I decided to end this chapter without concluding the plot I wanted initially, to not have an extremely long chapter, so the second half of this plot will be in the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter XVIII

Sunday

The sunlight pierces the fluttering transparent lace curtains of Asuka's room, she rummages through her jewelry box shaped like a pink treasure chest, her brows coiled up in worry.

"Where is that wristlet Fubuki gave me…?"

A knock on her door, she quickly stands up, in her black shorts that cover a palm more than the school's skirt and a sleeveless white shirt with a plainly black waistcoat adorned with golden buttons, instead of the usual boots from school, she has shorter boots in black color with a small heel and shoelaces.

She peeks through the tiny crevice of the door opening, her sweet strawberry parfum flowing out with the gust of air ventilating her room. A pair of big blue eyes staring at her from the other side.

"Ah, Rie… I forgot something and I'll need more time to find it, you can go ahead or you can also wait if you want."

Rie shrugs her shoulders, unsure of what to do. Asuka smiles ruefully and a bit restless, she doesn't know when she'll find it, so to not keep her waiting longer, a little incentive:

"Knowing Ryou he's probably already there and waiting alone, maybe you should go and keep him company… I'll catch up to you two as soon as I can, okay?"

The pink-haired nods, greeting her with another smile before whirling around and going away as her low heels clack on the carpet of the female dorm's corridor. She closes the door and invests herself into the search again, until a message makes her PDA vibrate and the screen light.

She raises a brow, it can't be anything important. Her hand touches everywhere on the box, she searches it on the drawers and on the bed for at least fifteen minutes, sighing in a defeatist attitude. Then, she searches the jewelry box once more, until she gets a grip on it: a thin and delicate golden wristlet with a tiny gold shell hanging onto it and a few small diamond-shaped zirconiums. A smile spread on her lips, putting on the adornment as the final piece of her outfit.

In a rush, she goes to the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror and applies a layer of lipstick, brushing her lips together, making a peachy hue distribute evenly there.

Her PDA rings loudly this time, startling her, someone is attempting to make a video call. It's a bit early for them to be hurrying her, she picks the device answering the call before she sees the name listed there, her mouth opening to explain her delay until she sees the face on the screen.

"Edo…?"

Her body frozen there, flabbergasted, not knowing which words to pronounce as he stares sternly at her face through the screen. Why did he call her right now?

At the harbor

Ryou stands near the edge of the pebble ground, his garments are white jeans pants and a brown jacket with strap belts at the sleeves and lower borders, a single pocket on the left side, covering a plain turtleneck black shirt. The gust of wind coming from the side brings a sweet, fruity scent of melon, his eyes dart there, his lips unsealing unwittingly, his eyes widening a bit in awe.

Rie beckons with her bandaged left hand and a faint smile on her glossy pink lips, stopping beside him, she's in a dress composed by a sleeveless inverted V-shaped white upper piece covering up to her neck, and a light-green skirt going down a palm above her knees, divided from the upper piece by a big brown belt, a pair of yellow earrings shaped like a thunder clinking lightly at the wind.

A tiny smile tugs on the corners of his mouth, it's cute how enthusiastic she is about going out with them, his green orbs land on the horizon, an affectionate glint abiding in them.

"I thought you'd come with Asuka."

"She had to find something before coming, but she should be here as soon as she can."

There's an awkward silence as a breeze blows past, her pinks strands of hair fluttering in the wind. She twiddles her fingers nervously.

"Do you not go out from the academy island on your own, Rie?"

The sudden question surprises her, but she calms down while weaving a message, as if occupying her fingers was enough to forget her nervousness.

"I actually haven't stepped out of this island ever since I transferred. And it's not like I have anything to do in the city anyways."

"Right, you arrived a week later and there were many problems too." He ponders deeply with a hand to his chin.

"It's already so late." She changes the topic in a panicky fashion.

"That's right, if she doesn't come soon, we'll miss the ferry." He looks over his shoulder, a concerned semblance, then turns his eyes to Rie. "Maybe we should board it and wait for her there."

Agreeing with a move of her head, they board the ferry, as they walk up the small stairs, Rie catches a glimpse at the waves, her eyes emptying and freezing there, her steps cease in the middle of the way as the world around starts blacking out, a voice brings her back to reality:

"Rie?"

