Chapter 63: The Truth of the World

Saturday Dec 24th, 20XX Night

Ren sat stiffly on his desk chair and waved awkwardly for Kasumi to take a seat somewhere. Ren had been teased before and distinctly felt those words running through his mind now: You invited the wrong sister again.

"Apologies for the interruption and all that," Kasumi mumbled before collapsing onto the sofa. She pulled her legs up after herself, folding into a ball. Even hugging herself, she shivered.

"Are you cold?" Ren asked. Standing up, he walked over to the shelf and pulled off a blanket. Kasumi didn't reply so Ren took the initiative and wrapped it around he did, Ren's fingers briefly touched her neck. Cold wasn't the correct word, she was frozen.

Once Ren had settled back down in his chair, Kasumi spoke.

"Maruki… is evil."

Ren jerked in surprise. He had not expected that. "Evil… is a bit strong, no?"

"No."

"Kas… What happened?"

She turned her eyes onto him and Ren leaned back in fright. Her brown eyes were streaked red from crying and filled with a burning hate. "I'm here to warn you and hopefully recruit you. I'm changing this world back to the way it's supposed to be. You can help or go frolicing with my sister."

"So you found your answer," Ren breathed out. "I'm surprised. This can't be because of the gymnastics changes. You aren't selfish."

"...You're wrong about that." Kasumi whispered. Her gaze softened as she looked back to her feet. "I am doing this for entirely selfish purposes."

"Then why shouldn't I stop you?" Ren asked, growing exasperated. His own emotions were still a mess. He knew he shouldn't have left Sumire. Now, he was doing exactly what she had accused him of, inviting her sister to his house.

"Because I saw it in your eyes when I talked to you!" Kasumi growled. Her fists were clenched into tight balls. "You knew this world was wrong even then! You clearly ran away from my sister because she did something to drive you away. So? Do you want to explain?"

"It… would disturb you," Ren said carefully.

"So would mine."

"...Fine. I'll bite. Sumire told me that I should date both of you at the same time."

Oddly, Kasumi only chuckled. "Not as bad as I expected. For me… when I was feeling horrible by myself, Akechi appeared."

"He… appeared?"

"Yes, one moment her wasn't there, the next he was. Then, when I got mad, he disappeared. I think Maruki was trying to figure out if I missed him more than I hated him."

"That…" Ren placed a hand to his head. "That must have been horrible." Even with his largely negative relationship with the detective, Ren shivered at the idea. He had to admit, Kasumi was having a far worse day than he had.

"Well?" Kasumi pressed.

Ren sighed. His heart was still fluctuating. "I need time, Kasumi. I'm sorry."

"So you're going to turn away from this as well!? Don't be selfish and do what is right!"

"Right!?" Ren growled back, anger spiking. Standing up he slammed his hand against the desk. Frustrations from the day flowed over. Whirling on Kasumi, Ren pointed an accusing finger at her. "You tell Futaba to give up her mother, again. You tell Ryuji to injure his leg and be unable to run. You tell Haru to turn her father into an invalid!"

Huffing, Ren managed to stop himself. Turning away, he wiped his face. As Kasumi had yet to reply, Ren managed a short apology. "Sorry. That was over the top."

"No, it was true." Kasumi took a deep steadying breath. When their gazes next met, her eyes were stony and focused. "I'll do it. I'll do all of those things. They aren't real. Merely their ideal lives that Maruki extracted from their dreams."

"And the problem in that is?"

"I won't claim that all escapism is bad," Kasumi started. "But you can't run from life. Maruki's world is a stagnant, sterile pool. Nothing in it will change or grow. No one will truly be alive."

"Your evidence?"

"Logical deduction."

"Not evidence."

Kasumi sighed, but gave a relenting nod. "It isn't. I just wonder what happens in ten, twenty years. Does someone ever want their parents to die? Would that not bring suffering?"

"Come on," Ren shrugged. "It isn't like Maruki can stop…"

A piercing stare from Kasumi left Ren feeling a fool. Maruki could and had rewritten death with a wave of his hand. Bringing back if not the real person, a shade of what the people around them thought they were.

"We can investigate," Ren proposed. "See if there have been a number of miraculous recoveries in the elderly and… and oh god."

