Akio and Noa would be seated at the table enjoying dinner together, Asuma being away on a business trip for a few days. Akio would eat while pondering the up and coming labor combat duel, his mind clouded with all the potential outcomes of the event. He had not spoken to or interacted with Kawamura since, and had long let go of the possibility of making sense of the rift in their relationship. By this point he had to look past any quarrels he may have with him, their up and coming duel was just business. Still, the thought of his place on the team and by proxy in the school would be called into question once that day finally came. If Kawamura wins then would he just be an obstacle in someone else's story? It was a presumptuous thing to ponder, but the thought still lingered in his mind. This was going to be his own second chance to prove himself, a climatic event that practically the entire school would bear witness to. If he were to fail, if all the time he spent training and support from his friends were all for naught, what then? Should he sit down and accept it? He thought to himself, realistically, it wouldn't be something as dramatic as he made it out to be. After all, it was a friendly competition to show how far one came throughout the school year. However, that was the thing that bothered him greatly. If he was supposed to show how far he came and the results were no different from the surprise mock battle, what even was the point? He then thought back to Satomi's performance from the other day against him, she was nearly able to match him in skill despite lacking the same resources provided to him. That begged the question to Akio of whether or not his practice was beneficial, or if he was just easy to outpace. Either way, what would that mean for Kawamura?

"Akio!" His mother called out to him, snapping him back to reality.

"Uh- Yea!? What's up Mom?" He said looking up from his bowl and at the eyes of his Mother.

"You spaced out for a moment there, I was trying to ask how school was coming along."

"Sorry about that... It's going fine, nothing special." He slurped up his food, guiding it into his mouth using his chopsticks.

"And what about the labor class? I'm sure everyone was pretty impressed with the new maneuvers I showed you, right?"

"Yeah, they work pretty well. I just need to get in the right mindset I guess."

She placed her utensils on the side of her bowl, "...Are you still thinking about what happened a few months back?"

"A little bit, I just hope everything I'm doing now is enough."

"Labor combat is a double edged sword, everything is decided the moment you engage with the opponent. In that moment when you have the most control of the outcome, your desire to win just has to be greater."

"What if he knows something I don't? Or I make a mistake?"

"What if he does? And what if you do?"

"Then I lose, and everything's for nothing.."

"And that's only if he does, and only if you do. You worry too much about what could go wrong, that you're forgetting about what could go right. Like I said before, everything is decided in that moment, and in that moment you have the most control. If you worry too much about the what if, it could turn into a what will. You're my son and I know you better than most everyone else, and I don't think you will lose."

"I guess I'm just really caught up on what could go wrong..."

"It's fine, I'm pretty sure it's just a trait you get from your father. He's been done wrong so many times I'm pretty sure he'd be surprised when something good happens to him! It's okay to be cautious, but you have to be willing to take risks."

"I'll see then, I've still got time to brush up. If I play my cards right, maybe it could be different.."

"That's the kind of talk I want to hear!"

After dinner and his bath Akio would return to his room to his desktop, where he'd see a notification for messages he had missed while he was away. They'd all be from the whistleblower, sent a couple hours ago.

"Apologies for the abrupt messaging, but I'm afraid that I'm running out of time. Someone, I don't know who, knows where I am and what I'm doing. They've been to my current location, probably looking for me. Now is the last time I may be able to tell you anything, if you have any concerns now is the time to run them by me."

He began typing quickly, sending the message and hoping that he wasn't too late. "Are you okay? Is Bronco still after you?"

For a while, there'd be no response. He sat looking at the monitor, waiting for another message to be sent. A few more minutes passed and he grew more concerned, surely he wasn't too late? If he had been back in his room an hour sooner he could've been there. Just when he was about to click off, the ellipses would appear in the chat box.

"Most likely, I don't know why they took so long. Maybe they just waited for the heat to die down, then get me once everything seemed quiet. I'm fine right now, however I can't say for certain how long I have left."

"It's not over yet, why can't you just call the police? Don't they have witness protection and stuff? Like can't they give you a fake identity?"

"They know me, they know where I've been, and chances are they'll recognize me even if I tried to disappear from public perception. Even if I had the police surveying this area for days on end, it'd only be proof of my existence at a certain location and only a matter of time until someone got their hands on me."

"Are you serious? Is there nothing you can do?"

"I knew I was running on borrowed time the moment I spoke out against them, it was only a matter of when."

"Can't you move some place else? Flee the country? Do something to delay it further?"

"I've been delaying this for over ten years, I don't even know how I got this far in the first place."

"But that doesn't mean you have to die over it. You never even did anything wrong, you're trying to take down Bronco right?"