The teal-haired boy lands a hand on her shoulder, her skin feels gelid, she seems in some sort of daze for a moment before gasping, awakening from whatever was distracting her, forcing a smile on her lips and swinging her hands quickly, stepping ahead of him to avoid his perplexed gaze.

Around that time

Asuka is astonished, Edo has a collected, but strict expression, his brows curved down in the slightest, there's a few seconds of a strange silence before he starts speaking:

"Do you have time now? I found something you might want to know."

"Now…? I was about to go out with Ryou and…"

"Ah, right. I forgot about that. Well, I'm sorry for choosing this time, but I only finished my research now. You can also tell the Kaiser since I suspect it could be related to your brother and the missing students." He cuts to the point.

"Related to Fubuki…?! What are you doing…?"

"It's better if we talk in person, bring Ryou here too if he wants to know. I'll wait for you in front of the obelisk boy's dorm."

"Wait-"

He finishes the call not giving her a chance to think things through. Her eyebrows furrow up conflicted, it's almost time for her to go, she has to choose quickly. Her fingers hover on the top of the most called list, considering whether she should call Ryou or not.

He has been like an older brother to her and always helped in the search, in fact, he started it. But what if she's demanding too much of him? Not long ago, she had to talk about how he'd been isolating himself, asking him to stay and dive his head into this endless search would be counterintuitive.

It's not like she can't tell him later whatever Edo found out, they were supposed to be going out and have a lighthearted time in the city, away from those concerns. Perhaps she should not hold him back on the island now, just this time. Biting her lips once, she presses the button, initiating a video call, Ryou's stoic face soon appears on the camera.

"Asuka, you're late. What happened?"

"I'm sorry, I… I can't go today, I have something else to do that came up last minute. I'm really sorry for ruining the Sunday trip. I hope you can still enjoy your Sunday!"

"But you were the one who-"

"I really have to go now! I'll make up with you and Rie another time!

She eagerly ends the call, taking a deep breath. She could've explained a bit more, but he would certainly want to come back and hear any clues about Fubuki too. It's not his responsibility and she doesn't want him to miss on things he might regret later.

"He also went to the hut alone that time and got himself into trouble too, it's better if he gets a rest now…" She excuses herself guiltily.

For Edo to be calling her, it must have been something new, she's curious and she also has apologies to offer. How did he find anything out?

At the port

Ryou swallows dryly, there's something off about Asuka's statement, what could she possibly want to do at this time when she was the one scheduling this appointment in the first place? And convincing him to go at any cost saying it was for his own sake, just to abandon him there.

A path of wrinkles forms between his brows, this never happened before. Asuka must also have had a reason to decline the meeting, and he will ask for an explanation later, but now the most important is…

"You heard that too, didn't you? Asuka won't come."

He casts a worried glance at Rie, a drop of sweat in concern for her reaction and confused at what just happened. Her head is lowered, it's hard to not see the deception on her face, her lips curved down feebly and a wavering gaze.

Thinking back on Rie's previous sentences, she said she didn't go out of the island, it's been only a couple months they started having classes, but still, he can't help feeling sad for her, she seemed to be engaging in more conversations with them and trying her best to go out of her shell.

What is Asuka thinking by leaving them hanging like this? He puts a hand to his forehead, to properly analyze the situation, flinching when Rie puts the screen of her device near his side, for him to check a message.

"I guess we should get off the boat…" She accepts it dispiritedly, turning around to exit.

He's astounded, the time slows down as he watches the lonely back of that girl distancing, his eyes can't seem to see the reality surrounding them but only her. He has this odd and fearful sensation that if he lets her go now, something bad will happen and they won't be able to reach out to her again.

"Wait, Rie!"

His hand has a will on its own, in a rash move, grabbing her wrist. She whirls back, appalled at his sudden gesture.

"Just because Asuka isn't here, that doesn't mean we have to cancel everything."

There's a certain undertone of a discreet and petty contempt in his voice, as if he's also saying it in spite of her irresponsibility with their appointment.

"We can still go, just the two of us."

He only notices the meaning of his own words as she flushes in an instant, her eyes flickering, stunned.

Another drop of sweat rolls down his face, a low grunt of discomfort coming out of his throat, his grip on her wrist softening, his eyes widening slightly, bewildered by his own words.

That moment, they hear the sound of the ship's engine exhausting, they both look up at the smoke floating towards the sky, the boat shakes at the waves, initiating its departure. They exchange a glance while the boat distances itself from the coast. It's too late to go back now.