"What?"

"We'll kill millions…" Ren breathed out, horrified. "If Maruki can stop death… isn't everyone who dies from now on our fault?"

"He can't! It's fake."

"Is there a difference between a miracle pill and a placebo if they both work?"

"Probably not." Kasumi admitted this while finally standing up. She walked over to Ren, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But Maruki is not healing them. That Akechi he brought back was not real. The people he saves are real currently. But they will stop being so. They will turn into objects, living only to stop the sorrow of those praying for them."

Ren still couldn't commit. Staring Kasumi in the eye, he gave her his reckoning. "New years. By the time the first comes around, I will have an answer for you, okay?"

"So long?" Kasumi sighed, but backed up. She let out a sleepy yawn and stretched. "I need sleep."

Ren checked his phone and saw that the date had ticked over to the twenty-fifth. "Agreed. Do you want to stay the… Err…"

Kasumi smiled at him for that. "No, I need to go home. To do otherwise would to risk becoming exactly what my sister fears. Good night."

"Good night…" Ren replied by rote. His mind reeled though. Become what her sister feared? He didn't understand and thought it better not to ask. With it being too late to call Sumire and apologize, Ren went to sleep as the snow still fell outside.

Sunday Dec 25th, 20XX Morning

"I am sorry, really." Ren said into his phone.

"No, no, it's fine. I understand. I ruined the mood."

Those words made Ren all the more confident that everything was very much not fine. Growing desperate, Ren continued to plead. "I shouldn't have ran out on you. That was a mistake, Sumire. Please let me make it up to you."

"R-Ren, I'm serious! There's nothing to make up! I understand that the three of us need to talk about this. Yesterday was a bad time to bring it up."

"Three of us? Are you… really set on this, Sumire?"

"I… I think so. Winter break starts tomorrow so we don't have to worry about school. I'll set up a time when I've confirmed."

"Okay. I'll talk to you at a later day then?"

"Yes, we will. I love you, Ren."

"I love you, too." Ren breathed over the line, his pounding heart finding a moment of peace. When the call ended, Ren released his pent up stress with a big sigh. His worry about their relationship seemed to have been misplaced. Sumire understood. That was a miracle. Ren's freakout hadn't ruined anything.

Feeling ready to face the day, Ren messaged the final two people he was hoping to see. Out of all the phantom thieves, Ren had yet to check in on Makoto and Yusuke. He hoped one of them could point him in a direction where Ren would make a decision that he was happy with.

As Ren was reminiscing, the first of his two targets sent a reply. Makoto was going shopping with her family.

"Family?" Ren mused. Not sister. Family. Was the distinction important? Deciding he would find out shortly, Ren grabbed his jacket and headed out. The roads were empty and easy to navigate. There were few tourists at this time of year and the cold weather was keeping a lot of people inside.

Arriving at Shibuya, Ren checked his phone and took off to the designated location. Thankfully, the shopping mall was inside and so Ren got to escape the cold. Breathing a sigh of relief, he breathed on his hands. He may have remembered his jacket, but like an idiot, gloves were beyond his IQ.

By the time Ren navigated his way to the food court, his hands had warmed up. Sae, as always, stuck out like a flower in a field of grass. With her height, silver hair, and immaculate looks, she was impossible to hide. Standing side-by-side with Makoto, it was easy to see the family resemblance. Which made it all the more shocking that Ren could include the man with them in that fold.

"Hey Makoto, Sae." Ren greeted them.

"Oh, so this is the boy that messaged you, Makoto?" The man replied first. "I look forward to getting to know you, young man."

Accepting the proffered hand, Ren shook the hard embrace. The man's hand was weathered and callused from years of hard work. "Good to meet you, my name is Amamiya Ren."

"I'm aware. I am the father of these two. Heaven knows how hard of a job that is."

"Father!" Makoto and Sae's twinned embarrassed voices rang out. Even the former detective, head of the SIU, Sae, could still act like a child.

Ren supposed that was the power of parents. "Good to meet you sir. I'm sorry to interrupt your family outing."

"Oh, not at all. We finished early and are waiting around."

"For what?" Ren inquired.

"The Hazegawa's are coming for lunch." Makoto explained. "We have a reservation but maybe we can expand it?"

