"Where is it?"

Kagami drops another shirt to the fattened pile of clothing. The girl had been searches ruthlessly for her missing gormiti book, wrecking her once tidy room. She's always left that book by her bedside and with its sudden disappearance left the girl uneasy. That book was her safe place, an escape from the hectic real world. Without it, Kagami wouldn't survive.

Growing more agitated by the second the girl gives up her search. If anyone knows where her book went, it had to be Oiji-san.

Kagami makes a beeline to her Oiji-san's room; knocking fiercely at his door. No answer. She thrusts her fists at the door, calling out to him. She didn't care if what she's doing is inappropriate. What matters most to her is having her precious book back in her arms.

Takahashi opens the door, revealing his hazy self. He's still half-asleep.

"Kagami-chan," he yawns "you know I need my rest."

"Ugh, yes, I know Oiji-san but this is important! Have you seen my book?"

"Your book? But you have a many books. Just choose whatever."

Kagami lightly japs Takahashi on his arm. She forgot basic conversation with her grandfather is the equivalent of suffering from a migraine."Oiji-san you know the one I'm talking about! The Gorm book! The one you gave to me!"

Takahashi sticks his finger into his ear, wiping the dirt onto his robe. He clearly doesn't take this as seriously as Kagami. "That one? Nope, I haven't seen it."

Kagami sighs, "Come on! You know how important that book is to me! Are you sure you didn't take it out my room or something?"

Takahashi shakes his head.

Kagami rolls her eyes, slouching onto a nearby couch with her arms crossed. Her grandfather wasn't always like this. He's always been somewhat of a nutjob but he was at least more open and welcoming. Back in Kagami's youth, his visits were just a blast of joy. He was the only adult Kagami could confide in and in turn he'd tell her these amazing stories. Ever since she began living with him in Venture Falls, he grew more distant and cryptic. As if his restaurant or whatever he's doing in his spare time is more important than Kagami himself. Yet her moving to Venture Falls was his idea in the first place!

Takahashi, finally catching on to Kagami's turmoil. He seats himself beside her and pets her head like he uses to when she was 4. But it's not the same.

"You know, Kagami-chan maybe it's time to let go of that book. "

"Let go?" Kagami says, eyeing her grandfather in displeasure. He's seriously not suggesting what she thinks he is?

"You've re-read that book countless times. I'm pretty sure you've remembered everything. You don't need it anymore."

"You can't be serious." Kagami gets up from the couch, done with her conversation.

"Kagami-chan? Where are you going?" her grandfather cries out. Kagami has never acted so rude before, startling him.

"I don't even know why I came to you in the first place!" having enough of her grandfather's nonsense, Kagami slams her door shut.

Kagami sinks to the floor, her back against the door. How did he become such an insensitive old man! Now like all the rest of the adults, cold and hard to approach. She conjures up a small flame, the only relic that can ease her pain given her book is as good as gone. At least she has Vestalt and the other store owners by her side. Maybe her Oiji-san is right. With them, she wouldn't need her book anymore.

With newfound determination, Kagami picks herself up from the floor. Her room is in a mess and though she wasn't the goodie two shoes she was in the past, she never liked her room to be in such a state.

Back at the hallway, Takahashi could only look on dumbfounded. Is this what they call, 'puberty'?

He fights the urge to check up on Kagami instead retreating to his room. Confronting Kagami would just make her even more enraged.

"Besides, it's for the best she forgets about that book." He mutters to himself before shutting the door.

Have any of you had a dream that seem to go on forever but then you wake up and it's only been two hours? That's how Kagami's week went by. So much had happened in such a short time span and Kagami couldn't really process the fact. However, there is one thing Kagami is 100% sure off. Since meeting Vestalt, her life pulled a 180.

The day after, Kagami's hit with a text from Toby of all people. The boy wrote such a long and thorough text, Kagami speculated Nick wrote it. However, her mind changed when she met Toby for the first time since their 'beef' as the student body puts it. He spent all afternoon looking for her and apologised profusely in person. He even wrote her a short sorry letter in Japanese (although barely comprehensible but the thought counts, even if it's evident he used Google translate.) Kagami didn't have the heart to not accept his apology. She too, said horrible things to him and slapped him.

"You can hit me for a second time if it makes you feel better?" The boy stands there, eyes glued together, prepared for another round of Kagami's demon-like slaps.

"What? No! Let's just call it even." The girl pleads. The first time Kagami was struck with so much emotion and let her feelings get out of hand. She couldn't go for a second round.

In Toby's case, he mentally prepared himself for anything. He had bandages in his backpack in case Kagami goes too wild as well. That day, Toby did the unspeakable and hurt Kagami so bad he ruined her perfect attendance. Kagami has some unfinished business from her past, and he resurface any emotional baggage like the idiot he is. A second slap is well deserved in his book.