Meanwhile,

Edo watches the grass swaying in the wind, his blue eyes rising to look at the newly arrived person, his folded arms undoing, he's dressed in his school uniform. He blinks once, twice as she approaches, raising a brow.

"You look nice, but I hope you're not trying to impress me with this appearance."

"May I remind you I was supposed to be on a boat to the city now?"

She scowls at him and his acidic greeting, almost closing both fists, a slight blush on her cheeks at his subtle compliment disguised as part of his sarcasm.

"I didn't have time to change my clothes, it looked like it's very urgent from your tone, so I rushed here."

"What about Ryou? Will he not come?"

"I didn't tell him…" She admits, averting her gaze to the side. "He's been working hard to find Fubuki and he had all sorts of problems because of that… He should take a break."

"Does that not serve as advice for you as well?" His eyes narrow a tad.

"I'm fine."

He scoffs, turning around to enter the dorm, she hesitates a moment, but follows him, her hazel orbs wandering around the empty corridors. He turns his face slightly, his bangs covering his profile.

"It's Sunday, most of the students are out, if not all of them, no one will gossip anything strange. I checked before, there's not a single soul in here. You don't need to worry, even if someone did see us, it's not a crime."

She has visited the obelisk boy dorm because of Ryou before, and even when her brother was around she visited the old abandoned dorm in its prime shape, but this is the first time she's coming here because neither of the two. Her brows twist upward while watching his back as he silently walks ahead, the last time she talked to him, it didn't end in a very friendly manner.

"Edo, about before, I'm sorry for for lashing out on you, I shouldn't have-"

"You don't need to apologize."

His voice is steady, he casts a glance over his shoulder, it's earnest, she wonders if that means he's still annoyed at her. His eyes flash to the front, opening the door of the room fully.

"But… Even after that you still called me here… I…"

"I'm not as sensible as you think. I know how to discern when I'm wrong and when to step away. You weren't wrong and I know that, moreover I told you I'd inform you in case I found anything that could be a clue regarding your brother's whereabouts, right? Now, don't stand in the corridor or someone might actually come here to check when they smell your sweet perfume."

Her shoulders jolt, tensing slightly and a faint red color burns on her cheeks, she wasn't supposed to be in a closed ambience this early. Maybe she put in too much perfume? Does that bother him? She has so many questions, it's almost making her dizzy. He keeps the door open until she enters, and locks it behind them.

"You can sit on the couch, I'll show you what I found out. Wait just a minute until I set everything up."

For some reason, she feels more nervous than ever before today, her hands land on her own legs, but her palms are a bit sweaty. Is it because she scurried all the way here? Now that she thinks about it he said he'd found out something, but his duel was just some days ago and since then he was cornered by reporters, as well as students, when did he have time to…?

She distracts her mind from all this by roaming her eyes around his room. It's as neat as Ryou's, but there's this different air in there, somehow Ryou's room feels bland and what you'd expect from him, But Edo's room feels frigid, she doesn't know if that's a much better impression.

Fubuki had duel monsters posters scattered all over the walls of his which gave this warmer feeling to it, some of which consisted of the Black Magician Girl and in an inappropriate angle, she reminds, a nerve popping on her forehead. But in this room, everything is in place, the bed is done and there's no speck of dust, the only thing she noted a bit out of place were the empty cans of what seemed to be energy drinks. Why he'd drink that, it's beyond her.

A muffled and plump spreads in the air as he rakes what looked like an open suitcase, then he takes a laptop out of there and comes her direction, nonchalantly taking a seat beside her, disregarding etiquette rules about personal space and placing the device atop the center table in front of them.

The blonde almost propels herself to the side, to give even a centimeter space between them, he did it on purpose, didn't he? Without even looking to the side, he bends onwards, turning on the device clicking on some keys, the screen is the only image reflected on his focused blue eyes, his fingers act so mechanically as if he's a professional at this.

Her fingers curl, her fists closing gradually, her face is cast down, she tries to not stare too much. He's handsome enough to be an idol, but she should not be thinking about it now. Still with a mental image of his face, she gapes upon noticing something, her eyes slowly latching onto his profile again.

There are some insomnia lines under his eyes, and some bags too, even though this doesn't affect his natural beauty that much, her eyes open in amusement. He finally flinches, noticing her stare, looking at her.

"If you want a picture, just say it."

His eyelids close half, that snarky tone of his doesn't get through her skin this time, she's very shocked.