"No, no, that's okay," Ren assured her, waving his hands. "I don't want to be a nuisance. I just came to confirm a few things."

"Oh?" Sae smirked. "You sound like you are investigating something."

"Kind of. Our friend–err, cat–Morgana is missing. I was hoping Makoto could help."

"Morgana…" Makoto's eyes took on the same glazed look that Ren had seen on his other friends. "No, I guess Maruki might know."

That same answer. Ren wondered about it. The repetition was a tad suspicious.

"Was that all?" Makoto wondered. "You could have just messaged the question."

"Not quite…" Ren murmured, looking around as he tried to formulate and answer.

Before he could continue, Mr. Nijima broke in. "Why don't we all get something to drink and sit down?"

"That sounds great," Ren smiled. By the time they had gotten drinks and settled again, Ren had come up with a starting point. "Have you met with Haru recently? She seems to be enjoying life a bit more nowadays."

Makoto nodded but had a confused expression. "Haru's always so happy. I didn't realize she wasn't earlier."

Drat. Ren had no idea what they remembered and what they thought had happened. It seemed like every event that was too traumatic had been erased but sometimes not their ripple effects. Ren guessed that because Haru's dad was alive, she had never become CEO. But then why was Mariko still there?

"Well, exams and the term are done," Ren said loftily. "Breaks always lighten the mood."

That went over well at least. Makoto nodded while Sae chuckled.

"I remember winter break. Unfortunately us adults don't have that luxury."

"Hah! You? An adult?" Their father sniffed. "You work shifts. You don't know the pain of being on call all day."

So real… Ren thought as he stared at the man from the side of his eye. "Sorry, what is your job, Mr. NIjima?"

"Huh? You don't know? I'm the director of the SIU. I would have thought everyone in this country had to have seen my ugly mug at least a couple times on those press conferences."

"O-Oh, right."

"I rose from just a common beat cop you know? Low as you can go to the very top. Impressive, no?"

"I-Is that right? By the way… How does one go from cop to SIU director?"

"Well, the normal way of course. You work hard for years and then… you uhh, get promoted."

Before Ren could question the vague reply, Sae jumped in. "It doesn't matter, does it? The important thing is that the SIU director is the best person for the job."

"Ahaha, you flatter me," their father laughed. "But there are many people who could do the job."

"I doubt that."

Everyone chuckled as conversation flowed. Ren, in the midst of that happy and peaceful atmosphere, asked a forbidden question. "Hmm, perhaps we should ask your mother if she can elaborate?"

"Ren…" Makoto replied in a pained voice. "When I was very small…"

"I too was young at that time," Sae murmured.

"But you weren't," Ren asked their Father directly. Ren prepared himself to get hit. Oddly, it never came. He just sat there, blankly staring off into the distance.

"It… It would be nice," Makoto whispered.

"Yeah… If mom was still here," Sae followed up, a tear in the corner of her eye.

Ren's guilt was a sharp knife jammed into his gut. But he refused to apologize, to give in. He wanted the sorrow to hang in the air for another second. Would the family come together over their loss? Or perhaps…?

Another chair appeared at their table. A woman was suddenly sitting there. Ren did not recognize her. She looked about Sae's age. Possibly late twenties, and almost certainly not thirty. This young woman can't be…

"Why is everyone looking so morose?" The woman chuckled. "Oh, and Sae dear, you're crying again. Now that you have a job you can't do things like that all the time!"

"I-I'm not crying!" Sae replied, wiping her eyes. "And if I am, it's because of your horrible jokes!"

"Yes, she does tell bad jokes."

"I do at that!"

The exchange between the parents was… oddly dull. The lines spoken as if by rote. Ren glanced over at Makoto. His friend was gaping, mouth open at her mother. Confusion and apprehension were plain to see in her gaze.

"M-Mom?" She stammered.

"Yes dear?"

"You're… younger than I imagined."

"Rude!" She gasped. "I'm aging like a fine wine is all. Besides, you girls are hopeless without your mommy."

"Yes… Yes we are…"

As Ren watched, those emotions were replaced in Makoto's eyes. All apprehension was gone and relief replaced it. Makoto was not alone in her happiness. The sorrow Ren had caused was but a fleeting thing that Maruki had fixed with one simple change.

