, I told her that you were looking for her," Aki suddenly mentioned as he lifted up the smaller one of the two boxes first before handing it over to Mayu. "Just be careful with it."

It was heavier than Mayu had expected it to be but she managed it just fine. "No, I haven't sadly, somehow I'm getting the idea that Mei-san is trying to avoid me."

He looked at her, his face showing his confusion. "Why would she even do that? The two of you are best friends am I right? No, I don't believe that for a second. It doesn't make any sense, that's just not her way."

Normally she would have to agree with him but unlike him, she actually knew what was going one, a part of her just wanted to tell him on the spot but likely that was only going to complicate the matter even further. Would he believe her if she were to tell him?

No, she couldn't afford to take such a risk, not when she wasn't sure of what the potential outcome was going to be. Aki had known Mei for a long time as well, they were childhood friends and yet this was something she couldn't tell him about.

If he were to ever find out would he likely be angry with either her or Mei for not having told him? Was he ever going to understand the reason for their silence? Difficult questions that needed equally difficult answers, none of which Mayu was willing to spend much thought about. "Did she say anything after you mentioned that I was looking for her?"

"Ah ehm, well now that you mention it. She didn't mention anything special you know, come to think of it I don't think she said anything at all after I mentioned to her that you were looking for her. That is a bit odd, well I'm sure she has her reasons for it, likely she was just in a hurry."

"You're likely right, I mean she has a lot on her mind with getting everything prepared for the festival. You're right Aki-kun, I'm likely thinking way too much about this."

Adjusting her arm so she could better carry the box she told him that they would need to hurry and get these boxes quickly to their clubroom before the next class was going to begin. Making their way through the hallways that would eventually lead to their clubroom Mayu was starting to get that feeling again that somebody was watching her, strange as she hadn't felt it in quite a while now. Did this have something to do with Mei's situation or was it something else, either way, she wasn't happy about it.

They kept on walking; carrying the boxes towards their clubroom though Mayu never let her guard down during the entire walk, always making sure to keep notice of what was happening behind her back.

All of them just sat there silently, their eyes wide open after having heard what the letter said. They honestly had kind of expected it but it still had sounded so surreal to them, honestly, it was the nicest written letter a person could ever receive, they could all agree on that.

"Wow Saekorin, I think that this guy really has fallen for you. To think that somebody can actually write in such a sweet and poetic manner just tells a lot about their feelings. You must've left one big impression on him alright." Yuzuka commented, getting all giddy, wishing that one day she too would get to receive such a letter from an admirer. "Oh, I'm so jealous of you right now. I just want to get such a letter, I can't wait for that to happen."

"You shouldn't say that, Isuzu-san doesn't want people to be jealous of her. Still, I do have to agree that the person who wrote this letter sure seems to have spent a lot of time and effort in writing it. It certainly doesn't appear to be one of those simple love letters, the kanji is also pristine."

Sadly Saeko found it rather hard to agree with them, she had understood the words but something she did not understand was the feeling behind those words. The young Diclonius wasn't so sure about it but as she had no prior experience with love letters she would have to accept the opinion of her friends.

This person wanted to meet her in person though he hadn't mentioned where or when they were supposed to meet each other, the letter simply slipped from between her fingers.

Thinking about meeting this person made her feel rather nervous about it, honestly, she didn't want to go alone, she would much rather have her friends to be there with her as well as she found it rather scary. What if this person had the wrong ideas about her and yet what he had written sounded so nice and kind, well at least he should deserve a chance.

Even so, it was still a rather unsettling event for her, she had to rely entirely on her friends as she had no idea for herself on what she was supposed to do. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea if she were to discuss this first with her family on what the best thing to do would be.

Mayu would know, Mayu was smart and had been in school for far longer than she had.

Lost in her own thoughts she was completely oblivious to the discussion that was now going on between Yuzuka, Azusa, and Hinami on what kind of person this boy could be. Noticing that it was lying there Hinami was rather quick to pick it up and read it for herself picking out all of the juicier parts and giving her opinion on them which prompted reactions from Yuzuka and Azusa all too quick. Their little debate went on until they were called to a halt when the bells went off, already their break had come to an end and so did their discussion, they would have to wait until after school.

Hinami shot up straight as she had a great idea. "Hey do you all want to come and visit our club after school, I'd like to introduce you to my senpai. You all did like the clothes and costumes she made so what do you say? Besides you still, haven't found a club, right?"

It wasn't exactly what they had expected but the dark haired girl had made a good point there, it was about high time for them to start looking again for a club to join and due to some unfortunate circumstances that had been postponed for long enough. They would need to go searching and gathering information fast otherwise it could be possible that they would be left without one.

"Saekorin what do you think about Hinarin's offer? Do you want to go and visit their club after school is done? Though, I'm not really sure if making clothes is really my kind of thing. I've never been really good at it, you know, besides I'd rather wear clothes and go shopping for them rather than having to go through all the trouble of designing and making them."