"Edo… You… You look exhausted." The words come out staggered, as if she's not sure how to best describe it.

"I was watching some footage the whole night, so I didn't sleep. It's no surprise I look unseemly."

"You… Didn't sleep?" She pales, sitting sideways, facing him. "Why?"

"I just told you." He frowns, wondering if she's even paying attention to what he's saying, the lack of sleep also doesn't help improve his mood. "I was investigating, what else? There were some very strange things about the missing students case and I have some suspicions, so I spent time checking on it. This is why I called you here now, you know?"

"You were… Awake the whole night to know more about that…?"

Her eyebrows coil, in a conflicted tone, her heart tightening a bit inside her chest at the fact that she spent a long time doing that. She hid this whole meeting from Ryou to make sure he got a break, but now Edo is the one not having a break, a deep sigh comes out of her mouth, how can they both care so little for themselves? Once they're decided to get the truth, they never stop at it even if it drains them out fully.

"Don't worry, I did that many times for the pro league too, I'm very fine."

He declares confidently while typing on his laptop, in a way to comfort her, much to her awe of how observant he could be at times.

"That doesn't make it much better, why are both you and Ryou such extreme cases? Can you not just relax a bit sometimes? You don't need to…"

"I do need to finish this. And shouldn't you be willing to spend your time searching for your own brother too?"

"I do. But my life can't only revolve around that, the same goes for you and Ryou. This is the reason I didn't want him to come. I appreciate it, but you really shouldn't do this much. Sometimes we have to take our mind off those problems and try again after we've got some rest."

"Impossible. I wouldn't be able to rest knowing there's a task I must fulfill at any cost, I don't know any better."

The acknowledgement worries her, especially the dire, foggy gaze he had while saying that, it was more than just an investigation for him, his aura was similar to the one he had in the duel.

Breaking the mood of concern, he presses the enter key on his device and starts a video, tilting the laptop in a mild angle for her to see it clearly.

"So, I brought you here to show this…"

On the ferryboat

Rie almost stumbles a step when the boat leaves the coast, her gaze stranded on the undulations of the sea as the ship moves away from the coast until it's barely a small portion of the horizon. Ryou sighs troubled, noticing his mistake.

Her bright blue eyes are vague and lost as she turns her face to look into his green orbs, seeking for an understanding of the situation.

"I'm sorry, I should've left the boat with you and suggested it properly before we departed. I just thought there's no reason to give up on going out." He closes his eyes solemnly in an apology. "In which case, we can't just jump out of the ferry now, and it takes at least two hours in one direction… So even if I didn't want to, we'd still have to put up with each other for at least 4 hours…"

He jokes to lighten the mood, she's absorbed in her mind for a moment. Again, Rie has this insecurity abiding her eyes as if she's unsure whether her presence is welcomed or not. He'd think she has improved in this sense too, but sometimes he catches a sight on this wavering expression of hers transmitting this sensation as if she doesn't belong where she is.

"Is it really fine?" She lifts her communicator.

Her orbs drift off from reality in thoughtfulness, like he said, she'd like to have the opportunity to go out with her friends, but at the same time, she's worried whether she should be allowing herself to.

"Why not?"

"I just wonder if it's fine to spend your time like this..." She fidgets, holding her PDA. "I thought we'd call it a day and do something separately on the island."

"Is that so?"

"I'm sorry. I just… Thought you'd want to spend your time differently."

"I also went out with Asuka and her brother like this. I don't see why it would be a problem now, unless you would like to go back once we get to the city, Rie…"

His voice is so chill it soothes her nervousness, sometimes this indifferent temper of his could be a fascinating facet.

He supports his hands on the cold, metallic railing of the boat, giving her space and time to mull over it. Rie gulps stepping away from him, leaning her back against the middle wall on the ship. His orbs follow her figure, intrigued by her action, his eyes switch between the waves, her and the great distance she puts between herself and the water as if she had an enmity with it.

"Are you… afraid of the ocean?"

His voice and footsteps get her attention, she almost jumps when his shadow is cast over her figure, he stands in front of her but for a moment, before going to her side, a comfortable distance separating them, leaning his back on the wall too. She rocks her head from side to side, abashed that he noticed it.

"I'm not afraid of the sea in particular… But I don't deal well with deep waters."

"Hm… You probably don't feel comfortable that the only way to get out of the island is a boat, then…" He rambles, looking at the horizon that has nothing but water by now, crossing his arms in a meditative stance. "I don't suppose your family owns a helicopter for you? That's possible for many obelisk students."