Staying silent as the now complete family talked, Ren was forgotten. Despite being the one who should have remembered and loved their mother the most, Mr. Nijima barely reacted. Neither looked at each or shared an intimate moment. But, there was also no tension. This was no couple on the edge of divorce. Instead… It was as if neither could see the other. Both were focused only on Sae and Makoto.

Ren knew that there was something here. Some information he was missing. He couldn't figure out the intricacies of Maruki's world without help. It was extremely frustrating. As Ren grit his teeth, a small part of his mind gave a thought: Do I need to understand?

Ren wasn't sure. He just had to make a decision he could live with. A decision that would let him stand with his chin up–even if millions threw stones at him, condemning him.

Despite saying nothing, no one seemed to want Ren to participate. He had been mostly forgotten. An outsider to a dynamic where he wasn't wanted. Although… as Ren blinked, he felt like he could see different possibilities. If things had gone differently, he could be sitting here as Makoto's boyfriend, a future son-in-law. Or even… Sae's?

Ren shook his head to dispel the strange thoughts. Ren didn't know why such odd ideas would occur to him. The motion finally drew Makoto's attention back to him.

"Are you alright, Ren? You look pained."

I do? Resetting his expressions, Ren flashed her a smile. "Yes, of course. Just hesitating over a decision."

"You're a little early to pick a college, aren't you?" Sae asked.

"I am." Ren agreed.

There was an awkward pause as the sister's shared a glance.

"And so the decision is…?" Makoto asked.

"Difficult," Ren agreed with a grunt.

"Ugh," Sae said. "You dodged a bullet with this one, sister. Getting information from men like him is harder than getting water from stone."

"Oh, I'm not so bad," Ren replied with a smile. "Why Sumire usually only needs to smack me a couple times to draw forth said metaphorical water."

Makoto giggled at that. "I can imagine that. Poor girl."

"Poor girl?" Ren gasped with fake outrage. "What about me? She's strong you know?"

"Oh, I know," Makoto nodded. "I didn't realize how hard it was to gain that kind of strength until recently."

"Hmm?"

"I'm working out," Makoto answered. She blushed, but there was a strange sense of satisfaction in her eyes. "It is rewarding but slow progress."

"Why?"

"Why what?" Makoto teased.

"Why are you working out?" Ren sighed.

This time, it was only embarrassment that touched Makoto's expression. "I-I'm going to be a police officer. Need more strength for that than a girl naturally develops."

Ren nodded. He only had a vague understanding of muscle building. "Eating a lot of protein?"

Makoto winced. "The grainy shakes are not pleasant."

"You'll get used to it," Sae assured Makoto, patting her back. "You only need to keep it up long enough to pass training."

It was then that Ren noticed the irregularity. Neither of their parents had mentioned anything. Glancing over, Ren recoiled. He almost fell from his chair. Their eyes were unfocused but their expressions were smiling. They were like sleep walkers.

"What was that?" Sae snorted at him. "Did Father scare you?"

"Hmm, I can use my old police chief voice if you want…" Mr. NIjima spoke for the first time.

Ren was watching Mrs. Nijima though who did not even glance at them. Her eyes were straight ahead. Like a puppet waiting for its master's hand to give it life.

Having now experienced the falseness of those brought back, Ren shivered. Kasumi had been right. These were not real people for Maruki did not have the power to rewrite the past. Instead they were devices to reduce sorrow and suffering.

Ren was not a philosopher, but popular thought experiments always floated around conversions and the internet. One claimed that a person could not know if they were in a simulation or not. For someone could not truly know another's mind. Ren had always considered it a flimsy excuse to justify doing whatever they wanted.

Now though… Well, Ren guessed that there was a decreasing number of normal people. Slowly, Maruki would turn others into puppets that only reacted when the still living people wanted them too.

Conversation had continued that passed by Ren. His thoughts had distracted him. Blinking, he tried to focus, but knew it was too late. Frowns were now present on all four Nijima's.

"Are you okay, Ren?" Makoto questioned. "What is wrong?"

"I… Sorry. Zoned out for a moment."

"A moment?" Sae pressed. "It was far longer than that."