However, that isn't the only reason. Whatever the connection is between Kagami and Gorm, he needs to find out. And to do that, he must make amends.

"Really?" Toby says in confusion.

"Yes!"

"So, you won't hit me?"

"No! Why would I? Not that I was right to do it in the first place…."

And their so called 'beef' ended. With the assignment deadline looming upon them, the pair stuck their heads together and got down to business. Heeding Vestalt's advice, Kagami told Toby she's willing to do the Eco-system since he studied so hard to catch up. Toby hesitated at first, but Kagami wasn't easily swayed. Once she made up her mind there is no changing it.

For the entirety of the week, those two were inseparable, which frankly weirded Kagami out at first. In between classes and nights at Shinzuku, Toby was her left-hand man. Toby in the way meant she couldn't go visit Vestalt as frequently as she would've like. The boy simply wouldn't leave her alone. Jessica approached her once to apologise as Toby stopped bothering her to pester Kagami.

Whenever she could sneak out of Toby's line of sight, Kagami would head to the bookstore. In her second visit she told Vestalt everything, about the recurring nightmares and what spurred her powers to action. In turn Vestalt told Kagami her side of the story. Her and her team were rogue lava gormiti from Gorm, part of a small resistance opposing the evil lord Magor. Magor's searching for the missing pieces of the orb, when one of his soldiers had found some pieces in a tower from an alternate dimension. Once the resistance caught wind of these, they immediately started their search for the orb, beating Magor to the punch. Now with only one final piece left, somewhere on earth, it was Vestalt's duty to find it.

Vestalt even trusted Kagami to show her the almost restored orb in person. They entered the secluded room in the lowest portion of the bookstore and Kagami's locked in a trance. Kagami couldn't explain it. There was a huge surge of energy and unable to contain it all she passed out.

"Ugh…what happened?" Kagami called out. She appeared to be in a bedroom, the same one she was in when she first met Vestalt.

"You passed out when Vestalt showed you the orb." Flamma states from the bedside. She sat by Kagami with a wet towel in her hand.

"There's no doubt about it." Vestalt says from the door frame, shocking both the girls. "With your dreams and today's event, you must have some sort of connection to the orb.

"Does this mean…" Flamma pauses, aligning the pieces to the puzzle. She gasps dropping the wet towel. She points to Kagami. "She can transform into a lava Gormiti?"

Kagami tries to hide her face with her hair, embarrassed at her self-excitement. Her, transform into a gormiti? She couldn't imagine it, yet she low-key wishes that is the case.

"There is a high possibility, but we won't know until we find that piece." Vestalt marches to Kagami's side and bows to her. "This may be asking for too much, but I'd like for you to cooperate with us on our mission."

Kagami didn't stutter in her answer.

Between working on the assignment, Vestalt would train Kagami on how to use her powers efficiently. In a short duration, Kagami learned so much from controlling fire to absorbing heat and blasting it out in a powerful attack. Keeping it a secret from her Oiji-san was hard. He too, seemed as invested as Kagami is in those gormiti stories. How would he react if she told him Gorm exists and gormiti are real; That she has the potential to transform into a gormiti herself? Maybe say 10 years ago he'd be ecstatic but now, she isn't so sure.

So that's how her week went.

The day before the presentations were due, Kagami and Toby were practically done even given their unfortunate circumstances. Though anxious Kagami was okay with ending their process there. She's confident that they did do their best.

The two rest in one of the sheltered rooms in the library. In fact, this is the same room where that unfortunate argument took place. Toby observes the girl packing her bag. For Kagami to accept his apology so quickly and cooperate with him, the cursed lazy bum of the Tripp household. Does she feel just as bad as he did for that argument.

"Do you think I like being in the student council? That I like being the perfect student?"

"I'm only doing this because my mother..."

Those words haunt him every day.

"Um…. Kagami?" the blonde calls out, somewhat nervous at Kagami's response to his idea. Though her kind, Venus-like expression as her hazel eyes lock onto his clears his mind of worry.

"Yes?"

"Let's go out have some fun! You know, like a celebration for our hard work!"

Regardless of her answer, Toby is determined on taking Kagami out. Being cooped up studying all day, frankly sucked ass and Toby knew Kagami feels the same. The blonde wanted to get to know the real Kagami, what better way to do just that by just having a little fun?

On the receiving end, Kagami's heart skips a beat. It seems like eons since someone asked her out to do something 'fun'. Between her friend group (which is pretty much just Nick and Jenny despite her popularity), they usually talk about student council activities, school activities or just general club stuff. This was a first for her, especially with a boy.