"No. We don't own any vehicles now…" She smirks, but there's a sourness to it. "It's not a problem, really."

"Is this also why you avoid swimming classes? Like before…"

He stops before reminding too many details of what happened at the pool, with how embarrassing it must have been for her and for him too.

"Yes…"

Her eyes run away from him, to the floorboard of the boat. It's unusual for him to be this chatty, it makes her unnecessarily aware of her heartbeats, wondering if he's about to ask something she won't be able to answer or if her fingers will slip and tell him something she shouldn't about her agenda in the academy.

"You don't need to feel bad for it. If it's a serious problem, why don't you just tell the school?"

"I need a medical report for the school to officially let me skip those, I just didn't think it through before coming to the island and didn't have time to settle all this… But that can be done another time…"

A faint smile plays on her lips, grateful for his finesse and respect in asking that, he replies with another smile, his gaze is cast at the horizon again, seeing her smile lifted his good mood.

In the obelisk dorm,

Asuka's eyes are concentrated on the images on the screen, it's a camera pointed at the forest, but it rotates, showing some parts of a building she has never seen before.

"Where is this?" She bends onwards, confused.

"It's a place called SAL. Do you not know it despite making night trips around?"

"No, I've never seen it before…"

She gasps upon seeing some sort of security guard walking in a patrol route, vanishing from the angle of the camera while another guard stands still near some sort of entrance door. Just what is this place for it to be guarded like this?

"There's more…"

He fast forwards the video, stopping at a point in which a figure clad in dark trespasses the vision of the camera. A masked man, from afar, walks among the trees unnoticed by the guards.

"Who is this?"

"I don't know, but this is one of the reasons I called you here. There's much more about this lab. I'm not sure how much the school knows, but it's clear this place is out of limits for students and there are some shady things going on…"

"I didn't know…" She shakes her head bitterly. "That there was such a place… What's going on?"

"I plan to investigate the place in person. But for now, I should show you the footage of the cameras, there's more. I've gotten some really strange images."

"How did you even get your hands on these videos?"

"I hacked them." He folds his arms, confessing to it as the most natural thing in the world.

"You…? You know how to do this?"

"Does that matter?"

"I'm just… Shaken… I thought you were a professional duelist, not a professional hacker."

"There's much more you don't know about me, but that's not relevant now. I have plenty more of those videos and I'd like it if you also watched them and tell me your opinion on it."

"How many more?"

She asks, afraid of the answer she might get, he sighs tiredly and rolls the middle mouse button, showing a full folder with camera footages. Slowly, her body leans on the back support of the couch, resigned that she'll spend her Sunday there.

If any fan of his found out that instead of watching movies, series or going out with friends, Edo was the serious type of individual that was taking investigating to a new level, they'd probably think twice before throwing themselves at him and asking for a date.

"This will be long. I spent the night watching those." He admits, then looks at her. "Do you want anything to drink?"

Her head bobs fuzzily, he can see the panic creeping into her eyes, overwhelmed by the amount of information he just dropped. A pinch of guilt inside him, not the best way to bond with a friend, but at least they're giving a step in their pursuit for the truth.

Far away from the island,

The ferry boat docks on the port of the city, they both disembark, the bell of the boat rings as it departs on yet another trip back to the academy. Rie's skittish tendencies strike again, her blue gaze frightened as she types.

"So, what do you usually do when you come to the city with Asuka?"

He gawks for a moment, did she forget all social skills or is this just a part of her that she's so lost? He recomposes himself, saying confidently:

"The exposition is not open yet, so we'll need to hang around the city for a while before it opens. But I have a good place in mind."

She follows beside him curious to which place he will take them to. It's been a while since the last time she felt the city air, the sight of a train filled with people as they go to the city center and the concrete buildings. It all feels like a distant sight she saw in a dream and not like reality.

They arrive at a cafe, an unexpected destination, not exactly the place she'd portray that strict Ryou Marufuji coming to in his free days, he opens the door without ceremony and spots a place for them to sit down.

The round tables were spread over the space that wasn't even that big, the counter is at the back of the area. It's bustling with life and the various voices and laughter of people fill the ambience, some waitresses and waiters coming and going from the tables in a rhythmic, but not so hectic manner.

She takes a seat across from him, her eyes scanning everything around as if she'd never been anywhere like this. A waiter approaches their table, with a block of notes and a pen, his smile is polished, but vain.