"Ahaha," Ren laughed it off. Thankfully, they didn't press. Everyone turned back to their drinks. Ren noticed that Mrs. Nijima now had one as well. He could have sworn that hadn't been there before.

Having now collected almost all of the information he wanted, Ren waited. It only took another five minutes or so before the newcomers arrived.

"Ahh, there he is!" Zenkichi spoke loudly. His voice fond with a wide smile on his expression, he clasped forearms with Makoto's father who had risen.

Meanwhile, Akane had rushed over to Makoto to talk to her and Sae joined in. However, the two women–the dead mothers–did nothing. With no one watching them, no one expecting something, they stood still.

Likewise, no one was watching Ren. Without another word, Ren stood up and walked away. No one called for him. No one noticed that he was gone. Ren sighed and pulled out his phone. He briefly confirmed his next destination. He was pretty sure that he was maintaining a calm demeanor. Inside, his stomach was roiling. A boiling pit of mixed emotions on the verge of erupting. Ren had not felt like this since that day in the prison. He had almost killed a man that day. Now, today, if Maruki appeared in front of Ren, he knew he would punch the man.

Ren forced himself to take a deep breath, to release some of his pent-up anger. For, ultimately, it was anger at himself. He was the one that had changed hearts. Rather than learning from that, rather than internalizing that lesson despite his stint in prison… he had fled. It was not trust that had made Ren give permission to Maruki–it was cowardice. He had been scared to decide, scared to question. Terrified to face down the majority and reject their desires.

With his mind half made up, Ren proceeded on to his last meeting of the day.

Sunday Dec 25th, 20XX Noon

Kasumi was there, and so, Sumire fled. She knew that her sister wanted to speak with her, but Sumire could not do so. I told Ren I'd share him with her…

Sumire remembered the words, knew that it was the correct, logical, obvious choice. So why do I flee? She wasn't sure. All Sumire knew was that she couldn't do it yet.

Her sister, sleepy, had stumbled out of her room around noon. Sumire, as usual, had made a strangled noise like a startled rat and darted away without a word. She wasn't even sure if Kasumi had seen her.

Sumire, now standing outside, shivered. The weekend streets were nearly devoid of life. A thin coat of snow lined the street from last night's snowfall. The street however, was mostly cleared as the continual traffic of vehicles had melted the pavement. The mar ruined the otherwise pristine scenery. Sumire couldn't help but take it as a reminder of the state of her life.

Just like those people couldn't sleep-in and enjoy their christmas weekend, Sumire couldn't have her perfect happiness. There was no way to do what needed to be done and create the perfect scenery. Sumire could not balance her three wishes it seemed. Betweening making gymnastics less stressful and time-consuming, getting closer to Kasumi, and continuing to date Ren it seemed she was getting pulled in three directions.

The changes to gymnastics made her sister upset. Trying to fix that, Sumire had proposed that Ren date both of them. All that had done was push Ren away from her. Sumire could imagine the perfect world, the unbroken snow, but it wasn't coming together. Sighing, Sumire stuck her hands in her jacket's pockets and stalked away. By the time she had reached the train station and reached merciful warmth, Sumire's nose had started running. Sniffling to keep her mucus in, Sumire rubbed her hands. They were going numb already.

Breathing on them, Sumire finally felt some life return to them. Striding along, she started to unwind. With her jacket on in the heated interior, warmth slowly returned. Walking along the station line, Sumire realized that she had a destination in mind. Maybe she hadn't just been fleeing her sister.

She felt like she zoned out, time slipping by. In moments, she was loading onto the train and setting off. One more disconnected ride later and Sumire was exiting out into the city center. Finally, Sumire found crowds. Families were shopping, couples were out and groups of friends were hanging out.

Stuffing her hands in her pockets, Sumire hung her head and soldiered on. At this point, Sumire had to admit her destination. A project that had been announced only a few short weeks ago.

Walking around one final building, it came into sight. Lifting her head, Sumire stared up at the rapidly assembling building. She could have sworn that things changed as she approached. With beautiful towers and a wide, open plaza ringed with sweeping pillars, the building created a spectacular visage.

Sumire was not alone, a crowd had formed at the construction gate sealing the building off. Ducking around them, Sumire read the sign.