Toby didn't take no as an answer, so, like Cinderella heading off to the ball, he whisks her away to the mall.

Not having planned anything ahead of time, the blonde asks if there is anywhere particular, she craved to go. Surprising the teen in question, she mentions how she's never really had gone out anywhere with friends before. That prompts Toby to wipe out his phone, searching for something the pair could do to pass the time. During their discussion, Toby realizes how sheltered Kagami is. She's only been to the cinema twice and that was back in Japan, never rode a bike, or to a fast food restaurant in her life.

"My parents put me on a strict schedule," The girl explains on the train to wherever, Toby didn't really pay attention to where they were going. "violin lessons at 4, singing at 6, study till curfew at 9, no boyfriends, no phone, no TV-"

The girl keeps going on. Toby couldn't fathom what he is hearing. How did Kagami survive? Toby would've broken from the stress of it all. To think anyone at a young age had to live like that and to somewhat appear sane, Kagami had to be an extra-terrestrial being.

"And what about yourself?" the girl poses.

"Huh?"

"You've heard of my background, now it's your turn." Kagami didn't know why she told Toby all that. Deep down, she could trust the boy. Haven gotten to know him the past week, he isn't at all what she thought of him to be. There's something more to him, she could tell.

So, Toby divulges into his own backstory, though in his words, it wasn't as extraordinary as Kagami's. He did make sure to leave out saving the world a hundred times, a secret for him and his friends alone.

Eventually their mini conversation ended as they exited the train. Kagami did touch upon never bowling before in their discussion and Toby knows of a nearby bowling alley in the area so they went there first.

Watching Kagami's reaction once they entered the alley is somewhat of an intriguing feat to Toby. The girl's so lost, yet excited, raising many questions Toby's way. Like a small puppy, she eagerly awaits a snack from Toby and that snack is knowledge. The blonde couldn't contain his smirk. The smart know-it-all going to him of all people for answers. Should be an event to write in the history books.

Despite all that, what made Toby's day is seeing the sparkle in Kagami's eyes as she misses the pins at each turn. He's never seen a girl so happy to lose before. She'd cheer Toby on whenever he hit the pins, which was always, prompting a flashback of the days when he'd gone bowling with his friends years ago. Him and Jessica would butt heads, betting either money or lunch if either won. Nick and Lucas would join in on their countless bets and in the end, Lucas would pay. Toby missed those days when the four of them would hang but for the first time in forever (pun intended) he didn't mind the four of them weren't together. He's having so much fun with Kagami and if he were to trade this for those past days, he wouldn't dare do it.

Afterwards they spent all afternoon at the arcade. Kagami clung to Toby timid given how there weren't that many girls in there, questioning whether she should've been in there in the first place. Regardless, Toby's with her and she trusts him enough he wouldn't bring her into some shady place.

The pair played a couple of rounds and Kagami's anxiety eased. Toby pwns her in all the games but Kagami didn't care. She finds losing a huge relief from performing at her peak and Toby didn't mind always winning.

"Let's try this one out!" Toby grabs Kagami's hand, directing her to one of the games.

"Here! Catch!" he lightly tosses a toy gun her way. Kagami successfully catches it though she stares at it in confusion. Toby notices her odd expression once done inserting the coins and ambles towards her.

"Is everything alright, Kagami?"

Said girl nods her head. "Hmm…just, I don't know how to use this thing."

Stating her case, the girl fumbles with the toy gun. Toby couldn't believe it. Is she that sheltered that she doesn't know how to hold a gun? He hated to admit it but it's cute seeing her distressed.

"Don't worry, I got this." Toby heads to the screen and clicks some buttons. Kagami could only stare dumbfounded.

What happened next, Kagami wouldn't tell Shujin in fear of Toby's safety.

The boy rushes behind the girl. Her breath stops with the sensation of Toby's chest pressed onto her back. His hands encircle her body. Like a bee intoxicated on the smell of honey, his hands desire the touch of hers, wrapping his cold fingers around them like a soft blanket, meddling them together.

He corrects her hold of the toy gun.

"You ready?" his voice vibrates into her ears, sending shivers down her spine at the sheer proximity of his lips to her ear.

Everything afterwards is a complete haze to Kagami. Her mind melts at the soft rise and fall of his ribcage, warming her back ever so slightly. His hair caressing her cheek, his steady hot breath lulling her mind further to emptiness, his strong hold on her hands tinting her cheeks red, is this what it's like to go on a date?

Cause if it is, Kagami didn't want it to stop.

"Yo, earth to Kagami?" Toby waves his hands across Kagami's face, oblivious to what he's done to the poor girl.