"Oh, you're here again!" The man chuckles. "With a different girl this time."

He opens his eyes, a tad surprised, but not more than Ryou himself that had such an icy glare she could see some icicles being thrown at the rude waiter for the irrelevant last sentence.

"Who's the new girl?"

"A friend." He's surprised when she is the one responding on her communicator with a half ashamed smile.

"I remember you had that blonde friend and there was also that boy that used to come here with you two…" He clears his throat, correcting himself. "So you're a new friend. Great to see you two, where are the others?"

"They're busy today."

"That other friend of yours, the one that looks like an idol, he attracted many female clients, a pity he's not here, but you're a charmer yourself…"

"He's not around." He folds his arms, answering coldly, his semblance tells everything the waiter needs to know: he's not up for a talk.

"I-I'll leave the menu here, call me when you want to make your order."

Ryou follows the man with eyes, there's this slight curve of distaste on his mouth, they're barely here for a few minutes but he's angry enough for the day. Nothing is going as they planned, this must be frustrating, even for a person like him, she concludes empathetically.

He doesn't look at the menu, he already knows what to order as if he had the dishes and drinks all memorized, she wouldn't be surprised if he could repeat it out loud without glancing at the menu, unlike her that's not used to the place.

His gaze drifts to an empty table on the side. His imagination makes him see Fubuki and Asuka sitting bored, and a bunch of girls around Fubuki as he laughs exaggeratedly telling his unbelievable stories to win their hearts.

"Did you often come here with them?"

The bright screen appears on his peripheral vision, he turns his gaze ahead, to the message that she displays with a faint smile.

"With Asuka and Fubuki-san…" She complements, to make sure he understood her question.

"Yes… This place was actually suggested by Fubuki. As you can see the waiter remembers me because we used to be here almost every weekend…"

He trails off, a nostalgic smile sprouting on his face. He didn't tell her the part in which the reason Fubuki even suggested they come to this place was because he had hopes his sister would fall in love with the cold Kaiser and crack his heart, little did he know that they would become friends, but Asuka stated right off the bat that this is all, knowing the ulterior intentions of her brother.

He was struck by dismay, but tried his best to play cupid and kept inviting them both to try to force a relationship, in the end, the three of them going out became some sort of tradition and he forged a friendship, but failed to sow a romance. Ryou shakes off his head in half disapproval, but missing that comical cheerfulness his friend had and his inventive mind.

They order only drinks, the waiter is apologetical and bowing all the time, a drop of sweat rolling down his chubby cheeks as he casts a somewhat dreaded glance at the Kaiser. Even outside school he emanates this imposing aura.

"It looks like a nice place."

"Do you not go out often, Rie?"

She's stunned by the question at first, but supports one of her elbows on the table, putting her face on one of her hands, her PDA lying flat on the surface of the table as she types with one hand lazily.

"I went out with friends a few times, but it was long ago."

It's a fact she's shy, but he would expect that even she would have a friend or two, his brother is another sheepish one and he still got a few people to call friends, maybe it's different because she's a girl? His pensive semblance makes her type more straight, to explain herself out of nervousness.

"I often moved from place to place, so I didn't have time to make many friends, so even when I went out, it didn't go over a few times…"

Before he could question further, their drinks arrived, a simple juice for him and some sort of red smoothie for her. Ryou was staring at that empty table again on their side. Perhaps this place brought many memories to him, but is that a good thing? Won't it just make him sad, she wonders.

"Are you really fine coming here? I mean, wouldn't you want to come here again with Asuka and… Fubuki-san one day?"

The question gets him by surprise, bothering him inwardly. Rie must be feeling out of place, it's improper of him to be lingering on the past when he came with someone else.

"I do, but enough of Asuka and Fubuki. Today it's just us, Rie. You don't need to ask what they'd like to do, instead just think about what you want." His incisiveness makes her cheeks heat, noticing her discomfort, he quickly changes the topic. "You said before you were constantly moving, does that mean your parents work in a job in which they need to move?"