Salvation Medical Center: Opens Jan 1, 20XX1.

"Will this… fix everything?"

"Damn straight it will, little girl!"

Sumire whirled around at the happy voice. She found a hulking man standing behind her. He had a goofy smile that broke an otherwise intimidating sight. "A-Are you talking to me?"

"Course I am!" He laughed. "I've been coming here every day to talk to people like you!"

"Like… me?"

"Yupp!" He nodded. Through the whole conversation, his broad smile hadn't wavered. "People with those eyes who know that life can be better. You would be surprised. Lots of people long for it and come here to wonder. I figure I'll do my part by assuring them in the meantime."

"Oh. That's… nice." Sumire gave the man a tentative smile. "Umm… why are you so confident in Salvation and Dr. Maruki?"

"Why? No one's asked me that before. I guess it's because…" He trailed off, the smile finally fading. "I just know it's going to work."

"You just know?"

"I guess that's not very convincing. I I do believe in it though. I know it will fix the problems."

"I thought the same…" Sumire whispered to herself. Taking a look back at the sign, Sumire sighed. She would have to contain her anxiety and wait. If she could just talk to Dr. Maruki, then surely, surely, he would fix everything.

Sunday Dec 25th, 20XX Afternoon

Ren stood awkwardly at the exhibit entrance. The woman manning the ticket booth continued to give him suspicious glances. Others wearing mostly formal clothes kept flowing in and out without issue.

Ren, however, was waiting for Yusuke to let him in. Every minute it grew worse. He accidentally made eye contact with the lady.

She frowned. "Do you really know someone inside?"

"He'll be here shortly," Ren tried to assure her. Then, with a second thought, he changed his tactic. "I do find it quite distressing that you don't believe me."

"I-I'm so sorry!"

Ren sighed dramatically. "I'm afraid at this point, the only way you can make it up to me is to let me in."

"Right, of course!" Without even hesitating the lady began waving him forward.

Ren paused looking at her. "You're… serious?"

"Yes. I was silly to doubt you. Please, go!"

"Oh, thanks." Giving her a wan smile, Ren passed through into the exhibit. Just a few feet in, Yusuke came rushing up. Seeing Ren, he pulled up.

"You got it?"

"I asked politely."

Yusuke nodded thoughtfully like Ren had said something wise. "Come and see. We're ecstatic that the Sayuri is finally receiving the credit it deserves."

Doing just that, Ren stuck his hands in his pockets. As usual when Ren was alone with the artist, he found conversation hard to start. He supposed that was a good thing today as the entire exhibit was silent. In the main area there were dozens of people and the only sounds were suppressed coughs, shuffling shoes, and whispers.

Yusuke led Ren to a group surrounding one of the largest crowds. Inside, Ren found a man that he didn't particularly care for: Ichiryusai Madarame. The master painter was dressed no differently from any other time; with those fake demure robes and wise smile.

"Ahh, Yusuke. So this is why you ran off."

"Yes, master." Yusuke nodded. "Apologies."

"No, it is good for you to invite friends. Your mother would have loved to see it."

Ren looked past them at the painting on the wall. It was one he was very familiar with. The unmarred Sayuri was beautiful. However… He could see why Madarame's version was more popular. This was a beautiful painting of a mother and child… but the other was a mystery. It made one wonder and speculate. This version was a fact. A statement to be processed and moved on from.

"She would probably be embarrassed that so many people are staring at her portrait."

Both of them looked at Ren. Shrugging, he offered a weak defense. "I'd feel that way."

Madarame eventually chuckled quietly. "Ahh, I suppose I can understand that."

Undeterred, Ren followed it up with more socially insensitive commentary. "It is a shame that she isn't here. That would be nice."

"It… yes, it would be." Yusuke murmured.

Ren waited, but nothing happened. Well, nothing besides the mood grew even more somber. Inhaling sharply, Ren pressed forward. He gently laid a hand on Yusuke's shoulder. "I know it hurts. Feel free to lean on me anytime."

"It… no, I barely knew her," Yusuke said huskily. His words were caught in his throat. "It's Madarame who lost his close student and friend."

"Yes, I did," the master sighed. "But her last great work will be her legacy."

"You'd choose a painting over her?"