"Huh?" Kagami snaps out of her trance, disappointed that Toby let go of her.

"Look we got the highest score!" Toby points at the monitor, highlighting the scoreboard.

1# Kagami 22343578678

"Why did you use my name?" Kagami asks.

"You kept losing at all the other games and I felt bad for you. At least here everyone will know you as the number one player at Skull Blaster!" Toby states proudly to himself.

Kagami frowns. "But I didn't do anything." Toby's name should be up there, not hers.

"Just think of it as a sorry present."

The girl sighs. Not this again. "Toby, I've told you a million times this week, I already forgive you!"

After a brief session of 'I'm sorry's for the something-th time the pair headed off to a fast food restaurant (Toby wanted to head to Shinzuku but Kagami insisted they head out to McDonalds). Kagami goggles with childlike wonder at the huge menu at McDonalds. There was so much the girl wanted to try but she senses Toby's poor wallet dying with the amount they've already spent. Kagami chose something small, a happy meal, as their dinner for the day. Toby couldn't judge the girl, she missed out on at a lot from her childhood, he can live with the embarrassment of purchasing a happy meal for himself at the age of 17. Watching Kagami's beaming smile as she digs into her burger and fries is totally worth it.

The night threatened to dim the evening so the two headed home, ending their fun trip for the day. They both need a good night's sleep for their presentation tomorrow. After they hopped off the train back, Toby graciously offers to walk Kagami home. They chat about the looming assignment whilst Kagami plays with her transformer toy she received from the happy meal.

"My heart is still pounding. I just want to get this done and over with." Kagami utters, placing a hand on her ever-beating heart.

"Don't worry about it Kagami! Our presentation's amazing! Ms Mc Guck will give us an A, I'm sure of it!" Toby pumps his fist into the air, eliciting a giggle from Kagami.

Kagami stops her giggling session, staring to the sky solemn in thought. Toby catches on to the mood swing. "Kagami…. Is everything okay?"

Today has been an absolute dream to Kagami. To finally live like a normal teenage, to experience a date with boy even if it wasn't technically a date. After all she's done to him, she thought he'd hate her but here they are now, him walking her home after a fun day in town. Can she trust him with her secret? Should she tell him about her mother? Her powers?

"Toby, to be honest I don't really care about what grade we get." Kagami proclaims head hanging low.

Toby stays silent, giving Kagami the time to formulate her thoughts. He understands it's hard for the girl to air out her dirty laundry.

"But my mom, she…if I don't -" Kagami chokes on her words. She's overridden with emotions, her feeling for her mother, her father and what he'd do to her if she doesn't perform to perfection like she always does. She's taken a major risk on this assignment and Kagami, she's scared of what tomorrow's outcome will be, knowing that A won't be printed on her report card.

A lump forms in her throat but Kagami doesn't try to hide it. She allows herself to cry, embarrassed for doing this in front of Toby. But to her shock, Toby pulls her into a hug, allowing her to cry on his shoulder for support.

"You don't have to say anything else, just know that you're not alone anymore."

That triggers Kagami to blubber. She'd have to apologise for wetting his jacket.

The pair didn't know how long they stayed like that but eventually they break their hug. They continue their walk in silence. Toby hand rest on her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. She rests her head on his shoulder, too fatigued after her crying spree.

Once they reach her home, Toby squeezes her hand, reminding her of what he said earlier. He releases his hold on her but Kagami isn't letting up. She lightly pulls him back, pleading for him no to go with the gesture. Emotions were high for Kagami but this isn't a repeat of last time. No, the girl wants Toby to stay, to hug her again, to console her. Nonetheless, he couldn't stay the night, not with Shujin and the plethora of rumours that'd get out.

Having received her feelings, Toby grants Kagami one of his brightest smiles. The moonlight reflects on his features, exemplifying his handsome face.

Their hands unlock, untangling their fingers one by one till only index fingers mingle. Hesitant to break the only touch she had on the boy, Kagami let's go. His scent still lingers on her body. Toby wishes her good night before leaving, blurring to a blue spec in her sight.

Kagami thought that if she had her mother's affection, then that's all she needs in life. However, the wheel of fate had led her here. These hidden desires that she casted aside bloom to life. Her mother's affection isn't enough. No, Kagami desired for much more, something her mother couldn't possibly obtain.

A/N: Sorry this took longer to upload then I would like. Stuff came up and I couldn't finish it on time. Anyways I hope you all liked it. I did hype you all up, so I hope I lived up to your expectations. Next chapter is in the writing process so ya'll know the drill. It'll be the end of these presentation nonsense. So see ya'll at Ms Mc Guck's biology class next week.