She normally did not pay much attention to anyone else within the base. There were a few exceptions— mainly him —but most of her fellow soldiers would rather leave her alone or (more commonly) talk behind her back. But him? He always kept his friendly demeanor and regularly spent time talking with others. One day, she came across him entertaining a young girl with bright blue hair. She knew her— the daughter of a scientist who unfortunately lost her life in one of the Eruptions. The young girl was now under the care of Fire Moth but mostly kept to herself painting. He was admittedly great with children, having the sort of attitude perfect for taking care of one.

"This isn't really the best place for a kid to grow up in so I'll try keeping things light-hearted for her. She needs that much considering…"

"You're too kind, you know that?"

"Well, it's better to be kind and regret it than not if you ask me."

The fast food place was crowded, as to be expected for lunchtime, but they still managed to get their food and finish it before heading back out. Mei had followed them after notifying Theresa, primarily due to her concern that Senti might still cause trouble, but also because she was curious about Ritsuka. She was not the only one with a curiosity either; Senti did not miss how basically all the brats— uh, students were glancing at Ritsuka. The obvious reason would be because he was a teenage guy walking around campus like he belonged (especially now that an instructor was accompanying him), yet Senti couldn't help but get a… strange feeling inside her.

While she tried to take charge and lead the group— mainly Ritsuka —around to show him the school, her more responsible counterpart was rather insistent that they return to help Theresa and the others. "Come on, stop being a spoilsport. It's not every day we get to spend time with…" Senti momentarily paused as she caught herself, "A new friend. You agree, right Mei?"

"Huh? Oh, uhm…"

"Don't drag her into this," Fu Hua crossed her arms. "Our priority now should be on getting him home."

"Look, if Ritsuka's going to be stuck here for a while, he should get familiar with the lay of the land," Senti argued back. The conversation then devolved into a back-and-forth between the two over what they should do next. Ritsuka could only chuckle lightly and leave them to it, turning instead towards Mei.

"Are they always like this?"

"Somewhat. So long as they don't start trading blows, it should be fine…" Mei answered while shaking her head in amusement too. She then met his gaze to ask, "How did you meet them?"

"Oh, it was by pure chance really. I got into some trouble and Fu Hua happened to be passing by. She saved me and has been helping me since— she and Senti. That was only a couple of days ago."

His answer evidently surprised Mei if her eyes widening was any indication. "A couple of days? But you seem so close already, I would have thought it'd be longer."

"Well, I've been told a lot that I'm a very affable person," Ritsuka laughed under his breath. Admittedly, he had a little help this time in the form of a past connection with Fu Hua and, by extension, Senti, or at least, his counterpart in this universe. Even if Fu Hua doesn't truly remember the other him, it very likely played a part in how their current relationship developed.

"I'm… impressed. Fu Hua has changed a lot in the last few years but I remember how cold she tended to be to strangers," Mei hummed, a hint of nostalgia in her tone. "Not as much as her… oh… Was that…?"

"Hmm?" Ritsuka raised an eye at her sudden trailing off. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing. I just remembered something," Mei shook her head with a smile. The smile faltered slightly as Senti and Fu Hua's argument grew more heated. "I think it's better we step in now…"

Ritsuka nodded, following Mei to break up the two "sisters" before they decided as a group what to do next.

The day was coming to a close. Their first day, despite all available hands on deck, was ultimately fruitless. Mei was naturally surprised to learn of Ritsuka's origin, having just been briefed by Theresa. Nevertheless, she was willing to lend a hand until it became very late, at which point, Theresa informed them of temporary arrangements she made for their residence here at St Freya.

Fu Hua was somewhat surprised Theresa hadn't cleared out her old dorm room but she wasn't going to complain— "In case you decided to take me up on that offer," Theresa had told her with a wink. More importantly, she wouldn't need to share it with Senti; the Herrscher was also given her own room two doors down so she didn't have to deal with Senti's antics. Ritsuka, then, is to be staying in the room between the two. According to Theresa, he'd be "safer" with them on both sides. "You know, in case someone tries to go after him for any reason." It was a half-assed excuse and Fu Hua could catch the ghost of a grin on Theresa's face. She aimed a glare at Welt and Tesla who tried their best to look innocent but failed to meet her eyes.

Regardless, her travel bags had already been moved there and so she spent the next half-hour unpacking the necessary items like clothing for the next couple of days. Once she was done, she settled down on her bed, letting out a long sigh. It was… strange being back. She didn't think she'd return to St Freya again— not this soon anyway, all due to a twist of fate.

'Fujimaru Ritsuka…' The more she thought about it, the more her unease grew. It was not directly his fault, but she couldn't write off the strange coincidence as just that. If Senti was telling the truth, then there was something more going on. It was one thing for her to run into the Current Era's version of people she knew, it was a completely different story to bump into another universe's version of someone she was, apparently, close with.

She thought back to how Senti did her best to avoid the topic with him— about the nature of her past with the Previous Era's Ritsuka. It was more than obvious that he was not just another Fire Moth member, not from the way Senti has been acting this whole time; there was more to the story and she was going to get to the bottom of it. She is going to need to pressure Senti some more.

Fu Hua got up and exited into the hallway… only to see Senti also coming out of her room. "O-oh hey, old timer," she tried to play it cool but Fu Hua could pick up the nervous undertone. "Are you also going to check up on Ritsuka?"

"...Go back in your room. We need to talk." Fu Hua half-expected Senti to take off again but, to the Herrscher's credit, she knew when to back down. With a heavy sigh, Senti retreated back into her room followed by Fu Hua who shut the door behind them. "Now, out with it. Who was he to us?"