"The issue is that I did do something wrong. I've worked with them in the past. No matter how small of a role I played, I still can't forgive myself for what I've done, I'm a lot more of a pathetic person than you think I am."

"But you're also brave to be speaking up against Bronco like this. If they're threatening you then that means you intimidate them in some way, that more than makes up for whatever you've done."

"I don't think you understand, I don't blame you. You weren't there."

"I wasn't there?"

"Disregard that, there's a few things I want to mention if this is the last time we'll be contacting one another. First off, your father is a good man. I'm glad he and Izumi were able to raise a young man such as yourself. If you ever grow up and inherit the company yourself, do your best to put Bronco out of business if it still exists. And one last thing, tell your teacher that Yuriko is glad she was able to spend time with him."

"Wait, but who's Yuriko?"

There would be no response.

This time, for good.

Akio would send multiple messages to the sender, however they'd still be met with no response. It was indeed the last time they'd speak to each other, and Akio would only be left to carry out their last wish when he got the chance. He shut down the computer and shuffled over to his bedside, laying down and gazing up at his ceiling. His experience talking to the anonymous sender was brief, yet he'd learn a lot in the conversations he'd have with them. For all he knows, they could have been lying to him, a cruel trick to play on someone who was a young teen-aged boy. Nonetheless, something about it still felt real, as if sorrowed and remorseful hands sent those messages. The worst part was knowing that there was nothing that could be done, nothing he could realistically do, just sit on his end of the screen as it'd all slip by. Something inside of him wanted to press them for more information, to do what he could to help, even if he was just a child. But he couldn't. He could only lay on his bed, his only concerns being about his studies and his social life. Perhaps it was for the better that he wasn't involved in the first place he thought, maybe after getting some rest for the night these thoughts would all wash away. He reached over to his lamp, turning it off and pulling the cover over himself. His mind was still plagued by a mix of the upcoming battle and the sender's last request, only mitigated by his hope of a best case scenario unfolding.

The following morning would be the weekend, giving Akio some time to sleep in. Eventually he would awaken to the sound of his alarm, something he set preemptively because of what was planned that day. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and comb his hair, then put on a dress shirt and a sweater over it.

"Hey! Mom! Is it alright if you could drop me off somewhere?" Akio said, shouting down the hallway.

"Sure! Just let me know when you're ready to leave!" she responded. He made his way down the stairs and would meet with his mother in the living room, "Ooooh, what are you all dressed up for, hm?"

"A friend is having a piano recital today and I figured I should at least look good while going."

"Awww my handsome little man! Dressing up for his social events!"

He pulled a slip of paper from his pants pocket, unfolding it and handing it to his mother. "This is where it's at, think you can take me?"

"Let me see..." She took the flier, looking it up and down. "I know this place, of course I can take you there!"

"Thanks!"

They both mounted onto Noa's moped, Akio putting on his father's helmet and Noa starting up the engine. She peeled out of the garage and onto the street, cutting through the neighborhood and into the city. They picked up speed once they were in the more urban environment, more cars appearing on the road than people. After a few turns and a couple stops they'd arrive at what appeared to be a convention center, one that wasn't particularly packed that day. Akio dismounted from the moped and removed his helmet, handing it back to his mother.

"What time do you need me to pick you up?" Noa asked over the sound of the moped's engine.

"A little over an hour and a half should be fine."

"Alrighty! Have fun!" She revved up the engine before speeding off, leaving Akio to traverse the convention center on his own. He'd enter the building and passed by many different groups of people, all coming to and from events that were being hosted on that day. He went down a large hallway with several pairs of double doors lining the walls, the hall the recital was being hosted at was listed on the flier given to him. Right outside the doors to the hall he'd come into contact with Mochizuki and Sakamoto.

"There you are, Shinohara! We were just about to head in." Mochizuki said.

"Nice outfit!" Sakamoto said.

"Thanks."

Mochizuki then got a good look at Akio's outfit, "Wait, was there some kind of dress code? I just put on what I wear every day.."

"I mean, I dunno. I just thought for events like this you dress up and stuff."

"..Another thing, why the long face?"

"What?"

"You looked a little down is all, just wondering if everything's alright."

"Everything's fine! Stuff was just coming up last night and I was trying to work through it and other stuff like that—you get what I mean right?"

"Oh no—yeah I get it man, it's all good. Let's hurry inside and not miss the performance." The three of them entered into the auditorium, several rows of seats lining the floors and the area illuminated by large lights on the walls and ceiling. Many unfamiliar faces would be seated as well, perhaps more of Satomi's family and friends attending the recital just as they were. At around the fifth or sixth row they'd recognize Taira and surprisingly Hiromi in the audience waiting for the performance to start, prompting the other three to join them.

