Being a heavy sleeper had its perks. For example, Ai would not wake up even if a bunch of people chose to start a mess around her, though she would if it became so warm that it felt like she was burning in her dreams. Which, in this case, meant that she woke up sweating and panting because of how hot it was.

The room was… Uh-huh. And the huge bed she laid on was… Bed-like. She couldn't focus, but it didn't matter to her. Nor did she find it weird that she laid on such a big bed-like bed.

Instead, her attention came to the fact that she needed to pull to get her arms untangled with a mass of heat and sweat. A strange enough situation that she didn't realize that, normally, sleeping under such circumstances should make her limbs exhibit that weird sensation of having ants walking on her skin.

What was it called? Having her sensation numbed? Eh, not like it mattered. Not like anything mattered here, in this void-like room. Exempted of everything but the bare minimum to make sense to her eyes, touch, and ears.

Ai looked around her, and the bed-like bed wasn't empty. Girls wearing the same light dress laid haphazardly around it. Like they had chosen to just pile on top of one another, and moving around while sleeping rearranged them into a more 'comfortable' position. Ai herself was wearing the same dress. And she identified its frills around the chest area as the one she wore for one of the photoshoots for a magazine, with the current members of B-Komachi.

Which meant…

Looking at the girls, Ai counted more than six of them. Which, honestly? Was very weird. Even if she grew close enough to her group-mates to share a bed, there weren't more than six members at a time. Even if she imagined Nino and the ginger -probable- new girl that would join, that'd only make seven girls. And this place had more than that number. Heck, Ai's right leg was sandwiched between Meimei's head and an arm that belonged to a girl that Ai didn't recognize.

She looked closer, and pins seemed to materialized onto their heads.

Or maybe she hadn't been focusing enough to tell. The animal pins marked the girls that, although wearing the same dress and having features that Ai did not recognize, marked them in points of Ai's life that she was pretty quick to pinpoint.

The girls that Ai didn't recognize did belong here, or belonged at some point. The ex-members of B-Komachi that Ai couldn't name or describe were here, sleeping soundly alongside the current members of the group. Slowly breathing with such peace that Ai had a rough time figuring out how to untangle herself from the mess of limbs and faces without accidentally elbowing or kicking someone.

What were these girls doing in her… In this room? Because Ai was pretty certain that this non-descript zone between four non-descript walls wasn't her own room. Neither the original one, where Ryousuke found her, or the new one. Where she was attempting to turn a new leaf and live her life even more than before.

None of this mattered, however. Ai quickly realized that she just didn't want to bother them. Being awake meant that she'd end up disturbing the peacefully sleeping girls, because Ai was very aware of how uncomfortable all of this was. So she attempted to slowly pull out, move from her spot and withdraw as silently as she possibly could.

The bed was huge. It almost looked like it occupied the whole room, for once Ai got out of the tangle of girls, it seemed like she just couldn't reach the edge no matter how much she crawled away from them. But, as soon as she started feeling annoyed by this, she found the edge and managed to sit on it. Just so she could look back and appreciate the idols that had done so much for Ai's livelihood without knowing.

There was an Ai-shaped space on the center of the 'sleepover'. A space that, even when a couple of the girls shifted in place, was not filled whatsoever. And remained prevalent for as long as Ai looked. Empty, lonely. One of them reached out in her sleep, but found nothing to grab onto. So she retracted her arms and tried to turn around.

Ai wondered if she should go back, if she should put up with the discomfort of the body heat surrounding her. But she felt sticky and bothered, and not in a fun way, so she decided against it. Maybe once she took a quick shower or something. For now, she'd stretch her legs and enjoy the cool breeze running through her body.

Hmmm?

Ai pulled from the 'neck' of her dress, looking down within once she realized that it felt a little too cool.

She wasn't wearing underwear.

Hmmm. That explained things. Were the girls the same? Should she go back and lift someone's skirt to check? Probably not. Maybe she'd just take a shower and put panties on, at least.

But that, just like going back to sleep, was a thought for later.

So she tiptoed away, toward the room's door, with the grace of a ballet dancer. Quickly covering the distance to have less time to make noise or let the girls realize that she was missing. The door was made out of wood, but otherwise held to remarkable traits whatsoever. So Ai just turned the doorknob and opened it ever so slightly.

The outside was… The actual outside. A sidewalk, with shapes that worked like cars but Ai couldn't describe. And pedestrians, wearing all kinds of clothes like heavy jackets and light t-shirts. With no regard to weather or temperature, but with colors that Ai could see but couldn't pay attention to.