Yusuke's face finally contorted. Whirling on Ren he whispered angrily. "Is this why you asked to meet me? To remind me that I'm an orphan? That the only parental figure I've ever had is my master? Why? Why would you dredge up this pain!? Please explain! Explain… explain how…"

Ren only watched as Yusuke's face slowly relaxed. The passion left his eyes as they glazed over. Ren felt an odd sensation. As if the entire room was tilting or being moved from beneath him. Most of the crowd began to dissipate… and then she appeared.

Like the others, there was no being built out of light, or walking from a portal. One second she was not there, and then you blink and she is. The woman from the painting, Yusuke's mother, was alive again. She looked almost identical to the woman in the painting. The painting that was hardly being looked at anymore.

Ren overheard some of the whispers from the few onlookers. "A portrait, really?" "It's absurd that such a simple piece could be hung up here."

Yusuke seemed momentarily surprised. Then, he smiled. "Don't be discouraged, mother. I think it's amazing."

"I know," she grumbled. "You two are the reason I submitted it. As I told you though, people don't want to see me on the canvas."

"Hmm, perhaps you are right," Yusuke admitted. "That's alright. I still love it."

His mother blushed, shifting in place.

Madarame chuckled parentally. "As my two best students, I know that you both will continue to make incredible art."

"Yes, master!" Mother and son said at the same time. Then, sharing a look they laughed. It was a precious moment. It's what could have been.

Ren clapped Yusuke on the shoulder. "That's for the invite. I'm going to head out."

Ren didn't get a reply. Deep down, he knew he didn't deserve one.

Sunday Dec 25th, 20XX Night

Sumire sighed in relief as she managed to slip into the shower room and close the door behind her. Their family's apartment had a full japanese style washroom complete with shower and bath. Undressing, she threw her clothes in the basket and proceeded to the shower.

Getting settled and turning the water on, Sumire heard an odd sound. The slight creak of the outer door hinges and a figure entering the laundry room. Frowning, Sumire held in her nervousness and began washing her hair.

Then, the inner door opened. Kasumi, completely naked, strode in and glared at her.

"Eep!" Jumping slightly, Sumire felt adrenaline pulsing through her. Her fight or flight instinct kicked in and she glanced longingly out the door behind Kasumi. I trapped myself! Realizing her mistake, Sumire clenched her fists. If her sister were the lion and she the antelope, then she would at least die kicking.

"Not going to run?" Kasumi taunted.

"No." Sumire bit back. "Why don't you wait your turn? The bathtub is a bit small for both of us."

"Hmm? You want us to date the same person but are embarrassed to bathe with me?"

There it is. Taking a deep breath, Sumire began to lather her hair with shampoo. "Well, if you're that insistent, you can help wash my hair."

"Sure."

Expecting another attack, Sumire froze. But, Kasumi quickly and expertly took over. She untangled the knots from the day and applied Sumire's special colored hair specific shampoo expertly.

A minute and then two passed as Sumire's body calmed down. Letting her eyes close, she soaked in the feeling of the deep wash. After her hair was done and tied up to dry, Kasumi began washing her back.

"You don't expect me to wash your front I hope," Kasumi said drily. "I don't plan on getting that close to my own sister."

"R-Right." Picking up the soap, Sumire dealt with that herself. Now, fully washed, she stood up and eyed the tub. Unfortunately, there was no running from this. She could jump in and out in a couple minutes to escape Kasumi. That would be petty however. Her sister had helped her wash and hadn't pressed.

As Kasumi sat down on the stool, Sumire grabbed the shower head. She began the process and noted as her sister settled in comfortably. "Why? Didn't you come in here to attack me?"

"Attack?" Kasumi looked genuinely pained at the word. "No. I wanted to listen to you. And then… well I was hoping you would listen to my request."

"What did you want me to talk about?" Sumire asked quietly.

"Your christmas date. I'm sure you need someone to vent to. It must have been horrible."

"It… It was. But not in the moment. I just… went cold. I sat there silently for… I'm not sure how long. Eventually, the waitress came and shook my shoulder. She took the money Ren left and I… I called dad to pick me up. I was fine until he asked me what happened."

"And then?" Kasumi asked gently.