"Yo! Taira!" Akio said, scooting in between the chairs along with Sakamoto and Mochizuki.

"I was wondering when you'd get here!" said Taira.

"I'm glad you all were able to make it!" Hiromi said.

"I didn't expect to see you here Uncle Hiromi." Akio said as he pulled down the seat.

"Ah well, like how I'm pretty good friends with your mother, I'm also very good friends with Satomi's father too. In a way, she's kind of like my niece in the same way you're like my nephew."

"Well, it does make sense when you put it that way."

The lights began to dim as the performance was about to start, the babble of the audience would come to a halt. It was quiet enough to where the only sound that could be heard were the footsteps of Satomi, walking on the stage toward a grand piano resting at the center. She walked around the bench with her sheet music in hand, pulled her dress toward her knees, and sat down whilst placing her sheet music onto the music rack. She lifted up the fall board before carefully resting her hands onto the keys, where she'd begin to play the first notes of the song. The sounds of the hammers hitting the strings reverberated throughout the auditorium, the silence of the audience allowing each note to be audible without the use of amplification through speakers and microphones. The melody started off slow and somber, as if describing a scene of one feeling lost or fractured—something felt missing from the whole. She would repeat the same measure twice until she began to play a more consistent melody; the song feeling more hopeful and complete, then suddenly playing the same measure in minor key for the bridge. Afterwards she would only play the harmony in a descending tone, which transitioned into the harmony and the melody together once more. They complimented each other greatly, giving off the feeling of reminiscence of times that would pass one by. While difficult to see at first, Satomi would be swaying ever so slightly as she played, her fingers going from key to key as if she had done it a million times before. She played the measure twice before going all the way up the keyboard, peaking out at high notes as if it was the climax of this story she had been telling through song. While Akio listened to her play, he couldn't help but ponder if the choice of song was a lot more personal than one would expect. It wasn't a song he or anyone else could readily recognize, and it felt awfully melancholic—at least, near the beginning. The journey she had taken them on through the song gave the audience a nostalgic feeling yet hope for the future. It isn't unlikely that this possibly reflected a personal journey that she herself had taken, and it was obvious that this recital was important to her. Perhaps it was just her way of sharing another side of herself to others, in a way that she could best express herself. A language all can understand. She hit the last few notes of the song, however it felt as if she stopped playing a little too soon. As if the hypothetical journey had not yet "ended." She took the fall board and lowered it over the keyboard. The auditorium lights once again illuminated the room, and the audience erupted in applause while Satomi bowed to the audience.

"She was amazing.." Hiromi said, clapping with the audience.

"No kidding.." Akio replied.

After the performance everyone gathered at another room of the convention center, mostly conversing about the recital but also a variety of topics that may or may not have relation to the show. Satomi entered the room a little later than everyone else, her mother Tamiko immediately praising her performance with tear filled eyes. Satomi would put on a timid smile as a lot of focus was being put on her at the moment, her accepting the support and praise from everyone who attended. Soon upon spotting her classmates, she'd quickly shuffle over to them.

"I.. Thank you.. for coming." She said bowing to the four of them.

"No problem!" Sakamoto replied.

"You were fantastic! I didn't know you could play so well!" Mochizuki said.

"Maybe that hand eye coordination from playing helps with piloting too!" Taira said.

"Thank you, thank you.. Hey! Mochizuki, why are you dressed like you're going to a gas station?"

He defensively put his hands in the air, "Hey! I didn't think we had to dress up for something like this!"

"Your head really is bad at thinking..." She replied, "I can count on Shinohara to look nice at least, so there's that.."

"It wasn't much, I just did it cause why not?"

"It at least shows you care, unlike someone." She shot a stink eye at Mochizuki, who grew a glum look in response.

"By the way, Satomi, what was the song you played?" asked Akio.

"It was nothing, just something I picked out one day and decided to practice. Mother recommended I perform it in front of a bunch of friends and family and I wasn't against it. I guess something about it just stuck with me."

"It really did feel like you poured your heart out into it.."

"Well, for music, it's a requirement."

After a brief period of silence between the five of them, Taira would ask "..So, what now?"

"I was thinking that since Mr. Yamazaki showed up we could possibly regroup there." Satomi answered.

"I'm down!" Mochizuki said.

Akio buried his hands in his pockets, leaning up against a wall. "I probably should wait for my Mom to get back first, I told her she should come back in an hour and a half."

"Ah well, you can still walk there, right?" Satomi asked.

"Yeah, yeah I could. I didn't want to wear this outfit all day so it works out I think."

"There you go then. We'll head on out soon and you can catch up later."

"Don't worry, we'll save a seat for you Akio!" Taira said.

"Thanks guys."