Ai closed the door while retreating.

She couldn't go outside panty-less and barefoot. It just wasn't something an idol should do. But if that was the case, then how should she move out of the room?

…The window?

Ai turned on her feet and walked up to the strangely-placed window to the side of the room. A couch rested beneath it, so Ai was able to stand on it and open the window to move through it. Get to another room that was more well-defined, but just as difficult to actually describe than the rest.

The floor was wooden, and the furniture looked old. Badly maintained. The table was round, edges showing splinters from places that had been lost. Or cut through. As if in a fit of rage someone hit the edge with something like a knife, and hadn't bothered repairing it.

Or apologized for scaring her.

Ai didn't like this place. Although empty, there was a heaviness in the air that made her stomach clench, that made her throat close a little; making it hard to breathe.

It seemed like the only safe place was back with her fellow idols, under Ichigo-san's careful gaze. And she was about to return through the window, even though it turned out to be a painting on this side of the room. A white room filled with sleeping beauties dressed in white.

Ai couldn't help feeling like the painting was incomplete. They looked so cute and pure, yet the overabundance of white made it feel unpainted, like the artist gave up halfway through. Rendering the girls plain, lookalikes in a way. There was no personality on this side, since their pins weren't recognizable. And the way they laid with one another made even their hairstyle difficult to discern.

Her spot, however, was still visible. The greys used to imply shadows didn't reach the center of the canvas. So it looked like a donut. An unpainted, undrawn space that made it very evident that this was just a piece of art. Nothing real, nothing tangible. Ai knew, instinctually, that she could go through it. But the curious question of whether anyone else could crossed her mind.

Unlikely, all things considered. Maybe if Ai was there, but with her missing…

I just want to take a shower… Was it too much to ask for a bit of comfort before returning to her place? Someone more creative could've said something beautiful, meaningful, about this situation. But Ai? Ai just clenched her whole body for a moment, letting tension build up, until she loosened up and sighed. Ready to continue her expedition to the bathroom of… Whatever kind of hell this place was.

SMACK!

Speaking of which, Ai was able to hear something now. A rhythmic hit, coming from the kitchen.

She didn't know how she knew where the kitchen was, but she did. And, because of that. She made herself as small as possible by crouching and peered from beneath the round table. Where two bowls of rice rested, cold and dry.

There was someone in the kitchen, lifting a knife and letting it fall on whatever the woman was cutting. She was clearly mad, even though she made no other sound or motion other than the cutting. And Ai realized that this place could be her grave if she didn't find another painting to jump into.

Still, before crawling away from the living room, Ai took a piece of the old rice and tasted it.

It was bland, but safe to eat. Because her bowl was not yet done. And that one would actually be dangerous to even touch. So there was no problem here other than the lack of flavor.

Dang. This place was more messed up than she remembererr… More messed up than she suspected.

Careful to make as little noise as possible, Ai moved on all fours toward the farther corridor beside the kitchen's entrance. Looking around so that she wouldn't randomly bump into a piece of decoration, or trash, while moving. Even though this house was exempted of most things that she'd consider 'homely'. She got up as soon as she couldn't see the kitchen, and quickly dusted off her knees and hands to look for another painting, or a room entrance that looked promising.

The corridor was only about five steps in length, so this meant either opening one of two doors, or trying to squeeze through a small picture that was put down. Ai knew that the picture would be no good, for it displayed a woman and a featureless man in their wedding. It had no room for Ai to occupy, and the scene displayed would simply throw her into the void.

Problems was… Which door should she open? Would they make noise?

Wait! If her mission was to get to the bathroom, then…

The door to this house's bathroom was… The left one!

Ai snapped the door open and jumped in. Slamming it closed behind her, clicking the lock so that the woman in the kitchen couldn't open it even if she heard it. Noise or not, Ai was safe in this moisty room and…

"Gah?!" Hikaru jumped because of the sudden entrance of the idol, and the noise that she made. He slipped on the water of the shower, and almost fell on his butt but was able to pup a foot under himself. "Ai-san?!"

"Gah!" Ai didn't realize that he was there, but she instinctively closed her eyes and hid them with her hands. "Sorry! I'm not trying to peek or anything!"

"This is beyond peeking!" Hikaru protested, completely red in the face and probably trying to cover himself. "Why are you here?!"

"I want to shower!"

"I already told you! You can't shower with me!"