Pulled from her thought Saeko didn't know what to say at first, from what she had been told earlier the senpai sounded like a kind person but she wasn't exactly fond of going back to the room where people had been laughing at her. Was the senpai also going to remember her for that? To be honest, it just made her more nervous and right now she was already having more than enough of that thanks to the letter.

Appearing to take far too long with giving her reply she now had attracted the full attention of all three of them, eager to hear what she was going to say.

"I'll come see you after class, you can let me know then so give it some thought," Hinami mentioned. "Also we should really hurry." At that point the second bell went off, now they would have less than five minutes to get to class. Getting up on their feet they quickly gathered their stuff and hurried back towards their respective classrooms.

Putting down the rucksack Kouta looked at his watch, well that had been the last of the stuff he needed to archive which meant that he would be off for the rest of the day. Next to him one of the older students but one who simply refused to be called senpai handed him one more box. "Not so fast Isuzu-kun, I still have a few more things that I could use your help with.

Don't worry though as it won't take long," he smiled. "Don't strain your back though, it's pretty heavy."

"If you say so," Kouta returned the gesture as he accepted the box, the older student sure hadn't been kidding when he had warned him that it was going to be heavy. Adjusting his stance to compensate for the weight Kouta found himself doing his utmost best in order to avoid toppling over. "This really is heavy, and here I thought you were kidding at first."

Managing to get it where he was told to put it down with a monumental effort he certainly felt his back protesting against the abuse it had just undergone. "If I may ask Kitamura-san, this seems to be a lot of material you're just going to take with you for such a small field trip?"

Kitamura laughed as he heard the question. "That's a very astute observation you made Isuzu-kun and you're right in your assessment. Sensei got a very good proposition so the trip is going to be for far longer than what had been planned which also means that a lot more material and equipment needs to be brought along. I'm also afraid that for the next month or so there won't be anybody here so you don't have to come and help us out, enjoy the extra free time you will have."

"I don't really need it, a shame I can't be here but not much I can do about it. So where exactly is sensei going then if it's becoming a much longer trip? Surely it still can't be to where he had originally planned it?"

"No, you're right. We're going to a new destination though sensei won't tell anybody where it is. It might have something to do with some of those demands, that the people providing the extra funding, have placed upon this expedition." That was about all that the older student was willing to say about it though there could have just as well been other reasons.

None of it mattered to Kouta anyway as he was still a few years of before he would even be allowed to accompany them on even the small field trips let alone these big ones with a lot of funding behind them and yet a part of him did regret not being to go with them.

"You should be happy about it, you'll at least get to stay at home and get to enjoy the warmth of spring while we will likely end up somewhere really cold. If I could I would trade with you on the spot but alas," Kitamura remarked, adjusting his glasses as he told Kouta that he should find some time to enjoy himself, besides few jobs would offer a month or two of rest. "Enjoy yourself while you still can Isuzu-kun, once you graduate you'll find that a lot more of your time is going to be consumed by work and more work. You should make the most of what you have left."

Well, it wasn't so bad that he could be home earlier, he could lend a helping hand to Nana or do the groceries before Yuka could get home. "If you say so Kitamura-san, I'll do my best then to make the most of it but we are going to throw you guys a party when you come back."

Those that had overheard burst out laughing and a chorus of people agreeing went round.

"I think you pushed yourself into a corner with that one Isuzu-kun, now you can't pull yourself out of that one. Well, not that I'll complain about it, just make sure that it's a good party. Who knows you might actually find yourself getting in the right favor with sensei if you pull it off."

Oh dear, it seemed that he had gotten himself stuck into another obligation. "So it would seem, well if you don't have anything left for me then I wish you all a safe journey. Come back home safely. Take good care of yourself Kitamura-san."

They shook hands. "You too Isuzu-kun, look after yourself while we're gone and I will be looking forward to that welcome back party you're going to throw for us," the older student smiled and with that they parted ways, Kouta would be going home and see if there was anything that he could help Nana out with before any of the others would be coming home.

Saying his goodbyes to the other people he didn't notice it at first that the door behind him was open and that two people were talking until he heard somebody call him out. "Hey Isuzu-san, there appears to be somebody here to see you." That was odd as he wasn't expecting anybody nor for that matter did any of his family knew that he was here, turning around he was surprised to see a very handsome girl looking back at him, her long black hair seeming to dance around her, a majestic

"Isuzu Kouta. I am pleased to finally get a chance to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Kakuzawa Anna."

Author's note: Well that's it again for today, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. If you spot anything or just want to have a talk feel free to contact me, as always I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts, suggestions, and opinions.

Not much else for me left to say so I'm going to keep it short, take care folks and have a good weekend.