"Just a friend, alright?" Senti begrudgingly admitted. Fu Hua only stared at her with some suspicion in her eyes. "And don't look at me like that. I'm not lying. There really was nothing beyond that. Ritsuka was just some guy who couldn't take a hint of when people wanted to be left alone," the Herrscher scoffed, obviously annoyed Fu Hua thought she wasn't being honest.

Fu Hua continued to stare silently at her before finally asking. "…Was that truly it?"

"…Yes. Nothing happened beyond that. He died against the Herrscher of Binding like most of the soldiers did. And that's the end of his story." Senti crossed her arms and looked away, not wanting to meet Fu Hua's gaze. They both remained quiet for a bit longer until Senti let out a long depressed sigh before meeting Fu Hua's eyes again. "I'm just as confused as you are about him. I don't get why he, of all people, is here when he's just a normal guy from back then… Well, mostly normal guy,"

"Mostly normal?"

"That's how he'd describe himself. He'd always say he was your average teenage boy who could be found anywhere. He just happened to be recruited by Fire Moth," Senti shrugged and dismissively waved her hand. "Either way, no one should remember him besides us— and by that, I mean me."

Fu Hua let out a sigh. She could always count on Senti to bring up her forgotten past. "No need to remind me…" While Senti could still be hiding something, she believed that was all she needed to know; it was also plainly obvious Senti had a good reason for not wanting to talk about Ritsuka's Previous Era counterpart.

"Now, can we go bother Ritsuka? I wanna hear the rest of his space adventures."

Fu Hua could only roll her eyes at Senti's eagerness for storytime, but she also could not blame her. While she would rather wait for when Welt could join them, seeing as he was just as interested in Ritsuka's story— even taking notes and asking if he could use parts of it for a future project, Fu Hua knew better than to restrict Senti. With a small, exasperated, but also amused sigh, the two went back out to visit Ritsuka.

Fu Hua was about to knock on the door… but Senti decided to forgo all manners and burst right through. "Hey, Ritsuk—AHHH! Sorry! Sorry!" Only for both to find Ritsuka, fresh out of the shower in only a towel.

After a brief moment of awkwardness, followed by profuse apologies as Fu Hua dragged Senti out by the ear, Ritsuka was once again left to his own devices. He elected to pay it no mind; far more embarrassing things have happened to him in Chaldea. Instead, he decided to lay on his bed and contemplate everything that's happened so far.

First and foremost, he still needed to figure out what had caused his sudden teleportation into this world. Usually, when such a thing happened, it was by dreaming, or getting kidnapped— neither of which is the case here… probably. "…What's your take on all this, Count? I want to hear your perspective on things," he asked the one person who was with him all this time.

Black flames flickered next to his bed as the Count of Monte Cristo appeared, cloaked in the shadows that seemed to follow him wherever he went. "…You trust too easily."

Ritsuka couldn't stop himself from snorting at the blunt remark. "Well, I'm not really in a position to turn down help."

"Even if you were, you'd still trust those people without a second thought," the Count retorted. "You've already been bitten by blindly trusting the people you meet before, yet you continue to do so, especially given the convenient nature of those two's supposed relation to you"

"Maybe so, but I still believe it's better to trust than be paranoid about everything," Ritsuka countered with an amused chuckle, which made the Count let out an annoyed growl under his breath. "You've known me long enough to expect answers like that from me, Count."

"….I believe we can trust them…..for now. But do not let yourself become attached, Master of Chaldea, or rather, them to you. One day, you will return to your own world and leave them behind; do not forget that you still need to prove your innocence to the World."

Ritsuka let out his own frustrated groaning at the reminder. "I know, I know…" He sighed.

"Then rest, my accomplice, there is work to be done." With those final words, the Count flickered out of reality as if he was never there. Ritsuka silently muttered thanks for at least talking before settling in for the night.

'A new day awaits…' He sleepily thought before drifting off into darkness…

The sound of chatter stirred Ritsuka awake. For a few brief moments, he thought he was back in Chaldea and a couple of his Servants had broken into his room again. As his vision cleared up, he quickly realized he had to still be dreaming. There was no other explanation for why he was back here of all places.

'Being in St. Freya must be messing with me…' Ritsuka tried to rationalize as he checked his surroundings to be sure. He even glanced out the window to see that, yup, it was that same courtyard he'd seen throughout that year: he was back in his old high school.

"Fujimaru! Finally awake?" Ritsuka felt someone slap him in the back, clearing up the last bit of sleepiness he had. He looked up to see a familiar face… or he thought it was a familiar face. He recognised their voice, and he was sure he knew them… but he couldn't see their face, or anyone else's for that matter.

'What… is going on?' One thing after another… Just his luck. "Yeah… how long before class starts?" He replied, figuring it was better to play along for now.

"Like 10 more minutes," his faceless classmate answered. "Although, I'm surprised that Miss Prefect isn't here yet. She's usually the first one in her seat."

"Prefect?" Ritsuka tried to remember who his class prefect was; it had been too long since he last thought back to this period of his life. "Maybe she's sick today?" He shrugged, not giving it much thought.

That was… until the door opened and in walked the last person he expected to see… or rather, should have been the first considering his track record. "Fu Hua?" It was none other than the fifty thousand-year-old woman who could pass as someone his age, now in the role of his class prefect. And just as their eyes met—

Ritsuka woke up again, this time in his new room. "…I hate you, brain…" Either that or Senti, she was the one who implanted that thought in his head after all…

A/N: We have now ventured into rom-com land as my editor and circle of brainrotted friends called it. Why? Cause a bit more levity is needed before we get into the heavy plot stuff. We still get a hint of it as you can probably guess with the ending, but it's not exact~