"Why not…?! Err… I mean…! I wasn't thinking about that at all!"

"Ai-san!" Hikaru's angry tone made the idol put down her hands and open her eyes. The blond was small, smaller than Ai as she mostly remembered him. And was so red that Ai didn't even notice his nakedness and the shower still running over him. "I'll get mad for real."

"Okay, okay. My bad." Ai turned around, hesitating for a moment before figuring out how not to return to that hellish place.

She took the doorknob and slowly dragged it to the opposite side of the door, before releasing it and letting it go back.

Now it should lead to a different room. Right?

"Sorry. I can wait." Ai sighed while turning the lock so she could leave, hesitating for a moment before she opened the door. "Hey."

"…Yes?" Hikaru no longer sounded angry, but still tentatively held a reserved tone. He was still on guard.

Doing this probably triggered some bad memories, or made him feel like Ai was disgusting in some way.

Ai didn't want to be thought of that way. Much less by him.

"I was running away from someone, I didn't mean to do this to you."

"…"

She didn't turn around, and he didn't reply. The mood was so awkward that she almost reverted back to her old habits, laughing it off and trying to play it cool. Not now she knew better, and she wanted him to hear what she actually thought. To understand that she cared about his limits.

"I'm sorry." She turned the doorknob and left. Even though she tried to be honest, she still didn't know what else to say. How to convey all the mess in her heart properly. "I'll leave you alone now"

"Don't go." Hikaru stated, and Ai froze up. Seeing that the room outside the bathroom was still wooden. Like that hellish place.

"I'll give you space." Ai insisted, wondering whether this was going to work or not. Thinking if she should try to leave through the small window beside the shower, where the vapor escaped. But not wanting to make Hikaru think that she was coming for him as he was defenseless.

"I… I'm not mad. You can…"

"No, Hikaru." Ai cut him off. "I mean it. I was scared and came here without knowing you were using the shower."

She opened the door fully and stepped outside. She wanted him to believe her, so she put up a brave smile and covered her eyes before turning to him to reassure the boy that she wasn't so thirsty that she'd attack him.

"But I'm fine now. Thanks for reminding me that I'm strong." Ai gave the boy her back, ready to close the door. "I know! Let's meet again when everything's calm, so we can talk for as long as we need. How about it?"

"…" Hikaru remained silent, and Ai wondered if she should just wait inside the bathroom. Bide her time, stay calm. "I… Would like that."

Ai smiled for real and let herself see the outside again.

The corridor belonged to an inn, one that she didn't recognize. And the door on this side was a sliding one, so she pushed it closed.

She didn't know where she was, or how to get out of this place. But she was acutely aware that she'd made it.

The peaceful atmosphere made her steps lighter, and the white light made it seem like she was somewhere cold. Unfit for her summer dress, but she didn't feel cold. In fact, she felt comfortable enough to look around, even though her eyes couldn't quite recognize the decorations and colors that surrounded her. She could see them, but the specifics escaped her mind. Made it wander in directions similar to thoughtlessness.

It made for a boring impression, so at some point she hurried her steps and saw the corridor shift. Less wood, whiter all around. Cold.

She got to the glass double doors, and stepped into a field of snow. Behind her, a hospital that she knew very well greeted her. While, on the horizon, she could see four people moving through the snow and giving her their backs.

Ah… This must've been the place that B-Komachi promoted. She had told the twins that they'd eventually have a family vacation to enjoy the hot springs and relax, together. Free from the constraints of having to hide them from the public, free to roam and play to their heart's content.

"Congratulations, Ai-chan." A man wearing a lab coat spoke up. Startling Ai.

The doctor had his back resting against the hospital's wall. And was playing a 2D pixel art game where he dug dirt and stone, and fought zombies and flying eyes. All back-to-back. Although he struggled against the mobile's controls, he seemed to be having fun.

Ai was rendered speechless at Goro-sensei's casual return. And, for the first time in this whole adventure, Ai wondered if she was actually dead. Because the people that left her life seldom returned, but this man?

"For what?"

"For a successful delivery, of course." The man didn't look at her. Instead, he kept playing until all of his hearts were gone and his pixel art character exploded into limbs, head and torso. "Tch."

"Where were you all this time?" Ai asked breathlessly, pushing aside the desire to call for the twins and show them to him. Her heart beat so fast that she could've exploded into a shower of gore. So she held her hands in front of her chest, like she could keep her guts from exploding.