Sumire realized that while she had been talking, she had kept working. Staying silent for a moment, she switched to conditioning her sister's hair. Kasumi, true to her word, did not press. She just waited for Sumire. She appreciated that.

"I just… I just started weeping. I couldn't say anything so I just cried the whole car ride." Sumire felt those same tears beginning to well up in her eyes as she finished with her sister's hair. "I'm going to lose him, aren't I? Even with Maruki helping… He doesn't love me anymore."

As her tears finally started flowing freely, she found herself wrapped up in her sister's arms. Sumire didn't even notice their mutual nakedness as they embraced. Her sister's body slick with water was burning to the touch. She just felt so alive, so real, that Sumire couldn't help but cling to her.

"It's alright," Kasumi whispered, pulling her tighter. "Let it all out."

So Sumire did. She cried and was held. "Help me, please. I can't bear to lose anyone. Ren or you."

"You won't lose either us," Kasumi promised. "Come on, I can feel you shivering, let's get in the bath."

Sumire allowed herself to get led to the mythical porcelain tub. She let out an instinctive sigh as she settled into the hot water. Sitting down, she cradled her knees against her chest. Kasumi settled down on the lip behind her, continuing to rub Sumire's shoulder with one hand.

"I-I understand why he left," Sumire sniffed. "I said something stupid. B-But won't I keep doing that? Won't I keep pushing him away?"

Kasumi sighed. "You didn't say something stupid. You proposed an idea that would completely change your relationship. Can you calm down and think about this with me? You're worried about your relationship ending, but you proposed changing it. Why is that?"

"You're lecturing!" Sumire whined.

"Just answer my question."

Grumbling, Sumire found herself unable to hang unto her anger. Between the hot water and the relief from crying, she was feeling peaceful. Her sister's warm touch helped keep her settled. "I did it to stop it from ending. If you keep failing a throw with a prop, you have to change it up, right?"

"And why did you think it wasn't working?"

"Because he loves you."

Kasumi gasped at the simple answer. "He… told you that?"

"No," Sumire admitted. "But he doesn't have to."

"So you are worried that he loves me and not you now?"

Again, Sumire admitted the truth. "No. But there is no way that we will work like this. Something needs to change. The words… they just felt so right. Don't… Don't you want it as well?"

"I…"

Sumire turned around to look her sister in the eyes. It was Kasumi who looked away. That expression was as good as an admission.

"He's your boyfriend." Kasumi eventually said. "I will find my own way in life."

"But I don't want that," Sumire muttered. "It's selfish, isn't it? I want both of you… But if it stays as it is, it will hurt you. So…"

"So your proposal was for my sake," Kasumi smiled and met her eyes at last. "Thank you, Sumire. It was definitely the wrong time, and you should have checked with me but… thank you."

"So…?" Sumire asked hopefully.

"So, I have a deal for you."

A pit formed in Sumire's stomach. She had the feeling that she wasn't going to like what Kasumi proposed.

"I will attempt to make your idea work, the three of us together. However, that's only if you help us change Maruki's heart to revert this world."

And there it was. Sumire hugged her body. "Why would you want to end it?"

"He made Akechi appear in front of me."

"Huh?" Head snapping back up, Sumire felt horror on her sister's behalf.

"I was sitting alone at the cafe we used to go to," Kasumi spoke slowly, her voice nearly devoid of emotion. Her eyes were pointed at a blank spot on the wall as she stared into the past. "I-I was feeling bad. I felt alone and lost. So for a brief moment, I wanted him back… and he appeared. The sight of him disgusted me and he was gone. My heart fluctuated between anger and desiring any warmth in my life."

"Kas…"

"Eventually… Akechi solidified for a moment and said one line. 'I will not be your pawn.' It chilled me, Sumire. Maruki's vision is messed up. It isn't natural, and it isn't helpful. We need to return to the real world."

"I… I can't agree. Yet." Sumire added on quickly. "I need to talk with Dr. Maruki. Ask if there's something more. If he can fix this."

"Okay," Kasumi nodded. "Talk to him. I'll arrange for the three of us to talk afterwards."

"The first," Sumire proposed. "A new year for a new world."

"Deal."

With that, Sumire had a deadline rapidly approaching.