Her lips unseal at his question, her gaze goes to the brim of her cup as she rubs one of her fingers there, a thoughtful semblance before she answers:

"Yes, my mother was a rare card appraiser and also a specialist in ancient ruins regarding duel monsters because she checked whether such rare cards were related to the ancient stone tablets that originated the game. She was requested in many countries all over the world because her job was very specific and people often wanted to confirm whether they had an original rare card or a phony and sometimes, if their card was based on an ancient version that existed long before, things like this. Because of that we had to travel a lot and since I couldn't live alone, I went with her… I don't think we've lived more than six months in a place ever since I remember… Even now I'll only be at the academy for this last year…"

She smiles, but it's an empty gesture, her brows coiling up slightly. Rie has been making an effort to open up to people, he intervenes on her gloomy mood before it escalates.

"Is your mother fine with you living on the island?" His semblance is aloof, but under his freezing eyes, she can see some curiosity. "I remember my parents were divided, but I managed to convince them in the end."

"I guess any parent would be worried since we're living in the school dorms, even if it's a responsible person like you…" She snickers silently, then plays with her straw. "Do you remember, in the hut… When I told you about that car accident? The one where I got this scar…"

"Yes…" He averts his eyes for a moment, pondering. "You said you were in a car with two other people…"

"My mother was the driver."

"And none of them survived the accident…" He closes his eyes, sighing heavily. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" He stops as she waves her hand.

"It's fine. I'm over that. I was a bit angry at my mother on that day… We were moving yet again and she didn't really tell me why… She just told me to pack the things and leave, I barely had time to grab what I needed… She was in a rush too… And there was another car, I think… All I remember is a strange bright light before the car crashed…"

Her eyes squint unwittingly, forcing her brain to recall everything, but she has this weird feeling something is amiss in her recollections. His placid, deep voice disrupts her thoughts:

"Then… The other person in that car… Was he your father?"

"No. Apparently he was some assistant of my mother… Or so I heard."

"Do you not have other relatives that could have taken care of you when you were younger?"

"My grandparents died before I was born and my mother wasn't even their real kid, she was adopted into their family, they didn't have other children…"

"Couldn't you have lived with your father after the accident?"

"I don't have a father."

"You don't…"

His brows furrow in sheer puzzlement, she almost fumbles with her communicator, sipping a bit of her smoothie with a straw, as if taking the courage to elaborate on that:

"It's always been me and my mother ever since I was young. My uncle came to visit us a few times, but…Whenever I asked my mother about my father, she'd have this sullen expression and not say a word. I think it must have been hard for her since she was raising me all alone, so one day, I just stopped asking…"

"Doesn't that just mean your father must be dead?"

"No… If my father was dead, my mother would've told me, but the fact she didn't want to say anything must mean it was difficult for her… I figured that my father didn't want anything to do with us if he never cared about showing his face after all those years…"

"What about professor Daitokuji? Did you not ask him about your father? He's your uncle, right?"

"It's a bit complicated. I did ask him, but like my mother he'd have this somber, unwilling gaze. To tell the truth, I'm not even sure if we're related by blood, I think he was a close friend of my parents and that's why he visited often because my father never… He probably knows who my father is, maybe he's his brother or something, I don't fully know… But even he doesn't want to talk about it…"

"Do you not want to know who he is?"

His green orbs lock on hers, he's intrigued, she's enchanted by his honesty because he wasn't a person who'd dawdle in useless talk, whenever he asked anything, he was very serious about it and that meant he genuinely cared. Her small ponytail wags as she denies with her head, typing with a blank expression, a subtle hint of distraught.

"If he never cared about us, not even when my mother died… Then I don't care about meeting such a person either, there's no point. I also need to think about my own future now."

"Rie…" His eyes falter in a compassionate manner.

"But this is all too depressing, let's not just talk about me…"

An awkward smile plays on her lips, for delving too much into her own life, she probably should've shut her mouth long ago, why did she even start telling just anything? It will just strike people as if she's desperate for attention.
"What about your family, Ryou?"

"You met my father. He's a translator, so he works from home. And my mother is a lawyer…"

"A lawyer? That's cool, but it's a bit unexpected that no one in your close family seems related to duel." She chuckles, putting a hand in front of her mouth in a princess fashion.

"My father used to be a professional duelist, but he retired around the time I was born and worked as a translator ever since then…" He explains blandly, much to her shock.

"Do you have grandparents?"

"I do, but it's a delicate matter. At least on my mother's side, they don't get along well with my family."

"Why?"

"They were unhappy with my parents' marriage and even less happy that my mother was having a kid at a young age."

"That's sad… Why is it even a problem she was young?"