Goro-sensei looked at her with indifference, before looking toward Ai's family. To Ichigo-san, Miyako-san, Aqua, and Ruby having a great time without Ai.

The idol followed the doctor's gaze, knowing that he had always been excited to talk to her. And there, in the distance, a dark figure struggled to get close to the family. Too far away to tell, but clearly approaching.

Ai didn't know what to think, so she made circles with her hands and put them in front of her face, like she was using binoculars to look further.

The image did get enhanced. It was a young man, dressed in a black hoodie; hands in said hoodie's pockets. Weathering the storm but clearly looking pissed. Deranged.

Ai's heart fell. She was farther from her family than Ryousuke, and although she tried to yell, they couldn't hear them.

If she ran, she'd be too slow. She didn't have her phone, or anything else to tell them.

She couldn't even tell what kind of weapon he had this time around, but she couldn't avert her eyes. She was the only one that could do something. But what?

She had to… Ask for help.

"Sensei!"

"I'm sorry, Ai-chan." Goro-sensei sighed. "I couldn't win before; I won't be able to do it this time."

"But…!"

"Jeez, you're just as meddlesome as usual." The doctor scratched the back of his head, getting out of his game and giving Ai the phone. "Calm down. Work smarter, not harder."

Ai snatched the device, rushing to get to the contact list.

Ichigo-san… Miyako-san… In her haste, she couldn't remember their numbers. She had made a promise to memorize them, be ready for an emergency. But her mind couldn't reach the right sequence.

She looked at the doctor, staring at her patiently.

Work smarter, not harder.

Ai got out of the contact list and chose the camera app. And pointed it toward the family.

She could have tried something smart here. In fact, wouldn't it be great if her family met the doctor that helped make it possible? But, one way or another, Ai felt like… It didn't fit.

Ai moved the camera toward Ryousuke, and she pushed herself into the picture. Crossing the distance between her and the approaching guy. Bumping onto him when she landed into reality again. And embraced him, tightly hugging the young man and willing everything to be okay now that she was there.

"…Hoshino?" The tired voice of someone else snapped Ai out of her anxiety. And she pushed herself away from the young man, now wearing a blue hoodie.

Weird eyes greeted her, someone that she had willed herself to remember. To recognize in spite of her faulty memory and bad habits, someone whose appearance she could describe even with her eyes closed, whose antipathic voice she recognized as safe.

"Hachiman-san!" Ai hugged him again, letting out the breath that she had unwittingly held from the moment she used the camera.

The god-like being, or the man-like hero, surrounded her with his own warmth. Making everything feel comfortable in spite of being barefoot in the snow and with no protection whatsoever.

"I missed you so, so much…" Ai hid her face in his clothes. Taking a lungful of air and filling her brain with his smell. She felt safe in a way that she couldn't explain, in a way that she hadn't realized she needed all this time. "I thought you were gone."

"Sorry." Hachiman-san sounded a little tired. "I was on my way."

All this time, he was on his way to see her. From the very beginning… Or so she wanted to believe.

"Then it's okay." Ai whispered, realizing that she still hadn't seen her family. But, now, when she turned around, they were there. A few steps away from the two. "Ah…!"

Before she could say anything, Hachiman-san released her and placed a hand on her back and behind her legs, pulling up to lift her and un-dig her feet from the snow.

"It's cold, and you're in your pajamas." Hachiman-san admonished her. "Are you a kid?"

"I was in a hurry." Ai puffed her cheeks in faux annoyance. "You were taking so long that I got lonely, okay?"

"…Right." He didn't sound like he believed her, but his face still got red from her words. Making her feel cheekier…

…But her kids and parents were present, and Miyako-san even coughed on her fist to get her attention.

"…We should head back." Ai spoke up before someone could say anything.

"You need to cover up." Hachiman-san glared at her.

"I…" The idol blinked a couple of times. "I need a shower."

"We can tell." Hachiman-san murmured.

"No, you can't!" Ai protested before her children could defend her.

Though, if pressed, she could just use it as an excuse to bathe with her children.

Eventually, she would be unable to. So she might as well do it as often as she could. For as long as the world listened to her.

For as long as she was allowed some semblance of happiness.

Ai woke up, Ruby and Aqua sleeping by her side.

The young mother caressed their heads, feeling safe sleeping in the Saitou's guest room after discussing the situation regarding Hikaru and Haruno-san. Feeling more in control of her life, now that there were more people on her side.

She was not throwing away her chance, she was just investing in safety first. To do more, to give everyone more.

To be more.