"She wasn't even that young, to be honest, but it seems the fact she wasn't fully finished with her law graduation and that they had some sort of arrangements for her future dealt a huge blow. Not that any of it matters now."

His voice as bland, but she could feel some exasperation in it, he too was making efforts to to talk a bit more than usual, she changes the topic, to avoid bothering him too much:

"You're probably going to the pro leagues, right? With your performance, I can imagine this would be a good career for you."

"I will. But what about you? Do you know what you want to do when you graduate?"

"I'm not sure, but I might become a journalist… I just don't think I have the guts to do anything related to cards… Not after what happened to my mother and the life she had…"

"Do you not have other plans, in case you decide to change careers?"

"I don't, for now I'll attempt that. As for other things, maybe I should learn some sign language, it's been a convoluted ride for me, but I'm getting used to not speaking, still I should try other forms of communication as well and not just written words… I think it will broaden my options for a job too."

"That's a good aspiration."

He smiles briefly, his eyes filled with warmth, he caught himself smiling a lot more often even though he could swear it was Rie the one that has been smiling more.

"The exposition should be open now." He blinks confusedly after seeing the time on her PDA put to the side of the table.

"Already?" She gasps. "Time sure flew."

"We can go once you're finished."

She nods happily to that, compared to how much of a nervous wreck she was before, her insecurities became a lot milder and she was a lot more comfortable in talking to him. In fact, she felt refreshed, had she ever told anyone else about the accident besides her uncle? Certainly not the other failed friendships she tried to keep every time she moved.

Outside the obelisk female dorm,

Ayako digs a hole, she thrust the shovel on the soil, stopping the heavy work to swipe the droplets of sweat falling from her face.

"Did you not find it yet?"

"Iza-chan, this is hard, can you not dig a bit too?"

"Give me this!" She yanks the shovel from her friend's hand, throwing the soil away. "Are you sure you put it here?"

"I even marked it! I can't believe everyone is having fun on Sunday and we have to do this…"

"Once we find it, we just need to test and you'll be free for all the other Sundays in this year, I promise!"

She stops upon hitting a hard object with a clunk, they exchange a glance at each other, smiling excitedly. The box they buried not long ago is there.

At the same time,

Inside Edo's room, another of the recordings end and still many to go. Asuka is even more restless, getting up from her seat and walking in a route from one end to the other of the room, followed by the pair of blue eyes.

"Those people are not school staff, they're nothing like the guards who patrol the school buildings. Who are they? Do you think the principal knows about it? What is this place?"

"It's a lab, from what I can tell. But to fully find things out, I'll need to go in there."

"You can't be serious…" She halts on her tracks, her eyes opening wide.

"Why? Don't you think it's very strange? There are missing students, the school claims they are in an exchange program in America, then there's this strange lab, we don't even know what they're researching there, but it smells like a problem."

"We can't just invade it… I mean, do you see how well guarded it was?"

"Yeah, that's why I'll study turns and everything, like I have been doing every night."

"What about that other guy who walked almost in front of the lab?" Asuka refers to the man clad in dark, she has the impression she has seen him before. "He didn't look like a guard nor a student…"

"Yeah, we also should check that, but first and foremost…" He gets up, taking a paper from one of his drawers, it's some sort of blueprint that he sprawls on the table.

"What is this?" She approaches, sitting down near him.

"A blueprint of the lab's structure."

"Where do you get those things?" She holds her breath.

"I told you I hacked them, then I printed it. If we want to do this, we'll need all the information we can get, though you shouldn't be coming in with me anyways, it could be dangerous."

"I'm not letting you go alone, it's about Fubuki too, if… If by any chance this lab is related to the missing students, I want to be there to find it out!"

Her tone raises a bit, startling even him, for her to be this decisive and speaking as if she has the final say, she's more shaken than he thought, not that he can blame her, they finally have a clue and she's been searching long enough, he can relate to that.

"Fine, let's take a look at what the footage shows and how this print represents it. Let's devise a plan and see when to best put it into motion. I'm sure their security can't be strong the whole day, they need to change shifts and we can find an opening there."

The way he concentrated as if he'd done that a million times was cool, but worrisome. It raised a doubt inside her, if he knows this much how to deal with those situations, what exactly has he been doing in his life? If he was just any professional duelist, it's unlikely he'd know all this, then… How?

There's more mystery to him and his past than he'd be willing to tell, she bets, maybe they can talk about it another time, if she finds a chance, but for now, they need to work together and find out what is inside the eerie lab.